juNE 27, igo3.3 
508 
external ear opening, and if the observer feels inclined to 
do a little dissecting a rudimentary set of shoulder bones 
will be found a short distance behind the head. In color 
it is yellowish, with brown longitudinal lines. Wherever 
it is found it has attracted a great deal of attention from 
the fact that when pursued or struck with a stick the 
whole animal appears to break up into short pieces. 
Along with this knowledge, which has given it the name 
of glass snake or joint snake, there goes the idea that 
these pieces have the power of reuniting themselves, so 
that the reptile can crawl away as sound as ever. Dr. 
O. P. Hay, who has written of this species, says : "As 
regards the liability of the animal to break into pieces 
on being struck or handled, there can be no doubt. Two- 
thirds or more of the glass snake is tail. It is a well 
known fact that many lizards on being seized drop their 
tail in order to free themselves or to deceive the pursuer. 
The tail thus lost may be reproduced. When occasion 
appears to demand the sacrifice, the glass snake sunders 
its tail into a number of wriggling pieces, and while the 
astonished observer stands viewing the wreck, the head 
and body hastens to a place of safety. In order that all 
these pieces might unite again to form a sound lizard, 
they would have to be fitted together in the proper order 
and with the ends turned in the right direction; the half 
dozen or more conical muscular masses which project 
from the ends of the pieces would have to be interdigi- 
tated accurately; the nerves and blood vessels would need 
to come into juxtaposition; and then all the torn surfaces 
unite by 'immediate union' so quickly and effectively that 
the animal can betake itself to its business. Some ob- 
servers say the}'' have seen the thing done, but before 
scientific men will believe the assertion, it will have to be 
well corroborated." 
The glass snake is said to live in dry, rather than damp, 
situations, and spends a great deal of its time below the 
surface of the ground and about the roots of trees. It 
is sometimes plowed up by the farmer, but is most often 
seen as it crawls about in grassy places in search of food. 
It appears very early in the spring and remains until late 
in autumn. Its diet is apparently quite varied, as Prof. 
Cope mentions taking from the stomach of a specimen 
from Florida "three ground spiders, a grasshopper, a 
cricket, a cockroach, a beetle and a lepidopterous larva, 
and a small snail. Its intestine was packed with the 
remains of beetles." Nothing definite is known about its 
breeding habit, but like most other lizards it probably lays 
its eggs in the ground. 
Even more unlike the typical lizards than the glass 
snake is the so-called blind worm, or Rhineura, of 
Florida. This creature is adapted for a subterranean lifri, 
and passes practically its whole existence under ground. 
In appearance it resembles a large earthworm, being white 
in color and with the thin scales arranged in rings en- 
circling the body. Like the earthworm, also, it is able to 
progress with facility backward as well as forward. Its 
eyes are concealed beneath the skin, the mouth is small, 
and there is no external trace of ears. The limbs have 
entirely disappeared, and even the shoulder bones are 
very rudimentary. When throwm out of its burrow, the 
blind worm is said to progress by undulating its body 
vertically instead of horizontally. Its food probably con- 
sists of small insects and worms, but of this we know lit- 
tle, and about its reproductive habits we have no informa- 
tion whatever. 
The blind worm is especially interesting to the zoologist 
because it is, of all our lizards, the most snake-like in its 
skeleton, and frsm it we can pass easily to that more 
dreaded but nevertheless interesting group. 
W. P. Hay. 
A Mothetly Mallafd. 
My friend Nolan, down from Gull Lake, tells the fol- 
lowing: We were out on the lake rowing, when from 
the rushes emerged a mallard surrounded by a brood of 
tiny balls of feather, heading the way the mother headed 
across an arm of the lake. When the}'^ were too far away 
from their hiding place to turn back we closed in upon 
them, drawing closer and closer ; and with every stroke of 
our oars the mother bird quacked encouragingly to her 
brood to hurry along, the little ones giving out plaintive 
peeps that no doubt went deep into the heart of the 
mother bird. 
Wondering whether on close approach the mother bird 
would abandon her brood, we rowed until alongside of 
her, when she could easily have been dispatched with an 
oar, but with one eye upon us and the other upon her 
brood, she swam along in the lead, simply unmindful of 
the danger to herself. 
By this time the little ones began to string out until 
they formed a thin, feathery peeping line behind the 
mother. There was one little fellow wlio could not keep 
up and who was a yard or more behind the end of the 
line, and who struggled and peeped bravely but slowly 
and weakly along. Upon him was the attention of the 
mother engaged. Her voice seemed directed toward him 
and her gaze, as she turned her head, concentrated upon 
him. Her eyes showed just such love and solicitude as 
one could see in the face of a young mother watching 
her child in a trying illness. It was such a sight as one 
but seldom has the opportunity to witness. 
