FOREST AND STREAM. 



481 



Edttob Forest and Stub am : 



The articles published in your paper are always welcomed by all 

 sportsmen, especially those on rifle shooting and the upset of bul- 

 lets. They have awakened an interest in understanding the why 

 and wherefore of the things, and cannot fail to produce a good 

 and lasting result. The remarks in regard to the N. & L. Syra- 

 cuse muzzle -loading rifle suit me exactly. A little of my own 

 experience will, perhaps, set some one better qualified, to thinking 

 and working. Having two .44 calibre rifles, one a J?.~& W. Wor- 

 cester breeoh-loader, 7£ pounds, and the other a Bigby muzzle- 

 loader, 7, 1 .; pounds, with a false muzzle and ball ehaper, I have 

 tried the two side by side. The muzzle-loader invariably gives a 

 penetration of 10 deg. greater at 100 yards than the breech, while 

 the upset of the balls is about l-16th to l-8th leBS. The charge used 

 being 50 grains Curtis & Harvey or Laflin & Rand, and 100 grains 

 lead ; both balls being swedged and cast with a $ soft metal and f 

 hardened lead. Boon a party of "ours " are to rig a recoil gauge 

 and try what virtue a .muzzle-loader can possess over a breech. 

 Would say that both these guns are Al shooters, and have made 

 remarkably good targets. 



Worcester! Jan. 18, 1878. . Ned. 



. — . . — <♦»— . 



THE PROPOSED MATCH 



Between Breech-loaders and. Muzzle-lond- 



ers Rigtay and the Sharps Rifle Co. 



Sharps Armory, Bridgeport, Conn.,\ 

 December 29, 1877. f 

 Mr. John Right, Dublin, Ikklaxh : 



Ih'nr Sir— In response to your letter published in the Volun- 

 teer Sermee Gazette, Dec. S, in which yo'u say: "I am ready to 

 arrange a match at 1,000 yards between two men shooting with 

 muzzle-loaders and two men with American breech-loaders, the 

 latter to clean at their discretion, and the prize to go to the squad 

 makiug the best score in a given time," we announce to you our 

 desire to meet you in Buoh a match, aud, with a view of settling 

 the detail, we send the following conditions for consideration : 



1. You to name two men who shall shoot Rigby muzzle-loaders 

 and we will name two men who shall shoot Sharps breech-loaders, 

 each Bquad to be allowed one or more substitutes who may take 

 the place of a contestant in case of accident or illness. 



2. The rules of the N. R. A of America that apply to team 

 matches shall govern this, and the rifles UBed shall also conform 

 in weight and trigger pull to said rules. 



a. Each competitor must continue through the shooting of each 

 day with the rifle begun with, except in case of an accident not 

 pertaining to the system or style of gun used, such as the break- 

 ing of a part, etc. ; but the sticking of a shell in a breech-loader, 

 or a load that will not discharge in a muzzle-loader and other ac- 

 cidents peculiar to the rifle, will be at the risk of the competitor. 

 • 4. The match to come off during the month of May next, and, to 

 make conditions as nearly equal as to wind and weather, it shall 

 be shot on three days, one day in each of three successive weeks, 

 and to continue one hour on each day. In case of severe storm 

 on any day appointed, that day's shoot may be postponed to an- 

 other day in same week. The. shooting may begin at any hour of 

 the day, but each hour must be completed when begun, except in 

 case of storm that shall reader shooting impossible, in which case 

 it may be completed at another hour or on another day. A suffi- 

 cient number of targets shall be supplied each squad, so that any 

 delay in the marking shall not delay the contestants. 



5. Each Bquad to select the range on which it will shoot, you to 

 select one or more persons to represent you upon the range se- 

 lected by our squad (which will be Creedmoor undoubtedly), and 

 we to be likewise represented upon the range used by you. 



The prize, which shall be -, and shall be furnished by the 



loser, " to go to the squad making the best score in a given time." 



Yours truly, The Sharps Ritle Co. 



£$m mid loiter ^whiny. 



