128 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Majich 16, 1882. 



shoal water and confined in a pen. Although, from time to 

 time. brant have been domesticated both here and in Europe, 

 they have neViBT been known to follow the example of the 

 _■ ■ se by breeding in confinement. As yet 

 their nesting resorts have never been discovered by ornithol- 

 bgista or arctic explorers. Indeed, the surmise tluit there are 

 Open -eas at the Pole has been principally based on the 

 observations made of the habits of this mysterious fowl. As 

 far north as the explorers have reached the brant have still 

 been seen winging their way northward. Their food is 

 known to consist mainly of marine grasses, which grow only 

 on the. shoals. This, perhaps, points more to open seas at the 

 extreme north than any other evidence yet brought to light. 

 On the day after the geese w r ere secured they became very 

 tame and almost instantly recognized the person who fed 

 them. They would run to the side of their enclosure and 

 take sea grass and cabbage leaves from his hand. They 

 arrived here yesterday from the South in fine, condition, and 

 when given their libertv they at once proceeded to eat a good 

 breakfast of conn and make their toilets. Of all the five 

 varieties of geese this fowl is the most beautiful. At this 

 time brant are migrating northward, where they will meet 

 the ice on the coast of Labrador. It is presumed that they 

 descend from their aerial route and feed at the springs above 

 Hudson Bay and in Greenland on their way to their bowers 

 at the Pole,' — J\tw York Urruld. [The brant were shot and 

 wounded last October by Mr. Franklin Satterthwuitc, as was 

 recorded in Forest axd Stream at the time; they fed from 

 his hand the next day. They are now tit Central Park.] 



Brtoht Feathers. — The fourth part of Mr. Eathhun's 



"Bright Feathers/' which has just appeared, is devoted to the 

 summer warbler, {T)< tnlraya (f.-linr) of winch an excellent 

 plate is given, showing a highly colored male and female. 

 A very pleasant description of the habits of this familiar 

 little bird accompanies the plate, Mr. Eathbun directs 

 Special attention to one curious feature of the summer 

 warbler's life — that of building two or three-storied nests to 

 avoid hatching and rearing the young of the cow bunting — 

 by furnishing an excellent" illustration of one of these nest-', 

 which is now in his collection. In the example figured 

 there are three nests, built one on top of the other. ' The 

 lower of the three contains two eggs of the cow bunting; the 

 one next above one egg of that bird, and one of the summer 

 warbler, wmile the topmost nest is empty. It is well known 

 that the nest of the species under discussion is a favorite 

 place of deposition for the egg of the cow bird, but the 

 former understands what the rearing of the young vagrant 

 means, and frequently in this way escapes the disagreeable 

 task. 



Jfwswtrg to jjyomspondmtg. 



■ ♦ 



S. M. I. -See answer to "Dog Breaking." 



A Reader.— The gun is well spoken of, and we believe it to be 

 reliable. 



R. S. J. ST., Mouongahela City.— Soe advertisement of "Dog Train- 

 ing vs. Breaking." 



T. P. It,, llarrisburj*. Pa.— The term "scroll" we presume to bo a 

 localism. Its meaning is not known to us. 



C. H., Highland Falls.— For the State law write to your representa- 

 tive at Albany. For the county laws write to the county supervisor. 



E. P., Carter Camp. Pa.— Write a description of what you want to 

 some of the dealers m sportsmen's goods, whose names you will find 

 in our advertising columns. 



L. F., Philadelphia, Pa.— Will you be so kind as to tell me the num- 

 ber of toes the upland plover has, and also the number the common 

 tilt-up has? Ans. The upland plover (Bart ramni IbngtcanQkr) has 

 four toes. What do you mean by the common tilt-up'-' We presume 

 Trint/oides mandarins; this also has four. 



I3jtteusweet, Ray Ridge, L. I.— Will you please identifv the below- 

 mentioned gull forme': Length from tip of bill to end of tail v,>in.. 

 with expanse of wing 50in; general color of back slatv gray: breast 

 pure whim: first six primaries lipped with black: tail pure white; 

 head a:i I neck white mixed with gray; bill gamboge yellow, witha 

 reddish orange patch near the end of lower mandible: pupil of eye 

 black; iris light yellow; feet pale whitish: three toed, with small toe 

 behind. Tl is gull is quite numerous in New York bay. Ans. Efcobably 

 a silvery, or herring gull (f.an/s arpentrdus). 



