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LOKDON : 8AVir,L AND EDWABD8. PRINTERS, 0HAND08 STRHET, COVENT OARDEN. .^V2« PREFACE. Few scenes so easily reachfd from our own shores better repay a visit then the fores. , lakes, and rivers of British North America. Whether to the sportsman, the naturalist, or the traveller, nothing can well be more alluring than its vast tracts of primaeval forest, inhabited by moose and caribou ; its gamo-stocked prairies of boundless ovfnnt ; and its broad rivers, filled with silvery salmon and spotted trout; flowing through grand and picturesque solitudes, little known and less frequented. Taking the St. Lawrence route, the traveller from our own country is landed at Quebec in about ten or eleven days. He may revel among the salmon rivers below that city; strike up-country in pun uit of large game; make a pilgrimage to the Falls of Niagara ; float over the great Lakes; till his sketch-book with the glorious views that everywhere attract the artist; may kill his grouse on the broad prairies; and be back again before winter, relating Ids adventures by his own fireside. VI PREFACE. The climate is as healthy as it is delightful, at all seasons: whether in the glorious days of dimmer, when ruby-throated humming-birds flit from flower to flower ; in the glowing autumn, when tints of brightness unknown in other lands invest the forest with their gorgeous mantle; in the dreamy softness of that wonderful period called the "Indian summer;" or in the clear Histenino- winter, with its sparkling fields of pure snow, its cloudless blue skies, and merry sleigh-bells. During . sojourji in these regions, extending over a period of three years, constantly rod in hand or roaming the woods with dog and gun, I habitually recorded in my note-book memoranda on the haunts and habits of the birds and animals which I have endeavoured to describe in .!.e succeeding pages; and I can only hope that my jottings may be useful to those who read them, with the view of themselves enjoying the same pursuits, and interesting to those who would recal similar bygone days of agreeable recreation. In the following cliapters I liave, as far as regards the Mannnals and Birds, adopted tlio nomenclature of Baird, (the most recent writer on the Natural History of his own country,) and in the remaining division of the work I am personally indebted to Mr. Nettle, the Government Superintendent of the Fislieries of Lower Canada, for details of statistical information not generally accessible, PREFACE. Vll and on which his official position enables him to speak with weight and authority. Our great works on Natural History, while too bulky for the traveller, are only within reach of the few; separate accounts relating to special localities, when based on personal and accurate observation, are therefore always of value. I have accordingly attempted to give an account of the game, and fresh-water fish, of the Canadas, with notices of their habitats, which, while possessing some scientific arrangement, shall be suffi- ciently free from unintelligible terms to make the work available for the use of those who have no taste for the systematic study of Natural History. Tkktowie, Mdij, 1««J6. V i, ^ V GENERAL CONTENTS. i, H Decrease of Carnivores-The Black Bear-Its Present Haunts-Head \7aters of the Ottawa— Distinct from Black Bear of Europe- Period of Hibernation— Its Duration— Female Bear— Cubs— Hunt- ing—Fui- of Hie Bear— Indian Superstition— Migration in Search of Food— Bear Killed at Niagara— The Woli^Districts which it mhabits— Compared with European AVolf— Habits and Cunning— Wolf-Hunting— Varieties of Foxes— The Ked Fox— Different from European One— The Cross Fox— The Silver Fox— Trade in Fox Skins— Great Value of Silver Fox Skin— The Lynx— It.; Inoffen- siveness— Variety in Colour of Fiu— Flesh eaten by Indians- Power of Swimming— Pood— The Wolverine— The Puma— Its Scarcity— Skunks in Forest— Their Odour— The Canadl.ai Otter- Erroneously described by various Writers— Distinctions between It and European Otter— Its Habits— Otter Trapping— Trade in Otter Skins — Young Cubs ^ 22 II W'JKK li Variety of Hares in North America-Absence of Rabbits-Distinctions between Hares and Kabbits-The Northern Hare— Weight and Description-Winter Coat-Cliange of Colour-Natm-e of Change —Doubts concerning it— Discrepancies of different Writers— Haunts of Northern-Hare— Its Latitudes— Abundance in certain Districts- Malformation of Incisors— Habits— Attacked by the Ly.ix— Snaring and Trapping— When in Season— Poorness of Flesh— The Grey " Kabl>it"— Its;general Appearance— The Prairie-Hare— Its Northern Limits— Abundance of Squirrels— Their Variety— Black Squirrels —Excellence of their Flesh— Grey Squirrels— Chipmunks— The Beaver— Former Habitations— Its Sagacity— Popular Fallacies con- cerning it— Formation of Huts— Gnawing down Trees— Compared with Kur..pean Beaver— Its Skin— Method of Trapping— Excellence of Flesh— Present Districts of Beaver pp. 25—38 GENERAL CONTENTS. «,,_ pp. 107—117 (HAPTKi; VI. The Passenger Pigeon— Its Periodical Flights— Great number Killed— Breeding Places— The Wild Turkey— Probable Parent of Domestic Bird— Its Importation into Spain— Early Accounts of— Misnomers- Mexican Origin— DifFerences between Wild and Farm-yard Birds- Nest and Eggs— Cralliness of the Hen— Young Birds— Association of " Gobblers"— Food of Wild-Turkey— Their Wanderings— Former Abundance— Present Haunts— Difficulty of approaching them- Season for Hunting— Their Game (Jualities— Use of the Dog- Gradual Extermination — The Grouse of Canada — Tla- Spotted- Grouse— Plumage and Habits— Female— Their Size— The Prairie- Hen— The Prairies— Fires on Prairie— Weight and Plumage of Prairie-IIen— Singular Call— Female Bird— Pugnacity of Male Birds— Breeding Season— Eggs— Young Birds— Season for Prairie- Hen Shooting— Dogs for— Size of Coveys— Food of Prairie-Hen— Whiter Habits— Prairie-IIen sent to Engli.^h Market— Flesh not Poisonous— Questionable Advantages of Acclimatizing— The Ptar- n-.igan- Plumage in Summer and Winter— Where found— Eggs— The Ruffed-Grouse— Habitat— Its Size and Appearance— " Drum- ming"-Manner of Walkinc-Flight-Shooting Season-Unfit for Food in Winter— American Kalmias— The Colin — Erroneously called "Quail "-Its Plumage -Haunts- Call Note-Season for Shooting— Introduction into England pp. 121— 16-i r Xll GENERAL CONTENTS, MFAl'TKIi V(! American Butern-Its general Distribution-Appearance-Eggs and Nest-Excellent Flesh-The Little Bittern - Golden Plover- D,fferent fron, P^ropean Bird-The King Plover-IIighly Esteemed - Kdldeer -The American Woodcock-Distinct from European one-D:mens,ons and Colouring-Its Range-Locdities-Habit^ Season for Shooting-Coverts-Mosquitoes-Difficulty of Shooting -Dogs necessary-Migration-The American Snipe-Found in Bushy Ground-Con.pared with European Snipe-Nest and Eggs- Mzgration to South-Birds left beh:ud-Shooting Season-Dilu- tion of Snipe-Retur-n in Spring-Curlew-Esqmmaux Cm-lew- Saudp:pcrs-The American Rail-Its ExceUence-Plumage. Habits, and h hsht . . o ; i pp. 167—181 ' II M'Tlvi; VIII Extraordinary Quantity of Wild-Fowl-Number of Geese annually pass- ing over Canada-Breeding Grounds in the North-British and Aniencan Species and Varieties of Anatida>-The Trumpeter Swan gIIT^T '° Tr' ^»-"— THe An.erican Swan-The Canada Goose-Annual Migration-Cautious Flight-Lost in Fogs-Domes- tication of-Return to Wild Life-The White-Fronted Goose- Genera Distribution of_Plumage-The Snow Goose-Note of- Its Food-Dehcacy of Flesh-The Brent Goose-Seaward Flight- The ^^M Duck or Mallard-Driven southward in Winter-Stray Birds--Change of PJnmage in Male-Metliods of sliooting-The Shoveller-Flesh highly esteemed-Form and Peculiarities of Bill -Handsome Plumage-Appearance of Young-AssimUation of P umage-Similarity to European Shoveller-The Gadwall-Its Shyness and Cunning-Swiftness of Flight-Signification of " Gad- ^vall -Number and Colour of Eggs-The American Pintail- Superionty of Flesh-Singular Change of Plumage-Feeding in he Forest-Sleeping on open Water-IIow to approach- Colour of Eggs erroneously described-The American Teal-Compared with European-Difference of Opinion concerning-Plumage of Male and ieniale-Large Size of Nest-The Blue-winged Ted-Rud ness of Nest Excellence of Flesh-Dislike to 'cold-Retil L 8pn„g_P euharity of Flight-Favourite Resorts-The American Widgeon-Different from European-Autumn Migration in Flocks GENERAL CONTENTS. • •• Xlll —Spring Return in Pairs— Habit of Feeding by Day— Fondness for the Valisneria— The Dusky Duck— Peculiar to North America— Non- Migratory — Description of Female — The Wood-Duck — Singular Habit of frequenting Tree*— Nest and Eggs— Carrying Young— Latitudes of— P]asily domesticated— Oceanic Ducks— The Eider Duck— Plumage-Female— The Surf Scoter— Peculiar to America— The Velvet Scoter— Difference between Male and Female —The Ruddy Duck— Colour of Plumage— Peculiar Form of BiU— Different Colour of Female— The Pied-Duck— Inferiority of Flesh- The Scaup— Nature of Food— Origin of Nam.- -Difficulty of ap- proaching-The American Scaup-Not mentionea by Naturahsts- Difference between this and former Bird— Comparative Scarcity— The Ring-necked Duck— Confounded with Tufted Duck— Colour of Plumage-The Buffle-headed Duck-Instantaneous Diving of— Difficult to Kill— Colour and Markings— Irregular Migration— Dif- ference in Female— Found in Great Britain— The Harlequin Duck -Abundant in Gulf of St. La^vrencc-Breeding Places-Neatness of Nest-Incubation— Males in Flocks— Excellent Flesh— Beauty of Appearance— Size of Female— Seen in England— The Canvas-back Duck— WeU-known Delicacy-The Valisneria favourite food- Resorts of Canvas-back-Colour and Markings-Compared with Pochard— Appearance in Canada— Numbers killed— Methods of Shooting— Accompanied by Widgeon— The Red-headed Duck— SimiLirity to Canvas-back-Tlie Long-tailed Duck-Irregular Ap- pearance of-Inferiority of Flesli-Tail-feathers-Common in Scot- land in Winter-The Smew-Handsome Appearance - Hooded Merganser -A North American Species - Strikingly marked- Smaller Size of Female-Red-breasted Merganser-Goosander- Its wary Habits-Diving pp. 185-230 AI'TI i.\ The Fisheries of Canada-Imperfectly known in this Country-Their great Extent and Value-Number of Salmon Rivers-Large Trade in Dried and Salted Fish-Their ExporMtion-Immense Takes- Importance of the lesser Waters-Variety of Fish in the Lakes and Rivers-Former greater Abundance of Fish-Causes of the Diminu- tion-Legislative Protection-Revival of the Fisheries-Great Con- sumption of Eels— Torchlight Spearing . . pp 245—252 r XIV OENEKAL CONTENTS. i U t* OltAPTKIi X The Salmon— Distance found from the Sea— Its Ascent of the Rapids- Breeding in Fresh Water— Scarcity of Salmon in Ontario— Its Irregular Distribution— Preference of Salmon for cold Rivers- Proposed Restoration of Rivera of Ontario—" Open Season"— No Rod-fishing in Upper Province— Beautiful Sail down the St. Law- rence—The Thousand Isles — Tlie Rapids — Quebec — Fishing Licences— Rentals of Fisheries— Government JIanagement of Rivers —How taken— The Jacques Cartier— Rivers near Quebec— Mode of reaching lower Salmon Streams— Salmon Flies— Fislieries of Northern Shore of Gulf— The Saguenay and its Tributaries — Principal Salmon Rivers below the Saguenay — Fine Scenery — List of Fish killed in the Godbout and IMoisie— Mischief done by Spearing— Salmon Rivers of Southern Shore of the Gulf— The Gaspd District— Its Rivers— Size of F:sli— Tl,e Trout— Variation of Colour-Instanccis of Transformation-Fishing Season— Average Size of Trout— Trout not to be netted in Canada— Artificial Flies- Falls of Mor.tmorenci— Trout Streams in NeighlDourliood of Quebec —The Lake-trout— Its Sluggishness— The Mackinaw Trout— Peculiar to Northern Lakes— The Sea-trout— Artificial Fly for— Where to be found -Good Sport -The White-fish - Peculiar to North America— Description of White-fish— Numbers ttiken— Supposed Food of White-fish-Delicious Flesh-Worthy of Introduction into this Country 265-297 ( IIAl'THR M The Canadian Shad— Compared with that of Europe— Excellence of its Flesh— Confined to the Lower St. Lawrence— Its Size and Appear- ance—The Pike— Specifically identical with ours— Native of North America— AVidely distributed— IMethods of Trolling— Habits of Pike— Their Presence in isolated Water.s-Ancient Ideas concerning —The Masq'allonge— Derivation of Name— Its Resemblance to the Pike— Its enormous Size— Habits— Capture of— Waters inhabited by— The Carp— The Chub— The Bream— Bait fishing for— The Dace or " Shiner"— The Roach— Fishing Parties— The Sucker— The Cat-Fish — Its ugly Appearance — Prescience of comin- '■^^"^"^^ 301-312 GENKRAL CONTENTS. XV CIlAl'TMli XII The " Tom-Cod"-Ita annual Arrival in the Gulf of St. Lawrence-Pish- ing through the Ice— Freezing and Resuscitation— The Yellow Perch -Varieties-The Bhick-Basse-Fly.fi«hing for-Excellence of Sport -Black-Basse pecuUar to North America-Its Colour, Form, and Weight- Where found-Gregarious Character— Worthy of Acclima- t.zation-The Kock-Basse-Its Weight and Colour-Qualities- Abundance-The White-Banse-Common in Upper Lakes-A bold B,ter-The Striped-Bass*,— Common to Salt and Fresh Water-Its Great Size-Markings and Appearance— The Oswego Basse-Errors concerning it-The Common Lake Sheepshead-The Black Sheeps- head-Confined to the Upper Lakes-Its Resemblance to the Perch- An excellent Pish-The Sturgeon-Its immense Growth-Abun- dance in Lake Ontario-Absence in Northern Rivera-Sturgeou Meat— Trade in Sounds 315--326 ERRATA. tP ) A' %e 85, Lne 2 fro. bottom. /„..., f„,,.