FOREST AND STREAM. 



",5 - 



GAME PROTECTION. 



New York Society for the Protection of Game.— 

 This Association held its first monthly meeting of this 

 present season on Monday evening, at the house of the 

 President, Mr. Royal Phelps, about forty members being 

 present. The President called the meeting to order at 9 

 o'clock, taking his seat in the magnificent chair made of 

 bucks' horns and fawn skins, which used to be filled by 

 honorable Presidents of this Society in those years when 

 its deliberations were held in a club room, and not at 

 private residences as now. When the social character of 

 the organization was modified, the late lamented Secretary, 

 Mr. Hays, the artist, became its custodian. His widow has 

 now requested the Society to take charge of the old relic, 

 and it accordingly resumes its time honored functions — 

 honored no less now than then by the gentleman who has 

 for successive years efficiently and courteously discharaged 

 the office of President. 



The Secretary read a great mass of correspondence from 

 all parts of America and Europe containing many flattering 

 testimonials to the valuable services performed by the As- 

 sociation in protecting game, and requesting information 

 for localities in which new protective clubs are about to be 

 formed. 



In the course of his remarks the President said that the 

 Committee on Amendments to the Game Law had decided 

 to recommend the prohibition of killing quail during Octo- 

 ber, thus reducing the open season for killing this bird to 

 November and December. The committee were anxious 

 to know what were the wishes of the people of this State, 

 outside of the city, and in the Western States, in regard to 

 the time for selling venison in the city of New York. It 

 is now allowed to be sold in September, October, Novem- 

 ber, December, and January, and while the Association 

 disclaimed any intention of going outside of the city to see 

 that the laws are enforced, it has been determined to spare 

 no effort to see them faithfully executed in the city. 



Deer can only be killed in this State under the present 

 law during September, October, and November, and in Suf- 

 folk county only during the first fifteen days of November, 

 under a penalty of $50 for each deer. December and Jan- 

 uary have been thought to be sufficient additional time for 

 getting the deer to market, and disposing of them, but if 

 the people in the localities where the deer are killed want 

 a longer or shorter time this Association would be glad to 

 hear from them. As the law now stands in this State, the 

 open season for killing quail is from Oct. 1 to Jan. 1; par- 

 tridges and prairie chickens from Sept. 1 to Jan. 1, except 

 in Suffolk county, where it commences Oct. 1; woodcock 

 from July 4 to Feb. 1; trout from March 15 to Sept. 15. 

 But dealers are allowed all of January and February to 

 dispose of their stock of quail, partridges, and prairie 

 chickens, provided they prove that such birds or game 

 were killed within the period provided by this act, or were 

 killed outside of the limits of this State at some place 

 where the law did not prohibit such killing. After a 

 lengthened discussion the matter was laid over "until next 

 meeting, when final action will be taken. 



The President said that there were pending in the courts 

 three suits brought by the Association for having trout, and 

 twelve for having game out of season, all of which, now 

 that the courts have resumed business, would be pushed 

 to trial . 



On motion the club unanimously appropriated $2,000 to 

 he made use of by the Executive Committee in rewarding 

 and paying detectives and lawyers during the present sea- 

 son. The President announced in appropriate terms, the 

 death of an old and valued member of the Association, Mr. 

 Ocden Haggerty. 



On motion, three practical sportsmen were added to the 

 Committee on Game Laws, to report at the next meeting 

 of the Association. After the transaction of some routine 

 business, the meeting adjourned, and the members repaired 

 to the supper-room, where Mr. Phelps' usual hospitality 

 was partaken of. This influential association now numbers 

 seventy-seven active, and lour honorary members. The in- 

 itiation fee is $50 and the annual dues $10. 



The Luzerne County Sportsmen's Club. — This club 

 has been distinguishing itself by vigorous action in the 

 way of prosecuting offenders. Our contemporar}', Turf, 

 Field and Farm, thus speaks of it:— 



"This vigorous young organization, which now numbers 

 fifty members, hefd its third meeting on the 1st of Novem- 

 ber. The Club, before it was three weeks in existence, 

 prosecuted and convicted a greedy pot-hunter, Samuel Ed 

 wards by name, of a violation of the game laws, and he 

 was mulcted in the sum of thirty-six dollars for snaring 

 ruffed grouse. He has already destroyed two hundred 

 birds this season. The following are the officers of the 

 Luzerne County Sportsmen's Club: President, H. H. Derr; 

