84 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Feb. 19, 1891. 



THE OPOSSUM. 



SO far this winter the pages of our most valuable paper, 

 the Forest axd Stream, have been crowded with 

 many interesting accounts of cood, fox and other hunts, 

 while but little has been said about our old friend the 

 possum. Is it that the sport of possum hunting has 

 ceased to be popular? Is it that the game is scarce? Or 

 is it that our writers, in giving their brilliant accounts of 

 other grand hunts, have forgotten tlie possum entirely? 

 True, Northern hunters know little or nothing aboiit the 

 habits of this animal; but to those who hunt in the South, 

 and especially to coon hunters and raisers of poultry, it is 

 not only common, but also often proves itself quite a 

 nuisance. 



Many a night have I trudged along after the hounds or 

 sat upon a fallen tree trunk, listening to the glorious 

 music of the pack; when suddenly they would ti'ee. 

 Jumping to my feet I would be off as fast as the imder- 

 brush and darkness would permit. Pressing on in the 

 direction from which the voices of the hounds came, I 

 would pictui-e to myself a coon of the largest size perched 

 in the fork of a huge black oak. On coming up, however, 

 no such sight met my gaze; in fact, one quite different. 

 There was the well-matched pack of hounds circling round 

 a sapling not bigger than my arm and making the whole 

 timber reecho with that deep melodious music which can 

 be produced only by a pack of foxhounds. 



Why! what is the cause of all this commotion? O! now 

 I see. Wound around tlie toiimost branch of the tree is 

 what looks like a ball of dii'ty cotton about the size of a 

 man's head. Throwing down my axe and hanging my 

 lantern on a broken limb, I proceed to climb the tree, 

 which sways under my weight as though it would break. 

 The ball of cotton does not move, neither does it offer any 

 resistance when I put my hand! on it. At length I find 

 what is called the handle, a long, snake-like tail about as 

 large as one's finger and perhaps eight or twelve inches 

 long. This I pull and with difficulty I unwind and detach 

 from the limb a possum. It dangles by its tail for a 

 moment and shows its teeth. This tells me that it is not 



TOUNG OF THE OPOSSUiU ABOUT ONE WEEK OLD (LIFE SIZE). 



an old one and I proceed to make it "suU" (play possum), 

 by tapping it on the nose with a stick. At the second or 

 third blow, all signs of life disappear and as far as looks 

 are concerned it is dead and is easily carried to the ground. 

 Never, my fellow hunters, allow yourself to be deceived 

 by this little ruse, and put your hand too close to the jaws 

 which contain such sharp teeth. For if you do I think 

 without a doubt you will be forcibly reminded that your 

 game is not half so dead as it looks. The ruse of playing 

 possum, however, is so adroitly feigned that after a shake 

 or two, such as a tex-rier gives a rat, your hounds will 

 leave the possum for dead. 



An old and experienced possum will "suH" almost as 

 soon as it is touched , while a young one sometimes has to 

 be subjected to a Uttle rough treatment. I remember one 

 possum that I could make it "sull" only by dashing him 

 in a dog's face and jerking him back by the tail. 



I never knew of more than one case where a possum 

 would show fight to a dog. This was in the spring of '90. 

 I had started out in quest of young squirrels, followed as 

 usual by my favorite hound, Old Ben, whose ragged ears 

 told of more than one encounter, I was making through 

 "Wolf Holler" (this was in j\Iissouri) gazmg up in the 

 treetops, when my attention was attracted to Old Ben, 

 who was digging like fury under an old rotten log. I 

 ran to the spot just in time to see Old Ben jerk his head 

 out of the hole, while holding to his lip was a possum of 

 extraordinary size. The hound made a grab at her and 

 I could hear the bones crack. The possum thinking, no 

 doubt, "discretion the better part of valor," dropped as 

 though dead, and Old Ben after administering a shake or 

 two left her. 



I dispatched her, and on examination found her to be 

 a female of extreme age. The fjouch contained thirteen 

 little pink creatures not much lai-ger than an ordinary 

 bean, with not a vestige of hair on their bodies. It 

 would have been hard to find the place where the eyes 

 should be, for aot a sign of these organs could be seen. 

 Each little creatm-e was holding by its mouth to a teat, 

 and they held so firmly that it was with quite an effort 

 that I detached them. When this was done they 

 squirmed about with a great deal of animation. It is 

 said that the young of the opossum at one week old do 

 not exceed four or five grains in weight. Although I 

 had no opportunity of weighing these I am sure they 

 could have weighed little more tlian five grains. 



