292 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION 

 AND THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE 

 IN IT. 



A WEEKLY JOURNAL., 



Devoted to Field and Aquatic Sports, Practical Natural History, 

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

 and the Inculcation in Men and Women op a Healthy I 

 in Out-Door Recreation and Study: 



PUBLISHED BY 



Rarest und Jtfrw/f §ubUahmg §ompm\g. 



—AT— 



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

 [Post Office Box 2832.] 



TERMS, FOUR DOLLARS A YEAR, STRICTLY IN ADVANCE. 



Twenty-five per cent, off lor Clubs of Three or more. 



Advertising Kates. 



Special rates for three, six and twelve months. Notices i 

 columns, 50 cents per line. 



All transient advertisements must be accompanied with the money 

 or they will not be inserted. 



No advertisement or business notice of an immoral character will be 

 received on any terms. 



%* Any publisher inserting our prospectus as above one time, with 

 brief editorial notice oaJJinjs i ii n (hereto, and sending marked copy 



to us, will receive the Forest and Stream for one year. 



NEW YORK, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 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 Names will not be published-ff objection be made. No anonymous con 

 tributions will be regarded. 



We cannot promise to return rejected manuscripts. 



Secretaries of Clubs and Associations are urged to favor us with brief 

 notes of their movements and transactions. 



Nothing will be admitted to any department of the paper that may 

 not be read with propriety in the home circle. 



We cannot be responsible for dereliction of the mail service if money 

 remitted to us is lost. No person whatever is authorized to collect 

 money for nsnnless he can show authentic credentials from one of the 

 undersigned. We have no Philadelphia agent. 



»»- Trade supplied by American News Company. 

 CHARLES IIALLOCK, Editor. 



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



Business Manager. Western Manager. 



How we Suffer and the Reason Why. — Messrs. Dud- 

 ley & Co., of Poughkeepsie, has sent us the following very 

 complimentary sockdolager : 



Poughkeepsie Foundry, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., Nov. 9, 1STT. 

 Editor Forest and Stream : 



We wish you to discontinue out advertisement of the " Dudley Pock- 

 et Cartridge Loader " till further advised, for we have orders now on 

 our books (and most of them paid for in advance) that will take us 

 three weeks to fill. If any one doubts the value of an ad. m the F. and 

 S., we do not. Youra, Dudley & Co. 



P. S. —We Mil notify yon when to resume our ad. 



— Professor Baird's sojourn in Halifax this summer, where 

 he upheld the interests of the American fisheries, seems to 

 have given new health and vigor to the Secretary of the 

 Smithsonian Institution. We are very glad to acknowledge our 

 indebtedness to Professor Baird for many favors. 

 . — », « 



A Robbery.— We are sorry to learn that the store of Mr. 

 J. F. Marsters, of Brooklyn, has been robbed of a large 

 amount of valuable cutlery. Mi\ Marsters still advertises in 

 our columns, and we are quite sure that the thieves did not 

 make a clean sweep. 



' Sale of Old Arms, Antique Fowling-Pieces, Etc.— We 

 would call particular attention to the finest collection of 

 ancient arms and armor ever offered for sale in this city. The 

 Cogniat collection will be disposed of at auction by the Messrs. 

 Leavitt at their Art Rooms, 817 Broadway, on Nov. 17th and 

 19th, at 3 o'clock. This museum of arms, it uiu-t be remem- 

 bered, was one of the most prominent features of the Metro- 

 politan Museum of Arts, having been exhibited there for the 

 last two years. Here may be found weapons used by the Cru- 

 saders, gcuuine Toledo blades, and others which preceded the 

 use of gunpowder— crossbows, the rare halberds, the carefully 

 wrought: steel weapons of Spain and Turkey. 



To the sportsman this collection, offers the greatest induce- 

 ments. In it may be seen early guns used for fowling-pieces, 

 with bird bolts, and the lighter crossbows that Florentine 

 ladies went hunting with. There is a collection of powder 

 flasks which is unique. From a per.-onal study of the collec- 

 tion we tan safely state that the authenticity of each piece is 

 po-itive and beyond a doubt. This sale should claim the at- 

 trition of all gentlemen sportsmen and collectors of arms. 



T T would naturally be supposed that the attention of the 

 -*- Army and Navy Journal would be called to the mistake 

 made, upon -Rhicli its attack on the existence of the National 

 Rifle Association was based. We ell make errors at times, 

 and should freely admit when such blunders occur. Never- 

 theless, the Army and Nary Jvwrnttf goedtight ahead and de- 

 votes two columns to an elaborate endeavor attempting to 

 demonstrate that the " Creedmoor Association" and the " N. 

 R. A. of New York" is in no way or si ne national, but " rep- 

 resents only the interests of New York City and Brooklyn, 

 with so much of the State Militia as is covered by the cx- 

 olficio directors." 



