446 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Disc. 7, i^i. 
The Final Flight of the Pigeon. 
A GLORIOUS spring morning in the middle seventies! 
The dun and emerald slopes south of Ithaca, N. Y., were 
aglow with the radiance of the sunshine. 
On a farm located along the Ithaca and Owego turn- 
pike traversing this section of country a certain alert 
youth and his bewhiskered uncle were preparing to un- 
earth a huge bank of potatoes, which, as was customary 
at that date, and perhaps even now, had been buried 
beneath buckwheat chaff, straw and earth during the 
winter months. The work was progressing satisfactorily, 
when suddenly, as if tossed out of some vast inclosure, a 
great mass of writhing, twisting, swift-speeding birds 
darkened the eastern sky. This tremendous movement 
of birds was' a blood-stirring spectacle, and for hours 
there was a steady flight of pigeons, moving in com- 
panies, battalions, regiments and tens of regiments. The 
man with the hoe and his sportive assistant viewed the 
kaleidoscopic picture until the spirit of the hour moved 
them to hurry to the near farm house and unlimber a 
ponderous double-barreled shotgun, to properly handle 
which great prowess and strength were supposed to be 
necessary. A single-barrel gun, chiefly noted for its 
kicking propensity, was there, too; and after considerable 
hesitation on the part of the family gathered jn con- 
ference over the matter, the writer was permitted to 
carry it abroad. 
Powder and shot were a precious commodity those 
days, and so, while pushing across meadow and stubble 
and pausing amid interspersing wood lots, we played a 
waiting game, hoping thereby to get a more favorable 
iline of shooting than was offered by the flying squad- 
rons whirling through space at every point of the com- 
pass. But none came, and as the call of the dinner horn 
clamored for our return it found us empty handed. For 
an hour preceding the dinner call, I had been stationed 
on the south side of a piece of timber, then known as the 
Rhodes woods. At regular and quick intervals there 
came from the north boundary of this cover the loud, 
fierce boom of a lo-gauge, evidently loaded to kill. 
It was later learned that a pair of Ithaca gunners had 
during the forenoon been located in the north edge of 
the timber, the land from which pitched down sharply 
into a level reach of country, and from this point of 
vantage shot a bushel basket full of birds. The flight 
swept around the base of the hill, then uprose with the 
incline of the land to the line of timber to clear which 
the birds made lightning convolutions specially adapted 
for a deadly raking fire. Into this mass of birds, as it 
ever and anon rolled together that spring morning, to 
clear the tall pines, the two gunners poured a terrific 
cross fire. What the slaughter would have been had 
these men been outfited with modern breechloaders is 
a question not pleasant to contemplate. 
But the birds have disappeared, leaving not even the 
shadow of a substance, and the writer, as he reverts to 
the wondrous beauty of that morning, and last great 
flight of the lovely passenger pigeon, as it swept in a 
mighty host across central New York, is heartily glad 
that he failed to ruffle a feather. 
To have browsed in the gracious field of nature; to 
have seen much that outdoor life has to offer; to have 
breathed the clean, fresh, pure air that broods over a 
fair land, without having contributed to the annihilation 
of a species of bird life the practically total extinction of 
which sportsmanship deplores, is a compensation more 
satisfying than gold — yea, than much fine gold. 
M. Chill. 
Savbe, Pa. 
A. O. U. Bird Protection. 
The American Ornithological Union sends out this 
appeal for assistance in the work of bird protection: 
"The few people who really care whether our seacoast 
birds disappear forever, or increase to their former beau- 
tiful throngs, are now summoned to rally about the 
standard, unless the noble work for which their subscrip- 
tions have backed the American Ornithologists' Union 
committee in the past two years is to be undermined or 
undone. The great achievement of this committee has 
been the procuring of effective State laws and effectual 
wardening of all remaining sea-bird colonies along our 
Atlantic coast. The American Ornithologists' Union 
committee has begun several suits in New York State, 
with good hope of success, but this winter's fight looms 
big before them, and is wholly dependent on the sub- 
scriptions for which we are now soliciting. 
