48 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Ja2T. 19, 1898. 



WOLVES AND THEIR WAYS. 



Shanley, N. Y. — Editor Forest and Stream: Apropos 

 of the query in Forest and Stream, of 5th inst. , as to 

 whether or not our big gray wolf is a coward in the 

 presence of man. I wish to say that I have found him so 

 on the many occasions that I have met him on his native 

 heatli, singly or in the company of his kind. Whether or 

 not any one of us would care to crawl into a cleft in the 

 rock where a wolf had its den, as Gen. Putnam is said to 

 have done, is another matter. I guess "Old Put." had the 

 right stuff in him. 



While following the life of the gentle shepherd, on the 

 plains of Montana, a couple of years ago, I used to watch 

 the wolves a great deal while tending the sheep, and 

 though I usually liad my good rifle in my hand, I once 

 had the opportunity of facing a wolf empty -handed, and 

 I don't know which was the worse scared. It happened 

 thus. The sheep had "bunched" during the heat of the 

 day upon one slope of a little valley, and I occupied the 

 opposite slope, the better to see that they came to no harm, 

 and since I knew that they would not move for hours, I 

 was ta king a bit of a doze, now and then opening my eye.s 

 wide enough to see ray sheep, and then dropping off again 

 with my face on my arms, sti-etched out on the hot rock. 

 Suddenly, when I looked up, in a somewhat dazed con- 

 dition, l' became aware that a veiy large wolf was coming- 

 right at me, not 60 yards away, his red tongue lolling out, 

 and his yellow summer coat reminding me of a hyena at 

 first sight, coming as I did, so abruptly from the land of 

 Nod. I actually thought it was his intention to try me a 

 few rounds, as he did not notice the sheej), but was com- 

 ing straight in my direction with murder in his eye, I 

 thought. Being without arms, as it happened, my"^ first 

 impulse Avas to snatch up a stone and let him have it, and 

 it was when I jumped xip that he seemed to see me for 

 the first time, and turned tail for all the woiid like a huge 

 cur dog, and loped off with many a fearsome glance over 

 his shoulder. The stone did not quite reach him, but 

 when he saw it coming he put his tail between his legs, 

 exactly as a dog would have done under similar circum- 

 stances, and if I could have hit him I am satisfied he would 

 have ki-yied. I had to laugh at his comical aspect and at 

 myself for being so rattled, but I did not leave my rifle in 

 camp very often after that, not because I had any idea the 

 wolves would tackle me, but because it "broke me all up" 

 to miss so good a shot. 



The probability is that this wolf had no evil design in 

 his head, either toward the sheep or the shepherd, but 

 happened to be headed my way, while traveling across 

 the country on business of his own. Probably he was 

 more startled by my sudden appearance in the way than 

 by my xjrojectile, or my ferocious aspect. 



We often used to chase these big fellows horseback, and 

 almo-st any horse will run up on to them, they are no such 

 nmners as the coyotes. Ipsarraka. 



Chicago, Jan. 5, — Editor Forest and Stream: I have 

 read with interest Mr. Dodge's narrative of his encounter 

 with a gi-izzly. which was published in your issue of Dec. 

 29, The only comment I have to make is the one that 

 will j)erhaj)s occur to the casual reader, viz., that he 

 showed unnecessary solicitude for the third bear. How- 

 ever, a man that has made the extraordmary record that 

 Mr. Dodge gives would come to regard bears with as much 

 indifi;erence as he would a band of black- tailed deer in the 

 cedar. I confess to a fellow feeling in the gun episode, 

 and remember a half minute on one occasion that seemed 

 to have covered a year of my life, m connection with a 

 "stuck" shell that refused to meet the frantic advances of 

 the ejector. I think it is rather too risky to go after griz- 

 zlies. 



The adventure I have to relate is of quite another char- 

 acter, was harmless enough, but will interest yoiur readers. 



