5G6 
FOREST AND STREAM 
that he recently landed two fine hlaokfish weighing four¬ 
teen and fifteen pounds. The average weight as they 
run, is from four to five pounds each. Tins fine fishing 
ground may be reached By the Stonington boats to Ston- 
ington, or the Hew Haven cars to Noank. 
§istartj , 
NOTES ON SKUNKS. 
Fort Riley, Kansas, June 16, 1879. 
Editor Forest and Stream : — 
While reading the interesting article, “ Some New Facts 
on Skunks, ” signed " Old Judge,” in the last number of 
Forest and Stream, some reminiscences were brought to 
mind which may bo worth recording. . 
In the course of this article occurs the remark : “It is 
a known fact.that the skunk when lifted by the tail can¬ 
not throw his cologne.” This well known fact has been 
tested sometimes at the peril of the tail-holder. In my 
boyhood, like most youths in the country, I set traps for 
rabbits. One morning three of us were visiting our traps ; 
one of my comrades found his trap sprung, and a cautious 
peep revealed a skunk. The trap was carefully lifted and 
carried home, when the old gentleman came out to help 
us. He was slow of speech aud stammered out, “ I've 
heard siv-sa-say, that you must hold a skunk up by the ta- 
tar-tail.” 
We went to a vacant lot, and while the son raised the 
lid, the old'man seized the skunk by the tail and held him 
up triumphantly ; but his triumph was of the shortest 
possible duration. The skunk drew himself up sufficiently 
to take an observation, and then covered the old man 
from head to foot with the genuine undiluted article. 
The skunk was easily dropped, and as quickly despatched 
by the three hoys, who were as expert at throwing stones 
by hand as David of old was with the sling. 
In the summer of 1867, at Fort Lyon, Colorado, it was 
reported to me that a skunk was in an outbuilding, and 
as I wanted to capture him to examine the scent glands, 
I resolved on strategy. Tying a sponge on the end of a 
long stick, and saturating it with chloroform, it was 
cautiously brought to his nose, but he kept turning away, 
and not until he took refuge in a hole in the wall could 
I circumvent him. By saturating the surrounding air, 
he finally succumbed. To guard against the possibility ol 
a salute, I was rather reckless as to the amount of chloro¬ 
form given, while removing the two glands, which are 
on either side of the rectum, like hollow rubber balls ; 
each holding from four to six teaspoonfuls, and each 
oommunicating with the bowel by a single duet about the 
size of a crow quill. The openings of the ducts are just 
within the sphincter ani. By raising the powerful tail, 
the orifices of the ducts are exposed, and the contents are 
expelled by muscular action of the glands. 
When the operation was finished the skunk gave'no 
signs of life, illy prudence had protected me at his ex¬ 
pense. It required two hours hard work to restore him, 
which was finally done by the galvanic battery. 
He refused food for five days, al though various tempting 
dishes were set before him. Had I understood his tastes 
aa well then as 1 do now, I might have hastened his con¬ 
valescence by sulphuretted hydrogen. A lucky thought 
came to me at the end of five days, when it occurred to 
me. that as he was a loud smelling beast a bad egg might 
strike his fancy. Talk of cold water to a man wandering 
in a barren desert, or peaches and cream to a party in 
pursuit of the north pole ; the way that skunk devoured 
that egg will never be forgotten. All the bad eggs about 
the post were hunted up to sustain the beast during his 
convalescence ; and not until the supply was exhausted 
did lie consent to eat good eggs, meat, milk and other 
food. 
Wliile urging a piece of meat upon his attention one 
day, he resented it and snapped at my hand, nipping the 
tip of my linger, but not drawing blood. 
I cannot believe that the bite of a Bku nk , which is not 
rabid, will cause rabbiesin the person bitten. 
