242 
FOREST AND STREAM. 


conviction. By rapid calculation, the boat would go to pieces 
in just eighty seconds. Then where, oh, where-wouldI be? 
It was half a mile to the landing, and deep creeks and 
bays intervening. My friends wereall hunting further east. 
Seeing just then that he had stopped wriggling, I ventured 
to getinto the boat. I have an impression that I didn’t 
make much noise; and I also have an impression that I 
made that halfa mile in tolerably quick time, and the per- 
spiration that streamed down my face wasn’t altogether 
caused by the heat. 
Gathering my birds together, I returned to camp to find 
my friends engaged in skinning a deer they had just shot, 
and planning an excursion to a neighboring lake for heron. 
Notwithstanding my weariness, ‘after placing a pound or 
two of venison and slap-jacks where they would benefit me 
most, I was ready, and launched upon the lake just as the 
sun went down. Having a trolling spoon, I drew forth 
from their retreat several broad tailed black bass with 
mouths like steel traps and possessed of the strength of 
young alligators. After an hour’s rowing and wading, we 
burst through the cane-brake and emerged into a little lake, 
upon one side of which was a long low willow island, from 
which scores of herons silently flew away. Concealing our- 
selves, we waited. Soon they came; by dozens and fifties 
the immaculate and glossy plumaged birds approached. 
Then the firing commenced, and continued till each one was 
‘satisfied and ready to return. Emerging from the canes, 
and fowing across the lake we returned to camp Jaden with 
birds nearly as large as ourselves. In the soft moonlight 
we lookedstrange and ghost-like with our burdens of white. 
Leaving the preparation of the birds till the morrow, we 
kicked together the embers, arranged afresh the light- 
wood knots, and soon had a delicious aroma of coffee and 
venison-enveloping us. Then to our beds of pine boughs, 
to sleep as only tired hunters can. Such was a representa- 
tive day at Salt Lake; one of many with varied scenes and 
incidents. FRED. BEVERLY. 
oe 
WILD TURKEY SHOOTING. 
per doe eae 
HANNIBAL, Missouri, November, 18738. 
Eprror ForEsT AND STREAM:— 
In answer to your request for an account of a hunt after 
wild turkeys, allow meto jot dot the results of a day’s 
sport. My usual mode of hunting the turkey is by stalk- 
ing, while there is a good tracking snow. Many are often 
killed inthe autumn before they are fully grown, when 
they become comparatively an easy prey to the hunter,who 
coolly knocks them off from the trees in which they will 
alight when frightened. They are occasionally hunted by 
parties who, obtaining sight of a flock, watch them care- 
fully so as not to disturb or frighten them until they go to 
roost, and deliberately pick them off; but this hardly seems 
to be sport. The necessary equipments for stalking are a 
good gun, a turkey call, clothing as near the color of dead 
leaves as possible, and some knowledge of the habits of the 
game. 
One clear bright morninga trio fully equipped started 
for a certain portion of the Mississippi River bottoms, some 
three miles away, the said trio being composed of B., C., 
and the writer. Some forty minutes’ drive brought us to 
the foot of a once cultivated field, but now abandoned to 
weeds and undergrowth. B. and myself got down and 
proposed to skirt the east side of the field to see if we could 
discover any fresh signs, agreeing to meet C. at the upper 
end of the field, along the west side of which he was to 
drive, and in the mean time to keep asharp lookout for 
signs. 
B. and myself had been on the search but a few moments 
when we found the trail of two turkeys that had entered 
the field. Carefully and silently we followed the trail 
through its devious windings, with our fingers on the trig- 
ger, expecting at any moment to see a body of dark glisten- 
ing plumage rise from some tangled mass of weeds or clump 
of brush and start away in rapid flight. We had followed 
the trail but a short distance before it separated, and B. 
