Forest and Stream 



A Weekly Journal of the Rod and Gun. 



Terms, $4 a Year. 10 Cts. a Copy. 1 

 Six Months, $2. j 



NEW YORK, OCTOBER 8, 1886. 



( VOL. XXV.— No. 11. 



( Nos. 39 & 40 Park Eo-w, New York. 



GORRESPOITDENGB. 

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 garded. No name will be published except with writer's consent. 

 The Editors are not responsible for the views of correRpondents. 



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Forest and Stream PnbllahlnK Oo. 

 Nos. 39 AND 40 Park Row. New York Cmr. 



O0NTENT8. 



BnrroRiAL. 



The "Forest and Sti-eam" Tra- 



jeeiory Test. 

 The Limit of Keel for Canoes. 

 A Good Stand. 

 A Good Influence. 

 A Great Mistake. 

 The Sportsman Toijrist. 

 Morning. 



En KlapjagtoverDanske Fjelde 



Hunting in the Himalayas,— vi I. 



Florida Camp Grounds. 



Points Worth Considering. 

 Natural History. 



Notes on the Nighthawk. 



The Crow as a Game Destroyer. 



Tlie Crown of the Kingbird. 

 Game Bag and Gun. 



The Choice of GunH.— vn. 



Wire Cartridges. 



The St. Louis Convention. 



Adirondack Notes. 



Philadelphia Notes. 



Moose in Mu*koka 



Bob White-Quail— Partridge. 



North Carolina Bear Hunting. 



Game in New Bnmswleic. 



KidgeHunting Deer. 



Southei-n California. 

 Camp-Fire Flickerings. 

 Sea and River Fishing. 



The Coming Tournament. 



Sea and River Fishing. 

 Live Eela for Striped Bass Bait. 

 The Rangeley Trout Supply. 

 Androscoggin Waters. 

 Potomac Recreations. 

 The Last Cast. 

 T?ine Tree Creek. 



FlSHC^LTURE. 



Commissioners of Fisheries. 



The American Fisheries Society. 

 The Kennel. 



Fanciers' Fallacies. 



The Kennel Hospital. 



The Philadelphia Dog Show. 



Dayton Show. 

 Rifle and Trap Shooting. 



The Trajectory Test. 



Another Target Suggestion. 



Range and Gallery. 



The Trap. 

 Canoeing. 



Small Cruising Yachts vs.Canoes 



The Record Again. 



The Regatta Committee for 1886. 



Knickerbocker C.C.Fall Regatta 

 Yachting. 



Genesta. 



Sloop vs. Cutter. 



"Small Yachts." 



Hikers on the Delaware. 



The Song of the America. 

 Answers to Correspondents. 



THE FOREST AND STREAM TUAJECTOEY TESTS. 

 A S weather and circumstances permitted, the trajectory 

 tests undertaken by the Forest and Stream have 

 been pushed forward at Creedmoor. To malce careful tests, 

 satisfactory enough in the matter of accuracy to go into our 

 columns with our full sanction, is no light matter, and 

 though all haste has been made, in accordance with this 

 provision, there is still much to be done in the way of calcu- 

 lation and otherwise reducing the results of the tests to 

 a form for publication. Among the rifles in the trial 

 and already put through a portion of it may be named 

 the Winchester .50-95, both express and solid bullet ; Bui- 

 lard .45, Bullard .40, Winchester .45, Remington-Hep- 

 burn .40, Colt .33, Bland English double-barreled, Bul- 

 lard .38, a 15-pound muzzleloader from Major Merrill's 

 Peekskill testing range, Marlin .40-60, Ballard .40 85, Rem- 

 ington .32, Bullard .50, express and solid balls; Wesson .44, 

 Remington .38, Bullard .32, Maynard .44, Winchester 

 .40 60, Marlin .38-55. Marlin .32, Steven .32, Whitney .40, 

 Marlin Government .45, Winchester .32, Remington .23, 

 etc. 



The arms were first put through the 300 yards distances 

 firing from a fixed rest, and each shot on its way through 

 the screens accurately plotted, so that when completed the 

 trials will give each rifle an average founded upon tlie sepa^ 

 rate calculation of five different trajectory curves. Of 

 course there has been the usual chapter of mishaps, for 

 everybody at all posted knows that rifles are very much after 

 the manner of family baby pets; just when they are ex- 

 pected to look their prettiest they take on a contrary turn 

 and kick up all manner of didoes. Carrier blocks would 

 refuse to move and striking pins became unaccountably 

 jammed ; yet on the whole the rifles have behaved very well 

 and put asterisks in the tissue paper screens with great ac- 

 curacy. Full notes have been taken, and as soon as possible 

 after Mi\ Sinclair has made the necessary measurements of 

 the screens and targets all the facts brought out by the trial 

 will lae placed before our readers. 



