FOREST AND STREAM. 



149 



ARECA NUT FOR PUPPIES. 



———♦>—— 



Wkst Troy, Sept. 29th. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



I have just read Mr. Dale Highland's letter in relation to the dpath of 

 Mr. Ghhn's puppies, in your issue of the 28th in*t., and think Mr. 

 Glahn is entirely mi-taken as te the areca nut causing the death of the 

 puppies. In my opinion those puppies were beyond relief owing to in- 

 flamation of the intestines, caused by the movements of the worms. I 

 have nsed the areca nut for the past two years with astonishing re-ults, 

 both in puppies and grown dogs, and have removed bunches of both 

 tape and needle worms as large as a butternut frequently, but have 

 never seen any bad result in the youngest puppies. I have always given 

 it when the first symptoms were 6hown. The symptoms will show in 

 some puppies much i-ooner than in others; hence the accumulation of 

 numbers. Before knowing of the artca i nc I u>-ed santomine and also 

 worm syrup, such as Mr. Highland speaks of, both wi h uooil results, 

 but nothing to equal the ar< ca nut. John H. Fitchet. 



\mnt ^ng mid %nn. 



GAME NOW IN SEASON. 



Moose, Alces malchis. 

 Caribou, Tamndu* rangifer. 

 Elk or wapiti, Vervus canadensis. 

 Red or Viig uia deer, . itgituunus 

 Squirrels, red. black andgiay. 

 Hare*, iirown and gray 



Pinnated grouse or prairie chicken, 



Cupiuonia cupido. 

 Ruff, d grouse or pheasant, Bonasa 



urnbeltus. 

 Quail or partridge, Ortyx Virginia- 



nus. 



Wild 

 110 



turkey, MtUagiU gallopa- Woodcock, PhUohela minor. 



"Bay-birds" generally.including various species of plover, sand-pipers, 

 snipe, curlews.ojster-catc'herb.cuil -birds, phaiaropes, avocets, etc., com- 

 ing under the group Liinicolce or Shore Birds. 



. « 



VARIOUS KINDS OF BEACH BIRDS. 



Many of our readers who woul not be materially assistedd 

 by scientific descriptions in determining unrecognized 

 species, will be able to identify the different kinds of 

 beach birds by the description herein given to the Sun by 

 an old Long Island sportsman of thirty-three years expe 

 rieuce:— 



The little oxeye is the smallest of all. He has dark legs, 

 and brown predominates in his leathers. If he was scarce 

 he wouldn't be worth huntiug, for his body isn't much, it 

 any, bigger than jour thumb, but he is very sweet and 

 delicate eating. Tne sauopiper is just about Hie same size 

 asiheoxe^e, but is of a more reddish brown coior, i» 

 rather longer built, and has a shade more bill He is a good 

 bird, loo. Then comes the ring-necked plover, that 1 class 

 wilh the snipes, wheie he properly belongs, because he's a 

 bay and beach bird. He takes his name trom his peculiar 

 blight whue ring around his neck. The teeters, or steel- 

 yaru birds, as some call them, are next in order, and the 

 fetonerunuers lollow. Both these lay their eggs Here. I hey 

 are poor eat iug. The sioueruuuer is wniie, with a black 

 riug around the neck. The strand or surf snipe are still a 

 little larger, and are good eating. They feed close to the 

 water along the beach, where tne waves break. Their le^s 

 a>e black, aud their feathers a light gray, almost white. 

 Then come the leadbaeks. They come earlier and stay 

 later than any other snipe. Tney are of dark-b:own color, 

 have a little round black spot on the breast, from which 

 some call theui black breasts, ana their backs are lead 

 tinted, as their proper name implies. 



