ApRit 30, 1898.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
by instinct, the little tiling Opens its mouth and the 
mother drops the tidbit in the young- bird's 
mouth. In this Avay she feeds every tender fledge- 
ling. In,stinct teaches the mother not to drop in the 
mouth of a bird an atom of any food that is not soft 
and delicate and eas3' of digestion. 
The mother is always the queen, the manager, the 
superintendent, the director and absolute controller of 
all the operations incident to selecting a place for their 
nest, building the nest, choosing the' better time in all 
the year for laying her eggs and l earing the little family. 
The male is always a subordinate equal. 
When our bluebirds returned one season, in earlj^ 
.springtime, to the pump which had been their little home 
for many years, and found that their house had been re- 
moved, and not a trace of it could be seen, they both 
lingered about the place for several days; and when 
any one went to the well to draAv water with the new 
apparatus the dear birds would come and light on the 
curb and look anxiously into every nook and angle for 
their old nest. I took a^- part of an old, half-decayed 
fence rail, in which woodpeckers at some former time 
had bored in, and excavated a place for their nest in 
the soft wood, and placed it on one end under an apple 
tree a few yards from the pitmp. Then I clapped my 
hands together and adjusted my thumbs so that by blow- 
ing in the opening between the palms of my hand I could 
make the welkin ring by the shrill sound of that ex- 
temporized whistle. Quicker than I can rehearse the 
fact the female bird came from a distant part of the 
orchard, flying swiftly to me and lighting almost within 
my reach. I talked to the anxious warbler and told her 
that there in that old rail was a nice and cozy home 
for her. I have no idea that she understood my lan- 
guage; but I continued to remain a few yards from the 
old rail, to see if the birds would not discover that hole 
and build their nest in the old home of a pair of wood- 
peckers. Very soon the mother bird spied the hole in 
the old rail and flew quickly to it and peered in, and 
then went in and came out, and then went in again 
and came out, and gazed inquiringly all around 
in the tree top, and cast many glances at me, 
as if inquiring if everything was all safe and right. "That 
is all right, birdie," said I. "Take full possession. No 
one shall disturb you if you make your nest there." The 
bird looked at me, turning her head this way and that 
way, in the attitude of an anxious inquirer. I repeated 
again; "That is all right, dear birdie." Quick as thought 
she flew to the top of the tree, and in a shrill tone of 
voice, which could be heard hundreds of j'ards away, 
she called: "See here! see here! see here!" as plain 
as could be to my interpretation of bird language. In 
less than half a minute the mate came flying swiftly 
from somewhere (I didn't know where), whereupon she 
flew to the hole in the old rail and went in and out. 
Then I heard her utter a low note, which the male 
seemed to understand, as he went quickly to the hole 
and entered in and came out. Then she went in and 
out and bade him go in again. Then they rubbed their 
bills together and both flew away out of sight. 
"Well!" I exclaimed, "that is the best I can do for 
yon." But to my surprise, in only a few minutes the 
female bird returned with a mouthful of wool, which 
she took into the hole in the rail. After a few minutes 
longer the male returned with a mouthful of fine horse- 
hair, which he delivered to his mate. After the lapse of 
two or three days their little nest was finished, the 
interior being covered with down and soft lamb's wool. 
Then, after the lapse of a week or two, there were five 
pretty eggs, from which five charming songsters were 
hatched and reared. 
When I moved to New Jersey and built a suburban 
villa, holes were bored in the hollow corner posts of 
the railing on the summit' of the tower, more than 50ft. 
from the ground. Bluebirds built their nests in those 
hollow posts and reared their young birds, until cruel 
shooters had popped over the last songster of this spe- 
cies of birds. Bluebirds and all other insectivorous birds 
always manage by instinct to lay their eggs and hatch 
their young birds exactly at the period of vernal seed- 
time, when there is a generous supply of tender worms. 
The goose alwaj^s makes calculations to build her nest, 
lay a setting of eggs and hatch her goslings at that season 
of the year when 
"The gra,ss comes creeping, creeping, everywhere, 
On tlie sunny liillside, in the cozy nook, 
In the fields and on the lawns, 
And by the babbling brook." 
