464 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Dec. t3, 1902. 
young leopards were presented by E. S. Cunningham, 
United States Consul at Aden, Arabia. 
Mr. Perry M. De Leon, United States Consul at 
Guayaquil, sent a kinkajou and a coati mondi. He also 
sent four sloths, but they died en route. Two Sitka deer, 
one of which died en route, were presented by Capt. 
Ferdinand Westdahl of the United States Coast and 
Geodetic Survej'. A Liberian eagle was presented by Mr. 
James R. Spurgeon, United States 'Secretary of Legation 
at Monrovia, Liberia. Mr. E. H. Plumbacher, United 
States Consul at Maracaibo, sent a large crocodile. 
Some Lanza rote pigeons were sent by Mr. Solomon Ber- 
liner, United States Consul at Teneriffe. Four New- 
foundland caribou and a pair of young moose were also 
obtained, but the moose died. 
LTnited States consular officers and officers of the army 
and navy and others attached to the service of the United 
States are constantly sending specimens to the Zoo, and it 
has been the aim of Prof. S. P. Langley, secretary of the 
S;nithsonian Institution, under whose control and guid- 
ance the park comes, to interest everybody possible in the 
great work of perpetuating the specimens at least of the 
mammal, bird, and reptile kingdom. 
Professor Langley hopes to be able to persuade Con- 
gress to carry out the plan originally mapped out for the 
park — that is, to treat it as it does the National Museum, 
as something not existing for the District of Columbia 
alone, nor to be maintained by the taxation of its in- 
habitants. While_ it is a national park, Congress has 
never considered it under one of the principal purposes 
for which it was founded, the preservation from extinc- 
tion of national animal races. Prof. Langley will make 
an effort to secure the necessar>' appropriation for carry- 
ing out a plan he thinks will prove of greater beneflt than 
anything that has heretofore been attempted. 
Prof. Langley says experience has taught that many 
rare animals if secured and transported immediately from 
their native haunts are most unlikely to live under the 
conditions of civilization. They are, on the contrary, veiy 
likely to live and even perpetuate their species if taken 
with care and kept surrounded by the protection that ex- 
perience and common sense suggest, and both these mean 
the continuance of the present National Zoological Park 
under the eyes of Congress, but with a simultaneous pro- 
vision for first bringing up the wild animals in a 
commodious place of confinement in the country where 
they belong, large enough to allow the animals to live 
without a sense of captivity. 
This place, Dr. Langley suggests, might be a small 
ranch where the things of vital importance after their 
capture, namely, their being "gentled" and accustoined to 
the sight of the keeper before being transferred to the 
National Park, can be carried out.— Washington Star. 
A Pet 'Coon. 
Opal, Wye, Nov. 28.— Editor Forest and Stream: 
When a boy I owned a pet 'coon, which was as full of 
curiosity as a woman. One day (my mother was away) I 
gave him free range of the house, just to see what he 
would do. After going through my mother's workbox, 
scattering its contents over the floor, he began to rum- 
mage the pantry, pulling the cork out of the molasses 
jug, licking it, and trying to insert his paw into the neck 
of the jug; then standing on tiptoe, he grasped the edge 
of a pan, full of milk, when splash ! down it came, pan 
and ail, on his head. . 
Ned was very fond of all kinds of sweets, especially <loaf 
sugar, and I remember how his "sweet tooth" once got 
him into trouble. On the occasion referred to, I had 
gone to the barn with a pan of salt for the horses, and my 
pet trotted after me. I set the pan down and left it there 
for a moment. Soon I heard a coughing and sputtering, 
and running back, I found a very sick 'coon, and a good 
portion of salt missing. 
One day I shut him in the granary as a punishment 
for some of his pranks, but when I went to let him out, he 
was nowhere to be seen. I gave up all hope of ever find- 
ing him; but what should I see, when I happened in the 
loft above the granary, but my long-lost friend, squatting 
on my bed, which I had slept in during the warm weather. 
He must have climbed up one of the perpendicular two by 
fours, then crawled along a horizontal eight by ten on the 
ceiling, back downward, to be able to get through the hole 
in the ceiling. Here he sat on my bed, blinking his eyes 
and yawning, as if he had been enjoying a huge nap. 
Having one morning prepared his breakfast of bread 
and milk, I set it away out of his reach till I could 
straighten his trough. But hke some "human 'coons," he 
grew impatient to get at his meal. Reaching out one of 
his hind feet, he dexterously pulled the_ feed pan within 
reach, and proceeded to help himself to its contents. 
1 J. R. M. 
Destfoction of Plovets* Egfgs in England. 
