FOREST AND STREAM. 



509 



About the Paxma..— Boshn, Jan. 8.— I notice in one of 

 your cOnterhporarres that a member Of last year's learn— Mr. 

 Bruce— says'" that the team of '77 doe? not know where the 

 Palma is in the same sense as that of Ihe learn of 1876." 1 

 think Mr. Bruce is mistaken ; for Ihe trophy was presented 

 to the team of '77 at Gilmore's Garden ; and, furthermore, 

 the consent of the team was obtained before Tiffany sent it 

 to Paris. Mr. Bruce was secretary of the medium 

 team held in his office. "When Ihe request of Tiffany was 

 referred by the N. It. A. to the team Captain Weber was 

 chosen to take the personal custody of the trophy upon the 

 death of Crea. Dakin, and the sense of the team was that no 

 member could resign his responsibility or trust, It was 

 never expected that the team was to possess the trophy in 

 ihe sense of having it in their rooms or to take it about upon 

 their shoulders. It was understood that the presentation 

 was a form, as Pal ma is simply a symbol; rob it of its halo 

 aud what is it! Riflemen are gentlemen, and if they are to 

 be trusted as such when everything is at stake, is their 

 honor worth nothing after the victory V When ihe N. R. 

 A. cull for riflemen to come forward and protect the Palma, 

 do they not require of the gentlemen references that they 

 are good and true men ? If limy prove themselves to be 

 such, let ihe N. R. A. treat them accordingly. Riflemen 

 have the honor of the trophy as much at heart as the K. K 

 A., and have proved it, and they now come forward and 

 give their time and money to sustain it when the N. K. A. 

 was in a sore straight. 'The N. R. A. would b« nothi tg 

 without the riflemen of America, but the head of ihe I tab 

 military practice of New York and the riflemen could do 

 nothing in OlO great international matches without the head. 

 Then let each work for the good of the other, and the dis- 

 trust that w r as expressed by the change proposed in the orig- 

 inal conditions of the international nrotoh last September, 

 aud sprung upon the team at the last moment, will he elim- 

 inated trOm our National Rifle Association, aud we will 

 all work in reul earnest for the best good of rifle practice in 

 America. W. H. J. 

 . ■»■ « 



ACCURACY OF EXPRESS RIFLES. 



Factcckkt, R. I., Dec. 30, 1878. 

 Editor Forest and Stream : 



) havu become somewliat interested ot lute, HnrongD reading tie 

 numerous etmunnnlcuUous In jour paver, on the suujeet gl Express 

 Hues, by which I iitHierstutn! a rifle having the Henry sjr tern of riiuug 

 anil using au exoesslVe charge of strong powder, with a conjparittive.y 

 light, hollow-pointed ball How, while I. Have observtd agood deal said 

 about the stralghtnesa of the trajectory of such rifles, I ha»e seen little 

 to enlighten me us to their comparative accuracy livery one will ad- 

 mit tlie great advantage of a straight trajectory lor sporting purposes, 

 if it can be obtained without impairing auourafy; but it tUat has to he 

 saoriacert toauy great extent, tlien one Had netter attempt to calculate 

 elevation tbau to guess In which direction bid eccentric Express bullet 

 is lhielv to ily, auo attempt to aim accordingly - 



Jly observation bus led me to believe thai, in a small bore rifle, say not 

 over .m-cal., a powder charge of one grain to Ave grains of lead la the 

 maximum [hat can be nsed witbout impairing accuracy. I have a rifle 

 grooved on the Henry system, with which 1 have grouped len consecu- 

 tive shots iu a thiec-lhcli ring at 200 yards, with a cliarge of lib grains 

 powder, 550 grains Outlet. With the same charge of powder, and an 

 Uxpress bullet of about 275 grains, the group of ten shots required a 

 circle of twenty-eight inches to cover them. 



i should uue to know the experience of other riflemen who have 

 tested tho Express principle carelu.ly. What would be desirable to 

 lmow la what diameter of circle would be required to cover ten or more 

 consecutive shots, tired from rest, at say 200 yards, sighting every time 

 —the same as near as possible. 



