FOKEST AND STREAM. 



871 



Aquarium— The Missing Link. — The enterprising mana- 

 gers of the. Aquarium have added a new attraction to then- 

 exhibition. They hare secured the service of the Missing 

 Link, whatever that may be. This Link is a huge stone sem- 

 blance of a man, which comes from Colorado, not unlike in 

 contour of head to some of the Egyptian figures. Without 

 going into the exact measurements of the head, we may de- 

 clare that the Link has a tail some five inches long. Sculptors 

 who have examined this strange figure declare that the prop- 

 erties are quite perfect, that is, as far as they (the sculptors) 

 may have acquaintance with the prehistoric man. Darwinites 

 are in extacies of delight at the positive and undisputable evi- 

 dences of a tail. Some time or other, say a myriad of years 

 before this figure was made, perhaps man enjoyed a much 

 larger tail, with which he swung himself about from tree to 

 tree. Of course individuals so blessed, when they were forced 

 to sit down had to carry with them a little bench with a hole 

 cut in it, so that all might, be snug and comfortable. If the 

 Niams-Niams are said to have elongations of the spine, why 

 may not the present figure represent past development? It 

 may be remembered that in an early volume of the Forest 

 and Stream the existence of a negro woman with such a 

 caudal embelishment was stated, and the source from whence 

 the information was derived could not be doubted. The only 

 ifching which wc may be skeptical about in this figure, is whether 

 it be the petrification of a human being. That is a conclu sion 

 which we see no reason to accept. That it may be the repre- 

 sentation of a figure or deity fashioned by some race long past 

 away is the more probable solution of this question. 



GAME PROTECTION. 



—The New York Association for the Protection of Game and 

 Fis'i inaugurated its winter series of monthly meetings last 

 Monday evening at the residence of its President, Clinton 

 Gilbert, Esq., No. 20 West 10th street. There was a fan- 

 average attendance, but the amount of business brought be- 

 fore the society was not great, considering the long interval 

 since its previous regular meeting in April. The Secretary 

 reported progress on suits brought by it against violatqrs of 

 the game laws. A letter from W. S. Blunt set forth that the 

 unlawful shooting of game and song birds is being extensively 

 practiced in the vicinity of Bay Ridge, L. I., the remedy 

 for which is fully provided for in the statute. Mr. Everts' 

 experiment in introducing migratory quail was reviewed and 

 commended, and success wished to his undertaking. 



The Exportation of Quail from North Carolina. — 

 As many persons are sending to North Carolina for quail 

 (partridges) we publish an act of the General Assembly of 

 that State prohibiting tho exportation of these birds: 



Chapter OXCTV. — W/tereas, As observation and experience 

 in other sections of onr country have shown that the insect- 

 destroying birds afford material protection to grain crops ; 

 and whereas, the exportation of quails or partridges from the 

 itier of counties along our railroad lines is likely to extermi- 

 nate that beautiful and useful species of birds, therefore, 



Section 1. The General Assembly of North Carolina do 

 enact. It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to ex- 

 port from the counties of Catawba, Rowan, Guilford, Alamance, 

 Rockingham, Orange, Iredell, Davie, Gaston, Columbus, 

 Davidson, Anson and Forsyth any quails or partridges, either 

 dead or alive. 



Sec. 2. Any person violating the provisions of this act shall 

 be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof be- 

 fore any Justice of the Peace, shall be fined not exceeding 

 fifty dollars nor imprisoned more than thirty days for each 

 offence. 



Sec. 3. This act shall be in force from and after its ratifi- 

 cation. 



Ratified the 6th day of March A. D. 1877. 



Unlawful Shipment of Game to England. — We invite 

 the attention oi our local clubs and also of those in the West 

 to the subjoined communication of our correspondent E. H. 

 The subject should receive investigation and prompt action ; 



l wish to call the attention of American sportsmen to the fact, which, 

 came under my personal observation, that thousands of prairie hens, 

 aud also a large number of Americas quails, were sold in the poulterers' 

 shopa in London and in other large towns in England this year during 

 the months of February, March and April, and as late as the middle of 

 May. The birds are sent monthly in barrels, are generally in prime 

 condition, and retail at from taro to three shillings each (fifty to seven- 

 ty-live cent-). It would be an easy task to find the shippers of the birds 

 so that they could be made examples of. Let the Sportsmen's 

 Clubs of the Western States keep a Bharp lookout for the offenders. I 

 trust that this warning may open the eyes of American sportsmen to 

 this wnolesale violation of the game laws of every State In the Union. 



FOR THE PROTECTION OF FISH IN 

 THE PROXIMITY OF NEW YORK. 



