Oct. 3, 1896.] 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
269 
and possibly in California. I should be extremely obliged 
to any one who knows of the occurrence of this species at 
any point not dotted in the map, if he would cut out this 
map from the paper, would mark on it with a pencil dot 
the locality where he observed antelope in 1896, and re- 
turn it to me with as exact a statement of the circum- 
stances as he is willmg to write. 
The details of any information furnished to me will not 
be published. It is merely asked for in order to secure 
material for a complete history of the distribution of the 
pronghorned antelope in 1896, but it is very important 
that the location of the bunch and the watershed on 
which they range should be given as exactly as possible, 
in order that the map may be complete. When all the 
information possible has been secured, a revised map will 
be published. 
I hope to be able to prepare similar provisional maps 
showing the range of other species of large game, and in 
this work I am anxious to enlist the interest and to have 
the assistance of my fellow sportsmen. These maps may 
at some time be of value to the man who shall write a 
history of North American big game. 
Besides the country shown on the map I have some in- 
formation concerning the region north of the United 
States. Mr. John Fannin tells me that in i896 antelope 
were abundant near Medicine Hat and Calgary in the 
Northwest Territories, along the line of the Canadian 
Pacific Railroad, and Wm. Jackson tells me that they 
are still found along Old Man's River. 
The men to whom I am indebted for information with 
regard to the range of the pronghorn are: Mr. J. B. 
Monroe, Montana; James H. Crawford, Colorado; Mr. 
Elmer T. Judd, North Dakota; Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, 
New York; W. J. Dixon, Kansas; D. F. Carl in, South 
Dakota; Charles S. Attix, Colorado; W, B. Devereux, 
Colorado. Geokge Bird Geinnell. 
EGGING ON THE FARALLON ISLAND. 
In volume VI. of the Proceedings of the California 
Academy of Science, now in course of publication, Mr. 
Leverett M. Loomis, Curator of the Department of Orni- 
thology, gives an extremely interesting account of a trip 
made last July to South Farallon Island and the birds 
observed there. His stay on the island lasted only from 
J uly 8 to 16, and the field notes taken at that time are the 
basis of this paper. 
Mr. Loomis noted ten species of sea birds on the island, 
and at the time of his visit most of these were being syste- 
matically robbed of their eggs, which were shipped in large 
quantities to San Francisco, where they sold at varying 
prices per dozen, the lowest price being 12i cents. 
One of the most numerous birds on the Island was the 
tufted puflin or "sea parrot," which in the daytime were 
outnumbered only by the California murres. The eggs 
of the "sea parrot" are not marketable, and as the birds 
have no enemies among their kind there is no special 
reason for their decrease. These birds are very courage- 
ous when nesting, and fight readily, seizing whatever is 
within reach of their bills and holding on to it tena- 
ciously. Occasionally they fight together, and Mr. 
Loomis was told that two which were fighting rolled 
down a declivity of more than lOOft. without relinquish- 
ing their grip on each other. They are quite fearless, 
and Mr, Loomis speaks of having photographed a group 
of five when less than 10 ft. distant from them. 
Cassin's auklet was undoubtedly much more numerous 
than it appeared to be. Usually they were scarcely to be 
seen, but the afternoon of July 13 was warm and cloud- 
less, and just after sundown several large flocks of these 
birds were seen flying about high in the air above the 
island, recalling to the observer chimney swifts in the 
East on a summer's day. "At 3 o'clock the following 
morning I was awakened and informed that the bird pop- 
ulation was in an uproar. It was pitch dark, but the 
whole island seemed alive with birds. Their voices, sug- 
gestive of those of whippoorwills, filled the air. I was 
told this nocturnal concert was given by Cassin's auklets. 
From this incident some real conception was formed of 
the abundance of this species on the island." Mr. Loomis 
found both eggs and young of this species, and in one in- 
stance an auklet was discovered sharing its underground 
apartment with two rabbits. 
The pigeon guillemot was common on the eastern part 
of the island, but none were seen on the west end. These 
birds were timid, and left their nests whenever the crev- 
ices coataining the eggs were closely approached. 
The most abundant bird on the island was the Califor- 
nia murre, and the cliffs and outlying islets fairly 
swarmed with these birds. Many of them lay their eggs 
on ledges in the sides of the caves opening above the sea, 
and when the cave is entered most of the birds immedi- 
ately seek to escape. They stream out of the exit in such 
numbers that the intruder has to be on his guard lest some 
of the stream of frightened birds should strike his face. 
