^04 
FOHEST AND STREAM, 
yet I never could observe any perceptible diminution in 
the number of flics. Well, the sparrow, I fancy, could 
give points to the fly in the art of propagation. It has 
been computed, if my memory serve me rightly, by the 
official ornithologist of the Department of Agriculture at 
Washington, that allowing for no mishaps or interruption 
to the course of nature, two sparrows will propagate In 
ten years to the number of 80 000 000 ! Supposing the 
sparrow were a fool, which he is very far from being, it 
would take quite a gocd many machines of the most in- 
genious pattern to cope with that rate of increase. 
No, we might as well make up our minds that P. 
domesticus is here to stay. That being so, and since he 
will not do what he was brought over to do, is there 
no use to which he can be put? The answer to this 
question ought to be obvious from what has been written 
above. Will not, in fact, P. domesticus serve as a shining 
example of cheerful philosophy and indomitableness under 
the most trying circumstances? Francis Moo nan. 
A Winter Day at the Zoological 
Park. 
In winter the park of the New York Zoological So- 
ciety is not much frequented by visitors, and, except for 
the keepers and persons employed there, the animals do 
not see many people. Yet most of them are active and 
stirring about, and it is well worth while to make a jour- 
ney to the park to see them in their fine winter coats 
when the crisp air gives them an energy and an activity 
which they lose during the heats of summer. 
A few days ago two men from the further West spent 
a day there, to their great contentment. Soon after en- 
tering the park on Pelham avenue, they passed the white- 
tailed deer range, and before stopping to look at the 
deer, one of the animals close to the fence turned in 
feigned alarm and pitched away from them with the white- 
tailed deer's well-known and rather ungainly high jump. 
A little further on the bird house was traversed, and 
here were seen all the tropical fowl, which in summer 
make beautiful the flying cage, now occupied only by a 
few old crows and magpies. Beyond this, in the caribou 
range, were a bull and a cow lying down together in the 
snow; the bull had already lost his horns, but the cow 
retained hers; tiny, little, crooked stubs, which might 
easily be overlooked. Moose, alas, are none, for, though 
last summer there were half a dozen in the park, of which 
two or three were apparently in good condition, all have 
since died. No doubt the trouble lies in the lack of proper 
food. In our Western country, cottonwood and willow 
form a large portion of the moose's food, and seem to 
be necessary to its existence. Here, where cottonwood 
does not grow, one would think that silver poplar and 
willow might be fed to moose in large quantities to great 
advantage. 
Crossing the road, the elk are seen penned up in cor- 
rals about their house. They are ragged and shaggy in 
their winter coats, soon to be lost. The old bulls still 
carry their horns, and are thin in flesh, but the cows and 
calves seem in good case, though at this season by no 
means beautiful. Before very long now the bulls will 
have dropped their horns, the long, top hair and woolly 
undercoats of winter will begin to fall off in patches, and 
by the time that the ground is warm and the green grass 
is springing, we shall see a herd of elk yellow, sleek, round 
and beautiful. 
At this season, wolves, coyotes and foxes are at their 
best. Their coats are heavy and smooth. On either side 
of the head of the great dog wolf in the small pen to 
the southward, stands out a huge ruff like that on a 
well-coated collie dog. The wolves are active, interested 
in life, funning and playing in their large inclosures. The 
foxes are more quiet and more suspicious. A dozen red 
ones were curled up on the snow bank at the back of 
their inclosurc apparently asleep. So too the gray foxes 
in the next inclosure sleep on the top of their house. 
There are three dens of coyotes — shy and suspicious of 
the visitor. One inclosure contains specimens from the 
Southwest and two those from the Middle West. Of 
those from the Southwest several are dark and reddish, of 
a color between that which in a setter dog would be 
called orange. There are two black coyotes. 
The reptile house is interesting, as always, yet winter 
is not the best time to visit it. since snakes, tortoises and 
lizards are more or less sluggish. The monster python, 25 
feet long, or thereabouts, seems recently to have shed 
his skin, and glistens in the light like polished metal. 
Other snakes were in process of shedding, and this was a 
surprise to the visitors, who imagined that snakes com- 
monly shed their skins at some time during the summer. 
