328 



FOREST' AND STREAM. 



law on tho subject, and is therefore governed by the general 

 State law of Maryland, which permits the shooting of them 

 from November 1 to December 34. 



There is a considerable area of country within the District 

 of Columbia where partridges are plentiful early in the sea- 

 son, but the multitude of gunners in pursuit of them soon 

 thin out the coveys and drive off the balance. Within a 

 radius of Ave milts of the city limits the poor birds do not 

 know what it is to pass a day unmolested. Men and boys, 

 with all descriptions of guns, from the old flint lock musket to 

 the modern breech-loader, pop and bang at them from early 

 morning until the sun sinks behind the western horizon. 

 Many of these gunneni drop their birds by chance shots only, 

 but the fusilade soon forces the game lo "seek pastures new," 

 and in the less-frequented fields of Virginia they find greater 

 peace, as well as an abundance of food. 



The partridge seems to overestimate its powers of flight 

 more than any other bird, and I have known them to come to 

 grief in several instances by attempting to cross rivers. A 

 few days ago a Potomac River steamer was boarded by a 

 covey of birds in the middle of the river near Mount Vernon. 

 The Potomac at this point is not more than a mile wide, and 

 the birds were attempting to reach the Virginia shore from 

 Maryland when fatigue overcame them, and they sought the 

 boat for rest. Pour of them were captured, but the others, 

 refreshed by their brief rest, reached the shore in safety. A 

 few years ago I knew of a covey of young birds attempting 

 to cross the Patuxent River wbere it is but little more than 

 half a mile wide, but they could not stand the flight, and 

 many of them fell in the water, from which they were taken 

 by boys in boats. 



Already the ducks are beginning to make their appearance 

 on the Potomac and its bordering marshes and creeks. When 

 they first reach here, however, they are poor from their long 

 migrations, but they soon grow fat upon the succulent roots 

 and grasses which they find in this locality. First among the 

 arrivals is the blue-winged teal (Querquedula discors) a small 

 duck, but delicious in flavor. They tarry about here until 

 the bleak winds of December drive them to a more comfort- 

 able climate in the South, but its congener, the graceful little 

 green-winged teal (Quernuedula oaroUnensis) remains here all 

 winter. Fastidious in its diet, it procures abundance of food, 

 though it is shy in every movement. Following the species 

 above mentioned we have the sprig-tail (Dqfila acuta), widgeon 

 or bald pate (Mareca americana), mallard (Anas boschas), 

 dusky duck or black mallard (Anas obseura), red beads (Fuli- 

 gulaffflina) and canvas-backs (Fuligula vallisneria). They 

 are often suffering from the pangs of hunger when they reach 

 this section, but they invariably arrange their feathers and 

 clean their bodies by a vigorous splashing in the water and 

 flapping of wings. Their ablutions being over they begin the 

 search for food, and in a week or two become fat and juicy. 



Although the game law of Virginia, as well as that for 

 the District of Columbia, prohibits the shooting of ducks and 

 geese during the night time under a penalty of twenty-five 

 dollars for every fowl so killed, there is a profitable busi- 

 ness carried on by pot hunters in violation of these laws. 

 They sail upon the birds at night, blind them with huge 

 lanterns and destroy them upon their feeding places. It seems 

 impossible, however, to reach the offenders, as it can never 

 be proven whether the birds were shot upon the waters with- 

 in the jurisdiction or the District of Columbia, Maryland or 

 Virginia. 



Congress at its last session gave us a law for the protection 

 of our dogs, the owner to pay two dolbrs per annum for each 

 dog. and receive therefor a metallic tag to be attached to the 

 dog's collar. Under this law nearly four thousand dogs have 

 bean licensed and the district revenues increased nearly $8,000. 

 Many dog owners have recently discovered that the tags have 

 been stolen from the collars of their animals, which practice 

 bas been carried on by that thriftless element infesting this 

 city, whicb persists in keeping worthless curs at the expense 

 of legitimate owners. The law imposes a fine of twenty dol- 

 lars for the removal of a collar or tax tag from a dog's neck. 

