#3 0. 
season obtained, has received its main ingredient from 
the upper extremities of the tree. 
In allusion to the large proportion of tree fiber that 
is drawn from the atmosphere, it has been stated by some 
scientific authority, whom I do not now recall, that 
when wood is consumed by burning, all the volatile 
parts which escape in the process of combustion consist 
of those substances originally* contributed by the at- 
mosphere; the residuum of ash representing what came 
from the soil, 
Mr. Ames, in allusion to the phenomenon of differ- 
entiation of substances as exhibited in the process of 
growth, asks, "Must we not in this case also look to 
the mysterious selective power of the organism, the 
attribute of life, for the explanation of what is accom- 
plished?" 
It is my belief that the above sentence covers the 
case. And this brings us up to the, germ, the wonderful 
and mysterious germ, the parent of life; the most stu- 
pendous isett in nature. This microscopic bit of matter 
is, in its small compass, a complete epitome of the great 
mystery we call Life. 
The ancient conception that man was formed out of 
clay, and the "breath of life" instilled into bim by the 
Almighty, is weak and puerile in the presence of this 
invisible speck, with all the potentialities^ contained with- 
in itself. 
The wonder of it is greatly enhanced when we consider 
that the development of actual life from the germ requires 
as an absolute essential the coalescing of two of these 
little specks, of like kind, but opposite gender. 
Mr. Hardy thinks that the sap in a tree must possess 
various qualities to produce its varying results of wood, 
bark, fruit, etc. That suggestion can, I think, be disposed 
of by the following consideration: You may plant an 
acorn and a chestnut within a few feet of each other in 
exactly the same kind of soil, and with surrounding con- 
ditions exactly alike. The one will select and assimilate 
from the surrounding media substances that produce an 
oak tree, with all its peculiar characteristics, with blooms 
that are sexualized, requiring coalescence of opposite 
germs, to fructify and perpetuate the life principle; with 
acorns containing germs with the same capabilities of re- 
production as their parent ; and this Avith unvarying re- 
sults except by the slow process of evolution. 
The other, with exactly the sauie materials to select 
from, will produce a chestnut tree, with its characteristics. 
The same grass that produces mutton in obedience to 
the nature of one germ will produce beef at the demand 
of another germ. The same food that produces reptiles 
and "vermin," if appropriated by the human germ, pro- 
duces man, with all his qualities, physical and psychical, 
with his mental powers of retrospection, introspection, 
and to coin a word, futro-spection. 
The potentialities which can convert similar substances 
into such widely varying and such stupendous results are 
contained in little invisible specks of matter. But this 
little germ, so small physically, so immeasurable potential- 
ly, possesses another wonderful feature, which sets it 
apart in isolated grandeur and sublimity above all other 
facts within the scope of human knowledge. Science has 
pursued its way with confidence up the long and intricate 
stream of evolution to its source, and has constructed a 
grand system of mundane life development, that com- 
mends itself with irresistible force to the intelligent mind. 
But, when science has reached the utmost source of the 
stream of life, what does it find? It finds this little 
microscopic germ assuming the proportions of a vast 
mountain of adamantine rock, which stands squarely 
across the way, and forbids further progress even to the 
thousandth part of a hair breadth. 
Human science must stop at the germ, as a towering 
wall too high for the eye of knowledge to see over. 
Philosophy, however, may soar above it and around 
.it, and indulge in as many phantasies and air castles as 
the imagination of man may choose to picture. 
But knowledge stops at the germ. Coahoma. 
Mississippi. 
Our Pretty Visitor. 
On this morning of Dec. 4 the snow lies ift. deep on 
the ground, and the air is burdened with the falling 
flakes; work out of doors is a thing not to be thought 
of; and so I will write of the pretty little visitor which 
has come to give us a vision of grace and beauty all un- 
known to the dwellers within city walls. 
A year ago last spring a tiny doe fawn of the mule 
deer type was caught in the mountains, and given to a 
young girl living some three miles from our home. 
With a band of red flannel around its neck, and with a 
small tea bell suspended therefrom, the little creature, 
roams at will, wild and untethered, save by her love for 
the society of those who have learned to love and pet 
her upon every occasion, and which brings her, at long in- 
tervals, to our door. 
