236 



EDITORIAL WANDERINGS. 



that Mr. Thornby was dead, and it was 

 owing to his being protected by a heavy 

 fur coat that resuscitation was possible. 



Removed to a neighboring farmhouse 

 and restorative measures having been suc- 

 cessfully applied, Mr. Thornby stated that 

 while engaged in fishing he had a bite of 

 such character as to satisfy him that the 

 hook had been taken by some large fish 

 and that in his hurry he slipped upon the 

 ice and his leg becoming entangled in the 

 line, the powerful fish had drawn him with 

 irresistible force to the edge of the hole 

 and the limb had been drawn into the water 

 where the steady pull of the pickerel had 

 held it immovable until cold and exhaustion 

 had rendered the victim unconscious, in 

 which condition he must have remained 

 some 16 hours until fortunately discovered. 



The pickerel was secured, but efforts to 

 ascertain its exact weight have thus far 

 been rendered futile, as owing to its 

 great length, it so overlaps the platform 

 of any available scale that one or the other 

 extremity rests upon the floor, thus render- 

 ing accuracy impossible. 



SPLENDID MOVE. 



Under authority of the Legislature there 

 has been issued for use in the public schools 

 of Maryland a neat pamphlet containing the 

 game laws of the State and articles pertain- 

 ing to those birds which domicile within 

 the borders of the commonwealth. 



It is not universally known that the an- 

 nual celebration of Arbor day, besides being 

 designed to instil in the hearts of youth a 

 love of and familiarity with forestry, has 

 also for its purpose the teaching of some- 

 thing about birds, their habits _ and the 

 means of caring for them. This is the 

 case, however, and the new pamphlet seeks 

 to cultivate love for the feathery creatures 

 themselves, as well as respect for the laws 

 which are made for their protection. 



The document is issued by State Game 

 Warden John W. Avirett, who. urges the 

 school teachers to keep in touch with the 

 wardens. 



Colonel Avirett is a strenuous advocate 

 of practical education, and he favors the 

 teaching of Maryland youth all those 

 things that Maryland youth will find of 

 practical service in adult years. So, it is 

 the dream of the colonel that the day is 

 not far distant when the State's game laws 

 will be zealously taught in the public 

 schools as are the three "R's." With, the 

 advent of that period Colonel Avirett's 

 pamphlet will form an excellent text book. 



DECREASE IN ANTELOPE HERDS. 

 According to the Warden report, rank- 

 ing next to the elk in numbers in Wyoming 

 is the antelope. This animal is found in 

 every county in the State, but the most 

 jiumerous herds range in Uinta, Fremont, 



and Sweetwater counties. This herd num- 

 bers about 5,000. Antelope are still fairly 

 numerous in Crook and Weston counties. 

 A few hundred range in the Shirley basin, 

 in Carbon county. Although these animals 

 have horns which grow over a boney core, 

 like domestic cattle, they shed their horns 

 and renew them each year like a deer, and 

 in many other respects they are unique. 

 Their very hair is different from other 

 antelopes and consists of hollow tubes filled 

 with pith like an elder stick. The hair is 

 brittle and easily broken, and on the but- 

 tocks it can be erected at will, and it pro- 

 duces an odd effect when the animal, thor- 

 oughly frightened or angered, expands this 

 white patch. 



Harmless, interesting, and beautiful, this 

 species should be protected and perpetuated 

 for all time. Predatory animals, coyotes, 

 wolves, . and meat hunters are responsible 

 for their steady decrease in numbers. Mr. 

 Hornaday, in his great book of American 

 Natural History, says : "No man really 

 needs this creature's paltry pounds of flesh, 

 and if his two-cent bullet flees true to the 

 mark it will destroy an animal more won- 

 derful than the rarest orchid that ever 

 bloomed." 



INDIAN TERRITORY OUTRAGE. 



A government official in the Indian Terri- 

 tory has discovered that quail trappers are 

 making a systematic campaign against the 

 birds by trapping them and sending them 

 out of the territory. While waiting for a 

 . train at Crowden City recently, Agent 

 Shoenfelt noticed a commotion in several 

 boxes, and upon investigation found that 

 they were filled with live quail, which were 

 billed to Anthony, Kan. He ordered them 

 released, and at least 3,000 full grown birds 

 flew away toward the neighboring fields. 

 Last year the agent discovered 3,000 live 

 quail at Paul's Valley, which were about to 

 be shipped to New Zealand to a firm that 

 is trying to establish these birds there. 



The professional quail trapper is probably 

 the greatest enemy of the true sportsman 

 of Indian Territory. The Indian police- 

 men, through the instructions of the India:: 

 agent, haVe been releasing a large number 

 of quail this year which have been caught 

 in this way, and wherever the trappers can 

 be found they are being arrested. In order 

 to make the Indan policemen more vigilant, 

 they are allowed to keep any game that they 

 confiscate which has been killed by hunters. 

 When they confiscate live game it is always 

 released. 



PUT THEM IN JAIL. 

 Because lumbermen are killing the deer 

 of the upper peninsula in large quantities, 

 Charles H. Chapman, State game and fish 

 warden of Michigan, favors a law making 

 the minimum punishment ninety days in 

 jail, instead of the present fine of $50. 