^^^,.. ' " ««.i-]6../....h„,.,^,..^.^^., ^'^-.,.artersofafoot.'= ILLUSTRATIONS. COLOURED PLATES. W WILD-TURKEY FrontUpiece. 'the PRAIRIE-HEN to face pag. l^ THE CANADA, AND RUFFED-GROUSE xM "the white-fish 290 S-HE MASQ'ALLONGfi g^g THE BLACK-BASSE .... »,- WOOD ENGRAVINGS. FALLS ON THE OTTAWA „ CANADIAN LAGOON 88 THE MOOSE .... • • • .09 THE CARIBOU 79 AMERICAN DEER .... ^^ THE THOUSAND ISLES ^yj FORT MISSISSISAUGUA . 164 FALLS OF MONTMORENCI j.. WOOD -DUCK EEL SPEARING, LAKE ST. FRANCIS jfiS THE CEDAR RAPIDS ^^ NIAGARA RIVER, AND LAKE ONTARIO . , . . . . jjj LOWER NIAGARA RIVER gjg I DrVTSION f. iHammalfi, CHAPTER I. DECREASE OP CARNIVOUES-THE BI.ACK BEAR-ITS PRESENT nAUNTS- DISTINCT FROM BLACK BEAR OF EUROPE-PERIOD OF HIBERNATION —ITS DURATION— FEMALE BEAR— CUBS— HUNTING-FUR OF THE BEAR-MIGRATION IN SEARCH OF FOOD-BEAR KILLED AT NIAGARA —THE WOLF— DISTRICTS WHICH IT INHABITS -COMPARED WITH EUROPEAN WOLF — HABITS AND CUNNING — WOLF-HUNTING — VARIETIES OF FOXES-THE BED-FOX-DIFFERENT FROM EUROPEAN ONE— THE CROSS-FOX— THE SILVER-FOX— TRADE IN FOX SKINS- GREAT VALUE OF SILVER-FOX SKIN— THE LVNX-ITS INOFFENSIVE- NESS-VARIETY IN COLOUR OF FUR-POWER OP SWIMMING-FOOD- THE WOLVERINE-THE PUMA-THE CANADIAN OTTER-ERRONEOUSLY DESCRIBED BY VARIOUS WRITERS— DISTI.NCTIONS BtrWtEN IT AND EUROPEAN OTTER-HABITS-OTTER-TRAPPING-^TRADE IN OTTER SKINS — YOUNG CUBS. B 2 I ■-?'.!":' ■ SO LKPORID^. in many districts of both Provinces, and in those of Rimouski, Gasp^, and Bonaventure, is the commonest animal in the woods. I have seen a specimen of this hare presenting an instance of a malformation of the front teeth, or incisors, which is not uncommon, namely, a growth of several inches in a circular direction. This, in the case of a single tooth, is owing to the absence of the opposing incisor, the constant friction of which, when in its proper place, keeps down the growth intended by nature to supply the daily wear to which the teeth are exposed. When, as is often the case, both an upper and lower incisor are similarly lengthened and distorted, it will be found to be owing to a divergence of their points. It is not the case, as has been stated by some writers, that these animals when pursued take refuge in a hole, or in hollows under old roots ; on the contrary, they are not easily run down, even by dogs trained for coursing. They never burrow, and are generally to be found lying out among the long tufts of grass, though in cold wither they keep under the shelter of close bushes, or the foliage of fallen trees. Their hours of feeding are during the night, but a curious and wonderful instinct teaches them to foretell the coming of storms hours in advance, and to go forth at mid-day to procure the .subsistence which they may, a little later, be unable to THE GREr-"EABBIT.' 81 obtain. In the spring and summer it is not unusual to see them out early in the morning, or at sunset. Great havoc is caused among their numbers by their natural enemy, the lynx, which subsists almost entirely upon them. As the runs or paths that they make through the woods are even more marked and permanent than those of our own hare, they are also very exten- sively snared in the remoter districts by the Indians, who make use of the skins in the manufacture of their winter clothing, and are also taken by means of a trap of thick pieces of bark, which, being saturated with salt, the animal attempting to gnaw, brings down on itself. A friend in Canada informs me, that » among the country people it is not considered fit for food till after the first frost, but that the flesh is, at the best, in poor repute in the cuisine, being hard and dry, and is looked upon with disdain as a dish, except in a 2J0tage with plenty of other ingredients." The -Grey.Kabbit" {L. sylvaticus), which Desmarest, Harlan, Audubon, Thompson, and Bachman call L. Americanns, in general appearance very much resembles our common rabbit. Its back is a yellowish-brown, mixed with grey and black ; the sides being much greyer, as well as the loins and thighs. The under parts are white, and the sides of the head reddish grey. The fur is full and close, and especially so on the under parts of the feet. The Prairie Hare {L. campestris) is one of the largest hares of the continent, weighing from seven to eleven pounds, and is of a grey colour tinged with yellow, the entire under parts dusky white. It does not burrow, and is found by the sportsman, like the two preceding kinds, either with or without the use of doss. The forests in most parts of Canada abound with squirrels, which are perhaps more abundant and in greater variety in North America than in any other part of the world, widely distributed though they are. A large black oi.e,* fully double the size of our common red squirrel, is so numerous at times, that scores may be seen leaping from bough to bough. The flesh of this kind, especially after the hickory nuts come in, is not to be despised, being very white and tender, and of deli- cate flavour. 1 have occasionally killed them when on short commons, and consider the flesh, either stewed or made into a curry, as equal to rabbit, and have passed it off as such; on one occasion eliciting the highest com- mendations of a brother officer, who had often expressed his disgust at the idea of eating squirrel. Black-squirrel shooting ranks as a field-sport among the Yankees, whose aspirations, however, do not rise very high in such matters ; and there are authenticated * Sciurut iiir/er. SMALLER FOREST ANIMALS. 33 instances of two guns having killed upwards of one thousand head in a week. The grey-squirrel,* which is even" larger than the above, does not appear to be so common, though I have seen it in tolerable abundance, and it is much sought after for the sake of its beautiful skin, which is used in the manufacture of caps, muffs, and other articles of winter attire. Both these squirrels are migratory, and move to the south when the cold weather sets in. The black one is a capital swimmer, and does not hesitate to cross the widest rivers in his course, though I cannot bear out the report which gravely states that "they are accustomed to cross the great lakes, using their tails after the manner of a sail, and choosing a favourable wind." An exceedingly pretty and very interesting variety, which is familiar to all who have been in the forest, is the ground-squirrel, or "chipmunk,"t which maybe seen in almost every wood. It is smaller than the common British squirrel, with a tail much less bushy in pro- portion. A specimen that I brought home is of a bright fawn colour, inclining to grey on the back, along which run three parallel stripes or bars at a little distance apart, the two outer of a light cream colour, w'th a border of deep brown, and the centre one of the latter colour only. • Sciurus leucotis. t lamias striatus. I 4m 34 SCIl'HID^. The eyes, which are very prominent, arc black and piercing. Its nest is generally to be found at the root of a tree or in the hollow of some fallen trunk, and is neatly and very firmly built of small twigs and dead leaves, the interior being warmly lined with abundance of dry moss, and so ingeniously coverpd in is to be perfectly protected from the heaviest rain. The chipmunk, I believe, rarely climbs like the squirrel, for I have often, when lying in wait for ducks or posted at some deer run, watched their amusing gambols, and observed them continually leaping on and clinging to the trunk of a tree, now and then scrambling a few inches up it, but dropping to the ground again without ascending higher. The Beaver {Castor Canadensis) perhaps barely comes under the denomination of game, being more usually trapped than shot; but an animal so interesting de- serves more than a mere passing notice. Though once spread over the whole of Canada it is now found only in the most northern districts, and would doubtless ere this have become altogether extinct but for the fortunate stop put to the demand for its skin, by the introduction of other materials in the manufacture of hats; indeed, since this change, the beaver is said to be rather on the increase. Traces of their former habitations are still visible in many of the most cultivated and populous parts THE CANADIAN BEAVEU. 35 of Canada. In one of those interestiny the Moose, the climate and te.nperature will be found to be nearly the same in both eases. According to the just quoted writer, the entire range of the North American animal "extends, at the present clay, on the west coast, from the shores of the Arctic Ocean nearly to the Columbia Kivor. Further cast, the northern limit is about latitude 65^ and thence through Canada to Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and the northern parts of the State of New York, where a few are killed every jear, although, owing to the com- paratively inaccessible nature of their resorts, their pursuit has become extremely diftieidt." That the Old World Elk formerly covered a much more extensive area than at the present day, is manifest * Baird, in liis " ZooIol'v of tlu- Piicifio IJnn«,.c " THK MOOSK. 43 ^^m from the discovery of fossil remains in various Kiiropean covintries wlicn; it luis heon (extinct for a^es. Mr. iJoyd Duwkins siiya : In the turbaries of North Germany, luid esijceialiy in Pomcrania, its n^mains arc very uhundaut, and are there associated with those of reindeer and other animals. Even our own land ai)[)ears to have been once inha- bited by this noble animal, for its bones have been found in a eave on the coast of l*embrokeshire, associated with those of Ursiis speUom and the mammoth, proving that it lived in liritain, as it did in France, during the Pleistocene times. According to Dr. Percival Wright, an antler attributed to the true Elk was found in Ireland, and exhibited at a meeting of the Dublin Royal Society last sjjring. And the case adduced by Mr, llowse proves that this animal lived in England also after the disappearance of the mammoth, cave-lion, and other Pleistocene mammalia, in the period that, for want of a better name, we call prehistoric. In his "Notes on the Fossil Remains of Extinct Mammalia foimd in North- umberland and Durham,"* he says, "The former existence of the true Elk or Moose Deer of the Canadians in England rests upon the authority of a very fine antler which was found in Chirdon Burn. The perfect appear- Tnins. Tynuside Nat. Field Club. :i I ■' 44 CERVID^. ance of the burr or boss shows it to have been shed, and the number of joints or digitations indicate it to have belonged to an individual six or seven years old, and therefore im2nature, as the Elk is said not to complete the groAvth of its horns till the fourteenth year. Though the above-mentioaed instance probably belongs to the pre- historic period, the following quotation, if it may be relied on, would lead us to infer that the true Elk existed in this country at a much later date. In Maxwell's "Hill- side and Border Sketches," it is said that a medal of Trajan, a patera, a fibula, and a Moose Deer were discovered near North Berwick. There is no historical account of the former existence of the Elk as a native of Britain by any Roman author, though it is particularly mentioned by Caesar, among other animals, as living in the great Hercynian forest during the Roman period. With the progress of civilization, it has, however, gradu- ally disappeared from the countries formerly occupLl by this extensive forest, and occurs now in Europe only in northern 'Prussia, Lithuania, Finland, Russia, and Scandinavia." Unfortunately this process of extinction is going on slowly but surely, among the Moose of Canada, aided by the yearly inroads upon the forest, and till lately by the barbarous destruction to which they have been exposed- not alone on the part of the savage Indian or the ignorant i^'-*^.- THE MOOSE. 