followed one track and I the other. In a few moments B., 
who was in a position to see the upper end of the field saw 
a vurkey fly across and alight in some tall weeds on the east 
side. Quickly leaving the trail that he was on, he made 
his way as silently as possible toward where the turkey 
went down, but the wary ear of the bird soon detected the 
noise and took to wing, but too late, for with a steady hand 
the gun was brought to shoulder, a quick eye glanced over 
the glistening barrels, a sharp report rang out on the clear 
frosty air, the extended pinions were suddenly arrested, 
and with a heavy thud one of America’s grandest game 
birds succumbed to the skill of the hunter. Supposing 
that B. had flushed the birds that we had been following, 
I hurried forward to where he stood, and then learned that 
such was not the case. Jalso found that C., in the mean- 
time, had reached the upper end of the field, and had seen 
a couple of turkeys fly across it, and that he had followed 
a trail which led into the timber on the east. As the flock 
was scattered he had taken up his position behind a large 
tree, and with his caller was giving an occasional ‘‘keouk” 
in imitation of the note of a turkey. B, and myself soon 
joined him, taking up our positions behind trees at a short 
distance, and waited quietly for the answering call of a 
turkey. We had not long to wait before ‘‘keouk” was 
heard, and in a moment more, with head erect, and swiftly 
moving feet, a magnificent gobbler came into view, with 
eye and ear on the alert to discover his missing comrade. 
He had hardly approached within range of C. when a mo- 
tion of some one arrested his attention, and I will here re- 
mark that while a turkey will approach very nearly to.a 
person if he remains perfectly motionléss, they are very 
quick to discover the least movement; and also, if they 
have the least suspicion about the call note, whenever they 
stop to look they are very apt, in case there is a tree about, 
to stop behind it and with just ‘their neck and head ex- 
tended peer cautiously ahead. The moment he discovered 
the suspicious movement he turned to fly, and at that mo- 
ment OC. sprang from behind his tree and with a quick aim 
fired. The turkey had spread his wings to rise, but quickly 
closing them again as he discovered they would not obey 
his will he darted forth into the thick brush, running the 
gauntlet past B. and myself, who gave him ashot each, 
although at long range. It was evident that he could not 
fly in consequence of a hit on the wing; but he had a first- 
class pair of legs under him, and I wish to say that the 
hunter who thinks a turkey is his ‘meat because he can’t 
fly has a very poor conception of their powers of locomo- 
tion, or the ready instinct which teaches them many ‘‘ways 
that are dark.” It is then that the sportsman must possess 
some endurance and have some practical knowledge of tur- 
keyish tricks, and know when and where to look for him, 
or-he will assuredly come to grief, and discover (as the wri- 
ter often has) thut after along and hot pursuit through 
tangled weeds and underbrush that Mr. Turkey has given 
him the slip and made good his retreat. I took up the trail 
of the wounded gobbler, while B. and C. took up a fresh 
trail which they had discovered. J followed with swift 
and wary footsteps for about half a mile, when the trail 
entered. a mass of tall grass. Here I knew full well I might 
at any moment see the old fellow break cover and dart 
away. Iwas following cautiously, when hearing a rustle 
behind me I turned just in time to see the broad tail of his 
lordship sliding down froma high logand disappear among 
the trees. My gun was quickly at my shoulder, but a pro- 
voking snap was all the result, while the turkey was going 
out of sight at a three minute gait. He had cunningly Jed 
me into the grass, and then doubling back on his trail 
squatted beside the log, and as soon as he thought I was 
far enough away to give him a chance to elude me had 
darted away. Iwas quickly in pursuit, and for the next 
half mile his course did not take him to any good hiding 
place, but it took him toa fence that skirted an old field. 
