Nov, 10, 1893.] 



FOREST STREAM. 



399 



seasons on the same ground we were on, we made one of 

 our camp3 at the spot he camped on last year. He killed 

 on his two trips three moose, wounded three more, saw 

 twelve in all, and heard others. Yet we could not find 

 them, nor even see them. I still think there are a good 

 many moose in Nova Scotia, but I think the day for 

 successful calling has passed. The moose have been called 

 and fooled so much, and have heard so many unearthly 

 sounds intended for calling, that they are very suspicious. 

 An old hunter, who came to our camp one day, said, "I 

 have nunted moose for fifty- two years and have killed 

 hundreds of them. Years ago I could go out and call, 

 and the hulls would answer and keep answering as they 

 camr. Now, darn em, not one of five will answer at all, 

 and, if they come at ail, come quietly and from some 

 direction where you are not looking for them." I think 

 the old man was'about right, and that many a moose 

 comes to a call, but you never know it. For instance, a 

 bull comes up quietly to a call, he is likely to stop in 

 the edge of some chicket three hundred or more yards 

 away, "and stand there watching for a long time; and if 

 you move at all he sees you and turns around and sneaks 

 ofl'; and you never suspect there was one about. Also 

 ihey will circle around the place the call came from, and 

 if there is the slis?btest wind they quiety leave when they 

 cross the wind of you. 



There is this much about moose calling aa it is done in 

 Nova Scotia, it is pretty hard work. Staying out night 

 after night, some two to four miles away from camp, 

 witbout a fire, so as to be ready to call at daybreak, gets 

 to be rather monotonous if you do not hear or see your 

 game. Winter huntmg in the Province is rather hardier. 

 I tried it once, and although we killed three luooie, I do 

 not want any more of it. After thei atting season is over, 

 about the Ist of November, is said to be a good time to 

 kill a big bull. At this time they do 

 not travel much, but browse a good 

 deal and lie down often, and prefer to 

 do so on open ground in the sun , and 

 can be seen at quite a distance; they 

 are very indifferent and do not seem 

 to be on the lookout for danger. At 

 this time they are good for nothing as 

 far as the meat goes, being very thin. 

 I have never hunted them at this 

 season ; the above is what I am told by 

 the native hunters. 



The game laws of Nova Scotia as far 

 as the protection of the moose is con- 

 cerned are simply a farce. The Pro- 

 vincial govei'nment says, "In order 

 to preserve our moose from being ex- 

 terminated we must impose a hunting 

 license of $30 on each non-resident 

 sportsman." A sportsman goes to Nova 

 Scotia on a hunting trip; he spends his 

 money on the steamers, railroad, stage 

 lines; buys his provisions there, hires 

 his men, and for every moose he kills 

 will leave at least $200 in the Province ; 

 that is, averaging tne number of sports- 

 men with the moose they kill. He 

 may not see a moose or fire a single 

 cartridge from his rifle, yet the protec- 

 tion of the moose requires that he 

 shall pay |30 extra for nis license just 

 the same. I know two men, each of 

 whom spent between two and three 

 weeks hunting moose; they left over 

 $400 in the country. Neither of them 

 got a shot at a moose ; the only use one 

 of them made of his rifle was to shoot 

 at a hawk, which he missed, the other 

 only shot a few shots at a rock, yet 

 thev paid $60 license fees, making iheir 

 trip" cost them f ullj* $500, 



Not one moose out of every sdo killed 

 each season is killed by visiting sports- 

 men. The native hunters, the Indians and the white 

 men are the ones who will exterminate the moose. 

 They kill them when and how they please; thev 

 snare them, kill them with dogs, in season and out, 

 with no regard to numbers. How often are they 

 fined? Occasionally a snai'er is caught. Last year some 

 were caught, There were about a dozen in the gang, 

 but there was only evidence against two or three. 

