July 26. 1902.1 , FOREST AND STREAM. 
upon" every occasion possible remove the load and look 
carefully after the backs of the animals. 
It would be interesting to hear if any of your numerous 
readers know of instances occurring to-day where heavily 
loaded pack horses are turned loose at night without their 
loads being removed. C. P. A. 
[The Miami Valley stories, we assumed, were given as 
they liavc come down and are current; and are not to be 
judged liy the strict standards of historical records.] 
— 
St. Augustine Tame Birds. 
St. Augustine, Fla., July i8. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: T feel somewhat elated to find myself the target 
nf such a cloud of compliments and cusses as I have 
brought upon my innocent head by merely saying I'd 
rather bag a woodcock than a moose, though the cusses, I 
am happy to say. are all of a mild and gentlemanly type, 
while the compliments do me proud, especially when com- 
ing from such inodel sportsmen as Jacobstaff and Lewis 
Hopkins. 
I'm always delighted when I'm able to get up a little 
sparring for pastime without staining the pages of Forest 
.AND Stream with blood, but the simple stuff that follows 
this heading will not admit of even the mildest opposition. 
I have been stirred up to this by reading the account of 
Mrs. McKenna's wonderful work in taming what I sup- 
posed to be the untamable grouse. 
My wife and I sit here on our wide piazza day after day 
enjoying the delightful sea breeze, and to make time pass 
more pleasantly, we cultivate the company of several 
kinds of birds. 
For a long time we had a pair of cardinals, but an ill- 
natured mockingbird drove them off. 
Then we turned our attention to a beautiful red-winged 
blackbird, and soon got him very tame, but the before- 
mentioned bully fell foul of him and refused to let him 
come near the house. This was a trifle too much for my 
angelic nature, and I put a squib in my "scatter gun" and 
killed him as dead as Homer. Since then sweet peace 
has reigned among our birds. The banished red-wing has 
returned and brough two of his children, and now, while 
my wife is sewing and I am reading, two or three of them 
are feeding on the table at once apparently unafraid. They 
are quite entertaining, but our most interesting little pet 
has gone to parts unknown. 
Every summer I tame hummingbirds when the young- 
ones appear, from the first to the middle of June, but this 
year the mother bird found the bottle at the same time 
with the young one, the result being that the youngster 
had to leave. 
' They are intensely selfish, Oft accdtlrit of which only one 
can be tamed, with .satisfaction, at a time, and as the old 
birds are difficult to tame, I paid but little attention to this 
one, though she would feed from my hand. To my sur- 
prise, the male bird, a perfect beauty, which we called 
Ruby, came to the bottle — which was prettj^ good proof 
that he was a pet of the year before — but his wife was 
boss, and sat on a tree near by from morning till night 
to keep him from meddling with her bottle, though once in 
a while he would slip in on the sly. 
As this was not to my liking, I refused to let her have 
anything to eat, and she left. I fed Ruby every time he 
came, and he soon got so tame that he would hunt for me 
in search of his bottle. 
(To digress — ^a beautiful "nonpareil" is feeding on the 
grass seeds just before me.) To tame hummingbirds so 
that they will come to me anywhere about the place is an 
easy matter, but how Mrs. McKenna tamed that grouse is 
a mystery to me. About the first of July the flowers have 
almost disappeared from this region, and nearly every 
Inunmer leaves, but why our well-fed pet should leave I 
:an't imagine, unless his Avife commanded him to go with 
her. The male is a trifle smaller than the female, and she 
appears to be always boss. Didymus. 
The Snake Skin in the Bird's Nest. 
Ak inquirer asks the Outlook: "When a boy. I was 
:old that an atheist was turned from the error of his way 
jy seeing the parent birds carrying in their bills leaves of 
the white ash and placing them upon their nest of young 
to protect them from a climbing snake reaching out for 
'hem. The leaves instantly drove the snake away. Please 
nform me through your weekly whether there is positive 
5roof that such a protection is used by birds, or is it only 
;o be found in Sunday school books, but not in authorila- 
live natural history works?" 
To this the Outlook makes reply: "It would seem that 
here are many miracles e\ident out of doors that might 
turn an atheist from the error of his way.' The incident 
recited by our correspondent — namely, the use of the 
eaves of the white ash by parent birds for protecting their 
/o\mg from climbing snakes — possibly has some founda- 
;ion in fact. In a long experience as a field ornithologist. 
