FOKEST AND STREAM. 



183 



State Badge Presented by Greene Smith, Esq., to be Shot fok . 



Sybacdse. 



r the Next N. Y. State Sportsmen's Convention at 



The sportsmen of Middletown, Conn., met on Tuesday 

 evening, April 17, and formed a club for the protection of 

 fish and game in Middlesex County. The sportsmen of this 

 county are beginning to awaken to the idea that laws are of 

 no use without they are enforced, and this is a great move 

 in the right direction, as it has been with profound regret 

 that the true sportsmen of this county have seen the eater- 

 ruination of fish and game in this county, simply from taking 

 them without regard to law or season. They will proceed 

 at once in the most advisable manner for the protection and 

 increase of both fish and game in our forest and stream. 



W. P. P. 



Minnesota.— Lake City, April. 16.— "Weather fine. Ducks 

 seem to have gone by us thus far this spring, very few being 

 seen. No sporting news to report. E. 



Glass Bale Teat Shooting. — We report the following by 

 Lake Pepin Sportsman's Club, not on account of the good 

 scores, but to show that shooting glass balls is one thing, 

 and shooting pigeons is altogether another. Last Tuesday 

 afternoon, G. F. Benson, Esq., invited the Club to a bail 

 shoot, which was new to us all, but very lively and ex- 

 citing. The following is the remarkable score: 



Ed. Patton 00000010 0—1 



S.B.Dilley 00000000 0—0 



Jaines HcCroden 01110010 0—4 



Charles Smyth 01000010 0—2 



Charles Sehruuser 00 00000 0—0 



A.Glines 10000010 0—2 



F. Kuckert 1 00000111 0-4 



E. L. Townsend 80000000 1—1 



G.F.Benson 1 001000010—3 



CtmrleR Wise 00000000 0—0 



D. S. Grain 01000010 0—2 



D. C.Estes 1 00010011 0-4 



George Lemley 1*010110 0—4 



Come this way, Father Bogardus. E. 



DUCK HUNTING ON THE NEW HAVEN 

 MARSH. 



HubonCo., O., April, 187". 

 Editor Fobest and Stbeam, 



Early Monday morning, March 26, we started for the extensive marsh 

 Burronnding the Great Pigeon Roost. The party consisted of four jolly 

 boys, each armed with good breech-loading shot-guns. Our outfli con- 

 sisted of tent, 9x9, and camp-chest ailed with substantiate. One article 

 of our outfit, namely, the camp stove, is worthy of nieutiou. It was 

 eitnplyan oblong buclcet IS in. long, 13 in. wide, 14 in. high, with 

 two holeB in the top, one for the pipe (3 in.), and one 7 in. hole to cook 

 over; a bail was attached to carry it when packed. It is simply turned 

 upside down, and when the pipe is pal on it Is ready for a Are. Our 

 Ranting ground was a half-mile away from our camp, The Miermometer 

 WW falling fast, and the docks were passing over ue hi large flocks, bat 



far out of range of onr gnns. We sat in our blinds till night-fall with- 

 out even a Bhot. When the morrow came, colder weather came with it. 

 the next day came and still cold; not a duck to be seen; one of our 

 party got so disheartened that he concluded to take the tramp, nine 

 miles, home. But during the third night it turned warm, and the morn- 

 ing bright, with a warm sun shining, and a smart breeze from the 

 South. As I was preparing breakfast, we heard the report of a gun in 

 the woods below our camp, and on looking out, I never saw such a 

 sight. Thousands of ducks were rising out of the marsh in the woods, 

 and hundreds were circling in the air In all directions, and a goodly num- 

 ber settling in a pond not 300 yards from our tent. It is [useless to say 

 we ate but little breakfast. Two of ns crept down a fence from our 

 camp as close as we conld get, and then found we were out of range. 1 

 told my companion to slip back to camp and get the rifle (which was a 

 light 32-calibre). With this we got one bird, and when the affrighted 

 flock rose and circled near us, 1 raised my Nichols & Larever, and fired 

 both barrels. The dncks were full sixty yards away, but I dropped 

 four. 