 To such an extent has this thieving been practiced that the 

 police have been instructed to look into the matter, and it is 

 to be hoped that an example will be made of some of the of- 

 fenders. 



A legal question has lately arisen under our new dog law as 

 to whether an owner keeping dogs on his farm beyond the 

 district limits will have to pay taxes if he brings them to his 

 town residence occasionally. The legal authorities of the dis- 

 trict decide that Buch dogs are liable to the lax. So tho tax 

 gatherer does not spare the visiting canine. R. F, B. 



» ,«>■»- » 



GAME PROTECTION 



Vermont Association.— The annual meeting of the Ver- 

 mont Association for the Protection of Fish and Game was 

 held at Montpelier, Nov. 13. Mr. W. B. Petengill, editor of 

 the Rutland Herald and Globe, reported for the citizens of 

 that city their efforts of the past year to forward the interests 

 of the association. Last winter a fund was raised by subscrip- 

 tion to procure a lot of tame deer on the west shore of Lake 

 Ohamplain to turn out in the mountains of Vermont. Four- 

 teen deer were obtained by a committee appointed for that 

 purpose, and one deer was presented by Governor Fairbanks. 

 Three of these deer died, two from fatigue in capture and 

 transportation, and one from neglect. Twelve are turned out 

 on the Green Mountains east of Rutland. Two or three 

 fawns have been seen with these deer which have remained in 

 the vicinity where they were released. The deer, which were 

 purchased in New York, cost from twelve to fifteen dollars 



fia of the European quad introduced by Judge Everts, of Rut- 

 land in 1S77. a part had returned the following year and had 

 nested near Rutland and other towns in the vicinity. In ad- 

 dition to this importation of 1877, Judge Everts and E. J. 

 Pharos of Burlington, brought two hundred quails each from 

 Sicily Vnto this Slate last June. Judge Everts turned out his 

 in Rutland, where they at once made themselves at home and 

 reared their young and remained as late as the first of October. 

 The association then proceeded to elect officers for the year 



W JNeWtOU. OI i>l. AUKU18, UCT1JU J.'. V.-U.1V- *" — • »."■ , 



anil Carrol Pitkin, of Montpelier ; Corresponding Secretary, 

 a B Pettengill, of Rutland; Recording Secretary, Henry 

 W Harmon, of Bennington; Treasurer, N. T. Sprague, of 

 Brandon : Directors, William Y. W. Ripley, of Rutland, F. 

 Stewart Stranahan, of St. Albans, Henry W. Davis, of Fac- 

 tory Point, Jo. D. Hatch, of Burlington, Royal D. Hedden, 

 of West Salisbury, Henry Fairbanks, of St. Jobnsbury, and 

 M. D. Gilman, of Montpelier ; Counsel, E. J. Phelps, Burl- 

 ington. meel . Ql tlle directors, held immediately after the 

 adjournment of the association, the following appointments 



were made: Executive Committee, Ma?on S. Colburn, Wil- 

 liam Y. W. Ripley, Henry W. Davi3. County Committees, 

 Addison, George W. Plumley and Amasa S. Tracy, of Mid- 

 dlebury; Bennington, L. M. Morrison, of Bennington, and 

 Robert Ames, of Factory Point ; Caledonia, Henry Fairbanks, 

 of St. Johnsbury; Chittenden, W. W. Henry and B. B. 

 Smallty, of Burlington j Franklin, W. EL Far'rar, of St. Al- 

 bans, and Hiram Skeels, of Higbgate ; Lamoille, Robert W. 

 McFarland, of Johnson ; Orange, George Leslie, of Wells 

 River; Orleans, Fred W. Baldwin and W. W. Grout, nf 

 Barton ; Rutland, M. G. Everts, of Rutland, and Henry W. 

 Taylor, Sherburne ; Washington, James S. Peck and Charles 

 A Reed, of Montpelier ; Windham, George F. Gale, of Brat- 

 tleboro, and Charles Barrett, of Grafton j Windsor, George B. 

 French, of Woodstock, and M. C. Edmunds, of Weston. 



