408 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



rJrsE 23, 1881. 



hitherto melodious with the song of birds are now com- 

 paratively silent. Every half-grown boy who can either buy, 

 beg, borrow or steal a gun, new or old, bright or rusty, 

 musket or fowling-piec, rushes nut to the fields, woods or 

 Bboie, and pops away rcga'dkss of the consequences, driving 

 away what he fails to kill. Such marauders Eh- old be 

 summarily dea't will', through (be agency of strigent laws, 

 and no one individual, or body of rai n, are and should 

 be more interested in 'lie faithful carrying out of those pro- 

 tective laws than the real sportsmen of I lie country. 



Nor is nil the wanton destruction of birds lo be hid at th'r 

 door of the youth of our cirit-e ; for it is a well known fact 

 that there arc men living along our sea-coast wlufinake it a 

 praet'-ee during the breeding season if robbing the nests of 

 our Grallatorial or Wading Birds, for the pittance they re- 

 ceive from the sale of the eggs thus gathered. By this 

 wanton destruction the clapper Rail or Mud-Hen — Rallus 

 crepitans, has particularly suffered : eases are known where 

 a Singh' egg hunter has taken 1(K) doz. eggs of this bird in a 

 single day; this, though true, is an unusual number, and oc- 

 curred where the birds were very numerous. 



The robbing of bird's nests prevails lo a great extent right 

 in our midst, in our own beautiful Park, within whose pre- 

 Qials WU would think the feathered tribe would be secure; 

 the practice of robbing the birds of their eggs is alarmingly 

 on the increase, despite the printed rules and regulations 

 posted on every hand. Were a few examples made of these 

 despoilers, no doubt it would exert a salutary influence in 

 deterring others from committing like offense. 



Bu r a few year-i ago how different wore Our WD! ids and 

 fields to whatthey are now. How well do 1 remember when 

 the western end of our Island, during the vernal season, was 

 musical with countless soi.gsters, and our coast in the proper 

 season prolific with Snipe, Feru, Docks and other 'ivater- 

 fowl. When the shrill cry of the beautiful Blue Jay— Cyan- 

 urus cristatus, could be heard in every wood. When our 

 well known friend the Quail — Ortyx virginianus, was every- 

 where abundant, and his familiar "hob-white" could he 

 heard on every hand. When the spoiled breasted Wood 

 Thrush— Turdus mustelinus, uttered his brief but sweetly 

 melancholy note in every deep wood. When the. ventrilo- 

 quist, the Yellow- breasted Chat— Icteria viridis, was one of 

 our common birds. When the gay decked Scarlet Tanager 

 — l'lni-nisoma rubra, in his bright red plumage, flitted through 

 the green trees, and the sprightly and pert Redstart— Seto- 

 phaga ruticilla, with his orange and black plumage, darted 

 from twig to twig in search of ils favorite wood. When not 

 even a cat briar or alder hush, even in our suburban districts, 

 but was the refuge and hiding place of such tiny choristers 

 as the Vellow Thr >ll| gad Summer Yellow Warblers— Syl- 

 vlcola tlavicoUis and [Estiva. Few were the ploughed fields 

 where the Black-bellied Plover — Charadrius apricarius, was 

 not seen, or their loud whistling note not heard. Now, I 

 would ask how many fields of ihis character might be gone 

 over in vain for them? During the season now passed, I 

 have walked miles through woods and fields, sometimes 

 without seeiug or hearing even the commonest Finch. 



Of the Rasorial Birds, comprising the true land Game 

 Birds, our Island has but a limited number; of the first fam- 

 ily, that of Piivonidaj, but two species are natives of the 

 United Sta'es, the Meleagris gallopavo or Wild Turkey, ami 

 the Meleagris Mexicarms or Mexican Wild Turkey, neither 

 of wlrch are found on the Island. 



Of family Tetraonuke— Pa' ridges and Grouse, but two 

 species are known on the Island ; these are the Pinnated 

 Grouse— Tetrao cupido, commonly known as Ihe Heath-hen, 

 and Ortyx virginianus— the Quail, our old friend Boh 

 White. 



