248 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



lAVWL 16, 1891. 



the fishes in the aquaria, but it has not yet been care 

 fully studied. 



The youDg shad would not at first take food from the 

 bottom of the aquai'ium but would only eat it as it fell 

 through the water. Now, however, they will pick it 

 from the bottom, tossing it up and catching it as it fallts. 



They are always in motion during the day and, aUhough 

 some times swimming more slowly than at others, they 

 have never been seen, day or night, in a state of absolute 

 rest. 



An interesting question yet to be decided is whether 

 the adult shad mav not also be kept as easily in the salt 

 water aquaria. With the gizzard shad, which is quite as 

 delicate, it has been demonstrated here that there is no 

 very great difficulty, as some adults of that species have 

 been kept for over a year in tanks of only sixty gallons 

 capacity, but until much larger tanks are provided tlae 

 keeping of the adult common shad cannot be satisfac 

 torily tested. Wm. P. Seal. 



WHY THE GROUSE DRUMS. 



THERE has been a great controversy among ornitholo- 

 gists and many conjectures have been formed as to 

 the motives that prompt the grouse to drum. To say 

 "that it is a natural habit" is to say next to nothing. To 

 suppose that he does so for the purpose of obtaining grubs 

 and insects out of dead logs (as some have believed), is to 

 suppose something entirely foreign to what would natur- 

 ally be looked for in a bird of such superior intelligence 

 and sagacity. Tlie grouse drums from a high not a low 

 motive. If I may give an opinion it will be one formed 

 after many years of observation and study and one born 

 of the woods. The grouse drums: 

 To announce the approach of day, at dawn. 

 To announce any approaching remarkable change in 

 the atmopphere, night or day. 

 To make his whereabouts knovpii to the female. 

 To celebrate her coming. (The grouse has been seen to 

 drum while the female stood within 6ft. of him). 

 To announce a triumph over a rival. 

 To sound a requiem over a dead mate or friend. 

 To divert himself. (As we sing or whistle to amuse or 

 divert ourselves). 



The tone, cadence or sound made by the same bird 

 varies and changes somewhat at times. This may be due 

 to atmospheric or physical conditions, but I believe it 

 to be due to the power possessed by the grouse to modify, 

 alter or intensify somewhat the 'sound, as he has the 

 power to modify the whirring roar as he rises from the 

 ground. The all-wise Creator has implanted tliis faculty 

 in the grouse to deepen the solemnity or feeling of awe 

 and loneliness in the dark, dank, silent and solitary forest. 

 For where the grouse dwells no singing of birds and but 

 few sounds of a musical character are heard. And as 

 the sound comes to the ear, at first slow in measured 

 strokes, and gradually accelerated till they roU into each 

 other, and away through the depths of the woods and 

 over the meadows and streams, we instinctively feel that 

 "there is a spirit in the woods." " Dorp. 



SCHENEOTADT. 



The Bea-ver's Sunken Wood,— Duluth, Minn.— In 

 reading Mr. R. V. Griffia's valuable and interesting ar- 

 ticle on the habits of the beaver in your issue of April 2, 

 ("Practical Trapping"), I find allusion is made to the 

 habits of that sagacious animal in laying in a winter's 

 supply of sticks or saplings for food, and sinking them in 

 caches near their housps: and the question interesting to 

 Mr, Griffin as it must be to every one and certainly was 

 to me before it was explained, is how the beaver managf s 

 to make his sticks or saplings sink. Captain Edward 

 Patterson, with whom I undertook to discuss this matter, 

 says that whatever we may think of it, the beaver them- 

 selves find it simple enough, for all they do is to draw 

 enough air from the interstices of the fiber of the wood to 

 rnake it lose its superior buoyancy to water, when it will 

 sink; hence it can be moved on the bottom freely without 

 a tendency to rise, but when raised to the surface, the in- 

 terstices of the fiber (or the cells if you will) are again 

 filled with as much air as was drawn from it by the 

 beaver, and, having regained its buoyancy, it floats again 

 as unsinkable as before, Capt, P. is the "happy possessor 

 of quite a store of forest lore himself, yet credits an old 

 trapper friend of bis, Andy Reefer, with at least the 

 knowledge of this curious fact, if not with having made 

 the observation himself. — Berlin. 



Eagle and Jack Rabbit.— While hunting antelope on 

 the prairies of Colorado I was the witness of a very inter- 

 esting chase between an eagle and a jack rabbit. The 

 various circles and downward sweeps of the eat'le at- 

 tracted my attention, and I resolved to ascertain the 

 reason, I put spur to my horse and succeeded in gaining 

 an elevation from which a good view of the chase could 

 be had. The rabbit to all appearances was very much 

 bewildered, and would run first one direction and then 

 another, and sometimes in circles, its pursuer, the eaele, 

 following its every turn. Finally the eagle, as if tired of 

 his sport, with a vicious downward swoop, and a stroke 

 of the wing, laid the rabbit out lifeless on the prairie. 