When I related the kiUing of the possum with thirteen 

 young, I was blessed by the farmers and poultry raisers 

 of that section and it was put in a local paper on account 

 of the large number of the young, but the old saying, 

 "The fu-st man to tell a story stands no chance." proved 

 itself true, for in the very next issue of this paper another 

 nimrod stated that he had killed an opossum with four- 

 teen young, I never heard of a litter of more than nine 

 before this, and I am led to think that that number is 

 seldom exceeded. 



It is needless to remark on the tenacity of life of the 

 opossum, but I think that no animal of its size is harder 

 to kill, not excepting the tui'tle or the cat. Lotoe, 



[As the opossum has only thirteen teats and as the 

 young are born in an extremely helisless condition and 

 are at once transferred to the pouch by the mother and 

 attached to the teat to which they remain fixed for a con- 

 siderable period, it is difficult to see how fourteen youn^ 

 could be raised. Can "Lotor" give us the etymology o: 

 the word "sull" ? It is new to us. Has ifc any relation to 

 the word sulk or sullen? Light is needed,] 



White Deer. — Appleton, Wis., Feb. Q.— Editor Forest 

 and Stream: In a recent issue Mi-. E, Hough, your 

 Chicago correspondent, inquires ae to any one's personal 



knowledge of the killing of a white deer. In early 

 November, 1888, while the writer and two friends from 

 here were hunting in the vicinity of Iron River, Mich,, 

 on the Upper Peninsula, one of the party shot and secured 

 a white deer and wounded a doe, which was in company 

 of the white one, but failed to secure it, as it was then so 

 dark as to make following tlie track on bare ground im- 

 possible. During the night it puowed, so the wounded 

 one was lost. The white one was a delicate creamy 

 white with pink eyes and the hair seemed to the touch 

 finer than ordinary deer hair. It was in rather poor 

 fiesh and would weigh about 651bs. (estimated), it was 

 killed with a .44-405 grain lead bullet— no silver in the 

 transaction at all— and the killer is still on earth and 

 fairly active for an oldish man with the usual ups and 

 downs of the average man in business. The white deer 

 attracted a great deal of notice all along the Menominee 

 Range, and was seen by hundreds of people at railroad 

 stations, as it was brought down here. It was handed 

 to a butcher to skin with the intention of having it 

 mounted, but owing to warm, muggy weather and 

 neglect in attending to it in time was spoiled, the hair 

 all falling out around the head. The writer saw a fine 

 specimen in Buffalo, N.Y., said to have been killed in Pike 

 county, Pa.: that one was a large buck: the one killed in 

 Michigan was a doe.— C. V, Y. [The white deer 

 mentioned was evidently an albino,] 



Winter Robins in New EnglajMB.— Bath, Me., Feb, 5. 

 —Editor Forest and Stream: A few years ago it was 

 stated in your columns by a noted naturalist that robins 

 often passed the winter in the deep forests of New Eng- 

 land, I was much astonished by the statement, and 

 resolved to observe closely, hoping to verify the state- 

 ment. This winter my efforts have met with success. 

 On three different occasions I have seen robins in the 

 same vicinity, once in December and twice in .January, 

 They were on the east side of the Kennebec River, about 

 six miles from the ocean. When first seen there were 

 about twenty in the flock, the second tune eight, and the 

 last time but one was seen. The single bird flew on the 

 marsh near me and was feeding on somethmg it picked 

 from the ground. This seems to account for their fre- 

 quenting that locality. As this has been a severe winter 

 in Maine I am now convinced that the statement made by 

 the naturalist is correct. Arctic or white owls have been 

 unusually abundant on the coast of Maine this winter. 

 Several have been seen near Bath, one within the city 

 Umits. A number have been taken at the mouth of the 

 Kennebec and on the Seguin. A number of fine speci- 

 mens have been secured about Boothbay. — C. H, G, 



LiNN^AN Society of New York.— A regular meeting 

 of the Society will be held at the rooms of the American 

 Geographical Society, No. 11 West Twenty-ninth street, 

 Friday evening, Feb. 20, at 8 o'clock. The following pa- 

 pers will be presented: "Remarks on the Song Seasons of 

 some South Carolina Birds," by Leverett M. Loomis; 

 "The Labrador Duck," a revised list of the extant speci- 

 mens in North America, with some historical notes, by 

 William Dutcher. — Jonathan Dwight, Jr., Sec'y. 



