862 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[.Tone 16, 18&8. 



yards, and the hunter takes advantage of this feature by 

 erecting a shooting-box on the top of three poles forming 

 a rude derrick, as shown in the illustration. These struc- 

 tures are described by Elden M. Pollock as 40ft. high and 

 24ft. wide at the base. The poles are strongly braced to- 

 gether by cross pieces and on one of them a primitive 

 ladder gives access to the box, which is open at the top 

 and partly open on the seaward side. On the ends of the 

 poles a board is nailed to serve as a seat for the hunter. 

 This method of taking the otter demands the finest 

 weapons and the most skillful marksmanship, as the 

 game must be killed sometimes at a distance of 1,000yds. 



When the otter is killed it seldom sinks and is usually 

 washed upon the beach by the incoming tide, and is 

 picked up by Indians who patrol the shore in behalf of 

 the hunters. 



On a massive outlying rock off Point Greenville a hun- 

 ter's cabin has been "constructed and this is reached by a 

 rude ladder made of drift wood. Another enterprising 

 marksman has built a lookout in the tops of two tall trees 

 on the shore. Ia order to avoid mistakes as to the owner- 

 ship of the otters secured each hunter marks his bullets, 

 and false claims are unknown. 



Although the derrick system is safer than the hunt 

 with bidarkas, it involves intimate knowledge of the 

 habits of the game and is not wanting in excitement. 

 The patience of Job almost finds a parallel in the endur- 

 ance of these hardy hunters, and nothing but consum- 

 mate skill avails to secure the coveted fur. 



[The illustration of the surround is from the "Fishery 

 Industries."] 



"PODGERS'S" COMMENTARIES. 



I see Forest and Stream felicitates itself on the fact 

 of being so universally known that a letter addressed to 

 it at Chicago was duly forwarded to its proper destination. 

 Nothing so strange in that. A fellow drew a draft on 

 your humble servant once and addressed it to "some- 

 where in New York." It found me away up in the wilds 

 of Connecticut were I was fishing out on a lake miles 

 from anywhere, and a boy came paddling out on three 

 rails lashed together, and presented it. Let a man 

 authorize a draft or owe a bill, and it will find him if he 

 is sitting astride of the North Pole. So don't get conceited 

 over the fact of a letter finding you even if it was ad- 

 dressed to the insignificant village of Chicago. Probably 

 some clerk of the post office owed you for a year's sub- 

 scription and considered that he canceled the obligation 

 by forwarding the letter, so don't get "cockey" over this 

 evidence of the world-wide reputation of the Forest 

 and Stream. Perhaps the letter contained a remittance 

 for a year's subscription, in that case you are somewhat 

 justified in feeling proud and inviting the staff out to see 

 a man if you did it. 



Does the rattlesnake expectorate is a question that 

 seems to have the floor. As he is a native and to the 

 manner born he probably does. Especially if he chews. 

 So much discussion about snakes, and especially rattlers, 

 has made me nervous, and probably the next time I go 

 trout fishing I shall lose many a fish by keeping one eye 

 out for the Eve tempter. I shall be glad when flis pecu- 

 liarities and his case are settled. No disrespect to the 

 gentlemen who so ably write of the reptile, from which 

 one learns that it is very dangerous to be fooling with 

 him with a short stick. Hereafter when I go into the 

 country I shall carry an eel spear and pin him at long 

 range. 



Judge Greene will please accept my thanks for his 

 very complimentary remarks. "Approbation from Sir 

 Hubert Stanley 'is praise indeed." 1 greatly regret that 

 he will be unable to join me on a trip to the Narana next 

 October, as I should take great pleasure in introducing 

 him to the Pacific Coast salmon with the remark that 

 Captain Scott is with you. "Come down" if you know 

 what is good for yourselves, and they would doubtless 

 see the wisdom of it. 



Speaking of salmon, Mr. C. H. Burnham, of St. Louis, 

 in the very pleasant letter he writes me, says that the 

 information he has received by letters from the Pacific 

 Coast suggests the possibility that the only salmon that 

 takes the fly there is the "steelhead." Such can hardly 

 be the case, as among the fish I caught were several 

 generally termed hook and noses, or hook bills, and I 

 was regarded with great contempt and afforded a theme 

 for ridicule to some very young gentlemen on the river 

 bank rejoicing in well- ventilated garments, one calling 

 out to the other, "See there, Jim; see that city feller 

 bringing ashore that old hook nose," a species which by 

 many on the coast is considered not worth saving. For 

 my own satisfaction I concluded to test the opinion, and 

 that day had old hook nose served up at dinner, and was 

 most agreeably disappointed. I never tasted a more 

 delicious fish, fully equal to any salmon that ever swam. 

