Jan. 22, 1891.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



8 



would make an attempt to spring from the ground, at the 

 same time uttering a quick tremulous whistle. I held 

 him up the bill, when he wo aid make the same sound, 

 and this little chap had only one wing to flap. 



I haTe seen a cock jump up in front of my spaniels and 

 go off without a sound; I havo marked him down, put 

 him up again and he has whistled "like a house alire." 

 I have watched them evening after evening coming out 

 of the covers to the roadside to feed. Some would come 

 along quietly without a sound, others again would keep 

 up a continuous whistle. In the May and .June evenings, 

 when T have been coming home from a day's trouting, I 

 have watched them start up from the roadside and go 

 slowly up into the air, circling roimd and round, going 

 higher and higher, and all the time going tioo, two, tioo, 

 (a noise very similar to a sandpiper's when you start 

 him first from a lake shore). The woodcock would go 

 round and round, making this noise faster and faster, 

 unt J at last he woiild burst out into his sharp, long, 

 tremulous whistle, and then come darting down to the 

 ground, and when he would alight down he would squat 

 andthenj ou would hear him— s-p-e-a-Zc, sp-e-a A;, s-p-e-a-k 

 — a sound like that of the night hawk; and yon would 

 hea,r the other cock round about answering Mm. After 

 a little while up he would jump and go through the cir- 

 cling performance again, beginning his tioo, two, two, 

 going faster and faster until the sound was merged into 

 his long, quivering whistle, when down he would come 

 to the earth again. Any one who has seen and watched 

 the c; ck doing as described would never doubt how the 

 sound was produced, and would give them credit if able 

 to make one sound with their throat to be able to make 

 them all. No one believes the sTceep of the snipe is made 

 by the wings, nor is the booming notes they utter when 

 circling around in the air overhead of a spring evening, 

 as their actions then are similar to those of the cock. 



Here is an experiment that was tried some twelve 

 years ago in this city by the late Robt. Narrow, president 

 I think of the association at that time called the Natural 

 Science Association, and by which name it is know at 

 the present day. A woodcok hen was killed, so as not to 

 injure the throat, and brought to the meeting. Two or 

 three of the first large quill feathers were cut oE close to 

 one of the wings. The stumps of the quills left in the 

 wing were put into the mouth and blown into hard; re- 

 sult was a sound coming from the throat of the hen 

 similar to that made by the bird when alive, proving con- 

 clusively the existence of an aii- passage from the quill 

 feathers of the wing to the throat of the bird. 



Halifax, N. S. H. AUSTIN. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Being interested in birds, and more or less of a sports- 

 man, I have followed this discussion with more than 

 passing interest. According to my small experience, 

 both may be in the right, though I think one more than 

 the other; for, as shown below, it has vocal notes which 

 resemble somewhat the sound produced by a flushed bird. 



While walking through a small piece of woods in the 

 middle of May, I flushed a woodcock which flew only 

 about fifteen feet and settled down in the dry oak leaves 

 which had fallen the previous fall. In her short flight 

 the sharp whistling sound was absent, and instead she 

 produced a twittering which was lower, softer and with- 

 out that pecuUar metallic sound about it; these sounds 

 must have been vocal as they were still continued after 

 she had alighted among the leaves, in plain view, where 

 no motion was noticeable. After looking around in the 

 leaves I found four young birds, so these twitterings may 

 be resorted to only when flushed in some such peculiar 

 circumstances, and may or may not be produced every 

 time the bu-d is flushed. Even if they were, would be 

 drowned by the whistle, which I take to be produced by 

 the wings, although the twitterings were loud enough to 

 be heard some distance, and resembled the sound produced 

 by a strong-flying bird, lacking the peculiar whistling 

 character. 



One day last fall in a game of foot-baU the ball 

 was kicked high mto the air, and while in its flight pro- 

 duced a whistlmg sound which resembled exactly that of 

 the woodcock. On examining as to the cause, I found 

 that the lace had come untied and the ends, some 4 to 6 

 inches, were hanging loose, which, together with the rapid 

 twisting of the ball, produced the delusive sound. 



A H P 



Laubencevillb, N. J. • . . 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In my opinion Mr. Henry B. Nicol, in his article on 

 woodcock, comes about as near to the mark as any of 

 your gentlemen writers. I have kiUed many of these 

 birds and have watched them in close season for days 

 and weeks, but only once did I hear what I supposed to 

 be a male bird make any noise with his bill when flushed. 

