148 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
(.Feb. 20, 1897. 
for the ducks, and in fact leave desolation behind them, 
almost incredible as such an assertion may seem when speak- 
ing of so harmless an animal as a flsh. 
It is well tenown among all duck hunters that ducks, es- 
pecially mallards, are very fond of the seed of the plant 
known ai the ftnartweed, there being only a few other va- 
rieties of food which they prefer to this. Mr. Howe has 
heen experimenting with smart weed on the Tolleston 
marshes, where he has been planting it for some years. It 
has sprung up in great luxuriance over the flats, and in 
places naabes a dense thicket higher than one's head as he 
Bits in his boat. At first Mr, Howe got this seed, a bushel 
or 80 at a time, chiefly from the flaxseed companies, at 
whose works it is separated with the other seeds from the 
flax. The flaxseed m^ n told Mr. Howe that it was loo ex- 
I)en8ive to separate the smartweed se< d from other weed 
seeds oeixed with it in the refuse, but Mr. Howe told them 
to go ahead and do the best they could, and so obtained a 
few sacks last year. He tells me now that he has bought a 
ton of this seed, which will be planted on the Tolleston 
marsh. The seed is, of course, not quite pure, but there will 
be enough to make a great showing. The beauty of this 
smartweed ig that the carp do not disturb it, and Mr. Howe 
feels some exultation over the fact that he has discovered the 
means of outwitting one of the most insignificant, but one of 
the most dreaded enemies of the club, that great North 
Ameripan nuisance known as the German carp. ' 
Elk at Jackson's Hole, 
^lecent dispatches from Wyoming state that more elk are 
wintering in Jackson's Hole than for many years past. They 
have been traveling in thousands from the Snake River to 
the Q-ros Ventre Hills, and it is estimated that 15,000 head 
of elk have been seen in one herd. 
"The Black Duok." 
Mr. Thomas Johnson, of Winnipeg, Man., continues his 
quest for information in regard to the "black duck," and 
this time I think his request will result in something definite. 
Under date of Jan. 21 he writes te me; "My dear Hough:; 
I read your remarks about the black duck in Forest akd 
Stream of Jan. 9, and to find if the duck that breed at Big 
Lake and Lac la TBiche are really the same kind of black 
duck found in Ontaiio, I wrote Mr. W. H. Cooper, of Ed- 
monton, to send me one It arrived to-day and I am send- 
ing it on to you. He had only one, a female, and on com- 
paring it with the female black duck shown in reproduction 
of Audubon's original picture (Fokest aho Stream, issue 
of Sept. 26) I fail to find any difference Anyway you no, 
doubt haye killed lots of black duck and wUl readily see if 
this is one. It may be, as Mr. Wells says, of some other kind, 
but it is certainly not found in Manitoba. Anyway, tell me 
the name of the specimen sent you. It was killed 1,000 miles 
north of Winnipeg." 
The duck mentioned by Mr. Johnson arrived safely, and 
yrhen I took it out of the box I at first thought I had a can- 
yasback. It needed no second look, however, to tell the 
difference between those birds, although the duck was as 
large as a hen canvasback and something of the same color. 
The head was slightly disfigured, but it could be seen that 
the bill wag a sort of cross between that of the canvasback 
and that of the bluebill. There was not the sliiihtest 
resemblance between this bird and that one called "the black 
duck" in thia country and Ontario. On looking up the 
ikudubpn portrait of ttie "black duck" I could not agree 
vyith Mr. Johnson on the similarity of his bird with that 
portrait. The Audubon portrait shows clearly the marsh 
duck head, just as this bird shows the unmistakable deep- 
w:ater head. It is true, the Audubon reproduction shows a 
yery dark body color for thp black duck, and also shows a 
touch of white at the tip of the wing coverts. This touch 
of white would be more realistic could there be shown also 
the green col®r above the white tips, though this is im- 
pessible outside of lithographic reproduction. This is prob- 
ably the misleading part of the picture, for Mr. Johnson's 
bird has white tips to the feathers just where the white is 
shown in the black and white portiait of the Audubon re- 
production. 