Massachusetts. — A full and spirited meeting of the Massa- 

 chusetts Fish and Game Protective Association was held at 

 their rooms Thursday evening, November 14, the President, 

 Dr. John P. Ordway, presiding. A committee, consisting of 

 Dr. Ordway, H. H. Kimball, H. Kimball, Weston Lewis and 

 Ivers W. Adams, were appointed to arrange for a reception 

 to be tendered to the first Vice-President, Governor Talbot. 

 A committee was appointed to appear on fish and game inter- 

 ests before the Legislature the coming session ; On game, 

 Ivers W. Adams, F. R. Shattuck and R. M. Messinger ; on 

 fish, Weston Lewis, Dr. 0. A Walker and L. Prouty. A 

 committee on lectures was appointed, consisting of Dr. Ord- 

 way, L. M. Chase, S. S. Woodcock and Franklin Williams. 

 The meeting adjourned subject to the call of the officers for 

 the reception of Governor ^Talbot. Dr. Clement A. Walker 

 and D. E. Poor were made life members. The association is 

 in a flourishing condition, and has laid out a large amount of 

 work for the coming sefison. J. P. Obdway. 



Cbhtral Naw Jhksey Sooiett. — The membership of this 

 club at Plainneld, N. J., is constantlyjincreasing, and there is a 

 improvement in the observation of the game laws. 

 The clause which prohibits non-residents from shooting with- 

 out having first paid a fee is working admirably. 



Tennessee— Clarhwitte, JYov. 14.— Tbe Montgomery County 

 Game Protecting Association w» organized here for the better 

 protection of our fish and game, end the promotion of better 

 feeling among the fraternity of sportsmen. The association 

 will petition the Legislature to change the law for Mont- 

 gomery County as follows ; Close the season for quail, 

 pheasant and grouse from March 1 to Oct:. 15, instead of from 

 Feb. 1 to Sept. 1, For doves, from March 1 to Aug. 1. For 

 snipe, wild duck, plover and woodcock, from March 1 to Sept. 

 1. The officers of I a are: President, W. W. ■ 



Legure ; First Vice-President, Col. S. D. Leonard ; Second 

 Vice-President, Edward Drone; Secretary and Treasurer,- J. 

 C. Brooks. 



The Giant South Ajietucan Lilt,— Dr. E. Sterling, of 

 Cleveland, Ohio, writes us, Nov. 13 1 



The clay I sent you the seeds of the nelumbo I put twenty 



in a glass water-jar and placed the jar on the window-sill of 



my office— southern exposure. To-day four of the twenty 



seeds have thrown out long (from foes) slender 



iftil green shoots. This is the first lesson. 



Tp.TratusEB.— The fifth annual Fiold Trials and shooting 

 tournament of the Tennessee State Sportsman's Association 

 will be held at Nashville on December 3, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. 

 The programme for the Field Trials is the same us last year, 

 and embraces cash prizes to the extent of $1,100, divided be- 

 tween the puppy stakes, champion stakes, brace stakes and 

 nursery stakes. The following-named gentlemen will act as 

 i en. Churchill, Gen. W. H. Jackson and Dr. Raw- 



lings Young. There will be three days' pigeon shooting for 

 cash premiums, amounting to ^$3,300. The officers of the 

 Tennessee State Sportsman's Association are : V- L. Kirk- 

 man, President ; Dr. D. D. Saunders, First Vice-President ; 

 Capt. Pat Henry, Second Vice-President ; H. C. Pritchilt, 

 Secretary, and Thomas F. Perkins, Jr., Treasurer. 



% 



THE GENERAL. MILITIA MOVEMENT. 



At last there seems to be a vigorous effort in prospect for 

 the establishment of a general militia, organized under the 

 article of the Constitution, which authorizes Congress to take 

 steps in that direction, and in extent co-extensive with the 

 whole countiy. A survey of the whole field shows that at 

 present the several States attend to the militia question in the 

 moat irregular and slip-shod style. Here and there a State 

 has sometiing approaching an effective force, but in the great 

 majority of the Commonwealths the volunteer element, which 

 might so easily be made a strong arm for the preservation of 

 order, is entirely neglected. 



