408 * 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



IDeobmbkk 22, 1881. 



EiMrt.— I. Tbatn.eBpatr(Mvi8estftbli8hedova'Biuu;eiiofUiaEdlon| 

 comprising Adelaide and it « suburbs rrom the sea-comta 



well up into the bills : southwards to Happy Valley, Coromandel 

 Valley and v\ illuuga ; northwards to Allendale, and far on— though 



we hop..- '..i ■!. :.■ :,i i.e-etaloo, near Wirrabam In the 



Boutti-oast, M- nut . G-ftiul • i centre of its own. 



II. That tin- responses of snlfe-.ers withill ' '■. to ng area cry 



for relief from sparrow depredations a- if ii'">n it p-M : -and with 

 wbat rta-oii the following atal mentR. as enamnleB, mas show; 

 From Mr J.-kn <" hmubers. of South Ih.'hmond 



ton ana a half of grapes. 

 M of Bra trees. Thev kept low fifteen 

 Prom Mr, IFenden, of Salis- 



,1-rowf) Look £80 worth of 



ik'us, ul Lower JJitehaui : " Has three, 

 peas, and tbey have each time been 



space of I 



pped all lb. 

 lucerne dm in 

 bnry : "Th 

 fruit :" and from Ml 

 times this season sc 

 destroyed by sparrows, 



III. 'That* the species of sparrow domiciling in South Australia 

 damages or consumes finite, cereals and vegetables. Its fecundity 

 is aatoniabing. A few to-day, are thousands next season. Its 

 work is done on a magnitude despairing to the cultivator, aud 

 under conditions he cannot control ; for the seed is taken out of 

 the ground, the fruit-bud off the tree, the sprouting vegetable as 

 fast as it grows, and tbe f < nil ere it is ripe, aud, therefore, before 

 it oau bo boused mid saved. 



IV. That the cultivations attacked by Bp&rrows, are as follows : 

 Of FnnU— Apricots, cherries, tigs, apple-., grapes, peaches, plums. 

 pears, nectarines, Loquata and olives. Of 'Vrrafe- Wheat and 

 barley. Of Vegetables— Peas, cabbages, cauliflowers, and garden 

 seeds' generally. 



i of defeu 



depreda- 



e to the 



Q pl 0; 



>raiu, bread. 

 lOdei of administration 



V. That the 

 tions bave beei 



phosphorus, arsenic, and stry 

 and bran with sugar. The re 

 been insufficient, which may 1; 

 rather than to defect- in the i 



VI. To the above expedients the following are suggested by 

 correspondents, namely :— The tender of rewards for Bparrowa 1 

 eggs and beads, the removal of gun licenses for the season, and 

 poisoned water in summer. Il is further declared that the united 

 motion of all pro) erty holders, iiwiuding the Government, in infested 

 dist ' 



See* 



, which niav be 

 .ot. theirohjeot 

 tbe approval of 



that the 



lseetivo 



ud heads 



of pa 



and 2e 

 ms habits, but t 



influi 



in tendering this Progress Report is tc 



your Excellency the propriety of at ou 

 fill means api licable to the breeding 

 namely : A system of rewards for I 

 through re -readily ace 



row diatricts ; and we suggest, as a tri 

 should be Gd. per dozen for sparrows' 

 fid. per 100 for spanow.; - eggs, deliver* 



Third. We have sought proof of his 

 yet with little result, 



Signed by the Commissioners. 



The testimony of the individuals who were examined by 

 the Commission is unanimous in condemning the bird as 

 most destructive to vegetation. One man speaks of them as 

 "fifty times worse than rabbits." No good word is said for the 

 birds. To give some, id: a Of its character we append some 

 extracts front the testimony: 



Joseph Kernes say? ; "Great damage done to fruits— apricots, 

 grapes, figs and plums." 



Mr. John Chambers, South Richmond, testifies : Sparrows have 



thoroughly established th. 



Calculates that Tie grows annually one aud 



but last, season the sparrows took them all 



They also took nearly all the fij 



thephims. Had oaob'ages growing under 



were, infected with aphis, but the sparrow. 



In November be sowed u paddock of rifta 



but the sparrows kept that fed down during the 



igerj aud orchard. 



half tons of grapes, 



vayin about tcu days. 



Ave trees, and nearly all 



ler the plum trees which 



ows never went near them. 



with lucerne, 



'They 



bave also destroyed a bed of peas as soon as they appeared abl 

 ground, and is unite sure that if tbey are not. destroyed it s 

 ' ;row anything. Has tried pojaoi 

 ed. and 



be no 1 



wheat, barley, 

 tion fiom Mai 

 powder. L'ur 

 Mr. O, J. C< 

 the sparrows destroye 



like 



-p.-. 



