Aug. 20, 1 904.I 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
IBS 
says: "Sense of Smell — Olfaction: The sense of smell 
is effected by terminal branches of the olfactory (first 
cranial) nerve, ramifying in the mucous (pituitary or 
Schneiderian membrane of the nasal cavities. Owing to 
the Comparatively small size and little complexity of the 
foldings and pleatings of bone or cartilage in the nasal 
chambers, the sensory surface being correspondingly 
limited, it is not probable that birds possess this sense in 
a high degree, etc." 
If E. D. L. is not in a position' now to secure a whip- 
poorwill and a night-hawk, if he will send to A. W. 
Mumford, publisher, 203 Michigan avenue, Chicago, III, 
and buy a picture of the whippoorwill and night-hawk in 
natural colors, I think these will satisfy him they are not 
the same birds. The prints cost two cents each. 
O. H. P. 
Some Animals I Have Studied. 
r-- Although this .may a be called my third paper on the 
subject, and T wish to avoid repeating anything before 
written. I feel like offering, some, explanation, as if 
beginning anew. First, I would refer the reader (who 
cares . to look .back) to the first five paragraphs of 
"Some Knowing Dogs," in the issue of Forest and 
Stream of Aug, 29, 19O3. [I always carefully put away 
a copy of each, number.] Second, I intend- to try here- 
after to "stick to the subject" until I think I have suf- 
ficiently covered it— unless the editor cuts me off 
sooner — and avoid, if possible, engaging in any of the 
numerous interesting controversies going on in the 
paper, although that will try my powers of self-con- 
trol to the utmost. Third, and before I relate any' more 
stories or anecdotes, let me offer a few general remarks 
concerning my individual opinion of animals — some of 
said ..opinions being likely to be very different from those 
usually held. 
The hog is riot the greediest animal, nor the greatest 
eater. ' A healthy hen or duck can, in proportion to 
weight, eat a much greater quantity, and very much 
more rapidly; and even they are not in it with certain 
insects, such as hornets, pumping leaf-hoppers, certain 
varieties of jumping spiders, fleas, and several sorts of 
worms'. 
What I call a quick dog is quicker in nearly all his 
motions than any cat. 
I believe the humming bird to be the quickest moving 
of all living things, not excepting any insect. And that 
is saying much, when we consider the amazing velocity 
of an angry hornet. 
Hawks, especially eagles and buzzards, possess a sort 
of kiting knowledge and skill, which ought to solve 
completely the problem of aerial navigation for man: — 
suggesting the simplest, safest, surest and cheapest sort 
,oi flying machine. If the nautilus gave us the sailing 
vessel for use on water, may not these graceful birds 
be trusted to give us the sailing vessel for use in upper 
air? If any inventive reader thinks of apparently in- 
surmountable objections to this suggestion, let him ex- 
plain them in Forest and Stream, and I will answer- 
er take any fitting punishment he may suggest. These 
birds,, incredible as it may seem to any one who never 
intently observed them, are able not only to mount up- 
ward, but to sail in any direction, even against the 
wind, in any strong, steady breeze, for hours without 
flapping the wings. Let any strong man prepare him 
a pair of wings, of sufficient size, shaped like the bird's, 
equally strong and light, and attach them to his body 
in such a manner that both arms and legs can be used 
freely to manipulate them ('twill require all four of a 
man's limbs to equal in strength the wing muscles of a 
bird), and, after a little practice and experience, he 
ought to be able nearly to equal the bird in its own 
element, if man is really a superior creature. 
The horse, in a state of nature, with heavy tail sweep- 
ing the ground, and mane almost half that length, and 
unbroken in pride and majesty, is the most beautiful 
of quadrupeds; further, the domestic horse, properly 
brought up, never neglected, and treated with invariable 
kindness and wisdom, is, next to the dog, the best, 
most faithful, most useful, least selfish brute-friend a 
man can hace — "through thick . arid thin" — always — 
under all circumstances. Any other' animal but the dog 
or horse will be likely to desert in time of danger, or 
hunger, or great discomfort. 
Dogs and horses show greater individuality— more 
character — than other animals, therefore, I place them 
in the front rank as to. intelligence; though I am well 
aware the cat has plenty of powerful champions. But 
cats, whatever eccentricities they may develop, are 
more nearly alike in certain inborn characteristics — 
that is, they are less able .pr, likely to overcome their 
well-known natural tendencies. For instance, no 
healthy cat can be patient, kind and obedient when very 
hungry; dogs and horses often ar.e as unmindful of 
hunger as any human being. Again, no cat will vol- 
untarily bear pain or severe discomfort for long 
periods just to . please or serve its master or friend. 