E. D. W., Dover. V M. I. Is there a patent on the enclosed model 

 pickerel trap, and if so, by whom patented and when? 2. If there is, 



i 1 . 



lid s 



4. E. H, &T. Anthony. 



past two Septembers 1 have 

 , and caught what are called there tie- red, or 



th. 



be stamped, and by whom patented, with 



me addresses of some dealers in New Yor 

 Ans. 1. Nee. York dealers do not know of i 

 make for own use. but not for sale, S. Ve 

 5?1 Broadway, and Aug. Ilerzog, 30 John st; 



E. S. M., Winchendon, Mass.— For the past 

 fished 



common brook trout, the gray tront, and th. 

 same lakes. Will yon please give me thr. 

 Stream the proper names or classification of th 

 asked, and would like to give a more satisfae;. 

 can? 'I had a J 1U pound' black trout, sent me 

 Buckingham, P. Q., which was in good eondil 

 an. 1 toothsome. \ns. li is possible that the " 



naturalists now-class them as the same 

 The young of the large estuary trout of Canada, or black trout, are 

 unmistakable brook trout. Food and water make the difference in 



.1. D. P., Gait, Canada.—l. Can you name some of the leading 

 deal< ra in bird's eggs, or parties who have eggs to exchange? ;.'. Ai.om 

 twenty yeare ago I had one of the finest trout, ponds in this part of the 

 country, but, unfori. match-, thought 1 could improve the ashing by 

 puttiDg in some black bass. Instead of bass, however, I put in sun- 

 fish, and now they are driving our the trout almost entirely. Is there 



fmtit §a$ m\d 



lOlil 



rithjj 



■i'uepond? Ans, I. Dr. A. E. !•"■■ 

 avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. 2. If thepond can be drawn off. that --. 

 best plan to pursue. If not, then we would advise getting'a big Seine 

 that would sweep the pond and put some fine m:. • . 



■ and drag it. "Such a net, would have i 

 very slowly. Yon can then replace such fish and insects, or larva;, 

 Crustacea, etc., as you wish. 



HUNTING.— The March meet of the Meadow Brook Hunt, 



Rockawav Hounds and Queens Count v Hunt arc as follows: 



Meadow Brook Hunt, Saturday, 18th, Island Trees, at 3:80 



P. M.: Monday, 20th, Kennels, a*6:45 A. M.; Thursday, 23cl, 



5 P. M.; Saturday, 25th, Hicksvflle, at ':;:■;'■ P. 



. bh, Kennels, at <f:45 A. :t.: Thursday. 30th, 



Rockaway Hounds will meet Saturday, Mart h 



16 -l P. m.. Woodside: '»•- Jamaica' 



•: I'. .M., Wool ■ 



feer'8 Point BP. M. J. d! Cheever, Master. The Queen* Counta 

 Hunt meets (Saturday, ISth. Richmond Hill: Tuesday, ::lih. 

 i tardea City; Saturday, 85th, Queen's Toll Gate; Tuesday, SSfch, 

 ' F. Gray 1.1m wold, Mfostej 



DESTRUCTION OF LARGE GAME. 



INTRODUCTORY to this subject a quotation will be made 

 frbtn a communication written for the FuM (London) 

 newspaper about two years since and copied into the Forbst 

 \nt> Stream : 



"The problem of the preservation of the large, game of 

 Montana and Wyoming, now the best game districts of the 

 country, is entirely- dependent upon qne condition, the price 

 of 'pells, 3 As long as the price of antelope and doer skins 

 remains less than fifteen cents, and elk skins less than twelve 

 cents net to the hunter, there will be few killed, except for 

 food. When the price rises above those figures, the destruc- 

 tion will go on in a greater or less ratio, in proportion 

 1 hereto." 



