FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Deo. 19,' 1896. 
avoid a dog that was in close pursuit, it mounted a tree 
and laid itself flat on a limb about 30ft. from the ground, 
from which it was finally shot. Wo have ascertained by 
Successful experiments, repeated more than a hundred 
times, that the ermine can be employed in the manner of 
the ferret of Europe in driving our American rabbit from 
the burrow into which it has retreated. In one instance 
the ermine employed had been captured only a few days 
before, and its canine teeth were filed in order to prevent 
its destroying the rabbit; a cord was placed around its 
neck to secure its return. It pursued the hare through 
all the windings of its burrow, and forced it to the mouth, 
where it could be taken in a net or by the hand. In win- 
ter, after a snowstorm, the ruffed grouse has a habit of 
plunging into the loose snow, where it remains at times 
for one or two days. In this passive state the ermine 
sometimes detects and destroys it. 
"Notwithstanding all these mischievous and destructive 
habits, it is doubtful whether the ermine is not rather a 
benefactor than an enemy to the farmer, ridding his 
granaries and fields of many depredators on the product 
of his labor that would devour ten times the value of 
the poultry and eggs which at long and uncertain 
intervals it occasionally destroys. A mission appears to 
have been assigned it by Providence to lessen the rapidly 
multiplying number of mice of various species, and the 
smaller rodentia. 
"The white-footed mouse is destructive to the grains in 
the wheatfields and in the stacks, as well as the nurseries 
of fruit trees. La Conte's pine mouse is injurious to the 
Irish and sweet potato crops, causing more to rot by nib- 
bling holes in them than it consumes; and WiLson's mea- 
dow mouse lessens our annual product of hay by feeding 
on the grasses, and by its long and tortuous galleries 
among their roots. 
"Wbenever an ermine has taken up its residence, the 
mice in its vicinity for half a mile around have been 
found rapidly to diminish in number. Their active little 
enemy is able to force its thin, vermiform body into the 
burrows; it follows them to the end of their galleries, and 
destroys whole families. We have on several occasions, 
after a light fall of snow, followed the trail of this weasel 
through fields and meadows, and witnessed the immense 
destruction which it occasioned in a single night, It en- 
ters every hole under stumps, logs, stone heaps and fences, 
and evidences of its bloody deeds are seen in the mutilated 
remains of the mice scattered on the snow. The little 
chipping or ground squirrel, Tamias lysteri [sc. striatus], 
takes up its residence in the vicinity of the grain fieldtj, 
and is known to carry rff in its cheek pouches vast quan- 
tities of wheat and buckwheat to serve as winter stores. 
The ermine instinctively discovers these snug retreats, 
and in the space of a few minutes destroys a whole family 
of these beautiful little Tamice; without even resting awhile 
until it has consumed its now abundant food, its appetite 
craving for more blood, as if impelled by an irresistible 
destiny, it proceeds in search of other objects on which it 
may glut its insatiable, vampire-like thirst. The Norway 
rat and the common house mouse take possession of our 
bams, wheat stacks and granaries, and destroy vast quan- 
tities of grain. In some instances the farmer is reluc- 
tantly compelled to pay even more than a tithe in contri- 
butions toward the support of these pests. Let, however, 
an ermine find its way into these barns and granaries, 
and there take up its winter residence, and the havoc 
which is made among these rats and mice will soon be 
observable. The ermine pursues them to their furthest 
retreats, and in a few weeks the premises are entirely 
free from their depredations. We once placed a half do- 
mesticated ermine in an outhouse infested with rats, shut- 
ting up the holes on the outside to prevent their escape. 
The little animal soon commenced his work of destruction. 
The squeaking of the rats was heard throughout the day. 
In the evening it came out, licking its mouth, and seemed 
like a hound after a long chase, much fatigued. A board 
of the floor was raised to enable us to ascertain the result 
of our experiment, and an immense number of rats were 
observed, which, although they had been killed in differ- 
ent parts of the building, had been dragged togettier, 
forming a compact heap. 
