FOKKST AJNxr-STREXisr. 



A WEEKLY JOURNAL, 



DKVOTBD TO FlBLD AND AQUATIC SP0BT8, PRACTICAL NaTUKAL M18TOKY, 

 FlSH CCLTUKK, TUB PROTECTION OF U AiOi, FRKSSBVATION OF F0RK8TS, 

 AND TTJK INCULCATION IN Men AND WOMEN OF A USAI/THY INTEREST 

 IN OUT-DOOH BKOKBATION AND STUDY: 



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NEW YORK, THURSDAY, MAY 15, 1879. 



To Correspondents. 



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CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR THE 

 COMING WEEK. 



Friday, May 16.— Bicycle Tournament at American Institute, N. T. 

 Trotting : Suffolk Park, Phila.; Hudson, Mich. Knnnlng Meetings : 

 Sin Francisco, Cal ; Lexington, Ky. Base Ball : Springfield vs. Na- 

 tional, at Washington. Stockton Bide Range : Mott Match. 



Saturday, May 11.— Bicycle Tournament as above. Pacific Am. 

 Ron ing Association Regatta, San Francisco. Harvard Regatta. Rose 

 Tree Fox Hunting Cnb Races. Cricket: Philadelphia vs. Young 

 America, at Chestnut Hill, Pa.; Dorian vs. University of Pennsylvania, 

 atHaverford, Pa.; German town (2d) vs. Philadelphia (2d), al Nicetown, 

 Pa.; Young America (2d) vs. Merlon (2d), at Ardmore, Pa.; St. George 

 vs. Staten Island, at Staten Island. Base Ball : Manchester vb. Albany, 

 at Albany ; Springfield vs. National, at Washington; New Bedford vs. 

 Utica, at Utlca; Providence vs. Chicago, at Chicago ; Boston vs. Cin- 

 cinnati, at Cincinnati ; Star vs. Cleveland, at Cleveland ; Troy vs, 

 Buffalo, at Buffalo; Harvard vs. Yale, at Cambridge. Running Meet- 

 ings as above. 



Monday, May 19.— Base Ball: New Bedford vs. Capital City, at 

 Albany; Manchester vb. Uolyoke, at Holyoke; Albany vs. Utlca, at 

 Utlca. 



Tuesday, May 20.— Iowa State Sportsmen's Association Tournament. 

 Trotting: Providence, R. I; Ambler Park. Running Meetings: Louis- 

 ville; Baltimore. Base Ball: Albany vs. National, at Washington; 

 SprlDgfleld vs. Utlca, at Utlca ; Boston vs. Chicago, at Chicago ; Provi- 

 dence vs. Cincinnati, at Cincinnati ; Troy vs. Cleveland, at Cleveland ; 

 Star vs. Buffalo, at Buffalo. 



Wednesday, May 21. -Iowa State Tournament. Trotting": As above, 

 and at Ooldwater] Mich. Base Ball: New Bedford vs. Capital City, at 

 Albany ; Manchester vs. Holyoke, alHoiyoke. 



Thursday, May 22.— Iowa Tournament as above. Trotting as above. 

 Base Ball ; New Bedford vs. Manchester, at Manchester ; Albany vs. 

 National, at Washington ; Spiiigneld vs. Utlca, at Utlca ; Holvoke vs. 

 Worcester, at Worcester ; Bottcn vs. Chicago, at Chicago; Providence 

 vs. Cincinnati, at Cincinnati; Troy vs. Cleveland, at Cleveland; Star 

 vs. Buffalo, at Chicago. 



Anothke Exctjesion to Labrador. — Mr. M. H. Chick, of 

 113 Franklin street, Boston, is organizing another of his at- 

 tractive excursions to Labrador. He proposes to charter a 

 first class clipper schooner of about 150 tons, fitted up with 

 modern conveniences, and to leave Boston July 9, proceeding 

 as far north as Hamilton Inlet, in latitude 54-30. The dis- 

 tance is about 1,500 miles, and the average time for the voy- 

 age about six weeks. The whole expense of the round trip 

 is $100. 



This will be good news to two or three gentlemen who have 

 very recently sent us inquiries whether such an expedition 

 was fitting out. 



Thb Golden Nortawkbt.— The latest addition to the 

 season's guide books placed upon our table is the handsome 

 manual of one hundred and forty pages and half bs many 

 illustrations, published in Chicago by the Chicago, Milwau- 

 kee and St. Paul Railway, and sent to us, as it will be sent to 

 all who wish for it, by Mr. A. V. H. Carpenter, the General 

 Passenger and Ticket Agent, of the road, at Milwaukee, Wis. 

 The C. M. and St. P. Railway and its branches extend some 

 seventeen hundred miles, and among the points on its sched- 

 ule are scores of places in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota 

 long famous for their varied excellencies as resorts for health 

 seekers and sportsmen. The trout streams, rivers, lakes and 

 forests, affording abundant employment for rod and gun, the 

 rare natural scenery, to visit which many a sated wanderer in 

 foreign lands might well afford to remain at home one season, 

 have often and again been referred to in our columns both 

 editorially and in frequent letters from correspondents. 