It frequently happens ta testing rifles lhac a few shots will group 

 ban. Uomely together, then one or more will diveTge considerably. It 

 Is advisable, Ui'etalorel to Bte not less than tea shots to find the ex- 

 trema divergence likely to occur I Cake no fitoCK la the "compressed 

 uir " theory of the explosive qualifies of Express bullets. 

 There iB not suillJient volume of air to came any explosion, llolioiv- 

 polnted bulleta will undoubtedly turn inside out aud break In pieces 

 somewhat on striking au object, hut it Ib am to the resistance and 

 friction offered to the forward part, which causes solid butt, to telescope, 

 and the hollow forward part turning outward. This is undoubtedly of 

 advantage In killing large game, as the saock aotntnuoicatcd must be 

 very much greater, 



If the Express principle does not imoalr aecuracy ta ton great an ex- 

 tent, it Is undoubtedly the best yet devised for sporting purpose*. I 

 shall be glad to learn that others have obtained better results in the ap- 

 lleatlon of this principle than 1 have been ablo to obtain thus far. 



Yours faithfully, F. J. Kaisbktu. 



DR STABLES ON CANINE MATTERS IN 

 ENGLAND. 



Editor Forest akd Stream. 



flow fare you iu America iu the canine world. Here in 

 England we are all at sixes and sevens, logger-heads, daggers 

 drawn, or any other mild form of expression you think might 

 represent the state of affairs. Ab ! uut some of us would cut 

 each other's throats on the sly : don't we love each other just, 

 and don't we fly into each other's arms, and don't we weep tears 

 of joy down each others backs when we meet. Toil see we 

 prefer this form of embrace to any other, because it effectual- 

 ly conceals the onions so carefully hidden in the cuffs of our 

 coats. 



There have been several base attempts at murder here late- 

 ly. For instance, they — that is we, of course— have been 

 trying to kill poor too honest old Ivingdon of Colyton for the 

 last ti ye years, but itingdon lives. The weapons they— that 

 means we— use arc plentiful abuse when his back is turned, 

 and plentiful libations of Champagne when he comes smiling, 

 es he always does, to the fore. But, Lord bless your honest 

 soul, King'don doesn't miud it. He survives, I tell you. Why, 

 he even gets fat on it, one more proof of the Darwinian 

 theory of the survival of the fittest. But, look here sir, come 

 closer, aud lend me your ear. Ahem I the reason I think 

 why Kingdou lives is this : He is a gentleman and a scholar. 

 These are synonomous terms, you say. I grant it, but I assure 

 you mon ami, there are some among them— i. e., us— who 

 couldn't write a line of fair English if you were to promise 

 them— us, you know— a free ticket to the soup kitchen every 

 day they— ahem ! we — lived. 



Now, Mr. Lort is another poor devil against whom a con- 

 spiracy to live was got up. But Lort isn't K.eats. Tlie poor- 

 devil exists, smiles, eats and can go to bed at night without 

 hali a gallon of hot Scotch in his stomach. I say, though, 



..-hotly nicely anil neatly bowled over the other 

 day in the Loit business? I for one can't help pitying a 

 wretch Who under a nam de 



plume the venom, ele , lie himself litnl not the manliness to in- 

 dite. I tell you, elr. thai effusion on its arrival it a certain 

 editorial office found its way Into Balaam basks! withsur- 

 prisine celerity. 



Talking about anuonymous signatures, do you Yanks use 

 that stjle of going lo work? If not, let me recommend it to 

 your notice. The man yOU dined ami drank wine with hist 

 night don't know who calls him a fool and an ass (English 

 terms of emlearn cut) in tins morning's paper if you sign your- 

 self Karaktalcuss Iostead of plain Peter Robertson, mid you 



can meet htm with a calm, onniill'O countenance, and get in- 

 vited to dinner again, which is more pleasant than a c 

 hiding 



Shall I tell you how we review honks in this country and 

 call it honest crilicism. Well, thru, 1 could, hut I won't tail 

 journey, because in the last glaring case of the kind an ex, 

 plauation was given, which T am bound to respect, until the 

 like thing happens again. Bye and bye perhaps I'll put you 

 up to lots of wrinkles in unjust journalism. But here is one 

 which I must tell you now as you may find it come in hand}'. 