We publish the following circular, issued by the Excelsior 

 and Walton Fishing Clubs t 

 To the People of Richmond County : 



The time was when the anglers of New York and New 

 Jersey came to your shores to fish, knowing that they would 

 not bo disappointed ; but of late years they have spent their 

 money among you aud returned empty-handed. Without en- 

 couragement they will not come again. New York Bay and 

 the Hudson River, Raritan Bay and the Raritan River, were 

 formerly swarmed with fish. These rivers and bays, and the 

 neighboring estuaries of the sea, are the running and spawn- 

 ing grounds of sea fish, from the diminutive porgy to the 

 lordly salmon. Along the. different lanes, and to the little 

 nooks and crannies of the bottom of these waters, came all the 

 edible fish familiar to us, each year, with the advent of spring, 

 to increase and multiply, and to return the year following, 

 young and old. Then, he who angled for pleasure, and he 

 who angled for profit, aud he who angled for his daily meal 

 each found rich return. All this may again be. About thirty 

 years ajgo the first poui0 n^ eyfr u.sf4 %$ set upon, thj 



shores of Long Island. These nets have gradually increased 

 in number, and the supply of fish has as steadily decreased, 

 until now pounds are to be found everywhere, and the angler 

 for sport and the angler for food each spends his time for 

 naught. The Commissioners of Fisheries, in their reports to 

 the Legislature, severely condemn the use of pounds. In 

 their report for 1870 they state that pound nets exhaust the 

 waters in three years ; that they are generally owned by men 

 of means, who know by experience that at the end of three 

 years they can get no more fish in the locality that they have 

 occupied ; they thereupon sell their nets at a reduced price to 

 poor fishermen, and are willing to accept a mortgage in part 

 payment ; but the nets are old and worn, the fishing is de- 

 stroyed, and bankruptcy comes upon the deluded purchasers. 

 They state that the Canadian Government has been compelled 

 to prohibit the use of pounds on the northern shore of Lake 

 Ontario. In their report, dated Feb. 1, 1875, they use the 

 following laugnage ■ 



The des ruction wrought by pound nets Ins been apparent wherever 

 they have been introduced. By their use our larger lakes even have 

 heen depopulated of tne myriads of llsh which once inhabited them, 

 f * * * Even the ocean itself Cannot meet the nvagtts it 

 (pound-net fishing) causes, and wherever pound-nets are established 

 r.ne inevitable consequences follow in but a few short seasons. In 

 Canada, where especial pains have oeen taken to restore the salmon 

 fisheries, they have been ntt ?rly prohibited, and if we would save our 

 fisheries we must follow Mislead. * * * « The uatuial yield 

 of wood ^ aud waters in game and tish is a heritage of the whole peo- 

 ple, and ought not to be appropriated by any set o£ individuals. * * 

 * ' Machines invented to carry on a trade, which is deleterious to 

 the coiuuiuuiiy are never sacred, and money so invested has uo 

 security except in the long suffering of a patleuc and sorely tried 

 public. * * None (hen) escape but i ho very few who fol- 



low the exact centre of the channel. Not enough are left to keep up 

 the breed; the habits of spawning are directly interfered with, the 

 rii-hiug begins to deteriorate. It never lasts but a few years, and at the 

 close leaves that entire section of water absolutely bare of Mali, de- 

 pendent upon accid nt or the laborious efforts of man for its possible 

 restoration 



Again, in the same report, they say that fish have spots that 

 they frequent, and when a locality is once stripped of fish it 

 remains barren for a long time. 



Hence the destructiveness of pounds. Where only a few fl?h are 

 left their natural enemies prevail against them and destroy the last 

 remnant. 



Further on they say that a few men, not over thirty in 

 number, threaten the fisheries of Great South Bay, on Long 

 Island, by pounds; and that if the pound men are allowed 

 their way a serious blow will be dealt to the interests of the 

 counties* of Queens and Suffolk: that each net will capture, 

 on an avei age, nine tons of fish per month ; that the nets are 

 worked for six months, and nearly two millions of pounds of 

 fish are thus taken in a season by thirty men. 



Will you w T ait until the probable fate of Queens and Suffolk 

 overtakes you ? Will you wait until your exhausted waters 

 are left upon your hands a ban-en possession. Or will you 

 act now aud save the estate which naturu has given to you ? 



Weakfish form the staple for summer fishing. They will 

 not bite at a hook until they have spawned. Immense 'num- 

 bers of them are caught every spring in the pounds while they 

 are running past your shores and up the rivers to deposit 

 their eggs. The sport of angling for them is becoming poorer 

 each year. They will soon cease to be found here unless you 

 protect them. The experience of other places will surely be 

 your experience unless you act wisely, and apply the ounce 

 of prevention before ihe necessity arises for the pound of 

 doubtful cure. Barnegat Bay has suffered from the depreda- 

 tions of these nets, and Mr. Kinzey, of the Ashley House, 

 under date of Oct. 31, 1877, writes ; 



I fully expect our bill, abolishing all nets of any description, to pass 

 this winter ; even owners of nets in the village of Barnegat are in 

 favor of Mich a bill. They own yachts, also, and in summer make 

 large wages by taking out fishiog parties. By figures and the decrease 

 of their business, '.heir interest lias been aw akeued. 



