346 



FOEEST AND STREAM. 



until next week. One thing, however, I must mention. 

 Keen, the champion bicyclist, lately in a match, rode 

 twenty-three miles, making each mile inside of four min- 

 utes, the fastest being 8m. 5s. and the slowest in 3m. 40s. ; 

 total time lb. 15m. 4Gs. There are few trotting horses that 

 could equal this. Vaquero. 



A New Marksman's Badge.— The Adjutant-General has 

 approved of a communication from the General inspector 

 of Rifle Practice, requesting leave to substitute a bronze 

 marksman's badge in the place of the embroidered rifles, 

 now worn on the sleeve; the latter having been found not 

 to be sufficiently durable. The new badge has been de- 

 signed by Col. Wingate. It the size of a silver quarter, 

 and is suspended from a clasp bearing the word "Marks- 

 man," and the date 1876. On one side it bears the coat of 

 arms of the State (the same die being used as that of the 

 Adjutant-General's medal), and on the reverse has the 

 words "National Guard State of New York," forming a 

 circle enclosing the figure of the regiment. These badges 

 will be of gold bronze, and similar in color to the Inter- 

 State and Seventh regiment team badges. 



They will be required to be turned in every year by those 

 winning them, and will be redelivered to the men every 

 time they qualify, a new clasp or cross-bar being added 

 for each successive vear; and will finally become the prop- 

 erty of the winner on me expiration of his Jerm of service. 

 This substitution of a neat military medal for the present 

 rather awkard decoration worn on the sleeve, has been 

 received with much pleasure by the National Guard, and 

 will undoubtedly do much to stimulate interest in rifle 

 matches, and to make the Marksman's badge an honorable 

 trophy.' The badges are being manufactured by Messrs. 

 Tiffany & Co., and will be ready for delivery in about three 

 weeks. 



— The British steamer King Arthur, which departed from 

 New Haven harbor on Dec. 28th for Constantinople direct, 

 took with her for the Turkish Government 10,080,000 

 cartridges, 10,000,000 bullets, 10,001,600 Martini-Henry 

 shells, 40,600 guns, 40,000 scabbards, 50,000,000 gun-wads 

 and 48 packages of miscellaneous merchandise. The total 

 value of the cargo is $1,344,000, the most valuable cargo 

 ever taken out of this port. The cartridges, bullets, shells, 

 etc., were manufactured at the Winchester Arms Com- 

 pany's factory in New Haven. 



me §ag and %un. 



GAME IN SEASON IN JANUARY. 



Hares, brown and gray. 



Wild dock, geese, brant, &c. 



tfOR FLORIDA. 



Deer, Wild Turkey, Woodcock, Quail, Snipe, and Wild Fowl. 



First Experience w r rrn a Rreech-Loader.— Warner 

 Lewis, Esq., editor of the Brunswick Advocate, published 

 at Lawreuceville, Brunswick Co., Virginia, is a gentleman 

 well known as an enthusiastic sportsman of the old school- 

 one who has hitherto held small opinion of modern "scat- 

 ter guns," much preferring to knock over his squirrels with 

 a Kentucky rifle, either for sport or meat, full stakes or no 

 wager. Mr. Lewis is a modest man withal, and his modesty 

 does not prevent him from telling the truth, even at th« 

 expense of exposing his own ignorance of new-fangled 

 ways and modern improvements. 



It seems that there are some respectable trappers in his 

 vicinity, who were attracted thither by the reports, printed 

 in Forest and Stream, of beavers found there; and 

 being endorsed and encouraged by the residents round 

 about, they are having a good time, if they don't get much 

 fur. It may be observed (in parenthesis) that whatever 

 success they have had has been secured, rather by gentle- 

 manly bearing on their own part, than by /w-bearance on 

 the part of their fur bearing friends. "Jess so." This, 

 however, may be no joke; if so, we shall hear from Vir- 

 ginia anon. As we were proceeding to say, one of the 



trappers, Mr. Kellogg But let friend Lewis tell his story 



in his own way:— 



"On Wednesday, Mr. Kellogg, the trapper," says he, 

 (says Mr. Lewis), "lent us his breech-loader and gave us 

 twenty-five shells. We had seen but never shot one of 

 these ^uns. It was of the Remington patent, perfect in 

 its mechanism, and much heavier than our own muzzle- 

 loader. 



