862 
FOREST AND STREAM 
| 0 CT. 28, 1905. 
morning while arranging food and water for his bird 
before going off to school, he thought it would be a good 
plan to give the captive the freedom of the room, where 
my squirrel fan at large, his cage door being open al- 
ways. Placing the cage m the room he propped open 
the door and ran off to school, thinking to himself what 
a nice time the bird and squirrel would have playing to- 
gether. The squirrel certainly did enjoy the company 
of the bird, judging from how little he left but feathers; 
only the feet and bill remained. He also profited in an- 
other way by this experience, for I gave him his free- 
dom shortly afterward. Squirrels do not destroy bird 
life to any extent, though, as they require meat only at 
intervals and not as a regular diet. 
As for the crow, he is the most destructive enemy of 
our birds, for he can reach any nest except in a small 
hollow tree, or other excavated nest, and does not hesi- 
tate to snatch eggs from under a sitting bird, as can be 
observed. In the eastern part of North Carolina the 
crows can be seen robbing the nest of the egret, gull and 
other .coast .birds, and as the crows are numberless in 
that section and flocks are seen everywhere, they must 
destroy thousands of the eggs and young. 
I had a peculiar experience with a pair of nesting black- 
birds the past summer that cannot be explained either as 
instinct or chance. I will send it to you soon. They, 
very clearly to me, worked a trick and so well did they 
act that I was drawn from their nest, which was in plain 
sight, and easily reached to an old one some distance 
away. The clipping about the martins is quite true. I 
hope some one had foresight enough to photograph this 
wonderful flight of birds. If I can get a photograph I 
will send it to you. 
I regretted to hear of the death of Cabia Blanco. I 
looked forward to his articles each week and was disap- 
pointed if the paper did not have something of his. I 
expect to clip out all those I have and put them in a scrap 
book. Ed. L. Bailey. 
A PLAGUE OF MARTINS. 
A Wilmington, N. C., correspondent of the Raleigh 
News and Observer says: Ten of the citizens of Wrights- 
ville Sound and Dr. Ed. Barnes, of Tarboro, who is 
spending the summer there, were arraigned before Jus- 
tices of Peace George Harris and G. W. Westbrook on 
the charge of violation of the game laws of the State by 
the wholesale shooting of field martins, which had liter- 
ally taken posession of the grove in front of Capt. John 
H. Hanby’s Ocean View Hotel and cottage property at 
that resort. The indictment was brought by County 
Game Warden Freeman, and each of the defendants sub- 
mitted and was fined $5 and costs. The fines were after- 
ward remitted at tne suggestion of the garne warden, 
who confessed that the martins had collected in such un- 
usually large numbers as to do damage to the grove and 
make themselves a nuisance in front of the hotel prop- 
erty. Captain Hanby, proprietor of the hotel, com- 
plained that the plague of martins not only damaged the 
grove by swarming in the trees in such numbers that 
they broke off the branches but that his guests actually 
threatened to leave his house because of the nuisance 
The martins collected in the grove in such dense swarms 
as to almost obscure the sun when they arose from the 
tree tops, hundreds of people having gone to the Sound 
to witness the phenomenon. When Captain Hanby gave 
carte blanche to the gunners to shoot them it is estimated 
that over 11,000 were killed in one day. 
A Curious Turtle. 
Two DAYS before we left Squam Lake, N. H., where 
we had a camp cottage for the summer, my wife, my 
youngest son and daughter and I rowed down the lakf 
nearly to its southwestern extremity. 
At one place there is a small island not far from th 
shore. In the mid-channel between this island and th ; 
shore, on a large boulder projecting two or three fix! 
above the water and exposing a surface six or eight : -el; 
long, we saw three turtles, or more properly, I suppcsf, 
“painted tortoise,” basking in the warm sun. We con- 
ceived the idea of seeing how near we could approach 
them before they would take alarm and slip into the 
water. 
Two of them, only about half as large as the third, 
showed the usual wariness of the species, and after cran- 
ing their necks a little as we silently circled nearer and 
nearer the rock, took their plunge while we were yet half 
a dozen rods or so away. The third, who occupied the 
highest position on the rock, maintained his place, though 
moving his head in his effort to watch us. 
We at once saw that his back presented a remarkable 
appearance, being apparently covered with a number of 
thin, dry, flesh-colored membranes, which curled up from 
it in a curious fashion. 
