FOREST AND STREAM, 
391 
the activity and joy of their nuptial season has abated, 
their first songs are hushed, their brightest feathers faded; 
yet their life is full of incidents which a patient, and loving 
watcher can interpret; and one new glimpse of the rare 
and beautiful Spirit which resides in the breast of a bird 
would be worth the addition of a dozen skins to our 
crowded museums. Let us have from Dr. Gnucs (for no 
one is better able to begin this new departure) more of the 
life of the birds of the Rocky Mountains, and less of their 
death, 
--*.««--— 
ou f; centennial LETTERS—NO. 7. 
SHOT GUHS AHD HrTT.ES. 
I N our last letter which was descriptive of the English ex¬ 
hibit of guns, we unintentionally omitted mention of 
that of Messrs. Williams & Powell, of Liverpool, one of 
the oldest established houses in the United Kingdom. The 
omission was probably owing to the fact that their case is 
not only at the end of the row, but the gnus are laid hori¬ 
zontally in it, instead of in a more prominent perpendicu¬ 
lar position. The guns of Messrs. Williams & Powell are 
rapidly becoming favorably known in this, country. A 
member of the firm has recently traveled extensively 
throughout the Union. Their latest novelty is a patent 
“Simplex” action, with an independent extractor. It is 
claimed for this new action, that, having but two parts, the 
lever and grip being one solid piece of steel, it possesses the 
minimum of simplicity with the maximum of strength and 
durability. Some of our leading sportsmen are now using 
these guns and all speak well of them. 
It is to be Tegretted that American manufacturers of 
shot guns have not made more of a display at the great 
Exhibition; there are in reality but three makers represent¬ 
ed, the Messrs. Remington, Parker, and J. Stevens & Go. 
There are sufficient manufacturers scattered throughout 
the country to have made a display equal in numbers and 
perhaps almost in quality with the English exhibit. We 
should like to see a case of fine Lefever guns-, or those of 
some of the well known western makers, or a few speci¬ 
mens of Mullin's handiwork exhibited id the same attrac¬ 
tive manner. The honors would not all be with our 
visitors. The guns of the first two mentioned firms, 
Messrs. Remington and Parker, are too well known 
throughout the length and breadth of the land to require a 
detailed description. The object of each firm is to provide 
a good gun at a low figure, while the nun with a longer 
pocket can find one at almost any price. The Remington 
guns are made under the Whitmore patents, the breech ac¬ 
tion being worked with a top lever which is pressed up¬ 
ward with the thumb, withdrawing the locking bolt, swing¬ 
ing up the rear end of the barrels and lialf-cocking the 
hammers. There are three grades of these guns made, the 
price being $45 for decarbonized steel barrels, and $00 and 
$75 for the better 'qualities with twist barrels. The Par¬ 
ker gun has the lever action in front of the trigger and are 
made for all prices from $45 to $300. 
The Stevens gun is something new, being scarcely ready 
to put on the market. They are made at Chicopee Falls, 
Mass., under the immediate supervision of Mr. Stevens, 
who is himself a first class mechanic, in proof of which we 
would mention that he has been recently appointed to su¬ 
perintend the manufacturing of a set of gun-making 
machinery, such as is used at Springfield, for the Enfield 
Armory in England. The breech action of the Stevens 
guns is a single grip loosened by a third trigger in front of 
the trigger guard. They are made in two qualities, the 
first, with twist barrels at $40, and the second, laminated 
steel at $60. The guns present a very neat and serviceable 
appearance. 
RTFLES. 
As a display, that of Messrs. E. Remington & Sons is 
probably the most attractive and artistic in the Exhibition. 
The space occupied is larger than that of any other exhibi¬ 
tor, and a great deal of taste has been displayed in its ar¬ 
rangement. The rifles are arranged against a black back¬ 
ground and the whole surmounted witli the firm name in 
letters composed entirely of pistols. With regard to the 
rifles themselves we scarcely know what we can say that 
is not already known to every reader of Forest and 
Stream. Aside from the great reputation attained by the 
military arm turned out at the Ilion factory, the great 
accuracy of their rifles at long ranges and their very ex¬ 
tensive use in all long range shooting has made the name 
a household word the world over. 
