348 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[April 14, 1892. 



TAMING HUMMINGBIRDS. 



QT. AUGUSTINE, Florida, April l.— Editor Forest and 



0 Stream: You some time ago requested me to con- 

 tribute a chapter on hummingbirds for the natural history 

 department of Forest and Stream. As that is a subject 

 on which I feel quite competent to write, I do it with 

 pleasure in an hour snatched from business, 



From early boyhood I have been almost a monomaniac 

 on hummingbirds, and there is probably very little re- 

 garding their habits that I do not know. When a small 

 boy I indulged in a feeling of contempt for the ignorance 

 of a person who captured a hummingbird and fed it on 

 "a paste made of wine biscuit and sugar"— the nearest 

 a pproach to their flower food being simply sugar and 

 water. They cannot live exclusively on insect food, but 

 they cannot live for more than a week or two without it. 



1 dissected one in South America and washed out the 

 crop in a basin of water, when scores of minute insects 

 fl jated through it. The amount of sugar and water con- 

 sumed in a day by those we have tamed is surprising — 

 almost a teaspoonful. 



Every well informed person knows that the humming- 

 birds are found only in the New World and the adjacent 

 islands. When Mr. Gould, the famous English ornithol- 

 ogist, came to this country, and at Philadelphia had his 

 first sight of a live hummingbird, his enthusiasm nearly 

 created a doubt of his sanity, and he could scarcely sleep 

 till one was captured for him, which he carried around 

 the streets in a small wire cage attached to a buttonhole 

 in his coat. His great work on the hummingbirds of 

 South America was not made up from personal knowl- 

 edge of their character and habits, but gathered from 

 travelers and explorers. He never set his foot on South 

 American soil, the habitat of this large family of birds. 

 Yet his descriptions of them are very interesting and re- 

 liable, so far as my own observations extend, and I have 

 been several times to South America. 



We have but one species, the ruby -throat, this side of 

 the Eocky Mountains, and about a dozen in the west and 

 southwest, while South America has several hundreds 

 already known, and new ones are discovered every year. 

 The long-tailed hummingbird of Jamaica (Trbchilus 

 polytmus) has been tamed by Gosse, the ornithologist, in 

 confinement, which is a very easy matter; but to tame 

 them without their being captured is far more difficult 

 and interesting, and this I have frequently done since I 

 have taken up my residence in Florida. On one occasion 

 I had undoubted proof of their memory. 



On a warm spring day, as my wife and I were sitting 

 on the piazza, she called my attention to one that was at 

 the flowers near us, and almost instantly he darted down 

 and hovered inquiringly around our faces. I knew at 

 once that it was one of our pets of the previous year, and 

 I filled the same tiny bottle with sugar and water that he 

 had been accustomed to feed from. In a few minutes he 

 returned, and when I held the bottle up he helped him- 

 self without the slightest hesitation. 



We were delighted of course, but our delight was not 

 of long duration, for he was on his way north, accom- 

 panied by his mate, for the purpose of rearing a small 

 family. He only called once more, and then left, like a 

 ^veil-trained husband, in the wake of his lordly little 

 wife. 



They are the most inveterate little warriors, two sel- 

 dom coming together without a conflict, and when one 

 has found a field that is worth protecting he stations 

 himself on the nearest dead twig and holds possession 

 until driven off by a stronger bird. Taming them re- 

 quires a little patience, as they are naturally very shy, 

 bub as soon as their confidence is gained they seem to be 

 utterly fearless. To attract them to a bottle a favorite 

 flower must at first be put in so that the end of the corolla 

 reaches the water, and when they once find out that the 

 supply is inexhaustible they pay it very frequent visits 

 and soon want to dispense with the flower altogether. 



When we spend the summer here we always have 

 them tamed so that they come to us anywhere around 

 the place. As my room is always open they pay me 

 very frequent visits, and when we are at the table they 

 come in and take a seat with us — on one of our fingers. 



1 have found it useless to attempt to do anything with 

 them while on their way North, If they are bent on 

 going to a certain place they go, and no attractions will 

 detain them. An occasional pair stop here to rear a 

 family, and when a young bird makes his appearance, 

 about June, we are quite sure that we can keep him and 

 at once set about it. On more than oue occasion when 

 we have had a pet, and a stranger has attempted to 

 drive him off and take possession, I have come to his 

 rescue and shot the aggressor. It is impossible to have 

 more than one tame one at a time. 



It seems as if there could be no apparent difference 

 between them, but there is, and some of them we have 

 found so uninteresting that we have wanted to get rid of 

 them after taming them. 