Many a dog will go into ice-cold water, time after time 
until nearly frozen to death; or into fire; or indeed 
wherever duty or friendship calls. And many a horse, 
without fear or compulsion will struggle along all day, 
or all night, in storm or pleasant weather, with a 
drunken rider, barely able to keep on him, whom the 
poor beast considers it his duty to take home, or per- 
form a dozen other services of heroic self-sacrifice not 
the result of mere habit or training. Horses and dogs 
can be taught into the possession of real moral char- 
acters, so that they will love right and hate wrong. I 
do not claim that moral sensibility is natural to them — 
nor to mankind, either. Love and pride are ruling pas- 
sions in these animals (I mean pride in the higher 
sense-r-ennobling pride, not tyrant pride), without which 
neither beast nor man can be brought into reverence 
for any law save the law of force. 
Many dogs and horses are unnaturally selfish and 
hypocritical — that is, much more so than a knowledge 
of mere race-instincts would cause us to expect — show- 
ing a man-like cunning and adaptability of means to 
ends that betokens the possession of a.degree of rea- 
soning power, as surely as does the more pleasing be- 
havior of their nobler r elative s, T want it distinctly 
understood that I am not a ' dog lover" nor a "horse 
lover" indiscriminately, as some sportsmen seem to be, 
though I am as kind as possible to all; but I do love a 
loving horse or dog. I never permit myself to love 
anything merely for its "fine points" or aristocratic 
blood. 
[In writing an article like this, I find it impossible to 
avoid obtruding myself into the subject somewhat, for 
which I beg pardon, even though I can't promise to 
"do so no more." I declare, however, that I have no 
desire to distract attention from "the other animals."] 
It may not be commonly known that the perch is a 
fighter. I have seen one, about seven Or eight inches 
long, repeatedly drive away a gar three or four feet 
long. It would simply dart under the belly of the 
monster, and by a sudden backward jerk with its 
circular saw-like back, crosswise of the aforesaid belly, 
deliver a sawing blow that never failed to send the 
rascal away in ignominious disorder— very different 
from his gliding stealthy approach. After a number of 
retreats, he would flee at the mere sight of her. I at- 
tributed her subjugation of the giant more to her 
superior mental than physical qualities — -let me hope 
"the imputation of mind to a fish may not shock some 
super-sensitive scientist; but truly a perch is a very in- 
telligent fish, or else nature does some very important 
thinking for her ! I have been very intimate with perch, 
and believe them to be as wise, at least, as the ordinary 
domestic cat; and I have tamed several so that they 
would swim into my hand, in their: native element, al- 
though these same fishes would flee from a stranger, 
and could not be caught on any hook. They were not 
, captive fishes, either, but free and wild, some of them in 
. the rushing Ouachita. And I can do so again. I can 
tame any perch, anywhere, if L ean get. near him sev- 
eraldays in succession, with nothing to disturb him; 
and I use no means but food and kindness. This shows 
that the fish is observant and possesses memory— he 
knows his friend! 
The perch can completely reverse its eye in the socket 
—that is, turn it wrong side out — and by that means, 
and with its cute little mouth, it can assume all the com- 
ical expressions ever attributed to it by pictorial 
humorist. 
It can perform a miracle; it can dart right up a water- 
fall at least eight feet high, and so quickly as to look 
like a flash of light! This requires a strength and 
rapidity of motion of all its parts so great as to stagger 
the human mind. Flying is nothing to that! If "the 
humming bird is the quickest of all living creatures, 
surely the perch must be next! 
Here in Arkansas the jay has learned to imitate so 
closely the scream of one variety of hawk that it some- 
times deceives the human ear. But the imitation is 
not always good; often it is very bad. This proves that 
the perfect imitation is not instinctive, but the result 
of careful, persistent practice with a purpose. 
It is very difficult for the jay to shuck an ear of corn; 
so he lets the woodpecker do that, then he drives him 
away — when he can — and helps himself to the tender 
green grain. 
Crows make friends with our chickens and turkeys, 
lead them to the peanut patch, teach them where to 
find the nuts, by pulling up a few; then hop around 
gleefully while the big birds scratch them out whole- 
sale — -a fine sight! 
