FOREST AND STREAM. 
[April 26, 1902. 
perch squeezed in among the birds in such a way that 
he was hidden completely. One dead bird laid on the 
floor with his throat bitten, and not quite dead. The 
'possum was executed on the spot and the fowls were no 
more disturbed. 
I have had small lambs killed by 'possums, but the rac- 
coons were more destructive than they ; and one raccoon I 
shot as it was up a tree with a lamb a few days old. I 
know that racoons will take young chicks and kill hens 
on their nest and destroy the eggs. Living here in the 
midst of a vast wilderness and boundless contiguity of 
shade, as the poet remarks, I have had during the score of 
years' residence many proofs of the bad character of the 
sly 'possum in regard to his appetite for poultry. 
North Carolina. H. STEWART. 
An Incident at the Zoo. 
The peculiar charm of the National Zoo in Washing- 
ton comes from the close approach to nature that is pos- 
sible there. From the footpaths that wind through this 
picturesque park glimpses. may be had of deer and other 
denizens of the forest, and so unobstrusive are the wire 
fences that it is easy to imagine the animals as in their 
natural habitat. The natural conditions especially favor 
this, and a wise administration has not neglected the 
opportunity. Not often, however, does this realistic treat- 
ment become so spectacular as on an afternoon recently 
when two large gray wolves could be seen coursing up 
and down the wooded slope unrestrained by any barriers 
erected by man. It was past the hour when many of the 
keepers left for the day, and the two wolves chancing to 
break, open an insecure door, enjoyed several minutes of 
freedom before any of the employes could be summoned 
to the spot. 
Freedom to an animal reared in captivity is a condition 
in which he has no precedent for guidance. Thus, the 
first shock of the change of scene over, these wolves 
seemed most intent upon securing admission to some of 
the yards occupied, by other wolves or foxes, and the 
resulting uproar can be imagined. Then curiosity ap- 
peared to guide them, and together they investigated a 
neighboring pen where two peccaries were enjoying their 
ease. Some inherited traits now cropped out and the 
wolves seemed to enjoy making the peccaries run at full 
speed around their inclosure, the wolves keeping close to 
the separating bars. The scene had now become such as 
to attract the attention of both visitors and employes. The 
latter turned out in force, having armed themselves with 
ropes. Nurses with small children sought the protection 
of the monkey house, but most of the visitors remained 
outside to watch the chase. 
One of the keepers appeared to be on fairly good terms 
with the estrays, and could at times almost induce them 
to follow him, but the excitement incident to the change 
of environment was too much for the wolves, and to- 
gether they continued to run back and forth. It was 
evident, however, that confinement within narrow limits 
had wholly unfitted them for such liberty of action as 
was really possible here, and so they would turn and 
run in circles when they might have just as well taken a 
straight course for the wilder parts of the park. They 
plainly felt more at home when in close proximity to wire 
neeting, even though on the outside of an inclosure. Such 
visits to the various pens and yards had the effect of 
terrifying certain of the other animals, and to the visitors 
standing upon the brow of the hill and looking down into 
the Rock Creek Valley, the scene was most realistic and 
interesting. At one time, a band of llamas could be seen 
in full flight across their yard, finally standing huddled 
together in a group while their innocent enemies ran past. 
The activity of the keepers was more wisely directed than 
that of the wolves, and finally an end came to fche half- 
hour of freedom. The tired animals were cornered on the 
bank of Rock Creek, nooses thrown over their heads, and 
they were ignomiriously carried back to the environment 
with which after all they are more in accord. G. O. S. 
Waterfowl as Life Distributors. 
It is a well-understood fact that in various ways water- 
fowl carry seeds and perhaps minute animals and their 
eggs, and even the spawn of fishes from one body of 
water to another, and it is believed that they have played 
a very important part in geographical distribution of 
plants and water animals. A note from the Indian Mu- 
seum of Calcutta by Mr. Frank Finn tells of an interest- 
ing observation which he recently made on this subject, 
and is very well worth reproducing here. It is to be under- 
stood that the jacana is a water bird related to the snipes, 
and, like them, spending much of its time wading along 
the edges of pools, running over floating vegetation, 'and 
swimming on the water. Mr. Finn says : 
"Yesterday (March 19) I witnessed an interesting in- 
stance of the capacity of quite small waterfowl to carry 
aquatic mollusks of considerable size. A pheasant-tailed 
jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) which was at large, 
with partially clipped wings, on the tank in the museum 
grounds, had attached to one of his feet a fresh-water 
mussel, well over an inch long, which remained there for 
about an hour and a half to my knowledge. 
