May 4, 1901.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
S46 
recorded," lie continued. "According to several ob- 
servers it has been established that it has been the agent 
by which various aquatic plants have been diffused in 
waters that did not before contain them." 
"But. Doctor," I exclaimed, "the heron does not eat 
plants; its diet is restricted to fish, frogs ahd other living 
things." 
"Yes, I know." was the reply; "but it was through 
eating the fishes that the work was done. Audubon, the 
naturalist, states that he found the seeds of the great 
Southern water lily in a heron's stomach, and we know 
that seeds retain their powers of germination even after 
they have been ejected from birds that swallowed them." 
Darwin in commenting on this fact says that fresh- 
water fish eat some kind of seeds; eveji small fish swal- 
low seeds of moderate .size, as of the yellow water lily, 
etc. Herons eat these fish and must often have flown 
with their stomachs thus well stocked to di.stant ponds, 
where they rejected the seeds in pellets in a fit state for 
germination. Darwin enlarges on this topic in a very 
interesting manner. He believes that herons and other 
wading birds distribute the seeds of aquatic plants by 
carrying the mud which sometimes adheres to their feet 
from places where they have been feeding. He proved 
that the sediment in ponds was charged with seeds by 
taking three tablespoonfuls of mud from three different 
points, beneath water, on the edge of a little pond; this 
mud he kept covered up in his study for six months, 
pulling up and counting each plant as it grew ; the plants 
were of many kinds, and were altogether 537 in nutnber — 
an astonishing degree of fecundity in such^a small amount 
of soil. 
"I must confess, Doctor," said I, "that I never thought 
"Yes," answered the Doctor; "although there are many 
oaks and beeches here, the partridges, or more properly 
speaking, the ruffed grouse, seem to prefer such a growth 
as you name. A little later, when the mast is on the 
ground, they will find their way here, for they are fond 
of it. and I have shot birds with their crops so distended 
with acorns that it almost seemed as if they would 
burst." 
At this moment the dog uttered a series of quick, eager 
barks, which were instantly followed by the thundering 
whirr of a number of grouse which flushed from a neigh- 
boring thicket and sped away. The gun was at the 
Doctor's shoulder in an instant, but the birds gave him no 
opportunity for a shot. 
•'That's bad," he exclaimed; "they flushed very wild." 
"Yes," replied the guide; "uncommonly so for the sea- 
son of the year; probably the lynx has been making a 
raid on them, or perhaps a fox has captured one." 
'Tossiblj'," was the response. "We will find more, no 
doubt. It's capital cover and if we move more cautiously 
we'll get a shot or two, I'm sure." 
John whistled to the dog and signaled him to keep 
closer to us in his ranging, which command the spanieL 
obeyed, and we moved among the birches silently and on 
the qui vive for a flushing bird. 
In a few minutes the dog gave a low, querulous whim- 
per, which was followed by his short, nervous bark, and a 
number of grouse sprang into the air before us. 
Both barrels of the gun were discharged in an instant, 
and two of the birds dropped to the ground. 
"Good!" exclaimed the guide. "Two of them are 
stopped in their flight, sure. Seek them. Dash," he con- 
tinued. "Find dead bird," 
"brown and white foaming water." 
of such a thing as the spreading of plant life in such a 
manner. I can see now that various aquatic plants can 
thus be carried into waters that did not contain them 
before, and very likely minute animals are scattered in 
the same way." 
"There is no doubt of it," was the reply, "and there is 
no question that seeds are also transported in earth ad- 
hering to the feet of land birds. Darwin also establishes 
this fact. In one instance he removed sixty-one grains 
of dry earth from the foot of a partridge, and from an- 
other twentj^-two grains. In another example the leg of 
a woodcock was sent to him with a little cake of dry 
earth attached to the shank, weighing only nine grains, 
and this contained a seed of the toad rush, which germi- 
nated and flowered, The leg of a partridge was sent to 
him with a ball of hard earth adhering to it. The earth 
had been kept for three years, but when broken, watered 
and placed under a bell glass, no less than eighty-two 
plants sprang from it; these consisted of twelve mono- 
cotyledons or such plants as common grasses and the 
oat, and of seventy dicotyledons of at least three distinct 
species." 
"It is perfectly wonderful, Doctor," said Phoebe, "but 
what patience it must have taken to find out all this." 
"Yes," he replied; "patience is certainly requisite in 
scientific investigation, and also the most scrupulous at- 
tention must be given to even the most minute details. 
But we must now resume our hunt for birds. Shall you 
remain here?" he asked, addressing the young ladies. 
"If so, we will come here for you in three or four hours 
and we'll return home together." 