To wit-. If (first if) thine enemy— call him Friend if you 

 as written a book, and, if (No. 2) that volume is 

 likely to become an authority, and if fit' 3d) you wish to have 

 a stab in the dark at it, and if (4th ana last) you happen to be 

 the man who answers the queries, then here ib how to man- 

 age it- Write a query yourself under a rum deplume, and sign 

 i r Ed, jbusiy : 



Q. Can you or any of the numerous readers of your valu 

 ablo journal recommend a good book on the dog? I have 

 waded through Admiral Scot's work, but it seems full of 

 errors, and I do not think the author knows a dog from a 

 donkey. Ionokaiius. 



Ans. There is snob a work as .you need preparing at the 

 office of this journal. We fully agree with you iu your esti- 

 mate of both the Admiral and his book. 



By the way, a certain clique here, whose bones it may be 

 my unpleasant duly to lay bare another day, has started a 

 new paper (buttermeu, bless them !) with the intention of set- 

 ting the Thames on fire all the way to Sbeerness. Perhaps 

 it won't, though. But here is where the laugh comes in, and 

 the pity too. Because its worthy editor once attempted a 

 joke at a bacchanalian party of mixed sex, and because it 

 seemed to take— every one being half seas over— he, the per- 

 petrator, has gone in for wit wholesale. He gets the London 

 Figaro and the Sun Francisco Nemtetter by heart every week, 

 and when he sits down to his desk he puts bis feet in mustard 

 and water— that tickles him— ties a wet sheet around bis 

 temples, rubs his face wilb buttermilk, and begins. But it 

 won't do; a mistaken avocation. But I can tell you one 

 thing, sir, his atlacks upon your humble servant do make one 

 laugh. When I sit down to peruse this editor's jokes 1 have 

 to gel a servant to steady the chair, lest wiih backward, < 

 chination-prompted spring I break my neck, and to order 

 own private piper to play all the while the most heartrending 

 and doleful airs, else these sides of mine would simply split. 

 That's all. 



Such is life in the canine world. 



By the way, here's a good joke — but no ; I won't tell it to 

 you to-day. "Yet I could make you laugh. Never mind; 

 don't cry ; be good, shun vice and I'll give you all the fun of 

 the fair, you bet. Thine, 



Gordon Stables, M. D. R. N. 



P. S. I declare ! I've been and gone and signed my name, 

 and I really meant to have taken shelter under a nick. But 

 down it is, down to it I'll stick. 



Twyford, Berlts, Mng. t ilea. 30, 1878. 



A PENNSYLVANIA FOX HUNT. 



West Chester, Pa., Jan. 10, 1879. 

 Editor Forest and Steka?j : 



It has become the annual custom fcr the fox-hunting or- 

 ganizations in this section of the country to hold a meet 

 West Chester some time during the hunting season, aud as 

 this brings together quite a number of gentlemen whose inter- 

 est are of a mutual nature as regards fox hunting, the result 

 has alw T ays been that satisfactory and enjoyable reunions 

 have taken place. 



The well-known Rose Tree Hunting Club, which has its 

 headquarters near the city of Philadelphia, aud which in- 

 cludes such prominent sportsmen as the venerable Fairmat) 

 Rogers, H. Hiedekdper, Drs. Harte, Bushe, of Philadelphia, 

 anil H. E. Saulhier, formerly of New York, but now a resi- 

 dent of Delaware County, and many other gentlemen well 

 known to fame in the sporting field ; and it is natural that it 

 should take the various clubs which convene here on this oc- 

 casion. 



The members of the Rose Tree Club are all uniformed iu 

 the regulation English style, hold monthly meetings for busi- 

 ness, when a club supper is always partaken of, and ride 

 Sleek glossy hunters whose leaping qualities bring them fre- 

 quently into prominence as successful competitors in hurdle 

 races. When these gentlemen arrive in our quiet town or 

 the day previous to the one selected for the hunt to come off, 

 great excitement prevails in the more juvenile portion of the 

 community, and their scarlet uniforms, staunchly built fox- 

 hounds and handsome horses, led by their attendants, the 

 cynosure of admiring eyes, aud our more soberly attired local 

 hunters sink into insignificance for the time being. 