The bluebird, the Baltimore oriole, the bobolink, the 
meadow lark, "little chippie" and many other birds were 
all insectivorous birds. They are immensely valuable 
in fruit orchards, as they devour untold numbers of in- 
sects which are very damaging to growing apples and 
other fruit. Seventy years ago wormy apples and pears 
were extremely scarce, for the simple reason that the 
birds devoured such immense numbers of the worms. 
But at the present time we are amazed to notice how few 
apples are free from worm holes. If the singing birds 
could only be restored, their services by way of destroy- 
ing noxious insects would be of immense value. 
Okange, N. J. - Sere N O E. Todd. 
A Dfumirungf Grouse. 
While in the woods of northern Michigan last sum- 
mer I had the rare experience of witnessing a rufled 
grouse drumming. 
So often have I heard people, even sportsmen, advance 
the theory that the drumming sound is produced by 
the bird scraping or striking its wings against a hollow 
log or stump that I take the liberty of writing this piece, 
repeating what many must already know. 
One afternoon, about the first of June, I was seated 
on a bluff overlooking Lake Superior, with a virgin 
forest behind me, when suddenly a grouse started to 
drum near me. He would drum and then wait a short 
time, and then drum again. He kept it up so long that 
I thought I might be able to crawl along the ground, 
and so get a view of him. Getting down on my hands 
and knees, and taking care not to break any sticks or 
shake the underbrush, I crept toward the sound, only 
moving forward when the drumming was going on. Af- 
ter crawling in that manner for a short distance I hap- 
pened to look up, and there was a large cock, standing 
on a log, not more than 20ft. away. ^ He saw me about 
the same time, but didn't seem to be scared, for after 
a pause, a little longer than usual, he continued his 
drumnnng. He would throw out his breast and puff him- 
self up, and then raising and throwing forward his wings, 
would beat his sides and breast, slowly at first, and 
mcreasmg the frequency of the strokes until they ended 
m quick vibrations, making his wings almost invisible. 
The fii .St five or six strokes were about a second apart, 
and he would increase the strokes steadily from that 
on until almost the end. After drumming he would 
spread his tail, and craning his neck would look all 
aroimd, and then remain perfectly still and listen for 
about five minutes, then repeat the drumming and again 
remain still and listen. While I was watching him he 
went through the performance six or eight times, and 
then jumped down from the log and walked away. After 
he had gone I went up and inspected the log. It had 
evidently been selected as a general place for drumming, 
as there were feathers and other signs around and on 
the log The log was. 3 to 4ft. in diameter and partially 
decayed, and gave out a hollow sound when struck. No 
doubt the log is used as a sounding-board. 
I waited for some time, but he didn't come back, so I 
returned to the club, where I was visiting. 
Frank Semple, Jr. 
The Care of Marmosets. 
In his "Rois en Exile" Datidet says that the King, 
when bored by his mistress, sent her "the most beautiful 
httle creature imaginable," a marmoset, to signify that 
he wished to be rid of her. 
This substitution of monkey for man seems to me an 
evidence of consideration on the part of His Majesty, 
for the woman who knows the companionship of a mar- 
moset can well do without royal regard. 
These phantasmal little creatures, tender and timid 
afl'ectionate and intelligent, are perhaps of all the smaller 
pets the most satisfactory. Knowing the marmoset as 
I do, it is a matter of ])ain and surprise to me to find 
that but comparatively few persons know how to give 
to them the intelligent care which would insure 'the 
health and comfort of their pets. 
I have seen many a marmoset die an agonizing and 
unnecessary death simply because they had been fed by 
their owners on bread and milk, whereas in reality Paris 
green would give a more humane death than the"linger- 
ing one caused by the artificial diet of bread and milk, 
crackers, candy and cake. Civilization has many sins 
to answer for in regard to these unfortunate simian suf- 
ferers. The marmoset is essentially insectivorous. He 
must have bugs or die, and with the bugs as a steady 
dietetic stand-by must go bananas, and of inestimable 
iniportance in the hygiene of these beings of film-like 
tissues and membranes — tapioca. I cannot lay too much 
stress on the nutritive virtues of tapioca, boiled in sweet- 
ened water and given freely to all kinds of monkeys, 
from the atomic marmoset up to the gigantic gorilla. 