"The jacana, although quite a small bird, only about 
the size of a turtle dove, nevertheless flew quite as well 
with this burden as without, covering as much as sixty 
yards at a flight, with its legs naturally extended behind. 
"Of course, the partial clipping of its wings hindered it 
from rising high and going off altogether; but had it 
not been thus handicapped I am sure it could have trans- 
ported its burden for miles if forced to leave the tank. 
"I have had more than one specimen of this jacana, in 
which a toe, or part of a toe, was missing, an accident 
which might possibly be due to the pinch of a bivalve 
behaving as described above. A fish or turtle might more 
probably be guilty of such amputation, although the 
jacana' s slim, green toes look very like weed stems when 
it is swimming, and the resemblance might be protective 
so long as the bird floated quietly without paddling. 
"I find from my notes that six years ago I observed one 
of some tree ducks (Dendrocygna javanica) which I was 
then keeping on this tank, with what appeared to be a 
big water snail remaining attached to its toe for some 
time." j _ _ _ 
Another New Alaskan Bear. 
Certainly Alaska must be a great place for bears. Wc 
know the common garden black bear and grizzly, the 
mammoth Kadiak bear, the Yakutat bear and the tiny 
glacier bear. Beside that, it is only two or three weeks 
since Dr. Merriam described two new bears from the 
Alaskan Peninsula; the results of Mr. Kidder's hunting; 
and now Dr. Allen describes another. 
In an account recently published in Forest and Stream 
on the work in Alaska of Mr. Andrew J. Stone, reference 
was made to this new bear which Dr. Allen has named 
Ursus merriami in recognition of Dr. C. Hart Merriam's 
excellent revision of the North American bears. As al- 
ready stated, the specimens on which the description is 
based come from Portage Bay on the. Alaska Peninsula, 
a locality opposite the Shumagin Islands, and so some 600 
or 700 miles west of the type locality of Ursus dalli gyas 
recently described by Dr. Merriam. 
These specimens are the skull of a bear, adult, but not 
old, as shown by the still open sutures, and the skin of a 
probably very old male. The skull, which is about 13 X A 
inches long, is long and narrow with low forehead and 
only moderately expanded zygomatic arches. Seen from 
above it is almost like the skull of a polar bear, and is 
thus as different as possible from the short, broad, high 
skull of the Kadiak bear and allied forms. Viewed from 
below, the teeth are seen to be as different as possible 
from those of the polar bear. The general color of the 
skin is yellowish brown, lightest over the shoulders and 
darkest behind and on the sides, while the lower parts 
of the flanks, the whole under surfaces and the legs are 
dark ruddy brown. 
Dr. Allen believes that Ursus merriami is the nearest 
ally of U. dalli gyas. 
Adirondack Bears. 
Elizabethtown, N. Y., April 14.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: A man engaged in lumbering for the J. & J. 
Rogers Co., of Ausable Forks, at the head of the Rogers 
Slip, so called, on the west side of the Ausable River, 
between Keene Center and Upper Jay, Essex county. 
N. Y., captured four bears last week— three cubs and the 
old she bear. He captured the three cubs alive just at 
night, and killed the mother the following day. 
George L. Brown. 
%nrt{t mid ^ntu 
- — * — 
Proprietors of shooting resorts will find it profitable to advertise 
them in Foul! ahd Stmam. 
Ducking, Fun, but no Ducks. 
The surf boomed solemnly on Bloody Cove Beach. 
The rain beat a steady accompaniment on the roof. The 
outdoors was as black as a pocket, but the interior of the 
cottage presented a picture of comfort and cheer. The 
sitting room stove diffused a steady heat, and the sput- 
tering of chops on the kitchen stove gave evidence of the 
feast to come, and the aroma of steaming coffee whetted 
to a greater extent appetites already ravenous. 
"It's Sunday morning," said Barker, glancing up at 
the clock from his cooking; "those fellows ought to be 
here pretty soon, if they are coming." 
The murmur of voices out in the storm and the tramp- 
ing of feet on the veranda, told that "those fellows" had 
arrived at last. A heavy bang on the door admitted 
them, all three, guns, baggage and other paraphernalia. 