 Yice President, W. B. Mann; Counsel, W. H. McCartney, 

 Clerk, B. F. Dorrance; Treasurer, S. Ay res, Jr.; Directors, 

 Dr. Crawford, H. C. Gates G. C. Parrish, W. I. Harry, 

 W. D. Loomis, Charles Leonard, A. Miller, J. Lanning, H. 

 A. Laycock and J. M. Courtright. We like to register the 

 names of such earnest brethern of the rod and gun, and 

 would rather give them credit for the conviction of one 

 such poaching fellow as Samuel Edwards than lor having 

 made a miraculous score on tame pigeons sprung from a 

 trap." 



Sportsman's Club. — A number of prominent citizens of 

 TJniontown, Fayette eounty, Penn., have organized them- 

 selyes into a sportsman's club, for the purpose of insuring 

 a better observance of the laws for the protection of fish 

 and game. The officers appointed are as follows: Presi- 

 dent, Gen. S. M. Baily; Secretary, A. D. Boyd; Treasurer, 

 R. H. Lindsay. On motion, it was resolved that R. H. 

 Lindsay, Z. B. Springer, C. H. Beall, S. M. Baily, and 

 Thomas Hadden be a committee to prepare a constitution 

 and by-laws. The name of this organization is "The 

 Sportsman's Club of Fayette county," and acceptable per- 

 sons in the various townships of the county are solicited to 

 become members. 



Virginia Association for the Protection of Fish 

 and Game.— A meeting of the citizens of Virginia, repre- 



senting different parts of the State, having for its object 

 the organization of an association to promote the multipli- 

 cation of fish and game in this Commonwealth, was held 

 at Richmond recently. Col. J. L. Eubank was called to 

 the chair, and Mr. John Graeme elected Secretary. The 

 Chairman appointed Dr. Robertson of Lynchburg, Col. W. 

 Perkins of Buckingham, and Major Alex. A. Little of 

 Fredericksburg, a Committee on Permanent Organization. 

 The Committee on Permanent Organization recommended 

 the election of the following officers: President, Alexander 

 Moseley; Vice President, Dr. M. G. Elzey, Blacksburgh; 

 Dr. W. B. Robertson, Lynchburg; Capt. J. Warner Lewis, 

 Brunswick county. Secretary and Treasurer, Peyton John- 

 ston, of Richmond. Executive Committee, Dr. Richards, 

 of King William; Hon W- W. Crump, of Richmond; and 

 Marshall Parks, of Norfolk. A committee was appointed 

 to prepare and report a constitution and by-laws for the 

 government of the Association. 



A Virginia correspondent writes:— 



"We hope to get a good law from our Legislature, pre- 

 venting the killing or taking game out of season by any 

 one, (even owners of land or water) thus protecting animals 

 at their breeding seasons. The Norfolk Game Protective 

 Association has issued circulars invoking united action 

 on the part of naturalists, farmers, sportsmen, and good 

 citizens generally. Interest in healthy sport, in fish cul- 

 ture, game preservation and such subjects, is increasing in- 

 this State and is largely dne to the efforts of our 

 leading sporting journals. If I was'nt already a good un- 

 ion man, I'd ask to be let in at the Centennial, just to see 

 "Section, No. 3" in the Animal and Fishery Department, 

 under supervision of Forest and Stream. " 



— People in Louisiana are awakening to the necessity 

 and importance of game protection as even the splendid 

 sporting facilities of that State will soon become depleted 

 if wanton pot-hunters are allowed to shoot everything that 

 flies, in and out of season. The Louisiana State Register 

 says : — 



"A few hours spent in the passage of such a game law 

 as was drafted by the sportsmen's meeting last Winter, 

 will accomplish more for the benefit of the country than 

 twice as many weeks spent in amending the Constitution 

 and creating new parishes and other follies." 



