298 
FOREST AND STREAM 
but it has little to commend itself for to my fancy. The 
wretched, cawing youngsters sit unsuspectingly still on the 
tops of the elms, and as soon as you can catch & sight of 
their black plumage amongst the green leaves you blaze 
away, and a soft and often shapeless heap of down and 
quills falls tlmd at your feet, or the young rook struggles 
into a neighboring nest and lingers out its unhappy exist¬ 
ence. The rooks must be killed annually in a certain pro¬ 
portion, or, curious enough, the rookery becomes deserted, 
and the quaint music of their cry no longer “heralds the 
approach of day;” but the sport is about fit for the far¬ 
mers, who generally come in for it, and so are the rook 
pies. It is a close time for sea birds, and as I write the sea 
gulls are screaming and chasing one another over Rams¬ 
gate Harbor among the very masts of the fishing smacks, 
as if they knew that the flag of truce had been hauled up. 
By one recent act of Parliament'nearly all birds are safe 
during breeding time, with the exception of the mischiev¬ 
ous ones, such as the sparrow, and if a rare bird does build 
a nest there is a little hope of its being able to rear its 
progeny in safety. 
Ascot week will be a gay one, as it always is, and the 
toilets of the fashionable ladies who crowd the grand 
stand are becoming every year more costly, §nd, to the men 
who admire a woman's dress are no small feature in the 
sights o f the cup day. 
The Crystal Palace dog show looks well; as there is an 
entry of over 1,200 dogs, it will be the largest show since 
the glories of Islington, in 1863-65. Several members of 
the royal family have entered dogs, and as His Royal High¬ 
ness the Prince of Wales has lately cut the canine world, 
his return is greatly welcomed by the fanciers. The late 
prince consort swas an excellent sportsman, and his sons 
all ride well to hounds and shoot straight powder. The 
foxhound classes are poorly supported. The reason given 
being the prevalence of hydrophobia and dumb madness, 
for I believe I am right in saying the two frightful mala¬ 
dies are somewhat dissimilar. The former has met with 
much discussion lately, but without any practical results 
being arrived at. There is the famous Berling cure, which 
the government has been before now besought to purchase, 
but the “powers that be” will not yet believe in it, though 
there are, I hear, several instances on record of its efficacy. 
It is very difficult to determine, in the event of a supposed 
cure of hydrophobia, whether in the first place the dog 
reallv was.mad; secondly, whether the patient would have 
had the disease, and thirdly, if the cure might not be at¬ 
tributable to the use of some other remedy, or rather pre¬ 
ventative. Of course there is no lack of nostrums in¬ 
vented by knaves and fools, as for consumption, the bite 
of the cobra, or any other ill that the flesh is heir to. We 
are gravely advised to do a thousand extravagant things 
which are chiefly the theoretical dreams of unprofessional 
and hence unpracticed amateur doctors, or else merely the 
dictation of ignorant and superstitious minds. Use the 
powdered claw of a crab, says one m disant iEseulapius, 
whilst another suggests heaping gunpower on the raw 
wound and then lighting it. The fact is, that I don’t be¬ 
lieve there has ever vet been discovered anything that will 
absolutely cure hydrophobia, and I believe the so-called 
cures were not of real attacks of the disease. Patients of the 
most skilled medical men have been carried off over and 
over again, and no power on earth could save them. I be¬ 
lieve that the disease may be prevented, and I believe that 
immediate excision, and the use of lunar caustic or nitrate 
of silver are the best things that can be done. At all 
events, if I am ever bitten, say, for instance, on the hand, 
I shall at once fasten a ligature above the place, wash, ex¬ 
cise, burn, and trust to Providence. I have a piece of the 
caustic in the form of a pencil case, and I invariably carry 
it to a dog show with me. It is, however, a matter of note 
that men conversant with dogs’ manners are very seldom 
bitten, and I have frequently seen “Idstone,” of the Eng¬ 
lish Field , when judging at a show, unchain and lead out 
the most fractious and bad tempered brutes with the ut¬ 
most indifference, whilst the servants and porters couldn’t 
touch them. In the year 1796 Lord Fitzwilliam’s hounds 
were attacked by madness to a Very alarming extent. The 
disease was spontaneous in the first hound, who communi¬ 
cated it to the rest of the pack by biting many of them. 