Truly the gentlemen of the National Rifle. Association may 

 well cry "Save us from our friends." Wc fancy that The 

 Turf, Meld and Farm is correct when it states that the 

 present attack proceeds from parties who "had recognized the 

 association for years and have always arrived at controlling 

 its councils, and that the sudden change proceeds from a fail- 

 ure to dictate its course. " It is difficult to explain the course 

 of the Army and Navy Journal upon any other hypothesis. 

 When the editor of that journal was the president of the Na- 

 tional Rifle Association that paper was recognized as its organ. 

 The latest information on rifle matters was always to be found 

 in its columns, and it often spoke by authority. This position 

 might have been retained by a little enterprise, but that is a 

 Quality for which journalists know that paper is not celebrated. 

 While other newspapers have paid special attention to rifle 

 practice the Army and Navy Journal has gradually neglected 

 it since its editor retired from the presidency of the N. R. A., 

 and its dicta, although oracular in form, have for some time 

 been of no possible authority with riflemen. Having there- 

 fore abdicated its right to speak for riflemen it is not extraor- 

 dinary that those who do understand their wants and wishes 

 should decline to be guided by its advice . ' 



A glance at the files of the Army and Navy Journal -will 

 show that no paper has been more prominent in asserting the 

 national character of the Rifle Association. At the first concep- 

 tion of the association it stated that it was to be national in 

 its character, as its name implied, regularly "incorporated, 

 etc." In the address which was issued at the same time under 

 Col. Church's auspices the object of the association was stated 

 to be "to secure .the adoption of rifle practice by national 

 guards of this State through the military authorities, and to se- 

 cure similar action in other States." In Jime 1873, the Army 

 and Navy Journal, when it described the opening of Creed- 

 moor, stated in an editorial "that the association is estab- 

 lished on a firm basis and upon a scale which justly entitled it, 

 to the name National'' Last fall in a discussion with the 

 Pacific Life as to who was entitled to the credit of being the 

 founder of the " National Rifle Association of America," the 

 journal in claiming the credit fur itself and Col. Church, 

 (which was no more than their just due) asserted that the as- 

 sociation was formed by them " as a National Rifle Associa- 

 tion on American principles." It seems quite extraordinary 

 in view of these repeated expressions thas the Army ana Navy 

 Journal cannot now speak of the N. R. A. except with the ad- 

 dition of New York, or as the Creedmoor Association. This is 

 scarcely dignified on the part of the journal in question, and 

 what its object may be is quite a mystery, Its reputation 

 once in the newspaper world was due more than anything else 

 to its persistant efforts to establish a National Rifle Associa- 

 tion; If it should now succeed in reducing this association to 

 the level of a local club, as it now seeks to do, its own repu- 

 tation will be destroyed. But this is its own affair. We 

 would advise the N. Ii. A. not to unduly exercise themselves 

 over this matter. The world is wide and time blunts the 

 harshest censure. The public will estimate whether it is, or 

 is not, national by the work it performs, not by what it calls 

 itself, or others may call it. No one can deny that from its 

 inception to the present time (and much of it was due to Col. 

 Church) the National Rifle Association has been national in 

 its aim and work, and has honorably and creditably filled its 

 mision by representing the riflemen of America. So far no 

 dissatisfaction has been expressed even by those who now op 

 pose it. The steps it took last year in paying the expenses 

 for places upon the American team was a movement in the 

 right direction toward enabling the riflemen of the. Wes.t and 

 South to secure representation, and this action will certainly 

 be followed in the future. Its exertions at this present time 

 to secure and establishrifle practice in the different States is 

 also of n national character. 



So long then as the N. R. A. proceeds in the course which 

 ii has entered upon and labors to advance rillc practice through- 

 out the imion it may be certain that it will be looked up to as 

 the representative body it rightly T claims to be. It certainly 

 cannot be deprived of this character by adverse criticisms 

 based upon the utterance of a resolution which it never passed 

 and which, even had the association passed, the Fosesi ike 

 Stream and Rod and Gun believes would have been perfectly 

 proper. 



«, -i 



Mac of Moosehead Lake and Vicinity.— Mr. C. A. J. 

 Farrar, of Boston, hasjusl rsompleted his map at Moot 

 ctnity. Thy map is bound in ea 



cloth covers, and will prov. 

 the Maine woods. 



SOME GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS. 



/^ERTAINLY we in America have every reason to be 

 ^ thankful that our government preserves so wise and so lib 

 eral an attitude toward science and its achievements. No year 

 within the past decade has gone by without some important 

 Contribution, through government aid, to our knowledge of 

 the geology, zoology or topography of our country. And, in- 

 deed, for many years back expeditions have been sent out in 

 all directions, equipped at great expense, furnished with the 

 best instruments that money could buy, and accompanied by 

 men trained for work in the field, to gather in the scientific 

 treasures so abundantly scattered throughout the land. It is 

 true that at first these expeditions were sent out only for a 

 practical (sic) purpose; but as the years rolled on, and the im- 

 portance of scientific research came to be more and more ap- 

 preciated, the investigations were carried on for their own 

 sake. Of the immense advantages which are constantly ac- 

 cruing to all classes of people through the progress of these 

 government surveys it is needless to speak at "length. The 

 good service which Dr. Hayden's Entomological Commission 

 has rendered in crushing out the grasshopper in several States 

 will be remembered and gratefully acknowledged by all agri- 

 culturalists ; and the advice and assistance of the trained ge- 

 ologists and mineralogists connected with these surveys is con- 

 stantly sought for by miners in new countries. 