A Warning to Pot Fishermen. — We confess to a very 

 great amount of satisfaction upon hearing of the punish- 

 ment of violators of the game and fish laws. It is rarely, 

 however, that we can record such a just retribution as has 

 fallen upon the men in California who attempted to net a 

 trout stream. If that California justice could only hold 

 court for awhile on Long Island, the prospect of a total 

 extermination of trout from private as well as public 

 waters would be considerably less. The case alluded to is 

 thus described in the San Francisco Evening Bulletin: — 



"J. M. Waite, deputy sheriff of Marin county, reports 

 to the fish commissioners that a few weeks since he found 

 two men trapping trout with nets on Paper Mill Creek, in 

 that county. They set their nets and then frightened the 

 fish into them. He learned that this had been continued 

 for some time, and that they had been taking from twenty 

 to thirty pounds daily, which they had forwarded to San 

 Rafael for sale. After much trouble he succeeded in ar- 

 resting the offenders and capturing their nets. They were 

 brought to trial before Justice Hughes, and although they 

 made every pffort to escape they were finally convicted ana 

 fined $50 each, which they refused to pay, and were sent 

 to prison, and now are serving out a term in default of 

 payment. Too much credit cannot be awarded Mr. Waite 

 for his energy and perseverance in procuring this convic- 

 tion. The fish commissioners have written him a letter 

 thanking him for his energetic efforts to prevent the viola- 

 tion of the law. If the county officers of other counties 

 would exhibit some of Mr. Waite's energy in making ar- 

 rests for violation of the game and fish laws, they would 

 be doing the public a great service." 



While we can record the above instance of punishment 

 for one violation of the law, another equally pernicious is 

 being carried on with impunity under the very eyes of the 

 entire population of San Francisco. We allude to the ille- 

 gal traffic in salmon. Even salmon roe are exposed for 

 sale in the markets there during the close season. If mea- 

 sures are not taken, and at once, to stop this destruction, 

 the magnificent salmon rivers of the Pacific coast will in a 

 few years be as depleted as those of Maine. We would 

 earnestly call the attention of California sportsmen to the 

 following extract from the San Francisco Daily Evening 

 Post, and ask them to join in some effort looking to a 

 remedy: — 



"Illegal Traffic in Salmon. — The barefaced manner 

 in which fresh salmon is being sold right and left by fish- 

 dealers during the close season has been a subject for uni- 

 versal comment. There is a section in the Code providing 

 against this illegal traffic, and we have fish commissioners 

 whose special duty it is to see that the law is strictly en- 

 forced; and yet, in open defiance of this law, the markets 

 teem with forbidden fruit, and of late dealers expose it for 

 sale above board on their counters, and even give its price 

 to commercial reporters for the benefit of the readers of 

 their respective journals. All the reputable fish dealers 

 have done their utmost to see that the law was obeyed, but 

 unscrupulous parties have taken away their custom so 

 much that they are now forced to sell the article to pre- 

 serve patronage. A protective society was even formed, 

 and rewards were offered for the apprehension of all per- 

 sons engaged in the traffic; but after several had been ar- 

 rested, tried and acquitted of the charge, the matter be- 

 came monotonous, the society disbanded, and the honest 

 fish dealers fell into the vice of their less scrupulous neigh- 

 bors. The numerous canneries situated on the Columbia 

 River bave just as much right to take, kill, and preserve 

 salmon in the close season as the fishermen and dealers in 

 this vicinity, and should this policy be carried out the con- 

 sequence would be that one of the greatest enterprises on 

 the Pacific Coast would soon dwindle into nothing. It is 

 certainly evident that should the present looseness of law 

 be continued next season the canners will catch the fever, 

 and wholesale slaughter will prevail all the year round. " 



RIFLE TYPES— MO. V. 



The Critic at the Range.— "Twenty years ago, when my 

 sight was good," he will tell you, "I used to make bulls- 

 eyes on bullseys." To-day it is highly problematical 

 whether he could even hit the embankment which backs 

 the targets. In fact, no one has ever yet seen him fire a 

 rifle, though he has quite an armory of weapons at home. 

 He is very fond of handling other men's guns, and looks 

 them over critically, descanting gravely about their mech- 

 anism, and is even bold enough to suggest improvements. 

