


FOREST AND STREAM. [SEPT. 7, 1907. 



water. He is usually on the spot, much after Birds Catching Flying Insecis. thousand dinning away without one minute’s 















































































































































































the manner of the leaping tuna. pause all day, and every day—well, it was very 
In May and June the flying fish are in-great Editor Forest and Stream: tiresome, 
demand as tuna bait, as high as five dollars hay Mr. Samuels’ question regarding wood- Yet, while pursuing them, intent on revenge, 
ing been bid for a single fish at auction. At  peckers’ act of catching flying insects was a_ I was often amused at their cunning and sportive 
the time of our visit the quotation was “four sort of surprise to me, as I have seen redheads ways. lLocusts*were their favorite playthings. 
bits.” I used to push off alone after supper in and other varieties fly and catch flying insects The woodpecker—most frequently the redhead, | 
a Hat-bottomed skiff to try to cheat the sea thousands of times: and I supposed that every I admit—would be hanging to the side of a | 
lions of a few of their game and make them nature student knew such an act to be com- dead tree. Perhaps a cicada whizzed by, twenty | 
unwittingly work for my bait for the morrow. mon. It may be, however, that it is a habit only feet from the perch. The woodpecker darted 
It was exciting work. The nights were dark, where woodpeckers are so numerous as to be out like a flash from a gun, snatched it, turned 
save for shore lights, and the air was often unable to obtain sufficient food in dead timber, a summersault in delight ENE to forty feet | 
thronged with swiftly moving two-pound flying .which is their main dependence. above the ground, then let go. The bug darted | 
fish. Some very severe bruises have peen my Not only do they dart swiftly after large away; straight on his course as though he had | 
lot, and for a week my chest ached mightily insects which are flying past, but they often not been interrupted, while the feathered sports- | 
from intercepting one lusty fellow in a great play with them by letting them escape (while man cut another airy caper. Then-in a sec- 
hurry he modus operandi was to lie on one’s Hying), catching them, eobeauine them again, ond or two, and at a distance of perhaps a 
ars along a line of anchored boats until a sharp uninjured, arresting them again, and repeating hundred feet, the bird again captured the bug. 
sound told where a flyer had flung himself head- the grabbing act over and over. in a manner, This time he came, with undulating sweeps, as | 
long into cedar planking Several alarms at too, which unmistakably shows that the re-_ if swimming on billowy waters, back toward ; 
once trom different directions often left one peated releasings are intentional and not neces- his perch; but within two or three yards of the | 
confused as to where to go first. But how the sary nor involuntary. intended landing place he once more ejected 
oars flew in short jerks and how the seal below Lhe first summer I spent in Arkansas (more _ his victim; and now the locust showed some | 
hustled lime and again I have taken a float- than twenty years ago) I discovered this fact, slight intelligence and alarm, for when his great 
ing fish out of a seal’s open jaws as he swept and witnessed it so many times that it soon enemy would recapture him he dodged—rigat— 
up like a flash with a gorgeous trail of phos- ceased to interest me. I had the best possible left—up—down. The game grew exciting. Yet 
phoresence It requires dexterity and nice @aueg- opportunity for studying woodpeckers of sev- I soon perceived that the woodpe cker was not 
ing of opportunities if one has any regard for eral sorts, for my new ground was “hor- uneasy as to the final outcome. He was in- 
the future utility of one’s digits. The seal took rent with projecting spears” and literally thou- wardly laughing. He was delighted. At last, | 
in nine out of ten, however. The living fire in sands of woodpeckers swarmed through. my done with the sport, he darted fiercely, and with 
the water was at times delightfully dazzling. A corn, damaging it so much that I spent hours sure aim closed his jaws upon the prey, with 
slight movement below gave birth to a myriad among them, day after day, shooting all I could firmness—and the cicada, from within his crush- 
of scintillating stars. By the ballroom lights of and trying to frighten the rest away. They at ing prison, sent forth his loud, angry ze-e-e-e- 
the Metropole—waltzes drifted dreamily across first behaved as if unconscious of my existence; eep! grt! grt! zig! of despair. 
the still night air—one could see ghostly rockets but in a few weeks they began to dodge around Lately 1 read in some great newspaper of | 
shooting across the line of vision. The muffled to the opposite sides of the trees. After that I more than national fame that, “A horde’ of @} 
“pouut-f-f” of outblown air, and the sharp often had to wait long, weary minutes for a locusts among the trees of Hop Hollow, a 
“e-eee-eth” of the intake as the seals rose to chance to shoot one, though quite surrounded popular picnic ground near here, has diiven 
breathe, sounded on every side, adding to the by them, and many within easy range. Several every song bird out of the woods * * * 
eirdness of the affair. varieties would often gather on one tree, the Crows were the first victims of the locusts, and 
The throng in evening dress looked with scorn true woodpeckers and the so-called, within a all were killed the first day. Bluejays resisted 
upon my scale-covered khaki as I came into the few feet of each other—though I noticed that the attack for a time. but eventually even the 

lobby when the dancing was at its height, with the sapsuckers generally dodged respectfully hardier birds were driven away * * * People 
a bundle of dripping flying fish under my arm but not as if irightened whenever a redhead, have ceased using the hollow for picnics and 
for the clerk to send to the ice box. Their yellowhammer, stripedback or giant_red top- the locusts are in undisputed posession. Che 


able disdain was amusing to me, for I knot came straight at them. None of them dispatch was dated “Alton, Ill., June 25.” The 
ught my evening as well spent as theirs. [ ever seemed the least bit afraid of a hawk fly- crows were probably worried to death by the 
seen pitiful pariic and sudden death, triumph ing over. deafening noise! Seriously, though, there are 

