488 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



pLusr. 18. 18£S. 



fourteen years, drove into another town where a friend wi'h 

 bis hound gave us fine sport rabbit-shooting. My son with 

 his sixteen-bure bowled over a rabbit that was running at 

 full speed through the swamp, while his daddy saw hlra tiud 

 went two belter. Our friend fired from all positions, from 

 the top of a brush fence, off a tall stump, kneeling down ia 

 snow, etc., but only made ihe li;ir<- By iand stimulated the 

 bound to more rapid exertions. BtahsteAB. 



HoktbEAL, Canada, Dec. 80. 



THE CUVIER CLUB. 



AT the annual meeting of the Cnvier Club, of Cincin- 

 nati, 0., ihe following report of toe Trustees, pre- 

 pared by Hon. Thos. A. Logan, was presented: 



The Trustees of (he C'uvier Club, as successors to the 

 former Executive Committeeo, submit their annual report. 



The year which has just closed bus been one of such un- 

 broken 'prosperity to the Club, that but little is to be said be- 

 yond the mere statement of its progress. P. is seldom, 

 indeed, in the history of any institution that its cat & ri 



"X-eseful as to become almost monotonous. Yet 

 sueb is t be fact with the Cuvier Club. From the (lay it first 

 sprang into organized and corporate existence nothing has 

 occurred to impede its steps, or to obstruct its well being and 

 well doing. Upon the contrary, it has met with unvarying 

 favor from the press, who have published and applauded 

 its work; ami from the public, who have indorsed its aims 

 and objects; and from its members, who have heartily co- 

 operated in every effort to maintain Eta reputation and to 

 iiter; ise its usefulness. 



We have upon our roll the names of over nine hundred 

 members, all of whom are in good standing, and an efficient 

 and esteemed associates. During the year there have been 

 changes, as might have been expected." Some have removed 

 from the city, other- have been continuously iib>ent. and a 

 few have resigned. But notwithstanding this, the member- 

 ship is now greater than at the beginning of the year, and 

 in constantly. 



An unpopular or an unworthy Club could nut make such 

 a showing as this. 



All the appointments and arrangements of the Club hou^e 

 are, completed, and the Trustees confidently Baser! that 

 nothiii" is now wanting, within the capacity of the premises, 

 to fulfil the promis :s heretofore made in this regard. The 

 rooms are commodious, light, airy and cheerful; finely fur- 

 nished and fitted with every known appliance to enhance 

 the comfort and promote the enjoyment of the members. 



This is fully recognized and daily appreciated by all, and 

 is a source of "pleasure to the Trusters' 



The finances of the Club are iu a healthv and gratifying 

 condition, and our real estate is rapidly enhancing" in value. 



The subject of the game and fish laws, while they will be 

 separately considered, go hand in hand together iu impor- 

 tance, and constitute the main principle of our association. 

 Ihe Trustees, at !be mitset, before discussing other features, 



desire to make an official denial of a statement which was 

 extensively made to the effect that the Club, at the hist ses- 

 sion of the Legislature, used its influence actively in behalf 

 of a i ill to prohibit the killing of quail in Ohio for a period 



Of Veal's. 



[.indicted publicly at tin- time it. 



was made by the Corresponding Secretary in a manner 

 which should have been sufficient, and which was approved 

 by the Trustees. But it was repeated so persistently as to 

 convince us that it was promped by an unfriendly, and im- 

 proper motive. 



The Trustees, bowewer, are glad to be able to say that the 

 law now upon the statute book prohibiting the killing, 

 >.' '" mpa i son or exposing Lo sale of any of the game 

 therein enumerated, during the eldse oi season, originated 

 with this Club, which exerted every effort, by lie appoint- 

 ment of special committees and' otherwise, to secure it- 

 enactment. Ji was enacted, and l.,i -. ".m :.N> through the 

 efforts of the Club, tested and enforced, and is now, "so fat- 

 as we know, respected arid obeyed, in this vicinity, at least. 

