)CT. 25, 1900.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
82S 
•stmaster of a certain town, who informed me that 
e guide was a Christian gentleman who did not drink 
swear. Next time I will ask for Harry Tracy. It 
the first time in thirty years of camp'ng that I have 
n across a lazy and indififerent man for head guide, 
e was unmarried, and I asked him one day how it 
ppened that he had never secured a partner of his sor- 
ws and a spoiler of his joys. He said: "Well, the 
DUble is the women in this part of the country won't 
no work. They won't jine hands with a chap and 
<e chances on luck. If a woman's a sport she says 
don't need to work,' and if she's a lady she says 
11 be damned if I work, anyhow.' " 
It is a great moose country where we were, and the 
dians confirmed my guide's statement that no white 
,nters ever went into a part of the country where we 
ent the latter part di August. I found the remains of 
1 recently killed moose in the first six miles of one 
the rivers that we went down. Three bulls in the 
Ivet, and the rest cows and calves. Killed by the 
dians. There are so many,_moose there that it makes 
difference, however. In 'the town of Rat Portage 
;re is a by-law which states that "no moose, cattle, 
rses, geese or other animals shall be allowed to run 
large."' It seems that the boys liked to have tame 
jose, and the moose took too many liberties. Rat 
)rtage is a mighty fine town, nevertheless, and one 
It is well worth visiting. 
Labor is scarce out in that country, and one sees signs 
calling for common laborers at $2 per day and board, 
d farm hands at $2.50 a day and board. I have a 
ggestion to make to the Canadian authorities, and 
y can send me a box of cigars for the idea. In 
iwfoundland there are fifty thousand of the sturdiest 
rt of men who are out of work at just the time that 
;n are most needed in the harvest fields. They will 
rk sixteen hours a day without grumbling. I know 
for I have employed lots of them, and at a dollar 
day at that. Now, if the C. P. R. can manage to 
t these 50,000 Newfoundlanders on the wheat fields at 
moderate cost for transportation every year, some- 
dy will be glad. 
Robert T. Moreis. 
I West 56lh Street. N Y , Oct 14. 
— # — 
Notes on Monkeys. 
4ow many of the readers of Forest and Stream ever 
V a monkey which was but a few days old? I well 
nember my surprise at the appearance of the first one 
lich was born under ray care. It was a macaque mon- 
(Macacus cynomoldus) , and for a few days after its 
th, I imagined that it was a weakling, and would live 
a short time. It seemed as if it were preternaturally 
;d, instead of being a few hours old ; but not many 
/s elapsed before its appearance changed, and it became 
hubby-cheeked youngster, closely cl nging to its mother 
all her movements. Until it was about a week old, the 
n generally sat in one of the back corners of the cage 
sely holding the suckling in her arms, but in com- 
-atively a short time she climbed and sprang about, 
ily carrying her baby, which energetically clung under- 
ith her, with its limbs around her body. S nee then I 
/e had several born while under my charge, and always 
s successful in rearing them. 
'. once had a female of the same species confined in a 
je with several others of different kinds, all of which 
' bullied most outrageously. Singular to relate, the only 
le that her chicken-hearted fellow prisoners summoned 
courage to pay her off for her domineer ng, was when 
; became thoroughly intoxicated. During cold weather 
was my custom, on about two nights in each week, to 
e my monkeys a good drink of warmed ale. well 
eetened with molasses. So soon as the pan containing 
tipple was placed in the cage, the bully took posses- 
n of it, and no other occupant dare approach it until 
had guzzled her fill. She would then ret re to a cor- 
■ of the cage and allow her companions to drink the 
fiainder. In a few minutes she would be thoroughly 
Dxicated, and, strange to relate, all of her ill humor 
lished and she would allow her associates to play all 
ts of pranks with her, while she endeavored to hug and 
idle every one on which she could place her paws. The 
ct morning she would generally be found sitting in a 
:k corner of the cage, and woe betide any of her fellow 
soners who dared to approach her. 
