May 21, 1964.] 
stance ; that is to say, neither hair nor wool will do as 
stuffing, because both of these are readily attacked by 
insects, and insects are the great enemy of the collector. 
It is to prevent their attacks that he uses his poison, and 
that he always keeps his skins, if possible, in air or in 
insect-proof cases. Cotton, tow, excelsior, shavings, 
may safely be used, and I have on a pinch employed news- 
paper, but I do not recommend it. 
The beginner who sees an old hand skin a bird is often 
impressed by the rough-and-ready way with which the 
skin is handled. The skins of small birds seem, to most 
cf us, very tender and delicate, and the texture of the 
feathers very soft and likely to be easily ruffled if im- 
properly handled; but, as a matter of fact, the practiced 
bird skinner very seldom tears a skin unless it be one of 
extreme thinness, for example, like that of the night- 
liawk, and, understanding how to handle the skin and the 
feathers, he scarcely ever ruffles the latter. 
It is well, as has been said, for the beginner to try _his 
hand on some medium sized bird, like a robin, jay, 
blackbird, or meadowlark, and when he is so skillful 
that he can make up one of these skins readily and easily, 
he may try a larger or a small bird as he pleases. Small 
birds are much easier to skin than large ones, and the 
man in practice will skin a warbler in three minutes, and 
will average more than fifteen an hour. Larger birds are 
harder to skin, and it takes very much more time to do 
the work. While the skin of a little bird will strip easily 
from almost every part of its body, that of the larger one 
clings close, and successive strokes of the knife are re- 
quired to separate it from the flesh. _ Water fowl almost 
always have 'a great amount of fat lying between the skin 
and the flesh, and this must be removed, or else, as the 
bird stuffers say, it will burn the skin, and after a few 
years grease will appear on the feathers. 
Taxidermist. 
[to be continued.] 
The Typhoid Oyster Qwestion, 
In a murder trial in the western part of New York 
a few years ago, the jury became so confused over the 
expert testimony that they brought in a verdict of arson 
in the first degree, although, as shown by reference to 
the stenographer's notes, there had been no reference to 
the question of arson in the testimony, or in the charge 
by the court. 
•So much is being written upon the subject of typhoid 
fever and oysters at the present time, that a good deal 
of confusion results, and some people may get to feel that 
their bunions were caused by eating oysters from knobby 
shells. 
The principal question may perhaps be stated concisely 
as follows : 
1. Oysters feed upon minute organisms, including 
algse and bacteria. 
2. The bacteria which the oysters obtain from salt water 
are harmless, so far as we know. 
3. Typhoid bacteria belong to fresh or brackish waters. 
4. When oysters are placed in fresh or brackish waters 
for "fattening purposes," they collect quantities of ty- 
phoid bacteria along with their other food. 
5. It is not a question of the oysters becoming infected 
with typhoid bacteria, but a question of their carrying 
a collection of the bacteria to market in their gills. 
6. Nevertheless, an oyster that has been "fattened" in 
fresh or brackish water is a sick oyster. The reason why 
it is a sick oyster is because the salts in the body of the 
ovster are intended to maintain an osmotic balance in 
salty water, and when the oyster is placed in fresh or 
brackish water, the tissues swell up by endosposis, and 
present a whiter appearance, at the same time losing 
character and flavor. 
7. Oysters that are known to have come directly from 
salt water are delicious and safe, so far as we know, and 
the matter is entirely in the hands of the customer. If 
he calls for sick and pretty oysters he can get them; or 
he can call for salt oysters and get the right thing. 
Robert T. Morris, M.D. 
Nbw York, May 12. 
White Pelican in Massachusetts. 
East Wareham, MasS;, May 9. — Editor Forest and 
Siream: While in Wellfleet, Mass., on Sunday last, I 
saw a single specimen of the white pelican flying over 
the upper harbor above the railroad bridge. The bird 
flew almost overhead, and I noted the wide, pointed wings 
with black remiges, also the yellowish tinted under 
feathers with the long flesh-colored bill. The bird ap- 
parently came across the Cape from the northeast, sailed 
around over the mud flats, and disappeared behind a hill, 
probably continuing its way down to the main harbor and 
Massachusetts Bay. I have never seen this bird in the 
East before, and think it a rare occurrence. 
Walter B. Savarv. 
[The white pelican is very rare on the north Atlantic 
Coast. It has been taken on Long Island, the specimen 
being now, we believe, in the possession of Mr. Wm. 
butcher, of New York city.] 
Hear what is told about the elephant, greatest of 
beast's : 
"They learn things so eagerly that Pliny says that an 
elephant that was something dull, and was often beat 
for not learning well, was found acting his part by 
moonlight, and some say that elephants will leam to 
write and read. One of them learned to describe the 
Glreek Letters, and did write in the same tongue these 
words, T myself writ this.'" — Four- Footed Beastes, 1607. 
