336 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Aug. 29, 1908. 
Animal Motives. 
Atlanta, Ga., Aug. 20. —Editor Forest and 
Stream: On last Sunday evening I witnessed a 
rather remarkable illustration of reason and 
courage occurring under somewhat peculiar con¬ 
ditions. 
At the intersection of two streets is a sewer 
well about four feet square and some fifteen feet 
deep, the sewage matter coming to within about 
three feet of the surface of the street. Flowing 
into it laterally, and parallel with the surface of 
the street, but about two feet below, is a branch 
sewer. A couple of youthful hyenas chased a 
little three or four-months’ old kitten into the 
open eye of the sewer. It fell into the main 
cesspool, but had strength enough to climb up 
into the opening of the lateral sewer, where it 
was hidden from sight. During the afternoon 
several persons attempted to get it out, but with¬ 
out success. Late in the evening I was on the 
front porch, and for the first time heard its cries, 
and, upon investigation, located it as above de¬ 
scribed. A futile attempt was made to coax the 
cat from its hiding place in the lateral sewer. A 
shallow, narrow basket was then procured and 
inserted into the opening of the lateral sewer in 
the hope that the cat would get into the basket. 
This proved a failure, and I determined it could 
only be rescued by inserting a short hoe or rake 
in the lateral sewer and pulling it out into the 
main cesspool where it could be reached. After 
calling it several times, without success, I started 
to leave, and took a step or two from the sewer, 
intending to find some implement with which to 
pull it out. I then heard a slight splash, and 
realized at once that the cat thought I had aban - 
doned it for good, and had determined to stake 
its life on a plunge into the main pool, knowing 
I could not reach it otherwise. A match located 
the little creature, and in a few moments it had 
received a thorough bath, and was snugly en¬ 
sconced between the folds of a warm blanket. 
The cat knew it was doomed where it sat, and 
equally doomed if it jumped and was not aided. 
It thought I had abandoned it, and deliberately 
took the last chance. 
While on this subject, let me give an expe¬ 
rience which, through years of a somewhat 
active life, seems to show the highest standard 
of gratitude I have ever known. The fence in 
front of my home is of wire, so formed as to 
create a series of rings at the top of probably an 
inch in diameter. One moonlight summer night 
I was awakened by the crying of a dog evidently 
in great distress. Looking out the window I saw 
that a dog had attempted to jump the fence from 
the street, but, misjudging the height, had run 
one of his hind legs through the loop in the top 
of the fence, thus becoming suspended inside the 
lot. I put on my slippers and going to the place 
found it was a full-blooded bull dog of a small 
variety. Thinking possibly the dog might attack 
me, I withdrew its leg and dropped it over upon 
the opposite side of the fence. The instant he 
touched the ground, he bounded back over the 
fence to me, and then ensued an exhibition of 
gratitude which I have never experienced before 
or since in my dealings with reasoning humanity. 
Time and again the dog leaped all over me, at¬ 
tempting to lick my face. In a few moments my 
night clothes were covered with the dust from 
its feet. To stop this, upon one of its leaps I 
caught it in my arms, and it then nestled down, 
with little whines, licking every part of my body 
it could reach. 
I was so impressed that I carried it into the 
house, cut off some slices from a convenient cold 
ham, and put this on a plate on the hearth. The 
dog would take a bite of the ham and then re¬ 
turn to me, whining and licking my hands and 
feet. It would then go back to the plate for an¬ 
other bite and again return. 
Finally, I put the little fellow out of doors. It 
remained on the steps for two or three hours, 
still audibly expressing its thanks and calling for 
me. In the morning it was gone. 
I have always regretted not having kept the 
dog, and felt that in thus closing the incident 1 
had not quite measured up to the standard which 
he had set. C. T. H. 
Proposed Connecticut Game Refuge. 
The owners of the Farmington Mountains, in 
Connecticut, have clubbed together and agreed to 
make of the mountains a refuge for the wild 
creatures of the whole State. It is agreed that 
for ten years there shall be no hunting of any 
kind on this reservation. Efforts are to be made 
to stock it with species formerly abundant in 
Connecticut, but now exterminated. The wild 
turkey is to be turned out there, and also the 
pinnated grouse. Of the ruffed grouse there re¬ 
main in the neighborhood a very few, but no 
doubt enough—with protection—to furnish a 
breeding stock. Many years ago these birds 
were abundant. 
The Farmington Mountains are a part of a 
series of parallel trap dikes which run nearly 
north and south through portions of New Eng¬ 
land and the Middle States. Mt. Tom and Mt. 
