Sept. 9, 1893.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



205 



beecti are beyond all compiltation, but can be seen of every 

 shape and form crawling upon the twiga and branches, 

 or if winged, hanging in mistlike wreaths about the sum- 

 mit, or dancing in the tranquil radiance of the September 

 sunlight. 



Along one side of the flowery meadow, the road leads 

 toward the river, and in the wild hedges, the bamboo and 

 the wild grape climbing over every variety of native tree 

 and shrub, festoon them with impenetrable drapery. 

 Occasionally a large cedar gi-own within the hedge, and 

 over this the wild grape builds a vast pyramid of its 

 leaves, throwing out here and there toward the summit 

 sprays of graceJful tendrils, which stray out into the air, 

 and dance lightly upon the passing breeze, or lie in silent 

 repose against the deep blue of the sky beyond. 



But for the finest effect of the September lights we will 

 take a boat, and rowing across the calm water of the 

 river, ascend one of the numerous estuaries, which creep 

 through the vast marshes of the Eappahannock. The 

 little creek which winds to and fro through the great 

 reed-covered marshes, is not much wider than a row-boat 

 in many places, but as its bends and elbows, it widens out 

 into small lakes, and it is in these spots thickly surrounded 

 by_ the wild marsh growth, that the fish select their fav- 

 orite feeding grounds, and the wild fowl take their nightly 

 repose. About sunset one of these miniature lakes pre- 

 sents a strangely fascinating appearance in the month of 

 September. The water is silent and dark, not muddy 

 and not clear, but seems to have assumed this peculiar 

 opaque appearance, as if to conceal the mysterious 

 lives which dwell beneath its bosom. Occasionally 

 there is a splash, as a fish leaps up into the air, or a 

 widening circle of motion upon the surface of the water 

 reveals the presence of some great aquatic insect. The 

 reeds and grasses rise in solid and almost impenetrable 

 masses from the water's edge, and interspersed among 

 their tangled growth are many lovely marsh flowers. 

 The blue Pontederia rears its brilliant spikes of bloom 

 from ite groups of broad shield-shaped leaves, and the 

 Martigan lily, with its crin\son and brown blotched 

 petals, surrounding the long and graceful stamens, throws 

 out its clusters of handsome flowers above the heads of 

 the lower grasses. Pink, white, yellow and red flowers 

 of many shapes and varieties, throng among the coarser 

 growth which suiTounds them, and 

 creepers loaded with clinging blos- 

 soms, wreathe all within their reach 

 in graceful embrace. Suddenly a 

 croaking sound, followed by an aud- 

 ible rustling of the grasses, betrays 

 the approach of a sora, that peculiar 

 bird, making far more use of its legs 

 than of its wings, which is such a 

 prize for the sportsman. It is very 

 diiBcult to excite to any effort to 

 arise from the earth, and frequently 

 it takes to the water and swims 

 rapidly across the little creeks through 

 the marshes. Above the average level 

 of the marsh growth, tall feathery- 

 headed reeds erect their strong 

 stems, upon which the handsome 

 yellow reed-bird sits, and grasps with 

 its powerful claws the reed which it 

 sways to and fro with the bird's 

 weight. These birds at this season 

 frequent the marshes in large flocks, 

 and the rushing sound of their wings 

 when they are startled strikes upon 

 the air like thunder. The sun sinks 

 slowly behind the cloud-flecked hori- 

 zon, and against the changing tints of the sky rises 

 a clearly defined forest of reed tops, standing with 

 just suflicient intervals to admit of the clear tracery 

 of their form against the glowing backgi-ound of the sun- 

 set. The sun disappears in a deep crimson couch hung 

 with golden drapery, wliich sends a flush of its roseate 

 hues far up into the sky. The whole air seems to hang 

 motionless and calm, as if absorbing the' enchanting 

 beauty of the scene, and then the glory of the West de- 

 parts, and in the quiet pearl-hued horizon shines forth 

 the evening star. P. S. Hunter. 



while a bimch of snow-white ptarmigans make up an- 

 other. A great hollow trunk of a tree with a natural 

 opening in the side exposes to view quantities of the now 

 rare Carolina parrot, all suspended by their bills and feet 

 to the rough surface of the interiof . In Florida years 

 ago it was not uncommon to meet with just such a sight 

 in the forest", as it was the custom for those lovely birds 

 to retire to roost in that manner. 



