FOREST AND STREAM. 



23 



^Htne $jug and %nn> 



GAME IN SEASON IN FEBRUARY, 



Hares, but 



and gray. 



Wild daclr, geese, taint, &c. 



mouths water last evening when wc displayed our cntch of 



twenty-eight beauties. Kentuckian. 



LOADS FOR SHOTGUNS-PROPORTION- 

 ATE CHARGES. 



—Wild fowl have relumed from Currituck Sound and 

 other North Carolina waters, where they were driven by 

 the freeze .iE i h ipdake. North Carolina gunners 

 killed them in large numbers and found profitable markets. 

 T he fowl are now. buck to the Bush, Gunpowder and olher 

 rivers, and gunners arc sending them to Baltimore in quan- 

 tities. 



—The red-heads at Currituck are moving slowly north- 

 ward, add the common duck.-; are following them. The 

 ol i residents claim that its something that they have not 

 noticed for a great many years, and some think that it 

 means that, the winter is over. The members of Currituck 

 Shooting Club had killed up to the middle of December, 

 1,391 ducks, 71 geese and 3 swan. On tlu-Sth of Novem- 

 ber Josephus Baum killed 93 ducks and 15 geese. On the 

 20! h of November lie killed 140 duck? and geese. On the 

 9th of December he killed 83 ducks, 82 geese and ■'< swan. 

 During the season he has killed 1,050 ducks, 77 geese and 

 ;i swan. 



—A correspondent asks why it in llmt the old wife and 

 coot, do not, as a general thing, pay much attention to de- 

 coys in Lou g Island Sound, when down on the bays ou 

 Long Island lliey shoot them by the hundreds over decoys. 

 He thinks that it is either his luck to have them pay no at- 

 iii in lo (he decoys, or else they have too much water to 

 circulate around in. We reply that these birds in cert tin 

 seasoas and in fn vol able weather, stool pretty well at other 

 points on the Sound. Generally thcy r come up lo the de- 

 coys belter early in the seastin, when they have not been 

 much shot at, than later. Still, a friend of ours near 

 Bridgeport, Conn., managed one morning duriDg Ihe last 

 week iu January to kill 30 old squaws in this manner, 



The same correspondent further states that the other day 

 he had a bunch of about one dozen broad bills come iu to 

 his black duck decoy. He fired both barrels into them, 

 recovered two, and saw only two fly away. Could not see 

 any more after looking for them. He asks if they would 

 dive to the bottom if wounded, and hold on to the grass or 

 anything else, and die there. Our impression is that every 

 variety of duck, includingthe red-head, which is a surface 

 feeder, will dive to the bottom when wounded. 



Removal.— Our esteemed frieud, Jacob Glahn, formerly 

 of West Heriden, has left the N utmeg State and taken up 

 his residence at Syracuse, N. Y., where be is now con- 

 nected with Messis. Nichols & Lefever, doing the orna- 

 mental engraving on the fine guns turned out by that firm. 

 The best dog portraits which have appeared in our paper 

 were drawn by J. C. 



MASSAcncsicTTS— New Bedford, February 11/7;. — I was 

 out i,o-day riding through ihe country and saw a few 

 quails and quite a lot of partridges, but 1 hear of many 

 quails being found frozen under the snow drifts. 



Concha. 

 New Jeksetc— BafiiagMi February Wth.— The oldest in > 

 habitant acknowledges that there never were so many brant 

 and ducks in Baruegat Bay as at present. Large swarms 

 can be seen in every direction. We have had no shooting 

 worth reporting for six weeks. They only made their ap- 

 pearance since the late warm spell. Our tides are runniug 

 iow now for much execution. As soon as full tides spring 

 in you will hear of some big scores. B. 



ViSgtnia— Norfolk, Feb. lih.— Some few snipe flitting 

 about. No quail killed by the cold weather around here 

 this season. H. 