Jc prepa 



smell 



rrced to destroy thi 

 states that having heard that 

 . . jeets, be had made a carefu 

 examination of the crops of these birds. Had killed sparrows in 

 every mouth in the year, but their crops bad never showu any in- 

 sects ; they were generally filled with fruit or grain, i . 

 his rot were covered with aphis, other shrubs with tho mealy 

 bug. and his pear trees with plq/loiihi* pure : but be never saw a 

 sparrow attemi.l to touch these. Has laid wheat poisoned with 

 phosphorus and strychnia, but the birds have refused to take it 

 Suggests the levying of a sparrow tax to pay for sparrow heads 

 and eggs. 



August Davies, Beaumont I Sparrows are in thousands in his 

 locality, and destioj cherries, apricots, figs, American plums, 



olives, pears, grap. -, :■ 



so eat small patches of grain which 



have been left to ripen. As 



to destroying grubs, etc, he saj - th« 



damage done by grill) 



yearinhia garden was greater than 



ever before, and i 



were all around. Has tried wheat 



poisouedwith arsenic and e 



also poisoned water, but 



the birds soon get knowing 



Id ... T:- pi and scarecrows 



have been trii . 



sb, Sngi seta poisoning, aud also a 



repeal of the Goo License 



! :. Is cert; in if thev are allowed to 



increase unchecked, tlcv wi 



1 become a regular curse, aud the 



crops will suffer I m B i 





C. L. Hubois, Linden : aj 



arrows are iu his neighborhood by 



tens of thousands. Thevdest 



oved balf his grape crop — Bay two tons 



per aero - and other fruit in 



jioportion. Thev fight shy of poison- 



ed wheat, aud tu put 



ing agar of lead in water in suin- 



mer time. Hi- neighbor inl 



.rras him that thev have destroyed 



all his cauliflowers and cabt 



ages— attacking the little shoots as 



thfivsiniia up. H 



;- aphis, for he had some 



eolzaplanti 



. . I the sparrows never touched. 



'1 I, i.L- 1 • -;■■ ■ ..'.-hawk sb 



predatory birds should bepr 



..Osmond: 



■nld be introduced, and the small 



Strongly urges immediate action to 



destroy sparrows during the 



resent , taring season. The injuries 



caused bv sparrows in his ne 



igl lli . have been- to farmers. 



by eating grain at a 



d harvest time, it being estimated 



that fully one-third has been 



lost i to vignerous. bv eating grapes 



wholesale; to gardeners, by 



erectly they appear 



above ground ,• and to the community, by driving or fright, 

 away the insectivorous birds. Thinks poisoned grain is the tiuick- 

 cst and most effective method of destroying them. 



S. A. Milne, Drummuner : Year by year sparrow* are becoming 

 more numerous, and are .... , ..... ■■. livein hedges, 

 and make a raid on ripe com. Tact year he lost two acres of wheat 

 which hu had suwn for seed. The sparrows took the corn; he 



only bad the straw. Thuy bave ; ,■ ■ ■ ;,,; damage in the 



garden, destroying the -tone irn more especially 



grapes. They have driven asray smaller insectivorous birds which 



used to be of great service. Thinks poisoned wheat wi 



mo-t effectivi 



will bu takei 



Henry A. 



established 



'. ing them, and hop 

 lilOi in. in. 



Mount Gambier 



Bthe 



i ad gai 

 Last bi 



reared 



Plants, 



Sparrows bave ( 



■hood, iti- nai lest 

 overed with uetti 

 rients before they 

 ad cateu as sooo as planted, 



seed four til.i.r. 



Ig the ground with 



s ripe, 



feathers tied to a id, Obey pull lip young plants" and eat. the 

 heads uff young aud tender shoots. Al pi about the 



farms in thousands, living principally on grain, and most reduce 

 the yield of crops. No systematj iodestroy 



them, Has ti ii in , rhieb was effective 



Jor a few days, after which the sparrows would not touch tho pois 



oued grain. Then tried traps, but tn 

 these. Thinks unit. .1 notion is ahsol 



uowing for 



keep th. 



down, and is also of opinion that, desir -, >_ •... ■ o,- and netting 

 the old birds by every landowii.i- ,o I ,.-..,. ■ . I ] i j -_ t in would greatly 



diminish them. Wi 

 shot. 

