LI) 1884.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



478 



f<wi* B H 8 Ht ld 



SNARED BIRDS. 



Editor Fi-,r.-:/ and Simim; 



in your issue of Jan. 3, your cotrespondont ''Walter 

 trices me to task for not preventing the .sale of the great 

 quantifies of snared and trapped game birds daily offered 

 li, the county of New York. I fear that "Walter 

 lias labored under a misapprehension or possibly neglected 

 to familiarize himself with the law, before holding mere- 

 sponsible for that which according to the Game Laws, it 

 would be impossible for any one to prevent. The Laws oi 

 1879, chap. 584, see. 11. provide that— 



>"i. perse, 11 shall, m. any time or place within this State* take or 



i , i ■■, njuse, Commonly called partridge, or any pinnated 



grouse", conmmaly (Jailed prairie chicken, or any spruce grouse. 



i-oimuonl.v called ( Janati a par ridge, or any quail, with any nel, trap 



anysuol p pare fltt the purpose a£ taking 



or killing any 01 such birds; iior shall any person wiUfiilh, sell, '..rex- 

 pose tor Mile, or have in his or her possession, any of the said birds, 

 alter the sume slialt have been (0 takt n or A tiled. Any person violat- 

 ing any of the provisions ot this section shall be deemed guilty of a 

 misdemeanor, and in addition thereto shall be liable to a penalty of 

 ten dollars for each bird so taken and killed or had in his possession, 

 and it shall bf la wful for any person to take ami destroy any such 

 never found set. 

 He will here see that the above law applies only to birds 

 trapped or snared in this State, and to such birds trapped or 



nt.li/ had in possession or offered for sale as 



such; ami thai, it does not apply to birds offered here for 

 ing from other States, and I know of no law thai 

 i tuier the circumstances, it would be not. only very 

 difficult, bui impossible to go into the marked and pick out 

 hi trapped or snared in the stale of New York only, 

 and prove mat the seller bad knowledge od that fact. It 

 would seem to me that tnesnreel «;e to remedy The evil so 

 lirds of this state an o incnrned, would be tohold 

 the protectors responsible in whose, districts said trapping 

 and snaring is done. If your correspondent can suggesl any 

 way by which T can overcome the above mentioned difficul- 

 ties, 1 would be very happy to hear from him. 



Joseph H. Goodwin, Jn,, 

 Fish ami Game Protector of the Second District. 



ON A CUBAN CATTLE FARM. 



EpOR the sake of variety, it maj ant be uninteresting to 

 your readers to throw in among the racy stories of 

 field sport,, D relation of an off day in which the tables were 

 turned and man for once at least, became the object of the 

 chase, when he did not hunt, but was hunted; a day in 

 lid not invariably pursue game, but was sometimes 

 in sued. A relation of how in his perambulations 

 he was induced to take a horn too much, and how he tumbled 

 about in the most unsportsmanlike and ridiculous manner, 

 as the result usual under such indiscretions. 



Thai confounded whisky flask! I don't carry it." I 

 already hear some of your readers exclaiming. Not a bit of 

 jll t assure you that "the writer, who was the subject of 

 this incident, 'had imbibed nothing stronger than water on that 

 day, and was consequently not in the. least inebriated, though 

 quite upset by the "wearing o' the green," and it happened 

 in this wise. 



The day broke clear as crystal on a cattle farm in Bejueal. 

 aild the meadow larks were singing cheerily as we took to 

 the fields in the confident expectation of good sport among 

 the quail, which were heard calling to each other in various 

 directions on their feeding grounds. Our red Irish bitch 

 snuffed the morning atmosphere with evident joyful antici- 

 pations of the word to cast off. Scarcely had we turued into 

 afield of ripening weeds and loosed" the dog, when she 

 struck the birds and stopped yvith such suddenness that she 

 nearly turned a somersault backward and pointed over her 

 shoulder. Dismounting and tying our horses.we put up a tine 

 bevy and brought four of them to bafc between ourtwoguns, 

 and marked the rest down in an adjoining field of high grass 

 in which many cattle were .grazing. 



