iSfov. 9, igot.j 
^63 
^ The statement of Cottnt Potocki as to the non-nutri- 
tious character of dry grass is an error. Domesticated 
cattle, witfi a suiliciency of water, will often thrive better 
on parched pastures than on those in which the grass is 
It and "washy." And as every sportsman is aware, the 
wild sheep of Ladak and Tibet, like many of the African 
antelopes, grow fat and sleek on sparsely scattered tufts 
of dry herbage that look insufficient to support a rabbit. 
— R. Lydecker in the Asian. 
Coahoma Visits a Snake Charmer. 
When Mr. George Kennedy sent us the snake stories 
which were printed in our issue of Oct. 19 he sent this 
note, which, having been forwarded to Coahoma, has 
brought out the response printed below: 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I enclose you two tales and three snake stories. Your 
snake editor will no doubt pronovmce them truthful 
snake stories— the only kind which Forest and Stream 
gives countenance to. I do not pretend to such intimacy 
with the species as Coahoma, but when I hear of a true 
snake story I can't rest, some way. till I tell it broadcast. 
Nevertheless, it seems to me if I got to seeing them 
crawling around on the picture mouldings, and falling off 
and crawling up again, and standing on their tails, I 
would consult a physician, and if the worst came to the 
worst I'd swear off. George Kennedy. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I have read with interest the note of Mr. George 
Kennedy which ycu kindly sent me with his permission, 
and which I enclose herewith. In this note Mr. Kennedy 
casts imputations upon me, and T have been trying to 
"sober up" long enough to reply to him in appropriate 
terms. 
I think his charges, or rather innuerldos, are serious 
enough to call for a court of inquiry. I therefore have to 
request that you print his "precept" along with my de- 
fence. 
In the first place I have thought seriously about his 
proposition to '"swear off." and find that a great deal can 
be said upon it both pro and con. I am disposed to take 
the con side of the argument, and leave the pro to Mr. 
Kennedy. 
In this connection I would ask Mr. Kennedy if he pro- 
poses to deprive me of the gratification I experience in 
looking iipon and studying the agile movements of the 
ophidian family that come athwart my vision, which 
affords me a degree of satisfaction that is alone worth 
the price of ihe liquid, as any lover of snakes, and snake 
antidote, must admit. I have an example directly in point. 
Since writing to Forest and Stream a description of 
my own particular snake and his fantastic antics on my 
desk and around picture mouldings in my office, my 
vision along these lines has been .so enlarged that I haye 
beheld a whole box full of reptiles of various sorts ahd 
degrees. There were several dozens of them— rattlers, 
copperheads, chicken snakes, garter snakes, pine snakes, 
bull snakes, coach whips, etc.. etc. In the midst of the 
snakes sat a woman, sitting on a smaller box within the 
larger one. The w'onian wore slippers on her feet, which 
reposed on the bottom of the box, in contact with the 
.snakes. When she wished to single out some particular 
snake to pick up and exhibit to inquiiers she would grab 
a handful of the others and rake them aside as if they 
were so many broom sticks. 
One old rattler remained near the woman, and would 
rear his head up to be scratched under the throat, ivhich 
he seemed to enjoy. 
Amid the half dozen rattlesnakes in the box there was 
one alone that was untamed and intractable. This one 
was a "biack Mexican rattler" that the woman was very 
cautious about, keeping him in one corner of the box by 
means of a light stick that she had for the purpose. 
Finally she drew out of the box she was sitting on a re- 
markable-looking reptile fully five feet long, of a glisten- 
ing black color above and dark underneath, that she 
called an Egyptian A'iper. About all the other snakes 
the woman talked in a natural and unaffected manner; 
but for the "viper" she evidently had a set speech that 
she had memorized, setting forth that it belonged to the 
same specie? as that which Cleopatra had applied to her- 
-clf in order to join Antony in the realms beyond; 
stating that this specimen was of monstrous size, as 
this .species attained a length usually of twenty to thirty 
inches, and calling attention to the form and size of its 
scales, being rounded like those of a fish and much larger 
than those of American snakes. On being questioned 
;ii)out its dentition she partly opened the snake's mouth 
with her fingers, which operation was passively resisted 
by the snake, and showed me that it had no fangs, but 
two elongated projections of the jaw bone with knifelike 
edges, the ends of which nearly met at the front of the 
mouth, leaving a narrow cleft between, through which 
she said the venom was ejected from the mouth and in- 
jected into the wounds made by the knife edges. She 
kept the viper in the small box. for the protection of the 
other snakes, which she said it would kill in short order 
if allowed its liberty among them. She showed me two 
parallel wounds transversely across the under side of one 
of the snakes, made by the viper. She also said that it 
ate fragments of raw meat, and masticated its food before 
swallowing. 
