150 



FOKEST AND STREAM. 



A WEEKLY JOURNAL, 



Pevotbd to Field and Aquatic Sports, Practical Natural History, 

 Fish Culture, the Protection op Game, Preservation of Forests, 

 and the Inculcation in Men and Women op a Healthy Interest 

 in Out-Door Recreation and Study : 



PUBLISHED BY 



forest mid §tremtt §ubUshittg §,om$zt{%. 



— AT— 



NO. Ill (old No. 103) FULTON STREET, NEW YORK. 



[Post Office Box 2S82.] 



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NEW YORK, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1877. 



To Correspondents. 



All communications whatever, intended for publication, must be ac- 

 companied with real name of the writer as a guaranty of good faith, 

 and be addressed to the Forest and Stream Publishing Company. 

 Names will not be published if objection be made. No anonymous con 

 tributions will be regarded. 



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 notes of their movements and transactions. 



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 undersigned. We have no Philadelphia agent. 



83?" Trade supplied by American News Company. 

 CHARLES HALLOCK, Editor. 



T. C BANKS, S. H. TURRILL, Chicago, 



Business Manager. Western Manager. 



CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR THE COMING 

 WEEK. 



Friday, Sept. 28.— Trotting : Ambler Park, Pa. ; Dayton. O. ; Elmira, 

 N. Y. ; East Saginaw, Mich. ; Flora, 111. ; Toledo, O. ; Fleetwood Park, 

 N. Y. ; Creston, la.; Kansas City, Mo.; Sharon, Pa,; Montgomery 

 City, Mo. Base Ball : St. LouiB vs. Louisville, at Louisville ; Hornell 

 vs. Cricket, at Binghamton ; Montlcello vs. Alaska of S. I., at Centennial 

 Grounds ; Excelsior vs. Brooklyn, at Brooklyn, E. D. 



Saturday Sept. 29.— Trotting at Montgomery City, Mo.; Running meet- 

 ing at Jerome Park, N. Y. Base Ball : Hartford vs. Boston, at Boston ; 

 St. Louis vs. Louisville, at Louisville ; Chicago vs. Cincinnati, at Cincin- 

 nati; Quickstep vs. Crystal, at Capitoline Ground ; Hornell vs. Cornell, 

 at Ithaca ; Fitchburg vs. Lowell, at Fitchburg, Mass. ; Richmond vs. 

 Alaska of S. I., at New Dorp, S. I. ; Produce Ex. vs. Domestic of New- 

 ark, at Centennial Grounds. Regatta of Dorchester Yacht Club off com- 

 mercial Wharf. 



Monday, Oct. 1.— Running meeting at Louisville, Ky. 



Tuesday, Oct. 2.— Trotting : Worcester, Mass, ; Brooklyn, N. Y. ; Syra- 

 cuse, N. Y.; Manhattan, Kan. ; Cleveland, 0.; Loudonville, O. ; Dan- 

 bury, Oonn,. Running meetings at Jerome Park, N. Y., and Louis- 

 ville, Ky. 



Wednesday, Oet. 3.— Trotting as above ; Running meetings as above. 

 Base Ball: Louisville vs. Springfield, at Springfield, 111. 



Thursday, Oct. 4.— Troting as above. Running meetings as above. 



Back Again. — Mr. Hallock returned to his duties on Wed- 

 nesday, the 26th September, embrowned and heavier in 

 weight after his two months' excursion in the northwest, 

 where he was the recipient of constant courtesies from the 

 railway and steamboat companies and the gentlemen sports- 

 men whom he encountered throughout his route of many 

 thousand miles. His investigations in the States of Michigan, 

 Wisconsin and Minnesota have been extensive, and were com- 

 piled in copious notes, sketches, etc., which w u re unfortu- 

 nately lost in the upper Mississippi River by the capsizing of a 

 double-reefed sailboat in a squall, together with nearly the en- 

 tire outfit and effects of Mr. Hallock and Dr. Estes, of Lake 

 City, who was his companion. We hope, however, to be able 

 to print a series of letters that will interest our readers, and in- 

 form them what abundant and accessible hunting grounds 

 there are in the northwest, and the very comfortable means of 

 reaching theait Mr, Hallock's escape was a narrow o , and 



congratulations are in order. In some subsequent writing he 

 may be induced to tell the story of his grief. He is welcome 

 back to his old post. 



