412 



FOREST AjND STREAM. 



GAME PROTECTION. 

 THE MIGRATORY QUAIL 



WE publish herewith a cut of the Migratory Quail, taken 

 from Morris's "British Birds" and believed to be a 

 very satisfactory figure of the new American game bird. This 

 quail is between one-half and two-thirds the size of our Onyx 

 virginiavux ; ai lighter color, rufous brown, suffused with 

 fulvous ; bill, slim, long aDd less arched ; legs slendor and 

 nearly flesh color; wings larger proportionately than our 

 quail. The female constructs her nest, a mere depression in. 

 the ground, in June and July, and lays from eight to fourteen 

 eggs, wbileitih-gray marked with large brown spots. They do 

 not mate, the male being a polygamist and a desperate fighter 

 in the early season. Ilis call is a twice repeated whistle. 

 Food i grain, herbs, hemp, poppy and turnip seeds; insects 

 and insects' eggs and larva;. When not migrating they be- 

 come very plump, and properly prepared for the table are di- 

 licious morsels. As would naturally be expected from its 

 long migrations the bird is strong and rapid of wing and pos- 

 sesses in this respect every qualification for fully testing the 

 skill ot the sportsman. According to Mundie, the migratory 

 quail which appear in England feed in the early morning and 

 in the evening, and squat at mid day, when they will not flush 



between St. Petersburgh and Cronstadt, said to be the work 

 of incendiaries ; many vessels got on shore, and the steamers 

 could not run On account of the density of the smoke. Mr. 

 Booker, a worthy gentleman and a universal favorite, was 

 British Consul at Cronstadt at that period, and he kindly in- 

 vited me to be one of a large party to dine with him on 

 Coronation Day. There was also to be a ball, illumination, 

 fire-works, etc. We managed to get the vessel to sen, and, 

 with a fair wind, I bid adieu to our hospitable consul, spite 

 of his entreaties to remain. Business before pleasure, Mr 

 Booker! We had a fine run down the Gulf of Finland, but 

 in passing the east end of the Island of Gothland, with the 

 wind off the land, the captain shaved too close, and stuck her 

 on a flat, sunken rock. The greater part of the cargo had to 

 be landed to get her off, and I had to go to Wisby, the capital 

 of the island, to settle matters and have the necessary docu- 

 ments drawn up. 



Our Consul introduced me to the Governor, Baron Seder- 

 strom, a general in the Swedish army, who fought at Water- 

 loo and sported a wooden leg as his share of hot and glory. 

 I received a great deal of kindness during my stay in Wisby 

 from the worthy Baron, the Baroness, his amiable and hand- 

 some wife, his secretary and aid-de-camp, Lieut. Run], and 

 other notables, who vied with each other in attention and 

 hospitality. Lieut. Ruul finding I was a sportsman, proposed 

 a day's partridge shooting, which I gladly assented to. The 

 Baron kindly lent me a splendid Manton, with all necessary 

 outfit aud ammunition, sending one of his servants to carry 

 the game. The Consul, Mr. Jackson, the secretary and my- 

 self were the sportsmen, and ou the 1st of October we started 

 after breakfast on foot, half an hour's walk bringing us to 



COTURNIX COMMUNIS. 



until a dog is quite upon them ; and Bechstein, the careful 

 German naturalist, says that in Germany in August and Sep- 

 tember the young birds if marked down may sometimes be 

 caught with the hand as they f quat flat upon the ground. As 

 to the migratory habits of the quail our Malaga, Spain, cor- 

 respondent wrote in April of last year: 



Its winter home is in northern Africa, in the plains south 

 of of the Atlas Mountains, whence it takes its departure in 

 Lirtir- bodies in the month of April, crossing over to Spain at 

 points from Tarifa on the Atlantic coast to Cape St. Martin on 

 the Mediterranean in the province of Alicante; and their 

 flight occurs generally at night and near the time of the full 

 moan. II the wind should be strong from either the west 

 (Poniente) or from the east (Lavante) at such time they seek 

 the narrower points between Africa and Europe, near Gibralter, 

 to cross. They usually alight upon some hill or mountam, 

 where they rest one day, when they again continue their 

 journey en masse and in such a complete manner that the 

 following day not one can be found. Their next resting place 

 is on tho northern slopes of the Sierra Morena Mountains, 

 from whence they descend to the plains throughout Castile, 

 Aragon isnd Estremadura, and scatter for breeding, and re- 

 main until the young birds are strong enough to bear the return 

 journey to Africa in the months of September, Octobor and 

 November; but this is accomplished in smaller detatchtnents 

 than riming the entrance into Spain and in Africa, but not 

 it numbers sufficient for sport out of of their regular season. 