At a recent informal gathering of militia officers a call was 

 prepared and sent out inviting experiences and opinion, and 

 offering a set of hints to form the basis of a petition to Con- 

 gress, and as a guide to that body in framing a law. It is 

 proposed that an annual appropriation of one million dollars 

 be made and used properly in place of the $300,000 which ia 

 now wasted from year to year. A set of regulations ia to be 

 prepared, and a service dress and campaign equipment is to 

 be prepared. This will secure uniformity, a point on which 

 much stress is laid by the projectors of the plan. Touching 

 rifle practice it is suggested that : 



" Each State also to fit up, at least, one rifle range for the 

 use of its troops. The Secretary of War to be authorized to 

 offer annually to the regularly organized and uniformed militia 

 of each State (provided thev number at least 1,000 men) a 

 prize not to exceed $100 in value, for competion in rifle 

 practice. Also to offer annually a prize of $1,000, to be shot 

 for by a " team" or detachment of militia of each State, from 

 each of the three divisions of the army, and from the navy, 

 and to be divided among the three " teams " standing highest 

 in such match ; bothawardBtobemade under such conditions 

 as may be prescribad by tho War Department. Transporta- 

 tion to and from said last-named match to be furnished to a 

 " team " and reserves (not to exceed IS men in the aggregate) 



from each State. Each State team to be certified to by the 



Adjutant General of the State it represents, as being composed 

 of its roguhrly organized and uniformed militia, authorized 

 to participate in said match. All the above expenses to be 

 paid out of the appropriation." 



In each State a stand of colors will be offered annually to 

 the best drilled company. Inspection and adequate super- 

 vision over this great, force of the future is to be secured 

 through the services of regular army officers as far as may be. 

 and then as a disclaimer against the spectre of centralization, 

 which seems to loom up behind all this militia machinery, it 

 is expressly stated that nothing in this plan is to be construed 

 as giving the President power to exercise any further control 

 than that already conferred 'by the Constitution and laws of 

 ihe United States. 



— As a fine specimen of the photographers' art we cannot 

 remember of having seen anything to excel the picture of the 

 Foeest and Steeam medals, won by the Zettler Rifle Club, 

 which now hangs in our office. At the same time we received 

 a large photograph of the members of the club, which is truly 

 a work of art. The portrait of each member of the club is 

 recognizable and distinct, and the whole work speaks well for 

 the skill of the photographer, Mr. F. Ulrich, of No. 160 

 Bowery. The club has our thanks for its handsomo present. 



Vermont— firattleboro.— The Fort Duninore Rifle Club 

 have accepted land offered them in Vernon, Vt., for a 1,000- 

 yard range (five minutes' ride by rail), and will remove there 

 at once. 



Massachusetts — Walnut Sill, Nov. 13. — The thirteenth 



match iu the classification Beries was shot to-day in a pretty 



stiff gale, and correspondingly poor scores. The scores stood : 



SOO yds. OOOyda. 1,000 yds. Total. 



WnJackson 11 fit 60 199 



J S Sumner 12 64 02 198 



W Qerrlan TO ot 63 194 



L Saanders T2 62 60 191 



WMWsrd 66 60 53 179 



K U Fill eg 64 61 45 160 



S Wilder 66 07 4:: 165 



W P Cleveland 69 53 31 143 



AFHoltnan 59 57 21 137 



P Poland 40 88 40 116 



C Edwards. , 33 41 32 100 



Wali-ole vs. Boston. — The second annual visit of the 

 Boston men to Walpole for a long range contest took place on 

 the 15th. The day was almost perfect, not too cool for com- 

 fortable shooting. The wind, however, was vacillating, and 

 at the 1,000-yard firing point the meu were sheltered by the 

 large pine trees which surrounded them, and as the sky had 

 become overcast, the light was perfect and splendid results 

 were obtained, Mr. Sumner finishing with the elegant score of 

 fifteen consecutive bull's-eyes. This is the third time such a 

 score has been achieved in a match at this long distance, Mr. 