Late in the fall of 1875 I received an invitation to join 

 three adventurous hunters who designed passing the Avin- 

 ter in the Judith Basin, Montana, witli occasional incm- 

 sions into the Sioux country beyond the Musselshell. Our 

 pastime was to poison wolves. "Wolf skins brought then 

 at the trade store at Carroll, our starting point, on the 

 upper Missouri Kiver, |4 and $5 each in cash. I cannot say 

 what they sold for in Chicago and New York, 



One day we packed our wagon with provisions, ammu- 

 nition, traps, etc., and started for the Lone Butte Pass, 

 south of Judith Basin proper. 



I may remark that the Judith Basin of that day was one 

 of the loveliest regions of the West for game and Indians. 

 From the ridges aboA'e our camp in the Lone Butte Pass I 

 have seen at one time elk, deer, liighorn, antelope and 

 buffalo, and there never was better ground for approach- 

 ing the several kinds of game. 



One item in our bill for groceries was $50 for crystaUized 

 strychnia, hut that amount of medicine did not cut much 

 of a figure in our load, and could have been carried in a 

 hand bag. 



The wolves in this country were of the largest size; 

 some were of a very dark gray color, a few pure white, a 

 number almost white or a sort of creamy white. 



A year or two before the hunters had poisoned more 

 than a thousand north of the Missouri Eiver, but the inci- 

 dents of warfare barely enabled them to visit the baits 

 once during the winter, and pile up the frozen carcasses 

 of the wolves. In the spring they skinned about a third of 

 the catch; the Indians, ravens and eagles did the rest. 



Arrived at the Lone Butte Pass — the season bemg too 

 early to string out buft'alo baits for wolves — we built a 

 stout cabin of green logs, cached our provisions and am- 

 munition in a hollow of the rocks and gathered in a sup- 

 ply of fat venison for winter use. 



The mountain and river Crow Indians claimed and held 

 the Judith Basin, but the Sioux south and north of the 

 Yellowstone disputed their title, and large war parties 

 from time to time served a temporary injunction on the 

 Crows, cMving them out, and making life tliere precarious 

 and uncomfortable. While camped at the pass we had a 

 notable interview with some of the leading Crow warriors 

 who paid us a visit. 



In this debatable territory we passed the winter. When 

 freezing- weather came we packed our ponies and started 

 dowji the cedar ridges in the direction of the Musselshell. 

 In such a country we did not lack for good camping 

 grounds, for the numerous war parties had filled the 

 cormtry with stout pole lodges, built in the form of a 

 * 'tepee/' in which a fire could be built that would not at- 

 -fcract attention 100yds. away. 



Near the moiith of Flat WiUow creek we separated one 

 day for the purpose of putting out some buffalo baits for 



wolves, a process I will now describe: Crossing some 

 narrow breaks in the rolling hills I saw a buffalo cow 

 standing on a little flat near a prairie dog village. The 

 point was a little difiicult to approach, and I consumed 

 some time in crawhng along low ground to a point when 

 I could get a good shot. While doing this I saw two 

 large wolA^es approach the coav in feint of attack and the 

 cow loAver her head and lunge at them; I saAv then that 

 she Avas a Kttle lame in one leg. The utter unconcern 

 and contempt with which the wolves treated this move- 

 ment was amusing to see. I understood their actions 

 better a little later on. Meanwhile I had gotten a little 

 closer. After a while the wolves left the coav and trotted 

 aromid to where I was, surveyed me from a distance of 

 about 15 or 203^ds. and returned to the coaa^. Crawhng a 

 little closer, and the coav standing about right, I placed a 

 bullet from my .44 Winchester where I thought it Avould 

 do the quickest execution, and the cow dropped a short 

 distance f i*dm Avhere she had been standing. Approach- 

 ing, I discovered about 100yds. away, all in one row, s6me 

 standing, some sitting, about twenty or inore large 

 Avolves. 



Paying no further attention to them I proceeded quietly 

 to disj)ose of the buffalo carcass m such a Avay as to make 

 it most conA'eniently available to the use of my noAv at- 

 tentive audience. Skinning one side of the coav, I spht 

 the carcass lengthAvise and spread it out to receive the 

 slashes of meat I cut from the back and quarters. My 

 strychnia was in ^oz. A'ials. Emptying one bottle into the 

 lioUoAv of the ribs, I scattered the other tAA^o OA'er the car- 

 cass and rubbed it in by taking a chunk of meat in my 

 hand and SAA^abbing Avarm blooctoA-er the Avhole. 