We usually select a young male, which I kBOw in- 

 stantly, although no ruby feathers are seen. At first the 

 breast is white, with almost imperceptible gray specks, 

 and in about two months the ruby spots begin to appear, 

 one at a time. 



The first ruby feather in one of our pets came exactly 

 in the center of his throat, looking like a ruby breast pin. 

 In the spring all the male birds are in gorgeous attire, 

 and although there are some more magnificent specimens 

 in South America, there are but few more beautiful. It 

 seems to me that they are becoming scarcer every year, 

 and I can only attribute this to their slaughter for ladies' 

 hats; but the dealers will not stop buying them, nor the 

 ladies wearing them; and until they do, the slaughter of 

 the innocents will continue. 



It is utterly useless to attempt the protection of any- 

 thing by law, for ninety pet cent, of every legislative 

 body in the United States knows only politics — simply 

 that and nothing more. Think of appealing to the 

 present Legislature of New York to consider a means 

 of preventing the total destruction of all the song birds 

 in the country! A great majority of them, if they even 

 gave it a thought, would apply for Hill's opinion, and if 

 he should see nothing in it to benefit his party he would 

 answer, "Birds are of no more consequence to me than 

 fish; let'em slide." 



It is very seldom that a hummingbird's nest is found, 

 though the pugnacious little male Is apt to betray it if his 



mate is setting, for his anxiety to drive away intruders 

 attracts attention, and if he is watched he may be seen to 

 alight by the side of the nest to receive the thanks of his 

 mate for his heroism. 



When I was about starting on one of my visits to South 

 America, Prof. Agassiz requested me to procure for him 

 from 50 to 100 eggs of hummingbirds, to be used for 

 scientific purposes, apparently ignorant of the fact that 

 one of their nests is seldom found, even in South America 

 where they are most numerous. ' Didtmus. « 



YOUNG WOODCOCK IN MARCH. 



NEWBERN", N. C, April 8.— While looking over 

 stumpage on the edge of a thicket, some seven 

 miles from town, on March 29, I happened upon an old 

 hen woodcock very much fluffed up and flustered, and 

 concluding she had a nest of eggs near by, I commenced 

 a search, when I was astonished to discover three fine 

 young squabs, well feathered and nearly ready to fly. 

 ''Reckon they must have took wing next day and are bor- 

 ing somewhere around the slash now," as the old timber 

 hunter who was with me remarked. Presently we men- 

 tioned the circumstance to a man whom we found break- 

 ing down some cotton stalks near by, and he gave tongue: 

 "What! tbem there night snipe? Law sakes! There are 

 slathers of 'em about chere all the time, but I didn't 

 reckon as they were any account. Nobody bothers about 

 hunting of them." 



As there is no law in the State of North Carolina, that 

 I can discover, touching the protection of woodcock, 

 which are not reoognized asgame by the natives, it "looks 

 like there would be a right smart chance" for wing- 

 shooters around here in the course of a month or so. 



I notice that the laws of Virginia and South Carolina, 

 to the north and south of us, permit shooting of wood- 

 cock until April 1, which is obviously six weeks too long 

 for the open season, judging by the time the birds are 

 known to pair and nest in these parts. 



Charles Hallocr. 



WILD BOARS FOR THE ADIRONDACKS. 



Editor Forest and Stream* 



I would like very much to hear your views and get 

 some information from the readers of and correspond- 

 ents to your valuable paper in regard to the desirability 

 of introducing the wild hog of the Black Forest in Ger- 

 many into the North Woods, or Adirondacks, this State. 

 I have been thinking of it for some time, and it seems as 

 if there is plenty of food there for them, 



I have heard that some of these wild hogs, or, as they 

 are called, wild boars, are in the south part of the Cats- 

 kills that were brought over for some private park and 

 have escaped and are now running wild there. I think 

 that through your paper some one who knows about 

 this matter might give me some information. I would 

 very much like to have the subject discussed that I may 

 form an opinion in regard to it. Townsend Cox, 



President Forest Commission. 



New Yokk State Fohest Comjussios, Albany, April T. 