We worked this field well, though the high grass made it. 

 heavy work for the dog; scattered in it the birds could not 

 easily ire I together again, and when found, got up singly and 

 gave us fair sport for half an hour or more. We. noticed 

 that some of the bulls did not at all like the color of ourdog, 

 and several times showed resentment at her near proximity, 

 she invariably faking refuge from their pursuit, behind her 

 master, in whose protection she seemed to have unlimited 

 confidence. Under ordinary circumstances her confidence 

 wotdd not have been misplaced, but unfortunately on this 

 particular day, her master was clad in a new grass-colored 

 shooting suit 'that was nearly as provoking to the bulls as 

 olor of the dog, 'and they had hinted as much 

 several times by sullen looks and bellowingfl, as we passed 

 near to I hem. 'Thinking it to be mere idle threatening*. I 

 gave no heed to them, hut when about leaving the field, pass- 

 ing near to one of tlicm. I suddenly heard a rushing and 

 simultaneously a warning cry from toy companion« A rapid 

 glance behind discovered the burly head and horns lowered 



i charge within two feet of me. The wink of an eye 



is up adequate comparison of the time 1 occupied in pirouet- 

 ting sid'ewise upon my right foot in an instinctive movement 

 ouUit the line of tire," but quick as was that movement, the 

 bull's velocity was still greater. Though my personal avoir- 

 caped those tricked points, yet my lingering coat- 

 tails were not so fortunate. 1 never before hid any just 

 idea of the strength of the material of which these suits are 

 made, but now am willing to tm.ke affidavit in favor of their 

 manufacture's, though I would humbly suggest that they 

 might be safer anion- the bull , with buttons and sleeves 

 sely sewed on. 



In an instant I was performing revolution,, gun in hand. 

 pvel- the bull's back with an agility that would break the 

 heart of an ordinary circus athlete with envy, Never before 

 nor since did I take a horn that elevated me so suddenly or 

 so high. My personal dignity was annihilated ina jiffy, and 

 I was transformed into a trifle light as air. and traveling 

 through it at the rate of a mile a minute. Of what retro 

 spective memories crowded upon me in thai brief Bpiiee of 

 absence from this earthly sphere, 1 retain but a confused 

 idea. The first that I distinctly do remember ther.-aftcr. is 

 the moment when my head was trying to make a hole in the 

 ground, and of the lively satisfaction I felt on realizing that 

 1 1 nic small potatoes, quite unworthy of his 

 furl her attentions. In that critical moment I evii 



iji , ,,-,, . 



Cle, and even felt considerably humiliated iu the measure of 

 brains on reflecting upon how I persistently flirted that new- 

 green suit into the very eyes of the noble beasts in spite of 

 their frequent protests. Finally peering over the tall grass, 

 to whose kindly offices I was indebted for the soft place in 

 which I fell, and for shielding my hiding place from those 

 glaring eyeballs. I discovered the faithful dog anxiously 

 inquiring "about to know what had become of her master, 

 and a gray streak leading out of the field marked the line 

 ot retreat where auotherpair of coat-tails had been. 



The roll call of the various members of my body showed 

 none of them to have been broken or disabled. A bad 

 scare and lame neck, shoulder and hand (putting in their 

 appearance the next day) made up the suui of casualties for 

 the encounter. 



The subscriber was in no hurry to show himself above 

 thai grass, and did ut care much about who owned that bull, 

 feeling just then that he himself had not lost any loro, and 

 had noiuclination to look for other people's property. Besides, 

 he "wanted to go home." lest there might be some one sick 

 in the family. 



Suddenly remembering that there might be game in the 

 next Bold into which hie companion had vanished, and 

 having heard it said that, it would be an unskillful sportsman 

 who notified the game of his approach, he sneaked away 

 stooping low iu trie grass, so that the game might uot dis- 

 cover his movements. 