South OaKouna— BfaUfort, February IWi.— The present 

 has been an exceptionally good season for ducks in this 

 State, but 1 have heard of no northern sportsmen visiting 

 our waters in their pursuit. There is no risk of being 

 frozen Up, Rdsticus. 



Wisconsin— JhtnnviUe, Dunn Co., 117*., February Of//.— 

 Snow ail gone, and ground thawing out. A gentleman of 

 a neighboring town says he saw on Sunday, February lib, 

 a flock each of wild geese and ducks flying north. The 

 tobius, which have not been known to remain here over 

 winter before, are still here from 1876. The snow-fly, 

 which does not make its appearance uutil spring comes, 

 has been seen this month. Can it be they are all deceived? 



H. E.K. 

 Kentucka-.— Stanford, Feb. Mb— That distinguished in- 

 dividual, so often quoted in these latter days, "the oldest 

 citizen," never saw such weather as afflicted u9 for two 

 Hinds of the month of January. The mercury became 

 thoroughly demoralized during Ihe holidays and stink 

 to the degradation of 84° below zero, between which 

 tin riiioiiii'iiical graduations it. fluctuated nearly three 

 weeks. All that time a snow of unprecedented depth 

 covered the ground, and thousands ol quails and hares 

 were slaughtered in the counties bordering the blue grass 

 region ami shipped lo city markets. Great numbers of 

 deer were killed in Ihe mountain counties. A sporting 

 friend wrote us from Louisville that he couldn't estimate 

 the numbers of hares in that market, ottered by many 

 dealers at 85 lo 30 cents per dozen. We congratulate our- 

 selves that there are no pot-hunters iu Central Kentucky, 

 and as the cold aud snow put a stop lo shooting they were 

 beneficial to ihe prospects of good quail shooting in the 

 blue grass counties next season. We have had reports of 

 mauy full coveys which survived the trying "spell , :: Some 

 farmers assure us that the birds came into their barns and 

 fed with domestic fowls during the severe weather, and if 

 disturbed would rarely fly out of the building. For more 

 than two weeks we have had springlike "weather, and 

 angling is the rage. Many fine strings of bass have beer, 

 taken, with minnows, from our smaller streams, and suck- 

 ers caught by tiie thousands. Your humble servant aud 

 his diminutive friend, "Uilsey," an old bach,, who tips the 

 I at 36 stone, were out yesterday, aud made the boys' 



Editor Forest ahd Stream:— 



Last fall while hunting with rny brother in Illinois we 

 had occasion, as most good sportsmen do, to make a trial 

 of our guns, each, of course, believing his own the best. 

 This trial was both for penetration and a good target. I 

 used a No. 9 and be a No. 14, both double-barrel sliol guns, 

 muzzle-loaders. He had used Iih aud none other for over 

 twenty-five years, and yet it remained quite as good and 

 true as the any it was purchased. From long experience 

 he had learned put the best charge for this bore for ave- 

 rage small game or general shooting. This was three 

 drachms Of good sfroug powder and one ounce of shot. 

 I mention this load in parlicubir because I have arbitrarily 

 selected it as a unit of measure in my table below, f 

 claimed for my big bore, in order to put our gnus on the 

 same fooling, a charge of powder and shot each propor- 

 tioned to his. In other words, that our eharges should be 

 to each other as the areas or surfaces of our bores. To 

 this he readily agreed as being perfectly fair, since it 

 placed both guns on terms of equality. 