FISH IN SEASON IN JANUARY. 



SOUTHERN wateks. 

 Fompano, Trachynotu carolinus. Grouper, Epinephelpits nigritus. 

 Brum (two species). Family Scice- Trout (black bass), Ccntropristis 



nidie. atrarius. 



limgii-fli, Menticiii-us iv'tmiosus. Striped Bass, or Kockfish, Hocciis 

 Sea Bass', h'i-i</MwpB ocellatux. Kneatua. 



Sheepshead, Archomrgus probato- Tailortisli, Pomatomus mttatrix. 



ceplialuB. Black Basss, ilicropterus salmoide? : 



Snapper, Lutjamis caxus. la. nigricans; 



.Fish is Market— Retail Prices.— Striped bass, 20 to 25 

 cents ; smelts, 10 to 18 ; bluefish, 15 ; frozen salmon, 30 ; 

 mackerel, 15 to 25; Southern shad, from Newbern, N. C, 

 first iu market, $1 ; white perch, 15; Spanish mackerel, 30 ; 

 green turtle, 25 ; terrapin, $18 per doz. ; frost fish, 8 ; halibut, 

 18 ; haddock, 8 ; codfish, 6 to 8 ; blackfish, 15 ; Newfound- 

 land herring, 6: flounders, 8 to 12|; eels, 18; lobsters, 10 ; 

 sheepsheads, 25 ; scallops, §1.00 per gallon ; soft clams, 30 to 

 60"per 100; whitefish, 18; pickerel, 15; sunfish, 6: yellow- 

 perch, 6; salmon trout, 18; black bass, 18; yellow pike, 12 

 to 15; oiscoes, 12; hard crabs, 83 per 100. 



*t Massachusetts— Medford, Jan. 19.— Fine sport on the 

 Upper Mystic, fishing through the ice for pickerel and black 

 bass. James W. Russell and Mr. Lymms caught, Jan. 16th, 

 in six hours' fishing, respectively fifty-tight"" and thirty-six 

 pounds. A few bass were taken, the largest weighing two 

 and a half pounds. Memo 1 1:. 



Massachusetts.— New Bedford, Jan. 19. — The fishermen 

 have bad one week of pond fishing through the ice, and large 



strings of pickerel and perch were taken. Conoha. 



Movements ob the Fishing Fbket.— The fishing fleet is 

 on the increase, some 85 vesscs being engaged in the Lallave 

 and Georjes fishery and about 40 in the Bank fishery. The 

 number of fishing arrivals for the week has been nine, one 

 from Fortune Bay with a cargo of salt herring, four from, the 

 Banks with 15,000 lbs. split codfish and 00.000 lbs. fresh hali- 

 but, and four from Georges with about 150,000 lbs. round cod 

 and 10,000 lbs. halibut.— (Jape Ann Advertiser, Jan. 17. 



New York.— Greenwood Lake, Orange Co., Jan. lUh. — 

 Judging by the numerous instances I have heard your paper 

 Epioted as authority by visitors here, Forest and Stream 

 must be very popular with the patrons of Greenweod Lake j 

 and, as most sportsmen and lovers of nature cherish pleasant 

 memories of their summer haunts and places of recreation, I 

 venture sending you a few stray winter notes from a summer 

 resort. 



The last of the summer guests have long siuce departed. 

 The proprietors of the different hotels, taking advantage of 

 the exceptionably flue weather, have already made many of 

 the repairs arid improvements usually postponed until spring. 



At the "Brandon' 1 House a large, new ice-house has been 

 built, and is now ready for filling. 



At the "Windermere" extensive alterations and improve- 

 ments have been made iu the dining-rooms; the parlors en- 

 larged, new water-closets builts and connected by covered 

 porches on the first, and second floors with the house ; a 

 barber-shop annexed to billiard room, and new, covered porch 

 entire length of building. Many other improvements are in 

 contemplation. 



At the " Traphagen" the approach to the house has been 

 changed and very much improved, giving more lawn in front. 