Rkmsen, 
Horse-hair Snakes. — Lock Haven, Pa., Augusts. — Ed¬ 
itor Forest and Stream : — N. A. T. of Houston, Texas, is 
right, ye Editor aud philosophers to the contrary notwith¬ 
standing. In my boyhood while attending a country- school 
I have had my little pond close by a brook full of small 
snakes grown from horse-hairs. My recollection is that 
in spring water a hair will have to be in water about two 
days before it shows life, and animation ceases in about 
the same time. N. A. T. need not be alarmed about the 
reptile race being increased in this way. J. B. L. 
How dear to his heart are the snakes of his childhood, 
when fond recollection presents them to view ! We will 
not split hairs over this question. 
fennel 
THE USE OF SPANIELS. 
Now that the spaniel is beginning to assert in this coun¬ 
try the position he has for so long held in his own, and 
that sportsmen appear to be awakening to the fact that 
his assistance is as valuable to them in the brushy coverts 
of the North-eastern States and British provinces as is 
that of the pointer and the setter on the prairies of the 
West or the stubbles of the South, a few words from one 
who has had a life long experience of the breed might 
possibly be acceptable to some, at any rate, of your read¬ 
ers, 
The spauiel’s special business, as before implied, is to beat 
coverts: his duty is pre-eminently to flush, not to point 
game. He must range always within thirty yards of the 
gun, unless in the case of a very highly broken dog, when 
more liberty may occasionally be allowed. He must be 
fast and fearless of facing the stiffeat underbrush ; he 
must he taught to down charge instantly at the sound of 
a gun, at a signal from his master, or on the rise of game; 
and lastly, should retrieve tenderly either by land or 
water. 
In the face of the confusion that exists in England as to 
pure strains of spaniels otherwise than Irish water and 
the comparatively modem “ Clumber,” it would be absurd 
for mere fashion or fancy to be allowed to interfere in 
the creation of a good standard breed of working field 
spaniels. Unhampered by the prejudices of the past and 
the prestige of particular breeds — for to strain after such 
phantoms in the matter of spaniels is absurd—the 
sound common sense of the American sporting world may 
be trusted, to select from the homogeneous but excellent 
matter on both sides of the Atlantic, what it chooses to 
designate as a beau ideal field Bpaniel. 
Ballock’s famous “Bob” that early in the “seventies" 
carried every thing before him, though considered at the 
time the king of cockers, was infinitely better suited to 
the show bench than he would have been to facing the 
stiff brush of Maine or New Brunswick cock covers. 
There is no excuse with spaniels for the perpetual clash¬ 
ing of the show bench and the field. In this, more than 
in any other breed of dogs, should success in one depend 
on capacity for the other. 
From one to six spaniels may be used, according to the 
number of guns and the nature of the ground—some 
strains as everybody knows are mute—others give tongue. 
Color is important. I should at once reject for my own 
use a dog that could not be easily seen, giving the prefer¬ 
ence to liver and white or black and white. In nay opin¬ 
ion, the most useful all round dog is produced by a cross 
between the cocker and small English water spaniel, or 
between the cocker and clumber. There remains one 
immeasurable advantage that spaoiiels have over setters 
for hunting ruffed grouse, in that .while the birds will 
offten run great distances and refuse to rise before the 
nose of the well trained setter, they will scarcely be able 
to indulge in such freaks when surrounded by a busy and 
bustling team of spaniels. 
It is scarcely necessary, I presume, to add that the of¬ 
fense of chasing rabbits is the least pardonable and the 
worst that a spaniel can be guilty of. and must at all 
hazards be at once stamped out. Ringwood. 
London, (Ontario) Dog Show. —The Second Interna¬ 
tional Bench Show of Dogs will be held at London, On¬ 
tario, on September 30th, and October 1st, 2d, and 3d. 
Entries will close on September 16th. The rules and 
regulations are similar to those gove rnin g other shows. 
