FOREST AND STREAM. 



hunter's shooting gltjb. 

 Name. Total. 



J. A. Hig^lns 4 



A G. Morgan.. 5 



j'M. Taylor 5 



J, F. Viley 



—A match was shot on the 21st ult. at Major J, R. Viley's 

 place near Lexington, Ky., between the Viley Shooting 

 Olub of that place, and the Hunter's Club, resulting in a 

 victory for the Viley Club, by the appended score:— 



YJXEY SHOOTING CLUB. 



Name. Total. 



P. W. Woolley 7 



0. W. Bradley 5 



D. Knoble...... 5 



G. A. DeLong, .. 7 



j* B. Beck 6-J. Smith 9 



\V R. McOomb 4 M. D. Richardson.... 4 



y," Waters 10! W. G. McChesney, Jr ".. 7 



The day was windy and the birds strong. The Vile.y 

 Club was to have shot a match with the Junior Club of 

 Paris, Ky--., on the 2@th ult., and another with the Hun- 

 ter's on the 31st ult. We shall publish scores when re- 

 ceived. 



A Challenge.— Mr. William Parks, President of the 

 Long Island Gun Club, makes the following proposition to 

 the Chicago Gun Club: He will name four members of 

 the Long island club to shoot with an equal number of the 

 Chicago club a match at pigeons, on or about January 20th, 

 for $500 a side; match to be shot on the Long Island club 

 grounds, twenty-five birds each, twenty-eight or thirty 

 vardsrise; any gun allowed; English rules; birds furnished 

 by the club free. If Mr. Parks would only take his four 

 members to Chicago with him there would be every pros- 

 pect of an interesting match, but on the 20th of January 

 the great Bench Show of dogs commences in that city and 

 it is highly improbable that any of the Chicago sportsmen 

 would care to be absent at that time. 



The Long Island Gun Club.— This organization had a 

 gala day at Dexter Park on Wednesday last, to which 

 members of all the shooting clubs in the vicinity had been 

 invited. The match between Ira Paine and Howard Ran- 

 som for $25 a side, 18 birds each, 30 yards rise from 5 

 traps, Hurlingham rules . The scores were as follows: — 



Ira Paine (B)-l 10 11110 

 1-Total :0, killed ?, missed 3. 



Howard '-Ransom" (B)— 1 

 110 1 0— Total 10, killed 4, miss- 

 ed 6 



A number of sweepstakes were shot, in which Messrs. 

 Woodward, Winn, Talbot, Bassford, Thomas and others 



were successful. 



«*HH»- 



Windekmen, Montgomery Co., Pa., Jan. 1st, 1876. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



A pigeon match was shot here to-day, between five members of the 

 Undine Barge Club, of Philadelphia. Considering that the participants 

 were not so familiar with the trap as with the oar, I think the score not a 

 bad one. The Chicago Sportsmens 1 Clab rules were adopted, with the 

 following result:— 



Name- Score. Total. 



A. B. Frost 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 



H. Burroughs 10 10 110 4 



J.N. DeHaven 1 011111110 8 



A. S. Eoberte, Jr 111101101 7 



Edward Wain, Jr...,,,.. 1 ,0 01011110 6 

 There being no birds on hand, the tie between Mr. Frost and Mr. Be 

 Haven was postponed till dryer and more favorable weather. 



Bodine . 

 . «»■» —— 



GUIDES' WAGES IN THE MEGANTIC. 



, * 1 



Brooklyn, N. Y., December 24th, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



In your i a g t issue, in an article on "Moose in the Megantic Basin," the 

 writer accuses New York sportsmen of paying Adirondack prices, as 

 though they did so through preference. Allow me to sta^e the facts: 

 When I went to that country I was under the same false idea in regard 

 to its being a cheap country, as he seems to have been, but was soon dis- 

 abused of it by finding myself in the hands of men that not only had 

 the cunning: of the Yankee, but that of the Canadian thrown in. Being 

 strangers, and consequently new to the regular charges, we were in their 

 power, as they well knew. As to teams being had for $3 when we paid 

 $10, 1 can only say that we did our best to reduce this charge and in the 

 end did not pay it. We even went so far as to write several letters to 

 parties in Scottstown, inquiring the regular charge for teaming on the 

 Megantic road, and were told that we were only charged at the usual 

 rate. Our guides we took with us, employing men that had been with us 

 on previous occasions, as we knew none in the district. Archie Mc- 

 Donald we hired to work on the camp, but not as a regular guide, and 

 he refused to work for leas than $2 per day. Mr. French we found a 

 ffiau of ability in his positron, aud one that we could count on when or- 

 dering provisions, etc., being always prompt; but then he was exorbi- 

 tant in his charge, more so than men in parts of the Adirondacks. 