Yesterday morning as I stepped tc the door the tinkle 
of a bell came to my ears, and looking out toward the 
barn, among the staring and astonished cows, I saw 
Kate Atkinson's deer. 
What a beautiful creature she had grown to be! Fat, 
plump and sound; in the very perfection of her lovely 
'blue coat, and with her slender legs colored the exact 
shade of buff to harmonize perf ectly — the traditional "buff 
and blue" of the revolutionary fathers — she tripped along 
down to the gate, the very embodiment of graceful move- 
ment, 
(By the way, isn't it strange that as election time of 
the year approaches, and the trees are robed in their 
glorious autumn dress, all the deer in the American woods 
proceed to don the old revolutionary colors, and to be- 
come, for the time, stanch old-line Whigs, to the last 
one?) 
Of course, we all went out to meet her. and after each 
one had fondled and petted her, and explained to her. as 
did Artemus Ward to his sweetheart, that we thought 
very muchly of her, she sprang up on the roof of the out- 
door cellar back of the cabin, and from there stepped up 
on the roof of the kitchen, along the whole length of 
which she meandered to the front, where she posed at 
length; the lovely little monarch of all she surveyed. 
One of the boys then slipped up behind her and gave 
her a sudden scare, when she jumped from the roof, 
alighting in the snow 7 or 8ft. below, and trotting off out 
of danger, waited until the coast was again clear, when 
she repeated the whole interesting performance, minus 
the final "leap for life." 
All this was very interesting, to be sure; yet, when the 
tinkling of that wretched bell sounded at intervals all 
through the following night, and the patter- of tiny hoofs, 
promenading the kitchen roof, beat a tattoo which defied 
all the seductions of Morpheus, it grew monotonous. 
A halt was called promptly in the morning. 
Positive orders issued from the maternal head of the 
household that all petting of the little creature must stop 
forthwith ! "What would Kate say, should she hear 
of it?" But the graceful little embodiment of beauty, 
how could she be resisted? All hands proceeded to dis- 
obey orders with the utmost promptitude. 
The boys indeed went to the mischievous length of ty- 
ing a big paper to her little black-tufted tail ; and all 
joined in their hearty laugh to see her bounding off 
through the snow, glancing backward occasionally at the 
strange flag of truce so unwillingly borne; yet she again 
proceeded to act like the veritable little Christian she al- 
most seemed to be, loving her enemies, and walking slow- 
ly back to be again petted and loved — as dear old Uncle 
Remus remarks: "What us gwine to do ?" Be indifferent 
to all her little prettiness? Nay, verily! and we take her 
in our arms again. 
How her sweet timidity and gentleness recall the lines 
which charmed my long-ago boyhood, and which were 
addressed to a pair of swallows that flew into church 
during divine service: 
Gay, guiltless pair! 
What seek ye from the fields of heaven? 
Ye have no need of prayer; 
Ye have no sins to be forgiven. 
Why perch ye here, 
Where mortals to their Maker bend? 
Can your pure spirits fear 
The God ye never could offend? 
Well, aside from the poetry of it, we have gotten a 
visitor, and "don't you forget it."' 
Not a bit of use in trying to drive her away ; she eludes 
the whole pursuing family with the grace of a swallow 
in its flight; enjoying a romp hugely, and bounding over 
the fences with an ease that betokens wreck to die cab- 
bage plants of a coming summer, and the consequent ruin 
of our tempers. 
She is camped right down in the snow in front of the 
house, forgiving everybody, loving everybody, and keep- 
ing everybody awake to the extent of her tinkling, sharp- 
hoofed ability. 
And don't the "chained to business" city dwellers envy 
us our pleasure with the little creature? I believe they 
do. Orin Belknap. 
Valley, Washington. 
)Htt[e mti 0nn. 
Proprietors of fishing and hunting resorts will find it profitable 
to advertise them in Forest and Stream. 
Rabies in Skunks. 
Denver, Colo., Dec. 3.— Editor Forest and Stream: 
The case of a child's death in this city, resulting, the 
physicians say, from rabies, has attracted much attention. 
