July 16, 1888.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



485 



gcsi names for representatives of the New York Association 

 :ii the meeting of I In- National Forestry Association :it Si. 

 Paul, in August, was adopted. The meeting then adjourned 

 subject lo the call of the chairman. The Senate committee 

 subaeriuentiy/heltlHTi executive meeting for tlie purpose of 

 discussing the besl method of examining. lands jtj the Adir- 

 ondack region. 



A Bum 6atb -Your notice in the last issue Of Pobbbt 

 and stukam. of the fondness of birds for a hath in hot 

 weatlter, reminds me of n scene very familiar tome during 

 my rambles In search of specimens through toe cedar groves 

 of Bermuda, during Hi" liot weather of the island summer 

 The peculiar formation of the group affords in several places 

 depressions o£ the earth's Burface, Wh.iob have evidently once 

 been the floors ol so many small CavernB, now minus their 

 roofs. These miniature (auks after rainfalls till to the brim, 

 :r,iil being watertight retain the Liquid for several (lavs, if in 

 u shady spot. To these welcome oaths the gaudily plumaged 

 cardinal grosbeak (OafdinaUg $wginimus\ loouly termed 

 "red bird, "hies during thehottesi period Ot the day, and 

 One of the prettiest ornithological sights I have ever beheld, 

 was that ol a small Bock of males, in hill scarlet livery, per- 

 forming their ablutions in.omj of the fairy pools situate in 

 the midsl oi the dense lantana scriib m some retired part oi 

 i lie island. They generally jumped in about breast high, 

 and stooping down, flapped their wings violently enough to 

 Bend the spray to a considerable distance, Having well 

 wetted the feathery they would hop on to the elevated xfm 

 of the lank ami as violently vibrate their wings again, rub- 

 bing their whole bodies -with their beaks, and soon drying 

 the whole plumage. Then Up into the branches of a neigh 

 boring cedar, and with a loud "tew. tew, tew.' they were 

 oil to their daily duties. 1 very rarely observed any of the 

 other common resident birds of the island, of which there 

 arc only four— blackbird [Mm.ua wraltiumaia), bluebird 

 (Stalin Statin), ehlok of the village I Fired runebomcoHm), and 

 ground dove (G/tam<epetta ptMerina) in lulging in a bath, 

 and this induces me to believe that the VrvngMda are of all 

 olhei land birds propel-, the greatest lovers ol a bath.— .1. 

 M wniKw .loNi:s(l'Vin Lodge, Nova Scotia). 



L< 

 old 



euri 



it is 



lie si 

 monl 

 Ihcir 

 deer, 

 ville 

 horn 



cked Dekh Horns.— South Bend. Ark.. July 10.— An 

 rapper found near here about, three months since, a 

 i-iiy in the waj of two ])atr of massive deer horns that 

 locked together by fighting, and in such a manner that 

 Impossible to pull them apart, lie staled to me that 

 ippoaed the two uucta had been dead probably three 

 ;he or more when he found them, and from the size Of 

 frames, ihat they must have been tremendous big 

 I'll. \ will he in 'hi' Arkansas exhibit at the i.ouis- 

 BxpoSltiOn.— E. T. B. [We have a pair of sack locked 



i tlii 



..Hi, 



i a 



■ RUEK.-Re- 



»;,xis\ live 



TaniaiiUtm 



^mwer$ to {Homsyondmig. 



Salem. N.J. -Can you let me know what von bait with to catch 

 eilip in u pond. Alls. See reply lo "K. M." 



A >|, !<... New York.— What is the besl bait tor Muck bass? Ajis. 

 Tin- dolison or lie.;.,i-;unilo. n.-xt cravfish. slirmip. ininuow*. and 



iTQgtf. 



M u .. New York.— Please inl'orni nic ot the hest anil nearest fish- 

 ing nine- to Sing Sing, N. Y.. either -nil or fresh witter. An- There 

 is a little lisln ,;.- in i :,<• Tappaii Zee. or Tampan l!a,\ as that pari of the 

 Hudson opposite sin,'. Sin;, is now euli-d. mil ii is not reliable. Tno 

 Ileal and uearesi sail wuti-r lishini.' is in New York May. oft" Stat.-u 

 Island. 



