JPUKE&l AND STKEAM. 



A WEEKLY JOURNAL, 



AI. NATURAL IIlSTOHT, 



SHVATIONOfFoHESTS, 

 A UKAI.THT LNTEKEST 



Devoti-.ii to Field and AgnATto Sports. 



FlsnC'lIl.TlTttE, THE Fm.TECTIONOF «i 

 AND THE Ivt'ftUATMN InMkN AND W 



ui Ooi-poon Raonsi«a») axd Study 



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NEW YORK, THURSDAY, JANUARY 28,1875. 



To Correspondents. 



All communications whatever, whether relating to business or literary 

 correspondence, must be addressed to The Forest and Stream Pud- 

 LlBBTNa Cojii'any. Personal or private letters of course excepted. 



All communications Intended for publication uu' :i i> nvomi^inwi ,■, : : I :, 

 eal uanie, as a guaranty of good faith. Names will not be published If 

 objection be made. No anonymons contributions will be regarded. 



Articles relating to any topic within the scope or this paper arc solicited. 



We cannot promise to return rejected manuscripts. 



Secretaries of Clubs and Associations are urtjed to favor us with brief 

 notes of their movements and transactions, as iL is the aim of this paper 

 to become a medium of useful and reliable Information between gentle- 

 men sportsmen from one end of the country to tile other ; and they will 

 find our columns a desirable medium for advertising announcements. 



The Publishers of Fokest akd Stream aim to merit aud secure the 

 patronage and countenance of that portion of the community whose re- 

 fined intelligence enables them to properly appreciate and enjoy all that 

 Is beautiful in Nature. It ivill pander to no depraved tastes, nor pervert 

 the legitimate sports of land and water to those base uses which always 

 tend to mate them unpopular wifti the virtuous and good. No advertise- 

 ment or bnsiness notice of an immoral character will be received on any 

 terms ; and nothing will be admitted to any department, of the paper that 

 may not be read with propriety ui the home circle. 



We cannot bo responsible for the dereliction of the mail service, if 

 money remitted to us is lost. 



Advertisements should be sent in by Saturday of each week, ir possible. 

 CHARLES HALLOCK, Managing Editor. 



WILLIAM C. HARRIS, Business Manager. 



FIELD CLUBS. 



THE number of societies in Englend aud France that 

 devote a large share of attention to making collec- 

 tians and notes of the Bora and fauna of their immediate 

 region seems very large to us, on this side of Hie water, to 

 whom such organizations are unknown; and the fact Hint 

 they do not exist is somewhat of a disappointment, even if 

 they would accomplish only a small fraction of the work 

 done by the clubs abroad. The latter have furnished some 

 of the most interesting notes on the habits and peculiarities 

 of plants and animals to the more pretentious natural history 

 societies, from the fact that they have had an opportunity 

 of seeing the objects they study under varied conditions. 

 Besides their contributions to science, the members have 

 enriched their own minds, and given themselves a source 

 of pure pleasure unlimited in capacity. 



In this country, where many peculiarities of our flora 

 and fauna are unknown, owing to the nascent condition of 

 our scientific associations, and consequently their limited 

 time for study and examination, such societies would do 

 much good by their investigations and collections. They 

 could, for inslance, make notes on all the remarkable trees, 

 shrubs and flowers in their neighborhood, Die migration of 

 birds, the hibernation of quadrupeds, and their mode of 

 procuring food in severe Winters. These would prove a 

 valuable contribution to our scientific lore, and be read 

 wilh much interest by all classes of persons. So far, we 

 know only of one club of this class in llie country, and that 

 is t he New England Society, of Orange, New Jersey. That 

 its members have not been idle is evident from it neat pub- 

 lication called the "Babbit Portfolio," which they have rc- 

 o»nl ly issued. This contains a description and a h'lBtorv of 

 all the notable trees in their neighborhood, and is hand- 

 semely illustrated with photo-engravings. The first num- 

 ber contains the "Valley oak" {Quercus otbus), the "Hill- 

 yer elm'' ( Ulmus Americana), and the buttonwood (Plalanus 

 Occidentcdu). 