 They were find, but I understand a compromise was 

 made, and it was not to the full extent. The rest of the 

 gang made up their phare of the fine. They were afraid 

 the convicted ones would squeal if they didn't; it did not 

 cost them as much each as the sportsman pays for his 

 license. If the moose in Nova Scotia are not exterminated 

 until the non-resident sportsman kills them all they will 

 last until the day of judgment. C. M. Stark. 



DUNBAHTON, Oct. 20. 



and prolonged, causing us to make a hasty rush to the 

 canoe, into which we piled and pushed from the shore. 

 Although we expected to pack out the rest that night we 

 concluded not to do so. In the morning we found two 

 quarters eaten and the rest mauled through the dirt and 

 brush, which everywhere bore the marks of their re- 

 markably large feet and claws. 



In 1870 I established a camp in a wild part of the Medi- 

 cine Bow Mountains, Wyoming, which was my home for 

 over two years; during which time we dppended entirely 

 upon large game for fresh meat, of which we always had 

 an abundance hanging in camp. The second night of its 

 occupation the mules gave notice that something was 

 prowling around, which we thought to be wolves. After 

 everything was quiet there arose the old familiar call of 

 my tawny acquaintance, waking everybody and causing 

 the mules to snort and plunge. 



Our camp was infested with these animals. We never 

 knew how many were around, but were certain of two, 

 who fearlessly entered camp on dark nights for the refuse 

 of the cook house, and kept up such a fearful screaming 

 that the men complained they could not sleep and re- 

 quested par mission to put out poison to get rid of them. 

 I sat up many nights to get a shot, often crawling stealth- 

 ily toward their voices, only to hear them soon after in 

 an opposite direction. One night when the moon was 

 bright I heard the call and saw the cougar distinctly out- 

 lined on a ridge at the distance of about seventy-five 

 yards. It was apparently the size of a large Newfound- 

 land dog and was switching its sides with its long tail. 

 I vvaited until it called again, then fired and missed. 

 Twice we saw one plainly just before sunset on a promi- 

 nent rock overlooking camp, and each time our attention 

 was first called by its voice. lende ivored unsuccessfully 

 to catch them in beaver traps, and spent days hunting 



ECHOES OF THE PANTHER'S SCREAM. 



Editor Forest and Stream : 



I have read with considerable interest the discussion 

 concerning the scream of the panther, cougar, mountain 

 lion or California lion. Negative evidence in this age of 

 investigation is not considered to be of much value. No 

 one should make the mistake of supposing that because 

 he has never observed a thing the declaration of one who 

 has been more favored is erroneous. 



As the result of twenty-seven years' observation and, 

 ifc might be <5aid, intimate acquaintance with this animal 

 in all the Western Territories, the writer can say most 

 positively that it can, and occasionally does, cry. scream, 

 howl or yowl, whichever the observer may prefer; and 

 that there is no more startling, blood-curdling sound than 

 its voice heard close at hand in the silent woods after 

 dark, when they are most given to crying. 



My acquaintance with the cougar began at the mouth 

 of the Columbia River in 1860. I had killed three elk 

 and was, with one companion, packing out the first back 

 load about dusk to the canoe, in which we had left our 

 arms. We heard stealthy steps following us but a few feet 

 behind, which we thought was the noise of rabbits in the 

 dense sal-lal brush. We were soon undeceived, however, 

 when the most weird and mournful cry rang out, loud 



WHIPPING THK STREAM. 

 J hotogra;jVi by Dr. J. Max Mueller, 

 iFore3t and Stream Aiiiatfui- PhotogT'aphy Competition. 1 



them in the mountains without ever getting a fair shot. 