ThedowLs are next in increasing size, and take their 

 name lrom their call or whistle. In familiar parlai.ce about 

 here, people call them "dowiehes." They are just about 

 as big as ro bin-red breasts, dark brown in color, and are 

 easily mistaken for English snipe, lor which they are often 

 sold in the cities, and not one out of ten of those who buy 

 them would know but what they are, either before or alter 

 thev are cooked. They go in tiocks, and are probably the 

 molt numerous of any of the many Varieties we have among 

 the laigest sized snipe. .Next to the dowits, ranging up- 

 waid, are what we know as the babtar Is, because they seem 

 to be a cross between dov\its aud yellow-legs. Tnere are 

 other evident crosses among the inferior birds i have named, 

 but they are not worth mentioning. These, however, ate 

 large birds, and appear in tiocks in great nuuioers. The 

 frost bird comes next, lie arrives late in the tall, and lives 

 more in the fields than on the shore, though he hunts hia 

 grub wherever he can. lie is of a fro ted coior, winte with 

 little darii spots, and is good tor the table. Then we have 

 the little yellow-legs, ligm.grey birds, pepper-and-salt look- 

 ing, with the salt piedomiuating, yellow legs anu long smipe 

 bid. They rank among the best for eating. Tne rouin- 

 snipe, next in tne ascending scale, takes his na.ne from a 

 red patcu on his bieast, like the Lnd he is called alter. But 

 he does not get that until he is a year old, aud when young 

 is sometimes mixed up with other varieties, and puzzles 

 amateur hunters to tell what he is. 



how we nave got up to the )elper, or large yellow legs, 

 than which but oue kind of all tne snipes is more <'encious 

 ea.iug. About the Oiiij apparent differences between him 

 and tne In tie yellow legs are mat he is two sizes larger, and 

 has a different call. 



Tne widet, a stupid bird, that )Oucan almost walk up to 

 anu Knock over with a stick— pretty good eatiug, though— 

 is'stdl a little larger. He is ot a biutsh-blacii coior as >ou 

 look at him a ii.Ue way off, and has black legs. The ring- 

 taned martin — so called because of a wnite riug around tue 

 tail, at ihe uutt, the leathers beyond being black, while the 

 body i* dark brown— is tue hticst game bird ot the whole 

 lot. lie is veiy wild, ana the sportsman who gets him, not 

 onl_v has a prize ht lor the palate ol the king oi gourmauds, 

 bu. piove- that he is a shut worthy ot such a puze. Tneu 

 come the jack curlews, fcowe can them luus, but they are 

 not. W n'ut the lutes real.y aie I'll tell you when we come 

 to plover. Jack curlew has a bowed bill four or five m- 

 cnes long, a body a little bigger than a pigeon, and is of a 

 lifcht brown color. Auoul ol the same size is the red mar- 

 hu, which m*s a reduish brown color and a long, straight 

 bill. Tue biggest of all the snipes is the sickle billeu cur- 

 lew, wnich is almost as large as a hen, and has a bill about 

 six inches Jong, curveu just about the same as a jackcuriew. 



All tnese are bay anu .each snipe that come to Hed on 

 the small anaiis, sauu-lieas, ana long red worms wnicn 

 they pull out with their big bills lrom tne Sand, near ihe 

 wuici. W nil the tew exceptions 1 have noted they are ail 

 hue uirds to eat, and good snooting. 



biaba plover to which the local appellation generally ap- 

 plied here is humilities, feed in the helds and uplands, al- 



wavs singly, never in flocks, and are very shy, wary birds r 

 difficult lo obtain- For delicious game, always command- 

 ing a high price in market, they have no superiors. ^ In 

 appearance they much resemble* a jack or English snipe,, 

 except that their legs are longer and their bills shorter. 

 The best way to hunt them is with a horse and buggy, both 

 because they are so scattered, and one has to cover so 

 much ground to get them, and because in that way you can 

 get so much nearer to them ihan upon foot. 



Next come the black-breasted plover, lightly mottled 

 birds, the males wearing a large round black spot on the 

 breast, excepting which spot, thev are considerably lighter 

 colored than the grass plover. They feed on angle worms, 

 bugs, and such prey, which ihey find in stubble fields and 

 ohi meadows. You will find them in flocks, and gunning 

 on foot will be able to approach them much more easily 

 than you can the humilities. The green-back or golden 

 plover, a beautiful bird, comes next. Home confuse him 

 with the grass plover, but he is very different. He shows 

 up a sort of greenish black color at a distance, but near at 

 hand is seen to be brown. These green-backed plovers go 

 in flocks, sometimes as many as two hundred and fifty to- 

 gether. In the fall of the year there are frequently seen a 

 sort of plovers which some people call big-headed plovers,, 

 but I have never clearly made up my mind that they are 

 not simply young black-breasts. They have enormously 

 big heads, but that is about the oniy peculiarity about them. 

