4 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[July 7, 1894. 
I. - PLOWING A TRAIL, 
Photo by Hofer. 
poorly equipped, and had we not made proper use of the 
facilities at hand, we would have frozen to death. The 
cold of the mountains is not the same thing at all. Billy 
curled up under his single blanket, and hunched as close 
to the fire as he dared. Once in the night he got Up and 
went out into the snow after more wood, some of which 
remained piled up outside. We put on a stick or two 
every once in a while, of course. We built the fire at 
right angles, so that each of us had a long, burning stick 
extending up and down parallel to his backbone. Again, 
I noticed that though I got cold, just as I was in wading 
the creek, there was no chilling through, no rigor, such 
as a tired man would very likely have in such circum- 
stances in this climate. I am willing to aver, though, 
that pine boughs are about as warm to sleep on as so many 
ioicles. Also, I would have given $4 an inch if Billy's 
sleeping bag had been about a foot or so longer. It caught 
me just below the shoulders, and do all I could, I couldu't 
keep my shoulders warm. We had to tie our silk hand- 
kerchiefs over our ears to keep our ears from freezing, 
but I didn't have anything to tie over my shoulders. At 
last I hit on a happy thought. I took my Lake Superior 
pack bag, spread the flap down under, and poked my head 
into the bag, pulling the whole thing down over my head 
and shoulders. It was dark in there, and a trifle close, 
but it was warm. Before this I had learned another 
trick, of which a fellow perhaps wouldn't think unless he 
were in a camp cold as this. The skin of a wildcat isn't 
very thick, and it let the icy coldness of those frappe 
pine feathers through until I thought my hips would turn 
to ice. I put my big mittens under me, but they wouldn't 
do. At last I put my broad-brimmed hat under me, and 
that kept out the cold, and I was all right after that; with 
my hat under me and my head in the bag. I don't want 
to hear anybody poke fun at the Western hat any more 
after this. Where would a fellow have been with a derby 
hat in a case like that, or a silk hat? 
Thanks to Billy's skill in arranging the camp, and to his 
unselfishness and care all night through, we both finally 
got through the night and got some sleep, too. I can not 
say that I was really very cold. We kept just this side of 
that. Still I have been hotter and I shouldn't wonder if 
Billy has. We must have been two rather grimy and 
tough-looking characters when we turned out in the 
morning, with our eyes full of pine smoke and our faces 
black with cinders. Still we could cut a caper or two, 
and felt pretty good. With our knives we cut each a 
cake out of the hard snow, which gave out the crisp, 
ringing, crinkly sound it does of a very cold morning. 
These cakes of snow we rubbed over our faces and we 
let it go at that. We had no mirror, no soap, no towel 
and even the solitary comb was lost somewhere m the packs. 
For breakfast we had beef and coffee. The beef was 
raw, so we blew the ashes off the coals and slapped it 
right down on the coals, where it broiled nicely, and 
without any smoky or woody taste. We had a very 
scanty breakfast, but we ate another one when the party 
came in from the Canon with more supplies. 
When the morning was well advanced, about 9 o'clock, 
perhaps, we heard the whisper of shis on the snow, and 
soon the face of Larsen peered curiously over the edge of 
our pit in the snow. He smiled gladly, as if surprised to 
see us alive. Larsen had frozen his ears coming over 
from the Canon that morning. Every man was covered 
with a deep white rime of frost as he came up. We could 
hardly believe it when they told us that it was 21° below 
zero at the Canon that morning. We had judged it to be 
about 6° below. From this we thought it must have been 
about 6° below when we crossed the creek the day before. 
When Billy and I learned that we had put in so cold a 
night, we looked at our late tenement with more respect, 
and called it Camp Forest and Stream. Mr. Haynes 
made a picture of it. Any one lost on Hayden Valley is 
welcome to the use of the poles, which will probably be 
standing for years, unless the elk rub them over. 
The story of how we found more buffalo, and how we 
at length crossed the Continental Divide, will do for 
another day. E. Hough. 
[A picture of the lone buffalo bull will be given next week.] 