I write that you may .tell Mr. Stanstead that we did not go there to 

 throw away money, but as sportsmen. If we have in any way interfered 

 with his "old sporting grounds" I am very sorry, being sorry also that 

 they were no better. The bills were all worked over carefully and 

 amounts criticized before payment. If we have overpaid, let this be 

 our excuse: "We were strangers and they took us in. " Pierrepont. 



[This information may be of service to future visitors to 

 this locality. Better to shun a place than to submit to im- 

 position .—Ed.] 



SHARPSHOOTING EXTRAORDINARY. 



— . .» , - 



Providence, R. I., December 26th, 1875. 

 Suitor Forest and Stream:— 



A short time ago one of the members of the American Team was on a 

 visit to a friend in Providence, R. I., and some of the amateur riflemen 

 of that vicinity invited him out to shoot. At Valley Falls, about four 

 Miles from Providence, there is a very nice range of five hundred yards, 



which has been used by the amateurs for practice, to which Mr. F - 



was invited. Near by the range one of the amateurs has quite exten- 

 sive works for the manufacture of horse shoes, where the party assem- 

 bled previous to going to the range. "When all weft reatry«Sfr. F 



took a place on the seat of the wagon beside tho driver, Mr. R , who 



has made quite a reputation as a rifleman, and Mr. M jumped into 



the tail end of the wagon, and Mr. P , Mr. K , and Mr. Y fol- 

 lowed on foot . The path pursued skirted a small inlet of tne Blackstone 

 Kl ver, at the further end of which Mr. F espied several ducks se- 

 renely floating on the water. He ordered the driver to stop, and imme- 

 diately loaded his rifle. By this time P and Y- — had come up, and 



wey wanted to have a little of the sport. Y 's sights were pushed 



,tle:r case > but the party waited for him to adjust them, and the ducks 



very accommodatingly waited to be shot at. They agreed that Mr. M 



saould count, and at the word "three," all should fire. There were three 

 ucks and four shooters, so it was arranged that two should take the 



«U° ,' haDd blrds ' and two take the two ri £ ht hand ones - At tn e word 

 oree ' all blazed away, and there was great joy among the party that 

 either of the ducks escaped, for there were their black carcasses float- 

 g on the water. The riflemen were .congratulating themselves upon 



ueir marksmanship, when a countryman spoke up and said: "Them 

 J ttamps have been there ever since I kin remember." 



co,L JUStiCe t0 the rifiemen ' ifc may perhaps be well to add that the 



baol eT 1 aftenvard3 reported that there were three speckled- 



«1 here,ffMcl1 were P fobabl y sunning themselves on the 



^ttips, t0 wWch ft dnck . Uke air wag giyen bjrtbe tnnles moying about< 



J. A, M. 



urn mid Sfr»p$in$. 



QUOTATIONS FROM O. G. GUNTHTSR'S SONS. 



BEAR— Northern, according to size and quality, prime. . . .$10 00a$15 00 



■aw a ^ri?S tb ^ n 2? d Nortner 1 rl yearlings, prime 5 00 a 10 00 



BEAVER— Northern, per skin, parchment, according to 



size and color ...... 2 50 a 3 50 



Western, according to size and color, prime. 1 50 a 2 50 



Southern, and ordinary, per skin, according to size, 



BADGER— Prune , 20 a 50 



OAT— Wild, Northern and Eastern States,' cased, prime '. '. \ 50 a 60 



Wild, Southern ana Western, prime. ., 40 a 50 



House, ordinary, if large, prime 05 a 08 



House, black, furred, prime 15 a 25 



FISHER— Northern and Eastern, according to size and 



color prime 7 oo a 12 00 



Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Western, ditto, prime 5 00 a 8 00 



ww Southern, ditto,, prime 3 00a 5 00 



FOX- -Silver ditto.prnne 15 a 50 00 



Cross, Northern and Eastern, ditto, prime 3 00 a 5 00 



Red, Northern and Eastern, ditto, prime 1 50 a 1 65 



Red, S. Penn,, N. J., and N. Ohio, ditto prime 1 25 a 1 50 



Red, Southern a&d Western, ditto, prime 75 a 1 00 



Grey, Northern and Eastern, cased, ditto, prime. .... 7C a 1 00 



Grey, Southern and Western, ditto, prime 50 a 60 



Grey, Southern and Western, ditto, open, prime 40 a 50 



T ^ K'tt, .ditto, prime 30a 50 



LYNX— Ditto, prime j 00 a 2 oo 



MARTIN— States, ditto, prime 150 a 2 (X) 