Mr. William E. D. .Scott, a trained naturalist, saj^s he has 
.bserved nothing of a like nature. He adds, however, that 
rhe great crested flycatcher, which builds in deserted 
ivoodpeckers' domiciles as well as in natural cavities in 
Ttes, habitually does something quite as extraordinary. A 
^■ist .snake's skin almost always figures as a part of the 
ining of the nests of this kind of bird. Presumably this 
nav be to prevent intrusion on the part of enemies, as 
well ;ih III other birds seeking similar localities for nest- 
ng or sleeping." 
This purpose has more than once been suggested to ex- 
plain the use of the snake skin, and by observers whose 
opinions carry weight. But after all, we know nothing 
ibout it, and the explanation seems somewhat fanciful, 
^ere are some quotations on the subject, however, and any 
ibservations by readers of Forest and Stream will be 
•ery gladly published if sent in to us. r 
On this habit Miss Florence Merriara, in her "Birds of 
tillage and Field," says: "Whatever may be the historic 
eason for this peculiar habit, the lamented Mr. Frank 
P.olles watched two nests in which the skin was apparently 
3sed to scare away intruders. The morning he found 
the firs't nest It had one egg and no snake skin, but that 
evening he was startled to be met by the raised head of 
a snake (skin) in front of the nest, and on examination 
found that the body of the snake — six or seven inches 
long — was coiled around the eggs. The second year the 
birds built in the same place, and after each of Mr. Bolles' 
visits to the nest fresh pieces of skin were added. This 
was done with an eye to his intentions, Mr. Bolles believed, 
from the evident disapproval of the birds, for they scolded 
him severely whenever he came, and as long as he re- 
mained in sight. A similar use of the skin is suggested in 
the instance quoted by Major Bendire, in which the skin 
was arranged to hang out of the hole. Mr. Burroughs 
throws a side light on. the question by stating that he has 
found onion skins, fish scales, and even oiled paper in 
nests where there was no snake skin. If originally pro- 
tective, the instinct seems to have run to seed as a morbid 
taste for the grotesque in house furnishing." 
The case noted by Major Bendire is mentioned in his 
"Life Histories of North American Birds (Parrots to 
Crackles)." p. 261. He .says: "Exuvite of snakes seem 
to be present in the majority^ of the nests of this species; 
they are sometimes incorporated in the nest proper and 
again they are placed around the sides of it, in all prob- 
ability for protective purposes, and are changed and re- 
arranged from time to time. But few nests are found 
which do not contain more or less of this material, occa- 
sionally whole skins enter into their composition. 
"Mr. W. E. Loucks, of Peoria, III., writes me: T 
found a very remarkable nest of the crested flycatcher 
some years ago. The curious feature about it was that 
the birds had taken an enormous snake skin, probably that 
of a black snake, and had so arranged it within the en- 
trance of the cavity that the greater part of it hung out- 
side. What other motive could the birds have had than 
that of alarming intruders?' " 
The Mexican crested flycatcher (Myiarchus me'xicmus) 
while also commonly using bits of snake skin as nest ma- 
terial, does not, it is said, use it as generally as does its 
more northern relative (.M. crmitus). On the other hand 
the Arizona form (M. mexicanus magister, Ridg), is 
reported to use "bits of snake and lizard skin" as nest 
lining, and one observer speaking of a ne.st he found, says: 
"It was entirely similar in construction to that of Musci- 
capa crinitus even to the traditional snake skins." 
Wild Animals of the North. 
The Arctic Fox. 
From Richardson's "Fauna Boreali-Americana; or the Zoology of 
the Northern Parts of British America." 
The Arctic fox. as is well known, has two color phases, 
the one white the other bluish or brownish slate color. 
This was originally believed to be the result of a seasonal 
change, the white being the winter dress, and the dark the 
pelage of summer. It is known, however,- that not all — 
perhaps not even a majority — of these foxes change their 
color with the seasons ; and since the breeding of blue 
foxes has become an industry in Alaska, it has been 
learned that these animals, if brought to the south, remain 
dark in color throughout the year, one which is white, or 
partly white, being only occasionally found among the 
many litters of dark animals. The Arctic fox is smaller 
than the red fox, the weight usually being about eight 
pounds, while some are as low as seven, and a few as high 
as nine and a half. Dr. Richardson quotes at length, as to 
the habits of this species, from Capt. Lyon, who, during 
two winters passed on a Melville peninsula, studied with 
care the manners of several of these interesting animals, 
which were taken alive and kept as pets. He says : 
"The Arctic fox is an extremely cleanly animal, being 
very careful not to dirt those places in which he eats or 
sleeps. No unpleasant smell is to be perceived, even in a 
male, which is a remarkable circumstance. To come un- 
awares on one of these creatures is, in my opinion, im- 
possible ; for CA'cn when in an apparently sound sleep, 
thej^ open their eyes at the slightest noise which is made 
near them, although they pay no attention to sounds when 
at a short distance. The general time of rest is during 
the daylight, in which they appear listless and inactive ; 
but the night no sooner sets in than all their faculties 
are awakened; they commence their gambols, and con« 
tinue in unceasing and rapid motion until the morning. 
