Oct. 13, igdO.jl 
FOREST_:ANr) _ STREAM. 
heard a most peculiar noise, which was neither the' 
growling of bears nor the barking of dogs. The great 
mystery — a mystery at least to many — has been solved. 
A colored boy, J. H. Myrick, a few days ago was huntnig 
small game in that great belt of forest land known as the 
Low Woods, stretching for many miles and embracing 
thousands of acres. His attention was attracted by ah 
old sov\' running and pursued by some animal unknown 
to him. The brave boy, though armed only wiih a gun 
loaded with small shot, manfully stood his ground. On- 
ward came pursued and pursuer, unmindedly of his pres- 
ence, until they were within 40 feet of hun. Suddenly 
the pursuing beast became aware of his presence, and 
turning at the same time to fly, presented a fair mark. 
With the coolness of a veteran hunter the boy discharged 
the full contents of his gun at point blank range. Ihe 
beast staggered, and with yelp and howl fled as best he 
could. I he underbrush was thick, the boy was alone in 
the very heart of the gloomy forest, and being unable to 
load and pursue ere his prey was out of sight, he re- 
turned home, and to many related his strange adventure, 
accurately describing the place of the encounter and locat- 
ing the part of the body in which the shot must have taken 
effect. 
A day after Mr. J. C. Taylor, on his way to Como in a 
cart, was attracted by the presence of carrion crows not 
far from the wood path. Curiosity prompted Mr. Taylor 
to investigate, and there lay a gaunt wolf all torn and 
dead. Resolved to establish the true nature of the beasts 
which have made such terrible havoc, he placed it in his 
cart and brought it into Como for complete identification. 
He passed my home on his way and requested me to come 
into the road and examine him. I instantly recognized 
him, though a stranger to North Carolina. By this time 
Mr. Don Spiers, Mr. Thomas Taylor and Mr. Harvey 
Picot had assembled around the cart to look at the grim 
monster still in death. I asked Mr. Taylor to wait a 
minute and I would satisfy him and the others as to the 
beast. I went into my library, and taking down a very 
large natural history, showed them his picture. They at 
once recognized it. I then showed them by pictures the 
difference between the three well-known species of the 
wolf family. The dead beast was a monster in size, meas- 
uring from snout to caudal extremity fully 7 feet, and 
weighing when killed at least 175 pounds. He was what 
is called in zoology the black clouded wolf, an animal 
peculiar only to extreme northern latitudes. Question : 
How came this animal here? We might account for 
the presence of the common gray wolf or the barking 
wolf of Texas, 
The ^sequel of events proves that he is not alone, but 
accompanied by many more. A day after the finding of 
the dead wolf, report was brought that their tracks were 
numerous and well defined in a field belonging to G. C. 
Picot and Mr. Carter. Thereupon David Vann placed 
some strong steel traps where the tracks were thickest 
beneath some apple trees. His venture was crowned with 
success, for upon visiting the traps in the early morning 
Mr. H. B. Picot and his fine dog Bruno, found safely 
caught a young wolf. Quickly came trooping to the 
scene many impelled by curiosity. They clamped the 
little struggling beast, and having safely tied his legs, car- 
ried him to Como. The wolf is there still in a large box 
in the custody of Mr. Hutchins Majette. Yoti can see 
him free of charge at any time. A wolf and a dog are 
of the same family, and at a distance easily mistaken the 
one for the other. Some graduates in zoology, wiseacres 
in comparative anatomy,' will not even believe the evi- 
dences of their senses, and no doubt finding a buzzard's 
callow brood. Avould swear they were not buzzards be- 
cause they were white. The salient points of difference 
between a wolf and a dog are few, but well defined and 
established. Come, see, and observe and learn. We 
invite hunters and their dogs to a grand hunt, and the 
notice beolw written by the request of Messrs. Vaughan 
and Majette may possibly make their coming both profit- 
able and interesting. We extend a hearty invitation to 
that old-time keen sportsman, Mr. P. D. Camp, who, as 
usttal, has a pack of splendid hounds. 
* I mean just what I write. At least a hundred sheep 
and as many hogs, or rather pig.s, have in quite a short 
time been destroyed in Maney's Neck by these wolves, 
proving the presence of many here. The wolf slain by 
the boy was a female, and her dugs evidenced the fact of 
her giving suck to young. This is a serious matter and 
if neglected will lead to disastrous results not only here 
Wt to the county. J. H. P. 