 You would be very much mistaken if you imagined you 

 could not learn something from him. He keeps elevations, 

 effects of wind, barometical and theometrical influences in 

 rifle practice well in his head, and can tell you to a min- 

 ute how many degrees of elevation Colonel Bodine used 

 when he fired his last shot at Dollymount. He has at his 

 finger's ends all those dry formula which belong to the sci- 

 ence of rifle shooting. He contributes to all the journals 

 devoted to this favorite subject, and though dry at times, 

 many a bit of good sound information has been imparted 

 by him to the public. Of course he has a pet theory of his 

 own in regard to twist and projectiles, which he ventilates 

 on all occasions. It is rather abstract in character. In 

 fact no one ever did comprehend it, and even the most 

 willing of his hearers are in doubt as to whether he quite 

 understands it himself. He by no means belongs to the 

 old school of rifle shooting, but adopts eagerly the most 

 advanced theories. He will tell yon that "before long we 

 will be shooting, sir, at 1,500 yards and at smaller targets, 

 and will smile at our crude attempts of to-day." He is to 

 be found at all the principal matches, and has apparently 

 the mission of propagating rifle shooting in the United 

 States. Young men laugh at him behind his back, and call 

 him a "bore" (perhaps in a rifle sense), yet the beet shots 

 consult him at times, in regard to theory and mechanical 

 improvements. "That was tried," we heard him say to a 

 noted marksman, who had some idea of a new sight, "in 

 1872, at Wimbledon. Mr. Ross shot with it and it did 

 not work well. Next time I see you I will give you a copy 

 of my notes about that sight." We all had to laugh heart- 

 ily at the critic the other day, when he consented to keep 

 a score. He made an awful mess of it, mixing up the 

 shooters, marking outers for inners, and centres for bulls- 

 eyes, apparently in utter ignorance of the signals. Like 

 the slur cast on the critic who discussed learnedly the com- 

 parative degree of excellence, as displayed in a three-legged 

 stool, but who could not for his life make one, our friend 

 theoretically might have been superb, but practically he 



was insignificant. 



+++> 



Siege of Paris. — Any of our readers who have not al- 

 ready seen this marvelous dramatic painting should avail 

 themselves of the earliest opportunity. The Frenchman 

 who only thought of Niagara Falls as a grand water power, 

 would admire this creation for the immensity of its canvas 

 if not for its artistic merit. It can be seen at the Coli- 

 seum. 



-**♦- 



— J. D wight Francis, Esq., of thePontusuc Woolen Mills, 

 Pittsfield, Mass., informs us that his four year old buck- 

 has just killed his old doe, wherefor he sent him to his 

 long home. He adds: "He was the best buck I ever saw 



in confinement, and weighed 200 pounds. 

 . -».*. 



—Any one wishing to communicate with Mr. Pape, the 

 celebrated English gunmaker, who is now absent from the 

 city, may address him at the Occidental Hotel, corner Bow- 

 ery and Broom street, New York. 



-*2^»«. 



— We shall be glad to mail our paper for any specified 

 time to any of our correspondents or subscribers visiting 

 Florida the coming season. 



, — « — , 



The Crouch Bullseye Badge.— Saturday last was a 

 pleasant day at the Creedmoor range; moderately cool, but 

 the wind blew in a most curious manner, veering round 

 from all parts of the compass sometimes at the same time. 

 Besides the handsome character of the Crouch badge, a 

 great deal of keen rivalry has been felt to become its pos- 

 sessor. The present competition was the fifth one, and the 

 history of the bullseye badge heretofore may be briefly 

 given as follows: — 



When won. Winner Score. Bullseyes. 



July 3 L. Cre'ger ...174 18 



Aug. 7 L. ('reiser 176 18 



Sept. 4 A. V. Canfield, Jr 18S 23 



Oct. 9 A. V. Canfield, Jr 170 19 



Conditions— Open only to members of the Amateur Rifle 

 Club, excluding those who have participated in any inter- 

 national team match. Distances, 800, 900, and 1,000 yards. 

 Fifteen shots at each range. Badge to become the prop- 

 erty of the contestant who shall win it three times. En- 

 trance fee, $1. Seores as follows:— 



Name. 800 yds. 90nyda. 



L. Geiner 63 55 



F Hvde 68 51 



W B. Farwell 57 58 



L.Webber 70 53 



A. V. Canfield 66 62 



J. Hennion, Jr 63 46 



J.S. Conlin 41 41 



H. Fisher £9 47 



1000 yds. Total. 



61 179 



f-7 176 



50 175 



39 172 



27 175 



25 134 



49 131 



30 135 



Record on the bullseye total— L. Geiger, 22; F. Hyde 

 22, W. B. Farwell, 21; L. Webber, 21; A. V. Canfield, Jr.' 

 15; A. J, Hennion, Jr., 13; J. S. Conlin, 12; Hv Fisher, 9. 

 Messrs. Geiger and Hyde having tied with twenty-two 

 bullzeyes each, though Mr. Geiger had made a total higher 



