e 
= 
‘ 
, 
_ the top of a dead weed and devour it. 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
ddl 


the “Swift River Road,’’ on my return to the hospitable care of friend 
Eastman of the “Conway House,” and when but little more than a mile 
from the hotel, although not out of the woods, a porcupine crossed the 
road about thirty rods pefore me. I immediately quickened the speed of 
my horse, stopped, and leaped ont in time to kick the porcupine from a 
tree which he was climbing, and he would have been far beyond my reach 
had he known of my pursuit a moment sooner. Porky Once again on 
the ground, I succeeded, with the aid of a dead branch which I picked up 
from among the many lying under the pine trees, in preventing him from 
starting up another tree, and drove him to the road, when to my dismay 
he ran under the horse; but the well trained steed gave but one jump and 
at my command went no further, but was trembling very much, and Mr. 
Quillbearer having come to bay under the wagon, standing erect on his 
hind Jegsin the manner of bears, I took this opportunity to coax and 
soothe the horse for a moment; then quietly getting a bit of rope from the 
wagon, and making a slip-noose, the porcupine still on his hind legs 
awaiting my next movement, I went to the horse’s head and started him 
a few paces. The instant the porky was left behind the wagon hestarted 
for the trees again, bnt being fat and his legs short, I easily headed him 
off, and threw the noose over his head, dragged and lifted him into the 
rear of the wagon, where I bound him, and then proceeded to extract 
about fifty quills from the fetlocks and ankles of my horse, which was 
an operation T would not wish to attempt on any other horse (standing in 
the road and trembling with fright) than my own. 
Porky rested in a barrel for several days, but I succeeded in attaching to 
him acollar and chain, which gave him comparative freedom. When 
he was out of the barrel, I attempted to touch his head witha stick but it 
would be met by a blow from his tail; but when in the barrel he could 
not turn quick enough to strike; and with a round stick of soft wood, an 
inch in diameter, I drew many of the longer quills from his back with a 
touch so slight that I depended upon my eyes and not my sense of fecl- 
ing to know the moment of contact. The animal being less than two 
years old, soon lost some of his wildness, and I was able to touch him 
with a stick (I did not try with my hand) without resentment on his part, 
except when I was too violent, or in the presence of a dog. In such 
cases he would strike the stick, but instead of it being bristling with 
quills after a blow, there would be but two or three or none at all in the 
stick. 
From the points of the quills, which are as sharp as needles, for a quar- 
ter of an inch toward the base are minute barbs, which serve not only to 
retain the quills in the object struck, but when such object be a living 
creature, if the quills be not immediately extracted, the barbs will serve 
to draw them deeper into the flesh, where they will travel about, as will 
needles under similar circumstances, but the quills more rapidly. I have 
seen a fine hound which with more courage than prudence had attacked a 
porcupine, to the severe punishment of the dog, whose head and mouth 
were badly punctured. Every quill which could be discovered in the dog 
was extracted, but several weeks after the return from the hunt a quill 
was extracted from the ridge of his nose, about two inches from the fore- 
head, which had entered the roof of the mouth and thence worked, 
through the cartilege above. After explaining to which species of porcu- 
pine my article refers, Ihave ignored the local name “Hedgehog,” and 
in this connection wish to urge your readers, most especially sportsmen 
and correspondents, to apply the naturalists’ names to creatures, and not 
local names, which vary in different sections of the country and are very 
often misnomers. Most of the names in this country are adapted from 
European ones, and should be applied to the creatures which most re. 
semble (not in external appearances, but in habits and internal structure) 
those which bear the same names in Europe. The European hedgehog is 
of the-badger species; and as we have the badger in this country I con- 
_sider the term “hedgehog”? a misnomer when applied to the porcupine. 
I conclude by urging the general adoption of naturalists’ common names, 
and dropping local names. If we constantly read of an object by one 
name, it will soon require no effort to speak of it by that name. 
“ROAMER.” 
—_+——_ é 
NOTES ON THE BUTCHER BIRD—(Obllyris 
: borealis. 