 Mr. Jenness has already filled his ice-house, and is the 

 " pioneer" ice man of this season. 



At the "Bradner" House, it being a new house, very little 

 has been done or needed in the way of repairs or building. 



At the "Harzeu " House a new and very pretty boat-bouse 

 has been built, and additions to the hotel are said to be pro- 

 jected for the spring. 



The lake closed on the 7th, and is now firmly frozen over 

 with an average thickness of about seven inches of ice. 

 Several persons bave already been fishing through the ice, 

 but so far with poor success. This is supposed to be the close 

 season for all game fish, but some of our fishermen contend 

 that the law does not apply to perch or catfish. If this is the 

 case legislation is needed, for all fish should be protected dur- 

 ing the breeding and spawning season. 



The great question of the hour with our hotel men now is 

 the ice crop, and all are prepared to fill their houses as soon 

 as a "cold snap " occurs. ' ' Geeenwood." 



— The New Jersey Mirror says that the run of codfish off 

 the Jersey coast this year is unusual, and the fishermen around 

 Atlantic City have caught them in such large quautities that 

 the price has been greatly reduced since the beginning of the 

 season. As much as eight tons of the fish have been brought 

 into the Atlantic City inlet in a single day, and while the aver- 

 age price was ten cents a pound it is now from three to five 

 cents a pound at re tad. 



—Black bass are now one of the most popular fish sold in 

 the Philadelphia market. There is a steady demand for them 

 at remunerative prices. 



Maryland— Elkton, Jan. 19. — Catfish in the Northeast 

 River are unusually plenty this season. 



Florida— Lake City, Jan. 14.— There are quite a number 

 of fresh-water lakes near this place, which give to it its name. 

 Fish are quite plenty -bass, bream, and pike. T. B. R. 



The " Great Western Piscatorial Club " was organ- 

 ized at Philadelphia, on the 5th inst., by the election of the 

 following officers : President, Wesley M. Stoner; Vice-Pres., 

 Robert C. Smith; Secretary, John B. Simon; Treasurer, 

 Thomas Russell. The office of Captain and Steward has not 

 been filled as yet. 



^ The Redfish of Idaho. — We have received from Capt. 

 Chas. Bendire, 1st Cavalry U. S. A., a monograph on the 

 birds of Southeastern Oregon, which is a most valuable ad- 

 dition to ornithology. The gallant captain was engaged in the 

 chase after the Nez Perce Indians. He writes : 



"As my ride extended over 3,200 miles of country, I had a 

 chance to see considerable, and I must say that I passed over 

 some most interesting regions, particularly in Northern Idaho. 

 Made the acquaintance of the grayling in Firehole River, 

 Montana, and subsequently in several other places. As far 

 as trout are concerned I won't say anything ; the stories to 



you, Eastern gentlemen, would sound too fishy. They will 

 have to come out here and see for themselves. I camped 

 at the headquarters of the Redfish, such as are found 

 in the Wallowa Lake, W. T. ; but in Payette Lake they 

 me much more plentiful. Unfortunately I passed the 

 latter place a little too early, and none were obtainable at 

 the time 1 was there, the commencement of July. The latter 

 part of August and the whole of September is the proper time 

 to find them, and a regular fishery is established near the 

 head of the larger Payette Lake where parties • make, a busi- 

 ness to catch and salt them for the market furnished by the 

 mining camps in the vicinity. 



Split Bamboo Eods for England.— With a leading house 

 like Conroy, Bissett & Malleson, of No. 05 Fulton street, 

 New York,, there is no dull season. The process of manufac- 

 turing goes on all throughout the year. Split bamboo rods, 

 which beautiful angling implements are the great specialties 

 of this firm, cannot be turned out like buttons. Care must be 

 taken in the selection of the materials, and when the many 

 pieces which make up the rod are brought together in order 

 to glue, or otherwise fasten and bind the bits together, is a 

 process requiring time and precaution. Delicate "hand-work 

 cannot be forced ; whenever it is, such work is scamped. 