In the case of proportionate charges for guns of differ- 

 ed bores it will hereafter appear that eacii charge fills 



rideutly as it should 

 [unlity, for Iben equal lengths or 

 Opel equal lengths oi columns of 

 ly is evident. 



f proportionate charges for shot 

 ! it becomes a unit of 

 that each ch 



equal lenr/t/i in each bs 

 be lo ensure perfect 

 columns of powder 

 shot. Hence the equi 



But again the Uru/t/i 

 guns of different bores being 

 measure for each; whence fo 

 represented in volume by unity or one multiplied into the 

 area (or suiface) of the bore. But since multiplying these 

 different areas by.one does not change their relations or 

 ratios to each other we lay down the following fact as a 

 key lo our table giveu below, to wit: 



Kui.e — That the proportionate charges of shot guns of 

 dift'eicnt bores arc to each other iu the ratio of the area of 

 their bore?. Hence if these ratios be found they indicate 

 the sizes of the relative charges, and to apply them we 

 have only lo assume the proper charge for auy one bore or 

 gun, and then lo multiply this charge by the olher ratios 

 -respectively and we find their loads. 



1 will give one example to illustrate the rule above: Let 

 the areas of bores of two guns be represented, lite one by 

 100 and the olher by 50. If 100 be divided by 50 the quo- 

 tient or ratio is two, thus the areas are as two to one; but 

 the charges are in the same ratio as the areas, for ihey 

 have the same unit of length (as above shown), hence they 

 are as two to one also, which meets the proposition. 



To continue my story. While we had agreed on the 

 proportionate charge my gun was entitled to we were sud- 

 denly brought to a halt to know just what this charge 

 should be. We had no table before us to refer lo, and" I 

 was thrown upon my own generosity "to guess" my charge- 

 1 did so and got beaten in peuetrafion, and felt bally, of 

 course. I thereupon resolved to form a (able to meet a like 

 emergency perhaps hereafter. I now find I was beaten in 

 penetration because 1 did not put in my due share of 

 powder. Some will doubtless say, especially those using 

 breech-loaders, that the loads in mv table are rather light. 

 1 think nol for 45 or 50 yards, and" for pleasant shooting. 

 Beyond this distance, for large game— ducks, geese, tur- 

 keys, deer, etc., 1 would increase the charges somewhat. 

 Others will say, and very truly, that all guns of ihe same bore 

 do not require the same amouut of ammunition. 1 reply, 

 such guns are exceptions to the general rule, as these may 

 be loaded lo suit them, but these exceptions will be found 

 quite rare. 1 add that very light guns with large bores 

 may not stand the heaviest charges in the tahle without too 

 much recoil. These are exceptions also — load them more 

 lightly, but this will be at the expense of penetration and 

 wounded game. 



Wilh these preliminaries and explanations, which if dry 

 reading to most may yet prove interesting to many, I will 

 now present my table of charges. They are backed by a 

 life-long experience with the shot gun, and are the best I 

 can offer to all classes of hunters Irora young to old, They 

 are void of extremes, work easy, and are suic up to about 

 50 yards for the muzzle if not for the breech loader. At 

 30 yards No. 14 sent half its shot No. 5 through an inch 

 pine hoard, aud would have stayed half the chickens in 

 the hennery, but fortunately they were out. 

 table of moroiiTio.NATK 











1 I*U 1 



IU J.U 













■\ % 1 * ; 















3=j 

















r! 



a .§ l 



.2_ 1 



"% iP If- 

 1 « 1 J* 



"8 2 



A?. 





i 4 



1 .08, 



11137 



2 i;'),;- :-:w. 



2 7-1-3,,?.. 



531 





5 



.1)91 



WM 



8,08 6 1-5(1, 



2 1-1 6oz. 



m 







H 



.!)■) 



(-; , «■; 



1,82 ajd. 



Uua. 



.1117 









.811 



u-i.\ 



f.tt 5d. 



1 13 ltioz 



364 







X 



,65 



5liK 



l.sriiii. 



lib*. 



32U 







11 



,«al 



W-V,",, 



1 41 



4tll. 



17'ltioz. 



307 







III 



.791 



•i;,!»< 



1.3I 



•III. 



1 5-llinz 









11 





4,'.:!l 



1.S1 



I 2, 'Id. 











ta 



,781 







1 1 3il. 











Id 



.71 





1.01 



! till. 









Unit of 



14 



,611, 



8780 1 , 



3. 