We have read Mr. Hough's papers oh the snowshoe trip 
through the Park with much interest and shall welcome 
those forthcoming. I would trust Messrs. Hough and 
Hofer where I wouldn't trust myself on a trip like that. 
That picture of "E. Hough in a Heap" is not a flatter- 
ing likeness — indeed, but for the letter-press beneath, I 
doubt if I should have recognized it. I suppose the artist 
employed an unusual quantity of snow when the pose 
was determined on in order to save the necessity of fore- 
shortening. Kelpie. 
Tell Messrs. Hofer and Hough when they use skis 
again that horse hide or deer skin glued on the bottoms 
with the hair on will prevent the shoes from slipping 
backward when taking a hill or steep pitch. C. H. 
NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 
In 1888, Congress provided for the establishment in the 
District of Columbia, of a park designed mainly, at the 
outset, for the preservation of certain American animals 
now on the point of extinction. Unfortunately the in- 
troduction of a subordinate feature, namely, the recrea- 
tion of the people, brought about by levying upon the 
taxpayers of the District for one-half of the cost of pur- 
chase and maintenance, has chiefly converted into an 
ordinary pleasure ground, what was originally intended 
as a reservation of a very different character and aim. 
The Park is seriously handicapped also by the lack 
of funds for the purchase of animals. In his report upon 
the subject, the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 
mentions the necessity of constant additions to the collec- 
tion to compensate for the mortality inevitable to existence 
under unnatural conditions. These additions cannot be 
made by purchase, but depend upon gifts and loans, and 
accessions received from the Yellowstone National Park. 
Very little benefit has come from any source except the 
last, and this has been derived at a heavier charge for 
transportation than would equal the cost of purchase 
from hunters and dealers. It is, therefore, all the more 
important that funds be made available for the acquisition 
by purchase of species needed to place the National Zo- 
ological Park upon the basis contemplated at its incep- 
tion. 
We are indebted to the superintendent, Dr. Frank 
20,000. The largest number registered during any one 
day was 29,448. 
"The appropriation for 1893-4 was the same as for the 
previous year— $50,000. Of this amount $30,000 is re- 
quired for the maintenance of the Park. Although 
$20,000 is a small sum to cover the construction of build- 
ings, roads and all other improvements over 167 acres of 
ground, yet the development of the Park has been consid- 
erably advanced, and the accommodations, both for ani- 
mals and for the public, are much better than a year ago." 
Wildcat Kittens. 
II. — THE RECONNOISSANCK. 
Photo by Hofer. 
Baker, for the following account of the work of the es- 
tablishment during the past year: 
"As the collection has been added to considerably dur- 
ing the year, I inclose the list as it now stands. Some of 
III. — BUNCHED FOR A (CAMERA) SHOT. 
Photo by Hofer. 
the most important accessions have come as loans. The 
Adam Forepaugh shows sent to the Park for the winter 76 
animals, which included a number of considerable value. 
A hippopotamus, Sumatran rhinoceros, zebra, five camels, 
two tigers, five kangaroos and six African antelope were 
among the animals received. They came to the Park 
about Nov. 1, to remain until April; a few of the larger 
ones, however, will remain for a year longer. 
"The Yellowstone National Park furnished 28 animals, 
including a black bear, grizzly bear, wolverine, two 
beavers and four very fine young elk. 
"Among the animals born in the Park were two elk, 
one llama, one kangaroo, two black bears, six Russian 
wolfhounds and one rhesus monkey. I will give you, a 
little later, an account of the little bears. 
"The Park is still without any funds whatever for the 
purchase of animals. Our appropriation is, however, 
available to meet transportation charges on animals pre- 
sented, and I should like the readers of Forest and 
Stream to know that we are not only willing, but anxious 
to take charge of their pet deer, bear, eagles, etc. , when 
the latter become troublesome. Some of the commonest 
species are among our desiderata. For instance, we have 
only two woodchucks, and should be glad to obtain ten or 
a dozen more, in order to establish a colony of them. For 
the Canada porcupine, likewise, a vacancy exists to the 
same extent. 