The Pinnated Grouse or Heath-hen has from time imme- 

 morial been peculiarly associated with the vast barren plains 

 of Long Island, extending a length of over 40 miles, and a 

 width of 6 or 7; in other words, cmbr.ciug the section of 

 the Island from Hempstead to Shmnecock Bay; and al- 

 though laws have been in existence from an early date, 

 with the object of protection to this bird in particular, s ill 

 such laws have been so openly violated or evaded, that their 

 complete extinction from our Fauna, must soon surely be 

 realized, if more energetic measures are not instituted and 

 carried out to protect them. The first law passed by the 

 State Legislature lo protect Ihese birds, was that introduced 

 by Mr. Cornelius J. Bogert, a Member of Assembly from the 

 City of New York, in February, 1791. 



That statute declares among other thing, that "the person 

 who shall kill any Heath-Heu within the counties of Suffolk 

 and Queens, betweeu the 1st day of April a< d the 5lh day of 

 October, shall, for every such offense, forfeit and pay the sum 

 of two dollars and a half, to be recovered, with costs of suit, 

 by any person who shall prosecute for the same, before any 

 Justice of the Peace, in either of the said counties; the one- 

 half to be paid to the plaintiff, and the other half to the over- 

 feers of the poor; and if any lLath-Hcn, so killed, shall be 

 found in the possession of any person, he shall be deemed 

 guilty of the offence, and suffer the penalty. But it w pro- 

 vided, that no defendant shall be convicted, unless the aci ion 

 shall bo brought within three months after Ihe violation of 

 the law." 



The Quail or Partridge— Ortyx virginianus, was at one 

 period quite common throughout the Island; his well known 

 and familiar call of Bob White is universally known, but the 

 persecution ihey have suffered has so thinned them out, that 

 in many distric s their cheery voiceis hut seldom heard. Not 

 content with striving to exterminate them by the gun, it has 

 become a common practice to take them alive, in iraps, made 

 of sticks or laths and a common figure-four trigger ; to show 

 how they have been destroyed, and how their present range 

 has been restricted, I can well remember the lime when I 

 have repeatedly found their u< sts where the site of the pres- 

 ent Prospect Park is, and it is needless to say how many 

 fields or woods you would of necessity have to passover now, 

 in order to find one. 



In Family Columbidte — Pigeons, we have two species found 

 on the Island, aud both well known, the Ectopistes roigra- 

 toria, or Passenger Pigeon, and the Ectopistes carolinesis, 

 the Carolina Pigeon or Turtle D ive. Of the Passeugir Pig- 

 eon we may say, but a few stragglers comparatively are seen 

 on our island, when we take into considerat on the vast num- 

 bers that every year congregate iu our Western Stales. So, 

 too, with the Turtle Dove, their lingular mournful note, sel- 

 dom falls upon our ear, and except at the period of migration 

 are seldom seen in larger numbers than three or four to- 

 gether. 



One of the main cau-es of the dearth of game on the 

 Ishmd is the wholesale slaughter carried out by those people 

 on the shore, who make a living by acting as guides to our 

 sportsmen, and let out batteries and decoys through whose 

 use such large quantities of water-fowl are annually destroy- 

 ed. No shore in the whole Union is naturally richer in Grnl- 



latorlal and Natatorial Birds than the bays and inlets of our 

 favored Island, and on account of its proximity to our large 

 cities, no locality has suffered greater from the abuses we 

 complain of than this. 



In order to more fully illustrate our subject, if. will not be 

 out of place to briefly review the Water Birds that are to be 

 found upon the shores of our island, someof which are, how- 

 ever, now but occasionally seen. 



It is in the Order Gralfatores, or Waders, that the sports- 

 man finds a large part, of his f-vorife GaTie, for in these are 

 included Ihe Herons, Egrets, Bitterns, Ibises. Rails, Snipe, 

 Woodcock, Sandpipers, Tatlers, Curlews and Plovers. 



In the first Family, Ardeadie- Herons, we find our well 

 known Green Heron or Green Bittern — Ardea viresceus, 

 known hy every gunner by an unutterable name. 



The Ardea Herodias— Great Heron aud Egrettaleuce — 

 Great White Heron, are rare on our coast. The Nyetiardea 

 gardenii— the Night Heron, or Qua Bird — is occasionally 

 found. 