They were all placed in separate kennels, and exercised 
singly in chains until the ensuing season. The record of 
this occurrence states, however, distinctly that several of 
the hounds that were bitten actually recovered, the chief 
medicine used being mercury, which in some cases com¬ 
pletely salivated them. 
There is every prospect of a good grouse season in the 
north and the moors of Yorkshire and Ireland. Of it, it is 
difficult now-to prophecy, and the owners of moors “to 
let” are generally rather favorable in their accounts, but 
still this is the accepted idea. Grouse shooting is becom¬ 
ing every year more and more expensive, and every brace 
killed often costs about two or three sovereigns to the les¬ 
sees. The wages of the keepers, the importation of ice 
and Chablis, Veuve Cliquot, Champagne, Pate de foi gras, 
big Partagas and Regalias cigars, a Swiss valet, a French 
chef, and other luxuries, is often insisted on before the shoot¬ 
ing box is fit for the sportsman and his setters, and the 
moor and mountain is made a sort of Capua. Seven hun¬ 
dred pounds, or about $3,500, was paid for the moor a rel¬ 
ative of mine shot over last year, and it was only hired for 
three months. Deer stalking, which is a royal sport, is 
still more expensive, and the hirer of a deer forest, which, 
by the by, is not necessarily covered with trees, and is 
merely a large tract of heather country, is always limited 
to a certain number of stags. The Scotch deerhound, 
wdiose duty it is to “retrieve” the wounded stag, is one of 
the most handsome and sensible of the canine races. He 
is built for speed and power—fleet as a greyhound, coura¬ 
geous as most bulldogs, and strong as a mastiff. He is 
trained to go at the ear, and there have been instances of 
the deer dragging the dog through mountain streams, 
amongst sharp crags and boulders, and down steep gulleys 
without shaking off the dog, though the skin of his foe 
was so torn by the sharp edges of the rocks that the blood 
marked the trail. “Morni,” a dark, stately, guzzle colored 
hound, the property of Mi. G. W. Hickman, was a mag¬ 
nificent specimen of the deerhound, standing some thirty- 
one inches high or more. He was so beautifully propor¬ 
tioned that his grand height did not show, and you would 
have thought him considerably under this measurement. 
He looked as if he would grace some old hall of a baronial 
castle, and show off to advantage lying at the feet of the 
suits of armor beneath the antlers and relics of the chase. 
The pedigrees of deerhounds do not trace far back, but 
there is no dog which has been more carefully bred and 
kept pure from taint. In England he is not of much use, 
as the only deer besides those in the gentlemen’s parks are 
roe deer, wdiicli are very small, in fact, scarcely bigger than 
a sheep, but in the north he shares the sympathies of his 
master with the collies and the skyes, and Sir Edwin Land¬ 
seer well knew and valued his rough symmetrical outline, 
dignity of demeanor, and picturesque form, when he 
painted with hi* own peculiar skill those marvellous 
sketches of Highland life which have made his name im¬ 
mortal. Idstone, Jr. 
The State Convention at Oswego.— The sixteenth 
annual convention of the New York State Association for 
the Protection of Fish and Game will be held, as an¬ 
nounced, at Oswego, New York, under the auspices of the 
Leatherstocking Club, of Oswego, on Monday, Tuesday, 
Wednesday, Thursday, and Fridajq June 22d, 23d, 24tli, 
25tli and 26th, 1874. This association consists of members 
of the sportsmen’s clubs of the State, and two delegates 
from each ccmnty unrepresented by a club. At business 
meetings, five delegates from each club, and the county 
delegates only, are allowed to vote. Members of any or¬ 
ganized club in the State, and county delegates, are entitled 
to contend for the prizes. No trial shots are allowed after 
the judges have announced time for the contest to com¬ 
mence. Three contestants at least are necessary to perfect 
any match or contest. The following are the officers of 
the State Association:— 
President, Hon. A. C. Mattoon, Oswego; 1st Vice Presi¬ 
dent, F. B. Klock, Syracuse; 2d Vice President, Henry A. 
