74 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



and the prices will range about the same as glass balls. They 

 will be packed in boxes of two sizes ; small size 500, large 

 size 1,000. 



Sample boxes containing enough balls For practice, $1, with 

 full directions and prices; 500 balls, $8.25; 1,000 balls, $16. 



New Yoke: — Buffalo, Jfeb. 15. — Ducks, such as whistiers, 

 . quaws and mergansers, popularly known in this city as 

 flying flan, are plenty in the river, but the hunters say they 

 are hard to approach. Psoas, 



BBOOiareH.— At a meeting of the B. B. Sportsmen's 



Wednesday evening, Feb. 5, 1879, flic follow- 



ing members were elected as officers : Fr. Seheeker, Pros. ; 



John Morouy, Vice-Pres.; Paul A. Bassinger, Sec.; GrBS. 



Treas. 



Fieneoa Qtjm Ulii- The Seneca Gnu Club, of Senses 

 Falls, N. Y., propose if pos-ible to secure the next New York 

 State Sportsmen's Convention for their town. The officers of 

 the dub are; Llorace Busby, President ; James P. Lawrence, 

 Vice-President ; 0. II. Williams, Secretary : M. Hoar;, 

 Treasurer ; J. LI. Story, K. P. Lathrop and W. P. Elwcil, 

 Executive Committee. 



Chatham Village, Feb. 20.— Myself and a neighbor 1 Ws 

 seventeen fox skins, as trophies of the chase this season, and 

 ilrl cat's skin. We have excellent hounds. W- O. S. 



Norte Oaeolina— Lilemille, Feb. 18.— The winter with 

 us. lias been a severe one, with several sleeta and snows, and 

 the mercury away down in the units now and then. But 

 none of the " spells " have been of sufficient duration to be 

 hurtful to game. Twenty-two years ago snow lay on the 

 ground for three weeks, and many of the furred and feathered 

 tribes perished. We are now awaiting the Northern migra- 

 tion of snipe and woodcock. E. K. L. 



Monroe, Feb, 18.— The prospects for our next fall 

 shooting are must excellent. The Legislature now in 

 Ml, as passed a law making it a fine of $10 to kill a part- 

 ridge (quail; or break up a nest of the same. The close sea- 



, ,,, in uisihe 18th of April, and expires 15th October of each 

 Heretofore hundreds of birds have been annually de- 

 stroyed by boya and negroes robbing their nests. In an after- 

 noon's hunt the dog found six large envies, which I think 

 would average thirty birds. Glass ball shooting with rifle has 

 been somewhat popular here. A Mr. Smith at a recent shoot 

 broke 30 out of 50 shot at, using a .22-cal. rifle. A few wild 

 turkeys have been noticed in the neighborhood, but hunting 

 them is rather poor sport, as the fun is generally in the hunt- 



,. -ni not in finding or killing. We. down here, use black 

 powder, and find it very efficient. Avert. 



IIakkisox Count* GrTTH Ct.tjb,— The Secretary of the Har- 

 rison County Gun Club, of Marshall, Texas, is Mr. J. N. 

 Giuxiey 



Omo—Oarrolllon, Feb. 17.— The farmers throughout our 

 county generally are feeding the quail, and from what I gather 

 from them we will have an abundance here next year. 



M. S. 



Illinois. — Captain Bogardus reports the prospects fur quail 

 shooting in Southern Illinois very good, as the birds in that 

 section were not killed by the severe snows. 



lacoti, J 'H; Fel >- 16 — Editor Forest and Stream: Our 

 emails are not all frozen. I Baved all mine, exespt what 

 the hawks got. Our hedges are a first class protection for 

 them and if they are not disturbed wheu there is Bnow on 

 the ground and cattle run in the fields, the.v ■■■ : . ,. 

 through. Our laws should say that there should be no shoot- 

 ing i <i quail when there is snow on the ground, or in any way 

 disturbing them, except it be to feed I hem. Such a law 

 -would here be ample protection. There is no sport in track- 

 ing up a covey of quail in the snow auri murdering them. It. 

 is simply murder. One charge kills all, for those that are 

 aol killed or wounded are scattered, and freeze or starve. I 

 ;.-,! a covey today of eleven that six weeks ago, at the be- 

 m2 of our fifteen inches of snow, had fourteen, and this 

 covey had, I think, the poorest show of any one on my 800 

 acres In the meantime we have had SO deg. and 20 deg. 

 often So vr hi see that if left alone they can live in snow 

 and cold. Yours truly, O. B. Wise 



OaHPOBStA— Santa Barbara, Feb. 1.— We have for our 

 «ame here, hidden back well in the mountains, the grizzly 

 "bear • but that animal is seldom troubled by our hunters. 

