Oct. 4, 1913. 
FOREST AND STREAM 
429 
The Bird Doctor. 
Haverhill, Mass., Sept. 15. — Editor Forest 
and Stream: The inclosed example showing 
how a bird may, under stress of circumstances, 
become its own surgeon may be of interest to 
you. The variety from which the specimen sent 
was taken was one of a pair of yellowleg snipe 
(summer variety) that were feeding on a small 
mud island in a fresh water pond. Only one 
of the birds moved about, the stationary one 
pruning its feathers, and now and then dabbling 
its bill in the water. Being within twenty feet 
when I discovered them, they presented a good 
opportunity for observation. They both rose 
strong, and upon picking them up found one 
to be suffering from a fractured leg received 
some time previous. While a bad one, too, the 
bird was pulling through O. K., and at the time 
of retrieving had it well plastered and matted 
down with fine grass, lint and feathers, a good 
part of which became detached from carrying 
in my pocket. Aside from its thigh on the in¬ 
jured member being not quite so plump as its 
mate, it was in excellent condition, nice and fat. 
You could note as the broken limb was knitting 
that it would have thrown the center of weight 
to the outside, and while a bit awkward, still 
would have been better than no leg at all, and 
had I not bagged it, would no doubt have gone 
on its way rejoicing until shot by some other 
gunner. When we consider the actions of birds 
and animals when coping with a crippled con¬ 
dition, one is often moved to reflect, if after 
all they are not displaying the proof of possess¬ 
ing a by no means small order of intelligence 
and reason. 
The flight of summer birds was good this 
season, but I notice they are getting to frequent 
more and more each year the fresh water in¬ 
land ponds. The winters are now showing up 
strong and bid fair to-about equal the flight of 
the smaller variety. 
Last night (the 14th inst.) our initial frost 
of the season made its appearance, and with it 
arrived the first jacksnipe which we have seen. 
It was a sweetener and all green stuff went by 
the board. Our pheasant crop is bully; there 
can. be no doubt but that they are here to stay. 
Charles B. Morss. 
Another Dog Story. 
Bloomsburg, N. J., Sept. 20 . —Editor Forest 
and Stream: Having read “A Good Dog Story” 
in a recent issue, and thinking the author will 
expect someone to try to “'beat it if he can,” I 
furnish the following: 
We were all seated around the old-fashioned 
wood stove that graces the bar-room of the 
Porter’s Lake House, enjoying our pipes, relat¬ 
ing our experiences of the day, and discussing 
the relative merits of our dogs. All of us were 
in the finest humor, for we had good shooting 
that day, having bagged, I think, thirty-eight 
birds (ruffed grouse). 
Sir Wes. Drake, as we always called him, 
was very tired, having tramped over more 
ground and shot two more birds than the best 
one in our party and sat only as a listener. 
After all had told their stories, Sir Wes. said 
he wanted to tell of his pointer, Fanny. ‘ You 
know, sir, that Fanny was the best pointer I 
ever owned. I could trust her anywhere and 
with anything. Why, sir, she used to stand on 
her game and then creep softly up, put her 
foot on it, and return to the house. No money 
could purchase Fanny, but I was obliged to part 
with her after all. One day she crossed the 
stream on the ice to hunt in a meadow opposite 
and returned as far as the middle of the stream, 
when the ice gave way and Fanny was drowned. 
Poor dog! I mourned for her a long time, sir, 
I did, and would have no other dog; in fact, I 
needed no other.” 
Here Sir Wes. stopped to light his pipe, and 
one of the party knowing he was a lover of a 
good dog, asked him how this was. “Well, sir, 
I will tell you. I wanted something to remind 
me of Fanny, and as I found her the next day, 
I took her hide, had it nicely tanned and made 
into a vest. Just where the last button of the 
vest came was the end of Fanny’s nose, and, 
sir, every time I came where there was game 
that nose would turn to windward and point, sir, 
in as good style as Fanny herself did.” 
P. H. 
Will Sharks Devour Men ? 
Some time ago we had a discussion as to 
whether or not a shark might, could, would or 
should devour a man. Several mariners bold, 
who had never seen the thing done, were strug¬ 
gling in the negative of the question. Here is 
some evidence in point, told by the Fijo Times: 
A canoe left Loma Loma with twenty-five 
natives on board, bound for Totoya. They were 
going about, when a sudden squall sent the sail 
against the mast, capsizing the canoe. The un¬ 
fortunate passengers clung to the canoe, and 
might have escaped with consequences no worse 
than those which would have attended discom¬ 
fort and exposure, but for the fact that the cap¬ 
size occurred in a locality infested with sharks. 
These ravenous monsters seized their victims 
one by one, devouring twenty-three out of the 
twenty-five unfortunates whose lives were thus 
placed at their mercy. Of the two who escaped, 
one is a woman, but her situation is very criti¬ 
cal, the whole of the flesh having been taken off 
one leg.” 
Raccoons Also. 
We find the following paragraph adrift 
without any credit. It is interesting, if true: 
Some time last winter a gentleman in the 
northern part of Smith county, Texas, on the 
Sabine River, was riding a pony, and as he was 
approaching the river a raccoon ran out and bit 
the horse on the leg. The raccoon repeated or 
continued its attack until the gentleman put the 
pony into a gallop and ran off. A few days 
ago the gentleman was leading the pony out of 
a pasture. While he was letting down the fence 
the pony suddenly commenced biting the rails 
furiously, had a fit, fell down, and in a few 
moments was dead. 
Disease Again Appears Among Ducks. 
BY GOLDEN GATE. 
From Tulare Lake word has been received 
to the effect that the mysterious malady which 
visited the ducks in that section in 1910 and 
1911 has again made its appearance, and that 
thousands of the birds have already died. The 
birds seem to be in good condition, being fat 
and apparently healthy, but become afflicted with 
paralysis and are rendered unable to fly and 
finally to walk. Two years ago the University 
of California made an investigation of the dis¬ 
ease, but its experts were unable to trace its 
origin. 
In changing address, the old as well as the 
new should be given. 
NOTE FRACTURED JOINT MATTED WITH FINE GRASS. 