46 settler, but, less excusably, at the hands of men claiming to be sportsmen, yet slaughtering indiscriminately old and young, pregnant mothers, and half-grown "calves," and leaving the useless carcasses to rot on the ground. Such deeds have been perpetrated to within a very recent period in Nova Scotia — deeds which, to the disgrace of our country, characterize the presence of Eng! hmen alike in the elephant jungles of the East, the buffalo prairies of North America, and the noble plains of South Africa. It is indeed to be feared that in thne the Moose may become as completely extinct as its prehistoric congener, the so-called " Irish-elk,"* in comparison with which the proportions of the Moose sink into insignificance. Perhaps some of the most perfect existing specimens of this magnificent deer are those in the possession of Sir George Abercromby, at Forglen House, N.B.; namely, two entire heads, with part of a third, and portions of four skeletons, which were found on his Irish property at Fermoy, at a depth of fourteen feet below the surface of a peaty swamp, resting on a solid bed of clay and gravel, and lying close together, as if washed in by some eddy. These, or rather, similar remains, have often been erroneously confounded, under the name of elk, with C. alces; but the Irish "Big-horn," or 3fegaceros, is not 'til * Meffaceros Hibernicus, 46 CERVID^. an elk, but a true deer, intermediate between the fallow- deer (C. dama) and the rein-deer (C. tarandiis) ; and its horns are of a very different type from those of the elk, Avhich have no stem, and are also of much smaller growth. The finest of the specimens of antlers just alluded to, at Forglen, measures no less than eight feet two inches across from tip to tip; the stems of the horns at base are nearly a foot in circumference, and some of the tines are Uvo feet three inches in length. Though of greatly inferior proportions tc his colossal animal, the Moose is of far larger dimensions and more imposing appearance than any other existing species of the Cervidce, though, at the same time, of such strange and ungainly form that we can hardly wonder at the absurd fables concerning it which are to be found among Greek and Roman writers ; some of whom gravely describe it as having no joints to its legs, antlers growing from its eyelids, and only able to graze when walking backwards. Its habit, when pursued, of blindly stumbling over fallen trees and the like obstacles, owino- to the elevated carriage of the head, also gave rise to the belief that it was subject to fits, and recovered itself by smelling its hoof A full-grown Bull-Moose stands from seventeen to eighteen hands liigli, and weighs nearly twelve hundred THE MOOSE. 47 pounds. He has a bristly mane about five inches in height, and from a lump under the throat hangs a tuft of coarse hair. The coat is very long, and so exceedingly brittle that it breaks when bent. Except on the legs and belly, where it is of a much lighter hue,- it is of a varying ash colour, having the extremities of the hairs tipped with dark brown. The tail is very short, and is white on the under side. In winter, unlike many other animals inha- biting the higher latitudes— as the hare and the fox, which at that season become as white as the snow on which they move— the Moose assumes a much darker shade, the bull being often nearly black, and consequently more conspi- cuous to his enemies; and this coat, which is not shed till spring, is much longer and coarser than the summer one. The horns of the young Moose are in their first year only an inch high ; in the next they rise to a foot, and are shaped somewhat like a large spear-head; in the followino- year they are forked; in the fourth season they have six snags, and at five 3'ears old are of triangular form, with points on the external edges. In the mature animal the points are sometimes thirty in number, and the antlers frequently measure as much as six feet from tip to tip. Thiy are shed in January and February, and are so rapidly developed again, that by the month of June they arc restored to their full size. The young males do not lose theirs till spring, and they are in consepuence corre- IP i 48 CERVID^. I i ;" spondingly later in reappearing. A better idea of the size of the full-grown antlers may be conveyed by a comparison of their weight with that of the antlers of the Highland red-deer. These, in a fuU-grown sta- seldom weigh more than from twelve to thirteen pounds, whereas the horns of an old Moose often attain to fifty pounds and upwards, and have, I believe, been known to weigh as much as sixty. The muscles of the neck are of extraordinary size and development, and the neck itself, as if intended the better to enable the animal to support the above enormous weight, is excessively short, measuring not more than twelve inches from the shoulder to the back of the head. The fore legs at the same time are disproportionately long, so that it can only graze with difficulty and in a posture apparently extremely irksome, one fore foot being awkwardly placed in front and the other thro«rn back under the body. That this attitude is really inconve- nient is proved by the fact that whenever possible they give the preference to herbage lying on a slope, as being more easily accessible. Nature has, however, in some measure compensated for so inconvenient a neck by the extraordinary length and prehensile power of the upper lip, or '-mouffle," and also by endowing the animal with a liking for young twigs, tree-lichen, bark, and the tender brandies of the birch, THE MOOSE. 49 moose-wood and willow, which the giraffe-like formation of his body and limbs enables him to obtain more easily; while water-lilies, which are also a favourite food, he is likewise enabled to procure with facility by wading. There is another peculiarity in this useful muzzle, namely, the formation of the nostrils, which are of such extraordinary size that I have heard of the lower end of a quart bottle being introduced into them without the slightest difficulty. The space between them is very broad, and almost entirely covered with close short hair, only a very small patch of bare skin being visible in the centre. The Moose, as is the case with most of the order to which it belongs, has no incisors in the upper jaw. Though the fore feet are perfectly straight and well- formed, the hind hoofs, on the contrary, are splayed and awkward, and the horny points, which are very long and loose, strike together at every step with a singular clicking sound. This expansion of the foot is, doubtless, intended to support, to a certain extent, the weight of the animal on the snow-fields in winter, as well as on the vast swamps it loves to frequent in the heat of summer, though, on ordinary ground, it appears to in- crease the naturally somewhat shuffling gait. Using their fore feet with great force and wonderful dexterity and quickness, they are enabled, with the heavy ft ■ ' 'i h ri W! it I fj-'i ' I 1 ■ • If I, 1 1 50 CERVIDiE. sharp-edged hoof, to inflict a most severe and often dangerous wound, and are therefore not to be rashly approached when wounded or at bay, though under or- dinary circumstances they are by no means pugnaciously mclined. In fact, their natural disposition, as is the case with many other animals of great size and conscious strength, is rather to avoid combat than court it; and when taken young they may be easily tamed, in which respects they diflfer widely from the caribou. The "Cow-moose" seldom exceeds sixteen hands in height, and has no horns; her coat is also r'^dder or more sandy than that of the bull, though in both there is at times a very considerable variation of colour. She has only one calf at a birth for the first few years, but after that period has generally two. They are of a light brown colour, and are usually born in the spring, at which time the mother retreats to the deepest and thickest parts of the forest, chiefly in order to hide her young from the bulls, which would infallibly destroy thCiTl. The calves continue to be suckled by the mother for a longer time after their birth than is the case with any other animal that I am acquainted with. They follow her likewise for a period of unusual duration; generally indeed until she lias another family to look after. The slow growth of their horns as weapons of I THE MOOSE. 51 defence, and the time that the young animals are in coming to maturity, are thus ^om^onsated for by the maternal protection ; for, as a recent writer* has noticed, the affection of young animals to their parents does not extend beyond the period when they are able to provide for themselves, and varies in its duration in accordance with the time uecessiuj- for attaining that end. Its intensity also ceases !=imultancously both in parent and offspring, and aftor the period of its cessation not even recognition appears to remain. During the rutting season, which is in September, the Moose seldom quits the covert, and is not to be approached without considerable risk, the bulls being especially dangerous at tuat time. Moose hunting lasts throughout the autumn and winter, and there are several different methods of pursuing the sport, as "calling," "driving," "creeping," and " tracking," or hunting on snow-shoes, sometimes called " crusting." " Calling," which is practised generally in September and October, as soon as the bellow of the bull begins to be heard at night, is thus managed, and though it may at first sight appear unsportsmanlike, is neither without danger or excitement. On a calm, light night, * Thompson's " Passions of Animals." E 2 ii Ul V:i .1! ill? i* I 62 CERVlDvE. the hunter, accompanied by an Indian or Canadian, skilled, not only in woodcraft, but in the imitation of the call or bellow of the Cow-moose, repairs to the forest or swamp in which the animals are known to be feeding. The instrument by which the " call " is produced is a cone or trumpet of bark, generally that of the birch, about a foot and a half in length. With this the native mounts a tree, in order to enable tho sound to travel further; the shooter below concealing himself cither among the chance bushes, or, if necessary, behind an artificial screen of lopped boughs or sapins. After the startling sound of the call has echoed away through the dusky forest, the ordinary deathlike silence again ensues, till the answer of the bull is faintly heard in the distance, for the range to which the call reaches on a still night is almost incredible. When necessary to guide or encourage the advance of the approaching Moose, the call is repeated ; but he generally makes straight to the point with wonderful , accuracy, even from a distance of a mile or more. The caller at this juncture, descending to the ground retires, with a reserve gun, to the rear of the sportsman,' and, motionless as the dark tr.mks around, they await the appearance of their prey. However cramped or con- strained their attitude, they must not move a finger, for tl.e suspicious animal invariably approaches up-wind if I # THE MOOSK. 53 practicable, often making a very extended circuit to do so, and is not easily led into ambush. Listening for the first response to the call, and still more anxiously for the slightest indication of an ap- proaching animal, is a period of some excitement, but the moment the formidable beast is heard actually advancing nearer and nearer, crashing heavily through the obstructing branches in his onward course, now emitting a dull hollow grunt, now striking his antlers sharply against the trunks of the trees, every nerve is strung to the highest pitch, till the mighty tenant of the forest stands before the concealed hunter, who hardly dares to draw his breath as he steadies his hand for the fatal shot. A bull, on approaching the whereabouts of the sup- posed female, will often stand in full view bellowing in tones that ring startlingly through the forest depths, stamping impatiently, and turning his shaggy head, now in one direction now in another, the large cars moving continually backwards and forwards, the mane erect, his enormous antlers glancing in the moonlight, and his breath wreathing in the night air. When, as is sometimes the case, two bulls chance to meet at the spot, laying back their ears and gnashing their teeth together, they will rush at each other with the most sudden and apjjalling fury, roaring, bellowing. o> 54 CKHVlDiE. f I and clashiMg their untlons together in presence of the hunter, who, in utfer ibrccffulness of his rifle, stands rooted to the ground at the sight of the rnagnifieent struggle. Sometimes, also, an animal, on approaching, comes to a stand, apparently seized with vague doubts, and the adler lures him on again with a suppressed grunting sound, tiie imitation of which at close quarters is the most difficult part of the accomplishment. In this the "red men" are unrivalled; for though many of the French-Canadlan hunters imitate the ordinary bellow very successfully, they are generally inferior in this most critical point. If the sounds are clumsily executed, tne disappointed animal, though lie would not hesitate, if con- fror.ted, to attack any one rash enough to meet him, takes alarm at an invisible danger, and beats a rapid retreat at the very moment when the anxious watcher is about to realize the reward of his toil and patience. When this unfortunately happens, the sport is over for the night, and there is nolliing to be done but to light a fire Ind smoke, or lie down to sleep till a little before daylight, which is a very favourable hour for "calling," and^by that time the alarm has generally subsided, or other moose have fed up to within call. A temporary bivouac IS also not unfrequently rendered necessary by the sudden springing up of a breeze in the early part of the night. .