264 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[April 3, 1897, 
Tiiat night there was a severe autumn thunderstorm, 
but next morning the clouds had cleared away and the 
sun smiled down pleasantly. There never was a more 
lovely morning than the morning of that bright autiimn 
day when we three boys with our two muzzleloading shot- 
guns and two cur dogs sallied forth after squirrels. Nature 
seemed lavish with her jewels, for the raindrops, still 
hanging to the leaves, in the bright sun looked like pure 
white diamonds, and all animate nature seemed to appre- 
ciate nature's pleasing display. Pheasants and quail were 
in great abundance and the woods seemed to be fairly 
alive with squirrels. I remember that we shot six fox 
squirrels out of one old oak that stood in the edge of a lit- 
tle cornfield. I never saw so many squirrels any one day 
before or since. We brought home nearly sixty squirrels 
and a number of pheasants and quail from that day's hunt, 
which we thought pretty good work for thirteen-year-olds 
armed and equipped as we were. Had we been ex- 
perienced hunters armed with breechloaders, doubtless 
we would have bagged a couple of hundred. 
Then, as now, iny natural inclinations took me a-fishing 
oftener than hunting. We had no trout, but there were 
plenty of pike, pickerel, wall-eyed pike, cats, bass and 
gr>ggle-eyes. It seems to me that I can recollect distinctly 
every fishing trip I ever took in all its minutest details. 
Like all pioneer boys, I had to work; and fishing and 
hunting trips were uncertain and limited. Of course I 
could go any summer evening to the river and fish for cats 
and goggle-eyes, but such trips Avere not entirely satisfac- 
tory. So in order to get the kind of fishing I moat wanted 
I used to enter into contracts with father at the first of the 
week to do stipulated jobs, or what we called my "tasks," 
and what time I could earn by diligence and energy I might 
appropriate at the close of the week and use -as I saw fit. 
Sometimes I would earn all of Saturday, but oftener only 
Saturday afternoons. My rods were iron wood saplings, 
procured from the sidehill over by Miller's Branch, peeled 
in the attic and allowed to season thoroughly. And they 
were dandies too; generally about 16ft. long, light, tough, 
and straight as rays of light. My lines were ordinary 
chalk lines, as a rule. A Chinaman alwaj^s buys the big- 
gest boots he can get for his money, and "l followed that 
rule in buying hooks. My bait was shiners, chubs and 
green frogs, procured from Butler's Branch, west of us. 
And I generally had all these things in complete readiness, 
so that when my task was finished there were no particu- 
lar delays in getting to the river. 
To recount my fishing exploits would simply be a repe- 
tition of nearly every frontier boy's experiences; but now 
as I think back over my forty years' fishing experience I 
feel constrained to admit that I have never felt in my 
maturer years the same thrills of pleasure with the split- 
bamboo, salmon and trout that I experienced in my boy- 
hood days with the iron wood, pike, pickerel and bass. I 
probably commenced my angling career when about seven 
years of age, maybe younger; and now that gray hairs and 
"crow's feet" admonish me that the time is coming when 
my angling will have to be done, if at all, on the other 
side of^the great river, I look back to the good old days 
with the pike, pickerel and bass as about the most pleas- 
ant of my life. In those days we boys were all still-fish- 
ers. There was none of the "wasteful stravagance" of 
modern times — no "silver reel contrapshuns and shiny 
fish poles dat run riot wid money." What boy of us then 
ever thought of artificial flies? 
Two miles above our house North Coon River divided. 
One arm swept around to the east thirteen miles, coming 
back to join the main river almost at our door. The other 
arm came straight down and was dammed near its mouth 
for milling purposes, furnishing a deep and extensive body 
of dead water that abounded with the finest bass, pickerel 
and pike. This, of course, belonged to myself and my boy 
friends by right of continuous and undisputed possession. 
At least our right was never questioned. 
I remember one Saturday afternoon when I was about 
ten years old— in fact if I should live a thousand years 
that particular afternoon will never be forgotten — I had 
gone to the slough with my bucket of minnows and three 
of my best ironwood poles. I had securely planted one 
of my poles (not rod, Mr. Cheney) in the bank above an 
old submerged log where the water was probably 15ft. 
deep. I remember that the line on this particular pole 
was a brand new chalk line that Uncle Charley Roden- 
baugh, the carpenter, had given me, and the bait was a 
big green prairie frog hooked on in a way that was neither 
cruel nor torturing to his frogship. I remember, too, of 
thinking, as I started up the river to set another pole, that 
that new chalk line and green frog ought to be able to 
seduce almost any bass in the river. 