Now this woman was of course a "professional," but 
she was an illiterate person and talked with candor and 
good sense about the snakes, making no mystery about 
ber power over them. She said that the venomous snakes 
were not divested of their fangs, as is popularly supposed, 
and that it would do no good if they were, as the lost 
fangs would speedily be replaced by new ones. But their 
docility was due to the fact that they had become accus- 
tomed to her and knew that they need fear no injury at 
her hands. She rightly said that venomous snakes have 
no disposition to bite unless alarmed or excited, and that 
the venom with which they are supplied is not for their 
defence but to capture their prey. This fact becomes 
obvious when we reflect that the venom of a snake 
aft'ords it no protection from its enemies; and that it is 
invariably killed when attacked, notwithstanding any 
injury that it may inflict with its fangs upon the attacking 
party. 
Returning to my own snake, a recital of whose .move^ 
nicnts raised Mr. 'Kennedy'.s suspicions of my "hydraulic 
stability," 1 disposed of him by placing him in a jeweler's 
show window, where he remained untd the public ceased 
to take interest in him, when at my request he was liber- 
ated on the bank of Sunflower River. 
I trust, Mr. Editor, that this, my defence, will be con- 
sidered sufficient, and the cQi^rt will render a verdict 
accordingly. 
While I should be loath to make any counter charge 
against Mr. Kennedy, 1 will venture to ask why those 
two innocent Iowa bull snakes were ruthlessly slain in- 
stead of being utilized as first-class ratters about the 
farmer's barn, where they might have done a vast deal 
of good and no possible harm. Coahoma. 
Clarkesdale, Miss. 
— • — 
Fixtures. 
March 5-19, 1902.— Eighth Anniial Show of the National Sports- 
men's Association at Madison Square Garden, New York. 
An Hour With the Grouse. 
"I'm going down to the old place to-morrow to thresh 
out some beans," said Will, "and after the job's done 
shall have time to do a little hunting. What say to going 
down with me'" 
The "old place" was a lone farm and buildings about 
four miles from the viilage. where Will had formerly 
lived, and where, as I well knew-, he had enjoyed many a 
successful hunt. Game had sadly diminished in the 
vicinity, he frankly told me, during the few years that 
had elapsed since he moved to the village; but a desire 
to at least .get a look at some of the covers of which he 
had told me so nuich, rather than any expectations of 
finding good sport, influenced me to promptly accept my 
friend's offer as above. The following forenoon found us, 
with guns, dinner pails and Will's little red spaniel dog, 
bumping along the road in a hayrack (,for Will had de- 
cided to seize the occasion to get a load of hay as well as 
exercise his muscle on the beans), on our w'ay to the 
solitary farmhouse, where we arrived about 10 A. M., 
after an uneventful though rather anxious journey, owing 
to the constant care necessary to keep the various articles 
of our outfit from sliding out of the somewdiat jolty 
vehicle. 