 Deer 'is the principal large game, and many is the one that is 

 killed There seems to be two kinds of ihem here, one the 

 mule deer They are very scarce and are seldom killed. The 

 other kind is the common deer, and they seldom weigh over 

 lOOlba They abound in great numbers in the Coast Range 

 Mountains that run down the coast behind our town. During 

 the fall and winter months neatly every kind of water lowl 

 visitsa large lagoon and the surrounding marsh that, is situated 

 some eight miles from town. We have splendid sport among 

 them at times. Wild pigeons visit us in the spring. They 

 differ from the pigeon Of tie Eastern States, being much 

 I ,U and they have bright yellow legs and bill. (If I am 

 rightly informed, they differ in this.) We also have two va- 

 rieties 'of quail, the mountain and valley quail, the moun- 

 tain quail me much larger, and differ in color from the Eastern 

 bird They are a bluish slate color on the back and white 

 mottled brown underneath, and have a large plume of black 

 feathers falling down the back. The valley quail are smaller 

 than the olhers, though nearly the same color, but their tuft 

 ia shorter and bends forward. Both varieties are very hand- 

 some birds "Wilson snipe are killed here during the rainy 

 Sod, but not in large numbers. J3. 0. T. 



PbBSTBA!BOH>— Editor Forest and Stream: In regard to 

 the uuestion of J. S. m your issue of Jan. 9, I think that both 

 voui -cm respondent and yourself misunderstand the sentence 

 in Parkers' circular, by "better distribution." Parkers mean 

 closer and more regular pattern, which is of course attained 

 W decreasing the powder or increasing the shot. You are 

 and Parkers are also right, for two such eminent 

 iti) is could hardly differ on so plain a question. 



C. H. Hope. 



: . Wabb -Eiitor Forest and Stream: I have read 



' " '' '' ;;'^ 'if experiments 



"•" ,; - i? S i ''■^-'t-.uns. It 



imneai'B that there is no stauaara tor the teng . o s w • i 

 iroine from i to 3-10 of an inch. Now iheJTieait 



"in order to insure good shooting the wad or 

 v. 'i-'ovei the powder must tit tight and be a trifle thicker 

 than tin lenel h of cone, and if this is not carried out, erratic 

 pattern and tod penetration are the result. To get at the in- 



side form of my gun barrels, I drove in tight wads to about 

 live inches from the break-off, filled them with melted tallow, 

 and I ii. il that the cones of my tour barrels are e i I : 

 long. I cau therefore use ordinary thick felt wads over pow- 

 der. Had I found the cones of my gun f or even J inch 

 ' i! bave been annoyed; ammunition is expensive 

 ■ ,-i. ii bout resorting loan inch of wadding. Again, the 

 It mid fit, the chamber and yet be exactly of the 

 lie barrel. I have some cartridges on my table that 

 hick : still they fit the chamber Of my gun and are 

 ■■ ■ newhat mailer, owing to the great thickness of 

 make a good pattern with these, and 1 firmly 

 ! 'i ftl the wads used m the cartridges do not fill out the 



barrel sufficiently to keep the gas generated on firing separate 

 and apart from the shot. Both guns and cartridges are by 

 eminent makers. Perhaps you may think I am splitting 

 i LWi bill I would like to know why a good gun should at 

 times make such bad pattern and worse penetration when the 

 i or are supposed to be, of the same quality, 

 and it seems, probable that the thickness of the wad has all to 

 do with tiiis. Should my remarks lead to any inquiry I shall 

 be pleased. Yours truly, Tvntkaiiab. 



SacMlle, A". /?., Feb. IS, 1870. 