A Bear Hunt in Mississippi. 
It was the middle of November. For several days we 
had been waitfng for rain. The dogs had been gathered 
in from different points for the expected hunt, and were 
cared for by Holt Colyer at the old Cellers plantation. 
Charley and I had been out frequently to see them, and 
Holt pronounced them in fine trim. No one dared gainsay 
the old darky's opinion, for he knows more about 
hounds and can make them perform better, and has killed 
more bears than any other living man. 
At last the rain came. From four in the evening until 
nine the next morning it simply poured. This meant 
plenty of water in the woods for dogs, and the scent 
would lie well. Dogs must have water. By daylight 
Hoh was on his way with the dogs, mounted on his large 
brown horse — an ugly brute, but docile and used to carry- 
hig a dead bear over any kind of ground. Charley and I 
took the train and left it at a little siding called Purnell. 
We hired a team and loaded our camp outfit and took a 
stave road some five miles to the bank of the Quiver 
River, making our camp in some shanties built by stave 
makers. Two stout darkies soon had a roaring fire in the 
large chimney, and were busy preparing our supper and 
baking corn-bread for the ' dogs. Twenty-two dogs will 
eat something like a half barrel of corn-meal at a feed, 
so that it was quite a job. 
Holt did not arrive till long after dark. He had ridden 
about thirty-five miles, and some of the young dogs had 
jumped a deer and he had had a hard time to head them 
oft. We put the pack in a shanty on a bed of leaves, gave 
them a good feed and nailed them up securely. The 
"strike dogs" — Remus, Ball, and Lyde — were destined to 
room with us— companions for "folks." A "strike" dog 
is the one that "strikes" the cold trail and follows the 
quarry by the scent until it is aroused from its lair. 
These three dogs were wonders in their way. No deer 
or wildcat would they follow, but this was due to severe 
training and the fear of Holt's long whip, for in their 
younger days they had run deer. 
We sat by the fire and talked of days gone by. ■ Remus 
knew me well, and without an invitation came and rested 
his chops on my knee, closed his eyes and swayed his 
body to and fro in the warm glow of the fire. As, I 
stroked his fine head, I noticed that the long, delicate ears 
were fringed at the edges,_ and his jet black head of 
former years was speckled with gray and scarred by briers 
and thorns. "Poor old Remus," I said, "you are nearly 
done." Ball stood by the side of the chimney, in his 
stoical way, dreaming of the morrow, perhaps. The 
great scar on his shoulder recalled the day when a large 
bear at bay caught him with her claws, and he had to be 
stitched up and toted to camp. Lyde, the squealer of the 
pack, curled up close in front of the fire. Many a bear 
shad she cheered on his run. She was the perfect type 
of the old southern hound or "nigger dog;" black, with 
tan eye-spots, true and good as dog can be. The fire 
iburned low. We spread our blankets, and were soon 
asleep. 
About midnight I was awakened by a terrible outcry 
from one of the dogs, and sitting up in my bunk, expect- 
ing to see a panther in the cabin, heard Holt say, "Remus, 
you scoundrel beast, ef you don't want all your hide 
burned off, keep out dem ashes." It was nearly day when 
I felt a cold nose on my cheek, which startled me, and 
turning over I saw Ball standing by the side of my bed. 
He was shivering, and I was anything but comfortable. 
Knowing what he wanted, I raised up the blanket and he 
piled in. I covered him up close to my back. Talk about 
hot bricks and water bags, a hound is the only warm 
thing around a camp. 
We were out bright and early with the three dogs, and 
took our way up the river to a great canebrake, which 
was a famous hiding place for bruin. We had gone per- 
haps two miles, when Holt called our attention to a mus- 
cadine vine which had been torn from a tree and lay iii a 
heap at the root. "See where he has pulled this vine 
down to get the fruit? None but a big bear could do 
that, but it was in July or August." We did not go far 
till we saw him examining a persimmon tree. "See here," 
he said, "look at the loose bark at the foot of this tree; 
he has been up shaking down the persimmons, and has 
scraped the bark off sliding down. Look at the claw 
marks on the tree, how wide apart; he is a sure enough 
big fellow." We came to a bayou and followed its 
course for a couple of hundred yards, and there, in the 
soft mud, was a large track, but made before the rain. 
The dogs were hunting, in their business-like way, in 
and out of the cane, occasionally stopping to notice a 
suspected scent. At last Ball whimpered a little, and the 
other two dogs were soon with him. It proved to be a very 
old trail, and was soon abandoned. Remus the wise one 
went into the cane, and presently we heard a joyful cry 
from the king of all bear dogs. The others soon were 
with him, and we heard Lyde's clear triple challenge 
M'hich made the old swamp ring with good tidings. Holt 
said: "Wait a minute." We did not wait half a minute 
till a long, clear bay ending with two short notes, told 
us that Ball had passed his judgm.ent. 
