2r>2 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[NovSMBKB 10, 1881, 



A Ferret TAv/m.u.— Editor Forest and Stream: I re- 

 ceived a letter some time ago iruni a gentlcinan in Augusta. 

 Ga., saying you had rcturrcd him to me as to the proper 

 muzzle, for a ferret. 1 bave had a long and varied experience 

 in breeding; mid handling ferrets, aud have tried various de- 

 vices fur muzzling them; but Imust admit 1 have never seen 

 anything in Lhfi way o£ a wire or screen muzzle that 1 fouud 

 either useful or ortiamental. Tlie head of the ordinary fer- 

 i el is l". i del', :i lii ..■■ Lo be hampered with anything of 

 Hub kird. 'i'li 10 may be exceptions to this rule, but if so f 

 Should be glad lo meet with them. The only muzzle that I 

 have !if« i !'■:.■ ! v lm.ii he made and used with no expense 

 and with very little trouble, and 1 will herewith append the 

 modi'? opera. a i if ,- and as it costs nothing, should it meet, tie 

 eye uT any wh> Ciller with my views, they have simply to 

 discard them and adopt another: Take a piece of coarse 

 waxed-end, about two feet long. Pass it through, the mouth 

 directly btick of the fangs. Pas it down under the lower 

 jaw, and tie with a c,lo ; :e knot. Now carry it back up 

 through the mouth aud across; then up over the upper jaw in 

 form of figure 8. and tie firmly. Carry the two ends up the 

 forehead back of the ears and'tie again. .Next carry the ends 

 down the. two sides of the neck and tie again firmly. The 

 muzzle, is now complete. There is no cumbersome weight 

 to curry, nor uny pain j aud when the animal is let loose, if 

 lie has-been kept properly, lie will go to work with a vim. 

 When the hunt is over remove the muzzle with a knife. I 

 have often seen the lies caught together with needle and 

 silk, but I don't believe in resortiug to cruelty in the animal 

 without it is very necessary. 



JlorndUoiih; X. )'. Biter Hoi.lib. 



Conxeitutt Notes— Southington, Conn., October 31. — 

 1 have noticed in two or three last issues of Forest anb 

 Stream the scores ot rail shunters. Now, to my idea, it is 

 difficult to tell whether the scores were, good or not, as the 

 number of shots were not given. 1 had the pleasure of one 

 day's shooting this year, the first I ever had. Iu forty-seven 

 shots I captured forty rail. 1 think that is the correct way 

 to give returns, then we can tell whether the shooting is good 

 or uot. Cinue is EGauce ill this part of Connecticut ; this, 1 

 think, owing to being killed off rather close last year. The 

 local sportsmen report quail and grouse scarce. — W. D. C. 



CnioAOo Note*— Chicago, November 5. — We had quite a 

 flurry of snow here Thursday, November D, and the weather 

 his continued OOld ever since. The duck-shooting is A. 1 

 at present. - 1 Digged forty-two ducks Friday on the Kanka- 

 kee River, Jerome Marble's shooting-car passed through 

 Chicago hist week on i he way home. They left numerous 

 buffalo, Ck, antelope, eic, iu the hands of Mr. R. A. Turtle, 

 the Chicago taxidermist, to be tanned and mounted.— Tits 



BoBE. 



A. Kc-TJXBEBH Rssokt.— The mountain country of Western 

 North Carolina is annually attracting an increasing throng 

 of health aud plea- urc- seekers. The scenery is of a characu r 

 to well repay the tourist, and the climate is mest beneficial 

 for bronchial and pulmonary complaints. Ashcvillc is in the 

 Central pari, of this region, two days' journey from New 

 York. Slnrgcrs will find good aeeommnditions iu the 

 Eagle Hotel, whose proprietor, Mr. L. L. Husscll, is among 

 the 'popular hosts of the South. 



A Pennsylvania Resort. — I have had splendid shooting 

 during eight days in October, plenty <.f partridges, a great 

 many ducks, some woodcock, a great many snipe ; rabbits 

 and squirrels in abundance ; besides, pigeons were. commenc- 

 ing to anive in very large flocks. 1 stopped at Mr. E. D. 

 Huffman's hotel, where I had every comfort and, besides, 

 his company every day shooting. Mr. H. is au excellent shot. 