"The ermine is then of immense benefit to the farmer. 
We are of the opinion that it has been over-hated, and too 
indiscriminately persecuted. If detected in the poultry 
house, there is some excuse for destroying it, as, like the 
dog that has been caught in the sheepfold, it may return 
to commit further depredations; but when it has taken 
up its residence under stone heaps and fences, in his fields, 
or his barn, the farmer would consult his interest by suf- 
fering it to remain, as by thus inviting it to a home it 
will probably destroy more formidable enemies, relieve 
him from many petty annoyances, and save him many a 
bushel of grain." 
We saw on one occasion a weasel in active pursuit of a 
half grown cotton-tail rabbit which crossed a dusty road 
in summer not far from where we were standing and 
8 opped in the undergrowth only a few yards beyond us. 
In a very short time a tiny brown weasel emerged from 
the wood following on the track of the rabbit, but when 
it reached the dust it seemed to lose the track and doubled 
backward and forward looking for the scent. Ur ques- 
tionably, however, if it had not been disturbed it would 
have made a circle across the road and struck the trail 
again, and would shortly have overtaken the rabbit. Our 
interference drove the weasel off on one side of the road 
and the rabbit further away on the other. 
Ways of the Buffed Grouse. 
New York, Dec. 9.— Editor Forest and Stream: A 
word or two in corroboraiion of the observations of Mr, 
G. S. Ellis, in your issue of the 13th inst., in which he 
differs with Mr. B. Waters in his assertion that the ruffed 
grouse "ventures into the open only on such infrequent 
occasions as it is tempted to searcn for food, and then 
only in places seldom invaded by man, and where it fan- 
cies there is freedom from pursuit." 
During a recent trip to Orange county, New York, 
whtre, by the way, ruffed grouse are now very scarce, I 
and good old Blarney scoured the country for miles and 
miles without even hearing the whir of a wing. Return- 
ing about a P. M., with only a single rabbit to my credit, 
I contemplated turning my hammerless into a tandem 
and sending Blarney to cuddle for the remainder of her 
days in the lap of a family of six affectionate daughters. 
1 was about to emerge from a small patch of woods within 
a stone's throw of the farmhouse where I was stopping 
when I happened to look back and eaw the dog mstk in^ 
hot game. The next moment three grouse flushed from 
the very edge of the open, at about 30yds., and I was 
lucky enough to make a double. The third bird I marked 
down and nailed with the second barrel about ten min- 
utes afterward. The second bird of the double dropped 
on the veranda of a club house, closed for the winter, 
where I afterward found it. 
What I wish to emphasize are the facts that there are 
several summer club houses and cottages on this small 
wooded ridge, and that the birds were 1 1 eding where the 
farmers' youngsters play at leap-frog and chase their cur 
dogs for exercise. My limited experience has proved to 
me on other occasions also that these noble birds do not 
object to the smoke from a chimney; furthermore, the 
farmer avers (he is an Irishman with a set of "Gal ways" 
that would be a sore temptation to a covey of winter- 
tossed quail) that every winter some "patridges" roost in 
an abandoned cottage in this same corner. This state- 
ment is backed up by his wife, a Dutch woman who has 
never been known to smile except when extending her 
hand for the proffered "long green." 
It may be that the birds are lured so near to the house 
by a glimpse of the whiskers aforesaid, but I leave this 
knotty question to be settled by a committee of expert 
ornithologists and barbers. Pellets. 
A "Double" Moose Antler. 
The accompanying sketch is a view of the under side of 
a moose's antler, and shows an attempt to produce a 
"double" set of points. The antler, a left hand one, is a 
DOUBUS MCOSH J.^Tl.KK. 
little over 2ft. long, the false points being the largest, 
5in. long. It was picked up in the spring of 1895 by 
Charley Barker on the top of Black Peak, back of Riley 
Brook, on Tobique River, New Brunswick. T. A. 
^ni^ ^ 0tm* 
WHERE TO GO. 
