90 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



\ewB ffrom Jfrbrazd. 



OUR English friends are just over the St. Leger. 

 Doubtless it was an exciting event, and was cleverly 

 won by Marie Stewart, against such a field as Kaiser, Don- 

 caster, and Gang-Forward. Perhaps fortunes Were won 

 and lost on it. It was, however, not what is called in Eng- 

 land a betting race. From the first it was pretty certain 

 that one of the four favorites would be sure to win. There 

 must, however, always be a certain amount of glorioujs un- 

 certainty about " dice on four legs," not only as to whether 

 a horse can win, but sometimes as to the probable exist- 

 ence of the horse, for just now the English sporling frater- 

 nity are quite exercised about a railroad accident. Not 

 that some hundreds of common people were smashed, but 

 because two famous young colts, the possible favorites at 

 Oxford, came to an untimely end in a late collision. Of 

 course human casualties of this character are quite insignifi- 

 cant ; but as a leading English authority has it, ' ' the 

 horses will appeal to the Company in their most sensitive 

 part — their pockets." It is neither refreshing nor consoling, 

 but it seems to us they smash up quite as much in England 

 as they do in the United States. Sometime ago, in regard 

 to the transportation of dogs in the United States, we men- 

 tioned the trouble and risk attending such shipments, and 

 now, in England, they state exactly the same thing. When 

 one learns that there are no less than seventy dog exhibi- 

 tions in England, it seems difficult to understand how rail- 

 roads can be at fault ; we see, nevertheless, a circular letter 

 in the Field, addressed to all the leading English railways, 

 issued by the National Canine Society, Eldon Chambers, 

 Nottinghamshire, imploring the British Railway directors to 

 give better accommodations to the traveling dog. At pres- 

 ent in England, there are in full blast,no less than eight agri- 

 cultural shows, four dog exhibitions, and six poultry col- 

 lections ; and the journals arc filled with descriptions of 

 the many wonderful excellencies of the animals and birds. 

 As we expected, the first volume of the Grouse Encyclope- 

 dia has presented itself to the English public, to be fol- 

 lowed by a whole British museum of such volumes a 

 little later. English sporting advertisements alone present 

 a world of information. From them can be gathered the 

 epitome of their pastimes. Just now the coming hunting 

 season shows itself, by wants, such as for Huntsmen, Ken- 

 nel-men, and Fielders. How many American, lads could 

 fill the following place, with its various functions ? 



WANTED— A WHIP for the Taunton Vale HARRIERS ; a smart 

 active man, light weight, a good rider across the country, and a 

 good groom ; one who has been whip to a pack of foxhounds, and could 

 hunt hounds if required, would be preferred : he would not have to as- 

 sist in the stable, but a kennel-man kept ; none but men of good charac- 

 ter need apply." 



News from the grouse does not improve. The Earl of 



Stramford, after the second day, stops all shooting, and we 

 look forward to an obligatory closing of the shooting sea- 

 son. In Ireland, however, birds are plenty, and there is an 

 exodus of sportsmen there. 



Of Polo, very possibly the ponies are not yet over their 



hard spring work, but during a period of leisure the Carl- 

 ton Club have had time to issue a set of rules governing 

 this game. One rule of hardly an amusing character we 

 copy in full : " Any player may interpose his pony before 

 an antagonist, so as to prevent the latter reaching the ball, 

 whether in full career or otherwise, and this despite the 

 immediate neighborhood of the ball." That means that 

 should the ball be going, and a man put his horse broad-side 

 to it, to stop an adversary coming on, it is perfectly legiti- 

 mate to ride over him, if you can, providing you have the 

 heavier mount. We wonder if Frenchmen have tried their 

 hand at this game ? People are inclined somewhat, and we 

 think very ignorantly, to underrate French equestrianism. 

 They may not be rough riders in the English sense of the 

 term, though we have seen in our time a stag sent through 

 Font'ainebleau with a skurry of riders after him, when not 

 only a good deal of courage and pluck was shown, but 

 some very famous English gentlemen riders were left at 

 the fag end of the chase. A very interesting portion of the 

 English papers is that devoted to the report of the select 

 committee on horses. It seems to show that neither thor- 

 ough-breds, nor racers, nor hunters, nor carriage horses 

 have diminished, but that the dearth "is to be found 

 among agricultural horses. In 1870, in England, there were 

 977 707 horses of all kinds used for agricultural purposes, 

 and in 1872 there was a decrease of 15,159. The causes as- 

 signed are the exportation of horses, and the increased 

 profits on the raising of sheep and cattle rendering the rear- 

 ing of horses less profitable. 



