308 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



here are largely stripped, but I have not seen an English 

 sparrow eat one canker-worm, though both the birds and 

 caterpillars are abundant. The birds may have been useful 

 ou their first arrival from Europe, but they are too much 

 pampered to be so now, at feast to any satisfactory extent. il. 

 They destroy fruit-blossoms. 4. They are often quarrel- 

 some, and sometimes drive away other useful birds, as I can 

 positively testify to from my personal observation. 



H. D. MtSot. 



GAME PROTECTION. 



Fisrt Protection, etc., Canada.— The new set of salmon 

 and bass regulations for the four northern counties of Nor- 

 thumberland, Kestigouche, Gloucester and Kent require that 

 persons who desire to fish for salmon shall furnish the local 

 overseer with a memorandum in writing, setting forth the 

 length of their nets and the places where they intend to set 

 them, at the rame time paying, in advance, a tax of three 

 cents per fathom ; if they set their nets before complying with 

 the above the nets will be seized and they themselves will be 

 obliged to pay fines and costs. 



Bass fishermen are required to register their nets and pay a 

 dollar for each net to the district overseer before fishing. 



These regulations take the place, so far as the tax is con- 

 cerned, of those issued in lwT.j. 



These new regulations are an outgrowth of the opposition 

 to the old mode of levying this lax,. and are a questionable 

 improvement upon that system. 



There is mueh complaint among the Oaspereoux fishermen 

 of the prohibition of Gaspereoux seining. 



t'pp, 



tinned St. (i 



Imosl laid in terror by the above-men- 

 i, who have been violating the game laws 

 for the past years, and etill the District Attorney maintaining 

 that nothing can be done. They are the same gang that the 

 Ifoyt and Komeyn party had the trouble with 'in Jiay 1K70. 

 and Who fired rifles «t the VV heeler party, presuming they 

 were tiring at the former. What course ought to be pursued '! 

 Section 19 is very explicit tome, but perhaps my brains are 

 not as legally able to comprehend as the above Disrict Attor- 

 ney. Can you not enlighten him? And will you not bring 

 the matter to the attention of the state A.ssoriuitou for the 

 Protection of Game, or to its attorney ? 

 Yours truly, 



§¥Bfl?> 



S. S. N. 



CLOSE SEASON FOR BLACK BASS. 



New York, 145 Broadway, May 30, 1ST 7. 

 Editok Forest anh Stuk.am ma Rod and Gray: 



Enclosed find a communication from Fish Commissioner 

 ghotwell, of New Jersey, which please note and give com- 

 ment. W. 0. AIclJoWEU,. 



Pattway, N. J., May 30, 1877. 

 Mr. W. O. Mf Dowei.i. : 



Dear Sir— -I notice with some surprise that Forest and 



Stiieam says black bass fishing commenced in Greenv 



Lake on the 20th of this month. If that is the New York law 

 it i onflivts with ours, and besides that, it is all wrong. The 

 9.1 i now spawning. 1 hope the Greenwood Lake Spoils- 

 man's Club will do all" they can to prevent fishing for black 

 bass before July 1. 



Can yon inform me if the New York law allows fishing for 

 bass alter May SO? 

 Yours truly, J. K'. Shot well. Com. 



[Our readers in this State and conscientious anglers gener- 

 ally, havu been much distressed by the peculiar misapplica- 

 tion of our law governing the close season for black bass, the 

 close season expiring on May 20, which is at the very time 

 when the fish are either spawning or watching their young 

 fry. The season should remain closed until the 1st of duly, 

 as it does in New Jersey and many other States. In Green- 

 wood Lake, which lies partly in both States, the incongruity 

 of the laws not only makes confusion, but is likely to result Id 

 serious personal difficulties. The objects of the laws seem to 

 be wholly defeated. A new game bill has passed both houses 

 of the New York Legislature, but still awaits the Governor's 

 signature. Its new amendments do not, however, change the 

 Close time for black bass. In Like George and many other 

 waters in the Stale, there are special provisions which apply, 

 making the close lime end on July 1st, which is fortunate. It 

 would lie belter to wipe out all provisions of local application, 

 and make the law common to the whole State.- Ed. J 



i. ,: Since writing the Governor has signed the bill. 



—The b'llowmg correspondence has been placed before us. 

 It will be seen that the game laws are nullified, or rendered 

 null, by Ibe decision of the district attorney. So long as there' 

 is no disposition or effort to enforce the laws that we now 

 have, it is supererogatory and useless to waste time every year 

 on amendments or attempts to effect changes which may bring 

 no practical results. For this reason our Governor, and Gov- 

 ernor Tihlen before him, have not thought fit to complicate 

 and mystify that which few can even now interpret, compre- 

 hend, comply with or enforce. 