NOTICE. 
A rew^ard of five dollars will be paid for each wolf killed 
in Mane5''s Neck and presented at Como for identification. 
J. B. Vaughan, 
J. G. Majette, 
Commissioners, 
[We believe that the writer in a local paper has very 
largely overestimated weight of the animal which he saw. 
The wolf is very heavy for its size, but never, we fancy, 
reaches any such weight as that mentioned. At the same 
time, its weight can 'Only be estimated, as we recall no 
records where wolves have been put on the scales. 
That wolves should occur now in Vermont and in 
North Carolina — States from which they have not been re- 
ported for many, many years — is most unlikelv. and no such 
vague newspaper records as those quoted will be accepted 
by naturalists, until some specimen shown to have been 
killed there has been identified by competent authority. It 
must be remembered that in these days not Qiie mini in 
ten thousand knows a wolf when he sees it.] 
Seaboard Air Line.— IV. 
Report to October, 1900. 
^'Editor Forest and Stream: 
Cool weather with a prevalence of easterly winds dur- 
•■' ing late April and early May caused a serious falling oft 
in the usual steady passenger traffic of our spring season. 
About the middle of May, however, there was a rush of 
migrants, and all the woodland retreats were speedily 
filled. Then followed more chill, miserable days, and the 
little travelers, being afraid, I presume, to venaire further 
north, tarried with us for at least a week. I felt sorry for 
them, for though enjoying their society immensely, L 
knew they ought to be well on their way. Still, on the 
whole they did not seem to mind the delay, for despite 
chill winds and dreary skies, they rollicked and sang 
as though in the best of spirits. One balmy morning (my 
notes say May 12) they began to move, and in a day or 
two the transients were mostly gone, and we had begun to 
settle down for the summer campaign with our rgeular 
contingent. 
Crackles appeared in large numbers early in March. 
On the i6th we had a heavy storm of sleet that cased 
all the tree world in ice. During the calm, bright weather 
that followed, the sparkle and flash of sunshine by 
day and the gleam and ripple, of moonlight at night as it 
played over the woodland, were marvelously beautiful. 
It was amusing to watch the grackles make a fluttering 
effort to perch among the ice-bound twigs. If they had 
had gumption enough to take a footful of sand with them 
there would have been no difficulty, but they were not 
equal to the occasion, so they slid and slipped about till 
the ice thawed. 
I saw the first Baltimore oriole May 7. He was in 
great spirits, seemingly delighted to be back, ^or he 
answered my greeting instantly in his usual breezy man- 
ner. 
Our less fus.sy little travelers came on in fair num- 
bers. I think all the old families were represented, for 
I recognized practically all my old friends. I know so 
many that it is not necessary for me to take space to 
enumerate, so you must take my word for it. 
The gaudy scarlet tanagers were in far greater num- 
bers than in years past, and a brave sight they made 
among the snow-white petals of the dogwood blooms. 
Cerulean warblers were also more in .evidence than 
usual, and gave quite a tropical effect to their surround- 
ings, while splashing in the basin of the fountain. 
There were plenty of screech owls all through the sum- 
mer. One little fellow used to begin his querulous whine 
at about 4:30 P. M. during the latter part of May. I 
had never heard them commence to grumble before twi- 
light, so I took special pains to find out what his trouble 
was. He had Icoated in a tall spruce, and there I visited 
him, and talked with him several times. I could not 
seem to comfort him, though I tried my best. He cer- 
tainly looked at me and paid attention while I spoke, but 
the moment I stopped he would begin his doleful whine. 
As "I had troubles of my own" I was obliged to leave him 
with his burden, still for many days he complained from 
his perch in the spruce. 
The summer passed about as usual from a birdseye 
point of view, and the autumn travel was satisfactory. 
Three great sea loons passed over the other day, high in 
air, laughing at me as I stood and watched them. I sup- 
pose they knew I wished to join them, and the idea evi- 
dently amused them. 
I am aware this report is more of "^a summary than is 
usual with me, but you are so conversant with the Air 
Line business that detail is really unnecessary. 