Along beside this he travelled for several hundred yards, 
endeavoring to find an opening to let him through; but 
being unable to find one, and all being still, as I was too 
far away to be heard, he carefully hid himself ina clump 
of weeds in a fence corner. But this time his strategy was 
unavailing. When I came up in pursuit he sprang to his 
feet and started for tall timber. JI drew a bead on him, and 
this time, fortunately, my gun did not snap. A sudden 
stopping of the swiftly moving feet, and a spasmodic beat- 
ing of the snow with the broad wings, told me that my aim 
had been true, and as I stood over that noble bird, with his 
dark plumage glistening in the sunlight, I said to myself, 
“Well done.”’ Wiping the reeking perspiration from my 
face, for the pace had been a hot one, I threw the old fel- 
low over my shoulder and started for the wagon, and in 
doing so passed up the west side of the field first men- 
tioned, and there discovered that one of the turkeys of 
which B. and myself had been in pursuit in the earlier 
part of the day had passed through the field and taken to 
the timber. I went tothe wagon and deposited my bur- 
den, and then concluded to return and take up the trail I 
had abandoned, for turkeys, when in good cover, will often 
lie quiet for half a day at a time when aware that there is 
danger abroad, unless they are very nearly approached. I 
had taken up the old trail, and was following it, when I 
was met by another hunter and stopped for a moment’s 
conversation. In the meantime, B. and C., having fol- 
lowed their turkey for a short distance and killed it, had 
returned to the wagon, and were shouting vociferously to 
me to return, as they were anxious for their lunch, and I 
held the key. I reluctantly turned back, feeling at the 
same time that I was missing a turkcy by so doing. I re- 
marked to the party with whom I was conversing that I 
believed there was a turkey not twenty steps away, and I 
had not gone thirty yards on my return before J heard the 
discharge of a gun, and turned in time to see a fine young 
gobbler tumbling to the ground. Will I ever cease to re- 
gret my loss? 
We heartily ate our lunch, and took our way to the place 
where the turkeys had first scattered. B. and myself soon 
struck another trail, and had followed it but a little time 
when from a fallen tree top another bird took wing. B., 
who was in advance, fired both barrets, the first without 
effect, but the second did not seem to be a clear miss. With 
careful eye I followed the turkey’s course, noting its move- 
inent and actions, When nearly out of range of my vision 
I discovered a slight irregularity in its course. A little 
farther on and the wings stayed their regular motion, and 
the body plunged downward to the earth. Marking the 
place as well as I could from such a distance, we hurried 
forward, and were soon found by C., who had heard the 
reports. Reaching the place as near as we could judge, 
we commenced a careful quartering of the ground, and had 
at last nearly given up finding the turkey when we were 
approached by aman coming from an open field beyond 
us. We very naturally asked the question, ‘‘Did you no- 
tice a turkey fall in this vicinity?” He replied that he did, 
and judged that it had fallen near toa shanty that stood a 
little distance beyond on the skirts of the timber. A mo- 
ment later he exclaimed, ‘Here is your turkey; what is left 
of it.” And sure enough, beyond a high fallen log lay the 
bird, rapidly disappearing. down the rapacious maw of a 
half starved swine of the female persuasion. It seemed 
that she had stood nearly under the turkey as it fell, and 
no doubt thought it a good day for her that rained such 
food, and had fallen to with a will and about half devoured 
it while we were searching for the place where it fell. 
Never was the temptation to take the life of another per- 
son’s animal harder for me to resist than at that moment, 
and as we stood gazing at that famishing old sow, whose 
dry and wrinkled sides looked as if they would need soak- 
ing to hold water, suspect that the presence of a small 
and needy looking family, coupled with the appearance of 
two or three dirty and half starved looking faces at the 
door and windows of the aforesaid shanty, whose prospec- 
tive winter’s meat would be taken away from them, was 
the means of prolonging the life of the offender. But to 
say that we were mad, and spoke not, would be to draw it 
too mild. I claim that I am not a profane man, but for the 
sake of the law and the commandments I trust I may not 
often be thus tempted. Calling to a little boy who was 
passing out of the door he came reluctantly forward. We 
gave to him the remaining portion of the turkey, which 
we had replevined from the aforesaid swine, and bade him 
take it to the house. He departed with a broad grin on his 
dirty countenance, evidently pleased with the addition to 
the bill of fare which those remains would produce. We 
then retraced our steps. 
