May 2^, tm-] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
408 
justify making any positive assertion in regard to this, 
but judging from what is known of our blackbirds, the 
above is the natural conclusion. Yet it cannot be expected 
that it will be as useful here as over a large part of con- 
tine'ntal Europe, where it is exceedingly valuable because 
of the vast numbers of land snails which it eats. Fortu- 
nately, in most parts of the United States we do not have 
the large and abundant species of snails which cause so 
much destruction in the European fields and gardens, 
though we will probably have them some time if the mania 
for introducing things continues. In America the starling 
must depend on other food. 
This is not the only side of the question. The starling 
will not establish itself here and increase without caus- 
ing an accompanying diminution of our native birds, 
many of them more desirable species than itself. It 
would seem as if the English sparrow might have settled 
here without such effect on the American birds, because 
it is thrown into so little direct competition with them; 
such competition being limited chiefly to occasional dis- 
putes over nesting sites, for the sparrow i:tilizes a source 
of food for which our native birds have but little use, and 
which was, until the advent of the sparrow, allowed for 
the most part to go to waste. 
Apparently there was an opening for the English spar- 
row and for our birds also. But already the introduction 
of the sparrow has resulted in the practical extermination 
of the purple martin from a large part of the country, in 
the gradual disappearance of the bluebird and in driving 
such insectivorous species as the house wren and the 
vireos away from the vicinity of our homes, thus catising 
an apparent though probably not actual decrease in the 
abundance of a great number of others of our native 
species. In view of the recent discoveries of the part 
plaj'-ed by flies and ntosquitoes in the transmission of 
disease, the driving away of such birds — particularly the 
above mentioned species of swallow.s, which feed very 
largely on such insects — from the vicinity of our houses 
and substituting a non-insectivorous species, cannot be 
looked upon as an advantage from an economic any more 
than from an aesthetic point of view. Though the starling 
is not by nature so pugnacious as the sparrow, yet it will 
come into far more direct and unavoidable competition 
with the American birds, and it does not follow that the 
species which will be most affected are those most nearly 
related to the starling — that ^s, the blackbirds. The birds 
which haA^e been most affected by the coming of the spar- 
row have been those of dift'erent families, and in most 
respects of different habits. 
It is probable that it is already too late to accomplish 
the extermination of the starling in America. Possibly it 
might be brought about by destroy'ng the nests and the 
birds during the breeding season. But the starling is a 
clever and irrepressible bird, and if persecuted would soon 
become wary. An injudicious attempt to exterminate it 
by offering a reward for specimens would result in a 
great destruction of native species and in endless viola- 
tions of the game laws, rather than in exterminating the 
starling. However, the ta=k is not so hopeless now as it 
will be in a year or so more. 
Of course what the 'starling is going to do in this coun- 
try still remains to be seen. At present we can only judge 
from our knowledge of the habits and nature of the 
bird, and from the rapid progress it has already made in 
the short time that it has been here. There was nothing 
to gain and much to lose by introducing the bird, and the 
mildest way of putting it is to say that the experiment 
was such a dangerotts one t](iat it should never have been 
tried. 
Whatever may be thought in regard to the possibility 
of still getting rid of the starling, there is not the least 
indication that any serious attempt will be made in that 
direction ; at least not until so late that it will be a farce. 
Already the bird has spread into several States, and 
what possibility is there of prompt and concerted action 
under our miserable system of leaving such matters to 
the control of the State instead of to the Federal Govern- 
ment? With all due respect to those who framed the 
Constitution of the United States, they knew nothing 
about either the preservation of valuable birds and animals 
or the protection against harmful ones when they left it 
to the State governments. The birds know no State 
boundaries. The system is just as sensible a one as it 
would be to leave the command of the contingent^'Of 
troops furnished by each State in time of war to the 
Government of the State from which it came, and for the 
War Department to confine itself to experimenting with 
disappearing carriages and to compiling statistics. 
W. G. Van Namk. 
impossibility of the skunk to turn upon its assailant and 
the impossibility of the owl to either fly or let go, and 
there you are. How many skunks have been eaten by 
owls and how many owls have been eaten by skunks? 
Here is a midnight forest scene between two equally 
strong vermin that no kodak enthusiast has snapped and 
probably never will. G. H. Corsan. 
