driving tenter hooks all over each battel, and finally throwing 

 them in the preserves, or, indeed, any of the swims with 

 which the river abounds. In the shallows, the putting in of 

 tin-cuttings ia a great preventive, and where it can be done 

 without injury to the row-boats, the placing in of brick-burrs 

 is exceedingly effective. During a certain period of the year 

 — say from July to September the weeds are a safe and 

 natural protection of the fish. There is another plan of pro- 

 tecting fish, and that is driving ia stakes in every portion of 

 the river where it can be done; but good as this method un- 

 doubtedly is, I have known the netters to draw the stakes out 

 before they begin their work of destruction. Now, as a sup- 

 plement to all these methods of protection, an efficient staff 

 of water-bailiffs is also essential to the complete governance 

 of a fishery. Very few anglers are aware of the power the 

 Thames river keepers possess in their deputations granted by 

 the Board of Thames Conservancy. I will give, accordingly, 

 the following extracts: — " They may enter any boat, vessel, 

 or craft of any fisherman, dredgerman, or other person or 

 persons fishing 01 taking fish, or endeavoring to take fish, and 

 there to search for, take, and seize, all spawn, fry, brood of 

 fish, and unsizeable, unwholesome, or unseasonable fish ; and 

 also all unlawful nets, engines, and instruments for boat, 

 vessel, or craft, in and upon the river, all such spawn, fish, 

 and also all unlawful nets, engineB, and instruments for 

 taking and destroying fish as shall there be found." In ad- 

 dition to this, they have power "to seize all unlawful nets 

 that may be found on the shore or shores adjoining the said 

 ■river of Thames." The latter was done on one of the in- 

 spections made by the Committee of the Thames Angling 

 Preservation Society at Staines ; the net was then destroyed 

 by order of the Hampton bench of magistrates, and, being 

 the first offence of the owner, upon the recommendation of 

 the Society's solicitor he was only nominally fined in addition 

 to the loss of his net. I have thought it desirable in the in- 

 terests of the fishery to show the power of the watchers, es- 

 pecially as it has been in my presence so frequently disputed 

 by anglers, and their visits considered an unjustifiable inter- 

 ference. 



Massachusetts— Boston. — The Massachusetts Eifle Asso- 

 ciation has announced its programme for the spring meeting, 

 to take place on the Walnut Hill ranges on the 21st and 22d 

 instants. There are five matches, aggregating $500 in prizes. 

 The first is for the Directors' gold medal, shot for annually at 

 200 yards. It is now held by E. B. Souther. All the other 

 matches are open to all-comers, and in these Creedmoor 

 should be represented by some of her excellent off-hand men, 

 though they will find it hard work to overcome the rare skill 

 which the Walnut Hill men have developed. The Boston 

 Herald cup, valued at §50, will form the principal prize in 

 another match, also at 200 yards, in addition to fourteen 

 other prizes. Any rifle may be used. The military match is 

 very similar, but confined to military rifles. At 600 yards 

 there will he a carton match, any rifle and position, the lead- 

 ing prize to be the gold medal oi the M. R. A. Another car- 

 ton match will take piace at 900 yards with a 845 Winchester 

 rifle as firBt prize, and a total prize list of $101 for the match. 



The Walnut Hill range was well patronized on Saturday 

 last, with off hand shooters, but the weather during the fore- 

 noon was not quite up to the mark in affording opportunities 

 for a display of rifle skill, the wind blowing freshly and 

 carrying before it several rain and sleet squalls, which had 

 full sweep across the range. As the shooting progressed, 

 however, the breeze lulled somewhat, gradually settling down. 

 The light, too, became better, and scores were improved in 

 consequence. The 2:55 p. ji. train brought a delegation 

 from the Roxbury City Guards, who practiced at 200 yards 

 with excellent results. The best scores, with military rifles, 

 five rounds standing : 



Eddy, 21 ; Everett, 21 ; Rockwell, 20 ; Gardner, 20 ; 

 Matthews, 19 ; Brownell, 18 ; Lithgow, 18 ; Andrews, 18. 



