270 



FOREST r AND STREAM. 



the choicest fish morsels I have ever tasted. That engineer 

 had killed and cleansed and then cooked a mackerel on his 

 boiler fire. It was delicious, certainly ; that mackerel was 

 telegraphed from the briny ocean into a terra incognita in 

 ess "than ten minutes. 



In two more hauls we had upward of 5,000 mackerel on 

 board, and if it had been worth while, I believe we could 

 bave sunk the si earner with fish, so plenty were they. The 

 Captain held a confabulation with his men, and concluded it 

 would be wisest to steam up quickly for a market, inasmuch 

 as other smacks were having similar good luck. He knew the 

 price would lie lower every minute. There might be the 

 chance of some one getting in before him, so he cave the or- 

 d t, ''Let her Jump for Newport," where we arrived shortly, 

 and sold out at six dollars a hundred. The fish were pur- 

 chased by a Philadelphia dealer^ and boxed off that same 

 night per the palace steamer Bristol for New York. 



My "fish story "is finished, and, unlike many that have 

 been told, every word is true. "8. O. M. 



— Prof. H. C. Yarrow, of the Smithsonian, has sent us a 

 list of 107 species of fishes, which have been collected by Dr. 

 Elliott Coues and himself in the harbor of Beaufort, North 

 Carolina. Comparatively few of them are eaten. One of the 

 fishes used as food is the spotted flounder, which is captured 

 by the following method : 



It is a peculiarity of the flounders to approach the shore at 

 nif>ht and bury themselves in the sand, leaving only the snout 

 and the eyes exposed, and the fishermen, being aware of this 

 fact, are enabled to capture very many in the following man- 

 ner : A. canoe is prepared with a grating or pan in the bow, 

 to contain fat pine, which, being lighted, the boat is propelled 

 slowly by a person in the stern, while another, armed with a 

 spear, stands in the. bow behind the fire. The craft is made 

 to approach the shore closely, and as the eyes of the fish re- 

 flect back the firelight, they are easily seen, and the spear is 

 driven into the sand a few inches behind the point where they 

 appear. Hundreds of fishes are taken in this manner. In 

 yorne instances the fisherman simply walks along the shore, 

 carrying in his hands a torch and spear. This species is con- 

 sidered excellent food. Size, from one and a half inch to 

 nearly twenty-eight and a half inches, the size of a specimen 

 obtained in September, 1871. 



THE MEGANTIC REGION. 



. GAME IN SEASON IN NOVEMBER. 



Moos Alcese., macKMs, Ued Deer, Cariacus virginianus. 



Elk or wapiti, Cervus canadenm. •Squirrels, red, ttfacK and gray. 



Hares, brown ami gray. Quit)!, Ojdi/x virtrinianua 



Wild mi-Key, Meleagrts gatlopavo. rinnateu Grouse, Cinrido Cupidonia 



Woodcock, Philohda Minnr. Curlew, ifwmenias aninnna. 



Ruffed grouse, Bonnsa umbtsllux. Sandpipers Uringance 



Plover, Charadriince. WllletS. 



goflWlt, Keed or Rice Biras,jO,-vtfcA<m«a; wit- 

 Hall", Jtalltts mrginiaims. vorvs. 



Snipe aud Bay Birds. Una Duck. 

 Cariboo, Tamndus rangifer. 



"Bay birds » generally, inclartfng various species of plover,' Sana 



piper, snipe, curlew, oyster-catcher, surf birds, phalaronos, avocets 

 etc., coming under the group LvhuumIos or Shore Bnds. 



The quail law of Ohio is not out till November 15. 



Editor Fokest ahd Stream : 



South Ham, p. Q , Oct, 20, istt. 



many items from the Megantlc district have from time to time ap- 

 peared in your columns, but no mention has been made of Wolf county, 

 which forms the northwestern part of the Menganttc county and pre- 

 sents a good Held for the sportsman . The county town of Wolf is "South 

 Ham, 7 ' a small backwoods village containing two dwelling-houses, one 

 church and a court house, all pleasantly situated on a mine eminence 

 near the centre of the- county. One of the aforesaid dwellings is the 

 residence of E. S. Darche, Esq., who is store keeper, postmaster, county 

 clerk register, magistrate, etc., etc The other dwel'ing is occupied by 

 its owner, Mr. E. (>. Goodenough, hotel keeper and farmer. From the 

 veranda of this hotel looking westward one gets a fine view of n wide 

 expanse of almost unbroken wilderness, with Orford Mountain looming 

 up in the far background and the range of Stoke Mountains at the left. 

