Jan. 21, 1892.'] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



to me. During the summer seasons they are occasionally 

 seen near the borders of clearings, when they sometimes 

 appropriate a woodpecker's hole in some small low stub, 

 where are deposited eight or nine eggs nearly white and 

 about the size of a marrowfat pea. 



The chickadee is seldom if ever found here in the South, 

 but they were quite plenty at the North in my boyhood 

 days. Astlek. 



Grand View, Term. 



NORTHERN BIRD LISTS. 



WE have recently received two lists of birds, which, 

 treating of the species found in distant and little 

 known regions, possess a peculiar interest for the or- 

 nithologist. We notice them in the order of their receipt. 



•'The Check List of British Columbia Birds" is by John 

 Fannin, Curator Provincial Museum. Victoria, B. C,, and 

 bears date September, 1891. It is the resu.lt of observa- 

 tion extending over a number of years and enumerates 

 308 species, by no means all that may be expected to be 

 found in this great Province, which, besides its lati- 

 tudinal extent, includes within its borders regions the 

 most diverse. In British Columbia we have areas which, 

 are most arid and others of great precipitation, mountain 

 and prairie, an enormous line of seacoast and peaks 

 which are always white with snow. In such a varied 

 region we should expect birds of all kinds. Ou the other 

 hand, observation in British Columbia is difficult. The 

 distances are great, the modes of travel over a large part 

 of the Province are slow and expensive, and much of 

 the country is still an unbroken wilderness. 



Mr. Fannin, in speaking of the range of birds in the 

 Province, divides it into four sections (1), "The Coast" 

 or "Coast Line of the Province (2), "West of the Cas- 

 cades," meaning all the country west of the Cascade 

 Mountains:" (3) "East of the Cascades," the dry, open 

 country immediately east of the Cascade Mountains, and 

 (4) "The Rocky Mountain District," which includes the 

 wooded country beyond and reaching to the Rocky 

 Mountains. 



The western Cascade district is a wooded country, 

 noted for its gigantic coniferous trees, some of which 

 reach a height of three hundred feet. The undergrowth 

 consists of vine-maple, willow and alder, beneath which 

 is a rank growth of moss, matted weeds and ferns, so 

 that most of the moisture which, during the winter 

 months, is so characteristic of this Northwest coast, is 

 retained in the forest floor. Open stretches of land are 

 found occasionally, and these are the resort of many 

 birds, for but little of bird life is met with in the deep 

 woods. 



The Eastern Cascade district is a dry, open country of 

 rolling hills, the higher summits being sparsely clothed 

 with coniferous trees, while deciduous species, such as the 

 aspen , dogwood and willow, grow along the borders of 

 rivers and small streams. This is a grazing country, 

 sometimes with alkali flats and sage plains, but on the 

 whole producing a luxuriant growth of bunch grass. 



The Rocky Mountain region is rough and wooded, and 

 abundantly supplied with small lakes, the breeding places 

 of many water birds. The forests are mostly coniferous, 

 though birch maple and cottonwood abound in many 

 places. 



It is in this vast and varied region that Mr, Fannin has 

 made the collections upon which his list is based, and as 

 time goes on we may expect to see the number of species 

 contained in it greatly increased. The list represents a 

 great deal of work and contains much information. We 

 notice a few proofreader's errors, but on the whole the 

 mechanical part of the work is well done. Two editions 

 of the list appear to have been published, one containing 

 a colored plate of the pigmy owl, which is omitted from 

 the other. Both contain an uncolored figure of the black 

 merlin (Falco columbarius sucMeyi). 



In a modest pamphlet of 34 pp., put out as No. 865 of 

 the "Proceedings of the United States National Museum," 

 Mr. R. MacFarlane, F. R G S„ has given us his most in- 

 teresting "Notes on and List of Birds and Eggs Collected 

 in Arctic America, 18(51-1866." 



The region embraced in this title includes the territory 

 bounded on the north by the Polar Sea, from the eastern 

 outlet of the Mackenzie River to Cape Bathurst; on the 

 east, by the west coast of Franklin Bay from Cape Ba- 

 thurst south to the depth of Langton Harbor; on the south 

 by the 67th parallel of north latitude west from its inter- 

 section with the meridian of 124 a W. to the Mackenzie 

 River, and on the west by the Mackenzie River to its 

 mouth. It is explained, however, that only a few speci- 

 mens were collected south of latitude 67° 30' N. or west 

 of longitude 129° except from the Lower Anderson to the 

 Mackenzie River. The chief center of observation was 

 Fort Anderson (now abandoned), situated on the right 

 bank of the Anderson River in about lat. 68° 30' N., long. 

 128° W. 



