S46 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[May 4 i§99. 
s-ued would stop, duck their heads, bristle their quills 
and switch their short, stubby tails from side to side. No 
matter which way I turned, the porcupine always kept 
his back toward me; it was impossible for me to get at 
his -head. It was remarkable what an amount of ham- 
mering on the back one of them would take before he 
would succumb, and yet a light blow on the nose was 
sufficient to kill them. The skin is rather thin, and the 
quills so lightly attached that a light blow from a stick 
is sufHcient to knock some out, many of which stick to 
the club. Many persons who have not had any experi- 
ence with porcupines, believe that they have power to 
throw their quills, which is not so. I remember reading 
an article written by a man who supposed that he had 
had a narrow escape from one of them. As I remember, 
he came suddenly upon the animal, climbed a tree, a limb 
broke, he fell to the ground a few feet from the porcu- 
pine, and his miraculous escape he could never account 
for. 
Again, while hunting little-chief hare (Lagomys prin- 
ceps) in a large tract of slide rock, at timber line, I was 
entertained for some time by one of these animals. I 
was waiting for a "coney" to appear, when my attention 
was attracted to a slight sound at one side, and turning, I 
beheld a porcupine watching me from an elevated posi- 
tion close by. Evidently I had disturbed him in running 
over the rocks, or he had come out to sun himself. He 
gazed at me a few minutes, then came a few feet nearer, 
sat on his haunches, with his front feet held in the air, 
like a squirrel, then he licked his paw, scratched his side 
and shook himself, advancing until he was not more than 
50ft. from me. His actions were very comical, and he 
reminded me more of a monkey than a rodent. As I got 
up to leave, he took refuge among the roeks. 
Regarding the habits of a Canadian porcupine (Erethi- 
son dorsata) that Audubon and Bachman had in con- 
finement, these gentlemen say (Quadrupeds of North 
America, Vol. I., pp. 280, 281): "It was occasionally let 
out of its cage to enjoy the benefit of a promenade in the 
garden. It had become very gentle and evinced no spite- 
ful propensities; when we called it, holding in our hand 
a tempting sweet potato or apple, it would turn its head 
slowly toward us and give us a mild and wistful look, and 
then with steady steps advance and take the fruit from 
our hand. It then assumed an upright position, and con- 
veyed the potato or apple to its mouth with its paws. If 
it found the door of our study open it would march in 
and gently approach us, rubbing its side against our legs 
and looking at us, as if supplicating for additional deli- 
cacies. We frequently plagued it in order to try its tem- 
per, but it never evinced any spirit of resentment by rais- 
ing its bristles at us; but no sooner did a dog make its 
appearance than in a moment it was armed at all poiiits 
in defense. It would bend its nose downward, erect its 
bristles, and by a threatening, sidewise movement of the 
tail, give evidence that it was ready for the attack." 
I had a dog that would attack every porcupine he 
found, and of course came out worsted in every round, 
but experience was no teacher to him; he did it again 
the very next time he had a chance. Frequently he came 
into camp with his head full of spines, which necessitated 
my gagging him and withdrawing them with a pair of 
pincers. Several spines in his paws, that he had broken 
off, worked through in the course of a few days, and 
were extracted from the other side. A half-breed Cree 
Indian told me that once while eating a piece of porcu- 
pine meat, of which these people are very fond, he got "a 
quill fastened in the roof of his mouth, and in trying to 
pull it out, the point broke off, and a week or ten days 
after the piece worked out of his nose. 
The flesh is dark, tender, but of a ts»k taste, and 
hard to become accustomed to. 
I was once hunting in the mountains of Wyoming, 
when I saw a pine squirrel {Sciunis fremonti), sitting 
on a log, acting altogether too quiet and. unnatural for 
so spry an animal. He was all huddled up, and took no 
notice of what was going on about him. I crept close 
to hlra, and from the side of his neck saw several porcu- 
pine quills protruding. Whenever I got within 4 or 5ft 
of him another squirrel in a tree near by chattered and 
aroused him. Several times I was on the point of strik- 
ing him with a stick, when the other squirrel gave the 
alarm, and at last he went up a tree. I would have shot 
him, but deer and elk tracks were abundant, and I did not 
feel like risking a shot and scaring the game, not even 
for science. I have often wondered how the squirrel got 
the quills in him; surely it was accident. Possibly, while 
playing, he ran quickly around the trunk of a tree and 
surprised the porcupine sleeping on a limb, and received 
a blow with his tail, or he may have jumped upon the 
animal's back, taking it for a stone. I am quite sure 
that he died from the wounds in course of time, for the 
action of the muscles would work the spines further into 
the flesh every day. 
