172 



TOEEST AjVD biTKJiAM. 



was of first quality with patent treble wedge fast action and 

 ■fitted •with Greener's latest improvement, 'which consists of 

 indisators that show at a glance when the gun is cocked. 

 Two gilt pins project above the standing breech whenthegunis 

 cocked and go down when fired, so it can be seen which bar- 

 i el has been discharged. The locks contain fewer pieces than 

 those of an ordinary gun and the swivel, which is considered 

 the weakest part of a gun lock, is altogether dispensed with. 

 ThiB beautiful weapon was imported for Mr. W. B. gnathic, 

 of Cincinnati. The exquisite symmetry and elegant finish of 

 the piece was the admiration of all who saw it. The fact 

 that such ardent and intelligent sportsmen as Mr. Shattuc are 

 securing hammerless breech-loaders goes far toward establish- 

 ing Mr. Greener's prediction that this is to be "the gun of the 

 future." 



Hammbblbbs Guns.— These are rapidly coming into favor. 

 We have repeatedly received the inquiry whether there are 

 any hammerless guns of American make, to which we must 

 give a negative answer. There are excellent English and 

 German guns, however. We possess one of the latter made 

 in Dresden and presented to us by Dr. H. Struve last fall— a 

 most beautiful tool, but heroically heavy. We are much 

 pleased with the new kind of arm, as, indeed, all who try 

 hammerless guns seem to be. One Ohio correspondent sends 

 the following line : 



Cleveland, March 25, 1879. 

 Mr. Editok : 



A sporting friend of mine has just returned from England, 

 bringing with him a splendid hammerless gun, and on being 

 exhibited to some of the lovers of the gun it caused quite a 

 furore, all of them pronouncing their guns, although fine 

 ones, to be old-fashioned. Now, Mr. Editor, are there none 

 of our enterprising gunmakers that have go-ahead enough in 

 them to give us a gun of this kind ? or will they suffer for- 

 eign makers to run them out of the market, and our splendid 

 guns of home make to be called old-fashioned ? 



A Loveb of a Gvn. 



Massachusetts— Gosltm, March 20.— Foxes, • hares and 

 rabbits have been very plenty here this winter, and though 

 we have had good sport with them there are plenty left for 

 "seed." Mink, skunks, etc., are plenty, but don't pay for 

 trapping. Rwf. 



"Citt or Worcester."— The palace car, City of Worces- 

 ter will leave Worcester, Mass., next week with a party of 

 sportsmen. They go to California for a trip of about seventy- 

 five days. 



Connecticut— South Norwalk, March 28.— The following 

 is a record of the game birds and wild ducks shot by me the 

 past fall and winter. Blue heron, 1 ; meadow hens, 2 ; wild 

 pigeons, 8 \ grass plover, 9 ; yellow legs, 27 ; bittern, 8 ; 

 meadow larks, 97 ; shortuecks or squatters, 98 ; partridges. 

 21- quail, 65; woodcock, 242; rail, 162; wood-ducks, 2 ; 

 bro'adbills, 6; coots, 11; old squaws, 37 ; shelldrakes, 49 ; 

 whistlers, 54; blackducks, 197. Grand total, 1,097. 



Fba.sk Btjrbitt. 



Pretty good for Connecticut, and not much of a State for 

 game, either ? 



hom Island.— The duck shooting at Bellport is reported 

 by returning sportsmen to be of the finest character. Capt. 

 Dan'l. Petty furnishes best of accomodations and has all 

 appurtenances for the sport. Parties should go for a week. 

 Geese are flying, but none come within range. 



Adikondaokb— Meaaham Lake, JV. T— Our winter has 

 been an unusually severe one— no very extreme cold, but 

 long and severe storms. We have yet four feet of snow with 

 a hard crust. The deer have had a hard time, but in this 

 town I cannot learn that any crusting has been done. In 

 other towns in the country arrests have been made. In two 

 cases the parties have been confined in the county jail, in 

 other cases they have paid fines. But in all of the towns 

 there is a watch upon all persons suspected, and a determina- 

 tion to put a stop to the slaughtering of deer at this season. 

