


































































214 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[AUG. 10, 1907. 

and pow: wow. The driftwood fire was bright 
and all present saw a very large rat scuttle out 
of the bushes, circle the fire, run along the beach’ 
near the water’s edge and disappear in the grass, 
passing within a few inches of the feet of one 
person who was facing the fire. A moment atter- 
ward a weasel ran out of the bushes. It trailed 
the rat exactly, passing so close to the person 
mentioned above that he jumped back in sur- 
prise. A few moments after the weasel regained 
the bush the rat reappeared on the beach, with 
his enemy in pursuit. This time there was no 
escape. The weasel killed the big rat within a 
few feet af the fire and dragged it away out of 
sight. It all happened so quickly that no one 
had time to think of attempting to interfere in 
the one-sided fieht, even had he wished to do so. 




Individuality of Animals. 
Morcantown, W. Va., July 31.—Editor Forest 
and Stream Phe notes in July 20, issue of 
ForEST AND STREAM, concerning the buffaloes of 
the New. York Zoological Park, afford some 
food for thought relative to the nature of animals 
and a cause for many controversies in the past, 
concerning the nature and disposition of various 
wild animals, a little of which has lately been 
in evidence. concerning the lynx 
In referring to the “cross bull’ and the “cross 
cow” I infer that it means these two particular 
animdls are, to some extent, pugnacious and 
dangerous. Now it might be interesting to know 
whether or mot there has been any special cause 
for these two individuals to develop ‘a disposition 
different from that of others of their kind in the 
same herd; but it is very probable there has 
not, and it is a good illustration of the differ- 
ence in disposition and temperament of wild 
animals. 
It has often been declared by some reliable 
person that his experience has proven that a cer- 
tain kind of animal will attack a person under 
certain conditions, while another person, equally 
reliable,. declares his experience proves the con- 
trary 

The more we learn of the lives, habits and pecul- 
iarities of certain wild animals the more we re- 
lize that they vary in disposition and tempera- 
ment just as do humans, and it would be about 
as reasonable to declare that bears or cougars, 
for jnsiancé, will attack man without provoca- 
ion just because we know of an instance where 
bear or cougar has done so, as to declare that 
uman beings are vicious and dangerous and 
kill each other without provocation just because 
we know of an instance where an individual has 
ORE So. 
Animals certainly have individuality to a much 
ereater degree than most people realize, and if 
he two buffaloes, spoken of as being cross, had 
been born and reared in their wild state along 
with the others of this same herd they would 
no doubt have acted differently in case of being 
yursued and hard pressed by man than would 
the others of their kind. We have accounts of 
vuffalo cows fleeing for their own safety when 
their calves have been captured, or in danger, 
without offering any resistance, while.. others 
fave refused to leave their calves and have fought 
to the death in their defense. No doubt the 
cross cow spoken of would have been among the 
atter class. The same is true of bears. Many 
people believe it is the rule for a female bear 
to be hostile and dangerous to man when her 
cubs are in danger, but my observations have 
shown that it is the exception for black bears 
at least to fight man in defense of their young, 
while they will generally seek their own safety 
in flight. So it would seem that the hostile dis- 
position of the few individuals among animals 
is responsible for much of the argument which 
has been recorded from time to time. 
EMERSON CARNEY. 
ct 


Woodpeckers Catching Insects. 
Cuicaco, July 31—Editor Forest and Stream: 
In the issue of Forest AND StrEAM for July 13 
Mr. Edward A. Samuels asks, “if any one has 
ever observed one of the true woodpeckers to— 
on the wing—seize’a flying insect.” 

JUST TO STEADY 
THE NERVES, 
This habit is extremely common with the red- 
headed woodpecker and I have observed it on 
many occasions for a number of years. This 
species is unusually abundant on the links of the 
Exmoor Golf Club at Highland Park, Ill., and 
can be seen almost any day, particularly in July 
and August, launching forth from a tree or post 
for a passing insect. Within the past week I 
have seen them on two occasions capture large 
sized dragon flies and in one instance a floating 
white feather was seized, evidently mistaken for 
an insect. 
Like the flicker they spend much time at this 
season feeding on the ground and can be seen 
all over the course. At such times they are very 
fearless and will remain on the putting greens 
while these are being used by the players, and 
not unfrequently are they seen as one approaches 
the green perched on the flag which marks the 
hole. 
This latter habit is:very characteristic of the 
kingbird earlier in the season. 
RUTHVEN DEANE, 
Congress of Zoologists. 
Tae Seventh International Congress af Zoolo- 
gists wil assemble in Boston for its scientific 
sessions Aug. 19, and will leave for New York 
by way of Woods Hole, Aug. 25. After a visit 
to New York, lasting about a week, the mem- 
bers of the Congress will leave for Philadelphia 
and later will go on to Washington. Among the 
foreign representatives who will be present at 
the Congress are eminent scientific men from 
Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Hol- 
land, Austria, Switzerland, Russia and Spain, 
while Canada and the United States will be fully 
represented by individuals and by delegates from 
various scientific societies. 
The days here will be busy onés. To Colum- 
bia University will be devoted Monday, Aug. 26, 
the visitors being guests of the trustees of the 
university and of the officers of the Department 
of Zoology. Tuesday will be the day for the 
American Museum of Natural History; Wednes- 
day for Cold Spring Harbor, the Brooklyn In- 
stitute of Arts and Sciences, and the Carnegie 
Station for Experimental Evolution, being the 
hosts. New York Zoological Society day will 
follow on Thursday, the time being devoted to the 
Zoological Park and the Aquarium. On Friday 
the members of the Congress will be the guests 
of Prof. Henry Fairfield Osborn, visiting West 
Point and Castle Rock, Prof. Osborn’s residence. 
On Saturday the members of the Congress. are 
asked to visit New Haven in order to see the 
natural history collections and the famous pale- 
ontological collections in the Peabody Museum, 
chiefly brought together by the late Prof. Marsh. 
A similar invitation has been extended by Prince- 
ton University. Sunday will be devoted to rest 
or to individual excursion parties, and on Mon- 
day the members of the Congress will leave for 
Philadelphia. 
The occasion will be one of great interest from 
many points of view, and it is not to be doubted 
that the visitors will greatly enjoy themselves. 
All information regarding the Congress may 
be had of Mr. Chas. H. Townsend, Director of 
New York Aquarium, Battery Park, New York. 
Deer at New Haven. 
Mirrorp, Conn., July 31.—Editor Forest and 
Stream: The following paragraph from a New 
Haven paper is interesting: : 
“Three young deer were seen on the middle 
breakwater of the harbor here. Captain Charles 
Henderson and a deck hand of an oyster boat 
captured one, a buck weighing 300 [sic] pounds. 
The other two deer leaped into the water and 
swam toward Woodmont.” F. T. Downs. 
BREAKFAST IN CAMP 
is nothing without coffee, and coffee is nothing 
without Cream. Ordinarily cream is out of the 
question nine times out of ten, but Borden’s 
Peerless Brand Evaporated Milk takes its place 
perfectly and keeps indefinitely until opened. It 
is unsweetened and has the natural cream flavor 
and color.—Adv. 