"A jout ten in the morning, with our old bitch, Beulah, 

 and Tom Price's brute, Bristow, we started on our tramp, 

 For two hours, over a country perfect it its appearance, and 

 where we had never failed before to find birds, we followed 

 the dogs, who worked beautifully. At length Beulah put 

 her nose on the ground for a moment, trailed a few yards, 

 threw up her head, trotting in a stately way into a cedar 

 thicket ana came to a full point. We followed with the 

 young dog, who, seeing her suddenly, backed her hand- 

 somely, coming down at once from a swinging trot. Crush- 

 ing through the brush a small covey of about eight birds 

 got up wild and disappeared in the tangled evergreens 

 about as soon as they arose. 



"We had come to shoot. Two claps of thunder gave 

 impetus to their flight, and a little man found himself 

 faced to the rear by the recoil of the gun. The shells had 

 been charged for larger game, and we had fired carelessly, 

 forge ting that we were not using our 16 gauge bird gun. 

 Following, several of them again flushed, and one risinsr 

 above the pines and showing himself some thirty yards off 

 we let drive— a cloud of feathers drifted dowm the wind 

 and the bird went forward m it he taact focfea- .Biracfc with a 



"The question now was to find the game. The gun 

 would do its work and we could use it. Quickening our 

 pace and cheering the dogs, we pushed forward. After 

 half an hour's brisk walking we missed the young dog. 

 Approaching the head of a ravine, where we had last seen 

 him, he was found standing tike a stonewall. The old dog 

 drew up and backed. The birds were before us and not a 

 stick in the way — three arose from under us, and again 

 forgetting the size of the gun, we riddled one of them at 

 about twenty paces. The recoil reminded us that we 

 should hold the piece more firmly, and turning we killed 

 the second cleanly at about 'fifty yards. Following the 

 covey to a swamp we put the dogs in cocker style and 

 killed three more at long snap shots before they could get 

 off. The cover was so heavy and dense that the dogs 

 could not drive up three others which we had seen light in 

 it. Another small covey, however, was flushed while we 

 were still at work upon them, and drew off our attention. 

 As they got up we killed the first bird and missed a wind- 

 ing shot with the second barrel in consequence of the gun's 

 weight. The fun now became fast and furious, and one 

 covey was hardly scattered and disposed of before another 

 was on the wing. 



"In something less thau an hour we had exhausted our 

 ammunition, killing seventeen birds (Virginia partridges, 

 kuown at the North as quaii) and a lark, which we had 

 shot experimentally in the early part of our hunt. Where 

 the shots were plain and in open ground we experimented 

 with the gun. We believe it will kill cleaner and more 

 surely at fifty yards than any we have used at thirty-five or 

 forty. The facility and rapidity of loading adds fifty per 

 cent, to the chances of game and increases the pleasure of 

 shooting a thousand fold— for it makes the work not only 

 pleasant but clean. The danger to the gunner himself is 

 rendered absolutely naught with any care, as he is under 

 no necessity to get before his own gun, or even to keep it 

 loaded except when in hot pursuit of his game. Except 

 for the poverty of our people the muzzle-loading gun 

 would soon be classed among the things that were." 



GAME IN PENNSYLVANIA. 



Pottsville, Pa., December 26th, 1876. 

 Editor Forest and Stream.— 



We fancy that there are few places among the many 

 noted gaming regions throughout this Statt that are favored 

 with as great a quantity and variety of game, and the well 

 drilled battalion of .hunters able to "bag" them, as 

 Schuylkill county. Very recently a dozen hunters from 

 this section shot twenty-six deer in four days, one of the 

 deer weighing 196 pounds. Partridges abound in un- 

 limited numbers. Rabbits, wild turkeys, geese, ducks 

 and pheasants, are very plentiful, but as they command a 

 ready market with us, and prices firm, the unabated 

 pressure of hunters so much reduced their number that, at 

 the close of the limited period made by provision of the 

 game law, they are scarce as fish on land. The other day 

 a hunter brought to market 200 partridges, a dozen in a 

 bunch, and established his price at $2.50 per dozen. It 

 seemed an exorbitant price, but met with little opposition, 

 as the birds were of an extraordinary size and quality; 

 though fine was his stock, and quick were his sales, he 

 met with difficulty in the midst of fortune, by a circulated 

 report that his "game" had been trapped contrary to law. 

 They had the appearance of being probed by a stub-pointed 

 needle. The Market House Club arrested him, but, upon 

 examination, found the birds to have been legally shot. 

