FOREST AND STREAM. 



365 



same on a runway. The guide who has previously tracked 

 the deer or knows his habitat, puts out the hound, which 

 runs the deer to water, or to cover by secluded or well 

 known by-paths, and the sure aim of the practiced marks- 

 man brings the game to grass. Now, so far as the require- 

 ments of this sportsman go, all is well ; but his education ts 

 anything but complete. He has actually begun at the 

 finishing school instead of the rudiments. Perhaps these 

 sharp shooters will consent to a few words of instruction 

 from a gentleman who knew Bob White when he was a 

 ^oy—we mean when the gentleman was a boy. "Bob 

 White" is the vernacular for quail, you know : 



In fair weather, his favorite feeding ground is on the 

 wheat stubble, especially if it be grown up with "rag 

 weeds," and generally not far from a brook or slough, if 

 there be one in the field. During the middle of the day 

 quail will be found along the fences of the stubble fields, if 

 there be blackberry or other bushes for cover; also on newly 

 cleared land that has never been cultivated. In rainy 

 weather they take to the bushes and remain there all day, 

 and if possible elude pursuit by running. Frequently the 

 sportsman has to follow a covey for a quarter of a mile be- 

 fore he can get near enough to flush them. Also, in snowy 

 weather they go to the timber, but in a day or two after the 

 storm come back to the fields again. After there has been 

 sunshine sufficient to melt the snow from the northern 

 banks of the brooks, if the weather turn cold and clear, 

 every covey that rises in that vicinity will be found sunning 

 themselves on the banks which are bare of snow. We re- 

 cently found four large coveys within as many hundred 

 yards along a small brook, when on ordinary occasions that 

 would be considered a good half day's find. When a covey 

 has been flushed and gone down, if there be thick weeds or 

 grass they will hide at once and are easily found by the 

 dog. If they come down near piles of brush they are al- 

 most sure to run into them, but a kick or two will generally 

 get them out. If they fly to thick bushes they will prob- 

 ably run together, and get away as fast as they can run, 

 and it is a singular fact that a dog which had no difficulty 

 in trailing them before they were put up will be totally un- 

 able to do it now, and so it is useless to follow them unless 

 there is snow, and even then it is doubtful if you get a shot, 

 for they will travel faster through the brush than you can 

 follow. Possibly it is generally known to sportsmen that 

 quails will double under such circumstances like a hare, 

 but this trait has been noted repeatedly. We have also 

 noticed that a dog can smell but very little when the 

 weather is cold and the ground covered with fine dry snow. 

 In fact a dog is at a disadvantage, if not thoroughly broke. 

 If a covey be flushed, and on coming down one of them 

 gives a call or two, you may look for them to fly again al- 

 most immediately. They occasionally do this when they 

 happen to come down where the cover does not suit them. 

 In the early part of the season one can frequently learn 

 where the scattered ones are by imitating their call, which 

 every one can do with a little practice. Later in the sea- 

 son this will not succeed till near sundown. In Florida the 

 quail are more frequently found in gardens or clearings along 

 the borders of palmetto scrub. If the garden or field be 

 fenced, let the dog and one gunner take the field, and another 

 gunner work the outside taking the birds as they fly over 

 into the scrub. Once in this cover they are safe, for 

 neither dog, man, nor double-plated packydermata can fol- 

 low them. 



—The annual meeting of the National Rifle Association 

 was held on Tuesday evening last, the 13th January, at the 

 First Division Rendezvous, West Thirteenth street. An 

 abstract of the report of the Secretary will be found in our 

 columns. As we are going to press, it is too late to give 

 details of election, which we will publish in our next 

 number. 