 Of course hook nose stock went up with me. 



I do not think that steelheads are exclusively the 

 species that take the fly on the Pacific coast. The next 

 expedition I make to Narana will be principally given 

 up to scientific investigation, for I perceive I am draw- 

 ing down upon me the severe and critical eyes of a class 

 of fishermen that it won't do to trifle with who want to 

 know, you know, and it has arrived at that point where 

 it becomes me to bear testimony under oath. So I will 

 fish scientifically, ask every fish what his antecedents 

 are, and if a steelhead, make him own up. I will other- 

 wise investigate his peculiarities and ask him why it is 

 that some seasons he won't take the fly cheerfully and at 

 others he will. The fishing community is asking the 

 question and seem rather disposed to hold me responsible 

 for his vagaries, hence a special expedition must be made 

 to settle all these questions and reason with those 

 notional fish and bring them to a realizing sense of the 

 importance of taking the fly regularly every season, 

 "that it may be fulfilled whirh has been spoken," for if 

 I should beguile our friend Judge Greene or Mr. Burn- 

 ham into a trip to the Narana and the fish should take a 

 notion, just to be contrary, not to notice the fly, I would 

 be in a nice fix and be looking for a squirrel hole to crawl 

 into. Besides I think the Judge would set Mike on me. 

 I have several other things on my mind, but must heed 

 your warning to confine my remarks to a column or less 

 and give other more worthy contributors a show. 



PODGERS. 



DOES THE RATTLESNAKE SPIT? 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Having noticed your queries with regard to snakes 

 spitting or blowing, I wih give you my experience with 

 a good-sizad black rattler, which species is very common 

 in the mountains here. My sons are cultivating some 

 land on the west side of river just opposite Ventura. On 

 Friday of last week I took my' gun and went over, think- 

 ing to kill a rabbit or two. I went into a pumpkin patch 

 and sat down on a stone a moment or two, when I saw a 

 snake gliding in the vines a few feet from me. I got up; 

 he then saw me; raised his head and uttered a sharp hiss; 

 then started toward a pile of stones a few feet away. 

 I stepped in front to intercept him, when he stopped, 

 arched his head and neck and hissed or blew quite a 

 quantity of froth or spittle. At this time I shot, blowing 

 his head all to pieces, and he lay perfectly still and never 

 moved in the least until I touched him, when he moved 

 his tail around, and I was greatly surprised to see that it 

 was a rattler about 2J or 3ft. in length and 4 to 6tn. in 

 circumference. What surprised me was that he did not 

 attempt to coil, and there was not a Bign of springing his 

 rattles before or after I shot him. I send you the rattles 

 just as took them from him. E. D. W. S. 



Ventura, Oal., JuDe 1. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



From childhood the rattlesnake has been a familiar 

 object to me, and as they are still plenty, we have every 

 advantage in testing and observing his true character. It 

 is no uncommon thing for men in the woods to kill one 

 or two per day. After having killed scores of them, I 

 have yet the first to see that either opened its mouth 

 before its head approached the object struck at, or threw 

 poison at its enemy. "While trouting on Otter Run in 

 1890, I threw a trout out on the bank close to a large 

 bunch of ferns, and as the trout struck the ground some- 

 thing in the ferns caused them to move. Examining the 

 spot after putting my trout into the creel, I found a large 

 black rattlesnake, Save the ferns the ground was clear, 

 and cutting a forked stick I began to tease the rattler. I 

 had heard it said that they would bite themselves if 

 pinned to the ground by the tail, and now was the chance 

 to prove this. But I didn't prove it, for that snake had 

 too much sense, or regard for his person to be teased into 

 anything of the kind. When released it would make a 

 break for liberty, or coil up into its fighting position. It 

 would strike at the pole with which I held it but once 

 when the pole was held out to it. But it struck at a large 

 hemlock limb with the bark on it a half dozen times. I 

 saw poison on the limb, but saw none flying out of its 

 mouth or even dropping out. Its mouth was kept shut 

 all the time, and so quick were the "strikes" made that it 

 was difficult to see its mouth open even then. Of course, 

 its tongue, after the manner of all snakes, was constantly 

 exposed. Many times I have teased them but never saw 

 anything of which Professor Cope speaks. 