Flamingoes and their nests form another group, and 

 three beautiful jaganas still another. This group-build- 

 ing of birds and other animals is gaining a firmer and a 

 firmer hold upon the minds of museum builders every 

 year that goes by, and it is pre-eminently the correct one. 

 [to be concluded.] 



THE MOOSE BIRD. 



The Canada jay is known by hunters in the Maine 

 woods as the moose bird, for what reason I do not know, 

 unless because it spems to follow hunters; and when a 

 moose is killed this bird feeds on the remains as long as a 

 single scrap is left. 



It is the tarn eat bird in the forests. It will alight on a 

 bush near one's head, and the first you see of him he will 

 sail through the air near you with no other noise than a 

 low cooing sound; and being larger than his brother, the 

 bluejay, he at once gives you the impression that you 

 ought to shoot him ; and you do, if you do not know him 

 before. 



He has other nicknames which are cast at him from 

 time to time — "carrion bird" and "meat hawk," given 

 him doubtless because of his voracious devouring habits. 

 But for all that hunters and woodsmen in the Eastern 

 woods have dubbed him with undignified cognomens, he 

 is quite a good-looking fellow when in full plumage, with 

 his dusky gray and black coat and prominent white collar 

 about his neck. 



This bird is associated with all my woods experience; it 

 has camped with me, traveled with me, eaten with me, 

 and if ever I shot one there were several sure to come to 

 the funeral. The SQund of the gun was sure to bring 

 them, and they were equally sure to come hungry. If it 

 had not been for the annoyance of their springing my 

 traps, I should have enjoyed their social qualities; but 



unlike many other things of time and sense which appear 

 of wonderful proportions at a little distance, but once pos- 

 sessed it vanishes like a shadow. J. Q. R, 

 Bethel, Me. 



Visitors to our Exhibit in the Angling Pavilion at 

 the World's Fair should not fail to examine the 

 stock of "Forest and Stream" books which will 

 be shown by the attendant. 



MOUNTED GAME BIRDS IN THE U. S. 

 NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



BY DR. R. W. SHUFELDT, 



(.Continued frovi page ISkd 



Perhaps the bu-d best known to those who have hunted 

 at high elevations in the Rocky Mountains from Central 

 Montana to southern British America, is Richardson's 

 grouse {Dendragapus obscurus richardsonii), and one of 

 the Museum specimens of this variety is shown in Fig. 5. 

 It is mounted in the act of leisurely walking, and the 

 artist has been wonderiuUy successful in his attempt to 

 show it.' No wires are seen in the naturally elevated rear 

 foot, while it would be very diflicult for any person at all 

 familiar with the general form of one of these fellows to 

 refrain from admiring the correct lines Mr. Denslow has 

 given to this well-handled subject. 



Equally well done is the grouse shown in Fig. 0, where 

 the bird is represented as gracefully resting upon one side, 

 and it hardly requires any description from me to call at- 

 tention to tiie marked naturalness of the attitude. The 

 bird is just as lifelike as it can be, so much so that I war- 

 rant were it taken oft" the Musetmi stand it now rests upon 

 and placed on the ground in a likely place in its native 

 timber it woidd deceive ninety-nine per cent, of those who 

 saw it. You may look at this specimen from any point 

 you please, and its form is always seen to be absolutelv 

 correct and symmetrical. 



