e FOREST AND STREAM. 
611 
a republic that has become the great conservator of free¬ 
dom, the advancement of civilization, and the glory of 
the world. A few words in Spanish on the shell were 
translated, which says : “ Caught in 1700 by Hernando 
Gomez, in the St. Sebastian, and was carried to Matanzas 
by Indians ; from there to Great Wekiva ” (which is now 
the St. John's River). On Tuesday, the 17th of June, the 
turtle was turned adrift in the St. John’s River at Pa- 
latka, with the inscription on its back : “ Eastern Herald, 
Palatlca, Florida, 1879." It may be supposed that by this 
time the old fellow has scented salt water, and gone over 
the bar at high tide, and probably a few generations 
hence may take him up at a Spanish port on the other 
side, 
Zoological Gardens as Schools of Natural Histo¬ 
ry.— Zoological Gardens are generally looked upon as 
expensive luxuries, which cost, upon the whole, rather 
more than they return. They are a species of pleasure 
resort, where the curious can beguile an hour in watch¬ 
ing the grotesque movements of their occupants. It is 
supposed that a few naturalists succeed in obtaining some 
information of practical value in the pursuit of their 
studies; but aside from this inconsiderable service, the 
quid pro quo is in small returns for the investment made 
in zoological gardens. The factis, that in order to observe 
tbe habits of animals and profit by a study thereof, the 
utmost patience and self-denial is required : and the stu¬ 
dent must not only be willing to apply himself closely, 
but he must devote his time continuously to Mb chosen 
pursuit. Of course no one but the keepers or persons 
connected with these establishments have the opportunities 
required; and of these, few are competent by natural 
tact or education to impart to the scientific world the in- 
’ formation they gather from their daily observations. For¬ 
tunately at New York, Philadelphia and Cincinnati, the 
gentlemen in charge are not only efficient in their indi¬ 
vidual capacity, but they are scholarly men, and well 
qualified to put in writing the data wliich they gather 
from time to time. To Conklin of Central Park, Brown 
of Philadelphia, and Thompson of Cincinnati, the readers 
of these columns have been constantly indebted for years 
past for information on natural history subjects wliich 
would otherwise probably not have been available. Faith¬ 
fully, week after week, have these gentlemen sent us the 
record of arrivals at their respective gardens, and jotted 
down for our instruction little matters and occurrences 
worthy of mention. 
We have been led to make these acknowledgements at 
this time by the incidental receipt of a paper from Frank 
J. Thompson, of the Cincinnati Zoological Garden, which 
we publish in our Natural History department this week, 
giving the first account that we have ever read, of the 
babyhood of bears. This paper is the result of improved 
opportunities, seldom, if ever, offered to, or enjoyed by, 
tbe backwoods hunter; and we have no doubt that among 
the foremost to avail themselves of the information given, 
will he those old hunters themselves. 
The Climate of Texas. —A. resident of New York who 
Is prospecting for a cattle range in Texas, sends us the 
following lines respecting the protracted drought in that 
part of the State where he has been travelling. No doubt 
he has learned by tMs time from the old residents, that 
droughts are intermittent in Texas, and that they seldom 
occur twice in the same part of the State in many yearn. 
The area of drought changes annually. He has struck a 
dry spot. If he had happened in the vicinity of Houston 
last fall he would have found a very wet place indeed:— 
San Antonio, Texas, July 30th. — Mr. Editor: — I have 
traveled something less than nine hundred miles on horse¬ 
back since I arrived, visiting sheep and cattle ranches, as 
I came down here with Some idea of embarking in the 
stock business. My impressions of tbe State drawn from 
wbat I heard and read at the North have not been veri¬ 
fied. The scarcity of water and grass, owing to the ex¬ 
tremely dry weather last winter and spring, has made the 
stock business this year an exceedingly unprofitable one. 
In conversation with the ranchmen from Atascosa County 
to-day, they told me that they had not had, with the ex¬ 
ception of two light showers, any rain on their land since 
a year ago last June—tMrteen months. They were mov¬ 
ing what stock they had left, north, in search of water. 
Everyone is praying for rain. I hope it will come soon 
as the ground is like powder, and wells and cisterns are 
going “ plumb dry ” as they say down here. J. O. 
— We have received from J. Palmer O’Neil & Co., 
Pittsburgh, Pa., a beautifully bound copy of their illus¬ 
trated catalogue, which, among other features, contains 
a synopsis of the Pennsylvania game laws. 
—The Sportsmen’s Association of Western Pennsylva¬ 
nia has its headquarters at Pittsburgh, No. 75 Fifth av¬ 
enue, The rooms are fitted up in model style. 
—In another column will be found the advertisement 
of the Pooler & Jones’ cartridge holders and belts, which 
possess certain decided advantages over other styles. 
—The report of the Game and Inland Fishery Protec¬ 
tion Society of Nova Scotia, may be obtained of the Sec¬ 
retary, A. E. Harrington, Esq., Halifax, N. S. 
—Why is the donkey whom Captain Webb kicked 
down stairs the other day like a pelican? Because he is 
web-footed. 