-.--Editor Forest and Stream : I read in your 



tie skof a man putting 30!) pellets in a gtO.inoh 



circle LO yards, 1^ oz. No. s shot, heaping measure, ao I 

 thought 1 could beat it. I have a Clobrough gun 7!lbs. 



i ■ e.fuige, choke-bore, that with the same amount of 



No. 8 shot, 1 put 324 pellets in a 30-inch circle. -10 van's, and 

 put three shot inside a 2-inch circle ; and with same" gun, dist- 

 ance and circle, put 150 No. 9 shot, and five in 2-ineh centre, 

 and only used lot? at that. K. L. Seci.et. 



- Bust Preventive— Mr. Editor: I can 



1 : . rse the article known to the drug trade as Cosmo- 



line as a rust preventive and lubricator for guns. Some- 

 i ago I noticed a jar of it in a drugstore, 

 t of curiosity I read of its claimed origin and uses over 

 the name of a well-known, reliable wholesale drug house. 

 They warranted it to be free from water and acids and free 

 from any affinity for oxygen, a mineral fat produced by the 

 distillation of petroleum. These, if true, were the qualities 

 that should be possessed by a rust preventive. I have tried it, 

 thoroughly in competition with Eaton's Rust Preventative, as 

 be names it, and blue mercurial ointment, and am more than 

 satisfied with it. It has no smell or bad odor, and is but little 

 changed by ordinary heat and cold ; is cheap and agreeable 

 to use i its wax renders joints impervious to water, and it 

 is good for all parts of the gnu. Especially ia it desirable as 

 an application to darken the wood and render it waterproof. 

 Now, if the mercury adds any to the rust-preventing quali- 

 ties of suet as a rust preventive, why would not it, made into 

 an ungueut with this cosmoline, be the best thing of all f 



Lacon, III. Bvrne. 



Bitst Preventive.— A Texas correspondent, "T. C. D." 

 of Houston, writes that he has found cosmoline, or vaailine, a 

 very effective rust preventive for use where the guns are 

 affected by the damp salt air of the sea. 



Ditthah ~Pov,-Dm>..—Cons7io7u>cken, Pa., Feb. 17.— Editor 

 Forest and Stream: At a trapahoot on Saturday amuzzle-load- 

 ing gun loaded with Dittmar powder was blown entirely to 

 pieces, severely injuring both the shooter and trap puller. Tie 

 arm so badly demolished was a comparatively cheap American 

 gun, purchased for genuine twist barrels, it has been in con- 

 stant, use for five years, with a charge of 4 drs. black powder: 

 and what lays the blame most conclusively to the Dittmar's 

 score is the fact that this was the only charge ever fired from it. 

 No blame can be attached to overcharging, as only 3£ drs. by 

 measure were used. Why this powder in some localities 

 Should answer all purposes so admirably and in olhers prove 

 both dangerous on the one hand and worthless from exposure 

 to slighl dampness on the other, we are at a loss to under- 

 stand. If Mr, Dittmar can succeed in remedying these diffi- 

 culties his powder will prove a valuable adjunct to the sports- 

 man's outfit, as all will admit its superiority in the slighl re- 

 coil and almost entire absence of smoke. H. Q. J. II. 



A Cjtask for the Anteuwuc— Editor Forest and Stream : I 

 bave been a constant reader of your paper since we (F. and S. 

 and myself) were youngsters together. It has been my familiar 

 friend and visitor through all the varying phases of a wandering 

 life, and has been equally welcome at my house in old Michi- 

 gan, in the lonely cabin in the Black Hills of Dakota, or by 

 the camp tire amid the cotton woods of the Big Cheyenne 

 and its tributaries; and I have often thought that 1 would 

 take an old friend's privilege and write you some account of 



I tons sport we used to have on the frontier. I now 



inclose a letter 1 have just received from a friend at Brule 

 Agency. It is the plain, straightforward story of one of the 

 best fellows and most conscientious sportsmen that I have 

 ever met. My friend writes as follows from Lower Brule 

 Agency under dale of Jan. 19. J. W. M. 



rjMlante, Mich,, Feb. 1, 1879. 



I am having all the sport that I can stand. "We have a sta- 

 ble full of horses, and I have only to say that I waul, one 

 and he ia always saddled and at the door before I am ready. 