 At this moment I gave a tremendous yell, and at the 

 same time rode rapidly toward them, which had the de- 

 sired effect of frightening the eagle away, leaving its vic- 

 tim in my possession, which turned out to be the only 

 game I bagged that day.— W, L. J. 



Cincinnati Natural History Society.— The oflacers 

 for the year are: President, Col. J. W. Abert; First ^'ice- 

 President, A, D. Smith; Second Vice-President, Dr, F. 

 W. Lanerdon; Secretary, Dr. J. A. Henshall: Treasurer, 

 Davis L. James; Librarian. W. H. Knight; Tj-ustee, W. P. 

 Anderson; Members of Executive Board at Large, T. H. 

 Kelly, T. B, Collier, Alex. Starbuck and W, H. Knight, 

 Curators— Geology, E. O Ulrich: botany, D. L, James: 

 zoology, Chas. Dury; anthropology, Dr. A. J, Howe; 

 photography, T. B, Collier; microscopy, Dr. B. M. 

 Ricketts; physics, W. H. Knight; chemistry. Prof. Karl 

 Langenbeck. 



Long Island VerjVIIN.— Minks raided the pens of or- 

 namental wildfowl belonging to Major Frederick Mather, 

 State Superintendent of the Government hatchery at 

 Cold Spring Harbor, one night last week, and killed 

 many valuable bii-ds. They took the original pair of 

 Chinese mandarm ducis imported from China at a cost 



of |oO, three pairs of wood ducks, and several teal, wid- 

 geon, and other wildfowl that were in process of domes- 

 tication. Fortunately all the fowl were not in one pen, 

 and some of each species were saved. Vermin has been 

 very plentiful on L-iag Island the past winter, and farm- 

 ers have lost much poultiy through their depredations. 

 Notwithstanding the steel traps kept around tue grounds 

 of the Fish Commission to protect the trout from minks 

 and the ponds from muskrats, these animals occasionally 

 get in and work mischief. The following is the record 

 kept by Major Mather of the vermin destroyed this sea- 

 son: Opossums 10, minks 9 mu«krats 23, weasels 3, night 

 herons 8, kingfishers 43.—Neiv York Times. 



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

 tories and British Provinces are given in the Boolt of the 

 Oame Laws. 



OUR GUN CLUB-TURTLING. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



With your permi.-sion I will introduce, to such of the 

 readers of the Forest and Stream as may care for the 

 acquaintanceship, the memberB of our gun club. Ours is 

 not a very tony outfit. We have no president, treasurer, 

 or secretary, no spacious parlors and smoking room 

 adorned with trophies of the chase or freaks which have 

 emanated from the imaginative brain of the taxidermists. 

 We have merely got into a habit of gathering around the 

 stove in the rear end of om- patient friend's grocery store, 

 where we adjust ourselves as comfortably as possible 

 upon whatever affords a convenient seat, and smoke and 

 chat to while away a dull horn- or so every evening ex- 

 cept Sunday. Here our himting or fishing parties are 

 made up and verbal reports of each expedition rendered, 

 with a goodly sprinkling of remarks from the audience 

 and not a few tales of the "That reminds me" order. 



The ages of our members, of whose names there is no 

 official list, range anywhere from twenty-five to seventy 

 years, but we don't reckon age by the Gregorian calendar 

 and count our men young as long as they feel youthful 

 and able to fill their store box at the stove fire even 

 though unable to endure fatigue in the field or on the 

 stream. I know of but one point upon which we all can 

 agree, and that is sporting matters of a general character, 

 though even on this subject many small differences of 

 opinion develop. We don't like one another's religion, 

 politics or habits; no two of us have the same daily occu- 

 pation; we are radically opposeil to each other's views on 

 almost everything: don't look alike, and in short, are a 

 misfit all around, except that we all cherish a friendly 

 feeling tempered with charity for all, and are glad that 

 we are so well acquainted. 



Fishermen are in the minority, because water is scarce 

 in this section, and the sport is almost exclusively lim- 

 ited to mountain trout and snapping turtles. By the 

 way, the last-named affords us a huge amount of fun 

 and generally an ample reward of real turtle soup. 