_-*#._ 



THE FAMINE IN INDIA. 



A NOTHER season of deficient rainfall has prolonged and 

 . . greatly aggravated the famine in Madras and Bombay, 

 and portions of the northwest of India. The anxiety felt in 

 India is announced by the constant telegrams to the effect that 

 the famine is on the increase and an appeal to the home gover- 

 nment for aid. The provosts of the United Kingdom have been 

 apprised of the magnitude of the relief required and British 

 liberality will no doubt be stimulated to a work of charity and 

 patriotism which the most active measures of the Imperial 

 government usually leave much to be done by way of volun- 

 tary supplement. The latest advices have happily been of an 

 alleviating character, as rain has fallen in most of the Madras 

 districts, in some parts of Bombay, as well as in the Punjaubi 

 and various districts of Central India where severe distress 

 has been imminent rather than actual. The rainfall has so far 

 improved the condition of the crops, though still complained 

 of as defective ; and if the monsoon should develop a sufficient 

 quantity of water there would be a gratifying prospect, of gen- 

 eral relief in January next. But in the meanwhile there is the 

 heavy calamity of the present famine to be contended with. 

 The Presidency of Madras is the seat of the greatest difficulty. 

 In Bombay, with the exception of the western border where 

 the area or famine appears to be constantly enlarging, the dis- 

 tress is not unmanageable, and the rainfall, partial and insuf- 

 ficient as it has been, has imparted a more hopeful feeling. 

 But in the Madras Presidency alone there arc 1,750,000 persons 

 kept alive only by daily assistance. The mortality since the 

 first pressure of the famine has been increased by nearly a half 

 a million— an awful proof of the suffering and sacrifices en- 

 dured, notwithstanding all the measures of relief in operation. 

 The increasing price of grain has the effect of extending the 

 distress week after week to higher grades of the population 

 and limiting the sources of local charity. The latest returns 

 give the following account of the distress in the various famine- 

 stricken provinces : "In Madras 957,000 relieved on works, 

 839,000 relieved charitably ; in Mysore 48,000 on works, 151,- 

 000 charitably ; in Bombay 248,000 on works, 149,000 chari- 

 ably." The peculiar aggravation of the case of Madras is thus 

 sufficiently apparent, and the residents in the capital of the 

 Presidency must be admitted to have ample reason for their 

 anxiety and for their appeal to the outside world for sympathy 

 and assistance. Under the most favorable condition of the 

 growing crops there must be several months of dreary strug- 

 gle with famine and disease and what in all ages have been 

 the fellest visitations of poor humanity. 



It is gratifying to observe that the appeal from India for 

 help is obtaining a liberal response throughout the world and 

 in England in particular. A subscription fund opened at the 

 Mansion house in London mounted up in a few days to over 

 $200,000 and there seems to be no cessation of money flowing 

 in. 



Failure of crops with its consequent deplorable scenes of 

 misery, emaciation and death has for several years in succes- 

 sion been making the circuit of the Indian empire. The sea- 

 sons have been irregular throughout nearly all parts of the 

 world, even the United States not escaping ; unusually heavy 

 rainfalls in Europe, northern Asia and eastern U. S. have been 

 accompanied with severe droughts in India and on the Pacific 

 coast of America. We appear to have been passing through 

 one of those recurring series of years in which the atmospheric 

 equilibrium is disturbed over wide areas of the globe ; and ac- 

 cording to all past experience this disturbance gradually cor- 

 rects itself and introduces a more favorable course of the sea- 

 sons. But it is necessary to look on visitations of famine as al. 