—Our attentive Philadelphia correspondent, "Homo," 

 mentions among the "signs of the times," and as an illus- 

 tration of our remarkably open and mild winter, that Leon- 

 ard Wren killed an English snipe on the Repoplar mead- 

 ows on Christmas day— a large, strong bird. Dick W^ood 

 and George Morris, two of our Delaware River pushers, 

 put up two rail while hunting for snappers last week on 

 Tinnicum Island. Suckers are running up the Schuylkill, 

 and the net fishermen are "scooping them" at Fairmount 

 Dam. Jessamines are in blossem in W^est Philadelphia, 

 and there is no end of wonders. I heard from one of the 

 Philadelphia Sportsman's Club that a friend of his had 

 gone to our "neck" meadows to pick up a few snipe, and 

 really expected to find them. 



—An Iowa correspondent tells of a remarkable feat in 

 quail shooting one Sunday morning, when a Mr. H. Arm- 

 field, of Redfield, Iowa, observed four pinnated grouse 

 come down in a grass plot in front of his house. Taking 

 his gun he put them up, killing two with his first and one 

 with the second barrel; the fourth flew directly over his 

 head and was killed by a blow from his gun. The affair 

 was witnessed by more than twenty people who were on 

 their way to church. 



—The prospect for game in Iowa next year is remarka- 

 bly good, there being an abundance of grouse and quail at 

 the close of the season, and a very mild winter so far. 

 "Chicken" shooting does not commence in that State till 

 the first of September hereafter. 



Conlin's Rifle and Pistol Tournament.— The entries 

 for the different prizes at Conlin's rifle gallery exceeded by 

 far the expectation of the proprietor. The novelty is the 

 attraction in the shooting. It consists in firing at a bullet 

 three-quarters of an inch in diameter, suspended from the 

 ceiling by a string. A member of Mr. Conlin's gallery hit 



the bullet seven times in succession, and then was politely 

 asked to drop the bullet by cutting the string with his rifle 

 ball. He stood rifle in hand, and at the word "one" cut 

 the string, the bullet falling on the ground. This is no 

 trick, but simply good nerve, accurate aim, and steady eye. 

 We shall publish a list of winners, with the marks of ac- 

 curacy. 



— The New Jersey Sportsmen's Club held a grand pigeon 

 shoot on tneir grounds, Sea View Track, at New Dorp, 

 S. I., on January 12th. The wind was very unfavorable 

 for making great scores. The birds were the best of the 

 kind ever sprung from a trap. The members and friends of 

 the Association turned out in goodly numbers, and the 

 sports passed off pleasantly, notwithstanding that a gale of 

 wind prevailed nearly all the afternoon. All matches to be 

 governed by the New Jersey Shooting Club rules. The 

 first match was for the Diamond Badge at 25 single birds, 

 21 yards rise, 80 yards boundary, 1£ oz. of shot, between 

 the present holders G. Watson and W. A. Dunlap. 



DIAMOND BADGE MATCH. 



W. A. Dunlap. 

 G. Watson 



In succession. Killed. 



5 14 



6 14 



TIES AT 26 YARDS, 5 BIRDS EACH. 



In succession. Killed. 



W. A. Dunlap 2 4 



G.Watson 2 2 



The second match was for a Handicap silver cup, 5 birds 

 each, 1£ oz. shot, same conditions. 



In succession. Killed 



J.Tyson 23 yards 3 4 



B. H. Shorb... 23 yards 3 3 



W. Hughes.... 23 yards 2 3 



C. Townsend. 24 yards 2 2 



D. Kelley 23 yards 2 



G. H. Wild.... 22 yards 1 



The third match was a Sweepstakes at 5 birds each, $2 

 entrance, same conditions. 



In succession. Killed. 



W. Dunlap 5 5 



G. Wild 3 4 



C. Townsend 2 l 



D. Kelley 4 4 



J.Tyson 2 4 



H.Warren 2 3 



E. H. Shorb 2 2 



J.P.Felker 2 2 



W. McFall 2 



J. S. Conover 2 



W.Hughes 2 2 



TIES AT THREE BIRDS EACH. 



In succession. Killed. 



C. Townsend 3 3 



J.Tyson 3 3 



D. Kelley 2 2 



G. Wild 1 



A. Hughes 1 



C. Townsend and J. Tyson divided the sweepstakes. 

 The fourth match was a Sweepstakes, 3 birds each, $5 

 entrance, same conditions. 