T. P. M.. New l'.rk ■ 1 em desirous ot Stocking a small lake in 

 W.-slehester euiii.iy. N Y.. with black baas. Can vou Oil me 

 whether I .■■■ill 1 b\ addiessins Mr. Seth Oeen.sc.ui-. that ,-u,l: 



Ans. l. We cannot say whether there are fish there or not, Try 



trolling a heavily leaded spoon in the deepest water, put on two or 

 more pounds oi" lead two feet ai.ove the spoon, row slowly. Trv also 

 trolling with a. minnow eane In the same. way. 3. The guns are so 

 nearly equal id <jua!ity and durability that your decision must depend 

 upon your individual choice 



J. B., Augusta. Ga.— Will vou please inform me if a small hand 

 machine for making fishing lines can be procured and from whom? 

 Ans. We do not know of such a machine. Pishing lines are now 

 made l.v machinery in large establishments. The makers deal en- 

 iiivU with bouses in the Wholesale fishing tackle irade and do not. 

 advertise, consequently they arc unknown. 



R. M.— I. What is the best way to kill trout when caught? 2. Are 

 iJerman carp vegetarians, and with what baitare Ihey caught? Ans. 1. 

 Pot the second joint of the forefinger in the mouth, and the thumb 

 on the back or I he head, and bend upward mull the neck is broken; 

 or use a knife at the junction of the head and eertebKe. 2. Yes. 

 ... n nab l.oil.d peas, a past- made with mashed potato 



able. 



line 





;e il do- 

 silk In 



in. lor. if you had toll us what lisli you tl»li for we could have given 

 you mole information. 



Vacation. -Can you tell me whether the black bass fishing at 

 Greenwood Lake. N Y.. is of any account in the latter part ol July 



'.r.-''lis'lnii,: i'.'a- ' u.,'-s'7.r. ; ':h<"'"li:i'i ' p!!'M V.'i'T'.-i'iiisviv an'ia 



The pond is r.-d 1 



minimus ..hiehvarietyishcst.il 

 and h m to nroeae i ;■ 

 Stale, an I . .. 

 K Balrd. Washington. D. I .. 



M.ilkcl. New York. Tee fi_-.ll will 



New Yorl;. and the price of a 



whether th 



most prolific. For protection yOi 



s, and covers 

 bout ten feet 

 top. Please 

 1 what they 

 >cted by the 

 to Prof. S. 

 :ford. I r u ( ton 



%nn\t $^aQ mjd 0utt. 



CAME RESORT®.— We are always glad to receive for pub- 

 lication such notes of desirable gaw resorts as may In' of hrlji 

 to the renders of FOREST AND Stream. Will not our eorre- 

 spOndents fator us u-ilh such advice? 



DUCKSHOOTINGONTHE MAINE COAST. 



"Down to thy waves the (ish-l.nwk swoops. 

 I he wild duck floats within thy bays." 

 tt/~lOMl5. Mr. P., get up: it's four o'clock, and we must 

 V,-' be off," dimly in my dreams comes Tom U.'s 

 Voice, and ihe sound of his knuckles playing a devil's tattoo 

 on hit chamber door. Suddenly 1 realize the full meauing of 

 this early summons, and with a yank Hie bed clothes go liv- 

 ing across the room, and out on the floor 1 go in a search 

 after those never lobe-found matches, which finally, alter 

 thrushingnround id the dark in a vain endeavor to encase 

 our lower extremities in the sleeves of a canvas hauling coat, 

 turn up on the wash stand. In live minutes 1 am down on 

 the wharf in Ihe quaint old seaport town of Kcnnebunk- 

 port. and there find my trustv henchman makintr all ready 

 for immediate departure, by the light of a lantern auspi nded 

 from a ship's spai over biadory, In the how of theltght craft 

 that is to bear our fortunes, are piled up the wooden decoys, 

 and on these arc placed our guns covered with a couple of 

 old oil skin coats, bearing marks "f age and seaworthiness. 