 Any gentleman going there will require a steady dog, such 

 as i had myself. I never traveled over finer hunting ground. 

 If 1 was iii'eltued to go ten miles from Mr. Iluil'rnau's house 

 he, would show me a groiat many deer. I prefer small game 

 shooting. Mr. Huffman's hotel is at Marshall's Creek, 

 Monroe county, Penn. By dropping him a line he willmeet 

 any one at the depot.— Joseph A. Marque. 



Ohio Qi>ail.— Wauseon, O, Nov. 5.— The quail season 

 opened here the 3d, with all the hoys in the field, but gene- 

 lally the bags were small. While the quail arc plenty, they 

 seem to bo hard to find. The reason is, that they are not 

 on their usual feed ground?, the cornfields, but remain in 

 the woods where seed is plenty. I worked over a forty-acre 

 field, with-as good a setter- my own — as can be fouud in 

 North- Western Ohio, aid did not raise a feather, while I 

 knOW that three COVi V8 0) iJUail rendezvous in the neighbor- 

 hood. There are plenty of quail this year there, but just now 

 it will bike a search warrant aud several dogs to find any 

 shooting, unless one luckily blunders on them.— W. H. H. 



Shootini! at Port J BEEBRflOH— Jersey City, November 

 7.— I have just returned from a week's shooting at Port 

 Jefferson, Long Island, and wish to inform my fellow- 

 sportsmeu that if they want good duck aud rabbit-shooting, 

 that place cannot be beaten. There are some quail but not 

 many. Ibiynor's Port Jefferson Hotel is the place to stop. 

 He is very modi-rate in bis charges, aud has permission from 

 most all the farmers to huut over their grounds.— H. P. 



Sneak-Box Foe Dr/cKs— Canton, N. Y., Oct. 81— Editor 

 Forest and Stream : " Si vad" wishes plans of a sneak-box 

 provided that would enable him to approach ducks in open 

 water. A year ago I built a sneak-box for Judge Longworth, 

 of Cincinnati, aud have been told by birn and his friends that 

 they had killed many ducks from it under sail where they 

 could approach theui in no other way. The sneak-boat is 

 the boat for duck-shooting in open water. — J. H. Rtjshton. 



Illinois Drokiko— Fulton, 111.— High water here has 

 brought the (iueks by thousands. Gunners here from all 

 quarters. The old Mississippi has been on a boom this fall, 

 nineteen feet above low-water mark. Our fine snipe grouuds 

 have, for the. last six weeks, been navigable for the largest 

 steamers. -I). N. W. 



Stontwam, Mass., Clou.— Boston, Nov. 3.— Thesports- 

 roen of Stouehaiu, Mass., have organized a club of 

 twenty members. President, II. Home ; Vice-President, J. 

 D. Pearce; Treasurer, H. Home: Secretary, B. 11. Hough- 

 ton. The principal object is to prevent the violation of the 

 game laws. 



Bowrajtd, Pa., Oct. SO.— We have anod deer hunting in 

 this section— two killed yesterday. I have the finest location 

 for a club house in the conn try— live lakes in a circle of 

 two miles, well stocked with. fish. We are 1113 miles from 

 ■ New York, via N. Y. L. E. & W. R. R. 



%ez and Biver 



FIS1I IS SKA.SON »N A'OVEIttMER. 



KBuan WATKK. 



Black Bass, MiiTOptrry.* mtmoidc-s 



and j;: pallidm. 

 MflSCatOnge, B«m nohilior. 

 Pickerel, iimx reli.-Htnlm. 

 Pike or Pickerel, /•>•* liiciui. 

 Pike-percb (wall-eyed pile) 



SttaiWWWwrt americunum, S. 



l/ri-ieuvi, etc. 



Yellow Perch, Perc.ajtuvial.ilii>. 

 Striped Bass, Roccug lineatun. 

 White Bass, Hoccuh cnrympn. 

 Rock Bass, A-mbloplitcs. (Two 

 species). 



War-maul tl, Cha-nabryttungutoms. 

 CraBpte, PovwxyH nigromaeulatvu. 

 Bachelor, Ponutzys annularis. 

 Chub, Scmalilw corporatis. 