In the spirit of intelligent self-interest this appeal is made 



to you. Your united voices are required for your protection. 



On behalf of Excelsior Fishing Club— President, Lawrence R. 



Kerr ; Committee : Albert E. Cochran, Peter J. Hickey, 



John Lalo*\ 



On behalf of Walton Fishing Club— President, David Banks ; 



Committee : Charles Plum, Jr. ; L. De G. Brooks. 



December 1, 1877. 



. — *♦,— i 



A Few Timely Hints. — The following communication 

 will receive especial notice from our readers : 



Editor Forest and Stream— I have just finished reading a 

 letter in Turf, Field and Farm, in which the writer lays the 

 blame of the scarcity of game on the sportsmen rather than 

 want of game laws or lack of their enforcement, and defends 

 the farmer in the practice of netting. We all, I presume, are 

 rather near sighted in these matters, and apt to blame every 

 one hut ourselves. There is no question but that the more 

 game there is killed, whether by trap or gun, the less will be 

 left; and no doubt many so-called "sportsmen" make no 

 limit to their killing, and are never satisfied no matter how 

 large the bag, but kill for the sake of large numbers. I have 

 met many such, particularly when angling. With us near 

 New York, the greatest trouble I find is the fact that so many, 

 while out shooting woodcock, kill both quail and grouse, so 

 tha tthe law-observing sportsmen find the bevies all broken up 

 when the time comes to shoot them. It is impossible to pre- 

 vent it as long as we have the odious summer woodcock shoot- 

 ing. Nine out of ten sportsmen profess to think it no pleas- 

 ure to shoot woodcock in hot summer weather, but do it be- 

 cause they are afraid some one else will kill them if they do 

 not. I have had much experience in trying to enforce game 

 laws both in New York and New Jersey, and believe the fol- 

 lowing plan would increase our stock of game, viz. i Do away 

 with summer woodcock shooting, or, if absolutely necessary, 

 have only two weeks of it in July. Then have no upland 

 shooting until Oct. 1. Sportsmen would not take advantage 

 of it to sboot quail that are too small. As it is, law or no 

 law, poachers will shoot them when out for woodcock. If 

 there was no ruffed grouse woodcock or shooting before Oct. 1, 

 there would be no excuse for any one to be seen with dogs 

 and gun, and the quail would be the gainers. There should 

 also be a State Game and Fish Commissioner, who should 

 have power to bring suits in any part of the State. He at 

 least would have no fear of having his barns burned, etc., and 

 would be a great check on the killing and transporting of 

 game out of season. 



Yours truly, W. Holbeeton, 



President Hackensack Association for the Protection of Game 

 and Fish. 



■ « — • — : 



The Leavttt Sale oe Rabb Books.— We give a few of 

 the prices of the most remarkable books sold hjy the Messrs. 

 Leavitt last week: Bellonii de Aquatilibus, 1,533, $11; 

 Blome, Gentleman's Recreations, 1686, $19; Oppian'sHalieu- 

 tecks, 1722. $5; Ronald's Flyfishing, $7-. Scrope,. $10,50; 

 Walton m& Ool tw, W j Jwfy ti> 



r A e §*fe. 



MEETING OF THE N. R. A. DIRECTORS 



A special meeting of t National Rifle Association was 

 held onJJNov. 10th, Judge N. P. Stanton, the President, in 

 the chair. The board went into a Committee of the Whole, 

 and Hon. D. W. Judd took the chair to complete the investi- 

 gation of the charges against Gen. F. F. Millenfor disobedience 

 of the orders of the Superintendent of the range at Creeclmoor. 

 After testimony was heard the board went into executive ses- 

 sion, when a resolution was adopted providing that as Gen. 

 Milieu had been guilty of "misconduct upon the range," and 

 that as the misconduct had been likely to endanger the welfare 

 and character of the association, his membership was forfeit- 

 ed. 



The range committee did not vote. 



The resolutions were as follows .- 



Resolved, That Gen. Milieu has been guilty of misconduct 

 upon the range of the Association. 



Resolved, That the said misconduct being likely to endanger 

 the welfare and character of the Association, the membership 

 of said Gen. F. F. Millen in the Association is declared for- 

 feited, a3 provided in Rule 7, Art. IX. of tha By-Laws, which 

 provides that, 



' ' Any member whose conduct shall be pronounced by vote 

 of the Board of Directors to have endangered, or be likely to 

 endanger, the welfare, interest or character of the Association 

 shall forfeit his membership. 



