ao6 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[3m. SI, 1886. 



TOot stock, sliealhed by tJie bases of the very long and linear, 

 obtuse, entire grass-like, ribbon-shaped leaves. Common in 

 bays along the coast in water of five to fifteen feet deep 

 (Grav). 



The Zosiera marina and the Biipia maniima are the only 

 two herbs that inhabit the salt waters of our bays and rivers 

 and that bear perfect flowers and seeds. All other vegetable 

 forms belong to the grand division of cryptogamic plants 

 known as alga or sea weeds. 



The farmer fishermetf of our coast use the Zosiera for 

 composting and bedding down cattle. Several attempts 

 have been made to use it for paper stock, but without suc- 

 cess. Previous to the introduction of the Spanish moss 

 hair and excelsior, it was very extensively used by uphol- 

 sterers, but at the present time has nearly passed out of use. 

 Its grandest use of all is to afford shelter and protection to 

 myriads of the fry of the blackfish, kingfish, weakflsh, sea 

 bass, etc., etc. In its beautiful emerald green labyrinths 

 constantly lurks the voracious eel, seeking the helpless fry 

 wliom he may destroy — hence the common name of Zostera 

 marina, eel-grass. A. W. Egberts. 



Cats as Bird DestrotejRs.— We are friends to the birds. 

 Before the snow has disappeared from the pastures our hearts 

 are cheered by the unseen musicians. Soon we hear them 

 in every lane and valley, and their twittering and warblings 

 seem to hasten the departure of winter. Still later the robin 

 appears in his former haunts, then the swallow and the 

 phffibe birds, and lastly the oriole. The bluebird that in 

 old times was first to arrive, is scarcely ever seen now. Pos- 

 sibly the cat can explain the cause of his absence. Certainly 

 the birds have no worse enemy. Ashe folds his wings in 

 peaceful slumber at night, the cat prowls about with fiendish 

 intentions. The birds build their nests in the arbors, the 

 tree tops, in the swaying boughs that bend with every breeze, 

 In the vines, and turfs of grass, in the twigs of tlie berry 

 bushes and among the thorns and briers of hedge row, but 

 nowhere can they escape the sharp claws of the cat, which 

 tears the little fledglings ruthlessly from the nest, and dis- 

 appointment and sorrow reigns among the songsters of the 

 spring-tide. There are people who glory in destroying birds. 

 They complain that they prey upon cherries, strawberries 

 and grapes. If tbeir ripe peaches are punctured, or the blos- 

 soms blighted on their fruit trees, they charge it on the birds. 

 Hence with revengeful spirit they shed the blood of the in- 

 nocent songsters, little dreaming that the good the birds 

 do in destroying myriads of destructive insects overbalances 

 far their desti-uctiveness. If the reader is an enemy of 

 birds let him keep cats by the dozen. Every step you take 

 you should tread upon the tail of a cat, or disturb him in his 

 stealthy search for a victim. I do not doubt that one able- 

 bodied cat will destroy 500 birds in one season, if at all in- 

 clined that way, as most cats are. When we consider that 

 one bird will destroy 10,000 insects in one day, which is pro- 

 bably more good than a cat can accomplish in its "nine 

 lives," I cannot be enthusiastic on the cat question. — Greoi's 

 Pruit Orower. 



Heronry Near Philadelphia. — Bethlehem, .Jan. 14. — 

 A Philadelphia correspondent would like to know of a 

 heronry within 150 miles of that city. I know of a heronry 

 within six miles of this place; 50 to 100 birds nest there 

 regularly every year, but the proprietor will allow no tres- 

 passing. — .John F. Rauch. Wilmington, Del. — There is a 

 heronry of quite large proportion within an air line of less 

 than fifty miles of Philadelphia. The birds have frequented 

 the same place for a number of years, and I have taken 

 quite a number of birds and eggs for different local natm-al- 

 ists. I propose visiting the place the coming spring, and 

 would be pleased to take any one there — that is for a good 

 purpose— but positively refuse to take any one but a person 

 interested in natural history. I scorn the idea of having it 

 distm-bed by bird fanciers or pot-hunters. —R. B. Gilmer 

 (100 Maryland avenue, Wilmington, Del.). 



Meadow Lark.— Syracuse, N. Y., Jan. 10 —While J. F. 