St. Augustine, Fla. — Editor Forest and Stream: Our 
old friend, John Bull— of England, don't you know?— has 
always been fond of poking sticks at us, and shows no 
disposition to let up; but he also has some vulnerable 
spots, and I think it only fair to balance matters by re- 
taliating. Nearly every city boy in England who goes 
into the country on a visit, makes it his principal ob-. 
ject to rob every bird's nest that he finds, and instead 
of reading him a lesson on cruelty, his teachers and 
parents encourage his villainous habits as part of a 
scientific education. 
To this charge I will add the universal British traffic in 
plovers' eggs. During the nesting season the London 
market is flooded with plovers' eggs, and if that is so in 
London, why not in every other town in England ? 
Now, here is wholesale destruction of one of the most 
useful insectivorous birds in the world, and there are not, 
in the aggregate, brains enough among the farmers and 
legislators to make the slightest move in checking it. Not 
only would the crops be benefitted if every insignificant 
egg — as a market item — were left to hatch, but the countrj' 
would swarm with one of the finest of game birds that 
would make a marketable product worth considering. It 
is a matter for surprise that all the birds of England are 
not exterminated. Didymus. 
All communications intended for Forest and Stream should 
always be addressed to the Forest and Stream Publishing Co., New 
York, -xnd not to anj- individual connected with the paper. 
The Siberian Mammoth. 
Some eighteen months ago the Governor of Yakutsk 
informed the Imperial Scientific Academy of St. Peters- 
burg of an unusually interesting discovery in Siberia. 
A Cossack had learned from the natives that a gigantic 
aninial with huge tusks had been found embedded in 
the ice on the Beresovska, a tributary of the Kolyma 
River, about 200 miles from Svedin-Kolymsk. From 
the description given it seemed probable that the ani- 
irial was a mammoth, and Dr. Otto Herz, director of 
the museum, and Herr Psitzemayer, naturalist, were 
authorized to proceed to the spot and bring it to St. 
Petersbtn-g in as good condition as was possible under 
the circumstances. The animal is now in the Russian 
capital, where it is being preserved and set up. Special 
interest attaches to it, as it is the most complete speci- 
men of this long extinct species ever yet obtained. 
Although in Dr. Herz's opinion it is 8,000 years old, 
the skeleton is in wonderfully good preservation, as 
is also the hairy covering of the skin. Messrs. Herz 
and Psitzemayer succeeded in carri^ng out theii- mis- 
sion successfully, but not without many difficulties. Last 
summer they traveled to Yakutsk, and then their 
troubles commenced, From that point to where the 
mammoth had been found was a distance of 1,200 miles, 
which had to be traversed on horseback. The country 
was an extremely difficult one; mosquitoes swarmed, 
and in the dangerous swamps it happened more than 
once that a Cossack and his horse disappeared without 
leaving a trace behind them. At length in the autumn 
the party reached their destination, and found, to their 
satisfaction, the huge beast, resting in an almost hori- 
zontal position. Probably it had stumbled when graz- 
ing and fallen into a crevasse. The forelegs, especially 
the left one, were much bent, which showed that when 
attempting to recover itself the animal's body had 
proved too heavy, the hind legs slipped underneath it, 
and it became frozen fast. Thus the beast perished, 
and has ever since lain undisturbed beneath the layer 
of earth which in the course of ages formed above the 
ice, until at length the warmth of the sun exposed it 
to the light. It was necessary to remove the remains 
before the advent of spring, otherwise it would have 
been too late. Wild animals had already begun to tear 
at the flesh, and to preserve the remains on the spot 
was impossible, as a body which has lain for so long 
in the ice decomposes with greater rapidity when ex- 
posed to the air. It was, therefore, determined to di- 
vide it into several parts, forwarding each in a frozen 
state, and putting them together afterward. A hut 
with a stove in it was constructed over the mammoth, 
and as the ice gradually melted the portion thus re- 
leased was removed and duly prepared for transit. 
The entire process of excavation occupied two months, 
during which time the open air temperature was 50° 
Celsius. The legs and feet resemble those of an ele- 
phant, except that the latter has three toes, the mam- 
moth five. The hair is of a brownish yellow color, and 
is so long and thick that its owner could hardly have 
felt cold in any temperature, however low. The skin 
is from 20 to 23 mm. thick, and underneath it there is 
a layer of fat 9 mm. thick. Blood was found in the 
body, and in the mouth there was the remains of food 
on which the marks of the teeth were impressed. The 
contents of the stomach were enormous, and in quite 
a fresh state. In spite of the great difficulties of the 
journey, all the various portions were conveyed with- 
out injury or loss to St. Petersburg, and now consti- 
tute a unique trophy. — London Field. 