--[We print the subjoined communication with no little 
pride, for it is the production of a young naturalist only 
fifteen years old. We print it as sent us, verbatim et litera- 
tim, and find it but little defective in any particular. Our 
young correspondent can not only prepare and mount his 
specimens, but he had qu ite a large collection destroyed 
by the Chicago fire. Since that catastrophe he has col- 
lected over one hundred specimens of the birds of that re- 
gion, which he shot himself, devotir g all his spare time to 
the pursuit.—Epb. F. and S.] 
Epirror Forest anp STREAM:— 
There have been a good many Butcher Birds here this winter. Be- 
fore this I imagined that they were quite rare. They scem to like to sit 
on the tops of old dead trees about here. They are restless and seldom 
stay long at one place and are continually jerking their tails like mag- 
pies and jays, which they much resemble in their ways. They are not 
gregarious at all (as far as I know), as I have never seen two together. 
L once noticed one stop in its flight, which resembles that of a wood- 
pecker or jay, and hover over a spot, very much as a kingfisher often 
does, suddenly dart down with closed wings, seize a mouse and flit to 
There are a great many mice 
among the dead weeds, and that is what attracts the Bntcher Birds. 
There is a malt house near by and they stay around it to catch the mice 
which live upon the grain. I have seen within the area of one- 
eighth of a mile no less than a dozenimpaled mice. They impale their 
food not only for future use, but alse to help them to tear it to pieces while 
eating.” They eat their food, bones, skin and all, only leaving a few 
tufts of hair on the twig or thorn upon which it was impaled. One day 
I saw one cateh a mouse, impale it, and then commenced tearing it to 
pieces. I crawled up near it, but it not liking company while at dinner, 
flew off, carrying its dinner with it. Another time we heard a great 
screaming and scolding and went back to find what was the matter, and 
found a Butcher Bird very much excited about a lttle Mottled Owl 
which it had discovered hid away in a dwarf oak covered with wild 
grapevine, and which was staring about in a very stupid manner. When 
one is wounded it will make a hard fight before it gives up, and will 
often draw blood with its strong hooked bill, from the incantions hand 
which attempts to seize'it. BR. -P. OC. 
» Curcago, 1873. 
CENTRAL PARK MENAGERIE. 
——_+—_— 
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC PARKS, 
New York, January 24, 1874. 
Animals received at Central Park Menagerie for the week ending Jan- 
ary 23, 1874: , 
ae Common Starling, Séurnus vulgaris; hab, Australia; purchased. 
Four Black Swans. Cygnus atatus; hab. Austrvlia; purchased. 
One Muskrat, Fiber zibethicus, presented by Mu. Carryl. 
One Painted Turtle, Amys picta, presented by Miss Stella Sturgis. 
W. A. CONKLIN. 
RR 
__Mr. Harness tells this of the banker poet, Rogers, who 
was unfortunate in his servants:—On one occasion, when 
in the country, his favorite groom, with whom he used to 
drive every day, gave notice to leave. Rogers asked him 
why he was going, and what he had to complain of. ee 
thing,” replied the map, ‘‘but you are so dullin the buggy. 
Harper's Drawer. 

Che Horse and the Course. 
—A purse of $10,000 will be given to be trotted for, 
mile heats, best three in five, in harness, over the 
Mystic Park, Medford. Mass., near Boston, open to all the 
stallions in the United States and Canadas, the winning 
horse to receive $4,000, the second horse $3,000, the third 
$2,000 and the fourth $1,000. Each stallion winning a 
premium will also receive a gold medal. The race to come 
off on Tuesday, September 15. 
—George Barbee will ride for Mr. P. Lorillard during 
the coming racing season. 
—The second annual running meeting of the Utica Park 
Association, is to be held on June 24, 25 and 26. Two 
stakes are now open to be run for, these are the Ladies’ 
Stakes, for two-year olds, entrance $80, half forfeit, with 
$300 gold added by the association; the second horse to 
save his entrance; one mile; and the Oneida Stakes, for 
_ three-year olds, entrance $50, half forfeit, with $500 added, 
the second horse to save his entrance; mile heats; to carry 
100 lbs. ; the stakes to close on the 81st inst. 
