Alia. 18, 1892.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



188 



Tomorrow we start forborne (S^nora), and with any 

 ordinary lack will reach our bDiled shirts by sundown. 



We have had a glorious timo, which like a serial story 

 is "to be continued;" and I trust I shall have other 

 mountain trips to write about. We have been every- 

 where received with open arms. by the hardy moun- 

 taineers, a moat hospitable set of jolly, big-hearted rough 

 diamonds, whose camp, horses, bacon and frying; pan 

 are ever at the service of the tenderfoot (that is me); and 

 conspicuous among those to whom we are greatly indebt- 

 ed for horses and hospitality I want to thank the Geniss 

 boys, Tom and Ed, and their partner, Mr. Whitehnuse. 

 Nobler, jnore accommodating, good-hearted fellows never 

 lived. They left their cattle and ranch work to pilot us 

 over the mountains and entertained us right royally in 

 camp, scorning the idea of compensation. 



It is characteristic of the mountaineers of California, 

 for they are truly such. E irning their bread in herdins; 

 and raising sheep, cattle, etc, and lumbei-ing, thpy are 

 to a man splendid physical specimens, hardy, of remark- 

 able endurance, whole-souled, brave as lions, fearing 

 nothing that walks the face of the earth. They think 1 

 nothing of a trot over a mountain range of ten or fifteen 

 miles for a plug of tobacco or side of bacon, and back 

 before night, fresh as larks. As for instance, our camp 

 host, WhitehouF^e, thought no more of piloting us over 

 the mountains eight miles and being back to his dinner 

 in camp than we would of stepping around the corner to 

 point out to a stranger the way to 318 Broadway. The 

 mountains of California have given birth to a race of men 

 that cannot be equalled by any country on earth for 

 physical strength, endurance, high spirits and manly 

 attributes, generous to a fault, slow to anger, but terrible 

 when roused. Every man a Spartan— never turning his 

 back to man or grizzly. It is a pleasure to go among 

 such a j)eople after the experience of a few years in cities, 

 where it is every fellow for himself and Old What's-his- 

 name for the hindermost— and he generally gobbles the 

 lot. 



This particular or special class of men I refer to are the 

 outcrop, the second crop, I may say, of the early-day 

 miners, bred in the hardy school of their fathers, and are 

 peculiar to the mount-*in region. They are born and 

 raised there, and nothing can tempt them to seek occupa- 

 tion on the flat lands. They are almost to a man cattle 

 raisers, herders or mill men— sawmill or quartz — all good 

 miners, but generally prefer the free, rovmg life of cattle 

 raising, on horseback all summer and snowshoes all 

 winter. 



As an instance of pluck and endurance, the "boys" 

 with whom we camped hauled a sick man from their 

 camp last winter up the grade and over the mountain on 

 a sled sixteen miles, on snowshoes, over snow 6ft. deep, 

 to reach a doctor. Any one who has ever experienced 

 the vigorous exercise of climbing a mountain on snow- 

 shoes can appreciate the muscle and endurance it must 

 have involved. Your humble servant once essayed a trial 

 of snowphoes on a side hill, resulting: in his getting an in- 

 voluntary start down the hill at a 2:40 gait, ending in a 

 "pitch hole," landing him head foremost in the soft snow 

 with nothing in sight but the snowshoes, whence he was 

 ignominiously pulled out by the heel^. Since which 

 snowshoeing is to him a lost art. Every man to his 

 trade. Podgees. 



CAMPS OF THE KINGFISHERS.-X. 

 CARP LAKE, MICHIGAN. 



The Carp Lake Camp. 



The wird was still blowing heavily when we got out in 

 the morning, and the lake too rough to handle a boat 

 with any comfort, and Charley and I decided to walk 

 over to Fouchs Creek, a couple of miles or more, for 

 trout, leaving the others to put in the day as they chose. 

 We were put on the trail by a neighbor up the lake 

 where the road turned up the hill, and found our way 

 over and into a dense cedar swamp swarming withmos- 

 quitose, where we got bewildered and floundered around 

 for an hour trying to find the stream, at one time 

 scaring a cock grouse nearly out of his feathers as he 

 sat near an old mossy log over which we stepped- As 

 he sprung up almost in my face and shot off through 

 the tangle and out of sight with a roar of his wings.it 

 was a question which of us was scared the worst. We 

 found tue stream after we had wandered around in the 

 hot, dank swamp till our tongues were about hanging 

 out, Charleygraciously allowing me to do all thecussin' 

 necessary to get out of the tangle, andafter I had fished 

 up it a hundred yards or two and caught one juvenile 

 trout I had enough, and went back to the road near 

 where it crossed the stream, where Charley would be 

 sure to see me when he came back, and laid down in 

 the shade of a bush and went to sleep. 