They all love it, and grow sleek and fat on it. Eggs, 
both raw and hard-boiled, are capital, and in summer 
grasshoppers, crickets, moths, millers, June bugs, and in 
short every kind of bug except our own native croton 
bug and cockroach. These two are deadly. In winter, 
and in fact all the year round, the bug problem is solved 
by the wholesome and succulent meal worm. These 
niay be bought of any dealer in birds, or better still, keep 
in your cellar a box of prepared meal and bran, wherein 
can be bred myriads of worms. Onion juice mixed with 
sugar may be given two or three times a week to the 
marmoset with beneficial results. In addition to the 
articles of diet I have mentioned may, or must, be given 
all varieties of fruit and uncooked vegetables, notably 
corn and tomatoes, soft-shell almonds and popcorn. 
Sleep is an important factor to these beings of an 
acute vitality. Twelve hours they must have, and six- 
teen hours will insure to them a hale old age, free from 
nerves and tremors. A basket and a blanket of eider- 
down flannel are all that they ask, and thus equipped 
they sleep like dormice. 
I cannot think without pain of a caged marmoset. 
They must leap and climb and jump, or soon the spinal 
cord becomes affected and paralysis sets in. 
The climate in summer, if the animals are fed properly, 
is not too severe for them. From May till October mine 
have the freedom of the town, sharing the trees with the 
birds and the fences with the cats. More monkeys die 
from bread than cold. A crumb of bread is more to be 
feared than a ton of climate. 
A marmoset in health never drinks water. Thirst is 
a sign of fever in the stomach. This is also the case with 
the larger monkeys. Fed properly, they never want 
water, and when they do they need a doctor. 
It is my conviction, based on many years of observa- 
tion, that when bread and milk are banished from the 
cages of the monkeys in our public zoos and menageries 
we will put to flight pneumonia, diarrhoea and all the 
troubles attendant upon an erroneous dietetic .system. It 
has been my sorrow to see many of these unfortunate 
creatures suffer and die before t knew how either to 
cure or to prevent disease. Their evangel caiiie in the 
form of my own marmoset Dulce. All that I know of 
his race he taught me. Dulce is now in his sixth year, 
and is as strong as a Shetland pony. It is with me a 
distinct mission to spread the gospel of Dulce. 
New Haven, Conn. JUSTINE IngERSOLL. 
Iowa Wolves. 
Berkeley, la,, April 20.— Editor Forest and Stream: 
On Monday last a farmer residing here captured five 
young wolves. They were taken in an open meadow, 
where the old wolf was evidently moving them to a bet- 
ter place of concealment. He succeeded in getting a 
shot at one of the parents, but at too great a distance to 
be effective. Last year at a little later date five young 
ones were taken from an old straw stack in the" same 
vicinity. The former litter showed unmistakable signs 
of hybridism, some of them being marked with a white 
spot on the neck and head, and one with a few white 
hairs on the tip of his tail, somewhat resembling a 
shepherd dog; otherwise they were true to the species 
in form and color. E. D. Carter 
hg md 
CHICAGO AND TEE WEST. 
Ducks, 
Chicago, April 21.— There seems a decided tendency 
of .sentiment in the States of Minnesota and Wisconsin 
against the practice of spring shooting. The agitation 
IS distinct in many circles, and the increase of sentiment 
agauLSt the spring killing of migratory fowl will in all 
probability before long be recognized 'in the passage of 
sweeping laws prohibiting such shooting. From Minne- 
sota the reports come that the season has been unusually 
good so far as the shooting possibilities were concerned. 
More ducks were killed this spring in Minnesota than 
ior some time past. Not long ago this would hav6 
been considered simply a matter for self-congratulation, 
but this season there has been an awakening; and manv 
shooters are beginning to speculate what would have 
been the result if these birds had been allowed to breed 
A distinct movement is under way in Minnesota, and 
representatives who go into the next Legislature will be 
sounded as to their views on spring shooting by a large 
and increasing contingent of con.stituents. 