*'-«' THE M008K. 65 If the panic has been so complete aa to prevent either "calling" or stalking with any chance of success, the Indians resort to " driving," and while the sportsman lies concealed in a likely "run," they make a considerable detour in order to get round the covert, and advancing through it, drive the animals towards the rifle. When moving rapidly in this way the Moose carry their heads thrown back, their noses high in the air, and the hind logs wide apart, in order to avoid striking the heels of the fore feet, and, as may be imagined, have a most singular appearance as they shuffle swiftly away through the forest, twisting their huge horns in all directions to escape contact with the trees. Though their usual pace is a slouching trot, they can, when necessary, gallop ; but, except when very hard pressed and on firm ground, seldom exert themselves to that extent; their ordinary pace, easy as it appears, being sufficient in most cases to distance their pursu'^rs. It not unfrequently happens that a small herd is ascer- tained to be feeding in some open glade at the edge of the forest, when of course it is simply necessary to advance cautiously up-wind under cover of the trees, and select at leisure the best or nearest, as the case may be. But they will never be found in such a position in thick or stormy weather; for thougli they are said by the Indians to hear the snap of a bough, even in the highest 60 I I CERVIDiB. Wind, the extra caution they exhibit in avoiding proximity to any covert under such circumstances, seems to argue the contrary. "Creeping," or " still-hunting," which, except as affected by the nature of the country, differs in no respect from deer-stalking at home, may be followed both in autumn and in winter; though the former is certainly the pleasanter, and in some respects the better season of the two. Few sports in the world, perhaps, more test the skill of the hunter than Moose-creeping, and I have stalked wildebeest and springbok on the plains of South Africa, the Great Rusa on the Neilgherry Hills, and alligators in Malabar (than which, not many animals more difficult of approach are easily to be found,) and therefore speak advisedly. Shy and watchful as the deer, the Moose is even more cautious and keen of scent, and the eye, though so comparatively small, is extremely quick. The open forest, too, while certainly affording some degree of cover, adds difficulties unknown on the heather. Though not perplexed by the shifting winds of mountain corries, the hunter has to contend with the more dangerous stillness of the forest atmosphere, and the echoing dis- tinctness with which every sound is borne on the^clear air, and has to pick his hazardous path through clustering TFIE MOOSE. 67 trees, over prostrate iiMi>.<« and among rotten boughs, where a chance blov fror,> his rifle-barrel, or a careless step on an unnoticeu »;ick, vhile he is eagerly noting the wind, the ground, the ' «»ign," and fifty other essential points, may ruin in a. distant results achieved only by hours of toil and exertion. Nor are the feeding herd and watchful bull the only objects of his cautions regard. He must pay attention to the smallest birds and animals in their vicinity with equal care ; for a chipmunk scampering through the dry leaves, or a chattering jay startled by his too sudden a])pcarance or rapid advance, will probably scare away a whole herd, or excite such a degree of suspicion and alertness that further approach is a matter of doubly increased diffi- culty. These lesser inhabitants of the covert, how- ever, often aflford information of the greatest value to the i)ractiscd hunter. Posted on a run, or crouched in his cache of green boughs, silent and alone, he knows that the bird darting suddenly from the thicket, or the squirrel abruptly arrested in his gambols, announces the unseen approach of the wished-for deer. The ex- perienced in woodcraft discovers at every step signs to him as plain as day, where others see only accident or the merest trifles; he follows tracks invisible to unaccus- tomed eyes, with a sort of instinct ; and pushes on Avith equal speed and certainty over dead leaves, elastic moss, I^'i ■ i 58 CERVID^. ¥ ! J}' y ■ if if and rocky ground. By the elevation of the newly broken twigs, by the height of the rubbings, or the appearance of the gnawed bark on the larger trees, by the form, the depth and size of the slot or footprints, by the droppings, connected or separate, he will tell whether the Moose in front are male or female, old or young; and knows their weight and antlers, and whether the animals are flying, or retreating leisurely. By the springy grass, still prostrate, or just recovering from the pressure of the hoof, he will judge his distance to a nicety, and by a hundred other minutiae comprehend as clearly every movement of the invisible objects of his pursuit as though they were within reach of his eyes. When I^Ioose are close at hand, a faint warm whiff of musk scents the air, and he who has learned to thread his way with the stealthy tread of the panther may sometimes manage to creep pretty close in upon them. From the resemblance, however, in colour which their bodies bear to surrounding objects, it is often so difficult to detect them that the flappi„g of tlieir long ears is the first indication of their whereabouts. Some are lying, some standing; some stamping their large heavy hoofs, and others tos.sing hack their viust antlers, impatient of the tormenting flics, whie!i during the sununer and autumn montiis attack them in myriadi if an alarm is given, in the twinkling of an eye THE MOOSE. 59 everything is changed, the herd is off in a moment, madly rushing onwards, heedless of every obstruction, and bearing all before it. It is singular that the mere sound of firing does not appear to alann other Moose in the neighbourhood ; though the sight of a flying animal will scare away every herd in its course, and the forest will be deserted for days after. In spring and summer, the Moose frequents the swamps and lagoons in search of rushes and aquatic plants, and in the hot weather stands, sometimes for a very long time together, immersed up to the neck in the cool lakes in order to escape the flies, or to browse on the broad lotus leaves floating on the surface, as well as on their stalks, which it procui'es by immersing its head under water. At such times they are much more easily ap[)roached — either in a canoe, or from the thickly wooded bank — thnn when In the forest ; though the more common method is for the hunter to take up his position before daylight within sliot of the place which lie has previou-*ly discovered by the trail is a favourite resort. Hen! lie lies in ambush as quietly as he can, seeing he is probably half devoured by musquitoes, till about mid-day, when the cracking of dry branches and tlie rustle of dead leaves warn liitn of the approach of the antle' monarch, which presently emerges from the shade, and after looking cautiously round, wades into the i '■* -t 60 CERVID^. %1 ^-kl i I water, to fall an easy prey to the pot-shot of the patient watcher. Even more illegitimate modes of destruction are un- fortunately practised against these unoffending animals. The settlers hunt them at all seasons, with packs of yelping curs of every kind and breed, and though seldom successful in bringing them to bay, the country, after such runs, is entirely forsaken by the Moose for many months, if not altogether. The Indians also, when the snow is thickly crusted, which is generally the case late in the season, are in the imbit of driving them into the deep drifts, where, being unable to escape, they are butchered in cold blood; and a system in vogue with the lumbermen is that of trapping them by means of a springe. This is formed by bending down a strong young ash tree, and laying a running noose of rope on the path they are found to frequent ; by this means the passing animal is caught and hoisted up lugh in the air, where it struggles till the gradually tightening cord ends its painful throes. In Avinter, the Moose, being, from their great weight, unable to travel without much difficulty in the deep snow, select some sheltered part of the forest, which also affords a good supply of food, and there form what is termed a " yard " or ravage; not, as a writer on tiie field sports of North America tells us, "by regularly trampling fi THE MOOSK. 61 down the snow in due form,'* but simply by confining themselves, for the above reason, to one spot, which, of course, very soon produces the same effect, the interior being screened and protected by the deep drift around. Unless disturbed, they mil remain in one of these places for a considerable time, gradually enlarging the area, often to the extent of twenty or thirty acres, and browsing on the buslies, and on the branches and bark of the surrounding trees, as long as there is anything left ; the trunks being peeled to a height which it appears almost incredible the animal should be able to reach, while the young and lower trees are stripped bare of every branch ; the spruce alone appearing to escape. The maple, mountain-ash, and " button-wood," or plane, are especial favourites. There is little doubt that the Moose is capable of undergoing long privation, and in proportion to its great size is at all times a sparing feeder, and able to subsist on very little nourishment. The old males gene- rally "yard" together, for as they advance in years they keep more und moio aloof from the females and young animals ; ..11.] ;m last become so unsociable thai they even dislike c&cli other's society, and live an entirely solitary life. The v'xccrior 'i tiie ravage is often found thickly trampled ]>y woIvlj, ^\ hich, tliough mortally afraid to cress I 62 CERVID^. I! the rampart, will notwithstanding lay siege to the place night after night, howling round it with impotent rage. Indians sometimes come in to report the discovery of these "yards," just as on the Neilgherries the Todas and Khotas come in to the European garrison to report a tiger, and, in like manner, parties are organized to go in pursuit ; but more generally expeditions start for the most likely districts, with the object of searching for and finding their own game, and are of course invariably accompanied by skilful guides and hunters. "Paul," and the elder and younger " Francis," Lorette Indians, who still act in these capacities, are names which will be familiar to all who have hunted Moose in the neigh- bourhood of Quebec. Long and sometimes tedious marches through the snow, up hill, down dale, and through thick forest, have to be undertaken, and it is necessary to be prepared for an absence of several days. After reacliing the farthest point practicable for sleighing, or even using a calash through the narrow difficult paths, the camp supplies, blankets, biscuit, pork, coffee, and so on, are transferred to tarhoggins, or light hand - sledges, which are drawn after the hunters by their dusky attendants. When the snow has accumulated to any depth snow-shoes are of course indispensable, but these are not to be used without THE MOOSE. 63 practice, and even when their use has been mastered, a little preparatory exercise is advisable before starting on one of these expeditions, in order to accustom the ankles to the unusual strain upon the muscles, which, under the name of mal a raquette, frequently confines the tyro to his room. The snow-shoe, which it is perhaps hardly necessary to describe, is a light ash frame of an oval form, varying in dimensions according to circumstances, the full size being about thirty-nine inches in length by seventeen in breadth at the widest part, which is near the centre. This framework, strengthened by a couple c rail erse bars, is laced across with a strong and bt . ^lly made net- work of caribou or laoose skin, which is cut into fine strips resembling catgut, and interwoven close enough to prevent the feet sinking even into the softest snow ; this part of the work is generally performed by the squaws, the men manu- facturing the wooden frame. When in use the snow- shoes are attached by stout straps to the fore part of the feet; and if necessary while hunting, to remove them, in order to advance more noiselessly, are generally hung round the neck. Each night the party bivouacs in the sombre snow- laden forest '• Manet sub Jove frigldo venator ;" and a convenient and sheltered spot being selected, the I , it w ■ i . ( ■ « 64 CERVIDiE. snow is dug out from an area proportioned to the shelter required, and piled up by the aid of the snow-shoes to windward, either simply as a screen, or in the form of a rude hut. The ground is strewed with sopms, buffalo robes are laid over them, and in front a blazing fire is built on large logs. Though this is comfortable enough, the latter part of the night is intensely cold; and in spite of blanket-coats, sleigh-robes, and fire, it is neces- sary to lie very close together to maintain the animal heat at all. In Canada Moose more frequently form into small herds than they do further north, but it is not an un- common occurrence to come unexpectedly on a sino-le bull lying in the snow. As it starts suddenly to its feet and bounds forward, the novice in all probability fires a snap-shot at random, either missing it altogether or merely wounding it; but the practised hunter, knowing well that it will turn round in a moment or two to gaze at the cause of alarm, raises his rifle and steadily awaits a surer aim. When a herd is in flight the animals keep in Indian file, each treading in the track of the one before it, for the crust on the surface of the snow, obliging them to lift their feet perpendicularly out of the deep holes made at each step, very much hampers their flight ; while it is further impeded by the dogs used in the chase. THK MOOSK. 