GAME PROTECTION. 
Another Step Ahead. —In response to the communi¬ 
cation of “Lewiston,” published August 21st, calling for 
i Maine State Sportsmen's Association, a correspondent 
who signs himself “ Maine,” writes :— 
The practical results of the little already done, as 
shown by the return this year in larger numbers than be¬ 
fore, of the fish placed in our rivers, is awakening the 
public to the practical value of enforcing our excellent 
laws and carrying on the work of propagation and pro¬ 
tection systematically and to a greater extent than here¬ 
tofore. The fish and game of Maine may be made a source 
of great revenue to the State, and it wiil prove a matter 
of political economy for her to adopt without delay the 
means employed to so much advantage elsewhere. 
“ Let every individual interested enough in these mat¬ 
ters to acquire a knowledge of their value, use his person¬ 
al Influence, and we shall soon have means provided for 
accomplishing the desired results. Until wardens can be 
paid, what service can one expect them to render ? Much 
can be done by an association, if there are a few active 
members in it who will be as much in earnest as was Mr. 
John Fottler, jr., in his recent successful prosecution of 
the proprietors of a leading Boston hotel for selling game 
out of season. Mr. Fottler deserves the praise and thanks 
of all true sportsmen for the example that he has set for 
them. Let others go and do likewise, and our fish ancl 
game associations must act as offioers to onforce the laws, 
until appropriations are made by the State for that pur¬ 
pose. 
It affords us much pleasure to note the re-awakening 
of interest in game protection in Maine. The State, as 
long ago as 1873, had an association, of winch Manassah 
Smith, Esq., was the active president. But after his re¬ 
moval to another residence, the organization was allowed 
to gradually die out. “Lewiston” has struck the key 
note of the feeling of many intelligent conservators of the 
game in his State, who are fully alive to the importance 
of nourishing the natural supply of food indigenous to the 
woods and waters. 
State associations are for several reasons the best forms 
of game protective bodies. As individual town associa¬ 
tions prove themselves effective in their limited field of 
action, State organizations have also been found most 
efficient and powerful in doing such work as cannot bo 
accomplished save by united action. They oarry with 
them the eclat of a State body. Tbe names found upon 
their rolls are such as the people of the whole State have 
been accustomed to honor. No sectional jealousy at¬ 
taches to their actions; representing the whole people 
they must command the consideration of the whole peo¬ 
ple. They can secure from the Legislatures greater power, 
and their demands are recognized by the law-makers as 
worthy of attention; and from the press, whose influence 
is incalculable. Besides all this is the strength which al¬ 
ways belongs to united concerted action, and ample finan¬ 
ces, The Virginia Fish and Game Protective Association, 
to which we have more than once referred in high terms, 
has found tMs combination of what were before scat¬ 
tered and powerless forces, the secret of success in Vir¬ 
ginia game protection. We trust that our Vermont read¬ 
ers will promptly respond to tliis call, and adopt the course 
of proceedure which has proved itself the best. 
Murdering Song Birds.— New York, Aug. 22d. —Edi¬ 
tor Forest andStream :—One of our clerks, amostrespon- 
sible and trustworthy person, has just returned from Cut- 
cliogne, L. I. and reports the most indiscriminate and gen¬ 
eral slaughter of song and insectiverous birds, mostly rob¬ 
ins, (he estimates 500 of the latter were shot there during 
Ms stay) by “ summer boarders; ” not a remonstrance or ob¬ 
jection being raised by the residents. The game constable 
has had his attention called to this wanton and cruel de¬ 
struction, but refuses to carry out the provisions of the law. 
I beg you will give these people who do so much to bring 
the term sportsmen into disrepute, a blast, that will not 
only break up their nefarious practices but also serve as 
a warning to all their kindred. L. G. Billings. 
We hardly know what remedy to suggest to protect 
the Long Island song birds when the law and officials ap¬ 
pointed to enforce the law are inefficient. This statute 
proMbiting the des truction of birds is not at all sentimen¬ 
tal in its origin. Long experience has demonstrated to 
intelligent fanners and gardeners the great value of insect¬ 
iverous birds as destroyers of worms, bugs and insects 
injurious to the crops. The birds are too valuable allies 
to he ruthlessly sacrificed to the slaughter-craving pro¬ 
pensities of thoughtless hoys and mischievous country 
boarders. Among intelligent communities the public ap¬ 
preciation of the services of the birds would be sufficient 
to insure the strongest enforcement of the wise law de¬ 
signed for their protection. That the good people of 
Cutchogue look complacently upon the slaughter may be 
accepted as pretty conclusive evidence that the said good 
people are not one of those intelligent communities. Na¬ 
ture is very quick to punish violations of her laws. Long¬ 
fellow’s poem of the “ Killing of the Birds ” is not only 
poetry, it is as well a metrical statement of hard scien¬ 
tific facts. 
Back Numbers Esteemed. —We have received an en¬ 
closure this week of fifteen cents in Japanese coins from a 
subscriber in Hiogo. who desires a copy of Forest and 
Stream of July, 1878, to complete his files of the paper. 