Others crowd together on the Hoorat the back of the cave, 
and may readily be caught as they endeavor to escape. 
The eggers systematically go over the rookeries daily, 
being thus certain of getting good fresh eggs. One small 
rock only is reserved as a breeding place, and is thus free 
- from intrusion by man, and here the birds are so closely 
crowded that those coming in from fishing cannot alight 
without disturbing others. The lighthouse-keeper in- 
formed Mr. Loomis that 7,645 dozjn eggs were shipped to 
San Francisco this year. In 1884, according to Mr. Emer- 
son, as many as 300,000 eggs were gathered. The market 
became glutted and one cargo was dumped into San Fran- 
cisco Bay, while another was abandoned on the island. 
At present the eggs are shipped in small wooden boxes, 
but at that time they were merely piled into the holds or 
the boats. According to the late Dr. W. O. Ayres more 
than 500,000 eggs were sold in less than two months in 
1854— all collected on a portion of South Farallon Island; 
and Dr. Heerrmann, writing early in the fifties of these 
birds here, says: "The traffic in their eggs from this place 
to San Francisco and inland reaches the value annually 
of between $100,000 and $300,000." Up to this year this 
species of birds have not been greatly disturbed on the 
Worth Farallon Islands, but this year a schooner was oc- 
cupied in taking eggs off weekly, provided a landing 
could be effected. 
The western gull is abundant here, and lives largely by 
robbing the murre at every opportunity. When the 
eggers start out to collect, the gulls congregate and soon 
a flock is formed, circling about overhead eagerly awaiting 
the flight of the murres from their nests, when they pitch 
down and destroy their eggs. Sometimes the gulls are 
said to endeavor to drive the murres from their nests. 
The eggers destroy the eggs of the gulls, which they 
regard as their rival in business. 
Two species of petrel. Leach's and the ashy petrel, are 
found on the island. Both of them breed in stone piles, 
stone walls, or under driftwood, and become active after 
dark. The flight of the ashy petrel recalls that of the 
goatsucker. 
Three species, of cormorants, the Farallon, Brandt's and 
Baird's, were found here, but in less numbers than Mr. 
Loomis had expected. The eggs of these birds are 
destroyed by the gulls, from whoso depredations they are 
said to suffer greatly, Mr, Loomis visited a rookery of 
Brandt's cormorants in Sugar Loaf Island and found no 
more than two eggs in any one nest. 
Only two land birds are known of as breeders on South 
Farallon lisland, the rock wren and the raven. The 
former is abundant, but the latter is only a straggler. 
Besides these a number of birds stop at the island on their 
migrations. More than eighty species have been noted 
by Mr. W. O. Emerson. 
'^w?^ ^tid 0m 
Our readers are invited to send us for these columns 
notes of the game supply, shooting resorts, and their 
experience in the field. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
Snipe and Potatoes. 
Chicago, 111. , Sept. 36 —Mr. Fred, Gilbert writes me 
from Spirit Lake, la., the following interesting letter 
about shooting matters. Mr, Gilbert's experience with 
the snipe is a new one so far as I ever heard, though of 
course all old snipe shooters know that these birds do not 
always stick to the wet marsh. Very often they are 
found in thickets in rough weather, and in the spring 
a high cornfield is often a good place to look for them. 
No doubt these birds were simply sunning and dusting 
themselves. Sometimes in the middle of the day they are 
put up out of the grass on dry ridges, far from any sort of 
marsh or wet ground. If these snipe know when they 
are well off they wiU stay away from that potato patch: 
"I must drop you a few lines to let you know that I am 
still on earth and able to destroy mud pies at a fair rate 
and knock the feathers from a live pigeon now and then. 
Was at Marshalltown, la., last week and shot three days, 
making an average of 97 per cent, for three days; first day 
broke 108 out of llO and last day 122 out of 125, also 49 
live birds out of 50. But that is not what I started to tell 
you of. This morning I started to walk to a friend's house 
that is three blocks from my home and less than five blocks 
from the court house square, and as I walked along I saw 
a small bunch of snipe, perhaps fifteen of them, drop in 
a potato patch, and as they acted like jacksnipe and were 
nearly in my path I went down to see about ic. I walked 
up very carefully , and there saw a jacksnipe sitting on the 
sunny side of a potato hill, If it nad not been Sunday 
and church hour, I think I should have got after them 
with my little 20 -gauge, but as it was had to satisfy myself 
by walking through the patch and throwing potatoes 
at them, I flushed twenty-three in less than five 
mmutes and could stand it no longer, so walked away. 