65 which, barking close at their heels, yet always keeping out of harm's way, cause them constantly to stop and charge. Though the hunter's broad snow-shoes bear him lightly on the glistening surface, while the flying Moose sinks to the knee at every step, it holds its own, and keeps the lead in a manner which, considering its awkward gait, appears incredible, and is not to be overtaken with- out a trial of strength and endurance which none but the robust need attempt. Keeping to leeward of the tracks and cutting off all angles possible, the intervening distance is gradually lessened, and the excited hunters, straining every nerve, gain sensibly on their prize. Again, however, it struggles with more desperate energy through the crusted snow, its tracks stained Avith the blood that flows from its lacerated fetlocks, and once more regains the advantage. Strong thews, sound wind, and determined endurance, however, know no defeat, and the chase leads on and on, till at length the furious animal, with heaving flanks and distended nostrils, is brought to bay; or perhaps even till the descending sun crimsons the western horizon, and the quickly succeeding shades of night put an end to the pursuit till the morrow. With a two-year-old bull the latter is the more frequent occurrence of the two, as they have much greater powers of endurance than the others, l)ut the old males, though more easily run F 66 CERVID^. fil n:' I down, are more dangerous and vicious when brought to bay; indeed they will sometimes even r3fuse to run at all, in both which cases a steady hand and dry powder are essential points. As to the weapon suitable for Moose, Caribou, and Deer shooting, a light double-barrelled smooth-bore rifle is, in my opinion, of all others the most convenient and useful ; but every-one has his own ideas on these subjects. When a Moose is slaughtered, the tongue, palate, mouffle, and marrowbones are reserved for the white- hunters, while their attendants feast on the flesh. This, though coarse in grain, is, when in good condition, very tender, and rather like beef, with the addition of a slightly gamey flavour; it is largely preserved by means of smoke-drying. The fat, unlike that of the deer tribe in general, is quite soft, and the layer on the chine, known as the depouille, is highly esteemed by the trappers and Indians; though that of the Caribou ranks, I believe, still higher in their estimation. The fat and marrow in both animals, when mixed with the pounded flesh, form " pemmican." The Moose have been lately very much hunted for the sake of their skins, which have risen in value within the last year or two. Mr. Bel), of Montreal, in an in- teresting paper on the "Natural History of the St. Lawrence District,'" mentions the fact of a huntino- THE MOOSE. 67 party having, during the winter of 1857-8, procured three hundred skins ; while another, consisting of only three Indians, had on a single expedition the same season killed nearly one hundred Moose. The uses to which the various parts of this animal are put, says Mr. Ross,* are many. "The hide supplies parchment, leather, lines, and cords; the sinews yield thread and glue ; the horns serve for handles to knives and awls, as well as to make spoons of; the shank bones are employed as tools to dress leather with ; and with a particular portion of the hair, when dyed, the Indian women embroider garments. To make leather and parchment, the hide is first divested of hair by scrap- ing ; and all pieces of raw flesh being cut away, if then washed, stretched, and dried it will become parch- ment. In converting this into leather, a further pro- cess of steeping, scraping, rubbing, and smearing with the brains of the animal is gone through, after which it is stretched and dried, and then smoked over a fire of rotten wood, which imparts a lively yellow colour to it. The article is then ready for service. Of parchment, as such, the Indians make little use, but the residents avail themselves of it in lieu of glass for windows, for constructing the sides of dog- * Can. Nat. Gm. -. Montreal., Dec, ISUl. F 2 68 CKllVIUiB. 1. 1 r ' I f I cariok's, and for making glue. The leather is serviceable in a variety of ways, but is principally made up into tents and articles of clothing, and in the fabrication of dog-harness, fine cords, wallets, &c. The capotes, gowns, ' fire-bags,' mittens, and moccasins made of it are often richly ornamented with quills and beads. The lines and cords arc of various sizes, the larffest beinff used for sled -lines and pack -cords, the smaller for lacing snow-shoes and other purposes. In order to make the sled-lines pliant — a very necessary quality when the temperature is 40° or 50° below zero, Fahr. the cord is first soaked in fiit fish-liquor; it is then dried in the frost, and afterwards rubbed by hauling it through the eye of an axe. To complete the operation it is well greased, and any hard lumps masticated until they become soft, by which process a line is produced of great strength and pliancy, and which is not liable to crack in the most severe cold. To obtain thread, the fibres of the sinews are separated, and twisted into the required sizes. The Moose furnishes the best quality of this article, which is used by the natives to sew both leather and cloth, to make rabbit snares, and to Aveavc into fishing nets." The long white hairs are used by the squav/s in the oi-namental eml)roidcry of their different articles of clothing and finery ; and the hoofs of the fore feet with about tAvelve inches of the skin attached, and fiattened THR MOOflR. (59 • out, are manufucturcd into pouches, or bugs called capuches, on which a largo amount of labour and in- genuity is generally expended. The beautifully inter- laced and durable net-work of the snow-shoes before alludnd to, is made from carefully cut strings of the undressed or raw hide. I have not been able to obtain any reliable informa- tion as to the longevity or otherwise of the Moose ; it is, however, believed by the Indians to live to a great age, a supposition wlil h, considering the turdiness of its attainment to muturity, is not improbable. TRE MOOSR. %\^^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) '-€^. /. % fA fe*/ f/. t 1.0 I I.I 1.25 156 1^ 2.5 IIIIIM i -- IM i.4 1.8 1.6 V] %^. m o^ Photographic Sdences Corporation « L1>^ \ #^ A % .V ^o \ o '^ '^'• '%^ 23 \' £ST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4503 S'/ f/i i CHAPTER TV. Uluminanlia — continued. THE CARIBOU — TWO VARIETIES — COMPARED WITH THE REINDEER — PRE- SENT RANGE OP REJNDEEH AND ITS FORMER LATITUDES — EARLY EXISTENCE IN WESTERN EUROPE — REMATN8 FOUND IN FRANCE, GREAT BRITAIN, AND IRELAND — DIFFERENCE IN SIZE BETWEEN CARIBOU AND REINDEER — INTRACTABILITY OF FORMSR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEIR ANTLERS — EFFECT OP FOOD ON ANTLER GROWTH DESCRIP- TION OF CARIBOU HORNS ANTLEiS IN FEMALE — IMMATURE HORNS GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CARIBOU — INFESTED WITH jESTRUS DISTRICTS WHERE FOUND — NATURE OP ITS POOD ITS CALL STALKING GREAT FLEETNESS — THE WAPITI ITS SOUTHERN LIMITS SIZE, COLOUR, AND ANTLERS MISNAMED " ELK " ITS HABITS, FOOD, ETC. THE AMERICAN DEER ANTLERS AND GENERAL DESCRIP- TION— COLOUR OF FAWNS ABUNDANCE OF DEER — THEIR FOOD AND HABITS — TORCH AND FIRE-LIGHT SHOOTING— DRIVING — STALKING SEASONS FOR — WINTER STALKING — MODE OP SECURING CAPCASE — VALUE OP DEER SKINS. CHAPTER IV. Ilummrtnlm — continued. rriHE Caribou of Canada (Cervus tarandus, var. Caribou) -*- is not to be confounded with the smaller variety (Groenlandicus) which inhabits the more northern regions lying between the sixty-fifth degree of latitude and the coast of thu Arctic Sea; and is an equally disthict variety of the typical reindeer* of the Old World. As Sir John Richardson remarksf — " Neither of these varieties of Caribou has as yet been properly compared with the European or Asiatic races of reindeer, and the distinguishing characters, if any exist, are still unknown. So great is their resemblance in habits and appearance to the Lapland deer, that they have always been considered to be the same species, without the fact having ever been completely established." These remarks, written more than five- and- thirty years ago, are still true, for no complete skeleton of American Caribou exists in any European collection * Cervus tarandm. t Fauna Borccilis Americana. I. 238. |!> ti n 74 CERVIDiE. for comparison, and specific characteristics cannot of course be founded on mere antler variation; but I shall as briefly as possible point out the dirferences that exist between them, and show them to be in reality only very distinctly marked varieties of one and the same species. The Eeindeer has its modern range east and west, from Kamtschatka to Norway. Pallas mentions it as existing in the Ural Mountains in his time — namely, from 1760-80; and according to Wilson,* " herds are still found among the pine woods which stretch from the banks of the Oufa, under the fifty-fifth degree, to those of the Kama. They proceed even farther south, along the woody summits of that prolongation of the Uralian Mountains which stretches between the Don and the Wolga, as far as the forty-sixth degree. The species thus advances almost to the base of the Caucasian Mountains, along the banks of the Kouma, where scarcely a winter passes without a few being shot by the Kalmucks, under a latitude two degrees ^o the south of Astracan. This remarkable ine.^ ality of the polar distances in the geographical positions of this species, according to the difference of meridian, is of course dependent on the laws which regulate the dis- tribution of heat over the earth's surface, as explained by Humboldt. It is well known that physical climate? • Enc. Brit., Ed. 1857. THE CARIBOU. 75 do not lie, as it were, in bands parallel to the equator, but that the isothermal lines recede from the pole in the interior of continents, and advance towards it as we approach the shores. It follows, that the further any northern animal is naturally removed from the amelio- rating climatic influence of the ocean, the more extended may be its range in a southerly direction." In former ages the reindeer appears to have ex- tended very nearly as far south as this in Western Europe also. There is no evidence of its having ac- tually crossed the Pyrenees or Alps; but remains have been discovered at no great distance from the northern base of the former chain, and vast numbers of others have been traced thence through France, Great Britain, and Ireland. In the caves of Bruniquel in Southern France, the Vicomte de Lastic found in a group of cave-remains immense numbers of those of reindeer, which had evi- dently served for food to the human denizens of the cavern, whose relics in skulls, bones, worked flints, and horns were afterwards secured by Professor Owen for the British Museum. In many of the caves of the Dordogne quantities of remains of C. tarandus have also been brought to light ; in one instance an artificial flint weapon was found deeply fixed or embedded in a vertebra of one of this species. ft I I'k M 1 1 76 CRRVID^, ^'1' The Rev. S. W. King, F.G.S., discovered numerous remains in ti.e cave of Aurignac in Haute Garonne, in 1864, wliere they had also been found to the probable extent of some ten or twelve individuals by M. Lartet, associated with Pleistocene remains. Sir Charles Lyell* also notices remains as having been found in Brixham Cave, near Torquay, and in the ossiferous caves in Glamorganshire, from which latter no less than a thousand reindeer antlers were extracted, several hundred more being estimated to remain there.' Professor Owenf records their occurrence in a cavern in Devonshire, also in a peat moss in Norfolk, and probable specimens in a marl-pit in rorfarshire. Others have recently been dredged from the bed of the Thames. In the West of England, Mr. Boyd Dawkins ar.d Mr. Ayshford Sanford detected two varieties of fossil reindeer in the Pleistocene caverns of the Mendip Hills: one very large {query, Caribou?) the other very small, and corresponding with the extreme variety of C. tarandus— the Cervus guettardi of Cuvier. In Ireland reindeer remains were found with those of mammoth, cave-bear, and brown-bear, in a cave near Dungarven. Professor Oldham records, as quoted by * Antiquity of Man, pp. <)a, 172. + British Fossil M.iminals, p. 479, ct .sry. II ( THE CAKIBOU. 77 Professor Jukes,* that in a cutting through a bog at Kiltiei'nan, near Dublin, in a layer of mud and vege- table matter, covered by sand, and again by peat, two heads of reindeer, with perfect horns, were found, together with iieads and antlers of thirty elks {Megaceros IIib.)