He came along after a while, it must have been a 

 couple of hours, with six or seven troiit strung on a 

 twig, and we made our way back over the hills and to 

 camp with a notion buzzing around in our heads that 

 it was another case of old Sam's "bunkoed agin, b'gosh." 

 We found the camp much as we left it in the morning, 

 the only "episode" that had happened worthy of note 

 being the hatching out of three young robins in a nest 

 in one of the oaks to which a guy of the dining fly was 

 made fast, an event that we had been looking forward 

 to with much solicitude for several days. 



The day we made camp and for a day or two after 

 we had heard some peculiarly plaintive bird notes re- 

 peated at frequent intervals overhead in the oak which 

 none of us, not even Kelpie, who was chock full of bird 

 lore, could identify, but after much peering and strain- 

 ing- of eyes through the leaves of the oak a nest was ■ 

 discovered, over the rim of which we could seethe head 

 and tail of a bird which Kelpie, after a few trials to get 

 the right focus with his defective old eyes, keener than 

 a hawk's when he was yoirnger, pronounced a robin. 



About the first thing that Johnny did after he arrived 

 at camp and got his bearings was to climb into the tree 

 and scare the old bird off the nest to see how many eggs 

 there were in it, which he duly and vociferously reported 

 from the tree. "Three little eggs, by cracky," and then 

 he was hustled down from his perch, and in a couple of 

 minutes or less Mrs. Robin was back on the nest. 



Since then we had been waiting with daily increasing 

 interest for the hatching, and to-day Johnny had again 

 climbed into the tree and found three big-headed and 

 featherless youngsters "gummed together" as it looked to 

 i\im in the bottom of the nest, and the strain was over, 



for there had been much guessing as to whether all three 

 of the eggs would hatch or not. 



We had learned by watching Mrs. Robin that the j^lain- 

 tive note was a call for Mr. Robin to "bring on the vic- 

 tu-els," as old Sam said, while she was keeping the eggs 

 warm: but now, when the batching was safely over, the 

 notes ceased and they were both kept busy hunting and 

 carrying worms and insects with which to feed the 

 hungry, gaping mouths, upstretched and expectant at 

 the slightest jar of the limb on which the nest rested. 



The mother bird seemed to know we intended her 

 young no harm, and had become so well acquainted and 

 tame that she would fly down from the nest and pick up 

 crumbs and scraps thrown on the grass across the road, 

 which doubtless saved her some trips to the neighboring 

 fields and was a source of much gratification to us. 



We watched the growth of our pets from day to day 

 with a feeling that they were, in a sense, under oiir 

 special care, and had any one disturbed them with the 

 intention of harm he would have had the whole camp on 

 his back in less time than it took one of the youngsters 

 to gulp a worm. 



Kflpie named the camp "Robin's Nest Camp," and by 

 that name the i-emembrance of it will always be dear to 

 our hearts. Kingfisher. 



SKUNK AND RATTLESNAKE. 



CfiiPPLE-CitEKK Gold Fields, Col. — While camped over 

 on Oik Creek, in the summer of 1883, I was an eye wit- 

 ness to one of the most novel of combats. At noon one 

 day as I was coming down from the mine for dinner, 1 

 spied a skunk shifting itself about in a strange manner. 

 Thinking he was performing some acts.that were unusual 

 and not becoming to one of his race, I sat down; and 

 with my powerful marine glass I soon found the reason. 

 Before the skunk upon the ground lay a huge rattlesnake 

 coiled up for business, his massive flat head jjresenting a 

 most savage aspect. Now and then raising his head as 

 the skunk would come within reach be struck it again 

 and again. The skunk, as if anxious to continue the 

 duel, would pounce upon the back of the snake until 

 driven off by the i)owerful swaying to and fro of its body. 

 This was repeated again and again, until finally with one 

 heroic spring the skunk landed upon the snake and in a 

 twinkling of an eye almost, had bitten the head from 

 the body, save a shread of skin which held together. 

 Being satisfied with the result, I hastily picked up a rock 

 and throwing it at the skunk routed him, leaving me in 

 full possession of the field. On examination, I found the 

 hide of the rattlesnake uninjured save whei'e the skunk 

 had given it its death cut in the neck. The same evening 

 and for six consecutive evenings I saw the skunk, and on 

 the seventh evening shot it; after it had scampered 

 around for that length of time. This satisfied me that 

 rattlesnake bites do not materially retard the progressive 

 life of a "pole-cat," to say nothing of proving fatal 

 thereto. The snake was 3ft. 6 in. in length, with 

 nine rattles. The snake's hide I kept until recently, wore 

 it out as a hat band. The rattles I still have. The skunk 

 is the only animal (to my knowledge) that will not suc- 

 cumb to the deadly bite of the "rattler," unless medical 

 aid is invoked. Bltckskin Harry. 