I do not know as they will ever be there again, but will 
promise you if they are they will not all get away. 
From Dakota. 
Snow fell in North Dakota along the line of the Great 
Northern R. R. on Sept. 18, and ice formed fin. thick, but 
warmer weather has followed. The water all over North- 
ern Dakota is very much more abundant than it was last 
year. Ducks are plentiful in the sloughs, and it is ex- 
pected that goose shooting will be good, though it is still 
too early to tell definitely. Prairie chickens are scarce in 
localities where little shooting has been going on, and it 
is thought they have been killed off very largely by eat- 
ing of the poisoned grain put out in the spring by farmers 
to kill the gophers. A moose has been seen this fall in 
upper Dakota, toward the Turtle Mountain country, 
A friend writing me from Dakota tells me an incident 
or two of Western life. He states that he had just seen 
a would-be broncho buster who had. been thrown by a 
wild bucking horse. The man landed on the ground with 
his foot in his mouth, and lost eight teeth, besides suffer- 
ing great disfigurement about the face, which was so torn 
that he could not speak. Recently, in the same town, 
there was a case of amputation that came under the prac- 
tice of the village physician. The latter had no crosscut 
saw, but went across the street and borrowed a meat saw 
from a butcher and finished his amputation, triumphantly. 
The patient is doing as well as any man could who had 
his leg removed by more modern methods. 
Wisconsin Fishing. 
Fishing near State Line, Wis., is very good just now, 
especially for bass. Mr. I. N. Harding, of Chicago, fish- 
ing in Tenderfoot, McCullough and Morton lakes near 
that point, has been taking forty or fifty bass about every 
time he cared to go out for the last few weeks. The 
season record for muscallonge this year is not a very 
large one, and one is regretfully forced to the belief that 
the fish is to become more and more rare very rapidly, 
and the specimens taken of a size averaging much less 
than was the case ten years ago. 
Jacqueminots. 
The Jacqueminot snipe are in all over this country 
now, from lower Wisconsin to the Kankakee River in 
Indiana. They come a little high, but they are nice. 
A number of pretty bags have been made along the 
sloughs just west of Chicago, notably one by Eddie Bing- 
ham, who has a pocket marked down. 
Teal shooting has begun in earnest in such places in 
Wisconsin as offer any birds this fall, but not very big bags 
are reported. In the Kankakee country there have been 
fits and starts of duck shootmg, mostly at wood ducks and 
teal. The weather has been mild above here so far, and. 
the Northern flight has not yet appeared. Within a week 
we are apt to have many more birds in this region. Of 
course, a dozen ducks on any of the open waters of this 
immediate vicinity is a big bag these days. Golden plover 
made a poor flight, E. HODGH, 
^1S06 BoYCB BuiU)iNG, Chicago, 
MASSACHUSETTS AND MAINE. 
Boston, Sept. 3a. — Partridge shooting in the covers 
near Boston is really pretty good for this State. On the 
sixth day of the season Mr, Al Thompkins was out in the 
vicinity of Wayland and took five handsome birds. Mr. 
E, M. Gillam had his new pointer out in the woods of 
Reading, 
Mr, C. H. Cook and Mr. H. F. Soule, with their families, 
have been summering on Martha's Vineyard. On Friday 
they took a team and invited their wives to a lunch and 
picnic down on the south shore of the island. They took 
their shotguns along, as they usually do when there are 
possible chances for shooting. They had over forty yel- 
low-legs for their bag. They consider that they had re- 
markable success. Much pleased with the south shore of 
Martha's Vineyard for bird shooting, they will take the 
first opportunity to be there again. Almost the whole 
south shore of that island is controlled by sportsmen, 
however, and one not an owner will find that the shore 
is all posted and carefully watched. Big prices have 
been paid for short distances of shore land that is good 
for nothing but scrub oaks. 
