FOREST AND STREAM. 



369 



What is Tbspass '—A correspondent sends us the follow 

 ing querieg 



" The otber day while out quail shooting on a (arm that I 

 had permission to shoot over, my dog found hirds at the line 

 fence. "When I flushed the birds the}' flew out ou the adjoin- 

 ing farmer's property. 1 killed a bird and it fell on his 

 land. I sent my dog to retrieve the bird, when the farmer on 

 whose land it fell came out and threatened to shoot the (log, 

 and the only way of preventing him from carrying his throat 

 into execution was by threatening to shoot him if he did it. 

 Will yon be kind enough to advise me what action to take 

 should such a thing occur again or in case I or rny dog should 

 get on another man's ground by mistake ? Also, has an y 

 farmer a right to shoot my dog or to fine me for trespass 

 without asking me to go off his land V E. Q." 



A certain portion of our correspondent's letter could be 

 better answered by a lawyer, who would probably ba better 

 posted as to the State laws than we are, We can say, how- 

 ever, that no man has the right to shoot another's dog under 

 any circumstances unless it be one which places him in fear 

 of bodily harm from the dog. If you trespass on a fanner's 

 land who has»duly complied with the law regarding posting 

 or advertising his land he can cause you to be arrested for 

 trespass, but he cannot touch your property in any way. — En. 



Massachusetts— Wareham, Nov. 27.— The Briggs boys— 

 Charles and Frederick — in four hunts this season have killed 

 five Taccoons, The two last were taken near the old Federal 

 Furnace, some eight miles north of our village, ou the Slat, 

 Their weights were 174- and 2f pounds. 0. L. 



Wareham, Dec. 2. — The game register at the Kendrick 

 House, Wareham, Mass., for the month of November foots up 

 37 partridges, 132 quails aud 1 woodcock, notwithstanding 

 the inclement weather of over one-half a mouth and other 

 causes distracting the game, such as bull-dog hunters, and a 

 large mortality among partridges, caused by ticks. If is be- 

 lieved that the wild house cats "are making ravages among the 

 coveys of quails, as a large number of the feline race of enor- 

 mous size are seen in our surrounding forests, oven at a dis- 

 tance of eight miles from human habitation. The huntsmen, 

 however, have turned their special attention to that class of 

 marauders by unhitching their firearms iu the direction of 

 wild puss. 



Boylston, Nov. 23. — A. G. Larkin weut out bunting this 

 week, and his dog soon found a track which Mr. L. supposed 

 was that of a fox. After chasing the animal for one hour 

 and a half, he overtook, on the edge of Northborougb, a large 

 Wild cat which he shot. The animal weighed fourteen 

 pounds, and was nearly four feet in length, and is a " rare 

 bird " in this section, 



Salem, Nov. 20. — Quail are about, but need to be diligently 

 sought. Matters generally are quiet. Newcomb. 



Nbw Yobk— HornelUtiHe, Nov. 25.— So far this season 

 there have been eight deer shot within a few miles of here. 

 Ruffed grouse are getting more plentiful. John Penwell 

 bagged ten in one day and Burt Elliott six in one afternoon. 

 L. T. Scoville, of Portageville, captured an eagle recently, 

 which is pure white in color, measures seven feet three 

 inches from tip to tip of wings, and weighs 39^ lbs. 



Jobs. 



Slielter Island, L. I., Nov. 28.— The fowl shooting here 

 now is poor enough ; few birds and those few very wild, so it 

 don't pay to go for them ; but during the winter they may be 

 here in good numbers, as they were last winter. A few flocks 

 of wild geese have passed over, but they make no stop and 

 fly too high for the gunners. Isaac. 



New Jersey— Barnegat Inlet, Nov. 24.— Shooting been 

 very poor past week. Only fowl here worth noticing are 

 black ducks and broad bills. Brant and geese have not made 

 their appearance (where are they?); the oldest gunner has 

 not known tbem to be so late before. Only shooting worth 

 reporling was- done last week by Professor J. M. Laflin, the 

 champion athlete, who scored some 17 on Monday and 10 on 

 Tuesday last. The professor, from personal observation, is 

 A No. 1 as a shootist. B. 