That Winter Rail.— Binghamton, N. Y., Feb. 11.— 

 Editor Forest and Stream: The "king rail" that I men- 

 tioned was the Ballus elegans. I saw it in the hands of a 

 taxidermist of this city, where it was left to be mounted. 

 It was shot near the village of Greene, Chenango county, 

 N. Y.— W, A, H, 



"That reminds me." 

 TT was a sober farmer man wJio, one fine morning, went 



To roam the fields and forests on huating deerls intent, 

 No special kind of bird or beast had he designs to slay; 

 But wandered on intending, in an impartial way. 

 To sow destruction broadcast and harvest all it yields. 

 Nor was he posted on the laws, though posted were the fields! 



What time— according to the hard— "The lowing herd" should 

 "wind," 



His hopes had rtm down in Ws breast and eke Ws shoes behind. ■ 



He'd torn his coat and bruised his knee; he was inclined to curse 

 In a manner quite too rugged for my smoothly-flowing verse. 

 Upon the scene that follows I fain would draw the veil; 

 For, nestling in the hedges, he spies a splendid bunch of quail. 



'•Aba!" says he, "now I'll shoot high and catch: 'em through the 

 head, 



And then advance the outposts and gathernp the dead." 

 Soon said, soon done. Loud roars the gnn. But when with ghoul- 

 ish glee 



He rushes forward for the flock, lie finds a scanty three; 

 And scarce are these poor victims within his pocket stowed 

 When another farmer, irate, comes running down the road. 



"Hey! What you doin' here, I say'? You ain't no right at all 



To be a-shootin' of them quail lih way 'long in the fall." 



"Me? Shootin' quail? 1 hain't shot none." Thus spoke our 



farmer man; 

 Or rather, to be accurate, 'twas thus that he began 

 To speak; when, lo! A wondrous sign! An omen! As of old 

 They came to check the tongues of men when they had grown too 



bold. 



There came a flutter at his side and from his bulging coat 

 A quail flew olE and left the lie still fluttering in his throat, 



"See now, you have. It's 'gainst the law. You'll pay well for that 

 game," 



Again denial; and again, as formerly, there came 

 A flutter — from the other side — and toward the setting sun 

 Quail number two went speeding to catch quail number one! 

 Dumb with amaze out farmer men watch the receding bird; 

 When, from another pocket, whirr! whir-r-r! off went the third! 



Now whether they were only stunned and so soon flew away; 



Or, "entered into" by the lies so glibly told by A., 



Went whizzing down the western slope into the sunset sea. 



Are things too metaphysical and mystical for me. 



I simply tell the tale as I was told it long ago 



By a man who was "reminded," and hence it must be so! 



KOBAX. 



A Book About Indians.— The Fokest and Stbeam 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 apacdmen lllsstcatioiui from the volume.— 



0mm ^ug md 0nti. 



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

 tories and British Proviaees are given in the Booli of the 

 Oaine Laws. 



THE NEW YORK GAME LAW. 



CANTON, N. Y., Feb. m— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 In your issue of Feb, 5 you j)Tiblish the proposed 

 game laws. Section 20 gives the appointment of game pro- 

 tectors to the Commissioners of Fisheries. Is this wise? Is 

 it recommended by the Commissioners themselves? Should 

 not each locality have something to say in the matter? How 

 does Mr. Blackford know who would make the best pro- 

 tector for St, Lawrence county? 



Section 40 says "no one shall kill more than two deer 

 in one season," Make it three. There will be'no more 

 deer killing and hunters- will have less excuse for break- 

 ing the law. 



Section 44 allows hounding forty days. Are Sept. 1 and 

 Oct, 11 in the open or close season? This should not be 

 left doubtful. 



Section 43 says no deer without horns shall be killed. 

 Who will educate the dogs to run only male deer, and 

 will the club hunter who has been watching beside the 

 pond for hours spare the doe when it is so easy to destroy 

 the proof that it is a doe? 



Hounding is prohibited in St. Lawrence and Delaware. 

 Floating is prohibited everywhere. Will some one tell us 

 how we of St. Lawrence axe to get any venison? There 

 is but one way — still-hunt. Still-hunting in August and 

 September is uphill business. Must we of St. La>vrence be 

 but the breeding ground for game for the rest of the 

 State? Must we stand off and kill by still-hunting or not 

 at all (and it means to the average outer not at all), while 

 all the rest of the State may drive deer into ponds with a 

 pack of dogs and kill them with a club? That isn't fair. 