"Short-sighted dealers have in the past few years 
changed, from New Jersey to the Gulf, a beach thronged 
with millions of exquisite white sea-birds, filling the air 
with their wild voices, to a waste, silent but for the sound 
of the surf, and where there is little hope that a distant 
object will prove to be anything more inspiring than an 
old shoe. 
"This devastation (wrought by attacking the birds in 
their breeding colonies, as they madly hover over the 
invader) was only complete as far northward as New 
Jersey, while in Long Island, Vineyard Sound and in 
Maine good colonies, both of terns and gulls, remained. 
These, and some remnants in Virginia and Maryland, the 
dealers were about to finish, when, two years ago, they 
found themselves confronted by a system of wardens, 
paid by subscriptions of this small body of beauty-loving 
Americans. Our triumph has been complete. Nearly 
every colony has greatly increased each year. 
"The dealers plead that we are crippling an industry. 
That which passes like a blight across the fields, leaving 
no seed for the morrow, is not an industry. 
"Half our work is the securing improved laws, and 
then watching them to see that they be not scuttled in 
the next Legislature by amendments instigated by the 
dealers. 
"The American Ornithologists' Union committee, con- 
sisting of two men who can ill spare the time and who 
give their services gratis, will conduct the whole warden 
system and be present at the meetings of Legislatures 
all over the United States east of the Mississippi, if we 
can raise the money for their expenses. The committee 
have used almost the last of our remaining funds, and 
every one who wants the work to go on must send them 
at once any money he can spare, as their winter and 
spring campaign will involve heavy expense. 
"There is every reason to believe that a few years' 
struggle will put this cause on a more stable and less 
expensive basis, if not wholly abolish its need, but in the 
meantime we are in crying need of an organization and 
funds enough to meet emergencies, and any one promis- 
ing to stand by us with a certain annual contribution will 
do yeoman service. 
"The Legislature work is to cover the protection of all 
birds threatened by miUiners, and to watch for violations 
of this protection, and of the Lacey Act of Congress, which 
prohibits sending unlawfully procured bird-s':ins from 
State to State. 
"Sea-birds are wholly essential as scavt.igers of the 
coast and harbors, and as pilots for fishermen to schools 
of fish. English fishermen allow no one to kill them. 
"The work already accomplished is only a begmnmg, 
and if the committee can get the money they will extend 
the protection to the breeding colonies of the Gulf Coast 
and those of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, as well 
as to inland breeding colonies, and will strengthen the 
protection of the Florida pelicans and the comparatively 
few herons that remain there. Sportsmen, too, will find 
themselves indebted to our wardens, who have not only 
protected sea birds, but, equally, rails and shore birds. 
"The smallest subscriptions will be thankfully received, 
and if every one east of the Mississippi who has even a 
slight desire to perpetuate this beautilul form of nature 
would send a small contribution, the aggregate result 
would go far toward accomplishing the desired end. 
"The whole work of patfoling our coast from New 
Brunswick to Southern Virginia, Louisiana, and the long 
journeys to visit Legislatures and inspect the work oi 
wardens cost about $2,000 during the past year. 
"Money should be sent either to William Dutcher, 525 
Manhattan avenue, New York City, or to the under- 
signed, Abbott H. Thayer, Monadnock, N. H."' 
Ffogfs and Snakes. 
I HAVE been reading of frogs swallowing birds, and 
snakes climbing trees and swallowing frogs, etc., and 
would like to add an incident of which I was a witness. 
I was born in the country, in the State of Connecticut, 
and when a stripling of fourteen years was owner of a 
.22-caliber rifle; and on one of my frog shooting trips over 
at a mud hole called Spalding's Pond, one mile due 
east from the village of Wauregan, a favorite ground of 
mine, I shot the largest frog I have ever seen, even to 
this day. There were the remains of an old wall run- 
ning into the pond, and close up to it sat the big fellow. 
