ffov. 20, 1890.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



£47 



Drammond, Tliompson, etc.. givo similar accounts of his 

 leaping powers. 



Every one of these statements is explicitly denied by 

 different writers, because they bad not happened to see 

 the fact described, and therefore we may readily had 

 authority for saying that lions do not spring upon their 

 prey, that their leaps are inconsiderable, and that they 

 never strike with the arm and claw, or bite through the 

 vertebra by seizing the back of the neck, or dislocate it. 

 The personal observations of Selous, however, have for- 

 tunately embraced specimens of all these methods of 

 despatching creatures seized, and it may be regarded as 

 certain that they, are all practiced by the lion. 



No civilized man, or at least none who has recorded 

 his exx>erience, knows much about the temper and habits 

 of the wild lion, and under such circumstances the false 

 doctrine of instinct vitiates conclusions from limited ob- 

 servations and places the reports of hunters at variance 

 with each other. Lions are rarely seen by day, and at 

 night, all but the inexperienced sportsman are perfectly 

 aware that Gerard. Andersson, Leveson and Selous were 

 right in regarding them as more than a match for a man, 

 however armed. Successful study, therefore, would seem 

 to require conditions little likely to be realized, and prob- 

 ably the best that can be done for descriptive zoology is 

 to bring together everything that has been uttered on 

 good authority and leave it to be interpreted in accord- 

 ance with theoretical principles. No animals are more 

 interesting than the great cats, or have more widely and 

 powerfully excited the imaginations of different classes 

 of mankind. It is not surprising that so many tales, 

 such as Co!. Pollok ("Sport iu|British Burmah") may 

 well say that he "wonders at," should have been told 

 about them; but it is unaccountable, except on the ground 

 that the reasoning of these writers upon what they saw 

 had been vitiated by the conception that an animal is a 

 machine constructed to work in only one way, should 

 have introduced so much which disfigures them' into the 

 pages of men who were incapable of a deliberate mis- 

 statement. 



Biological and psychological studies were not needed 

 to prevent an author from calling the lion a coward on 

 one page, because he had learned the effect of improved 

 firearms, and from telling in another of a desperate foray 

 upon his camp; from enlarging in one part of a book 

 upon the implanted instinct by which he stands in awe 

 of men, and relating in a succeeding chapter how men 

 are destroyed when poorly armed at his good pleasure. 



_ So long as wild beasts are tacitly judged as if they were 

 civilized men, the conclusions arrived at are likely to be 

 obnoxious to criticism. What Prof. Robinson says of the 

 lion is in all particulars true. "Life has but one end for 

 him— enjoyment— and to this he gives all his magnifi- 

 cent energies, * * * without forgetting for an in- 

 stant that he is only a huge cat, or flying in the face of 

 nature by pretending to anything else." It is the hunters 

 who have anthropomorphized him and heaped equally 

 undeserved praise and reprobation upon his head. That 

 lions must possess individuality may be inferred from the 

 place which they hold in nature,' and having this, the 

 observed contrasts between them in severalty and in 

 local groups follows as a matter of course. No more 

 perfect combination of strength, agility and cunning 

 than exists in the lion can elsewhere be found. "He 

 makes no pretense to invincible courage; on the contrary, 

 he prefers, as a rule, to enjoy life rather than die heroic- 

 ally. When death is inevitable he is always heroic, or 

 even when danger presses him too closely. * * * A 

 lion in the very shadow of death remains a lion still." He 

 is upon the whole an animal with a very bad reputation, 

 most of which he deserves. That he is monogamous, "of 

 a very grave and dignified character," and that he will 

 defend Ms mate and offspring, which the tiger deserts 

 and destroys, in no sense justifies the superstructures 

 which have been built up from fancy upon the basis of 

 these facts. On the other hand there is quite enough in 

 the solemnity of his murders, in the "supreme tragedies" 

 of which he has been the hero, and in "the splendor of 

 his ravages in many regions" to forestall imagination and 

 preclude any necessity for the exercise of its powers. 

 Nothing in the records of brute or human violence can 

 surpass the deadly patience with which he compasses his 

 victim's destruction, or the fierce valor with which the 

 design is executed. From age to age he has maintained 

 himself in Africa against the native man, and if he suc- 

 cumbs to the appliances of civilization and learns to ap- 

 preciate the impotency of opposition, it is difficult to see 

 how a process which, when wrought in a man, affords 

 an argument for his intelligence, should, when it takes 

 place in a brute, be otherwise interpreted. J. H. P. 



HALF-HOURS IN THE SIERRA NEVADA 



VII.— THE PINE SQUIRREL. 



THE YELLOW RAIL IN MICHIGAN.. 