\ and in a note Professor Jukes adds, "I believe these horns were more like those of the Caribou {Cei'f hoeuf) of North America than those of the Lapland Reindeer." The latitudes which the reindeer frequents in the Old World at the present day, — viz., in Europe, from Southern Scandinavia to the Isle of Spitzbergen, and in Asia, throughout Siberia and Kamtschatka, are — with the exception of the Caucasian range before alluded to — much higher than those occupied by the North American variety, which inhabits the tract of country lying be- tween the southern shoi s of Hudson's Bay and the frontiers of Maine, extending westwards as far as the northern shore of Lake Superior ; and it is a known fact that in both continents they increase in size as they are found further north ; yet the Caribou exceeds in dimensions the largest Asiatic specimens. A iiiature male weighs, when gralloched, full SOOlbs, and measures upwards of six feet in length, standing also about ten * Jour, Geo. Soe, JJub. 78 CERVID.B, and a half handa high; whereas the >vild reindeer of Lapland seldom approaches within an inch or two of these dimensions, nnci the domesticated one is still smaller. This, however, may possibly be attributable to the effect of food, and facilities for procuring subsistence. It is a remarkable fact that there is not a single instance on record of the Caribou having ever been tamed to domestic use, like the well-known friend and companion of the Laplander; on the contrary, even those that have been reared by the hand of man from their very birth, have invariably proved wild and in- tractable on attaining maturity. The Caribou also differs from the reindeer in the formation of its antlers, which are less slender, and not 80 much curved as those of the latter. It is true that in both a considerable variation is common in this respect, even among individuals of the same herd; but the dissimilarity between the two varieties is of another nature, and neither casual nor accidental. The size of the horns in all the Cervida) is probably the result of food; if that be abundant then the antler growth reaches its maximum, and both diminish in a direct ratio. This curious fact is proved by the animals with the larger antleis being always found in areas where their food is plentiful, which is the case in a marked degree with the red-deer of oui- own country. TIIK CARIBOU. 7U Partly palinated and partly cylindrical, the Caribou antlers are of singular and fantastic form, and though of great expanse — apparently but ill adapted for a forest life — are so slight that their Weight eldom exceeds 91bs. The stem of the horn is considerably curved, the concave side being to the front, and the extremities of the palmated brow-antlers project nearly fifteen inches over the face. Sometimes only one of these brow-antlers occurs on one or other of the horns, though they are ■UMI 80 t'KKVIl)^. :il') m more freque-.tly present on both, especially in the case of the oick males; and it is doubtless their peculiarity of form which has led to the belief that they are in- tended by nature for the purpose of removing the snows of winter in search of food. The fact, however, that the male animal sheds his horns about the commencement of that season demolishes the theory in his cuse; and it i8 well known that he usee for this purpose his fore feet and muzzle only, the skin of which latte- is ex- ceedingly hard and tough. It is a singular fact that the female of this species is furnished with antlers as well as the male, and equally curious that while the latter shed their horns, as just mentioned, at the beginning of the winter, she should retain hers until the spring. If for the purpose of enabling her to procure food as above, in the ^vinter, we may ask why should she be provided wich facilities for such a purpose which are denied to the opposite sex ? The horns of the Caribou in the earlier stages of their growth bear wonderfully little resemblance to those of the mature animal. I have in my possession a pair which I brought from Quebec, believed to be those of a three-year-old, in which each horn is simply a plain, slender, and very slightly curved stem, bearing equally slender cylindrical brow-antlers, or rather tines, with no appearance of any tendency to palmate. TIIK t'AIUUOU. 81 The Caribou is not n graceful unitnul, Imving shorter and thicker legs and a larger heod, together with less general symmetry, than most of the family to which it belongs. The hair, which in summer is a reddijli brown, be- comes rougher and changes to grey in the winter, the throat and belly alone remaining white. Cuvier says,* "11 chan/e, en general, du brur-atre au blan- chatre et au blanc ; mais en qualite d'nnimal d' icstlque, ses coulcurs ne sont i>oint constantes, et chaquc individu a presque les sienncs." The coat is composed of two kinds of hair : an under one, of a woolly texture, which is very short, and so close that it is difficult co reach the skin, and an upper one of long straight hair of a darker colour. It is a peculiarity of the latter that when rubbed or roughly handled it breaks off short instead of coming out by the roots. The hair under the neck is long and pendent. This animal is much infested in summer with the larvuj of the (Estrus, which brood beneath the skin, causinir open wounds, apparently very troublesome and even painful, and so numerous are they at times that the skin is worthless for any purpose of manufacture. As Mr. Ross, before quoted, states, " The only hides service- * Ossemens Fossiles, p. 125. Paris. 1835. 82 CKRVll)^,. in I'i li i> f able for converting into leather ..re those of animals killed early in the winter, which, when subjected to a process similar to that detailed in the case of the moose, but l)leached in the frost instead of being smoked, furnish a most beautiful, even, and white leather." The districts in which the Caribou is now most commonly found are the wilds north of Quebec, and the country about the upper waters of the Restigouche, and he -a they are met with in considerable abundance, roaming the picturesque forests and solitary tracts in small herds or broken parties of six or seven ; seldom or ever being seen singly, like the moose. Mr. Robert Bell, in his Report on the natural history of the St. Lawrence District, already mentioned, states that they are also very common in the Shick-shock range of mountains in the Eastern province, and that "some of his party reported having found on the extensive table-top of Mount All^ert, one of this chain, a large area covered with immense quantities of Caribou horns, most of tliem evidently of great antiquity." Mr. D'Urban also, in his Report on the fauna of the Valley of the River Rouge, says the Caribou is found in the districts of Argentcuil and Ottawa, on Trembling Mountain, » the gneiss rocks of which are covered with its peculiar food, the Cladonia rangi- ferina" This lichen is what the settlers call " white moss ;" I I / THE CARIBOU. 88 another kind is found on the trunks of forest trees, to which the Caribou is also very partial, though it occurs more sparingly. When neither are to be procured, grass, leaves, bark, buds, and young twigs, are readily devoured. Its flesh :1s tender and well flavoured in the early winter, and is considered superior to that of the Moose. The call of the Caribou is a sort of bark, though it is not often heard, and would hardly be recognised by one unaccustomed to it. Though not so suspicious as the less agile moose, this animal is not to be approached without great care and circumspection on the part of the stalker, who, as en all similar occasions, is better mth no other com- panion than his Indian guide. Many a disappointment has been caused by the indiscretion or ignorance of a friend and fellow-hunter, or by the presence of more attendants than necessary. In following up either Moose, Caribou or Deer, it is w^U ahvays to bear in mind the advice given by Scrope.* "In all cases of approach, when it is necessary to advance in a stooping position, or to crawl, you hud better keep a constant eye upon the man in the rear, for, believe me, no man is im- plicitly to be trusted. One will most unconscionably put his head up because, forsooth, his back aches insupportably ; * Deer-Stalkiiig in tlie Highlands. G 2 84 CERVID.E. another likes to have a peep at the deer ; a third (and he is the most unpardonable of all) does not like to have the burn water enter the bosom of his shirt, which is very inconsiderate, as nothing tends to keep a man more cool and comfortable than a well applied streamlet of this description. So look back constantly to the rear, that every gillie may do his duty, and observe that no man has a right to see the deer in approaching to get a quiet shot, except the stalker." In ponit of s-sviftness, the Caribou possesses a great advantage over the moose ; and partly from its lighter weight, partly from its feet being larger and wider, is able to travel over snow which would not bear the weight of the other, while at the same time it is gifted with greater powers of endurance ; whence it is that they do not form "yards" like the moose. On the contrary, they collect together as soon as the snow comes, and form wander- ing herds, which vary in number from a dozen to a hundred, though often attacked and dispersed by the wolves. If it fairly takes to flight, it is useless to attempt to fol'ow the Caribou, even on snow-shoes, unless when there is a crust on the surface sufficiently strong only just to break through with its weight at every step ; this, lace- rating the animal's legs, and so crippling its movements, places it more on an equality with its pursuer. The ] THE WAPITI. 85 females, however, being generally fatter than the males, are more easily run down. The prints of the Caribou footsteps in the snow resemble those of a bullock, though they are longer. In the summer and autumn, if pursued, the Caribou betakes itself, whenever practicable, to the nearest swamp as a refuge. If pressed, its pace is very rapid, and it takes extraordinary leaps in its stride ; at such times, however, it Avill occasionally turn and stand at bay, show- ing fight with the utmost determination. When moving quickly the same sharp clicking sound is made by the hoofs which has been previously adverted to in describing the moose. The Wapiti {Cervus Canadensis) would appear, from its specific name, to be entitled to a place among the large game of Canada, but is, in fact, found no further south than the limits of tlie North- West Territory; ranging as far as 06° or 57° in the opposite direction. It is, however, so beautiful an animal that I gladly avail myself of its name to give a short description of it. Though frequently classed under the genus Ela])hus, it is included by Baird in the present one, as keeping all the deer with naked muzzles together. It stands about four and a '.alf feet high at the shoulder, or nearly a foot higher than the red-deer of Scotland, though in general furm both are very 8G CERVID^E. similar. In summer its prevailing colour is a light chestnut red, darkest on the neck and legs, the throat and centre of the beUy being almost black; the chin is dusky, with a narrow patch of light yellow on either side, and a broad one of the same colour under .the head. The rump is yellowish white, bordered by a dusky band extending down the hind legs; the hair is very brittle, and the tail much shorter than that of the European stag. In autumn it turns grey, and con- tinues so through the winter. The ears, though lav^e, are shorter in proportion to the size of the animal than those of the moose, and are more sharply pointed. The antlers, wliich are exceedingly handsome and of great size, often between four and five feet in height, are cylindrical, brown in colour, and of very rough surface except at the points, which are worn quite smooth and white. All the snags spring from the anterior face of the horn: the longest two from the base, the one •ove the other; while two and sometimes three others spring at nearly equal distances higher up; they are usually shed in March and April. In the young animals Baird* describes the horns as being " club-shaped spikes, truncate at the end, curved as in the adult, and with- out branches." * iMaiiiiiial^ ol' North AiiK'rica. AMERICAN UEER. 87 The Wapiti is called the Elk in most parts of North America, excepting the Hudson Bay districts, where it is called the Rcd-decr : a confusion of names which has given rise to equal confusion in the various accounts and descriptions of the animal. Similar misnomers are of constant occurrence in North America, though I must confess that even in India I have heard the lartje deer of the Neilgherries also called elk. The Wapiti move together in herds, keeping in covert during the daytime, and likewise when not feeding. They are not so cautious and watchful as either the moose or caribou, and are consequently less difficult of approach. Their principal food is grass and the young shoots of the willow and poplar. The flesh is coarse, but the skin is more valued as leather than either moose or caribou hide. The common Deer of America (Cervus Virginianus), though very generally called " Red-deer," is