 Mine is an American breech-loader of t'welve-borc and eight 

 and a half pounds weight, while Tom's is a muzzle-loader of 

 heavy caliber, much the worse for wear, for its owner follows 

 hunting ami fishing for a livelihood, furnishing, for the 

 modest sum of two dollars per diem, his decoys, boat, ant! 

 self, to Wandering Nimrods like myself, and ODly too well 

 fulfills his tl tiiies to the pleasuse of all concerned. 



The tide is falling fast and a short half-hour's work at the 

 oars bi ings us out on the bay, just as a fuiut streak of day- 

 light begins lo appear on the eastern horizon. Those Who 

 have been there can imagine the fun of silling in the stern 

 of a fisherman's dory, on a cold, raw morning of late Octo- 

 ber, when the chilly, salt air stiffens one's lingers, and crawls 

 down tin- spinal column with a persistence worthy of a better 

 cause, while the rough, choppy waves make one's interior 

 department feel like turning inside out, in the endeavor to 

 make an offering to the sea. 



But it is no time for imagination to depict the pleasures 

 of a lazy snooze under warm blankets, so changing places 

 with Tom at the oars, 1 start the blood circulating in quick 

 time before reaching the shooting ground just north of the 

 mouth of Wells River. Here the decoys are anchored, and 

 at a distance of forty or fifty yards, we drop our grapnel 

 overboard, and lie down On our oil -skin coasts in the bottom 

 of the boat to await developments, and indulge in an iitves- 

 tigalion of the contents ot the big tin pail which mine good 

 cook of (he hostelry has provided. We are right in the line 

 Of 1 In- sea duck and coot, as they fly f loin their feeding 

 grounds to the marshes thai line Ihe river's bank, and a 

 better morning for this sport could not be wished lor. The 

 sky is overcast with heavy clouds, foreboding a coming 

 storm, and a light mist is falling fast. Not long are we 

 destined to wail, tor presently my companion's more ex- 

 perienced eye discerns a long dark line oceanward coining 

 directly for the boat, Nearer and nearer come the birds, 

 but sweep by just beyond gunshot, while the sight of a 

 dozen big black (lucks just out or our reach causing usilent 

 chorus of "confound the luck" from one end ol the dorv at 

 least. "Look out," says Tom, and now a batch of old 

 squaws are whizzing over Ihe decoys, showing no signs of 

 stopping on their way inshore. Quickly 1 'pull the right 

 barrel on them and "nary'' a fcaiher drops, but desper- 

 ately putting the left full four feet ahead of the line. 1 am 

 made happy by seeing two dead and one wounded bird 

 hioughl to the water. Tom soon has the dead ones on 

 board, and bids good-bye to the third, which is only wiug 

 broken, and is swimming and divine a | m lt nl il e away. 

 Making due note of the fact that 1 must aim further ahead 

 of the game, I mentally vow to pull leu feet at least on tne 

 next, and presently have an opportunity to practice it on a 

 solitary sheldrake going by at express-ttaiu speed, and just 

 clip his tail feathers neatly, without slopping him in his 



Now for a half hour or more all is quiet, save ever and 

 anon (lie shrill cry of a loon away toward the south shore, 

 or ihe bonk of wild geese far overhead en route for a warmer 

 clime. We are just filling our pipes for a quiet smoke, 

 when a sudden splash: splash! splash 1 greets our ears, and 

 as the water is splashed high in air alongside our stools, we 

 see between twenty and thirty gray coots that have ap- 

 proached unseen, swimming slowly away from their stolid 

 Wooden brethren. Two charges of No. 4 shot scattered pro- 

 miscuously among them cause a sudden panic, and again 

 as they riseih the air, another volley still further thins their 

 number: and ihe remnant scud oul to sea as fast as their 

 wings can carry them. We pick up nine dead, and have a 

 tedious chase after four or five wounded ones, succeeding iu 

 gathering in only two. One of them, apparently lifeless, is 

 thrown with the' others iu the holtonf of the dory, when to 

 our surprise with a shake, of his wings he flops over the 

 gunwale and dives for the bottom, escaping Tom's out 

 stictched hand. When he came to the surface after his dive, 

 an untimely charge of shot awaited him, and with a last 

 struggle, his fat but fishy corpus is once more brought to 

 bag. 