Makylakd— Baltimore, Nov. 30. — A large number of gun- 

 ners spent Thursday in the held. Those who went out to the 

 country about Perrymansville and Edgewood report excellent 

 fun. The partridge and hares are very abundant there. A 

 number of sportsmen went down by boat to the lower coun- 

 ties and met with good success. 



Pennsylvania. — Mr. A. F. Olapp, the sporting editor of 

 the Sunbury American, has recently been off on a deer hunt 

 to the Snow-Shoe. range of the Alleghanies. There were six 

 in the party, not counting the dogs. They camped at an old 

 house on the Black Moaliannon Creek, and early in the morn- 

 ing started out, and one shot at a flying white flag and the 

 loss of a valuable dog was the result of the day's sport. The 

 next day's chase was more successful, a fine five-pronged buck 

 gracing the return to camp. Two days of rain and one of 

 snow followed, and the hunters returned to their homes well 

 satisfied with their experience. 



Titusville, Dec. 2. — Our surrounding woods have been so 

 thorough!}' hunted for the past three months that game was 

 never known to be so scarce before. Ruffed grouse have all 

 been killed or left our woods ; was out all day Saturday ; saw 

 but two. Last week eight different hunting parties passed 

 through this city for Forest County. Deer is said lo be very 

 plenty in this county. Nearly every meat shop has from one 

 to three hanging in front. &. H. W- 



Tenkessre— Nashville, Nov. 28.— The largest bag of quail 

 made to one gun, this season, was that of H. S. Gettings, of 

 Baltimore, Md., at present near Dixon Station on the N. W. 

 R. B., where he is training Mr. Nicholson's Jet and Bella for 

 the coming field trial ; Mr. G. killed 74 birds. 



Louisiana — Abbeville, Nov. 29. — There is at times an abun- 

 dance of game in this (Vermilion) parish. Deer and bear as 

 well as turkeys and prairie chickens have been weli nigh ex- 

 terminated ; but there are plenty of partridges, squirrels and 

 hares. In winter, geese and ducks by the millions flock to 

 the marshes along the aea coast and bays, and to the prairies. 

 These geese, brant and ducks get very fat, aud are excellent, 

 tor the table. Great numbers of woodcock resort to this 

 region in winter, and remain throughout the winter seasou ; 

 from twenty to forty brace may be bagged per day by a good 

 gun. The Wilson snipe and three or four other varieties are 



found throughout the prairies during the late fall and winter. 

 Many varieties of plover and curlews and Sandpipers arc 

 found here in abundance. The Bartrams sandpiper drives 



here in August, and is very fat and of extreme dele 

 surpass anything of the kind to be found in the L i 

 for delicious flavor. With the exception of short intervals', 

 good shooting is to be had throughout the year. 



EfcnftrtB— OartTutge, Nov. 27.— Wild game, which for the 

 past few years has been so scarce in this" vicinity, has lately 

 made its appearance in unusual quantities. While there are 

 large numbers of ducks, geese, rabbits, quail, etc. The 

 " crop" of prairie chickens is truly astonishing. Thousands 

 of these birds can be seen auy frosty morning flying among 

 the cornfields near town, and our sportsmen are having some" 

 good shooting in consequence. Large numbers of these birds 

 are being killed in this county and shipped toeasfernmarkels. 



Cay. 



Vienna, Noti. 25. — Buffed grouse, quail and rabbits quite 

 plenty here, but: the grouse are very wild. In part of two 

 days I bagged 10 quail, rabbits aud 3 grou.se. Kou. 



Ohio— Hamilton Co,— Few sportsmen would admit that 

 ducks — wild ones— can be seen within seven miles of the city 

 of Ciucimiati. But such is the fact, especially since the com- 

 pletion by some heavy ice companies of "reservoirs," of many 

 acres iu extent, near Carthage, O, The sight of in II 

 fowl, perfectly ' at home, but wary, upon these miniature 

 lakes, is one most refreshing to the eye of the sportsman, re- 

 minding him of former ioys in the Northwest. The premises 

 here referred to are, unfortunately, "posted." 



W. MoK, H. 



Michigan— Detroit, Nov. 23.— Nov. 19 Frank Blakely was 

 out for a. hunt, and returned with partridges and 11 quail. 