The last in this Family is the Botaurus Miuor — the Ameri- 

 can Bittern, called by some Ihe Indian Hen and by others 

 the Dunkadoo. 



The next Family is the Rallidae — Rails. Iu genus Rallus 

 we have the Rallus virginianus, or Virginia Raif; the Rallus 

 crepitans, or clapper rail, and the Crex carolinus, or Sora 

 Rail. The flesh of the latter is peculiarly delicious and fur- 

 nishes the gunner excellent sport in attempting to follow this 

 nimble-footed bird. 



The family Scolopncidre embraces the Saudpipeis and 

 Snipe. In this family is the best known and mos't sought 

 after of all the Game Birds of our Island, the American 

 Woodcock— Scolopax minor. 



The most numerous, perhaps, of all the family is the Scol- 

 opax Grisea, or Red-breasted Snipe; its flesh is held in high 

 esteem, is a favorite with the spoilsman aud great numbers 

 are annually killed. The Scolopax Wilsonii, commonly culled 

 the English Snipe, is also much sought after. The Great 

 Marbled Godwit — Limosa fedos — known to ihe many sports- 

 men as Ihe straight-billed Curlew and Ihe Red Curlew, is not 

 as numerous as the Short-billed Curlew, its favorite asso- 

 ciate. 



Of the Sandpipers the following are found on our shores : 

 The Tringa semipalmatus — the Semipalmated Sandpiper or 

 Willet; the Little Sandpiper— Tringa minutilla; the Red- 

 backed Sandpiper — Tringa alpiua; and the Ash colored 

 Sandpiper— Tringa canutus. Of the Plovers, the Ringed or 

 Piping Plover— Charadrius melodus — and the Kildeer— Ctm- 

 radrius vociferus— are perhaps the best known. Tim. other 

 species are Golden Plover — Charadrius virginianus; Wilson's 

 Plover— Charadrius Wilsonii; aud the Sanderling— Calidris 

 aTenaria. Our review of the Long Island Grallatores closes 

 with the Long-billed Curlew— Nuuiensis longirostris, and the 

 Short-billed— Numensis borealis— both well known to our 

 gunners. Space will not permit to mention all our Galla- 

 torcs, but the foregoing includes the greater portion. 



The last. Order, called Natatores, or Swimming Birds, we 

 must routine our remarks to the most conspicuous family— 

 that of AnatkUc, embracing the Geese and Ducks. 



In the first sub-family, the Anserime, is the well known 

 Canada or Wild Goose — Anser canadensis ; the Snow Goose 

 — Anser nyperboreus, is rare on the Island. The' last is the 

 Brant — Bernida brenta. 



The next sub-family are the Anatime or River Ducks ; wo 

 have species belonging to three genera, Marica — Widgeon ; 

 Denrirouessa — Tree Ducks, and Anas— Typical River Ducks 



The Marici Americana, or American Widgeon, better 

 known as the Baldpute, is one of our well-known Ducks 

 whose flesh is highly esteemed. 



The Dendronessa spousa — Summer or Wood Duck, the 

 most beautiful of all our water birds, is now rare on our 

 coast. 



The Shoveller— Anas clypeata, is held in high esteem for 

 the table. 



The Dusky Duck— Boschas obscura, more commonly 

 known as the Black Duck, is one of our common Ducks, but 

 its flesh is much inferior to the Mallard, Canvass Bark and 

 others. 



The Blue-winged Teal— Boschas diseors, are highly es- 

 teemed as an article of food ; these birds are easily taken in 

 hollow traps with the common device, a figure four. 



The Green-winged Teal— Boschas carolinensis, is a com- 

 mon and well-known species, whose flesh is excellent. 



The Mallard — Boschas major, ranks next to the Canvass- 

 back and Red-head for the excellency of its flesh and food. 



The Pintail Duck— Daflla acuta, orasit is sometimes called 

 the Sprig-tail, Ihis bird is highly esteemed by epicures. The 

 Gadwall— Chauliodus stripera, closes our river Ducks. We 

 now come to the Fuligulinn- or Sei Ducks, comprising five 

 genera, as follows: Somateria or Eider Ducks; Oidcmia or 

 Scoter- ; Fuligula or Pochards, Clangula or Golden Eves and 

 Haralda, or Loug Tails. 