I took the bird to the Chicago Academy of Sciences and 
laid it before their ornithologist, Mr. Frank M. Woodruff, 
who at once told me that it was the female of the velvet 
scoter {Oidemia fusea). This is a maritime species, perhaps 
locally called "black duck" in some regions. I had never 
seen this bird before, and Mr. Woodrufl: said it was rarely 
found in this region. He showed me in the collection a 
specimen of the same bird which was shot on the Meredosia 
Flats of the Illinois Biver by J G. Parker. This bird was 
valued very much. Another specimtn of the same family, a 
fine male of the white-winged scoter {Oidemia deglandi) was 
killed by Mr. Woodruff himself on Nov. 2, 1895, from the 
Government pier, not far from Lincoln Park. Thus it 
stems that Chicago is not to be behind the world in the mat- 
ter of weird fowl. Mr. Johnscn can now rest assured that 
his so-called Manitoba "black duck" is a base fraud, and no 
black duck at all. Doubtless before this time his mind has 
been set quite at rest by seeing in the Fobest and Stream 
the excellent portrait of the black duck printed from the 
photograph in the issue of Jan 23. In that picture, better 
than in the Audubon reproduction, he can see the distin- 
guishing peculiarity of the real "black duck" {Anas obscnra), 
and can see how like a mallard it is, whence its sometime 
ram^, "black mallard. " 
Rare Birds at the Academy. 
While I -was at the Academy of Sciences Mr. Woodruff 
showed me some other birds rare in this locality and much 
prized oh account of the tact that they were collected in this 
country. There was a good specimen of the auk or guille- 
mot (Brtinnich's murre), which was killed at Forsman, Ind., 
Dec, 1, 1896, by a market hunter, who sent it into South 
Water street, Chicago, with some quail. What the bird 
was doing down there, inland in Indiana, is difficult to tell. 
Mr. Woodiuff recently fhot on the lake shore, cff Lincoln 
Park, a fine specimen of the kiitiwake gull, a bird practi- 
cally unknown in this country. This specimen he prizes 
very much. Among other specimens unusual in this coun- 
try is a turkey buzzard which was killed in Cook county, 
111., thought, to be the only one $een in this region. (I have 
often sefn them in Iowa at this latitude ) 
More rare and valuable than the Cook county turkey buz- 
aard is a specimen of the genuine northern raven, a bird 
•aircely seen ihis side of Alaska {Consm corax prindpalis). 
This specimen was kitleai by Mr. Woodruff at Mtredosia, 
111., Ntiv. 11 . Ib92. He sent the specimen on to the Smith- 
sosaian Institution for confirmation, snd was told that he had 
ft treasure of a bird, worth at least flOO. 
Y»t another bird rare in this neighborhood was collected 
by Mr. Woodruff recently at Miller's Station, Ind. This 
was a robin snipe in full plumage At the same place, 
which is but about thirty miles from Chicago, Mr. Woodruff' 
killed a good specimen'of the beetlehead or black bellied 
plover. This bird looks something like our golden plover, 
but is larger. It ia rare in this country. 
While we were looking at the case containing these differ- 
ent specimens of birds I saw near some specimens of our or- 
dinary jacksnlpe another jacksnipe which fairly made my 
eyes start out of my head." It was a perfect giant, a mon- 
ster of a jacksnipe, exactly similar in every way to our jack, 
but at least a third larger, with bill and legs in proportion. 
I had never seen such a jack as this, and Mr. Woodruff 
smiled at my enthusiasm before telling me that it was killed 
in South America, where it seems that all jacksnipe grow 
that big. I think I shall move to South America. 
The Meat Dog Aealn. 