Richmond, Batavia; Recording Secretary, John B. Sage, 
Buffalo; Corresponding Secretary, Silas M. Allen, Osw'ego; 
Treasurer, S. M. Spencer, Rochester; Standing Committee, 
F. Sid way, Buffalo; James Manning, Syracuse; II. Silsby, 
Seneca Fails; W. H. Bowman, Rochester; S. Y. Lane, 
Utica. 
The officers of the Leatherstocking club for 1874 are— 
President, Hudson C. Tanner; Vice President, Morgan L. 
Marshall; Secretary, J. Forbie Miller; Treasurer, N. W. 
Nutting. 
The programme herewith published has been kindly sent 
us by Hon. A. C. Mattoon, with the following note:— 
Oswego, June 12th, 1874. 
Editor Forest and Stream :— 
Please find enclosed the first impression of the correct programme for 
our shoot. Yours truly, A. C. Mattoon, President. 
Programme— First Day.— The convention will meet at the Board of 
Trade Rooms, in the Doolittle House, Oswego, N. Y., Monday evening, 
June 22d, at eight o’clook, when the credentials of the delegates will be 
received, and the convention organized. All members of clubs in at¬ 
tendance are requested to wear the distinctive badges of their clubs dur¬ 
ing the convention. 
Second Day, Tuesday, June 23d— Pistol Shooting , 9 o'clock A. M.— 
Ten shots, single barrel, off hand, distance 15 yards, lire at the word. 
First prize, a Silver-mounted Smith & Wesson No. 3 Revolver, with 
case; donated by Smith & Wesson, Springfield, Mass. Second prize, 
two Schauber Hunting Shirts; donated by S. D. Schauber, Oswego. 
Entrance fee, $3. 
Rifle Shooting, short distance, 91 A. M— One hundred yards, ten shots, 
off hand, open’and globe sights, string measure, rifie and ammunition 
unrestricted; free to the United States and Canada. First prize, Rem¬ 
ington Sporting Breech-loading Rifle; donated by E. Remington & Sons, 
Ilion, N. Y. Second prize, Hunter’s Pet Rifle; donated by J. Stevens & 
Co., of Chicopee Falls, Mass. Entrance fee, $5. 
Rifle Shooting, long distance. —Ten shots, rifles, rest, and ammunition 
unrestricted; barring telescopes; distance 300 yards. First, prize, Sil¬ 
ver-plated Ice Pitcher; donated by Wilcox’s Sliver Plate Manufacturing 
Co., West Meriden, Conn. Second prize, Opera glass. 
State Trap Shoot, 10 o'clock A.M.— Sides to be chosen on the ground; 
only members of organized clubs and county delegates from this State 
will be allowed to shoot; ten single birds each, the losing side to pay for 
the birds; to be governed by the rules of the New York State Associa¬ 
tion . 
Third Day, Wednesday, June 24th— Fly casting , 81 o'clock A. M.— 
First prize, an elegant Silver-mounted Split Bamboo Fly rod; donated 
bvJ. B. McHarg & Co., Rome, N. Y. Second prize, a highly finished 
Silver-mounted Fly rod; donated by the inventor, M. L. Marshall, Os¬ 
wego. Third prize, No. 1 Orvis Fly rod, silver-mounted, with case; do¬ 
nated by Charles F Orvis, Manchester, Vt. Fourth prize, one of Prof. 
McCord’s Double Spool Rubber Reels, furnished with lines; donated by 
Andrew Clerk & Co., 48 Maiden Lane, N. Y. Fifth prize, one of Fow¬ 
ler’s Rubber Reels; donated by A. H. Fowler, of Batavia. Entrance 
fee, $5. 
Single Trap Shoot for Amateurs, 9 o'clock A. M.— To be competed for 
by those who have never won a prize at a State shoot; shot limited to II 
ounces; ten single birds. First prize, a Gold Hunting-case Watch; do¬ 
nated by the Oswego Board of Trade. Second prize, one of Parker 
Bros. Double-barrel Shot Guns. Third prize, Single-barrel Breech-load¬ 
ing Shot Gun; donated by J. Stevens & Co., Chicopee Falls, Mass. 
Fourth prize, pair Sleeve Buttons, bird design, solid gold. Entrance 
fee, $5. 
