44 
FOREST AND STREAM 
name, and I always try and not to displease him, but I fear I sometimes 
do exhibit marks of my affection for him by jumping against him with 
my dirty feet after I have been digging for rats, and leaving the prints of 
them on his clothes. He does not like that very well, for he always says 
‘ behave, Julia, your feet are muddy,” and then I wag my tail and say 
‘‘very well,” and walk along decently by his side. 
Oh, I do love to catch rats and mice; somehow I think it comes natu¬ 
ral for me to be fond of killing them, and occasionally Pert and I go out 
in the wood house and dig for them for hours at a time, and old Pert has 
verily worn his toe nails off at it. I very well remember the first rat I 
ever saw. I was about half grown, and one day went down to the barn 
and jumped into the corn crib, and there, oh, my! what a big rat I saw. 
Instinct or something told me, I don’t know what, that it was my natu¬ 
ral enemy, and that I must kill it. I pitched into it very bravely, but it 
bit me right over the eye, and, goodness, how the blood run, and how it 
pained. It hung onto me, but I was very mad, and soon shook it off and 
killed it. My master afterwards found the dead rat, and saw my eye 
bleeding, and patting me on the head called me ‘‘good dog.” Since then 
I have learned how to do better. You may be sure I was proud of my 
first rat. 
One day Pert and I were digging in the barn, and we dug up five of the 
tiniest, funniest, little bits of mice, and Pert smelt them, and I smelt 
them. They looked raw, just exactly as little canary birds do when they 
are first hatched. They hadn’t a particle of hair on them, and, would 
you believe it, that old Pert actually ate two of them, the old cannibal, 
and I truly believe he would have eaten them every one if I had not told 
him I never would speak to him again as long as I lived if he touched 
another one of them, but I afterwards almost killed myself laughing, for 
what he ate made him just as sick as he could be, and I -was glad of it, 
the old scamp. I never laughed so much in my life but once before, and 
that was when Mrs. Brown, who lives right across the way from us, let 
her hateful little poodle Capitola play in the yard, and she ran out and 
barked at a great big butcher’s dog, who picked her "up in his mouth and 
dropped her, with her white combed hair, blue ribbon, gold locket, and 
all, right into a big,mud puddle in the street. I was glad of it, the little 
stuck up, pug nosed thing; she would run and scream if she just saw a 
mouse, and, besides, I don’t admire her beauty; she has red eyes and— 
but there, I do declare, how I am going on, but I always do get excited 
when I think of her. 
My master is very kind to Pert and me, as I said, but he does not permit 
us to go outside of the yard unless we are with him, for farmer Isaac has 
put out a lot of poison to kill the dogs who worry his sheep, and he is 
afraid we will get some of it and be killed; but I am sorry to say we did 
not always obey him, and one day he discovered Pert and me on the street 
coming home from one of our hunting expeditions at an old vacant 
house, where there were plenty of rats and mice. When he saw us he 
scolded us severely, and threatened, if he ever knew of our running off 
again, to whip us. Well, it was about two weeks after this time that I 
heard my master one morning tell ray mistress that he was going to leave 
town, and would be absent for a day or two. After he left, Pert and I 
were lying on the stoop in the sun, feeling ever so lazy, and presently 
Pert looked at me and said, ‘ ‘Julia, let’s go to the old house again and 
have some more sport catching rats.” ‘‘Oh, dear no,” I said, ‘‘Master 
told us never to leave the yard again without his permission; I would not 
think of going.” ‘‘What if he did,” said Pert, "master is gone, mis¬ 
tress is visiting over to Mrs. Biown’s and Mary is away back in the 
kitchen; no one will know it, and besides, I saw two of the biggest rats 
run into the house yesterday morning as I went to market with master; 
but if you won’t go, and will promise you won’t teli on me, I will go any¬ 
how.” Sol promised, and Pert started. He got as far as the gate, and 
beckoned “Come on, cowardy,” with his tail, and I couldn’t stay; so I 
went too. We found a big rat under a broad hoard, and old Pert went 
around on the other side of the board and barked and dug at it, and I 
kept right still on my side, but kept a sharp lookout until the rat ran out, 
and then I killed it very quickly and went to hunting more. I was very 
much excited at the time, and happening to look up the street who should 