I fired, and knew I must have hit it at the short distance 
away, but instead of sprawling out with all fours, as 
itsually they do when hit, he never moved. I was sur- 
prised, and walking out on the wall, got directly over 
him and shot him through the head and picked him up. 
Oil account of his large size, I cut him open, and found 
two young robins, one pretty well digested and the other 
one perfectly fresh and probably just eaten. I have told 
this story, and have refrained from telling it on several 
occasions, for I don't believe I ever told it without some 
of my hearers doubting it. 
About snakes swallowing their young: I was after 
huckleberries over at Green Hollow, Conn., when a 
small boy, and saw a blacksnake open her mouth and 
swallow twenty-seven young ones, but I did not kill 
her — I did not get a chance. I have also seen snakes 
climb trees when closely pursued, but not the tree 
trunk; they went around on the limbs which stood out 
of young pine trees and rested across them when near 
the top. 
I know people who follow up the woods and streams 
see many; remarkable things which it is hard for others 
to believe. Only last month I was pickerel fishing, and 
a fish took my live minnow and also my friend's, and 
we both struck at the same time. My friend hooked the 
fish and my hook brought up his minnow nicely hooked 
alongside of my bait. Of course we did not know it 
was the same fish until we struck. 
Seldom. 
Providence, R. I. 
Qtfon for Snake Bite. 
In "A Newe Herbal, by Wylliam Tumour, Anno 1551, 
Imprinted at London by Steven Mierdman, and they are 
to be soolde in Paules Churchyarde at the sygne of the 
sprede Egle," is this useful little story of the citron and 
the serpent: 
There was a certayn sherif in Egypt whiche tooke ij. 
naughty murthering robbers and condemned them to be 
slayn and poysoned to deth of serpentes in the great 
theatre, that all men myght se them dye. But whylse they 
were led of the soul dyers to the place of execution, ther. 
met them a woman that had a citron in her hand, the 
which the murderers begged of her, and she clove it in 
two peces and gave eche of them a pece, the whiche they 
eat very gredely. But when as they came into the 
appoynted place and were caste amongest the myddes of 
a grete hepe of serpentes and aspides they abode unhurt, 
and receyved no harm of them, and so came hole and 
sound forth agayn, beyond all men's lokyng for. Then 
the sherif axed diligently of them that kept the thieves, 
what they had done or what myghty preservative they 
had taken. But they answered that the thieves had 
eaten nothing savying theyr accustomed pottage, and sayd 
further that they eat a citron by the way. Then the sherif 
commanded them to go to the prysone agayn, and the one 
sholde eat only hys accustomed potage, and the other sholde 
only eate citrones. These thynges done, the theves were 
agayn brought into' the great theatre. And there he that 
eat the citrones continewed all the daye safe and sounde, 
allthough certayn of the serpentes had bitten him. And 
the other who^had but eaten hys common meate, at the 
bytyng of one serpente fell down sterk ded. Athineus, a 
very noble and ancient autor, wryteth that he saw thys hys 
own self. Wherefore it were wisdome that men that are 
bydden to dynner of theyr enemies or suspected f rends, 
before they eat any other thyng, should take a piece of 
citron. ^ i 
Br«ennich*s Mtttres in Erie Canal. 
LocKPORT, N. Y., Nov. 24. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
Yesterday I was called into a place to identify some "queer 
ducks" that Mr. Ephraim Elwood had killed in the Erie 
Canal, about two miles east of Lockport. They proved 
to be Briinnich's murres. The first occurrence of this 
species so far inland was reported Nov. 9, 1894, when 
three birds were taken on Niagara River below Buffalo. 
On the 8th of the same month and year a young friend 
living on Red Lake, Theresa, N. Y., reported to me that 
he had killed "four ducks unlike any he had ever seen," 
and "they had bills like crows, and smelled so fishy they 
could not be eaten." I asked him to send me a. head,, 
wing and foot. I identified them as Briinnich's murres. 