—The Savannah Jockey Club have received the follow- 
ing list of entries for the Ten Broeck Stake, to be run 
February 3, #874, which is for three-year olds; colts to 
carry 85 lbs. ; 3 lbs. allowed for fillies and geldings ; one 
mile :—A. B. Lewis & Co.’s ch. f. Belle of Australia, and 
br. f. Vandelite ; T. G. Bacon & Co.’s b. c. Father Ryan, 
and ch. f. Flower Girl; L. A. Hitchcock’s br. f. Boone, 
and D. O’Connor’s ch. f. Fannie. 
— The American Jockey Club have the following stakes 
open for nominations, to close on the ist of March, to be 
run at the coming spring meeting :—The Juvenile Stakes, 
for two-year olds, half a mile; the Fordham Handicap 
Sweepstakes, one mile and a quarter; the Jockey Club 
Handicap Sweepstakes, two miles, and the Westchester 
Cup, two miles and a quarter. 
—The San Francisco Chronicle of January 8 says that in 
the Assembly Mr. Wickware introduced an act to author- 
ize the closing of certain streets in San Francisco for the 
purpose of an agricultural and mechanical fair ground and 
for a race track. Tt is understood that an association has 
leased the ground from the owners, and that the Board of 
Supervisors is willing to grant the right to fence in the 
streets. The race track isto be a mile. Opposition to the 
act is anticipated from parties interested in other tracks in 
the neighborhood of San Francisco. 
~<S0 
THE RACGCHS AT MAURITIUS: 
‘: e OS 
N the upper part of the Champ de Mars, a large, treeless 
grassy plain, believed once to have been a large crater, 
stands a stone monument twenty feet high, erected to the 
memory of one of the French governors. Aft the foot of the 
plain the Mauritius Crieket Club has erected a pretty pavil- 
ion and laid out a square cricket ground. On this spot is 
held, generally in July, the Mauritian Carnival; for round 
the Champ de Marsruns the racecourse, kept in excellent 
order by the Mauritian Turf Club, to which glorious insti- 
tution (dating from 1812) the colonists, rich and poor, white 
and colored, male and female, young and old, owe three 
days of blissful madness. 
Not only the race ground itself, but the whole city, rises 
to a fever heat of enthusiasm as the first day dawns. Every 
street is crowded with chairs, tables, benches, and stands. 
Private carriages are driven up and left horseless within the 
cordon. Tents rise with magic rapidity on the surround- 
ing eminences, flags fly, and tomtoms beat. The judges’ 
stand is flanked by long rows of stalls or lodges for the 
more select spectators, such as the governor (over which 
proudly floats the royal standard), mayor, council, military 
officers, &c.; and here the beauty and fashion of Port Louis, 
in glittering array of jewels, gauze, and silks, win or lose 
gloves as recklessly as at Ascot or Longchamps. Drawn 

up beneath the stalls are vehicles of every description which 
will meet a certain standard of presentability, and in them 
sit other ladies in equally magnificent attire; but if a re- 
splendent dress, surmounted by a Parisian bonnet whose 
fluttering laces are coquettishly arranged by a tiny white 
gloved hand, should tempt the curious bystander to look 
fora face of equal delicacy, a pair of bright black eyes will 
flash upon him from beneath ‘‘a brow of Egypt,” in which 
his unacclimatized EKuropean taste may not lead him to dis- 
cern ‘‘Helen’s beauty,” though the possessor will have 
probably tried to tone down its lustre by a liberal allowance 
of violet powder. 
Racing is of course the 7wison-détre of races; but a great 
charm and zest lies in their concomitants alsu, and perhaps 
the less said about the horses and jockeys of the Champsde 
Mars the better for their English reputation. The Mauri- 
tian Newmarket is ‘‘good for trade,” and excuses a general 
holiday, therefore may its shadow never grow less !—sadnt 
James’ Magazine. 
— a 
Witp Horses 1x KaAnsas.—From the Topeka Common. 
wealth we take the following : 
Large numbers of wild horses abound on the prairies be- 
tween the Arkansas and Smoky Hill Rivers. They are of 
all sizes and colors, and are the wildest of all wild animals. 
They usually roam in bands from six to twenty, and will 
run at sight of a man two miles away. A great many do- 
mesticated horses, as well as mules, which have strayed 
away from their owners, have taken up with the wild ones. 