Of recent years the U. S. National Museum has taken 

 up with the general progress of the taxidermic art in 

 another and very instructive direction. Tliis is the 

 moimting of large groups of birds, and imitating their 

 surroundings as they occur in nature so closely that the 

 effect is most pleasing Some noble groups of this kind 

 were forwarded to the World's Fair at Chicago, where 

 they now are, and call forth the admiration of all who 

 have the pleasure of beholding them. An entire bevy of 

 prairie hens forms the subject of one of these groups, 



Fig. B. Dusky Grouse. 



they did bother me by stealing my bait and springing my 

 traps, if these had not been set hard enough to resist their 

 weight, 



The strangest tiling about this bird perhaps is the time 

 it lays its eggs and hatches its young. They winter in 

 northern Maine and Canada, and the last of March and 

 first of April — be the snows 6ft. deep, they lay their 4 to 

 6 eggs in evergreen trees in swampy places, not very high 

 up, perhaps 15 to 30ft, from the ground. The idea of a 

 bird laying an egg in a down East snow squall would 

 appear preposterous — but it is even ,so. When on snow- 

 shoes traveling tlii-ough the woods in April I have found 

 their nest full of young birds. 



This bird seldom occurs near the habitations of men, but 

 builds a camp in the deep forest and occupies it, and these 

 neighbors wi^ 11 be your first callere, and persistent ones, 

 too, for they will never leave your domicile — ^making a 

 business of watching for any possible bit of meat or bread 

 that drops in your dooryard. 



I have had them follow me through tlie woods all day 

 while tending my line of traps, and when an animal was 

 trapped and skinned the carcass became the moose bird's 

 lawful prey. Their company, however, compensated for 

 much of the trouble they gave me, I always found them 

 waiting for me at my home camp, and they seemed 

 pleased when I came, and would float about my head 

 when I struck into the little opening in the woods where 

 my camp was. As soon as I took off my pack they would 

 watch to see what luck I had had, and if I took out a lynx 

 they would seem to say, -'Oh, you have had nice luck 

 to-day," and tliey would coo and scale back and forth 

 around my head in great glee. So I got to liking these 

 spirits of the wilderness, and came to believe with the 

 Indian himter tliat it was bad luck to shoot them. 



In view of the tameness of this bird it was wonderful to 

 observe its sagacity and acuteness in liiding its nesting 

 place. I have watched them for hours about my camp in 

 their incubating season, to .get the direction they would 

 fly to their nests. They would fly into the nearest tree 

 after taking the meal I had thrown them, and sit an hour 

 at a time trimming their feathers, cocking up their eye at 

 me as if to say, "What are you watching me for?" and 

 after my patience had oozed out of my finger ends they 

 would start on a swift bee-line through the tops of the 

 ti-ees back into the swamp, and it was impossible to tell 

 whether they flew twenty rods or a half jmile, so swiftly 

 would they disappear. 



They are not musical, it is only a croak or chatter that 

 they indulge in; but it is a sound you never forget, and as 

 you get familiar with them you can almost understand 

 what they are talking about. 



They may attack other birds for prey, but I have never 

 known it. I think they feed on the leavings of other 

 birds and animals, and are not themselves aggressive. 



Their body is smaller than it appears, the long, loose 

 feathery covering deceives one — an optical delusion not 



TENDERFOOTING IN THE ROCKIES.— I. 



Watkins. N. Y.— One bright spring afternoon early in 

 1888, when the sun had taken on warmth enough to bring 

 out flies and loafers on the sunny side of buildings on pub- 

 lic streets, four of us were assembled in the oflice of one 

 of the number, smoking our cigars, lazily exchanging bits 

 of interesting gossip and telling various stories, when the 

 conversation, through some inexplicable vagary, got off 

 on to mining and speculating in mines in the far West. 

 The four of us were lawyers,- all over thirty years of age 

 and all under forty. There were Irving W. Cole, a brother 

 of the late Speaker Cole of the New York Assembly; W. 

 F. Bishop, a criminal lawyer of eminence in these parts; 

 F. W. Fiero, judge of one of our local courts, and myself, 

 a young member of the bar and of minor importance ex- 

 cept for the fact that I had been more or less of a tramp 

 for years, had visited many of the States and Territories 

 in my wanderings, and had enjoyed quite an experience 

 in the mountains of Colorado, which State was the objec- 

 tive point upon which much of our conversation turned. 