 A. R. Fuller, 



New Jersey— Greece, March 20.— Last Monday, 24th, 

 Benjamin Btowell and myself had the good fortune to kill a 

 rare bird for this place. It was a trumpeter swan, and I 

 think a large one for its kind. It measured from tip to tip of 

 wing, 82 inches; from bill to tail, 52 inches; weight, 15| 

 pounds. The plumage is pure white, excepting the head and 

 neck, which is brown. Wild geese have been plenty here- 

 abouts for the last week or so. Quite a number have been 

 killed. Ducks not very plenty, the cold snap has driven them 

 away. K - E - R - 



Quail in Pennsylvania.— A correspondent who writes us 

 from Pittsburg, Pa., takes a very gloomy view of the pros 

 pects for quail shooting in his State this fall. Owing to the 

 great amount of snow which fell this winter he thinks that 

 but few birds have been left to breed this year. His views 

 on the migration of quail are deserving of notice. He says; 



This has been the worst winter since 1855-56, when quails 

 were almost entirely cut off in Pennsylvania. I don't think 

 there were three coveys in our county, and it was three long 

 years before we could get even a fair day's shooting, and so it 

 will be now. Guns and good setters may as well be laid 

 aside for some years unless something can be done quickly. 

 In the year 1835 quail were cut off so closely that I have 

 heard old sportsmen say that the only birds they knew of in 

 many miles were a dozen bought by them for $6 and turned 

 out for stock, and they believed that all the birds in this 

 neighborhood came from those turned out. They said it took 

 five years for them to get moderately plenty. The fact is, 

 birds were not so plenty then as they were twenty years alter- 

 wards owing to the increase of cultivated farms natural to 

 the growth of the country, and the same rule holds good now. 

 I believe that quail are migratory, and I know many who 

 have studied their habits closely for years, who believe the 

 same thing. My experience proves they travel from the 

 north and southeast to the south and southwest, that they fol- 

 low the streams and are always more plenty on the west banks 

 of a river, until stopped by rivers they cannot fly over or by 

 mountains they cannot pass. They begin to migrate toward 

 the Bouth in October, and begin to move toward the north in 

 the spring; so that when they are cut off in the Northern 



States it takes the birds bred below the winter's killing line 

 about three years to reach Pennsylvania, and by that time the 

 few birds that escape the snows of our climate have done 

 their full share toward reproduction, and the two meeting, 

 make comparative plenty. This is a theory, and i do not 

 ask any one to believe it ; but some time, if you desire, I will 

 elaborate the views of some of the best sportsmen in the 

 country on this subject, and you will see that proof can be 

 advanced in support of their views. J. S. Brown. 



Tennessee— Nmhville, March 27.— The weather has been 

 most favorable for snipe shooting within the last week, and 

 several fine bags have been made. On Monday Mr. J. F. 

 Nicholson and Jno. Gilbert bagged 33 snipe and one duck, 

 and on Tuesday the same parties bagged 19 snipe. Mr. 

 Nicholson had his black setter bitch Belle with him. Her- 

 man Burkholz was out a day or two ago to try his pointer dog 

 Shot, a new acquisition. He says the dog hunts beautifully, 

 is rather too fast for snipe shooting, but retrieves remarkably 

 well. Mr. Charles Sulzbacher has just returned from a visit 

 to Florida. He brought back a beautiful collection of eggs 

 of many of the different birds and reptiles of that country. 



J. D. H. 



Florida — Jacksonville, March 20. — Deer, turkey and quail 

 abundant this season. Sportsman visitors report plenty of 

 game. W. K. L. 



Gulf Citt Gun Club.— Mobile, March 21.— Editor Forest 

 and Stream : At the annual meeting of the Gulf City Gun 

 Club, held Wednesday night, March 19, the following officers 

 were elected to serve during the ensuing year: Dr. T. 8. 

 Scales, President ; F. P. Davis, Vice-President r re-elected) ; 

 R. P. Priester, Secretary ; Dr. C. C. Sherrard, Treasurer (re- 

 elected); Judge Wm. Boyles, Attorney. Executive Com- 

 mittee, G. W. Tunstall, E. Carre, M. Primo, re-elected ; W. 

 B. Holt, H. P. Vass, Jas. C. Bush, J. S. Alexander, Jr. 



Black George. 