We now had five ducks to use for decoys. To use dead decoys in two 

 feet of water, we take a stick three feet long, sharpen one end, and 

 force it through the feathers at the breast, pass it up the neck into the 

 head; push the other end into the mud at the bottom, and yonr ducks 

 then assume an upright and life-like position. We had prepared our 

 dncks as above, my friends taking three to the woods below, and I Bet- 

 ting out two in the pond where I had killed them . The shooting was 

 rather poor until near evening, when they came in clouds. They at 

 fiist passed over me and flew on to the woods below, when the boys 

 would let loose at them; then they would come back to my ground. I 

 flrBt occupied a kind of blind between two trees, and they caniB so fust 



I conld hardly get the dead ones gathered until another flock would 

 settle down. I finally abandoned my blind and sat on a musktat house, 

 and they came so fast it reminded me of 



"Mother Bond, when she went to the pond. 

 And cried, dill, dill, come and be killed." 

 We shot till long after nightfall, and when we emitted shooting we bad 

 to make two trips to get all the dncks to camp. And I found my friends 

 had got as many as I, if they did not shoot so of ten . Our bag con- 

 sisted (after the next morning's shooting) of 41 pin-taile, 37 red-heads, 



II teal, 19 mallards, and 2 shovelers. After eating au early dinner, we 

 loaded our boat with ducks, and two of us took tent and traps and 

 floated down Honey Creek to Attica, onr home, while our friend 

 "footed it" to the same place. J. W. Shuxtz. 



TAXATION OF GUNS. 



Editob Fobest and Stbeam. 



A tax on guns would of courBe be very unpopular, but it is the only 

 efficient way I can seo of saving our stock game. Every boy big enough 

 to carry one can get a gun, bo numerous are they, and during a severe 

 winter the destruction wrought by these predatory fuslleera is incal- 

 culable; not only the animal Increase but the parent stock is destroyed. 

 Your proposed tax on dogs is excellent, but will ba equally objection ible 

 to "Dexter." elomne. genus. I shall disappoint birn in the view I take 

 of formera reserving the right of shooting, by most strongly advo- 



cating it. It Is their interost to do so, for game birds, especially quail 

 and grouBe, destroy numbers of insects, and in return for the grain 

 they eat afford delicacies for the table and sport for their friends. If 

 there was a redundancy of game in the country it would be well enough 

 to allow people to shoot to their heart's content; but the time has 

 passed for that, and unless some very stringent measure is adopted wo 

 shall have nothing but glass balls and gyro pigeons to shoot at. In 

 England great care iB taken that the stock i s not killed— only the ani- 

 mal increase. If no limit be put to shooting, what sort of sport can 

 one expect to have in the ensuing seasons ? Vkbatob. 



he Mmml. 



THE NEW YORK BENCH SHOW. 



ALTHOUGH our paper is dated on Thursday, we go to 

 press on Wednesday morning, the day advertised as 

 the last on which home entries will be received, but as 

 the catalogue must remain open until May 1st for foreign 

 entries, we can see no reason why others should not be re- 

 ceived up td the same date. We cannot, therefore, in this 

 issue give the total number of entries, but there is every 

 indication that four figures will bo reached. Certainly, 

 taking into account the number of litters of puppies, the 

 individual number of which do not appear in the catalogue, 

 the total number of dogs on exhibition will exceed one 

 thousand. A number of railroads in addition to those 

 enumerated last week have notified the Superintendent, 

 Mr. Lincoln, that they will carry dogs to and from the show 

 free of charge when accompanied by their owners. These 

 letters are now being reproduced by the photo-lithographic 

 process, and each exhibitor beyond the city limits will re- 

 ceive a fac-simile copy of the letter received from the Super- 

 intendent of the road on which he is supposed to travel. 



Mr. Macdona has written to the Chairman of the Bench 

 Show Committee, announcing his intention of sailing from 

 Liverpool in the White Star steamer Adriatic on the 19th 

 inst., so that he may be expected to arrive within the next 

 forty-eight hours. Mr. Macdona brings with him the red 

 L-ish setter dog Kover, whose portrait adorns the current- 

 issue of the London MM, he having been selected by 

 '"Stonehenge" as the true type of that strain for illustrating 

 the new edition of his "Dogs of the British Islands." 