The region in question is generally flat, but is here and 

 there intersected by hilly ridges. Most of its surface is 

 forest-clad, with many open marshy spots, streams and 

 lakes of varying size. North of the parallel of 68° the 

 trees become sparse and stunted, except along the 

 ravines and banks of the larger rivers, where the fringe 

 of timber soon rapidly narrows, disappearing altogether 

 at about 69°. From there to the coast, and again toward 

 the southeast, the wide steppes, or undulating plains, 

 known as the "Barren Grounds," stretch away for hun- 

 dreds of miles. Here the lakes and streams are fewer, 

 wood is absent and marshes occur at more or less fre- 

 quent intervals. On the whole the region is admirably 

 adapted to the breeding of a great variety of birds and is 

 the summer home of a very large number of species of 

 unusual interest. 



Mr. MacFarlane has long been known as an enthusias- 

 tic observer of birds, and is frequently quoted in Baird, 

 Brewer and Ridgway's History of North American Birds^ 

 having gathered for the Smithsonian Institution a great 

 mass of ornithological material and information. For 

 many years he has been a constant correspondent of 

 eminent naturalists such as the late Professor Baird, 

 Captain Bendire and others, and has. perhaps, done more 

 to advance our knowledge of the avifauna of the far 

 north than any other person. He first brought to our 

 knowledge the nest and eggs of a number of species of 

 rare birds and was the discoverer of the Siberian chic- 

 adee (P. omctVfi obtectus, Cab.) in this country. 



The notes contained in the present list cover 131 species, 

 of which, as might be expected, a majority are water 



birds. The notes on the breeding habits are often full 

 and the paper as a whole is the most interesting one of 

 its kind that we have read for a long time. 



A. Kansas Mystery.— Cimarron, Kan., Jan. 9.— I 

 have just heard rumors of a strange animal in Garfield 

 county, Kan., near Ravanna, that has been killing colts 

 and calves. The animal has been seen by several set- 

 tlers. I think it is a mountain lion or cougar. Last fall 

 two cubs of some animal were killed by horsemen, who 

 ran them down, and one was captured alive and is now 

 owned in Garfield. It somewhat resembles a dog, but 

 has a big chuckle head like a cat. I think it is a half- 

 breed wolf from a big wolf that used to be seen out in 

 Garfield county, near Ravanna, and that always had a 

 big black ownerless Newfoundland dog as a companion. 

 The animal now talked about is, I think, a different one. 

 Calves are killed in two ways. Some are caught in the 

 flank and eaten into the intestines, some are caught at 

 the base of the tail and eaten in the inside of the ham. 

 Some tracks are described as 6in. in diameter and no 

 claw marks, others are said to be long and to have pro- 

 truding claw marks. — W. J. Dixon. 



A Wounded Rail.— We have received from Mr. Geo. 

 Stacey the body of an adult male sora rail (Porzana Caro- 

 lina), which was caught alive on Jan. 10 near Geneva, 

 N. Y. The bird's wing had been broken, and it was ex- 

 ceedingly thin in flesh, no doubt having perished of star- 

 vation. In a note which accompanied the specimen Mr. 

 Stacey says: "This rail was caught yesterday in a small 

 piece of marsh just outside the village. You will see 

 that a wounded wing prevented its migration. The won- 

 der is that it has lived until yesterday. We have had 

 cold weather since last Monday, and yesterday morning 

 the mercury was 8° below zero, and we have had good 

 sleighing for the last four days. The bird was fonnd by 

 Mr. John S. Crawford, and was alive, but died before he 

 arrived home." 



\%mt J?## mti %nt{. 



Antelope and Deer of America. By J. D. Oaton. 

 Price $2.50. Wing and Glass Ball Shooting with the 

 Rifle. By W. C. Bliss. Price 50 cents. Rifle, Rod and 

 Gun in California. By T. S. Van Dyke. Price $1.50. 

 Shore Birds'. Price 15 cents. Woodcraft. By "Ness- 

 muk.* Price SI. Trajectories of Hunting Rifles. Price 

 50 cents Wild Fowl Shooting; see advertisement. 



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

 tories and British Provinces are given in the Book of the 

 Game Laws. 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



[From a Staff Correspondent.! 



CHICAGO, Jan. 14.— As a result of the sparrow crusade 

 in this city 12,000 sparrows have been killed. Num- 

 bers of boys have bought those abominable little toy 

 rifles which shoot a large shot as a bullet. These they 

 have used with a boy carelessness in the general hunt 

 after the sparrows, and accidents innumerable have the 

 result. At the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary thirty 

 cases have been treated which were due to accident at 

 the agency of the sparrow gun. The physician in charge 

 of that institution has been obliged to remove the left eye 

 of one boy, and a little girl, Annie Wright, had her right 

 eye removed. Another boy still is in danger of losing 

 an eye. A host of minor accidents may also be laid at the 

 door of this measure. 