—The New York Sun is famous for its snake stories. 
Snakes are fond of lying in the sun. 
A TRIP TO NORTH PARK. 
[FROM OUR STAFF CORRESPONDENT.] 
T HAT Americans, as a people, devote too much time 
to their work and too little to their recreation, is a 
proposition that needs no demonstration. We have seen 
a statement from an eminent jurist to the effect, that the 
speaker could do a year's work in ton months, but not in 
twelve. The remark is a profound one, and deserves care¬ 
ful pondering by the mass of our readers. The need of 
rest and relief from the ordinary cares of work has long 
been recognized by our old country cousins, and we be¬ 
lieve that our own people are much more given to pleas¬ 
ure seeking of hd innocent and wholesome kind than 
they were some years ago. If tliis is so, it is well, and is 
what we have for years urged upon our readers. This is 
the view taken of the subject by one of those quaint old 
English writers in whom we all delight. He says : “ For 
... I herd myselfe a good husbande at Ms hoke ones 
saye, that to omit studie some time of the daye and some 
time of theyere, made as muchefor the enerease of learn¬ 
ing as to let the lande lye sometime fallow malceth for 
the better enerease of corne, TMs we se, yfe the lande 
be plowed everye yere, the come comineth thinner up, 
the care is short, the grayne is smalle, and when brought 
into the bame and threshed it giveth very evil faul. So 
those wliich never leave poring on their bokes have often¬ 
times as tliinne invention as other poore men have, and 
as small wit and wight in it as in other mens.” What is 
said here is as applicable to the man of business as it is to 
the scholar, and the man who takes the needed recreation 
will find Mmself at the end of the year in better condi¬ 
tion both physically and financially than if he had de¬ 
voted the whole twelve months to business. 
Of course the tastes of each individual will govern the 
choice of the method and locality in which the period of 
rest and recreation is to be spent. For one who is fond 
of out-door life, and especially for one who is a resident 
of the Eastern States, the country west of the Missouri 
River presents great attractions. In the Rocky Moun¬ 
tains one may find, in some favored localities whose soli¬ 
tudes have not yet been invaded by the farmer or the 
cattle man, a great abundance of the finest game and 
fish, and at the same time some of the most enchanting 
scenery that the world can offer. It is scarcely necessary 
to refer to the surpassing wonders of the Yellowstone 
Park, or the scarcely less beautiful country through 
which the traveler in South Park, Colorado, is constantly 
passing, for these are regions on which much has been 
written, and through the medium of newspapers aud 
magazines they have become more or less well known to 
almost every one. 
Of the vast extent of the mountain system of the West, 
the dweller in the East can have no adequate conception ; 
and even one who has crossed the country from ocean to 
ocean knows but little of it. It is true that the Western 
bound traveler knows that for three days after leaving 
Cheyenne he is never out of the mountains, but the vast¬ 
ness of the distance traversed does not impress itself on 
one who is living on the cars and tMnking only of the 
importance of speedily arriving at his journey’s end. 
Westward from Cheyenne for over a thousand miles, 
and to the north and south they stretch, away far be¬ 
yond the boundaries of the United States, an almost il¬ 
limitable region with scarcely a settlement, save in Mon¬ 
tana and along the railroad, scratched here and there by 
the indefatigable prospector, and in a few spots denuded 
of their timber by the lumberman or tie-chopper, but as 
a whole scarcely bearing greater evidences of the advance 
of civilization to their borders than they did in the ante- 
railroad days. High up in the snowy range the elk, the 
mule-deer and the big-horn still graze in goodly numbers; 
streams still abound in glorious fish which hardly know 
what a hook may mean; the ruffed and dusky grouse 
wander securely through the dense pine forests wliich 
clothe the mountain sides, and far up above the timber, 
just on the borders of eternal snows, are found the gentle 
and unsuspicious white-tailed ptarmigan. To such a re¬ 
gion as tMs I am going, and I invite your readers to be 
with me, in spirit at least, to share my hardships and 
trials, and to rejoice with me inmy triumphs of the chase. 
An uninterrupted journey of four days is apt to sewn 
very long before it is completed, and it therefore behooves 
the tourist to make a careful selection of the roads over 
which his journey leads him. With myself the Penn¬ 
sylvania Railroad has always been a favorite one. Its 
advantages may he briefly summed up in the statement 
that it brings you to Chicago on time; it rides very easily; 
has little or no dust, aud is provided with all the most re¬ 
cent comforts. The sleeping cars are very fine, and are 
besides, hotel cars, so that one’s meals are served to him 
in Ms seat—well cooked and well served meals, mark you; 
and after entering the sleeping car all one’s anxieties are 
over until he reaches Chicago. Besides all these recom¬ 
mendations, or if these are not enough the beautiful 
scenery of the Alleghany Mountains may be mentioned, 
an inducement which would lead many to travel over this 
road even were the accommodations less complete than 
they are. 
We were unfortunate in one particular on our trip over 
this road this year, Immediately after breakfast pipes 
