184 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
LMakch 6, 1897. 
have known tliis to happen in coyote cross dogs, but not 
with gray ■wolf hybrids. 
I inclose a wolf story from the pen of "E. H. Hickey. It 
appeared in the Leisure Hour, 1892-3. It bears all the in- 
ternal evidence of truth, and is, I think, about the best wolf 
siory ever written. I hope you will reproduce it. 
Eknest Seton Thompson. 
A Wolf Story. 
Instinct or reason, whieli, good sir? Oh, instinct in brutes, you say, 
And reason only in lordly man. Well, think of it as you may, 
I'll tell you of something not unlike to reason I saw one day. 
Is it only men that are makers of law? Perhaps, yet hearken a hit. 
I'll tell you a tale— say you if e'er you have heard a stranger than it. 
It was many and many a league away from ihe placi where now we 
are, 
And many a year ago it happened in the land of the Great White 
Czar. 
It was morn-— I remember how cold it felt— but under a low pale sky. 
When we moored our boat on the river bank, my companion Leigh 
and I. 
And the plunge in the water unwai'med of the sun was legs for 
desire than pluck, 
And we hurried on our clothes again aad longed for our breakfast 
luck; 
When all of a sudden he clutched my arm and pointed across, and 
there 
We stood up side by side and watched, and as mute as the dead we 
were. 
We saw the gray wolf's fateful spring, and we saw the death of the 
deer. 
And the gray wolf left the body alone, and swift as the feet of fear 
His feet sped over the brow of the hill, and we lost the sight of him 
Who had left the dead deer there on the ground Uneaten, body or 
limb. 
So when he vanished out of our sight we rowed our boat across, 
And lifted the carcass and rowed again to the other side. The loss 
For you, good Master Wolf, mucL more than the gain for us will be. 
'T were half a pity to spoil your sport, except that we fain would see 
The reason why with hunger unstanched you have left our quarry 
behind; 
Ked-toothed, red-isawed, forgone your meal; Sir Wolf, we'll know 
your mind. 
Hungry and cold we watched and watched to gee him return on his 
track; 
At last we spied him atop of the hiU, the same gray wolf come back, 
Ko longer alone, but a leader of wolves, the head of a grewsome 
- pack. 
He went right up to the very place where the dead deer's body had 
lain, 
And he sniffed and looked for the prey of his claws, the beast that 
himself had slain. 
The deer at our feet and the river between and the searching all in 
vain. 
He threw up his muzzle and slunk his tail ^nd whined bo pitifully, 
And the whole pack howled and fell on him— we hardly could bear 
to see. 
Breaker of civic law or pact or whatever they deemed of him, 
He knew his fate and he met his fate, for they tore him limb from 
limb. 
I tell you we felt as we ne'er had felt since ever our dnys began— 
Less like men that had cozened a brute than men that had murdered 
a man. — E. H. Hickey in Leisure Hour. 
THE PANTHER IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
The range of the puma or panther {Felis concolor) in Brit- 
ish Columbia is confined almost entirely to the coast, includ- 
ing Vancouver Island, where its center of abundance seems 
to be located. It is found but sparsely east of the Cascades, 
where in many localities it was never known until a few 
years ago ; and the Indians there who have seen one have no 
name for it, and hold it in terrible dread. It ranges along 
the coast of the mainland from our southern boundary to 
about 52° north, but is extremely rare in the northern portion 
of its habitat. On account of the great damage done by this 
brute to the farmers' flocks, the Government has increased 
the bounty from |2.50 to $7.50, and I here present a table 
showing the number of panthers on which the bounty has 
been paid for the last six fiscal years : 
Years. Panthers. Years. Panthers. 
1890- 9 1 .47 1893-94 123 
1891- 92. . , , 71 1894-95 ; 115 
1892- 93,.,. ...89 1S95-96 106 
These figures do not represent the full number killed, as 
not a few are taken by sportsmen, who prefer to keep the 
skin intact rather than have it mutilated for the sake of the 
bounty. 
I have never known a single instance where a panther has 
attacked a human being — that is, where such instance could 
be traced to a reliable source. Courage is no part of a 
panther's composition; as a matter of fact, he has no cour- 
age, as the animals he lives on are not taken in open com- 
bat, but by stealth and quickness of action — two qualities 
which no animal in the mountains possesses to such a degree 
as does the American panther. He is simply built on springs, 
and the ease with which he can cover distances is marvelous. 
The young are said to be spotted, but not always so, as I 
received two about a year ago that could not be over two 
months old that had no spots ; and again I handled one 
about a year and a half old which showed the spots quite 
plainly. 
According to our newspaper reports, few panthers are 
killed in British Columbia measuring less than 7ft , while 
8ft. and 9ft. would not be unusual. I have kept a record of 
the lengths of panthers measured by me during the last 
seven years; of this number — 118— the greater portion of 
which came under my notice in the matter of paying the 
bounties, one measured 7ft. 6in., while only ten reached the 
7ft. mark. I have been very anxious to procure one of those 
hig panthers, and five years ago I made an offer — which is 
still standing— of $20 to any one who would bring me a 
panther in the flesh, killed in British Columbia, measuring 
iSft. ' This reward has been claimed twice, but in each case 
the measurement feU short from 1ft. to lOin. 
