8 0S 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[May 11. 1895, 
sculptor considers finished, the taxidermist turns to the 
wet, relaxed specimen skin, places it over the manikin, 
bringing the seams together in their proper places, joining 
them in an invisible manner, and every inch of skin, with 
every curl or part in the -hair brought over its correct 
place on the animals, and again modeled over the mani- 
kin; the fine finishing touches bringing out the detail in 
the smallest wrinkles of the skin and the exact expression 
of the eyes, nose, ears and lips. After this work has thor- 
oughly dried, the coloring and modeling in wax of the 
mouth and nostrils is a work of art in itself, as the colors 
differ in nearly all species of animals. 
The making and coloring of artificial r ( cks is quite an 
essential feature, and should you have the foitune to run 
across one of these modern mounted sx>8oiin< ns, you will 
at once appreciate the advancement being made in this 
art and allow me all that I claim. There are exceedingly 
few first-class men of the new school, but encouragement 
is all that is needed to produce the talent and place us 
ahead of the world in this ait, as in many others. 
William W. Hart. 
STARLINGS. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I have been extremely interested in the letters that have 
recently appeared in your paper regarding the starling. 
If, as your correspondent writes, the bird has actually 
become colonized in this country, no person ought to be 
more delighted than the agriculturist, no one better 
pleased than lovers of song birds. It is unfortunate that 
such a nuisance as the so-called English sparrow should 
ever have been brought to this country. I am surprised 
that any person with any knowledge of the habits of this 
bird would think of encouraging it, but with the starling 
it is far different. This seems to be a bird with two great 
objects in life, the first being to clean up the pastures 
from all insects that dare to show themselves, the second 
being to praise the Great Being for the blessings of exist- 
ence, both of which are done in a thorough and energetic 
manner, either of which ought to be a sufficient reason 
for their existence; and if the bird can be successfully 
colonized in any or all the States of the Union and Terri- 
tories 1 consider it will be a considerable acquisition. 
In the midland counties of England, where the starlings 
arc almost always to be found, both in winter and sum- 
mer (the only time they are absent being when the huge 
flock moves from one place to another on account of 
food), I have had many opportunities of watching them, 
sometimes for hours. About the middle of February, 
when the very first signs of spring are felt, the Btarlings 
may be heard on the tree or near the spot where they 
intend to nest. They are at first rather wild, but if the 
weather continues good they will not fly away until you 
approach very near. They are known to the initiated by 
their song and powers of mimicry without seeing them. 
Besides their natural notes, which are many, they are 
capable of mimicking many of the other birds, their 
powers varying from the song of the barn swallow to 
the harsh note of the blue heron. Not even satisfied with 
singing as well and as loud as possible, the bird keeps up 
a flapping of the wings for several minutes at a time 
during the most vigorous recitals. Nor do they soon 
grow tired. Probably during the time the male bird is 
going through this song and dance, the female will be 
inside looking to see how much repairing last year's nest 
needs. Should anything suspicious occur the song stops, 
the male bird utters a harsh note, crake, crake, not unlike 
the alarm note of the blue jay, when out comes Mrs. S. 
from the hollow limb, or wherever she may be, and away 
they both fly until the coast is clear again. This is prob- 
ably repeated a few days when the nesting commences. 
When the nest is finished from four to ten eggs are 
laid and incubation goes on. After the young are 
hatched they are fed entirely on insect food the latter 
part of the time, much of which is composed of the 
hard-shelled kinds. After the young are out of the 
nest they soon learn to take care of themselves, and they 
then consume large quantities of what is locally known 
as the May bee. Here I hear of a similar insect called the 
June bug. 
This brings me to the thought that the chances are that 
if the starling could be successfully colonized where the 
locusts are so very troublesome, it would not be so long a 
time before they would be greatly reduced in numbers or 
almost completely destroyed. I also think the birds 
would almost clean out the potato bug and striped squash 
bug, and generally lessen many other of the insect pests 
that are so common in many of the States. 
More than one nest of young are raised in the same 
hollow during the spring and summer, but whether by the 
same pair of birds or not I could never determine. If by 
the same pair, then there are many birds which never 
nest each year, as there are flocks of birds moving from 
place to place throughout the year, and these seem never 
to have any interest in the birds that are nesting, nor do 
the nesting birds ever seem to notice them. 