 Nov. 80, Chas. A. Osborne was out ducking, and bagged 10 

 ducks. On the 18th hist., Walter: Oongreve made a bag of 

 15 quail. Nov. 21, W. 11. Myler aud A. ii. Backmai took a 

 trip to Bedford for a day's recreation and a little sport. They 

 bagged 7 squirrels and 3 coons. The. coons were all I'numl in 

 one tree, weighing 23, 19 and 18 pounds. The smaller one 

 was captured alive : all baing males." Druid. 



Detroit, Nov. 30.— Nov. 25, E. H. Gillman, of this city, 

 and James Skuse, of Windsor, Ont., were out for a day's 

 sport and made a bag of 12 partridges and 28 quail. Nov. 29, 

 Frank Nail and Frank Eddy, in company with J. W. Jardine, 

 returned from a five days' guoot in the woods north of Alpena. 

 The following is their bag : 13 deer, 32 spruce partridges, 7 

 white rabbits and a three hundred pound black bear. Mr. 

 Jardine had quite a tussel with a buck who had a hind leg 

 broken. Jardine ran up to cut his throat and the deer went 

 for him, knocked him down, bruised him quite severely, and 

 making a serious wound iu his left wrist. He says he will 

 never try collar and elbow hold with a deer again. Dkuid. 



— Deer are reported very abundant in Alpena County. 

 Between 300 and 400 have been killed already this season. 



—A party of six Pittsburgh sportsmen sent home more 

 than 500 ducks as the result of a week's hunt on the St. Clair 

 Flats. 



— A brakeman of the Great Western Railway recently en- 

 countered a bear, and the local paper says that his "face is 

 embelished with more cuts than ordinarily accompany an il- 

 lustrated newspaper." 



— A large wildcat was shot in one of the streets at East 

 Saginaw on the 24th iust. 



Minnesota— ££. Paul, Dec. 2. — Migratory game has mostly 

 left us; hunters are mostly engaged with deer, of which the 

 forests are full ; some quail and ruffed grouse in market. 

 Next year I trust you will make a longer visit here and look 

 at Mtnnctonka, C. P. 



Iowa— Algona, Nod. 20.— I note the letter of "Nitnrod" 

 in your issue of the 14th inst. , and have been much interested 

 therein. A party of five of us bagged 207 ducks at the duck 

 pass he speaks of, near Spirit Lake, about the first of this 

 month. I can corroborate all he says about the game, accom- 

 modations for hunters, etc., but wish to set the people right 

 on one subject he speaks of. Having been a resident of this 

 county for twenty-three years, and knowing intimately uearlv 

 every man that shoots near here, I must say that the person 

 Who told him " that prairie chickens had been shot by hun- 

 dreds and left lying on the ground" imposed greatly on his 

 credulity by making up a lie "out of whole cloth." I have 

 never known of one chicken being loft that could be found 

 by diligent search. There are more chickens lost by the 

 nests being burned in the spring every year than are shot iD 

 five years. Every person here who has paid any attention to 

 the subject will bear me out in this assertion.*! Wo shall never 

 see them so plenty as they have been, although very fine sport 

 can be had now. Our present game law is a failure— in this 

 part of the State, at least. I do uot know of over six men 

 in this county who observe it, of which I am one. It defeats 

 itself by its very stringency^ and unconstitutional provisions. 

 Ducks have been very plenty this season, but geese not so 

 plenty as usual. Algona. 



The Championship. — The gold medal given by Captain Bo- 

 gardus ; possession of which is to carry with it the title of 

 champion pigeon shot of the United Slates, is to he shot for at 

 the Brooklyn Driving Park on December 35. Ou the follow- 

 ing day another medal will be shot for to decide the cham- 

 pionship at glass balls. On December 27 there will be a 

 match to be shot at both glass balls and pigeons. In addition 

 to the medals there will be added on the first day $500, on the 

 second $300, and on the third $500. 



Mr. Ferguson's Improved Jack. Lamp.— We have several 

 times, we believe, given some praise to Mr. Ferguson's Pocket 

 and Jack Lanterns, which we have been glad to recommend 

 for their lightness as well as their light. Most lanterns are 

 cumbersome and bulky, although very efficient illminators. 

