
FOREST AND STREAM. 
99 
TTT oe eee ees 
sides, but the north side is the best, as you can find plenty 
of game for twenty miles north. Encamp in a grove near 
water, and you will be happy. AMATEUR. 
~ SEY RS ee 
PALATINE, Ill., September 12th, 1873. 
EprTor Forest AND STREAM :-— 
We have some as nice gunning here in the West, as there 
is anywhere to be found. It is not unfrequently that I take 
my pointer, Joe, (which, by the way, is one of the noblest 
dogs that ever I fired a gun over) and go out in the fields, 
returning in about a couple of hours with from ten to fifteen 
plump prairie chickens, and occasionally (in the season) as 
many fine partridges or quail.. Our snipe shooting here is 
of not much account, as we have no swamps, nor any good 
feeding grounds for them. Of ducks, we get our share of 
most all kinds, in their proper time. With pigeons we 
have great sport, especially in the fall of the year, so you 
see that we are not left quite out in the cold, as far as shoot- 
ing is concerned. F. J. F. 
SUEEEEEIEIn ach aneneeeeeee 
SALMON IN THE HUDSON. 
New York, September 18th, 1873. 
Epiror oF Forest AND StREAM:— 
I was glad to see in print my communication on the cry- 
ing evil of ‘‘stocking trout waters with black bass,” but 
your compositor made sad work of part of it. As a recent 
tour in quest of a trout pond or stream which a club might 
restock, has confirmed me in my views of the importance of 
the subject, I would like to make my article more intelligi- 
ble by requesting the reader to replace the word ‘‘ descrip- 
tion,” by ‘‘discussion,” so that the sentence would read “I 
would like to see a fair discussion,” &c: 
But to the subject which I now wish to introduce, viz. 
stocking the Hudson with salmon. ‘Yes! with Salmo salar! 
Why not? What’should prevent this noble fish from going 
up a long way above tide water. There are many streams 
running into the Hudson which would afford spawning 
ground. The Croton is one; your memory will doubtless 
recall many others. A fish ladder could very easily be 
made at Glenn’s Falls; and cheaply too, if one be required, 
as lumber is plenty there. And so on, over all the imped- 
ing dams. I now that the upper waters of the Hudson are 
splendidly adapted for saimon, to say nothing of many 
large brooks running into the main river above Lansing- 
burgh. 
Now, Mr. Editor, when the United States Fishery Com- 
missioner is introducing salmon into the Delaware, can we 
not get some salmon fry placed in the Hudson? Try the 
German salmon as well as other kinds. Ifthe Fishery Com- 
missioners of this State will only show proper zeal, they 
ean do something which will indeed cause people to think 
them of some use. And I will show them how to do it. 
Last year, Mr. C. G. Atkins, of Maine, was employed by 
several contributors to the fund, to collect salmon spawn on 
the Penobscot or Kennebec. He was very successful, so 
much so that the cost of the ova was only a few dollars per 
thousand. I believe he is to repeat the experiment this 
autumn, and that the United States Fishery Commission 
will, as last year, contribute liberally. My suggestion is 
to have our State Fishery Commissioners subscribe to this 
project, hatch the ova in the State Hatching House and put 
the young salmon into the upper waters of the Hudson. 
The year or two which would elapse before the young fry 
would be old enough to return, would give our Fishery 
Commisioners ample time to see that fish-ways were made 
at every dam for along way up. Many dams are already 
prepared for shad, and of course would be used by salmon. 
So you see, a few thousand dollars of the State appropria- 
tion (now wasted on distributing or catching perch, suckers 
ed id omne genus) would introduce a really important article 
of food into our beautiful Hudson, to say nothing of furnish- 
ing the grandest sport at our very doors. 
I don’t want to be too sanguine, but now is the time to 
endeavor to get Mr. Bairdto helpus. Surely the Hudson is 
as important a river to stock as can be found. I have de- 
scended the stream from its source to Glenn’s Falls, and 
know how feasible the project is. Then there are many 
rivers, such as the Chateaugay, which flow into the lakes or 
the St. Lawrence, which used to swarm with salmon. Can 
they not be restocked? 
Now is the time to agitate the question. 