"Yes," replied Edna; "if there are no more lynxes to 
trouble us." 
"No ; I'll guarantee that," said John. "You'll be un- 
ni.ole.sted by anything larger than a mosquito." 
"Then we'll continue our blackberry picking," said 
Phoebe, "and wait for 5'ou here." 
"All right, then," I responded ; "we'll return by 4 o'clock 
for vou, and in the meantime we'll leave the lynx where it 
lies." 
Dash uttered a joyous bark as we moved across the 
clearing and thence into the hardwood growth beyond, and 
he resumed his hunt with renewed energy. As we had 
done in the forenoon, we walked through the covert in 
Indian file, the Doctor taking the lead until a bird should 
fall to his gun. 
"There's a tract of young birches on a hillside iie;iT 
here in which we ought to find some partridges." said 
John, as we passed through the larger hardwood forest. 
"At this season the birds keep in less open cover than 
this." • . 
The dog sprang into the thicket and in a few moments 
returned with a large grouse in his mouth, which he 
dropped at the feet of the sportsman. 
"Seek again, good dog," said John, pointing in the 
direction in which the other bird had fallen. "Find dead." 
The retriever again rushed into the thicket, b.ut instead of 
returning with a bird as he had done before, he began 
circling around, uttering at the same time a peculiar 
whimper, as if lie were at fault. 
"I think the other bird is only wing-tipped," said the 
Doctor, "and nO' doubt it is running away. Dash will 
probably be on its track very soon." 
The Doctor was right in his conjecture, for the bird, 
which was uninjured except on one of its wings, and like 
all its tribe, was a rapid runner, gave the spaniel a long 
chase 'oefore it was overtaken. 
"He's found it!" at length exclaimed the guide, as the 
dog uttered a joyful bark, which was followed by a loud 
fluttering of the grouse's wings as the spaniel captured it. 
"Good dog; bring it here," he shouted. The spaniel for a 
moment or two was unable to conquer the struggling bird, 
but at length he appeared, bringing the grouse, which was 
still endeavoring to escape. 
"Your spaniel is, I repeat, one of the best retrievers I 
ever saw," said the Doctor, taking the bird and putting an 
end to its struggles. "A wounded grouse is not always 
captured; many a bird, have I lost, even with a good dog 
to assist me." 
Our tramp was again resumed, I leading the way, but 
although we hitnted the covert thoroughly for over an 
hour, a single bird only fell to mj'' gun. 
"Well," exclaimed the Doctor, "we have evidently lost 
the grouse. It is possible there were but the two broods 
here. I think we had better try elsewhere." 
"All right," answered the guide. "There's another tract 
of young growth about a half-mile from here that ought 
to contain one or tw^o coveys." 
"We'll give it a thorough searching, at all events," said 
the Doctor, "and when we have done so it will be time to 
return to the young ladies ; but there goes an enemy," he 
exclaimed, and as he spoke he took a quick aim at a 
large brown bird that sprang out of a tall spruce near by 
and flew away. The discharge of the gun was follow-ed 
by the fall of the bird, which, when it was found, proved 
to be a large specimen of the great horned owl. "I always 
shoot one of those fllows," added the Doctor, "when I 
have an opportunity, for "they destroy game birds almost 
without number." 
"Yes ; and rabbits, too,", said John. "I have on many 
occasions foimd the spot where an unfortunate bunny 
had fallen a victim to one of these marauders." 
Whether or not the Doctor did right in killing the owl 
there is no doubt that he was correct in his statement that 
the species is very destructive to game birds.. The great 
horned owl is one of the largest of American birds of 
prey, and is widely distributed throughout North Amer 
ica. It is most common in stretches of large forest, and 
in some localities is rather abundant, so much so that I 
have heard several of them at the same time making night 
hideous with their discordant, mournful cries of "Waugh, 
hoo, hoo, hoo," or as the Western traveler understood 
it, "Who cooks for you?" 
The flight of this owl is rapid, noiseless and vigorous; 
he passes through the mazes of the forest with great 
dexterity and ease, and, when flying above the trees, fre- 
quently soars in the maner of the hawks. He is often 
very destructive to the domestic poultry of outlying 
farms, pouncing on fowls that are roosting on trees in the 
night, and bearing them off in his powerful grasp. He is 
very destructive to game, rabbits, grouse an^ other birds 
falling victims to his rapacity. ' 
When a flock of crows discover the presence of one of 
these owls, they immediately collect from all quarters and 
attack liim on every side, uttering their harsh, "dis- 
cordant cries ; the owl is kept dancing and dodging on the 
limb, his_ perch, in a ludicrous maimer; if he takes to 
flight he is pursued by his enemies, and is soon forced to 
alight again. 