An attempt will be made to prevent the Cherokee In- 

 dians from reserving a quarter section for each family 

 out of the domain yielded to the Government in the 

 Cherokee strip. If the tribe were successful in this plan 

 the strip would be practically of Indian settlement. This 

 would mean that the game of that country would last 

 much longer. Within the past four years it has been 

 killed off very rapidly. 



At Red Rock, in the strip, the Indians are this week 

 indulging in the ghost dance. All the Pawnees are now 

 reported in the dance lodges. Hunting in the Nations 

 this winter would seem to be attended with more than 

 the usual amount of discouragement for the white 

 poachers. 



Apropos of the above comes a rumor that the Indians at 

 Pine Ridge Agency, Dakota, are planning to resume the 

 ghost dance. 



Jan. 14.— Talk with Mr. W. N. Low, earlier mentioned 

 as lately back from Mexico, shows something of the ad- 

 vantages offered by that country as a shooting territory. 

 Mr. Low was invited to join a hunting party bound for 

 Tampico, on the east coast, and was assured that at that 

 point the wildfowl, ducks, geese, cranes and all other 

 sorts, were so abundant that the shooting was only a 

 matter of choice and could be continued as long as 

 wished. Back of that place, from five to fifteen miles, 

 deer, bear, wild turkeys and wild hogs were declared to 

 be abundant. In the city of Mexico ducks brought only 

 eighty cents a dozen. At Guadalajara ducks sold for ten 

 cents a pair, and were so easily killed on the river that 

 they did not seem to be hunted much, although Guadala- 

 jara is a place of 100.000 inhabitants. At Santa Rosalilla, 

 on the Mexican Central Railway, they had trouble to keep 

 the wild geese scared off the wheat fields, Leaving the 

 railway at Hermanes for Paral, and then taking burros 

 for twenty-five miles, one finds himself in the Sierra 

 Madres toward the west country, and there trout, bear 

 and mountain lions are easy to get at. Fowl shooting at 

 or near Vera Cruz, on the east coast, is good. There is no 

 fishing in Central America. In New Mexico and Arizona 

 the blue quail are numerous. At Tucson, Arizona, Mr. 

 Low met an old gentleman 70 years of age. who one 

 day brought in over seventy quail, Mr. Low says he has 

 found the universal game bird of North America, and 

 that it is the blackbird. He has found this bird in flocks 

 from Manitoba to Central America. He thinks the time 

 approaching when the blackbird will be shot for sport. 

 Mr. Low had joined in the popular opinion that the 

 game of California was as abundant as ever and never 

 would be exhausted, and that perhaps our wildfowl were 

 now making their migratory flight further to the West. 

 Yet at Denver he met a Californian from San Jose who 

 assured him that the failing of the California game was 



becoming more and more apparent. This convinced him 

 that the days of field shooting at our present game birds 

 were numbered. 



Mr. J. W. Schultz, of Piegan, Mont., the mountain 

 guide lately mentioned in these columns, says that as a 

 result of the mention he has word from, a gentleman 

 of South Amboy, N. J., inquiring about a bear hunt 

 next May. It is very likely that the gentleman would 

 find his bear. On another matter Mr. Schultz writes as 

 follows : 



" We have been thinking of taking a family of Piegans 

 to the World's Fair, and would like to have your opinion 

 of the scheme. We would have a large lodge (tepee) 

 made of elk skins and painted with animal figures, and 

 everything, in fact, as it was thirty years ago. The 

 Indians also would be dressed in the ancient manner. 

 We would sell polished buffalo horns, Indian stove pipes, 

 shields, cone sticks, moccasins, &c, &c, rugs, antlers, 

 &c. Will you kindly tell us if you think there is any go 

 in this project or not, and if you think we could get" a 

 piece of ground 20x40 feet for our purpose." 



To bring a party of Indians to Chicago at the time of 

 the World's Fair would cost some money, and it is hardly 

 fair to ask one for off-hand advice as to the safety of 

 such an undertaking, though it would seem that it should 

 pay cut at least. As to the space, there is only one way 

 of finding out. Mr. Schultz should write to Gen. George 

 R. Davis, Director-General of the World's Fair, Chicago, 

 explaining the purpose in view, and requesting space. 

 In return he will very promptly get a letter from the 

 Department of Installation, inclosing blanks, which he 

 can fill out, asking for a certain amount of space for a 

 certain purpose. Then he would have to wait awhile, 

 though probably not so very long, before he could learn 

 finally about it. 



Certainly it would seem that those coming to see 

 America should see America as it was as much as it is. 

 The old Indian life is gone, interesting as it was. If it 

 can be made to live again for a brief space, here in this 

 crowded city, at that most momentotis time, certainly 

 that is matter of entertainment and instruction. It is 

 American to think of this idea. It would be American 

 to show it fully carried out. I know the directors intend 

 to have some such features at the great exposition, and 

 am inclined to think that they will respond favorably to 

 Mr. Schnltz's request for his Piegans. 