Wild Animals and Snakes in India.— In the report 

 on the Administration of the Bombay Presidency for the 

 year 1890-91 is to be found the following interesting ac- 

 count of "The destruction of wild animals and venomous 

 snakes:" The whole number of people killed by wild 

 animals and snakes within the Presidencv, including 

 Scind, during the year 1890, was 1,122 as compared with 

 1,160 in the previous year. The number of deaths caused 

 by tigers and leopards was twenty only, of which sixteen 

 occured in the Khandesh District. In the previous year 

 forty-seven persons were thus killed in that District. In 

 the Broach District seven persons were killed by wolves 

 and three by other animals. The mortality from snake- 

 bite was slightly lower than in the previous year. The 

 most deaths from this cause occured in Scind, there being 

 497; the fewest in the Central Division, but 105. In the 

 Northern and Southern Divisions there were 241 and 232 

 respectively. The number of wild cattle killed by beasts 

 of prey and snakes decreased from 2,188 in 18S9 to 1,883 

 in 1890. In Kanara, however, the number of cattle 

 killed in 1890 was 939, exceeding the record for the past 

 ten years. The total number of wild animals destroyed 

 during the year was 836, and of snakes 406 092; this was 

 27,703 fewer snakes than in 1889. The total amount paid 

 as rewards for the destruction of wild animals and snakes 

 during the year was 12,655 rupees, 13 annas and 2 pice 

 (about $5,695.15), 



A Carrier Pigeon at Sea.— Old Dominion Steamship 

 Company's Steamship City of Atlanta, New York, April 

 11.— Editor Forest and Stream: When the City of At- 

 lanta was on her southbound trip last Sunday, she was 

 visited by a little wanderer— a carrier pigeon— which 

 seemed completely exhausted. I had no trouble in tak- 

 ing the bird up, and have cared for it ever since. I tried 

 to induce it to fly away to its home, but I can't make it 

 leave the ship. The bird is very pretty, and I judge a 

 nice one. I think it must be a Philadelphia or Baltimore 

 bird, as it came to me off the Capes of Delaware. Stamped 

 in red ink on a wing is the name "John Meskins," a tag 

 on the leg has the letters "H. N. B., No. 1." I am very 

 anxious that the owner should have it. He can do so by 

 proving property.— R. H. Ltxce (First Officer S. S. City 

 of Atlanta, New Pier 26, N. R., New York). 



Mongolian Pheasants.— Portland, Ore., March 18.— 

 The Mongolian pheasant article published by you recently 

 has brought me numerous letters from Eastern sports- 

 men. I am glad to see so much interest manifested in the 

 subject. I have had the pleasure to inform inquiring 

 ones that Mr. John Denny (brother of the Hon. O. N. 

 Denny, who introduced the birds into this country) has 

 fourteen now in captivity and for sale. John Denny's 

 address is Lebanon, Ore. The Judge informs me that the 

 flock is composed of three cocks and eleven hens, and he 

 thinks John will want about $100 for them.— S. H. 

 Greene. 



Least Bittern.— Our correspondent "Sancho Panza" 

 sends us, from Patterson, Pa., a small bird, which he says 

 "Evidently belongs to the heron family, but no person 

 about Juniata county knows what it is."' The specimen 

 sent is a male least bittern {Botaurus exilis), of general 

 distribution intemperate North America, but seldom seen 

 by the casual observer on account of its secretive habits, 



%mnt §zg mi §Mq. 



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

 tories and British Provinces are given in the Book of the 

 Go/me Laws. 



BRANT AT MONOMOY, 



T>OSTON, Mass., April 11.— The Monomoy Brant Club 

 JL) is one of the institutions of Boston gunners. They 

 have their shooting boxes and camps at the beach of the 

 same name on Cape Cod. The club has a large number 

 of members, so large that they do not all attempt to go 

 shooting, either in the fall or the spring, at once or pro- 

 miscuously, but they are divided intojsquads of eight and 

 the time for each squad is mapped out before the season 

 opens. They have fine camping accommodations, which 

 the club owns. They employ men, whom they call "gun- 

 ners," to take care of their property, cook and take them 

 out to the shooting boxes or sinks, which are boxed-up 

 holes in the sand, some of them so far out that at high 

 tide the sand washes in and fills them. Some of them 

 are so far down that they can only be entered at low 

 water. The gunners keep these boxes shoveled out and 

 move about on the beach all that is necessary to pick Up 

 birds and keep watch. They are dressed in suits of a 

 mud or sand color, and are thought to frighten the birds 

 the least possible. The only object of the club is to shoot 

 brant, as the name implies, and the rules are so strict 

 that other birds must not be shot at in the branting 

 season. The club had a record of 62 brant killed in 189 1, 

 while the record is yet blank, or rather not completed; 

 for 1892. There is a rumor that a large number of brant 

 were sent last week oyer to the Monument Fishing ( Jlub 

 from the Monomoy. This may be true, for the birds are 

 invariably given to the gunners after the sportsmen have 

 had the few they need in camp, with possibly now and 

 then one to send to friends. The gunners can sell them 

 and get what they can out of them, but members of the 

 club do not sell brant. 