 It was on a very warm day in July, about 10 A. M., and 

 when the bird made the noise he was within 6 or 7ft 

 from \vhere I was standing. It was a plaintive cry', 

 something like the scaipe of a snipe, as loud, but not 

 as sharp or decisive; it sounded more like cre-eJc, cre-ek 

 lo emit the sound the bird opened the bill quite wide 

 and was flying at about medium speed, his wings were 

 silent at the time. How can any one doubt that the twit- 

 ter of a flushed woodcock is produced by his wings? 



Newark, New Jersey. J. Gantz. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Apropos of wing vs. mouth whistling, has none of your 

 correspondents noticed the fact that common doves make 

 a round, ftiU, musical whistling note in flying? This they 

 certaisily do both when starting on and alighting from 

 a flight. I have noticed that it is or seems to be coinci- 

 dent with the closing or downward motion of the wings 

 ihis indicates that it is made with the wings. Might 

 not an investigation and comparison of this bird throw 

 light upon the woodcock controversy? More anon. 



Kentttoky. 



A Giant Squid.— The Halifax Recorder, of Newfound- 

 land, of recent date, contains the following item of the 

 capture of a giant squid: "A huge squid or cuttlefish, 

 d^tt. m length, was stranded on the beach at Island Cove 

 N . i a few days ago. The tentacles were 21ft. in length 

 and the body larger than that of a horse." By reference 

 to the Fishery Industries of the United States we find 

 that the giant cuttlefishes, which inhabit the North Atlan- 

 tio and are ocoasionally stranded upon the beaohea of 

 liewfoundland, represent two speries the genus J^rchi- 



teuthis. Each of these sjiecies has a maximum length 

 of gOft. and its weight is measured by thousands of 

 pounds. Large individuals are rightfully dreaded by the 

 fishermen on account of their prodigious strength and 

 great ferocity. The sharp curved teeth of even the com- 

 mon squid are formidable weapons of attack and in cut- 

 tles—with tentacles upward of 20ft. in length— the seizing 

 and tearing capacity must be terrific. These giant 

 animals are very useful to the fishermen for bait. 



California Academy of Sciences.— Officers elected 

 for 1891: President, H, W. Harkness: First Vice-Presi- 

 dent, H. H. Behr; Second Vice-President, Geo. Hewston; 

 Corresponding Secretary, Frederick Gutzkow; Recording 

 Secretary, J. R. Scupham; Treasurer, L. H. Foote; Libra- 

 rian, Carlos Troyer; Director of Museum, J. G. Cooper; 

 Trustees— Chas. F. Crocker, D. E. Hayes, W. C. Burnett, 

 Geo. C. Perkins, E. J, Molera, Irving M. Scott, John 

 Taylor. 



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

 tories and British Provinces are given in the Booli of the 

 Gfone Latos. 



BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB MEETING. 



I'^HE annual meeting and dinner of the Boone and 

 . Crockett Club took place at Washington on Wed- 

 nesday, Jan, 14, and was an unusually interesting and 

 pleasant occasion. 



At the meeting, which was held before the dinner, 

 certain routine business was transacted, aew members 

 were elected and resolutions— to be given later— with re- 

 gard to the Yellowstone Park were passed. 



The dinner was held at the Metropolitan Club, and the 

 president of the club, Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, of the 

 Civil Service Commission, occupied the chair. On his 

 left sat Mr, Proctor, the Secretary of War, and on his 

 right Speaker Reed. Mr. Grinnell sat [at the foot of the 

 table, with Mr, Noble. Secretary of the Interior, on his 

 right and Secretary Langley, of the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, on his left. Among others present were Congress- 

 men Breckenridge, Lodge and McComas, Mr. Arnold 

 Hague, of the U. S. Geological Survey; Mr. W, Hallett 

 Phillips, of Washington; Mr. Brown, of Providence, Mr. 

 Nichols, of Boston: Mr. Deering, of Chicago; Mr, Gordon 

 Gumming, of Virginia, and Mr, Chanler, of New York. 



After the cigars had been brought on the president 

 rose, and in a few well chosen words explained 

 the objects of the club and the special reasons which 

 brought tliis delegation to Washington at this time. This 

 was, he said, to urge the passage by the House of Repre- 

 sentatives of the Senate bill for the protection of the 

 Yellowstone National Park. He then read the resolu- 

 tions which had been passed at the business meeting, 

 which were as follows: 



Resolved, That the Boone and Crockett Club, speal<ing lor 

 itself and for hundreds of clubs and associations througnowt the 

 country, urges the immediate passage by the House of Hepresen- 

 tatives of the Senate bill for the protection and maintenance of 

 the YeUowstone National Park. 