 Kover is own and litter brother to Plunket, being by Beauty 

 out of the Bev. K. Callaghan's Grouse, and the latter gentle- 

 man writes to "Stonehenge" that Plunket was bred by him, 

 and not by the Hon. D. Plunket, as stated in the Stud Book. 

 Bover, in color, is of a beautiful rich red, with a frame of 

 great size, symmetry and substance, with good feet and 

 legs. He has never been exhibited even in England, so that 

 his first public appearance, not as a competitor of course, 

 will be in New York. Moreover, Mr. Macdona writes to Mr. 

 Tileston, of the Westminster Kennel Club, as follows: "As 

 soon as I land in New York I will give Bover into your 

 charge until my return on May 12th (Mr. Macdona's return 

 passage has been already engaged in the Britannic, which 

 sails on that date). Luring that time Kover shall be at the 

 service of American breeders, free of charge, for any Eng- 

 lish, Irish, Scotch or American bitches that may be sent to 

 him." The liberality of this offer is beyond all praise. 



Mr. Macdona also writes that His Grace the Duke of 

 Hamilton has informed him of his intention to send one of 

 his best greyhounds to the show. Mr. G. de Landre Mc-t 

 dona sails on the 23d inst., on the Nevada, with Banger H, 

 Magnet (English setters), Bule, Irish setter bitch by Magnet, 

 (a son of Plunket), out of Brosna, three Irish setter whelps 

 by Bover, and a brace of his best St. Bernards, Mungo and 

 Neva, a daughter of champions Alp and Hospice, in pup to 

 Prince, one of the grandest St. Bernard dogs in England. 

 In addition to these, one of the principal of English breed- 

 ers has cabled entries of five mastiffs, so that it is highly 

 probable that there will be a fine representation from the 

 mother country. 



We. omitted to mention above that we shall print next 

 week a copy of the London Field's portrait of Bover. The 

 variety of dogs will be largely in excess of anything yet seen 

 in this country. In addition to the large class of toy dogs, 

 there have been entered Esquimaux dogs, Japanese spaniels, 

 pugs in large numbers, and many other breeds rarely met 

 with. All the most celebrated sporting dogs of every strain 

 will be present. Mr. L. H. Smith, of Strathroy, Canada, 

 sends his entire kennel of celebrated Field Trial dogs. Mr. 

 Raymond exhibits his Laveracks, and Mr. Morford his 

 orange and whites. Mr. Jarvis will be on hand with Eleho 

 and Kathleen, and Mr. Farrer with Plunket, Carrie and 

 Rapp. But we might go on and name nearly all the well- 

 known dogs in the country. Perhaps the pluckiest man, 

 and the one in whose success we take the liveliest interost, is 

 Mr. Jesse Sherwood, of Edina, Missouri, who transports his 

 entire kennel from that immense distance. And yet Mr. S. 

 B. Dilly, of Lake City, Minnesota, almost equals him, for he 

 brings with him the great Ranger and his other pointers. 

 To such of our readers as are not exhibitors, we would say 

 that if they wish to see the grandest collection of dogs ever 

 brought together on this Continent, they should not fail to 

 visit this show. 



The prize in the champion pointer class for dogs is a 

 magnificent one— pain ting of game by Case, of Springfield — 

 presented bv members of tho Rod and Gun Club of that city, 

 and valued at $150. The prize for bitches in tho same class 

 is the cup presented by Gen. Alex. S. Webb, and nianufue- 

 tured by Messrs. Tiffany & Co. The prize for champion 

 English setters (dogs) is the "Spratt's Patent" ten guinea 

 cup, also manufactured by Messrs. Tiffany ,V Co. 

 -«•*- 



- -Mr. Lloyd T. Montgomery of New York claims the. 

 name, of Dash for his red Irish Better aog P"r "M»fl*- 

 Chas. H. RavmomVsBonnetCr.rre, Hired by Mr.TVm Lay lor s 

 imported red Irish setter Curio. Lush was, wnelgw 1'ecem- 

 bor 25, 187(5, and has some very fine points. 