We w-ere all of us enthusiastic sportsmen and had spent 

 many a day together in friendly rivalry in the woods and 

 on the streams adjacent to Watkins, where there is fair 

 ti'out fishing and often excellent squirrel shooting, with a 

 scattering of quail, partridge and woodcock to help fill our 

 game bags. From felling them of the chances for and 

 against getting suddenly rich in the mines, an idea that 

 presented very pleasing possibilities to aU of us, I naturaUy 

 drifted into an account of the fun I 

 had trout fishing in the Taylor and 

 Gimnison rivers; deer stalking in the 

 mountains, and the free and easy life 

 one enjoyed going from place to 

 place without care for the morrow, 

 living in a tent and eating the bread 

 of independence (more often flap- 

 jacks), baked in a skillet before an 

 open fire out of doors. As I rambled 

 on from one i-eminiscence to another 

 the breath of the pines of the far 

 distant Rockies seemed once more to 

 fill my nostrils, and I gave them 

 stoiy after story, until Cole, iato 

 whose eyes had come a far-off long- 

 ing expression, broke forth with, 

 "Say, fellows, what's the matter 

 with our spending our summer va- 

 cation out there?" This was an idea. 

 . We sat looking at each other for a 

 few moments, and then I remarked 

 decidedly, "I will go for one." "How 

 much wM it cost?" chimed in the cau- 

 tious Judge ; and we immediately re- 

 solved ourselves into a "committee 

 of the whole" and began to count up 

 expenses, and finally putting the figure at about $200 

 apiece, for a two-months' trip, we decided imanimously to 

 go and to start about the first of the next July. 



The first of the next July came and found Cole and 

 myself as eager for the trip as when thought of, if not 

 more so, but Bishop had taken it into his head that he 

 would be the next county judge and Fiero had got a bee 

 in his bonnet and thought it would be a nice thing to be 

 next district attorney of Schuyler county; and neither 

 could spare two of the short four months before election 

 from his canvass. So Cole and I went alone. In the end 

 both of our friends would have been better satisfied, if 

 not money ahead, if they had taken Wolsey's advice to 

 Cromwell in regard to ambition and had gone with us. 



Well, we finally landed all right in Pueblo — stopped 

 long enough to purchase our blankets, tent, books of flies 

 and ammunition — and took the D. & R. G. to Buena 

 Vista, where we intended to get pack animals and the 

 balance of our outfit before striking into the mountains. 

 We reached our destination early in the evening, and as 

 we were looking curiously at the crowd of nondescripts 

 that were lounging on the platform and returning our 

 gaze with interest some one shouted out, "Well, if here 

 ain't John R. and Irv Cole." It was Mack Hulett, an old 

 Watkins boy, who had drifted West with his family and 

 finally become the fat and lazy proprietor of a thriving 

 hotel. We were soon occupying the best room in his 

 house, with all the little accompaniments that help make 

 hfe pleasant to a tired and dusty traveler. If some of the 

 roasted tourists of our Eastern watering places want to 

 know what solid comfort is let them take the trip across 

 the hot, dry, dusty alkali plains in July or August, from 

 Kansas City to the Divide, and keep on going up into the 

 mountains until he attains an elevation of from 6,000 to 

 8,00(fft, ; then get off the cars and try a bed in an atmos- 

 phere so pure that there is hardly a show for decomposi- 

 tion, and so cold that mosquitoes and all other vermin 

 hibernate from 4 P. M. to 10 A, M. We spent several 

 days with Mack trout fishing in Cottonwood Creek, hunt- 

 ing jack rabbits and doves and making up the rest of our 

 outfit. Before we were ready to start Mack had become 

 as enthusiastic as we were and nothing short of being 

 down sick could have kept him at home, so he started 

 with us. 



We bought two burros to pack our outfit. I wish their 

 liicture could be published with this article, and indeed the. 

 picture of the whole concern, for nothing I am sure has 

 ever been seen like it before or since. Pack animals were 

 scarce, high priced and hard to get; but we were bound to 

 have them. Mack had a good little lump of a Jenny and 

 a colt and we bought the pair and traded the colt for 

 another that had been terribly injured in some way and 

 turned out to die, but had hved and got better and could 

 get along in pretty fair shape; when it came into our 

 hands it was a little the thinnest and most ungainly speci- 

 men I had ever seen, and when loaded it humped up its 