Will thought I'd better take gun and dog and strike 
out at once, but I decided I'd like to get an insight into 
the mysteries of manipulating the flail first, so seated 
myself in the open ba'm door, in the sun, while Wfll .went 
on with preparations for the work* at tlie same time 
giving me glowing accounts of the days when game was 
plenty in the neighborhood. Nearly every feature of the 
broad landscape visible through the big barn door 
seemed to suggest some pleasant experience with the 
gun. On that mountain in the distance he had shot 
hedgehogs and raccoons; on the ridges intervening, 
among the oaks and birches, grays had been abundant; 
in the thickets fri".ging the clear pastureland. and along 
the brook bottom, many a partridge and rabbit had fallen 
to his gun; and once he had trapped a sly old fox that he 
had found was in the habit of crossing the brook on a 
log. Then there had been ducks in the river flowing just 
back of the house. What scraps he had had with them, 
sometimes shooting them witliout a dog, and following 
the fallen birds down stream for miles before finally 
bringing them to bag. Such tales, of a time when game 
was plenty, were more entertaining, I thought, than 
actual hunting when there was little game to be found; 
so the hours passed on. Will alteruatelj'- chatting and 
wielding the flail; noon cajne and dinner was eaten on the 
grass, and the work of threshing resumed and finished, 
and I had hardly thought of my gun. 
"Now," said Will, "we'll ])ut on the hay and get our 
load already for starting, and then we'll try our liand at 
the game." In a few minutes we were accordingly on 
our waj'^ to the nearest wood. It w^as not a great day for 
hunting, the wind blowing briskly, and the fallen twigs 
and leaves so dry as to crackle loudly at every step. The 
dog got a little distance ahead of us, and put out some 
birds among thick pines on the side of the hill. We 
hurried to the spot, glancing sharply among the trees 
(we are "pot hunters" here, all of us), but not a bird 
was to be found. The w-ind blew so the dog was unable 
to mark them down. Climbing up a bit higher, where 
there were a few oaks, we sat down in hopes to see a 
squirrel; but none appeared, and we soon crossed the 
road, thence pushing on across a field tow'ard a wooded 
slope falling gently away to the river. 
Beyond the field the dog jumped in among some low 
pines filled in with little poplars and birches, and put up 
a single bird. He sang out lustily as she struck, putter- 
ing, in a tree right over his head. Over the wall we 
scrambled, my heart at least going at a double-quick. 
Will was a few steps ahead. When he got within about 
thirty yards of the tree, whir-r! out she went, starting oft' 
like lightning through the thick tops. Will threw up his 
gun, jumped back a step, squirmed his body quickly to 
the right — bang! I thought 1 heard a thump away down 
the slope. Will dashed ahead, stopped — bang! then on 
again. When I reached him he had the bird, still flutter- 
ing. He had downed her the first shot; she had risen 
again, and he had finished her with the second barrel. 
Pretty good work? I thought so, and wondered how I 
was going to get any game with a man who could shoot 
like that. 
After this we pushed on doAvn the river, when we 
separated. I taking an old road following the river bank, 
Will, with the dog. which was working like a beaver, 
moving off to the right. "If any birds come down this 
way don't let them cross the river," said Will as he left 
me. I pushed leisureh- down the road, keeping my left 
eye out for ducks, and my right roving about under the 
trees for signs of grouse. The wind was going down 
now, but night was coming on and I saw that our hunt 
must soon be brought to an end. Presently I heard the 
dog give tongue, and the distant whir of wings. I got 
my gun ready, hoping that they might come my way. 
None came, but the dog continued barking, and soon 
Will's old Parker spoke. I wondered whether he had 
killed or missed, but did not hollo for fear of frightening 
the game. I moved on a little further, when the dog 
sang out again, and Will shouted something which I did 
not quite catch, but which I concluded was a warning 
that it was time to be starting for home. Instead, he had 
said, "Look out — bird coming your way!" and before I 
had gone far after turning, this bird got out of a birch 
near the road. She had a long lead of me, and I remem- 
ber thinking as my gun went up, "It's too far." I liad 
actually started to drop my piece when, like a flash, Will's 
parting words came back to me — "Don't let them cross 
the river." I pulled, and she fell almost at the water's 
edge. She had crossed the silent river. 
Will now joined me. He had killed his second bird, 
his dog having put it up in an apple tree, makin.g three 
plump birds for two guns. Brief as it was it had been a 
very pleasant hunt, and although we had to poke home 
after dark as a consequence, we felt not the slightest 
degree of regret for the hour we had spent with the 
grouse. Templar. 
Cornish, Me. 
The New Jersey Game Seizures. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Permit me to add a suggestion to your comments in 
the issue of last w^eek upon the hardships entailed upon 
New York and Pennsylvania sportsmen by the non- 
expert clause, so called, of the New Jersey game law. 