The Republican quotes one of the specialists, who was 
called in for consultation, as saying: 
"It is as far as I know or can find out the first recorded 
death from hydrophobia in Colorado. One man died at 
the county hospital about six weeks ago who showed 
many of the symptoms of rabies, but as far as I saw, not 
all of them. Some of the most important were lacking. 
His case I cannot state to have been rabies, but I have no 
doubt in the present case, which is consequently remark- 
able." 
It is yet claimed by many, and by- some who claim to 
be high medical authority, that there is no such malady 
as "rabies," or "hydrophobia." You will observe that 
the learned author of the Republican article asserts that 
a certain recent case was the first ever known in Colorado. 
He doubtless echoes the assertions and opinions of sundry 
medical gentlemen with whom he has conferred. It is 
very far from the truth. Rabies in skunks has been 
known in this country ever since white men came into it, 
It has also been noted in wolves occasionally, though 
noticed less frequently, owing, doubtless, to the differing 
habit of the animals. Fremont lost one of his men from 
skunk bite during his first trip to the Rocky Mountains 
in 1842, and described the case as hydrophobia. Only a 
few years ago a Mexican woman died from the same 
cause in the Arkansas Valley, forty or fifty miles below 
Pueblo, this State. She was 'sleeping in the open air and 
was bitten in the face by a skunk. 
Forest and Stream published an exhaustive correspon- 
dence upon this subject twenty odd years ago. 
' Wm, N. Byers. 
Raccoon Breeding: in Confinement. 
For the benefit of an inquirer, Mr. Arthur Erwin 
Brown, superintendent of the Philadelphia Zoo, sends us 
this note: 
"The common raccoon (Trocyoit lotor) does breed in 
captivity, but not frequently. It has bred but twdce in 
our gardens since 1876, although we have had at least 
150 individuals during that time. The dates of breeding 
were March 23 and July 8. In the Zoological Gardens of 
London the species has bred four times since 1861, the 
dates being April 9, June 3 and n, and Oct. 6. As a rule, 
when wild animals breed at all in captivity, they are 
more irregular as to season than under nature. 
"The largest number in a litter among the above births 
was three ; several times there being only one. This again 
is a common result of captivity, there being almost al- 
ways fewer at a birth than when free. 
"I do not know if the crab-eating raccoon (Procyon 
cancrivonis) of South America will breed or not; few of 
them have been kept. The nearly related coati (Nasua) 
of Central and South America very occasionally breed in 
collections; and the bears, not far distant in relationship, 
very seldom breed. I know of very few cases." 
"Arthur Erwin Brown." 
The Forest and Stream is put to press each week on Tuesday. 
Correspondence intended for publication should reach us at the 
latest by Monday and as much earlier as practicable. 
There is no more lastingly appreciated holidays! 
gift than a good book. For one who is interested* 
in outdoor sports the volume may well be one om 
those included in the "'Forest and Stream's" lisffl 
And do not forget to order in good season. 
In Tennessee Quail Fields. 
Jameson, Tenn., Nov. 27. — Editor Forest and Streanlm 
A few days ago my hired man told me he had seen twdjj 
fine coveys of partridges in my Upper field; so the mora 
ing after he made this announcement I took my dog anS 
gun and went with him when he started to his work.1 
We tramped across a plowed field to the weeds where) 
the birds were said to be. At the proper time I sent thai 
dog on. He hunted the field in fine style, but no birds) 
were found until we reached the fence on the opposite! 
side. The dog did not find them then, but I walkem 
right into the covey and flushed it. They dipped overl 
the fence so suddenly I had only time to bang ones 
barrel, and with this brought down one bird. Beyonoj 
the fence was a skirt of woods. We climbed the fencJj 
and followed into this woods. The dog was with usj 
now, and soon came to a point. Five or six birds goa 
up; but the bushes were thick here, and only one carft« 
to the open, and that one some distance away. TmS 
time I picked a few feathers, and the bird went on. J 
AVe expected every moment now to see the dog pointj 
other birds, but instead he commenced to trail. Wei 
thought the birds were running, and so they were, butj 
not the ones we had 'found. The trail led in a half^l 
circle back to the field, just inside which the dog came!] 