The first letter is acomplaiut served on the District Attorney: 

 1'iiosrr.er House, L'itek Sakakac Lake, i 

 Ma? 15, : 

 , j, ... FnmUin Co., jr. v.: 

 •j'uke notice that. Payette St. Germain, Levi st, iicrmain, Moses .St. 



' B " ' ' i i St, Germain are catching trout out of the 



Upper Saranae LaKe with a set-i I gill Beta, to a «r- at extent, and 



.,.,.,, he proved yone against rthsr, and witnesses Edwin OHs, 



H ,„, Torrance I Jem Corey. They make their t.rai; that, there is 



mi law to Stop them. Now, I am (lame Constable or Hairiettstuwn, unci 

 ilit people wish them to oe put through to the extent oi the Ian i 

 tin- slieiilf out anO arrest the whole lot of them. 



Yours, etc., Geo. W. Wakk. 



From the District Attorney of Franklin (Jo., N. Y., indorsed 

 on the back of the above letter and returned to Mr. Wake, is 

 the following: 



" Referring to the game laws you will perceive that the District At- 

 lornev run ilo »'"> ""'re about the maun' refiu ■ -■ I 10 Hum any private 

 -,-,. ' ■"■ " ->»•-"',«""'"»' fwHcta&fc 



Yours, etc., S. A. Ban an. 



May 19, 18TT. 



The Woods, May 36, 

 Editor Fouest ash Stke.\m: 



v in the above, reply is mine, and 1 desire 

 . . ■, to it and receive your n-ply, Tile 



—At the meeting of the Norfolk (Ya.,) Game Protective 

 Association, held June 5th, the following gentlemen were 

 elected officers for the current year : President, S. K. White ; 

 First Vice-President, E. V. White: Second Vice-President, 

 W. H. Seabury; Secretary, J. t). Adkisson : Treasurer, N. 

 liurribs : Attorney of the association; Judge T. S. Garnett : 

 Fxecutive Committee, Fred. Hardy, Jos Hobday, L, W. 

 Tazewell, John P.. Corprew. 



Captain VY. B. Taylor, from the Committee on Game Laws, 

 reported that, the Slate had adopted a law answering in all 

 important points the desires of the Association, ami asked that 

 the Committee lie discharged. 



The foil wing cefi a (Vas interpolated in the President's 



address. 



I take pleasure m recommending to our members Forest 

 and Stiseam, a high toned paper devoted to those principles 

 which it is oar object to promote, besides giving valuable in 

 formation in Natural History and pisciculture, together with 

 interesting sketches by flood and field, nearly all of which 1 

 have found worthy oi perusal. This paper is unquestionably 

 worthy of our patronage and support. 



THE SYRACUSE CONVENTION. 



HURRIEDLY I drop a few lines. The birds are the only 

 trouble at this hour, yet the despatches from agents 

 arc very favorable, and the asssociation is full of hopes. They 

 will have a quantity of birds, but cannot state the amount 

 until the arrivals from the west, which are momentarily ex- 

 s gelling on finely, and the 

 P istponed until Monday, 

 •ailas an iippi.rlui.ily to 

 have tab a tliis step from 

 until they ar- 



f do 



peeled. Tim bench Bhi 



date of closing the entries has 

 June 18th, which will give 



enter their dugs Till i 01 



the fact that many . 



red toattend the convention, an I will not arrive before Mon- 

 day. 



The novelty of an exhibition of fLh will be quite an attrac- 

 tive, feature, and is well in hand by Mr. Henry II. Porter, of 

 Island Pond hatcheries; A goodly number have already been 

 received and are in the links in the armory embracing many 

 rare and valuable spi ci 



All bird trappers can find ready sale for birds by telegraph- 

 ing; to Greene Smith, No. 8 Lamed Block, Syracuse, N. V. 

 Sportsmen throughout this section would place Ihc association 

 under obligation by sending in birds to the above headquarters. 

 They do not care how many are left over as they desire to ob- 

 tain enough for the c invention at all hazards, and the pros- 

 pects at present are encouraging though not positive of ob- 

 taining a supply. 



The following gentlemen are appointed judges: Division 

 I.— Sporting Dogs, John Davidson, Monroe. Division U.— 

 Non-Sporting DogB, Geo. de Forest Grant, New York. 



Ft:o.\i dUB Special Repoktek. 



—The enterprise of Parker Brothers, manufacturers of the 

 celebrated Parker gun, can be seen by the large advertisement 

 they have in our columns. They have shipped their large 

 Centennial c >se, well filled with tine guns, for exhibition 

 at. the convention of the New York State Association for 

 Protection of Fish and Came, to lie held at Syracuse 



idoubtcdly win as many laurels for hard 

 I he contests. '1 he Parker Pros, have 

 s a s]n cial prize for the bi ' i 

 at the Syracuse State Association 



week, and will 

 shooting as u 

 donated a go 

 score iti the 

 meeting. 