The next task of the Directors was a far more agreeable 

 one, asunder the leadership of Gen. Shaler, the whole board pro u 

 ceeded to the Astor House, where, in a private parlor, an ele- 

 gant piece of work in illumination and script showed the care 

 which had been taken in preparing the engrossed resolutions 

 to be presented to Gen'l Woodward in recognition of hia ser- 

 vices on behalf of the association. The work was of a much 

 higher grade than the usual black-ink pen flourishes so famil- 

 iar in engrossed resolutions. The conventional mode was not 

 entirely dropped, but the merits of color and the advantages 

 of a chaste treatment were recognized, aud carried out in the 

 beautifully framed w,ork of art before them. As the Board 

 and guests gathered in trfe little parlor, Gen'l Shaler did the 

 graceful in the presentation lines, and said : 



Gen'l Woodward. — You will remember that shortly after 

 you retired from the office of Yice-Pres., the Directors ex- 

 pressed a desire to convey to you in some appropriate man- 

 ner their appreciation of your services to this Association 

 from the date of its organization. In pursuance of that de- 

 sire, they appointed a committee, which I have Ihe honor to 

 now represent, to draft and present to you suitable resolutions. 

 The Committee could not hope to more than partially expies3 

 in the resolutions the obligations which the riflemen of Ameri- 

 ca, as well as your associate directors, were under to you for 

 the aid you contributed in giving character and permanence 

 to this favorite amusement, and we trust that your estimate 

 of our personal esteem will not be measured by so imperfect 

 a standard as these resolutions furnish — but such as they are, 

 we present them to you with the hope that, while they fail to 

 express our sentiments as fully as we might wish, you will 

 receive them, and give them a place in your home where your 

 family and friends may, in time to come, as well as the present* 

 learn by them that your associates were not entirely unmindful 

 of the services you rendered in permanently establishing rifle 

 shooting in America. And if their perusal shall be the means, 

 in the slightest degree, of encouraging others in the exercise 

 of those noble qualities of honesty and uprightness which 

 have been, and are, so conspicuous in your character ; or if, 

 in after years, you shall find in them a reminder of pleasant 

 associations, then this testimonial shall not have been prepared 

 in vain. 



Mr. President and gentlemen, your committee now propose 

 the health of Gen. John B. Woodward. May he long live to 

 enjoy the respect, the esteem, and the love of friends no less 

 than those which now surround him. 



And then, when the champagne had duly trickled down 

 all the throats present in honoring the toast, Gen. Woodward 

 briefly responded, as follows : 



Gen. Shaler and Gentlemen— You are too well acquaint- 

 ed with me to know that I shall be able to give expression to 

 my feelings of gratification in having been esteemed worthy 

 of being the recipient of this beautiful testimonial ; and I es- 

 teem not less highly the pleasant words with which it has been 

 accompanied. 



I cannot fail to cherish this testimonial most deeply. I feel, 

 however, that it comes to me too much undeserved. (No' 

 no.) While I have been associated with the National Rifle 

 Association from its beginning, it has always been in a very 



humble capacity. I shall look back— as some of you can 



as having been one of the exemplars of rifle shooting in this 

 country, and, I might say, in the world. The grounds at 

 Creedmoor bear witness, in their arrangement, ornamentation 

 and preparation, to the care and fidelity, the hard working 

 zeal of Gen. Shaler and other members of your board. How. 

 ever, I can claim that, during Ihe fall and spring meetings, I 

 have striven to conduct them in such a way as to redound to 

 the credit of the Association. I shall cherish the names in- 

 scribed upon the parchment because I have known you all 

 so well. I can only say, in conclusion, that I cannot say 

 what I ought to say in this connection. 



The text of the testimonial read as follows : 



Whereas, Major General John B. Woodward was one of 

 the incorporators of the National Rifle Association, and has 

 since the date of its organization been an active and valuable 

 official therein, filling with honor and credit to himself, and 

 with great benefit to the Association, the responsible offices of 

 Treasurer, Vice-President, Chairman of the Finance and 

 Range Committee, and Chief Executive Officer at important 

 prize meetings; and, 



W/wreas, in the discharge of the varied and arduous duties 

 of the positions above named, and in his intercourse with the 

 officers and members of the Association, Gen'l. Woodward 

 has conptantly exhibited the rare qualities of a zealous, compe- 

 tent a nd faithful official, combined with a courteous arid gen- 

 tlemanly demeanor toward all; snd, 



IVrvreas, General Woodward bse, by ihe energy and ability 

 displayed in. rendering &is , #Y|9§Jj grgfttfy ggL 



