Jan. 9, 1904. il 
PoftESf AND STREAM, 
28 
Wellington Field Naturalists. 
GuELPH, Ont., Dec. 20. — At the meeting of the Welling- 
ten- Field . Naturalists' Club held December 17, fourteexi 
short. papers were read; each paper was limited to five 
rniiiutes in. length, and three minutes were allowed for 
discussion. As will be seen, the observations cover a 
wide field, discussing plants, insects, reptiles, birds, and 
mammals, and the interest shown by the members gives 
evidence of the activity of the club and the good work it 
is doing. 
The first paper was. by Mr. A. Davidson on "The Cot- 
tontail," and treated of the animal's biological position, 
its habits and food. In the discussion Mr. Hunt observed 
that he had noticed that- rabbits preferred the bark of 
pear trees to those of the apple. 
A paper on the "Snow Flake," by Mr. F. N. Beattie, 
gave an interesting account of the habits and food of the 
bird. 
"The Screech Owl" was discussed by Mr. Hotson, 
with some suggestions as to the two color phases, the 
red and the gray; and in the remarks which followed 
it appeared that in the neighborhood of Guelph the more 
common phase is the gray, while at Flora the red is 
the more ordinary colot. 
: In the writer's absence. Dr. Muldrew's paper on the 
"Loon" was read by Mr. Buchanan. It was illustrated 
by specimens of the bird and eggs. 
Mr. Wm. Goldie read a paper on the "Flying. Squirrel," 
treating of its habits and its abundance. While the species 
does not appear common in the locality under consider- 
ation, its ; crepuscular or nocturnal habits tend to conceal 
it,, and it may be more abundant than appears. While 
all tree squirrels seem to possess the property of making 
themselves into a parachute so as to break a fall or a leap 
from a great height, the flying squirrel is the one which 
does this with the greatest ease and most commonly. In 
the discussion, Mr. Davidson told much that was inter- 
esting concerning his experience in raising these mam- 
mals, and Mr. Barlow stated that he had once met with a 
great band of these squirrels moving through a wood in 
one direction, as if a migration were in progress. 
Mr. A. B. Klugh read a paper on the "Christmas Fern" 
(Polystichum acrostichoides) , illustrated by a specimen 
arid a photographic proof .showing the veins. 
Mn T. D. Jarvis read a paper on the "Snapping Tur- 
tle;" Mr. Barlow one on "Butterflies in Winter," and 
Mf. Peart one on the "Canadian Holly." Mr. L. Beat- 
tie's paper on the "Chickadee" was interesting, and Mr. 
R. Ciill read one on the "Ruffed Grouse," in the course of 
which he emphasized the need of proper protection for 
this splendid bird. He said that the Guelph Trap and 
Game Club had offered a standing reward of $5 for in- 
formation leading to the conviction of any one breaking 
the game laws. The club was petitioning Parliament to 
put a close season on ruffed grouse for a term of years. 
The club, by its president, Mr. Jarvis, expressed its readi- 
nes to do anything that it could to help in the movement. 
A paper on the "Club Moss" was read by Mr. 
Buchanan, and one on the "Smilax" by E. J. Colgate. 
Finally Mr. Armstrong read one on the "Brown Creeper," 
which was very interesting. 
At the close of this paper the secretary called attention 
to the fact that the 1903 spring migration list compiled by 
the club had taken first place at Washington, being most 
highly regarded for its fullness of data and the way in 
which the migration had been recorded. 
Bear Coloration* 
Editdr Forest and Stream: 
■Just now I am interested in the matter of the hybridiz- 
ing of the different species of bear. • In your note of ex- 
planation to the query of Cabia Blanco in December 26 
issue, as to the crossing of grizzly bears and others, you 
say, "There is no reason for supposing that the different 
species of bears hybridize, any more than do the different 
species of deer. The belief is more or less common, but 
is shared by no competent biologist, so far as we know." 
1 once saw a female black bear which had been caught in 
a trap, and with her were two cubs; one of them was a 
beautiful dark brown color, and the other was a very 
light cinnamon. It was early in the fall, and there could 
be no question as to the bear in the trap being the parent 
of the cubs; and as all know, black bear when they are 
cubs are just as black as when they are grown up, so that 
these certainly never would have been black bear. X 
accepted this as evidence that they do hybridize, and was 
resting content in that belief until reading the above. 
From whence came these "off" colors? 
Emerson Carney. 
[The cubs of the black bear are sometimes black and 
sornetimes brown and black. In other words, there are 
believed to be two color phases in this species, just as 
there are in some birds— e. g., the little screech owl 
{Scops or Megascops). It must be acknowledged, how- 
ever, that we have much to learn about the. bears.] 