Passing by the noisy sea lions, and with merely a 
glance at the bears, which to some of us are more attrac- 
tive even than the monkej'S, the two men passed on to 
the buffalo range. Most of the animals, including a 
calf and a yearling, were in a pen, on the low ground; 
but out in the open, in a -flat under the hill which rises 
to the -westward, were three or four buffalo, one of them a 
big bull. _ This one soon proceeded to furnish an exhibi- 
tion, which alone "was worth the price of admission." 
He walked slowly up to a group of trees and brush, grow- 
ing just under the ridge of rocks, and there began to 
fight a bush. The yielding branches offered no resistance 
and barely scratched his head. Two or three times he 
backed off and charged the bush, and the last time kept on 
through it, galloping madly along for a hundred yards. 
As he ascended a little hill he slowed down to a trot, and 
with head high in air, turned and looked back over his 
shoulder. Then he stopped, wheeled about, and at top 
speed charged back toward one of the other buffalo, which 
did not await his approach, but raced away. The bull 
now turned and running to the hill near where the trees 
stood, sank on his knees, and plunging his head into a 
deep snowdrift that was there, tore it up with his horns, 
rubbing his head backward and forward and making the 
snow fly in every direction. Again he got up and fought 
the bushes and rushed hither and thither, bounding into 
the air, kicking out with his hind feet, and racing to and 
fro, until his tongue hung far out of his mouth, and the 
great white streams of steam which poured from his 
nostrils showed how he was panting. He seems to be in 
as high spirits and to have no more sense of his dignity 
and ponderosity than a three weeks' old kid would have 
had. 
The sight carried the minds of the two men back twen- 
ty-five or thirty years, tq a day when scenes such as this 
might have been seen in many places on the treeless 
prairies of the West; and the good spirits and pure de- 
light which this old bull showed in his freedom seemed 
to them about the finest testimonial to the good work of 
the New York Zoological Society that they had seen or 
heard of. 
More interesting to most people than anything else in 
the park are the bear dens, where nearly thirty specimens 
are confined. These represent ten or a dozen species, all 
of which are in beautiful coat and condition. To the 
average man the polar bears, with their fine thin heads, 
their long, seal-like necks, and their huge limbs, and feet 
so covered with hair that claws and soles are hardly 
visible, are perhaps the most impressive. Yet to the 
Western men, the bears here called Kadiak seemed better 
worth study and examination. They are not yet quite as 
big as haystacks, but on the other hand they are only 
three years old, and there are still greater possibilities 
for them in the way of growth. One of them, the male, 
seemed half again as large as a grizzly bear of the same 
age. They are short-headed and short-necked and high- 
shouldered; very impressive beasts. 
Most of the black bears, whether of the black or brown 
form, are singularly beautiful at this season of the 
year. Their coats, are heavy, smooth and glossy, and each 
hair seems to stand up on end with a rigidity that makes 
the fur seem smooth and even, where the coat of the 
grizzly is merely shaggy and rough. It was noted that 
the bears, though seeming to be in superb condition, did 
not appear hungry. The food given them was wisely 
chosen for variety. Bread and meat and fish and carrots 
and apples were offered them, but most of them merely 
dallied with their food. Perhaps the season of the year 
had something to do with this, for at this time, under 
natural conditions, most of them would have been hiber- 
nating. 
In the mountain sheep inclosures were two fine speci- 
mens of aoudad, and one of them, perched on the 
highest pinnacle of a miniature mountain, stood and 
looked off over the country, in a way to bring up to the 
mind of the Western men a contemplative bighorn on 
the point of some bad land bluff. Next to these were a 
pair of tahr, curious goat-like animals from Asia, but 
bearing on their heads sabres rather than horns, for the 
keen-cutting edge of the horn was directed forward. Next 
to these again are a pair of moufflons, male and female, 
from southern Europe, wonderfully bighorn-like in build, 
but very small in size. They were confident little beasts, 
and the male stood contentedly on his hind legs support- 
ing his forefeet on the wires of his inclosure, while his 
friend scratched his head and rubbed his neek until they 
were tired and had to go. Parting the long brittle hair, 
which, except in color, closely resembles that of the Amer- 
ican mountain sheep, the same coat of wool is found next 
the skin, and undoubtedly three months later, when the 
animal has shed, several ounces of this may be collected 
in the pen. 
The primate house is well supplied with monkeys, apes 
and baboons. Many of them are interesting and beauti- 
ful specimens, and for any one who has the time to 
devote to watching them, something of interest will be 
found to happen every few moments; but the Western 
men's time had run out, and they wese obliged to leave 
to catch their train. 