Yours, PISCATOR. 
SS — 
“WHAT BECOMES OF THE FISH?” 
yg to 
New York, September 19th, 1873. 
EDITOR ForEst AND STREAM :— 
The brief article in your last issue, entitled “‘What Be- 
comes of the Fish ?”, gives additional probability to my 
guide’s theory concerning the dead pickerel in Raquette 
river. During my fortnight’s encampment at Hedgehog 
Rapids, in June, not one was seen. Then the water was 
high. The pickerel grass and other weeds which they use 
as a cover, were not grown, 
But in August we foundinearly four feet less of water. 
The banks were sedgy, and the shallows everywhere vis- 
ible. Then the river was full of dead and decaying pick- 
erel, from one to four pounds in weight. 
The otherwise pure air of that region was tainted. Hun- 
dreds of carcasses were floating lazily with the current, or 
were lodged among the lily-pads. The cause or occasion 
of this destruction was a puzzle. The oldest guide on the 
river, onbeing questioned, affirms that their slayer is the 
great blue heron. 
Of these huge birds we saw scores daily, wading in the 
shallow water and grasses. They are known to be most 
greedy and unscrupulous fishermen, killing game far be- 
yond their needs for food. Hec. Marden says they 
watch for the pickerel in their haunts, grip them savagely 
between the sharp blades of their beaks, and leave them to 
die. We examined great numbers of these dead fish, and 
in every case found two large wounds on opposite sides, 
generally a little back of the dorsal fin, or just behind the 
gills, 
These scars would answer almost exactly to the beak of 
the great blue heron. 
Your correspondent says of the night heron that it is 
never seenin the day time. The blue heron of the north 
woods, doubtless a specimen of the same genus, is seldom 
seen except in the day time. 
Both are most destructive of fish. I should vote heartily 
for the extermination of those Springfield herons, for they 
destroy trout; but I should like to give a good bonus to the 
Raquette river herons, for every vagabond, predatory pick- 
erel which they munch in their beneficient jaws. 
Tlike your paper. J. CLEMENT FRENCH. 
————— 
MOON SICKNESS. 
ak BEEN 
Museum, Wes. UNIVERSITY, ) 
MippLEeTown, Conn., Sept. 11th. f 
Every one familiar with sea-faring men must be aware 
of their belief in the ill effects of the direct rays of the 
moon. The light of the moon striking the face of a sleeper 
is held to be particularly injurious. 
Many officers do not allow their men to sleep on deck 
when the moon is bright. I have never talked with a sailor 
on the subject without hearing cited from personal experi- 
ence at least one case of temporary blindness or distortion 
of the face thus caused. 
AsIcould find no reference to this disease in medical 
works I was at first inclined to class this belief with the 
superstition which formerly called the insane ‘ lunatic,” or 
““moonstruck,” but it is shared by so many intelligent men 
that it deserves investigation. 
Mr. Cuthbert Collingwood in his very entertaining ‘‘Ram- 
bles of a Naturalist on the China Sea,” gives an instance 
which occurred on a vessel with whose personnel he was ac- 
quainted, and which was corroborated by all the men and 
officers. 
“The lad was eighteen years of age, of fair complexion, 
full face and large, light grayish blue eyes which attracted 
attention from their remarkable appearance. In February, 
1864, on'a certain night in the full moon, the lad was sleep- 
ing on the forecastle with his face turned upwards, fully 
exposed to the direct rays of the moon. The circumstance 
was remarked by his messmates, who warned‘him but to no 
purpose. Next night he was one of a deep-sea sounding 
party and was beating the line when the moon rose, when 
he suddenly exclaimed that he could not see and would 
have walked overboard had he not been stopped. For six- 
teen nights, as soon as the moon arose he complained that 
a cloud came before his eyes, and it was necessary to lead 
him about the deck. This was only in moonlight. The 
surgeon, a gentleman of superior attainments, with whom 
Tam acquainted, examined his eyes minutely and could see 
nothing abnormal in them. Between decks and during 
daylight he had no difficulty. When the next moon came 
around he had recovered from this singular affection which 
did not return. Many other instances have been related to 
me by persons, sometimes medical officers, under whose 
direct notice they fell.” 