Well, I had about got the second pole set when a glance 
below sent such a thrill through me that I shook as if I 
had an attack of the ague. I think that I covered the 
intervening lOOyds. in about five seconds. At least my 
short legs did their level best. The pole was bending 
almost double and the new chalk line was cutting the 
water into ribbons. I wrenched the pole from the soft 
bank, got astride of it and the fight commenced in earnest. 
Well, it was first boy, then fish; then fish, then boy; but I 
got him. I did not "play" him much. The "playing" 
was mostly on the other end of the pole. It was simply a 
case of a boy's strength and grit against a fish's strength, 
grit and cunning. The fish seemed determined to get 
under the old log among a lot of limbs and roots that I 
now for the first time observed, while I was equally de- 
termined that he should not. He was a monster. He 
looked like a bass, but his size made me very doubtful, 
and I finally decided that he must be a buffalo fish. 
While I was examining him and admiring the beautiful 
proportions and the deep green of his back and sides, 
Jake Van Meter, our miller (and by the way a very expert 
fisherman), came along and propounded the usual question: 
"What luck?" "Oh, not much yet," said I, "for I've only 
just commenced, but I guess I've got a durned old buffalo," 
"A bufl'alo!" exclaimed Jake, "let's see him," He took 
the fish and examined it intently for a moment, and then 
turned to me and said: "My boy, you've got the biggest 
black bass ever caught in Coon River." 
Then my chagrin turned to pride, and if you ever saw 
a young turkey walk in a stubble field you can imagine 
how I walked back to my hooks. The basf weighed about 
8|^lbs., and was indeed a large one for that river. 
Well do I remember that afternoon's catch: Three other 
bass of ^|;>Qiit W^igl+t mii, m<X tW9 PipHef§labQut 2ft, 
There were two roads home: one was across the prairie 
and through father's field, the other was via Main street. 
Did I take the Main street road? Well, I wonder! So 
most of the boys saw my catch, and I remember wishing 
that every man, woman and child in the whole State of 
Iowa could see it. Dear old Coon, sweet are thy memo- 
ries! 
''So nature deals with us, and takes away 
Our playthings one by one, and by the hand 
lioads us to rest so gently that we go, 
Scarce knowing if we wish to go or stay." 
S. H. Gbeenm, 
Portland. Oregon^ 
WILD ANIMALS OF NEW JERSEY. 
Mr. Samtibl N. Rhoads contributes to the Procpcdings 
of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadolphia 
notes on New Jersey mammals based on personal experi- 
ence had during three collecting tripsin the northern portion 
of the State. In some cases he has added to his own obser- 
vations those of people living in the localities named whose 
te timony was considered thoroughly reliable. 
"Trip No 1 was made during "the last week in Mav, 1893, 
to Nolan's Point, Lake Hopatcorg, Morris county, collecting 
being onnfined within a radius of three miles from Nolan's 
Point Villa, on the east shore of the lake. 
"The stcf nd trip in'cludfH a brief stay of fivp days during 
the last week in August, 1898, at a place m ar Delaware Gap 
elation, in the western corner of Warren county. Trapping 
was res'tricted to a line of woodland and meadow connecting 
a lake (Sunfish Pond) two miles distant with the farmhouse 
in which I lodged, near Delaware Gap. 
"The third and most successful trip covered a peri '"d of 
three weeks, extending from the 6th to the 30th days of Octo- 
ber. 1896 It included three stops of one week each ; the first 
at Culver's Lake, Sussex county; the second at Unionville, 
Orange county, N. Y , iuet across the northern boundary of 
Sussex county, near the Walkill Valley; and the third at the 
southern end of Greenwood Lake, in Passaic county. 
"The lakes of New Jersey are numerous; Culver's Lake 
and Long Lake together cover a consideral^le tract, and with 
their surroundings of swamps and mountains form a natural 
forest game preserve that is well worth the future attention 
of the legislators of the State. At Lake Hopalcong, the lar- 
gest of all, the country is less mountainous, and ihe fauna and 
flora shade somewhat into the Carolinian elements, but at 
Greenwood Lake the western range of Greenwood Mountain 
shows the most marked Canadian features noted in the State, 
frequent swamps and hogs of while cedar, fir, pine, hemlock 
and tamarack nestling among the depressions of the summits. 
"The excursions of which the following pages form a 
summary are part of the author's plan to make a compre- 
hensive zoological survey of all the counties of New Jersey 
and Pennsylvania, with special reference to mammalogy and 
herpetology About half of this labor has been completed. 
"ViRonsiA Opossum, — No specimens of opossum were 
taken. Its rare occurrence at Greenwood Lake, where I was 
informed by the hunters that two had been captured in the 
last two years, is of interest as showing the presence of this 
animal in the most boreal surroundings which the State 
affords. 