Tii a show will be held during the Bame time and on the 
same grounds as the fair of the Great "Western Fair Asso¬ 
ciation. The Marquis of Lome and the Princess Louise 
are expected to be present. The Great Western, Grand 
Trunk, Canada Southern, Erie, and other railways, will 
carry dogs free if accompanied by a care-taker. The 
classification omits champion and imported classes, but 
otherwise is about the same as at previous shows. The 
premiums in the English, IriBh, and Gordon setter and 
pointer classes, are §13 for first and $5 for second, with §6 
each for dog aud bitch puppies. Premium lists contain¬ 
ing all particulars can be obtained by addressing the Sec¬ 
retary, W. C. L. Gill, London, Ontario, Canada. The 
officers of the association under whose auspices the show 
is held are as follows : President, J. S. Niven, Esq., M. 
D.; 1st Vice-President, W. R. Meredith, Esq., M. P. P.; 
2nd Vice-President, L. H. Smith, Esq., (Stratliroy); Com¬ 
mittee, T. H. Smallman, Esq., W. Y. Brunton, Esq., J. 
Johnson, Esq., (G. W. R.). W. Hudson, Esq., W. A. 
Elliott, Esq., JO. Skirvinc, Esq., R. Gibson, Esq., Herbert 
Marsh. Esq., Treasurer, Geo. Macbeth, Esq., Hon. Secre¬ 
tary, W. C. L. Gill, Esq. __ 
ST. LOUIS DOG SHOW. 
We print herewith the Rules and Regulations and also 
the Premium List of the First Bench Show of Dogs to he 
held by the St. Louis Kennel Club on October 7, 8, 9 and 
10. Mr. Charles Lincoln is Superintendent 
RULES AND REGULATIONS. 
No doff belonging to the St. Louis Kennel Club, or to any member 
thereof, will be entered for competition, but the Club's dogs win 
be on exhibition. 
This show will be held under the rules of the National American 
Kennel Club, which will be found In the printed copies of the 
Premium List. 
I. Ail imported dogs and their progeny on both sides (but not 
the progeny of the iatter) shall bo entered in the Imported Classes 
and be debarred from entering in the Native Classes; but no 
uative dog shall be debarred from enteriug In the Imported 
Classes. 
II. No dog shall be penalized for buying a docked tail. 
HI. Puppies may compete in Grown Classes; hut if so, they will 
he Judged by the standard for grown dogs. 
IV. An entryfee of two dollars will be charged for each separate 
entry of one or more dogs or puppies, and this entry fee must iu 
all casses accompany the entry. 
Entries close posttivdu September 20, and no dog will be received 
to compete for premiums after 10 o'clock A. M., of the 7th of Octo¬ 
ber. Dogs should he at the Exhibition Building in the Pair Grounds 
on Monday, October 0th, before 0 o'clock p. m. 
V. Exhibitors are requested to affix prioes to their dogs. If the 
dog Is for sale, state the price at which the owner will sell. If not 
for sale, say bo. 
"VX All entries must be made on blanks furnished by the Club, 
which can be had from the Superintendent at his office, No. 00-1 
North Fourth street, St. Louis. 
VII. The Club wllluae due diligence for the care and safety of 
all dogs exhibited (watchmen being always on duty), but it must 
be distinctly understood the Club will not bo responsible for loss 
of or damage to any dog exhibited. 
arm- The decision of the Judges will be final, unless misrepre¬ 
sentation or collusion can he shown ; in which event complaint 
must be made to the Board of Appeals of the National American 
Kennel Club. SeeConstitution and By-Laws, Section 12. 
IX. Judges will be instructed to withhold the prizes offered in 
any classes where there is no competition, unless the animals ex¬ 
hibited possess suitable merit, in which case their discretion shaU 
govern the prizes to he awarded—either first or second. 
X. Exhibitors will be permitted to take their dogs home every 
day after the show is dosed upon leaving a deposit of $5 with the 
Superintendent and surrendering their entry ticket—to be re¬ 
turned on reproducing the dogs before 9 o'clock next day. If pri;e 
winners should he taken out and not returned, the prizes will be 
forfeited. 