 The game law in this State is very strict, and rigidly 

 enforced, yet many hundreds cannot remember the pro- 

 visions. The law is too long to be given entire, but the 

 following extract is very much to the point just now 

 (though rather late to give it), and may be of interest to the 

 journal readers:— 



The squirrel shooting season is from Julv 1st to January 

 1st; the deer season from October 1st to January 1st; the 

 rabbit season from October 15th to December 15th. Pen- 

 alty for killing squirrels and rabbits out of season, $5; for 

 killing deer, $50. The wiid turkey and pheasant shooting 

 season is from October 1st to January 1st; the partridge 

 season from October 15th to December loth; the wood- 

 chuck season from July 4th to January 1st; and the plover 

 season from August 1st to January 1st. Penalty for shoot- 

 ing any of the birds out of season, $10. Hunters must 

 now stop killing rabbits and partridges. Dompedro. 

 ■»•♦. 



ADVICE TO THOSE VISITING FLORIDA. 



Milltown, Me., Dec. 24th, 1876. 

 Editor Forest and^Stream:— 



I see by your journal the tourist, invalid and sportsman, 

 have for sometime been going South, and the advice of 

 one who has spent so many winters there may be of use to 

 them. 



I can assure them that what they will most want will be 

 some resources within themselves, some pleasing outdoor 

 pursuits to occupy their minds, and the verv best reading 

 and instruction they can get from the Forest and Stream. 

 It will give them a taste for natural history, botany, shoot- 

 ing, fishing, collecting:, etc, etc., and without such pur 

 suits a winter life in Florida is a monotonous one; but if 

 they can combine amusement and instruction they need 

 seldom know a dull hour. I often meet persons afflicted 

 with mortal diseases prolonging their lives far beyond 

 what their conditions warranted by taking to the pursuits 

 of natural science or engaging in useful occupations which 

 keep their mind and body constantly employed in healthy 

 and improving studies, and I have always observed that 

 persons of inactive minds who see nothing to interest or 

 instruct, who sit about the hotels and find fault hasten the 

 fatal termination. Florida is no place for such cheerless 

 and unhappy beings to such persons. The South and 

 Florida is tedious, and most likely unprofitable; but the 

 tourist in search of health or pleasure, the painter, anti- 

 quarian, naturalist and sportsman may find ample scope 

 lor his researches, and enjoy the winter months in a cli- 

 mate second to none in this country. The lazy and indo- 

 lent had better remain at home. Who that has spent a 

 season at Enterprise can forget the delightful climate, 

 neither too hot or too colcl? such beautiful mornings, the 



g&ii*di&sifmti»g} ifitf H>9**t»r« m ft mmy iifa the ftcttUrtuul 



afternoons, delicious and short-lived sunsets, with the long 

 lines of white ibis, white egrets, pelicans and cormorants 

 gliding close to the surface of the lake as if skimming 

 over glare ice, so near that their great wings almost touch 

 the water, while higher are observed numerous fish hawks, 

 eagles and other wildfowl holding their course up the great 

 river! After making winter visits to the W r est India Islands, 

 South America and California, I much prefer Florida, the 

 distance and expense being much less, and climate all you 

 could ask. Geo. A. Boakdman. 



«*♦♦■ 



Massachusetts— Salem, January 1st — For me to know 

 that 1 have the best wishes of my friends is to enjoy a 

 great deal. Therefore, permit me to offer the compli- 

 ments of the season, and a real live New Year for you and 

 our paper as the best that "Teal" can do. Last Saturday, 

 December 30th, while it was snowing fast, with a heavy 

 northeast wind, a large bunch of geese (B. Canadensis) flew 

 up acioss the frozen harbor and over the city to the south- 

 west. This is rather unusual at this late season. 



"Teal." 

 Pennsylvania — Hamburg, Berks County. — A very large 

 ^umber of partridges have been shot here this season. 

 The farmers protected many, otherwise I fear the entire 

 stock would long ago have been exterminated. All kinds 

 of game is scarce, though rabbits were abundant for a 

 short while. The snow was their death to them, as the 

 large game bags indicated after the sportsman's return 

 home. Home Berks County hunters have been successful 

 in Centre County hunt ; ng grounds, and report to your 

 representative that their trips were entirely satisfactory. 



Pere Nixon, 

 Illinois— Peotone, Dec. 25th.— Game in this vicinity has 

 been fairly abundant; the following bags have been 

 brought into town, by two shooters, as the result of a 

 single day's shooting: One day, 44 quail, 5 chickens, 10" 

 rabbits; again, 20 chickens, 7 quails, 10 rabbits; again, 10 

 rabfeits; again, 27 mallard and teal, 7 quails and 1 rabbit. 