November, 1896, two specimens were taken at Point 
Breeze (Lake Ontario), Orleans county. The species 
have also been reported on Oneida Lake. 
J. L. Davison. 
Strag:glers« 
Toronto^ Ont., Nov. 26. — On Monday, Nov. 18, a good 
specimen of the little auk was shot just outside of Toronto 
Bay in Lake Ontario by a local fisherman, and a few 
days ago an American three-toed woodpecker was shot 
by a boy on the outskirts of Toronto. 
Both these birds are so extremely rare here as to 
justify their coming under the above headmg. In fact, a 
taxidermist informed me that the last-named bird was 
rare everywhere. 
There have been three or four cormorants about 
Toronto Bay at different times during the past two 
months, and while tiiey cannot be called rare, still, they 
are only occasional visitants in this locality. Wildfowl 
of all kinds seem to have been more numerous than usual 
this fall in this vicinity. J no. Townson. 
— ^> — 
L': Fixtures. 
March 5-19, 1902.— Eighth Annual Show of the National Sports- 
men's Association at Aiadisoa Snuare Uarden, Mew iork. 
The Duck Shooter's Lament. 
A MISTY morning on the beach, 
A lonely cross, a reedy reach, 
A solitary bittern's screech, 
And deep in meditation 
A hunter stood before the mound 
Whereon the cross, and in it found 
Sad theme for speculation. 
Long whiles he mused, and nothing broke 
The silence save the bittern's croalt. 
Whose sad, sepulchral cry scarce 'woke 
Faint echo's imitation. 
Long whiles he mused, and who shall say 
On what sad themes one's thoughts will stray 
When standing mute at break of day 
Before a nameless grave; 
Thought of the devouring deep. 
The wild, resistless, engulfing sweep, 
The cruel, crawling, cowering creep 
Of treacherous wave. 
The rising sun dispelled the hosts 
Of gloomy, soul-confounding ghosts 
Of morbid mind's creation; 
And then as he the cross drew near, 
And read thereon its legend clear 
He said, "If this ain't sheer 
Emotional insanity; 
To think I've shed a silent tear 
O'er a 'Posted' sign, 'No hunting here.' " 
His subsequent remarks, I fear, 
Savored of profanity. Feancis J. Hagak. 
Adirondack Notes. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
As usual, I spent part of the summer and fall in the 
Adirondacks, and from long acquaintance there think 
I know something of the real conditions. 
The past season witnessed an unusual scarcity of deer 
in some quarters, and unusual numbers of them in other 
places. This is believed to be due to the many lumber 
jobs in operation. Indications' were not wanting that 
the lumbermen had plenty of trout and venison in camp 
when they wanted it. Also that their presence and 
operations had served to drive out surviving deer from 
many sections, massing them in more remote and un-^ 
disturbed places. 
The average sportsman did not, therefore, find his 
usual reward, in Hamilton count? at least. Or, if he 
did. he had to go much further back for it. 
On the other hand, partridges were abundant and in 
fine condition. 
The tenderfoot was in evidence, as usual. One had a 
personal experience worthy of record. He had a 
penchant for going into the woods without a guide. 
With two friends he searched out a pond neither had 
ever visited before. Starting after dinner, night over- 
took them on the edge of a swamp, and they were 
obliged to camp. Next morning he, climbed a tall tree, 
discovered the pond, and six minutes' walk brought 
the party to its shore. A deer was in a clump of'^ 
bushes opposite. All could see the movement, but not 
the deer. Rightly, they would not shoot till they could 
see what they were shooting at. The deer got away, and 
they saw only his tracks. 
The two friends had to leave camp. Monsieur Ten- 
derfoot, with his compass, piloted them out of the woods 
and then went back and spent four days alone in the 
woods. He hunted diligently, and saw seven deer, but 
did not get a shot. A momentary glimpse of the animal, 
or more often a whisk of the flag was all. But he had a 
good time, and learned much about the habits of our 
noble game. 