The Sharp’s Rifle Co., which has adopted the trade 
mark “Old Reliable,” the soubriquet of Col, Bodine, ex¬ 
hibits a handsome case of rifles, military, match, and sport¬ 
ing. It is astonishing how long the Sharp’s system has re¬ 
mained without material alteration or even improvement; 
the latter perhaps being unnecessary. The invention, 
which it is claimed was the first successful one of the 
breech-loading system, was brought out first in 1848, and 
the manufacture was progressing on a large and successful 
scale in 1851. The solid breech block has many excellent 
features, and the fact that so much of the original inven¬ 
tion has stood the test of time, is commendation in itself. 
The Sharp's Rifle Company has recently reorganized with 
an authorized capital of one million dollars and has estab¬ 
lished a large factory at Bridgeport, Conn. 
A very handsome display is that of the Winchester 
Repeating Arms Go., of New Haven, Conn. One needs' to 
go on the plains or to California to see the esteem in which 
these rifles are held. In California alone the sale must 
have been enormous in the last two years. Almost every 
hunter one meets has a “Henry" or a Winchester, and now 
as the patents are in possession of the one company they 
are all Winchesters. It is claimed that there are two 
hundred thousand now in use in all parts of the world- 
Rapidity of firing, with the ammunition carried in a con¬ 
venient form, is a great attraction, and although we ques¬ 
tion whether any repealing rifle will ever come into general 
military use, they wili always he favorites with hunters. 
In accuracy,, for short and even mid-range shooting the 
Winchester takes a high position. It Is an excellent gun 
for the plains, where one’s game maybe a jack-rabbit one 
minute and a deer the next. Mr. A. Burgess, of Owego, 
N. Y., lias invented, and has on exhibition, a repeating or 
magazine rifle, which outwardly resembles the Winchester 
somewhat, hut, It is claimed by the exhibitor, is essentially 
different, having fewer parts and taking a larger cartridge, 
or one of different length and charge. The most, striking 
difference is in the hammer, which is of the ordinary form 
and can he used independently. Mr. Burgess claims that 
for rapidity, force and accuracy combined, it is far super¬ 
ior to any other arm uow in use. They are not yet being 
manufactured. The only other magazine rifle on exhibi¬ 
tion, of which we have cognizance, with the exception of a 
case Of the Ward-Burton guns, which there was no one to 
exhibit, is the “Evans,” in which the magazine, carrying 
thirty-four rounds of 44-calibre cartridge, is in the stock. 
What the effect is of having all this weight at the stock, 
we can not say, as we have not, seen the piece loaded. It 
might lessen the recoil, but we should imagine somewhat 
at the the expense of accuracy, as the tendency of the 
muzzle would be to rise at the discharge. 
The Whitney Arms Co. send from their factory at Whit- 
neyville, near New Haven, a fine collection of their rifles. 
The Whitney resembles the Remington very much, the 
same or nearly the same action being used. They have not, 
been very long on the market, but are becoming very pop¬ 
ular as a remarkably handy rifle, particularly for sporting 
purposes. Messrs. ’ Schoverling & Daly, of this city, who 
have come into possession of the Ballard patents and are 
now manufacturing on a large scale, exhibit a case of these 
favorite arms, witli all the latest improvements in the wav 
of independent extractors, etc. The Ballard has been so long 
before the public that its merits are well known. The 
short range, 22-calibre, is in use in almost every shooting 
gallery in the country, and as a sporting gun it is’excelient. 
Messrs. Schoverling & Daly arc now making them of ail 
sizes and grades up to the Creedmoor long-range. 
The Providence Tool Company have a very handsome 
case in which are exhibited the Peabody-Martiui rifles, 
manufactured by them. The system of fining used in the 
manufacture of these rifles is that adopted by the Arms 
Commission of the British Government after long anrl ex¬ 
haustive experiments. Our principal objection to it would 
be the fact that thorough cleaning of the barrel after such 
discharge is necessary to insure perfect shooting. It is 
claimed that this rifle has a lower trajectory than any in 
use. Some of our long range experts arc using them. 
Mr. Frank Wesson exhibits a case of the rifles manufac¬ 
tured by him at Worcester, Mass. We have no opportu¬ 
nity of examining the guns, but know that they are held in 
high esteem by New England riflemen. Messrs. Jacob 
Harder & Son, of Lock Haven, are not yet convinced that 
the breech-loading rifle of modern times is at all the weapon 
for sporting purposes which it should he, and they there¬ 
fore continue the manufacture of the old fashion long 
stocked Kentucky rifle, some with a secoud barrel for shot 
below the first, and rarnrod on the side. We have no 
doubt that they find a ready market in their locality among 
the old fashioned people who are still voting for General 
Jackson, but among the cases of elegant breech-loaders 
their rifles appear as foils, to show to what point we have 
advanced. 