George Humphreys, assistant superintendent of the 
American Ordnance Company, of Bridgeport; Mr. Can- 
telow, an inspector in the same concern, and Mr. De- 
laney, head of the tool department, comprised the con- 
tingent of "those fellows." 
We were after, first, fun and recreation; second, ducks. 
The first part of our proposition could have been no 
better filled. The second came to just nil! The total 
amounted tO' success. 
Sunday morning broke, as did the first morning of my 
trip here in 1898, with Major Mather and Dr. Bashford 
Dean. The wind howled out of the northeast; the rain 
poured; the leaden surf thundered on the beach, and the 
tide backed up over the road. 
After breakfast, Barker and I hunted the neighborhood 
for a boat, for use on Monday. We finally found a skiff, 
although a launch would have suited us better. Then the 
decoys were overhauled. 
Much to our satisfaction, the wind boxed the com- 
pass in the afternoon, then settled in the northwest. The 
clouds broke, the sun came out, and the wind howled 
out of the new quarter and gave ominous warning of 
what to expect on the morrow, for it grew steadily 
colder. Close-reefed schooners began to put in an ap- 
pearance. "Let's all go for a walk," suggested George. 
"Nothing in the world so good as fresh, air and sun- 
shine." 
We walked to Chimney Corner, where the Sachem's 
Head Y. C. house stands. Here many fine cottages are 
taking the places of the small ones which were there 
when Mather, Dean and I visited the place in '98. The 
yachts were all out of commission, and the handsome club 
house was deserted. We saw quite a number of ducks on 
our way over and back. 
Our second walk tOGk us to Pipe Bay, by way of 
Vineyard Point. The point makes out into the Sound 
about four miles north of Falkner Island and forms the 
east shore of Bloody Cove. Bloody Cove gets its sugges- 
tive name from a battle fought in Colonial days, when the 
whites surprised a band of Indians on the north shore 
and massacred them. The head of the dead chief was 
placed on a pole and stuck in the ground ort the extreme 
end of Chimney Corner, where the yacht club house 
stands. From this civilized and Christian act comes the 
name, Sachem's Head. Vineyard Point is building up 
fast with summer cottages. 
Half way between Pipe Bay and Bloody Cove, and a 
short distance from tide water's edge, stands an old, de- 
serted farmhouse. Until recently it has been occupied in 
the summer time, but for over a year it has been de- 
serted. It is Colonial in architecture, and was built by a : 
retired sea captain. A large veranda faces Falkn|fi 
Island, and a peep in the windows from this veranda 
revealed considerable furniture in the big, low-ceilinged! 
rooms, and large, open fireplaces. There is a tragedy 
connected with the place. 
It appears that the captain's wife died, and he and twiO' 
sons survived the wife and mother. The produce of tag 
farm was carried to New York in a small sloop and sol|fl 
The sons and a Chinese cook formed the crew. FinalM 
a cargo was taken to New York and disposed of. Then! 
wonder was created by noting no life aboard the littffl 
vessel. She had remained in one place a number o* 
days. Then an investigation was made. Her bunks and, 
the cabin floor were smeared with blood, but the vesta 
was deserted. Whether the bodies of the sons weS 
ever recovered escapes my memory, but the story goew 
that the cook was captured and held for murder, but fojj 
lack of evidence was not convicted. It is said, however 
that he returned to China and was there beheaded. 
Were I a -wealthy man, the broad acres of this olcll 
farm would be mine. The high pasture lots afford era 
ti rtttcing views of the grand Sound, its rugged, wooded 
shores and islands. The rays of the red westering stuf 
reached far out from under a long, island-like stretch oil 
dark gray cloud, and revealed the blue outline of Long: 
Island, twenty miles to the south, and Hammonassefr 
Point, twelve miles to the east. For over twenty mile£; 
to the west stretched the dark blue shore line of Con- 
necticut, only to fade from view in the dim distance. To! 
the southeast and southwest lay an unbroken expanse; 
of scintillating waters, and white-winged, close-reefed 
schooners plowed the green, white-crested waves. M 
cloud of gulls circled over Goose Island, to the west oji 
Falkner. Off Vineyard Point a large raft of ducks were 
feeding, and two or three flocks could be seen in thf 
vicinity of Pipe Bay. 