The " Winchester rifle" match, had 47 entries. Of this 

 number, the best scores are given in the appended summary, 

 fifteen rounds per man at 200 yards. Capt. Jackson takes 

 first place, he having made three capital scores of 69 each, 

 only two of which are given : 



WHJaCkSOD B 464*55 4 654465 5— 69 



VVHJacksou (re-entry). .5 5554445465454 5-69 



1 N Frve 4 4 64 4 54405 4 464 D-06 



flit Jewell 4 4466555444 4 5-1 -1—66 



WOliarteB 4 45544644 4 5444 5—65 



HFSmiiu * 4555466444444 4—65 



V V Richardson 4 44664444445 4 4 5— «4 



T Wnrden 4 5 4 4 6 4 4 4 6 4 5 4 4 4 4 — 64 



IT Whltller" 5 4544445454444 4-64 



IB Parker"" 4 544 4445544445 8—63 



rTRQrlfflne" 4 3445543444354 0-61 



A A Baubirtge 4 3 465445443434 4-60 



HBLord... * 4445344J44434 4—58 



The long range practice last week at Walnut Hill secured a 

 poor day on the 30th ult., and in a drizzling rain the 4th con- 

 test of the Spirit of the Times match was called. The wind 

 was tricky and the smoke hung low over the range, but with 

 such experts as the Massachusetts men have gotten to be 

 there was not much trouble in doing passable ; that is, turn- 

 ing the 200 total with possible 225. The leaders standing: 

 J. S. Sumner. 



„„ ,..,4 6 5 53555 5 55455 3-69 



J^n '. .-5 6656556444446 6—70 



, V„n 65603565543456 6-69— SOS 



IjUTO Capt. W. H. Jackson. 



tnn 5655555556555 5 4—74 



„ ..3 4446465556556 6—68 



,Z« '.!'... .5 5S45444546666 3-63-205 



l ' vm J.F.Brown, 



o.,,, 5 5645555555555 3—72 



SXn ...4 554543556555 5 5—70 



in SJ ""'.'....5 4464554564034 6—62-204 



'' uuv W. Gernsli. 



„„„ .4 5443455446456 4— 65 



Sri .'.' 3 5555546535655 6—70 



. S„ ...4 4555545456653 4— 6S— 203 



1,UJ " ' Salem Wilder. 



onn SB 666566346232 6—63 



gm .3 6563460564556 5—64 



a 000 '.'.'■.'.'.'.'.'■'■•& 435546255 5 525 5—64—190 



Hertford April 80.— The winter shed was very convenient 

 for the shooters at the Bellevue Range to-day. Before the 

 day was over the clouds broke, and good scores were accom- 

 plished "in the classified match, as follows : 



WCharlBB 47 E S Piper 43 



fS « J 11 Barnes ., „„„, 42 



flWltutDgton , « JKT? ele -4? 



vn Russell 43 J Grady 41 



HSHarrlBB....... « E W Whittter 4 



■A'GTousey 45 ABubbldge 4_ 



The prize winners for the month are : First class, first 

 jize H. H. D. Gushing, 47; second, W. Charles, 47; third, 



H. K. Richardson, 47; fourl iisaeTl, 40; fifth, J. 



B. Osborne, ■ Hi. 8- , , H. 8. HatriBS, 45; sec- 



ond, J. 11. .Eumes, 43 ; third, W. G. Tonsey. 45: fourth E. 

 T. Hayes, 45; fifth, E, S. Piper, -l:j. Third clans, first,' E 



F. Kenrick, 44 ; second, M. Garden, 43 ; third, W. Gills 38- 

 fourth, G. Gill, 38; fifth, P. Tucker, 86. 



Boston, Mammoth Rip ,■:: 30.— The regular 



April prize shoot has endc- 1 : -Mollis was success- 



ful in making a clean score of eight bulls-eyes. Mr. Wm. 

 Bradford has made 39 three times, each time improving his 

 score. Mr. George Lamb has made 89 twice. 



The scores stood : 



w aD !i H ?i" s ; 5 * * «■ » B « 6-,„ 



WniBradford 5 4 .5 .5 5 B 5 6_ 39 



Geo Lamb 5 5 5 4 6 5 6 5-39 



U A. Pollard .5 4 5 4 5 5 5 6— 3S 



DBdWaras... 5 5 4 4 6 5 5 5-3S 



DB Raymond 5 4 5 5 6 4 5 5-38 



B&Tobey.Jr 4 r, 5 5 5 6 4 5—33 



11 Jbaraeut 5 5 5 5 6 4 4 6— 38 



Edwin JI Archer 4 5 4 4 5 5 6 5—37 



AI/EamtB 4 5 4 4 5 5 5-37 



ESUumway 4 5 4 4 6 5 6-37 



w m H Rest&Hcfc 4 4 5 6 5 4 6 6—37 



APHolman 4 5 4 5 6 4 5 5-37 



Gardner, May 1.— The following are the scores of the rifle 

 club at Hackmatack Range last week, the wind blowing a 

 gale at the time : 



-„.„., H. C. H. C. Totals. 