Correspondents may materially serve the gentlemen and 

 clubs who have engaged in this enterprise by sending us notes 

 of any observations of the birds, their appearance and habits. 

 By thus keeping the readers of Fokest and Stream (and that 

 means the great body of sportsmen everywhere) fully informed 

 upon the subject, interest in the work will be maintained, aud 

 we shall before a great while possess positive data for determin- 

 ing the success or failure of the Migratory Quail importation. 



IMPORTATION OF EUROPEAN PAR- 

 TRIDGE. 



Editok Foehst and Stream \ 



You ask for information respecting European partridges. 

 " Have they been imported? Wheu, where, how, and with 

 what results?" I am not aware that any have been imported 

 into Canada, but I know of their successful introduction 

 into an island in the Baltic, where the climate is quite as se- 

 vere, it not more so, and their prospects certainly far less 

 favorable than they would be in any part of this province. 

 In 1826 I went to St. Petersburgh in a new clipper brigantme 

 named the Btutw, of wh'ch I was part owner, as supercargo, 

 She drew too roach water to pass the. bar, consequently we 

 lay in the Merchant's Mole, at Cronstadt— a splendid basin, 

 apable of holding 1,000 sail of merchantmen. It. joins the 

 jlaiM ['-war's Mole, where the Russian Baltic fleet winters. 

 That, was the year in which the Emperor Nicholas was 

 crowned, and great preparations were made during our stay. 

 But, the ceremony was delayed on account of revolutionary 

 tumors. A vast extent of forest and villages were burned 



stubble and turnip fields. Friend Ruul had a well-trained 

 dog, and in a couple of hours we had bagged some ten brace 

 of as fine partridges as I ever saw. The coveya were numer- 

 ous, each containing quite as many birds as the average I 

 have seen in England or France. 



These birds were imported from France four years previ- 

 ously, and their destruction s'rictly forbidden during that 

 period, ours being the first known to ba shot— and that for 

 my special gratification. I considered it would be unfair to 

 continue the sport, and we returned to the capita!. 



The whole island is a bed of limestone, and so utterly de- 

 void of soil that i was astonished how crops could be raised. 

 It is well timbered throughout, down to the water's edge, the 

 roots of the trees striking in the crevices of the limestone. 

 Only twenty couple of partridge* were introduced, 1 believe, 

 and they cannot have been poached, or otherwise destroyed, 

 to have increased so rapidly in four years. The Baron "hav- 

 ing been the chief promoter of the introduction of the birds, 

 was justly proud of his success. 



Now, if partridges taken from sunny France can thrive and 

 multiply in such an Island as Gothland, how much more like- 

 ly are they to succeed on this continent 1 Let some of your 

 sporting clubs take the matter up and import a few couple 

 from both England and France, for which you have every 

 facility in New York, and I have no doubt that the result will 

 be less dangerous to the peace of mind of some of your worthy 

 citizens than has been the importation of my little friend the 

 sparrow. How little the impudent rogue dreams of his im- 

 portance, and the war of words he has crealed ! 



Would it not. be advisable in the event of European part- 

 ridges being imported in the fall to have a suitable place 

 secured to winter them, giving them their liberty the end of 

 March or the first week in April, according to the state of the 

 weather ? 



Should any American tourist visit the Baltic next summer 

 I would strongly recommend a halt of a few days at Wisbj'. 

 An antiquarian will not consider it a loss of either time or 

 money, and will doubtless revel in exploring the ruins of fine 

 old churches and castles, dating from the* eleventh, twelfth 

 and thirteenth centuries. I have a hook published in Stock- 

 holm in 1823, containing eleven plates and a descriptive his- 

 tory of the ruins ot Wisby, also a silver dollar in excellent 

 preservation of the reign ot the great Gustavus, having on 

 one side what f presume to be a good likeness of his Majesty, 

 which I found among the ruins of St. Clement's church, 

 Wisby. I would part with both to some society or institution. 