From time to time I have said so much about the meat dog 
that readers of Fohest aivd Stream might be pardoned for 
kicking against any more of him. Although they might be 
justified in this, I feel myself that if 1 shall ever be able to 
say anything to discourage the perpetuation of the slab sided, 
cowardly, short-winded, scanty-brained, tissue paper imita- 
tions of dogs known as field trial performers, T shall after 
all not have lived in vain, whatever the majority of my 
friends may think about that. This time I think I have 
rea'ly found a meat dog, and I append a letter from Mr. 
George McDougall, of Butte, Mont , which describes him. 
Tne only suspicious thing about the matter is that Mr. 
McDougall is willing to sell the dog. I never knew a man 
who had a real meat dog who would sell him at any price 
If I had a meat dog and was broke, I might eat him, but I 
would never sell him. Probably Mr. Mcl*(ugall is only 
joking about selling this dog, and therefore the advertising 
editor will OTerlook his statements about price, etc., which 
do not strictly belong next to pure reading matter like Chi- 
cago and the West. The public wid please note what Mr. 
McDougall says about "entertaining letters. " Thig marks 
him as a man of great discernment and judgment. He goes 
on to say:. 
"For the last three or four years, every time I have read 
one of your very entertaining letters in Forest and Stream 
I have felt impelled to write you — not that I have anything 
particular to say, but just to teU you how much I enjoy your 
communications. Shake! 
"About meat dogs. I have just the one your friend wants 
— a pointer; will soon be two years old - but I don't feel 
much like parting with him unless for a whaling big price, 
for who knows when I will get another? I forget your 
exact requirements, as it is a long ti me since you published 
your specifl-cations in full;, but as to bemg run over by a 
wagon, will you count a rather heavy, two-seated surrey 
loaded with your most obedient and 'the lady that owns me,' 
two heavy saddles, aOlbs. dog biscuit,' about 501 bs. of am- 
munition, three guns, three valises and a couple of gunny 
sacks of clothing and general dunnage, about aOlbs. of oats, 
an 8X10 wall tent, and old Twister (greyhound, about 751bs.) 
reposing in his most dignified style on top of the load— will 
that go for a wagon within the meaning of your specifica- 
tion? We were starting on a trip about 130 miles south, and 
had got about ten miles from Butte. It was a beautiful, crisp 
Sepiembir morning. The aforesaid meat dog, Sam (good, 
old-fashioned name), and three greyhouds were following 
the wagon,, and we were going through some very likely 
jack-rabbit ground. I was afraid Sam would put one up, 
which might make it bad for the greyhounds —I had no fears 
for him, nothing hurts him — so I tied him behind the wagon 
with a nice, light greyhound lead. It was his first experi- 
ence at being led behind a wagon, and he is so consistent a 
conservative that each new experience is considf-red by him 
cassis belli. The result was that he tried to haul the wagon 
around by the hind axle, the hind wheel went over him, and 
I was out a good lead. But he followed me the rest of the 
way — 130 miles, or thereabout — hunted on an average every 
other day for five weeks, followed me home and arrived 
here in the best of spirits, a little thin, appetite fine, and 
pretty nearly as hard headed as ever. It took five days of 
steady pounding to make him point, two more to make him 
stand to shot and wing, and a couple more to wail till told to 
retrieve. I never hammered a dog so in my life, and think 1 
would have failed to break him then had it not been that 
my hunting chum shot him accidentally as he was breaking 
after a bevy like a quarter-horse. He did not know it was 
an accident, and came back very humble and with such a 
respect for the report of a gun that I had very little more 
trouble with him. It made me wish I had shot him a 
little before. Of course the shot did not hurt him 
— nothing does. This fellow is now a perfect meat 
dog, has a great nose, understands the habits of chickens, 
grand retriever, ranges to hand fairly well, though he would 
much rather pick his own range, distrusting my judgment 
about such things; not a very good galloper, being of the 
old-fashioned, heavy build, but strikes a lively canter and 
keeps it up week in and week out. He bites all tramps, the 
Chinese washerman, the butcher, baker, groceryman and 
other visitors who are not ari&tocratic enough to suit him; 