 Sumner making it once before at Creedmoor in the match for 

 the Wimbledon Cup, and once by Mr. Milner in the interna- 

 tional match at Creedmoor in 1876. The Walpole Club did 

 excellent work, and their shooting is remarkable for its even- 

 ness. At the first match between these clubs, shot last year 

 at Walpole, the Walpole Club was victorious by two points. 

 At the conolusion of the match the club was entertained at 

 the residence of W. II. Pray, Esq., with B beautiful repast. 

 Mr. William Moore, President of the Walpole Club, presided. 

 Speeches were made by Capt. Jackson, Secretary Rockwell, 

 Messrs. Grey, Sumner, Mann, Pierce and Washburn. The 

 scores on this second match stood : 



MASSACHUSETTS TEAM. 

 J 8 Snuinir. 



800 5 5G55555665564 4—73 



D00 6 3 646368644665 6—69 



1,000 5565566554660 J-76-217 



WUllam GcrrlsU. 



800 6 5 5 5 5 a 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 3 5—72 



9fl0 5 64 4 4665546546 5—70 



1,030 5 56 6 0455646366 5— 71— S13 



Captain W n Jackson. 



800 3 3555668553554 5-88 



900 2 5555686355664 6—67 



1,000 G 6455454345663 5— BI— 202 



Lewis Saunders. 



800 3 3864555644463 4-6» 



900 4 334 3586664 5 48 4-60 



1,0011 3 43466 11 54 6 5566 6—66-183 



U T Tlocfcwell. 



SOO 8 5644346568443 6-62 



900 5 65036 4 658 5 K35 6—58 



1,000 4 I N I li >t 4 i 4 (I 5—66-185 



WALPOLE TEAM. 

 K 8 Grey. 



600.... 6 50545652 5 6 4 65 B— 70 



900 ....'. 5 454 4 264554665 3—65 



1,000, 4 6 5 4 4 2 6 4 5 5 5 6 4 4 5-98-203 



J E Mann. 



SOO 5 5054454454044 4-57 



non' " .20553555435544 5-80 



l,Ouo7".7.7.7.77.77..5 3 966544505455 5—03—105 

 E Header, Jr. 



B no 5 6 4 5 5 2 1 !! 5 3 4 6 6 5 5—60 



M0"."..V...' « 4458466245 8 54 5—62 



1,300, 2 6445445545455 6-66—183 



T H Grey. 



SOO A 4 3 4 3 5 5r.64f.66 4—84 



908 "' " 3 45 4 5554344448 5— 82 



1,000 3 5664365555534 6-67—193 



N Washburn. 



600 * 5 4 1 I 5 3 4 5 S 5 6 8—08 



900 3 6543264534635 6-01 



I,,i0o7 ' 3 34 5 444 5636062 3—65—192 



Recapitulation, 



Massauuuaetls team IjWS Walpole team 



Boston.— Walnut Hill range was well occupied on Saturday 

 last, and the season's practice showed fruit in some 

 scores. The winter shed match, conducted for the 

 the proposed new shooting-house, had thirty-fiye entries, and, 

 with a steady wind and good light, off-hand shooting was a 

 positive pleasure, with the bare suggestion of task about it. 

 The be6t scores stood : 



E B Soutlier. 4 5 5 5 6-24 JNlcaols 5 4 4 4 4—21 



WHJa-fc»on.....5 4 5 4 5-23 W Bddy 5 3 8 4 4-21 



TStas .. .-..-4 4 6 4 6-S2 11 B Lord 4 4 « 1 4-20 



WEUuerrler 6 4 5 1 4-22 J Evans 4 4 4 3 5-20 



CBowortn 4 4 4 4 5-21 c Burgess 4 4 ' 



EWUUams 1 4 5 4 4-M S Miles ) J I 



J-NFrve. ... ..4 4 4 4-21 WJBdWMtfa 4 3 9 .1 1-18 



J Borden.... ....a 4 6 1 4-81 H B Sanger 6 2 4 4 3-18 



llFLiuuey i ' ° * 4 — - 1 DCOrll - 3 3-ls 



EBeunett, 4 6 4 4 4-33 GALirlng '.' 3 4 2 3-14 



WBartlert 4 4 4 4-S1 