Of the publications which have been sent forth from the 

 government printing office within the past few years, the 

 most noteworthy are those issued in connection with the two 

 surveys under the control of the Interior Department, in 

 charge of Dr. F. V. Hayden and Major Powell respectively, 

 and the two under Lieut. G. M. Wheeler, IT. S. Engineers, 

 and Mr. Clarence King, which are published by the War De- 

 partment. Among the names of the contributors to the vol- 

 umes issued by these surveys will be found those of all the 

 most eminent specialists in this country, besides those of 

 many of the most noted scientific men of Europe— Lcidy, 

 Marsh, Meek, White, Cope and Scudder in paleontology'; 

 Allen, Coues, Yarrow, Henshaw, Packard and Thomas in 

 zoology, who, with geologists, botanists and miscellaneous 

 writers too numerous to mention, make up a company of 

 scientific men of whom we, as Americans, have certainly 

 every right to feel proud. 



The publications of Dr. Hayden's .survey extend back the 

 farthest and are the most numerous of any of the scientific 

 publications now being issued by the government. So far as 

 published, they consist of no less than eight Annual Reports, 

 supplemented by a number of volumes of Bulletins and Mis- 

 cellaneous Publications. Then, too, Dr. Hayden, with a wis- 

 dom and liberality as far-seeing as it ij enlightened, has enlist- 

 ed in the service of his survey many of our leading special- 

 ists, who have undertaken to prepare for him a number of su- 

 perb monographs on various subjects, which are to-be printed 

 under the direction of the geologist in charge. Some of these 

 are still in course of preparation, but there have already been 

 issued the following works : Prof. Leidy's Extinct Verte- 

 brate Fauna; of the Western Territories ; Prof. Cope's Creta- 

 ceous Vertebral a; Prof. Thomas' Synopsis of the North 

 American Acrididra ; Prof. Lesquereux's Cretaceous Flora; 

 the late Prcf. Meek's Cretaceous Invertebrate ; Prof. Pack- 

 ard's Gcometrid Moths, and a Monograph of the North 

 American Rodentia, by Dr. Coues and Prof. J. A. Allen. 

 All of these works are quartos, and all are finely illustrated 

 with lithographic plates. While most of these magnificent 

 volumes are interesting only to the specialist, the Monograph 

 of the Rodentia is to be mentioned as an exception to this 

 rule.'for there is much in it relating to the habits of the hares, 

 squirrels, beaver, etc , which will be delightful reading for 

 the sportsman. But, after all, it is hardly necessary to say 

 this, for are not the names of Coues and Alleu well known to 

 all the readers of Fokest and Stream ? The miscellaneous 

 publications of this survey are many of them very fascinating, 

 and are, besides, of vast practical importance. They include 

 such volumes as Dr. Cones' Birds of the Northwest and Fur- 

 Bearing Animals ; Matthews' Hidatsa Indians ; the Reports of 

 the Entomological Commission, etc., etc. Here, too, are to 

 be placed the many hundred photographs which have been se- 

 cured of scenery, ruins, and of the different typ*es of Indians, 

 of the plains and mountains. 



Of Lieut. Wheeler's report, only three volumes have as yet 

 made their appearance, these being devoted to geology, zo- 

 ology and paleontology. That on zoology— the one in which 

 our readers will be most interested— is a grand work of over 

 1,000 pages, and is illustrated by forty-five beautifully colored 

 plates. The mammals are ably treated by Dr. Cones and Dr. 

 Yarrow; the birds by Mr. Henshaw: the. reptiles and Batracbi- 

 ans by Coues and Yarrow, and the fishes by Yarrow and Cope. 

 Yarrow, Verrill, Uhler and others pronounce upon the inver- 

 tebrates, while the whole charge of the volume devolved 

 on I)r Yarrow, who has most successfully fulfilled tli9 ardu- 

 ous duties in connection with its preparation. Issued by the 

 same survey are a series of beautifully engraved maps, which 

 are ultimately to oovir the whole of the territory assigned to 

 it for examination. 



Of the volume? of Mr, King's survey, it need only r be said 

 thai tbey are in every way Credital ie to those who have h"d 

 them in charge. The last volume issued is I y Prof. Fere! i- 



gress if (lie survey. of this work a t i 



"Mr. King i ongtatulated upon the jiidgnji 



shown in the allocation of his materials. He has enriched big 