Two years ago at Beecher Bay, about eight miles from 
this city, two girls, one fourteen, the other twelve years, were 
returning from school along a woodland trail, accompanied 
by a collie dog, when a panther sprang out in front of them 
and trotted on ahead. The dog immediately gave chase, 
and the nearest tree was not any too near for the panther, 
who tore up to a place of safety out of reach of this terrible 
little dog. The elder sister, who is an expert rifle shot, left 
the younger girl with the dog to guard the panther while she 
went to her home about a quarter of a mile distant for her 
Winchester. Keturning. she killed the big cat with the first 
shot. It measured 7ft. 3in., and is now mounted in the Pro- 
vincial Museum. 
It is more than probable that panthers prey upon pheas- 
ants, though I have no evidence that such is the fact. 
John Fannin. 
ANOTHER GREAT MOOSE HEAD. 
Wb have received from W. T. Sheard, of Tacoma, Wash., 
two photographs of a moose head which far exceeds any- 
thing yet recorded. The horns are shown in one case with 
a tape line stretched across them, and in the other with a 
man standing by them. The tape line shows a measurement 
of 73^' n The horns appear to be very even and as nearly as 
possible of the same length, the figure 37 in the photograph 
coming near the middle of the skull, between the two burrs. 
The horns are also about as wide in front as they are behind. 
On the whole, these antlers are most remarkable and ought 
* 
TUKON ErVBR MOOSE HEAD. 
to be seen by naturalists. We infer from IVlr. Sheard 's letter, 
which accompanies the photographs, thatjthe horns are sup- 
ported on the natural skull, for he distinctly says that the 
skull has not been cut. 
We illustrated the other day a moose head in possession of 
Mr. Hart, of this city, measuring 70Jin. spread. It is an in- 
teresting fact that both these large heads come from Alaska, 
but no hasty conclusions should be drawn from this fact. 
In all probability it means nothing more than that Alaska is 
the home of the moose, and a home in which it is but little 
hunted. For this reason the males have time to grow great 
horns — horns, as shown by the specimens in question, which 
are so large that they closely approach the Irish elk (cervus 
megaceros), that giant of the deer tribe which flourished im 
Europe so recently that its bones have not yet had time to 
become petrified. 
A Submarine Contest. 
One of the most novel and amusing contests ever recorded 
was a race between two edible crabs, each drawing an eel 
skin to which was attached the head of an eel. 
The members of a club whose house boat was then moored 
at Spermaceti Cove, Sandy Hook, had caught a number of 
eels during the previous nisrht, and while the tide was out and 
the sand flats bare the eels had been skinned and the refuse 
thrown over the side to be carried away by the incoming 
tide. With the tide came innumerable" crabs (our scaven- 
gers, as they were called) looking for and carrying away 
every particle that would serve them for food, and it was 
very little that they ever left behind. 
'The tide had covered the flats to the depth of a foot when 
two crabs of apparently equal strength were noticed in the 
clear water wrestling wiih eel skins some 18 or 20in. in 
length. The attention of the several members upon the 
upper deck was attracted simultaneously and all interest was 
centered in the struggle. 
The eel skins, after a few moments' exertion on the part 
of the crabs, were pulled clear of some clam shells which had 
fallen upon them, and the crabs, one darkly colored and the 
other of a lighter shade, started for a large patch of eel grass 
at the rear end of the house boat, about 40ft. distant. The 
struggle was against tide and the start was even. 
Each crab held by its claw the tail of the skin; the head, 
forming a bunch at the far end, waved from side to side 
with the "swirl" of the current. 
So much interest had now been taken in the race that the 
members began laying wagers as to which crab would reach 
the dark liae of the grass" ahead. The crabs seemed to be 
aware of the great attention paid them and they apparently 
put forth their best efforts to reach the line a winner. 
Now and then the current would swing the head end of 
the skin against a small tuft of grass, the crab would then 
bury its legs into the sand and with a mighty pull clear its 
burden from the obstruction. 
Thus the race continued for nearly twenty minutes, some- 
times the dark crab would be in the lead and then the other 
■would forge ahead. The interest grew apace and the 
wagers were doubled and trebled. The noise of the excited 
members on the upper deck had attracted the whole company 
before the race was half over, and those who witnessed the 
latter part of the contest became as deeply interested and ex;- 
cited as those who were in at the start. 
When about 10ft. from the finish line the dark-colored crab 
was obliged to cross a small soft bottom patch, which lay 
directly in the path, and it could get but little foothold, its 
legs sinking in the mud. 
The light crab here had the advantage and gained a lead 
of several feet before the dark crab again secured a good 
footing. 