PHOTOGRAPHING A NESTING WOOD- 

 COCK. 



Hudson, N. Y., Aug. lo. —Editor Forest and Stream: 

 Thinking that some of your readers might be interested 

 in the particulars of how 1 got the pictures of woodcock 

 published in your paper of July 28, I write you. 



One evening in the last week of June while out on my 

 bicycle, a gentleman callel me as we met on the high- 

 way and said: "Do you wait to know where you can 

 find a woodcock's nesi?" I answered "yes,'" but con- 

 tinued to ride on, thinking he was joking me as I was 

 just learning to lide, and that he wiscied to see how well 

 I could fall oft" if I tried to stop. He well knew that if 

 there was anything he could say that would call me to a 

 halt it was "woodcock." 



Having business in town the next morning, he called 

 at our office and said he wished me to come out to his 

 farm. I promised that I would; and that afternoon at 8 

 o'clock found me five and a half miles out of town. I 

 met him and we walked up to a small piece of new cut- 

 ting on the west side of a large piece of woods, and after 

 a short search found the bird. She was on her nest, 

 which was on the gi'ound under a veiy thick bunch of 

 new growth about three feet high, and so thick that the 

 bird could not be seen unless you got right down on the 

 ground, and she was so near the color ef the dead leaves 

 that you could not see her then unless you got very near. 

 This was a new sight for me. I have seen woodcock 

 feeding and have seen them running on the ground, but 

 never before had I seen one on the nest; and I wished 

 then and there that all the brotherhood of sportsmen 

 might have seen her and enjoyed the sight as I did, 



I had taken the precaution to bring Ed and his camera 

 with me, so that if possible we might get some pictures. 

 We talked by motion and walked on tiptoe for fear of 

 disturbing her. After making six exposures we went 

 home to see if we had secured any pictures. I was par- 

 ticularly anxious that we should get some good ones, and 

 do not remember now if Ed said he would develop the 

 camera, and if he had not focussed the tripod too sharp 

 the pictures might be all right. Ed's place of business is 

 next door to our office; and after working half an hour 

 after our return I thought I must run in and see how 

 they turned out. They told me Ed was in the dark 

 room, and for fear he would forget to tell me, I opened 

 the door three or four times just to see how he was get- 

 ting along and to look at them, all of which Ed told me 

 in a few emphatic words was not conducive to the suc- 

 cess of a good photograph. Result, six plates and no pic- 

 tures. 



The next morning at 6 o'clock we were at the place 

 again ready for another trial, and as the sun came up 

 over the woods, the light being on our backs, we could 

 get a better light. The nest was on the east side of the 

 bush. We cleared away all growth that interfered with 

 our view of the nest, fearing all the time, however, that 

 she would fly away. We secured five negatives, and 

 without any of my assistance at the door of the dark 

 room we secured th© photograph, No. 1, published iu 



your paper. This was taken with the camera about 4ft. 

 from the bird. 



The next day being Saturday, and having a half-holi- 

 day, I rode out to see if she had been disturbed in any 

 way. I worked carefully around her all the afternoon, 

 cutting away any growth that would obstruct the view 

 of her, and took oR' the leaves and extra limbs from the 

 bush in order to let in more light. She did not leave the 

 nest or appear to be in the least annoyed by my presence. 

 I lifted her bill uj) with a small stick and had my hands 

 on her back and she did not move. I was there until 8 

 o'clock in the evening and she did not leave her nest dur- 

 ing that time. 



On the following Monday it rained, and I could not go 

 out. On Tuesday, June 38. we were out there at 6 o'clock 

 in the morning, and knowing that there was no danger 

 of her being frightened or leaving the nest we put the 

 camera within 3ft. of her and got picture No. 3. I then 

 lifted her from the nest, and we got picture No. 3 of the 

 nest and eggf, which you reproduced. She jumped from 

 my hand to the ground, and hid in the grass. I noticed 

 that the eggs were not picked and thought by watching 

 every day I might secure a picture of the young. 



I was there the next day, but finding her sitting so 

 quietly thought I would not distui-b her. The next day 

 1 called again, and to my great surprise the house was 

 deserted, the family had moved out, and nothing was 

 left but the shells. 