the sweat of battle out on that lonely little So far as I can discover, they are really safe those who believe the female capable of inflict- 
disc of water and learned something new of the from birds* of prey, as the latter apparently ing with her ovipositor a wound likely to prove 
eternal tragedies of nature. It was worth while. have no appetite for gizzardless birds. Neither fatal to man or beast. 
Sea lions are good company when one gets could- lever get a dog to eat one, raw or Though we have a few locusts here every 
to know them. Their propensity for robbing the cooked. Matty would not even touch one, but year, they are never numerous enough to in- 
baited hook is forgiven, for their other qualities would back off with a look of supreme disgust. timidate, much less conquer our birds. Even | 
are excellent. A desperate battle may be ex- The flesh emits a very disagreeable odor. J] the tiniest wren not only catches them, but 
pected by the angler with rod and reel who must except the yellowhammer—I can eat seems to delight in ‘makin’ ’em sing’! Often, 
hooks a seal. He may be able to master a four _ that myself, though I can’t say that I actu ally while flying with one, the wren holds or irri- 
hundred pound jewfish with ease, but a seal of enjoy it. It has a gizzard of respectable size, [ tates it in such a manner as tO cause it to emit 
half that weight will break away in short order think, though I am not sure, as it has been its rasping notes unceasingly for the whole 
or run all the line from the reel. Mexican Joe, many years since I cut up one. Cats eat them journey to its nest. I am not sure the wren 
a quaint local character, waged Homeric combat with apparent relish. cares more for the music than the meat, but I 
igainst a huge fellow, but even his craft was The woodpeckers—especially the redheads honestly believe it does. 
baffled. The animal took to the rocks—a most and large stripedbacks, the size of the red- An amusing incident occurred a few years 
unsportsmanlike proceeding not covered by the head or larger alight on an ear of green, tender ago at Crystal Springs. pil had “hitched up” to 
angling code—and Joe was forced to cut his line. corn. tear out the silk and strip open age shuck, return home, and _while standing with my 
Old age may be considered the usual death at the outer end, doubtless after the huge, hostess’ small boy, Clifton, I noticed the mare 
of these interesting creatures. Only the great juicy worm that inhabits it sometimes. causing was so tormented with horsetlies that I con- 
blackfish or Orca thinks of attacking them, save much greater harm than several worms, how- cluded to catch a few and feed them to the 
perhaps the larger sharks, but they would find ever. as the exposed grain is then an easy prey Chickens. By merely removing one wing be- 
their speed sorely taxed to run down the swift to jays, mice, etc., and is likely to sour and rot, fore dropping them, their spinning and buzzing 

sea lion. even if not disturbed by any living enemy. en the ground immediately attracted some hen 
This local variety bears no seal skin as fur- One or more jaybirds often watch the wood- or chick, which promptly ended their career. 
riers know it, being covered with a short thick pecker, and after he has opened the ear, theyt A mockingbird stood on a low bough watch- 
hair Unlike the harbor seal of the Atlantic drive him away and snatch a royal feast. ¥ ing us. Suddenly he concluded to “take a hand 
coast these true lions have long flexible necks So thick were the woodpeckers in those times in the game,” and striking the mare quickly, 
and massive trunks. To science they are Zalo- that from “blushing morn till dewy eve” their but lightly, he seized a great black (Spanish) 
phus californianus. Their coats are occasionally clamoring, pounding, whistling and screeching horsefly, as large as a domino, or very nearly 
shot with a rufous hue; they own a heavy almost drove me into fits. Sunday was never SO, and rose about forty feet, then let it go. 
muzzle. On land their progress is faster than -a “day of rest and holy calm” any more than Toward the northwest went the fly, as swiftly 
a tur seal. any other day of the week. Either I must rush as if it had not suffered the least harm. The 
The whiskers of those that are killed are out and fight them or try to stay out of the field bird pursued it, caught it again, released it 
picked with great care and sent to China to and “grit my teeth” to bear the torture of their again, and repeated its snatching and rele easing 
clean opium pipes. The oil is of some value, indescribably hateful noise. I know that only at least five times before either disappeared— 
about five seals yielding a barrel full. The hides an occasional one may please instead of annoy the fly being so large and the air so pure that 

are of use for glue stock, These sundry pro- the nature lover; but just imagine at least a Wwe could distinctly see the fly at a great dis- 
ducts have been the cause of the decimation of __ tance. The chase continued straight north- 
the herds at’ other islands where killing is per- *I mean day birds of prey. Owls might be excepted. westward until bug and bird were swallowed up 
mitted. +The jay is an imperious, quarrelsome fellow, used to in the blue of hieavect 
Their rigid protection at Catalina augurs well ghting in numbers, and apparently having a definite L. R. Morpuew. 
Poet tress . TI underst anding with all the members of his clan that they 
or tneitr enti re enere ny a 1€ eee NM€ are to assist him in every difficulty his predaceousness 
man may iong live to bid one and a “get involves him in. Yet I wonder at the very powerful = ae aa Fe i nN 
h’abourd to see the h’astoundin’ sea lions dis- Spats pe aeons rie ‘eae i : aoe oF ear ONE his THE Forest AND STREAM may be obtained from 
Sc ys fee pee (eae 7 rapid sledge-hammer blows he ought to be able to con- ) P7usdealer yrder Ask your -aler y) 
po! tin h in ; thei1 native h'element. Countless quer any small bird—but he seems too good-natured to Tes newsde alen ci ie rde £ Ask mat: de aler < 
miryuds; bring the childre.’ F. L. Harprnc. fight. supply you regularly. 