Since that day he has been counseling all his friends to be 

 prudent in the '"'wearing o' the green," when John Bull puts 

 on a sullen look, to take heed lest some of their idols should 

 get badly broken, and remove their shooting jackets to a 

 safer distance. Above all to be assured if they continuously 

 flirt the objectionable color provokiugly in his von eye:-', 

 Irish setter's will only endanger their American friends with- 

 out finding any safe refuge behind them. Nioio. 



Havana. Dec. 20, 1888. 



THE CHOICE OF HUNTING RIFLES. 



Dknveb, Col., Dec. 27, 1888. 

 Settlor Sbmt anil Slrmm: 



Your columns have in the last three: or four weeks con- 

 tained considerable discussion about rifles, growing out of a 

 call by some one for a more effective— in weight — magazine 

 arm, " I have no doubt that if enough of the men who buy 

 rifles want such a weapon it will be provided for them, but 

 1 know I hat the game killers of the West are not, by a large 

 majority, admirers of any kind of magazine gun. They 

 are' afraid of them and consider them unreliable. Once in 

 a while you find a hunter who is partial to the magazine 

 rifle and carries if, habitually, bul such belong to a very 

 small minority. 



I will relate one instance to illustrate how prejudice, or 

 preferences grow. 



I was one of twenty-six men who set out, iu pursuit of a 

 band of hostile Indians. We were well armed, but not 

 unifonnily. There were good reasons to believe that the 

 Indians would expect pursuit, and consequently our pro- 

 gress should be with caution. There were strict orders 

 against straggling and firing. Most of the guns were carried 

 slung to the saddle horn, with the muzzle downward. Dur- 

 ing the night lhat ended our fourth day's march one of the 

 men. who carried a magazine rifle, discovered that it would 

 network. His announcement caused others with similar 

 arms to examine their condition, and the result was that not 

 izine rifle was in a condition to be fired 8 single 

 time in any emergency. The jolting had imbedded the CM r- 

 ridges into each other, point and butt, to such an extent that 

 the' machinery was completely and most effectually disabled. 

 The fact created a panic, and more than half the force 

 I limed back. Among those who continued the pursuit there 

 was not a magazine rifle, and I believe all carried Sharps 

 except one, who had a Springfield army musket converted 

 into a breech-loader and familiarly known as a needle gun. 



It may be said that this was a remarkable case— the carry- 

 ing of loaded guns for four days on horseback. Granted 

 that it'was. Guns are wanted for just such emergencies, 

 and for countless others. We did not knoyv but that at any 

 moment in all of those four days we might be tired upon by 

 a concealed foe, and consequently needed our guns at the in- 

 stant. In fact, we expected it, and when the fact was re- 

 vealed that in such an emergency all our men who carried 

 magazine rifles would have been completely defenseless, the 

 effect was simply paralyzing. Only the man who has "been 

 there" can realize it. It is possible these arms would not 

 have been disabled iu one day's march, or in two days or 

 three days, but it is certain that they were "played out" at 

 the end of the fourth day, and not one of those twenty-,ix 

 men would ever again trust that kind of gun. 



The man who is expert in handling a gun can lead it at 

 the breech about as fast as it is ever necessary to fire, whether 

 at men or other animals. He has his cartridges in a belt 

 about his waist, and can linger them and the machinery of 

 his piece rapidly enough to make his target dizzy if it is an 

 animate object." The pump-handle arrangement for loading 

 is more speedy, of course, for a tyro, and he can keep up a 

 terrible rattle" if the old thing works, until his magazine is 

 empty, and then he may have time to climb a tree. 



Middle-aged and elderly readers will remember thai a regi- 

 ment or more in the Army of the Shenandoah, twenty odd 

 years ago, were armed with magazine rifles as an experi- 

 ment. The men succeeded in killing and wounding more of 

 themselves and their friends than they did of the enemy, and 

 as a simple measure of self-preservation the arms had to lie 

 taken away from them W. N". B. 