 I have been hunting antelope considerably lately. When I 

 get tired of making out papers, I take rifle and horse and go 

 up Ihe river about five miles, cross and get upon the high 

 prairie, and then the fun begins. 



There is no still hunting with us; it is horseflesh against 

 antelope speed. There is just a spice of danger in it too, for 

 tue prairie, as you know, ia in places completely honey- 

 combed with badger holes, dog towns, etc., and with horses 

 going at a dead run and mad with excitement, a fellow may 

 reasonably expect to get his "blarsted neck broke, you 

 know." One plan of hunting, when we discover the game 

 on the open prairie, is to make a surround : that is, there are 

 usually four of us, and as soon as game is sighted, one dis- 

 mounts and hobbies his horse. The others make a svide de- 

 tour and till up the other three points. Then someone shows 

 himself, and the antelope are off like the wind. Now is the 

 time for the dash. The game is making for a certain point, 

 anrl if your horse is fleet enough you may get there in time 

 rot, or at least turn them back for some of the Others. 

 T killed mv first one this way about a week ago. I rau my 

 horse about half ft mile. Don't knowwheth i '< i bo le ■ 



and Wash-outs were passed" in .safely." ami I don'l thai 



horse touched the ground but once after he started, and I 

 rode him from his ears to his Grouper and back again. The 

 brute stopped finally (from want of breath, I think i, and i 

 dismounted and ran to a little ridge and saw a band of ten 

 coming like the wind. They passed within 200 yards, and at 



lei " (the officers' Model 

 Springfield Rifle), one of the hand gave a convulsive leap, 



ran about 100 yards and fell. I left an Indian to butcher the 

 one I had killed and started for the rest, but at the first run 

 an Indian's horse put. his foot in a badger hole and went 

 the poor red man made at the" rate of 9,000 revo- 

 lutions to the minute and went down also and tore up the 

 ground for about a rod after he struck. I asked him if that 

 was the way he usually dismounted, but he said he was "heap 

 sick" and didn't want to talk, and I don't think he lied 

 about it. * * * Fraternally yours, Dix. 



Moek Odd Freaks.— One incident calls up another, and t 

 stories go round, t lere are t wo let ters from attentive readers: 



Boston, Jan. 15, 1879. 

 Editor Forest and Stream : 



Upon leading in your paper the account of a gentleman's 

 skocfttag two partridges by waiting for one to fly" in the line 

 of another si rung on a tree, I thought I would relate a little 

 experience of my own, as follows: I was out hunting in the 

 Urnbagog Lake- Region two years ago, in the fall, and going 

 along in an old wood road I put up a partridge. I fired and 

 brought him down, took him and tied a string to one of bis 

 legs, and hung him on a tree by the Bide of the road perfectly 

 upposi d, and went along in search of more. After 

 1 had been gone about an hour or so, I came back to the place 

 where I had hung the bird. ,1 laid my gun and three or four 

 other birds that I had gathered down On the ground and went 

 for that bird; but be was nor there. This rather astonished 

 me. 1 first thought 1 had made a mistake in the plac 

 looking around 1 discovered the bird IP the brakes about three 

 rods from the tree. I immediately went for him. but he got 

 Jp and went off as strong as any bird that. I ever saw fly, and, 

 tor aught I know, is going yet 'with the piece of white string 

 streaming out behind, 



In flair I will relate: Last fall I was hunting 

 n the same country, and, hearing some crows call, I returned 

 the call, and on their coming over my head in I ho woods I 

 bot one and saw him fall in some brakes j but, after hunting 

 or him some time, I cave, it up. A i 

 he shore of thelake.Isaw a crow 

 -bore with a broken wing. He made 

 the woods, and I after him. His nnist 



see what the trouble was, and I e 

 wing; and he also put for the -woods 

 could not get sight of either of them 

 though I could bear ihem calling to 

 the thickness of the underbrush 

 see them, and, much to my regl 

 out of ihe scrape that f had got them intc 



afte 



I was on 



loving around on the 



iii put for 



another crow 



ioi him, breaking his 



and to do my best I 



get another shot, al- 



•ach other, but, owing to 



fallen trees, I could "not 



it, 1 had to leave thorn to get 



as best l hey could. 