Enjoining silence, I rowed around the rock as noise- 
lessly as possible, coming nearer and nearer to it, every 
member of the party intently watching the queer 
phenomenon. 
The movements of the animal’s head and neck indicated 
his alarm, but he seemed unwilling to stir till the last 
moment. To all of us came at once the notion that it 
was afflicted with some disease or feebleness which made 
it unable or unwilling to stir. 
Nearer we came till we were within six or eight feet 
of the creature and could see with the utmost distinct- 
ness the strange growth or structure on its back. It 
seemed as though each of the more central plates on the 
back of its shell were shedding a thin epidermis, of the 
texture of the dry skin which a snake periodically throws 
off, and that in each case the sides of this thin covering 
of the plate had curled upward till more than half of it 
were -free, but the whole were retained by an undetached 
middle part. There seemed to be nearly, or quite, a half 
dozen of these membranes on each side of the animal’s 
back. “Sort of butterflies’ wings,” my little daughter 
afterward called them. 
While the attention of the rest of us was riveted on the 
creature my wife also caught sight of one of these mem- 
branes, or scales, which had become entirely detached and 
had fallen upon the water and lay floating with its edges 
turned up,- resembling in eyery .respect those upon the tor- 
toise, ’ : 
She tried her best to call attention to it without making 
movement or noise which would hasten the lunge which 
it was evident the animal would soon make, and . which 
a moment later it did make, when we were near enough 
to have touched it. with an oar. .. It went .straight J,a 
bottom and lay beside the rock, just disceniible' hi eight, 
or ten feet of water. ■ - - 
Having no implement but an oar we could. do nothing 
to recover it, but my attention being at once called to the 
floating scale, I saw it just as the waves which. our sud- 
den movements caused engulfed it, and I tried in vain to 
recover it with my oar as it slowly sank and seemfed to .. 
almost dissolve in the water. We then interestedly com- 
pared notes with minuteness, finding that our obserya- . 
tions agreed in all details. • : 
Now, if -I have described what is a common, or even if- 
an infrequent still a well known phenomenon, kindly, drop, 
this account into your waste basket, with only such, pity 
as you can spare for my ignorance, but if it. describes, 
something unusual please give it space and invite explana- 
tion. 
To me, as to every other country-bred boy, no sight can 
be more familiar than that of a row of “turtles” sunning 
themselves on a log or rock, and their clumsy but quick 
plunge on my too near approach. But I have never seen 
one “arrayed” as was the one I have described, nor one 
permitting anything like so near approach, nor can I by 
inquiry find anyone else who has done so. 
An eminent biologist tells me that it. is his conviction 
that the plates of the shell of a “turtle” or tortoise have, 
nO' such epidermis which could curl up in the fashion 
that we saw. Was our turtle, then, wearing “borrowed 
feathers,” and if sO' from whom, or what, did he borrow 
them, and how did he affix them in that regular fashion? 
All we know or can say about the matter is that four of 
us saw at very close quarters, and for several minutes, 
what I have set forth. Will some, one explain it? 
C, H. Ames. • ; 
[Probably this was a case of diseased condition of the ■ 
shell.] 
Canine Crosses. 
Riverside Farm, Byron, 111., Oct. i2<r:^Editor Forest 
and Stream: The note of Charles Hallock on “Fox-Dog 
Cross” in Forest and Stream of .Oct -14, was of great 
interest to the writer who wishes that he knew how to 
prevent Mr. Hallock’s shadow from growing . less. His 
name can never die, but some day, may. it .be far distant, 
we all will have to bid Charles Hallodk good-by. ■ 
In the same issue of the paper G. B. G.’s “Dog-Wolf 
Cross” w'as reminiscent to the writer of. the following: 
More than a decade ago Ed. McNeal lived in the tene- 
ment house of Charles Follett, three miles south of 
Byron, directly on Red River, and worked for Mr. Fol- 
lett. One April day, far back from the river, near an 
old straw stack, he shot a bitch wolf, and. found her 
litter — part dogs, part wolves — in the. :stack. G. B.., G.’s. 
description of the cross-bred wmlves'is fine, ..and while: the 
-McNeal litter were prairie and his timber wglveSj, the de- 
scription fits them to a dot. Mr. McNeal wEiSv-Paid the 
full bounty on the whole litter by the county clerk. There 
W’ere certain ones in the county who kicked at the- clerk’s 
action, but the county clerk of Ogle county waS' rig.ht, 
and his action stamped him as being no common man as 
well as something of a naturalist on his own account. 