1 O'/.. 



218 



Talham's 





l!) 



.67 



851.61 a 84 





.IS-lfioz. 



205 



stand . shot, 





Hi 



.66| 



3*>X| UM 



2 3-5 



.Vi-K-i 



188 



No. 6. 



Such is the table of proportionate charges I present to 

 your readers, especially to boys. They can at a glauce 

 select their proper load from it, and thus save themselves 

 the trouble of writing you and asking, "how shall I load 

 my gun?" 



It will be seen the above charges are as the ratios in col- 

 umn for they are of equal lengths. The ratios, as will be 

 seen, are constant quantities and may be readily used to 

 coustiuct other tables, and having more or less powder aud 

 shot according to fancy. Any other gauge and charge 

 than 14 may be selected as a unit of measure. Having 

 found the ratios they are to be multiplied respectively by 

 the charge of powder and shot contained in the charge you 

 have assumed as correct (and the unit), this will give all 

 the proportional e charges. 



In concluding I will add Ihe table has been made with 

 considerable care, and is believed to be correct for the pur- 

 pose intended, aud is otherwise reliable in useful data, not 

 only for the sportsman but to the many others of y»ur 

 numerous readers. With this view I venture to submit it 



to the public through your columns, though at first iu- 

 tended only for private use. Ma.i. H. W- MERRILL, 



NewRocheUe, Jim, :\d, 1877. 



Fiukon Match.— Mr. George Lo-'er, who has in his 

 possession the Onondaga Club Medal, after many a sharp 

 contest since last June, received a challenge trom Mr, 

 Henry Gale, which match came Off on the 8th inst, The 

 day was a very blustering one, nml Ihe birds wi 

 lent Strong flyers, The following score shows 1 1, I 

 intends to become owner Of Hit- beautiful prize: Henry 

 Gale, 0, 1, 1, 0. 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1. 0, 1, 1, 1-10; George 

 Loder, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, I, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1—14. If Mr. 

 Loder can hold this medal until next June, it becomes bis 

 property. G. 



A Ki.w Among Pigeon SnooTEns.— Mr. Samuel King, 

 of the Mullen House, tit Baruegat, astonished some pro. 

 fessionul shots (us well as himself and friends) by scoring 

 leu straight birds in a match tor anew set of Barnegat 

 decoys (thiiiy-six head) ou the lOib instant. There were 

 ten entries. Mr. King shot a number twelve Webley 

 brcech-loader, asiug one-quarter ounce less shot than his 

 competitors — shot alternately from right aud left shoulder, 

 and without divesting himself of surplus clothing like 

 others. B t 



he Mmnel. 



DOGS At Auction.— One of the most important auction 

 sales of dogs, as regards the celebrity of the animals sold, 

 ever held iu this city, occurred at Major Barkei's auction 

 mart, Broadway and 39th street, on Wednesday of last 

 week. A large number of spectators (but few ladies) were 

 attracted 10 ihe sale, from the fact that it was generally 

 known that the dogs to be sold were from the kennels of 

 Mr. James Gordon Bennett. The following is a list aud 

 the prices they brought: — 

 l.-Wh. til. ifc.lan Beliei . 



No. 5!.— Wh.h 

 No. 3.— WL. hi .v ian eeuei i 

 No. 4- U'n l)l. & tail -■:-.■: i 

 No. 5.-Keu Efiiporgyp 1; lew 

 Xo. li.- Black Belter do» IJ y< 

 No. 7. -Clumber spaniel do» i 

 So. 8.— Clumber Spaniel gyp 

 No. >>.— Cocker spaniel gyp l 

 No. 10.— (.'lumber spaniel w.vi> 

 No. 11.- Cocker rpaniel kj'P 1. 