 The demand for spring tackle commences as early as Janu- 

 ary, and notwithstanding the. general ideas of bad times and 

 no money, Messrs. Conroy, Bissett & Malleson are hard at 

 work turning out their tackle to meet the wants of anglers. 

 Coals may not go to Newcastle, still Conroy. Bissett. & Malle- 

 son are sending all the time their finest split bamboo rods to 

 England, having quite lately filled an order for three of their 

 very choicest rods. 



■♦■ -. — . 



AILANTHUS WORMS FOR GUT 

 LENGTHS. 



Toronto, Jan. 14, 1ST8. 

 Editor Forest akd Stream : 



I was mui'ii interested iu Wm. Gray's article on "Silk-worm Gut" in 

 your last issue, and, without occupying too much of your valuable Bpace, 

 would like to keep up attention to the subject. I was not aware that 

 gat of the length and size Mutt Mr, Gray mentions as having been in his 

 possession had ever been made, but 1 always thought it was possible to 

 make such gut from some of the larger BombycidK. 



Some years ago, my friend Dr. Garlick, then living in Cleveland, gave 

 me some cocoons of the ailauthus silk worm (Attaeus ajnthia, or ceropia, 

 I think he called it), which lie found attached to the rose bushes in Ms gar- 

 den, aud which I brought home intending to try the experiment of pro- 

 ducing silk worm gut from them. Prom the size of the caterpillar, I 

 was convinced that it was practicable to procure gnt of great length and 

 size, such, in fact, as Mr. Gray describes. Unfortunately, I was not at 

 home when the moths emerged from the cocoons, and although I had 

 made suitable arrangements, I did not succeed in hatching any cater- 

 pillars ; and, even had I done so, I fear I would have had difficulty in 

 getting sufficient proper food for them. I have never, however, given 

 up the idea, aud would like to excite sufficient interest in some of your 

 readers living in those localities where ailanthus moths are found, and 

 where suitable food can be obtained, to try the experiment, which, If 

 successful, would not only be a great boon to fishermen, but would also 

 "pay." Dr. Garlick informed me that these moths existed in great 

 numbers around Cleveland, and that. the caterpillars fed on the sassa- 

 fras. 



By the way, a singular fact, occurred in connexion with the cocoons, 

 which will be interesting to entomologists : One of them did not open 

 the next summer along with the others f it lay all the next year in 

 a drawer along with a lot of odds aud ends, aud, during the second 

 summer, to my surprise, a moth emerged from it, but its vitality was so 

 feeble that it only lived a few hours. J. H. .Richardson. 



—Even in Paris they have plumbers, and plumbers have 

 bills, as witness this item from a bill : 



To looking for leak in gas pipes 2 francs 



To finding the same 3 " 



Total Tfrancs 



It is even worse in America, where the plumber not only 

 always has an assistant, but has to lose time while his assist- 

 ant has gone for the soldering iron or the charcoal. 



BOGARDUS 



BALL TRAP. 



The attention of Shooting Clubs and the public generally is culled to this trap ; it is the only one that gives good practice 

 for wing shooting, as it throws the ball in a manner more closely resembling the flight of a bird than any other trap made. 

 Any man who has never shot a bird on the wing, and will practice from my trap according to rule uutil he can break two- 

 thirds of the balls he shoots at, can go in the field and secure a good bag of game. The single-trap will throw the balls in any 

 direction or elevation at the. option of the puller, as the screen prevents the shooter seeing which way the trap may be set. 

 The Bogardus Patent Bough Glass Balls are made of uniform weight and thickness, and have a corrugated surface that 

 strengthens the ball for shipment to any part of the country, prevents the glancing of shot and thereby insures the breaking of 

 the ball when hit. Buy none but the best, and patrouize the man who has spent both time and money to introduce glass ball 

 shooting to tbe sporting public, until it has become a national pastime. Balls and t raps can be ordered through all gun dealers 

 Balls $3 per 100; liberal discount to the trade.— [See advertisement. 