 I'le Executive CernmittcPon Game have been diligent and 

 impartial in asserting its enforcement, and will continue 

 so." The Club will emphatically sanction their course, and 

 render them thanks for their labor and vigilance. 



FOltMATTOS OP PKOPIUETAUY GAME ( i.l RJ5 



The. proper legislation in regard to the game of the country 

 and its sua i, enforcement is" nut only becoming of more 

 consequence daily, but it is likely to be beset with a compli- 

 cation which has not heretofore arisen, and which now 

 arise, because, piineipally, of the absence of such legislation 

 heretofore, or the lack of its enforcement, 



The need of outdoor relaxations and pastimes is becoming 

 recognized in all our business circli S, and among these pas- 

 times none stand iu higher repute as a health-giving occu- 

 pation than field sports. So that in addition to the quest ion 

 of food supply we have now the question of health supply. 

 The pot-hunter and the merciless depredator have to a large 

 extent so depopulated the conim I rami in many sec- 

 tions, as to render its pursuit a futile undertaking. 'They 

 have defeated the passage of laws when they were able, and 

 unfortunately in ton many instances, they have, proved 

 themselves to be entirely able. They have disregarded laws 

 whenever they could be sure they would not be .pre cuted 

 of which, unfortunately, they were too often assured, and 

 have slaughtered indiscriminately, either from motives 

 of gain or men recklessness. A public sentiment Supported 

 them generally up to the time when the influence ot clubs 

 like this produced a better tjentiment; and the feeling pre- 

 vailed that, the enactment and enforcement of game laws 

 was an invasion of their private, personal rights and liberty, 

 up to the time when this and similat clubs made it manifest 

 that the license accorded to them was an invasion of the 

 rights of the general public. 



The game which the clubs have purchased at their own 

 expense tjad turned, out to restock the depleted country, has 

 in manyii' ■ . . . i the fate of its predeci- 



been nit hi ! I, And added to all this, the laud 



owner has Constantly ;vs-eri'd he- rights of ownership is 

 manner so wholly repugnant to the rights of sportsmen that 

 bitter hostility hits ensued between them. 



Out of this State of affairs, and from the increasing desire 

 to enjoy field sports uninterruptedly, ami backed by the 

 increasing wealth of the country— together with the feeling 

 that the sportsman can also become a landed proprietor, and 

 as such deny to others, those rights and privileges which 

 were denied to him— has come the new aspect to which we 

 referred. It is the formation of game clubs by sportsmen 

 who purchase the laud, and establish the strictest proprietary 

 rules, which they enforce by a private police. Such clubs 

 are multiplying 'at. an astonishing rate. They arc established 

 in the. East, in the West, and along the whole line of our 



seagpaat, as well as upon our inland lakes. They have 

 bought immense tracts of land for such purposes, and are 

 buying and consolidating wherever practicable. 



These panics, by purchase, become the proprietors of the 

 soil. They become the absolute owners of all game which 

 is reduced to , ' n bj Ibern on their soil. They forbid 



all unauthorizi d entrance upon their grounds, and prosecute 

 for all infringements of their rule.,. 



Exclusive possessory rights have been announced and sus- 



everal of the highest judicial tribunals, with the 



feme Court of Ohio among the number. The doctrine 



of exclusive possession upon one's own laud, and also upon 



the waters which cover the laud, has thus been fully affirmed. 



It is evident, therefore, thai, so far as the features ;ill d con- 

 sequences of such organizations extend we an rapi drlf 

 ing into the English theory and system of ownership and 

 preserve I ion of game. In 'fact, one of tin- lending porting 

 newspapers has not hesitated openly to advocate that svs- 

 tetn. 