Tramping all day through bush and brier, lighting files and mus- 

 cpiltoe3 and brunches that tangle the line, and snags that break the 

 hook, and returning home late and hungry, with wet Ret and a string 

 ol Bpeskled trout on a willow twig— this is pure happiness, the like 

 or which a boy wlu never have again.— C. Dudley Waiinkb. 



FISHES OP VERMONT IN 1810. 



WE publish with satisfaction the following letter written 

 by an eminent and veteran diplomat now in the pub- 

 lic service abroad: 



I now wish to make available, if possible, some of my early 

 cla-iji vat ions on facts of interest. The Vermont rivers, 

 White River and Water Queechce, are nearly parallel in 

 their general courses, which are about ten miles distant from 

 each other. I had, iu my boyhood, a good fish-hook acquaint- 

 ance with the piscatory population of both, the species being 

 most numerous iu White River, whose bed lies some hun- 

 dreds of feet lower than that of the Water Queechee, and is 

 consequently less liable to severe frost. The Connecticut 

 River salmon in primitive times entered the mouths of both 

 rivers, but their ascent was checked at Hartford on the 

 Water Queechee by a natural darn of from seventy to eighty 

 feet of nearly perpendicular height. Only a single salmon 

 was ever taken above this dam. One, however, weighing 

 six pounds was caught above this fall about the close of the 

 last ceutury. 



Although this happened before my birth, this rare and im- 

 portant event was a frequent subject of conversation after- 

 ward among the elder brethren of the angle, of whom I, 

 like other truant boys, was a reverent follower. Before this 

 " fish story " was verklungen, as the Germans say, another 

 marvel was announced which threw Jonah's whale into the 

 shade. One of the genus loy, about 1810, was seen march- 

 ing into town dragging, by a fish line, an eel weighing six or 

 seven pounds which he had caught in the Water Queechee, 

 at a point where it flowed through my father's grounds; andT, 

 of course, as one of the heirs of the lord of the manor, am 

 responsible for the truth of the story, and besides, so one 

 historical fact may be considered as firmly established. So 

 much for Queechee River. 



In the " comet-year" of 1811 I was sent to school at Roy- 

 allon, on White River, and I proceeded at once to investi- 

 gate the truth of the boys' report Hint Royalton was in a 

 different ichthyological province from that of Woodstock. 

 The very first day t caught several specimens of a fish un- 

 known in the Water Queechee, which the boys called "dais," 

 and I also secured several fresh water clams, a bivalve 

 equally unknown in my native waters. 1 was taken to a 

 rnill-pond in which, as I was credibly informed by a boy, 

 eels were taken. This last surprising fact was accounted for 

 by the ancient fishermen of the region from the circumstance 

 that the banks of While River were more generally cleared 

 of woods than were those of the Water Queechee, it being a 

 law of nature, as those hoary sages affirmed, that eels were 

 never fouud in forest streams, but only in waters whose shores 

 were cleared and brought under cultivation. How far are 

 these observations in accordance with those of others, and 

 do they suggest any food for thought to your inquiring 

 mind ? M. 



FISHING ON THE NEVA. 



)10W A TDETLB WENT TO ST. rF.TKRSKTJJRO. 



YOITR extract from the London Wield, on preserving live 

 fish in Russia, reminds me that I made a nolo last 

 year intending to bring that subject before your readers. In 

 Cronstadt, which is the great naval and commercial port, 

 having two distinct moles or artificial basins, one for the 

 imperial navy, the other for merchant vessels whose 

 draught of water prevents their crossing the bar which ob- 

 structs the channel to St. Petersburg, the fish are kept 

 alive in decked punts, with large hatchways, which are re- 

 moved when purchasers wish lo see the fish. The puuts 

 being shallow every fish is plainly seen, and the man in at- 

 tendance catches any you point out with a dip net. But the 

 most curious part of the business is the mode of fishing on 

 the Neva, which I believe is peculiar to Russia, at least I 

 have met with nothing similar in all my wanderings, and I 

 can only speak of one fishery which stood, if I remember 

 rightly, about midway between Cronstadt and St. Peters- 

 burg. It was on the left-haud side (port, if you please) of 

 the channel as you ascend the river, and consisted of a tri- 

 angular-shaped weir. 