 Best of all are the funs, >hort, chunky birds, always very 

 fat, and exceedingly nice eating. Tney are always found 

 in comp my with the green-backed plover, and sometimes: 

 cross with them. In fact, there are mixtures all through 

 among the plovers, the same as among the snipes. There 

 is one mere kind that I did not mention, the brant or 

 streaked backed plover, so named after the resemblance of 

 its markings to those of Ihe brant duck. 



Snipe shooting on Long Island commences about the 15th 

 of April, is best about the middle of May, and continues 

 until the 10th of June. Then there is a little lull, while 

 the birds are away breeding, until about the 10th of July,, 

 when they come back in swarms, and the shooting is good 

 again until about the 10th of September. 



Guns at Auction.— Since Mr. Tolley's sale, a number 

 of auction sales of guns have been held in Liberty and. 

 Nassau streets. The material offered, however, although 

 purporting to be, and perhaps justly so, the manufacture 

 of well-known makers, was not so thoroughly aud unques- 

 tionably authentic as in Mr. Tolley's case. If it was, the 

 prices realized were ridiculously small. For instance, at 

 Mr. Johnson's sale on Thursday last a "Webley" 12-bore 

 brought but $48, and a "Greener" $28 50. So many trade 

 guns aie branded "Moore" that it is difficult to tell who 

 the manufacturer really is, but guns with that stamp 

 brought from $30 to $50. Muzzle-loaders brought from 

 $11 to $17. The highest price realized at the sale was $71 

 for a VV. & 0. Scott & Sou's side snap-action, 12 gauge. 



PIGEON MATCHES. 



Maine.— The annual Maine State shoot for the cham- 

 pionship of the State and tne diamond badge look place 

 at Little Chebeage Island on Sept. 21st and 22d. Three 

 clubs were euured — the Androscoggin of Lewistou, 13 

 ineu; the Forest City's, 20 men; and the Maine's, 5 men, 

 the two latter of this city. The following is the result, 

 the shooting being by teams at 15 birds each:— 



P1RST TEAM. 



Names Kuk.d.1 Names. Killed. 



Chaiks Day, Forest City 13 \i. aultivan, Maine 9 



John Manure, '" :G*\ Jerus, Androscoggin 13 



(J. W. (Jur.is, Androscoggin l..| vV. E. Skillingd, Forest City la 



BBCoNU TKAM. 



W Noyes, Forest City 14. J- C. Billings, Forest City 12 



a. Bnruoui. " loiH.F.Ladu, "* tt 



C. F. Nason, Adrosco^giu l-»|d. Donovan, Androscoggin H 



raiim TEaM. 



J. N. Martin, Forest City U, K. C. Page, Maine 13 



It U Hall " i2)ur. WiieruouBf, eortist City t* 



Jil'u.'iNaoon, Androscoggin l^tf M. Leavitt, Anckoecoggin 11 



FOUKTH TEAM 



J. C. Dennis, Forest City 14, T. B. Davis, Forest City.. 10 



F Merrill, "' l.|A. E. Frost, AiulrocCuggin 1* 



E.' Foineioy, Androscoggin 14 1 .VI. Wormed, Forest oity 14 



FIFTH TEAM. 



H.Harmon, Forest City VI .V. Curtis, Forest City... tl 



q Oool) " lljE. Peikins, Audroscogsin is 



L Wooley, Androscoggin V\>. fttmchcomu, For st City 5 



J.'Corckcr, Forest Cuy iiU- F. J^inonton, Amiroscog- in . . 12 



On Thursday morning the biioot was resumed. 



SIXiH '1EAM. 



C. Pollster, Maine .5 Jeoy Swell, Maine 10 



Ot. H. Koumis, Foresi City, letireu h. oinitn, " lz 



Ties on 15 for tae Budg^ , M } aids rise, 5 birds. 

 8. Bartom. Forest Cuy....O 1 i 0-xiiC. Poiister, A3aine....l 111 1—5 

 Pollster, of the Maine's, wins the championship of the 

 State and the diamond badge. 



Ties on 14, 2(5 yards rise, 5 oirds. for 21 prize, Smith & Wesson revolver, 

 Valueu at $#5. 



W. No>es, ForertCity 4 J. C. Dennis, Forest City 2 



C V :iaou, Auuro-coggin 4| U. foiueroy, Audroeco^gin 6 



H. Donovan, " ilM. Woxmeh, Forest Cuy 4 



Secoud lies at 31 >aids. 



