FOREST AND STREAM 
905 
Albinoism in the Deer Family 
Additional and Interesting Information Concerning Some Strange 
Freaks in Natural History 
S INCE the publication of the article in Forest 
and Stream on albinoism in the deer fam¬ 
ily, readers of the paper have been kind 
enough to furnish additional matter covering a 
most interesting subject. Mr. John D. Whish of 
Albino Deer Killed by Two Boys Near 
Warrensville, Pa. 
Albany gave in the March issue a complete rec¬ 
ord of albino deer killed in New York, and this 
month we are able to publish photographs and 
incidents of other specimens met with in Penn¬ 
sylvania and elsewhere. It is to be hoped that 
those in a position to contribute information will 
furnish facts that may have come under their 
attention. 
A PENNSYLVANIA ALBINO SPECIMEN. 
Williamsport, Pa., March 6, 1916. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Perhaps the most interesting piece of work 
that I have done was the mounting of this white 
deer, which was killed by two boys named Chaa- 
pel, near Warrensville, Pa. This is a fine speci¬ 
men although not fully grown. This was the 
third white deer killed by Warrensville hunters 
and yet the proverbial ill luck which supersti¬ 
tious people attach to such a killing has not made 
its appearance. Two of the deer were killed by 
members of the Chaapel family; the first by the 
father and the second by the two sons and yet it 
would be hard to find a more fortunate family in 
the neighborhood. In the case of this little white 
deer a great deal of supersitious lore was ex¬ 
changed in Warrensville. Although the animal 
shows by its markings that it was very young 
there is many a huntsman in the locality who 
will vouch for the assertion that it was seen in 
the woods for a dozen years before its death. 
They used to declare that it was no use trying to 
shoot it, for it bore a charmed life and the bullet 
would surely be turned aside. However, when 
attacked by two boys, who were not awed by any 
such beliefs, it fell easy enough prey. 
The albino doe, which is doubtless the mother 
of this deer, was seen last season with two fawns 
whih were the natural ones. She has lived for 
years in the same .locality where the above albino 
buck referred to was killed. There were two 
albino bucks killed in the same locality previous 
to the one shown in the picture. 
Trusting the above information will be of 
value to you and thanking you for your courtesy 
in the matter, Respectfully yours, 
Charles H. Eldon. 
MINNESOTA WHITE DEER. 
Minnesota Academy of Sciences, 
Minneapolis, Minn., Feb. 23, 1916. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Enclosed please find photo of an albina Vir¬ 
ginia deer. It was shot at Cabel, Wis., 1885. 
Now in the museum of the Minnesota Academy 
of Sciences at Minneapolis. 
Yours truly, 
J. W. Frazin, Curator. 
Peculiar Plight of a Blue Heron, Caught in a 
Trap, But Released When Discovered. 
BIRDS CAUGHT IN STEEL TRAPS. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
A few days ago a trapper told me that he had 
caught a black duck in one of his muskrat traps. 
Its foot was bruised and swollen and it appeared 
to be unable to fly so he took it home with him. 
After a few days it had recovered sufficiently 
so that when released it flew away all right. 
My notebook shows many instances where 
birds were caught in steel traps that were set 
for animals. An account of these may interest 
the readers of Forest and Stream. 
October 5, 1902, we found a great blue heron 
fast in a steel trap along a little wooded stream. 
It was fast by one of the middle toes, the bone 
being broken and the toe torn and swollen. It 
must have been in the trap for several days as 
it was very weak and when released was unable 
to fly. It wandered off slowly into the bushes 
down stream and although we were in this same 
locality several times afterwards we never saw it 
again. 
December 30, 1902, a trapper brought to me a 
saw-whet owl that he found in one of his traps. 
The trap was set for rabbits and covered with 
buckwheat hulls. 
The first robin seen here in the spring of 1913 
was caught in a steel trap that had been set for 
muskrats. 
November 21, 1913, a trapper brought to me a 
green-winged teal that he found caught by the 
bill in one of his traps. The trap was set in the 
water and the duck was drowned. During the 
fall of 1913 this man caught two black ducks, 
two buffle-head ducks and the green-winged teal. 
April 12, 1914, I found a great blue heron 
standing in the water in the swamp. The water 
came up to its body and as it made no attempt 
to fly I thought it might be in a trap. Climbing 
out on a wire fence 1 got close enough to get 
several pictures. Then it climbed up on a stump 
and I saw that one of its feet was badly bruised 
and swollen. The next day a trapper told me 
that it was in one of his traps and he released 
it the day before I saw it. 
During the fall of 1915 one man caught a cock 
pheasant, a Wilson’s snipe, a Virginia rail, an 
American bittern and a black duck in the traps 
he had set for muskrats. 
About February 1, 1916, he caught a black 
duck by the foot in one of his traps. It was 
very weak and its foot was swollen so he took 
it home and kept it a few days until it had re¬ 
covered when he let it go. 
Verdi Burtch. 
Branchport, N. Y., February 25, 1916. 
Albino Deer from Minnesota. 