 Wallace, of No. 206 Alvord street, was gunning Jan. 6 (last 

 Wednesday) at East Syracuse, a distance of some four or 

 five miles east of here, he shot a meadow lark in beautiful 

 plumage, and the same is in the hands of T. H. Bex, taxider- 

 mist. It is a rare occumnce to find them here this time of 

 the year. — Ed. Collins. 



"That reminds me." 

 179. 



t4 O OME of the biggest lies told about hunting and fishing 

 ^ are true," said Mr. Less, who in his younger days 

 had been a persistent "proguer," to the company lounging in 

 the store. "For instance, 1 once had a catfish go into a box 

 trap, take the bait and spring the trap, and I caught him, 

 and the trap was on the upland, too." It was intimated by 

 the party that their credulity was sulficiently strained, and 

 that an explanation was in order. "Well, the facts were 

 these. One afternoon I set a box trap for mink near the 

 edge of the Cohansey, baited with a piece of muskrat. 

 During the night there was a very high tide which flooded 

 the trap, and when I visited my traps the next morning I 

 found the trap sprung, with the catfish inside of it, and the 

 bait inside the catfish." F. S. J. C. 



POINTS WORTH CONSIDERING. 



1. Because of the compact style of its typography the Forest and 

 Stream actually contains, weekly, more reading matter pertaining to 

 its chosen field than is foimd in any similar publication in the world. 



3. In general excellence the reading columns of the Pore,3T ajjd 

 Stream are of a higher grade than those of any similar publication 

 the world. 



3. Taking into account the amount and the character of weeUy 

 reading given, the Forest and Stream is away ahead of any sirailai' 

 publication in the world. 



4. If a sportsman wishes a sportsman's paper, he will be better 

 suited by the Forest and Sopream than by any similar publication in 



he world. 



The TranscHpt speaks of the Russian knout when applied to 

 the Pole as a Pole cat. 't his is an knoutnige on common 

 scents. — Boston Commercial BuUleUn. 



§^n(^ ^tfd §nti. 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream Publish- 

 ing Co. 



ADIRONDACK DEER. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I am pleased to note in your issue of the Slst iilt._ the 

 general good feeling from dift'erent'sections of the Adiron- 

 dack woods in regard to the working of the non-hounding 

 law for the past year. The report so far is fully up to my 

 expectations. Of course it was vain to expect the hounding 

 community to relinquish their pet mode of hunting without 

 a struggle. But the idea of trying to bolster it up by un- 

 truthful talcs spread broadcast, and that would be of no 

 value to their cause if true, shows bad taste if not weakness 

 in their cause. Your Booneville correspondent "D. C." 

 thinks "to save the deer, we ought to have open season from 

 Aug. 1 to Oct. 15, with the privilege of hunting with 

 dogs." He does not give his reasons. If he should one 

 might judge of their soundness or reasonableness. I am at a 

 loss to understand how his plan would help preserve the 

 deer. Of course it would shut out nine-tenths of the still- 

 htmting. as no still-hunter would try to kill before the leaves 

 fell, for he would stand no show whatever. Neither would 

 he kill at that season of the year if he could, as he could not 

 keep it, nor ship it to market. That would give the bound- 

 ers and jack-shooters living in that section fuU sway, in 

 fact, monopoly of the whole business, while .the sportsmen of 

 the balance of the State could sit and look on. All we still- 

 hunters ask is a fair and equal show. They claim that we 

 could hunt during the open season as weU. as they. But 

 such is not the fact. 