 A short mile to the right and north of the hotel Tarings you to the foot, of 



icolet Mountain. Around the base of this mountain and stretching 

 away to the north and east are the Nicolet woods. Ruffed grouse, deer, 

 bear, caribou and most of the fur-bearing animals are quiie plenty here. 

 The woods would be alive with deer if large numbers of them were not 

 kided by the "Canuck" during the deep snows in the months of Febru- 

 ary and March which considerably lessens their numbers. But arrange- 

 ments are now being made so that, through Mr. Darche, the strong arm 

 of the "Province of Quebec Fish and Game Protection Society" will 

 reach these " pot-hunters" and teach them a summary lesson which will 

 undoubtedly, in a great measure, put a stop to theirunlawful practices. 



A drive of six miles from the hotel in! o the Nicolet woods takes you 

 to LuKc IN icolet , a most beautiful body of water some four miles long by 

 three-fourths of a mile in width. This lake is the head of Nicolet River 

 and is fed wholly by springs, and its waters almost rival in clearness 

 those of that fabled lake whose waters are said to be so transparent that 

 1 1, is impossible to perceive where the dividing line is between the water 

 and air. There are several islands in this lake ; the largest rises near 

 he centre of the lake— i high rocky pinnacle very like a miniature St. 

 Helena. The sight presented to the beholder standing at the upper 

 end of the lake, looking down its length taking in the islands and further 

 down the different peaks of the mountain, all towering above the clear, 

 silvery water which, mirror-like, reflectB back their every form -with 

 marvelous distinctness, makes a picture that, once seen, will never be 

 forgotten. 



The Salmo fontinalis is the only variety of the finny tribe found 

 *here and they grow in goodly numbers and large size, though they also 

 suffer much from the depredations of the poaching Frenchmen who 

 with their night lines and gill nets take bushels of them from off their 

 spawning beds. There are other lakes in this immediate vicinity— In- 

 dian Lake, Branches Lake, East, Trout and Duck Lakes. All of these 

 contain the Salmo fontinalis and some of them the silver lunge (SaftWJ 

 nwmawsb). Besides these lakes there are numerous streams aud some 

 o I them of considerable size, being branches of the Nicolet River. One 

 Of them is quite uear to the hotel tint contains trout, and would furnish 

 good sport to the fly fisher during the early part of the season before 

 the myriads of chubs appear. 



There are two routes to reach this place ; one by Grand Trunk R. R. 

 to Danville, then twenty-six miles by stage. The other route, take the 

 International R. R> from Sherbrooketo Weedon, then delve twelve 

 miles over a rough road. The deer here are quite unsophisticated, as 

 they have never been run by hounds, or hunted by the still-hunter dur- 

 ing the autumn and early winter. The writer is just returning from a 

 trip through this country and has seen large numbers of grouse, and 

 one morning he shot sixteen ducks, black scoters, thirteen male and 

 three female, out of a flock that had settled in a small pond near " Bury.' 

 Is it not unusual for this variety of sea duck to be found so far from the 

 sea coast 1 I would call the attention of Vermont sportsmen to the fact 

 that pot-hunters fi'om Cooticooke and neighboring border towns here in 

 Canada (some of them wealthy men) are now dauy visiting "Averil" 

 Lake ar.d are killing hundreds of large trout, u?ing both nigMt lines and 

 Kill nets. The Vermont Fish Commissioners should stop this at once or 

 the lake will soon be cleaned out. Stanstead , 

 . — •♦— . 



Notice to Sportsmen.— Having received bo many- communication 

 asking us for information in i egard to our sis-section bambon trout, 

 black bass, grilse and salmon rods, we have prepared a circular on the 

 ubject, which we shall take pleasure in forwarding to any address. 