I see but master. Oh, goodness! it frightened me so badly that I really 
thought for a time I shonld faint, I managed not to do so, and ran 
around the corner of the house where I had killed the rat; then the 
thought struck me that if I could use my wits rightly I might escape a 
thumping. A scolding from master hurts ever so bad, but a whipping, I 
think, would almost kill me; so I took the rat in my mouth when my 
master called me, and went up to him so sorrowfully where he stood at 
the gate, with my tail betweeu my legs, (just making believe, you 
know,) and laid the rat at his feet, saying as plainly as I could, “Master, I 
am sorry I disobeyed you, and this is my only excuse.” Master looked 
at me a moment, and then broke into aloud laugh, saying, “Julia, you 
little witch, I wouldn’t strike you if you ran away a thousand times,” 
and then he snapped his finger at me, and I galloped around him again 
and again, and never felt so happy before in my life but once, and that 
was when I had my first litter of the prettiest little black puppies, and 
that was the time Capitola was so angry because she never had any pup¬ 
pies, and besides—but there I go off the track again. Old Pert ran home 
through the back yard, but got a good whipping when he got there from 
master. 
Mr. Editor, master says that you who write so well about dogs must love 
them, and you are liberty to publish this if you see fit, and I hope the 
vexed question, “Do dogs reason?” will be settled. Well, I’ll declare if 
there isn’t that hateful dog of Jones’ in the yard again—boo-woo. 
Yours, Julia. 
Jackson, Miss., February 15, 18T4. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
The picture of “Belle,” the champion pointer of England, was received 
some time since. Accept my thanks for your kindness. Without find¬ 
ing fault with any one, do you not think that a full description, weight 
and measurements would have aided all concerned? A picture (if true) 
gives the beholder all the points, but it conveys nothing more; the sub¬ 
ject may be small or of huge proportions. 
How much I would like to attend that friendly match in England! I 
have not quite as many reasons as the historical Burgomaster had for 
not firing a salute on the king’s arrival in his town (reasons thirteen in 
number; first on the list, because he had no gun, he was not an Ameri¬ 
can, or he would have used an anvil). My first reason for not going is 
for the want of the miserable dross necessary for such an occasion. 
We have a good stock of pointers here, progeny of imported English 
dogs, probably as good as any in this country; but all are sadly deficient 
in training; not one of them will drop to the shot, a point that I consider 
of the utmost importance in a good dog. One of our dogs here, owned 
by a friend of mine, the other day was trailing a covey of partridges in a 
field bordering on a creek with high, steep banks, to the edge of which 
he trailed them and stopped, throwing his nose high in the air, but tne 
wind was blowing directly to the opposite bank, so no chance of a whiff. 
“Shot,” then went back quartering the field thoroughly, arriving at the 
same point as at first, and looked at his master with a puzzled expression 
as much as to say, “I am beaten this time.” My friend, while looking 
for a place to cross, heard a splashing in the water and saw Shot swim¬ 
ming across the creek. By the time Mr. J. had crossed he discovered 
his dog at a point on a covey of birds. Did Shot reason as his master 
did that the bird had flown across? Shot was not told to “hie over.” 
Bird shooting has not been good here this season. Our farmers culti¬ 
vate no small grain and very little corn, in consequence I have found all 
the b irds in the woods. Woodcock are plentiful, but usually found in 
the cane in inaccessible places. Snipe are just coming in. There arc 
plenty of deer and turkeys in our woods, but I do not indulge in that 
sport. Ducks were unusually scarce here this winter. 
We are trying to have a game law passed by our Legislature this ses¬ 
sion, Pothunters here kill Bob White on the fence, turkeys on the 
nest, and does with fawn. Shall try to stop trapping birds next session; 
to incorporate it with the other bill would kill the whole. 
I intended to answer “Cockshot” in regard to “my experience with a 
young pointer” some time since direct to Land and Water, but the copy 
containing the article did not reach me until last Saturday 
I have,given your associate’s lettei in regard to fox hounds to a com¬ 
petent man to answer. Will forward when received. Very respectfully 
Geo. C E. 
jf hot §>tm nnd Jf iflt. 