72 42 146—87 



Q E BUaworth r« 41 69 42 141—86 



P E Nichols 69 44 TO 44 139— SS 



SHPxatt 63 44 68 44 136-88 



62 42 134-S2 



Carl Zeralui 58 40 60 43 118—38 



MSteinway 57 33 69 40 126— 79 



South Framingham, May 1.— The weekly shoot of the rifle 

 club occurred last week at the Everit Range. The badge was 

 again taken by W. A. Swan. The following is the score: 



WASwan 1 44434-144 4—39 



W H Trowbridge 4 14 4 4 4 4 3 4 3—38 



FHFales 4 4 4 4 5 2 5 4 8 3— SS 



C O Trowbridge 4 4 3444443 3—37 



FLOaks 8 34444453 3—37 



CHClark 2 3 4 4 3 3 4 4 2—29 



PTWlOllell , :t 3 8 4 3 3 R H 4—23 



CosBBCTiout.— CoU&n&titie, May 2.— Canton Bod and Gun 

 Club, Riverside Range. At the regular weekly meeting the 

 following scores were made, 10 shots, 200 yds.: 



Mass. Creed. Mass. Creed, 



Pflater Til 38 Moore 96 43 



Andrews 7fi 39 indwell ■ 90 40 



Hull 103 44 



The club made a new departure in the matter of prizes for 

 the ensuing year. Two badges are to be contested for— one, 

 the champion badge, for the member making the best average 

 for the year; the other, the improvement badge, for the 

 member who at the close of the year has made the most im- 

 provement. We are also promised one to be given to the 

 member making the highest single score during the year. 



Seo. 



Nbw York— Garnemlle, May 2.— Great excitoment has 

 existed among the riflemen here for the past ten days over 

 the expected rifle match between Washington Broas', of the 

 Garnerville Rifle Olub, who was challenged by E. J. Peck, 

 of the Samsondale Rifle Club, of Haverstraw.' The match 

 was at 200 yards, 2 sighting and 15 scoring shots, at Rock- 

 moor (G. R. C.'s grounds) on May 1, 1879. The day was 

 bright, but the wiud blew furiously. Mr. -Broas was the 

 victor by 3 points. The following is the score : 



W B-oas 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 8 5 S 4 4 4 5-59 



E i Peck 4 4444244434434 4—66 



They are to meet again on the 14th at the Samsondale 

 range. Rocesioob. 



—The Empire Rifle Club opened its Creedmoor season 

 yesterday with the match at 200 and 300 yards, off-hand, 10 

 rounds each range; on the 14th firing will be at 300 and 500 

 yards, off-hand j on the 21st the bronze medal, N. R A., 

 will be competed for at long range, and on the 28th a class 

 match will open for all-comers, 10 rounds at 200 yards, 

 military rifles, are allowed 3 points. The first class.includes 

 all those who have won first place in any monthly or other 

 off-hand competition on any raage, and those making 44 in 

 this class are debarred from the second. All others may 

 enter the second class. 



—The United Schuetzen Association opened yesterday 

 their regular practice shooting at Union Hill. The practice 

 will be kept up on the first and third Wednesday of each 

 month. Shooting each day to extend from one to six o'clock. 



G. A. Kundahl is the shooting-master. 



Ceeedmooe — Mat Peogkamme. — The following competi- 

 tions are announced to take place on the N. R. A. range 

 during the current month : 



Saturday, 10th, Remington Match. — Sixth Competition — 

 Prize of $300 in gold; all comers, any Remington breech- 

 loader ; must be loaded at the breech, with cartridges as fur- 

 nished from the factory; 900 and 1,000 yards, 20 at each dis- 

 tance, any position. 