After running with them awhile they become as wild as 
their untamed companions. Various methods have been 
adopted to catch them, but they have generally proved 
fruitless. A scrubby colt or a broken-down mule are, as a 
general thing, the only reward for all the time and labor, 
Settlers on the frontier would hail their speedy extinction 
as a blessing, for when domestic animals get with them 
their recovery is simply out of the question. 
This is interesting as tending to show, how domestic ani: 
mals will, when opportunity allows, return to their primitive 
natural condition. 

Auswers Toa Correspondents. 
——__>—__——. 
(We shall endeavor in this department to impart and hope to receive 
such information as may be of service to amateur and professional sports- 
men. We will cheerfully answer all reasonable questions that fall within 
the scope of this paper, designating localities for good hunting, fish 
ing, and trapping, and giving advice and instructions as to outfits, im 
plements, routes, distances, seasons, expenses, remedies, traits, species 
governing rules, etc. All branches of the sportsman’s craft will receive 
attention, Anonymous Communications not Noticed. 
. ie hae 
Quop.—To clean rusty guns use kerosene oj], To keep it clean noth- 
ing is better than skunk’'s oil. 

J. E. L.—Don’t recollect: what old ‘‘Gnzzly’* Adams’ bear weighed. 
Jim Conlin of the Broadway Shooting Gallery, or Mr. Daymon, Tiffany 
&Co., might know, Both have been with P. 'T, Barnum. _ 
W. P.,Clinton street, Brooklyn.—What treatment would yon advise 
for a Newfoundland dog with the following symptoms: Loss of appe- 
tite, very weak legs and bleedingat the nose? Ans. You must state 
age: most likely the dog has caugtit a severe cold. 
H. C. §., Ohio.—Is a pigeon sprung from a trap harder or more difil- 
cult to hit than a quailin field. I am green as to pigeon shooting, having 
never shot any except wild ones? Ans, It is more difficult to kill a 
quail, as it is impossible to tell when and which way the bird will get up 
J. T. E., New York.—I have a setter puppy two months old. Is it 
time to cut his tail? Ans. Don’t cut his tailat all; leave it as nature 
provided. Whatis the best kind of food for my puppy? Ans. His 
mother’s; also feed him with weak milk and water mixed with meal, 
but very weak. 
W. L. §., Amherst, Iowa,—Which is the strongest, laminated steel or 
good twist barrels (same weight)? Ans. Both shot barrels have their 
admirers. For all practical purposes laminated steel barrels answer the 
requirements ofthesportsman. We can give you the statistical proofs 
of both kinds if necessary. 
R. H. A., Parkersburg, Va.—Among your book reviews I notice ‘The 
Birds of North America,” by Theo. Jasper. How many parts are there 
to be, and how many pages to each part? Iseach part bound separately? 
Is it quarto or octavo? Ans. Thirty-six parts, twelve pages, each 12x15 
inches, one dollar each part, delivered monthly to subscribers only. If 
you wish a book from which to study the fauna of North America, better 
buy Cowes’ ‘Key to the Birds of North America.” 
*#*_The ForREST AND STREAM Will be indexed each six months, and 
twenty-six numbers will constitutea volume. 2. Split bamboo for fish- 
ing rods is the common bamboo sawed into longitudinal strips of requi- 
site dimensions and the pith removed. When the several parts are pre- 
pared, they are adjusted together with the utmost mechanical nicety, 
giving elasticity, strengt’ and durability, which ordinary bamboo does 
not possess, 
H. Bawzur, Brooklyn’—Rifle practice is¥dangerous business in popu- 
lous places. It would be difficult to find any part of the suburbs of 
Brooklyn, no matter how thinly settled, where rifle shooting would not 
be able to cause the arrest of the offender, and very justly, too. If 
you shoot on the beach, seaward, the case is different, and the practice 
perfectly safe where no boats are in view. 
C. L. W., Weston.—1st. What is the calibre of my gun, judging by 
the enclosed wad? Ans. 14 bore. 2d, What is the method of measur- 
ing the charge, both of powder and shot? ans. By a guage, which you 
can purchase at any gunsmiths. ed. Is the principle of choke boring 
adopted in the manufacture of breech-loading guns? Ans. You can 
have a gun barrel bored to suit almost any pattern you fancy. See ar 
ticle headed ‘‘Guns—a Dialogue.” ; } 
J. E. W., Newbern.—The Julia mentioned in the article by E. M. was 
a large sloop of some seventy feet over all and belonged to Capt. Water- 
bury. She was in her prime from 1858 to 1861, and was so fast as to be 
often ruled out of matches when other sloops, such as the Rebecca, Ro- 
wena, Mallory, Bonita and others were to be competitors. She wasaf - 
terwards changed to aschooner, and the last time we saw her was in 
1871, at which time she was cruising in Narragansett Bay, where she 
was owned. We know your Julia to be a good one, but she isnot the Ju- 
lia mentioned. 