 most permanent features of India. This is an enemy always 

 present, and more or less destructive in some quarters of the 

 vast empire. Within the past three or four years famines have 

 destroyed large numbers of the Indian population, diminished 

 the consuming and the tax-paying powers of the country, im- 

 mensely increased the cares and expenses of the government, 

 produced heavy deficits in the finances, where there would 

 otherwise have been .very moderate surpluses, and indefinitely 

 postponed the reduction of the many taxes long condemned 

 as oppressive or impolitic. Famines must thus be recognized 

 as hitherto one of the most certain as well as baneful pheno- 

 mena of the Indian Empire. In the old times when there was 

 little communication and no heavy traffic between one great 

 province and another, this scourge swept down tens of thou- 

 sands unnoticed and unheard of beyond its own area, and its 

 victims melted away in darkness and despair. But in this age 

 of railways and telegrams, when the distribution of food sup- 

 plies is so much more practicable, and intelligence is rapidly 

 diffused, the humanity of a Christian people will insist on the 

 relief of their fellow-men, and, while contributing of their 

 means to this end, will hold the government of India respon- 

 sible for adopting all proper means to meet such dreadful 

 scenes of misery and starvation. And yet a regular and per- 

 manent official system of relief from famine is apt to encourage 

 some of the weaknesses of the native races in India, unless 

 accompanied by vigorous measures for the improvement of 

 rural economy, and the development of a provident and en- 

 lightened industry among the tillers of the soil. It is to be 

 hoped that the Indian government and its officers will not 

 overlook this essential matter, and that the time will come 

 when periodical crop failures and scarcities of food will be 

 niuch less frequent than, they liaye been in 



New York Aquarium.— Last week we enjoyed an evening 

 at the New York Aquarium, corner of Thirty-fifth street and 

 Broadway. Since our last visit, the enterprise of Messrs. 

 Reiche has entirely restocked the vacant tanks, and the Aqua- 

 rium now presents attractions hitherto unequaled. To b3 

 sure the white whale is no longer there, but his tank is occu- 

 pied by five giraffes, animals which combine both ugliness 

 and beauty, and hence form no small centre of attraction. 

 Not the least among the observed are the seals, whose intelli- 

 gence ranks second only to that of the human. In the deep 

 sea tank is seen a veritable bottle-nosed dolphin, whose nerv- 

 ous and restless movements attract numerous gazers. Here 

 too are the skates, models of ugliness, but with a grace of 

 movement possessed by none other of the oceanic tribes. 

 Sharks, eels, turtles, sturgeons, etc., etc., divide the honors of 

 the tank. Among the latest arrivals are Southern prawns, 

 walking fish, flying fish, yellow caranx, big-eye balistes, hair- 

 finned blepharis, unicorn fishes,, balloon fishes, sea ravens, 

 gurnards, serpula, etc. The list of tropical marine life is won- 

 derfully complete, exciting the admiration of the beholder. 

 Messrs. Reiche having secured the building adjoining the 

 aquarium, will place therein a large and varied collection of 

 South American birds, besides numerous monkeys, baboons, 

 etc. A cormorant, flamingo and secretary bird are also on ex- 

 hibition. The Sea-side Aquarium at Coney Island is to be 

 brought here, so that the New York Aquarium will possess 

 unrivalled attractions for the winter. Special opportunities 

 are given naturalists to study the habits of the animals and 

 fishes. 



Jim. — A correspondent in Titusville, Florida, writes : 

 "Tell 'Fred Beverly,' that the characters in his piece in 

 your issue of August 30, were at once recognized, and that I 

 will save the piece for Jim to read when he comes up here 

 again. It will please him mightily. Tell him that Jim has 

 recently taken unto himself a rib, and that he has turned his 

 attention from alligators to manatees ; he has recently captured 

 alive a very large bull manatee. Old Capt. C. is still alive, 

 but has given up boating entirely, and confines himself almost 

 exclusively to that veritable grocery by the riverside." 