A Skinned Beaver. 
Hurrying along the streets of Cairo, 111., the other 
day to keep a dinner engagement, as I passed a meat store 
1 saw hanging upon the rail in front a skinned beaver. 
I had little or no time to spare, but I nevertheless paused 
sufficiently to look the animal over. It was flayed with 
the greatest of care, not a scrap of fur even being left 
upon the head the size of a dime. It was literally skinned 
to the teeth. The butcher had run the hook into and un- 
der the lower jaw, resulting in a partial distension of the 
jaws and an exhibition of the chisel-like teeth of the animal. 
The paddle-like tail with its rubber-like skin was yet a 
part of the animal, and evidently had not been appro- 
priated by the hunter and stewed or broiled, or what- 
ever they do to a beaver's tail, to make one thank the 
gods that one lives and eats. 
It is a serious matter aside from the etiquette of the 
case to keep a host's soup waiting, and appreciating the 
enormity of such an act, I hurried on, as much as I 
wanted to go in and find out all that butcher knew about 
the rare exhibit in front of his shop. 
Such a sight in Fulton or Washington Market would 
undoubtedly cause some comment in the daily press, and, 
if the law on' beaver is closed in New York, probably the 
confiscation of the carcass. 
Anyway, the sight was a novel one to me, for I had 
never seen a beaver skinned and hung up like a calf in 
front of a butcher store before. A slaughtered buffalo 
would not have surprised me more. 
Charles Cristadoro. 
Samoa *Uma. 
Mrs. Churchill, the wife of an American Consul-General in 
Samoa, has written a charming account of its interesting and sin- 
gular i^eople. A lover of nature and fond of sports of field and 
water— she was almost as much at home in the surf as a native, 
could cast a fly and handle a rifle — the author lived out of doors 
when her housekeeping duties were not too exacting, and having 
an inquiring mind, there was nothing in the free Samoan life that 
escaped lier. 
In Mrs. Churchill's pages you slial! also read about the handi- 
. crafts, art and music of the Samoans, their traditions and their 
sports, and this information is conveyed in a sprightly and un- 
affected style, proving the enthusiasm of the writer. You may 
also read of the shooting of the perilous and therefore exciting 
passage of Apolima, an experience which maltes the hair of the 
venturesome stand on end; of the weed that catches fish; of 
spearing bv torchlight in the tidal pools; of the chase of blue 
rats with the throwing stick, and of how toothsome a meal these 
little creatures make; of innumerable hideous things that swarm 
and crawl and creep; of the vampires of the Tuasivi; of some 
South .Sea hoodoos; of the incorrigible, shameless beachcomber, 
and of sundry other odd, novel and wonderful things. A chapter 
with a very attractive title is "Samoans Fickle Brides," and few 
will pass it by. "Samoa 'Uma," which means "All Samoa," is cer- 
tainly a hook that kills time, and having read it, you will know 
the human side of Samoa and a good deal about the biological.— 
New York Evening Sun. 
§^tfie §ng and §ntu 
— — 
Proprietors of shooting resorts will find it profitable to advertise 
them in Fobest and Sikkam. 
The New York League. 
special RepQri to Forest (tnd Siream. 
There was a good attendance at the annual meeting 
of the New York State Fish, Game and Forest League, 
which Avas held pursuant to call, at the Yates Hotel, in 
Syracuse, Thursday, Dec. 4, and the proceedings were 
of a very interesting nature. Some of the discussions 
were quite spirited, showing that those who partici- 
pated were deeply in earnest, but the best of feeling 
prevailed and everyone manifested a disposition to 
sacrifice personal views and preferences in deference 
to the will of the majority and for the greatest good 
of the greatest number. The delegates present were: 
New York Association for the Pfbtection of Fish and Game- 
Robert B. Lawrence, John C. O'Conor, New York city. 
Anglers' Association of the St. Lawrence River— W. H. Tliomp- 
son, A. C. Cornwall, Alexandria Bay; R. P. Grant, Clayton. 
Anglers' Association of Onondaga County— C. H. Mowry, F. C. 
Eddy, John H. Forey. Alternates: George C. Kirk, Henry Loftie, 
George B. Wood, J. L. Perry, Syracuse. 
Black River Association for Ihe Protection of Fish and Game — 
VV. E. Wolcott, Utica; VV. L. Fowler, Holland Patent. 
Spencer Sportsmen's Club— W. S. Gavitt, Henry Killick, Lyons: 
H. B. Whitney, Phelps. ' 
Schenectady County Fish and Game Protective Assox;iation — 
Dr. A. L. Sitterlv, Schenectady. 
