advantageous conditions. On the head 
waters of the big Wapwallopen which, 
I control, and which is full of 
small trout, the stream is covered by 
thick verdure, and it is impossible for 
a kingfisher to strike in this heavy 
cover, consequently no kingfishers live 
in this reach of water. 
Below, however, where the stream is 
very much larger there are a number 
of kingfishers and in my opinion they 
live largely on vermin fish which have 
been brought into the stream by bait 
fishermen emptying their cans into the 
stream after a day’s fishing, and from 
other sources. On several occasions I 
have had opportunities to watch king- 
fishers feed from dawn to dark. I do 
not make the positive statement that 
under some conditions they do not take 
fifty fish per day, yet, while this may 
be possible in some instances I doubt 
the statement on the whole. 
The kingfishers I have watched fish 
through a pair of glasses which brought 
them within two feet of my eyes, made 
the following strikes. The pair made 
22 strikes in one day taking 19 fish and 
missing three times. They brought the 
fish each time to a certain limb and 
killed and ate them so I know positively 
that during the day they took 19 fish. 
The statement that kingfishers and 
blue herons take 60% of the fish in a 
stream, to my mind,, is positively ri- 
diculous. Is anyone so foolish as to 
think the birds are destroying our fish? 
I remember when the streams of Penn- 
sylvania boiled with square-tailed trout 
with nothing else in the stream. At 
that time there were 50 kingfishers and 
50 herons to one we have today, and it 
is my opinion that birds do not take % 
of 1% of the fish that are taken from 
a stream. 
Why not put the blame where it be- 
longs? Man has destroyed the fishing, 
cutting down the trees, drying up the 
little runs, letting the sun come in to 
heat up the water to such an extent 
that streams which used to hold square- 
tailed trout now hold nothing but brown 
trout because the water has become too 
warm for the square tails. 
Also, the voice of the kingfisher is 
not the reverse of musical to me. I 
think there is nothing more attractive 
in nature than the rattle of the king- 
fisher coming down a branch with the 
sun shining on his beautiful blues, 
whites and salmon colors. He is a 
beautiful bird, much maligned and all 
I ask is justice for my friend, the king- 
fisher. 
The statement: “Nature has pro- 
vided no destroyer for the kingfisher” is 
not borne out in my experience. Twice 
I have seen these birds killed by hawks 
and the screams of the kingfishers were 
heartrending. Mr. Harry French of 
224 
this city had the same experience in 
Canada and we are both willing to 
make affidavit to this fact. 
Dr. H. M. BECK, 
Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 
A Strange Experience with a 
Weasel 
DEAR FOREST AND STREAM: 
THINK that the letters form one of 
the most enjoyable departments of 
your excellent magazine. Unusual facts 
or incidents relating to wild animals 
are always interesting to hear about, 
and as one cannot talk with all the 
outdoorsmen in the country, this de- 
partment offers a not-to-be-missed op- 
portunity. - 
I am going to relate a rather peculiar 
experience that I once had with a 
weasel, at our summer place in West- 
chester County, N. Y. Bordering the 
road that ran by our house was a long 
wooden fence with upright slats about 
three inches apart. I was standing by 
this fence, one drowsy August morning, 
and with me was a friendly, yellow 
mongrel. I was waiting for the post- 
man, and the dog was aimlessly sniffing 
around in the grass. Suddenly I heard 
a yelp, and looked around just in time 
to see a weasel slip through the fence, 
while the baffled dog barked excitedly 
on this side. The weasel knew it was 
out of reach and seemed in no hurry to 
leave. Instead, it suddenly darted 
again through the fence and jumped at 
the dog’s face. This surprised animal 
drew back his head with a yelp, then 
bumped his nose against the fence as 
the weasel again slipped through to 
safety. The little beast seemed in no 
way inclined to seek safety in flight, 
which it could perfectly well have done. 
Once more it darted through the fence. 
But this time the dog was ready for it, 
and as it sprang, caught it in his jaws. 
One crunch and all was over. 
The whole scene only lasted a couple 
of minutes and during it I stood per- 
fectly still. I don’t know who was the 
more astonished, I or the dog! Was the 
weasel mad, or did it think it could lick 
a dog almost as big as a collie? 
CHARLES TATHAM, JR. 
Cambridge, Mass. 
Get Guns Repaired Early 
|e neue ba spring the Ithaca Gun Com- 
pany advises gun owners, who will 
want their guns altered or repaired for 
the next shooting season, to have those 
alterations or repairs done now and 
this applies not only to Ithaca guns but 
to all makes of guns. Every year too 
many shooters wait too long before 
sending their guns to the plant which 
is to repair them and are disappointed 
because their guns cannot be returned 
to them in time for the hunt they had 
planned. Moral—do it now. 
Will Give Information on Alaska 
DEAR FOREST AND STREAM: 
AM a reader of your magazine and 
I have been interested in a number 
of letters from different states on ani- 
mals and birds. 
I take pleasure in sending you a 
photo of the Hazel B. No. 4. Stikine 
River boat that brought out in October 
last fall a few hunters with their 
trophies. 
I have hunted in a goodly number of 
states but if a man wants to hunt and 
get the limit on bears of all kinds, car- 
ibou, moose, big horn sheep, white 
goats, ducks and geese, and all kinds 
of fish, let him come to Wrangell Alas- 
ka, and he will be well satisfied. 
If at any time any of your readers 
want any further knowledge on the 
country around here, I will be pleased 
to answer any question. 
F. A. Cooper, 
Wrangell, Alaska. 

Stikine River boat with trophies 