GAME IN SEASON FOR FEBRUARY. 
Hares, Squirrels and Wild Fowl. 
FOR FLORIDA. 
Red Deer, Caricm Virginianus) Wild Turkey. Mdeagris gallopaco.) 
Woodcock, Philohela minor.) Quail, Ortyx Virginianus.) 
Snipe, Plover, Curlew, etc., in great 
variety. 
I Under the head of “ Game, and Fisn in. Season" we can only specify in 
general terms the several varieties, became the laws of States vary so much 
that were we to attempt to particularize we could do no less than publish 
those entire sections that relate to the kinds of game in question. This 
would require a great amount of our space. In designating game ice are 
guided by the laics of nature, upon which all legislation is founded, and 
our readers would do well to provide themselves with the laws of their re¬ 
spective States for constant reference. Otherwise, our attempts to assist them 
will only create confusion. 1 
To Game Dealers and Restaurant Keepers. —We 
earnestly and respectfully call the attention of all persons 
engaged in the game business to the following sections of 
“An act to amend and consolidate the several acts relating 
to the preservation of moose, wild deer, birds, and fish,” 
passed by the Legislature of the State of New York, April 
16, 1871:— 
Sec. 38. Any person may sell or have in his or her pos¬ 
session any pinnated grouse, commonly called partridge or 
quail, from the first day of January to the first day of 
March, and shall not be liable to any penalty under this 
act, provided he proves that such birds or game were killed 
within the period provided by this act, or were killed out¬ 
side the limits of this State, at some place where the law 
did not prohibit such killing. 
This law will be strictly enforced after the first of March, 
and prosecutions will certainly follow its violation. 
—The Southside Sportsmen’s Club of Long Island held 
its annual city meeting for the election of officers for the 
ensuing year last week. The following gentlemen were 
elected:—President, JohnK. Hackett; Vice-President, Geo. 
Griswold; Treasurer, William M. Johnson; Secretary, 
Samuel Shaw. Executive Committee:—Two years’ term, 
Samuel Shaw and F. S. Stallknecht; one year’s term, 
Joseph Allen and Charles Banks. It appears, from the 
Treasurer’s report, that up to this date $126,000 have been 
expended on club houses, streams and buildings, all for the 
purpose of fostering open-air recreation and manly sports. 
The constitution of the Club provides for a limitation of 
members to 100. Gentlemen wishing to join will have to 
wait until vacancies occur, as the Club is already full. 
—The following amendatory act has been introduced in¬ 
to the Assembly by Mr. Prince, read twice, and reported 
favorably upon. It is now before the Committee of the 
Whole:— 
The People, of the State of New York, represented in Senate and 
Assembly , do enact as follows: 
Section 1. The tenth section of chapter seven hundred 
and twenty-one of the laws of eighteen hundred and 
seventy-one, entitled “An act to amend and consolidate the 
several acts relating to the preservation of moose, wild deer, 
birds and fish,” is hereby amended so as to read as follows: 
§ 10. No person shall kill or expose for sale, or have in 
his possession, after the same has been killed, any robin, 
brown thrasher, meadow lark or starling, save only during 
the months of August, September, October, November and 
and December, under a penalty of five dollars' for 
each bird; and in the counties of Kings, Queens and Suf¬ 
folk, no person shall kill or expose for sale, or have in his 
possession after the same has been killed, any of said birds 
in this section named, except during the months of October 
and November, under a penalty of five dollars for each 
bird. 
§ 12. This act shall take effect immediately. 
—A party of New York gentlemen, among whom are 
several members of the Union Club, sailed for Florida on 
Saturday, where they propose to “hunt and camp out” for 
a period of three weeks. 
—The Amateur Shooting Club, Detroit, have elected the 
following officers:—President, T. W. Harris; Vice-Presi¬ 
dent, R. M. Baker; Secretary, GeorgeB. Mather; Treasurer, 
C. H. Chope. 
—A full report of the Tournament, at Conlin’s Rifle 
Gallery, Broadway, and ties shot off yesterday, will appear 
in our next issue. 