The writer has had several .specimens of the great 
horned owl in captivity, and found them rather interesting 
pets ; they fed on raw meat or fish when thrown into their 
cage. They seem to be able to see very well by daylight, 
for if a living animal- is introduced into their cage they 
instantly seize it. 
"There is one animal'that this species of owl kills which 
destroys as much game as any other marauder that prowls 
the woods," said the Doctor. "I have shot a number of 
these birds whose plumage was strongly scented with the 
unmistakable oder of the skunk." 
■ "The skunk !" exclaimed John. "I should hardly think 
an owl could master it." 
"Oh, yes, indeed," was the reply. "The sharp talons, 
over an inch in length, are thrust into the animal's body 
with fatal effect. The skunk, like the owl, is nocturaal 
in its habits, and as it moves leisurely and noisily about 
with no apparent attempt at concealment, it quickly at- 
tracts the attention of one of these birds if it is near, and 
falls a victim to its rapacity." 
"Yes," said I, following the Doctor and John as they 
turned into the thicker growth again; "I dislike a skunk 
beyond all expression, and never spare one if I meet it." 
"The skunk destroj^s a great many noxious insects," said 
John, forcing his way through a thicket of alders. 
"Yes; no doubt," was the reply; "but not enough to 
begin to offset the injury it does by killing hundreds of 
birds in a season." 
The opinion that the Doctor expressed is undoubtedly 
shared by many good observers, and the animal's thor- 
oughly wicked character and peculiar weapon of defense 
have caused it to be universally detested, its destruction 
being generally regarded as an act meriting the highest 
approbation. Its only recommendation is that it destroys 
quantities of insects, both in the larvae and perfect stages. 
Its habits are almost entirely nocturnal, although it is 
often seen in the day time, especially in spring. Unless one 
Ks provided with a gun, it is always best to give it -a wide 
Ijertli, an encounter in any other case resulting in a total 
and inglorious defeat. On one's coming suddenly on it, it 
immediately faces the intruder with its tail erect or lying 
along the back, its little black eyes sparkling maliciously. 
Woe to the comer unless he stands perfctly still until the 
animal walks leisurely away, the least movement being 
surely followed by an ejection, often in one's face and 
eyes— its aim being very accurate — of a liquid with a 
most intensely and disgustingly nauseating odor, which, if 
it reaches the eye, produces an inflammation and partial 
bliiidness, and causes the skin to becbme inflamed and 
vesiculated. The glands in which this liquid is secreted 
are situated near the base of the tail ; they are very muscu- 
lar, being capable, by contraction, of throwing the liquid 
twelve or fourteen feet. This liquid is of a yellowish 
color, is very acrid and at night is said to be luminous. 
The skunk when ejecting it lays its tail flat on its back, 
throwing little jets of a few drops at a time with great 
precision. 
In addition to its destro3dng great numbers of game and 
other birds, the skunk is^a great nuisance to the farmer, 
often doing considerable 'damage in the poultry yard. In 
seizing its prey it throw^s itself over and around it like the 
weasels, usually biting it at the nape of the neck, or 
through the skull into the brain. In a lot of eleven fowls 
that were examined by the writer, which were killed by a 
skunk in one night, none were found to have been bitten 
anywhere except on the head ; in some cases the head was 
eaten off entirely. 
It often trails animals like a dog, and though compara- 
tively clumsy and slow in its movements, will persever- 
ingly follow the object of its pursuit until it has driven 
it to its burrow, where following it in, the whole family is 
sacrificed to its rapacitj^ 
The skunk breeds but once in a year, and has from three 
to seven at a birth. In early winter it usually retires to 
its burrow, where it remains sleeping until early in the 
spring, 
Beaver m Minnesota. 
Sauk Centre, Minn., April 23.— Mr. von Lengerke's 
article in your issue of April 20, regarding beaver in New 
Jersey, was very interesting to me. The last beaver that 
I remember was caught here twenty-five years ago. Their 
old dams indicate that they were thick here some day. I 
have often thought that beaver farming would pay; they 
raise skunks for their pelts and make it pay; why could 
not one raise beaver and make it pay? The cost of 
keeping a colony would be nothing here in this country, 
where popple and wallow are plenty. Two things always 
prevented me from putting the plan into execution—- 
scarcity of beaver and of money. V. 
The Forest ahd Stbeam is put to press each week on Tuesday. 
Correspondence intended for publication should reach us at the 
latest hj Uonday and at much earlier as practicable. 