In succession. Killed. 



J.P.Felker 3 3 



W.Hughes 2 2 



G. Wild 1 



E. H. Shorb 1 



Messrs. J. P. Felker and D. Blake acted as referees dur- 

 ing the matches. We take pleasure in complimenting the 



New Jersey Sportsmens' Club for the fair and creditable 

 manner in which the sports were conducted. 



Washing-ton, D. C, Jan. 9, 1874. 

 Editor Forest and Stream : — 



Dear Sir :— I send you by to-day' smail the result of the 

 tie between Derrick and Mills at the match on December 

 29, 1873, and a statement of another match for a Reming- 

 ton gun which took place yesterday. Derrick and Mills 

 shot at ten birds at twenty-five yards rise and tied again, 

 each killing seven; they then shot at five birds at thirty 

 yards rise, Derrick killing four to Mills' three. 



In the match yesterday Mayhew and Locraft tied and shot 

 off at four birds. Locraft killed his first two, missed his 

 third, and the cap snapped on the gun at the fourth, mak- 

 ing another tie, Mayhew having killed his two last birds. 

 There being no more birds on the ground, the tie will be 

 shot off at some future day. 



Col. C. M. Alexander was referee, and C. S. Wheeler 

 and T. Taylor Page were judges. F. O'Brien attended to 

 the loading. 



The average of the shooters in this match shows no im- 

 provement since the previous one. Another match is be- 

 ing made up. 



The following are the scores : 



Locraft— 1 11110 10 1 1—8. 



Rives— 00001010 1—3. 



Benjamin— 11101111 0—7. 



Mayhew— 1 11011111 0—8. 



Barker— 11110 1—5. 



Wandel— 11011011 1—7. 



Williams— 1 1110 111 0—7. 



Derrick— 11110011 0—6. 



Jones-1 110 10 1—5. 



Gittings— 110 1110 1—6. 



O'Neal— 01010000 1—3. 



Ferguson— 1 10 10 110 0—5 



TIES. 



Locraft— 1 1 0—2 



Mayhew— 1 1—2. 



25 vards: 



Derrick— 1 110 1110 1 0—7. 



Mills— 1 10 111110 0—7. 



30 yards: 



Derrick— 1 11 1—4. 



Hills— 1 1 1—3. J- K D. 



Here are some of the scores made by the Irish teams 

 We select only the best: 



At 800 yards Private Young 34443444434433 4—55 



At 900 vards . . . .Private Millner 3 4434433444343 3-54 



At So yards • ... . . .Private Wilson 32444442442444 -53 



The highest aggregate was made by Young with 156, as 

 follows: At 800 yards, 55; at 900 yards, 49; at 1,000 

 yards, 52. 



Portland, Me., Jan. 9,1 874. 

 Editor Forest and Stream ; — 



The annual meeting of the Forest City Shooting Club 

 was held Thursday, January 8, and the following officers 

 elected for the ensuing year: President, Jonas Hamilton; 

 vice president, Lewis Thompson, Jr. ; secretary, Frank W. 

 Smith; treasurer, Frank Merrill; executive officer, Roscoe 

 G. Hall. 



The secretary's report shows a membership of fffty-six, 

 seventeen having joined during the year. The sporting 

 record has been very good this year, a larger than usual 

 amount of game having been reported bagged, while in 

 trap shooting the scores are very fair, when it is taken into 

 account that of the three recorded club matches one was 

 held in a driving rain storm, and another in an equally bad 

 snow storm. A synopsis of the scores was presented as 

 follows : 



Whole number of birds trapped, 685. 



Whole nnmber killed at score, 414. 



Wole number not scored, 217. 



Hit. Miss. 



Best score was Nov. 29th 160 to 86 



Poorest score was made Nov. 18th 134 to 114 



Best average at single shoots 6 to 



Best average at double shoots. . . ; 27 to 7 



Best average at three shoots 35 to 7 



Poorest average at one shoot 1 to 5 



Poorest average at two shoots 9 to 11 



Poorest average at three shoots 19 to 26 



At gyro shooting, (one match,) the score was 110 hits, 42 

 misses; best score, 8 hits, misses; poorest score, 3 hits, 5 

 misses. 