Washing the blood and poison caret uUy from my hands 

 in the snow, I picked up my rifle and started for camp, 

 lea\*ing the aa'oIvcs in about the position first described. 



The next morning there was not much of the coav left, 

 but Ave skinned 22 fine wolA'es, L, S. Kelly. 



SNAKES. 



Just previous to the shedding of the skin — and I do not 

 dare say Iioav long before — the snake is blind, or nearly 

 so; the eye is coA'ered by a whitish opaque shell, Avhich is 

 the old and normal coA^ering and protection for the eye, a 

 part of the skin, Avhich in process of separation previous 

 to exfohation, gradually becomes loosened from the eye 

 and assumes a bluish-Avhite appearance. This at least 

 j)artially obstructs the vision and I doubt not frequently 

 makes them entirely blind. It is said that the massasauga 

 is totally blind at this season, and people supposed to be 

 A^ersed in common snake lore AviU say that "pizen snakes 

 air more sartain deadly Avhen blind, particly saugers." 

 This popular belief may be true, for the massasauga or other 

 venomous species is decidedly lethargic for a period before 

 its liberation from its old husk, and during its enforced 

 idleness it has no desire to use its poison fangs, as it does 

 not seem to care for food. I have never rnet Avith eithei- 

 noxious or innocuous individuals Avhich gave evidence of 

 a recent meal Avhen nearing exfoliation. Naturally the 

 increased supply or hoarded secretion of venom would be 

 more dangerous. 



We now come to the supposed "sj)itting" of snakes, a 

 subject of special interest, because it has been the subject 

 of some discussion in the columns of Forest and Stream. 



I have had a half dozen diamond rattlers shaking their 

 caudal adornments at me at one time, and all were qiiite 

 irritable, yet they never opened their jaAvs, and they very 

 rarely shoAved the inside of their mouths unless' when 

 striking, in AVhich act they move so quickly that tlie 

 mouth is not seen to open. That the jaAvs do open is evi- 

 dent, as the fangs cannot be thrown into the erect position 

 unless the movith is expanded. In nearly all rattlers that 

 I haA^e seen confined, the only coA^ering at the top of the 

 cage or box was a pane of glass, and this of poor quality, 

 making it dangerous from a possible escape. In many 

 cases Avire netting Avas an additional precaution, but it was 

 outside of the glass. Many snakes Avhen irritated will 

 strike out saA^agely, but I could not learn that the glass 

 Avas ever broken or an escape efl'ected; stiU their noses (I 

 judged) Avould go against the glass front or top Avith a 

 bang that made the glass rattle. After tliese blows there 

 could be seen occasionally a little moisture AA^hich did not 

 have the tenacity of saliA'^a, but trickled doAvn the pane 

 readily. Some rattlers are very irritable and do not CA er 

 seem to become accustomed to confinement and irritation, 

 but Avill sound their alarm at once on any one's appeai-- 

 ance. Others, again, remain quiet and will scarceh' moA-e 

 for days together. Then, again, tliei'e is a marked dift'er- 

 ence in the positions occupied by the difl:erent species. 

 The big ones of the South he in a coil, with the head 

 nearly in the center, and in a A-ery lazy-appearing attitude, 

 The members of the genus Caud isonia,hoth our massasauga 

 and the ground rattlesnake (a little rattler of the South 

 rarely reaclung twentj'- inches in leng-th), seem to sprawl 

 about in any shape. It is the Northern or banded rattler 

 {Orotalus dmHssus) AAduch assumes an attitude of real dig- 

 nity, if not absolute beauty; and he could readily be ad- 

 mired did Ave not bear constantly in mind his dreadful 

 power. A common position is one in which the neck and 

 upper part of the body are projected up from the cod and 

 a half, at an angle of 50°, with the head poised in attitude 

 of attention, from fifteen to twenty inches in the air. 

 One will remain, if undisturbed, in this position hours 

 together, and often when slightly aroused the tail Avill 

 vibrate while the strained rigidity continues, and the steely 

 eye gUtters in unswei-A^ing watchfulness. 