There has been about the same amount of incident as 
heretofore, and any bird lover along the line who will look 
over his notes may stipplj^ all that is lacking in this 
respect 
Memory will bring the rustle of their unseen wings to 
his ears; in his mind's eye he may see the windblown 
wisps of wildfowl scudding before the gales in the yellow 
gleam oi gusty sunsets. 
This is part of the dividend he will receive, and if of 
kindred spirit with the writer, he will treastire it and be 
thankful. Wilmot Townsend. 
Bay Ridge, N. Y." 
Oak Pruners on Long Island. 
Editor Forest and Stream t n 
I send you by mail a number of twigs, which you will 
see — if you examine the larger end — appear to have been 
cut off from the parent stem by the gnawing of some 
insect. 
The history of these twigs, so far as I can give it, is 
this. In the early summer, beginning almost with the 
first days of June, these twigs with the green leaves at- 
tached begin to fall from the oaks and the hickory trees 
and continue to drop from the trees until autumn. They 
fall in the greatest abundance in windy weather. If those 
found in the summer be split with a knife it will be 
seen that each contains a worm, or larva, which may be 
assumed to be the author of the destruction, The fall 
of these twigs does not take place every year. We here 
helieve that it comes only in what we call the locust year 
— that is to say, in a year when the seventeen-year locusts 
make their appearance. Can you tell us what the insect is 
which does this damage, and what steps may be taken 
to reduce it? Long Islander. 
On Sept. 6 a partj'^ named Marco Dollintine, of Los 
Angeles county, Cal., was tried for killing quail out of 
season. The defense he set up was rather an unusual 
one; witnesses were called to swear that quail were doing 
a great deal of damage to the grape crop, and that the 
only protection grape growers had was to kill the quail 
when found in the vineyards. Mr. Dollintine himself said 
that he was compelled to kill the quail to prevent them 
from destroying his grapes. It was unfortunate for the 
<lefense that the deputy pame warden _ w^ho made the 
arrest was able to swear that the quail in question were 
not within a mile of a vineyard when killed. To prove 
also that these quail had not done any harm to a vine- 
yard recently, at least. 1;h.eir crops were opened and 
nothing but seeds of mountaih weeds were found. — Com- 
mercial Advertiser. 
[The twigs referred to are several fr^'m the oak tree, and 
one very stout one from a hickory. They show the work 
of a well-known beetle cal'ed the oak pruner (Elnhln'dion 
villosum, Fab.). This beetle is slender, nearly cylindrical 
in form, dark brown in color and seeming to be dusted 
over with a grayish, somewhat mottled, down. Its an- 
tennae are longer than the body and many jo'nted. while 
the beetle itself is about half or three-quarters of an inch 
in length. 
Our correspondent rightly infers that the cutting off 
of the twigs is performed hv the larva of this insect, the 
work of which we shall briefly describe. It attacks oak 
hickory, chestnut, maple and many of our common orchard 
trees, as well as sumach and even the climbing bitter- 
sweet. On some occasions its attacks on peach orchards 
are so severe that trees are severely injured by it. 
The life history of the species is given by Mr, F. H. 
Chittenden substantially as follows: Tlie nrother beetle 
inserts an egg usually in one of l!ie smaller Iwigs of a liv- 
ing tree. The young larva hatching therefrom first attacks 
the wood under the bark, followmg the grain of wood 
and packing its burrow with its sawdust-like castings. 
As it grows, it cuts its way toward the center of the twig, 
often consuming the wood entirely around the limb and 
leaving only the bark to support the twig. After this it 
cuts a tunnel along the axis of the twig toward its ex- 
extremity, and plugs up this tunnel beh.nd it with saw- 
dust. The twig now being attached to the limb only by 
the bark, the first high wind that follows is likely to break 
this attachment, and the twig falls to the ground. In 
the autumn, or sometimes in the early spring, ihe larva 
transforms to the pupal stage, and about the last of May 
makes its escape from the twig it has occupied, a perfect 
beetle and ready to breed. 
The question as to why the larva cuts off the twig is 
one that has been greatly discussed by entomologists, and 
has as yet by no means been settled. It is suggested by 
Mr. Chittenden that the limb is cut off in order that the 
adult insect which is being transformed within it may 
have a free exit from the tunnel in which it lies by 
merely cutting through tlie sawdust which plugs up one 
end of this tunnel. The boring organs of the beetle are 
feeble, and it could not cut its way through hardwood, and 
perhaps not even through bark. 