There is something suggestive in the annual summer migra- 

 tion of men and women from the East to the West and the 

 Northwest. That much-respected and often-appealed-to vil- 

 lage character, the Oldest Inhabitant, usually presents him- 

 self to the Eastern mind as a silvery-haired old gentleman, 

 with form not quite so straight as it used to be, who is author- 

 ity on all matters pertaining to the weather, giving oracular 

 responses thereupon which no one ever yet dared question, 

 and who is withal inclined to be garrulous concerning the days 

 when your mother's father and he went to the old red district 

 school-house together. But did it never occur to the reader 

 that as the Oldest Inhabitant travels Westward he loses his 

 venerable carriage, is accorded very slight distinction for his 

 seniority, and instead of knowing anything about the boyhood 

 of any one else's grandfather, in all likelihood has a grand 

 father of his own ? The reign of the Oldest Inhabitant is 

 circumscribed by geographical limits ; in the effete civiliza- 

 tion of towns founded a hundred years ago he is an autocrat ; 

 put him in one of the cities "of the day," and he must jos- 

 tle a score of competitors for his title of distinction. It is 

 one of the curious features of our national growth that we are 

 now receiving from these vast railroad corporations volumi- 

 nous pleasure guides filled with illustrations of scores of cities, 

 towns, hotels and summer reBorts equipped with every conve 

 niCDce and luxury of modem life, and all in a territory which 

 was not so long ago known only to the surveyor and the 

 devotee of wilderness adventure. The Land Commissioners' 

 pamphlets are succeeded with startling rapidity by the manu- 

 als of tourist attractions ; and close upon the heels of the 

 frontier settler follow the incursions of the pleasure seeking 

 hordes. 



The Northwest— by which term we may include Michigan, 

 Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and "the region beyond Jeri- 

 cho " — has long since taken its place in the front rank of the 

 recognized summering regions of the continent ; and intelli- 

 gent and efficient action on the part of far-seeing railroad, 

 steamboat and hotel officials is yearly fostering and greatly 

 enhancing this popularity. 



This stretch of country has been termed the " Golden 

 Northwest'' — not because of the tawny metal hidden in its 

 fissures, nor wholly because of its boundless fields of golden 

 grain ; but as well because he who will may here find health 

 of body and peace of mind, which are better than gold. 



Nbw York Association. — The last monthly meeting of 

 the New York Association for the Protection of Game was 

 held at Martinelli's, Monday last, Mr. Roosevelt, the Presi- 

 dent, in the chair. Mr. Whitehead, counsel for the Associa- 

 tion, reported that the game law now before the Legislature 

 was a change in many particulars from the one the Associa- 

 tion had tried to have passed. It had passed the Assembly, 

 and was now before the Senate. He thought some one 

 should go to Albany and examine the bill, and bring the de- 

 fects in it to the notice of the proper committee. Mr. Cuth- 

 bert agreed, saying that the proposed law was far worse than 

 the existing one, which, with all its defects, was a pretty 

 good law. Mr. Whitehead was authorized to go to Albany 

 for the purpose mentioned. We are very glad to see that 

 the members of this Association are so rapidly adopting the 

 views which, as a member of the Association, the editor of 

 this journal formerly advocated in open meeting almost 

 single-handed. We sent several weeks ago to the Game 

 Committee at Albany suggestions, already published, for so 

 modifying the existing laws as to secure greater uniformity. 



. .^#_ - 



The Summer School at Salbm, Mass.— We learn that 

 the fourth summer course in zoology will be by J. H. Emer- 

 ton, beginning July 7, and commuing four weeks. Lectures 

 will be given five times a week, and instruction in the labora- 

 tory daily, and there will be excursions for collecting and ob- 

 serving living animals at such times as may be found con- 

 venient. This course is intended especially for teachers and 

 students of High and Normal schools. Particular attention 

 will be given to practical laboratory and out-door work, which 

 will be arranged according to the wants of individual students. 

 The fee will be $10. In addition to the rooms at the museum, 

 a laboratory at the seashore will be provided this season for 

 the study of marine animals, and part of the regular course 

 will be given there. Students who use this laboratory at 

 other times will be charged extra. It will also be open to 

 other persons from June 1 to September 1, at $5 per week. It 

 is expected that a course in botany will be given at the Acade- 

 my during the summer. Board can be had in Salem at from 

 $5 to $7 a week. Those interested in this work should apply 

 to J. H. Emerton, Peabody Academy of Science, Salem, Mass. 



THE PHILOSOPHY OF FIELD SPORTS. 



THERE is scarcely any science, not even medicine or po- 

 litical economy, in which there is so much conflict of 

 opinion among even its most experienced and skillful votaries 

 as the science of the field and flood. There are here few 

 points, no matter how simple or easily settled by experiment, 

 upon which authorities will not at once take opposite sides. 