The finish line was only a few feet distant, and the back- 
ers of the light crab were in high glee over the po?ition it 
had gained over its rival, and those who had staked their 
money on the dark colored racer were about to ackuowl- 
edge their defeat, when a big blue-clawed crab paddled out 
of the eel grass and, seizing the head of the skinned eel, 
yanked the light crab and its burden several feet backward 
over the course it had traveled, while the dark crab un- 
molested slid sideways through the edge of the grass a 
winner. 
If the pieces of coal and bits of wood hurled at that blue- 
clawed crab could have reached its back, its shell would 
have been crushed beyond recognition. Wild Hokey. 
Flight of the Flying -fish. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
In your issue of Feb. 20 Mr. Frank M. Chapman wishes 
to know if flying-fish really fly. I am aware that there is a 
difference of opinion among naturalists in regard to this 
question, owing perhaps to the difliculty in being able to 
observe them at close quarters. 
During many months' experience with the flying-fish fleet 
off Barbadoes 1 saw them rise from the water in all kinds of 
weather, and I emphatically assert that they do fly. They 
break from the surface at any part of the wave in calm or 
windy weather, in a billowy sea or a flat calm. If, however, 
they get up in the hollow of a wave they do not fly, and are 
often unable to surmount the impending crest. 
I have taken them immediately from the net and placed 
them on the palm of my hand, from which they would fly 
to a distance of 300ft. or more with no impetus from me 
whatever. 
« If they get u,p in the teeth of the wind they invariably 
wheel and scud away before it. The end of their flight is 
caused solely by a cessation of the motion of the wings, and 
is simply a settling down or sailing like that of a pigeon. 
I know that the flying-fish also vibrates its tail while in 
flight, and it is my opinion that he derives part of his motive 
power from this source. 1 have clipped the tail before start- 
ing them from the palm of my hand, and found that their 
flight is seriously interfered with in consequence. 
One can also test the sustaining power of the wings by 
holding the fish suspended from the hook and line, and 
watching its movements, The motion of the wings is very 
rapid and extends through an arc of 45 degrees. The fish is 
exhausted by this motion in from ten to twenty-five seconds. 
It is my belief that the moistening of the wing membrane 
has nothing to do with the flight of the fish. I have thrown 
them perpendicularly into the air to a height of 40ft., but 
this elevation did not prolong their flight, as they would 
always fall again swiftly when the wing motion ceased. 
I do not wonder at Mr. Chapman's interest in this little 
fish, for he possesses many attractions in his flight and 
habits to delight and instruct those who can observe him, 
Harry Higgins. 
Are Maine Moose Degenerating? 
One of the stock arguments of those who favor a close sea- 
son for a period of years on moose in Maine has long been that 
all the big bulls have been killed off, and that nothing but 
small moose remain, thus proving that the stock is nearing 
extinction. Without entering at all into the general discus- 
sion of whether absolute protection is needed at the present 
time or not, it might be well to submit a few figures which 
indicate that large moose are still met with in Maine While 
in Bangor last week I asked Mr. Crosby, the taxidermist, 
how the size of the heads which he received for mounting 
averaged as compared with previous years. 
He replied that they were larger individually and in the 
average, and for curiosity's srke I got him to measure twenty 
of the largest heads, witli the following results: 
No. Spread. Points. Ivo. Spread. Points. 
1 60in. .. 11 46in, 
2 58in. at) 12 48in, 24 
8 SSj^in. 39 33 SOin. 
4 60in 28 14 48iii. 
5 54in. 24 15 4»iD. 
6 5^in. .. 16 48in. 
7 59in, S5 17 him. 
8 48in. 24 38 45in. 
9 57iu. .. 19 56m. 
10 59iii. .. SO 47in. 
This gives an average spread of over 52^in. for twen'y heads 
killed in the hunting season of 1896. Arg-ue from this any 
way you like It may mean a round-up of the last moose in 
the State, but it certainly proves that the argument so freely 
used before the last hunting season, that the big bulls were all 
gone, is without foundation. J. B, Burnham. 
Wild Life on Sandy- Hook. 
The Sandy Hook country is a United States reservation, 
but I am sorry to say that no attention is paid by the author- 
ties to gunning or trapping, either in the closed or open 
sea?on I have destroyed a number of rabbit box traps, and 
most generally they were found ia the vicinity of the life- 
saving stations. 
There are more rabbits on Sandy Hook than in any other 
portion of the State, yet many are destroyed by cats which 
have been carried there by residents of the mainland. These 
cats have bred and become quite numerous, and are as wild 
as some of their kin of the West. 
I have asked the State Commission as to my authority on 
a United States reservation, and the question has not as yet 
been satisfactorily answered. 
Most of the violators of the game laws reach the Hook by 
means of boats, from New York as well as New Jersey, and 
the only way to capture them would be to arrest them within 
the reservation limits. 
There are hundreds of large patches of ground that snow 
never reaches, and should the wind be blowing a gale the 
only evidence of that fact would be the roar of the surf, 
such is the protection afforded the birds by the thick cedars 
and sandhills. During the different seasons all the berries 
and fruits of this climate can be found growing there in 
abundance, the seeds having been dropped by the birds. 
Wild Houet. 