once had a pet Rhesus monkey (Macacus rhesus) 
t I kept ,n my room, which was always at liberty dur- 
my presence. Nothing delighted her so much as to 
K me stretch out on the bed and allow her to make a 
trough search of my pockets for bits of candy which 
i been inserted for her special gratification. After the 
;st was ended, she would give my hair and beard a 
nplete overhauling and carefully remove every bit of 
idruff, etc. On these occasions she would not allow 
f one to enter 'the room. If my roommate wished ad- 
ttance. he was forced to knock and inquire "If that in- 
nal monkey was loose?" One afternocn I unhooked a 
all mirror which hung on the wall and held it in front 
her. On seeing her reflection, she grimaced and placed 
r paw on the glass, as if she wished 10 catch hold of the 
uble. Finding that she could not succeed- she reached 
)und behind the glass with exactly the same result, when 
E receded and then bounded forward, attempting to 
ze her double w^th both paws. My sudden withdrawal 
the glass prevented its being smashed, and on its being 
jin presented, wUh the back toward her, she failed to 
•ognize it a? .<rae object which had caused her so 
ich concern -ig it in the same position, I re- 
ived it, wh an a search, and after at least 
1 mmutes iias-: =(i n .icr fruitless g«est, she gave vent 
her disappo^itment by a series of ^ep grunts, coiled 
alongside niy- body and fell asleep.,^he next day the 
rror was again prgfesented to her, when,s'he|grimaced and 
ned her poster^g* to it. Having. rep.ea{tdly seen this 
:ion in other m&nkeys. I divined fier.-Mihit;' and gently 
■atched her rump w.th one hand u^e the other re- 
)ved yUe glass. So soon as thd riSbbing ceased she 
turned softly in quest of her double, and failing to be- 
hold it, seemed to be stricken with intense fear, and bolted 
underneath the bed, uttering a series of agonizing grunts. 
It required great care and a deal of tact on my part to 
keep from be ng bitten while endeavoring to remove her 
from her hiding place. I was finally successful by en- 
veloping her_ completely in a portion of the bed clothes. 
One of the windows of my room opened on the yard of an 
adjacent building, in which several children of both sexes 
were accustomed to play. So soon as she heard their 
voices the monkey would seat herself on the window sill 
and seem much interested in their frolics. The boys 
would tease her by making use of all sorts of belligerent 
actions, to which she would respond by extending her 
ears and gaping repeatedly, which were indications of 
anger. The girls acted differently, making various merry, 
wmsoiiie act ons, which caused the monkfey to draw up 
the skm of her forehead, pucker her lips and grin. 
One of the most difilicult jobs that I ever had on my 
hands was the administration of the different remedies 
to monkeys, for the various ailments to which they are 
subject while in confinement. ' I always endeavored to 
use stratagem, instead of force, on such occasions, and I 
well remember a predicament in which I found myself 
once with a mandrill. He was confined in quite a large 
cage with a number of Rhesus monkeys, over whom he 
dommeered to his heart's content. He was a great 
favorite with his keeper, who constantly overfed him. in 
spite of my frequent mandates to the contrary. Just as I 
feared, he was found one irtorning lying in a stupid condi- 
tion, and diagnosing his case, I instantly began to plan how 
I should administer a dose of May apple (podophyllin). I 
hurried the keeper off to the apothecary with a note de- 
scribing my need; he soon returned with a pill con- 
taining the required medicine. My next embarrass- 
ment was how to administer it without using force; as 
I did not wish to irritate the animal while in such a 
serious condition. Therefore, I concluded to use 
stratagem. Enveloping the pill in a bit of banana, I 
moved away a few feet from him and began to feed his 
fellow prisoners with bits of the fruit which I dropped 
along m front of them, gradually tempting them to ap- 
proach him. When they arrived close to him I dropped 
the mediated morsel within his reach, when he slowly 
reached out, grabbed and swallowed it. Feeling much 
pleased at the success of my maneuver, I withdrew and 
anxiously waited until the next morning, when I 
found that the medicine had acted just as I wished, and 
the animal much improved. 
During my sojourn in Durban, Natal, South Africa, 
niy res dence was in the suburbs of the town, at the 
foot of what was known as the Berea Hill. Immediately 
back of my house was a large sweet potato patch, the 
product of which served as one of the main sources 
of nutriment for my Kaffirs. From the rear of the 
patch the^ hi|l rose, densely covered with a forest 
growth, which was the hiding place of a host of Vervet 
monkeys, who subsisted largely on the plunder of the 
patch. Of course, the monkeys were the detestation of 
the Kafifirs, who used every means in their power to 
prevent the pillage, but were unsuccessful, as, whenever 
a foray was made, a sentinel was always placed in some 
safe, elevated position whence he could give the alarm 
whenever the natives started into the patch, thus giv- 
ing the robbers notice to hurry off helter skelter, tak- 
ing advantage of the ample growth of the vines for con- 
cealing their movements. One afternoon I happened 
to be arranging the sights of my Winchester rifle, when 
I caught a glimpse, through an open window, of a mon- 
key climbing a corn stalk alongside the patch. Quickly 
rais'ng the weapon to my shoulder I fired, and the bul- 
let cut the stalk just below the watchman, causing him 
to fall with a heavy thud and a "prolonged grunt, which 
served as a warning to the depredators, who retreated 
post-haste. The next day I secreted myself in one of a 
row of empty shipping cages, but not a monkey put in 
an appearance, and I underwent a like experience for 
several days. 