There is also another report which came up Friday aud 

 disturbs the members of the club a good deal. The story 

 that a mink had got into the coops of live decoy brants 

 and killed three or four of the best ones. If this is true 

 it will be a good deal of a loss to the club. These decoy 

 brant are obtained by picking up the wounded birds after 

 shooting, and if not too greatly injured, saving them 

 alive. It is a curious fact that these captured brant never 

 become tame. Whey they are used as decoys they have 

 to be confined with a string, else they will regain their 

 liberty. They have never been known to produce eggs 

 in this sort of captivity. They are fed on corn and waste 

 food from the camp almost the same as native geese. 



Three or four squads of the Monomoy Brant Club have 

 already been down on their spring shoot, and the fifth 

 squad or party is to start April 20. This party is made 

 up of Mr. Joe Dorr (I do not know his business); Harry 

 Colburn, superintendent of the rope works at Newton: 

 Harry Reed, of the flour and grain trade; Mr. Plympton, 

 a grocer at Walpole; Robert Gray, a wool dyer of Wal- 

 pole; E. Frank Lewis, a wool scourer; Harry Simonds, of 

 the wool trade; N. E. Arnold, a last manufacturer of 

 Abington, and H. H. Wright, superintendent of the 

 water works at Abington. This squad is termed the Mo- 

 nomoy Guards. The annual meeting of the guards was 

 held at the Boston Tavern, March 25, when branting was 

 thoroughly discussed. A burlesque programme was 

 issued to members, with shooting matches, songs and 

 dances by members of the guards. Carriages were not 

 called till 11. At this meeting 100 brant was the number 

 set for 1892. Special, 



"HELL GATE" OR "DEER LICK"? 



Editor Foi-est and~Stream: 



I notice in your issue of March 18 that a number til 

 Colebrook gentlemen who have purchased aud contem- 

 plate changing the name of the late Amasa Ward's "Hell 

 Gate Camp," on the Diamond River, to "Deer Lick 

 Camp," and I cannot refrain from entering my humble 

 protest, in the name of all that is most dear to those 

 sportsmen who have visited that camp, against the 

 change of a name which has been identified with that 

 spot so long that it has become a part of it. Separate 

 them, and the place becomes substantially an unknown 



?uantity, unheard of alike by sportsmen and the tecder- 

 ooted portion of mankind, a place where popularity 

 must be in a manner re-established, a place which with- 

 out the prestige of old "Hell Gate" must start a long way 

 back on the "tote road" of that reputation which the lat- 

 ter has so justly attained under a name, than which none 

 can certainly be more appropriate, though possibly the 

 one chosen may be a trifle more euphonious. 



I pray you, gentlemen, desist, for laying all sentiment 

 aside, would it not be poor judgment as a business ven- 

 ture to change a name by which it has been so long and 

 favorably known, as almost to have become a trade-mark':' 

 If there was anything disgraceful or disreputable con- 

 nected with the camp that would tend to render its 

 identity under the old name in any degree obnoxious or 

 objectionable, there might seem to be some good reason 

 for disguising it under a cleaner title, but in this case 

 where those familiar names of "Hell Gate Camp," "Hell 

 Gate Falls," "Amasa Ward's Old Camp" and the "Dead 

 Diamond" are synonymous for all that is desirable and 

 enjoyable to a true lover of the woods, to change the 

 name of either of them would banish from the mind all 

 connection with those visions of delight which their bare 

 mention is so certain to invoke; then let us pause and 

 consider whether the old name is not just as good now 

 as it ever was, and whether a change would not be de- 

 trimental to the location. C. A. B : 

 Boston, Mass. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



There seems to be some objection on the part of some, 

 former patrons we suppose, to change the name of Hell 

 Gate Camp to Deer Lick Camp at Hell Gate, on the Dead 

 Diamond River. "Old Injun" may have made the camp 

 and its surroundings all it is, but his creditors have a 

 faint idea that they assisted in doing so. Ward may have 

 been a "good entertainer'' and have brought the camp 

 into prominence; but when he passed away and the camp 

 came into new hands it seemed desirable to change the 

 name. One thing the syndicate expect to do by the pro- 

 posed change is to emphasize the fact that this is a spori* 