The Minnesota season closed last Friday, but Wis- 
consin allows shooting until May i on the deep-water 
ducks. Ihis IS another instance of the loophole in the 
aw, and of course it means that all sorts of ducks are 
killed by a great number of persons. Mr. George A 
Morrison, ol Fox Lake, Wis,, writes me as follows in 
regard to the abundance of fowl in his part of the world- 
"We have had the best spring shooting here this sea- 
son that we have known for years. Big bags were killed 
liere the last two weeks, mostly of blue-bills, and a few 
good strings of redheads. The ducks have not been 
chased up and down the lakes from morning till night 
as heretofore, and so have had a chance to rest How- 
ever i hope this will be the last of spring shooting in 
our State. If the laws continue as they are at present 
we will in a few years have no shooting at all cither 
spnng or fall. There seems to be a sentiment growing 
amon^r the local shooters in favor of a close spring sea- 
son. 
Yet another Wisconsin gentleman, Mr. W. E. Warren 
—and curiously enough, a resident of the same section 
as the writer last above quoted— adds his testimony re- 
garding the spring flight of '98. Under date of April 
20 he writes me as below, from Fox Lake, Wis.: 
"The slaughter of ducks is on here at Fox Lake and 
I guess last week broke all records. Fred Merrill, of 
Milwaukee, got 105 in one day, and others report nearly 
as many. One of the market shooters of Milwaukee 
took in over 200 as 'baggage.' I suppose some of the 
market shooters, even, are now advocating the stopping 
of spring shooting. I sincerely hope we will get such 
a law scion, before it is everlastingly too late." 
In Illinois the flight was kissed good-by in the upper 
county of the State last week. Mr. Ernest McGattey 
of this city, shot for a couple of days at Long Lake, just 
below Fox Lake, 111., and killed a couple of dozen ducks 
17 ui one day. Along the Fox River Messrs. V S' 
Lumbley and C. P, Barnes killed 97 ducks in one dav 
week before last, bagging 43 birds in one hour and fifty 
minutes. These gentlemen live at Woodstock, III. In 
the lower part of the State the shooting practically 
ceased the week before the close of the season. 
Snipe, 
The snipe season has been on the whole very satis- 
factory thus far. There is a large territory in Indiana 
and Illinois suitable for feeding grounds, and the con- 
sequence has been that we hear of a greater number of 
small bags and not so many of very large bags. . I have 
as yet not heard of over 30 birds to any 011% gun this 
spring, but a great many reports come in of bags of a 
dozen to two dozen. 
Near Freeport the shooting was last week very good 
and a number of fair bags came in. Around Fox Lake' 
111., there has beeji some good shooting, but not of ex- 
traordinary interest. On the Sag. just west of this city, 
a few shooters have managed to connect with the llighc' 
and have had heavy shooting, though others who have 
gone to that capricious vicinity have not been so fortu- 
nate. All around the southern edge of Chicago there 
has been a lot of good snipe country, and very good 
bags of jack snipe have been made practically within 
the city limits. Charlie Antoine and a friend one day 
this week picked up 30 jacks while driving around from 
place to place at the southern edge of the city. Oswald 
von Lengerke, Mr. Antoine's business partner, with Mr. 
Shaw, of the same house, made a second trip to Koutts 
last week, but got only 27 birds. 
At Maksawba Club, on the Kankakee, is one of the 
best snipe marshes in Indiana, and a great many birds 
have been killed there this spring. Mr. W, P. Musses 
went down last week and in three days bagged over 60 
birds. John Matter at the same place bagged 38 birds 
in two days. On one day several of the club members 
went out, with the following success: W. H Haskell 
22, Mr. Irwin 24, R. B. Organ 23, W. P. Mussev 26, M. 
Petne 7, W. Gillett 8. These birds were on the marsh 
about three or four miles from the club house. 
The snipe are now fat and in good condition, and the 
shooting becomes easier every day. John Watson went 
down to the marsh again day before yesterday, and he 
will in all probability be good for two or three dozen 
snipe a day. All the country is now getting green and 
the grass is coming up nicely on the marsh, while the 
receding water is making drier and more wormful large 
strips of the fat black soil of Indiana. 
News from Montana. 
Mr. John D. Losekamp, of BiUings, Mont, is spend 
ing a few weeks in Chicago this spring purchasing goods 
for his Montana outfitting store. It breeds a vast dis- 
content with city life to hear Mr. Losekamp talk about 
the Montana country. He reports Old Bill Hamilton, 
Liver-eating Johnson and other Montana friends as still 
well and prosperous, and says also that the mountain 
trout of the streams near Billings, notably of the famous 