One important, useful and considerable part of the Fobbst and 
Stream's service to the sportsmen's community is the Information 
given inquirers for shooting and fishing resorts. We make it our 
business to know where to send the sportsman for large or small 
game, or in quest of his favorite flsh, and this knowledge is freely im- 
parted on request. 
On the other hand, we are constantly seeking information of this 
character for the benefit of our patrons, and we invite sportsmen, 
hotel proprietors and others to communicate to us whatever may be 
of advantage to the sportsman tourist. 
THE BUCK AND THE MAN. 
The sun shone hotly, the atmosphere was hazy and 
sleepy, and the buzzing of bees and the sound of the 
brook a few rods away from seat plashing over the 
smooth stones and purling over the pebbles, all sang a 
sweet lullaby. 
This watching for deer on a runway is a tiresome busi- 
ness at best, and if I closed my eyes it was only for a 
moment; it rested my eyes and my sight was better for 
it, at least so I reasoned, I sat with my back fitting 
comfortably into the hollow of a pine stump and watched 
and dozed. 
A buck came out of the hardwood and stopped to 
drink at the brook. I raised my rifle to fire wben the 
Buck turned quickly and spoke: "Gently, gently, young 
man. Hold your tire a moment, and when I have fin- 
ished drinking we will have a word or two together." I 
lowered my rifle and waited for the Buck to drink. 
He thrust his muzzle deep into the brook and his nose 
and mouth turned silver in the clear water. He drank, 
and after looking up and down the stream walked slowly 
up the shelving bank and nodding his antlered head in 
kingly fashion disposed himself at my feet. 
I sat quietly on the log and waited for the Buck to 
hegin. 
Finally he broke the silence. "You are a hunter, more 
particularly a deer hunter fo-day," said the Buck, "and I 
am a deer, a buck, and if you will pardon the seeming 
egotism, I am rather an unusually fine specimen of an 
extraordinarily beautiful and graceful race." 
As he said this he looked complacently at his beautiful 
self and glanced carelessly at the shadows cast on the 
grass by his wide, spreading antlers." 
"Yes," said I, "you certainly are as fine as any deer I 
have sh — seen," 1 hastened to correct. 
"Your correction does not escape me," said the Buck, 
^<but your appreciation of my beauty is no more aooepta 
ble because of the substitution of verbs. But to dwell on 
my charms was not the object of my visit, so we will 
dismiss these extraneous matters, if you please, and give 
our attention to matters of more importance. In the 
first place, let me say that the reason I trusted myself so 
implicitly with you, with all your ability and capacity 
for doing evil to me," glancing meaningly at my long 
rifle, "was because I recognized in you a hunter I know 
well and a sportsman, which is equivalent to my saying 
that you are a man of honor," 
I acknowledged the compliment as gracefully as I 
might, and, forgetting the nature of my companion, 
proffered my flask. 
But the Buck waved a deprecating forefoot in the air 
and said: "No — no thanks necessary. I am a painstak- 
ing deer, and where honor is due I pay it. As for your 
flask, I've no doubt it is good; but I prefer my corn on 
the ear." 
The Buck winked a merry eye at ms as he said this 
and smiled in a satisfied way at his little joke. 
"But," resumed the Buck, "I came to discuss with you, 
as a man of some experience, a few of the questions 
which have been much discussed of late regarding the 
protection of my kind and the regulation of deer hunt- 
ing by proper legislation. 
"I am glad," said I, "of the opportunity, but of course 
our discussion will be a unilateral discourse with your- 
self as lecturer, for naturally from your standpoint you 
expect immunity, while I as a hunter would never be 
entirely reconciled to such a state of affairs." 
"Not at all," said the Buck. "I acknowledge the un- 
questionable right of man to pursue and kill, with certain 
restrictions, the so called lower animals, and use them 
for his own pleasure and profit; and I regard this divine 
law with the same composure with which you look upon 
your own mortality. The will of the Great Deer is not . 
to be controverted, and his ways are insrrutable." 
Certainly, thought I, this is a remarkable animal — a 
philosopher. 