As was to have been expected, this prediction has been 

 more than verified. Since that time the prices of deer and 

 antelope have ranged from twenty-live cents, to thirty-five 

 cents, and the destruction of those animals has been commen- 

 surate: for the season of 1880 the shipments of hides on the 

 Missouri and Yellowstone having been approximatelyl67,000, 

 and for 1881, 148,000, representing about seventy-five per 

 cent, of animals actually killed. The hard winters of 

 1879-80, and '80-81, with their deep snows, peculiarly fa- 

 vored this work, as during the winter months elk, deer and 

 antelope band together in large herds and are the more easily 

 bagged. During the summer they disperse into small bands, 

 the two former disappearing into "the timber of the foot-hills 

 and of the most rugged mountains. Last spring, elk skins, 

 which before that had been of small value, rose to twenty- 

 two and twenty-five cents per pound (.$2.50 to $7 per hide). 

 This price giving a fine profit, last summer they were even 

 followed into the high and most precipitous mountains, their 

 summer home, (something that had never been done, before) 

 ten to twelve days* travel of packs being necessary to get the 

 hides to market. 



And so with the buffalo. During all seasons when their 

 robes were good, this work has been steadily going on, and 

 mostly by men who have been engaged in the. business for 

 years on the Southern buffalo ranges. 



As a matter of statistical information, pains have been 

 taken to gather the following facts, believed to be approxi- 

 mately correct, in relation to the shipment of hides from the 

 Yellowstone and Missouri rivers for the years named, and 

 which represent from seventy to seventy-five per cent, of the 

 animals killed, by men engaged in that' business. 

 1880. 



Yellowstone River— deer and antelope 60,000 



Missouri River -deer and antelope 107,000 



i«7 nnn 



Yellowstone— buffalo (by whites) 



" " (by Indians). 



Nb report from the Missouri. 



22,700 



5,000 



Yellowstone— deer 



Yel lowstone— antelope 



Missouri — deer and antelope.. . . 



Yellowstone— elk 



Yellowstone— buffalo (whites). . . 

 " " (Indians) . 

 Missouri— buffalo 



20,000 

 53,000 

 70,000 



78,000 

 15,000 

 23,000 



116,000 



Total 261,200 



The value in money on the river bank of the shipments of 

 1881 is as follows: 



1681, 



Buffalo robes -1 16.000 at S2.50 §290,000 



Antelope bide*— 53,0V> - ivi.n.ialbs. at 3.">cts -17.7(1!) 



Deer hides -1 >.0.i i -S->.<>'> 'lb-:. llt 33?.<ict3 2S..'M3 



Elk hides- '■-..■ ev-is 19,500 



Antelope and deer from the Missouri— 210,0001bs. at 30cts 63,000 



Total "$448^533 



This does not include furs nor wolf skins. 



This appears a pretty large sum, tn the aggregate, but for 

 the number of persons engaged in the trade, say 1,500, it 

 amounts to but little per capita. 



With tew exceptions, the buffalo hunters do not more than 

 make a living, as the expenses for provisions, ammunition, 

 labor, etc., arc high and constant, and the contingencies or 

 the, business many, coupled with a great deal of hard labor 

 during the severest winter weather. 



Asan instance: Among 1 he many hundred hunting camps 

 on the lower 5teJlowstone,a great deal of expense was incurred 

 dining the summer months in putting up hay, building 

 smokehouses and other conveniences for curing the buffalo 

 and elk meat for market, large contracts for which had been 

 made with the traders in order to get as much money out of 

 the business as possible, and in expectation of the buffalo 

 being found on the usual contiguous ranges. 



Early in the season, however, the buffalo, as if by instinct, 

 and as if by preconcert, started to the north, in immense 

 bands crossed the Yellowstone arid Missouri rivers and thence 

 well across the British line, literally "fleeing from the wrath 

 to come.'' Some few of the- hunters followed, but without 

 success. So with, the elk, around the foot-hills of the Biu- 

 Horn Mountains, at about the same time. As if by instinct 

 they gathered into large bands, efossed the Big Horn River 

 and thence in a southwesterly direction into the Wind River 

 Mountains; so far from the Yel lowstone as to prevent, it is 

 hoped, successful following. Some few of the buffalo re- 

 mained south of the Yellowstone, but the bulk of ilu-iu wen! 

 northand will remain there on account of the mild winter, 

 .tttil-s- driven buck by some severe storm from the north in 

 month). In that event hunters will be apt. to lose 

 all the profits of last season's work. 