The subject is an interesting one, particularly to sports- 
men and others who sometimes sleep in the open air. It is 
hoped that this may meet the eye of some medical man or 
naval officer who can throw additional light on the question. 
G. Brown Goope. 
$$ <<$§$§$_ eo ___—_. 
VENOMOUS LIZARDS, 
eTLES Ey SEA 
Hairax Barracks, September 13th, 1873. 
EDITOR OF FOREST AND STREAM:— 
Having noticed your article on ‘ Woorari” where Dr. 
Saffray describes a venom as coming from afrog used 
by the Indians to poison their arrows, I beg leave to state 
the following facts, which I trust will findsome explana- 
tion in your columns: Two years ago while hunting in the 
mountains of Nova Scotia with Indians, during the middle 
of September, in the dense hard-wood forest, I came across 
arather large lizard. I was about securing him, when 
my Indians cried out ‘‘retez!” ‘‘retez!” their French for 
stop. On inquiring the reasons for their caution, they said 
it was a most dangerous creature, calling it ‘‘the man 
poisoner lizard.” They assured me that if there was a 
scratch on my finger, and I touched the lizard, it would 
poison me fatally. I cut a stick and poked him. TI did this 
easily, as his movements were rather lethargic. This 
seemed to enrage him, and heturned on the stick. At the 
same time a peculiar white creamy and glutinous matter 
exuded from his body. One of the Indians caught a field 
mouse. I touched the mouse, who was quite lively and 
unhurt, somewhere about the mouth, with the stick which 
was imbued with ‘the exudation of the lizard, and the 
mouse died in violent convulsions in a few minutes. I re- 
gret very much not having preserved the lizard, which I 
killed. I do not have much faith in the Indian stories, 
though my guides were very reliable and trustworthy men, 
and not in the least inclined to deceive me. I found out 
afterwards, that the settlers all believed that this lizard was 
terribly venomous, and cited accidents arising from touch- 
ing it. The color of the lizard was of a greenish yellow. 
His body was about four inches long, and his tail about five 
inches. He had two quite sharp teeth, fangs in fact, on 
determines the diameter of the circular boat, 
both his upper and lower jaw, and smaller teeth in front. 
Have any of your readers come across a similar lizard? 
Is there any foundation in the universal dread people have 
of toads and lizards? I think there may be some reasons 
for it. CarraIn P. 
St 
CROSSING THE YELLOWSTONE. 
—_+—__— 
Bloody Knife, General Custer’s Indian guide, manufac- 
tures a boat in this way :— 
Two beeves were immediately killed and skinned for 
Bloody Knife’s use. Stout willow wands were then cut and 
the bark pulled off. They were then‘bent into the proper 
shape and bound together by thongs of raw hide. The 
frame, when completed, looks like a denuded umbrella 
frame, the tips being secured by a large willow ring which 
The hide is 
stretched over the frame and secured to it by more thongs 
of raw hide. The green hide is then allowed to dry, the 
process in our case being hastened by a large fire. When 
completed, this unique boat looked like a large raw hide 
umbrella, three feet deep and about five in diameter, with- 
out a handle. Yet Bloody Knife declared that this raw 
hide tub would carry 1,000 pounds. A second bull-boat 
was made and dried in the same way. The day had been 
passed in these endeavors, and it was too late to make fur- 
ther trial that night. 
We picketed our horses near by, spread our’ blankets, 
and dropped to sleep. Just before we retired, an Indian 
was seen to come down to the bank on the other side to 
water his horse. As soon as he observed our camp he im- 
mediately fled without giving his animal a drink, His sur- 
prise showed that our presence so near the enemy had not 
been discovered. Had we possessed the proper appliances 
for crossing the river, we could no doubt have effected the 
passage without discovery. Once discovered, an attempt to 
cross a linein the morning by our bull-boats would be ex- 
tremely hazardous.—Tribune Correspondent. 
———— — <a} 0 
AN ARTIST’S AMBITION. 