"Virginia Deer. — It has been many years since one of 
these animals was killed in any of the localities visited. Sev- 
eral are confined in a game preserve surrounding Sunfish 
Pond, in Warren county, and a few in the Dalrymple pre- 
serve, on the east side of Long Lake, in Sussex' county. 
"Wapiti. — A hunter near Delaware Gap declared that his 
grandfather, who 'killed the last elk shot in Pike county,' 
Pa , stated that sometimes the hounds would drive both elk 
and deer across the Delaware River onto the Kittatinny Moun- 
tain. That the latter species has quite recently been known 
to find temporary quarters in Sussex county on this account 
is easily proved, and it is probable that in this manner the 
wapiti bas either voluntarily or involuntarily become a mem- 
ber of the New Jersey fauna within the present century. 
"Varying Hare.— Once pretty numerous in the tamarack 
swamps of northern New Jersey, this species now seems to 
be exterminated, Mr, Larkin Hazen stated that he shot one 
about SIX winters ago on Greenwood Mountain just across 
the State line in Orange county, N. Y. They used to fre- 
quent a small swamp near Culver's Gap, but I was unable to 
find any trace of them there. 
"Wood Hare. — No specimens of this common species 
were secured. On this account I am unable to say whether 
the sub-species transitmiaUs is found in northern New 
Jersey 
"American Beaver. — Num^'rous localities in northern 
New Jersey are pointed out as the traditional sites of heaver 
colonies. This animal was so early exterminated in these 
places that I fouud it impossible to secure any data relating 
to the time of their extinction. 
' ' W ooDCH PCK ; Ground Hog . —Very abundant on the Dela- 
ware slope of the Kittatinny Mountain; less so in other locali- 
ties named, except at Lake Hopatcong. 
"Carolina Chipmunk. — Forty specimens, representing 
every locality visited, show nearer atfinities to the Carolinian 
than the Canadian form of our Eastern chipmunk. Those 
from Delaware Gap are scarcely separable from southern 
New Jersey examples, the Greenwood Lake aeries being 
nearest to Z^'s^^?"! of Maine, but much darker. This an-mal 
is very abundant in Warren, Sussex and Passaic counties, 
but not so numerous at Lake Hopatcong. 
"A temperature of 28° during my stay at Greenwood Lake 
did not wholly silence them, though it greatly lessened their 
activity and apparent numbers. Contrary to what 1 expected, 
no really fat specimens were procured; and all seemed most 
busily intent on gathering and storing acorns at a season 
when they are generally supposed to go into their winter 
sleep. About 20 per cent, of those taken had the tail short- 
ened or injured in some manner. 
' 'Carolinian Chickaree.— Numerous everywhere ; abun- 
dant in the deeper evergreen forests, 
"Northern Gray Sqdikrel. — Not common except in 
the vicinity of Long Lake. Even the former existence of the 
fox squirrel in northern New Jersey rests on such unreliable 
evidence that I am unwilling to include it in this paper. 
"Carolinian Flying Squirrel. — A female and three 
young taken at Lake Hopatcong, and a male from near CuK 
ver's Lake, show no tendency to gradation with the North- 
ern am mal. 
"Raccoon. —Not rare. A special objegt of sport among 
"Canadian Otter.— The otter continues to exist in all 
the more secluded bodies of water in the counties under con- 
sideration. Specimens had been taken at Hopatcong, Cul- 
ver's and Greenwood lakes within a year of my visits to 
these places 
"Southeastern Mmic— None of this species were seen. 
The hunters everywhere reported them scarce. 
"Carolina Weasel — Not common, and rarely becoming 
whitf in winter, even at Greenwood Lake. 
"NoRTHEKN Skunk. — Not having specimens, I am in- 
duced to include the skunks of northern New Jersey under 
the above name solely on geographical grounds. They are 
fairly abundant in the region, 
"American BiiACK Bear. — No bears were reported to me 
as still existing in the localities visited. The recent killing 
of hears at Port Jtrvis makes it possible that they occasion- 
ally wander into the northwestern corner of Sussex county. 
"Northern Gkat Fox.— Reported to be rare by hunters. 
Outnumbering the rod species at Lake Hopatcong. 
"American Red Fox. — Numerous in the rocky, moun- 
tainous districts. 
"American Timber Wolf — This destructive animal was 
exterminated irom northern New Jersey so long ago that L 
could obtain no definite data of its disappearance. 
"Eastern Bay Lynx.— Not yet extfrminated in Sussex 
and Passaic counties, but very rarely taken. I have been 
unable to get any record of the Canada lycx for this region, 
thouah it probably wandered thither in earlier times. 