Scattered as the members of the club are through differ- 

 ent sections of Maine and New Hampshire, they have a 

 large tract of country over which to obtain specimens of 

 the different birds and beasts most sought after by the 

 sportsman, and it is the purpose of the club to form a col- 

 lection of such a description, at which, in fact, a small begin- 

 ning has already been made. One of the great objects of 

 the club is, of course, the preservation of game, and 

 in our contest with the active hostility of the so-called "pot 

 hunters" on the one hand, and the utter indifference of a 

 majority of our citizens on the other, we look for much 

 aid and moral support from our brother sportsmen in other 

 States, who must, from our position among the breeding 

 places of the wood duck, snipe, and woodcock, reap the 

 greatest benefits from our success, and suffer in loss of 

 game should we fail to break up the traffic in unseasonable 

 flight birds, our State laws being almost a dead letter so far 

 as any practical enforcement is concerned. S. 



"Vanity Fair Tobacco."— We have received from 

 Messrs. Kimball & Co. , of Rochester, New York, very 

 choice specimens of smoking and chewing tobacco, includ- 

 ing the celebrated brands styled, "Peerless" and "Vanity 

 Fair." We can appreciate the value of a "good smoke" as 

 well as anybody, and in camp, afield, or in cosy quarters at 

 home, the beneficent pipe whose heart is aglow is to us ever 

 a solace and joy. As for the chewing tobacco, the chewers 

 must speak for themselves. We don't use it, but we have 

 heard an old hunter say that it couldn't be surpassed — he 

 would ' 'rather have it than a good meal of vittles. " On one 

 occasion, out on the plains, we happened to come across a 

 couple of Mexican "greasers," who had nothing to eat for 

 a week, and were nearly famished. "Have something to 

 eat — some bull beef and hardtack?" we asked in pitying 

 sympathy of their condition. "No — no, tobacco — tobacco!" 

 they cried, though scarcely able to stand from exhaustion, 

 and with a mouthful of the weed they at once proceeded to 

 appease their appetite. We ourselves have experienced the 

 cravings that resulted from a tobacco famine in wilderness 

 regions, and it is by this token that we are induced to waive 

 our dislike for editorial puffing, and to declare that the 

 packages sent us, especially of the Peerless, are the ne plus 

 ultra of consolers for the true sportsman or any other man 

 who uses the weed. The name selected by the company for 

 their manufacture is a very happy one, and if they keep the 

 quality up to the present standard the old candidates for 

 popular favor will have to look to their laurels. The 

 "Peerless" is meeting with the endorsement of connoisseurs 

 abroad, as well as in this country, as will be seen by a card 

 in our advertising columns. 



$W One of our advertising patrons, quite unsolicited on 

 our part, writes to us : "By all means I will continue the 

 advertisement. It is due to you to say that the advertise- 

 ment of my business in the Forest and Stream has done 

 me a great deal of good. I am receiving every day letters 

 and selling and sending goods away, on that advertisement, 

 to all parts of the United States." 



A curious page is added to anthropology by Lieutenant 

 Colonel Marshall's book on the Tudas, a pastoral hill tribe 

 of southern India. It seems that Tuda society is simply 

 held together by the strength of family affection. Colonel 

 Marshall states that the Tudas "are a quiet, undemonstra- 

 tive, but intensely domestic people — domestic in the wider 

 sense of viewing the entire family, to the last cousin, much 

 as one household, in which everyone is everywhere entirely 

 at home ; each one assists in the easy progressive task of 

 emptying his neighbor's larder; no one exerting himself by 

 one fraction to raise the family." This is indeed socialism 

 of the most progressive character, and is well worthy of 

 the attention of Utopian philosophers. A sad portion of 

 the history of this happy family is that children, being 

 troublesome and disturbing elements in their domestic hap- 

 piness, are generally put out of the way. 