HERE is no reading I likes as well as dog reading. 
cls Mr. Bulwer’s romance dogs is poetry dogs, but not 
equal to. Mr.Dicken’s dogs. They is true to the life, and 
if dogs could speak, for they do think, they would talk 
just like Mr. Dicken’s dogs. Only one thing, sir, and if 
you don’t think it a liberty, I shall presume to remark, 
which it is in regard to dogs, do what you may, good or 
bad treatment, they never will perform their tricks and 
carry a good tail. Now, tomake you understand, do you 
see that yellow spotted dog? That dog knows we are 
talking about him, and he’s pondering on us. Dogs does a 
deal of pondering. That dog’s an inventive dog, sir, and 
is capable of striking off for himself a perfectly original 
line of characters, only, sir, when up to the beauties of 
his part, hinspired I may say, regularly hinspired, he will 
drop his tail. Some dogs drops their tails more than others; 
some carries them right between their legs, which takes 
ever so much away from the ’traction of the piece. May 
be, sir, you don’t know much about plays where the dog 
is the actor. The female lady character says: ‘‘Oh my dog! 
my faithful dog! how joyously he bounds this way! We 
are saved! we are saved! He comes! hecomes.” ‘Now to 
see a dog come in like a whip’d cur takes all the life out of 
the piece. Dog human nature notwithstanding any of 
the arts of man, will show itself there. Once I got ac- 
quainted with an Italian. He knowed most as much as 
any man J ever saw on dogs. He had a big spaniel dog, 
as was a most natural dog. Iseed that dog perform a 
dozen times, and that dog had no drop in his tail, tho’ his 
play was cowed like and not free. Of course his master 
woldn’t let me handle him. But I paid a friend of mine 
to have that dog sent me once, just for ten minutes, 
and I found it out. The dog was nicked, sir; the mussels 
‘at the joint of his tail had been clean cut, so that he 
couldn’t drop it or wag it, if he tried. 
That ain’t true art, and I’m above it. It’s the ambition 
of my life, however, to succeed on that one point. I sup- 
pose if I had a very young puppy and trained him up alone, 
apart from any other dog. and we neither of us lost our 
tempers, we might succeed. In the meantime, as you see, 
I satisfy my craving for perfection with short-tailed dogs. 
Nature and Tete defects ain’t as perceptible in a bob-tailed.” 
‘Will you allow us,” we said, ‘‘to thank you? for you 
are really a conscientious artist; it is difficult to meet 
such.” 
“Thank you, sir,” was the reply. ‘‘ The living I pick 
up is one thing, and the satisfaction I derive from my 
calling another. It ain’t often Iam appreciated.”—Wew 
York Times. 
Crows In BeERMuDA.—The crows are voted such a nuis- 
ance that an Act of the Colonial Parliament has been passed 
for their extirpation, and 2s. 6d. is paid out of the Colonial 
Treasury for each crow that may be brought dead to the 
proper authority. However, the crows build their nests in 
trees upon islets rarely visited, so that their numbers do 
not visibly decrease, though some are shot from time to 
time. During the breeding season the boatswain or long- 
tail birds (Phaetrn ethereus) are seen in large numpers flying 
round the rocks (in the clefts they have deposited fheir 
mottled eggs) or roving about the ocean in search of small 
fish, upon which they feed; and very handsome look these 
white birds, with their black-tipped wings and two delicate 
fawn-colored feathers in their tails, as they dart and skim 
through the air in the neighborhood of their nests. 
They are difficult to shoot by reason of their thick 
feathers, and are easily captured in the holes of the rocks 
(sitting upon their eggs) by pushing in a stick or rag and 
jerking them out when they bite the articl:, taking, by the 
way, particular care they do not bite your finger with their 
powerful yellow beak. ; 
Some years ago a gentleman passing through Bermuda 
was anxious to obtain a few specimens, and was sufliciently 
unwary to advertise that he would pay 2s. 6d. apiece for 
any that might be brought him, and he was soon in posses- 
sion of a boat load, for which he had to pay sevei al pounds, 
with the consolation of hearing that the public verdict was 
“served him right!” 
Some years ago the Virginian partridge was brought to 
Bermuda, and the birds are said to be thriving and increas- 
ing and to be well suited to the climate, or rather the cli- 
mate is well suited to them.—Suint James Magazine. 