Mr. E, W. Nelson, in speaking of the western porcu- 
pine (Natural History Collections made in Alaska, p. 
274), says: "The Indians and Eskimo are very fond of 
its flesh, and, with the exception 01 the wolverine, are 
its only enemies." 
From Audubon and Bachman (Quadrupeds of North 
America, Vol. I., p. 285) I copy the following: "We 
have mentioned in an article on the Canadian lynx that 
one of those animals (referring to the Canadian aniiiial) 
was taken in the woods in a dying state, owing to its 
mouth being filled with porcupine quills. We have heard 
of dogs, some wolves, and at least one panther that were 
found dead, in consequence of inflammation produced by 
seizing on porcupine." Dr. C. Hart Merriam, in his 
"Mammals of the Adirondacks," p. 301, says regarding 
this subject: "The porcupine, owing to the formidable 
dermal armature, has but few enemies. Chief among 
them, as has already been shown (Vol. I., pp. 30 and 
48-50), are the panther and fisher, and since these prowl- 
ing carnivora have become rare in the Adirondacks, the 
porcupine has been, and still is, on the increase. He is 
occasionally attacked by wolves, eagles and the great 
horned owl." In a foot-note the same author says: "In 
Forest and Stream of March 20, 1884 (p. 144), Mr. J. 
L. Davison, of Lockport, N. Y., states that he has re- 
cently examined a golden eagle that had been shot at 
Plessis, Jefferson county, N. Y. He says: 'The feet of 
the eagle were full of porcupine quill's, which was prob- 
ably the last animal he had dined off, and about as hot a 
meal as he ever had.' " 
On turning to the pages referred to above, I find the 
following: "Cougars are either particularly fond of por- 
cupines, or else are frequently forced by hunger to make 
a distasteful meal, for certain it is that large numbers of 
these spiny beasts are destroyed by them. Indeed, it 
often happens that a panther is killed whose mouth and 
lips, and sometimes other parts also, fairly bristle with the 
quills of this formidable rodent. Porcupines are such 
logy, sluggish creatures that in their noctivagations tlney 
fall an easy prey to any animal that cares to meddle with 
them." In speaking of the fisher {Mustela pennanti) he 
says: "Sir John Richardson tells us that 'its favorite 
food is the Canadian porcupine, which it kills by biting on 
the belly.* Corporal Lot Warfield, who writes of this 
animal from western Vermont, states his experience as 
follows: 'I agree with Penobscot that they are not 
plenty, but account for it on different grounds, namely, 
its fondness for the flesh of porcupines, whose quills often 
prove fatal to it. I have several times foimd the quills 
buried in the bodies, besides quantities of flesh, hair and 
quills in the stomach and excrements, and . from this 
gained a point in baiting them. Let other trappers try 
it." Continuing, the writer, Dr. Merriam, says: "Dur- 
ing a recent visit to the north shore of the Gulf of St. 
Lawrence I was informed both by an agent of the Hud- 
son's Bay Company and by trappers themselves, that por- 
cupines constitute a large and important element in the 
food of the pekin (fisher). Mr. Nap. A. Comeau, of God- 
bout, who secured me a large and handsome male of this 
species, tells me that its intestine contained hundreds of 
porcupine quills arranged in clusters, like so many pack- 
ages of needles, throughout its length. In no case had 
a single quill penetrated the mucous lining of the intes- 
tine; but they were, apparently passing along its ihterior 
as smoothly and surely as if within a tube of glass or 
metal. Mr. Comeau could not discover a quill in any of 
the abdominal viscera, or anywhere in the abdominal 
cavity, except as above stated. A great many, however, 
were found imbedded in the muscles of the head, chest, 
back and legs, and it was remarkable that their presence 
gave rise to no irritation, no products of inflammation 
being discovered in their vicinity. In examining the 
partly cleaned skeleton of this specimen I still find some 
of the quills in the deep muscles and ligaments about the 
joints. A knee in particular showed several in its imme- 
diate neighborhood. One is deeply imbedded in the dense 
ligament alongside the patella, three lie paraljel to and 
close against the tibia, and two can be seen" between it and 
the fibula." . 
It is probable that all of the quills entered the body 
while engaged in killing and devouring the porcupine, 
for those swallowed seemed to have caused no trouble 
after having fairly entered the alimentary canal. There- 
fore there remains no question whatever that the fisher 
feeds upon the porcupine,^ but I do not agree with Cor- 
poral Warfield in the belief that the "quills often prove 
fatal to it." 