During the fall the young birds change their plumage 
from a drab to almost a black or what appears such, many 
of them acquiring a lustrous sheen toward Christmas, 
with the addition of many specks of creamy white, giv- 
ing the bird a very striking appearance when one has 
the rare good luck to get near enough for close inspection. 
It is during the winter months m open weather that 
the bird is doing his very best work as a bug exterminator. 
Collecting together all his brothers and his sisters and his 
cousins and his aunts of all and every demonination, he 
seeks the pastures, both upland and meadow, and descend- 
ing in a cloud at one end they proceed in very business-like 
manner to clean up all insect life that dares to show itself, 
even to only a toe. This they do until the whole of the 
pasture is cleaned up.. Should the supply have been good, 
as it is sometimes m mild winters, the whole flock are 
liable to betake themselves to some one or more tall trees 
in the near neighborhood, when they will all join their 
voices in one grand chorus, apparently of thanks, each 
bird not singing as the malt s do at nesting time, but each 
seeming to be doing his sweetest dales and relying on the 
number for volume. After some minutes spent in this 
song of thanksgiving, the whole flock cease suddenly and 
depart with a rush of wings that make a sound like 
thunder. Should nothing disturb them they will shortly 
descend on another pasture, where the same programme 
will be foJowed out. At even time they may be seen in 
one long line, from east to west, flying north to roost. 
Whfit nun- they start or where they roost I never could 
satisiy belt, nor could I ever tell if all the starlings in 
the country were in one flock. T have never consulted 
any authority on this matter of their gathering in flocks, 
but it seemed as if there could not be room for many such 
flocks as those I have seen passing over during September 
and October and later in the year. 
As a friend of the agriculturist I do not know of his 
equal; as a songster and mimic there are few better; as an 
amusing pet or cage songster after his juvenile days are 
over few can compare with him. But he must not be al- 
lowed to gain a nesting place in the dove cote if one 
wishes to raise young pigeons. He seems to have some 
means of preventing the young of the pigeon from hatch- 
ing. I do not think there is any danger of his ever sup- 
planting any of the native birds of this continent, unless it 
be those breeds which are more indolent than he; to such 
he should give a moral lesson in industry and utility. 
In confinement I should think the young could be suc- 
cessfully raised with using the larvee of the wasp or yel- 
low jacket, the larvte of the ant, all kinds of insects (ex- 
cept the earth worm until the birds are well grown), hard- 
shelled bugs and beetles without the shells until the young 
commence to feather, shreds of raw meet fed sparingly, 
houseless snails, and in fact almost all kinds of insect life; 
and I think the great secret is in a variety of it. The nest 
of the yellow jacket is easily taken so as to procure a sup- 
ply of larvae for many days; young can be hand raised on 
these alone. 
The introduction of the bird to this country should 
mark a red letter in the diary of the squash and potato 
grower, and it is to be hoped that the restriction of immi- 
gration will not be carried to such an extent as to include 
the starling. Comedy. 
A GROUSE IN THE HOUSE. 
Hinsdale, 111., April 29. — Last Sunday a neighbor sent 
over for me to come and see a bird she had just caught. 
Being busy at the time, I did not go until late in the after- 
noon, when to my surprise I found .she had a hen ruffed 
grouse, which had calmly strolled into the house from an 
adjacent piece pf woodland. 
Her little boy said the bird walked across the road, up 
the piazza steps and into the hall, the doors being wide 
open; then it went up-stairs, where the lady found it 
perched upon her window sill. 
The bird made no attempt to escape until placed in a 
box, then in trying to get away it injured its head so 
badly that they were compelled to kill it. 
The grouse laid an egg while in the box. They had 
picked the bird when I arrived, and I carefully examined 
it for traces of some injury, but could find none; it was 
in exceptionally fine condition and apparently as sound as 
a dollar. 
I have known several cases of birds flying into or 
against buildings when pursued by hawks, but never be- 
fore heard of such a shy and wary bird as a grouse delib- 
erately walking into a house. 
I regretted very much not having been able to preserve 
the bird alive, as they are extremely rare here,, and she 
was evidently about to begin her season's nest. 
T. C. M. 
As in Buffalo Days. 