 No. 12.- Clu moor spaniel pup| 

 No. 1.3- Corker spaniel popp; 

 No. II.— Cocker spaniel pupj 



. M 



. Mr, 



, Dr. ilalbert $-26 00 



i. tlaluerl $U SO 



Will. Collender.. 615 00 



Mr, u. .). \\'l,iiney..S12 00 



$ a no 



llullor S T B0 



Shimon $ T 50 



j Gardner $ i o: 1 



. Mr IY. 1' Welea 617 00 



Rem $10 00 



, Mr. Jaa Ken: (ia 00 



litis, Br. E D.al'l .... 



lis; Mr, r. W. 1'aitk...-, Jr..§ 3 00 



ths, .Mi. .1. It. rrutikec- 



S 5 it) 



Mo. 15,— L'liininiT spaniel puppy » muaibs, Mr. el. \V. (linker, Jc.gll DO 



Four Mastiffs (ihree of which were evidently a cross of 

 St. Bernard,) brought $1,1,, $10, |7, and $4. An indifferent 

 pup sold for $21, and two Newfoundlands for. $5 each. 

 No.'s 1 and 8, were the "thousand dollar dogs," imported 

 by Mr. Bennett, Toxoy aud Giil, wc believe are their 

 names. They were represented as being three years old, 

 but as they have been in tills country neatly Ibat length of 

 time, they are probably double that age. The gyps had 

 canker of the ear very badly aud the dogs taken as a lot 

 were iu very bad shape. No.'s 8 and 4 were out of this 

 pair aud were "lit to send to the breaker;" that is if a 

 breaker could bo found to take eighteen mouths old dogs, 

 to say nothing of Iheir almost painful timidity. The red 

 gyp and also the black dog brought all that they were 

 worth. The Spaniels were undoubtedly cheap, although 

 they looked to us as being somewhat mixed iu Ihe breed- 

 ing, several of litem having ears Hint would have been 

 small on a setter. One liver aud white Cocker was really 

 handsome. The CluiuU-io could not compare with those 

 imported by Mr. Jonathan Thome, Jr., and to us looked 

 as though ihey had been crossed wilh the Cockers. 



Some of out contemporaries have alluded to this sale as 

 showing the low estimate in which spoiling dogs arc held 

 hereabouts. We hold thi-i lo be an entirely erroneous im- 

 pression. The fact llmt a dog bus at one tune been sold 

 for a fancy price is no reason why Ihe same value should 

 attach to him to the end iff his existence. Without licld 

 qualities of known excellence; or even being the gelter of 

 good dogs, we hold that .No. f realized all he Wus worth. 

 Because Ihe unfortunate Maiquis of liastiugs paid twelve 

 thousand guineas lor Kangaroo, as a prospective Derby 

 winner, and the hoifrc was afterwards sold for a ten pouud 

 nolo to pull a harrow, it was no judication that II 

 breds had decreased iu value. If Mi. Morlord was to send 

 his Don, or Mr. Raymond his Laveracks, or Mr. Muuson 

 his Gordons lo auclion, while Ihey probably would not 

 realize their full value, (for it is teldom that anything does 

 at a forced sale) yet tLe prices would be lar beyond those 

 given above. The cheapest lot was uudobtedly the gyp, 

 (.No. 2) for as she is undoubted well bred; if sent toagooti 

 dog some puppies of excellence might be bred from her. 

 But the dogs were sold without pedigree., or even; names 

 being given lot then. 



The New York Bench Snow.— We can state that tie 

 project for aBcuch Show in this city, although necessarily 

 delayed owing lo Ihe in) possibility of obtaining the desired 

 location, is by no means abandoned. It will, probably, be 

 held in May, or early in June, and as snipe shooting will 

 then be over, dogs should be iu good condiliou. The an- 

 nouncement Ibat Ihe Rod and Gun Club Df Springfield 

 will hold no show this year, will be received with regret 

 This bus always been one of our most pleasant ib unions 

 for spoilsmen, and many wete looking forward to it wilh 

 most pleasurable anticipations. As there, will be no 

 Chicago show either, the desirability of holding one in this 

 city is still more apparent, 



