FOREST AND STREAM. 



•87 



thq l§orn§ m\& thq <HJ/0Wi8q. 



TROTTING GAITS. 



RUNNING is undoubtedly the horse's natural gait, as it 

 is his swiftest^ but for carriage driving, and for the 

 thousand and one business purposes for which the horse is 

 used, trotting horses are far superior, and running horses 

 almost useless. Probably this fact first brought the trot- 

 ting horse into such universal favor, for, before the use of 

 carriages became general, the gait was almost unknown. 

 Since their introduction, however, it has become the uni- 

 versal gait, so much so, in fact, that even on the race-course 

 it predominates, and a majority of the fall meetings in this 

 country are devoted to trotting matches, with occasional 

 running matches sandwiched in between, just for the ex- 

 citement of the thing. Besides these two' distinct gaits, 

 there are several modifications, to some one of which occa- 

 sional horses are addicted. Thus Pocahontas, one of the 

 fastest horses this country has ever produced, was a pacer — 

 that is, stepped with fore and hind foot on the same side to- 

 gether, or, as old horsemen generally say, "stepped all on one 

 side." Other nags have a habit of swinging their feet in 

 and out, or racking, giving their bodies a motion something 

 like that of a ship in a heavy swell. Others still have a 

 mixed gait, Some trot squarely with their fore feet and 

 run behind. Others have an uneven step, half way between 

 a trot and a run, the legs neither moving together nor shoot- 

 ing out together at exact intervals. Of this latter class was 

 Flora Temple, who trotted a mile in 2:19f, when tracks 

 were some seconds slower than they are now. All of these 

 gaits, however, are simply imperfect approximations to the 

 trot, the ideal of which is an alternate, accurately-timed 

 stepping; the body swaying neither to the right nor the left, 

 and with the least possible motion up and down. This lat- 

 ter motion is one of the most common faults of the trotting 

 horse, and, when an animal is free from it, he is said to 

 "trot level." Another common failing is a dragging of the 

 hind legs, especially noticeable when the trotting horse be- 

 gins to tire. As running is the natural gait, most horses 

 take to it without difficulty, and the main differences in the 

 gait are in the length and rapidity of the stride. Most of 

 the great trotters began their trotting education after they 

 were well matured. The record of these best animals also 

 goes to show that, so long as they are sound and their joints 

 limber, they have continued to improve with age, and have 

 done their best work between the ages of ten and fifteen, 

 and generally after they were twelve years old. The cause 

 of this is twofold, and is found in the fact already stated, 

 that the trot is a forced gait, and therefore always suscepti- 

 ble of improvement; and in the other fact that the trotting 

 muscles harden with age and get that steely 'quality that 

 never tires, and enables the horse to hold his gait through 

 the number of heats needed to win a race. — Springfield Re- 

 publican. 



-+•+• 



{/ HOW THEY CATCH MUSTANGS. 



The editor of the Pleasanton Stock Jarirnal gives the mo- 

 dus operandi of capturing wild horses in Texas', which will 

 ho doubt prove instructive to many. It will be perceived 

 that all the popular notions in which the lasso and fleet- 

 footed charger play an important part, have little founda- 

 tion in reality. 



- As soon as a herd .of horses is discovered, the party of 

 hunters divide, one portion striking camp, while the other 

 sets off in pursuit of the herd. The frightened animals go 

 bounding across the prairie through the prickly pear and 

 dense chapparel, leaving a trail which the hunters steadily 

 pursue at an easy gait until they come in sight of the herd, 

 which scampers off as before. These tactics are kept up 

 by pursuers and pursued for days, the mustangs returning 

 to their first starting-point — which they are sure to do — 

 when the camping party takes the place of the tired pursu • 

 ers and thus follow the herd, until the poor, wearied, half- 

 starved creatures, with swollen and bloodshot eyes, give up 

 the struggle and submit to be driven anywhere. The ob- 

 ject of the hunters has been merely to keep close enough 

 to the mustangs to prevent them grazing. Starvation soon 

 brings them to terms, and the prairie monarch, with droop- 

 ing crest and dejected look, leaves his native wilds hence- 

 forth to become the slave of man. That is what hunters 

 call " walking mustangs down." 



— A remarkable trotting match took place at Point Breeze 

 Park, Philadelphia, on Thursday last, between Mr. John 

 Miller's bay mare Dollie, and William Kendall's handsome 

 bay horse Spot. The former gentleman's horse was driven 

 by Mr. Scofield, to a light sulky, while Mr. Kendall drove 

 his horse to a Germantown wagon, containing four persons, 

 $200 having been staked by the latter gentleman against 

 Mr. Miller's $100. The contest was won by Spot, who is a 

 very large and powerful animal, by about six lengths, com- 

 pleting the distance, one mile, in 3:30, which, considering 

 the great weight he had, must be regarded as very aston- 

 ishing time. A number of prominent gentlemen were 

 spectators of the race, and were greatly surprised at the 

 result. No similar instance is on record in the world. 