MINK— New York and New England, ditto, nrime "... 3 00 a 4 00 



Canada, Michigan, and Minnesota, ditto, prime, 2 00 a 3 00 



S. New York, N. J., Penn., and Ohio, ditto, prime.. 1 00 a 1 50 



Md., Va., Ky., hid., Wis., and Iowa, ditto, prime. . . 75 a 1 25 



Missouri, and all Southern, ditto, prime 50 a 75 



MUSKRAT— N. New York, and Eastern, Spring 00 a 00 



Western, including Penn. and Ohio, Spring 00 a 00 



Northern and Eastern, Fall and Winter 23 a 25 



Western, including Penn. and Ohio, Winter 20 a 23 



Southern, prime 15 a 20 



Southern, Winter and Fall.. 12 a 15 



OTTER— Northern, Eastern, and Northwestern, according 



to size and color, prime 10 00 a 12 00 



Penn., N. J., Ohio, and Western, prime 8 00 a 10 00 



Ky., Md., Na., Kansas, and vicinity, prune. 6 00 a 8 00 



North Carolina, prime 4 00 a 6 00 



South Carolina and Georgia, prime 2 00 a 4 00 



OPOSSUM— Northern, cased, prime.... 28 a 30 



Southern and open Northern, prime 12 a 15 



RACCOON- -Mich., N. Ind., N. Ohio, Indian handled, 



dark, according to size and color, prime 80 a 1 00 



111. , Iowa, Wis. , and Minn. , prime 50 a 65 



New York and Eastern States andN. Penn., prime. . 65 a 75 



N. J., S. Penn., 111., Mo., Neb. and Kan., prime... 40 a 50 



Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky and Tenn. , prime. . . . 30 a 40 



N. and S. Car., Ga., Ark., Florida and Ala., prime. 15 a 25 



RABBITS— Prime cased 02 a ^ 03 



SKUNKS -Prime black, I. , cased " ' . 00 a 1 30 



Prime black, I. open 00 a 100 



Prime black, \ white streak, IL , cased 00 a 80 



Prime black, i white streak, II . . open 00 a 50 



Prime whole streaked in. and IV 15 a 20 



Prime scabs 00 a 03 



WOLF SKINS-Mountain, large % 00 a 3 00 



Prairie, average age, prime skins 75 a 1 25 



%m~ There will bo no change in our fur quotations until the middle of 

 January. 



_ +.+ 



The Fur Seal.— From Mr. Henry Elliott's report on the 

 condition of affairs in the Territory of Alaska, the follow- 

 ing new facts in regard to seals are extracted. Mr. Elliott 

 is employed now in the Smithsonian Institution, and is a 

 young man of most superior attainments:— 



"The male fur seal at the age of six or seven years is 

 described as an animal that will measure six and one-half 

 to seven and one-quarter feet in length from tip of nose to 

 end of tail, and weighs at least four hundred and some- 

 times as much perhaps as six hundred pounds. The head, 

 in comparison with the immense thick neck and shoulders' 