I was i^articularly anxious to obtain these pictures in 

 order that all sportsmen who are interested in the wood- 

 cock might see them and thus enjoy in part what I did in 

 witnessing the reality. G. HiLLS. 



Nova Scotia Birds' Nests. 



A NEST rareiy found in this vicinity was discovered at 

 this place July If). It was a nest of the ruby-throated 

 hummingbird, and at the time contained eggs. It was 

 placed on the limb of a beech tree about 35ft. from the 

 ground, and built of the seed cotton of the poplar or wil- 

 low tree. The outside is covered with a lichen the same 

 as gi-ows on the tree. This lichen is fastened to the nest 

 with the silk of cocoons. The nest is placed on the bare 

 limb, not near any leaves, and would easily be mistaken 

 for a bunch of moss grown there. The measurements of 

 the nest are: Outside diameter Ifin., outside depth i to 

 1 i, inside diaineter |f , inside depth yV- Only two such 

 nests were ever found near here, but no doubt there are 

 quite a number, as hummingbirds are plentiful through 

 the summer. 



Another nest rarely found came under my notice last 

 summer. It was that of the winter wren, and was built 

 among the roots of an overturned hemlock tree. It was 

 found June 1 and contained eight eggs. The young did 

 not live to leave the nest, as the dirt caved in and de- 

 stroyed the nest, overturning it and killing the voung. 



W. Hf Moore, 



Scotch Lake, N. B„ Aug. 2. 



Habits of the Rattlesnake. 



Dr. DbWitt WbbH, of St. Augustine, Fla., sends us 

 this note by Dr. John Vedder, whose museum of Florida 

 wild life 18 well known to the tourists. Dr. Vedder 

 writes: "You are quite correct; the diamond rattlesnake 

 does not follow a person after he strikes; he springs back 

 in a coil. He forms an S. The principle of striking is 

 to straighten out the vertebra with some muscular force. 

 He does not follow his prey; he lies in wait. I have 

 never seen nor heard of one following or chasing its prey. 

 Sometimes when discovered they will try to get away, 

 and even will not rattle; but when surprised suddenly he 

 is quite sure to strike and spring back and recover for 

 another attack; rattles, awaits your approach and holds 

 the fort." 



"That reminds me." 



It is a well known fact that human nature doesn't like 

 to be latighed at, so I'll just tell you, as a friend, a little 

 joke that was played on me by '-'force of circumstances" 

 — if you'll promise not to print it. It happened on Long 

 Island. I was down there woodcock shooting many 

 moons ago, and on the evening preceding my intended 

 departure I was urged to get up before daylight next 

 morning to shoot a black duck or two to carry home. I 

 strongly protested against it, as it was the last day of 

 September and the law was supposed to protect them till 

 the first of October. However, I stifled my conscience 

 in the face of such a temptation as they held out (assur- 

 ing me that they had been shooting them for two or three 

 weeks) and slipped ofl; quietly before the break of day to a 

 small pond in the woods, I was covered all over with a 

 guilty feeling, but "stood my ground," and with the first 

 streak of dawn I saw a reconnoitering party sailing over 

 and one of them tumbled suddenly into the huckleberry 

 bushes not 40ft. away. 



I waited in the frosty air till daylight, and as no more 

 came I went to where I marked my victim down, and 

 after parting the thick bushes and hunting carefully for 

 some time I found him and hastily stuck him into my big 

 coat pocket, imagining a game ward'^n watching me 

 from behind each tree. I hurried back to the hotel, and 

 as it was nearly train time I ran to my room, opened my 

 valise and jammed the duck in without even looking at 

 him and got on the cars with about as guilty a feeling as 

 a high-minded, honorable sportsman ever walked off 

 with. 



After getting home and sitting in my warm and cozy 

 room an hour or two, I rang for the servant — an Irish 

 lady — and told her to get that duck out of my valise and 

 cook it for my dinner. 



She opened the valise, dragged out the duck, and then 

 with an ejaculatory sound that usually indicates a nasty 

 smell, threw down the duck and rushed out of the room 

 as if she suspected a trick. 



But I protest, even to this day, that 1 was innocent of 

 any such intention. It was merely a mistake. 



I had hastily pocketed a duck that some other fellow 

 had shot, and lost, at least a week before. It was a cold 

 morning and the duck was stiiT, but I stupidly overlooked 

 that fact in my haste to put it out of sight of the game 

 wardens; and it gave out no odor to indicate its condition 

 till it got comfortably warmed up in my room. 



I have always thought it beet to respect the game laws, 

 and I mean to do it, Didymus. 