Mr. James Lose, of Montoursville. saw a large rattle- 

 snake swimming across Loyalsock Creek, June 1. It was 

 coming toward him and when it landed he killed it. He 

 said it swam high in the water and looked twice as large 

 as it really was. It swam fast and at right angles with 

 the creek. M. E. J. 



Muncy, Pa. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Rattlesnakes may spit, but I, for one, doubt it. I am a 

 close observer, and have killed probably a good many 

 more rattlers than the general average. The rattlesnake 

 den in Pike county, Pa., that twenty-five years ago was 

 not known to the famous hunter, Ed. Quick, who has 

 gone to happier hunting grounds, the Dawitt boys and 

 myself, was not worth knowing. It was just fun for me 

 to' visit these dens in the early spring and poke them out. 

 I have killed them from six 'inches to six feet, and have 

 made them madder than hornets. I once threw a pine 

 knot at a big one; it fastened his tail in the ground, and 

 if you ever saw a mad snake he was one, but he never 

 spit. L*st October I killed near Rock Hill Pond as large 

 and ugly rusty-looking a rattler as ever I came across, 

 but even a pressure on his gums exposing the teeth did 

 not show any fluid visible to the naked eye. Now, then, 

 as the rattlesnakes have the floor, I will relate a little in- 

 cident where I used them as a handle to get square with 

 a thoughtless joker: 



"There are just two things in this world that I am mor- 

 tally afraid of and have no earthly use for," said my 

 friend Johnny to me one day, "and they are a bull and a 

 rattlesnake." This flashed through my mind when, after 

 a hard day's trouting, I stepped up to the wagon to ex- 

 change my heavy rubbers for my light boots. Now one 

 of these boots was loaded— loaded with a 5ft. blacksnake 

 put in tail first, which one of the party had killed, and 

 my foot fetched up before I got half way down that boot. 

 Now I am not afraid of snakes, but I do not like them in 

 my boots exactly, and especially not in the late dusk of 

 the evening, when it is impossible to tell one snake from 

 another. Well, I turned that boot over to see what the 

 trouble was, the snake shot out head first as though alive, 

 and I must have made a good-sized jump, for the hurrah 

 of the boys would never end. They had scored a good 

 one. 



Now, I did not own any bulls to get square with, but 

 rattlesnakes. 



Five years had passed, when one fine October morning 

 I dropped into his office. "Johnny, I am going up to 

 old Pike; birds are plenty; don't yon want to go?" He ac- 

 cepted . 



It was a beautiful Indian summer day as after a suc- 

 cessful hunt I headed for a first-class well stocked rattle- 

 snake den. My plans were well laid. Several times 

 during the day I asked him: "Johnny, do you know 

 where we are?" and after a few minutes' thought he 

 would locate himself very well indeed. The thought of 

 snakes never entered his mind. Finally we reached the 

 den: I kept him fully 50yds. to the right of it, while I 

 traveled right through the rocky ledge, keeping a sharp 

 lookout. It was uncomfortably warm, and I was sure 

 some rattlesnakes would be out. 



Ah, here they were, rattles all around me, and within 

 6ft. of me laid a large diamond-back coiled up and saucy 

 looking. I called my companion up to me, "Johnny, do 



you know -where you are?" "Well," he said, "let me 

 see." "Oh," said I, "there is no see about it; you are 

 right square in a rattlesnake den; shoot that big one 

 there, quick! We are square." "I could feel my hair 

 raise and my head commence to reel," were his words 

 when he told of his experience. 



I have never found any snakes in my boots since, and 

 when friend Johnny leans back in hi^ chair, lights his 

 pipe and reads bis favorite, the Forest and [Stream, he 

 will know who is W hippookwill. 



Red Bank, N. J., June 9. 



Nest of Slider Terrapin. 



