372 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Sept. 5, ipoj 
several years, however, since I have seen any 
woodducks hereabouts. They used to be reasonably 
common and a few were killed every autumn. 
I shall try to keep track of these young birds 
and see what happens to them. H. C. H. 
Parental Care in Ducks. 
Mr. George Batten, who has recently returned 
from a trip to Maine, where he followed up the 
West Branch of the Penobscot to Sourdnahunk 
Stream, and up the stream to the lake of the 
same name, on which he saw a number of moose 
and deer and found splendid trout fishing, re¬ 
ports an interesting natural history observation. 
In Sourdnahunk Lake a brood of butterballs 
were observed accompanied by both parents. 
The young, when alarmed, with the old ducks 
leading, made across the arm of the lake for 
the shore, but the male bird, after having seen 
his family out of immediate danger, flew around, 
and alighting a hundred yards or so ahead of 
the canoe, swam on down the lake as if trying 
to induce the people in the vessel to follow him. 
As the canoe approached, he would rise and 
flutter a little way along the water, and then 
quiet down and swim again, repeating this until 
he seemed to think the canoe was far enough 
from his family to make it safe, when he took 
flight in the direction that his little brood had 
gone. 
Later, while Mr. Batten with his party were 
returning down the West Branch of the Penob¬ 
scot, they frequently came upon little broods 
of sheldrakes—red-breasted mergansers. The 
young birds were still too small to fly, but 
scuttled along over the water at a great rate, 
and at the first opportunity took refuge either 
on the shore or by swimming into some side lead 
that emptied into the stream. One such brood 
which swam up a lead was accompanied by both 
parents, and as the young ones went into the 
little branch of the main stream the drake took 
wing and swung around behind the travelers, fly¬ 
ing down stream, overtaking and passing the 
canoe. Mr. Batten watched him and he alighted 
in the water just around a little point. When 
this point was rounded there was started from 
the water another brood of young ducks seem¬ 
ingly accompanied by both parents. One of the 
canoes, which was coming down at the same 
time, pursued these little birds and followed 
them for a long distance. Usually the two old 
birds swam ahead, but sometimes one of them 
would turn about and alight in the water in the 
rear of the brood of young as if to try to en¬ 
courage them, or to drive them along faster. 
The question arose in Mr. Batten’s mind as to 
whether this male red-breasted merganser could 
have had two wives and two broods of young. 
It looked that way, yet, of course, there was a 
possibility that the male seen with the last brood 
of young was not the same individual that had 
accompanied the first one. 
Many naturalists believe that ducks are mono¬ 
gamous, and that they mate for life, as it is 
quite certain wild geese do. There is a possi¬ 
bility of error in the observation, and while Mr. 
Batten is very confident that he saw but one 
male bird, he recognizes the possibility of a mis¬ 
take. 
The Forest and Stream may he obtained from 
any newsdealer on order. Ask your dealer to 
supply you regularly. 
The Moult. 
New York, Aug. 20.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: One of the most striking, as it is cer¬ 
tainly one of the saddest, signs of the waning 
season is the disappearance of the birds. With 
the exception of a few species, we rarely see any 
of them, and their songs have practically ceased. 
What has become of them? 
Those who have not studied their habits im¬ 
agine, doubtless, that they have returned whence 
they came in the spring, but the ornithologist 
knows that they are still with us, though hidden 
away in deep woods and thickets. The explana¬ 
tion of the seclusion is simply that they are 
moulting or putting on their winter plumage. 
All day long they sit among the fading leaves, 
and if they did not stir it would take a bright eye 
to detect them, so well does their tattered ap¬ 
pearance blend with their environment. 
1 he duration of the moult is generally from 
four to six weeks. It is a gradual or what may 
be better described as a piecemeal process. Says 
an authority on the subject: 
“The loss of the feathers during the moult¬ 
ing process is so compensated for by the re¬ 
newal of feathers that few birds lose either the 
ability to fly or the protection afforded by the 
plumage. The feather areas are systematically 
replaced, the remiges falling out one after an¬ 
other in definite sequence and almost synchron¬ 
ously for each wing. The greater coverts are 
regularly replaced before the fall of the 
secondaries beneath them, the lesser coverts be¬ 
fore the media, while even in the rows of the 
lesser coverts an alternation appears to be at¬ 
tempted. On the body the protective sequence 
is less obvious, but the moult regularly begins at 
fairly definite points.” 