Jan. 15, — Mr. L. W. Harrison, of Minneapolis, is just 

 back from a trip to Mexico, and is tarrying awhile here 

 in the heart of the banana belt, incidentally waiting for 

 some of those much proclaimed shooting matches. Col. 

 W. H. Jacoby and Mr. M. Whitcomb, of Minneapolis, are 

 also in town. 



Mr. H. McMurchy still remains here, waiting for some 

 one to accept some of his challenges. He says he will 

 not cut his beard till he has got some one to shoot a match 

 with him. 



Mr. C. W. Budd should be in town this morning, he 

 having wired his promise to be here to-day. Elliott will 

 hardly be here, for we hear he is sick. 



Mr. Paul North, of the Cleveland Target Co., arrived in 

 town yesterday and will tarry till the crisis in shooting 

 matters is over. It begins to look as if to-morrow would 

 see somebody get together. 



Mr. M. T. Hart; of Crown Point, Ind., was here Tues- 

 day, and will be here to-morrow if anything happens. 



A very risky looking accident befell Mr. A. J. Atwater 

 last Wednesday while shooting at Watson's Park, which 

 resulted in the ruining of his fine, high grade J. Hollis 

 & Son gun. He felt no such jar as might have been ex- 

 pected, but on attempting to open the gun found the bar- 

 rels sprung from the breech so that a knife-blade could 

 be inserted, and the solid steel frame, to every appear- 

 ance a magnificent piece of metal, broken squarely 

 across and nearly through upon the left hand half. It is 

 providential the shooter was not killed. The load was 

 3drs. of a nitro powder, l£oz. of No. 7s, 1 card and 3 

 black edge on powder. Mr. Atwater loaded his own 

 shells. Mr. Atwater had shot 20 wood powder shells and 

 more than that number of Schultze shells, and as he does 

 not himself pretend to say which load did the damage, 

 this seems to offer a chance for the pow-wow men. The 

 gun still cocks and ejects, and might possibly still be 

 fired, though that would appear hazardous now. 



Fort Dearborn Club elected officers for 1892 last Mon- 

 day night, Jan. 11, at the Sherman House. H. D. Nich- 

 ols was elected President, A. Kleinman Vice-President, 

 C. K. Herrick Secretary and Treasurer, and Al Hoffman, 

 Harry Loveday and C. D. Gammon Directors for the en- 

 suing year. A proposition was submitted to increase the 

 membership of the club from thirty to forty, and was 

 referred to the Board of Directors. George Hoffman and 

 Frank R. Rissell were elected members. It was decided 

 to hold the return shoot between the club and the Mil- 

 waukee Shooting Club some time before Feb. 22. 



Audubon Club elected officers last Tuesday night, Jan. 

 12. Mr. Chas. Kern was elected President, Mr. W. L. 

 Shepherd Secretary. Mr. John Kleinman First Vice-Presi- 

 dent, Mr. Chas. Morris Second A 7 ice-President. Messrs. 

 R. B. Organ, B. Dicks, J. E. Price, Chas. Morris and Dr. 



N. Rowe will constitute the Board of Directors. 

 Jan. 16. — Mr. J. C. Morris, of Hinsdale, a suburb of 



Chicago, reports having seen a ruffed grouse in a strip of 



woods near that place. Last fall he saw about a dozen 



prairie chickens near the city limits in that direction. 



Mr. Morris is late of Baltimore, Md., and these were the 



first prairie chickens he had ever seen. 

 Dick Turtle has a ferret. He keeps it at Water Valley. 



He lends it. Some of the boys took it out. The ferret 



caught a skunk in a hole. The ferret yanked the skunk 



out of the hole. 

 Charlie Gammon has been rabbit hunting again at De 



Motte, Ind. The party had three beagles this time and 



got 50 rabbits. The party consisted of Mr. Gammon, Mr. 



Ed. Hughes and Mr. Al. Baldwin, of Chicago; Messrs. 



Hank Granger and Ed. Spencer, of De Motte; and Chas. 



Cook, of Grand Rapids, Mich., the latter owning the 



beagles. 



The date of the Amateur Revolver Championship con- 

 test for the Winans Trophy, under the auspices of 

 Forest and Stream, is set, that is for the Chicago con- 

 test, for Wednesday evening, Jan. 27. The following 

 will enter for the contest: Messrs. W. J. Meyers, H. S. 

 Burley, J. O. Hobbs and son, H. Furrman, Messrs. 

 Cregier and Anderson. Others will probably also enter. 

 Mr. Meyers is the present revolver champion of Chicago. 



The date for the Cincinnati shooting in the same con- 

 test is not yet set, but will be close to Jan 24, 