.4 GREAT MISTAKE. 

 FN his address before the St. Louis convention last week, 

 Gen. Jackson L. Smith expressed his strong disapproval 

 of the laws adopted by some States forbidding the exporta- 

 tion of game. This, he said, was unsportmanlike and a 

 reproach to the State. The meeting by its applause showed 

 its indorsement of this characterization of such legisla 

 tiou. It is a great mistake to condemn non-export laws. 

 They are perfectly proper and just. They are the very best 

 laws to save the game of the West from being shipped to 

 market. Rigid non-export game laws, if stringently en- 

 forced, mean that the occupation of the snarer and the deer 

 butcher will be gone, and until that occupation is done 

 away with, no ouc national association nor ten national asso- 

 ciations can stay the gigantic slaughter of game for market. 



If any demonstration of the capital working of a non- 

 export law be needed, it may be found in Maine. By no 

 other means was it possible to cut ofl[ the butchery of game 

 in Maine woods for the Boston market. The non-export 

 law stopped it. The citizens of Maine recognize the value 

 and utility of the law. Michigan has a similar statute. It 

 is systematically evaded. When the Michigan Legislature 

 possesses sense enough to provide for the law's enforcement, 

 its value will at once be made apparent. 



To secure the enactment of such a regulation in every 

 State in the Union would be the very best possible achieve- 

 ment of the new national association. 



A GOOD STAND. 



FOR many years we have urged the total abolition of 

 spring shooting, and it is encouraging to see that at last 

 tliere are indications that the seed which we liave sown has 

 taken root. The sentiment of the St. Louis convention 

 appears to be in favor of such abolition, and we are sure that 

 all thoughtful men will concur in this. It is unnecessary 

 to rei)€at the reasons already so many times given, why the 

 birds should not be killed on the way to their breeding 

 grounds. We may, however, present a few extracts from 

 editorials which have appeared during the last few years in 

 Forest and Stream, showing clearly what our position has 

 been on this important question, both as to snipe and wild- 

 fowl. 



In April, 1881, we said: 



The practice of shooting the snipe in spring is one which, in our 

 opinion, is unhesitatingly to be condemned. * * * * the bii-ds are 

 killed while on their way to the breeding grounds— nay in some in 

 stances on their very breeding grounds, and often with eggs almost 

 ready for deposition. 

 Again, in May, 1883, we said : 



The shooting of English snipe containing eggs in an advanced state 

 of development and of ducks already paired and on their way to the 

 breeding grounds is over for this season. The slaughter of beach birds 

 will go on, however, for a week or two longer. For every female shot 

 this spring, the stock of birds to return to us in the autumn is re- 

 duced by half a dozen. The short-sighted palicy of keeping up the 

 killing as long as the birds remain with us is bringing about the 

 result which was to be expected, and the day is not very distant 

 when the shooting for fowl and Wilson's snipe will be practically 

 confined to preserved land. The selfish practices of the sportsman of 

 to-day will meet with legitimate punishment, and those not interested 

 in shooting clubs will put away their guns for a long rest. In the 

 mean time the best shooting grounds are being taken up and the 

 value of membership in regular clubs is increasing. Hotel keepers 

 advocate the continuance of spring shooting as they do the killing of 

 ruffed grouse in August, and sportsmen's conventions and legisla- 

 tures meekly accept the dictum of the Bonifaces without a word 

 of demur. And so it will go on until our people take hold of the 

 matter in earnest and show by their votes how they feel on this 

 subject. 



And again : 



The wildfowl should be protected just as other birds are; the same 

 common sense principles applying to other game apply with equal 

 force to ducks and geese. No game should bo killed in its breeding 

 season, nor just as it is repairing to its nesting grounds. To shoot 

 ducks which have mated is simple folly, pure and unmitigated. 

 Spring shooting is inconsiderate and improvident. It is gratifying to 

 know that there has been a gi eat change of sentiment on this sub- 

 ject, that men are coming to see the imwisdoni of spring shooting, 

 and that the change in public sentiment is likely to be followed by a 

 change in practice also. The good result s which would be sure to 

 follow a general cessation of spring wildfowl shooting are admitted 

 by almost all men who are familiar with the habits of the 

 birds, and who have had any extended experience on the various 

 shooting grounds of the country. Nine of every ten of the older 

 sportsmen are agreed that spring shooting is wrong; indeed, we have 

 yet to find one who will contend to the contrary. Nevertheless the 

 same men, or a majority of them at least, go out every spi-ing and 

 kill all the bii'ds they can. Their practice belies their principles; but 

 this is only another of the multitudinous exhibitions of that trait of 

 htunan nature which prompts a man to "go in" for what he can get 

 now, regardless of the rights of others who are to come after him, 

 and indeed of his own future advantage, This question of spring 

 shooting or no spring shooting is one which should receive careful 



and honest consideration by individuals, game clubs and State 

 associations. 