On one occasion while hunting several miles from 

 camp we killed a number of elk which we spent the 

 afternoon packing out in reach of a wagon, and then 

 laid down covered with blood in a cottonwood grove to 

 sleep the sleep of tired but happy hunters. We heard a 

 faint rustling in the dark, evidently not more than l.'ift. 

 from our heads, which we agreed was a skunk or marten, 

 when again the voice of this night prowler arose, raising 

 at the same time om- hair until we could get hold of the 

 rifles. On this occasion I heard for the first time a "spit'' 

 catlike sound which sometimes (perhaps always) follows 

 the loiid cry, but which can only be heard when close to 

 the animal. In the morning we found about one-third of 

 our meat eaten; one quarter, hanging 8ft. high, had been 

 pulled down and carried about GOyds. Although our 

 meat was not 200yds. from us we heard not a sound dm-- 

 ing the night in that direction. We had evidently been 

 trailed to our resting place before they touched it. 



The disturbance in camp from these animals finally 

 became so great that I gave permission to put out poison, 

 and although we could find but one half-grown one, we 

 never again heard their voices, much to my regret. 



To me the cry has always seemed like moo woo-o o o- 

 ivoo, long drown out with a rising inflection, followed by 

 falling, and sometimes terminated by yow, which then 

 has an unmistakable catlike sound, 



I do not mean to state that the animal is always cater- 

 wauling like a vagabond tomcat, for a more stealthy, 

 wary animal, when necessary, does not exist; but I be- 

 lieve its voice usually needs the stimulant of hunger or 

 the scent of blood and fresh meat. 



If any one is further interested in this subject let him 

 go to the Central Park menagerie, New York city, about 

 i P, M,, feeding time. He may then hear some of their 

 cries, modified of course by the restraint of captivity. 



W, L. Cakpenter. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



If a cat has nine lives a popular fallacy must have at 

 least ninety and nine, for it is almost impossible to kill 

 it and its name is legion; and they exist in all forms and 



Take for instance the so-called equinoctial storms. Not- 

 withstanding the assertions of meteorologists and weather 

 experts to the contrary, 999 persons out of every 1,000 

 of our intelligent countrymen believe and are certain that 

 we are in for a big three-days' storm whenever the "sun 

 erosses the line," 



Until quite recently columns of (figuratively speaking ) 

 "blood-curdling" tales have been written and publiahe d 

 about the wounded "grizzly'" following the terrified hu li- 

 ter up into a tree, where a desperate combat would ta 

 place, generally ending by the hunter with his big hunt- 

 ing knife hacking oft" one of old "Ephraim's" paws, etc- 



I was, I believe, the first to assert through the medivim 

 of FORBST AND Stream that Ursiis horribilis is not a 

 tree climber; still it is now a common belief among the 

 miners and hunters of the northern Rockies that the 

 "silver tip" can climb a tree, 



I first made my acquaintance with the panther in my 

 early boyhood days, only forty years ago, and have kept 

 up a partial acquaintance since that date. In my early 

 days when I heard an unusual sound in the woods or on 

 the mountains I Was told that it was a "panther's 

 scream," and I then believed it. As I grew older I 

 learned that while every old "settler" and hunter said 

 that a "painter" screamed like a woman, none of them 

 ever saw one of those animals while actually screaming, 

 and no two would give the same noise in imitating the 

 screain, though all agreed in one particular, that when 

 surprised while eating or standing over the carcass of a 

 deer the "painter" would, open-mouthed, utter a shriek 

 like yik or ue eTc. This sound I have myself heard 

 them make when disturbed at their feasts. 



When I was old and large enough to carry a rifle, I be- 

 gan to follow up these "painter screams," not only during 

 the daytime, but with companions on bright moonlight 

 nights, and on those hunts we never saw anv fresh signs 

 of a sneak-cat; but we learned that a screech owl could 

 give a variety of screeches outside of their regular 

 gamut, and we also learned another fact, which is not 

 generally known evan among hunterH, that the red fox 

 can and does jon certain occasions give a "hair raising"' 

 scream that vvoiild make the woods 

 and mountain sides ring and re-echo 

 seenaingly for miles around us. On 

 those night hunts we had many other 

 interesting experiences, though we 

 caught no Felis concolor. 