When the poisonous snake strikes, as I have endeavored 

 to shoAv, it thro^vs its head forward Avith great rapidity 

 and, I have no doubt, Avith its fuU strength, and should 

 it not reach the object for which it aims the force of the 

 blow is just as great as if it were reached. Frequently a 

 series of misses demoralizes an irritated snake to such 

 an extent that it Avill utterly refuse to strike for some 

 time. It may be that the pestered creature loses its pug- 

 nacit}-, knoAAdng that its efforts are unavailing, or it may 

 feel, and this is much more hkely, in cases where it has 

 struck the object without effect, that its supply of A^enom 

 is exhausted and it is useless to continue the attack. As 

 the head moves forward like a cataprdt, the jaAvs open 

 and, as the object is reached, the teeth, or more properly 

 fang-s, are isresented forward and doAvnward. Now, sup- 

 pose the snake strikes Avith its oj)ened upper jaAv at an 

 angle of 45° and its fangs are about at right angles Avith 

 the jaAV, then the fangs as ]3resented, or on entering- the 

 object, are at about 45° angle, or sinking- doAvn into the i 

 flesh at that degree. With rattlers it is all ahke, so far 

 as I can learn in regard to striking, whether a small | 



massasauga or large diamond, the act is the same and 

 the Avound the same, only difi'ering in depth, varying 

 Avith difference of length" of fang and in height from 

 ground, the difference resulting from reach. If this 

 reasoning is correct, then a 4ft. rattler ,striking at an 

 object a foot and a half from the ground Avould, if it had 

 the power of ejecting the contents of its poison sack at 

 Avill, throAv the A^enom forward and down-sx'ard at an 

 angle of 45% and on to the base of triangle one foot and a 

 half in adA^ance of a perpendicnlar dropped from the point 

 where the fluid was ejected. These figures may be 

 altered variously, and the proposition may be demonstrated 

 by any one having enough interest in the matter to get a 

 rattler and try the experiment. 



A Sanger (C. tergeminaJ) that Ave had in confinement, 

 upon irritation Avould strike at the end of a stick or any 

 other object held in front of it; as it was caged in Avith a 

 wire netting, of course its head came Avith force against 

 the screen and often the poison (at least so I judged it to 

 be) was thrown six or eight inches, and once somewhat 

 OA' er a foot. It Avas obserA^ed that after remaining undis- 

 turbed for several days or Aveeks, this esc-aping A-enom was 

 in greater quantity than if tlie creature Avas pestered often, 

 sometimes shoAving to the extent of several drops, AA'hei-eas 

 only the f amtest CAidence of moisture Avould be seen , or eA^en 

 none at all, if the snake Avas made to strike repeatedly. 

 That the snake's mouth opened and fangs erected was 

 often made eAident, for, althougli tlie act Avas performed 

 very quickly, it not infrequently occurred that the fangs 

 Avere momentarily caught in the mesh and it took a sec- 

 ond or tAvo for it to recover itself, shoAAdng conclusively 

 that the mouth had been opened Avidely. It also jiroved 

 Avhat I am endeaA'oring to demonstrate, that the fangs at 

 time of striking present for\\'ard and downward. This 

 massasauga was shghtly oA^er 20in. ui length and cotrld strike • 

 as high as ?iu, from the floor on the Avire netting, and it 

 is said Avith all confidence that the poison -was -undoubt- 

 edly tlu-own several inclies further than it would liaA'e 

 been had tlie snake thus struck while resting, and pos- 

 sessed (suppositional) of the voluntary power to squirt, 

 eject or spit its poison without first striking an object. In 

 other words, the momentum ac-yuiiefl from tlie forward 

 moA'ement gave an additional anpetus to any object 

 leaving the mouth through any cause v%-hatever. Many 

 times when we hauled this snake on to the bare floor in 

 the room and irritated it,didit strike fruitlessly, failingto 

 reach the object aimed at; but tiiese failures were not ac- 

 companied by an emission of \erjoni, and tiierefore it 

 seems reasonable to conclude that the ejection only occurs 

 when the jaAA-s come in contact with an object. 