When the process is completed and the birds 
reappear from their hiding (some being rather 
strangely metamorphosed) they do not return to 
their nesting haunts of the early spring and sum¬ 
mer, but scatter amid open and isolated places. 
There they commence to gather in flocks, each 
according to its species, and at length, when the 
clock strikes, so to speak, on the signal of a 
leader, they rise up at night and are away to 
their winter home. Frank Moonan. 
Destruction of California Sea Lions. 
New York, Aug. 22.—Editor Forest and 
Stream: It is a lamentable fact that no killable 
wild animal is safe from annihilation for even 
one moment after its remains can be made to 
yield twenty-five cents in the market place. Now 
it is the California sea lion ( Zalophus califor- 
nianus) that is marked for destruction. Hither¬ 
to that species has been immune, because its fur 
was worthless, and its yield of oil was so paltry 
that it tempted no one. Now, however, a cor¬ 
respondent in Santa Barbara sends me a letter 
and a clipping from the Santa Barbara Morn¬ 
ing Press, conveying the information that one 
H. A. Rogers has been outfitting parties for the 
slaughter of the few remaining sea lions on the 
Channel Islands for their hides and trimmings. 
It is stated that he has now four tons of hides 
on hand, with one party still to report. The 
clipping from the Santa Barbara newspaper, 
dated Aug. 11, reads as follows: 
CARGO OF SEAL SKINS SHOWS INDISCRIMI¬ 
NATE SLAUGHTER. 
Four tons of sea lion skins are stored in the warehouse 
at the end of the wharf, representing the slaughter] 
hundreds of California seals. 
An authority on the subject declares emphatically | 
unless this wanton destruction is placed under the [ 
of the law promptly, the seal will be as scarce ar 
the Santa Barbara islands as in East River, New 
Five years is stated to be the longest possible pe 
that the seals can survive indiscriminate destructic 
club and gun. 
And what for? 
A paltry three cents per pound is all that the ha 
are worth for hair-covered hats and gloves. 
It seems to me that it is now time for I 
California Fish Commission to atone for 1 
blunder that it made a few years ago in sei 
ing to destroy practically all the sea lions* 
the California coast, and also in actually destil 
ing a great many, on the ground that they vi 
responsible for the diminution of food fist 
At that time certain Eastern naturalists too 
hand in the game, and at their earnest solic 
tion the United States Lighthouse Board ;| 
pended the consent that had already been gii 
for the slaughter of sea lions on the lighthcl 
reservations. It was claimed that the cl 
against the sea lions had not been proven. S| 
sequently it was proven by Prof. L. L. Dyil 
of the Kansas State University, and by | 
United States Fish Commission, that the chaii 
of wholesale fish destruction against the j| 
lions of the California coast was almost wh I 
unfounded. It was found that the principal | 
of those animals consisted of squid and ott 
well-nigh worthless marine forms. The pi 
posed slaughter was eventually abandoned. 1 
Now is the time for the fish commission I 
California to procure the enactment of a I 
that will forever protect from slaughter all I 
seals and sea lions of the California coast I 
adjacent islands. In the furtherance of this I 
I bespeak the influence and co-operation I 
Forest and Stream and its readers. 
W. T. HornadaiI 
Rattlesnake Bite in Washington. 
The earlier accounts of the biting by a rat 
snake of Rodney Rose, keeper of the Naticl; 
Zoological Park at Washington, were much j| 
aggerated. The bite was not a very severe c 
as only one fang of the snake caught on 
finger. Rose did not receive a lethal dose 
the venom, and while his case was serious 
was not at any time in mortal danger, 
tourniquet was applied to his wrist, but the us 
methods of treatment were given on the spoi 
moment after the bite occurred; the finger 
ligatured, the wound freely cut open, power 
suction applied and an injection made of [ 
manganate of potash. Dr. Baker subsequei 
wired Mr. Hornaday, of the New York Zook 
cal Park, for some anti-venine, and he f 
warded some which, however, had no effect. 
The accident, while regrettable, was one 
those things which may happen to anyone dc 
ing with wild animals. We know little of 
motives and emotions of these creatures 1 
may look for unexpected action by them at : 
time. 
t 
* 
WHERE QUALITY IS FIRST. 
Campers and sportsmen who demand the I 
should note that the equipment of every scien 
and exploring expedition for the past fifty yi 
has included a supply of Borden’s Eagle Br 
Condensed Milk. Keeps in any climate 
under all conditions. The original and lead 
brand since 1857.— Adv. 