Single Trap Shoot, 11 o'clock A. M.— Four prizes, for first, second, third, 
and fourth classes of shots; open only to members of organized clubs 
and county delegates from this State; ten single birds each; shot limited 
to U ounces; otherwise, in accordance with the rules of the New York 
State Association. First prize, a Gold Hunting case Watch; donated by 
tiie Oswego Lumbermen. Second prize, Silver Pitcher and Cup, mount¬ 
ed; donated by Jules Wendell, Oswego, N. Y. Third prize, Oswego 
Starch Factory prize, four boxes T. Kingsford & Son’s celebrated Starch, 
160 pounds. Fourth Prize, the ‘‘Climax” Patent Paper Shell Greaser, 
Loader, and Cap Expeller; donated by Wm. B. Hall, Lancaster, Penn. 
Entrance fee, $5. 
Fourth Day, Thursday, June 25th —Double Bird Shoot, 9 o'clock A. 
M —Four prizes, for first, second, third, and fourth classes of shots, at 
ten double rises each; shot limited to II ounces; open only to members 
of organized clubs and county delegates from this State, to be governed 
by-the rules of the New York State Association. First prize, one of 
Remington’s Double barrel, Breech loading Shot Guns, with case; do¬ 
nated by E. Remington & Sons, Ilion, N. Y. Second prize, a case (24 
pounds) of Oriental Falcon Ducking Powder; donated byA.B Ynrmo- 
Agent Oriental Co., of Buffalo, N. Y. Third prize, Turf, ’Field and 
Farm Cup. Fourth prize, Parker’s celebrated Cartridge Belt. Entrance 
fee, $5. 
Single Trap Shoot , 1 o'clock P. M. —Four prizes, for first, second third 
and fourth classes of shots; open only to members of organized clubs 
and county delegates from this State, at ten single birds each; shot lini 
ited to II ounces; otherwise, in accordance with the rules of the New 
York State Association. First prize, one of Parker Bros, best Breech¬ 
loading Shot Guns; donated by Parker Bros.,West Meriden, Conn Sec* 
ond prize, Forest and Stream Vase, solid silver, with ca~ e Third 
prize, a Pocket Rifle; dosated by Frank Wesson, Worcester Mass 
Fourth prize, Silver-mounted Revolver; donated by the Whitney Arms 
Co., of Whitneyville, near New Haven, Conn. Entrance fee, So. 
Fifth Day, Friday, June gflth- -Tfess Shoot, 9 o'clock A. J/.—Open to 
all members of the press; five single birds each; for best and poorest 
classes of shots. Best shot, a Telescope, Compass Head Cane; donated 
by Jules Wendell, jeweler, Oswego, N. Y. Poorest shot, five e-allnL 
deep rock water. s ont> 
Grand State Prize— The Dean Richmond Gup, 11 o'clock A. M.— 
Open to all organized clubs of this State, members of the State Associa 
tion. And to become the property of a club the enp must be won bv 
that club three times, and is to be held by the winning club each year in 
trust, to be accountdd for to the State association until it is finally won 
To be shot for by three representatives from each club, of twenty sinl 
gle birds each; shot limited to II ounces; otherwise, in accordance with 
the rules of the New York State Association. 
Entrance fee, $. r .O per club of three members, residing in the county 
where such club is located, 
Average Prizes.— A pup from Llewellen’s Kennels, of the Field 
Trial Breed, donated by W. F. Parker, editor American Sportsman. West 
Meriden, Conn., will be awarded to the person entering and making the 
largest score in the three regular shoots, namely—Third day, 11 A. M 
single trap shoot; fourth day, 9 A. M., double bird shoot; and 1 P. M ’ 
single trap shoot. 
Also, a Buffalo’s Head, mounted; a fine ornament for a club room, do¬ 
nated by W. F. Parker, editor American Sportsman, West Meriden 
Conn., will be awarded to the club making the best average pro rata 
shooting in the above named regular shoots. 
Bench Dog Show.—A new feature of the convention this year will be 
a bench show of sporting dogs. Prizes to be confined to setters, point¬ 
ers, and Spaniels. Open to the United States and Canada, governed by 
English rules. Entrance fee, $5. First uize, 50 per cent, of entrance 
fee; second prize, 30 per cent.; third prize, 20 per cent. Entries close 
Thursday, June 25th, at 12 M. 
The club have an oil painting, valued at $1,000. donated by L. W. 