The pretty volumes arc named in honor of Dr. Babbit, 



who was the first to plant shade trees in Orange aud its 



vicinity. If we had more societies of this sort they would 



prove most valuable auxiliaries to the scientific corps now 



n ■ i j -.-.ly engagefj on this continent, 



CLOSE TIME FOR DUCKS. 



The New York Association for the Protection of Game, 

 at their meeting January 18lh, proposed some amendments 

 It) the Same Laws of New York, which do not quite meet 

 the requirements Of the case. 



li is ft well known fact among the sportsmen and bay 

 men tit the south side of Long Island, that ever since the 

 duck law has been changed from October 20th, as it 

 formerly existed, lo September 1st, the shooting has been 

 attended with exceedingly poor success. 



As the law now stands, the gunners commence a brisk 

 fusilado September 1st as the very first flock endeavors to 

 alight in the bay; Ihc consequence is, that the ducks are 

 driven away, while if they were allowed to alight and re- 

 main undisturbed on the feeding grounds until about the 

 20th of October, the shooting would undoubtedly be good 

 until the freezing of the bay drove the birds south. Most 

 of the birds driven from Long Island during the Fall of 

 1873 took refuge [n Barnegat Bay and other bays further 

 south. Last Fall the ducks werevcry scarce all along 

 the coast from Long Island to Cape May. These facts can 

 bo corroborated by gentlemen who have spent several weeks 

 every year for many years gunning on the coast of Long 

 Island and New Jersey. 



"We are not prepared to say why the ducks were so few 

 last Fall, unless the warm weather kept them back; but 

 when they did arrive, as the weather grow colder, it was 

 evident to anyone that the cause of their hurried deparlure 

 from our shores was the result of the vigorous fire opened 

 upon them before they had a chance to "open a trade," its 

 it is called, between the local feeding grounds. The law, 

 we understand, was changed to September 1st in New York, 

 to allow a chance to those who wish lo shoot leal, which 

 are very scarce at any time. All the guuners with whom 

 we have conversed on the subject, agree that the 20th of 

 October is the very earliest time that the Fall duck shoot- 

 ing ought to commence on Long Island. 



If laws are not speedily enacted to suit the habits of the 

 game and then vigorously enforced, the time is not far dis- 

 tant when we may as well "put our decoys out" on the 

 Central Park skating pond as in the bays of Long Island 

 aud New Jersey. 



AMERICAN RIFLES AT WIMBLEDON. 



TIIE impression created on the Irish riflemen during 

 their visit here may be readily inferred from the in- 

 terest they have taken in the Amateur Club. They have 

 already made preparations to receive their American rivals 

 and friends at Wimbledon during the great shooting fes- 

 tival; but more than that, knowing that under the Wim- 

 bledon rules our riflemen would not be allowed to compote, 

 as they use a rifle of 44 calibre instead of 4.5, as the former 

 demand, ihey opened a correspondence wilh Capt. Mild- 

 may, Secretary of the Wimbledon Association, and ex- 

 plained this fact to him, and lie was kind enough to have 

 the rule rescinded, so that our "team" can now show their 

 power with the American breech loader. An important 

 fact for our men to consider, were it not. already under- 

 slood, is that breech loaders will not be allowed to be load- 

 ed from the muzzle, it being considered a violation of the 

 principles on which they are made. This, however, is a 

 matter of small moment, as it was only done in an exception- 

 al case here. The action of the Irish team in preparing the 

 way for their American rivals and friends may be deduced 

 from the letter of Mr. Rigby, which we append, as well as 

 the response of Capt. Mildmay to his note of inquiry. Our 

 riflemen are certainly under a marked obligation to Mr. 