 Ferguson's weigh so little that they are a comfort to carry. 

 We have been the possessor of one of them for six months 

 past, and know their value. The new improvements, which 



we are now allied upon to notice, consist iu largei 



ing power, with the same compactness as those first offered lo 

 the public. Besides, the adjustments are more simple. It is 

 7$ inches high, 4^ inches wide, 2$ inches deep, burns cither 

 lard, sperm, or signal oils for eight hours without filling, can- 

 not, be extinguished iu a gale, and weighs only one pound 

 without its attachments. Can anything be more" perfect. ? It 

 can Lie adjusted to the head, buggy, boat or staff by suitable 

 fixtures. No one ought to camp without one. See his adver- 

 tisement. 



pAitTniDOE WiTimoi.DiNo tfteib SoBm.—PhiMi.ddp/iut 

 Nam. 88. — Milter Forest and Stream: Have just returned 

 from a hunt, in the Lehigh Valley, between Hellertown and 

 Allentown. The dogs we had were A No. 1 in every respsct. 

 Idwe struck the dogs ranged nnd quartered elegant- 

 ly, but failed to find a covey. As I walked down the centre 

 of the held 1 kicked up a covey of 7 ; missed with my first 

 barrel, knocked one down with my second ; called dogs to 

 find "dead bird," hut ihey both failed in the attempt. At 

 last I discovered the bird crouching low and holding his wings 

 close to his body. As I supposed, this position would be 

 termed holding his scent; the dogs came up and passed within 

 a foot of the bird, backward and forward, and failed to dis- 

 cover him. At last I stooped to pick the bird up when he 

 flew away about 70 yards, and the Bismarck bitch Tan came 

 to a dead point with the other dog, Frank, backiug in elegant 

 style. 1 walked up and killed him. In the three day's hunt 

 neither of the dogs ran over any birds, and found us a great 

 many coveys among which we did severe eyecution, killing, 

 be i W ecu I air of us, 15R partridges, 2 woodcock, which I con- 

 sider a fair bag. Would advise any of my fellow-sportsmen 

 to step and see Mr. Michael, who keeps the Hellertown Hotel, 

 and they will find him a genial gentleman and true Bportsman, 

 anxious to show those who come there where they can kilt 

 the most birds. E. E. 8. 



Another Man Who Wants to Do Florida.— DansviUe, 

 N. Y. — Editor Forest and Stream: Tou can't fancy what a 

 comfort it is for me, stretched out on the old lounge under 

 the mild rays of the student lamp, with nojight to break the 

 silence of my "Den " but the swish of the hemlocks against 

 the weather-boards outside or the twitchings and mutterings 

 of Hash, who, lying at my feet, half-toasted by the beech 

 wood Are, dreams over and over again the last grouse he 

 pointed to his death. What a comfort, I say, when one is 

 among the " Cant-get-aways" to read " Al Fresco's" letters ! 

 Ho w ful 1, how graphic,and withal how modest— no fish stories, 

 no imaginative frills, no "letter" Nimrod or lightweathcr 

 sailor is he. One follows him through all his exciting and 

 interesting Marooning3 and regrets that another week must 

 elapse before the trip is resumed. What -like of man is he ? 

 Would he not shake hands with a tyro and repeat for his 

 benefit a few of the valuable hints his letters contain. Dmbt- 

 less he would, recognizing in the act the masonry thatwHsts 

 among true sportsmen. Heaven speed the time, when with 

 my nineteen-foot cat, impedimenta, striker and Al Fresco's 

 sailing directions, I may realize what now is most vividly 

 imagined, a trip among the Keys. St. Eabns. 