It does not appear that any very great or serious dam- 
age is commonly done to trees by the work of Elaphidion, 
although, as already stated, cases have occurretl where 
peach and pear trees have been seriously damaged. But 
the falling of the twigs on well-kept lawns and on the 
edges of gardens is imdesirable as making an unsightly 
mess. The simplest way to reduce the numbers of the 
insect is to take up these twigs as they fall, and to see 
that dttring the winter, or, at all events, before spring, they 
are burned. This will destroy all the beetles which other- 
wise would make their appearance. 
We do not know that any connection between the ap- 
pearance of the oak pruning beetles and the seveutecn- 
year locusts has ever been observed.] 
Vermont's Confiding Deer. 
Springfield^ Vt., Oct 4. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
Mrs. Brown and myself went for a drive on a quiet back 
road yesterday — one of those roads so familiar to every 
country resident, where the trees meet overhead and the 
rush line of sturdy yoimg undergrowth can barely be 
checked at the wheel track. It was one of "iliose days" — 
you know them — October, still, warm, hazy. As we 
drove slowly the rubber cushions of our tires making no 
noise, we heard the drum of the partridge, the noisy call of 
crows, and nearer the low fall notes of many of qitr 
smaller feathered friends. As we topped the steep wooded 
ridge and emerged into the pasture, in the grass-grown 
road ten rods away a beautiful red deer raised her head 
and gazed intently at these disturbers of the peace; 
Instinctively the savage in me reached for the rifle 
between us, and one hand went into a pocket for the little 
round death, but memory, who had been completely routed 
by this surprise, came rushing back, and I knew that in 
the good old Green Mountain State this proud mother 
and her young received full protection from her wise 
people. 
Keeping perfectly still in the carriage, we worked our 
quiet little horse within 25 yards, \vhen out trotted the 
fawn I Icnew was near. 
Working carefully, we got within 40 feet of the pair. 
How beautiful they were. The mother would nibble at the 
grass, occasionally raising her elegant head to take a 
long look at us. The youngster played about like a young 
calf, only with more grace, stopping to thrust his small 
black nose in our direction and stare at us with eyes that 
showed the fear bred of a thousand years of flight. 
All this time we kept moving nearer, slowly, and stop- 
ping at the least sign of alarm. We succeeded in getting 
within 40 feet before they resented our familiarity and 
retired to the btish, and when we drove by we could see 
them among the thick foliage not 20 feet away, standing 
motionless. W. W.' Brown. 
Food of Raffed Grouse. 
North Attleboro, Mass., Oct. 2.~Editor Forest and 
Stream: I am send'ng you to-day by Adams Express 
five worms in alcohol, taken from a full-grown ruffed 
grouse killed yesterday. I am not sure whether they came 
from the crop or fronj just under the skin in hollow of 
breast. 
I saw the bird after it was dressed and should say was 
nearly full grown and of ordinary appearance. 
My experience of twenty years tells me of no similar 
case. Can you tell me anything in regard to the matter? 
Would be perfectly satisfactory if you briefly statu case 
and reply in Forest and Stream. .A. C. Sylvester, 
President N. A. F. and G. Assn. 
[The five "worms" submitted by our correspondent 
prove on examina'ion to be young slugs {Tcblnnof^horus 
carolinensis). This species occurs from Canada to 
Florida. It is a sluggish, inactive creature, found in the 
woods, often imder bark or in decaying sticks or logs. 
The specimens sent, after having been in alcohol, meas- 
ured from about three-quarters of an inch to an inch and 
a quarter in length. The adult reaches a length of about 
four inches. 
We have no doubt that these slugs came from the crop 
of the brid in question, and either by its being torn in 
removal or in some other way fell into the cavity of 
the breast. They were probably eaten by the bird for 
food, just as it might eat any worm or insect, and Ave 
have previously known of these molluscs being taken from 
the crop of a ruffed grouse.] 
Migrating: Sandfiill Cranes. 
Cumberland,. .B". C<; §ept 20.— ^Editor Forest and 
Stream: The first sandhill cranes were seen passing this 
place on their southern migration Sept. 14. Their loud 
calls were distinctly heard and many of the hirrU were 
seen. "W, B. 