The Bif(J*s Strenuotts Life* 
MiLHURST, N. J. — Editor Forest and Stream: A few 
daj's since when going near a fence of coarse wire net- 
ting, I fotmd a sparrow hawk and a robin lying side by 
side, and both recently dead. I should judge that the 
hawk had been after the robin and the two must have 
struck the fence with force enough to knock the life 
out of each. 
Two days afterward, while walking near a pine tree, I 
heard a robin peeping over my head. Looking up I saw 
it was hung on a string some two feet in length by one 
foot, and to the end of a branch of the tree some fifteen 
feet from the ground. By standing on a garden chair 
with a long-handled garden hoe, I pulled down the 
branch, which I broke off, and found the bird was fastened 
simply with a half-hitch by only the middle toe above the 
claw, and the other end of the cotton twine was wound 
several times around the branch near the terminal buds. 
When disentangled the bird flew away seemingly as well 
ais. (ever. A. L. Lyon. 
Owl and Skunk* 
Toronto, Canada, — In a conversation with Mr. 
Maughan. the Ontario and Dominion governments' taxi- 
dermist, he gave me the interesting information that all 
the great horned owls {Bubo virginiamis) and even the 
large white owls (Nyctea nivea) that he has had sent to 
him recentty, had a A^ery strong odor of skunk. Tliis ig 
decidedly interesting, to think of owls living on skunks. 
One can imagine what a struggle takes place — the abso- 
lutely noiseless flight of the owls, the strike, one talon in 
the shoulder and neck and the other on the rump. The 
Squirrels as Pets* 
Since writing my letter on "Squirrels as Pets," last 
June, I have had to spend about $3 on postage stamps, 
informing individual inquirers that I am not a dealer 
in black squirrels, my few score specimens having been 
smothered by smoke through a fire in the stable next to 
mine. I think I mentioned the incident. 
A gentleman from England writes to me, through your 
paper, on squirrels and their teeth. I have seen squirrels 
in and out of cages whose teeth were so curved through 
the habit of feeding or cracked nuts that they died. He 
will observe that when a hickory or black wakiut is 
cracked the kernel is not entirely liberated, but can be 
scooped out with a curved tooth, and without grinding. 
Hence the temptation to be lazy results in the death of 
the squirrel. It is a great mistake to crack the nuts for 
squirrels, as they then grow fat, shapeless, and short- 
tailed, and, moreover, are too lazy to breed. By the way, 
black squirrels are very scarce in Ontario this year. I 
had the greatest diffioulty in securing nine specimens 
ior breeding purposes. 
"Julius, the fox-hunter," is another correspondent of 
yours who thinks that I am in error. No such mixture 
as hare and rabbit ever occurred; nor frog and toad; nor 
wolf and fox. An egg bearing reptile, such as most 
snakes are, could not fertilize a copperhead, that has its 
young entire. The external appearance may be very simi- 
lar between hare and rabbit, but the reproductive struc- 
tures are entii"ely different. 
Another of your correspondents asks if the black 
squirrel of Ontario is a gray squirrel suffering from 
melinism. I say, no. The shape of the tail is my proof, 
as well as certain differences in habits. 
G. H, Corsan. 
Toronto. 
Sauk Centre, Minn. — I must side in with Hermit in 
regard to the red squirrel. I have strung out a luie of 
meat-baited traps every winter for the last twenty-five 
years, and I do not know that I ever had a red squirrel 
lake a bait. Ground moles and Aveasels are sometitnes 
quite troublesome, also bluejays and moose birds. I have 
seen where many rabbits have been caught and partly 
devoured by owls, but never have I seen where a skunk 
has been killed by an owl. C. W. V. 
— ® — 
State Game Preserves* 
Text of the New G>nnecticut Act Concerning the Establish- 
ment of State Game Preserves 
Section i. The Commissioners of Fisheries and Game 
shall have power to establish State game preserves, and to 
that end may, in the name of and for the use of the 
State, lease for the term of either twenty-five or fifty 
years tracts of. woodland in this State suitable for the 
propagation and preservation of game and game birds; 
said tracts shall contain not less than 50 and not more than 
300 acres, and shall during the term of said lease be and 
remain State game preserves. 