For more than an hour we have good shooting until the 

 morning flight is over, and with arms and shoulders aching 

 from heavy gun (barges we desist from tiring, and picking 

 up our traps "start for home. Noue too soon are we. as the 

 mist has changed to heavy rain drops, and thev are patter 

 top. down in a way highly suggest! veol XVrl jackets. Just 

 a moineut we wait, however, for thai old loon ooniingdown 

 ihe wind, and in spile of Tortt'i multcicd, "You can't get 

 him; too far away." I fetch a him a clip in the bead with a 

 four-drachm charge of Duponi's besl. and an ounce of No. 

 2 chilled shot. With a "hip, hooray, boys," we take in his 

 lordship, and Tom lays to the oars with ii will. 



"Another loon. Tom. by all that's gorgeous," is my shout 

 as we round a long point of rock and sand, seeing a 

 northern diver far up the shallow bay, apparently an easy 

 capture. We reach the center ot tin- inlet, and there is u'o 

 chance of his flying by over, the water Without being iu 

 range, but to our discomliture the loon proposes not to use 

 hia wings, but disappears uuder water and comes up to view 

 away out at sea behind us, rising his full height from the 

 waves, while Ihat shrill, mocking laugh is thrown tauntingly 

 after us as we row through the storm for the river, now neai 



at hand. Close to the pier at the mouth of the river, a very 

 unexpected and welcome .-mind is lnard— a-hoiil; ! all, nil.' 

 dire, -llv overhead. Tom veils 111 me to shoot, as live l>i :■ nl 

 geese aie Bying almost directly in the boat's course only 

 twenty-five or thirty yards hfgh, and 'vidmlU tired with 

 their fong flight. Hurriedly I haul my pun out of its rubber 

 ease. :md raiding il to my shoulder, pull Ihe trigger, btlt no 

 report follows, for the 'h.amtucs ao al half COCK. An in- 

 stant suffices to remedy this, and hoth charges are plunged 

 full into the flock. Then it is that we feel like having a 

 Pawnee war-dance or an Irish jig. as a brace of tine goose 

 come down "Uer-splash." one almost within reach Ul the 

 oars, and the other scaling og two or three hundred yards 

 and falling as dead as a sione, having flown aft long as 

 Strength held out. Tom winks once Oi tWiceas b.e thinks of 

 the extra pay my good luck will bring him. ni.d jut as the 

 Clock strikes the dinner hour polls up by tin shipyards to 

 the wharf, and a couple (if wet, tired, and hu&grj chap- 

 disembark with our game. Tom gets hi.- pay twit e over for 

 treating his charge to the .test day's sport it' has ever been 

 his luck to enjoy, the one "hie- day" to olfsrf Ihe many 

 wearysomc Iranips in field anil wood, when, returning tired 

 and g'aniclcss from the bunt, we feel just like forswearing Ihe, 

 gun and dog. But how often do we forget the bad bid; 

 'and, with undiminished ardor, at the lirsl 'opportunity are 

 off for the field in quest, of another "skunk" or a fairly good 

 bag. 



"All huh, ye Niirrods. sportatUPn bold. 

 May care's nets ever shun, 



No woe or poverly e'er depress 

 Our brothers of the dog and gun." 



A, M. P. 

 Pi tnasi, Conn. 



THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE. 



WHENMr. A. II. M< •r-lion.of East Saginaw.was re-elected 

 VV prej-idiugotiiccr of the Knst Saginaw Game Piotcttiye 

 Club, after the manner of Other ollicials he prepared 8 "mes- 

 sage." The club were not favored wi'h the document, but the 

 manu-eiipt was ,:,st. awnv into whal threatened lobeobliviou, 

 until one dav the Kokk-'t ami STREAM, by mysterious agen- 

 cies of its own. gained possession of it. and herewith punts. 

 Our readers will recognize in the message the same humor 

 that marked Mr. Mershon's communication on eels, pub 

 lished in our issue of January 10, 188$. The document is 

 as lollows : 

 Gentlemen of the East Siwimur (I,,,,,, I'nd.eti,; Clnh: 



Having learned from this morning's paper that I am again 

 re , Ii ■cteil President of the East Saginaw Game Protective 

 Club, 1 hasten to prepare and lay before thai useful, orna 

 mental, and influential body, my unusual annual message. 