Texas— Paris, March 25.— Editor Forest and Stream and 

 Rod and Gun : North Texas is by no means deficient in the 

 matter of game, nor are we without a goodly number of those 

 Who handle the rod and gun. This city boasts an organiza- 

 tion known as the Paris Gun Club, which, though in its in- 

 fancy, promises good results. We have abundance of game, 

 consisting principally of deer, turkeys, water fowl, grouse, 

 quail, plover and snipe. Just at this time our prairies are 

 covered with plover of several kinds. These may be bagged 

 in vast numbers within half a mile of town, hence they afford 

 but little sport, and we are mainly dependent upon the 

 diminutive jack snipe for genuine amusement. Owing to a 

 dry spring, however, these are less plentiful than usual, 

 though your correspondent has brought in several well filled 

 bags during the past two weeTts. The best quail hunt of the 

 season is cla imed by myself and friend. With sixty shells we 

 bagged fifty-one birds, no two killed at once, and all on the 

 wing ; time, three hours' shooting, done within two miles of 

 corporation limits. The festive turkey begins to remind us 

 that he merits our attention, the best of which you may rest 

 assured he will have ere the spring time passes. Francois. 



Wisconsin— Bamboo, March 28.— J. H. Brewer and J. F. 

 Kartack went out on the marsh yesterday, and bagged a few 

 snipe. They have made their appearance earlier than usual 

 this spring. Ed. H. 



Auction Sale ok Breech-Loading Guns and Fine Fish- 

 inc! Koeb. — During the months of September and October, 

 for several years past, the firm of Barker & Co. have been in 

 the habit of making several sales by auction of sporting guns, 

 but in consequence of their regular spring sales of paintings 

 and other works of art, also books, they have thought it not 

 wise to occupy any of the time necessary for such sales by 

 any offering of guns ; but, as may be learned by reference to 

 our advertising columns, they have decided to depart from 

 what has been their established custom by making a spring 

 sale of guns; also, as an experiment, will include an assort- 

 ment of superior trout and bass rods (fly and bait), among 

 which may be found some of the split bamooo order. It must 

 not be inferred that the guns to be sold are in any way in- 

 ferior or imperfect, as every gun sold is guaranteed by Messrs. 

 Barker & Co., whose responsibility and reliability is well es- 

 tablished. The guns and rods will be on exhibition several 

 days before the sale, thus affording would-be purchasers an 

 opportunity of selecting an article suitable to their peculiar 

 wants. 



last year, using 12] yds. (18 yards would have been better) 

 cheese cloth, at six" cents per yard, and, as 1 made it myself, 

 the total cost was seventy-five cents. It requires no rods or 

 poles to put up, and takes up very little extra room in the 

 pack of camp equipage, and adds but a few ounces in weight. 

 From past experience, I could not be induced to camp out 

 any length of time during the fly season without one of Mr. 

 Eastland's mosquito bars. C. A. Post. 



CANVAS BACK SHOOTING IN OREGON. 



Portland, March 13, 1879. 

 EnrroR Forest and Stream : 



The Oregon canvas back resembles In appearance its Eastern 

 brother both In size and plumage, but differs in Its food, which consists 

 inly of a bulbous root called " wapato " or Indian potato, which la 

 of the natives' article of food, as well as the ducks'. These 

 wapato lakes are not very common (that is in comparison with the 

 ordlnarylafcca), but sufficiently fo for every onewho enJoyB the sport to 

 have an occasional chance for a day's BhootlDg. as the moduli 

 overandi may differ from the Eastern method, 1 will give a brief sketch 

 for the pur pose of comparison. Canvas Bhootiog is only good lu tho 

 dark of the moon ami on stormy days, although it happens sometimes 

 to the contrary. 



The lirBt thing that is to be done on arriving at your lake is to ob- 



jrve In what portion of the lake the duckB are " using," and then to 

 ;are them out by clapping the hands, or anything that will frighten 

 them except shooting a gnn. When the ducks have left set out the 

 decoya, which may number anywhere from 55 to 100. Sometimes the 

 ducks will begin returning to the lake before yoa have finished 

 putting out the " Btools," and seem determined to alight auyhow, 

 After the docks or decoys are set out (generally In the shape of a long' 

 V with the point to the wind), the Inn commences, and I have known 

 as high as 200 flue ducks to be killed by three men in a single day's 

 shooting, but the average ia from 75 to 150. The writer has been lucky 

 enough to bag 65 In six hours' shootlDg with only 23 decoys. It 13 

 customary to leave the dead birds to drift ashore and be picked tip 

 after the shooting is over, but some hunters nse dogs and send them 

 after the birds as they fall. The sink boat is rarely if ever nsed out 

 here in hunting, as the majority of sportBmen prefer to shoot from the 

 shores. 