The Trustees do not bj&sftati to declare their opinion thai 

 the English system, with all the obnoxious laws necessary to 

 maintain it, is not in consonance with the spirit of our insti- 

 tutions, and they do not desire to see it engrafted upon our 

 country if it can be avoided. There is one May in which 

 its further spread can be prevented, and probably only one 



way. And that is for all the peop law to become 



earnest assistants of all clubs like the. C'uvier C'ui 

 them by personal and moral support, and with pecuniary 

 assistance if needed. The C'uvier Club does not need the 

 latter assistance. 



If through such clubs game laws can be strictly enforced, 

 game will again become" plenty, and all who w'i 11. rich or 

 poor, may enjoy the pursuit of' it. If through such clubs 

 the land owner i on be brought to acknowledge and permit, 

 the qualified right of entry of the sportsman, and the sports- 

 man <nn be brought to conform to the proprietary rights of 

 the landlord, the pursuit of the game will cease to" be at- 

 tended with the controversies which now nearly always 

 ensue-. 



The result, will be that, with a land teeming with game, 

 and with its proper pursuit made pleasant, and successful, 

 the markets will soon be filled with game food at the cheap- 

 e:-t prices. 



If, however, this cannot be brought about, the reverse 

 will follow. The proprietary system will soon become uni- 

 versal and permanent The' preservation of itarae will be- 

 come 9 private affair, the pursuit of it will be li special and 

 costly privilege, and its supply an:] price will be at the ca- 

 price of a few, to the detriment of tire many. 



As an illustration of the excess which may be produced 

 by careful preservation, the Trustees copy 'the following 

 statement from an English paper; "The great bag of the 

 ycat has been made at Croxtetll. where the proprietor and 

 ids friends killed 7,674 head in five days, averaging 1,279 

 head for each of the six guns. Of these there were 5,343 

 [met ■■: and l,2,i0 hares. The wildfowl made no small 

 item in this enormous bag— 110 wdld ducks, besides snipe." 



"When the money value alone of this yield is considered, 

 and the fact that if it had been in this country it would 

 liaae been distributed among the people, it furnishes an ir- 

 refutable argument for preservation, which laud holders 

 would do well to remember. 



THE NATIONAL 1'AHK. 



The depredations of the pot-hunters, who tire actuated by 

 gain to indiscriminate slaughter, are not confined, by any 

 means, to the settled States, or lo the smaller ganio, but they 

 extend to our National domain and to that great, grand 

 game, the perpetuation of which should be the care and the 

 pridi of every American. 



Lieutenant-Genera] Sheridan upon November 1, 1882, 

 made a report to the War Department of his last visit to the 

 ad to the Yellowstone Ever. The report 

 gives ;.. graphic description of the country, and an appallina 

 picture of the wanton destruction of the game. We would 

 be glad to reprint the whole, but confine •ursclveS to the 

 following quotations; 



"1 regretted exceedingly to learn thai, the National park 

 had bcuu rented out to private parties. The place is v. ortby 

 of being a National park, the geysei phenomena and the 

 Pellowstoue canon having no parallel] iu any Nation. * * 

 It has now been placed in the hands of private parties, 

 for money-making purposes * * * The game in the 

 Park is being killed off rapidly, especially in the winter, 

 and that, even last winter, in .and around the edges of the 

 Park, there were sis many as two thousand of these grand 

 animals killed, to say nothing of the mountain sheep; ante- 

 lope, deer, and other game slaughtered in •front, numbers. 

 T would like to see the the eranlent extend this Park to the 

 : i i north anrl south line through Cedar Moun- 

 tain. This would be due cast about forty miles, at the same 

 lime placing the southern boundary of the Park at the 

 forty-fourth parallel of latitude, which would be south ten 

 miles. * - * This extension would nut be taking auy- 



■■ • ' oeopL is the territory thus annexed 



Ll • . . I i !e I upon. The game is now 



being driven toward the Park, and if we. keep out the. skin 



hunters the game would naturally drift to where it could 

 find protection. * * * 



ctfully make an appeal to aU sportsmen of this 



country, aud to the sportsmen's clubs, to assist in getting 



Dot fe . o make the extension I decribe, thus securing a 



nr wild game. 1 ' 



The Trustees herewith submit an appropriate resohitton, 



aid request the Cuvior Club to be the first to respond to 



i ll, ami hope that their action may be followed by 



Club, by every spent' ,; , , ■ -,->, citizen in the 



country, [This resolution a i. | 



Ed.] 



the nan laws. 