HOW I.ONO Wit. I. Tins LAST? 



The large bands of b.ilfalo will last about four years at the 

 present rate of killing, for it must be borne in mind there is 

 a considerable natural increase annually. 



rjnless there is considerable decline in the price of pelts, 

 and to within the limits heretofore indicated (of which there 

 is no prospect, as the decrease in supply is apt to prevent 

 much decline) it will continue with the doer and antelope 

 until their numbers arc so far depleted as to make it un- 

 profitable to follow them. Then it will he kept i:p toa certain 

 ul by the .'im a tcur sportsmen. The decrease m small game 

 1 'I;. noticeable, asduring a trip last, summer and full of 

 around ihc foot-hills and occasional! v up inio one 

 untain ranges, (here was a marked dect 

 doer compared to what were seen two years ago in 1 



There b in^enj laws in Montana and Wyoming 



...... , , . 



meat is utilized, it is not -unlawful, between certain months 

 (August 1 to February 1 or March 1). It is during this open 

 season that most of the game is killed. Out of 3eason, the 

 law is about as well executed as in the Western States; that 

 is li is not. executed it at! tear,- ext.vnt. Why" Simp 1 -, 

 because, as in most of the States, fher, ts*nvt sufficient appro- 

 priation ic execute the fe- and ,n these G:: : r:vh '■•,, (del Terri- 



tories the cost of its execution is ten fold « hat it would be in 

 the States. It is true, the outfit of the Offending hunter is 

 confiscated and most, if no; all of it. goes to the informer. 

 But here, as elsewhere, there is something repulsive in public 

 sentiment against an informer, however conscientious he 

 may be, and there arc few that have sufficient moral courage. 

 In the only case, in my knowledge, where such information 

 was given, the judge promptly lined the offender the extent 

 of the law; but the conscientious raucheman who gave 

 the information was so sever:!, 1 . ■ i-i 1 i . ■•■;. .-<_[, even by those 

 from whom better things should have been expected, 

 that no one has since followed his example. And 

 such is public opinion everywhere; and unless there are 

 a set of officers specially appointed to execute fame laws, 

 they will remain a dead letter ou the statute book, here, as 

 elsewhere. The faithful execution of the game laws in these 

 Territories would require an outlay of several hundred thou- 

 sand dollars. As the State and county taxes in these sparsely 

 settled districts already amount to 'from two to three per 

 cent, in valuation, it is not to be expected that this addi- 

 tional outlay will be assumed. 



WHAT ARE THE HBlEBpiEB? 



There are two. First, by the raising of a fund by the. phi- 

 lanthropists, sportsmen and' others interested, of say half a 

 million dollars, to be used, by some hocus-pocus, in ' : i 1 

 the pelt market and keeping it be. r ->d in that 2vend t this 

 business would stop within twenty-four hours. Even were 

 this practicable, it will hardly be 'done, as talking is much 

 cheaper than action. 



The other remedv is vcrv feasible and very certain of re- 

 sults. Let Congress (uniting with the Territorial Legislatures, 

 if necessary,) pass a law, forbidding the killing of any game, 

 except for the immediate necessities of food, and forbi 

 exportation of either the hides or meat of said animals from 

 the Territory, under proper penalties, authorizing (lie seizure 

 and confiscation of cither in the hands of traders or at the 

 railway stations or steamboat landings, and at the same time 

 making liberal appropriations for executing the law. The 

 whole business would stop within twenty-four hours. There 

 would be no way of evading it and no otic would run the risks 

 of almost certain detection at the shipping points. It would 

 require very little expense to execute such a law, the close 

 watching of the shipping points accomplishing everything 

 desired. Such a law would involve the necessity of treading 

 on the Constitutional tees of the Indian (interfering, to some 

 extent, with treaty rights), but that could in some way be 



fotten around. Will this course be taken? I fear "not. 