Partridge shooting has been good in the vicinity of 
Byfield and Georgetown. Among the local gunners may 
be mentioned Oscar L. Noyes, who is a real sportsman, a 
good shot, a good deal of a naturalist and lover of birds, 
G. O, Bailey and C. H. Tarbox are also among the best 
shots in that section, Mr. Noyes has given some time to 
gunning, and the other day rather surprised the others 
with a nice, plump partridge when they had none. It 
has leaked out, though Noyes does not know it, that a 
young fellow has a hen yard in that vicinity, rimning 
well back into the woods, made of wire netting. The day 
of the Colonel's success the hen man found a partridge 
hung in this fence with her neck broken by the force with 
which she had flown against it. The Colonel bought this 
bird of the young man. Later the other gunners propose 
to get him to explain as to how there were no shot marks 
on his partridge. 
Hunting parties are already starting for Maine, propos- 
ing to get well located and get a little trout fishing before 
the end of the open season, and to be ready for the open 
season on big game. Oct, 1, C. A, Howe, Geo. B. Smith 
and E. F. Leland will be off for Grindstone, on the Aroos- 
took Railroad. They are to meet their guides at that 
point, and go by canoes to the hunting camp. Daer, 
moose and caribou are the objects in view, but the hunt- 
ers admit that they may have to be satisfied with a few 
partridges. They are going into a good big game coun- 
try, however. 
N. G. Manson, with his brother and perhaps a friend or 
two, will go down to Mr, Manson's camp, Camp Lsather- 
stocking, Richardson Lake, next week for a few days' 
shooting. 
Sept. 28. — Wm, H, Coggin and S, Matherson, Jr., left 
Boston for a couple of weeks' shooting last evening. They 
go to Bangor and thence to Norcross, on the Aroostook 
Railway. They have guides engaged to take them to 
some unfrequented waters in the MiUinockat region. Big 
game is the object of this trip, as both have taken deer on 
previous occasions in Maine. A moose is more than 
likely to come down. They also expect to find excellent 
duck and partridge shooting. It is a pleasure to meet and 
talk over such trips with such hunters, both before and 
after. One deer is all either would shoot. This is an in- 
exorable rule with them. Special. 
A MAINE GUIDE ASSOCIATION. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
In your issue of Sept. 19 are a few paragraphs calling 
attention to a proposition now under discussion in the 
State of Maine to license guides, and remarking that, "a 
practicable and expeditious solution of the guide problem 
may be found in a voluntary combination of the guides 
themselves." 
This seems to me a very pertinent suggestion at this 
time, and one which might under proper management 
result in much good. An organization such as you refer 
to would have many valuable features, both from the 
point of view of true sportsmen and of the guides them- 
selves. We who resort to the woods from a love of 
nature; we who desire not so much to take fish and kill 
game as to find delight in the freedom of the open-air life 
and renewed vigor in pitting our knowledge, judgment 
and skill against the instinct and watchfulness of the 
wild denizens of wood and water; we whose pride is not 
in killing, and most surely not in numbers slain, but in 
the outgeneraling and capture, of which the killing is 
only an incident, of the wily trout or the solitary and 
alert moose; we who love the woods as God's own ground, 
and respect their inhabitants as his own handiwork, to bo 
used for our benefit, but not to be wastefuUy killed — 
slaughtered in cold blood for the mere sake of killing; 
we mourn the presence in those blessed woods of butchers 
— men who kill and leave their game to rot — who can 
use one and kfll two; and we would welcome any ade- 
quate protection. 
An association [of the guides would undoubtedly go a 
long way toward affording the very protection needed, 
and needed urgently. And it would besides, i£ properly 
organized, be a large measure of guarantee, to a sports- 
man who engages one of its members, of honesty and re- 
liability as to behavior and skill. For the right of mem- 
bership might, in some considerable degree, be made con- 
tingent upon the proper requisites of a good guide, and 
with careful management it would come to be recognized 
that "an association guide" was the best guide. Thus 
the game would be preserved, the laws observed, the asso- 
ciation become a power for good, the guides be benefited, 
both because the game supply would be better and a 
larger number of sportsmen attracted, and because of the 
increased certainty of employment, and sportsmen would 
more surely and easily obtain good men. 
To bring about a movement like this, however, is no 
easy matter. If it is to be effective the management 
of such an association must be in good hands, and its 
membership must include a large majority of all the re- 
liable men in the State engaged in guiding. Moreover 
the laws under which it acts, and which bind all its 
members, must be few and simple, and of a character 
which shall be recognized by all as good. And above all 
it must avoid any of the objectionable features of a 
"vmion." 
If these things could be accomplished I am sanguine 
that great benefit would result. But the guides are a 