The work of uur State Pish Commission duslsg the nasi 



year has been extensive aud gratifying. The streams have 

 been restocked iu every direction. About one hundred 

 thousand black bass fry have been placed iu different locali- 

 irp i and trout have been successfully planted and ar- 

 rangements are being completed to plant from fifty to 

 sevenly-livL million whitelish fry. 



The President of the C'uvier Club, who is one ot the Ohio 



. .i iiissioners, i- no ;\ aefivelv agitating the calling uf 



convention, whereat shall be prepared a code of laws 



Inch shall embrace the u hole nearer, and be adopted by 



all the States at utting upon aud contiguous to our inland 



lakes, ah thai, id- is en aid n to the game] 



equal!} well to Hah preservation Bui tin, further may be 



said; The preservation of fish is far more popular and more 



desired than that oi game. Possibly because the angler 



with his rod does nor, "roam as does 'the hunt.. , i rjj 



gun. and possibly because a different rule of ownership Is 

 supposed to apply, the land owner is not as averse to one 

 as to the other. 



The Government has lent the sanction of its name and 

 power tr, lis'.i preset early all the Stat. 



Commissioners to further the object; so that the outlook as 

 to the fish is much more gratifying than as to its kindred 

 subject, the game. 



But wc would respectfully suggest that the Federal Gov- 

 ernment could do more than it has yet accomplished, if it- 

 could take the lake fisheries undet its •"• r, jiiri-'dietion. 



It seems to us that the various Stat, s touching the lakes 

 might well cede to the Government Jurisdiction as to all 

 matters arising within their borders, pertainir.g to the pres- 

 ervation of the lake fishcrl I in i turn therefor the 

 Government could, by the employment of if: p i 

 agents and cutters. great !y enhance theproductiveness of such 

 fisheries. Or, upon the other hand, if the Government would 

 not assume this responsibility, if it would cede to the several 

 States the requisite jurisdiction of the lakes for such purpose 

 the same result mieht.be accomplished by the necessary leg- 

 islation and appropriations i'toai I 



Iu England the subject, i., considered one of the first im- 

 portance, and meets with every attention from <hf - 

 ment. An International Fisheries Exposition will be held 

 in Loudon next May, and the United States is expected to 

 be thoroughly ret rcsi ti 



The Trie". ■.-■: ■-■.-: ■ - neciallv to return the thanks of the 



lull | itsi ' t. D, H. Merritt, Esq., of Marquette, 



Mich., who at every recurrence of our annual, unfailingly 

 aeontributoi th< i to, 



The report of the custodian shows a large increase in our 

 collection. It is not too much to say that this collection 

 pu--se,scs features of iulerestwhich art; not surpassed I •■. 

 museum in the country, and which cannot be found in many 

 which outrank it numerically. The mounting and arrange- 

 ment have been accorded in itch praise from eriiiea 



The library is growing in volumes, and its well-filled 

 -■" i"" an " gre i ul raction to the reading room. 



Tie' Trustees u i i is Lhal the aatisfactioi which they 

 feel in the present condition of the Club, will be ah 

 every member of it, and also try every person not a n* mhi a 

 of it, who i, aware of its views and. principles. Its future, 

 which they have heretofore predicted, which prediction was 

 supposed to be but the outburst of enthusiasm, is being 

 more than realized, year by year; and, therefore, finding 

 themselves so well supported in their belief, they renew anci 

 enlarge every anticipation they have previously mad 

 its merits aud its mission. 



