je, the largest head weapons carried by any 
j extant on the globe. In their typical de¬ 
ment they show a spread lacking but a few 
s of seven feet, a “shovel width” of a foot 
. i half and they weigh over ninety pounds. 
i| :ollection owns a number of valuable antlers 
the moose of the European continent and 
| beria, but they are uninspiring of aspect be- 
the terrifying achievement of the great 
lean moose. The species is vastly on the 
ase, owing to the fact, alleged, that the 
! ? Alaskans are slaughtering them indis- 
nately for food. In view of this contin- 
it becomes especially imperative that the 
:s should be represented in the National 
ition before it becomes extinct. 
Pigeons in Yucatan. 
'TON, June 8.— Editor Forest and Stream: 
announcement of the publication of Mr. 
ion's book on the passenger pigeon and 
reproduction of a cut from the book and 
if a photograph of a living pigeon, owned 
of, Whitman, will be a delight to the many 
is of the famous bird. 
lave been waiting with great interest for 
Mershon’s book, knowing the careful re- 
1 he was giving to the subject and feeling 
it would prove a treasure house of care- 
ascertained facts, many of which, but for 
| Mershon’s industry, would have failed of 
inent record and would have presently 
|1 into oblivion. 
messed by the fullness of details which he has 
|:d of the tremendous slaughter of pigeons, 
1 most certainly did occur in Michigan, as 
is described, and in other places as we 
if Mr. Mershon has not been able to see the 
j'j of any other causes of destruction than 
he has cited to account for the disappear- 
[jof the species in so short a time. I have 
et secured a copy of his book, but speak 
j some correspondence with him on the sub- 
! cnowledging that he is probably the best 
authority on what he does describe, and 
ng well the great extent of that destruc- 
I am yet quite unable to take Mr. Mer- 
|; view that this was anything like an ade- 
I cause for what happened, 
h all that men and animals accomplished 
e way of slaughter, myriads of the birds 
have been left alive after “the big nest- 
f 1878.” But while small numbers o-f the 
were seen for a time, and indeed have been 
ed from time to time ever since from some 
J )f the country or other, the great flights 
; ie great nestings did vanish very suddenly, 
o my mind, quite without adequate reason 
1, unless the cyclone theory be admitted, 
j hat theory there seems to be a sufficient 
i of testimony to make it not only entirely 
Ible, but, under the circumstances, probable. 
' at this juncture a bit of news comes to 
; iich may expand into support of the catas- 
i'sm theory and which, I think, will at least 
d with interest by all. Coming home from 
| jo one time last fall I fell into conversa- 
ith a quiet mannered, but most genial gen- 
1 b who was himself returning from hunt- 
g game in Alaska. 
Ijrally we discussed the rapidly diminish¬ 
eas where .big game could be found and 
1 ^appearance of some species of game 
] ! s and birds, and among the latter, the 
ger pigeon. On telling him my interest 
I coyer the limit of the southern migration 
pigeon and my conviction that it was be- 
he limits of the United States, he at once 
ne the address of an American gentleman, 
resident of Yucatan, and sure to be in- 
! d in any such question, 
first opportunity I wrote the gentleman 
ive received a letter from which, without 
• rmission, I venture to quote: 
| ir favor of Dec. 5 was duly received and 
L s wer has been purposely delayed until I 
1 make.my periodical visit to my plantation 
j ilk. with some of the famous old Indian 
j s living upon it. About a week ago, while 
* jaguar hunt, accompanied by some of 
j 1 Indian hunters, I told them your story 
FOREST AND STREAM 
9.53 
SKULL AND HORNS OF SIBERIAN ARGALI ( OvtS ammOll). 
In the National Collection. 
and asked their opinion. They said that this 
class of pigeon was formerly quite abundant dur¬ 
ing the months of December to February. They 
would be found around the water holes, but 
about sixteen or seventeen years ago they be¬ 
came very scarce and since that time they have 
never been seen about the water holes in any great 
numbers. 
“Now, their term, ‘great numbers’ does not 
reach the extent as used by Fenimore Cooper or 
by Audubon. I have never yet seen in Yucatan 
a truly large flock of pigeons, although in some 
of the old tales told me by the natives in their 
vernacular around the similes are very familiar. 
“Upon my near return to Progreso I will in¬ 
quire of some of the old coast sailors and cap¬ 
tains of the Gulf steamers to- see if we can se¬ 
cure any data. The subject is very interesting 
and I shall make systematic efforts to secure 
the desired information.” 
Now, with all allowance for uncertainty as to 
whether the pigeons referred to were the pas¬ 
senger pigeons' or some other species—a question 
yet to be settled—the account is to me, with clear 
memory of the cyclone-on-the-Gulf story, ex¬ 
ceedingly interesting, and I am eager for further 
word from my kind correspondent. Meanwhile 
if readers of Forest and Stream suspect me of 
more fondness for writing “pidjin English” than 
anything else I can hardly deny it in view of 
the facts in the case, and I shall hope to be able 
to offer them something more on the subject 
one of these days. C. H. Ames. 
[As has often been pointed out, there are no 
records of the occurrence of the passenger pigeon 
south of the United States, except one record 
for Cuba—a stray bird. That there are pigeons, 
and many of them in Central America, is not to 
be doubted, but that they are passenger pigeons 
will hardly be believed until the fact is demon¬ 
strated by having specimens of the bird sent 
from there. It will be remembered that we have 
had frequent accounts of “passenger pigeons” 
from the southwest, but that whenever specimens 
of these birds came into the hands of naturalists 
they proved to be band-tailed pigeons.— Editor.] 
Preparing Winter Quarters. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Among the last entries of the book of Riverside 
for 1906 is the following: 
Riverside Farm, Byron, Ill., Dec. 31, 1906—- 
Morning.—The old she squirrel has returned to 
her den tree (a locust between the garden and 
the hog corral) and is busy, as I write, tearing- 
bark shreds froffi the tree and running down into 
the split tree cavity and preparing her lying-in 
quarters. Nineteen hundred and five was her 
first year in the tree where she raised three fine 
young fox squirrels, and although she came there 
at this time last year she did not make her bed’ 
until very much later. Evidently she had in mind 
the basswood den tree down the river toward 
Camp Riverside, and if disturbed here intended 
to go there. A happy old girl she i«. 
A. J. Woodcock. 
The Forest and Stream may be obtained from 
any newsdealer on order. Ask your dea’er to 
supply you, regularly. 