The canvas shooting commences here about the middle of Novem- 

 ber, and continues until nearly the first of April. Sometimes When 

 the weather keeps stormy we have shooting even later, but it is not 

 the rule. 



We have put off our intended hunt until next Sunday, when we in- 

 tend to " make a klliiug," as it will probably be the last time we can 

 get at them this season. There has been considerable dlacnssion as to 

 whether the Oregon canvas back equals In flavor the Eastern ones, and 

 many people contend that the celery-fed duck is superior to the 

 wapato-fed oues, but men who have hunted both, and had an oppor- 

 tunity to Judge, say If they did not know what duck they were eating 

 they could not tell the difference. W». Lang, 



MOSQUITO BARS. 



Goelth, Ontario, March 25, 1879. 

 Editob Fokest and Stream : 



An article on " Mosquito Net for the Woods" in last week's 

 issue of your valuable paper attracted my attention, and from 

 the excellent description given by the writer, Mr. Maire, I 

 should judge the net would prove a perfect bar to all kinds 

 of insects. As the time will soon be at hand when this sub- 

 ject will concern many of your readers, other methods for the 

 making and putting up of mosquito nets may not be out of 

 place. 



1 will mention one which I have seen used in this country 

 by my friend, Wm. Eastland, Esq., of Peterboro (who has 

 camped out more or less for the last thirty years). 



The bar is made of cotton or linen cheese cloth (the ordi- 

 nary mosquito netting would not be strong enough), the 

 same shape as your canvas tent, except that instead of having 

 a door or opening in front, the bar is sewed up at both ends ; 

 at the top, instead of a ridge-pole, a rope is sewed in, leaving 

 enough at each end to tie with. The tents we used were the 

 inverted V, with bell ends, with curtain from two to three 

 feet deep. The bar is made with bell ends, but without a 

 curtain. To adjust the bar, tie the projecting ends of the 

 rope ruuning through the lop to the top of the tent-poles. It 

 is then ready for use. Make your bed directly under the bar, 

 which is then spread out and secured on all sides by tucking 

 under your bed or by placing stones or any other weights 

 around the bottom of the bar. During the day, when not in 

 use, roll up from the bottom and stow away on the ridge-pole 

 of your outside tent, without untying the ropes, and it is 

 ready for use again in a moment's notice ; in fact, when once 

 put up, it need not be removed again until the storm-tent is 

 taken down. If the weather is very sultry, the curtain of 

 the storm-tent can be pinned or hooked up, which will give 

 you the advantage of any cool breeze that may be blowing at 

 night, and still the roof of your outside tent will protect you 

 from the storms. I think, possibly, it has some advantages ^ 

 over the bars io use. The cost is a bare trifle. I made one next match. 



PIGEON MATCHES. 



[PROM OCR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] 



PIGEON SHOOTING IN ITALY. 



Florence— Marchlb— Editor Foreatand Stream: An event in pigeon 



shooting which will no doubt interest your readers woo are disciples 



in-: v. 1 1 [ch is given by Prince Dernitluff, of San 



Donato, Florence. This princely reald , Ban lonhfo. Is in tho 



suborns of "the winter city/' as designated by ' Ouida," whose villa, as 

 jottdi re to the BBOOt ng gr und, yon can perceive In the distance. 

 The close proximity of Florence to Monaco attracts the leading mots 

 who are residing at the latter place to enter tiie lists for the "Grand 

 de San Donato." The ground on which the traps are laid is ar- 

 ranged in a manner which surpasses any similar place 111 tho world. 

 Ttio elegance of ihe building, the luxury L of the. appointments, make 

 the scene one never t.-> be forgotten. 



On Wednesday, March 10 (the first of three daysl, the "Prix d'Ouver- 

 turo was closely contested for, ar>d was wen by by a local shot, olgnor 

 Dabbrom, who at V!S metres (87# yards) succeeded in grassing seven 

 birds, tne;second prize being divided by Mr. A. Hush ami Sieiior 

 Monari. The next dav, however, hroqght forth me greater cant.' Bt, 

 and as If in corroboration of his acknowledged skill, the Grand Ins 

 de Sun Donato was won by Mr. B. B. B. Hopwood) the winner of the 

 grand prize at. Monaco a few weeks previous. Li e shut with the same 

 gun as at. Monaco, viz.. one of Messrs. jjungall'fl 12-bores, ou their Ex- 

 press system of choke-boring, whose guns, it may be added, had just 

 taken die two preceding prizes at Monaco, and have created quite a 

 sensation among Bpori iineii, id consequence of the sueccss those using 

 them have been obtaining. 