The farm birds, being better adapted to digging, soon 
scratch out enough to make a royal feast tor all the 
flock. Often I have seen a score of the crows with them 
— and such sociability! Crows, chickens, turkeys — all 
working and eating together fearlessly, joyfully. I sel- 
dom interfere, for this is usually after I have harvested 
my share of the nuts. I find the crows such invaluable 
assistants when cutworms are abundant that I allow 
them to make their homes all about, and dislike, to of- 
fend them, though that is occasionally necessary. Last 
spring, when they were pulling up nearly as much young- 
corn as the chickens were, 1 played a low-down trick 
on them and won, without killing any of them; and 
afterward they served me as faithiully as if there had 
been no coldness between us. L. R. Morphew. 
Hot Springs, A'rk. 
[TO BE CONTINUED.] 
The Haartebeeste. 
Next to the eland, the haartebeeste is one of the most 
striking of the plain-frequenting antelopes of South 
Africa. It derives its name from a large heart-shaped 
patch of white on its rump. Its horns are of a lyrate 
shape, very thick and corrugated at the base, and acutely 
bent backward at the dps. Its color is a grayish brown, 
with a black mark on the cheek, and an adult male will 
measure in the neighborhood of five feet in height. In 
its wanderings it freely associates with the gnu, blessbok 
and springbok, and I frequently encountered immense 
herds of these animals; so large, that it was impossible 
to estimate their number. 
I had been but a short time in Natal before I made the 
acquaintance of a young Boer who lived in the Transvaal/ ' 
some little distance to the north of the Buffalo River, and 
it was my habit to stop and spend several days with him, 
either on going up or returning from my wife's, farther 
north. It so happened on one occasion that I dropped 
m on him, just as he and .several neighbors were prepar- 
ing for a regular hunt of the various species of veldt- 
frequentmg antelopes. Leaving my heavy wagons, oxen 
drivers, etc., on his place, I jogged on with the hunting 
party, merely taking my^part, drawn by four oxen, for 
the conveyance of myself and a young German keeper, 
whom I took along for the purpose of caring for any 
specimens of live animals which I might pick up. We 
had gotten some little distance beyond Utrecht, and 
camped overnight on the banks of a small stream. The 
next morning, just about sunrise, I spied what I thought 
to be the horns of a blesbok just showing above the top 
of a kopje (small hill) about a quarter of a mile distant. 
Pointing out the spot to my keeper, I requested him to 
take a stroll m that direction while our breakfast was 
being prepared, and was much amused at seeing him 
whirl just before reaching the summit of the kopje and 
return at full speed. On coming within speaking dis- 
tance he shouted, "Mein Gott ! Dere's thousands of 
dem." I immediately called to him to keep quiet, and 
one of the Boers started to make reconnoissance, and soon 
returned and reported the keeper's declaration was very 
near the truth All preparations for breakfast were sud- 
denly suspended and the horses saddled for the purpose 
ol adding venison to our bill of fare. We divided into 
two parties, one of which turned off to the right while 
the other cantered off to the left, so as to leave a space 
of over a mile between them. The purpose was for 
those who had gone off to the left to charge into the herd 
and drive as many as possible in the direction of those 
wh ° had gone to the right, and it was successfully accom- 
plished. There was a regular fusilade for a short time, 
followed by a gathering of the slaughtered game. I was 
stationed in about the centre of those who had gone to 
the right, and was so fortunate as to kill two haarte- 
beestes and one springbok. We returned to camp, 
breakfasted and then sent one of the wagons to bring in 
the game, which amounted to twenty-two head of elands 
haartebeestes and springboks. The balance of the day 
was spent 111 skinning and cutting up the carcasses. The 
skms were intended for sale, while the meat was cut into 
long strips and slightly salted, so as to preserve it until 
the various homes of the hunters were reached, when it 
would be made into biltong, which process consisted in 
a further addition of salt when the flesh was hung up in 
the air until thoroughly dried. From making many 
meals in which this pabulum was the leading dish, I can 
cheerfully recommend it. 