 The snow is pretty deep now, and but little sport can be 

 had. D. H. E. 



Missouri— Osceola, Mo., Dec. 2Wi.—On Monday last the 

 grand Christmas hunt came off, and from the amount of 

 game brought in by the sportsmen it is evident that the 

 game birds have not all been killed or run off to more 

 western sections. On Sunday snow fell several inches in 

 depth, being of a light, downy fail, which necessarily com- 

 pel quail to "bunch" together. Monday cleared off bright 

 and sunny— being a day which delights the heart of a 

 hunter and proves a bad one for small game. It is sur- 

 prising that not a deer was killed and but two turkeys, 

 but the cause may be explained by the fact that very few 

 dogs were used. W. J. Perrin carried off the honors for 

 making the largest score, netting 175 points; next comes 

 Mat. Henley with 125 points. The following amount of 

 game was killed by these twenty gentlemen, 

 Kind. Total l Kind. Total. 



Rabbits 97 Turkey e 2 



^uail yi prairie Chickens l 



Owls 7 



Squirrels '.- '.'. 5 Total 206 



Ducks 3| 



We think very few sportsmen can beat this hunt, as it 

 figures up a total of 1,240 points. After the counting had 

 been finished the entire Club sat down to a bounteous 

 supper tendered them by the members of Hicks' Club. 



Whank. 



Texas— Gainesville, Bee. 22d.—A. "Merry Christmas" to 

 you. A wagon load of wild turkeys in town to-day, sell- 

 ing at 40 cents each! Who would not take Christmas? 



G. H. Ragsdale. 

 I ^Gainesville, Dec. 27th. — Six inches of snow have covered 

 the ground since Ihe 23d, and "chickens" are plentiful in 

 town. On the 25th I got 14 inside the corporate limits in 

 two hours and then quit lest 1 should become a "pot 

 hunter." The snow is melting fast to-da}' and will likely 

 .all be gone by to-morrow evening. One man got 17 jack 

 rabbits in one day and another got 78 "cotton-tails" since 

 the snow fell. Texas. 



California— Nicasio, Dec. 20th.— Quaii and deer are 

 quite plentiful, with but little shooting. There are plenty 

 of ducks about the bays. Geese have been abundant on 

 Point Keyes, mostly Canada geese, with some white and 

 Huchins. T. H. E. 



The Toronto Globe says that Miss Gilmour, daughter of 

 Rev. J. Gilmour, Doe Lake, while out in a canoe late this 

 autumn, saw a largt deer in the water, upon which die 

 immediately gave chase, and after more than an hour's 

 pursuit she succeeded in capturing him. When weighed 

 he was lound to be over 200 pounds. The young lady is 

 only seventeen years of age. 



PIGEON MATCHES. 



Maryland— A shooting match at O wing's Mills, Md. 

 Dec. 25th resulted in a tie, darkness intervening. Regu- 

 lation rules, 12 birds. Following is the scorer- 

 Names. Score. Total. 



Marshall 1 1 1 H 1 1 1 1 1- 9 



Tyene 10111010111-8 



Total 17 



F. Painter 1111101110 0—8 



H. Painter 1 1 1 1 1 1 .1 1- 9 



Total 17 



San Francisco, Cai., Dec. 24th.— Capt. Bogardus and 

 Crittenden Robinson shot a pigeon match yesterday, sixty 

 single birds at twenty-one yards, and lorty double at 

 eighteen, boundary of eighty yards. Bogardus killed 51 

 single and Robinson 50; Bogardus, double, 83; Robinson, 

 27. 



—The Blue Wing Shooting Club of Englewood, III., 



had their second shoot of the season Christikas Day, with 

 the following scores: — 



Name. Score. Total. 



George N. Chase 1 1111110 1-8 



J. VV. Evany 1 U 1 1 1 1 1 " (I 1--T 



A.A.Trumbull 10 0—1 



E. Wilkes 1 10 110 0-4 



ft. J. Colburn. I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1-9 



Cnarlea Hainee 1 111110 1-7 



George A. Kiu« 11110 111 0-7 



Charles Timm 1110 0—3 



R.T. Sales 10 3 10 1 1 0-5 



W. W. Emery 10 11111 1—7 



Pnilip Balte I 10 110 1—5 



After which sweepstakes were indulged in, won respect- 

 ively by Messrs, Ghage, i&Vatafy Ha-rnes, Sales and Cattmhf* 