 We keep on hand all grades, the prices of which rauge from $ to to Slot) 

 We put our stamp only on the best, in order to protect our customers 

 and our reputation, for we are unwilling to sell a poor rod with a false 

 enamel (made by burning and staining to imitate the genuine article) 

 without letting our customers know just what they are getting, 



P. O. Box 1,294.— lActtit Abbey & Imbru, 3S Maiden Lane. 



Vermont— AtiwrgTi, Nov. 2.— The bays are full of ducks. 

 Partridge shooting excellent. The birds are unusually tame, 

 and are found near the farm building. 



Massachusetts — Framingham, Nov. 2. — Ruffed grouse are 

 about the only game hereabout this fall, and those far from 

 abundant. F. brought in six yesterday, an uncommon good 

 bag. He reports seeing but one woodcock, and nary a quail. 

 The latter haven't been so scarce ior years. I doubt if there 

 were a dozen broods raised in the whole township. The uni- 

 versal opinion is that the severity of last winter was too much 

 for them. It is to be hoped that the attempt to introduce Lbe 

 migratory species will be a success, otherwise quail Bhooting 

 in N.-E. will soon be a thing of the past. The fox is also 

 getting to be rather a '"rare bird" with us. One was Brought 

 in last week after a long run and considerable shooting. YVi'ld 

 geese passed yesterday. A few went over ten days or so ago. 



F. C. B. 



Salem, Nov. 3. — The lawful quail season opened last Thurs- 

 day, but owing to defective laws and unscrupulous gunners the 

 birds in some places are pretty well scattered. Woodcock very 

 scarce. Partridge shy and none too numerous. Some snipe 

 and rail yet at Newbury. Sheldrake, coots, loons, capebraua, 

 old squaws, blue bills, dippers, whistlers, etc., are now in Ol- 

 der to shoot, but they are all careful birds, and generally look 

 out for number one. I have a young European quail, shot 

 the first, near Essex Ponds. This is quite a nice bird to take, 

 as it proves the birds put out by Boston, through Salem par- 

 lies, near our reservoir, have been mating and breeding. 

 Kittiwake gulls very numerous in the bay, and quite tame. 



Thai. 



Rhode fer/AHp — Newport, Not), 5. —The ground is in splen- 

 did condition. There are plenty of rail and waterhens. 

 Snipe are quite plentiful. There are a few yellow legs left, 

 and we are visited quite often by ducks and coots. Quail are 

 abundant in our neighboring vicinity. Bagged two rails, one 

 snipe, two yellow legs and Five ereekers. ~ Nimeod. 



Connecticut— Norton, Nov. (i.— Quail are abundant here 

 this fall. Grouse scarce and very wild. Ducks are very 

 scarce on account of the late fall, but are very tame. One 

 man bagged sixteen woodcock in one morning last week. 



F. K. G. 



New Yoi£BL—Moclmter, Nov. L— Duck shooting on the 

 Grecian ponds, will furnish fun unlil the ice closes the ponds. 

 The editor of the Union and Advertiser concludes that ' ' duck 

 shooting is a source of great emolument to the dealers in am- 

 munition, for scarce a man of the fifteen or twenty who are 

 stationed on the bar but discharges both barrels of his gun at 

 every flock that passes, no matter how far away they are. 

 This scares the birds, but seldom hints them, and the waste 

 of powder and shot is enormous. If the shooters would ab- 

 stain from firing at the birds when out of ordinary range, they 

 would not be so wild, and in the end more of them would be 

 shot. But it is impossible to get all to agree on that point, 

 for when one shoots nearly all the others near him seem im- 

 pelled to rise and blaze away." 



Buffalo, Oct. 26. — Woodcock Ms been rather scarce, but 

 the birds are in excellent condition, averaging seven ounces. 