MR. DOUGALL’S GUNS. 
59 St. James’s Street, I 
London, Jnly 4th, 1876. f 
Editor Forest and Stream 
I beg to thank yon for the very kind notice that yon give my case of 
guns exhibited at Philadelphia, but probably through your not having an 
opportunity of handling them you report upon my “Lockfast" gttns only. 
This naturally will lead to the impression that I conSne myself to the 
mannfactnre of lockfastB only. I exhibit the most improved forms of 
snap and other breech-loaders, and manufacture these in every form and 
action, in accordance with orders, having no prejudicos of my own and 
turning out every variety with the same care and fidelity. I beg the in¬ 
sertion of this letter therefore, in your widely spread columns, to explain 
what may otherwise be very injurious to the interest of your obedient 
servant * J. D. Dougalt,, 
Guiunaker by special appointmen to II, K. H. the Prince of Wales. 
Indian Arms. —The traditional Indian was armed with 
the bow and arrow, but the modern savage is not satisfied 
with anything but the latest model of rifle and revolver. 
Even the regulation piece with which Uncle Samuel arms 
his sol diets aud sends them to the frontier is looked upon 
with contempt by the “untutored red man,” and nothing 
less than a long-range Creedmoor rifle satisfies his ambi¬ 
tion. The correspondent of the Times, in a letter describ¬ 
ing General Crook’s first fight with Sitting Bull’s band, al¬ 
ludes significantly to the fact that, “behind a ledge of 
rocks at the last point contested for, we found nearly a 
peck of freshly fired cartridge shells. Many of them were 
of the pattern used in a celebrated sporting rifle, which is 
far superior to the Government arm.” It would be inter¬ 
esting to know whence and from whom the Indians, and 
particularly a nation always at war, Ijke the Sioux, pro¬ 
cured these fire-arms. Cooper, if we mistake not, iu one 
of his novels, describes a renegade Yankee in the Gulf 
who was supplying the Mexicans with powder with which 
to fight his countrymen, and who was ultimately “hoist 
with his own petard.” Birmingham has the reputation of 
doing, or having done, a thriving business in supplying 
the African market with fetishes , and India with gods and 
goddesses; hut either enterprise pales before that of the 
man who would supply savages with rifles and scalping- 
knives to be used against helpless women and children on 
the frontier. 
I hot (fimt nnxl Mi fie. 
GAME NOW IN SEASON. 
Woodcock, Phllo/tela minor. Red-lwcked fandpiper, or ox-bird, 
Blfiok-hellied plovor or ox-eye, Squa- Trinqa rrmerlcnn'i. 
t.arota Mvitlko. Gnat rmuhlcd godwit, of marlin, 
Ring plover, JEgidtUis semipal- Mtllota fecloa. 
malm. Willel., Totatrus semipalmatus. 
Stilt, or long-ehunka, Uinwntopus Tattler, TotqmispuUmwleiiewt. 
0 'gricolH.i. Yellow-shanks, Tetanus Jlanipes, 
Red-breasled snipe or dowUctur, 
ifacrorhmnphws griteu*. 
“Bay-birds” generally, including various species of plover, sand-piper, 
snipe, curlew, oyster-catcher, enif-bfrds. phalaropes, avocets, etc., com 
fug under the group Limacolce or Shore Birds. 
Bay Birds. —For the sportsman who iongs to shoot, in 
summer, but. who finds that tramping through thick-grown 
swamps for woodcock in July, after the first, few days of 
the season, is scarcely “the thing,” there still remains bay 
bird shooting. Generally about tlio first, of .Tnly the birds 
begin to fly, and we hear that at Good Ground, on Sbinne- 
coek Bay, where “Bill" Lane’s house is the rendezvous of 
sportsmen, the birds have already appeared. We want, 
however, a good easterly storm, after which shooting all 
alODg the “south side” should be good. There are many 
worse things than reclining on a hunch of sweet meadow 
grass watching the decoys, while dowitchers. Willetts, or 
black-breasted plover come flying in, singly or in wisps, to 
be “dropped” in good style, while the surf at our backs 
sounds a requiem. 