 James T. Ralph. Ma 



flocks a considerable mime 



Start ; Sparrows have established 

 iueui-ci>ra in in* i ■_■•■ i • , i i . ears, and the district is now 



ati l oh th-m. Be has a fruil garden of four and a half 

 acres, the produce of which was nearly all eaten by sparrows. 

 From one and a half acres \ ines be did nol have more than 150 lbs. 

 of grapes. Cherries, apric.c , ; ;■. iigs and plum 



were also destroyed by these birds. Had a paddock of seva 

 acres, surrounded by a piiclllj hedge, which proved a good harbor 



for sparrows, and for ten feet from the hedgi U 



taken by the sparrows, tv. n young wheat plant- being 

 and the seed taken from them. The only means taken to flestroy 

 them has been shooting byhimsi I s gbbors; but this has 



little effect, He hil-o.-I- o. o r L . : .., UE d w heal 



before the fruit seasoi also the destruction of their 



nests. He states that manv peTBOUB who»re dependent- on i 

 water are very mud inconyemei dby the poilution of the water 

 by sparrows, which build In the spout- an. 3 gutters. 



The extracts from the testimony of the forty-two witnesses 

 examined by the Commission during the first four weeks of 

 its existence, will give our readers "a very fair idea of the 

 way in which practical horticulturists look upon the sparrow 

 in Australia. The testimony given wns unanimous that the 

 sparrows did not destroy insects when other food was 

 accessible. 



%<m\t j§a$ unci g/m. 



TWO COLD DAYS AT THE CLUB HOUSE. 



gale from the 



breakfast, table, 



Brt 



THANKSGIVING DAY bloomed at the usual hour; 

 and we turned out of our snug beds to find the ther- 

 mometer showing about eighteen above, and the wind half a 

 ward. Six members gathered at the 

 iter some discussion decided to carry 

 te Thanksgiving dinner after the rJay'B 

 1! for turkey — think of six men sitting 

 a long day's work in the cold.) 

 d, there was bustling and bundling, ears 

 must be covered, cardigan jackets under I be heavy shooting 

 coat, gum coats of dried grass color, Mackinaw overcoats, 

 skin jackets, etc., transform us into an odd looking set, who, 

 together with the variously costumed punters, make a parly 

 that would astonish our uninitiated city friends. Boals laden 

 with decoys, blinds, ammunition pails, guns and other need- 

 fuls, complete the picture — six boals on)}' from the hun- 

 dred that fill the capacious boat house. 



Nearly an inch of ice covered the shallow waters of the 

 marsh and buy, so our shooting must be confined to the 

 open waters of the river, down which we pull some three 

 miles. This is an easy ta-.lt as the i! wintry blast "is full in 

 our favor. We indulged a hope that it would lull or change 

 before night. We did nol envy those who took punters; for 

 the exercise being a complete countercheck to the piercing 

 winds. Some of the party were stationed under the lee of 

 the high grass alonir the shoie, avoiding the wind. Not BO 

 fortunate we ; our blind was iu an open space, with water on 

 one side and ice on the other, where the wind had full sweep, 

 but by pulling out often to retrieve we managed to keep 

 comfortable, except the feet, which although covered with 

 two pairs of woolen socks and hip boots, ached with the 

 cold. 



Only twenty decoys were used, and these became nearly 

 useless on account of the ice which accumulated ou the 

 heads, and the gieat wings of ice on the sides, causing some 

 to turn wrong side up and all to have anything but a natural 

 appearance. If you have never handled decoys in such 

 weather il wiH he useless to try to convey an idea of the 

 work it is, in the almost irresistible wind and with icy 

 fingers, notwithstanding rubber gloves, the long anchor lines 

 to wind up. 1 would say to the beginner don't stop to wind 

 up each line, but drop several of the decoys into the boat 

 quickly, leaving the anchors to hang over tbe gunwale until 

 you have pulled into shallow water, where you can hang on 

 to an oar stuck into the mud or to your blind, wind the cords 

 at your leisure and warm your bauds far a new start. 



Bhooting was not aB good as we had hoped, several holes 

 being still open (unfrozen) in places inaccessible to beings 

 without wings. The blind had been shot out of for many 

 days, and tbe ducks were shy of it. The bjg to one gun 

 was only forty-four in two days, composed of red-heads, 

 mallards, dusky ducks, piutails, sborelers, widgeons, blue- 

 bills, butler-balls and ruddy ducks. These were got by 

 "sky-scraping" and some water scraping, shooting probably 

 one hundred aud fifty shells. Many chances were lost by 

 pulling out after ducks rather than letting them drift away 

 down iigainsl the edge of the ice, where the wind had kicked 

 up a little sea, making it unpleasant and not wholly safe to 

 work a small skiff, for the water won d swash in, freezing to 

 everything and sometimes binding the oars in the lucks. 