Noyes *jl><>' o-au 4 



jSucon retntu { w orm .11 4 



Tuird ties a. 3 uirds 



Donovan retired . liMoj es 3 



v\ onueil 3! 



Fourth tie at 8 birds. 



jsjoyes VlWorinell 1 



Warren ]So>es of the Forest Cn.\s wins the second prize. 

 Ties on 13 tor third pnzc, a V\ esson rifle, 5 birds, 26 yards rise, 



Ch^. Day, torest City, not restnt K C. Page, Maine 3 



C W. ^urtis, Androscoggin 3 L. W ooh*y, Androicoggin 3 



r. oerris, '-* • si-J . Crocker, Forest Crty 5 



E. ti. xNa&ou, " t[ - 



Second ae at 3 birds. 



Crocker SiNasou 2 



J . Crocker of the Forest City wins the third prize. 



Ties of 12 for fourth piize, a WesBou nfle. 



W E Skilhngs, Forest Chy.... 5 11. Harmon, Forest City.... retired. 

 J C Biiliu-s " .... fci a. PerEins, xiiidrosco^gin.. retired. 

 \ W. MururV •* i J - T Eumondum, ,l ...2 



w 



J 



K. «+! H-Tll*"' " ....'66. Sman, Maine..... 4 



a.. E. io'OBt, Androscoggin b\ 



Second tie. 



W. E. Skillings, Forest City 1 1 J. N. Martin, _ 2 



J. C. Binings " 0|iS. E.-Fiost, Androscoggin....... (J * 



Martin of the Forest Citys wins the touith prize. 



r ihe shooting was at 21 yards rise, HO yards boua^ry 

 plunge traps; ties, set back four yards; in case Qf seCu iid 



DOUBLES. 



Names. Scores. Total. 



War^on 1 1 1 



ties five yards further, so shoot till finished. The judges 

 were A. C. Anderson of Lewiston, and W. F. Woods of 

 Portland. Referee, George A. Holden of Portland, whose 

 duties were performed to the general satisfaction of the 

 clubs. The Forest Citys have held the badge for two 

 years in succession, and had they taken it this year it 

 would have become that club's property, consequently 

 there was considerable interest manifested. The shooting 

 of the clubs was very good considering the unfavorable 

 weather. The friends of the "Maine" were highly elated 

 at the success of Poiister, and think his shooting (twenty 

 straight) is as good as the best. The club's headquarters 

 was at the Sunny Side House, and iTncle Josh did all in 

 his power to make the shoot a success. May his shadow 

 never grow less. F. 



Pennsylvania —The Oxford Shooting Club held their 

 regular monthly meeting in Echo Park on the 7th inst., 

 when the following match was shot. Rise, 21 yarns; 

 bounds, 80; H. T. traps; 3 diachms powder, to 1J ounce 

 shot : — 



SINGLES. 



Names. Scores. Total. 



Watson.... 111110 111 1U 



Opperman.O 1110 1 1 1 1 lOOppermann 2 1 



Buckley... 1 1 1 1 1 luj 



Owing to the very high wind and extremely wild flying 

 of the birds the shooting was difficult. F. 



Iowa. —The State badge was shot for last at Nevada, 

 and won by E. Barrill, of Ames. The scores were as fol- 

 lows, 10 birds each being shot at:— 



Names. Total I Names. Total, 



Wist 9| Thrift 6 



Lockwood 9 j Hawthorn 7 



A ffent ranker 7|fcJradley 8 



L onai d 7 1 Barrill 10 



McLain 9. Edwards 7 



Stephens 9| 



In a double-bird match between McLain of Ames, and 

 Williams of Marshalltown, which followed, the latter fi- 

 nally won after four ties had been shot off. 



Maine— Machias, Oct, M.— Bears are plenty in Washing- 

 ton county, as are also deer. The season for deer opened 

 October 1st, and same date closed season for trout. Grouse 

 not abundant, owing to the last two or three years' slaugh- 

 ter, but a few years' enforcement of the game laws will 

 remedy tne deficiency. Printed ao^tracts of the game law 

 have been posted in the villages with some good results. 



Roamer. 



Massahusetts — Cohasset, Oct. St7i. — Gunning during 

 the pa-t week has been very good. The tith was a great 

 day for sea ducks, some boats getting as high as 50 to two 

 iitins. Also some plover left; 1 shot 34 on the 6th, black- 

 breasts and golden, and a number of g ass birds and yellow- 

 1« gs. Shw some flocks of geese to day. Lots of quail this 

 year, aud we expect some good sport next week when the 

 law is off . S. K , Jr. 