— A sale of fine horses took place last week at the farm 

 of George C. Hitchcock, Esq., New Preston, Connecticut, 

 conducted by Colonel Barker, of the New York "Tatter- 

 sals." There was a fair sprinkling of New Yorkers, nota- 

 bly among them "Hark Comstock" and Clarence C. Col- 

 lins. Mr. Collins bought a pair of geldings for $600. The 

 amount received for twenty-eight horses was $10,795. The 

 highest price obtained was $1,500 for Highland Queen. 

 The lowest $100, for Highland Maid. The average, $385 53. 



Fleetwood Park, September 15.— Sweepstakes 

 mile heats best 3 in 5, to wagon; owners to drive. 



W. Johnson's b. g. Bay Dan 2 1 1 2 1 



"W. Lynch's b. g. Billy Lynch 1 2 2 1 2 



P. Daley's br. g. Tony Hartman 3 3 dist. 



O. Murphy's b. s. May Morn 4 4 dist. 



J: Millane's b. g. Bay John Da-awn, 



Time— 2:57i, 2:521, 2:50, 2:50, 2:514-. 



Second Race— Sweepstakes $500; mile heats, best 3 in 

 5, to wagon; owners to drive. 



O. Murphy's b. g. Tassy Torney 1 1 1 



M. Ryan's b. m. Belle Jones 2 2 2 



J. Ryan's s. m. Lady Ryan. Drawn. 



Time— 3:04, 3:00, 2:564. 



The regular fall meeting of the Fleetwood Association 

 began on the 15th. The premiums are liberal, and the en- 

 tries embrace some of the best blood of the trotting horses 

 of the country. 



—Robert Bonner's famous stallion Startle again appeared 

 on the track September 13th, and trotted three-quarters of 

 a mile in 1:43, which is the fastest time ever made on the 

 track. 



White Plains, N, Y., September 15th.— The unfinished 

 trotting race of September 13th, for a purse of $500 for 

 horses that had never beaten three minutes, best 3 in 5, 

 was completed to-day. At the time of postponement eight 

 heats had been trotted, and three more were required t o 

 arrive at a result. Eleven heats in a race of this character 

 is very remarkable. Ben Wilson's brown mare Carrie at 

 last proved the winner. 



Philadelphia, September 11th. The sport com- 

 menced with the unfinished 2,33 race, postponed from the 

 evening before. Purse for $2,000; for horses that had never 

 beaten "2:33. Mile heats, best three in five in harness; $1,000 

 for the first. There were thirteen entries. Five horses 

 were distanced. J. K. Leavitt/s Star won. Time 2:33, 2:84; 

 2:804. The first race on the regular programme was a 

 purse of $3,000, for horses that never trotted better than 

 2:24, mile heats, best three in five, in harness; $1,700 to 

 the first. After three exciting heats Crown Prince* puoved 

 the winner. Thomas Jefferson, Jr., taking second motley . 

 Time2:37i, 2:26f, 2:26f. 



Winding up the meeting was the free-for-all purse of 

 $4,000, mile heats, best three in five, in harness; $2,200 to 

 the first, $1,200 to the second and $600 to the third horse. 

 Entered for this was Budd Doble's bay mare Goldsmith 

 Maid, Ben. Mace's bay gelding Sensation, J. J. Bowen's 

 black gelding Camors and A. Goldsmith's black gelding 

 Gloster. Won by Goldsmith Maid in three straight hearts. 

 Time 2:22, 2:25i2:24. 



Hartford, Connecticut, September 12th.— The Plairwille 

 Park Aseociation closed a very successful fall meeting. 

 There were about 4,000 people present. The weather was 

 fine and the track inline condition. In the 2:50 race for 

 $1,000, four heats, Commodore Perry, of Providence, was 

 the winner. Time, 2,39^. In the two 2:29 race, for a 

 purse of $1,500, four heats, Commodore, of Newburg, 

 N. Y.,won. Time, 2,33i-. In the free-to-all race, for the 

 $2,000 purse, four heats, Judge Fullerton won. Time, 2:25. 



Lexington, September 12th.— The races of the Kentucky 

 Association were the best during the week. The first race, 

 two mile heats, was won by Wither' s entry, Stanford, in 

 3 :40i, making the last mile in 1 :40f , and distanced his com- 

 petitor, Mandarin, in the first heat. 



Second race— Colt and filly stakes; two-year-old; $50 

 entrance; play or pay; $250 added; one mile. Three 

 started, and the race was won easily by RobHison's Astral 

 colt, by Asteroid, in l:44f, being the fastest time for tVo- 

 year-olds ever made. Letoler came in second, and La- 

 grange third. 