 seems to be disproportionately small, but as we come to 

 examine it we find that it is mostly all occupied by the 

 brain; the light frame work of the skull supports an ex- 

 pressive pair of large, bluish-hazel eyes, and a muzzle and 

 jaws of nearly the same size and form observed in any 

 Newfoundland dog, with the difference of having no flab- 

 by, hanging lips; the upper lips support a white and yel- 

 lowish-gray mustache, long and In Y ;!;-;• t, (-imposed of 

 heavy stiff bristles. The fore feet or hands are a pair of 

 dark bluish-black flippers, about ten inches broad. The 

 shape of the flipper is strikingly like a human foot, pro- 

 viding the latter were drawn out to a length of twenty or 

 twenty-two inches, the instep flattened down and the toes 

 run out into the thin, membraneous, oval-tippod points, 

 only skin thick, leaving three cylindrical, grayish, horn 

 colored nails, half an inch long, back six inches from these 

 shining toe ends, without any nails to,mention on the big 

 and little toe. As we look on this fur-seal's progression, 

 that which seems most odd is the gingerly manner in 

 which lie carries those hind flippers. They are held out 

 at right angles from the body, directly opposite the pelvis, 

 the toe ends and flaps slightly waving and curling above 

 the earth. The neck, chest and shoulders of a fur-seal 

 bull comprise more than two-thirds of his whole weight, 

 and in this long, thick neck and fore limbs is embodied°the 

 larger portion of his strength; when on land with the fore 

 feet he does all climbing over rocks, the -hind flippers be- 

 ing gathered up after every second step forward. These 

 fore feet are the propelling powers in water, the hinder 

 ones being used as rudders chiefly. 



The females, or cows, like the males, vary much in 

 weight, but are much lighter, only weighing from eighty 

 to one hundred and twenty pounds. The strong contrast 

 between the males and females in size and shape is height- 

 ened by the air of exceeding peace and amiability which 

 the latter class exhibit. They are from four to four and a 

 half feet in length from head to tail, and much more 

 shapely in their proportions than the male, the neck and 

 shoulders being not near so fat and heavy in proportion to 

 the posteriors. The head and eye of the female are really 

 attractive; the expression is exceedingly gentle and intelli- 

 gent; the large, lustrous eyes, in the small, well- formed 

 head, apparently gleam with benignity and satisfaction 

 when she is perched upon some* convenient rock and has 

 an opportunity to quietly fan herself." 





—A letter from Meacham Lake, Franklin County, New 

 York, says that the season, thus far, has been very un- 

 favorable for trapping, feed being so plentiful that the 

 fur-bearing animals will scarcely take the " bait." 



—The vicinity of Pesth, Ontario, Canada, is a fine trap- 

 ping region. It lies on the Upper Ottawa River. Last 

 week Messrs. Thompson and Brady brought to Brockville 

 52 dead and 3 live deer, 4 live mink, 110 mink skins, 450 

 muskrat, 600 brace partridge, % dozen otter, % dozen bea- 

 ver, 1 dozen fisher, 2 dozen fox, 4 doien coon and a lot of 

 woodchuck skim, 



tzchting and Ranting* 



All communications from Secretaries and friends tthovid bs mailed no 

 later than Monday hi each week. 



HIGH WATER. FOR THE WEEK, 



Date, 



Boston. 



New York. 



Charleston. 



Jan. 6 — . 



Jan . 7 - 



Jan. 8 ... 



H. M. 



6 22 



7 25 

 S 34 

 9 43 



10 48 



11 44 

 morn. 



3 8 



4 10 



5 19 



6 29 



7 33 



8 27 



9 23 



H. M. 



2 22 



3 25 



4 34 



Jan. 2. . 



5 43 



Jan. 10......... , . 



6 48 



Jan. 11 



7 44 



Jan. 14 



8 37 



The College Regatta —As we go to press the dele- 

 gates to the Convention of the Rowing Association of 

 American Colleges are in session at the Fifth Avenue 

 Hotel. The principal object of the convention is to solve 

 the question as to where the college regatta for this year 

 shall be held. Representatives of the interests of the three 

 points under discussion were, on Tuesday, mingling with 

 the delegates, each singing the praises of his own particular 

 course, and working as strenuously in the interest of his 

 own hotel keeper as ever did lobbyist for a fat bill. It 

 was generally understood that two reports would be pre- 

 sented, one, the majority, favoring Saratoga, and the 

 minority voting for New London. The general impres- 

 sion, however, was that Saratoga would finally be chosen, 

 the drawbacks of that course in its liability to be disturbed 

 by high winds, being overbalanced by the lack of hotel 

 accommodations at the others. Nor, aside from the ques^ 

 tion of the course itself, can we see any good reason why 

 the regatta should not be held at Saratoga. The gambling 

 proclivities ascribed to that place are absurd when con- 

 sidered in this connection; nor are college men to be con- 

 sidered as boys. If they are, a letter addressed by each 

 President to Mr. Morrissey, would probably ensure them 

 his protection, as well as immunity from temptation. 

