FOREST AND STREAM. 



can scarcely hope to enjoy again. Down the mountain- 

 side far beneath ua to right and left, and across the val- 

 ley, rising to the summits of the nearer mountains and 

 stretching awfiy ia rank overlapping rank as far as eye 

 could reach, the brilliant crimson of the dogwood, the 

 deep blood red of the gum, rich yellow of the hickory, 

 variegated maples blending all three, oaks just faintly 

 tinted, with here and there dark spots or bands of pine 

 or hemlock shading the whole, completed a picture which 

 for loveliness in detail and gorgeoHsness in ensemble be- 

 longs to the AUeghenies alone, a vision that holds one en- 

 tranced, a vision baffling the loftiest flight of the poet or 

 most skillful brush of the painter, a vision matchless that 

 will always rise in delightful memories of (rreat North 

 Mountain. O, O. S. 



MORE ABOUT THE SCREAM. 



Editor Forent and Stream: 



Apropos of panthers' screams, I never met with a pan- 

 ther at large, but I have many times been with individuals 

 of the kiod for days together in menageries while 1 have 

 been engaged in making drawings. The conclusion I 

 have arrived at is that the panther is in all respects a 

 huge cat. It indulges iu a caterwauling that is precisely 

 like that of the domestic animal, but proportionately 

 deeper and louder. 



This yelling it utters more at some seasons than others, 

 and is chifcfly indulged in by the male. All males that I 

 have obsprved— some thirty— were prone to it. The voice 

 of the common tomcat is often horribly human, as in fact 

 is that of all the Felido' except the iion. so far as my ob- 

 servation goes, and I cannot see anything ridiculous in 

 the compari-ion when one likens the sci-eam to that of a 

 person in anguish. I know that many a time while in 

 the London Z30 my hair would indeed have been set 

 a-prickling by the horrid yells of an old male panther but 

 for the fact that I knew what and where the screamer 

 was. The same soun ds heard at night in the woods wovild 

 have been simply appalling. 



As to the possibility of the hair being set on end, see 

 Dirwin on the "Expression of the Emotions" and Bell on 

 the "Anatomy of the Espression,'' and you will there see 

 the matter scientifically examined and the fact estab- 

 lished that under rare and extreme circumstances, of 

 human horror or terror the hair rises on end as in the 

 lower animals. The physiology of it is pretty well under- 

 stood. The minute muecle that is attached to each hair 

 bulb is nearly atrophied in the human subject, and has 

 lost connection with the voluntary nerve supply, but it is 

 there still and may be acted on by sudden or severe cold, 

 as in goose flesh, or by terror, as ab'eady stated, 



Ernest E, Thompson. 



Toronto, Canaaa. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Wnen "Stansiead" made his daring assertiotl (in the face 

 of what I supposed a conceded fact) that a panther had 

 no more scream in him than a bulldog, I felt that he had 

 stuck his foot in a hornets' nest, and I fully expected the 

 flood of opposition that is pouring in. 



I confess to being a know-nothing in the line of screams, 

 but I'll relate an incident. Many years ago I was in the 

 northern part of Maine, and as I was taking a drive with 

 a man in whose veracity I have boundless confidence, we 

 came to a place that sloped from the road dowa to a 

 meadow. "l5"ow, here," he said, "is a place that I shall 

 never forget as long as I have a memory. It was a bright, 

 moonlight night, and I was going over to a neighbor's in 

 a sleigh with my sister when we saw a big dog coming 

 up from the meadow iust ahead of us. When he got to 

 the road we were scarcely 20yds. from him and the horse 

 stopped in terror. Ttien the big dog turned his head 

 toward us, crouched down in the snow, swaying his tail 

 from side to side, and gave a scream that fairly curdled 

 our blood. I knew that scream and knew that something 

 must be done, and there was but one thing to do, and that 

 was to turn the horse, which I proceeded to do, expecting 

 every moment that the beast would make a spring for us; 

 but he did not, and when the horse got round he went as 

 if he wanted to get away from something. That was 

 several years ago, and my hair has never got down flat to 

 this day, and I still sometimes imagine I hear that un- 

 earthly, horrifying scream." 



No! the panthers scream is not a * 'myth"— it's a sound. 



St. atjodsttne, Fla. DlDYMUS. 



Editor Forest a.nd Stream: 



I think that the evidence submitted in the last number 

 of your paper concerning the scream of the panther 

 ought to satisfy any unprejudiced person that this crea- 

 ture can scream on occasion, and that quite effectively. 