E. A. Hahris, A. W. Gazlw, 



11. 0. Ct'LllEKTsON, III-.: 



,Ias. Gordon, P. E, RoACH, 



J. SL DotrcuiiiciA. Geo. W. BHIXB, 



Trustees. 

 Tnos. A. Looas. Corresponding Secretary, 

 The following officers for the new year were then elected: 

 President, Col. L. A. Harris; Pirst 'Vice-President, H. C, 

 Culbertsou; Second Vice-President, A. \V. Gazlay; Third 

 Vice-President, H Banna; Trustees, V. Wjerk, las. H 

 Doherty, Geo. W. Smith. Tin - ■>• 

 by the committee appointed for that purpose, of which 

 Pagan was Chairman. 



John L 



Colonel Harris, on re-assi i b s • 

 Club, made some able congrtl 

 members for the renewal of the honor, 

 ing words for the future of the Club. 



On motion, February 7 was fixed &3 the day for the 

 annuel reception of the Club, to which, by a unanimous 

 vote, it was determined to invite the attendance of ladies. 



cy of the 

 thanking the 

 ng encjourag- 



NEW YORK GAME LAWS. 

 E'/itoi- Fw&jt (aid Stiwtrn: 



I take the liberty of addressing you On the subject of the 

 game laws and making a few suggestions as to w'uat I think 

 we require in this State. 1 have had quite a ileal of '/xperi 

 ence both at bay and upland shooting, and make these 

 e ... as from facts that have come through this | 

 experience. 



In the first, place I do not think it well to umieiieke to 

 revise the entire game laws, Jiswas attempted la 

 There are too many local interests to be looked after. There 

 is one- thing, however, that should be done, and that is, to 

 sto]i the spring shooting of all bay birds, g.. ■'■;■.- '■,.;. 

 and snipe. DO ay appear, this last-named bird 



is not mentioned in the present game laws. Against this 

 proposed change the argument may be used, 'AVtiy do this 

 ork when none of the other States have done it, 

 and the people of those Stale-, will reap the benefit of ottr 



bill file biros in spring.'" Put Canada has, I be- 

 lieve, already passed such a law, and 1 am prepared, on 

 good authority, to s iv, that if New York doe i thi 

 all the Other i : ill do likewise at the next meet- 

 ing of thee eer See.- York I as ! '■ 



that 1 think needs attention is the j 



relating to prosecuti -ing for purposes rjf huul- 



Mgaac ishing TJ ten! section merely calls for sign- 

 boards of a certain size, etc I would suggest that the pub- 

 n ' - i pel tor fljree months of each 



or personal notice, should be added to the section U 

 impossible to prosecute auypsraon successfully under the 

 clion. 

 One thing-further. 1 think it would be well to have art !e :. 

 two more game protectors appointed, one for 3 - 

 county and one for Long Island. New York is the p] 

 Others in the State ■ tKBl 



to my idea, us 1 think, if our market - ; 



hti iea f a, k and game out of see, on pre- 



routed i:re would not be the inducement to bn 

 laws, as there would " an maTkrt for the fish and | mi 



"id. submit to the 

 Committee oa. Game Lav of te 31 ■ poi mi 

 ciatiun, and sincerely hope they will be 



n| this session ot islat'uti 



We have a very good commil I -.. ■■!■■ lav- appointed 



by our worthy Spiei, i ...,:, jtml] uenaports- 



men, who, 1 think, will mm, , ifnureinents of the 



fraternity. 



I\ow, outside of law,, i ■-. i fish and 



gun club in this Sue i . rit tu $25 or $50 



tot "' fund, to be equally appci e 



■ ra col rpepsution for their sei i 



, .. |i eould make us all interested, and Iji 



i I i, lo attend to their duties p.'operly. 



Begging pardon lor taking so much of your . 

 to hear of good results from this, I am 



STfxakd aud Bay. Shooteh. 

 BuooiavK, N. ¥., Jan. 11. WS3. 