not to be supposed as at all similar to that inhabiting the High- lands of Scotland. In its slight and graceful form it more nearly approaches tlie fallow-deer, but the horns difter widely in form and growth from those of either. The principal stems l)end backwards from the base, and then curve forwards and outwards, with from three to five points or tines on each, the basal ones springing from the anteiior face of thu lion., the remainder from 88 CKRVIDi15. fcl the upper edge of it. In several fine specimens of mature antlers wliicli I brought home with me to this country there are only three points on each horn. The general surface of the antlers is also smoother, and the colour lighter, than those of the red-deer, and their weight is never more than six pounds, and probably on an average about a pound or a pound and a half below that, whilst the antlers of the Scottish animal reach to twelve pounds or even more. They are usually shed in January or February, begin to appear again in Mny, and are fully grown by the end of August or the beginning of Sep- toinbor. In young animals the horns may of course be seen in every stage of development, from a simple spike upwards. In point of size the American Deer is decidedly inferior to the Scottish hart, being about four inches lower at the shoulder. Its colour is yellowish red during the summer and autumn months, paler on the sides limbs, and front of the neck. In the winler it changes to a roan or greyish chestiuit, tliough during both seasons the under |)arts remain white. In some animals a patch is observable round the eye, of a nuieh ligliter colour than the general surface of the body. The hair in summer is thin, but the texture of the winter covering is very extraordimuy, each individual hair being thickened, in appearance resembling crumpled AMERICAN DEER. 89 quills, which, when pressed, either break off short or remain in a bent position. The tail, which is very full, is white underneath ; the point of the chin and the sides of the muzzle are also white. The hind has one fawn, and occasionally two, at a birth, generally late in the spring. During the earlier months of their existence the young are marked with white spots, which, however, gradually disappear as they attain maturity. The flesh of the Deer, when in season, is tender and well-flavoured, but generally rather lean, though it fre- quently happens that it is condemned on that score very unjustly, owing to its having been killed at an improper time. A hart at certain seasons is quite unfit for food, and for several weeks afterwards docs not entirely regain its normal condition, while a hind that has a calf never has any fat whatever; yet both are constantly killed at these times by traders and Indians, and sent into the market in a state of course inferior to the poorest mutton. The Deer is common in Upper Canada, though less abundant in the Avestern j)ortion of the Lower Province, and below Quebec is unknown on the northern shore of the St. Lawrence. At the present time it is plentiful in the Upper Ottawa country; to the north of Lake Simco; and in most of the unfrequented districts or uncut and remote forests in Canada West. In many of the more no CKRVrU.E. open woods, whore there is a luxuriant undergrowth of fine grass, they arc abundant; and as it is their habit to return daily to the same spots, and even year after year to frequent the same haunts, the hunter may in such dis- tricts calculate with tolerabL certainty on finding them. The tender shoots and young leaves of many of the trees of the forest are likewise a great attraction, they also feed on the pendent lichen which grows in such weird-like fashion on the branches, and, accordin-^ to Mr. U'Urban, the Indians declare that «' they arc very fond of the leaves of the Kalmia aiigustifolia, from eating whioli they become intoxicated, and are easily killed." Their general hours of feeding are in the early morn- ing, before the sun is high, and again in the cool of the evening. In sunnner, during the heat of the day, they lie under the shade of the trees, often creeping in under quite low bushes in order to escape the persecution of the flies, they al«o frequently batlie in the lakes about noontide. If there is not sufficient water in the nei^h- bourhood for this purpose they content themselves by repairing about the same hour to the nearest spring or stream to quench their thirst— a habit of which Indians and others do not neglect to take advantage. In the spring and winter they are said seldom to drink, findin"- sufficient moisture in the dew of the "-pass. Whenever they have the chance they will vcntiuv out AMKIIICAN bEKR, 91 of the forest to luxuriate on the settler's corn, turnips, pease, and even potatoes; but as they generally select the night-time for these marauding expeditions, it is only when the moon shines that they can be detected, and even then it is frequently necessary to watch for many hours for that purpose. Except, however, in India or South Africa, I know no pleasanter climate for such an occupation ; the summer nights are dolightful, and so dry is the atmosphere that one may sit out in the lightest costume, enjoying the sweet chirping whistle of the piping-frog, which rings soothingly in the still air, while fire-flies glance in every tliicket. The "salt licks" met with in many parts of the country are also a favourite resort of the Deer, and if any at all are about the neighbourhood they are sure to be found there, and are consequently watched for and killed by shooters stationed beforehand in the nearest trees. A mode of destruction, less common in Canada than in the States, is practised on dark summer nights as follows. A blazing light of birch bark and " ftit pine" is kindled in an iron cresset fixed in the bows of a canoe precisely as in salmon spearing ; the rifleman sits amid- ships, covered by green boughs, and the steersman similarly concealed, gently paddles the little skiff along the dark wooded shores of the lake or river, at the hour when the Deer, after the heat of the day, repair to the 08 CKHvri),!;. cool waters. As the «tran«c ll^l.t ^Mldos nois.lossly towards thorn they «tn.ui transfixed and ..pp.p,,.,,^ fascinated by the ^^hue, „„til its reflecti.,,. in their fflitterinn: eyel.alls diseovers their positio,, to the eon- coaled murksnutn, who, at elose in^' of the motley pack. These do^TH, liowever, are not tan;iht to keep together on one deer, hut are allowed, or rather en-.-ouraged, to chase dKl'erent, aninials, a part of thv. pack followin--lmts or groups of wooden houses— skirting miles of high snakc-feuce, or of dark river covered with crashing blocks of ice— they fly along, never relaxing their pace except to pass some heavy-laden wood-sledge. This manoeuvre, by the Avay, when the road is only wide enough for a single sleigh (invariably the case at any distance from a town), is not so simple a matter as it may appear, neither i)arty being willing to yield an inch more of the hard-beaten track than he can help doing, well knowing that if he get one " runner" in the soft snow on either side he nmst of necessity be capsized. These large rough sledges, heavily loaded with firewood — an article not easily spoiled — occupy, on these occa- sions, much the same position in relation to a private sleigh that a heavily-loaded waggon would to a small pony-phaeton ; that is to say, they have it all their own way, and wijen the driver is a recently arrived Irish emigrant he generally avails himself of the advantage, with an open rudeness which is in pitiable contrast to tiie manly good-humour of the Canadian or the ready assistance of the grinning ne<»'ro. After sunset the temperature sinks ra])idly, icicles hang from the horses' nostrils, and the breath freezes on the beard or blanket-coat, as the north wind whistles tlu-ough tile leaiiess forest, sweeping the drift in clouds across the country. At night-fall a desolate wooden inn ■ AMKHICAN nEi'.U. 99 is luiilod with dfllght as their hultiiig phtce: a solitary dwelling, half-buried in snow, at the edge of a.i endless forest, and miles away from any other habitation. At early morn, clothed in a blanket suit, and armed Avith knife and rifle, the hunter is on his way to the foreat, aceompanied by soine squatter or half-breed guide. A slight fall of s.iow having taken place during the •light is a subject of mutual congratulation, for the crunching of a frozen stuface is obviously a serious drawback to still-hunting, besides which, the freshly sprinkled surface renders the trail more easy to follow. After making a detour, more or less extended, in order to get an up-wind beat, they hit fresh trail, and after a careful rcconnoissance proceed with redoubled caution. Shortly the appearance of moving objects causes then» to crouch suddenly behind the nearest tree, and after a whispered consultation one creeps stealthily round towards a point for which the Deer are likely to make, while the other is left to approach them with all the skill and address he is possessed of. After carefully noting the next point of cover for an advance, he conunences cautiously to glide from tree to stump, and from .stun.p to bush, watching with breathless anxiety, at each point gained, the movements of the herd before bin.. A noble buck with branching uurlers drops behin.l l.is con.panions, to enjoy the luxury n 2 'if i ~1 ; 100 CKllVllKE. of rubbln^r l.is nock against ,i tree — un oecupatioii nppare.itly so agrccablo niul engrossing that the stalker steals u hnndred yards nearer without giving any alarm. Thongh there is not u nionu>nt to lose, and silenoe and eiroun.speetion are momentarily more necessary, lie is still too far off to hazard a shot, and to increase the difficulty, he has i)rol)abIy got into such a labyrinth of rotten sticks and fallen trees, that the possibility of getting nearer v/ithout discovery seems lioix-lcss. Strange as it may appear, it k not on tlie eye or head of the feeding deer that the steady gaze of the stalker is fixed, but on its tail. If that is jerked with a quick nervous shake, he crouches lower, warned that the animal is about to raise its head. Tf after a short gaze round, it again twitches the tail, he prepares to move on, knowing th(^ aninnd will return to its food. Then seizing the opportunity-, with one or two swift and silent strides, he is safely behind a giant truidv, within easier range of his object. Mut though he has "ot made the slightest appreciable noi.se, and the little Mind moving is in his favour, .«*o acute are the deer's senses of smell and hearing that it suddenly lifts its head erect, and snitling the air suspiciously, begins to move ofl' Sinudtaneously with the sudden crack of the rifle it gives a convulsive leap, and, throwing np elouds of i» I AMKRICAN nEKU. 101 snow at every stride, boiindH away at headlong speed. If the tail is down~o.hya,yf, a sicrn that the wound is mortal-tho blood-stained tracks arc followed up with «1I haste, and more than likely with many a fall over the stumps and trunks of snow-hidden trees; a chase which, according to the nature of the wo.md, and thp age and^strcngth of the animal, may either be very short, or > protracted that the hunter may consider the loss ofhis prize a minor consideration in comparison with the chance of losing himself in tlie forest. Sooner or later, however, he Avill find it, eitlier stone dead or stretclicd before him in its last struggles. Let him uot approach incautiously in the latter case, or he may chance to receive a kick that will lay liim up for days: a fact which personal experience gives rae cause to remember. The Indian's usual method of temporarily securing the carcase is by attaching it to the top of a young tree, which, by climbing, he has bent to the ground, this being let go, springs back with its lighter load to its upright position, the flesh safe, not only from prowling wolves, but even from the tree-climbing bear, which has a mortal antipathy to venture up anything unequal to its weight. The Canada-jay, however, will not fail to attack the flesh at the earliest opportunity. The backwoodsman, to whom the difficulty of obtain- ■nSii- T-figig; 102 rRitviD.v, « f Ik in^- supplies is a matter of coiiHJdorati.ni, coiisiderH the recovery oi' his huHots a point of s.ieh importance that he invariably cuts fhem ou( of the earease, to he remeltcd in his wooden ladle for future service. Valuable as are skins of the Moose and Caribou, those of the Deer are still more esteemed on account of tlieir o:reator softness and plii.bility, as well as their property of better rosistin^r injury from wet. AMi;iilCAN PKKH. I DIVISION II. BuUs. II I i CHAPTEIi V. SILKNCE OP THE FOUKSTS -INTEUKSTIKO B.nDS-WHlTE-nKADED EAOtE- VAIUETY OF UAWKS-MU8QUITO IIAWK-OWLS-OREAT HOiU,KD OWL -SNOWY OWL-ABSENCE OP BIKD8 ,K W1NTEH-8NOW-BIHD8-ES- TEEMICD A DELICACY— TIIEIU UE8EMBLANCE TO OUTOLAN-FAMILIAR ENGLISH BIUDS-CIIAU ■ TEniSTlCS OF COUNTUY-TUE FOUEST- ABSrVCE OP TUE COMMON 8PAKK0W-PIUNC1PAL FEATUEUED IN- HABITANTS OF THE FOREST-GAME BIUD8 OF THE COVEUTS AND PLA1N8-WADEK8 AND WATEU-F0WL-OAME-8EAS0N8 OF THE UPPER AND LOWEU PROVINCES-TUEIR DISCREPANCY-ITS EFFECTS-PRO- POSED ALTERATION. H m ^ I m L'. ,1 ■ CHAPTKR V. V rjlHOUGFI one might not iimiuturiilly '(imgiiu; that -*- birds of every kind would enliven the vust tnicts of wood clotliin/r the fiice of tlui country, the Cuniidiun forest slumbers in everlustin;>: and almost oppressive silence; and even beyond its precincts the general impression produced on my own mind was rather that of the defi- ciency than the number and variety, of the feathered tribes, as compared with those of Great Jiritnin and other parts of the world; though some of the species and varicti(!s were both new and interesting. Few sights of the kind can well be more so, than that of the great-whiteheaded-eagle* on the wing: a spec- tacle I had the gratification of witnessing in the neigh- bourhood of the Falls. It was a bright sunny morning when we suddenly descried it floating almost overhead, with an immense expanse of wing, and apparently sus- pended motioidess in the air. As we stood and watched * ILalimtus leucocephalus. il J I f-< 108 COMMON BIRDS. ". a,lrair«tion, i, „,ec,,d.d, without any pcrcoptiblo ■not,o„ of ,1,0 „i„g, «„d i„ „ ^^^ ^f ^.