Prentice, of Syracuse, N. Y., which will be offered as a prize at the State 
Trap shoot, under the direction of the convention. 
The Detroit Tribune informs us that some 11,000 live 
pigeons arrived there lately, to he used at the Oswego Con¬ 
vention. The great roost of these birds is near Crystal 
Lake. Before remaining in one fixed spot they had been 
wandering around in Oceana county, where they had been 
collected by the thousands. There are men who make 
pigeon catching a business, being supplied with nets and 
all paraphernalia necessary to entrap and catch the birds. 
They get track of a flock of pigeons "early in the Spring in 
the South, and being acquainted with their habits, are 
able to follow them the whole year. Wild pigeons are 
worth from $1 to $1 50 per dozen. 
Uthe menmt. 
—The Action of the City in regard to the Dogs.— 
We would advise the careful reading of the following 
memorandum furnished by the Sanitary Committee, in re¬ 
gard to the symptoms of Hydrophobia:— 
Hydrophobia is a disease peculiar to animals of the 
canine and feline races, the dog, wolf, fox, cat, &c. Its 
origin, except by actual inoculation, is unknown. It may 
be inoculated by licking a raw surface as well as by a 
wound with the tooth. Its occurrence and prevalence are 
not materially affected by the seasons of the year, nor by 
climate. It is perhaps slightly more frequent in the spring 
months, but it occurs alike in the coldest regions of Canada 
and the hottest districts of the East and West Indies. Of 
those bitten by animals known to be rabid but a small per¬ 
centage are affected, namely, five to twenty per cent. This 
is largely due to the fact that the saliva of the rabid dog is 
so far removed by the hair of the animal or clothes of the 
person bitten that none of it enters in the wound. The 
male dog is far more liable to be affected than the female. 
Pet dogs confined to the house and family are as liable to 
develop hydrophobia as dogs at large The muzzling of 
healthy dogs and those allowed in the street, is at best a 
most imperfect preventive measure. If the animal is rabid 
he can readily inflict a wound with the metallic muzzle, and 
thus inoculate the victim. If he is not rabid the muzzle 
will prove a species of cruelty and annoyance far more 
likely to produce canine madness than, to protect against it. 
It would prove far more effective against the nuisance of 
the roving herds of vagrant curs in our streets if the ordi¬ 
nance forbade any dog in the street which did not wear a* 
collar having the owner’s name and residence engraved 
upon it. It might also prove of much service if the public 
were better informed as to the early symptoms of hydro¬ 
phobia in the dog. These symptoms are thus given by an 
eminent veterinary surgeon : 
“There are premonitory signs of an attack of the disease 
in the dog. When the period of incubation (three to seven 
weeks) is passed, the animal is restless, dull, watchful, and 
snaps at dogs, other animals, or men, which come in its 
way. It shnns the light, but with much slyness seeks an 
opportunity of escape, and roves about town or country, 
manifesting extraordinary powers of exertion and marked 
insensibility to blows and ill-usage. The habits of an animal 
may not change completely at first, and the recognition of 
persons it has been daily in contact with is sometimes very 
remarkable. The dilated pupils, the manner in which the 
eyes follow any object moved before them, and the pecu¬ 
liar modification of the bark, which is more of the nature 
of a howl, are among the characteristic symptoms. The 
appetite is lost, thirst often considerable, and the animals 
usually drink without difficulty. The coat is staring, skin¬ 
tight on the ribs, abdomen tucked up, head depressed, and 
nose protruded, with a dirty mouth and tongue, and some¬ 
times a discharge of mucous and saliva from the sides of 
the mouth. In a certain number of cases the nervous 
symptoms are very prominent at this period, aud the lower 
jaw drops from paralysis of the muscles connected with it. 
The howl is then- lost, hence the name of dumb rabies. 
Emaciation and craving after filth, which, is swallowed 
with some difficulty, are among the noticeable symptoms. 
There is a singular absence of any marked acceleration ot 
the pulse a.nd breathing during the disease ; the animal 
sinks, often paralyzed in the hind quarters, and dies some¬ 
what tranquilly from the fourth to the eighth day.” 
With this excellent explanation of the character of the 
disease, and the perfect worthlessness of muzzling the 
dogs proven, the action of the present law, in the city, as 