—The "Field" (London) notes a decrease in gun accidents 

 every year, although we may take it for granted that fire- 

 arms of every description are now more used than ever 

 they were before. Considering the number of volunteer 

 riflemen who are practising daily or weekly with their 

 weapon* we may even feel surprised that acccidents arising 

 from this source are so few and far between. As to shoot- 

 in e on the moors, especially since the introduction of the 

 breech-loader, it is fortunately seldom indeed that we are 

 called upon to record a catastrophe at the grouse hunts 

 But there is in connection with guns one fertile source and 

 cause of manslaughter, against which we would reiterate a 

 caution and protest. There is absolutely no excuse now 

 for leaving a gun loaded in a house, and it is a downright 

 criminal act of negligence, morally if not legally, to place 

 a charged double-barrel in the way of servants or children. 



— English yachtsmen are getting into bad repute. They 

 are netting salmon iu the Scotch estuaries, which is a shame 

 in] act. . . . 



—The number of deer kept in Windsor Great Park, Eng- 

 land, on an average of the last ten years, is 1,658, as appears 

 from a return just issued; the number killed is 128, and 

 sixtc en are annually required for the Rx^al Hunt. The net 

 cost is estimated as under £1,500 a year. In Richmond 

 Park, Bushy Park, Hampton Court Park, and Greenwich 

 Park, the number of deer kept is 2,889; the number killed 

 per year, 372; the estimated cost annually, £4,894. At 

 Phoenix Park, Dublin, 780 are annually kept; 106 are 

 annually killed, of which thirty are given to the poor and 

 sold; the remainder for distribution in Her Majesty's service. 

 The. averagenet annual cost is £203. 



Honors Thrown Broadcast. — The Shah of Persia was 

 so much delighted with the Jarc in des Plaates, as to be 

 desirous of distributing decorations among the great 

 Parisian scientists who direct it. Unhappily the Persian 

 monarch somewhat dashed the pleasure of the decorative 

 men of science by an awkward blunder. Mixing up the 

 living and the dead, men with animals, in his royal , note 

 book, while M. St. Hilaire got a "sun" in rubies, the 

 Dinotherium was enobledwitha " lion" in diamonds. Milne 

 Edwards and the Megatherium, were both made happy in 

 one and the same gift. 



An Early Electrician. — English papers record the death 

 of Sir Francis Ronalds in his 89th year, at Battle, in Sus- 

 sex, during the last month. Sir Francis was well known, 

 many years ago, for his experiments in electricity. In 

 1823 he published a pamphlet containing an account of 

 some of his experiments, and explaining his plan of an 

 electric telegraph. He had erected in his own garden, a 

 number of poles supporting eight miles of wire, and 

 through this wire he sent his messages. Each message was 

 read at the further end by means of two needles moving on 

 a dial plate much the same as that which afterwards came 

 into general use. The spark in his telegraph system was, 

 however, created by an electric machine, and not, _ as in 

 existing systems, by a galvanic battery. In recognition of 

 the value of his discovery, the Government bestowed on 

 him the honor of knighthood in 1870, when the. same mark 

 of appreciation had been conferred on Sir Charles Wheat- 

 stone for his improvement of the telegraph. 



\hot 0un mid JBiHt. 



GAME IN SEASON FOR SEPTEMBER. 



Moose, 'Alces Malchis.) Caribou, Tarandus Rangifer.) 



Elk or Wapiti, (Jerous Canadensis.) Red Deer, Various Tvrginianus.) 

 Rabbits, common Brown'and Grey.) Squirrels, Red Black and Gray.) 

 Wild Turkey, Meleagris galfopaw.) Quail, Optyx Virginiana.) 

 Woodcock, Scolopax rusticola.) Pinnated Grouse, Tetrao Ovjndo.) 



Ruffed Grouse. Tetrao vmbellus,) Curlew, Numenius Arquata.) 

 Esquimaux Curlew, Numenius bo- Sandpipers, Tringinai.) 



realis.) Willets, 



Plover, Gharadraius.) Reed or Rice Birds, Dolichonyx oriz- 



Godwit, Limosinm.) ivon. 



Rails, Rallus Virginianus.) 