I agree with you in what you say about allowing hunters 
to openly convey under their personal charge such game 
as they are permitted to kill. I think that the cause of 
game protection in this respect is not promoted by pro- 
hibiting to actual sportsmen the right of conveying out 
of the State a limited quantity of game; and while the 
literal interpretation of the law prohibits so doing, that 
is not the evil which is sought to be remedied; and the 
incorporation into the law of that State, as well as into 
the law of New York and Pennsylvania, of such an ex- 
ception would do no injury, but it should be reciprooal; 
that is, so long as New York, for example, prohibits ex- 
port in like manner with New Jcrsej' it is scarcely fair to 
say that the latter alone is at fault. 
In regard to the other question, that of bringing 
through New Jersey game killed in New York, my belief 
is very strong that the seizure by the New Jersey authori- 
ties of such game while openly in transit is illegal; that 
neither the letter nor the spirit of the law applies to such 
cases. It would be just as reasonable for the New York 
officers to claim that the clause of our law prohibiting 
export was violated by taking such game out of our 
State, through New Jersey and back into this State again. 
In fact, that may be a technical violation of the law, but 
no court would hold that such an act violated it in spirit. 
My impression is very strong that New Jersey has no 
right at all to interfere with game killed in New York 
while openly in transit through the former State to a 
point in the State where killed; and that any interference 
in that respect is a trespass, rendering the person doing 
the act at least civilly liable. There would be no possible 
question if the game were in the possession of an express 
company, properly marked, for the New Jersey law ex- 
pressly .so states, and there is no good reason why the 
same rule would not apply when the game was openly in 
the possession of the hunter while going through the 
State. In such a case no law of New Jersey is violated. 
Game laws should be fair and reasonable to meet general 
approval, and they should be enforced in the proper 
spirit. 
It would seem that the Lacey act has no application to 
this case, for, assuming for the moment that game can be 
a commodity of interstate commerce, it is not made so 
by being taken from one part of the State to another, 
even though in so doing it passes through another State. 
Such transportation is not in any sense interstate com- 
merce. If, however, the game under such circumstances 
does become an article of interstate commerce so as to 
make the Lacey act applicable, and if such movement of 
the game is an export thereof within the meaning of the 
New York law, it .would still be true that prosecutions 
for such act would rest solely with the Federal or New 
York State authorities, and would be a matter with which 
the New Jersey State authorities would have absolutely 
nothing to do, as no law- of that State had been violated. 
As there is no provision in the Laccy act for a seizure 
or confiscation of the game, the only penalty thereunder 
being fine or an alternative of imprisonment, any such 
seizure is unwarranted. Joseph B. Thompson. 
New York, November. 
In Maine Woods. 
Boston, Nov. i. — Maine game is coming info the- 
markets here in greater abundance tlnan previously noted. 
I counted 10 deer at a single round of Fanueil Hall and 
Quincy Markets Friday. Six or seven moose have been 
received by the marketmen, till now they don't seem to 
want to buy them. Clayton Grant, of Columbia Falls, 
Me., came through with a moose weighing 650 pounds 
the other day. It had a good head and was in prime 
condition, but the owner had a rather hard time selling 
it. H. S. Fisher, of Boston, is out of the woods from 
Moluncus, where he hunted for a couple of weeks. He 
brought out a good moose and two deer. He is much in 
favor of that locality for huntingr Ii is not hard to 
reach — fourteen "or fifteen miles over a good road, from 
Matawaumkeag station, on the Maine Central. He is 
pleased with the guides and the board. Mr. Fisher now 
has a record of two Maine moose. C. A. Barney, Vice- 
President, and L. Dana Chapman, Treasurer, of the Me- 
gantic Club, are just back from a business trip to the 
preserves. They went to look after their fish hatching, 
and are much pleased with the fact that they found per- 
haps a dozen trout in the tanks at Big Island Pond, but 
when they left there were over 100. They are satisfied 
that Big Island has a good siipply of breeding trout to 
get spawn for the hatcheries from. They succeeded iii 
finding the spawning beds. Trout were taken with nets 