Connecticut — New Haven , July 14th,. —Quail have not 
been more abundant in Connecticut for many years, and 
our sportsmen are looking forward to the opening of the 
shooting season with a great deal of interest. Partridges 
have raised fnll broods, the season having been i'avnrable 
for them, but too dry for the woodcock, which have to- 
sorted to the immediate vicinity of streams. David Cowell, 
one of our crack shots, secured sixteen of the latter birds 
on Monday last,; this is the largest bag which I have yet 
heard of this season. We are now having first-class dove 
shooting in the freshly cut rye stubbie; the birds are in ex¬ 
cellent condition, but very‘wild, although they are very 
little shot at; flying singly or in loose flocks they afford 
fine sport in the morning aud evening flights. R. S. M. 
Pennsylvania— Milford, July 14/7/,.—Woodcock shoot¬ 
ing is extremely good in this vicinity. A party on Big 
Island, near Dingman’s, got 20 in two days, and a party 
of amateurs gunning and fishing along the Sawkili and 
Sauvantine Brooks put up 27, but only got 8 birds. Pheas¬ 
ants (ruffed grouse) are legion. Amateur. 
Illinois — Rochelle, July 10//i.—Prairie chickens are go¬ 
ing to he very plenty here this season, so say onr Granger 
friends. J. L. 8. 
Minnesota — Drainerd, July lath .—I have just returned 
from a trip to Bismarck, the western terminus of the 
Northern Pacific Railroad, and the “sigu" for chickens, 
etc., is far beyond the average in past seasons. The weath¬ 
er has been very favorable; no heavy rain, hail storms, or 
prairie fires of any account, and the grouse have had a fair 
show for once. All along the line the young birds kept 
getting up all day. They were large enough'to fly 80 or 
100 yards, and the sight of them makes one long for the 
15th of August, when the close season expires. 
PIGEON MATCHES. 
Tournament at St. Louis.— A grand pigeon shooting 
tournament will be held on the grounds of the St. Louis 
Gun Club, beginning July 19th and continuing the three 
following days. The large sum of $3,625 in cash, divided 
into seven purses, together with a gold medal for the ama¬ 
teur championship gf the world, will he Bhot for. The 
whole will be under the management of E. T. Martin, of 
Chicago, who supplies the birds. Further particulars can 
be had by addressing E. T. Martin, 48 Clark street, Chica¬ 
go; C. M. Williams, St. Louis; or W. A. Albright, 229 N. 
Fourth street, St. Louis. 
A Celebrated Pigeon Shot.— Our readers may re¬ 
member the name of Captain Aubrey Lisle Patton, who 
has so distinguished himself as a pigeon shot both in Eng¬ 
land and on the continent. The London P : porting and 
Dramatic News recently contained a sketch of him from 
which we condense. Captain Patton served in the British 
Army in New Zealand and India, in the latter country 
making large bags of big game. 
“He acquired a taste for pigeon shooting from his 
brother, Captain Henry Bethuue Patton, who was then, 
and is now, one of the best shots of the day. Captain 
Aubrey Patton fired his first shot at a pigeon from a trap 
in the early part of 1871, and little more^need be said re¬ 
garding the proficiency he so rapidly attained when we 
mention that in the same year he carried off the Grand 
International Cup at Baden Baden. Having had a long 
and exciting tie with his brother, (hey both killed nineteen 
in succession, and each failed in the twentieth round, and 
the elder was again unsuccessful with his twenty-fifth 
leaving the younger to kill to win, which lie, did "with a 
smart first. Since that time his career as a pigeon shot is 
too well known to dwell upon; suffice it to saydliat he has 
won in the five years’ shooting more than any living man 
both in cups and money prizes, being in possession of fully 
$10,000 worth of silver cups, of which no less than ten are 
international cups, won either at Baden or Monte Carlo, 
besides many guns as prizes. But nothing that he or any 
other shot has ever done before comes up to liis last per¬ 
formance at Monte Carlo, when he commenced by winning 
the Grand Poule d’Essui, and then, for the second time in 
succession, carried off the G^gtt Prix, a enp valued at 
$600, and $4,135 in money, Wifllout having a tie, though 
shooting against seventy-five other competitors, and last 
year eighty-four, among whom were the best representative 
shots of Europe. Captain Patton again Bhowed his wonder¬ 
ful form in his match with the German Baron Isehtroky 
at fifty birds each, for $2,000. Tiie latter was second in 
the contest for the grand prize, and in this match received 
an advantage of one yard three inches from his opponent, 
who in the end won by one bird. 