IN a careful search of twenty years for rare birds I have 

 never met with this species in Michigan, and it may 

 be considered as rare throughout its range. Recently a 

 fine specimen was brought to me in the flesh taken in this 

 county, which I preserved. It was shot by two of our 

 local gunners on Oct. 19, and was noticed to fly dif- 

 ferently from other members of the sam e family. Another 

 point of identification was a white spot on the wing plaiuly 

 to be seen when the bird is flying. 



In a review of all published lists ia our State only four 

 are found to embrace the yellow rail (Porzana novebora- 

 eensis), and careful study of catalogues and price lists 

 throughout the Union indicates an almost universal 

 scarcity of the species. Not many years ago the price of 

 a skin of this pretty little bird was $8, and although at 

 present skins are much cheaper, the eggs are unobtain- 

 able from dealers, which plainly shows their rarity in 

 these days when money buys anything in the naturalist's 

 line. 



The range of the yellow rail is given as eastern North 

 America from Nova Scotia and Hudson^ Bay west to 

 Utah and Nevada. It is strange that within such exten- 

 sive boundaries there are not some localities where the 

 species should be common, but it can be counted as com- 

 mon nowhere within its range. Its nesting habits, rarely 

 observed , are quite similar to those of others of the same 

 family; the eggs, said to be six or seven in number, being 

 of a rich buffy-brown, marked at the larger end with a 

 cluster of reddish-brown dots. Any of the readers of 

 your paper who may have met with the nest of the yellow 

 rail or have observed its habits will confer a favor on all 

 ornithologists by presenting such notes. 



„ Morris Gibbs. 



JtA&AMAZOO, Mich, 



Indian name for this species of squirrel, and is an almost 

 exact imitation, in human words, of his cry when 

 alarmed. His powers of swimming I have already uoted^ 

 also his courage and belligerency. The latter is shown 

 against all animals and birds that invade his reservation, 

 and extends to man himself. His ways resemble those of 

 the common red squirrel, but he has none of the latter's 

 bad habits, such as robbing small birds of their eggs 

 and young, and similar low-down tricks. He is ardent 

 in his loves, and fierce in his hates, and altogether is quite 

 an aristocrat. I never knew him to eat anything but the 

 seeds of the conifers, among which the seeds of the 

 Douglas pine are his favorite. He will now and then 

 come into camp, and nibble a little bacon or salt meat 

 but it is for the sake of the salt he does so. 



No creature haunting the branches of the Douglas pine 

 could well he otherwise than courageous and noble in its 

 instincts. This tree, as it grows in the Sierra Nevada, is 

 one of the noblest creations of 'Mother Nature. Straight 

 as an arrow, hundreds of feet high, and many feet in 

 diameter; with drooping branches, jeweled by its beauti- 

 ful green cones; it rears its majestic gray -brown trunk to 

 heaven in grandest majesty. The deep murmuring 

 diapason of its voice awes the sensitive nature, as the 

 summer winds play among its needles; while the winter's 

 storms awaken its voice to tell of travelers lost 

 and benighted in the snows, who have sought vain 

 shelter behind its buttressed trunk. In this beautiful 

 tree our little squirrel finds his home. Take your station 

 under one of these trees after the sun has risen and watch 

 with me. But don't sit or lie too near the outer ends of 

 the branches. If you do you may get a cracked crown 

 from a cone dropped 100 or 200ft. The cones are any- 

 where from 8 to 16in. long, H to Sin. in diameter, and 

 solid as a hickory branch. Now, if "pil-il-loo-eet" drops 

 one of these upon you you will remember it (if you live) 

 to your dying day. Well, then, sit down with your 

 back against the trunk and wait. If you are in luck, 

 and there be a squirrel up this tree, thud! you will 

 presently hear a cone drop. Looking up. above where it 

 dropped, you will see, at the very tip end of a waving 

 branch, the face of our friend peeriug clown to see where 

 the cone landed. Then he scrambles out to the end of 

 another branch, when the same xjerformance is enacted. 

 Thus he goes on cutting his cones and dropping them, 

 until he believes he has cut his day's provisions, when he 

 will descend and begin his breakfast. This he does by 

 seizing a cone, which, by the way, is always far larger 

 than himself, setting it on its tip, and thus holding' it, 

 cuts off chip after chip from the base, in a spiral manner, 

 until he comes to the fruitful part of the cone, when he 

 proceeds leisurely to eat bis meal. He occasionally 

 straightens up the cone with a jerk, flirts his tail, takes 

 a rapid survey of the surroundings, and then returns to 

 his work. All this he does with a free and jovial ah, as 

 though inviting you to his confidence. He 'almost says, 

 "Just look at me eat my breakfast. Don't I handle this 

 cone in a masterly wav? Oh, I'm a daisy and don't you 

 forget it!" 