"Puma — The same remarks which I have previously 
made regarding the wolf are applicable to this animal." 
INSTINCT AND REASON. 
1 II been very much interested in the recent arlich s in 
Fokbst and Stkbam on the "Intercommunication of Ani- 
mals," and am very glad that re earch has been turned in . 
that dirtciion. The opinions of Rev Charles Josiah Adams 
are especially interesting, as coming from a source from 
which we usually look for nothing but opposition to scien- 
tific lesf'arch. It has been assumed that man is the only 
animal having possession of "reason," while the evidences of 
intelligence shown by what are called "the brutes," or "the 
lower animals," are set down to a sense called "instinct." 
Now, I hold that the dividing line between the two faculties 
is very hard to draw and define, and were I to attempt it it 
would not separate man from the other animals in any way. 
What is known as instinct I hold to be only "inherited 
experience," and it is as manifest in the new-born child when 
placed at its mother's breast as in any of the other mammals. 
It is shown in all the actions of childhood and is plainly 
visible in the desires which lead to the reproduction of the 
spec es . - ■ 
On the other hand, the evidences of reasofi, of drawing dednc- j 
tions from facts, of fitting means to ends, are so plainly visible 
in almost if not quite all other animals, from the giant elephant 
to the tiny ant, that we can only claim that we have reason 
in a higher degree, and more fully developed, than the horse 
or the dog I have been noting the actions of animals and 
their evidences of reason all my life, and had I time to ret ail 
them, and your readers patience to peruse them, I could fur- 
nish a long list in corroboration of facts already given by 
your other contributors. Two short examples will show 
that the actions described in them could in no way he re- 
ferred to what is known as instinct. 
When a mere boy I had a cloth cap such as boys usually 
wear, but of a rather bright brown color. One of my father's 
horses conceived a particular antipathy to that cap, and if I 
happened to wear it when I went to groom him he immedi- 
ately twiched it off my head with bis teeth, and threw it 
under his feet. If I wore a straw hat or any other cap, he 
took no notice of them, but he had evidently made up his 
mind that he would not have that cap thrust in his face. 
Some thirty years ago, or rather more, I had a bull ter- 
rier — not one of the dogs now known by that name, but a 
cross between a bull dog and a Scotch terrier, with the broad 
head, "whopper-jaw" and bowlegs of the one, and the 
rough, wiry coat of the other. He was as homely a brute as 
one often sets eyes on, but as intelligent and affectionate as 
he was ugly. He would take a tramp by the leg of his 
trousers and walk him out of the front gate in short order, 
if he found one in the yard; but I never knew him to hurt 
one, his looks were usually suffleient, and they never offered 
resistance. All the while he was very fond of me and of 
my wife and children, with whom he was a great pet, and 
he usually stayed around the house, though he would some- 
times go over the river to my office with me, and lie under 
my desk while I wrote my letters. 
Now, one day, when I went home to dinner, Grip was 
trotting about in the front yard, and what was my astonish- 
ment to see him go to the door, stand up on his hindfeet, 
take the knob of the door bell in his teeth, and deliberately 
ring the bell for admission. What was there instinctive 
about that? If it was- not pure reason, I never saw any 
shown by any action. 
I will not occupy space by further instances, but merely 
say that when we revise our ideas of the "plan of creation" 
and accept the doctrine of evolution, we shall come to the 
conclusion that the difference in the intellectual faculties of 
man and the other animals is one of degree only and not of 
kind. 
Now, as to intercommunication among animals, I know 
dogs can talk, for although I cannot understand what they 
say, 1 can distinguish very different tones in the inflection of 
their voices or "barks" on different occasions. One of my 
sisters who lives quite near me, in the old homestead, has a 
Skye terrier who is very fond of me, and knows my footstep, 
and always greets me with a vociferous salutation whenever 
I go over to see her. 
If she is not down in the lower part of the house when I 
go in he goes to the foot of the stairs and barks in a very- 
different tone from his first greeting of "Good morning," 
and if she does not come down at once he goes up to tell her 
that I have called. This has been repeated so often that she 
knows as well as I do whenever I come in the door. 
Another instance of dog language I noticed some years 
since, when 1 lived at the other end of the village, in a house 
from which I was "burned out." My next neighbor 
on the same side of the street was Livingston Stone, well 
known to the readers of Forest and Stream, and he 
owned a black and tan collie, not very large, but very wiry 
and pugnacious. My opposite neighbor, now dead, Mr. 
Paris, owned a white and tan collie, a much larger dog, but 
not so quarrelsome, and the two had several battles for 
supremacy, in which the larger dog was always whipped, 
until be got so that he would not appear in the 
mm. street witbout hia master, dad if h§ wftot^d Iq 