• 



[Under the head of "Game, and Fish in Season" we can only specify in 

 general terms the several varieties, because the laios of States vary so much 

 that were we to attempt to particularize we could do no less than publish 

 those entire sections that relate to the kinds of game in question. This 

 would require a great amount of our space. In designating game we are 

 guided by tlie laws of nature, upon which all legislation is founded, and 

 our readers would do well to provide themselves with the laws of their re- 

 spective States for constant reference. Otherwise, our attempts to assist them, 

 will only create cm%fusion . ] ^ 



•_The cool weather of mid-September is scattering the 

 coveys of partridge and grouse, and soon the persistent 

 pursuit of the sportsman will have broken up still more the 

 old family connections, and thousands of the toothsome 

 birds will have gone to pot and bag. Already reports 

 begin to come from our correspondents out West. See 

 our very interesting letter from Wisconsin to-day. 

 > — The same frosts that are painting the foliage of our 

 northern forests with crimson and yellow hues, are setting 

 the blue in the livery coats of the deer, and infusing new 

 blood and vigor into the courtly stags that roam their wild- 

 erness domain. The royal blood of the old bull moose is 

 aroused at the call of his stately dame, and the crash of his 

 antlers is heard through the brush and dead limbs as he 

 rushes in headlong career, with eyes half blinded by love- 

 to respond to the wooing. Now the hour of the hunter's 

 opportunity begins, and with a trumpet of birch bark in- 

 geniously fashioned, he hies forth to familiar stamping- 

 grounds, and with nicest imitation calls up the noble game 

 by its siren notes. Eager are the yearnings and kindling- 

 anticipations of the old bull moose; and as certain, his doom 

 by fatal rifle-ball! What grand old experiences of moose- 

 , hunting we shall have to recount to our readers during 

 the winter months! What wars of rival monarchs ! What 

 subterfuges to circumvent by counter -wiles the artifices of 

 the hunter ! What shifts to pick a precarious living among 

 the crusted snow drifts that cover the ground a fathom in 

 depth! What curiosities of natural history are associated 

 with this mighty monarch, the largest of the Cervi family, 

 and the sole survivor of the ancient race of giants that once 

 inhabited Europe and America! 



Then the caribou, too, Avill claim some share of the 

 hunter's attention, though not so much valued in the chase, 

 or for his flesh, which is by no means as succulent and 

 toothsome as that of the moose, or even the common red 

 deer. There are no viands comestible equal to a juicy 

 moose steak, and no tidbit so worthy the school of epicures 

 as the " muffle " of the moose. Between a beaver's tail and- 

 a moose's muffle, a connoisseur in backwoods economy 

 would be scarcely able to give a decided preference. How- 

 ever, as the .one is an appendage caudal, and the other of 

 the nose, nasal, it is not strange that he should be urtableto 

 pass so abruptly from one extreme to the other in the matter 

 of expressing a choice. But, speaking of the caribou, and 

 throwing jokes (real or intended) aside, we will soon find his 

 grizzled contotiy blending with the grey granite btfulcters of 



the upland barrens, whither he will go to gather mosses 

 when the frost has bared the trees of browse. Meanwhile 

 we will have good sport stalking him in the hunt ; all of 

 wdiich matters will leceive full attention in our columns 

 in due course of time; for as we do not hunt out of season' 

 neither do we give much space to description of unseasona- 

 ble species. 



We propose now to open to the notice of our not always 

 thoroughly informed readers, one of the finest huntinir 

 grounds to be found in any part of America; and as the 

 season progresses, to introduce them to other localities in 

 various parts of the country. Old sportsmen will graciously 

 bear in mind that our paper is prepared with especial re- 

 ference to the information of novices and the uninformed 

 and that if we repeat what they already know, it need not 

 be construed into a reflection upon them, while it may be 

 of essential service to those not so well posted. 