 This is one of the objections to fancy rigging. A good 

 plain oar that: can be feathered and pulled quickly inboard, 

 belugas good as anything. Outriggers are also unhandy 

 when pulling in and out of a blind often. 



During part of the first day we took pains to drop ducks 

 on the ice; this was a mistake, tbe ice being heavier than we 

 had thonght, taking nearly an hour to break a channel around 

 the dead bird. 



'We took occasion to Iry coarse shot, 2's, 3'aanu some B's; 

 but. were only confirmed in our long habit and opinion that 

 o's are, day in and day out, (after September.) the shot for 

 ducks. When a duck is crippled and within forty yards, we 

 prefer 7's or b's, which are very likely to puncture the head. 

 Mem. — Two charges of 3's were Bred at a winged duck, at, 

 perhaps, forty yards ; both lifted him oil' the ice ; he laid his 

 head down to a charge of 7's. 



A blue-bill swung in within twenty-five feet of the blind; 

 the thought was, while pressing the trigger, "he will be 

 blown all to pieces, so aim at the lip of his bill, and catch 

 his head." Not so. He turned tail at the first barrel, and a 

 clean miss was scored with both, Speaking again of shot— if 

 one eoulu always Lell what, bis next chance would be, or had 

 ..■bi change shells, I be 1 b or I.".- would tfdd ma- 

 terially to the bug, but taken all in all but few of | 

 should be carried, and used as the exception rather than the 

 rule. No. 4'sare, to me, an abomination. I bave no confi- 

 dence in them, and find that several of rny friends have the 

 same feeling. 



The second day was even colder and more windy than the 

 first, and pulling up the. river each night wasa terror. Shoot- 

 ing half a dozen ipuails, over BanchO, in the morning, and the 

 journey home consumed the third day. A day or two, and 



accumulated business is worked oil; cold and fatigue are 

 forgotten and the desire to go again is as strong upon us as 

 ever. 



By the way, we had a discussion upon the subject of euns. 

 A gun of American make— of long Standing— received ihe 

 very highest praise foi qualities! One genilemaD, 



who has an extended shooting acquaintance, affirmed that 

 nine-tenths of tbe gucs used by clubs in this eoutry were of 

 this make, and although be was Ihen shooting his line Eng- 

 lish cttn, ho i nicrican gun by long oddg, except 

 in the matter of plungers "If it only had solid bead 

 plungers,'' be would ask for no I eft or gun." In confirmation 

 of this idea, plungers were broken in two of these guns that 

 day. Mk-iiit-abpe. 



INDIAN METHOD OP CATCHING MUSKUATS. 



Nkw "WK.s-niixsTKK, British Columbia, Nov. 1881. 



A MOST ingenious and successful method of catching 

 muskrats (Fiber Ub.thicus) is practiced bv the Indians 

 m the interior of British Columbia; and as I believe this 

 particular mode is one that is peculiar to them alone, I 

 thought it worthy of being communicated to your paper so 

 that a more extended knowledge of it might be obtained. 



When the lakes are frozen up, the Indians repair to one 

 that contains muskrat houses. They go with as large num- 

 bers as they can muster j the more, "people the larger the 

 catch, as the necessary operations cauiiol be successfully car- 

 ried on by a few. The boys and girls, as well as the squaws, 

 play an important part in these hunts. Say a lake contains 

 a hundred houses and the number of hunters and ' ' huntresses'-!- 

 are fifty. About forty of the houses are hrokeu open, which 

 is a comparatively easy matter. The muskrats leave these 

 houses, and, taking to the water under the ice, swim away 

 to the other houses, which, of course for the time being, are 

 tenanted by neary double the usual number of muskrats. The 

 Indians being provided with sufficient of the downy sub- 

 stance that envef ps the seed vessels of the flag, known as 

 the cat-tail (Typha laiifoUd), which resembles in a high 

 degree the pulce Of commerce, strew it on top of the water 

 in the bottom of the broken houses. Then a person is 

 stationed at each broken bouse, armed with a stick or spear 

 as the case maybe, ami the remaining ten Indians proceed 

 to break open the other sixty houses as rapidly as they can 

 and with as much noise as possib'e. The poor rats, by this 

 time thoroughly frightened at this new invasion, desert 

 their new quarters and, accompanied with those with whom 

 they took refuge, repair to their former houses. The down 

 of the cat-tail on the surface of the water prevents them fn m 

 seeing the Indiau stationed there, and tbey pop up into the 

 openings in the ice that lead to their former homes ; and, 

 blinded for the moment by the down which.adheres to them, 

 they are completely at the mercy (?) of Mr., Mrs., Master or 

 Miss Lo, who either spears them or knocks them on the 

 head, throws them out on the ice and gets ready for the 

 lext. 