Sec. 2. Said Commissioners may lease any tract of 
woodland pursuant to the provisions of this act which in 
their judgment is adapted to the propagation and preserva- 
tion of game and game birds, and shall, upon the petition 
of five resident land owners of any town so to do. lease 
such tract of woodland as may be particularly described 
in said petition; provided, such woodland can be leased 
upon the terms of this act; and provided, also, that not 
more than two State game preserves have been previously 
established in such town. 
Sec. 3. The owners of the fee of such tracts of wood- 
land as may be leased under the provisions of this act, 
their heirs, executors and administrators, may alienate, 
Use and enjoy such lands for all purposes, except the 
taking, capturing or killing of game or game birds, as 
fully as if said lease had not been made. 
Sec. 4. Said Commissioners, in leasing any tract of 
woodland for a State game preserve, may include in said 
lease any piece of open land connected therewith, which in 
their judgment is necessary and essential to the propaga- 
tion and preser\^ation of game and game birds in such 
State game preserve. 
Sec. 5. Said leases shall contain the usual covenants, a 
particular and detailed description by metes and hounds 
of the tract or tracts included therein, and the nimiber of 
acres of each lessor, and when duly executed shall be 
recorded in the land records of the town in which the 
land described therein is situated, and the proof of such 
record, upon the trial of any person for a violation of 
the provisions of this act, shall be proof that the entrance 
itpon the State game preserve was knowingly made. 
Sec. 6. The State shall pay to the lessor of any State 
game preserve, and to the lessor of any part thereof, a sum 
not to exceed five dollars in full payment for the restric- 
tions imposed upon said land' by said lease under the 
provisions of this act. 
Sec. 7. The said Commissioners shall, during the 
period when hunting game and game birds is permitted by 
the laws of this State, cause notices to be posted along 
the boundary lines of each_ State game preserve forbidding 
entrance therein ; said notices to be posted at such places 
and at such distances apart as will in their judgment fairly 
warn all persons from entering upon such game pre-serve ; 
but the failure to post such notices, or a removal or de- 
struction of such notices after they have been posted, shall 
not be a defense in prosecutions under the provisions of 
this act, when the lease of such State game preserve shall 
have been ditly executed and recorded as herein provided. 
Sec. 8. The takinjg, trapping, snaring or killing of 
garne or game birds in any State game preserve at any 
iime is hereby prohibited. 
Sec. 9. It shall be lawful during the closed season, but 
at no other time, to hunt, kill or trap foxes, skunks, rac- 
coons, wildcats, minks, weasels, hawks and owls in any 
State game preserve. Any person who shall enter upon 
any State game preserve for any of the purposes specified 
m tliis section and shall trap, snare or kill any ruffed 
grouse (called partridge), quail, woodcock, pheasant, 
squirrel, hare or rabbit, or deer, or shall injure the nests, 
eggs or young of any ruffed grouse (called partridge;, 
quail, woodcock or pheasant, shall be fined not more tiian 
$100 nor less than $50. 
Sec. 10. Any person who shall at any time enter upon 
any State game preserve to hunt, trap, snare, net, pursue, 
kiU or destroy or attempt to kill any ruffed grouse (called 
partridge), quail, woodcock, pheasant, squirrel, hare or 
rabbit, or deer, and any person who shall at any time in 
any State game preserve hunt, trap, snare, net, pursue, 
kill or destroy any ruffed grouse (called partridge), quail, 
woodcock, pheasant, squirrel, hare or rabbit, or deer, and 
any person who shall at any time enter upon any State 
game preserve to destroy or remove from the nests of any 
of the birds aforesaid any egg of such birds, or who shall 
destroy the nests or eggs ot such birds, shall be fined not 
less than $50 and not more than $100. The detection of 
any person with a gun, trap or snare upon any State game 
preserve, during tiie open season, shall be presumptive 
evidence of a viola'tion of this section. 
Sec. II. In case of conviction under any of the provi- 
sions of this act, one-half of the fine imposed by the court 
shall be paid to the informer. 