—Sir Henry Halford and secretary, Judge Gildersleeve and 

 Major Fulton honored us with a call on Friday last. Sir 

 Henry follows the advice of the Chappaqua sage, and "Goes 

 West," with a view of enjoying antelope shooting on Dismal 

 River, Nebraska. 



Hon. J. W. Babcock, of Rochester, paid a flying v isit to 

 our sanctum last week, sailing for Europe a day later. We 

 are also indebted to W. J. Fay, Mr. Archer and other Denver 

 friends lor a call. These gentlemen came to New York ex- 

 pressly to witness the great match. 



GAME PROTECTION. 



Connecticut— New London, Sept. 13. — I notice in communi- 

 cation of " Scales" that he is glad that the boys of New Lon- 

 don are abandoning their poaching and piratical practices. I 

 wish that I could learn that they had determined to give them 

 up altogether. Our trout streams about here are fished from 

 the breaking up of the ice in the Spring, or as soon as the 

 brooks have run down enough, to late in the fall by many 

 calling themselves gentlemen sportsmen, and who would look 

 with holy horror on a countryman who claimed the right to 

 fish the stream through his land in season and out, yet do not 

 scruple to fish in and out of season and to hring home fish of 

 two inches in length to increase the number of their catch. 

 Our City Reservoir, Konomoc, has afforded good black bass 

 and pickerel fishiDg, but if the outrageous practices of the 

 countrymen pot-hunters who live about the lake are to be tol- 

 erated, we very soon will find their numbers sadly decreased. 

 There is one man who, day after day, sits in his old skiff, and 

 with bean pole, drop lines, and surrounded by diabolical in- 

 ventions, is in a fair way to spoil all fishing, and rob us, who 

 love the exciting sport of bass fishing, of all pleasure hereafter. 

 He has a wooden float about a foot square, upon that an up- 

 right, a line passes from the float over the upright and into 

 the water. He fishes there day after day, and, as the farmer 

 boys say, " sells his bass to fishermen who have poor luck.'' 

 Perhaps this fact may account for the indifference with which 

 this matter was treated when it was mentioned to a gentleman 

 sportsman, he saying: "Well! he catches them with a hook 

 and line, does he not?" Is there no law to touch this robber 

 of gentlemen's sport ? Misax. 



—The Pennsylvania State Game Association meets at Pitts- 

 burg, Tuesday, Oct. 9. 



Where are the Game Clubs?— The waters of Oneida 

 Lake threaten to be depleted of their fish by the wholesale 

 depredations of lawless pot-hunters. Where are the game 

 clubs whose duty it is to see that the laws are enforced ? 

 " Old Sport" writes to the Syracuse Journal: 



Are there no law-abiding lovers of sport in Onondaga, Onei- 

 da, Oswego and Madison counties who have courage and per- 

 severance enough to make a determined staid against the law- 

 less gang of marauders who for twenty years in open defiance 

 of the law have trapped fish in Oneida Lake? I have been 

 spending the summer on this beautiful lake, and it is a well- 

 known fact that there are at least 100 trap nets in its waters 

 to-day. The men who own them are well known, and year 

 after year they pursue their nefarious trade regardless of the 

 law." 



The writer notes the wilful inefficiency of the game consta- 

 bles, and urges that the interested sportsmen of the neighboring 

 towns combine to stop the nefarious practice of those defiant 

 law-breakers. The letter is commented on by the Vtic&H<rald 

 of the 19th inst., in the following language, which we can 

 heartily indorse. Now for action \ 



Fishing at the lake bus been very poor this year in . 

 quence. A party of Syraeusans camping near the mouth A 

 Fish Creek the past summer could not catch enough to 

 : tPble. and were ob 1 '. 