While hunting for food, they are mtite, but when in 
captivity or irritated, they utter a short growl like that of 
a young puppy. It is a singular fact that their bark is so 
modulated as to give an idea that the animal is at a dis- 
tance, although at the very moment he lies at your feet. 
Although the rage of a newly caught fox is quite un- 
governable, yet it very rarely happens that on two being 
put together they quarrel. A confinement of a few hours 
often sufficed to quiet these creatures, and some instances 
occurred of their being perfectly tame, although timid, 
from the first moment of their captivity. On the other 
hand, there were some which, after months of coaxing, 
never became more tractable. These we supposed were 
old ones. 
" 'Their first impulse on receiving iood is to hide it as 
soon as possible, even though suffering from hunger, and 
having no fellow prisoners of whose honesty they are 
doubtfttl. In this case snow is of great assistance, as 
being easily piled over their stores and then forcibly 
pressed down by the nose. I frequently observed my 
dog-fox, when no snow was attainable, gather his chain 
into his tnouth, and in that manner carefully coil it so as 
to hide the meat. On moving away, satisfied with his 
operations, he. of course, had drawn it after him again, 
and sometimes with great patience repeated his labors five 
or six times, until in a passion he has been constrained to 
eat his food without its having been rendered luscious by 
previous concealment. Snow is the substitute for water 
to these creatures, and on a large lump being given to 
them, they break it in pieces with-t4ieir feet, and roll on 
it with great delight. When the snow was slightly scat- 
tered on the -decks, they did not lick it up as dogs are ac- 
customed to do, but by repeatedly pressing with their 
nose, collected small lumps at its extremity, and then drew 
it into the mouth with the assistance of the tongue.' In 
another passage Capf. Lyon, alluding to the above-men- 
tioned dog-fox, says 'He was small and not perfectly 
white, but his -tameness was so remarkable that I could 
not afford to kill him, but confined him on deck in a 
68 
small_ hutch, with a scope of chain. The little animal 
astonished us very much by his extraordinary sagacity, for 
during the first day, finding himself much tormented by 
being drawn out repeatedly by his chain, he at length, 
whenever he returned to his hut, took this carefully up in 
his mouth, and drew it so completely after him, that 
no one who valued his fingers would endeavor to take 
hold of the end attached to the staple.' 
"Hearne says that when taken young, the Arctic fox 
may be domesticated in some degree, but he never saw 
one that was fond of being cares.sed ; and they are always 
impatient of confinement. Notwithstanding the degree of 
intelligence which the anecdotes related by Capt. Lyon 
show them to possess, they are unlike the red fox, in be- 
ing extremely unsuspicious, and instances are related of 
their standing by, while the hunter is preparing the trap, 
and ruiming headlong into it the moment he retires a few 
paces. Capt. Lyon received fifteen from a single trap 
in fom- hours. The voice of the Arctic fox is a kind of 
yelp, and when A man approaches their breeding places, 
they put their heads out of their burrows, and bark at 
him, allowing him to come so near that-they may be easily 
shot. They appear to have the power of decoying other 
anirnals within their reach, by imitating their voices. 
'While tenting, we observed a fox prowling on a side hill, 
and heard him for several hours afterward in different 
places, imitating the cry of a brent goose,' They feed on 
eggs, young birds, blubber and carrion of any kind ; but 
their principal food seems to be lemmings of different 
species. 
"The Arctic fox is an inhabitant of the most northern 
lands hitherto discovered, and in North America their 
southern limit appears to be about latitude 50 degrees. 