Editoi Fort*/ and Stmam: 



Having spent some fourteen years in the Wesl, and having 

 limited large game in Kansas. Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, 

 New Mexico and Arizona. 1 hope that "Straight Stock's" 

 prediction respecting the coining .4U-eal., with powder I to 

 lead S fa caliber and charge proportioned exactly right, iu 

 my opinion), may be verified. 



The experience 1 have gained in long-range shooting at; 

 large game will last me the balance of my lifetime, It is 

 neither humane nor satisfactory when closely scanned — better 

 allow the game to go unfrightencd than to open a fusilade at 

 over 200 yards to obtain the range. The ,#-90-270 has a flat 

 trajectory up to 300 yards, and will kill buffalo or elk, for 

 in '75 1 tried them both (see 'Hunt ing Wapiti on the Loup," 

 in Forest and Stream of May 4 and 1 1 , 1876). 



I could never use a patched express ball with satisfaction. 

 on account of a powder crust forming in front of shell, even 

 when using Curtis & Ha" Ust would 



wrinkle or teat' the patch. 



I tandh prefer the naked express ball, with hollow but a 



iritie ,.,ver "oi.e -Meentl. inch in. diameter ami extending 



two-thirds the length of the ball, and clean my rifle the first 

 opportunity after tiring. By the way. every hunting rifle 

 should have a wiping-rod about it. G. N. B. 



Delpho8, Kan., January. 1SS4. 



Editor Ft/rt-'t and Stream: 

 Is it a foregone conclusion that the ammunition for the 



.10-90 repeater now being discussed should be straight shells. 

 or contain a 500-grain bullet': 



On the contrary, in order to avoid lengthening out the 

 l.rcech frame of the new rifle to an inordinate length and 

 thereby lengthening the gun for the same length of barrel, 

 Would it not be better to adapt a bottle-necked" shell to this 

 rifle, the "bottle" part, to be made larger than those of this 

 style now made for Sharps and Remington special rifles" 



Again, are we not looking for a "hunting rifle" to have 

 high velocity and flat trajectory at hunting distances, and 

 would we therefore want the 500-grain bullet? Would we 

 not rather want a light ball of not more than 300 grains 

 weight, and would not. this ball, driven by the 90 grains 

 powder, more nearly till the bill and have all the killing power 



We now have cartridges of .40-00 size, carrying a bullet of 

 370 grains, and they only measure about 3| inches in length 

 to the point of the bullet; by enlarging the bottle part to a 

 greater diameter, this cartridge even could be shortened, so 

 that wc would not be compelled to use a 4-inch cartridge. 



We already have a repeater with breech mechanism 

 adapted to take in cartridges about 21 inches long, so that the 

 lengthening necessary to lake iu the ctf-inch new shell would 

 be but three-quarters of an inch, and certainly this can be. 

 done i m almost any of the forms of breech mechanism of the 

 lever type without weakening them, especially in those (hut 

 have an automatic-locking arrangement that" locks the bolt 

 aud holds it in place. 



Another point in favor of the short cartridge is to save, as 

 much length as possible, in order to be able to put a consid- 

 erable number in the magazine. The shorter the cartridge. 

 the more the magazine will hold and the more shots there 

 will be in reserve or for rapid firing from the magazine. 



Again, if the 500 grain bullet should be wanted for special 

 long-range firing or for work on heavy game close at hand, 

 could not the same size shell be used, the quantity of powder 

 compressed or diminished enough to allow the 500-grain bul- 

 let to be seated deep enough not to lengthen the cartridge? 



We might nol then have a .40-00-500 rifle, but we would 

 have a rifle that would have enough powder to carry the long 

 aud heavy ball to great distances, and with great killing 

 power even at thesu distances, or enough to drive the heavy 

 ball through large and dangerous game at short distances, 

 when the paralyzing effect ,,f ,-, heavy blow aud , great pene- 

 tration also might be needed. 