Wild Pigeons in the Indian Teffitofy. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
A small Territory paper says that a hunting party from 
the Osage Reservation saw several small flights of what 
they knew were wild pigeons in the hills just north of the 
Arkansas River. These men claim to be familiar 'with 
the pigeons, having hunted them years ago. 
The same paper says that a small number of these 
pigeons were also seen in an Illinois marsh east of St. 
Louis this past fall. 
The pigeons were not in that Osage country twenty 
years ago, that I am sure of. I knew the country well 
then, and hunted over a great part of it, but never saw 
any, and I know them when I do see them. The pigeons 
may have come up frorn Mexico or South America, where 
our pigeons are sometimes supposed to have gone. 
There is a pigeon in the northern ]\Iexican States ; I 
have seen him in several of them, but he is not our wild 
pigeon. Cabia Blanco. 
[Passenger pigeons in very small numbers are occa- 
sionally seen in Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Min'- 
nesota. The bird is not absolutely extinct, any more than 
is the buffalo, but it is practically so. There are no pas- 
senger pigeons in South America, so far as known. The 
large southwestern pigeon is the familiar west coast 
band-tailed pigeon.] 
Antlers of New Brunswick Moose. 
During the latter part of September I spent ten days 
in the New Brunswick woods. Only those who have 
visited them appreciate their fragrance and beauty; 
the delicious odors of the balsams and other conifers, 
the rich reds of the maples, and the yellows of the 
birches and poplars, cannot be adequately described. 
For my part I can imagine no more restful vacation 
under more delightful surroundings.. Add the excite- 
ment of the quest for the Monarch of the Forest, and 
the sportsman's cup of enjoyment is full. 
I went in from Doaktown on the Canada Eastern 
R. R. with Jas. O. McDonald, and camped on Cain's 
River. Although I was accompanied by my family, I 
did some hunting, and one day at noon time, when 
"Jimmie" and I were walking over a high ridge in 
very open forest, we came quite unexpectedly upon the 
big bull of my dreams. He was a magnificent animal, 
and I greatly prize the mental picture I have of him 
as he shambled directly away from us, at first not 
more than 30 yards distant, his great antlers — their 
tops more than 8 feet from the ground — extending on 
either side far out beyond and above his big, wide 
body. The vision was only momentary, for naturally 
I did not wait long before shooting, and, according to 
the code, I kept on shooting until he fell, which was at 
the fifth shot, he having gone in the meantime from 
30 to 40 yards. I am satisfied, however, that the first 
shot would have proved fatal. 
When I examined him on the ground I thanked my 
lucky starts that I was using a moose gun and not a 
deer gun, such as the .30-30. Last year I used a .50-110, 
and my moose was killed with -a single shot, but he 
stood side on. This time I used the .35 because of the 
probability, on account of the nature of the ground, of 
having to shoot at greater distances. Theoretically, I 
should prefer the new .405, but I will have to admit 
that my experience in this instance, under very diffi- 
cult conditions, indicates that the .35 is sufficiently 
powerful. 
. The head of this moose has a spread of 56 inches and 
the very even three-pointed brow antlers, and the mere- 
ly scalloped ends of the palms, show him to have been 
an old moose. The antlers stand up remarkably, and 
if they lay as flat as in the majority of cases, they 
would easily have a spread of more than 60 inches. 
When I came out of the woods I heard many reports 
of large heads having been taken. A gentleman from 
Brooklyn, who went in at the same time as myself, 
brought out a beautiful head of about 50 inches' spread. 
Two gentlemen from Amsterdaiff obtained heads of 52 
and 53 inches' spread, respectively. A party of six 
gentlemen from Trenton, N. J., brought out six heads, 
three of them measuring over 50 inches, viz., 57, 5654 
and S3 inches. A gentleman living in Doaktown shot 
g head measuring 56^ inches. I heard of several 60- 
inch heads. These, with other facts, convinced me that 
the percentage of large heads obtained this year is 
greater than usual. I therefore wrote to various taxi- 
dermists, who receive the greater number of New 
Brunswick heads for mounting, asking them how many 
heads had been received having a spread of 50 or more 
inches, and whether the proportion of such heads was 
greater than in previous years, and whether the antlers 
were better developed and more symmetrical than here- 
tofore. These gentlemen have very courteously an- 
swered my inquiries in detail. While they have placed 
no restriction upon the publication of the information 
given, to avoid any possibility of its improper use, I 
shall give only totals and percentages. There are re- 
ported to me 71 heads taken out of New Brunswick 
between Sept. 15 and Oct. 20, 1903, > having a spread 
of 50 or more inches. This is approximately 50 per 
cent, of all the heads received. Messrs. Crosby & Co., 
Bangor, say: "We think the heads are larger on the 
whole and much better than for years past, and for 
massiveness and symmetry they are distinctly superior 
to those which we received last year." Stillman Arm- 
strong, of Vanceboro, says: "The heads which I have 
received, as a whole, are much better this year than 
last." He also states, that out of the total number of 
heads received only 8 per cent, have a spread of less 
than 40 inches or have less than 14 points each. Messrs. 