 When the water becomes warm enough, a wagonload of 

 turtle fishers may be seen creeping away in the gloom of 

 very early morning on the way to somp muddy meadow 

 brook, perhaps some miles distant. Coffee pot, tin cups, 

 canned good^, bread, etc, are stowed away, together 

 with empty coffee sacks to carry the game in, horse feed 

 and fishing clothes; while we will trust to the farmer's 

 wife for good butter and milk. Rpaching the stream the 

 party, usually four or five in number, divide; two will 

 &<h, two will pack the game and provender, while the 

 odd man takes care of the team and courts all the eligible 

 rural maidens who are so unfortunate as to be forced to 

 endiu-e his presence, A hasty breakfast with hot coffee 

 is prepared over our camp fire, while old clothes are 

 being donned; and this being disposed of, into the waters 

 the fishers go, attired in decollett« costumes of the most 

 extreme fashion, and immediately the one whose teeth 

 are chattering informs us that that water is c-c-cold and 

 wet besides. But the chill of the first plunge soon wears 

 off and the fun begins. The fishing is done entirely with 

 the bare hands here, and it is considered cowardly to use 

 any other method; though frequently a turtle which has 

 been disturbed will inflict a reminder which is by no 

 means gentle, and if anything on earth can equal his 

 Satanic Majesty for perseverance it is an angry snapping 

 turtle, bulldogs not excepted. 



Groping around under the overhanging sod banks, 

 under piles of drift biu-h and logs, ledges of submerged 

 rock, routs of trees, among the rank growth of water 

 vegetation, and in muskrat holes, the fisher feels his 

 way; now he gets ducked all over, and now the blazing 

 sun kisses his damp shoulders and leaves a red mark— 

 the mark will assert its importance to-morrow, "He's 

 ,;ot one!" a yell from the shore proclaims. Yes, which 

 las got one? Then, accompanied by much grtmting, 

 perspiring and evolutions which would put a prof essional 

 contortionist to shame, the struggle becomes more and 

 more exciting. It is "liberty or death" with the bedrag- 

 -^led reptile, and honor and spoils for the captor. Sud- 

 Jenly there is a change in the tide of battle. His turtle- 

 ship has broken away and makes a hastv retreat through 

 a muskrat burrow under the bank. Quickly the fisher 

 leaps from the water to the solid ground and once more 

 8eiz?s his prey by the tail as he passes mine host musk- 

 rat's back yard door. Behold the spectacle now! The 

 brawny form of the fisherman is doubled, his head and 

 arms are suaining to get further into the hole for a better 

 grip, his knees are on the edge, wVile his, at present, 

 most prominent parts are turned skyward in the attitude 

 of a devout Moslem in the act of making a particularly 

 obsequious Salaam to the Prophet. The strain is terrible 

 and power has almost fled from the contorted muscles 

 of our chamj)ion. Hark to a doleful sound which rises 

 lingeringly above the grunts and pants from the hole. 

 Aye, the pants have indeed suffered, and at a most incon- 

 venient place, too, but then with that mighty effort which 

 wrought this havoc, all was not to be discouragement. 

 There lies the quarry on his back, and long and loud is 

 our merriment, while our champion rests himself and 

 attempts to repair the damages to his apparel, but withal 

 well satisfied with himself. Such and many other equally 

 ludicrous scenes are what make turtle fishing one of the 

 periodical sports of our gun club. 



Toward the evening of the hunt we get up a good sub- 

 etairtial luuoh, with plenty of fresh butter, milk and eggs 



procured in the neighborhood, and after the fatigue of 

 wading, stooping and kneeling do^n iu the water only to 

 rise up again to move on a little further, this meal is an 

 important part of the programme to the robust fisher, 

 who generally does it justice. Our catch on this occassion 

 was fifty-three. 



The turtles are usually found with their heads shore- 

 vpard iu the forenoon and toward the water in the after- 

 noon. They are able to cling to brush and roots with a 

 strength truly wonderful, and knowing this the experi- 

 enced hunter prefers to seize it by the head instead of the 

 tail, as it cannot then get a hold on the numerous ob- 

 structions, neither can it turn and bite. 



During the season many parties come from the cities to 

 hunt turtles, and market- hunters do not miss the oppor- 

 tunity of turning this i-port into a profitable business. 



Having thus introduced a few members of our gun 

 club to the readers of Forest and Stream, and hoping 

 that some of them will add turtle fi.-hing to their list of 

 outdoor pleasures, I will defer making them acquainted 

 with the others until some future time. As in all other 

 amusements, care should be taken in selecting companions 

 for the hunt, and a knowkdge of how to dress and cook 

 a turtle is also very necessary. Deacon. 

 Gheensbubg, Pa, 



MY LAST EXPERIMENT. 



I AM fond of trying experiments. My last one was only 

 too successful, but it might have had a fatal endiDg. 

 I will give it for the benefit of the readers of Forest and 

 Stream. 



I was spending a few weeks in Pike countv. Pa., in a 

 region where partridges were quite abundant. They 

 sometimes come out by a fence only a few rods from the 

 house. One morning I flushed five not far from the b irn. 