But if you want to see temper just go and pick up a 

 cone when he is busy cutting them down. He will hang 

 at the end of a branch, peering down to see what is going 

 on, and as soon as he is satisfied that you are a thief and 

 making away with his property he gives an angry snicker 

 and comes racing down the tree. When within 10 or 

 20ft. of the bottom he will stop, head clown, and hang- 

 ing on with hind feet will spat the bark with his front 

 ones, at the same time jerking his tail violently to and 

 fro, scolding at the top of his voice. He will tell you in 

 language plain as spoken words that you are a lazy, 

 thieving scoundrel, and ought to be ashamed of yourself. 

 He also tells you to go and take a fellow of your own size 

 and not impose upon a little chap like Mm, robbing him 

 of his hard-earned breakfast. 



All this he tells you, interspersed with the choicest 

 squirrel Billingsgate. If you approach a little nearer he 

 will utter his name, "pil-il-loo-eet," at the same time 

 running up the tree for a few feet in a spiral manner, 

 forming a number of loops in his course, and then resume 

 his former position and actions. This he will continue 

 until you leave, when he will rapidly descend and com- 

 mence searching for his cones, and will continue search- 

 ing for a long time if the proper number are not there. I 

 am satisfied that these squirrels know just how many 

 cones they drop at a time and verify their tally when 

 they come to the ground. 



If the reader has followed me he will see that I take 

 pleasure in many things besides making big catches of 

 trout. It has been my privilege to angle in many waters, 

 from New Brunswick to Mexico, but the catching of fish 

 has always been but one of the pleasant memories of a 

 trip? aeepak. 



Auburn, Cal. 



Recent Arrivals at the Philadelphia Zoological Gar- 

 des'.— Received by purchase: Two brown capucins (Cebus fatuel- 

 lus), one axis deer 3 <Cervus oris), one ruffed lemur (Lemur varteis), 

 one black-headed oonure (Conurns nandatn, one tab arm parrakeet 

 (Pyrrhulop.«s Miuemis), two passerine parrakeets (Psitfacula vas- 

 uerina), two gray- headed parrakeets (AgaporMs cclna), two crested 

 ground parrakeet? iOjUj/jsitta novcc-h»Mnd-te), one hawfinch (Coe- 

 colhraustes vulparish and two European tree frogs (Hyla arbnrea). 

 Received by presentation: One opossum and five young (Didel- 

 j)hijs cirghiiana), one white heron (Ardca egretta). one Salle's 

 amazon {OiirywAis saileiK one great-horned owl (Bubo virgini- 

 anus), two alligators (Alligator nviMssippwnsis), one pine snake 

 (PUyophis ■melanolr.ucm), three common hos-nosed snakes (Hetero- 

 don pldtijrlnnus), one large-headed tree snake (Dipsns cenchoa), 

 one common boa (Baa ,<on<<trietor), one wave-lined lizard (Sceloporus 

 unaulatiish two Muhlenherg's terrauins {Chelopm rmihlcnbergi) 

 one snapper terrapin (Chriijdra serpentina), one mud nu-rJe (Oinos- 

 ternum penmuhamcmn), one hell bender [Mnnnjomn alleqHenien- 

 m), two menobranchus (Mcnobranchus manilatus) and one spotted 

 salamander (Ambtwtoma punetatvm). Born in the Garden: Three, 

 ground rattlesnakes (Crotoloyhorm miliar iw) and eischt brown 

 water snakes [Tr.dpidonotus rhombifer). 



Names Aim Portraits oir Birds, by Gurdon Trumbull. A 

 book particularly interesting to gunners, for by its use they can 

 ^entity without question all the American game birds which 

 they may kill. Cloth. 230 pages, prtca 82.50. For sale by Forest 



AJ8D Strbak. 



A Book About Indians— The Forest and Stream will mail 

 free on application a descriptive circular of Mr. Grinnell's book, 

 "Pawnee Hero Stories and Folk-Tales," giving a table of contents 

 and specimen Jllnstraflcms from the volume,— Adv. 



and 



The pull texts of the game laws of all the States, Terri- 

 tories and British Provinces are given in the J3oo7c of the 

 G-ctme Laios. 



CORNFIELD SNAP SHOOTING. 



THE Illinois game law having improperly shortened 

 the open season for chickens, there will be no doubt 

 many readers of Forest and Stream who will be unable 

 to enjoy a successful hunt, as stubble shooting lasts but 

 a few days, and a good many dea,r lovers of sport are 

 unable to take advantage of the opportunity. There is 

 another chance, however, and some good field shots 

 already understand how to capture the wary prairie 

 chicken after he has abandoned the stubble and buried 

 himself in the labyinth of a luxuriant Illinois cornfield. 



To the novice let me describe the manner in which it 

 is accomplished. First the cornfield hunter must be a 

 quick shot; he must learn to cover his game and pull trig- 

 ger the instant the gun comes to his face, for he sees a 

 prairie chicken but a moment, and the chances are that 

 he will never see the bird again unless he acts promptly. 