The Indians of the North use the quills in decorating 
their moccasins and for other fancy work. 
J. Alden Lobing. 
©Wego, N. V. 
Tree Nesting Ducks* 
Calais, Me., April 20. — Editor Forest and Stream: I 
have been interested in reading what Mr. Mather and 
others say about tree ducks, and thought perhaps the 
experience of an old bird and egg collector might inter- 
est the readers of your natural history column. Fifty 
years ago we used to have six different tree ducks breed- 
ing on our river: barrows, golden eye and the buffle 
head (albeola) rare, but the common golden eye, the 
American merganser, hooded merganser and wood duck 
abundant. Aboyt fifty years ago pickerel were put into 
our waters, which soon put atit' end to most of our wild 
ducks breeding, as the pickerel eat up all the chick ducks 
except in the few lakes or ponds that were free from 
pickerel. Near to Calais are several ponds and lakes 
that are free from those fish, and the tree ducks bring 
their young to those lakes for safety. 
I was at the Kendrick Lake, and a lad that lived near 
by was with me. A duck (whistler) came flying low 
toward us, when the lad threw up his hat with a shoxit, 
when the old duck dropped a young one that fell near 
us that was at least ten days old. The old one went 
for it so quickly I almost lost it, but I got it and put 
it in my pocket for a specimen. We were near the 
lake, and the old duck also, when we saw she had four 
others in the water. The boy says if we keep quiet 
she will go away and bring others, or if she is afraid 
of us very much she will take those across the lake 
or to the other lake. They were getting near to some 
water grass, when the old duck made a flutter, caught 
one and went across the lake; it was hardly two minutes 
before she returned and took another. 
I don't think she took them by her mouth, and the 
one she dropped, if it had been in her mouth we should 
have seen it. Mr. Eastman, father of the lad, said they 
often took their young from one lake or river to another 
if they thought them in danger, and said he had seen 
them bring the young from the nest to the water and 
then in their bills, or to go any distance, or if they are 
any size carry them pressed to the body by the feet, 
and the boys often by a; shout made them drop their 
young. They brought me. several different kinds after- 
ward, wood duck, whistlers and hooded mergansers, but 
no young of the large merganser, 
A'lany years ago I was up to Grand Lake Stream 
salmon fishing, when I saw a large duck fly into a hole 
high up in a large birch tree. The log drivers said it 
was a sheldrake and had nested there many years. I 
was anxious to see what kind of a merganser it was. 
After the log drivers' day's work was done one of them 
by driving spikes managed to get up. The old bird flew 
out, and he brought down one egg, and said there 
were seven more. I then got the man to arrange a 
noose over the hole, and the next morning we had the 
old bird hung by the neck and the eight eggs were new 
to science. The log di^f^ers said they had seen the old 
Tiird bring down the yoiii'hg in her bill to the water. 
Several y^ars later Mr, John Krider, of Philadelphia, 
went with me to the same tree and collected the eggs. 
He was a well-known collector. Mr. Audubon was mis- 
taken in his account of the nesting of this merganser 
since he describes it as nesting on the ground among 
rushes, in the manner of the serrator, having a large nest 
raised 7 or 8in. above the surface. 
On one of my collecting trips my attention was called 
by the log drivers to a singular contest between two 
ducks; it proved to be a female wood duck and a female 
hooded merganser, for the possession of a hollow tree. 
Two birds had been observed for several days contesting 
for the nest, neither permitting the other to remain in 
peaceful occupancy. The nest was found to contain 
eighteen fresh eggs, of which one-third belonged to the 
merganser, and as the nest was lined with the down of 
the merganser it appeared probable this bird was the 
rightful owner of the premises. I once found a dusky 
duck's nest in a cavity of a leaning birch tree about 
30ft. high. Geo. A. Bdardman. 
The Harriman Alaska Expedition* 
Mr. E. H. Harriman, of New York, who is taking 
his family to Alaska on a large private steamer, has 
invited a notable party of scientific men and others to 
accompany him as his guests. The party will leave this 
city late in May, and will be gone two months. It vfill 
not keep to the beaten track pi travel, but will visit 
out-of-the way portions of the coast of which the average 
tourist sees nothing and of which comparatively little 
has been written. 