Brother sportsmen, as you sit beside your cheery fire and | 
read this sketch imagine for yourselves how, after a long 
tramp through snow and wood, you finally had your pa- 
tience and perseverance rewarded with the capture of such 
noble game, and then to have it retrieved in such a manner, 
We were soon on the trail of another turkey. Ina few 
moments it broke cover from amass of weeds and tock 
wing. Again it happened that B. was in advance, and he 
quickly pulled trigger, the result of which was a broken 
wing, which brought him to the ground, and as he darted 
away through the wood C. sent a charge of shot after him, 
which brought him to bag. Soon after, C. and myself 
were on another trail, and had followed it but a short time 
when another fine gobbler rose from cover. A quick shot 
from me through the tree tops sent him away a badly 
wounded bird. He flew some four or five hundred yards 
and lit in a fallen tree top near where the hunter happened 
to be who had killed the one that I had first been on the 
trail of. He very coolly walked him up and shot him. 
This about ended the day’s sport, and at the place where 
our team was left the whole party assembled, including a 
couple of country boys, who had driven the turkeys some 
two or three miles before we struck them. The total count 
was five for our party, including the one we had (in) volun- 
tarily donated, three for the country boys, and two for 
the party previously mentioned—ten in all. A good bag 
for about a half day’s sport. 
I could give you an account of many a day’s tramp after 
wild turkeys, the inventory of numbers of them being an 
empty bag and a tired and disgusted hunter, but these are 
not the stories that sportsmen tell. HERBERT. 
ON THE ELAPHURE OF CHINA. 
— 
SMITHSONIAN InsTITUTH, WASHINGTON, Noy. Viana oe 
EpiTror ForEsT AND STREAM :— 
My attention has been called toa paragraph under the 
caption of ‘‘One who goes to Menageries,” in your last 
number, requesting information respecting the ‘“Hlaphurus 
Davidianus;” this lam happy to be able to give. 
The animal in question is a deer larger than the stags, 
and distinguished by its comparatively robust legs, the 
spreading hoofs, long and bushy tail, and especially the 
horns; these are very remarkable, and deserve extended 
notice, especially as their structure has been apparently not 
understood. They may be compared to those of the typi- 
cal stags, so far as the main antlers (homologically speak- 
ing) are concerned, but with the brow antlers extraordinarily 
developed, branched, and usurping the place of the ‘‘main” 
antlers; in other words, the several .clements of the horns, 
compared with those of ordinary deer, are reversed, the 
direction of the growth being upwards or forwards instead 
of backwards, so that what in most deer are the “main” 
antlers are thrown out of axis and deflected backwards, 
while those which correspond to the brow antlers of other 
deer take the place of the “main” antlers, and develop 
two to four times, according to age.* This mode of growth 
is unexampled in any other deer, and apparently justifies 
the generic distinction of the species from the others, as 
M. Alphonse Milne-Edwards has proposed. The generic 
name (Hlaphurus) given by Edwards refers to the stag-like 
characteristics (Hlephus, or Hlephus, being the old Greek 
name of the stag), combined with a long tail (oura—tail: 
the specific name (Davidianus) has been given in honor of 
the missionary, Mr. Armand Davis, who discovered the 
animal. The Chinese name is Mibou, or Sze-poo-Seang (ac- 
cording to French pronunciation Tseu-pou-Siang). The 
last is said by Father David to convey an allusion to the 
combination of four characters which are elsewhere sepa- 
rated, that is, the horns of the deer, the feet of the cow, 

*The growing antlers of the young three year old exhibit 
ho pamiens like those of the three tear Slit oa deer ( spon nae zi 
are much more robust, and the brow antlers relatively arger; the diff “) 
ence, then, is the result of the dleproportionste increase or hy ert c74 
of the “brow” antlers, and correspondin atrophy of the ‘‘main’’ ee yite 
—Trans. Zool. Soc., of London, vol. vii, pp. 333, 336, January. 1871. 
Further information may be had by reference to the following authori- 
ties:—A. Milne-Edwards, Comptes Rendus, 4th May, 1866; Am. Sc. 
Nat., ser. 5, v, 880; Nour Arch. de Mus. II, Bull., p. 27, pl. 4, 1866; Al- 
cock, P. Z.8. 1868, PP; 210, 530; David, P. Z. 8., 1968, p. 210; Swinhoe, 
£2. eo clater, P. Z. 9., 1888, p. 581; 1800; P, 468; Frank, 
“9 