will run a jack with enthusiasm, though a shot in the air will 
stop him since he acquired his respect for the gun ; helped 
the hounds to kill a c oyote and did most of the fighting after 
he got there, which was a little late; won't ride in a wagon 
unless tied down and cross hobbled, with a boy to hold him 
and pound him on the head with a club, for he regards it as 
waste of valuable time in which he might be hunting, and 
wilt only back a dog in whom he has complete confidence — 
with others he investigates for himself. Now, I am not try- 
ing to sell this fellow particularly, but your friend can have 
him for $150, though I had a little rather he would think 
that too high. He has no pedigree, or what he has is not 
long enough to get tangled in the sagebrush. His sire is 
Sam, a good chicken dog, and a handsome fellow, who 
came from the Lord knows where; his dam is my Lit, a 
good chicken dog, but worse to handle than he is, and never 
was thoioughly broken. She was got by a 'dog,' don't 
know his name, parentage, ownership or previous condition 
of servitude, but he was said to be from Johnny Wise's ken- 
nel, though Johnny denies it. Her dam was from Old Do- 
minion's kennel and had a kind of a pedigree, and there you 
are. I have lost my job in the court here— new administra- 
tion did not want me— and don't know where I will be this 
fall; but if I am here, I now invite you to take a hunt with 
me between Aug 15 an I Oct 15. The game will be sage 
chickens; I will take you where you can kill 200 in a day, if 
you can shoot straight enough and walk far enough, or you 
can ride if you are too lazy to walk, and 1 will not kick if 
you fill Sam's hide so full of shot that it won't hold water — 
it won't hurt him and may do him good — and the aforesaid 
'lady that owns me' will cook sage chickens for you so that 
you will swear they are as good as blue grouse, and help you 
to kill them and handle Sam into the bargain. Only one 
season of his future is behind him, but it was a good one, 
full of hard work and tribulation for both him and me, 
"About jack rabbits. This is where I reside, po to speak. 
I am a candidate for the position of purveyor of jack rabbits 
to the crowned heads of Europe and America. I can furnish 
jacks till you can't rest— good, hu'ky blacktails, price $1 
each, f. 0. b. Market Lake, Idaho. They had a drive down 
there last month and killed thousands. I was invited to at- 
tend and offered tranfporlation, but could not go. About a 
year ago they rounded up over 2,*)00 and shipped them to 
Salt Lake City in hog cars to be distributed to poor people. 
Send in your orders and the j>xcks will be forthcoming." 
I submit that the above is about the nearest we have come 
to a real meat dog for some time, and it would give me great 
pleasure to shoot over him and shoot at him, as it would re- 
mind me of old times with my old dog. We used to use 
him to pattern our guns on, and he really enjoyed the sport 
very much. In regard to the sage hen shoot, 1 am glad to 
have the invitation. I was shy an invitation for August, 
though I think I have all the rest of the year covered with 
invitations to shoot, fish or camp out from New Brunswick 
to old Mexico and from Maine to Montana. I am rapidly 
endeavoring to so arrange my affairs that T shall not have to 
work any more. 
Protecting Rabbits. 
Mr. G. G. Xuykendall, of Carmi, III., writes to Forest 
AND Stream upon the subject of game laws as below, and 
there is a general justice in what he says, although it may 
yet be difficult to secure a game law on rabbits. The farmer 
is a man too little considered by those usually asking for 
stricter game laws, and it is gratifying to see this interest 
among Illinois farmers in the matter of game protection, and 
to note that they realize the scarcity and the impending ex- 
termination of the game which was once so abundant on 
their land. Mr, Kuykendall says: 
"In order to give the sportsmen of this State some idea of 
the views and wants of the farmers of this part of the State 
with regard to protecting the little remnant of game we have 
left, I write this letter so the sportsmen who help to frame* 
our game laws may know the likes and dislikes of the 
farmers. We would like to be able after the open season is 
over to keei> men, both black and white, thai care for no 
law nor any one's rights, and would kill if they could every 
mite of game that is left by the farmer and his friends for 
next season's supply — all such we want to be able to keep off 
our farms. 