The bunt which took place here on Tuesday and Wednes- 

 day was participated in by this club, the West Chesler Club, 

 and delegations from various other fox-hunting organizations, 

 whose headquarters extended from the Brandy wine to Thorn- 

 bury. The Rose Tree pack of fox hounds, those belonging 

 to Jefferson Sbaner, of West Chester, which were awarded u 

 medal at the Centennial, the pack of Jesse Hickman, Thorn- 

 bury, together with numerous stragglers brought in from here 

 aud there, made an aggregate whose numbers promised dis- 

 truction to any fox whose temerity would induce him to 

 venture forth when they were abroad, 



the townships included under the comprehensive title of 

 Goshen furnished the scene of the first day's hunt, and as the 

 dogs streamed through the streets at early dawn, followed by 

 three score and ten horsemen all bravely equipped atid 

 mounted, it was a sight glorious to behold and calculated to 

 make the blood boil with' the vigor of youth in the veins of 

 veterans of the chase, whose halting feet brought them to 

 their doors to gaze as others had gazed on them in days of 

 yore. 



But little time was lost in starting a fox, and a cloudy day 

 with the wind in a propitious quarter, presented every indi- 

 cation that the occasion should be one such as rarely experi- 

 enced even by the most successful fox hunters; but alas, the 



hopes of all are sometimes fated t" disappointment, and after 

 a tedious and baffling run of about a dozen miles, duriug 

 which time the fox was seen several times to seat himself on 

 hill tops to await the drawing nigh of the pack, a diversion 

 was caused by a beggarly half-dozen of dogs belonging to 

 another hunt crossing the trail and so losing the fox to ihe 

 burners from West: Cheater, who endeavored without success 

 to start other foxes, but were finally compelled at the close of 

 the day to return lo town with the hopes of better luck on the 



This disappointment was partly compensated for by a ban- 

 quet which the West. Chester Club had prepared for their 

 visitors, and the supper hour was pleasantly passed by the 

 tired hunters in feasting, speeches and songs, their couches 



being sought at ii i ■ ..- . oui tthej i tl in- amply pre- 



gain in the gad- 

 Brandy- 



s time, the his- 



rox, which for 



f not surpassed 



The da, I. :■■■■■■'■: "' ' ..... . i. und'fhen 



die with fresh reinforcements of men i 

 wine hilh being mad obji dl ive p 



toric fields of Birmingham soon furnis 

 trickery and agility Is said tobavecqi; 

 the original cause of all earthly troubli 



Slipping under the fence boom OHO ,-ide lo the other, be 

 baffled the good intentions of the hounds in a manner very 

 annoying to even tbebeat nal tired, and after leading Ihe field a 

 tiresome hunt, finally Ml them in the vicinity of Chad's Ford, 

 after which nothing further was seen of any representatives of 

 the Reynard family. 



The combination having been so unsuccessful then dis- 

 solved partnership, the different divisions returning to their 

 respective places of abode wilb ihe hope that at their next 

 annual meeting the Fates should be more propitious and the 

 foxes more unsuspecting. Ksoclapius. 



CANINE OVARIATOMY, 



Attica, N. Y., Dec. 29, 1878. 



Editor Forest akd Stream : 