Besolved, That this club declares itself emphatically opposed to 

 the granting a right of way to the Montana Mineral Railroad or 

 to any other railroad through the YeUowstone National Park 



Resolved, That this club heartily approves of the efforts now 

 being made to preserve the groves of big trees in Cal'fornia and 

 desires to express Its thanks to the Secretary of the Interior for 

 his interest in this matter. 



Mr. Roosevelt then asked Mr. Phillips, of the U. S. 

 Supreme Court Bar, to state to those present what had 

 been done , toward securing adequate legislation for the 

 protection of the National Park and what the present 

 condition of the bill is. 



Mi\ Phillips's presentation of the case was clear, concise 

 and telling. He called attention to the fact that the 

 organic act establishing the National Park provided no 

 laws nor rules for its government, but while placing it 

 under the charge or the Secretary of the Interior and 

 authorizing that officer to make regulations for its gov- 

 ernment and protection, it prescribed no means for en- 

 forcing the regulations w-hich the Secretary might lay 

 down. Persons interested in the National Park have for 

 eight years been endeavoring to obtain from Congress the 

 legislation which would aftord protection in this reserva- 

 tion to life and property, and would prevent the destruc- 

 tion of the forests, natural wonders and the game found 

 within its borders. At four sessions of Congress bills 

 embodying these provisions have passed the Senate, on 

 the last two occasions by unanimous vote. But in the 

 House a stumbling block has always been found in tlie 

 efforts of a lobby to attach to the biU a rider which pro- 

 vided for the granting a right of way to a railway through 

 the Park. The friends of the Park have fought this 

 amendment from the beginning. It is not so much this 

 particular railroad that they are fighting as the principle 

 involved. If one railroad is permitted to run its lines 

 through the Park in any direction this same privilege 

 cannot be denied other corporations, and it would not be 

 long before this National reservation would be grid- 

 ironed by tracks. The danger of such a state of things to 

 the forests is well known by all who have traveled among 

 the pine clad mountains of the West and need not be ei> 

 larged on here. The importance of passing a bill which 

 shall protect the Park and the equal importance of pre- 

 venting railroads entering it is felt by every one who has 

 visited that beautiful region, but it is now so late in the 

 session, and there is so much business before the House 

 of Representatives, that it is difficult to see how the bill 

 now in the hands of the Public Lands Committee can be 

 brought up. We desire, however, to interest members of 

 the House in tliis matter, and if possible to get a vote on 

 the bill, and if among the gentlemen present there are 

 any who can suggest the best means for doing this we 

 shaU be glad to hear them. 



Some desultory conversation followed, during which a 

 number of questions relating to the Park were asked by 

 gentlemen present, and were answered by Messrs. Roose- 

 velt, Hague and Phillips. Mr. Roosevelt explained very 

 clearly the way in which the fires in the National Park 

 are started and spread, and called attention also to the 

 function performed by the forest floor, which being en- 

 tu-ely made up of decaj^ing vegetation retains and gives 

 forth gradually the moisture which it receives from the 

 rains and the melting snows. 



Mr. Gordon Gumming spoke of a similar condition of 

 tamgs In Scotland, where pine forests whea burning 



burn down to the rock, all the organic matter of the 

 forest floor being consumed and nothing being left which 

 w^ill give sustenance to a subsequent growth of timber. 

 He spoke also of the disastrous consequences to the 

 Scotch trout streams which have foUowetl the draining of 

 the peat bo^s and meadows through which they flowed. 

 Recently, since the land has become so valuable for 

 farming, such bogs and meadows have been drained with 

 the result that the streams that used to maintain an 

 equable current are now, during times of rain or melting 

 snow, flooded for a day or two and then become almost 

 dry, so that but few fish are obtained where before this 

 draining took place salmon were abundant. Such a con- 

 dition of things would prevail there were the forests of 

 the Yellowstone Park to be destroyed. 



At the request of the president, Secretary Noble spoke 

 somewhat briefly on the lines of his annual report, ex- 

 pressing his personal conviction that the Yellowstone 

 Park ought to be guarded with the utmost care. The 

 vast increase of population in this country, and the way 

 in which the portions formerly uninhabited are now filling 

 up, shows that within not very many years there will be 

 left within our borders no spot where cultivation and 

 improvement by man shall not have taken place. It is 

 quite certain that if such breathing spaces and preserves 

 as the Yellowstone and Yosemite parks are to be retained, 

 legislation necessary to accomplish this object must come 

 at once. Mr. Noble spoke of the value of the forests in 

 protecting the streams which furnish water for irrigation 

 over a vast tract of country on either side of the main 

 range of the Rocky Mountains; of the fact that our large 

 game is rapidly disappearing, and of the necessity of pro- 

 tecting the natural wonders which in the Yellowstone 

 Park are collected in such wonderful i^rofusion. Allu- 

 sion was also made to the importance of protecting the 

 forests everywhere, and incidentally to the action taken 

 recently for the preservation of the groves of big trees in 

 California, He spoke also of the good service performed 

 by the troops authorized by the Secretary of War to 

 guard the National Park, and of Capt, Boutelle's interest 

 in the matter and good work that he had done. Secretary 

 Proctor, with a good deal of humor, complimented the 

 Secretary of the Interior on his excellent judgment in 

 coming to the War Department for help in this matter. 