"Fifteen months ago four prairie chickens came to my 
farm. I was feeding cattle and tney wintered on the farm, 
and in the spring nested across the line on my neighbor's 
farm. He and 1 agreed that we would protect them if we 
could. When the broods were grown we had twenty-four. 
We had little trouble during the open season, but since the 
close season the negroes and the class of white men that I 
spoke of come on to our farms pretending to hunt rabbits, 
but in fact are hunting and shooting chickens and quail. I 
have chased several away, but failed to get near erough to 
them to know them or afterward to learn who they were. 
"If the law would protect bunny at the same time it pro- 
tects bu'ds, then the plea of hunting the rabbit would be 
done for. 
"If the ral^bits become destructive to young trees or 
shrubbery of any kind let the law allow the farmer to 
destroy the rabbits. I have talked with many of thefafmers 
on this aubjpct and they all think that so long as the hunting 
goes on all winter, professedly to kill rabbits, our supply of 
birds will continue to decrease." 
Killing Things and Protecting Things. 
So much as above for new and rapid ways of killing 
things We do not hear so much about new and desirable 
ways of increasing and protecting- things. Man seeks al- 
ways to destroy, and trusts always to nature to furnish some- 
thing for him to destroy. Only thinking men are the ones 
who" stop to reflect that even nature can protest and finally 
go on strike. All sportsmen of thoughtful methods to-day 
realize that we must protect the game or soon have none to 
shoot at. One of the earliest men to reach this conclusion 
and to advocate his view has been Mr. Charles Hallock, 
whom some day I think we shall be calling Sir Chaiies, as 
the only man in America such a title would suit and would 
not spoil. Mr. Hallock always believed in uniform game 
laws, and he is Siill at his old idea, and has out a printed 
scheme for a system of game laws to cover the entire country 
of the United States. He divides the country as Ceesar did 
ancient Gaul, into three parts, or "concessions," as follows: 
Northern Concession. — The following named States com- 
prise the Northern Concession, to wit: The six New England 
States, the Middle States the two Virginias, Ohio, Kentucky, 
Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Missomi, Iowa, Wisconsin, 
Minnesota, the two Dakotas, Kausa.s, Nebraska, Montana, 
Wyoming and Colorado, to the summit of the Continental 
Divide. 
Southern Concession, — The following-named States com- 
prise the Southern Concession, to wit: North and South 
Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkan- 
sas, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Indian Territory and New 
Mexico, to the crest of the Continental Divide. 
Pacific Coni-ession. — Thefollowing-named States constitute 
the Pacific Coast Concession, to wit,: Washington, Oregon, 
California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. 
The law as submitted for each "concession" is, for the 
most part, stringent enough and wise enough to please any 
sportsman. There is one concession, however, and a very 
important one, which Mr. Hallock has left out, and that is 
the concession which our friends the game dealers will not 
he likely to make to the sportsmen when they see this ' "Hal- 
lock code" approaching them some dark night. We are told 
that a cat may look at a king, and that there is no law for- 
bidding a mortal to gaze, therefore it is perhaps not illicit to 
long for uniform game laws. Heretofore we have mostly 
been obliged to tak'e it out in looking and longing, not as yet 
having acquired the consent of his majesty the game dealer 
to do more than look and long. E. Hough 
120ti BoscB BciLDisa, Chicago. 
Se Might Establish an Endowment Fund for 
those Descendants. 
Inclosed please find SIO for Forest ai»d Stream for three years — 
Jan. 1, liJ'Ji", CO .Jau. 1, IMO. Hopin.;? ttiac some oC tuy desesndants 
wilt duplicate this subsoriptioiQ for tJie years iSd? to sOOO, I remain, 
fraternally yours, G- E. W. 