 I myself have heard it, but as 1 did not see the animal iu 

 the act, T hesitated to appear in evidence. If the capital 

 "cougar skin" story of ' U. O. S." is to be believed, and 

 there is nothing incredible about it, that ought to have 

 settled the question. 



Yes, the panther can scream, 'twere pity if he were the 

 only cat which couldn't. The elephant, the horso, the 

 bear, the mink, the hare, the rat, and even the bullfrog 

 can scream when they see reason; then why doubt that 

 the panther can do the same thing at his need, not to say 

 his pleasure. 



Let him henceforward scream in peace. Kelpie. 

 Central Lake, Mich. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Two years ago I was hunting in the Florida Ever- 

 glades, where we found deer, bear, turkey and plume birds 

 very plentiful on the many different mangrove islands 

 we visited. Some of the islands seem to be several feet 

 higher than others, with large mounds of decayed shells 

 and the growth principiUy hemp, Spanish needli, prickly 

 pear, cocoanut and various kiads of poisonous vines, 

 which sometimes cover half an acre in clusters. We 

 fouad these places to be the home of the panther, cata- 

 mount and rattlesnake. Ic is almost impossible to cross 

 these islands without a large knife to cut one's way, be- 

 sides you are pricked above your leggings at all times by 

 needles. Our faithful dogs had already learned of the 

 paws of panthers in the G-ulf hammock and would not 

 - venture within SOyda, of one unless seriously wounded, 



On the margin of these islavids were the only open spaces 

 we could see any distance to shoot, and at night this 

 seemed to be the panther's resort for gathering turtle 

 eggs, crabs, young birds, etc. 



We shot live with the head lantern in two nights, and 

 killed two which we got, one measuring 'J'ft., the other 

 7ft. Bin. I have never heard one scream, but they would 

 cry loudly in the manner of a cat. I left our camp-fire 

 one night not more than fifty paces for some driftwood, 

 and noticed something in front of me not moi'e than 20ft. 

 I thought it was one of our dogs and spoke to it. There 

 was a signal of the tail and a low growl, I found I was 

 almost in the clutches of a large panther. I had nothing 

 to defend myself with, and called to my companion to 

 come at once with the gun. He came, and so did the 

 dogs, which gave the beast a fright into the scrub. When 

 I would back from him he came toward me, and held 

 his position when I would stand, I was not on the stand 

 long, but just a little longer than I ever care to take an- 

 other such stand, I am quite sure, I have his skin now 

 among my collections, J. M. McOrary. 



ORiOT.iii, Fla.. Oct. 36. 



A Bath, Maine, reader sends us this note from tixe Plain- 

 dealer of that town; 



A Cameron correspondent says the residents of Swale 

 are greatly excited over the appearance in their midst of 

 a strange wild animal whose imearthly screeching makes 

 the hair of the inhabitants thereabouts stand straight. 

 Recently this unknown beast visited the farm of Roy 

 .Jones, a reputable farmer, and by its infernal howling 

 aroused the family, which had retired for the night. Mr. 

 Jones got his rifle and went forth to rpconnoiter. He 

 soon located the beast in an adjacent cornfield, and fired 

 in the direction of the sound. The noise ceased, but be- 

 gan again a short distance from the first point. Calling 

 his dog, a large shepherd, he sent him in pursuit. Soon 

 after there were sounds of a conflict, and hurrying to the 

 scene found his dog in the throes of doath, almost torn to 

 shreds. The beast had escaped. It is thought to be a 

 panther. An organized search led by Ross Hallett, will 

 be made as soon as snow is sufficient for tracking pur- 

 poses comes. The residents are in a terrified condition 

 and dare not venture out after nighfaU. 



Black Muskrats,t 



Willi AMSPORT, Pa,, Nov. 13.— Mr, Fred, Kraemer, who 

 lives near a small stream emptying into Loyalsock Creek, 

 several miles below the city of Williamsport, and who is 

 very successful in raising German carp, has an open bar- 

 rel sunk into the ground and just across a natural runway 

 of muskrats. Said barrel does duty as an ever ready trap, 

 and many a thieving muskrat has been entrapped on her 

 way to the carp ponds and dispatched by Mr, Kraemer. 