 Kigby for the personal interest and effort he has taken in 

 the matter: — 



Dublin, December SOtk, 1874. 

 Editor Forest and Stkeam: — 



During my stay iu New York I became aware that al- 

 most all the American rifles used at Creedraoor were of a 

 calibre smaller than the limit prescribed by the rules of the 

 NalionaJ IJifle Association of Great Britain, and that con- 

 sequently American Riflemen visiting Eugiand would be 

 unable to use their own rifles in the, competitions at Wim- 

 bledon. Immediately on my return, I wrote to the Council 

 at London, representing this fact, and suggesting that the 

 rule limiting the calibre might be altered. I took occasion 

 at the same time to put another question, viz: whether iu 

 a competition open only to any breech loading rifle it would 

 be permitted to a competitor to load through the muzzle. 

 This was the subject of an undecided protest under con- 

 sideration of your National Rifle Association at the time. 

 I received the following reply lo these questions: — 

 Na 



litttd to tile Council of ihe4ili inst... I am directed to state— 1st. That 

 it will noi lie permitted to a competitor to load his ritle in the manner 

 described by you, viz: "in-crtlmr an empty cartridge case, closing the 

 breech, and then loading tlvon»li the muzzle." Sd. The (imitation of 

 the minimum calibre .150 in "any tides" will no longer be enforced. 

 Believe me, jours truly, 



E. St. John Mildmay, Sec'y N. K. A. 



I think the Council of the National Ritle Association of 

 Great Britain have shown good judgment iu their decisions 

 on both points, and am, sir, yours iaithfully, 



Jons Rigby. 



Forest and Stkeam has reached Russia, on its way to 

 the Antipodes, our first subscription from that country 

 having been forwarded to us last week through the Pub- 

 lishing House of G. P. Putnam's Sons. 



— Seven more surgeons have located near the Boston 

 Common since the coasting carnival began. If the sledding 

 continues, they anticipate a good businesa, 



GOOD REGATTA RULES. 



THE decisions of the recent Intercollegiate i , :,i 

 Convention will do away with nearly all lite abuse 

 usually incidental to races between the university boats, so 

 that the contests will in future be devoid of the acrimony 

 and ill feeling engendered by collisions, unfair decisions, 

 and the other mishaps liable to occur at, anytime under 

 the old rules. One very important change is placing the 

 entire race, from the time of the start, in charge of the. 

 referee, and another is that every boat leaves its "water at 

 its own pier, thus preventing all danger of washing. The 

 buoying of the course is a considerate idea, as that will 

 check fouling, which seems to have become unfortunately 

 common of late, and will do much to keep up thai moriU 

 which induces every club present to struggle hard for su- 

 premacy, as a victory then, where all perchanees are ruled 

 out, will depend entirely on skill, muscle, and persever- 

 ance. 



A definition of what constitutes a foul is a matter 1 .hat 

 the rules should be more specific about, for it is not really 

 necessary that one boat should touch auother to consider it 

 a foul, for one may cross the line of another, or forgo it 

 from its course, and yet it is a foul in reality as much as if 

 both collided. The following conditions, if accepted, 

 might, however, check any such action as this: — 



If in any race in which more than two boats start, a foul takes place, 

 and the boat tojodged by the umpire to have been fouled reaches the 

 ninnfng point ahead of all other crews, lite race -hall be decided n* the 



the last two cn-es. the referee shall 'decide that the boat w hic.h came in 

 Hist, had a sufficient lead at the foul to warrant the rate bdnc nsaiencU 

 to it. 



The fact, however, that boats have been unusually prone 

 to collision of lale, may prevent a recurrence of such acts, 

 its the crew guilty of careless conduct would leave them- 

 selves liable to severe criticism. The idea seems to prevail 

 that such action is either premeditated or the result of want 

 of skill or power, and therefore an indication of weakness ; so 

 we may conclude that the coming college regatta will be 

 the best contested ever seen iu our waters, and that nothing 

 that wisdom can prevent will arise, to miir its harmony. 