 A good dog is an absolute necessity, as many of the birds 

 will fall among weeds, and being only winged will be 

 hard to find. 



Suppose now we are ready to start. Our dog must stay 

 close by— thirty rows on each side, that is his limit; and 

 whenever he gets further away a warning whistle must 

 insure his return. We bend our course toward the high 

 points or knobs hi the field, avoiding weedy fields, for 

 your prairie chicken detests weeds and seeks high, dry 

 points, where the corn is not so rank, and where he may 

 bask in the sunshine and wallow in the clust. 



Carry your gun directly in front of your breast with 

 the muzzle elevated and breech clasped close to your 

 breast, so that you may command the field, and not catch 

 your gun on the corn stalks when, you want to shoot. As 

 we draw nearer to the knoll, the wary motions of our 

 dog warn us that he has winded the game, and we must 

 be on the alert. We move carefully forward, taking care 

 to step over fallen stalks without making noise enough 

 to frighten our game. Our dog stops and almost the same 

 instant up come the birds. 



We are warned by a flutter of wings and clatter of 

 leaves that they are coming, even before we can see 

 them; here they are; and as they rise above the corn tops 

 they make a barely perceptible pause to take the course 

 of their flight. Now or never is the time. If the bird 

 gets his course and is started on it you may as well bid 

 him good clay, for the chances are a hundred to one that 

 he is gone. But if you are vigilant and catch him just 

 as he reaches the height of his flight and before he starts 

 on his journey he is yours. Two snap shots and two 

 birds. But slip in another cartridge for a straggler. At 

 the first move from yourself or the dog up he comes. 

 Shoot quick! and there you have him! Three birds down 

 and your dog must retrieve promptly, for an old cock 

 with a broken wing will travel an amazing distance in a 

 very short time. 



This routine will be repeated through the day with 

 some changes and varied success. You must anticipate 

 hard work; a man will finish a day's sport thorougnly 

 tired, but he ought to have a nice bag of birds to show 

 for his day's work. My last effort in this line showed 

 fourteen birds, where strict stubble hunting jvould not 

 afford a man half a dozen shots. 



One thing I can assure any sportsman of and that is 

 hat he will find snap shooting more exciting and more 

 fun and more Lard work than any field shooting he ever 

 attempted; and it will furnish sport till the season closes. 

 Get these directions impressed on your mind, follow them 

 closely and you are sure to be successful. 



W. K. Newcomb, M.D. 



Illinois. 



THE OZARK HILLS. 



MADE a flying trip to my old home among the Ozark 

 hills of Missouri recently. Though called away 

 within three days by imperative business, I managed to 

 shake hands with a great many old friends and spend 

 some hours in the field with master Bob White. What a 

 rush of boyish memories came with the rustle of brown 

 leaves, the sweet autumn odors, the sight of the golden 

 and crimson and purple of the forest-clad hills, bathed in 

 the mellow glory of an October sun! It is a long time 

 since I have made a severer sacrifice than to tear myself 

 away from these scenes and the clamorous friends of 

 lang syne within three days after my arrival. 



Quail were abundant, remarkably so. I found my 

 close-choke gun a little annoying when shooting in corn- 

 stalks or other cover. I was obliged to wait till it was 

 often too late in order to have anything left of my bird 

 except the tips of his wings and his head. A friend who 

 shot a venerable 10-bore muzzleloader and who would 

 drive away as soon as the quail cleared the cornstalks, 

 rather got the best pf me on the score. If I had much 

 such shooting to do I should certainly have one barrel 

 cylinder bore. When we got among some snipe on the 

 open marsh, however, the way I could tumble them at 

 from 30 to 60yds. was interesting. 



Another odd thing consoled me. Our old bob-tailed 

 pointer was working some quail in a cornfield, and as we 

 walked up to him on a point a fine turkey arose. Re- 

 covering from our astonishment we blazed away at him. 

 We had been shooting No. 8 shot, but I had at that time 

 a load of No. 10 in one barrel. No doubt all four of our 

 shots struck him, but as my friend was some distance 

 away and my final load was of No. 10s I relied especially 

 on my second barrel, which was at short range. He got 

 up over the high bois d'etre hedge and sailed away. We 

 loaded, broke through the hedge, and followed. The old 

 dog was greatly excited, and soon winded him. Follow- 

 ing up about 200yds. we found him quite dead. He was 

 a fine young gobbler. Aztec. 



Where Sportsmen Abound,— South Norwalk, Conn.— 

 Hunters around here are as the leaves of the forest. I have 

 been out three times and started nothing. Every man 

 owns a dog and gun, and this town boasts of three gun 

 clubs.— E. H. F. & 



Lake Charles, La., Nov. 10.— Geese and ducks are 

 coming in, and some fair bags are being made. 