 No heavy bags have been made thus far by any party. Part- 

 ridge are abundant, and have been offered freely at 75 cents a 

 pair in the market. All of the birds are in better condition on 

 an average then during the previous year. The neighborhood 

 of Buffalo enjoys a fine supply fromlhe stragglers of the near- 

 by apttrs '61 the Alleghauies. It seems to be a sell led fact 

 that partridges do take short migratory flights whenever their 

 customary food becomes scarce in tlieir usual haunts. Snipe 

 has only appeared in small flocks and has afforded scarcely any 

 sport. Baas above ten are an exception. The dry weal her 

 in September and early October seems to be the reason of 

 their unusual scarcity. Coots (alias ruddy duck), Scotus, 

 pintail and teal have made their appearance near middle of 

 October, and have afforded here and there fair sport. The 

 great amount of tugs, steamers and oilier craft plying ou the 

 rivers ads as a check upon the usual supply of water'fOwl on 

 the Niagara. A large wild cat (Lyneces canadensis) was 

 shot last week in a swamp within fifteen miles of Buffalo! 

 The still ferocious looking animal has been gent m flesh to the 

 rooms of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, ■where, it 

 will be in due time added to their collection alter being 

 mounted. The weather is now on the main unfavorable, to 

 hunting, since rainy days are in excess, Buffalo sportsmen 

 prefer the Western plains to their neighborhood, and are most- 

 ly away from town. 



Bhomingburgh, Nov. 3.— The shooting still good. Miller 

 and myself killed 29 woodcock and 4 partridges Wednesday, 

 12 woodcock and 3 partridges Friday. 6 partridges and' 3 

 woodcock Saturday. Partridge shooting fine here this fall. 



luu.o. 

 Union Springs, Nov. 2.— The slaughter of ducks has been so 

 great that the use of batteries is no longer allowed. 



Schenectady, Nov. o.— Good duck . -hooting in Sanders' Lake, 

 andall along the Mohawk River. They only began to arrive 

 last week, and since then have corns mJarge flocks. C. W. 



Pennsylvania— Slade, Nov. 5.— The woods in the vicinity 

 are full of wild turkeys and pheasants, 



Clearfield, Aov. 1.— Pheasants me Still abundant iu the 

 woods, but there are loo many gunners out. 



Lancaster, Nov. 2. — I have Just returned from a gunning 

 trip to Fayette County. Quail wen; very abundant; aiBa 

 pheasants. Deer and turkey rep }, but I 



didn't find them. 



.Uornellsvilte, Nm. 5.— Not much sport of any kind 1m. 

 week, on account of the bad weather. On Thursi 

 fine deer was shot in the village, within one-quarter of a rnih. 

 of the post office. It was discovered feeding among & 

 number of cows ; weighed 200 pounds. J. O. F 



Virginia. — There is an abundance of game this seas 

 Beer, turkey, ruffed grouse, partridges, hares ami sqn it- 

 are quite plentiful, especially the last named, which are n 

 abundant iu the Shenandoah Valley this season than has lj._ u 

 known for many years past. For several weeks past squirrojp 

 have been invading the valley in vast hordes, their mignttiut' 

 being probably due to a scarcity of moss iu the AllegliM 

 Mountains. It is certain that some of these animals luv' 

 come from the Alleghanies or points further West, from 1 

 circumstance, that among others, many black squirrels I 

 been killed, which are not residents of the valley. 



Leesburg, Nov, 3. — The present season for quail opened jl 

 on 1st Nov., four gentlemen killing sixty-five, two othei 

 same day, killing thirty-nine, and on'jNbv. 2 still another N 

 shooting thirty-one. Ten or twelve sportsmen heard JH 

 averaged fifteen birds apiece. The birds are well grown 1 

 rather abundant. No fishing, water not clear. Weather Qi 

 but not cold. T. ' 



Norfoik, Nov. 5. — Bob White's protection papers have 1 

 withdrawn and he must lookout for himself and fan- 

 Thursday, Nov., 1 ushered in cloudy, but a great many i 

 sportsmen were out aud made some very good bags, the 1 

 reported scoring forty-three. Have not had any frost t 

 down the weeds, which are breast high. Ducks are- 

 over pretty well, and with the advent of cold weather ( 

 tuck will be sending a good many in. W. 11. 