The sides are formed of timber, solidly driven into the 

 bed of the river, the ends being ten to fifteen feet above the 

 stream. The logs are so close to each other that no fish of 

 any size can pass between them. Planks are nailed on the 

 top of the sides, thus forming a roadway to each extremity, 

 so that the men can safely run along each side, for the pur- 

 pose of driving any fish seen near the ends, where they run 

 into a purse-net and are thus secured. They have long poles 

 to frighten the fish. 1 can say nothing of the quantity of 

 fish caught during one summer, as I never had an opportunity 

 of visiting the fishery, having merely seen it from the 

 steamer which passes quite close, going up and down, be- 

 tween Cronstadt and St. Petersburg. Having described the 

 Russian mode of fishing, I shall now direct the attention of 

 the reader to one equally novel, no doubt to him as it was to 

 me. Not a scientific or truly sportsmanlike one I admit, but 

 savoring vastly of pot hunting. , The result— that's the point ! 



During a voyage from Nantes, in France, to Messina, in 

 Sicily, where we loaded with oranges and lemons for St. Pe- 

 tersburg, the captain died on the return voyage, and his re- 

 mains were consigned to the deep between Cape 1 , Patos and 

 Cape do Gat on the coast of Spain. We were becalmed the 

 whole day after his death, and about 10 a. m. 1 spied a turtle 

 at a short distance from the vessel, which I proposed to the 

 chief mate we should make an attempt to capture. The boat 

 was soon lowered, and we had the good fortune to secure 

 this one, being the largest I have seen caught in this manner, 



On turning the boat toward the vessel we spied two more, 

 which were also captured, aud finally we got alongside with 

 five. One of the sailors having gone up aloft to'.d us that ho 

 cou'dsee several on the other side. We therefore turned our 

 attention to these, returning in a short time with five more. 

 Several being yet in sight, and the crew anxious to capture 

 them, the mate audi agreed that, we had our share, and 

 others taking our places finally returned with four, making 

 fourteen in all, which, strange" lo say, was the number ol the 

 crew including the deceased captain. Having laid our prizes 

 on their backs in and under the launch we considered that 

 we had turtle for all hands for some days. I must explain 

 for the benefit of the uninitiated (hat turtle are always kepi 

 on their backs When landed to prevent their getting poor. 

 So say the knowing ones'. I have had but little experience 

 in turtle catching or keeping, never having caught another, 

 though I have seen many both in the Mediterranean, and out- 

 side from ihe Straitsof Gibraltar to Cape St. Vincent. The 

 next morning I thought I would try the weight of No. 1 and 

 found it exceeded 85 pounds. A happy thought struck me, 

 that it would be a nice present for our agent in St. Peters- 

 burg, the celebrated Steiglitz, the Russian Rothschild. I sub- 

 mitted my idea to our- new captain, who objected at firet, 

 but finally gave his consent when 1 undertook to take sole 

 charge of our new acquaintance. A water puncheon was 

 cut in two, secured under the launch, filled with salt water 

 and the captive transferred thereto. Every morning, blow 

 high blow low, the turtle was placed on deck for a short 

 time, his eyes carefully washed and fresh water put in his 

 tub. This continued until we were neaiing the entrance of 

 the Cattegate, when I considered it prudent to fill all our 

 empty water casks with salt water, as the water would be- 

 come brackish as we progressed. After this the water was 

 only changed every third day fearing it might run short if 

 we had head winds. But we bad a fine run from Gibraltar 

 to Cronstadt, where I had the satisfaction of seeing the tur- 

 tle arrive in good order, apparently as lively as the day he 

 came on board. 



The arrival of this wonderful product, of the ocean caused 

 quite a stir among the notables who flocked lo see it. All 

 begged to be allowed the honor of claiming the new comer, 

 not one offering to buy it. The Russians being notorious 

 for their begging, the ready answer was, "It belongs to Mr. 

 Steiglitz," which settled the poiut. Gladly, then, on the 

 second morning after our arrival iu port did we man the 

 jolly-boat and remove tub and turtle to the steamer, about to 

 leave for St. Petersburg, but in charge of two officers of 

 customs, who delivered it to Mr. Steiglitz. lie caused it to 

 be delivered to the Emperor Alexander, who, I presume, 

 ordered his chef de cuisine to convert it into soup. This must 

 have been in 1823 or 1826. I write front memory, some 

 honest man having purloined my journal, which at the pres- 

 ent time would be to me a tower of strength, containing 

 many facts and anecdotes lost beyond redemption. Half a 

 century is a long time to look back to, but, thank God, my 

 memory can yet retrace people and occurrences seventy years 

 ago. 