 Some time ago the above-named yoking gentleman, a very 

 successful hunter and taxidermist, who has a fine collec- 

 tion of birds and animals of his own killing and mount- 

 ing, found one of his late captured muskrats to bo a me- 

 lanistic specimen. The individual is black on the tipper 

 side from tip of nose to root of tail, darkest on middle of 

 back. The olack color also extends below each eye, sides 

 show a very slight brownish cast, blending with the black- 

 ish silver gray of inside of legs, throat and under side. 

 There is a complete absence of all reddish-brown on the 

 animal. 



Several weeks later Mr. Kraemer captured a second 

 specimen, a full-grown female, which is a perfect coun- 

 terpart of the first animal, and which he had the kind- 

 ness to present to the writer for his own collection, 



August Koch. 



THE CANADA LYNX. 



Toronto, Canada. — Iq December, 1890, we were going 

 up the Sturgeon River on the ice. At a point about eight 

 miles north of Lake Nipissing we saw an animal cross 

 the river about a mile in advance. Not knowing exactly 

 what it was I ran ahead with a .40-82 Winchester. On 

 coming to the track in the snow I saw at once that it 

 was a Canada lynx, and as there was an enormous bluff 

 of rock on the shore in the directien taken by the ani- 

 m 1 it seemed probable its den was in the vicinity. As 

 soon as our dog came up he followed the fresh scent and 

 found the lynx about 200ft. up the ledge crotiching under 

 a large rock. The ascent was so abrupt that I had the 

 utmost difficulty in getting up, even the weight of the 

 rifle tnld against me at times. The position of the lynx 

 was such that it was impossible to see him without climb- 

 ing on a large boulder directly in front of the place of 

 the animal's refuge. I mounted the boulder, and stoop- 

 ing down looked in at the lynx barely 10ft. away, but I 

 was so much blown by the exertion that it was necessary 

 to wait a half-minute or so to recover my wind. 



I remained on guard in front of the animal, and when 

 sufficiently recovered knelt down and fired. One sjjring 

 would have reached me, and its momentum must have 

 precipitated me 200ft. down the face of the clift". The 

 position taken by the animal was such that he could not 

 be seen except from the one point. He aj)peared rather 

 frightened than vicious, so far as I could judge — -when 

 first seen his eyes were glaring green from beneath the 

 rock, when ready to tire his position was changed. The 

 head was not visible, but the breast only was exposed, 

 The 360grs. bullet proved too much for him. 



Hunters in northern Ontario do not consider the lynx 

 at all dangerous. If taken in a trap they do not hesitate 

 to attack the animal and beat it to death with a club. 

 My own experience tends to confirm the notion that they 

 are cowardly. S. R. Clarke. 



There are no Canada lynx about Nicatowis Lake, but 

 the bobcat, which is often called the lynx by people who 

 are not familiar with both animals, occurs there. Jjast 

 Monday one of our guides was taking a young man down 

 the lake, and just below the narrows they discovered a 

 buck deer and some other animal swimming across the 

 lake. They first killed the buck and then turned for the 

 other animal. The young man fired at it and missed it. 

 The animal at once turned for the canoe and showed 

 fight. Their gun would not work and they had to use 

 their paddles to kill or drown him. 



I was about one mile behind them, and when I got to 

 them they had both the cat and the deer in the canoe. 

 They did not know what kind of an animal they had cap- 

 tured, but said that he was a savage one, and asked me if 

 1 could name it. I told them I could, and asked them if 

 they had ever read in our papers of the Chain Lake ser- 

 pent. They said that they had. "Well,'" I said to them, 

 " that is the chap that you have read about. It is called 

 by Machias people the great Chain Lake Serpent." 



I have known bobcats and lynxes to kill deer on the 

 land, but never before knew them to foUow one across a 

 lake. These cats are often seen in this section, and are 

 troublesome to some of our farmers, killing their poultry, 

 sheep and lambs, .1. Dabling. 



Tried to Enter the Dining Boom» 



New York, Nov. 13, 1892.— Editor Forest and Stream : 

 As you are interested in all that pertains to bird life, I 

 will tell you of an occurrence which took place this 

 morning at, my house. While at the breakfast table, 

 there was a thud against one of the windows, and look- 

 ing up I saw a number of birds flying outside. Upon 

 raising the sash a bird was discovered lying in the yard, 

 and a number of sparrows sitting on the fence watching 

 him. The wounded bird was bi-ought in to me, and to 

 my astonishment it was a woodcock. Evidently the 

 sparrows were chasing him, and in his fright he had 

 flown against the glass. He weighed seven ounces. 

 What do you think of living in New York and having 

 woodcock flying almost into your dining room? 