Salem, Oct. Wi. — Partridges are more numerous than for 

 several years, and quail are for this section very plenty. * 

 Advices from along shore give matters quiet, except with 

 the coots, which are very numerous in the bay. Some 

 geese have been reported, though 1 have not seen any yet. 

 There are some grass birds and winters around. Shot a 

 tine blue heron Thursday morning last; and got my first 

 fowl, a gray coot, for this season . We need colder weather 

 before the sea birds come much in shore. Smelts bit well 

 at Harblehead last week, and are expected more plentiful 

 at Stdein now. Teal. 



Connecticut— Stamford, October 6th. — Woodcock very- 

 scarce; partridges qune plenty, also quail. Saw two 

 coveys ou Monday; in one the birds were unable to fly yet; 

 in the other just able. W. 



New YowL—Niayara Falls, Oct. 2d. — Woodcock are 

 abundant along the line of the Lake Ontario Shore Bad- 

 road, west from Kendall station. .Not only are woodcock, 

 to be found, but black and giay squirrels are very numer- 

 ous this season; they can be seen all along the line of the 

 road. 



Uorndlsville, Oct. Qt7i. — The quail season opened poorly; 

 have heard of no large bags yet. A few grouse, cock aud 

 snipe are brought to bag every week. Two deer, a fine 

 large buck and doe, were seen on the outskirts of the vil- 

 lage last week, aud now the old-time sports talk learnedly 

 about runways and big bucks, and the good old limes when 

 Bennett killed four deer at one shot. John. 



Niagara Falls, October 8th.— The shooting in this 

 locality the past week has been poor, the largest bag 

 of quail being eight. The quail shooting promised to be 

 gooa during the summer, but the dry weather has, 1 think, 

 driven them towards the lake, where they are repoited 

 quite thick. A few woodcock coming in. JSiagara. 



North Carolina— JVewbeme, Oct. Uh. — We have had 

 just a "touch of frost." not enough to kill mosquitoes. 

 Gray Squirrel are plenty, and the woods begin to resound 

 with sounds of the gun. Deer meat plenty in our mar- 

 kets — "the woods are full of them," (the aeer, 1 mean.) 

 Bears in the lake region seem to have been driven off by 

 extensive tires in the Pocosins last summer, but still enough 

 to do the corn-tields some damage. An occasional du^k 

 puts iu an appearance. 1 have seen no geette as yet, but 

 presume "The Lakes" are lull, as many remain there a)^ 

 summer. I.E. W« 



Florida — Pensacola } Sept. 80th. — It is not quit% % ■, 

 enough here lor much comlort to be taken in huolj^ " f 

 the uoves have returned to us, and a very -J^' t^! , k 

 Quails (here called partridges) are quite pleufc< T ~ c * * 



uiee venison in the market, killed about * . - ' .." ..."'„ 

 Carpenter's creek. Turkey Hacks ar & p ^ . ^ [f ^t ou ; 

 Live Oak reservation, but as the qux anuwLZtLlis lo 

 cated there they are not hunted ) . lUC ^Thougli P w^ have 

 had no yellow lever this season \ iL AJ0E £ auasota 



Petuacoia Oct. 2d -Ihe >^ le cool wealller Las br ht 

 the bay birds in fast. i> ere are a few Lices wllere * d 

 shooting can be had, £gj iu muSt parts J tlw b&y the ^ 

 aie scatteiiug. ^y^ itv ^ sm p e , yellow-legs, and curb, ws are 

 plentilul, and 1 >'' dVe seen a f e w rails and marsh hens. Last 

 m ^ b J™ e iia ^ Tiost, and I expect alter this the shooting 



W1 i 1 ^ if - er ' Tne Q 11 ^ 1 sboo '' in g Wlil De veiv g°°<i this 

 lali, l U'^nj^ i- )Ut i^ve not tried it yet. Our fishing is all 

 LnaJ< ^,ould be desired; the fish now in market are bluefish, 

 y'mp mo, Spanish mackerel, sheep^head, cavalli, sea trout, 

 channel bass, red suappers, aud groupers. It is reported 

 that northern ducks have been seen here, but 1 have seen 

 none yet, and 1 always fc keep my "weather eye" open for 

 game , Croiseur, 