Sec. 12. All the powers conferred and duties imposed 
upon said Commissioners of Fisheries and Game and the 
hsh and game wardens by the laws of this State, not in- 
consistem with tlie provisions of this act, are made a part 
hereof, and may be exercised and discharged by said 
Commissioners and wardens relative to said State game 
preserves. 
i5cc. 13. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent here- 
with are hereby repealed. 
Deer^and Bear in Wisconsin*: 
Editor barest and Stream: 
Some nave' an iaea that a wounded deer wo.n't fight 
but not tut person wno has had one in a posuion to 
Iviiow, or tne person wiio has taken many annual ouimgs 
in quest oi ueer ana louua tiiein and secureu tlitui m 
many numpers, where at times he couia succeasiully 
bring tiiem 10 bay irom a snot wnicli, perliaps, only 
cripplea tnem untn they couid be approached 
During Uie si.Uie3 my brother was a successful and apt 
bunter 111 Ciark county, this State, where he could kill 
dozens auraig the season, using the o,d muzzieloader. 
Un one occasion he aropped a deer at short range, and 
not taking tmie to reload approached the animal, which 
was siruggiing, and drew his knife to bleed it when it 
gained us leet and made a charge at him. In less time 
than It takes me to. note the incident a part of his wear- 
mg apparel was in shreds, and only for young saplings 
which stood quite thick, which gave him a chance to 
dodge the repeated attacks of tliis vicious, maddened. ' 
spike-horned buck until he could draw from his belt the 
lomahawk which he carried, and after the third blow 
knocked the animal down, the deer would no doubt have 
been the victor. He was only "finned," shot through 
above the backbone near the shoulders, which sometimes 
only causes a paralysis or numbness of short duration. 
In the tall of i88o a party of four of us found that, deer 
were seen around an unoccupied tract of land within 
thirty miles of this city. The season was then open in 
iJecember. VVe spent less than two weeks in that local- 
ity, and came home with sixteen deer on our sleigh. 
I hree other, wounded, got away. We did not use dogs, 
but still-hunted them, as there were favorable condi- 
aons--plenty of good light snow. One buck (and we 
now have his horns in the shape of a parior stool) I 
dropped as he got out of his bed within six rods of me. 
When he fell he was out of sight. When within forty 
leet ot him I saw him raised on his front feet, facing 
me, ready lor battle. He was shot through the back and 
could not get away. His eyes were like balls of fire, and 
Ins hair bnsthng toward the head, and stamping with 
Ills fore feet he defied nearer approach. I started to walk 
around him getting nearer, until I came very close to 
him, while^he tried his utmost to drag himself and at- 
tack me. I was ready for him with the then new-fangled 
pepperbox as it was jokingly called in those days, the 
15-shot Winchester repeater. With this same kind of a 
gun a sclioolmate of mine in younger days, Elder David 
Downer, an expert glass ball shot, until his death some 
five years agx) was a hunter in our northern counties, and 
I 11 tel the Forest and Stream readers what he did one 
day when out hunting. You may think it a good story, 
and so it is; but the person who was with him, Mr Sar- 
gent, of Stanley, Wis., is yet alive to vouch for the state- 
ment as he helped dress the deer at the time the Elder 
killed them, which was some ten years ago, near Cable. 
Wis. T have had it from the lips of Elder Downer who 
was not more prone to large stories than other minis- 
ters; and also from Mr. Sargent last fall at his daugh- 
ters, where we were staying during our hunt, which was 
in 1 aylor county. Wis. It came about in this way • These 
two gentlemen were out one day, had separated to make 
a little tour, and' were to come together again Shortly 
after their separation the Elder heard sounds of deer 
jumping. He soon discovered that they apparently were 
coming m his direction, which was on a little rid?e A 
deer came out of a thicket along a runway where there 
was a fallen tree, which it had to jump, which then 
brought It in view of the Elder's position, and while it 
was _m the air h^s gun cracked, and was instantly reloaded 
again, when another deer made the same jump Thev 
kept on commg until five shots had been fired at about 
a distance of eight rods. As no others came in sight 
the Elder went to the place and found four deer lying on 
the ground neariy m a heap. The fifth was found some 
twenty rods away, dead. Two bucks and three does were 
the result ot less than two minutes' work. - It is a well- 
known tact that these creatures usually run in file one 
following the other. It is the chance of a lifetime of few 
persons that suGn incidents jQcenr, 
