OV. 16, 1907.] 

FOREST.-AND STREAM. 
773 


Rough on “Naturalists”. 
WYRACUSE, N. Y., Nov. 9.—Editor Forest and 
pam: I had not supposed that any person 
ever had practical experience with skunks 
ild doubt that they might be handled by their 
i without danger of emission of their odor 
1 Julian Burroughs stated last week that 
f. Bailey disputed such possibility. I do not 
k any real, genuine naturalist would so place 
self on record. As a boy I knew this to be 
ct by many examples of it, and as a man, I 
\, On several occasions seen the fact exempli- 
| by guides in the Adirondacks. 
am generally doubtful as to the qualification 
jlaturalists with titles; what does good old 
4 Burroughs say? 
; the world were rid of many of its so-called 
lralists, mankind generally would be the better 
jtheir absence; for, acting on either impres- 
, or theory instead of in the light of fact 
i experience, they do mischief in misleading 
Je who read and credit their statements. 
ly of them could take counsel of the average 
try boy to their advantage. Dah Bry 
jt is rather hard on the good and true 
!ralists—of whom there are so many—that 
| should have to suffer for the wild and wooly 
jments of other men, who have themselves 
med the title “naturalist,” without having 
\fied their claim to it by honest, faithful work. 
| : . : . 
stated by Mr. Julian Burroughs in the ac- 
}t referred to, Mr. John Burroughs has de- 
jd in his writings that a skunk-could be 
led by the tail without danger. That this 
\be “done the veteran naturalist has proved.— 
jor. ] 


A Marked Wild Duck. 
f 
(ENTON, N. J., Nov. 9.—Editor Forest and 
mm: Last week a party at Beach Haven, 
{., shot a hen red neck duck with an alumi- 
| band on her leg, on which were these letters 
Jnumbers, viz.: T. J. O. D—ago. 
jave thought that possibly some of the Forest 
| STREAM readers might have attached this 
| so, particulars regarding same would be 
| interesting to myself as well as to the Beach 
in gunners. 
jould this information reach the party who 
hed the band, I should consider it a personal 
(7 1f he would communicate with me. 
Frep. B. Yarp. 

;clipping from a New Jersey paper, name un- 
i, says: 
slile gunning in the bay off Mannahawkin, 
{ Jersey, William Abbott bagged a canvas- 
| with a leg band bearing the legend, “T. J. 
» No. 48.” 

The Snake’s Rattles. 
}s ANGELES, Cal., Oct. 18—Editor Forest and 
jm: I inclose a photograph which may aid 
‘tlement of the question concerning the rat- 
‘ke’s way of carrying his danger signal. It 
3 the rattles plainly on edge. I think one 
|r correspondents errs in saying that the 
{8 are continuations of the vertebrae. They 
jorny hardenings of the skin, like man’s toe 
and I think one is formed at each shedding 
iE skin. ALLEN KELLY. 


| Natural History Works. 
{ONG the books recently sold in London, were 
lowing, and the prices obtained: 
|J. Morris, “British Birds” (sixth edition), 
|s.; “Philosophical Transactions of the Royal 
y” (eighty volumes and parts, 1858-1806, 
some volumes missing), £26; Williamson 
Tewitt, “Wild Sports of the East” (Nos. 
| £3 5s.; Oswin Lee, “Among British Birds 
jir Nesting Haunts,” £2 2s.; “Sporting 
Jzine” (vols. 25-35), £7; Seebohm, “Geo- 
cal Distribution of the Charadriide,’ £1 
jzerarde, “Herbal” (first edition, index and 
slightly defective), £4; N. Cox and R. 
}, “Gentleman’s Recreation” (first edition, 
{epaired and some leaves wanting or de- 




POSITION OF 
fective), £2 14s.; Thornton, “New Illustration 
of the General System of Linneus,”’ £1 7s.; Bar- 
rett, “Lepidoptera of the British Islands,’ £2 
13s.; Scrope, “Salmon Fishing” (first edition, 
clean copy in original cloth), £6 2s. 6d., and 
Hawker, . “Instructions to Young Sportsmen” 
(ninth edition), £1 2s. 
A Florida Find. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
While clearing up a piece-of land near Wabasso 
Mr. Michael and Mr. Bobo discovered a small 
mound, composed entirely of oyster shells, which 
upon examination were found to contain the 
skeletons of a number of people who must have 
belonged to a prehistoric race. In appearance 
they resembled the skeletons found in the great 
earthen mounds of the Northern States. They 
A SHORT RANGE SNAPSHOT 
AT A FOX. 
THE SNAKE'S 
RATTLES. 
were all buried face downward with the arms 
folded beneath. As there are several extensive 
shell mounds in this vicinity, Wabasso may have 
been the site of a large village in the prehistoric 
days. CLARENCE VANDIVEER. 
[Florida has always been a great place for 
shell heaps, most of which contain articles of 
human workmanship, and in many of which 
human remains have been discovered. Much 
has been written on the subject.] 
The Old Guard. 
ALTADENA, Cal., Nov. 1.—Editor Forest and 
Stream: Iam one of the oldtst occasional cor- 
respondents of Forest AND STREAM. The Old 
Guard have mostly passed over the divide. Yet 
the founder of the brightest, most readable and 
best known journal of its kind on earth is still 
with us. May Charles Hallock’s days yet be 
long in the land. Always affable and courteous 
to those who do not agree with him, no.more 
bright, incisive or interesting writer has ever 
penned articles for the old journal. We lately 
hear from him all too seldom. As a friend 
Charles Hallock is staunch, reliable and gener- 
ous. I know him from our personal friendship 
of over forty years’ standing. 
For fifty-five years I have spent a portion of 
each year hunting or fishing. I have cast a fly 
over trout or bass waters from Alaska to old 
Mexico, and from Maine to California, and 
hunted big and small game in many widely 
separated localities, and I think I can say truth- 
fully that I never slaughtered game or caught 
fish wantonly. In early days there were no game 
laws and little public sentiment opposed to game 
slaughter, yet who of the Old Guard was a 
game butcher? None that I knew. I have been 
among herds of elk numbering thousands, and 
for weeks have ridden over the plains of Wyo- 
ming and Montana always in sight of antelope. 
I have seen wild geese in the San Joaquin valley 
of California feeding on the plains apparently 
massed as far as the eye could reach, Those 
good old days have passed never to return. 
Now I go to my club once a week during the 
open season and bag a few ducks or quail, but 
seldom see a wild goose. 
May the Old Guard all meet and revive old 
memories in the happy hunting grounds. 
H. L. Story. 

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