I have been very much interested in Ihe various articles 

 which have appeared in your journal relative to canine sur- 

 gery, and particularly ovariafouiy ; and while I appreciate 

 the necessity for a " canine surgeon " standing upon his pro- 

 fessional dignity in all matters surgical, medical, or perlaining 

 to his profession, still it seems to mo that Ibis matter is a very 

 simple one and seldom attended with danger. When we re- 

 member the mutilations which dogs undergo for scientific 

 purposes, and the almost invariable and rapid recoveries 

 which they make, I am led to remark (hat the operation of 

 ovariatomy is quite simple and requires but little anatomical 

 or surgical knowledge. If you are not familiar with canine, 

 surgery, or are in doubt as to the truth of my statement,,, 

 please call at the physiological laboratory of Prof. Flint, Jr., 

 at Bellevue Hospital, witness a few operations on the doctor's 

 pets, and you will be surprised that dogs can be literally dis- 

 sected alive and yet in a few days lie entirely well. The 

 great plasticity of the blood, the readiness and rapidity with 

 which clots will form in the wounds, and the rapid organiza- 

 tion of this new material, is a fact well known to scientific 

 men. The cat, rat, wolf, fox and lower order of quadrupeds 

 generally, bear operations well. The shock is slight, and if 

 the patient be brought well under the influence of an anes- 

 thetic, so as to prevent struggling and injury to contiguous 

 parts, there is no reason why any intelligent person cannot 

 perform the operation successfnly. 1 have removed one of 

 the kidneys from a dog, and in a few days the dog was per- 

 fectly well. I have out down upon the stomach, introduced 

 a silver caaula info the stomach, brought the eauula through 

 the external opening, and in a week the dog was well • and 

 with a fistulous opening into the stomach 1 have removed ihe 

 entire spleen, with no other effect than lo give the animal a 

 ravenous appetite, or perhaps an unusual ferocity of dbposi 

 tion. I have performed many operations run The lower aid 

 mals for experimental purposes, aud I never have killed bu f 

 one pup, and he died from strangulation through the careless' 

 nes3 of my assistant. Long years ago, before I acquired 

 any anatomical knowledge ,,( ihe relation of the different 

 organs in the pelvis of the dog, or had in any way familiar- 

 ized myself with the surgical relations of the various parts 

 I was taught by au old English gentleman bow to remove the' 

 ovary, and I have followed his diteclnns ever since It is 

 true that we killed a young bitch to verify the truth of the 

 old gentleman's statement, but it was not a necessary proce- 

 dure. I will give the opinion as demonstrated to me and I 

 will vouch for the fact that I never have been disappointed in 

 the result. First, bring the bitch well under the influence of 

 ether; then place her on her back; then spread wide the 

 Hughs and introduce a large blunt-pointed, carved wire probe 

 into the vagina ; carry the probe backward and upward to- 

 wn d the nterial line, and feel the point of the probe about 

 two inches above the pubis, then place the finger firmly on 

 the point of the probe; now make an incision through the 

 abdominal parities about one inch and a half iom>' and cut 

 down upon the point of a probe ; pass the probe through the 

 opening and you will liud a Y-shaped tube projecting- the 

 probe is in the lower part of the Y, which is the vagina of 

 the bitch. The two lines which pass upward to form the 

 upper part of the Y are the fallopian tubes, and lead directlv 

 to the ovaries. Seize these lubes, pull I hem out slightly pass 

 a small wire hook into the cavity of the abdomen and around 

 the fallopian tube ; follow the tube t.. tin; ovary, give tlie hook 

 a twist, aud the ovary will be torn from its attachment and 

 an then be drawnaway. Follow the same plan with the other 

 fallapian tube aud ovary. When bulb tubes aud ovaries ar> 

 out of the abdominal cavity, draw slightly on the vasina and 

 cut it oft. Bring the edges of the wound together, make the 

 edges fit loosely, and hold by four or five sutures passed 

 through aud through. Chain up and muzzle the bitch to nre- 

 vent her pulling out the sutures and possibly produciuir a 

 hernia. In a week she will be entirely well. I have ner- 

 formed this operation frequently, and have followed in detail 

 just as I have given above. It is simple, devoid of technicali- 

 ties, aud any person who will intelligently follow mv direc 

 lions will be able to operate, sue, essfully. Lhe«e -ire ,,nti .™ 

 Mr. Editor, in which f take much interest, imd as time in 

 eiinatiori and opportuuiiy presents, I will look over mv well" 

 filled, well-kept record, and if f should find them iu subiecta 

 of sufficient interest, I will gladly give them to the public 



through the medium of Fowtsr and Stream. 

 Oaninely yours, 



Attious. 