 For a great deal of this there is no valid excuse, for next to 

 chemistry, physics and natural philosophy in general there is 

 nothing more susceptible of rigorous inductive proof and 

 nothing better entitled to the name of a science than is nearly 

 all that part of hunting, shooting, fishing, etc., that lies out- 

 side of pure natural history. And even in those departments 

 of natural history where we are cut off from experiment and 

 confined to observations there is no excuso for one half the 

 confusion and uncertainty that exists. 



First among the causes of this conflict of opinion is that 

 which has played such havoc in philosophy through all the 

 ages, and will continue to trip the feet of progress so long as 

 it treads the path of time — hasty conclusions, or induction 

 from an insufficient number of instances. It is almost un- 

 necessary to illustrate a thing so obvious, but I have lately 

 seen in the columns of this paper an illustration so striking 

 that I cannot but allude to it. A correspondent, " Ivanhoe," 

 takes two finely broken Eastern dogs to hunt in the West. On 

 reaching the prairies they run riot, "raise Cain" in general, 

 and are beaten by some native dogs that happen to be lacking 

 in the requisite silken ears, satin finish, the colors and other 

 indices of noble lineage which distinguish the canine aristoc- 

 racy of "Ivanhoe." From this he jumps to the conclusion 

 {I have to quote from memory and may not get his exact 

 words), not that his dogs acted badly, but that Eastern broken 

 dogs generally act badly in the West. His next leap is still 

 more amazing, to wit, that most any sort of a cur is better for 

 Western hunting than a well bred dog, and that everything is 

 there used from a bullfoundland-poodlehound to a window- 

 mop. And yet " Ivanhoe's" letter plainly shows him to be a 

 man of intelligence Yet none of us need laugh at him, for 

 we all do the same hasty generalization upon some other sub- 

 ject, and very likely I shall tumble into into his tracks myself 

 before I get through this article, for I think no one can alto- 

 gether help it. 



Next to the last is drawing conclusions from instances that 

 would not suffice however numerous. Thus when an eminent 

 rifle authority told us of a tiger being killed with a .40 cal. 

 rifle with 40 grains of powder, the ball hitting the tiger in the 

 eye, he proved nothing at all but the good fortune of the 

 shooter. Fifty such instances would not even tend to prove 

 what he was trying to prove — the efficiency of such a ball and 

 charge for such game — until he can first give us a recipe for 

 making tigers strike an attitude ; at a short distance, too, 

 from the hunter. His argument tacitly assumes that one can 

 hit a tiger where one pleases. 



Preconceived theory blinding men's eyes to the simplest fact 

 plays here the same part it has played in every branch of in. 

 quiry since history was born. Men who are good judges of 

 distance and kill plenty of game are quite sure that their 

 long-range breech-loader " shoots level" for " 40 rod," or " 60 

 rod," although the ball drops 6 or 10 feet, or more, at those 

 distances ; and are positive that it " holds up" better at 100 

 or 150 yards than their old muzzle-loader which probably nad 

 a much straighter trajectory to 150 yards or so. They think 

 because the breech-loader, with long or mid-range bullet, 

 shoots higher at long distances that it must of course shoot 

 more on a level throughout its whole flight j and that theory 

 once in their heads all future experience models itself to the 

 theory. 



This cause of error has a powerful ally in our self-love and 

 pride which, ready armed with weapons from fancy's exhaust- 

 less arsenal, always flies to the defence of our own opinions. 

 Theoretically an impartial judge, even reason becomes a pet- 

 tifogging advocate when some cherished delusion is attacked. 

 Question the opinion of a hunter, especially of the real old 

 type, and instead ol stopping to contemplate even the bare 

 possibility of your being right, ten to one his gun is levelled 

 at once to bag your opinion. And it is quite apt to be a mere 

 blunderbuss scattering all over creation and hitting nothing, 

 but so wadded with "experience," "facts," "observation," 

 etc. , that it makes a terrific report. 



There is scarcely a science which rests so entirely upon ex- 

 perience in which the longest experience is so often worth- 

 less. " Experience" is the great war cry with which from the 

 Year 1 Anno Mundi every nonsensical notion has dashed into 

 the fight against truth. Imagination's wildest rabble always 

 marches under the imposing standard of " observation ;" hum- 

 bug always flies the captivating banner of " experiment" and 

 error is always headed by a sonorous band clanging with ob- 

 streperous blast the beguiling tune of "facts." Experience 

 is worthless until we know how it has been used ; experiment 

 is of no account until we know with what spirit it has been 

 conducted, whether to ascertain truth or prove an opinion. 

 However broad our experience may be it is too often but a 

 shallow pond from which we can scarcely dip a cupful of in 

 ference without muddying it. To some, experience is only a 

 kaleidoscope in which facts tumble into new, but systematic 

 disorder ; to others, a microscope which only makes clearer and 

 larger the first impression. We have probably all seen a child 

 in a picture-spelling book saying its lesson, "r-a-t mouse,', 

 "h-e-n chicken," etc., etc. When one of fancy's pretty pic. 

 tures is before the mind's eye we are all apt to spell out the 

 words of experience in the same manner. 