—Benj. P. Howell, Esq., Fish Commissioner of the State 
of New Jersey, in response to some inquiries of ours in re¬ 
gard to the game in the vicinity of Woodbury, N. J., writes 
us as follows:—“Sporting is a thing of the past rather than 
of the present in this county. Game of all kinds once 
abounded, but with the decay of the forests, little is left 
but a few labbits and an occasional covey of quails, and 
then the owners of the land are precluded from enjoying a 
vested right on account of our close proximity to Philadel¬ 
phia, whence scores of gunners make excursions as soon as 
the season begins.” 
—A meeting of amateur pigeon shooters, belonging to 
the New Jersey Sportsman’s Club, at Swedenboro’, met on 
the 14th ult. to try a novel method of shooting pigeons from 
a trap The conditions of the match were to shoot at ten 
birds from aground trap, sixty yards boundary, 1| oz. shot, 
fifteen yards rise; each man to pull his own string. All 
ties to be shot off at an increased distance of five yards. 
The following is the score:— 
T. W. Clark, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1—6. 
R. Clayton, 1, 1, 1, 1 0, 1—6. 
W. Ford, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, -0—4. 
H. Lamb, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1—4. 
Geo. Reed, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1—5. 
J. French, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1—5. 
M. Featlierer, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0—5. 
J. Featlierer, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1—3. 
G. Sheets, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1—6. 
Wm. Ford, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1—5. 
The sweep stakes were divided by Mr. Clark and Mr. 
Sheets, as there remained no birds to shoot the tie off. 
—The Skaneateles Sportsmen’s Club have elected the fol¬ 
lowing officers:—President, W. F. G regory; Vice-President 
George Rawlins; Secretary and Treasurer, Asa L. Sh er ’. 
wood. 
—The “Act to Amend and Consolidate the several Acts 
relating to Game and Game Fish,” introduced into the New 
Jersey Legislature and passed by the Lower House last 
week, provides for killing deer only between the loth day 
of October and the 1st day of November. Penalty for vio¬ 
lation, $50. 
No person shall kill any wild duck, brant or goose with 
a swivel or punt gun, or with any gun other than such guns 
as are habitually raised at arm’s length and fired from the 
shoulder, or use any net or device for the capture under a 
penalty of $50. 
Grass plover may be killed between the 1st of August 
and 1st day of January; and Wilson and gray snipe between 
the 1st of September and the 25th day of April. Penalty 
for infringment, $10 for each bird. 
Woodcock may be killed between the 5tli day of July 
and the 1st of January. Penalty imposed, $10 for each 
bird. 
Quail, ruffed grouse or pheasant can only be killed be¬ 
tween the 1st day of November and the 1st day of January. 
Penalty attached, $15 for each bird killed or had in pos¬ 
session. 
A section provides that no person shall kill any pinnated 
grouse prior to November 1st, 1880, under a penalty of $50 
for each bird killed; and subsequent to that time makes it 
lawful to kill them only between the 1st day of November 
and the 1st day of January, under a penalty of $20 for each 
bird killed or had in possession. 
Rail and reed birds can be killed only in the months of 
September, October and November under a penalty of $5 
for each bird killed or had in possession. 
A fine of $5 is imposed for killing at any time any insec- 
tiverous bird. 
No person shall kill,.catch, or discharge any fire arms at 
any wild pigeon while on its nesting ground, or discharge 
any fire arms within one-fourth of a mile of their nesting 
places under a penalty of $25. 
No person shall kill or take any ruffed grouse, quail, 
woodcock, pinnated grouse, rail, or reed birds by means of 
any trap, snare, net, "or device whatever, at any time, under 
a penalty of $10 for each bird so snared or taken. A pro¬ 
vision in this section makes it lawful to take quail by means 
of traps between the 1st of January and 1st of July for the 
sole purpose of preserving them alive over the winter. 
No person may catch any speckled trout, bass or salmon, 
or any other fish, in any of the fresh water in this Stated 
with any^device, save only with hook and line, or place any 
set lines in any water inhabited by them under a penalty of 
$25. 