The Horned Snake, 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
In your issue of the 4th ult. Stanstead states that he 
once had a reptile of the above designation in his pos- 
session, but that he lost his prize by the carelessness of a 
servant. Stanstead also states that the existence of the 
reptile in question is commonly looked upon as a myth. 
Now, I am happy to inform your correspondent that 
there is nothing mythical whatever about the existence of 
such a reptile, for I have myself had ocular evidence of 
the fact, and a neighbor of mine — an experienced sports- 
man and close observer of nature — assures me that he has 
met with three of these snakes during his hunting trips. 
Some years ago a boy had on exhibition in the streets 
of Winchester, Va., one of these reptiles, which he had 
confined in a box with a glass lid. The snake looked 
like the common black snake, except that it was of a paler 
or more ashy hue. It was apparently about 2^ feet in 
length. At the end of its tail was a horny or bony ap- 
pendage of the size, shape and sharpness of an ordinary 
darning needle, the extreme tip being as white and as 
hard as ivory, constituting a most formidable looking 
weapon. However, as well as I recollect, the boy did not 
state that the reptile attempted to use this caudal ap- 
pendage offensively when he attempted its capture. To 
me this horn, spur or thorn had the appearance of an 
abnormal prolongation of the last caudal vertebra. 
Dr. A. Wall. 
Woodkow, W. Va. 
[That there are snakes with horns, thorns, spikes or 
spurs on the ends of their tails admits of no doubt; but 
the trouble with all the stories about such snakes is that 
the purpose of this hard, sharp-pointed extremity is mis- 
conceived. The business end of a snake is not in his 
tail, but in his head, and no known snake uses his sharp- 
pointed tail, if he possesses one, as a weapon, either of 
offense or defense. 
Yet the horned snake and hoop snake stories are old in 
this country. Thus Lawson, whose "History of Carolina" 
was published in . 1707, says: "Of the Horn Snake, I 
never saw but two that I remember. They are like the 
Rattle Snake in Color but rather lighter. They hiss ex- 
actly like a Goose when anything approaches them. They 
strike at their Enemy with their Tail, and kill whatsoever 
they wound with it, which is armed at the End with a 
Horny Substance like a_ Cock's Spur. This is their 
Weapon. I have heard it creditably reported by those 
who said they were Eye- Witnesses, that a small Locust 
Tree about the Thickness of a Man's Arm being struck 
by one of these Snakes at ten o'clock in the Morning then 
verdant and flourishing, at four in the Afternoon was 
dead and the Leaves dead and withered. Doubtless be it 
how it will, they are very venomous. I think the Indians 
do not pretend to cure their wound." 
Col. Beverly in his "History of Virginia" (1722) aaya: 
"There is likewise a Horned Snake, so called from, a 
Sharp Horn it carries in its Tail with which it assaults 
anything that offends it, with that Force that, as it is 
said, it will stick its Tail into the Butt End of a Musket 
. from whence it is not able to disengage itself." 
Catesby in 1731 speaks of this Southern snake as "water 
viper" or "water rattlesnake" but adds: "Not that it 
hath a Rattle. The Tail of this Viper is small toward 
the End and terminates in a blunt horny Point about 
half an inch long. This harmless little Thing has given 
a dreadful Character to its Owner, imposing a Belief on 
the Credulous that he is the terrible Horn Snake armed 
with Death at both Ends, thus attributing to him another 
instrument of Death besides that he had before, though in 
reality of equal Truth with that of the Two-headed 
Amphisbaena. Yet we are told that this fatal Horn by a 
Jerk of the Tail not only mortally wounds men and other 
Animals, but if by Chance struck into a young tree, whose 
Bark is more easily penetrated than an old one, the Tree 
instantly withers, and turns black and dies." 
Perhaps the best known of North American snakes with 
sharp, hard-pointed tails is the familiar water moccasin 
often called cotton mouth (Ancistrodon piscivorus), but 
indeed the sharp-pointed tail of both the copperhead and 
moccasin is spiny. Dr. Cope says: "The last of the 
caudal vertebrae consists of an osseous splint with acute 
apex, which is ensheathed in three modified scales, two 
above and one below, which is better developed than in 
most harmless snakes." There we have the horn, which, 
however, is not confined to the venomous snakes which 
belong to this genus. A well-known South American 
snake of Guiana and Brazil, known as the bushmaster, has 
also a horny point to his tail. 