Patrick Burke, the father of Judge Burke, of ..Chicago, 
owned a fine farm four miles north of Byron, where the 
great attorney was born, who owns the farm to this day. 
Prairie wolf-dog miscegenation occurred on the farm, the 
sire in this case being a collie dog, the dam a prairie wolf. 
Mr. Burke kept one of the dog pups. To all appearanc.es 
he was a collie dog, but smarter, and fully as affectionate, 
so far as Mr. Burke was concerned, who taught him many 
pleasing tricks, and with whom he lived most happily 
under my observation for many years. 
Jack! Who was Jack? Oh, he was a noted Byron 
dog nho but recently yielded up the canine ghost. He 
was a cur dog-gray fox cross, and was given, as a. pup, to 
the little daughter of Harry Harding, with whom he grew 
up and who, from his standpoint, was his only , friend. 
Jack grew up to be a short-haired, grizzled gray; medium- 
sized, cock-eared dog with an eye of unusual brilliance, 
and the swinging restless movements of a wild animal. 
His cry was the gasping bark of. a fox. Did a hen cackle? 
That egg was his. Did Harry forget to feed him? He 
slipped out into a hazel patch and gobbled a rabbit or tw'o 
— one to eat and one for sport, you know. Did anyone 
come near little Daisy? Their old friend the doctor sits 
here to write that they, had the time of their' lives in get- 
ting off without a bite. They are both dead. Who shall 
say that the dog-fox Jack is not with his little mistress in 
the pleasant land of the hereafter? Quien sabe? 
Dr. A. J. Woodcock. 
Turkey Buzzard Near Buffalo, N. Y* 
The Buffalo Evening News of Oct. 16 prints the fol- 
lowing item: 
“While hunting from an automobile near Clarence 
Center yesterday, Fred Jehle, a poultry dealer on Chip- 
pewa Market, shot a strange bird that has aroused, much 
curiosity, as no one has been able to identify it. Mr. 
Jehle has shown the prize to many of his friends who are 
versed in western New York game, and they have guessed 
at anything from a wild turkey to an eagle, but no one 
will say positively what it is. The bird measures over six 
feet from tip to tip and weighs only about six pounds. 
The feathers of the wings are fully a foot in length and 
are dark colored. The head is bare of feathers, and in 
this respect resembles a bald eagle, but is said to .'diff.er 
from this bird in many other particulars. Mr. Jehle was 
accompanied by Christian Muegel and .Edward M.eyer.”' 
Our correspondent, Flintstone, who calls our attention 
to this occurrence, says that Mr. James Savage identified 
the bird as a turkey buzzard, very rare so far north as 
Buffalo, but in the plains region passing still further 
north, “to the Saskatchewan.” The late George A. 
Boardman recorded one specimen taken near St. Croix, 
Me. It has frequently been recorded from southern New 
England. 
THE MANY-USE OIL CO., 
IS'ew York City, will sehii Free- Sample.-- Write nQvf.—Adv. ; 
Forest Reserves in Colorado. 
The upheaval of mountain land forming western Colo- 
rado constitutes the great watershed of the Middle West. 
:--The,. topography of this central elevated region makes it 
a factor of great economic value. Its mountains are the 
sources of such important streams as the Colorado, the 
Rio"-Grande, the Arkansas, and the North and the South 
Platte, which, with .their numerous tributaries, supply, to 
a large extent, the drainage systems upon which the sur- 
rounding States and Territories depend. Striking evi- 
dence of the far-reaching influence of these natural moun-. 
tain reservoirs is seen in the fact that the United States 
Reclamation Service has recently selected various reser- 
voir sites on the Grand and Yampah rivers, in Colorado, 
for the storage of water in connection with irrigation 
projects for the reclamation of extensive areas in south- 
ern California, Nevada and Arizona. 
' The Government, in its work of preserving natural 
reservoirs, as forming a necessary part of its irrigation 
projects, has. recently extended its protection over a con- 
siderable portion of this mountainous area by the, estab- 
lishment of a number of forest reserves, for the purpose 
of -conserving and regulating the stream flow of the 
region, and eventually insuring a greater flow in certain 
ol the streams. 