Let me say that the increase in the charge of powder up 

 te fill grains was not recommended because the. lighter 

 charges did nol give enough killing power when the ball hit, 

 but because the trajectory was not as flat as it might be, 

 and the heavier charge would drive the ball swifter, and. 

 therefore, in a much flatter trajectory. That the light 

 charges give killing power enough ordinarily will, I think, 

 hi admitted when if, is known tbaUheJGoVernment .45-55-405 

 cartridge in the carbine will send a bullet through five inches 

 of pine" and then bury itself in the dirt with a vicious thud, 

 at 1,200 yards; this f hav.v-eeu myself repeatedly at long- 

 range target firing. 



Let us hear from others interested, for by such means We 

 learn what is best suited for our work and attract the atten- 

 tion of makers to our wants. 0. D. 

 Wyoming, December. 1SS-J. 



Editor Forest ami Stream: 



I desire to call attention to one or two misprints iu an 

 article upon this subject which appeared in your last issue, 

 otherwise a wrong impression might be produced. It should 

 read Oil -rain- instead of "160 grains," :'!2-inch barrel instead 

 of "tl2 inch bore," and some less important, as "on't" in 

 stead of "on it," defect instead of "effect. " etc. 



I notice that I have omitted to give the extreme diameter 

 of the Globe or Lyman patent sight (No. 3 in diagram). 

 This is a little less" than f inch, and the larger aperture 

 (the one generally used) is about 1-16 inch diameter. 



Your correspondent "Peabody-Martini," who seems so 

 skeptical as to the practical utility and effectiveness of the 

 ,40-90-500 cartridge upon game, aud who would attempt to 

 throw ridicule upon the practical experience of "non-theo- 

 retic game shots" and the lessons derived therefrom, selling 

 up in Opposition thereto his personal (and as we would infer, 

 rather limited) experience upon a few antelope and possibly 

 deer, is bardlv deserving of an answer. 



Before saying more let it be distinctly understood that, tin's 

 is a discussion. of the merits of the hunting rifle, and that 

 anything which relates to the use of the rifle for target pur- 

 poses only is entirely foreign to it, and should be as far as 

 possible kept out of it. 



As your correspondent seems so desirous of knowing where 

 are made rifles— single loaders— which will use this cartridge 

 satisfactorily, and more especially because in so doing 1 give 

 praise where it is due. I will attempt to enlighten him. 



Such a rifle is made entirely by hand, by F. W. Freund. 

 of Cheyenne, Wyo. Ter.. and is known as "Fremiti's 

 Patent improved Sharps Rifle." There are several, so 1 am 

 informed, on exhibition at the office of E. L. Richards & 

 Co., 52 Broad street. New York. 



These are perhaps the favorite rifle in the Wesl with those 

 who can afford so expensive a luxury and to whom the;, are 

 known, for onlv a comparatively small number of them have 

 been made. They are of .40 and .45 caliber, their advan- 

 tages over other single rifles are manifold, and I consider 

 that for a single shot there is uo more effective rifle made — 

 it being understood for reasons enumerated that my prefer- 

 ence in given to the repeater. They are what they claim to 

 be, "an improvement upon the Sharps rifle" what higher 

 praise could be given to a rifle'.' A, to penetration, I would 

 almost guarantee your correspondent that a .40-00 improved 

 Sharps will throw" a 500-grain bullet clean through tic 

 telope standing side by side every time. There is nothing 

 SO remarkable in this when we consider how small and how 

 lightly built these animals are. They are uot so solidly built 

 inside as a deer for example. Any one who has shot any 

 number of them has probably heard' the sound produced by 

 the bullet striking an antelope. If is very different from the 

 thud of a bullet striking a. buffalo, aud resemble, more the 

 sound which is borne to you when a barrel has been hit 

 some distance off. 



I do not know anything annul scientific target shooting, 

 and care f, u f Mrtle tejril, having .bank deeply of the delights 



of that other distini 



sent! -ill mwn 