^^^^^^ ^^^^^ •..«l.er „„a Mghcr, till it dwirJM ,o „ ,„c™ .peck, „„d' finally disappeared in the deep blue above. 1 «.„ fortunate ato in tivi™ seeing during an un- "sually hot sunnner the somewhat rare swallow-tail or n,usquito.h„wk,. in ,he neighbourhood of St. Davids soaring i„ pursuit of inseeta, and performing the n.ost »."gular and graceful evolutions. It has a most beautiful blaek and white plumage, with very elegant for,n, and « not often seen in sueh high latitudes, being peeuliar to the Soutlierii States. ' There are a number of hawks of the more ordinary kinds, most of whieh arc either similar to or varieties of those common to own country : as the peregrine, goshawk, and merlin; and there would be no difficulty in training them for the purposes of hawking.- a sport for the pursuit of which the cultivated parts of the country are admirably adapted. Owls of different kinds inhabit nearly every wood >vaking the echoes at night, witi; loud unearthly cries and melancholy hootings, startling alike the settler in his lonely hut, the hunter at his fire, and the belated traveller who hurries along the gloomy forest track ^ • ■Nauclerut furcatut. COMMON BIRDS. 100 Those who have o.ily hoard the cries of the English owls cat. have no eonception of the loud and startling calls of mme of these enormous birds. The great- horned-owl,* which is nearly two feet high, is perhaps the most remarkable in this respect of oil its tribe; but though often heard it is seldom to be seen, passing the day, as it docs, in the impenetrable coverts of the swamps. Of the snowy-owl.f I had the fortune to inspect closely a splendid specimen, a female, fuliy two feet in height, which, perched in a lofty hickory, was fired at and brought down by a brother-ofTicer with whom I was out shooting. Softly, and without a rustle, it descended like a parachute to the ground, where it liopped on a log, and sat staring at us with its great round yellow eyes in the utmost astonishment, making no attempt to escape, but hissing loudly when approached. It did not appear to be wounded, and was evidently more surprised than hurt, for it soon alter flew off as noise- lessly as it had alighted. The greater part cf the plumage was white, beautifully marked with light brown spots or half moons, and it was literally a mass of the softest down. The cry of the snowy-owl is most hoarse and dismal, and has been well compared to that of a full- grown man calling in distress for assistance. Sirix Virginiana. t Strix nyctca. R i.i 110 COMMON BIRDS. Few birds are to be seen in Canada during the winter months except an occasional flock of Snow-buntings,* flitting through the air with a jerking flight or running cheeping on the snow. Somewhat larger than a lark, ^vith the upper plumage of a light variegated brown' and the -nder pure white, these birds are very fat, and the ^^-A ='ongIy resembles that of the ortolan of Southerr -.. ^ . for ,vhich reason they are much sought after, and are sold in the markets as an article of luxury. Though grouse may be found in the spruce districts by .hose who will take the trouble to follow them up at th.s season, and in some districts a stray covey of "quail" .sat times to be seen huddled together on the snow, all the wild-fowl, and the smaller birds which at other seasons give an appearance of life ,o nature, are absent m the more genial regions of the Souther,, States, and the woods and waters remain silent and deserted till the return of spring. When the ice and snow, rapidly breaking up. convert the whole country into a ,,uag„,ire, when pl„„„ ,,i trees which for weeks past have been slowly vegetating nnder their snowy garb, begin to bud with inc-edible '■ai>.a.ty, and the air suddenly swa„„s witl, insect life flectnphancs nivalin. COMMON BIRDS. Ill then the familiar blue-bird,* the looked-for and wel- corned harbinger of spring, first of all the feathered tribes appears upon the scene. In succession arrive the scarlet war-bird,t its gor- geous hues glancing among the green leaves of the forest; the orange oriolej displaying its rich black and gold as it flies from tree to tree, and ruby-throated humming-birds§ flitting hither and thither and hovering among the flowers. Not the least interesting of the summer visitors is the cat-bird, || which is constantly to be heard imitating Avith extraordinary exactness the mewing of the cat, and performing other singular coun- terfeits, as well as the notes of most of the ordinary birds of the country. Time after time I endeavoured to get a sight of one of these birds which daily took up its position among the liighest branches of a lofty tulip-tree near my quarters, but I never succeeded in obtaining more than an unsatisfactory glimpse of a slate-coloured bird about the size of a thrush, to which family it belongs. In strange contrast with those bright and novel plumages appear the homely ciiaffinch, jay, and yellow- hammer, with many other old friends: a mingling of objects familiar and foreign, that here meets the eye in •I * Silvia sialis. f Tanagra rubra. § Trochilun colubrin. I Oriolua galhula. Turdusfelivox. 112 TIIK CANADIAN I'OIIHST. I 0V(My direction. Side I,y ^,u]^. f «i«li, and cliii, stand >!• cxmnplc, with onic, ?i^nintic IiickoHt hwti s, Hijiriir «'i'-iint trees J* while liro-fl •irmj)lc'H, nnd liahit th i<'H nnd ra,tfi( sunk t'H HI- I' HI tlio Jic'd.rohoir of "110 woods Mlth the (H)innu)i 1 HqiiiiTcI and one's boyish hunts. Fields of <'r\ug nuiize nnd rows oats (dterniitc wi(h those of tow ••'■ '"W" oran-e punipkins, hoed und ten,!,.! ) ""*' nc--n>sscsj and (he romlsi is lumlerod 1 coiriiuon )y ney iH'iieh I'c'os, and \g the ^^n-oiind. Th '-'«^n-ai.d forests, free of all hn.shwood, present a '""'' •^^'■"^'"^' 'M>lK«arunee than anythin^r ,,se to the c>yo ..f one jnst arriv.-d from the Old WorM. No one -" -^-- <''-•• .^l.ad.nvs or tread their lon.-drawn vistas of tall grey stems, spanned by over-arehin^. roof of ,larl< loaves, withont the idea of a vast cathedral involuntarily '•'-.^' i" the .nin.i. J,,,, ,„i,,,^ ^^,,,,,^,,^^ ,^^_^^^ prostrate trunks lie strewn aroun.l, some but new^ '''"^■'N -'l'«'--s nios..o,,,wn an.l v..r.lant, with .-reeping plants ; while many show only a dark line of deeayd -..table mouhl, the last and rapidly disappearing vestige of their ti.nner stateliness. Here the ground is Mno with hyacinths, there covered with beds of dry l-vos, the resort of snakes, blind-worms, an.l huge centi- * Ju()lans riiirrni. ¥. 'I'lIK (!ANAI)IAN KOKKST. l;} pedes ; or ch.iJied with ^rn-vu turf iu thickly sprinkled with the pule orchiH, or thickly with the broad-leaved May-iipple.* 'J'Ik- Milotice of tho forest is broken oidy, and rendered vl.Kl, 1.,., r„,tuu-My 1,™,, n„tu,,l „„a ,,.,,„„ed „,,„„ !<.>' tJ.c. N,,„„„| |M,to,.j. s„eic,y of M„,„n,,l „itl,in ,he 1-t few ,n.„„l,„ »o tl,ut it is ,„-obaUe .l„.t, ,„ ft,. ,, -Sunl, ,o,„e of ,1. ,,, „. Uni,oH.m g„,„„.|,i,.d,, „„„.„ ■nay ore long bo a u„i.i,n„ law f„,. „,„ „,,„,„ „„„„j^y ""J one more i„ accorJaneo with their hahita. The abovo.„,on,i„,.ed .S„dct/» Keport jurtly ,,,„arl, tl.at tl,™ i» not ,0 groat a diversity of climate between '■-'-cl West Canada .« to re„„iro separate legislation, »';"l»t the ton,pora.nro differs less probably than that "' "":'-"" '"" •"■ «-™' ""'■"-.. '■■<>■, Devonshire and *...i.orland.forwhieh,l,eroisbutoneh.w;,oti„son,o easos ga,ne n,ay bo killed in Upper Canada, twenty miles ™7' "'■ "" '"'"""'"•^' "'' ''"-^ Canada, twenty days ••«->- than in the latter provinee. In other words, the caatorn bonndary of the Western Provinee overlaps the -stern boundary of the Kastorn, therefore a bird whieh fl-es across f,,„„ the one to the other after the 1st of ^T'. '"^™ "" ^ '» ">■«'-«»". though by rentaining -vi.e,. ,t was it would have been sale for three weeks lon.o, A un,r„ru,i.y of seasons and dates is the ,rore "eeessary in a country where the ga,„e is not preserved or ,1,0 exclusive right of any one, „nd where even the 1«« ,., „.espass is i|,.,,e,i„od as ,.e,.„.d.s ,na,.s,,es, in which " great pa,-t of ,l,c grnne is to be tbund. L'i OAMK LAWS OK CANADA. 117 The caso (.r wild duck.s is oiu- of tlic most glaring instances of shooting out of season; for by the present law they niny bo I' f CriAPTFR VT. lilts ores. THE PASSEKOEn PIOKON-ITS PERIODICAL FLIOUTS-imEEDlNG PLACE3- TIIE WILD-TURKEY— PUOHAIILE PARENT OF DOMESTIC UIUD— IMPOR- TATION INTO SPAIN— EARLY ACCOUNTS OF— MISNOMEUS— MEXICAN ORIGIN— DIFFERENCES I.ETWEEN WILD AND FARM-YARD UIRDS— NEST AND EOOS-CEIAFTINESS OP THE IIEN—YOUNO BIRDS— ASSOCIATION OF "OOBIILERS"— FOOD OF WILD-TURKEY— THEIR WANDERINGS- FORMER AUUNDANCE— PRESENT HAUNTS— DIFFICULTY OF APPROACH- ING THEM— SEASON FOR HUNTING— .MIEIR GAME QUALITIES— GRADUAL EXTERMINATION— THE GROUSE OF CANADA— THE SPOTTED-GROUSE— PLUMAGE AND HAniTS-FEMALE— THEIR SIZE— THE PRAIRIE-HEN- WEIGHT AND PLUMAGE— SINGULAR CALL— FEMALE DIRD— PUGNA- CITY OF MALE niRDS— BREEDING SEASON— EGGS— YOUNG BIRDS- SEASON FOR PRAIRIE-HEN SHOOTING- DOGS FOR— SIZE OF COVEYS —FOOD OP PRAIRIE-HEN— WINTER HAniTS- QUESTIONABLE AD- VANTAGES OF ACCLIMATISING— THE PTARMIGAN — PLUMAGE IN SUMMER AND WINTER- WHERE FOUND— EGGS— THE RUFFED-GROUSE -HABITAT— ITS SIZE AND APPEARANCE— " DRUMMING"— MANNER OP WALKING— FLIGHT SHOOTING SEASON— UNFIT FOR FOOD IN WINTER —THE COLIN-ITS HAUNTS— CALL NOTE— SEASON FOR SHOOTING INTRODUCTION INTO ENGLAND. (1 i ■ .l ■ ^i CHAPTEIi Vf. Columbir ; 6!i(linic. \yV '"'''' 'l"^i''ti!rc(l iit Fort MissisHi9au^''u had nev(a- seen before. J lurrying out and ascending the grassy ramparts, I was perfectly amazed to behold the nir filled and the sun obscured by millions of pigeons, not hovering about, but darting onwards in a straight liiu.' with arrowy flight, in a vast mass a mile or more in breadth, and stretchuig before and behind as far as the eye coidd reach. Swiftly and steadily the column passed over with a rushing sound, and for hours continued in undiminished 122 COLVMBlDjf. ill •nyriads advancing over the American forests in the eastern horizon, us the myriads that ha.l passed were lost in the wef tern sky. It w„, |„,c in the uftor„„„„ boforo „„y .l,e™»c. in tl.o m,.,s ,va« porccptil,!., b„t tluy bcc„n,c gmdually fes dense ,.. ,1,0 ,l„y ,,,.e,v .„ „ dose. At „„,sc. the dotael,od floek,, bringing „,, ,1,. „„„ began to settle in the forest on ,l,c Lalce-™.!, an,l in ,„ch „„n,bo™ „, to break down branjivs from (bo iroos, ■ri.c d-.ration of tbi, fiigl.t being abont fonrteen Lours, vi.., fron, four a.„, to si., r..,, ,bc eolumn (allow. ."g a probable velocity of si.xty n.iles an honr, as assn.nod by Wilson), could not b.we been less tban tbree hundred mdos in long,,,, with an average breadth, as before stated, of ono ,iilc. During the following day and for several days after- -ards, tbey still continued flying „v„r in i„„„o„s„ tbongb greatly diminished nun.bers, broken n,, into flocks and keeping much lower, possibly being weaker or younger birds. As they were now wi.bin ca,«y shot sometin«s flying .,o ,„w as to be brought down even by «.cks and stones, every one fortunate enongh to own anything i„ the shape of tircanns turned out with it whether musket, flint-lock, Yankee rifle, or blunder-' buss. For several weeks afterwai ,s sn,all flocks re- mained behind in ,he woods, affording more real f I PASSKNOr.U PIPEON. 123 sport than the above wholesale slaughter, though we had had quan. siij'. of pigeon diet. During these flight; parties carrying lanterns and torches often repair at nightfall to the woods, armed with guns and long poles. The ruddy light cast up into the dark trees revca: thousands of dazzled stupified pigeons, weighing ,;, wn the branches hi'di and low. In a moment tai long poles are rattling among the lower boughs and the guns blazing away at the higher, bringing down the birds by hundreds, fluttering on the ground and showering on tlie heads of the clamorous crowd that scrambles and scuilles beneath. The Passenger Pigeon differs a good deal from the common wild pigeon of Great J3ritain; its appearance when Hying more resembling that of the si)arrow-hawk, in the