Exhibitors need not accompany their dogs. They can he sent by 
express, directed St. Louis Kennel Club, care of Fair Ako ia- 
tion. St. LouIb— and the Club will attend to shipping them back 
to their owners. 
The 8bow will ho open daily from 9 a. m. to 6 p. m. The dog will 
thus he on exhibition by daylight only, which exhibitors can ap¬ 
preciate. 
The age of puppies must he computed from date of birth up to 
the 7th ofiOctober, 1S79. 
No dog will be received unless supplied with suitable chain and 
collar. 
There will be awarded in each class only one V. H. C., one H. C, 
and one 0„ if dogs possess suitable merit. 
LIST OF PREMIUMS. 
POINTERS. 
Champion Pointers (over 55 lbs.)—For the best dog, S30. For 
the best bitch, $30. , . , _ 
Champion Pointers (under 55 lbs.)—For the best dog, $30. For 
the best bitch, $30. , „„„„ 
OPEN CLASSES. 
Pointers (over 55 lbs.)—For thr best dog, $30. For the second 
best dog, $15. For the best bitch, $30. For the seeond best bltob, 
* Pointers (under 55 lbs.)—For the best dog, $30. For the second 
best dog, $15. For the best bitch, $30. For the second best bitch, 
^Pointer Puppies (under 12 months).—For the best dog, $10. For 
the best bitch, $10. 
Specials.—F or BjB best Pointer Dog, a fine Parker Bros.’ breeoh- 
loading doubleshot-gun. Presented and manufactured by Messrs. 
Parker Bros- Meriden, Conn. Value, $200. 
For the best Pointer Bitch, a fine Remington beech-loading 
double shot-gun. Presented by Simmons Hardware Co., St. Louis, 
Mo. Value, $100. „ 
For the best brace of Pointers, regardless of sex or weight, a col¬ 
lection of thirty heliotype engravings,In portfolio, of Sir Edward 
Landseer's paintings. Value, $35. 
ENGLISH SETTEES. 
Champion English Setters—F or the best dog, $30. For the 
best bitch, $30. OPEN CLASSES. 
Imported English Setters or their progeny of the first 
generation.— For the best dog, $30. For theseeona best dog, $15. 
For the best bitch, $30. For the second best bitch, $15. 
Native English Setters.— For tbe best dog, $30. For the 
second best dog, $15. For the best biteb, $30. For the second 
b Puppies (under 12 months.)—For the best dog, $10. For the best 
^Specials.— For the best English Setter Dog, a fine Parker Bros.’ 
breech-loading double shot-gun. Value, $200. 
For best English Setter Bitch, a fine Fox's patent breech-loading 
double shot-gun. Presented by E. C. Meacham & Oo.. St. Louis, 
Mo. Value, $100- . ,, 
For the best brace of English Setters, regardless of sex, a gun 
case. Presented by Wm. Read & Sons, Boston, Mass. Value, $25. 
For the best native English Setter Dog or Bitch, a beautiful solid 
silver flask. Presented and manufactured by F, A. Durgin, silver 
smith, No. 305 N. Seventh Street, St. Louis, Mo. Value, $75. 
IRISH SETTERS. 
Champion Irish Setters.— For the best dog, $30. For the best 
bitch, i'iO. 
’ * OPEN CLASSES. 
Imported Irish Setters, or their progeny of the first 
generation.—F or the best dog, $30. For the second best dog, 
$15. For the best bitch, $30. For the second best bitch, $15. 
Native Irish Setters— For the best dog, $30. For the second 
best dog, $15. For the best bitch, $30. For the seeond best bitch, 
SIS. For the best dog puppy, $10. For the best bitch puppy, $10. 
Specials.— For the best Irish Setter Dog, a fine W. and C. Scott 
6 Sons' breeeh-loading double shot-gun. Value, $150. 
For the best Irish Setter Bitch, a fine Fox's patent breeeh-load¬ 
ing double shot-gun. Presented and manufactured by the Amer¬ 
ican Arms Company, Boston. Value, $100. 