Lincoln, Neb., April 28.— Editor Forest and Stream: I 
inclose a clipping from to-day's issue of the Nebraska 
State Journal, which does remind some of us of olden 
times on the plains. E. E. 
It reads: "A royal battle occurred yesterday afternoon 
at Lincoln Park. It was such a one as the old settlers 
used to see when the plains swarmed with buffalo and a 
man's life was not worth a penny if he were caught in a 
vast herd of these magnificent beasts. There has been a 
herd of seven cows, two young and one old bull in the 
park for some time. Living up to the custom of their an- 
cestors, the young progeny, assisted by the seven cows, 
started out yesterday afternoon to put the old fellow upon 
the sod in the very shortest possible space of time. For 
one hour and a half they fought with a frenzy that was 
enough to make the blood of the witnesses curdle. The 
enraged bellowings, the sharp grunts of pain as a horn 
was driven into the sides of the maddened bull, made the 
scene one to be remembered. The old fellow fought hard 
for his life, but the younger and stronger bulls were too 
much for him- finally. It was nine to one, and when the 
battle ended the immense form of the old bull lay in the 
dust. His body was punctured so badly by the horns of 
his persecutors that his hide was not worth saving. The 
younger members of the family did not escape unscathed. 
Several of them will carry scars with them through life, 
which will doubtless remind them, when their descend- 
dants attack them, how they treated their immediate an- 
cestor." 
The Few Song Birds. 
West Park, N. Y., May 4. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
I was much interested in the note of "F. C. B." from 
Framingham, Mass.. April 21, on the scarcity of spring 
birds. The writer's observations agree with my own. Not 
one bluebird at my place this season, and we usually have 
two or three pairs nesting about. I have seen but three 
specimens, a pair early in March and a solitary bird in 
April. Robins are abundant, but not so numerous as last 
season. There is a marked falling off in the number of 
swallows, meadow larks, red-winged blackbirds and war- 
blers. Our trees should be swarming with warblers on 
their way to higher latitudes by this date. So far I have 
seen and heard only the pine-creeping, the yellow 
warbler, the black-throated green, and. the black and 
white creeping warbler. The native Bparrows seem to 
have held their own. I have seen one kingbird and heard 
the oriole this morning. The severity of the winter in 
the South, I fear, has been very destructive of the birds. 
John Burroughs. 
Some Elk Horn Measurements. 
Cleveland, O.— I send you exact measurements of the 
horns of bull elk killed by me in Colorado Sept. 14, 1894. 
A photograph of this animal was given with my article 
published in your issue of Dec. 8, 1894. Around burr 
14Jin. ; around beam, between second and third points' 
7|in.; length, around curve, to end, 04in.; length to point 
of fourth antler, 58iin.; width, inside greatest spread 
88in.; number of points, 19, I should be pleased to have 
other sportsmen give the measurements of their trophies 
for comparison. A. St. J. Newbekry, 
FROM A WOODSMAN'S VIEW-POINT. 
Northwood, N. Y., April 22.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: Here is an advertisement clipped from The Sim 
of April 21: "Restaurant de Paris. French Snails. Escar- 
gots de Bourgogne. Red Head Duck, Grouse, Partridge, 
Venison, &c. 73 Washington Square, 4th street, New 
York." 
I don't just understand the bill of fare. Partridge up 
here means ruffed grouse, and 1 have a notion that if I'd 
go out and kill one of them now and Acy Legg of Grant 
heard of it I'd get myself into trouble. Acy is game con- 
stable. 
I don't understand the venison part either. Up here 
among us woodsmen when a man gets a piece of venison 
in April he don't go around advertising it in the papers, 
hut slips it into his cellar after dark, salts some of it down 
and eats the rest when he hasn't got company. Maybe 
though it's antelope or something else from the West 
the restaurant has to sell. 
It's just such advertisements as that, picturing gog-eyed, 
stomach-happy, wine-bibbing, unlawful, game-eating 
dudes, that make lis woodsmen, who haven't tasted fresh 
meat since our neighbor 'cross the creek killed a small 
doe last fall, gather to ourselves our rifles and sneak up 
Little Black creek way in the spring and try for a burk 
in the red. Of course does are no good. They are thin 
and their meat is in such a condition that no woodsman 
would eat the stuff. 