 At no other place would the event be attended with so 

 much eclat and there are especial reasons why, during the 

 Centennial year when we are supposed to be overrun with 

 visitors, the regatta should not be held at some point which 

 has the advantage of abundant hotel facilities, in addition 

 to its being a representative place of Summer resort. 



With regard to the challenges sent to Oxford, Cambridge 

 and Trinity, a reply to but one of them has been received. 

 A letter from Cambridge, states that the challenge has 

 been received, but must remain unanswered until the re- 

 turn of the students now absent on their vacations. The 

 letter to Thomas Hughes, inviting him to act as referee, 

 has not been heard from, and it is feared that it has mis- 

 crried. 



The withdrawal of Yale from the association continues 

 to be a matter for much acrimonious discussion. It is now 

 a settled fact, however, that her example will not be fol- 

 lowed, this season, at least, by Harvard or any other col- 

 lege. Captain Ostrom, of the Cornell crew, in a pub- 

 lished letter, intimates that one reason for Yale's with- 

 drawal is, that by adopting the eight-oar, which is in ac- 

 cordance with tne English University system of rowing, 

 she may make a race with Oxford or Cambridge, to the ex- 

 clusion of all other colleges. But he claims that both 

 Columbia and Cornell have both men and money to en- 

 able them to sustain the credit of American colleges, and 

 that they have the right to contest with Yale and Harvard 

 for the honor. He gives the following table of averages to 

 substantiate his claim-. — 



Time of Time of 



Year of Harvard. Yale. 



Race. Min. Sec. Min. Sec. 



1871 18.30.50 



1872 16.57.00 18 ii66 



1873 17.11.00 16.59.00 



1874 16.54. 00 not taken. 



1875 17.05.75 17.14.75 



Total 86.38.25 52.76\25 



Average 17.19.65 17.28.91 



The Boston Journal, however, controverts this state- 

 ment, and claims that '71 and 72 should have been left out 

 01 the calculation, as none of the other colleges contested- 

 but taking the average for 1878-4-5, when the four crews 

 were all contestant, the total should be as follows - "Har- 

 vard's total 51 minutes 10:75 seconds; average, 17 minutes 

 3:58 seconds Y ale's total, 34 minutes 13:75 seconds- 

 average, 17 minutes 6:87. Cornell's total, 51 minutes 52-75 

 fJ^rfe a T er ag e » I? minutes 17:58 seconds. Columbia's 

 total, 52 minutes 44:25 seconds; average, 17 minutes 34-75 

 seconds Cornell and Columbia have nothing to be 

 ashamed of in connection with their recent boating con- 

 tests, but judging by averages, as Capt. Ostrom suggests 

 these two colleges are outrowed by Harvard and Yale- the 

 former college, according to Mr. Ostrom's own figures' and 

 principles, being the one fittest to represent American col- 

 leges in an international race. 



The Convention decided upon Saratoga as the course for 

 the next regatta. 



Another Challenge. -Through the columns of the 

 N. r. limes the Princeton Boating Association sends the 

 following challenge to Yale and Harvard 

 lo the Editor of the Isew York Times ■ 



fJ^^ US n 1? rlnc t° n ? 0lle S e does not iDtend t0 withdraw 

 trom the College Rowing Association, yet the following 

 crew does hereby challenge Yale or Harvard to row aS 

 eight oared race, with coxswains, four miles straightaway 

 he race to come off between the 1st and 15th of. June' 

 1876, the course to be agreed upon hereafter. The crew is* 

 Benjamin Nicoll, stroke and Captain; Theodore W. Hunt* 

 Frederick Vinton, J. Stillman Schauck, Henry C. Cameron 

 Joseph Karge, Lyman H. Atwater, S. G. Peabody" ' 



-d j *™ ^ Secretary, P. B. A. 



By order of W. A. Buttler, President P. B A. 

 New York, Thursday, Dec. 30, 1875. 



—The following officers have been elected for the mm 

 ing year by the Nereid Boat Club: Joseph P. Earle Can" 

 tain; Wi ham Wise Jr., Lieutenant; Charles RE" 

 President; W. D. Johnson, Vice President; P. B S RoW 



Time of 

 ColumL>ia. 

 Min. Sec. 



Time of 



Cornell. 



Min. Sec. 



17.58.00 

 18.42.00 

 17.04.25 



52.44.25 



17.14.75 



17.28.60 



17 -31.00 

 16.53.25 



51.52?75 



17.17.58 