It then struck me that my movements had been 
watched from some secure hiding place, and I deter- 
m ned to use an artifice in order to circumvent the 
depredators. Consequently, the next afternoon, taking 
my two keepers for company, we passed along in the 
rear of the cages, and when the one was reached in 
which the rifle had been placed on the preceding night, 
I hurriedly ensconsed myself, while the keepers saunt- 
ered on to the end of the row and back into the house. 
But a short time elapsed before I was gratified by the 
sight of a sentinel in a neighboring tree, while the vi- 
brations of the potato vines betrayed the movements of 
the robbers. At the crack of the r.fle the sentry tumbled 
from his perch, and there was a scramble for safety by 
the thieves. This artifice served for several days, when 
the depredators evidently fathomed ray stratagem and 
ceased their pilfering. 
There was an interval of several weeks, and the rob- 
bing was renewed, when I was forced to adopt a new 
device to circumvent the spoilers. Carefully concealing 
a shotgun, well up the hill during the night, I waited 
until the next afternoon for the customary appearance 
of the sentinel. So soon as I had located him, I saun- 
tered off at a right angle until I was hidden by the 
folage, when I turned and carefully ascended the hill 
until its summit was nearly reached, when I again 
turned and finally brought up in the rear of the gang 
with my gun ready for use. Carefully descending the 
h.-ll, I came within shot of the watchman without his 
being aware of my approach. He was riddled with shot 
before he could give an alarm, and a fresh cartridge was 
inserted before the panic-stricken gang came close to 
me, when two more were toppled over, and henceforth 
my neighborhood was rid of sweet potato thieves. In 
my wanderings about the neighborhood I found that it 
was necessary to keep small parties of Kaffir children 
constantly patrolling the mealie* fields to prevent a 
shortage of the crop. 
One wpuld scarcely imagine that a monkey could be 
trapped;' but I had a number brought to me by Kaffirs 
who had captured them in pyramidal traps made of 
cane, and weighted with a log, to prevent upsetting and 
escape. So soon as a Kaffir caught one, he would slip 
♦Mealies is the colonial name for Indian com. and is evidently 
a Kaffir. corruption of the word maize. • 
a number of short lengths of cane underneath the trap, 
bind them fast and then bring the trap and capturq to 
me. The usual bait was roasted sweet potato. It is a 
Avell-known fact that the chacnia baboon is able to dis- 
tinguish the sexes of the natives of South Africa, They 
wiil watch a Kaffir kraal until all the males have wan- 
dered off, when they will plunder the mealie patch in 
spite of the cries of the female residents. 
Frank J. Thompsoi?. 
Mammals New to New Mexico. 
Mr. C. M. Barber has recently published in the Pro- 
ceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, certain 
notes on little-known New Mexican mammals and species 
apparently not before reported from the territory, some ot 
which will be interest.ng to the readers of Forest and 
Stream. 
There recently came into Mr. Barber's possession the 
skin and skull of a young ram, an old ewe and a very 
young lamb of the Mexican mountain sheep (Ovis mexi- 
carms. Merriani). These were killed in March, igoi, on 
t_he Guadalupe iMountains near the boundary Hne between 
New Mexico and Texas. A small band are reported to 
live on this range of mounta ns, and to pass up and down 
the range from New Mexico to Texas. As these speci- 
mens have been compared from those with type locality 
Lake Santa Maria, Chiiuiahua. Mexico, there seems to be 
no doubt that the Mexican bighorn is found in certain 
localities m Texas and New Mexico. 