 But as most sportsmen know, this is a very difficult bird 

 to secure. One requires a good dog and should be a superb 

 shot. Then it is exceedingly hard to stalk him. and so 

 far as walking him up goes there is no telling where he 

 will rise nor what du-ection he will take. I found it. I 

 had no dog and a lame leg prevented my rambling in the 

 brush , even had 1 wanted to. 



This time I thought 1 would try a new plan and see if I 

 cotdd not outwit Bonasa. I did outwit him. though I re- 

 gret to say I outwitted myself at the same time. 



I know that all the birds in the neighborhood had been 

 in the habit of seeing the cattle browsing in i;he woods 

 and consequently were perfectly familiar with the sound 

 of a cowbelL So it occurred to me that if I t-hould strap 

 old Brindle's neck ornament around my waist, allowing 

 the bell to fall by a string from behind me, so that its 

 sound would not be impeded, the birds would not ba 

 frightened. 



All this done and out I went through the bars and 

 along the road that ran across the "back lot," the bell 

 meanwhile clanging and jangling in the most approved 

 style. There was no need of treading carefully, nor did 

 I care how many sticks broke under my feet. I'just went 

 on, my bell registering every step with a clang. 



But not a bird started, nor (much to my surprise) did I 

 see one in the road. It was strange, I thought. There 

 must be some around here, I will stand still for a mo- 

 ment and wait. I did stand, and in a moment the bell 

 ceased its noise. 



But my! Whirr, whirr, whirr, behind me, at the side 

 of me, right, left and in front. One went this way and 

 another that. I would turn for one, and another would 

 fly, and not a shot after all! Nothing but brown streaks 

 darting here and there among the scant oaks and piues, 

 and some of them starting not 3yds. from where I btood, 

 I must try again, I say, and be more careful when I 

 come to a stand. Can it be, I ask myself, that my "bell 

 attachment" is too great a succes.-? I walk along for a 

 little distance and stop again, I am already now looking 

 toward the left, when whirr off to my right, and I get 

 a glimpse of something brown going like an airow 

 through the pines. No chance yet, I will turn off on 

 another road more grown up with blackberry bushes in 

 the center. I do this, my bell attachment ringing all the 

 time. No birds fly until I come to a stop, and then an- 

 other gets up almost in front of me and swings off bfhind 

 a bush to my right. In a sort of desperation (T am afraid) 

 I fired at a shadow. I only know I heard no thud, nor 

 did I find a feather. 



I go a long distance now and no bird flies. I am in a 

 place where I have seen plenty in days past. But this 

 leg is tired and I must rest on this log, I have been sit- 

 ting here for perhaps half a minute, my gun lying across 

 my knees, and my noisy appendage now quiet, when 

 whirr again, and a bu'd gets up almost in front of me in 

 an open place and darts into the woods before I get the 

 gun to my shoulder. I begin to despair of getting any 

 now, but will make one more effort. I will keep along 

 this path by the side of the fence, and when I get to the 

 bars go through them and up among the short pines that 

 border a low meadow. The birds at this season are feed- 

 ing on wdntergreens. 



No bird flies', and I have passed through the bars and 

 am about to cross the little bridge and make my way up 

 to the pines. My foot is on the bridge. But, hark! 

 Booo-o-o-o. I look through the alders, and here comes a 

 red bull to meet me. One glance is enough. I know he 

 means business. He does not see me yet. and -I retreat 

 through the bars and limp into the woods! But bars, I 

 know, are nothing to that fellow, nor gates either, 



I cannot run fast and I get laughing at my ridiculous 

 plight, ami this renders my race the slower. "Then I try 

 to get the bell off of me. It is betraying my whereabouts 

 to the bull, and the harder I run the rnore it clangs. 

 Meanwhile the bull is coming. His booing is nearer. I 

 guess he is beginning to paw. 



But the bell is off.' It drops to the ground, I must net 

 lose it, and down I stoop to pick it up, and eft again. 

 But, dear me, it still clangs! even worse than it did before, 

 as Brindle when she runs. And the booing is louder 

 than ever. What shall 1 do? My footsteps on something 

 soft. It is moss. Fill the mouth of the bell is at once' 

 suggested to my mind. It is done, and now the bellowing 

 ceases, 



I am in a thick undergrowth by the side of a stone 

 fence. I climb over it and rest. My heart is beating very 

 fast and I am warm. But I am hidden and do not hear 

 the bull, and then if things come to the worst I could 

 blind him with shot. However, I woidd not like to serve 

 my friend's bull in that way. 



But now I am rested. I want to see this bull that has 

 caused me so much ^alaraa and interrupted my sport. I 