London, September 12th.— This was the fourth and last 

 day of the Doncaster September meeting. The great race 

 of "the day was for the Doncaster cup, value 300 sovereigns. 

 Mr. Savile's br. c. Uhlan, 3 years old, was the winner. The 

 b. f . Lillian, 4 years old, belonging to the same gentleman, 

 came in second, and Mr. R. N. Batt's ch. c. Thorn, 3 years 

 old, third. There were five starters. The betting was 

 three to one against Uhlan, three to one against Lillian, and 

 six to four against Thorn. 



RONALDHON'S side. 



Eonaldson, c. Mooney, b. Hosford 29 



Smith, c. Rutty, b. Mooney 5 



Peters, b . Hosford • ' 



Talbot, b. Hosford * 



Lonergan, c. Boddy, b. Hosford ° 



Franklin, b. Richardson, b . Hosford - ° 



Bishop, c. Hayward, b. Lewis ° 



Parker, not out % 



Rocke, c. Boddy, b Lewis n 



Beattie, c. Rutty, b. Hosford 2 



Orton, b. Lewis. '. 8 



Leg byes, 1; wMes, 3 **■ 



Total , : 59 



—The sixth game of the championship series between the 

 Mutuals and Philadelphians was played September 13th, 

 on the Union Grounds in the presence of an immense as- 

 semblage. The game was an exceedingly good one and 

 free from errors, the Philadelphians charged with only six and 

 the Mutuals four. A feature of ihe game was a magnifi- 

 cent running catch by Cuthbert, the equal of which is sel- 

 dom seen on a ball ground. Holdsworth and Start carried 

 off the honors of the infield for the Mutuals, the latter 

 putting out no less than seventeen men. The Mutuals won, 

 scoring seven to the Philadelphians two. 



—Captain Thomas Dean, of the thirteenth Regim nt, 

 Brooklyn, and late drill-master of the Brooklyn Police, is 

 to open a billiard room about the first oLNovember, in the 

 new iron building, corner of Smith and Fulton streets. 

 The room will contain fourteen tables, and surpass in some 

 respects any similar place of resort in the two cities. Mr. 

 Dean is a favorite, and remunerative support has _ been 

 pleged him by many gentlemen not usually known in bil- 

 liard circles. 



What is the difference between a chime of bells, and a 

 back salary grabber?— One peals from the steeple; the 

 other steals from the people. 



— ♦ 



Important to sportsmen— The domestic hen is a good 

 setter; so is a grocery loafer. 



♦ 



Motto of the Professional Nines— "Base is the slave 

 that pays." 



Jlnmei$ %o $j>rvMyotuhnt§. 



[We iladl endeavor in this department to impart and hope to receive 

 suc/i information as ■may be of service to amateur and professu/nal sporis- 

 men. 'We will clieerfully answer all reasonable questions that fall wit 'Ida 

 the scope of this paper, designating localities for good hunting, fish- 

 ing, ami trapping, and giving advice ami in slrac.fi/jns as to outfits, im- 

 plemeMs. routes, distances-, seasons, expenses, remedies, traits, species, 

 governing rules, etc. All branches of the sportsman's craft will receive 

 attention. Anonymous convnvtvnications not noticed.] 



\t}\l§iit $^&fithwn. 



— In the last seven months the number of horses exported 

 from England was 1,320, of which 543 went to France. 

 The value was £77,025. In the same period last year the 

 number was 1,888. and the valve £104,913. In seven months 

 of 1871 as many as 4,104 horses were exported to France* 



A cricket match was arranged to take place at Hoboken, 

 September 13th, between the second eleven of the Manhat- 

 tan Club and the first eleven of the Zingari Club. Only 

 five of the Zingari's put in an appearance, so a scratch 

 match was called, Messrs. Rutty and Ronaldson choosing 

 sides. There was no difficulty in selecting two elevens, as 

 a number of the first elevens of the Manhattan and St. 

 George's Clubs were present. Rutty having won the toss, 

 chose Hosford, Lewis, Tilly, Hayward, Oakley and Tucker, 

 of the Manhattans ; Green, of the St, George's, and Len- 

 drum, Mooney and Boddy, of the Zingaris. Ronaldsom 

 chose Smith and Talbot, of the St. George's ; Peters, of the 

 Prospect Park ; Parker, of the Staten Island ; Lonergan, 

 Bishop, Franklin, and Beattie, of the Manhattans ; Ort©n 

 of the Newark, and Rocke, of the Jersey City Clubs. 