In some localities along the Pacific 

 slopes and on Vancouver Island, in 

 British Columbia, panthers are very 

 numerous, and I have found the In- 

 dian hunters there familiar with their 

 habits. When questioned about the 

 panther's scream, they invariably reply 

 in their Chinook jargon. "Swad-wa 

 vvake hy-as skoo-kumely. Lee-loo pee 

 sis-ki you tinas puss-puss nah," which 

 means, "Panther never scream, wolf 

 and bobtail lynx hallo," Still in the 

 face of the above facts I am forced to 

 believe that in some southern localities 

 and under certain conditions that the 

 panther does scream, for such straight- 

 forward testimony as "Mississippi Low- 

 lands" gives us in your this week's 

 issue, cannot be dipputed. The writer 

 accompanied by gun and dog intends 

 to spend the coming winter in the 

 Mississippi lowlands, and we pray that 

 we may ourselves hear that sound. 



My personal experience which ex- 

 tends well over the northern portion 

 of this continent, is that the opinions 

 of the average white trapper and hun- 

 ter (unless he happens to be an educated 

 man), cannot always be relied on; they 

 are full of fallacies and are oftentimes 

 ignorant of many traits and habits of 

 the animals they hunt and catch, 

 though the said habits are well known 

 to the naturalist. When any of the 

 northern readers of the Forest and 

 Stream meet a person who has heard 

 a panther scream, get that person to 

 give you an imitation of the sound, and make a note 

 of it. After you have met a half-dozen or so of such 

 persons, refer to your notes and you willfind that each 

 person differs from the others as to the sound of the 

 much talked of scream. 



I tender to you, Mr. Editor, my humble apology for 

 having unwittingly in my former letter reopened this 

 subject, and will for some time to come listen and not 

 talk, StansteAd, 



UlGHGATE, Vt. 



HOW A SNAKE SHEDS ITS SKIN. 



Buffalo, N, Y. —Editor Forest and Stream: Among 

 the contributions of your correspondents who have dis- 

 cussed the manner in which a snake sheds his skin, I do 

 not remember that the actual occurrence of molting has 

 been witnessed. As such an event— or part of it — once , 

 fell under my observation, I send it. 



The snake was a rattler about two feet long, which had 

 been caught near Portage, N. Y., and was nn exhibition 

 in a glass case at a drug store in Perry, N. Y. When 

 dusting off the case in the morning the proprietor noticed 

 that the snake's skin was rough or loose at the back of the 

 head. A little later a distinct ring of new skin was visi- 

 ble between the head and the old skin. When I saw the 

 snake in the afternoon, about four inches, or perhaps six, 

 of the body was free from the skin, and the work of 

 emergence was proceeding slowly and with difiiculty. 

 The body would shorten and expand under the old skin 

 very much as the body of an eel grows rigid in the hand 

 when grasped. Then while the old skin was held tight by 

 the expanded part within, the part immediately in front 

 of the old sMn extended, narrowed, and one or two rings 

 slipped out of the skin, which was slowly inverted just 

 as the finger of a tight glove is inverted when it is removed 

 from the hand. After a period of rest the process was 

 repeated, each effort freeing, I should judge, about one- 

 sixteenth of an inch of the body. As the box in which 

 the reptile was confined was less than a foot deep, the 

 opportunity for observing the shedding was exceptionally 

 good, since no one would care to get in such close prox- 

 imity to a rattler in his native wilds. The whole process 

 was not completed when the store closed for the night, 

 but in the morning following the cast oft" skin lay on the 

 bottom of the box, while his snakeship was resplendent 

 in a bran new suit, I inclose a photo of a young wood- 

 cock which our botanizing party found in the spring, 

 which may serve aa aa appendix to the "Mrs. Wood- 

 cock a i Home" series. I. P, Bishop. 