Grand Prix de San Donato— Un, ooie-t d'arl added to a pool of $20 ; 

 25 per cent, to the second, 10 per cent. DO t lis- tnllfl; three birds at 2s, 

 three at 41) and three at 30 yards ; three birds out. : 



Mr. K. It. G. llopwood, grand prize 1 11 111 ill 11 



Colonel Trehernc. second pi'ize Ill 111 111 10 



Baron St Trlvier, third p ize Ill 111 110 



The remaining shooters, making thirty-eight In all, comprised many 

 noted for their Bkin be aoe and Belgium. 



The third day was devoted to tlie Prix de '-'on-ola ion, a Handicap 1n 

 which Mr. llopwood stood at :13 yards, and Colonel Troherue and Baron 

 St. Trivier at 60 yards each. 



Prix de. Consolation / it J'arl added to a pool of ill; 



30 per cent, to the second ; three birds, one bird out; thirty-eight 

 a hooters : 



E K (I Hopwood, 3S yards, HrBt prize Ill 111 111 10 



Signor Hecht, 2a yards, second prize ..Ill 111 111 11 



It is needless to remark that such skill elicited thegreatoat applause, 

 and lu order to finable some other shooter to come to the front, th.s 

 event was followed by a double prix, at sc yards, with a pool or |g, 

 with the following result. Double rise, 30 yards, twenty-four shooters: 

 EH G Hopwood U 11 11 



It must be added that the seventeen birds which Mr. Hopwood thuB 

 brongat down were ail of an excellent character; and taut some of the 

 very fastest fell to tns lot, and, in fact, on two occasions ho was in- 

 debted to his second barrel for topp'ing over stone dead, bird3 which 

 had they been only feathered, would have fallen outside the fence. Mr. 

 Hopwood then reared for the day, having won In two days two ve>y 

 valuable works of art and over tsoo. The tlnal pool, another double 

 rise was won by tho Marquis de San Germauo, who bad saot remark- 

 ably well thioughont. I observe that a law has been pa- i 

 necticut making pigeon shooting illegal, and that Massachusetts may 

 follow the example. Assuming this, which T nurdiy believe to be true, 

 islioud, wi'h your permission, desire to remark that, having seen u 

 great deal of pigeon b&omiug, I cannot observe any ,.i (Terence between 

 a blue rock genius out of a box and a partridge rising from behind a 

 hedge. The subject ts unworthy or discussion. The ex. 

 modern breech-loaders is such that, as a rule, pigeons are either killed 

 clean or altogether missed, which canno •■ he said ou the whole of game 

 shooting. Legal steps like mat would require, to he consistent, to be 

 followed by a prohibition of the killing of any bird of any kind what- 

 ever, acid 1 think that a duck at eighty yards baa more chance of get- 

 ting away wounded than a pigeon has at twenty-five yards. Again, 

 plgoon-ple is very good, and most people prefer them killed before 

 being cooked and eaten. 



Two matches have taken place, in one of which an American gen- 

 tleman, Mr. Macalister, a gentleman well known to many of yonr 

 Philadelphia readers, came oil victorious. His competitor lead recently 

 won a very important prize, and to face the trap auainst him required 

 not only skill nut considerable nerve. The following were the condi- 

 tions and result : A match ataijjj vards, SB birds, (1,600. 



MO Macalister.. 1 1 1 1 1 1 o 1 1 1 1 t 1 1 i I l l l l l-gj 



Signor lTabbroni 1 1 11 1 u I) 1 1 1 1 01 1 1 1 1 _ ]4 



As will be seen, it was unnecessary for Mr. Macalister to saoot beyond 

 the iwemy-flrst bird, as the match was won. ne shot with a IWb. 

 12-bore 4 drs. and ljf oz. No. u in Hie lert barrel, and wood-powder in 

 the right, and lw m. No. 1 English sizes. The gnn was another 

 Dongali, as likewise waB that of the Marquis KtrJolh, who won the 