Holyoke, of Massachusetts; the Hanging Hills, 
near Meriden; East and West Rocks in New 
Haven, Conn., the Palisades in New Jersey are 
examples. The general course of these ridges 
is parallel to that of the Green Mountains. Many 
of these trap ridges are entirely unfitted for cul¬ 
tivation, and if the persons who reside along 
them could be persuaded to make of them game 
refuges where shooting should be entirely for¬ 
bidden, we should have a number of very at¬ 
tractive protected areas which would be game 
breeding areas and would greatly beautify a 
thickly settled region. 
Game Prospects in Connecticut. 
Essex, Conn., Aug. 18.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: According to what I hear and from 
what I have seen, the prospects for game in this 
locality are much brighter than they were a year 
ago. Ruffed grouse are certainly on the in¬ 
crease, if all reports be true. While berrying a 
few weeks ago a friend of mine came upon two 
broods within a short distance of each other, 
and another friend, earlier in the season, re¬ 
ported a brood that had just hatched. Person¬ 
ally, I have not seen a covey of game this year, 
but it has been, I think, because I have made but 
few trips into the woods. 
As to quail, or Bob White, I can speak with 
more certainty. A month ago, on a Sunday af¬ 
ternoon, wife and I in one of our walks climbed 
a certain hill, and, reaching its summit, stopped 
for a while to rest. As we sat and talked, we 
heard the mellow notes of a Bob White in one 
of the valleys below. This was immediately an ¬ 
swered by another a short distance away and 
then by another, until no less than five different 
birds were calling back and forth. It seemed 
good to hear once more this familiar sound, 
especially from so many individuals. For the 
past four or five years it has been seldom heard 
around here, the severe winters we have had 
having greatly thinned out the ranks of the quail. 
We are indeed glad that the fields and pastures 
are once more becoming populated with this 
grand little bird. 
Black duck, too, seem to be very much in evi¬ 
dence this summer. On July 13 I saw the first 
flock of young birds in the cove here at Essex. 
By that time they had so far developed that they 
could fly. On the 19th I saw another flock, and 
since that date the sight of a bunch of ducks has 
been a common occurrence. A week ago a flock 
containing forty or more birds came into the 
cove at dusk. While the coves hereabout do not 
seem to be suitable as breeding grounds, they do 
certainly seem to be excellent feeding grounds, 
and hither the birds congregate as soon as they 
are large and strong enough to fly. 
Personally, I attribute the occurrence of these 
summer ducks to the fact that they are unmo¬ 
lested when they come here in the spring after 
the ice leaves the coves and river. Now they 
arrive mated and paired, and, being left entirely 
alone, seek suitable breeding grounds near at 
hand. The Lord’s Cove marshes on the opposite 
side of the river are excellent spots, being as 
wild and secluded places as one could hope to 
find, and I have no doubt these furnish the 
homes for a good many pairs of ducks. 
All in all, the prospects are bright for good 
shooting this fall. A dry spring such as we had 
ought to mean plenty of upland game, and a 
heavy crop of wild rice ought to mean a goodly 
number of rail and wildfowl. Let us hope so-, 
at least. G. W. C. 
Ohio Quail. 
Rinards Mills, Ohio, Aug. 20. —Editor Forest 
and Stream: Bob Whites are on the increase 
here; a very dry spring and summer have been 
a great help as also was the open winter. 
Last spring saw many coveys, but cold rains 
did for the greater part, though we had average 
shooting, which I think came from later hatch¬ 
ings, as birds were exceptionally small. 
The closed season on ruffed grouse, which has 
been in force for several years, has not mater¬ 
ially increased them in this vicinity, and I give 
stray cats and hawks credit for keeping their 
numbers down, as I saw several kills made by 
cats and hawks on both grouse and Bob Whites 
last winter. 
In one stubble field at Beallsville, Ohio, in the 
winter of 1906, I saw fresh kills by hawks in 
one day numbering five, and on following trips 
saw signs of other kills. 1 think all who go 
afield with their guns should carry a few shells 
for these jokers. • 
Several years ago in this neighborhood Bob 
' Whites, old and young alike, died off in great 
numbers. I had occasion to examine several, 
but as the birds had evidently been dead some 
time could not find anything wrong, but from 
attitudes would suggest parasites of some de¬ 
scription. Can anyone enlighten me? R. M. 
[The quail disease described some years age 
in Forest and Stream may have been respon 
sible.— Editor.] 