If Ave plagued the sauger too severely, as we often did, 

 stirring him aroimd on the floor Avith fm ij-en [joker, he 

 AA'-ould, after many fruitless darts, in As liicli he noi rarely 

 bit liimself, though Avithout result, spread himself out 

 quite flat, and assuming a sigmoid flexure on the floor, 

 flop about at each poke and never attempt to bite or to 

 escape. 



It is difficult to rmderstand what reason could be ad- 



A^anced for the act of .spitting. The venom of snakes was 

 supphed to them for pui-poses of offense and defense, and 

 as Ave know that it is liarinlessAvhen applied to unabraded 

 surfaces, it is difficult to tinderstand why these creatures 

 should waste their stock of ammunition. The A'^enom has 

 even been applied to medicinal use and has been at times 

 given in an attenuated state by the homo3opathic profes- 

 sion, as per their principle simUia similibus curantur, but, 

 although at one period adA'Ocated, I haA-^e yet to hear that 

 a case of rattlesnake bite was ever benefitted by the treat- 

 ment. 



I conclude that (1) snakes cannot strike from a coil, and 

 (2) they cannot spit if they Avotdd, for their anatomy does 

 not admit of it, and they would not if they could, as" there 

 would be no object in Avasting their ammunition. 



Kalamazoo, Mich. MORRTS GiBBS. 



The Crank and the Plume Hunter. 



Indiax Rn^ER, Fla. , Jan. M— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 Many thanks for your eclitoria) of Jan. 5 on the crank in 

 Florida who shoots at everything- he sees and calls it sport. 

 Happily the greater number of tliese gentjy shoot at but 

 fail to iiit A\-hat tliey think they are aiming at. Still their 

 whole course is one oi wanton cruelty and not of sport in 

 any legitimate sense of the term. The Avay to stop it is 

 for the great majority of right thin kei's to so impress the 

 puijlic niiiid that a force of ]jtil:)lie opinion shall be estab- 

 lished which will force these people to a proper behavior. 



Meantime we are all tlie a\ hile urging the amendment 

 of the Florida laAvs, and aiiothei- year aa'AI, I think, see a 

 great change m them for the bettei-. 



Still, after all, the '-cranks'' who are most responsible 

 for the destruction of birds of plumage are the ladies, Avho 

 at the North, as members of the societies for tire prcA^en- 

 tion of cruelty to animals, are mighty careful (and A-ery 

 properly too) that horses and dogs shaU be kmdly treated, 

 and yet by the wearing of plumes offer a pi-emium to the 

 ragamuffins emi)loyed by the dealers for the Avholesale 

 destruction and rapid extinction of eyery beautiful bird 

 in Frorida. 



This is done by the invasion of the rookeries in the 

 swamps Avhere large colonies have theii- nests and rear 

 their young, and where, in conseipience, the jjestruction 

 is much greater and is ineparable. Hundreds of these 

 rookeries Avhere thousands of birds congregated every year 

 are already broken up and destroyed, and to-day you. may 

 sail a hundred miles along the Indian RiA'er Avithout see- 

 ing that most picturesque of all birds, the great blue heron. 



Let us haA^e a ncAv' crusade for the protection of the 

 birds of plumage and of song. W. 



Blue Goose in Rhode Island. 



Providence, R, I, , Jan. 16. — I haA^e in my collection a 

 goose killed at Charlestown Beach, R. I., Oct. 16, 1892, 

 which lias been examined by ilr. NeAvtoii Dexter and 

 pronounced by him as, probably, a a oung blue goose. 

 Plumage dud bluish on the head" and upper parts of the 

 body, feet lead-colored, laiiiinai A'ery ]jroniinent. Length 

 27in., wing I5in., bill 8m., tarsus 2^in. This bird was 

 alone Avhen shot and -was in very poor condition. 



F. L. GLEZEN. 



In Touch. 



Writes a correspondent from Stevens county, Washington: Forest 

 AND Stream has during all these yea'-s l-inOJy kept me in touch AVith 

 the sportsmen of America, and furiiislied me a '»veekly ration of 

 pleasui-e, unalloyed with anything unfit for the eyes of any woman o 

 child! 