The next morning one of the party offered to take me 
out on a stalking expedition. This was just what I de- 
sired, and the offer was gratefully accepted and we imme- 
diately trudged" off. After three or four miles had been 
covered,vwe began to get distant glimpses of portions of 
the herd which had furnished the sport on the preceding 
day. They were scattered in various directions busily en- 
gaged in nibbling the fresh grass, and my companion, 
completely ignoring all selfishness, carefully concealed 
me behind two adjacent ant heaps and then turned -•off 
to make a wide detour, so as to drive the game in iny 
vicinity. I lay down between the heaps, and, with a 
held glass, carefully followed the movements of my com- 
panion. This I could easily do, as he had placed me on 
the summit of a kopje which overlooked the entire sur- 
roundings. He slowly kept in motion until he had passed 
beyond a number of the antelopes, when he faced in my 
direction and loitered along toward me, declining several 
fair shots, until he had driven the game within close 
range of myself. I managed to get in three shots with 
my Winchester, dropping two haartebeestes, while he 
fired only once with an old-fashioned rifle, bringing down 
his quarry, a magnificent male eland. We then returned 
to camp and sent out a couple of horses to pack in our 
game, while the balance of the party were busily engaged 
in skinning and dressing the remainder of that secured 
the day before. 
It was at this camp that I first saw one of the many de- 
vices which the peculiar mode of life forces the Boers to 
employ. Our stock of bread became short, and the manner 
lii which a fresh supply was baked attracted my attention, 
beveral deserted ant heaps were selected and hollowed 
out with a spade. The excavations were filled with dried 
cattle manure, which burned fiercely and made a quaint 
impromptu oven, in which the bread was quickly and 
capitally cooked. I made a mental note of the expedient 
and afterward frequently used it to my great comfort 
and satisfaction. 
While engaged in securing and preserving the results 
01 our hunt, the camp was visited by a party of kaffirs 
intent on securing the refuse of the game, who reported 
a flock of ostriches within a comparatively short distance. 
On receipt of the news it was determined to go after 
them, and when we started I was surprised to observe 
that not a firearm was taken by the party. It then struck 
me that I was to see what I had long wished to view, 
/viz., ostriches run down and captured by parties on horse- 
back. It is a well known fact that when followed by a 
persistent pursuer the ostrich runs in a large circle, and 
it was on account of this habit that our party started 
out without firearms. Following the directions given by 
the kaffirs, a brisk canter soon brought us in sight of our 
intended quarry. The entire party, with- the exception of 
one Boer and myself, galloped off after the flock while 
we awaited their return. After some time had elapsed 
two of the pursuers returned. On my asking what had 
become of the others, I was informed that they had 
stationed themselves at equal distances apart on the 
circle, in order to, relieve each other in the chase. One of 
the two then started at full speed after the flock, and was 
soon out of sight. Not a great while elapsed before the 
birds hurried past us, and one of my companions took 
the place of their pursuer, who stopped with us in order 
to rest his steed. This mode was followed until the circle 
had been covered some five or six times, when I noticed 
that one of the male birds was missing, and was told that 
he had been killed by a blow from the butt of a sjambok 
(a heavy, short whip, made from raw hippopotamus skin) 
across the neck. This procedure was followed until the 
three male birds of the flock had been killed, when the 
pursuit ceased and the females were allowed to escape. 
In one of my trips I purchased a Basuto pony, which I 
used under the saddle for short hunting excursions from 
my wagons while passing along the route. He finally 
learned to follow the wagons, and when the oxen were 
turned loose to graze he would always accompany them. 
If game came in; sight while we were traveling along I 
would saddle him, canter off,, and endeavor to replenish 
our larder. He became so accustomed to his calling that, 
on approaching game, he would allow me to dismount and 
use him as a screen, so as to get within shot of my 
quarry. We had stopped one day for the oxen to take 
their usual noontide graze, and, as usual, the pony accom- 
panied them. They had reached the top of a rise but a 
short distance away when the pony stopped, gazed over 
the crest beyond him, turned and trotted back to the 
wagons. Instantly divining that something unusual had 
caused this singular behavior, I grabbed my Winchester 
from out of the cart, -threw on the saddle, mounted and 
cantered toward the grazing oxen. On reaching the 
crest of the hill, and gazing over the backs of the grazine 
cattle, I was startled at the sight of a herd of haarte 
beestes. Finding that the game were too far away to use 
the oxen for a blind, I dismounted and walked alongside 
the pony until we had passed through the herd of oxen 
when I used him for a blind until we came within shot 
of the bucks, when I dropped three before they got out 
Of the range of my Winchester. For several succeeding 