"Well," said I aloud, "I am glad you regard the matter 
in its proper light. It simplifies things so, and I am sure 
we will discuss these questions to our mutual advantage. 
You are, of course, familiar with the game laws as they 
now exist, and if you will begin I will show you how well 
I can listen. But bark 1 Is that not a dog ? ' 
From high up on the mountain top came the cry of a 
running hi und. 
The Buck cast a contemptuous glance toward the sound 
and said : 
"He's been in hearing, in my hearing, for fully five 
minutes. Of course, you humans can't hear as well as we 
wood folk; but if he's on my track I'm safe enough. I 
came through the Beaver Marsh and Horshoe Pond. Pres- 
ently you will hear him stop." 
We listened — I expectantly, the Buck languidly and 
with little concern. 
The dog came steadily on. 
I glanced at the Buck, but he betrayed not the slightest 
emotion. 
"He has come through the marsh," I ventured. 
"Yes," said the Buck easily, "I was mistaken in the 
dog. That is Sam Rossell's Bluecoat, but I dare say even 
he will not come through Horseshoe." 
As he spoke the baying ceased, and no sound came to 
our ears but the plashing of the water over the smooth 
stones in the brook and the lazy droning hum of the in- 
sects. 
"As good a dog," offered the Buck, "as one would care 
to see or hear, but water has saved many a good deer 
before this day, though my hide might have been buck- 
skin years ago if I had depended solely upon flight for 
deliverance." 
As the Buck said this he bent his head and hooked at 
the stem of a birch treee beside him, tearing away the 
bark as if it had been peeled with a knife. 
"Yes," said I, "a good dog; and let me advise you that 
hereafter when you hear him hooting on your track you 
want to streak it for big water directly, unless you have 
become tired of life." 
"Indeed?" returned the Buck. "Thanks — but many a 
good dog has sung his own death song on my trail, and 
Bluecoat must not race me too often," and the old fellow 
lunged viciously at the birch tree and snapped the stem 
in two. 
It required no great effort of the imagination to see 
him at bay, legs far apart, hoofs braced, eyes aflame and 
the hair upon hia spine erect, striking and lunging at the 
hungry hounds circling around him. 
He became calm immediately, and turning quickly 
asked, "Do you believe in hounding?" 
"Inasmuch," I replied, "as I am now illustrating my 
belief in its efficacy as a venison-getting mode of hunting, 
it seems to me that I am precluded from arguing on that 
point. What do you think of it?" 
"Now, see here," said the Buck, "don't evade the ques- 
tion in that way. I know you are a lawyer, but don e be 
bluffing me with your prima facie evidence and your par- 
ticeps criminis and your flagrante delietu, and all that 
legal bosh. Do you or don't you believe in hounding? 
Come now." 
"Well," said I, "I do and I don't. I'll explain that," I 
hastened to add as the Buck snorted angrily : 
"Firstly, the deer are not plenty enough in the Adiron- 
dacks to make still-hunting a successful mode of hunting 
you fellows. 
"Secondly, deer are plenty enough to'^make some mode 
t f hunting allowable which requires less exertion and 
skill. Therefore we have hounding and jacking. 
"I believe in hounding thus far — I believe that the law 
should allow flfteen days of hounding, but should attach 
a heavy penalty to the killing of any swimming deer. To 
my mind it is not unsportsmanlike to shoot at a deer as he 
comes loping through a runway. It requires good eyes 
and hands and nerves. 
"But to kill a deer in the water from a boat brought up 
to within a few feet of the unfortunate animal is brutal 
and revolting and least of all unsportsmanlike. Suc- 
cinctly stated you have my ideas on hounding." 
"Concisely put," said the Buck, "and me^urably 
plausible. As you say a deer is a small mark at thirty or 
forty rods loping throujih a runway, and it takes a good 
marksman and a good rifle to score under these conditions, 
the deer is generally a good odds-on favorite. There is 
room for argument, however, on the ground that the dog 
does the work and the shooter does nothing but sit still 
and shoot the beet he knows how. 
"The killing of deer in the water I consider brutal, 