It is well known that many snakes, big and little, 
venomous and harmless, have the habit of very rapidly 
vibrating the tail from side to side. This habit may 
be in a measure protective, since the swiftly vibrating 
tail, striking dry leaves, dry grass or weed stems and 
other objects, makes a rattling or buzzing noise, which 
"warns those approaching it of its presence. Prof. O. P. 
Hay quotes Dr. Suckley concerning the fox snake, or 
pilot snake, of Minnesota, a wholly innocent species, as 
saying that when provoked it shows its irritation by 
vibrating the tip of its slender tail, which when striking 
a crumpled leaf or any other small object, produces a 
well-marked rattling noise, very similar to that made by 
the rattlesnake under the same circumstances. Other 
naturalists have made the same observation as to this 
and other notoriously harmless snakes, and it is a com- 
mon thing, if one discovers a black snake in the sum- 
mer before the creature is alarmed, for the snake to lie 
watching the observer and to wriggle its tail rapidly 
against the surrounding vegetation. This it seems to 
do as naturally as it thrusts out its tongue. 
. Eminent authorities have suggested that the swift vibra- 
tions of the tail of copperhead and moccasin suggest an 
approach to the rattle of their close relation, the rattle- 
snake. But is it necessary to go as far as this ? It would 
almost seem that the vibration of a snake's tail, while, of 
course, under many circumstances a warning of its 
presence, is really more a sign of alertness, and shows 
the creature to be prepared for whatever may turn up. 
either for swift attack or rapid retreat. Indeed, Prof. 
Shaler has spoken of this movement of the tail as "an out- 
let for suppressed energy," and this in fact may perhaps 
be just what it is. Even the great snakes, such as the 
pythons and boas, vibrate the tail. Of course, however, 
the tail's chief use is as an organ of locomotion or pre- 
hension.] 
A Winter Ride. 
Ferrisburgh, Vt., March 2.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: The other day I drove from home to Barre, a 
distance of about forty-eight miles. The road winds 
around through the woods at the foot of Camel's Hump, 
and as I was driving along I noticed a track which I 
supposed at first to be that of a cow, but after stopping 
and examining the tracks, I found them to be those of a 
deer. On a piece further I found where it had dropped 
sign that was still steaming. 
As I drove along, the road turned quite sharp, and 
going down a little hill I met a fox, I stopped, and he 
turning out gave me a wide berth, and the snow being 
quite deep he came back into the road and went on his 
way up the road out of sight. 
This road is one of the prettiest drives in Vermont; 
a large, noisy brook on one side of it, and majestic old 
Tah-wah-be-de-e-wad-so on the other. 
Then, as you leave the little village of Huntington, you 
go up over a hill, covered very thick with maple trees, and 
down into Jonesville. As I was riding along through 
this piece of maple woods I noticed a peculiar track, a 
good deal like a rabbit's, only much larger, going along 
in the ditch. As it was going my way, I noticed that it 
looked real fresh, and as I went over the brow of the 
hill, looking about forty rods ahead, I saw a lynx, com- 
monly called a bobcat. As soon as he heard the bells he 
sprang to one side and disappeared in the underbrush. 
When I reached the spot he was nowhere to be seen. 
The track showed he was walking when he heard me 
coming, and the distance from where he left the road 
to where he landed was over fifteen feet, which I care- 
fully paced,_ going nearly to my waist in the snow in 
order to do it. 
I have seen bobcats stuffed and live ones on exhibition 
at shows, but I never saw one that looked as large, 
Leon Cutler, of North Montpelier, told me that there 
had been near his home an open piece of water down on 
the Branch, which runs into the Winooski River, where 
several black ducks had stayed all winter. 
When on the way home I was on the lookout for the 
deer tracks I had seen, when I happened to look up on 
the side of the hill some distance off, when something 
caught my eye. I stopped and watched it for a few 
minutes. 
At first I thought it was a rock or stump, but all of a 
sudden it moved, and I saw it was a large buck deer. 
As he raised his head I could see the horns distinctly 
outlined against the snow. R. T. R 
AH communications intended for Fobsst a»d Stream should 
always be addressed to the Forest and Stream Publishing Co., and 
net to any individual connected with the paper. 