Wednesday, 14th, Champion Marksman's Badgeof 1879. — 

 Second Competition — Open to all members N. R. A. and all 

 members of the N. G. 8. N. Y. in uniform, 200 and 500 

 yards, 5 shots at each, rifle N. Y. State mode), standing 

 position at 200, any with head toward the target at 500 

 yards. 



Saturday, 17th, National Guardsman Match.— Third Com- 

 petiou — Open to members of the National Guard of any 

 State, 300 and 600 yards, position at 300 yards standing, any 

 at 600 yards, with "head toward the target; 7 shots at each 

 distance; weapon, the authorized military rifle. 



Same Day, Skirmishers' Badge Match.— Twelfth Competi- 

 tion — Offered by Gen. Hiram Uuryea ; open to all members 

 of the N. R. A. and members of the National Guard of uny 

 State in uniform ; distances, from 500 to 200 yards, advanc- 

 ing and retreating ; second class targets. 



Saturday, 24th, the Dimond Match — Second Competi- 

 tion—Open to all members N. H. A. and all members of the 

 N. G. S. N. Y. iu uniform, 200 and 500 yards, 5 shots at 

 each, rifle N. Y. State model, standing at 200, any with 

 head toward the target at 500 yards. 



Wednesday, 28th, Secretary's Match. — Second ^Competi- 

 tion— Open to life and annual members N. H. A., and 

 active members of any regular military or naval organiza- 

 tion in the United States ; 200 and 500 yards, standing at 

 200, at 500 yards any without artificial rest (as allowed in N. 

 R. A. Regulations, governing position in any rifle 

 tions) ; weapon, any military rifle (excluding specials) ; 5 

 rounds at each distance ; two entries in each match, but 

 only the highest score to take a prize. 



Saturday, 31st, Remington Eifle Match,— Firsl 

 tion— Prize, a Kemingion Creedmoor rifle 

 fered by Messrs. E. Remington & Rons; open to members 

 N. R. A. ■ 200 yards, standing position, 10 rou 

 rifle. Handicap— 1. Any competitor using other than a 

 military rifle, four points; 2. Competitors who have in any 

 N. R A. monthly or other match at Creedmoor made at gfju 

 yards: A. With a sporting rifle, two points over an average 

 of centres (if using such a rifle in this match), two points; 

 B. With B military rifle, over an average of centres (if using 

 such a rifle), two points. 



Same Day, Handicap Match.— Open to all comers, 200 

 yards, standing, 10 rounds; competitors allowed two entries, 

 but only the highest score to take a prize; any rifle. Handi- 

 cap — 1. Rifles, other than regular military, three points; 

 2. Winners of any first prize or place in any monthly or 

 other match of the National Rifle Association, shot at Creed- 

 moor, two points. 



Bbiston Range— MteabetA, N. J., April 29.— "Win- 

 chester Match." Fourth competition for a Winchester re- 

 pealing rifle, 200 yards, standing, 10 rounds, any rifle. 



Score : 



JTBCollms 4 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 5 4-42 



DFOavids t 44515444 4 — .^ 



HiJBlyuenburgh 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 4 4-41 



1 -'! « 4 4 4 4 5 4 3 4 5 3—411 



k°l>, H Houghton 3 3 4 4 6 6 4 3 6 4— !0 



RKBuckman 5 43344443 4-38 



' 



JWl'Odd.. 4 4 3 4 5 4 4 3 4-35 



Capt A Anderson 3 4 3 3 2 4 4 3 4—80 



JPJoneB , .3 523804 43 3— SO 



Won for the third time and finally by Mr. Collins. 



—On Monday next the Stockton (N. J.) Rifle Range will 

 be formally opened. There will be a reception to Governor 

 McClellan, of New Jersey, and Governor Hoyt, of Pennsyl- 

 vania, and the escorting of the two statesmen to the grounds 

 by the Sixth Regiment, commanded by Col. E. Burd Grubb. 

 Arriving at the range, there will be brief ceremonies and 

 speeches by the Governors. The range will bo opened at nine 

 o'clock in the morning, and about ten o'clock the contests 

 will begin. There will be three matches. 



—The Amateur Rifle Club, of New Y T ork city, announces 

 its prize matches for 1879. Open only to club members. 

 The season opened with contest for the bronze medal, N. R. 

 A., at Creedmoor yesterday at long range. It has been de- 

 cided by the Executive Committee that professional rifle- 

 men shall be handicapped 5 per cent, of their total score in 

 each match, but the Executive Committee fail to define the 

 class thus handicapped. 