The region we refer to lies in New Brunswick, and em- 

 braces one million and a quarter acres of wilderness com - 

 prising the county of Kestigouche, the same being traversed 

 in all directions by the Restigouche river and its tributaries, 

 which afford easy thoroughfares^ or canoes to its innermost 

 penetralia, To reach this district, the main artery, the Besr- 

 gouche, must be made the objective point, either at iis 

 mouth or at its upper waters. For the former, take railway 

 or steamboat to St, John, thence railway to Shediac on the 

 Gulf of St, Lawrence; and the Gulf Port line of steamers 

 thence to Dalhousie. Twenty miles above Dalhomie is the 

 celebrated hostelry of Daniel Fraser, Esq., where really 

 elegant accommdation is provided for gentlemen and their 

 families, not in a log house, or old fashioned farm house, 

 but in a modern commodious structure, with the con- 

 venience of a post office, telegraph line, and, when the In- 

 tercolonial Railway is completed, of a seat in the first train 

 for home at your very door. Here can be obtained canoes, 

 guides, and provisions, for the journey up the river; and in 

 case sportsmen come into the wilderness at the upper end of 

 the route, goods and necessaries must be sent up from here by 

 a previous timely order to meet the incoming party. Mr. Fra- 

 ' ser has this month already sent six canoes for parties of Brook- 

 lyn and New York gentlemen, wdio have gone there upon 

 our own recommendation. It is about eighty miles up 

 stream to the portage which must be crossed by those taking 

 the other route, which is by railway via Bangor to St. 

 Croix, on the European and North American Railway, thence 

 to Woodstock by rail, and thence by stage via the Grand 

 Falls to the mouth of Grand river, which is fifteen miles 

 further the whole stage journey being about forty-five miles 

 over a most excellent and picturesque road that follows the 

 course of the noble St. John River. At Grand River, bat- 

 teauxs can be procured through Mr. Violet, a French Cana- 

 dian, to take you to the portage, fifteen miles up the river, 

 at which point you meet the canoes from below. The ad- 

 vantage of the latter route is that you reach more quickly the 

 heart of the hunting country though for the matter of game, 

 there is plenty, from Dan Eraser's all the way up stream, 

 with the exception of an inhabited stretch of the first 

 twenty miles or so. 



In this wilderness, the moose, caribou, bear, wild cat, 

 and lucifee, still abound, beavers build their dams, and 

 many varieties of fur-bearing animals and small game are 

 found. The streams are filled with salmon and trout in 

 their season. We shall have occasion to recur frequently 

 to this region. 



The cost of a canoe and two Indians per day is $2 " and 

 found." A hundred dollars ought to cover the expenses of 

 a three weeks trip, the fare from New York being abont 

 sixty dollars for the round trip. 



— A firm in Chicago is engaged in preserving game— such 

 as grouse, snipe, quail, woodcock, &c. 



— A faithful correspondent in Halifax, Nova Scotia, 

 encloses a letter to us from his brother in China, who with 

 two other guns, went on a hunt up the Yang-tse-Kiang, 

 above Shanghae, some weeks since and secured the follow- 

 ing bag in the course of twenty-three days, viz., forty-seven 

 deer, fifty ducks, fifty teal, undone thousand pheasants. This 

 is something like sport and "knocks the hind sights clean 

 off" anything that can be done in this country or Canada. 



—The shooting in^Nova Scotia, commenced on the 1st. 

 Se itember, but the cover is yet too thick, and the birds 

 . are weak and poor. 



—Within the past few days there has been some heavy 

 work done in plover shooting in Westmorland County, 

 New Brunswick. Mr. John R. Lawrence shot sixty plovers 

 on the marshes near Moncton, on Thursday and Friday 

 last, Judge Botsford shot upwards of sixty near Mem- 

 ramcock on Saturday. Messrs Oulton an 1 Hickman, Bar- 

 risiers, of Dorchester, say they shot eighty-four on Tues- 

 day. 



—Mr. Oliver D. Schock writes us from Harrisburg, Pa., 

 September 11th : — 



" Our sportsmen are preparing to make a general war on ttie rabbits, 

 and as they are plenty, they will no doubt get a full share of them. Ev, 

 ery year, citizens of the surrounding cities pay our healthy town a visit, 

 to go hunting on our mountain. 



Partridges are getting plentier, since the law prohibiting their destruc- 

 tion is in force. Pheasants are very rare; occasionally two or three can 

 be met on the Blue Mountain. 



Gray and red squirrels, foxes, minks, and weasels also abound on the 

 above mountain. A report was in circulation that a wild man, six feet 

 in height, whose body was entirely covered with hair about three inches 

 in length, was seen sleeping on the mountain, and sometime after that 

 another report came, to the effect that he was shot about ten miles from 

 here, and it then turned out to be a full-grown kangaroo, which no doubt 

 had escaped from some travelling menagerie. If so, some showman w 

 minus one large kangaroo." 



—Beavers are beginingto multply in Canada, after having 

 been nearly exterminated for many years. 



-The woods in San Juan county, California ore perfe 