 The only obstacle apparent at present is the absence of 

 coxswains, and if the regatta committee understand the 

 importance of their position they will permit these to be 

 used, or else select a course so broad that there cannot lie 

 even the most remote excuse for fouling. The latter is 

 somewhat difficult to do, so the former seems the readiest 

 mode at command to escape from the dilemma. 

 -»•* 



THE ADIRONDACK SURVEY. 



THE surveys of the Adirondack. 1 * have revealed beauties 

 which the region was not supposed to possess, and 

 have proved that the mountains which dot it so thickly 

 have a much higher altitude, and more rugged grandeur 

 than their most warm admirers ever imagined. Iu speak. 

 ing of lire result of the expedition authorized by the Leg- 

 islature to survey it, Mr. Venplanck Colvin says in his ad- 

 mirable Report:— , 



"The Adirondack ^wilderness may be considered the 

 wonder and the glory of Newlork. It is a vast naiwal 

 park, one immeuse und silent forest, curiously and beauti- 

 fully broken by the gleaming waters of a myriad of lakes, 

 between which rugged mountain ranges rise as a sea of 

 granite billows. At the northeast the mountains culminate 

 within an area of some hundreds of square miles; and here 

 savage treeless peaks, towering above the timber Hue, 

 crowd one another, and, standing gloomily shoulder to 

 shoulder rear their rocky crests amid the frosty clouds. 

 The wild beasts may look forth from the ledges on the 

 mountain sides over unbroken woodlands stretching beyond 

 the reach of sight— beyond the blue hazy ridges at the 

 horizon. The voyager by canoe, beholds lakes in which 

 these mountains and wild forests are reflected like inverted 

 reality; now wondrous in their dark grandeur and solemn- 

 ity; now glorious in resplendent Autumn color of pearly 

 beauty. Here— thrilling sound to huntsman— echoes the 

 wild melody of the hound, awakening the solitude with 

 deep-mouthed bay, as he pursues the swift career of deer; 

 the quavering note of the loon on the lake; the mournful 

 hoot of the owl at night; with rarer forest voices have also 

 lo the lover of nature their peculiar charm, and form the 

 wild language of this foresl." 



"His this region of lakes and mountains — whose moun- 

 tain core is well shown by the illustration 'the heart of 

 the Adirondacks'— that our citizens desire to reserve for- 

 ever as a public forest park, not only as a resort of rest for 

 themselves and for posterity, but for weighty reasons of 

 political economy. For reservoirs of water for the canals 

 and rivers; for the amelioration of Spring floods, by the 

 preservation of the forests sheltering llie deep Winter 

 snows; for the salvation of Ihe timber — our only cheap 

 source of lumber supply should the Canadian and Western 

 markets be ruined by fires, or otherwise lost to us — its pre- 

 servation as a State forest is urgently demanded." 



"In the verification of my previous discovery of the 

 loftiest pond source of the Hudson, we obtain the definite 

 and permanent settlement of an interesting question, and 

 hand over to Geography the course of the mighty river 

 from the lone lakelet spring, downward by steps of foam, 

 to its broad, haughty and historic tide. From the loftiest 

 lakelet of New York the water descends, gathering volumo 

 at every brook, till in full breadth it swells before the 

 wharves and piers of the metropolis, floating the richly 

 burdened ships of all Ihc nations." 



"To the number of those, chilly peaks amid which our 

 principal rivers take their rise, 1 have added by measure- 

 ment a dozen or more over four Uiousand feet in height, 

 which were before either nameless or only vaguely known 

 bv the names given them by hunters and trappers. The 

 names and measurements will be found ill the table of alti- 

 tudes. It is well to note I hat the final hypsometrical com- 

 putations fully affirm my discovery Hint in Mount Haystack 