This means that the forest cover on the tops and slopes 
of these rugged mountains is to be protected, and used 
only so far as the preservation of stream flow and a 
permanent supply of forest products will allow. The 
mountains will now be -constantly patrolled, at Govern- 
ment expense, to prevent the further occurrence of de- 
vastating fires. This alone will confer an inestimable 
blessing upon all depending upon this region for wood 
or water. 
The tracts reserved are at too great an altitude to ad- 
mit of agricultural lands being included to any great ex- 
tent. They consist mainly of rough, mountain areas,, 
practically worthless except for their timber, water, for- 
age, and mining wealth. Withholding rugged areas of 
this kind from settlement will not interfere with the set- 
tling- of the State, 'because such lands are unsuited to the 
purposes of the bomeseeker. As their administration by. 
the Government will, however, eventually make possible 
the settlement and development of other lands, both in 
Colorado and elsewhere, these otherwise waste areas will 
now be made to contribute directly toward building up 
prosperous homes in large sections of the country. 
-The State of Colorado, in particular, will derive much 
benefit, because its irrigation possibilities are so great. 
The fact that when the reclamation work of the Govern- 
ment was- undertaken only about three per cent, of the 
entire land surface of Colorada was included in what 
might be termed- improved lands, and that about two- 
thirds of that amount had been irirgated, led the Recla- 
mation Service to devote special attention to the feasibil- 
ity of reclaiming lands in Colorado. As a result, various 
projects are now under consideration which will render 
cultivable for the first time extensive areas throughout 
the. western portion of the State. One of them, the Un- 
compahgre Valley project, is already well under way. 
When it is completed, sufficient land will be reclaimable 
to furnish homes for at least 1,200 families in the Uncom- 
pahgre Valley. :■ 
• The progress which has already been made upon these 
Various projects leaves no room to doubt that the relation 
which the Government is establishing, in Colorado, be-, 
tween the mountain sides and the vallev lands, is one 
- which means the agricultural development of large sec- 
tions' of the State. 
While the forest cover on these mountains will be made 
to play this important role in the irrigation movement, 
it is no part of the Government’s policy to withdraw the 
reserved lands from general use. On the contrary, it 
should be understood that the reserve will be open to all 
persons for all legitimate purposes. The timber, water, 
pasture, mineral, and other resources will contine to be 
for the use ,of the people, the reserves having been estab- 
lished for the purpose of benefiting, in every way pos- 
- sible, all the communities which are in any wise depen- 
dent upon them. 
Captufing Wild Elk for Sequoia Park. 
Bakersfield, Cal., Oct. 17. — As a result of the second 
day’s drive of the herd of wild elk, which for several 
years have made their feeding grounds at the Miller and 
Lux ranch at Buttonwillow, thirty miles south of this 
city, twenty-three perfect specimens were captured with 
the lariat yesterday, and of these twenty lived to be trans- 
ferred to the Government reserve. Sequoia Park. At least 
175 animals are still at large. The task of transferring 
the -herd is to be abandoned for the present. 
...The elk in question, as will be remembered, are the 
only survivors of the California elk of old times {Cervus 
nannodes, Merriam) and were some years ago presented 
to the United States Government by Messrs. Miller and 
Lux. The attempts made, to capture them last year were 
unsuccessful. 
A Plucky Woman* 
A DISPATCH to . the Record-Herald from Monument, 
Col., says that Mrs. C. B. Wilson, wife of the station 
agent at that place,, accidentally shot her husband while 
hunting yesterday.' He dropped to the ground insensible, 
but the plucky 'woman, although weighing less than 115 
pounds, carried the man, who weighs 155 pounds, a quar- 
' ter of a mile up the mountainside to the tracks of the 
Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. She then signalled a 
■ fast . freight, which stopped and took the injured man 
aboard. 
A Winter Hunting Camp. 
During the coming -winter, . a multitude of gunners will, go 
South to spend a 'longer or shorter time. F.ach one naturally 
wants to go Where he 'can get plen.ty of good shooting at moderafe 
expense. - All- who contemplate such a trip will be interested in 
the advertisement of Mr. H. H. Powell, located on. the Seaboard 
Air Line, at Cheraw, .;S. C., which appears on another page, and 
which tells very' fully what Mr. Powell has to offer in the 
direction of good and varied .sport and comfortable living. Among 
the attractions of this place are wide and well stocked territory, 
comfortable housing for individuals or families, and competent 
guides who- know the shooting grounds. - ;i 
•7. , . . ... V a m 