Ohas, P, Frame. 



Buffed lOrouse Wanted for Breeding. 



Toledo, O., Nov. iil. — Editor Forest and Stream: You 

 will, I am sure, remember my somewhat extended ex- 

 periments in attempting to effect the breeding and rear- 

 ing of the rufl'ed grouse in confinement, as will no doubt 

 many of the readers of the Forest and Stream. I am 

 now prepared to resume these experiments under more 

 favorable circumstancrs than ever, and the object of this 

 note is to beg the cooperation of any of the readers of 

 "our paper" who could aid me in i)rocuring birds for that 

 purpose. With the larger runs and greater seclusion that 

 are now available for such grouse as I may be able to 

 obtain tliis fall, I feel reasonably sure of gratifying re- 

 sults the coming spring. Of course if I should succeed 

 in procuring any specimens that had been in confine- 

 ment for a year or so, the chances would be all the 

 greater for success the first season. Any communica- 

 tions through the editor of Forest and Stream, or sent 

 to me direct will be most gratefully received, 



J. B, Battelle. 



A Carnivorous Muskrat. 



While out shooting the other day I noticed something 

 which had hitherto escaped my notice, that muskrats 

 would eat birds. I had always believed that muskrats 

 were not carnivorous, and I have always caugtit them 

 with a parsnip for bait. After getting several plover and 

 a black duck, last week, I shot a snipe, which I saw fall 

 in some long grass and weeds near the edge of some 

 bushes. I went to the place and fotxnd every necessary 

 trace to prove that the snipe had fallen there, big feathers, 

 blood, and an indentation in the soft mud. From this 

 place the fresh tracks of a muskrat led for about 30ft. to 

 a hole in the marsh. There was no snipe to be seen. 



L. D. VON IFFLAND. 



^'Game Laios in Brief," Uruted States and Canada, 

 illustrated, 25 ce/H,ts. "Book of the Game Lams" (fun 

 text), .50 cents. 



NOTES OF THE SEASON. 



Yesterday Mr. A. M. Holbrooke, of Foster's Point, a 

 Bath, Me., paper reported one day last week, saw a large 

 animal, which looked like a deer, swimming across the 

 New Meadows river. At first he thought that he must be 

 mistaken as he knew that deer are not very plenty around 

 here, but he decided to investigate. He went to the house 

 and got his rifle and started out alter the game. He 

 found out that it was surely a deer and as he neared the 

 bank fired and killed him. He was a beauty and had two 

 large horns. He weighed nearly two hundred pounds. 



Note has been made in these columns of Mr. S. E. 

 Worrell's hunting and fishing boats. A new notion, de- 

 vised by Mr. John G. Mott, of Michigan City, Ind., is a 

 tent ceveiing for the Worrell boat. The box seats he had 

 made detachable, and the body of the boat was used for 

 beds, the whole being covered over with the tent covering. 



A Quebec correspondent writes; I procured a small 

 quaniity of the wild rice and sent my luan to sow it, not 

 being able to go myself, very much to my regret. The 

 man reports that in one of the lakes to which I sent him 

 he found a few heads of precisely the same grain, a few 

 kernels remaining on the heads, the rest having evidently 

 dropped out. Query: how came they there? There is 

 none of the riod hereabouts that I know of, certainly 

 none within many miles. The lake is a favorite breeding 

 place for the common white gulls, called by the French, 

 people "Mauve." Could they have brought the grain? 

 Or is the grain the cause of their coming? We see and 

 hear hundreds of them in summer about there, but notice 

 but comparatively few elsewhere. 



Undoubtedly thel llnfluence, 



SUMAS, Washington.— Here is a clipping from the San 

 Francisco Examiner in report of an execution by hang- 

 ing of some Texas cowboys. My idea of the feat is this: 

 The distance was not measured, or it must have been 

 some remarkable variety of liquor, under influence of 

 which the shooting was done: 



"One day in the cotton picking season of 1869 Bill re- 

 turned from Brenham, where he had gone to dispose of 

 a tf ew bales of cotton, _ slightly under the influence of 

 liquor. He was at this time an excellent marksman 

 with the pistol, his aim being so accurate that men stood 

 in awe of his skill. One of his feats was to race a mus- 

 tang a distance of 300 jds. past a 4in. sapling and empty 

 his six-shooter in the tree as he rode by, planting the bul- 

 lets almost one upon each other in a circle no larger than 

 a Mexican dollar." G. H, G. 