The Eider Duck— Somateria mollisima, is noted for the 

 softness, elasticity and warmth of their down, in that respect 

 excelling all other Ducks ; their flesh however is inferior. 



The King Duck— Samateria speetabilis. is now quite rare. 



The Scoter Duck — Oidemia nirrra ; little esteemed. 



The Velvet Duck— Oidemia fusea, of similar habits to the 

 Scoter, and on account of associating with it often mistaken 

 for it by some sportsmen. 



The Black or Suit' Duck— Oidemia perspicillafa ; the flesh 

 of this species is coarse and strong. 



The Scaup Duck or Blue-bill- Fuligula marilli, and the 

 Pied Duck — Fuiigula lahradorn, are both considered poor as 

 articles of food. 



The Red-headed Duck— Fuligula ferina, is second only to 

 the Canvass-back in its excellency as food. 



The Ruddy Duck-Fuligula rubida, and Tufted Duck— 

 Fuligula rufitorques, are both rare on the Island. 



The Buffel-headed Duck— Clangula alhe 'la, better known 

 as the Bulier-box or Butter-hill, though often fat and plump, 

 is not held in as high esteem as many other species. 



The Golden eye Duck — Clangula' vulgaris, is inferior for 

 the table. 



The Harlequin Duck— Clangula histrionica, commonly 

 known as the Lord, is in plumage the most striking and re- 

 markable of all ; the grotesquencss and oddity of its mark- 

 ings suggested its name. Its flesh is considered excellent. 

 It is one of our rarest species. 



The Haralda glacialis or Long-Tailed Duck, better known 

 as the Old Wife aud South Southerly, is common, but little 

 esteemed for the table. 



Ttie last of the Anatida? are the MerganiDa?— Mergansers, 

 all four species of which belong to the Fauna of Long Island. 

 The time was when Ihe Hooded Merganser— Mergus 

 r.ueiillalus, with his beautiful black and whiic crest, forming 

 when erected the segment of a circle, aud its congener, ihe 

 red-breasted Merganser— Mergus serrator, with its long pen- 



dant crest, were not unfrequently found along our shores, 

 together with the Gooseander — Mergus merganser. 



The Smew or White Nun — Mergus albellus, is more fre- 

 quently found. 



I cannot trespass on your time by individualizing the Tern, 

 Gulls and oilier water birds that possess less attraction to the 

 sportsman, as but few are in any way adapted to the table, 

 their flesh usu-'lly being coarse and fishy. 



Having briefly reviewed our Game Birds, in conclusion I 

 would say, that it is imperative something should be done, 

 the strong arm of the law should be evoked to protect onr 

 birds ; the use of batteries, traps and decoys should be 

 Strictly prohibited ; the most, stringent laws should be enact- 

 ed with that intent in view; these should be rigidly enforced 

 without fear or favor, and free from all partisan or political 

 intluenc-' to shield the offenders ; pass good strong laws, 

 execute them faithfully, and Ihe time is not far distant when 

 our woods will again, "as of yore, resound to the melody of 

 the feathered tribe, and wdicn the true sportsman, under the 

 sanction of wise and just regulations, as to the proper period 

 wherein he may follow his favorite, sport, may be enabled to 

 be fully compensated for Ins endeavors. Nioolas Puce. 



"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?" 



[Delivered before the Hew York State Association of Sportsmen at 

 ilit'lv Twenty-third Annual < ■■ -n\ sm ioa. Coney Island, N. V., -Tune- 

 W, 1S8I.J 



THE following incident will serve to illustrate and intro- 

 duce the subject matter of this paper. 



A sportsman whom I will designate by the letter X, is the 

 owner of a large tract of land which he uses as a preserve for 

 Game. To this end he has stocked it wilh a quantity of 

 quail, rabbits, etc. For the protection of the first he has con- 

 structed pine s of shelter, where in severe weather they seek 

 refuge and are fed liberally with grain. A man of means, he 

 has spared no expense to attain successful results. He em- 

 ploys men to watch and protect his game, and in Ihe season 

 is rewarded with ample sport for himself and his friends. It 

 is unnecessary to add that he is by no means a popular per- 

 sonage in the neighborhood. His trials and tribulations are 

 many; but he is firm in his purpose to thoroughly test the 

 possibility of inferring on his own land, laws which he has 

 formed lo be entirely inoperative in the country at large. 