Illinois— Chicago, April 27.— 200 yards, off-hand. Wind 

 strong at 4 o'clock. Score : 



£ ra ™ 4 46455454 5-45 



4 5 4 3-15455 4-43 



£«"•••! 4 4 5 4 4 4 4 5 4-43 



v 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 6 1 4-42 



Vatlln 4 3 5 15 5 4 4 4 4—12 



Ootaboni: 4 4 E 6 ■ .. - 4—41 



Barns 3 4 4 5 5 4 4 5 4 :-;— u 



Heurotln 4 i :, ■ • :; 5— tl 



—On the Canton (Ohio) Rifle Club grounds on the 26th 

 ult., Mr. John Bour gave an exhibition of rapid target shoot- 

 ing with a Winchester repeating rifle, 73 model, Shooting 15 

 times and discharging the gun successively the moment the 

 gun touched the shouider; the distance was 200 yards, and 

 he made a score of 43 out of a possible 75, alter which he 

 broke in the ah, with a .22 Ballard rifle, 18 out of 20 glass 

 balls. 



— .« — , 



MILITARY POSITION. 



NewYokk, April 28, 1879 

 Editor Forest and Stream s 



Now that the discussion of position with military rifles is 

 waxing warm, I am constrained to add a little fuel. What 

 shooting I do with the military rifle must be done on my 

 back, as I have lost my right arm. Perhaps no man in this 

 country, not a professional of long standing, has done more 

 shooting of this kind, or had more practice in teaching others, 

 than myself. In this statement I include Gen. Wingate and 

 Mr. Parrow, not as a ■"" 

 tion of authority, 

 scrvations on Rifle £ 

 for my views at that time :" 



Wltn breech-loaders, troops should be allowed to lie down, even at 

 200 yards. * * • The trout position 13 demanded lu nnlliary shoot- 

 ing. The author thinks this demand erroneous. When the enemy 18 

 retreating a hied rest aud cerium aim, even at the oust of an Instant 

 ol lime, la better than suppurtiug the body as Well as the rule on the 

 arms. When it comes time for retreat the rifleman can turn Over trout 

 hie back and run twice as qaicfe as hscau gather himself from the 

 prone position. Wr en he tarns over from the back position lite lace is 

 tu the direction whither he desires to amble. 



In experimenting with sights I have had to shoot in the 

 front position, putting the rifle over a stool, and after firing a 

 number of shots I have found it absolutely indispensable to 

 comfort and decent shooting, in that position, to sit up straight 

 to get rested. It has also been my study to notice in my own 

 person, and the persons of others, all actions and words that 

 tended to exhibit the effect of position or steadiness (in fact, 

 every detail), and I find it almost universal for men arising 

 from the prone position to show by some sign or expression 

 that they have been uncomfortable. It is this which induces 

 men, when permitted, to take off their belts, unbutton their 

 coals, etc., etc., when assuming the prune position. Capt. 

 Jackson alludes to the tiriug of the neck in the buck position. 

 I contend that such tiring soon wears off (the same as a boy's 

 legs get used to jumping), and per contra the neck becomes 

 soonest tired from the front position, some men becoming al- 

 most purple in the face from choking iu the front position. 

 The Captain's claim of a natural breastwork formed by the 

 feet and fore-legs is very material, while in the manipulati:n 

 of the piece there are two hands to work with— one to unlock 

 the mechanism while the other finds the cartridge, 



I was in the field throughout the war iu a regiment of reg- 

 ular infantry where discipline was never abandoned except 

 under stress of necessity or reason, and my observation was that 

 no man tried to shoot with his knapsack on his back. We dis. 

 carded knapsacks early in the war, and many did their fight 

 ing on ammunition, water and what they expected to get from 

 their dead comrades after the battle was over, if perchance they 

 lived to want anything. So much for my friend who thinks 

 we ought to have a position which will accommodate a pack- 

 mule soldier. We should not forget that our style of arm is 

 changed. Wo shoot with breech-loaders now. When we had 

 muzzle-loaders there was danger in drawing the gun up to re- 

 verse it for firing, of catching the hammer and discharging the 

 piece, possibly shooting a comrade behind if using the back 

 position. Now the muzzle is to the front, and (if the same 