Lubrioatobs fob Goks— Editor Forest and Stream : Will 

 you permit me, through your valuable paper, to say a word 

 in defence of the lubricator so rudely attacked by your cor- 

 respondent, "L." He stales that theyare advertised as "ab- 

 solutely guaranteeing immunity from rust," and advises tbe 

 use of mercurial ointment, which is a very dangerous com- 

 pound. This is undoubtedly a very thorough rust preventer ; 

 but woe to the man who has a scratch on his hand, or in any 

 way uses it carelessly— besides which, it is as old as the hills 

 and known to all sportsmen. I would advise a coating of 

 beeswax or tallow, which is just as effective and perfectly 

 harmless. I have never seen the advertisement mentioned 

 above, and would consider a person so advertising as hurting 

 his own business ; for such a compound cannot be made as 

 long as sportsmen are so careless with their own weapons. I 

 have used Ferguson's and Eaton's Rust Preventer, also the Bel- 

 montyle oil, and found thera most excellent. I have shot all 

 day m the rain, both for wild fowl and upland game, and my 

 guns have never been troubled lo any serious extent by rust. 

 But 1 do not expect them (the rust-preventers) to do thtir 

 part unless I do mine and keep my guris clean. I heard of a 

 gentleman the other day, who on being asked how a certain 

 rust-pieventer worked, replied : "Not worth a blank.'' 



"How so?" asked the maker. 



"Oh, my gun got covered with rust. I was out in a boat 

 and got it spriukled over with salt water, and when I looked 

 at it a few days after it had specks of rust all over the barrel." 



" Did you wipe it off when you came in ?" 



"No, 1 was too tired." 



Probably if it, had not been for the abused article the gen- 

 tleman's gnu would have been ruined instead of having a 

 few rust spots on it. 



1 will now state how I clean my guns and rifles : I fliat 

 drive a wad, one size larger than the bore, through each bar- 

 rel; then wipe with a rag moistened with benzine or any oil 

 handy ; then polish out with a thick flannel rag; now anoint 

 with Ferguson's or Eaton's Bust Preventer, and the gun is all 

 right. If not used within a few days, the polishing and oil- 

 ing should be repeated once or twice at intervals of a couple 

 of days, and then the gun can be put away for months. Be- 

 , ling on the salt water fill all corners, engraving and 

 screw-heads, with tallow or beeswax. If the gun is to be 

 put away for a long time, or taken on a long sea voyage, fill 

 the barrels with melted tallow. Never put a gun away dirty, 

 particularly if used ou a damp day. But remember, it is bet- 

 ter to leave the powder dirt in than to half clean with a dirty 

 rag. \V. H. 



New York, Nov. 26, 1878. 



. — * — 



CHILLED SHOT AND PENETRATION. 



Hoosibb Hall, Iail., Not. it, 1SJS, 

 Editor Foassi and Stream : 



The subjoined table shows the result of experiments with chilled bu4 

 soft allot. The faej of the targets ujed was forty lnohe9 square, built 

 of inch plank, and llrinty fastened lo upright posts. la the centre of 

 this targ.3--board la a hole Stn. Bqaare, which fits the end of the pene- 

 tration box. The box is 30in. loug and 6!a. square iueide, and la this 

 box are arranged cardboards liu. apart. The cardbomls used measure 

 l-24iu. la thickness, so the penetration of twenty-four boards shows an 

 inch of solid substance traversed by the shot. The target forgetting 

 the pattern or distribution of the peliet3 Is a Jpaper, 35x36ln., divided 

 into consecutive circles of 8, 6, 12, is, 21 and 30 in. in d(anieter, and the 

 space outside or the siiiu. circle is denominated " outer," This paper 

 Is tacked upon the face of the target board, the centre being fanned! 

 ately in trout of the penetrailoa box, so that the pattern and penetration 

 of each ire ta taken at the same time. Tiro tables below ahosv the 

 number 01 pellets penetrating the first board in the box, aud also the 

 number penetrating e.ich successive board ; and gives also Hie number 

 of pellets entering each circle and iu the '• outer." So shot was count- 

 ed unless it penetrated entirely thraii^a the pasteboard. I discovered 

 In a previous trial that by hammering the wads over the powder 

 smartly, I got an increase uf from two to tive boards. The superior 



penetrating power oi the entiled shot was beautifully iiinetrated In the 



manner in which it riddled tae strips of tin nulled upon the end or the 

 box for its protection; whereas, the soft, shot never cm. througa the 

 tin, tut antteued ont, thin us wafers, upon the surface, rue chiliad 

 shot, after pasblug through twontii-flV».»t the boards, were discovered 