The First Quail in Virginia. — Mr. Page McCaity 

 Richmond, Va., writes to us as follows 1 



The President's son, Mr. Webb Hayes, bagged ihe 

 quail of this season near Richmond, on Nov. 1, which is 

 day on which the sporting Virginia a is allowed to take t 

 his breech-leader aud indulge his favorite sport. Thes. 

 of Mr. Hayes' first experience in a fieid of the Old Domin 

 was just 'above Richmond, along the valley of the Jat 

 River, where the rich autumn fields are always full of bir 

 where the sport is peculiarly fine; where the bevy is scald 

 and the sportsman can pick up single birds, While Hisl 

 cellency, the President, went out to a breakfast party, 

 son, with a pleasant company of jolly Virginians, some f 

 setters and ammunition, of more kinds than one it is a 

 hoped, took the field and declared a very t bandsome divid 

 of partridges, as the F. F. V.'s call the bird. 



[We are glad to bear of Mr. Webb Hayes' good fortu; 

 We sincerely trust that at future dinners or suppers i 

 White House no game out of season will be served. We 

 caSionally had a bone to pick with President Grunt on 

 subject, but since Mr. Webb Hayes is a sportsman he j 

 undoubtedly attend to such matters, and not allow 

 of the game laws.— En. j 



Steamku Between New Smxena and St. Augustine, Fu, 

 — The steamer Border City will make semi-weekly trips b£ 

 tween New Smyrna, St. Augustine and Jacksonville, counej 

 ing at the latter place with a line of steamers to Savantfl 

 thence to New York. The fare to New Smyrna from St. An- 

 gustine is $3, and from Jacksonville $6, Wm. H Clay, 

 Gen'l Agent at Port Orange ; John Clark, Agent, Jaek-ou 

 ville. This line will enable sportsmen to go from New Yoif 

 direet to New Smyrna. 



Mississippi— Corinth, Oct. 31. — I think there is a fail | 

 of quails this season, and hope to commence shooting as |H 

 as the frost kills down the weeds and grass. Turkeys are ie ■>< 

 numerous than usual. We have had very few squirrels Una' 

 fall, although there is an abundant mast. Weather rnagS 

 cent, bright and warm , Guv S . 



Texas — WHMs, Oct. 29.— Weather warm for the. season, aiitl 

 but few wild fowl south yet. Mast crop very good, some an- 

 ticipated ; no end of game later. Deer in splendid order, ami 

 we are getting quite a number. 



Ohio. — The quail season does not open until Nov. 15, 



—Of course the St. Clair Flats must be a good place (If 

 ducks. How do we know? Because we beg to act 

 from S. H. Turrill, Esq., a dozen of red-head.-, and cal» 

 back ducks. Never were birds fatter or better. 



— We beg to acknowledge from D. A. Merritt, i 

 President of the Black Hawk Club, the receipt ol 



invitation to partake of the hospitalities of the club. The of- 

 ficers of the club are G. W. Esteiiey, President, 

 water, Wis. ,- D. A, Merritt, Vice-President, Marquette, Mil 

 andW r . S. Dalleba, Secretary. The election tool) 

 12. From the Jefferson County Union, of Atkiusoi 

 sin, we learn that General Phil. Sheridan has been 

 the Black Hawk Club. Attracted by the 

 Koshkonong- this galhmt Officer has visited if several tiro* 

 for sport and recreation. The club has our. best 

 its success. Formed as it is of gentlemen sp > 

 to be reminded from time to time of its prowess in the tieldff 



NEitTtASKA— Omaha, Oct. 2D.— Snipe shooting is good ta 

 season ; rather better lhan usual. Duckshocling 1 

 Ihe ducks have not come down from their northern bau<P 

 as yet. Geese- are moving southward, many coi 

 upon the sand-bars of the Missouri and Platte n\ 

 vicinity of the feeding grounds. But no considerable naff 

 hers have been brought in by our sportsmen as yet The W»] 

 bag of snipe of this season was made by your hurt 

 pondeht and two others in one day last week, consrtin^B 

 132 Wilson's snipe, in the Papillon Valley fFrencl 

 terliy, locally pronounced Papio), eight to ten mil© 

 city. The day was cold, and the birds wild enon 

 tile shooting interestingly lively, usually rising iron 

 forty yards from the shooter. Our pleasant autumn weajM 

 bids" fair to extend the fall shooting on ducks 

 somewhat later than usual, and as the 

 are permitted to shuot in this. State, the boys propo 

 for them. Bon 



— The Emperor William is a crack shot and enj 

 now as much as in his younger days. 