If the colony is not too large almost all the animals will in 

 this manner be secured, the only individuals escaping lining 

 those that take refuge in the underground burrows" in i he 

 banks of the lake. 



Thus it is that the plant [the root's, leaves and stalks of 

 the cat's tail firm the greater part of the materials of which 

 the muskrat houses are built] that affords the muskrat, the 

 material for shelter from the rigor and inclemency of the 

 weai her, at Ihe same time supplies the medium to the genus 

 Itomo to insure its destruction. 



Often through life the thing that we have supposed aud 

 believed to be our best friend proves to be om greatest 

 euemy. Mowitoh. 



A TRUE TALE 01' A DUCK PASS. 



St. P.ipl. Minn., Dec. 10, 1881. 

 "TTTINTE11 has again settled down upon US, aud we can 



YY but gossip of the happy days and bright evenin 

 the Bhooting season. Sometimes I think it is even bell 

 for our enforced confinement sends ns out when the season t 

 again opens, with bright hopes aud new determination to en- 



A iid after 

 vments of 

 1 fatigues 



Ihe lucky 



i Ihe rosy 



of those 



joy more fully the gallant sport we so delight in. 



all, is uol, Ihe retrospect one of tin- pfj al ■-; . i j 



the sportsman. All the dangers, mqj 



are forgotten, and there only remains the metnoi y I 



find, the happy shot, the well-filled creel, seen 



light of anticipated repetition ; and then the sav 



merry nights, just tired enough to enjoy a rest, the sparkling 



story, and the jolly laugh re-echoed round the circle. Ah! 



briber sportsmen" could not each of you fill a volume aud 



yet leave the half untold? 



But to the gossip. Here in our fair city are to be found 

 a baud of sportsmen, than whom none more enjoy and ap- 

 preciate the forest, stream and prairie, «nd who, in kindly, 

 In arty feeling, cannot be excelled. As in the late fall months 

 our principal and best sport is duck and goose Shooting, their 

 attention is largely directed to that class of game, and I think 



i a -'pa=s" with any like 

 j. Notable among those 

 Club, who include some 

 iyh0 o»n a most " happy 

 ducking ground, i- par 



mid iairly staud c 

 number of duck shots 

 Cuuiunerd': 

 of our best men and 

 hunting ground" al Bit 



excellence," nearest to our city. A comfortable and commo- 

 dious house, with excellent attendance, is not the least at- 

 traction of the Island Pass Club; and most of the member! 

 have been constant visitors to it, for the last, fifteen years, 

 some for more. Ah! the memories of this and 'other days." 



Ohl for a collection of the "talcs of the duck pass" "told 

 Within those walls on those merry nights; they are worths 

 of ihe pen and genius of Mirk Twain. But tbisisnot gossip, 

 and so for a true tdo of a duck \nii-i. 



Among the most recent, yet kindliest and brightest, mem- 

 bers of the club i3 the Rev. R. W. Matthews, called by the 

 members, aside, " Pious Bob," a retired clergyman, who is 

 passionately devoted to field sports. He, therefore, gives 

 his well-earned leisure to the bunting field, finding, no doubt, 

 " sermons iu stones and books in running brooks." Now, 

 unfortunately, oui dominie's practice on the pass hail not 

 equalled his precepts, nor indeed bis own opinion of bis 

 shooting abilities, nod, as a result, while his theory was 

 perfect Jjis gi bag light, and hie elegant imported rej 

 triever was rapidly forgelli ig ho w a dead duck looked: in- 

 deed, our friend had become somewhat disheario 

 self, and hinted at an affection of ihe eyes from Over study, 

 and (bat be would give up shooting and retire from theelub. 

 Bir this wou'rl n. ver do, he was too much of a &Qi GOritm 



i he could not bring down his bird; so 

 some of Ihe oil <;o spirits of the club got together and it was 