It is lawful to catch salmon, speckled trout or bass only 
in the months of April, May, June, July, and the first fifteen 
days in August under a penalty of $10 for each fish had in 
possession; but this section does not prevent any person 
from catching trout with nets on waters owned by himself 
for the purpose of stocking other waters. 
A section provides that no person shall kill or expose for 
sale any salmon trout, lake trout, or bass in the months of 
October, November, December, January, and February, 
under a penalty of $10 for each fish. 
It is not lawful for any person to place any set nets across 
any of the canals, river lets, thoroughfares, or creeks in this 
State under a penalty of $25. 
No person or corporation shall throw or deposit any culm 
or coal dirt into or upon any of the rivers, lakes, ponds, or 
streams under a penalty of $50; and any person placing any 
lime, or drug, or medicated bait in any fresh water stream, 
lake or pond stocked with or inhabited by salmon, trout, 
bass, pike, pickerel, sunfish, or perch, is liable to a fine of 
$50 and damages in addition thereto. 
No person shall catch any black bass, pike or pickerel be¬ 
tween the 1st day of March and the 1st day of June under a 
penalty of $25. 
Any Justice or Magistrate having probable cause for be¬ 
lieving in the concealment of any game or fish during any 
of the periods prohibited, may issue his search warrant, 
and cause search to be made in any house, market, boat, 
package, car, or building. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
An amateur pigeon match was shot last week on the grounds adjoining 
Mr. Robert Gordon’s Hotel, Forty-seventh street and Baltimoee avenue, 
West Philadelphia, with field guns, oz. shot, 21 yards rise, 80 yards- 
boundary. The birds proved all “drivers,” and were “little blue rocks.” 
The following is the score: 
Killed. 
R. Gordon. 010 1 1 0—3 
Geo. T wade 11.0 0 111 0—3 
Mr. McMiller.00 1 1 1 1—4 
C. S. Westcott. 0 1 1 1 1 1—5 
Gun used. 
Scott gnu, 8f lbs. 10 guage. 
Parker gun, 8 lbs. 12 guage, 
Scott gun, 8f lbs., 10 guage, 
Moore gun, 7} lbs., 12guage. 
This was the first of a series of friendly matches between the “Saterlee 
Heights few.” A challenge has been given to the winner of the match— 
of which more anon. “Homo.” 
Memphis, Tenn,, February 15,1874. 
Editor Forest and Stream: — 
At a special meeting of the Bluff City Shooting Club it was decided to 
have a handicap match at single birds. Three elegant solid silver cups 
are to be awarded as prizes for the first, second and third best shots. It 
was also unanimously agreed by the Club to have a live deer chase on the 
same day, February 2dth. Three prominent and well known gentlemen, 
citizens of Memphis, have entered their pack of hounds for the grand 
chase. The Club boys, it would appear from the above, are fully deter 
mined to have fine sport. The match and chase will take place at the 
Chickasaw Jockey Club Course. Yonrs, Joe. 
Hamilton, Canada, February 20,1874. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
As it may interest your readers to know what is going on this side of 
the line in the way of rifle shooting, I take great pleasure in giving you 
what scant information lies in my power. For some time back the 
small bore men of Canada, or rather Ontario (but I think it will apply to 
all the provinces), have felt that they have not received that recognition 
or support from the different rifle associations which they are entitled 
to. They consider that they have been the organizers of the popular 
feeling which now exists all over Canada for rifle practice. They have 
felt quite aggreived (and not without reason) that the heads or managers 
of the different associations, who are nearly all gentlemen belonging to 
the militia or volunteers, confine tVir matches to military rifles and ig¬ 
nore the small bores entirely, with perhaps some few exceptions, where 
one or two matches for small bores out of perhaps twdtve matches for the 
Snider or Military rifle were shot for, and those one ocr two were simply 
put in the programme to insure the attendance of sz«»21 bore men, know¬ 
ing that they would be almost sure to shoot in all the matches. Such be¬ 
ing the case, some of the small bore men have taken ihe lead in organ- 