 It was on this island that I saw and heard that noble bird, the 

 Cock of the Woods. Pniui- Vibbbt. 



Perci, District of Batepi, April 29, 1870. 



Mioeatoky Quail in New Juksey. — Belmdere, New Jersey, 

 June 23 —EdiWr For est and Stream : Cage of migratory quail 

 arrived here June !), eleven short, two blind and one lama. 

 They were set free in locks ot ten aud twenty in I he manner 

 suggested m yimt paper, I heal' of them every day as re- 

 miou'ing in the localities where placed, and everybody seems 

 to be interested iu them. While they were yet iu the cage a 

 gentleman who came to see them told me that one Henry 

 O'Braniger, at Easton, Pa., winged one last fall when gun- 

 ning, his dog having pointed it. He caught it and caged and 

 kepi it for two months, the supposition being that it was a 



cross between a meadow lark and a native quail. I have also I 

 heard to day that a large number of Mum were seen in the I 

 Great Meadows, near Danville, iu this county, last fall. I 

 shall inquire about this further. ELbjhjy S. Hakbis. 



Mtgratoby Quail in Ntw Hampshire — Editor Forest 

 and (Stream : I am happy to be able to report to you the sat- 

 isfactory results in securing our migratory quail. The cage 

 arrived here June 18, containing 00 biids— all in excellent 

 condition. They seem to be doing well since they were let 

 loose. I think our club (the West Lebanon Sporting Club) 

 will send for more next winter. M. S. Woodman. 



West Lebanon, N. If., June 21, 1879. 



No Woodcock fob the Fourth of July. — The new game 

 law makes the close season for woodcock throughout the 

 State extend to August 1. There will therefore he no shoot- 

 ing on Long Island this Fourth as there has been hitherto. 



New York.— Clifton Springs, June 7.— The "Ontario 

 County Sportsman's Association," organized here June 3, 

 Isaah Tiffany, President ; Sherman Mosher, Vice-President; 

 Henry Tiffany, Secretary ; John E. Devereaux, Treasurer; 

 J. W. Yan Alien, Attorney. Our President is a veteran trout 

 fisher, for many years a resident and prominent business man 

 of Plica. Our Vice-President was formerly Chairman of 

 Board of Supervisors of this county. Membership is large. 

 We propose "to break up fishing with nets in the outlet of the 

 Canandaigua Lake, which is the best bass grounds in this part 

 of the State. Pot-hunters aud violators of the game laws 

 will do well to keep out of this county. X. 



Lyooming Sportsmen's Club. — The Lycoming Sports- 

 men's Club, of Williamsport, IV, have elected the following 

 officers for the year ensuing: President, EL S. Lucas; Vice- 

 President, Harry Tallman: Secretary, J. W. P. Parsons; 

 Treasurer, August Koch. The president aud vice-president 

 are ex officio members of the executive committee, and the 

 following additional members were elected to serve on the 

 committee.! De La Green, J. J. Rjardon, H. L. White, 

 Edmund Koch and Charles Hagan. 



THE MUSCONETCONG TROUT. 



Bloumseury, IT, J., June 7, lstn. 

 Editor Forest and Stream : 



In your issue of May 1 iliere appeared an article la regard to itie 

 slocking ot Masconetcong Oreelc, la New Jersey, signed "Augmenter." 