We have read lots of articles in papers telling us folks 
that if we don't stop crusting and spring deer hunting we 
will kill all our game; then we won't have it any more, 
boo-hoo. And then our boys won't have anything to do 
but catch chubs and suckers and shoot chickadees and 
drink whisky or play cards. 
Then a big drove of murdei-ing city hawks come up 
here in the fall a-banging at this and that, shooting does 
and bucks and "yearlings," and wishing all the while 
that they could get more. If we guide them in they won't 
let us carry rifles, but make us do the valet act all the 
while, washing dishes, toting grub and ammunition, or 
putting out dogs, while they sit on the runways cocked 
up straight and rifle clasped tight, shaking their noses till 
they point south, southeast and west in the fraction of a 
second, jumping three feet into the air if a bluejay yells 
over their heads, but just the same letting the blood 
squirt out of the deer when they do come in — they could 
not help it hardly, shooting a gun with more bullets than 
a double-barreled shotgun could carry buckshot. 
Then about the scores. Somebody ups and writes to a 
sportsman's paper, telling what an awful good time he 
had, how lovely his dogs worked, and how he got only 
six or ten or seventeen partridges the first day, six the 
next and twenty-one the next, and so on„ The biggest 
day's score of a woodsman, eo far as I know, in this 
region was four partridges in one day ; the next best 
was three, but several have killed as many as two. Just 
the same we are preached and cussed at for annihilating 
the game. 
That isn't all either. A lot of men band together into 
a truBt. They buy up two or three farms, a few hundred 
acres of woods, put up a fence sometimes, post a keeper 
and tell us to stay away. If we don't, along comes 
the keeper with a rifle on his shoulder and he says "git." 
We have to, too, because we don't understand lawyers 
and their trapsins, and if we didn't go that keeper might 
try to shoot; then if we shot we don't know what would 
become of us, so we sneak it after dark or when the 
keeper's sick or something. 
I'll tell you just what happened to me last fall up at 
Moose River. 1 was hunting deer with as nice a party as 
ever I went with. They put me on a first-class runway, 
and I saw as many if not more deer than any one of them. 
In fact, one of them never saw a deer on that trip. I was 
at the Gorge Runway the day after I had killed one — I was 
the first one of the party to kill— when along came one 
of those Adirondack League guides. Says he: "Well, 
where's your ticket?" 
"What ticket?" says I. 
"Why, the visitors' card." 
Then I knew what he meant. I was below the League 
line and on League property (if I was not below high- 
water mark, which I guess I was). If I did not have a 
guest's card I would promptly be ordered off. I didn't 
have any card, Then he said that I was so and so of such 
and such a place. I said I was. "Then you had better 
go." I said I would, and then that fellow went up to our 
camp at the natural dam and with a broad grin on his 
face said that he'd "scared young Spears clean off of his 
boots." 
I am young, that's true. I can't raise a mustache 
yet. I've tried, but I can't. I was scared, too. He 
had a gun and was a big, big man, and was sitting 
within Hit. of me as he talked. 1 was expecting to be 
marched off League lands at the point of his gun. He 
said up to camp that my face was white and my hair stood 
on end. I guess it was. I felt a little silly, anyhow. 
Just the same, it is just such treatment as that, whether 
it's right or wrong, proper or improper, that makes us 
woodsmen, when we gather in the blacksmith shop, curse 
these men who try to keep us from the only play that we 
have, and give their guides authority to drive us like 
criminals from their land. It may be right that they 
should own the game and fish because they own the land, 
have wealth, and pleasurable city homes fixed up with 
fine things such as we never, saw; and that we, because we 
are poor and are not rich enough to buy these things, 
should be treated worse than League dogs. To these men 
we are odd of speech and odd of habits; we are ragged, 
usually dirty. These are the result of our labor and of our 
environment. But among us are just as good men, just 
as brave and just as honest, as are to be found among the 
wealthy people who are trying to control our playground 
so much as to keep us away from it. 
There are desperate men among us whom I have heard 
declare, as was once proposed concerning the seal fishpr- 
ies, that to bring the arrogant clubs and individuals to 
their senses "I'll kill everything that walks, flies or swims, 
which those fellows seek, whenever 1 get a chance." 
And they are doing it. How much only they themselves 
know. 
It msy seem that I am a man with a grievance; that I 
am speaking against the sportsmen's clubs from purely 