 His property is posted with notices, forbidding trespasses, 

 and while he is a^are that his losses by poaching are enor- 

 mout he is encouraged to continue the experiment, 



His experience is a varied one, and he is constantly con- 

 fronted with troublesome characters, who look with scorn up- 

 on his efforts to do as he wi-hes with his own. 



A couple of years since, on a certain day in September he 

 was startled by the rapid discharge of guns, at no great dis- 

 tance from his residence. 



He. sallied out, aud, hurrying in the direction of Ihe firing, 

 he soon came up with an individual who assisted by two su- . 

 perbly broken pointers was flushing and killing the half- 

 grown quail. 



He discovered the gunner to he a stout, thick-set person, 

 wilh a heavy black moustache. His garments were after the 

 latest sporting fashion, and he carried a gun of the most ex- 

 pensive and modern build. 



"What, do yon mean," says X — , "by killing birds out of' 

 season, and on my land ?" 



"All right boss," says the fellow, "there's nothin' mean 

 about me." 



" How many birds have you killed ?" says X—. 



The gunner, no wise disconcerted, thrust his hands into 

 his pockets, and one after another drew out twenty partly 

 grown quail. 



"You have killed just one hundred dollars worth," says 



" All right, boss," says the gunner, whereupon he pro- 

 duced a Russian leather wallot, and, abstracting five twenty 

 dollar bills, offered them to X — . 



" I have no right fo take your money," says the talker, I 

 "you must settle this with the Court " 



" Now see here, boss," says the fellow, "I'm a plumber by- 

 trade, I am, aud when other gentlemen kin he out ashootin', 

 I've got to be at work a fixin' of their plumhin';" and says he, 

 "I like a day's shootin' as well as the next man, and I ex- 

 pect lo pay for it." 



At tbe mention of the word plumbing, X — 's hair fa'rly 

 stood on end. The owner of much city property, his life, 

 had linen made utterly wretched by his encounters with the 

 members of that profitable branch of trade. The confession 

 of the gunner qu'ne demoralized him, so he pondered for a, 

 moment and then said to the fellow, "Come with me." 



In company Ihey returned to X— 's residence, lie led the 

 plumber into his dining room, and produced some brandy, of 

 which his prisoner swallowed a bumper. . 



"Now my friend," says X — , pointing out. of the window, 

 " do you see that road? Well, it leads directly to the rail- 

 road station. You start as quickly as you can, and don't you 

 stop until you reach it. Do'as I tell you, and I will not pro- 

 ceed against you. I have mot men of your trade before." 



"All riuht, boss," says the plumber, "you've treattd me 

 like a gentlemau, and if I kin do anythiug for you in my 

 line, bore's my care'. It bore the following^legend;" 



Y Z & CO. 



PMJMBlNO IN ALL ITS BliANOnBB. 



Owners of the Patent Reversible and Anti-scorbutic Trrp. 



OHARRKS MODKEATE. 



With us, where we have few men of leisure, those who are 

 fond of sport must indulge their fancy when it shall not in- 

 terfere with their business pursuits. 



Wc see this exemplified in the case of the sporting plumber. 

 The open season is to him one when the exigencies of trade 

 demand that, he shall prey upon his fellow men. As expense 

 is no object compared to the pleasures of a day's showing, 

 he does it al the risk of coming in conflict wilh the law. The 

 chances are so vastly iu his favor, the possibilby of such an 

 encounter does not disturh his serenity. The combination of 

 spon and business is not a happy one, and our necessity of 

 combining the two goes very far toward increasing the diffi- 

 culties of an exact enforcement of the game laws. Moreover, 

 men whose moments of recreation are few, and whose shoot- 

 ing days must be limited in numher, are the cause of the 

 demorilization of the professional gunners whom they em- 

 ploy. To secure the greatest number of birds in the shortest 

 space of time, they urge these men to acts which they know 

 to be utterly destructive aud ruinous 



In other countries there is mi esprit iln. cotpa among sports- 

 men, entirely wanting with us, aud which it is possible can 

 never be established. 



Not long since a reporter of one of the morning papers, 

 visited the little hamlet near which I reside, to inquire into 