 Ivcn shoidd it assume such strength as lo get before Con- 

 gress it is probable, that in the contesl between the friends of 

 the red man and those of the buffalo and elk, nothing would 

 be done. It is true there are no voters lo conciliate, no elec- 

 toral votes in the near future to enter as a factor into the 

 question. Still the average law-maker lakes but lit I i 

 in this game question. So there appears vcrv little hope in 

 this direction. 



WHAT XEXT? 



It is not probable that the price of pelts (with the decreas- 

 ing annual supply) will again fall below a paying price to 

 the pelt-hunter; so that the sequences before chalked out in this 

 article will just as inevitablyobtain as that d 

 and a far years will loitness the gradual <.>■!,,-, motion, of the 

 grandest game ihat.ener existed on the earth, viz., the prong- 

 buck, the white-tail and the mule deer, the elk and the 

 mountain sheep of the Rockies. I care not Tor the buffalo, 

 as it is not in the true sense a game auimal, and its destruc- 

 tion is inevitable as a means of the solution of thelndian 

 question. But it is sad to contemplate the destruction of the 

 others. The mountain sheep and the grizzly will be the lasi 

 survivors. The latter, to the last, will need no game laws 

 for his protection. In the future, as in the past, he will 

 always be able to take care of himself. 



As to the. moral aspect of this question, Mr. Editor, I am 

 pretty much a believer in the law of general a.y 

 have spenl several years among the snipe, duck and chic/ken 

 hunters of the Mississippi Valfy, and I am inclined to class 

 all useless slaughter of game (destruction of life] in the same 

 category. Whether it be a snipe or duck or goose or a lordly 

 elk. it i- an animal life, and it is a- ( ulpablr to destTQJ the 

 one as the other. 



The truth is, this subject of the destination of the lower 

 animal life, mcepffor the mejn purposes of food, -!■> be ap- 

 proached with a great deal of caution, If dol handled with 

 a great- deal of care and delicacy, you are sure "to knock 

 things into, pi." Conceding, for the sake of ni'gumenl, the 

 right of man to kill game for sport, 1h.1t certainly carries 

 with it the right to support one's family by the same means. 

 The Eacl that the sportsman is not compelled to do so is no 

 reason why 1 lie. "pot-hnntin^" sport-man should not com- 

 bine the sport- and business The "skin-hunter" and "pot- 

 hunter," as long as lie keeps within the law. -tainl- On as 

 high a level as' the sportsman. When they transcend the 

 law, they then occupy the sane.' level as in • ['<,:-! man, who 

 '•'it of aM gaum Uiws (the "higher law") by 

 i'struction of animal life, and ao lower. 

 ire not fashionable in the apdrtlng papers, 

 but they can't be controve; led. 



So when I read the b'-aulifully rounded paragraphs, de- 

 voted to tho denunciation of these pell hunt ca as butchers,, 

 etc., (whi-h accomplishes about as much good as "whistliriL r 

 against the wind") ihe thoughl naturally occurs how much 

 useless butchery has the writer 1 ommiu'ed among the snipe 

 and du, ks? And when thoe homilies are written joy 

 sportsmen (?) wh<>, a few months before; by their men written 

 rions, committed the same "butchery," those grand 

 words from the good book, so full of the quintessence of 

 charity, will riseup, "Let him that is without sin among you 

 cast the first stone. " [ have no Sympathy for, nor aml.'an 

 apologia! of these hunters, but having warmed my shins 

 around their camp tires a good many cold nights, I am fully 

 prepared to testify thai they -mv both flesh and Wood li!-. 

 balance of us, anil are imbued with the usual share of tho 

 . dities common 10 human nature. 



[n looting over the sporting papers (whether English or 

 American) it. is curious to note- the animus pervading the ac- 

 counts of the various sportiijg : adventures. [| i rarely have 

 wc killed toa much game" (mptc than can be utilized) but in 

 nine eases out of ten we liave made a "re-, e-r a 



larger bag than Torn, Dick or Harry, 



I ree;,|! Ilr ,w Hie h | ■■■ ■ .1, 



tram 

 thi 1 



cevds the ,v 



The. 



.- Bentimente 