Concern ng the form of beaver described by Meams 
under the name Castor canadensis frond'ator, Mr Barber 
has this to say: 
"In September of 1898 I located a large colony of 
beavers about six miles below Ruidoso Post Office, on the 
Ruidoso Creek, Lincoln county. New Mexico. After a 
period of probation spent in learning their habits and 
how to trap ihem, I succeeded in securing a series of 
eleven specnnens, represent ng all ages. This species 
lives here in (he creek bank, and little attempt was made 
to deepen the stream by damming it. I found old cut- 
tings up the stream to an altitude of about 8.000 feet. At 
the time I visited the colony they were liv ing among the 
Mexican ranches at about 6.000 feet elevation At that 
season (September to November) they were feeding on 
corn a one, allhut.gh a few scarred willows were to be 
seen alcng the bank. The Mexicans had planted their 
corn right down to the water's edge to utilize all the avail- 
ab e ground m the narrow valley. The beavers were 
cuttmg and dragging the corn to the stream, then floating 
It to their dens. In places there was a wagon load of 
eround"fn^. T'']' "^^"^ '^'^ had^cleaned the 
fr^^ ■ 1 ^ '"'ndred feet on either side and made great 
trails in dragging stalks to the stream. The Mexicans 
could not trap them, and as they never appeared in the 
killed '^' and seldom in the twilight, very few were 
.hi!,lli s"rP'''fi"g that the jaguar {Felis heniandesH) 
should occur m tim locahty. Mr. Barber states that Mr. 
Nat. Straw tells him that in May, 1900, he traooed a 
jagtjar near Grafton on. Taylor CreekrSocorro c'otmty. 
N M. Its length was given as 8 feet 3 inches Severa 
gSSalXor""' °' '^'-"^ °^ Sled in thi 
Beside these larger mammals, Mr. Barber records a 
Region. ^ ^"'^ ^^"^ ^^^^^'s "^^ to the 
Breeding Blue Foxes. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Norton & Robinson, of Foxcroft, Me., have entered into 
a business of breeding the black, silver-gra^and the blue 
to'ell their'neir" ' P^^'"^ ''tlS are abb 
don Mr T^f • r'W'' ^^^^^ ^een Sold in Ton- 
nes.' sPvLf Soothbay, Me., went into this busi- 
ness several years ago, but what success he has met whh 
I am unable to say He imported his foxes from Alaska 
He sent me a very fine photo of a black fox eatin- a piec; 
01 meat out of his keeper's hand. I inclose a verv i^! 
SS Toif r'J ^r^"" ^. R°^'-«"' which wni S- 
breed as a hUr^i ^ Y'" '^^'^^ distinct 
A|tg:Sr.te^^n^«^„^!^./^ 
;hrb,rck1?x'"^^' ^ '^-'^^ breed^hat win b"e IZZ af 
rru ^ ^- BlAISDELL. 
1 he letter reads : 
brSoi'^vnei'n/f"' ^'"'i^ ^P^'-ts of '^snhr 
snort in I R^ i I ^°'^'^^-,the same as a black sheep is a 
rd or an a^Hno''^ """""^"^ ^'^'^^ ^ black squir- 
^^^^ O"" crow or blackb rd. 
s-Iver h/s r[ '^'^^.^ fo^' which IS the same, only the 
n ) is a snnVr nf '^.""'^''"^ °^ ^he black 
inr; IS a sport of the common American red fox but 
being ma ed together will soon breed true sil er or black 
same wav"'Th^ r ' '^^^"^ 'H''^'^'' the 
same way._ The common Arctic fox is brown in summer 
frh.Vt '",^'"'^1' I'k<^ °">- common rabbit. They^re 
S fllf f?, sometimes up to $50; silver fox is quoted 
n the fur circulars at $50 to $300. I have known them 
to br.ng $500 and royal black fox skins have been so d S 
London for thousands. They breed once a year and usi- 
ally have litters of from five to seven 
. I have not heard lately from Mr. Knight's loo-acre fox 
Inland m Boothbay Harbor. Two years or so a^o tW 
thought that they had seme thirty or forty foxes there W 
no. ^'lT ^''l 'r'''^"^ the\hole iLtiS hey coti d 
not tell much about it. ^ >-uluu 
"Our original blue foxes came to us "^ooo miles fmm 
the islands of Alaska. A pair of bIues\Tbr™eders Tel 
for $125; a pair of silvers for $500, more or less." 
The subject for conversation at an evening entertain- 
ment was the mtelhgence of animals, particu:arly dogs. 
7'^'^ <^r^ ^hat have more sense 
than their masters." 'Just so." responded young Fitz- 
noodle; I've got that kind of a dog myselfl" 
All communications intended for Forest and Stream should 
always be addressed to the Forest and Stream Publishing Co., New 
York, and not to ur individual connected with th« i>aper. 