About the first of April, while making preparations for 

 the shad hatching season at the Bryan's Point station of 

 the U. S. Fish Commission. Mr, L. G. Harron came into 

 possession of a family of red- bellied or slider terrapin 

 which the backward spring had detained in their subter- 

 ranean home. One of his men was digging a hole about 

 20ft. above high water mark, for the capstan of the seine 

 windlass, and struck close to the nest with his pick, but 

 without injury to the terrapin. The excavation was 

 roughly mortar-shaped and about 4in. wide by 3in. iu 

 depth; it was made in the clay, Gin. beneath the surface, 

 4in. of the covering being soil. Nine living terrapin were 

 in the nest and one egg containing a dead one. The egg 

 is oblong, about Hin. long and fin. in diameter. The 

 young were about lin, long and extremely active in their 

 movements. They were kept a short time in a box at 

 Mr. Worth's headquarters, but escaped one night when 

 the lid of the box was by sccident left off. The egg-lay- 

 ing season of this animal is in May and June, chiefly 

 during June, so that from the time of their deposit until 

 the young leave the nest nearly a year passes. Mr. Har- 

 ron states that the slider feeds upon water plants; it is in 

 season from October to the fii st of April. The largest 

 individual he has seen from the Potomac was 14in, long. 

 — T. H. B. 



The Mongoose. 



Great Falls, Mont.— Editor Forest and Stream: In 

 your edition of May 26 inquiry is made for possible objec- 

 tion to the mongoose. Your correspondent "Arei'ar" 

 would do well to make direct inquiry to Jamaica regard- 

 ing the grass-tick scourge that nas followed the intro- 

 duction of the mongoose. I have read recently a bitter 

 article on this plague, complaining of the loss to the 

 plantations, the destruction of birds and the injury to 

 cattle. As familiar with the merits of the mongoose in 

 the East Indies in the destruction of snakes and rats, I 

 nevertheless consider the introduction of the tick, a 

 loathsome, disgusting and most foul parasite, would be 

 disastrous. It is unsafe to experiment with animals 

 transplanted, and it would be better to encourage and 

 protect wild birds, and especially that best and most 

 maligned of birds, the owl, in order to keep vermin in 

 check. It is possible the opinion I quote is an error; the 

 objection is worth following up. — S. 



Protonotary Warbler in Massachusetts. 



Hyde Park, Mass. — On May 21 I took a protonotary 

 warbler. Is not that a very rare bird for tois locality? 

 It was cold and raining at the tune. It was feeding on 

 an apple tree. May 80 took a yellow-billed cuckoo. They 

 are very rare, but black-billed cuckoos are plenty here. — 

 C. E. B. [Certainly an unusual occurrence. Although 

 Coues gives the range of Protonotaria citrea as north 

 casually to Maine, it has been our impression that it is 

 rare on the Atlantic coast north of South Carolina. In- 

 land, it occurs regularly in southern Illinois and Indiana. ] 



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THE SNIPE A WATERFOWL. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I noticed in the Forest and Stream a week ago, a 

 communication from Mr, E. S. Bond in regard to the 

 game warden enforcing the game law against the sale of 

 snipe. 



Mr. Bond used to be known as a sportsman, and for 

 many years was a prominent game dealer here. He has 

 always led the fight against all restrictive game legisla- 

 tion in our State, and has always been ready to give en- 

 couragement and aid to those who have desired to contest 

 the game laws, not only of our own State, but of other 

 States. 



He has said to myself and to scores of others, again 

 and again, that " there was no use in trying to preserve 

 the game of ihe country, that it could not be done," etc., 

 etc. Now, in my judgment this is all wrong, and harms 

 the cause of game protection ! 



In regard to his statements I shall reply, first, to his 

 criticism of a judge's recent de'cisi m, here in Chicago, on 

 antelope. For years past, the game dealers here have 

 been soliciting and receiving these animals from the 

 West (often in violation of the laws of places shipped 

 from), and under the guise of selling antelope, have sold 

 deer meat when it was unlawful to sell it. About Feb. 1 

 I notified these dealers that this business must cease, and 

 that if antelope were offered for sale after Feb. 6, I 

 should prosecute under the section of our statute which 

 says, "It shall be unlawful to have in possession for sale 

 or for the purpose of sale any wild buck, doe or fawn," 

 etc., etc. Mr. Shively on South Water street did expose 

 for sale after date named a part of one of these animals. 

 I prosecuted him before Justice R-mdall H. White, a man 

 whose integrity and ability is never questioned by per- 

 sons who know him. Able counsel defended the accuaed. 

 The game dealers were present in goodly numbers, among 

 them Mr. Bond's partner. Proof was made that the 

 male antelope is known as a buck and the female as a 

 doe. The defense failed to furnish any proof to the con- 

 trary. The judge gave the case careful consideration 

 and investigation and found the defendant guilty, and 

 fined him $10 and costs. Mr. Bond and many others 

 were disappointed. I suggested to the parties, that "if 

 the decision was not in accordance with the law and evi- 