 The men of St. Lawrence have worked long and earnestly 

 for protection. They do not want hounding because they 

 know how very destructive it is. But if, after all their 

 work, the deer are to be turned over to the dogs from 

 everywhere except St, Lawrence, I protest. In place of 

 hounding give St. Lawrence floating— or, what would be 

 better still (for the deer at least), prohibit killing or shoot- 

 ing at a deer from a boat. 



Enforce the law against all killing prior to Aug. 1 , and 

 you have reduced the "floater's" chances to many less 

 than you give the bounder. 



Treat all alike, and to do it you must give St. Lawrence 

 more or the rest of the State less than there is in the pro- 

 posed bill. J. H, R. 



[Our correspondent's question with regard to Section 44 

 is answered in paragraph 7 of Section 271 of the proposed 

 bill.l 



Editor Forest and Stream,: 



I read with great interest Mr. F. M. Chapman's short 

 plea for hawks and owls in the last number of your valu- 

 able paper. 



This subject is one which every sportsman should be in- 

 terested in, as well as the agriculturist, though these seem 

 to think that the greatest enemies they have are the 

 hawks and owls. 



As Mr, Chajjman says, "it has been proved" that these 

 birds are beneficial rather than harmful. In the Report 

 of the Ornithologist of the U. S. Department of Agi'icul- 

 ture f or the year 1887, Dr. A, K. Fisher says: "Out of 

 1,072 stomachs examined, 89 were empty. Of 983 con- 

 taining food, 57 contained poultry, 30 game birds, 177 

 other birds, 538 mice, 137 other mammals, 51 reptiles and 

 batrachians. and 235 insects. On looking at the following 

 tables it will be seen that certain species feed principally 

 on mice and insects, while others feed principally on poul- 

 try and small birds. In the latter category, fortunately, 

 there are but 5 species in the Eastern States, namely, the 

 sharp-shinned (a small hawk, locally known as" blue, 

 chicken and bullet hawk) Cooper's, duck, and pigeon 

 hawk, and the great horned owl (called hoot, cat and 

 skunk owl). Taking out 126 stomachs of these 5 spe- 

 cies, there remains 857 stomachs of 33 species, of these 31 

 contained poultry, 11 game birds, 109 other birds, 518 

 mice. 125 other mammals, 49 reptiles and batrachians, 

 and 341 insects. In other words, poultry was found in 

 but 3.6 per cent, of the 857 stomachs, while mice were 

 found in 64.4 per cent." 



Where have the Commissioners who framed the new 

 law lived? It is very evident that they are not ornitholo- 

 gists, or the law for the protection of hawks and owls 

 would not have been repealed. In this section of New 

 York State the red-tailed hawk (Buteo borealis) is the 

 most common. On looking at the table referred to, it 

 will be found that "of 311 stomachs examined, 29 con- 

 tained poultry or game birds, 35 other birds, 303 mice, 

 55 other mammals, 9 batrachians or reptiles, 24 insects, 8 

 crawfish, 4 ofl'al, and 39 were empty. Two hundred and 

 ten examined by the Division contained mice." 



It is a weU-lmown fact that during the months when 

 grasshoppers can be obtained, these insects constitute a 

 large part of this bird's food, and the small number of 

 crops containing insects (34) is due to the fact that they 

 were taken when grasshoppers could not be obtained. 

 Yet in the face of this poor Buteo' s nest is robbed , his 

 young killed, and himself and his wife mm'dered when- 

 ever an opportunity oifers. 



Suppose the 310 hawks mentioned above each chose a 

 mate and reared a brood of three young. At the rate of 

 one mouse a day for each bird, the 310 families or 1,050 

 birds would in one year rid this earth of 383,350 mice. 

 Out of the 39 stomachs containing poultry or game birds, 

 4 contained game birds, those being quail. Of the 55 

 containing "other mammals," 7 were rabbits and 10 gray 

 squirrels. When it is seen that out of the 311 crops ex- 

 amined, only 31 contained game bu-ds and animals, and 

 those of species which are prohfic breeders, the damage is 

 not so great as is supposed. 



But it seems hopeless to argue with the sportsman or 

 farmer on this subject. They have seen hawks catch 

 chickens, and the sportsman shot one that had driven a 

 partridge into an ice-cold sti-eam. The grouse was then 

 taken from the water and its "neck wrung," It would 

 have been more sportsmanlike if the water had been 

 wrung from the neck and the grouse given its liberty. 

 One thing they didn't see, however; that is the 383,250 

 mice that were killed. 



With the red-shouldered hawk {BufsQ Unmtv4) the 