The People's Like Sieamec.s.— It is universally conced 

 cd that in point of beatify the noble Hudson excels all the riv- 

 ers of Etu'ope. and that the tourist wdto fails to make the trip 

 by boat bet ween New York and Albany, is shutting himself 

 out from some of tin: most picturesque andiraposirj una 

 can scenery. 'Ibe sail is. therefore, well worthy, ol w in i tal 

 en as an independent excursion. It is mueh more likely, 

 however, to be marked out by the traveller as apart of a more 

 extended tour. It proves both a delightful opening and a siil- 

 slying clos It.e- win Is lb appetite lor ! In- more distant gran- 

 deur, to bo found in the west and north; it comes as an impos- 



iug fini li lo a, trip i 1st the a i ci ties. In eilhei can- the 



,,, ii. ■,,, hoi i iu attraction - an mosl familiar, finds the 

 sail oil the. Hud on I from Albany, an indispensable part 



of the pro;;!: ii . '!'! n II mi. I I LIUIUIIH ti a- 



,i i, ji urn r.irio a part that it will be solfieieiit to men. 



Hon those to Niagara, the "West, the St, Lawrence, Montreal. 



I.ul •■ < '". hah- I humph. in, tie. Adi lacks, the Catskills, 



Saratoga and the White ^fountains. Albany is an inevitable 

 point in the route of both traveller and sport sirum, and the 

 most pleasant way by which to reach, and letive ii is by the 



maeniticcnt sleauiers of (he People's Line. . 

 Uoal Company. 



Rev, Joseph T.Duryea is the Adirondacks to 



caui]i out lor six week-,.' lie is accompanied lo I nd 



Mr. Savage, who will doubtless make the Doctor feel at home 

 in : in ..'. ildi rne 



Notice -in Siiii!T?micn.— IliiMiie received" no many roiiimiiniearious 

 .. i,_ itttlo la regard to Our six-sen Inn bamboo trout. 



-,.., it bass, g m salmon rods, -we have prepared a circular on tie 



.-.iL'.jea. iMiu-ii ttestiall take pleasure in forwarding to any address. 

 Weteep on aancl all gnulea, the prlceH of which range from i i 

 We put our Stamp only ou the besl, iu onlei- to prelect our customers 

 and oar reputation, for we are unwilling to sell a poor rod with a false 

 eiuiiini anaiie bj burning and staining, to imitate tlie genuine article) 

 . tthig our customers ■ . in getting; 



Ai>MY .y imhbik, 4i Al aiden Lane, 



THE AMERICAN TEAM OF 1S77. 



THE Board of Directors of the National Ei He Association 

 have shown more than usual promptitude in tin r 

 aration and issuing of the call for rillemen to fill up the Amer- 

 ican rifle team of 1877. The prospects are lhat we shall have 

 a tough fight, and appreciating this, the programme, makers 

 have sought to elaborate sucli a scbi me as should bring out 

 the very best working eight our country can produce-. 

 plan, as expressed, is metre cumbrous than it will turn out to 

 be in practice. Of course, all are invited, hut to start only 

 with such as are reasonably certain to gain a place; cut lies 

 are limited to those only who have passed the easy point of 

 180 in the possible 235, the tests to be made on their bomi 

 range. The managing committee, is limited to three. There 

 was a strong pressure brought lo bear that some formal < • 

 nition of the Amateur Rifle 1 Club of this city should be made 

 iu the composition of this committee, hut while all are ready 

 to acknowledge the position of the Amateur Club M tin li 

 ing small bore club of the country, that from among its mem- 

 bers has now furnished four victorious American teams, its 

 claim to a portion of the managing power would only inter- 

 fere with the advancement of the National Kille Association to 

 what it, by right, should be, the central representative body 

 for American rillemen generally, without distinction of pi* 

 or section. This committee will need lo be most caret till ... 

 lectud. None but Ihose above reproach should be chosen, and 

 as the board have, it seems to us in rather questionable t'n 

 required " carackters " from would-be members of the is. 