B. L. P. 



Harkibbitrg, Pa., Feb. 17, 1879. 

 Editob Forest and Stream -. 



I noticed in your las:, issue a short article entitled. "An 



Odd Freak," in which our friend "Hix" seems to bave 



doubt as to its occurrence. He inquired through Curiosity of 

 each reader of the incident whether anything of the kind" has 

 happened in their experience. I doubt, whether that happened 

 precisely as he states— not on the part of the bird, but on the 

 part of the shooter — for I have hunted quail and pheasants a 

 great deal, but have never arrived at that state of perfection 

 which requires one. to sight along a gnu barrel with one eye 

 and arouud the field with the oth il there. is another 



bird approaching in line with the one he first, sighted. Birds 

 often cross each oilier iu Bight, and 1 have often seen one bird 



i, : kind alight on ; and another follow and 



endeavor to alight on the exact spot, and in so doing compel 

 the first to shift its quarters. They often follow each other's 

 example, and this, may have been the case in " Odd Freaks." 



I will here relate an incident which occurred 10 me while 

 bunting With a party of friends, lour in number. We had 

 driven a covey of quail on (heir first, flight, and one of our party, 

 not accustomed to hunting, was seated on a large stump for 

 the purpose of resting. The birds settled close by him some- 

 what scattered, lie;., as the signal to come up, which we 

 did. We got a nice point on tl ttoi the dogs, arid it was 

 agreed that I should take the first bird that arose! It proved 

 to be a Biugle one, which hew- at an elevation of three feet 

 from the ground. While in the act of pulling trigger it 

 passed directly over another, which also arose and attained 

 the same height just as the gun was discharged. The conse- 

 quence was, I bagged both birds through no extra good man- 

 agement, ou my part. Ou another occasion I was hunting 

 with a friend. We marked two birds down close together, 

 and, thinking they would lie, we concluded as it was on our 

 line of march not to disturb them until we had got through 

 with the rest of the covey, and on approaching the spot rny 

 dog stood, and, knowing I here were two biros, my friend 

 being on the right, I told him to take the light, bird. On 

 flushing the birds my bird drove straight away, while his 

 started more to the light. Although it, 'had flown in a more 

 circuitous route, its flight must have been more rapid, as it 

 succeeded in joining in behind my bird just as a : 

 discharged, which proved fatal to both, one striking the other 

 wheu they reached the ground. It was not by quick percep- 

 tion or steadiness of nerve that "I accomplished the feat, for I 

 oon'i claim any great amount of either, but simply because 

 his bird flew right where I was going to shoot. Snipe. 



■ -fH — . 



For Forest and Strum and Rod and Gun, 

 HOW PERKINS HUNTED THE 

 TURKEY. 



PERKIN- ! . ii, ..I bed with a great desire to 

 kill a wild turkey. Lasl aroes reported a 

 large flock near bis house | so he determined to -watch tin.. 

 flock late in the evening, w 111 eking their rooat, 

 and then Sneak down by the trees lief ore dawn and shoot 

 them as soon :i. tws light, After many fruitless searches 

 he discovered the ehcseu resting place of a noble gobbler, 

 1 1 home in a very excited frame of mind. Perkins 

 ■ not an l -'pen shot, though "some" on ducks and squirrels. 

 To make perfectly sure of his game, he decided to take both 

 nd rifle— to try a sitting shot, with the rifle, and if 

 istfai , a flying Bhol with the shotgun. Accordingly, the 

 flrsl faint blush of dawn found Irini doubly armed and in 

 proper position near the tree. The outlines Of the turkey 

 V... fail y discerned. First he rai^r " i-hted care- 

 folly, and almost drew the trigger^ . ids mind, 

 LiiiiH e . -n and took up the shotgun. This was discarded in 

 its trim, and by Hie time be iiail n i .. t linal decision the 

 turkey was wide awake and sidling along the- limb, uneasily 

 craning us long neck to ascertain the cause of the trouble-. 

 At last Perkins made up his mind ■ he seized the rifle ami 

 taking a hasty aim, fired. The noise of a rapid flight fol- 

 lowed the crack, and before he had time to think of hiB shot- 