The president called upon Professor S. P. Langley, of 

 the Smithsonian Institution, to give his opinion with 

 regard to the rapidity with which the larger indigenous 

 animals of the United States are being destroyed. Mr. 

 Langley stated briefly that so fax as he could learn 

 from consultation of the best authorities, the large game 

 of the United States would be practically extinct within 

 the life of the present generation of men. 



The president then asked Mr, Grinnellto relate some of 

 his experiences with regard to large game in the West 

 during the years that he had spent there, and the latter 

 gave some facts showing the enormous abundance of 

 buffalo just after the completion of the first of the Pacific 

 railroads, and of the great numbers of elk to be found in 

 much more recent days in isolated localities of the Rocky 

 Mountains, On the other hand, at the present day there 

 is scarcely a place where any one can go with a certainty 

 of finding elk abundant except on, or near, the borders of 

 the YeUowstone Park. The buffalo have been for years 

 practically extinct, so far as the United States goes, the 

 only bands of any importance being in the National Park. 

 Antelope, blacktail deer, mountain sheep, and other 

 species of large game must follow in the footsteps of the 

 buffalo and the elk, although thek extinction will be 

 much more gradual. 



The discussion of this and kindred subjects was con- 

 tinued to a late hour, when the meeting broke up. 



MASSACHUSETTS ASSOCIATION. 



THE annual meeting was held at the United States 

 Hotel, Boston, Wednesday evening, Jan. 14, 125 

 being present. 



The following gentlemen were elected members of the 

 association: Geo. Bruce, Wm. Henry Hutchinson, Chas. 

 S. Stearns, De Forest W. Chase, Geo. A. Cooper, Frank 

 Keene, Francis Tufts, James O. Gray, Erwin R. Graves, 

 Geo. H. Moore, James H. Lake, Dr, J. W. Ball, Dr. W. 

 Hunt, John B, Farrell, Fred B, Rice, Morris F. Whiton, 

 Francis G. Benedict, Geo. H. Kimball, Henry B. Weston. 

 Twenty-nine applications for membership were received. 



The committee on game importation reported the fit- 

 ting up of a large room in which to keep the large num- 

 ber of birds which are expected very shortly, where they 

 can be cared for until distributed in different parts of the 

 State, 



It is proposed to engage a room which will be a head- 

 quarters for the association, in which a library will be 

 placed and where the members and friends can meet, 

 and in which the different committees can hold their 

 meetings. 



Officers for 1891 were elected as follows: 



President, Edward A. Samuels, 86 State street, Boston, 



Vice-Presidents, Hon. Jas. F, Dtvinell, Augustus 



Hemenway, John T, Stetson, Warren Hapgood, Edw. E. 



Hardy, Edw, J. Brown and Geo. W, Wiggin, 

 Treasurer, Frederick R, Shattuck, 44 Kilby street, 



Boston. 



Secretary, Richard O. Harding, 304 Washington street, 

 Boston. 

 Librarian, John Fottler, Jr, 



Executive Committee, John P. Woodbury, Henry H. 

 Kimball, Chas. G. Gibson, Ivers W. Adams, John N. 

 Roberts, Edw. E. Small, Heber Bishop, Edward Brooks, 

 Outram Bangs, W. F. Keith, John E. Thayer and Rollin 

 Jones. 



Membership Committee, Edw. T. Barker, Waldron 

 Bates and Wm. O. Blake. 



Fund Committee, Benjamin C. Clark, Samuel Hanson 

 and Daniel T Curtis. 



Antoine's Little Corner.— Framingham, Mass., Jan. 

 18.— Editor Forest and Stream: I have read with so 

 much enjoyment Antoine Bissette's letter in your issue 

 of 15th inst,, that I must say a word about it. I think it 

 overlays anything he has written previously, and that is 

 saying a good deal. Full-charged with keen points and 

 apt illustrations it has the merit— not a smaU one— of 

 being wit and wisdow combined and condensed. That 

 you will give him his "leetly corner" every time he asks 

 for it, and that he may apply often, I guai-antee is the 

 wish of thousands of your readerg, including— F, C, 