For the best brace of Irish Setters, regardless of sex, a shoot¬ 
ing suit. Presented by Wt H. Holabird, Valparaiso, Ind. Value, 
^For the best Native Irish Setter Dog or Bitch, a bronze pheasant 
with young. Presented by Mermoa, Jaccard & Co- St. Louis. 
Value, $35. GORDON SETTERS. 
Champion Gordon Setters.—F or the best dog, $30. For the 
best bitch, $30. OPEN CLASSES. 
Gordon Setters (either Native or imported.)—For the best dog, 
$30. For the second best dog, $15. For the best bitch, $30. For the 
second best bitch, $15. For the best dog puppy, $10. For the best 
b SPEMALSr-For the hest Gordon SetterDog,aflne Nichols' breeeh- 
loading double shot-gun. Presented and manufactured by John 
A. Nichols, Syracuse, N. Y. Value, $100. 
For the best Gordon Setter Bitch, a fine Remington Creedmoor 
Rifle. Presented by the Remington Arms Co- through their 
agents, Messrs. Brown, Hilder & Co- St. Louis, Mo. Value, SH.0. 
For the best brace of Gordon Setters, regardless of sex, twenty- 
five pounds of Orange Lightning Powder. Presented and manu¬ 
factured by the Laflin Powder Co. Value, $25. 
For the best native Gordon Setter, Dog or Bitch, a massive 
silver chariot (drawn by boy and girl), for fruits or Ices. Present¬ 
ed bv L. Bauman & Co- St. Louis, Mo. Value, $75. 
SPORTING DOGS. 
CHESAPEAKE Bay Dogs— For the best dog or bitch, $10. For 
the second best dog or bitch, $5. 
IRISH Water Spaniels.— For the hest dog or bitch, $10. For 
the second hest dog or bitch, $5. 
Cooker Spaniels— For the best dog ot bitch, $10. For the 
seeond best dog or bitch, $5. 
Special— For the best brace of Cocker Spaniels, regardless 
of sex, a Parker Bros.'breeeh-loading double shot-gun. Value, 
^spaniels other than Irish or Cockers— For the best dog 
or hitch, $10. For the second best dog or bitch. $5. 
Fox Hounds—F or the best dog or bitch, $10. For the second 
b Beagles!— Forthe best dog, $10. For the second best dog, $5. 
For the beBt bitch, $10. For the second best bitch, $o. 
Specials.— For the best brace of Beagles, regardless of sex, a 
fine Ballard Rifle. Presented by Messrs. Schoverling, Daly & 
Gales, New York. Value, $100. 
Greyhounds.— For the best dog or bitch, $10. For the second 
b ^COTOT°DEERHOUNUS.—For the hest dog or bitch, $10. For the 
seeond best dog or bitch, $5. 
Fox Terriers.—F or the hest dog or hitch, $10. For the second 
hest dog or bitch, $5. 
NON-SPORTING DOGS. 
' 'Shepherd Dogs OR Collies.— For the best dog or bitch, $15. 
For the second best dog or bitch, $5. 
Newfoundlands.— For the best dog or bitch, $10. 
7 Bull-Dogs.— For the best dog or bitch, $10. 
Bull Terriers.—F or the best dog or bitch, $10. 
S (Black and Tan Terriers—F or the hest dog or bitch, $10. 
IJ rough Haired Terriers.—F or the best dog or bitch, $10. 
Yorkshire Terriers.—F or the best dog or biteh, $10. 
ffiPuos.—For the best dog or bitch, $10. 
Italian Greyhounds.—F or the best dog or biteh, $10. 
King Charles, Japanese or Blenheim Spaniels.—F or the 
best dog or bitch, $10. , . „ , , _ 
Note.— Separate entries must he made for all classes marked 
“ Special," and all dogs must previously have been entered la 