Niagara County Anglers' Association— Charles W. HatelH H. 
'K. Wicker, Lockport. 
Genesee \ al!ey Fish and Game Protection and Propagating As- 
sociation— J olm R. Fanning, Rochester. 
Geneva Fish and Game Protective Association— Dr. W. H. 
Jordan, C. C. Gates, Charles S. Burrale, H. K. Schieffelin, Geneva. 
Seneca Falls Sportsmen's Club^Ernest G. Gould, Seneca Falls. 
Honorary Members- Aaron Mather, Bridgewater; Maj. J. W. 
Pond, Albany; James Annin, Jr., Caledonia; Assemblyman Will- 
iams, of Onondaga county; John D. W hiah, of Albany, Secretary 
of the Forest, Fish and Game Commission, and J. H. Levitt, of 
Gloversville, were also in attendance. 
President R. B. Lawrence called the meeting to or- 
der at 10:30, and expressed the pleasure it afforded him 
to meet the members of the League again. He was 
pleased to greet the new members as well as the old. 
He believed the great need was for more clubs to be- 
come identified with the League. 
Treasurer A. C. Cornwail's annual report showed: 
Balance on hand last year, $68.69; receipts, $95; total, 
$163.69; disbursements, $80.83; balance on hand, $82.'86. 
Chairman C. H. Mowry, of the Legislative and Law 
Committee, reported that his committee had tried hard 
to secure the passage of a bill to prohibit the sale of 
grouse and woodcock killed in this State. He said 
such a bill passed both houses, but the Governor al- 
lowed it to die. Mr. Mowry thought it best to push 
the bill again this year. A bill to prohibit the taking 
of more than 25 pounds of fish from Oneida Lake in 
a day was prevented from passing. The passage of a 
bill to permit the use of batteries for shooting ducks 
on Cayuga Lake for one or two days in a week, shared 
a similar fate, as did also one to allow netting in cer- 
tain portions of Cayuga Lake. 
Another bill was presented permitting fishing 
through the ice for pike and pickerel in certain waters 
not mentioned in the old law. It permitted twenty lines 
in Oneida Lake and other waters. The argument was 
that they wanted to legalize what had been practiced 
a long time, the claim being that it did no harm. The 
commitee deemed it best to concede the fishing in the 
waters asked for. 
President Lawrence said it was a matter of congratu- 
lation that the Legislative and Law Committee had 
done such effective work. On moti« n of R. P. Grant 
a vote of thanks was extended to Mr, Mowry for his 
earnest efforts as chairman of the committee. Mr. 
Mowry thanked the League for its approval of his ac- 
tion and the expression of appreciation of the work 
done. 
W. S. Gavitt, chairman of the special committee on 
organization, reported that circulars had been sent 
to different organizations of sportsmen throughout the 
State calling attention to the necessity for cooperation 
and becoming members of the league. Some of the 
associations have sent representatives and others have 
signified their intention of joining. He thought the 
League should have representation in every county in 
the State, and suggested that it might be well to make 
it possible for individuals to become members of the 
League on payment of $i each. 
Resting on a table in the center of the assembly 
room was a big muskallonge from the St. Lawrence 
River, and President Lawrence called on W. H. 
Thompson to explain how it came there. Mr. Thpmp- 
son said the fish was caught in the river the day pre- 
vious, and he brought it down to show what had been 
done there in the way of propagation. Muskallonge are 
caught in the St. Lawrence weighing from 5 to So 
pounds. For six or eight years the State has been very 
liberal in supplying fry of the muskallonge and wall- 
eyed pike for stocking the river, and the work is nec- 
essary to maintain good fishing. For three months of 
the year on the St. Lawrence reservation there are a 
thousand boats out fishing, and it requires a good 
many fish to supply them. With all the fishing that 
has been done, however, the fishing is improving. 
Not long since he saw six bass brought in at Alex- 
andria Bay which weighed 3iJ^ pounds, and one of 
the number weighed 6^ pounds. Another fishing party 
a short time ago caught three muskallonge weighing 
12, 20 and 39 pounds respectively. Mr. Thompson said 
there had been some talk in favor of the netting out 
of coarse fish to benefit the game fish, but this plan 
was tried years ago, and the result was that it took 
many years to get the fishing back to where it was as 
good as it was before netting was allowed. The St. 
Lawrence Anglers' Association feels well repaid for 
the money that has been expended in getting things 
where they are. We ask the League, continued Mr. 
Thompson, to recommend that the law be allowed to 
remain as it is now in the St. Lawrence reserva- 
tion, and that no netting be allowed there except for 
minnows. . , , 