The game was an exciting one, the batting of Tilly, Hay- 

 ward, and Oakley on Rutty's side, and Ronaldson and Pe- 

 ters on Ronaldson's side being excellent. The bowling of 

 Hosford and Ronaldson was also worthy of notice. The 



following is the score : 



rutty's side. 



Hosford. c. Ronaldson, b. Lonergan 6 



Tilly, b. Ronaldson •' 12 



Rutty, b. Talbot 10 



Lewis, st. Lonergan . b. Talbot 



Hayward, b. Ronaldson 19 



Lendrnm hit wicket, b. Talbot 4 



Mooney, C. Peters, b. Ronaldson 6 



Oakley, e^ Smith, b. Lonergan 34 



Boddy, run out. 2 



Tucker, not out 4 



Green, b. Beattie 



Byes, 4; leg byes, 4; wides, 4; no balls, 1 



13 



Total. 



10g 



Felix, Baltimore— Mocking-birds begin to moult the last of July. The 

 moid ting season ought not to last more than three weeks, providing ihe 

 bird is in good condition. If not well cared for, it may take three months 

 before he gets his voice back. Kgep birds out of draft, feed with nourish- 

 ing food, not too plentifully. Bird must have quiet, and not be fretted. 



Young Sportsman— Deer abound in McKean and Warren, but not in 

 Forrest, All are good counties for game. No fear of roughs. 



CoNOTT— Collies can be had in England from three guineas to ten 

 pounds. Unless you have a friend to purchase, it is a risky business. 

 ^Have tried English dog biscuits and do not like them. 

 ' H. R.— Reeves 1 gren felt is a preparation of gum cotton. The fibre is 

 felted, then treated. In France a similar material made into paper pulp 

 is used. Have tried it and found it excellent, It may, in time, be exten- 

 sively used. It can be bought here. (See Gloan). 



L. D., Brooklyn— The book you want will be published shortly in Cali- 

 fornia, by Carmany & Co. Address them. 



W. H. K., Boston— A handy book is Newhouse's Trapper's Guide. 

 The very best is an English work, "Lord and Bailies' 1 Shifts and Expedi- 

 ents. 1 ' 



A. A., Boston— Will give the whole subject our best attention next 

 month, with character of game, methods of conveyance, hotels, &c. It 

 is too early yet to go, being decidedly the most unhealthy season of the 

 year in that section. 



T. L., Jr.— Chap. XL, Revised Statutes, 1871, §41, says: "No mascal- 

 longe, pickerel, pike, sun-fish, or bream, yellow perch, or black bass shall 

 be introduced, by means of the live fish or spawn, to any waters where 

 they do not now severally exist. See fourth number Forest and 

 Stream. 



Piscator— Will Piscator be good enough to send his address ? We and 

 others wish to communicate with him on matters in the interest of sci- 

 ence. 



Gamma— You ask how to load an 8 bore breech-loader so as to shoot 

 hardest for brant. Clean and load shells yourself, as follows : Five 

 drachms powder, two felt wads on top, one and a half ounces No. 2 shot: 

 then pasteboard wad on top of powder. Do not drive too hard on shot 

 so as to alter shape of shot. The use of oil in shot tends to lump them. 



B. O.— You can get a caribou skin from Kaiser, Granville street,Halifax; 

 cost, %i to $10, according to size. 



Caleb— Pilot fish (Kaucrates Ductor). Facts as to its piloting the 

 shark not fully established. 



L. H. & N. U —One dollar a day and found is what you ought to pay 

 your Indians. You will want not more than four, two for each canoe. 

 Five hundred dollars is ample for the trip. 



D. S.— A gun made expressly for pigeon shooting will cost fully $400 

 before it reaches you. 



X. Z. — English decoys not as good as ours. 



Ornitho— Should think it was the cedar bird, from your description of 

 plumage, yellowish brown, with a darker colored head, and the slaty 

 blue of the wings, most especially from the red waxen tip on the wing, 

 ampelis cedrorum. Consult Wilson. 



Boyton— The Gadide family are distinguished by having the ventral 

 fins beneath the pectorals. 'The cod is of this family. 



Ovum— In number four Forest and Stream, you ask if a trout will 

 "go back on its paternity, by eating its eggs." We say yes. not only 

 young males, but females also. Can see the thing often while lying on 

 the covered spawning race watching operations below through the cracks 

 in the boards. Mr. Fred Mather, of Honeoye Falls, informs us that he 

 takes all his spawn on the Ainsworth screens now, and claims that he 

 gets stronger and healthier fish, and though the per centage of impregna- 

 tion is less than by handling the fish,, he claims that he can raise more- 

 fish from a thousand eggs laid in the natural manner, than can be done 

 by the hand operation. 



(We must again beg cwresponelents to give -us their names, as we will f 07' 

 the future give no replies to any amionyrnous questions, or return answers 

 by letter. Time too much occupied.) 