"Public interest in the Park has largely increased, and 
the number of visitors much exceeds our expectation. 
During fair weather the number on week days is usually 
from 500 to 2,000; on Sundays and holidays from o,W^ 
Santa Fe, N. M.. June 20. — A few days since a party of 
soldiers from the 10th Infantry were out on a picnic near 
the "Crater," an extinct volcano, and while climbing 
around the rocky peaks found the home of a wildcat 
(Lynx canadensis) with three beautiful little kittens. 
They were there all day, but the old mother did not show 
up, although she was undoubtedly watching them from a 
safe distance. The boys brought the kittens home with 
them and are trying to raise them at the quarters. 
As I have had several of them and succeeded in raising 
and taming them, I was anxious to get a couple of these 
but have not been able to induce the boys to part with 
them. I should judge that they were about three weeks 
old when found. I shall take a lively interest in the 
future of these pets. I believe "Podgers" don't like them, 
but I do. 
Some months ago I read a letter in Forest and Stream 
from some man who had captured or killed the rare curi- 
osity of an albino weasel, that is, the weasel was white 
all except the tip of its tail, which was coal black, I think 
the writer stated. It occurred to me to ask what is the 
regulation color of the weasel in the winter time. My re- 
membrance is that the description was about right for the 
weasel in full "winter plumage" without accusing him of 
being an albino. H. B. H. 
An Albino Robin. 
Much has been said of late by local papers and people 
in general in the region of southern Connecticut concern- 
ing a white robin, which many fishermen and country 
folk along the well-known trout stream, Four-Mile River, 
claim to have seen. 
On June 6 a companion and myself were tramping 
along the road which leads to the upper portion of the 
brook preparatory to "striking in," when suddenly from 
the roadside, and only a few feet away, flew a bird of 
pure white plumage. In size, shape and motions it re- 
sembled, identically, the ordinary robin, as did also its 
call as it flew about. Its mate, a robin of the ordinary 
color, followed it closely and we watched them for some 
time. Reaching the nest we found an egg of the com- 
mon species. However much the idea has been scouted, 
it is a fact nevertheless, that a pure white robin has been 
inhabiting that vicinity. A late report says that the nest 
has been torn down, but I hope no harm has befallen the 
beautiful bird. Joseph A. Cone. 
A Trout-Eating Snake. 
On May 18, 1893, while trouting in Follywort Brook, 
Preston, Conn., I was witness to an incident worthy of 
record. Standing on the bank, I was in the act of making 
a cast in a shallow pool below, when the sun shone forth, 
disclosing the bottom of the pool and the various objects 
therein, and I saw a trout of perhaps ilb. weight lying 
head up stream near the bank. Checking the cast, with 
my gaze on the fish, I suddenly saw a dark streak shoot 
out from the roots that fringed the banks, and the trout 
disappeared. Then a confused squirming something ap- 
peared through the roil and debris from 
the bottom. Moving to the bank directly 
over the combatants, I looked down and 
saw the trout held firmly in the mouth 
of a water snake, who lay with tail 
tightly coiled around a root. The snake, 
by a muscular movement of the body, 
would draw the trout nearly under the 
bank, when the trout, by a rapid use of 
bead and tail, would recover his lost 
vantage, and stretch the snake to his 
full extent. And thus it was nip and 
tuck between them. Dropping my rod 
on the bank and wrapping a hook on 
the leader, by good luck and persever- 
ance I managed to hook the trout by the 
under jaw and draw him to the sur- 
face. Even then, to my surprise, the 
snake would not release his prey, but, 
stretched taut, hung on like grim death. 
Reaching back, I secured a stick and 
gave him a sound rap across the head, 
whereupon he released his hold and dis- 
appeared beneath the bank. The trout 
apparently had received no injury, but 
seemed to be in a state of semi-insensibility or stupor, 
or what you will. I returned him to the stream, but in 
twenty minutes he was a dead fish. E. M. Brown. 
IV.— DOWN THEY GO, 
Photo by Ho£§r, 