I must slate for the information of the renders of Fokkst 

 and Stream, who have not seen the London alderman's tit- 

 bit in his native element, that in warm, sunny days, when 

 the sea is like a mirror, the turtle comes to the surface float- 

 ing like a buoy. They evidently come up to bask in. the 

 suu, and fall asleep. Hence their being so easily caught. 

 But a strange and remarkable fact connected with ibis alder- 

 manic pet, and which I fully verified on Ihe occasion above 

 alluded to, i9 that each is accompanied by a small whitey- 

 gray fish, which sailors call the pilot fish, and which the 

 say awakens the turtle when any danger approaches. The 

 are about a foot long, and something like a young shark, bu 

 having a smaller head. How far this small fish is or is no 

 the safeguard of the turtle I am not prepared to agree to or 

 deny, but I certainly saw them under most, if not all, of the 

 ten I assisted in capturing. 



Strange that I have never before caused this sporting feat 

 of mine to appear in print, and that it should have been re- 

 served for the pages of Fobest and Stream. 'Tis strange 1 

 yea, passing strange ! But I hope, if I am spared, to fill a 

 few more of those pages with memories of the past. 



Apropos of memory, it just occurs to mc that some of the 

 members of the General Assembly of Virginia may, should 

 they chance to peruse this my reverie, ripped lo my superior 

 judgment aud well-known experience io he the umpire iu 

 lhat toughly-contested point— "Is the turtle fish or game V" 

 Ye shades of Demosthenes, of Cicero ! assist me ! One live- 

 long night spent in debating what ? Is game flsh, or fish 

 game ? The first is impossible. A deer or a partridge can't 

 be a fish, hut a fish can be game. My turtle was game, ci- 

 ne would never have reached the palace of the Cssar of all 

 the Russias ! No amount of oratory or special pleading can 

 controvert that ; consequently, all turtle must be game. 

 That is my decision, gentlemen ; let it bs recorded on your 

 statute book, and, in order to make -it publicly known' and 

 have it widely circulated throughout the State, let the Clerk 

 of the General Assembly be instructed to order and pay for 

 1,000 copies of Forest and Sxukahi. Cash, mind you. 

 No truck or trade. Pun. re Vihert. 



Game Fishes ''—Louis villa, Ky., Oct, 2-0.- Editor For- 

 est and Stream-. What is, strictly speaking, a "game" 

 fish, and what are the principal fresh water game fish J 

 Heretofore I have had in my mind as such only salmon, 

 brook trout, black ba=s and grayling; but from a perusal of 

 the various books on angling, and noting the description of 

 the many so-called game fish, I am put quite at sea, aud 

 would like to be set right.— C. W. M. 



[This is a question which men answer to suit themselves. 

 Any fish which you catch for sport may be called "game." 

 In fur and feather there are certain fixed rules, or rather an 

 arbitrary standard has been agreed upon, such as birds which 

 will lie to a dog, etc, or animals usually pursued for sport 

 aud meat. With the fishes there is no such standard, and 

 the term "game-fish" is subject to the construction which 

 any writer puts upon it. Therefore it is au indefinite term, 

 meaning fishes which take, Ihe hook aud are captured for 

 sport. In Mr. Hallock's "Gazetleer" he includes the suckers 

 and other fresh-water fish, and we See no objection to in- 

 cluding sharks in the term.] 



TnE diary of a trip on the Indian River, N. Y., printed 

 last week, should have been credited lo our esteemed con... 

 tributor, Mr. H. H. Thompson, and not to "A." H. Thomp- 

 son, as incorrectly printer}. Our correspondent also dis- 

 claims the spelling " maskanongc," which is not the us. ml 

 form iu the section of which he wrote. Printing 'II 'ii- 

 velton" for Heuvelton, "Ropie'for Posse, "lead work" for 

 hard work, etc., etc., it is just to Mr. Thompson, to explain, 

 was not at all the fault of his manuscript. 