W. ELLINGwoop AND OrHERs, New York.— 
{1 1b. avoirdupois weight 1s 7,000 grains. 
11b. apothecary ‘‘ “* 5,760 grains. 
11b. Troy id “5.760 grains. 
1 oz. avoirdupois ‘ ‘4374 grains. 
1oz. apothecary ‘ “489 grains. 
1oz. Troy +t - 430. grains. 
1 drachm avoirdupois is 1-16 of 4374 grains,a little less than 27% grains. 
{ drachm spothecary is ¢ of 480 grains, or 60 grains. 
Much obliged. Shall be glad to hear from C. E. again, 
¥, E. E., New York.—Can youinformme of the pulsations of the do 
mestic and wild animals? Ans. After a great dcal of trouble and search 
we found it. WVatels Veterinary Pathology: 




The HOLrsey..eessesteerss i 32 to 88 Pulsations in a minute. 
The OX OF COW... nner sin00 5 35 to 42 Re ss 
The Sheep... >... .. PSE ee ice! 70to 76 ns 
The Goat.. "2to 79 a 
The Cab... 110 to 120 ih us 
The Hare 120 % CS 
The Dog.. 90 to 100 ‘ a 
The Crow 136 ss bs: 
Me DWC I sede hi dniecteis 136 cs F Ce 
"Pg ERGs och gy > oe aw nisiess oe 149 pe i 
The Heron....-..-. .-.--s 200 °g ts 
F) W. C., Paterson.—Ist. Have you got the right to fish and shoot on 
your own land at any time, in season and outof season? Ans. We be- 
lieve you have the right to do anything you please with your own prop- 
erty. 2d. What is an “Ely’s Concentrator,” and what is meant by pat- 
tern, as applied tg shot guns, or rather to the way they throw shot? Ans. 
See to-day’s issue, article headed “‘Guns—a Dialogue.”? 8d. What can 
you import me arabbit beagle for. I should want a puppy about two 
monthsold. How long would it take to get ap here; what kennel wonld 
it bé from? Ans. A rabbit beagle should be at least 6 months old, and 
would cost $20—English. 4th, Is there any breed of dogs that are good 
to hunt rabbits and make good house dogs of; a hound lying around 9 
months in the year eating his head off is semewhat ofa bore? Ans. The 
Dandie Dinmont Terrier. - 
HAYMAKER, Clyde, N. Y.—To azy one crossing the line into Canada, 
what isthe arrangement with the Custom House officers abont guns, 
boats, and other necessary articles of a spcrtsman’s outfit? Ans. We 
have always found the Custom House officials very obliging and quite 
ready to pass a sportsman’s baggage without examination, when they 
were assured of his identity. In one instance only (it was about the time 
of the Fenian raid) we knew of a gentleman who had some trouble with a 
gun. These worthies have little difficulty in detecting suspicious per- 
sons. 2. Isthere any duty on game or furs brought from either coun- 
try or sent? Yes of game; except what you carry’ on your person, and 
as to furs the law is very strict. 3. Is it necessary to have: “hard 
money’ or can we pay for whatever we want in our currency? Ans. 
Greenbacks pass at market rates in all hotels and stores in cities, but in 
the rural districts Canadian money is _nocessury, and among the 
french people nothing is current but silver. You can supply yourself 
at any brokers on either side the line. 3, Lam fully aware that it would 
not pay to transport boats any great distance, but we are so sit- 
uated that the principal part of the transportation would be on the 
steamer, for instance from Oswego to Cobourg, and have an idea that 
we fould take them cheaper than buy them in Canada?. Ans. Note 
our Advertisement and write to Bond, of Cincinnati, for circular as to 
portable boats. You can pack your traps in these and they will go as 
trunks. 