As at present made up the arts and the sciences are 
well represented in this party. There are geologists, 
botanists, topographers, ornithologists and mammalo- 
gists, and there are three or four artists and two men 
eminent for their literary ability — ^John Muir and John 
Burroughs. 
The following gentlemen constitute the guests of Mr. 
Harriman, E. L. Trudeau, Jr., T. H. Carney, Depart- 
ment Agriculture Washington; E. S. Curtis, Seat- 
tle; F. V. CoviUe, Washington; Dr. W. H. Dall, Smith- 
sonian Institution; D. G. Elliot, Field Columbian 
Museum; Prof. B. K. Emerson, Amherst, Mass.; L. 
A. Fuertes, G. K. Gilbert, Geological Survey; Drs. C. 
Hart, Merriam and A. K. Fisher, both of the Biological 
Survey; Dr. Lewis Rutherford Morris, Mr. John Muir, 
Dr. H. S. Pritchett, of the Coast Survey; Prof. Wni. 
Trelease, Botanical Garden of St. Louis; R. Swain 
Gitford, George Bird Grinnell, John Burroughs, Robert 
Ridgway, Smithsonian Institution; E. S. Dellenbaugh, 
Henry Gannett, Geological Survey; Prof. Wm. H. 
Brewer, of Yale, and Prof. W. K. Ritter, University 
of California. 
The expedition is expected to leave Seattle, or some 
other Sound port, about June i, and to proceed by the 
inside passage to Sitka and Skagway. Thence it will 
move north, taking in the Muir and Malaspina glaciers, 
the Mount St. Elias Alps, and from there cruising along 
the coast to Cook's Inlet, to Kadiak Island and perhaps 
beyond. . ■„ . a- -i j 
It is anticipated that great opportunity will be afforded 
for the collection of little known birds and mammals, 
and that important scientific results may be achieved. 
The opportunity for viewing the marvelous scenery of 
the Alaskan penin.sula and of seeing out-of-the-way places 
is a remarkable one. 
It is anticipated that occasional brief excursions will 
be made into the interior in search of some of the larger 
mammals, which are not only very desirable objects 
of the hunter's skill, but most interesting to science as 
well Among these animals are the white sheep, named 
after one of the guests of the party, and the great 
Kadiak bear, nanied by one of the members. It is pos- 
sible too that the; steamer may get far enough north 
to reach the resting ,places of the walrus, though it is not 
likely, to pn^er the , Bering Sea. 
Reason and Instinct* 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Doubtless you feel that this discussion is growing 
lengthy, but I will only ask this one reply. 
If I correctly understand Hermit, his challenge to 
name anything that is necessary to the existence of the 
lower animals which they do not comprehend, renders 
any reply from me unnecessary; I never claimed any-, 
thing of the sort, and if knowledge of prime requisites to 
existence is the full definition of reason, then I know 
nothing of such reason in man. Hermit puts the argu- 
ment I and my "ilk" make as, "The acts of animals which 
seem to indicate reason are null and void because of other 
acts which seem to indicate a lack of reason," and I ac- 
cept that statement, if to it is added, "until the antece- 
dents and all connected circumstances arc examined, and 
fail to afford an explanation of the acts m previous ex- 
periences or habits, of the animal performing the acts. 
If Hermit holds that the reason of the least mtelhgent ot 
sound-minded men should not teach them that while 
grown persons are to be kept away from a child in its 
perambulator, a toddling child may be permitted to ap- 
proach I pity his estimate of human mentality. 
Hermit's remarks about adoption are wholly illogical 
(or what is now the same, misleading), as I never re- 
ferred to "adoption." . It was substitution which I cited 
as indicating lack of reasoning power in dams. 
"Mr. Wade and his ilk do not call on science to verify 
their claims. We know how gladly they would do so, if 
science was on their side." That statement is incorrect. 
But now for a bit of lay science. Hermit gives us lots of 
what is doubtless the correct article, as he knows it, but 
he makes statements which are incorrect. ,^"Thus the 
dog's sense of smell is superior to man s. But no 
hound has a keener "nose" than many of those human 
beings both deaf, dumb and blind. To be able to distin- 
guish one's clothing from that of another after washing 
and a year after that washing, to recognize that a friend 
is within several yards, to know and name every article 
of food on the table on entering a dining room seated 
for three hundred, to know there are many books ir^ a 
room upon entering that room, to know one's books from 
others' to distingtilSh any kind of wood, to distinguish 
brass from steel, all by smell, is about as much "nose" 
as any hound I ever Icnew had (although, I adrhit, not 
equal to the American bloodhounds that followed a man's 