Allowing our boat to rest quiet we kept close watch on 
the mother, who took the opportunity to spring clear of 
the water and fly to the little one. In a moment the feeble 
and tired duckling was snugly ensconced upon its 
mother's back, and with a gladsome quacking, faintly 
answered by the peeping of the rest of the brood, she 
once more led the aquatic procession, and in a few 
moments was within the welcome rushes and we saw them 
no more. 
It certainly was an impressive sight, the devotion of 
that wild bird to its yoiing, facing what would at other 
times have meant death to it, for the sake of its little 
ones. 
I don't know just where this may fit in in "The 
Intelligence of Wild Things," but it certainly does come 
in under the head of maternal solicitude and devotion 
even unto death. Charles Cristadoro. 
St^ Pail, Minn. 
— ^ — 
Proprietora of shooting resorts will find it profitable to adverttsc 
them in Forut ahd Stsxak. 
The Fire-Bug. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
There are few beings more despicable than the fire- 
bug. _ The fire-bug, the poisoner, the anarchist — the an- 
archist a gentleman compared with the other two ! He 
strikes openly, and sacrifices life and liberty in the act. 
The fire-bug is a lower criminal than the poisoner, be- 
cause the latter usually makes sure of his victim. The 
fire-bug creeps silently forth and strikes secretly at a 
whole community. Not only does he destroy the woods 
and wild animal life therein, but homes, towns and human 
life as well. Who is there that breathes, with one atom of 
honor, manliness or humanity in his heart, can applaud 
the hellish work of the fire-bug? 
"The opportunity has come for the woodsmen who 
have only one way in which to reach the preserve owners, 
and they are taking advantage of it." If these words 
amount to anything, they mean that beings in human 
shape have committed arson, and perhaps murder. If 
Mr. Spears personally knows of a single instance where 
the woods have been fired, has he done his duty as a 
law-abiding American citizen and reported the same to 
the criminal authorities? If not, I, as a law-abiding 
American citizen, wish to call the attention of those 
authorities to Mr. Spears' article, "Adirondack Ruin," m 
Forest and Stream issue of June 13. It is their duty to 
inquire into what Mr. Spears intimates in that article. 
"At Raquette Lake fires were only got under control 
just in time to save the town." How many human lives 
might have been lost but for this fact! The opinion of 
every man worthy of the name can be only honest and 
indignant condemnation of "men" who "will go through 
the woods, fire in hand, and spread it broadcast where it 
will do the most damage." 
Thank God, the great and important State of New 
York has no law on its statute books which permits an 
act so despicably villainous and cowardly ! Beasts of this 
stripe_ should be condemned to instantaneous oblivion. 
The lives of innocent men, women and children must not 
be put in jeopardy because some degenerate wishes to pay 
an unlawful grudge. 
Preserve owners legitimately acquire land and strive to 
perpetuate the forests and the game. And every sane 
man knows that this can only be done lawfully. The 
"woodsman" who criminally burns the forests and game 
simply perpetuates crime. Outside his own worthless 
mind he is worse than good for nothing! 
"Of course my personal feelings in this matter are very 
strong, as are the feelings of all the other backwoodsmen, 
in fact." Mr. Spears does not state positively in what 
way his "feelings" "are very strong." According to the 
daily papers human lives were sacrificed in some of the 
forest fires. Not the lives of millionaire preserve owners, 
mind you. Not a preserve owner has perished that I have 
read of. If one single life has been lost in the Adiron- 
dacks in flames started by depraved fire-fiends, I'et us hope 
that the criminal authorities of New York State will 
leave no stone unturned until the guilty perpetrators of 
the deed are at rest — in the electric chair. There should 
be no room in this broad land for the assassin, be he mil- 
lionaire or pauper, who silently skulks forth with fire and 
murder in his heart to scatter broadcast conHagration, 
desolation and death. 
' The right to buy and sell land has been lawfully recog- 
nized by civilized communities for centuries. It will con- 
tinue to be so recognized, despite the criminal actions of 
an insignificant minority of squatters, tramps and fire- 
bugs. These are simply allowed to roam over other 
people's property by the unwritten law of courtesy, and 
have not the morality, modesty nor decency to appre- 
ciate the favor. 
It is a blessed satisfaction to know that in our good 
land the inhuman monster-s who go silently forth "fire in 
hand and spread it broadcast where it will do the most 
damage," are but a small per cent, even of our crrminal 
clement. I do not believe that the population of our 
prisons and jails would tolerate, without protest, such a 
fiend in their midst! 
But, candidly, the majority of people will not give these 
fire-setting yarns credence. The fires have been too gen- 
eral and far-reaching to have been started with criminal 
intent. Not only have they burned in the Adirondacks, 
but in every State in New England, as well as in Canada, 
and in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and on Long Island. 
In many cases they undoubtedly originated from loco- 
motives. In other cases carelessness was the cause. But 
the principal cause of their fierceness was the extreme 
drought. There are few people with one iota of reason 
Avill believe they were the work of the criminal fiire-bug, 
William H. Avis. 