to a stand. I climbed the fence and flushed the birdsJj 
The weeds seemed to be full of them, and as they dashed! 
into the thicket I stopped two more. We followed onl 
again, and the dog soon commenced to point, pointing! 
four single birds, one after the other, in rapid succesi 
sion, all of which I killed. I now had seven fine plump 
fellows in my pockets. Scattering birds were every- 
where, but I told my man I didn't care to murder them, 
all at once, so turned from a tempting bit of shooting 
and went back to the house. 
Two days later I tried this same field again, just 
before noon, but found no birds. I decided they were 
roosting in my -weeds and feeding somewhere else; so 
that "afternoon, just before sundown, I rode into the field 
again. The dog ran on ahead and disappeared over a 
rise. When I reached the top of the rise I saw hint 
standing on a beautiful point 50 or 60yds, away. One 
front foot was raised as though he had stiffened just 
as he went to make his leap. A few yards beyond the 
dog was a dense thicket of maple bushes. The frost 
had turned the leaves a bright golden color. They 
formed a solid wall of yellow. The dog stood out boldly 
on this yellow canvas, forming a picture that was at once 
to me a source of pure delight. The rays of the setting 
sun falling over all added to the beauty of the scene.i 
I stood a few moments to admire, then stepped forward 
and flushed the birds. About half of them went straight 
for the thicket and the others turned across the field. I: 
dropped one in the edge of the bushes, then turned andj 
stopped another in the weeds. I saw still another light,; 
took the dog over, pointed promptly, flushed the bird 
and killed it twenty steps away. 
This fine November weather we have had a number! 
of pleasant experiences of this kind, and I must tell you 
of one other. My friend Cliff down by the store keeps 
a couple of good dogs, and hunts. He told me he had! 
heard of lots of birds about two miles down the country ,| 
so we decided to spend our afternoon among them. 
I was at the meeting place promptly at 12:30 o'clock. 
Cliff came in a half-hour later on a full gallop, with) 
dogs and gun. He was somewhat heated and rattled,, 
Said he had to start a plow before he could get off. We, 
set off at once for the farm on which we meant to hunt, 
Cliff went by the house to ask permission to hunt in the 
fields, which was readily given, and we rode into a 
stubble field of sixty acres. 
' Cliff planned that I should go along by the fence,, 
while he rode out parallel with the fence, but about) 
100yds. from it. In this way we were to make through?', 
back and forth across the field until the birds were 
found. I had gone but a little way when my dog 
pointed in toward the fence. I called to Cliff. His dogs, 
seemed to understand I had found, as they came run- 
ning down, and backed promptly. About the time Cliff 
came up the dogs began to waver on point, ran up 
the fence a little way, a'nd pointed again. We knew the^ 
birds were running; so I climbed over into the next 
field. That had been plowed up and sowed to wheat, and 
there was nothing to hide the birds. They had come om 
on to this open ground and were huddled close together 
though slightly on the move. Had I been disposed^ tc 
make a pot shot 1 might have killed half or two-thirds 
of them, but we did not propose to hunt in that way, I, 
took a few steps toward them, when they dashed acros" 
the fence. I got two of thern as they went over, anc; 
Cliff another on the other side. We followed their* 
up.' The dogs soon came to point Three birds golj 
up. I killed the first, Cliff the second, and the thirc 
went on. 
We thought now we could just kill anything tha* 
might fly up, so decided to kill straight through. Next, 
four birds got up. I missed and Clifford followed suit 
So much for being over-confident. Next four or fivt 
birds got up. The first came over my head, too close 
to shoot. I thought to turn and kill him as he wen» 
off, but the weeds were in my face, so the. bird wen 
on without being shot at. Cliff banged at another, going,' 
in the other direction, watched it fly 200yds., double up; 
and fall in a cornfield. We went over and found' tha' 
one, then went back to look for the one that flew qvel 
my head. It went back to the corner of the fieU) 
where we had started, We did not find it at onte, sti 