 Fellow citizens, honorable." hard working and economical 

 members of this distinguished organization: It affords ine a 

 certain son of pleasure to lender my cordial greeting upon 

 the occasion of your assembling, and 1 b,-g>ou will allow 

 me to congratulate you upon your happy choice of officers; 

 as I learn the entire executive force, including myself, are 

 re-elected by a unanimous vote, and thai without the techni- 

 cality of a quorum being present, In this connection let me 

 call your attention to the fact that if you should insist upon 

 a quorum of members who have paid their dues lo date, you 

 would probably never hold a meeting, hence the policy of 

 your prompt and comprehensive action. 



FOREIGN RELATIONS. 



The duty devolves upon me of presenting to you l In- con- 

 dition of the affairs of our club, and to propose such meas- 

 ures ;is appear to me to ueed your consideration and at lent ion. 

 1 will stale here that our foreign relations are generally 



friendly, in confirmation of which i. refer to.the messages of 

 my confreres. Chester Arthur, Benjamin Butler and Mr. 

 Begole. who have all noticed that iact, and bill recently 

 made tin? same observation. 1 think we need fear nothing 

 from either Clare or Roscommon counties — if we let them 

 alone. 



FINAM Ks. 



I am glad to be able to assure you that our treasury is in 

 its normal conililiou, and when some of our delinquent 

 members shall find it convenient to pay in their dues ih, re 

 maybe some funds on hand. In the meantime you will 

 continue to "stave off." so to speak, the little printing bill, 

 etc., as usual. As you are aware, this is not. a sordid affair 

 of dollars and cents': it is a matter of principle. Economy, 

 it 1 am not misinformed, is one of the cardinal virtues, and 

 should be Strictly observed and carefully nursed. 1 respect- 

 fully suggest the expediency of ringing in (excuse nu'l- 

 solieiting— new members, who may, at a few dollars each. 

 if obtained in sufficient numbers, replenish our exchequer. 

 You may be able, iu this way, to Ultimately pension some 

 of the older members who have worn themselves oui in the 

 arduous labors of trying to get a quorum together. Still, it 

 is not quite clear to my mind thai this subject should be 

 approached, except with extreme caution, unliiihe money is 

 iu sight. I recommend that trade dollars be taken al par. 

 and until a Sufficient sum Shall accumulate, a "sinking 

 fund" might lie a good name to give it. 



oltOWTH AND IN( IIICASE. 



It is somewhat humiliating to contemplate the slow and 

 unsatisfactory progress of our association. While other 

 organizations have increased, under adverse oircumstanct S, 

 from lOOtofiOO percent, (luring the past decade, ours has. 

 scarcely more than held its own iu numbers 1 hitve Q'O 



ligurcs'at hand to illustrate these lads as to the State of 

 Michigan, but presuming Illinois to give about the Same 

 result, I give below figures from the censuses of 1STII and 

 1S80, showing the number and increase of certain classes iu 

 the latter State: 



IS7U. 1880; 



Insane .. .l.(ttf> B.13J 



Idiots I. --Ml 4,176 



Deaf mines . S&3 8,908 



Blind 1,,'B M.015 



Totals.. 



. 1,745 



li 131 



It is an extremely humiliating tact that the four unfortu 



nale classes, ,pioted above should increase over 300 per cent., 



while the E>, S. G. P. Association should barely hold its 



own, although in the possession of all its (acuities 



a, .in, i i. ii ui:. 



Although it may seem lo you that agriculture does not 

 come within Ihe scope of your inllueuee ol' control, I will 

 endeavor to show vou that tQ a certain exlcul, indirccllv. it 

 may. Wv must all admit the policy of conciliating Ihe 

 farmer, and keeping the riiihl side of the hom si gi .,n..er. 

 Many of them, ihrough ignorance, are trapping quads. 

 turkeys, ruffed grouse, shooting game out of season, celling 

 trout and taking tl em from their spawning beds. They are 



