172 CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 



larger specimens are carrying egg masses. The "soft-shelled" crabs 

 are, of course, not a separate form, but only those that have recently 

 molted or cast their shells, a process occurring yearly in most 

 crustaceans, and that have not yet hardened their new shells. Accord- 

 ing to observations just made, the molting of the large females 

 apparently occurs just before spawning and in advance of the molting 

 of the males, and it is these ''soft" females which are collected as 

 bait for surf fishing. Fish are apparently used to feeding on these 

 crabs, which in their soft state have more difficulty in burroAving into 

 the sand than at ordinary times and are therefore more likely to be 

 found SAvimming about at the bottom. The fisherman, in using the 

 "soft-shelled" sand crab, is therefore offering to the fish one of its 

 customary dainties, and it is readily accepted. 



GAME CONDITIONS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THIRTY-FIVE 



YEARS AGO. 



By M. HAUL McALLISTER. 



In 1885, I spent the summer and fall in and near Colton, Riverside 

 and San Bernardino, in southern California, and most of the months 

 of September, October and November in riding and hunting all over 

 that part of California. My companion was a rancher, V. C. Reche, 

 Avho was one of the best shots, deer trackers and general all-round 

 hunters to be found anywhere. 



We had one Aveek's hunt on the Santa Margarita, also known as the 

 Juan Foster-Dick O'Neill-Flood property, near Oceanside. Our party 

 of four bagged fourteen deer and could have killed double the 

 number, but stopped shooting because they were nearly as tame as 

 sheep. 



There Avere then some antelope just south of Riverside, and I have 

 noAv the horns of a buck killed not far from San Jacinto IMountain, 

 near Avhere the toAvn of Ilemet noAV stands. IMountain sheep could 

 then be found in either the San Bernardino or San Jacinto ranges, 

 and my hunting friend Reche had killed several. I also remember 

 a miner who reported a very large grizzly as coming daily to the 

 mountain side near a mine to feed on the berries. This mine was on 

 the desert side of the Cajon Pass Avhere the Santa Fe Raihvay comes 

 doAvn from BarstoAV. Mountain lions were also plentiful all through 

 these ranges. I remember a friend reporting that Avhile riding 

 through a canyon not far from his ranch he suddenly came on a 

 bunch of five lions feeding on a dead calf, and as he had no Aveapon 

 with him he thought best to make a quiet sneak. 



On the San Jacinto plains south of RiA'erside Avere a fcAv springs, 

 and to these the quail came in countless thousands to Avater, and at 

 nearly each one of them Ave found a brush hut and a V-shaped trough 

 placed there by the quail market hunters. Reche and I Avent around 

 and burned up each and every one of these "slaughter pens" and got 

 ourselves somcAvhat disliked when the ncAvs leaked out as to Avho had 

 done it. 