 On June It, 1885, we wrote as follows: 



There is no good reason why any birds, except the few that are con 

 sidered really in jurious, should be killed after the first of February. 

 There should be in the mind of every one who use's the gun a dozen 

 good rea.sous why ihey should be jealously preserved. We have not 

 been weary m urging upon the public the necessity of the absolute 

 prohibition of spring shooting. The subject is one which becomes 

 annually more and more important in view of the rapid diminution 

 of all our birds. To continue our present reckless course of slaying 

 many species of birds whenever and wherever they can be found, can 

 have but one result— that of practically extei-minating them. It 

 should be the efCort of each one who shoots to do what he can to pre- 

 serve the supply of breeding birds. They miy be called the capital 

 on which the sportsman must depend. The increase is the income of 

 tliis capital, and we ought to limit oui-selves to this, and not by short- 

 sighted gree;liness make away with principal and interest. 



It is pleasant to see that the members of the committee 

 took the date which we named, and wisely deter- 

 mined that the close season should begin Feb. 1. This for 

 most of the territory in question is practically Dec. 15, or 

 earlier. 



THE LIMIT OF KEEL FOR GANGES 

 r?VER since the Association rules were adopted in 1883 a 

 limit has been, for obvious reasons, imposed on the 

 depth of the keel outside of garboards, the width allowed 

 now being three inches. This width, it is found, is not 

 enough to allow a keel canoe to compete with a centerboard 

 boat, and the suggestion has been made that the rule be 

 changed, so as to allow more keel. In 1880 there were, we 

 believe, but three centerboard canoes in America, the Wraith, 

 the Queen Mab and tlie Whimbrel, and in 1881 this number 

 was increased by a few canoes with iron "dagger boards." 

 It had then been decided that a canoe could not work to 

 windward with only one or two inches of keel, and as sail- 

 ing became more popular many attempts were made to in- 

 crease the weatherly powers of canoes, all in the direction of 

 big keels. Two of the many keel canoes in the New York 

 Canoe Club had keels 7 inches deep, one with a heavy lead 

 shoe underneath, and a number of the canoes at Lake George 

 in 1880 and '81 had great slabs of rough plate iron some 

 3 feet long and over 8 inches deep, bolted on to the wooden 

 keel. All the efforts to improve the sailing powers were in 

 the direction of a large keel, and all of them practically 

 made the canoe worthless for sleeping ashore or for trans- 

 port. One ardent sailor went so far as to propose and start 

 to make a metal casting of great weight in the shape of a 

 half circle 18 inches deep, to be permanently fixed to the 

 bottom of his canoe. The centerboard was hardly known 

 and in little favor, and no attention was paid to its improve- 

 ment. 



Under these circumstances the rule limiting keels was 

 passed, and with good results. The plates of iron and the 

 7-inch keels at once disappeared, and the capabilities of the 

 centerboard were soon fully developed. One canoe, the Dot, 

 continued to be victorious, though with but 3 inches of keel, 

 but most of the boats were fitted with ccnterboards. The 

 small limit of 3 inches was decided on because any more is a 

 positive disadvantage in an all-around canoe, adding to the 

 difficulty of paddling, increasing the draft to a gi-eater extent 

 and making it difficult either to land, to transport the canoe, 

 or to keep it upright for sleeping and packing on shore. It 

 was considered that if more were allowed the cruisers would 

 be compelled to use all, to their detriment for all purposes 

 but racing, or they would be beaten in the races by the few 

 who cared nothing for all-around work, or who were so 

 situated that the keel was less objectionable. For the cruiser 

 on salt water with sandy beaches the keel answers very well, 

 as he can beach his craft and always make a good berth for 

 her in the sand, while the keel aids his boat greatly in rough 

 water, but for those differently situated the deep keel will 

 not answer for general work. Thus far the rule has worked 

 well and given general satisfaction, while it has created a 

 fine fleet of centerboard canoes, fast as racers and yet all 

 good cruisers, and there seems little cause to change it. 

 There are few, if any, racing men who would prefer keel to 

 board, and the cruisers are independent of the rule in any 

 case. If the advocates of the keel care to present their case 

 to the Regatta Committee in November they will be accorded 

 a fair hearing, or in the meantime, if-either side has anything 

 to say, our columns are open to them for a discussion. 



Poison Ivy. — It is curious that church festival commit- 

 tees often do not possess enough information about the com- 

 mon vines and plants of the fields to save themselves from 

 wholesale poisoning by the poison ivy. Every autumn the 

 newspapers report a new case of the stupid work. The latest 

 instance occurred at Roselle, N. J., last week. 