 Your correspondent has certainly been misinformed. In the first pluce 

 lie states that " between the years of 1S63 aDd 1872 the ihree proprie- 

 tors of Trout.iaie Ponds," etc. Now, Dr. J. II. Slack purchased the 

 place In 1387, and was the only proprietor until hia death in lsu. A 

 short Mme before he purchased Hie place about lod.ouo trout fry, wlilch 

 tiad been hatched by Mr. Norris— the former owner of Troutdale— es- 

 caped from the hatching-house Into the Husconetcong. In order to 

 get some of them hacf, Dr. Slack paid from $10 to $20 per thousand the 

 drat year he owned the ponds, aud bought 20,000. This 1b all that were 

 taken from the creek, and for every trout taken from the creek he re- 

 pUoed at least a thousand. But ( f course it did no good, as the creek 

 was filled with ftsh baskets, and the people were continually Ashing 

 with every kind ot net, and destroyed alt the young fish. Cau this ba 

 called "unfair means?''' la it not fair to eatoh iish and sell them, and 

 is it tot fair lo buy anything offered for sale, provided it has not been 

 stolen ? Has not eveiy oDe a riKht to fish in waters that have not been 

 stocked by the Fbh Commissioners? But the Musconetcong has been 

 stocked by thB Commission with salmon and black baas, and there is a 

 taw prohibiting Ashing for three years In any stream stocked by the 

 State. It is now not quite two years since the Ush were placed there, 

 but the people ot Bloomsbury, I am told— and Indeed I have seen tbeui 

 —are continually Ashing with nets, although It is illegil. How, I think 

 that if the people of that town were really troubled about the Ashing 

 in the Jlusconetcong, they wonM ace to It that the law be enforced, 

 and that the young A3h placed there bB protected. "Aogmenter" has 

 certainly hit on a novel way of catching Ush. Allow me to congntu- 

 late him on it. I have never heard of inch a thing, although I do " not 

 live a great many miles from Bloomsbury." It Is very kind in him to 

 publish It, for If it is as successful as he Implies, It will be well worth 

 trying. This la the way in which the little Aah in Troutdale Fonda 

 were fed several years ago, and thia is the only use I have over seen 

 the heads of animals put to. If this "tolling" "Augmenter" speaks 

 of is going on In the Musconetcong, it ts the duty of your correspond- 

 ent, as a law-abiding citizen, to have it stopped ; for there is a law 

 forbidding any one to Aah there with any kind ot a net. And it is lo be 

 hoped that he will attend lo this matter at once. Justice. 



Bloomsboky, N. J., Jane 9, 1S79. 

 Editor Forest and Streak : 



1 6»w an article in an Issne of your psper headed "Tolling for Trout," 

 wherein your correspondent speaka of having seen a place where they 

 are baited, and also of having seen u net hauled around them alter 

 they were "baited.' Now, aa a disciple of Walton, I will offer 

 a premium to him If he will furnish tho name of the parties, 

 and I will guarantee to prosecute them to the full extent 

 of the law. We have tt law prohibiting the U8e of any 

 nets in our inland waters, and it is greatly to be regretted 

 that It t-i not fully enforced. " Austnenter" Is sadly misin- 

 formed in regard to the stream, and also the ponds of which he writes. 

 I could ineniion several expert anglers who visited the Museonetoong In 

 the year IS07, including such names aa the hue Ttmddeus Noma— the 

 then proprietor of Troutdale Poada. I will say that it was theu regret- 

 ted by all of us tliat such astreani had been allowed to bceomedeplcied 

 by excessive Aahing, not only by aDgllng, but there was a Aah basket 

 at that time every few hundred yards for the whole length of tne 

 Biream. A'ao, nets of all descriptions were uso'i, and are to the pres- 

 ent day, by day and by night, -.bus either catohtag ail ttie trout, bats 

 etc, or driving them from their spawning-grounds, and forcing them 

 to seek some other abode. Mr. Norris purchased 100,000 trout eggs In 

 the winter of lsoo and isut of Jlr. Seih Green, and hatched them at 

 Troutdale, and early in the following spring they all escaped to tho 

 stream. The place was purchased by the late Dr. Slack In too summer 

 of '67, and the following spring he purchased of whoever cAVred 

 them tor sale 20,oeo of the fry that had escaped from Sir. Xorrls. Thus 

 the establishment purchased tne eggs in tho Aral, Instance, paid for 

 hatching ihem, purchased 80,00(1 of their own ash that had escaped, at 

 a good round price, tllus benefiting at least Borne of the now croakers,, 

 ami said nothing of, the remaining 80,000 llial. people 1 the stream, and 

 which cost iiuit institution (Troutdale) about (1,000 in reudy money. If 

 "Augmenter" and his friends win step out with s small proportion each 

 of the above amount, anJ taen exert rnemselvea to destroy all illegal 

 Ashing, and protect the Ash which have been planted In the streams and 

 tributaries under the auspices o£ the Commissioners of Fisheries, there 

 will Be no occasion to call upon one single individual through your col- 

 umns to restock some thirty miles or more of the Musconetcong at his 