In one of the lots is a large spring. It is 12 feet Inj 
diameter, with'a depth of 10 feet. It seems remarkable 
-that so large a spring of fresh water should exist on higlf 
land within: 100 yard's of salt water. 
Right at the water's edge, on the western shore oli 
Pipe Bay, stands a small, neat shanty. There is a bit a) 
land with the place, and the property belongs to an un- 
conscious follower of the philosophy of Thoreau. While; 
the owner has never heard of "Walden," yet he arguet- 
much the same as the book. "I lived and worked in th«> 
city nearly all my life," said he, "and was in the samt 
rut at the end as the beginning. I became tired, sick anc 
disgusted with it all. One day I threw up my job, leaseij 
this bit of land and built my house. And here T havi 
lived better than I ever did before. I raise vegetable! 
enough for my own need, and dig a few clams when j 
am clam hungry. Fish are at my door, and fresher thai 
in the market! I catch lobsters in their season, and thi 
money from their sale and a few odd jobs at carpenter:! 
ing now and then keeps me in clothes as good as I eveij 
cared to wear. There is no whistle to blow me in anc] 
out, whether I care to work or not. I have my dog; 
gun, decoys and boat, and I am free!" 
The man looked neat and clean. His English setteij 
appeared as well fed as any dog I ever saw. I think hiij 
argument sound, especially as he is a single man. 
Reminiscences round the fire over cigars was thij 
order, after supper. George had known Major Mathe:) 
through meeting him at the Sportsmen's Show, whet 
George was with the Remington concern. (By the way! 
George has recently accepted the superintendency of th 
Remington Arms Company, and is with them in tha 
capacity at the present time.) This led to an exchangt 
of pleasant remembrances of the genial Major betweei 
George and me. Then there were stories of hunting anq 
camping in all sections of the country. Barker told i 
story connected with duck shooting at Sachem's Head 
It follows: 
"It was in early winter, and the weather was extremeb 
cold. Ducks were more plentiful here then than thm 
are now. My brother and I had been shooting all da^l 
on , Hump Rock. We bagged a number of broadbillsj 
and as it was getting late in the day I left my brother t< 
get our things together there, and rowed out to take ttj 
decoys. In standing up in the boat to overcome sorm 
difficulty, I stepped on a decoy. It turned under nv 
foot, and before I coujd recover my balance a lurch o' 
the boat pitched me overboard. Somehow in going ove 
I managed to grasp the side of the boat. I tried to climl 
in, but a heavy overcoat, mittens and hip rubber boot 
were too much of a handicap. m The water was so col<i 
that I soon became thoroughly chilled and exhausted 
To make matters worse the tide was rapidly carrying 
the boat out into the Sound. On the rocks my brothe 
was frantically rushing back and forth, but he 'could d<] 
nothing. I was on the point of letting go the boat and 
ending the agony, when my feet touched something hard 
and solid, and befojre I could realize my good fortune, ' 
was standing on a submerged rock. The water was (rj 
to my breast^ and after a breathing spell, I managed t<! 
scramble into the boat. When I reached the rock when 
my brother was, I drank nearly a quart of whisky, anc 
never felt it more than so much water. We left the de' 
coys, and when I reached home, my clothes were froze; 
as stiff as a board." 
The Bridgeport contingent unanimously voted Bark! 
ker's story true in every particular, especially the par 
about drinking a quart of whisky and not being affected 
Monday dawned without a cloud, but so awfully cold, 
The wind howled out of the northwest and flattened thl 
sea under the lee of the land; but there was a substantia 
jump on out in the sound. A few three-masted schoon 1 
ers were making their way through the water under close 
reefed mizen and foresails, mainsails being furled, am 
single jibs. Under the conditions came thoughts of fou 
unfortunate duck shooters who had already been blow! 
off shore this season, a few miles to the west of us, mis 
erably perishing and leaving destitute families behim 4 . 
But most of us had been on the water enough to kno\\ 
that setting decoys in such an off-shore gale was des 
perately dangerous and entirely out of the question. 
After breakfast all but Barker donned heavy clothing 
shouldered guns and started off in the direction of Pip( 
Bay. We followed the shore, thinking perhaps we migh 
run across a stray duck or so up among the rocks. 
Whew! how the wind did blow! The zero air worke 
through our clothing as through a sieve! We found gl 