 it might be well for members of the proposed committee lo 

 furnish similar testimonials that they are not influenced by 

 pecuniary or other considerations in their fatherly offices to- 

 wards rifie practice. With the Pres. N. ft. A. at the head 

 of the committee, and Col. Giiderslecve as an expert holding 

 the confidence of all, the third member of the Committee 

 might be chosen from without, the immediate ranks of rifle 

 shooteis and managers, some citizen of prominence, whos- 

 name and influence would work well in giving prominence to 

 the movement. The shooting tests for the leading nun of the 

 team seem to strike a just average, severe enough to cut out, 

 the chance of mere luck, and not. tediously long. The double 

 day test is apropos, as the m itch finally is to be. extended over 

 two days. The election of the two final member.; of the 

 team will provoke, we dare say, no small amount of 

 discussion as the day of choice draws near. It is 

 more than likely that the next two men in order of merit will 

 fill these posts, and riflemen generally may rely upon it, that 

 the mere fact of a candidate having once- been a prpmini 

 shot will bear but slight influence against the fact that he has 

 ceased to hold his own against the new comers. It will re- 

 quire a pretty general concurrence among judges without ihe 

 committee, to allow any departure from a siraiefit ortli r ol se- 

 lection by scores made. The clause permitting of a vacancy 

 in the team " Tor cause" will, no doubt, remain rather a bal- 

 ance agiiinst poss.ble contingencies than working rule, 'the 

 $200 clause will not, in all likelihood, be availed of by many, 

 if any, members of the team. As it is. it removes Ihe appear- 

 ance of havvig the team a paid, or ■■professional" body. Oh 

 the whole, despite the wretched English which marks the pro- 

 gramme, as presented bv the Special Committee chairman, a 

 fair, honest representative team may lie selected under it, and 

 with the close s -runny, which every move of team and com- 

 mittee will receive from the writing experts on the profession- 

 al and daily press, it is not at all likely that anything but 

 ' eand o'peii-hinded counsels will prevail. Ihe scheme ol 

 selection in its entirely leads as follows: 



FUOOBAMME FOR THE SELECTION Ol' TSB AMI' 

 01 ISTJ. 



ii/irnvn, A united team, representing Great Britain anil rrehmfl, has 

 been entered to compete tor the American I oug-i 



Trophy and therluiinpioh-ililp Ol No world iu a match, to be shot at. 

 Creetlmoer in BepterolH i iom : and 



ir/icmiN, The impel lance ol this runt. -li d> aciuUs I Mai theiiei I 

 t the country can produce tie selected to Orf end II ■' ' 



I '.,s a ,ai Eotu ' ' :i ' " l! - "" i 



Crecdiuoor, .July 17 ami IS, July el ana 26, Jul} Si ■'.": I, 10(1 c 



i .,| ,,i,s oi three f;n of such compel a •>><■ ' '■' counted 



..-.', !inj me iram to n.'staw'. Open lo nit native horn oil B< I 



t.ul .ui. il states, who Iu any Iwo stated pr:u tiers or comj 



sin, Is at each of the 3 distances ol BUO, 900 and 1,000 yds., upon any 



rniiKe, between April 1 and July IT, 1S7I, slisll tiai E 01 LiS ' ri 



; ,i ,.;,- I .,. !„. . , sai.l two competitions or Bl I 



, .,. i i ., i, ;,. i i.in.rn.f tin- inn • I o ' epei an 



belongs, m mon | iilu ■ i "' , , i- ,,■, 



unne-l-r ,,,,., ,o ,. "" -' " ■• " 



tntir...in l a.didav.wenpou.anviiil. williiiitneiule:-..! i , .,..!. 



utwhi.-h rides shall i.lso e-nvirn I I 



lesj.eets.i No sitflitini? shots, or prevlon I i "" 



i , , i .■, , ' mowed, 



A commit lee or tiire. , - i tefl by ttie Board ol 



R.A to whoia shall he referred the duly of carrying on! tin 

 gramme. The tcato fthall ooosVst of aeaptaiu, i i ' 



,,,,,, ,,:.] ,., 8 , ■.',; ,| O 'M II I 'IN' llOOl ".' I" 1 II 



,,,,,, ' ,,, .■ ■ , o "i i ' ■■- natismctory to 



theConnui <■(■ cbai ■ i "" 



to ilinsli a srorr or n up, si- on a.,;, i ' ' ' " ' "" 



miller- slialllM-aiitiiorizeii to ax auuthcr flay X01 luc a 



petition as he may have missed. Such Couuuil »fJ lecidi when, « 



at all. a competition Hhall Oe i mi " '" 



shall be resumed or completed. No conipotiioi 



, I Sl, ,11 1V.I.IIOU1 the pel Hie. ' 

 lUlttee. 



The team and reserve shall be ChO ■ 

 albnot the competition aUmomHerac teSP M rled upon 



ii nil in the order Oj mere as 



threeof their sis, P-- :( una, - - ' ' : ' 



Uuj the llrst place, au.l so on mail I n ■• I 



Tlieeiimiiiilleeorthr.--eie-riiui.ro. Il 



shall, by a Joint urajoriiv n.te.eieci h, 



to constitute the team, beln \,Ui 