Emack Bros., of Fredericton, say that last year they 
received less than half as many heads of 50 or more 
inches' spread, as during the like period this year, and 
also that they have received this season four of 60 
inches, and one of 61^-inch spread. They say: "We 
are positive that the heads are better this year than last." 
One of these firms write that they have no record of 
the exact measurements of the heads which were re- 
ceived and mounted last year. If the taxidermists would 
keep a table showing the name of the consignors of all 
moose heads received, with the spread of antler, number 
of points, width and length of palm, etc., such infor- 
mation would certainly be interesting and valuable for 
comparison from year to year. 
It is reasonable to suppose that there is some general 
cause for the remarkable growth and symmetry of the 
antlers of the moose this season. It appears to me 
that we should look to the conditions which existed 
during the time of the antler growth. . It is true that 
the last winter was an open one, and that the animals 
came out in the spring iir^excellent condition. On the 
other hand, one who is familiar with the New Bruns- 
wick woods_ and the yards wherein the moose have 
spent the winters in previous years, can hardly doubt 
that they would have obtained abundant food at all 
times and in general would pass the winters comfort- 
ably. It therefore appears to me that probably the ex- 
planation lies in the weather conditions which existed 
during the period of the growth of the antlers. This 
period we know to have been coincident with that of 
the unexampled drouth. The superabundance of food 
under any circumstances is so great that the moose 
would not lack for an ample supply. 
It is clear that if the circulation in the growing antler 
were stopped, its growth would cease. May we not in- 
fer that anything which would impede the circulation 
would retard the growth and so prevent the full de- 
velopment. Is it not fair to assume, therefore, that 
rain and cold, which would lower the temperature of 
the antler and so impede the circulation, would retard 
the development, and that the absence of rain and con- 
ditions resulting therefrom as during the present sea- 
son, have permitted this very unusual development of 
the antlers? It will certainly be interesting to know 
how this suggestion appeals to naturalists, and intelli- 
gent guide like Henry Braithwaite and Adam Moore. 
We have not at this time the data necessary for a 
scientific treatment of the subject, but we shall only 
get the data by' such discussion as will excite interest 
and lead to careful observations and records. 
From Mr. Thomas J. Regan I recently received re- 
plies to inquiries made by him at my request concern- 
ing the size of antlers on deer and elk in Mr. Whitney's 
preserves in the Adirondacks and at , Lenox, Mass. 
From Sabattis, N. Y., Mr. Ernest H. Johnson writes: 
"The antlers of the deer, elk and what few moose I 
have seen, are much larger as regards size and more 
symmetrical. In fact, the elk antlers are far ahead of 
what they were last year. I have noticed some of the 
finest deer heads I have ever seen anywhere." 
From Lenox, Mass., Mr. Thomas Post writes: "After 
consultation with Mr. Parsons and others I will report 
that the antlers of the elk and deer seem to have made 
an unusually fine growth this year. We cannot get 
near enough to the moose to form any opinion as to 
the growth of their antlers." M. F. Westover. 
Schenectady, N. Y., Oct. 28. 
Mongfatip Valley Grouse Decimation. 
. MoNGAUP Valley, N. Y., Dec. 28.~Editor Forest and 
Stream: It is very evident that partridges need about 
three years' protection in this section, but I am surprised 
to see in last week's issue Mr. Howard Tillotson wailing 
over their disappearance. He must surely forget the 
years he had twelve to sixteen hunters strung out in line 
going through the woods with four to six dogs, and this 
for weeks at a time, killing everything that came along. 
It was not an uncommon thing to see fifty partridges 
and about the same number of rabbits hanging on his 
piazza for these sports to return with. One fail a crack 
shot stayed with him all the season, his only pleasure 
being to prove how many more he could kill than the 
sport that came for a week, and many of them would 
have returned empty-handed had not this sport given 
them his all. There is just as much food in this section 
for birds as formerly, but they have never been so plen- 
tiful since those years of slaughter. Monticello, 