HiGHWOOc, Conn., June 17. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
FoU Particulars of Mr. Egan*3 DeaCh. 
Chicago, 111., June 13.— Last week mention was made 
of the finding of the body of Mr. B. F. Egan, the 
Great Northern R.R. official, who was lost below Kalis- 
pell, Mont., last winter. Since the time of the above 
wntmg I have received a letter from Mr. H. W. Os- 
born, of St. Paul, a friend and associate of Mr. Egan, 
and what Mr. Osborn says, together with the useful 
warnmg to all other hunters who may perhaps find 
themselves in circumstances similar to those which 
proved fatal to Mr. Egan, seems to warrant further 
mention of this noted Western incident, so deploi-able 
in all Its features. Mr. Osborn sends a newspaper 
clipping, taken from a local paper, which, with his 
letter, follows: 
"I write particularly to-day to enclose you an article 
from one of the Kalispell papers, concerning the find- 
ing of the remains of my old friend, Ben Egan, who 
was lost last November. It was a very distressing and 
pathetic affair, and I have watched for this all winter 
Jong. I did not know but that you would like the item) 
which I enclose, as it has its moral, never to get ex- 
cited when you are lost, but to sit down and build a fire 
and by all means hang on to your rifle. 
"I cannot understand how a man of Mr. Egan's ex- 
perience and nerve could lose his compass and his rifle 
and meet with such a dreary and unfortunate end, with 
everything on his person to take care of himself." 
The article, from the Kalispell Inter-Lake, says: 
"The body was found about a mile from the railroad, 
and something less than two miles from Belton. The 
place was about a mile and a half from where Mr. 
Egan was last seen by Dr. H. E. Houston. The body 
was face downward, lying at full length under a fir 
tree, some of the lower branches of which had been 
pressed down. One arm was extended along the body 
and the other was partly under it. The head was lying 
on a small log, and the temple had struck on a small 
projection made by a broken limb. Everything indi- 
cated that the unfortunate man had fallen., completely 
exhausted, and stunned by the fall against the log, had 
been rendered unconscious, freezing to death where he 
lay. 
"When the special reached Belton the party went to 
the spot where the body was found, and a coroner's 
jury was empaneled from those present. A careful ex- 
amination of the body was made by Drs. MacDonald 
and Lamb, and no sign of wound or bruise, other than 
that on the head caused by the fall upon the log, was 
to be discovered. It was the more carefully made for 
the reason that many people had held the belief that 
he had been accidentally killed by some other hunter,- 
or possibly by the accidental discharge of his own rifle. 
"His rifle and compass were both missing. The 
compass, it is thought, he may have dropped in the 
snow and was unable to find it, and finding the rifle a 
burden, threw it away. The face of his watch had been 
removed, and placed in his vest pocket, presumably 
that he might know what time it was by feeling the 
hands. In his pockets were found two or three dozen 
matches, and he was carrying a full box of shells for 
his rifle and a number of loose ones. 
"Mr. Doody and others familiar with the ground, 
think It IS beyond question that death came to Mr, 
Egan the first night he was missing. The morning 
after his 'disappearance Mr. Doody had gone through 
the woods, making a circle around the place where the 
body was found Monday, and at that time not a foot- 
print or trace was discovered, showing that he had 
not been moving toward morning. It is supposed that 
he became bewildered, and lost control of hiifiself, as 
men often do #hen lost in the woods, and instead of 
stopping at one place until morning kept going until 
completely exhausted. Then when he fell he was ren- 
dered unconscious and never recovered. It is possible, 
however, that he was trying to reach the railroad, the 
general direction of which he could have known from 
the fact that an engine was kept funning up and down 
the track all the night of his disappearance, sounding 
the whistle to guide him, if he was within hearing dis- 
tance, and uninjured. 
"The body was brought to Kalispell Monday night 
ihe verdict of the coroner's jury was as above. 
"On the afternoon of November 4 last, Mr. Egan and 
Drs. H. E. and R. Houston left Kalispell in Mr. Egan's 
car to hunt deer between Coram and Belton. They 
stopped near Lake Five, intending to hunt until even- 
ing, and then reach the car at Belton. They planned 
to meet at a bridge on the track, deciding on a sio-n 
that would tell any of the party whether any of them 
had gone on to Belton, and how many. After going 
into the woods a short distance Dr. PI. E. Houston 
and Mr. Egan separated, and the latter was seen no 
more. The Houstons hunted until dark and then left 
the signs agreed on on the bridge and went on to Bel- 
ton. A blinding snowstorm started in, making the 
darkness more intense. When Egan did not come to 
Belton there was some uneasiness, but no great anxiety 
as it was thought the worst that could happen would 
be that he would have to stay out all nieht. As he 
Fig. 5. — The Rlinil-worm. 