"Dat's he," said Holt. "Now, Mr. Charley you go 
through the bayou. It is only waist deep, and don't .'-top 
till you get to Oak Ridge ; be quick, now." And to me : 
"You can run fast enough to get back to Hickory Ridge 
and stop where the big burned snag stands. I will go 
through the cane to the river, and try and head him off." 
I was in my stand and ready when I heard the dogs 
open on the hot trail, and. was assured that the quarry 
v/as roused from his bed. With gun ready I was almost 
sure of getting the shot, for the chase bore directly to- 
ward me, but for some untold reason they broke out of 
the cane a long way to my left. I had a glimpse of the 
bear as he came into the open, but it was a long shot, and 
only for a second, and he was going down that ridge at 
a gait that would make a greyhound wonder. As I 
was nearest to the camp, I discharged my Winchester 
twice in quick succession as a signal to the boys at camp 
to let the pack loose, then ran as fast as I could to inter- 
cept them and see them join the chase. Luckily, I ar- 
rived in time, and of all glorious sights! Here they 
came, scattered in all directions, heads and tails erect, 
ears cocked forward, listening to their leaders, whimper- 
ing with eagerness, and every one trying to reach the trail 
first. 
I yelled at them, "Catch him, you rascals ! Whoop him 
up !" When the trail was reached, what a racket they 
made as they thundered along the ridge, striking the pal- 
metto leaves in their course. Holt soon joined me, and 
we called Charley with the horn. _ Then we sat on a log 
and listened to the grandest music in the world. Away 
to the left they went, and then we heard them turn and 
head for the river. "They are going to Simrod's deaden- 
ning," said Holt, "away across the Quiver; — a desperate 
place grown up with young honey locust briers and. cane. 
That is an old bear and he will rip around in that thicket, 
thinking to shake off the dogs, and when he finds out they 
won't quit him, he will steal out with a long start and 
leg it for home, and likely make his stand near to the 
place he started." 
The chase was fast going out of hearing, but Lyde's 
clear voice could be heard above all the rest. I said to 
Holt, "Listen at Lyde." He said, "Yes, she is sure doin' 
about, and there is nothin' livin' that that pack won't put 
a rnove on." 
We lit our pipes and waited. Scores of squirrels, black 
and gray, played about the trees and barked at us. The 
large woodpecker with his scarlet plume was noisy and 
busy; birds of all kinds — jays, woodlarks, thrushes, joe- 
ree birds — kept us company. 
We waited patiently; no sound from the missing pack. 
I said that the dogs would bring the bear to bay in the 
deadening. Charley said they would force him out, and 
he would go down the river to the heavy cane on the 
Sunflower, "No, no," said Holt, "I think he will be 
back." Fully two hours had elapsed and we were get- 
ting htmgry. I looked at Charley, and his countenance 
plainly said, "I told you so." When we had almost con- 
cluded to follow the chase I saw Holt put his hand to his 
ear and listen. In a moment I knew what it was, for 1 
heard Lyde's faint cry as it floated through the still air 
of the swamps. Then plainer it came. Then Ball's long, 
clear music. Then Remus, then the whole pack burst into 
hearing; they were crossing the ridge to the river. 
Guns were inspected ; hearts beat fast. It was not long 
till we were assured that the game was across on our 
side of the water. A short run of perhaps ten minutes, 
and bruin was at bay. 
We called the darkies from the camp, and they were 
soon with us with their cane knives. We worked our 
way onward, sometimes having to cut down the cane, 
until we were within fifty yards of the battle. The great 
brute had made his stand against a large "clay roof- 
where a tree had been uprooted by the wind — and was 
keeping the dogs off as best he could. He was very 
tired; his long tongue protruded, bloody red from raking 
over briers and thorns, his whole front was covered with 
red foam, and his breathing was short and difficult. The 
dogs tried to dislodge him, and he would lay back his 
ears and charge at them, when they would retreat in a 
hurry. 
A bear at bay is the most difficult shot, so we left it to 
Holt. If a bear is wounded it is fatal to the dogs, for 
at the report of the gun every dog will go right in. 
When defending himself the bear keeps his head con- 
stantly in motion, and a bullet in the head is the only 
place that will kill him instantly. Holt shot him at the 
base of the brain, and in a second he was covered with 
dogs, but past fighting. We loaded him on the big brown 
horse, and took our way to camp. It was a heavy load — 
five hundred and fifty pounds. I went home that evening 
satisfied with my short hunt. 
E. A. VicKRoy. 