They are numerous on the shores of Hudson's Bay, north 
of Churchill, and exist also in Behring's Straits; but the 
brown variety, mentioned in the following pages, is the 
more common one in the latter quarter. They breed on 
the sea coast, and chiefly within the Arctic circle, form- 
ing burrows in sandy spots — not solitary, like the red fox, 
but in little villages, twenty or thirty burrows being con- 
.structed adjoining to each other. We saw one of these 
villages on Point Turnagain, in latitude 68}4 degrees. 
Toward the middle of winter they retire to the southward, 
evidently in search of food, keeping as much as possible 
on the coast, and going much further to the southward in 
districts where the coast line is in the direction of their 
march. Capt. Parry relates that the Arctic foxes, which 
were previously numerous, began to retire from Melville 
Peninsula in November, and that by January few re- 
mained. Toward the center of the continent, in latitude 
65 degrees, they are seen only in the winter, and then not 
in numbers; they are very scarce in latitude 61 degrees, 
and at Carlton House, in latitude 53 degrees, only two 
were seen in forty j^ears. On the coast of Hudson's Bay, 
however, according to Hearne, they arrive at -Churchill, in 
latitude 59 degrees, about the middle of October, and 
afterward receive reinforcements from the northward, 
until their numbers almost exceed credibility. Many are 
captured there by the hunters, and the greater part of the 
survivors cross the Churchill River as soon as it is frozen 
over, and continue their journey along the coast to Nelson 
and Severn rivers. In like manner they extend their 
migrations along the whole Labrador coast to the Gulf of 
St. Lawrence. Most of those which travel far to the 
.southward are destroyed by rapacious animals; and the 
few \yhich survive to the spring, breed in their new quar- 
ters, instead of returning to the north. The colonies they 
found are, however, soon extirpated by their numerous 
enemies. A few breed at Churchill, and' some young ones 
are occasionally seen in the vicinity of York Factory. 
There are from three to five young ones in a litter. 
"The Esquimaux take the Arctic foxes in traps, which 
are described by Capt. Parry as being 'extremely simple 
and ingenious. They consist of a small circular arched 
hut built of stones, having a square aperture at the top. 
but quite close and secure in every other part. This 
aperture is closed by some blades of whalebone, which, 
though in reality only fixed to the stones at one end, ap- 
pear to form a secure footing, especially when the decep- 
tion is assisted by a little snow laid on them. The bait 
is so placed that the animal must come upon this platform 
to get at it, when the latter, unable to bear the weight, 
bends downward, and after precipitating the fox into the 
trap, which is made too deep to allow of his escape, re- 
turns by its elasticity to its former position, so that sev- 
eral may then be caught successively.' They are also 
taken in the wolf traps of ice, described on page 65, and 
all the rocky islands lying off the mouth of the Copper- 
mine Ri\i.er are studded with square traps, built of stone 
by the Esquimaux, wherein the fox is killed by a flat 
stone falling upon him when he pulls the bait. 
"The fur of the Arctic fox is of small value in com- 
merce when compared with that of any variety of the red 
fox. Its flesh, on the other hand, when "particularly 
young, is edible; while that of the red fox is rank and 
disagreeable. Capt. Franklin's party agreed with Hearne 
in comparing the flavor of a young Arctic fox to that of 
the American hare. Capt. Lyon considered it to resemble 
the flesh of a kid." 
Canada Lynx. 
Loup-cervier is a name familiar to most hunters in the 
north, and this is one of the best known — by name at 
least — of our North American mammals; yet, when Rich- 
ardson wrote the list of synonyms of this cat, it was a 
short one. He says that the Canada lynx is "rare on the 
sea coa.st and does not frequent the Barren Grounds, but 
it is not uncommon in the woody districts of the interior, 
since from seven to nine thousand are annually procured 
by the Hudson's Bay Company. It is found on the Mac- 
kenzie River as far north as latitude 66 degrees. It is a 
timid creature, incapable of attacking any of the larger 
quadrupeds, but well armed for the capture of the Amer- 
ican hare, on which it chiefly preys. Its large- paws, slen- 
der loins, and long, but thick, hind legs, with large but- 
tocks scarcely relieved by a short, thick tail, give it an 
awkward, clumsy appearance. It makes a poor fight when 
it IS surprised by a hunter in a tree, for, though it .spits 
like a cat, and sets its hair up, it is easily destroyed by a 
blow on the back with a slender stick, and it never at- 
tacks a man. Its gait is by bounds, straightforward, with 
the back a little arched, and lighting on all the feet at 
once. It swims well, and will cross the arm of a lake two 
miles wide ; but it is not swift on land. It breeds once a 