Furthermore, if the open season is to be shortened, it 

 should be cut off from the fii'st end instead of the last end of 

 time. The month of November is all the time that shoidd 

 be allowed to hunt deer, as at this season the fawns are all 

 weaned and able to care for themselves. The season is 

 usually such that venison can be kept or shipped without 

 spoiling. Furthermore, the hunter on snow can follow up a 

 wounded deer and secure it, where he would lose it on the 

 leaves. But if the open season is to be cut off from Oct. 15 

 to Dec. 1 and the dogs let loose again, then I can see no 

 reason for passing game laws , or for game constables to 

 bother themselves in trying to preserve the game left in the 

 Adirondack woods, as a few seasons' hunting with dogs 

 like that of 1883 and 1884, would reduce the stock so that 

 the dog would be the only resort left to chase down the few 

 that remained. In fact the Beaver River country in the fall 

 of 1884 had been nearly .stripped of its game by driving, so 

 much so that it was hard to start a track on the north side 

 of the river in November, by a still-hunter. Hounding 

 parties had camped on the north side of Beaver Lake and 

 run in deer all through September and October, kilhng as 

 high as six or eight in a single day, until a deer could not be 

 started within three or four miles of the lake. The Fen- 

 tons had two camps on the north side of the lake that they 

 occupied in November still-hunting. But that fall finished 

 their hunting in that locality as they could do nothing and 

 had to move camp to other more remote sections where there 

 were no lakes within reach or waters that a deer would run 

 into when pressed by the hounds. 



Last spring and the early part of summer it was found out 

 that unless something was done more than could be expec- 

 ted from the game constable of that section (Mr. Brinkerhoff), 

 he being in sympathy with the bounders, the latter were 

 going to run deer regardless of the law. So the residents 

 chipped in around and hired a man. whom they could trust, 

 to watch the whole upper Beaver River country. He proved 

 to be the right man in the right place and completely shut 

 off all dogging. Its effects could be plainly seen, as the deer 

 came back around the lake and became so plenty that it was 

 no uncommon sight to see two or three most any evening 

 last fall out in the edge of the lake fighting flies and picking 

 lily pads. Many of the guests at the Fen ton House, espe- 

 cially the ladies, became much interested and used to go out 

 riding toward evening on purpose to take a look at the deer. 

 Mr. C. Fenton and also Mr. Dunbar, who keeps a hotel 

 eleven miles above, are both trying by every means possible 

 to save this slaughter of deer by jack-hunting and driving 

 with dogs. They saw that it was a question of only a few 

 vears more, at the rate the slaughter was going on, when 

 there would not have been a deer left in their section. The 

 residents of that section pretty much to a man seem to fall 

 in with the new order of things and consider it as a good 

 law. 1 can but think that the same would have been the 

 case (had some good and active non-hounder been chosen in 

 the place of Mr. Brinkerhoff) all through the Moose River 

 country. It seems to me very essential that our game keep- 

 ers be chosen from men that are in sympathy with the law. 

 A man acting against his will is quite liable to cast a wrong 

 influence. When any one states that more deer have been 

 killed by still-hunters the past fall than by all other methods 

 any season heretofore, I for one do not believe it. Nor do 

 I believe that the still-hunters are going to annihilate the 

 game, or that the dogs must be let loose again to preserve it. 

 If the law can only be left to stand as it is, a few years will 

 suflice to convince all that our Legislature did a good thing 

 in passing it when they did. Adirondack. 



MUior Forest and. Stream: 



The majority of the people living in this section of the 

 country are satisfied with the non-hounding law. The hotel 

 owners, club house owners and guides are pleased with the 

 law. , , 



The men who are not pleased are the ones who hava rented 

 a hotel for a year and want to kill the last deer before the 

 year is up; also the outsiders who want to go into the woods 

 in the fall and camp out for a couple of weeks, and with 

 the aid of a dozen hounds kill or drive every deer off the 



None of the old-time bounders have indulged in the pas- 

 time here this season. I don't think a dozen races were made 

 at this lake the past fall, and we have seen the good effect of 

 it. The deer come to the water late as weU as early, and are 

 now yarding within a mile of where I write this at my office 

 desk. Bears also were very plenty around the lake all the 

 fall, owing— without any doubt in my mind— to the fact 

 that no dogs were run, as bears do not like the barkin g of 

 dogs. A little hounding was done ten miles southwest of 

 here by parties who went fi'om Malone and Loon Lake: but, 

 judging from the inquiries made of the writer and letters re- 

 ceived," they lost more dogs than they got deer. 



This sea.son has been the best one for still-hunting we have 

 known for a score of years, and yet very few deer were 



killed— only twenty at Ohateaugay Lake, and these by five 

 different hunters; Ihree were killed from this house, two 

 from the Merrill House and fifteen from a hunting camp four 

 miles south of here. 



If there is any legislation this winter in regard to the 

 game of our State, let them provide a game protector for each 

 town where needed, appoint good men and true and pay 

 them for their services. If they serve the State, keep them; 

 if not, discharge them and appoint others. Keep a good 

 man at each game center and game will increase. 



R. M. Shxttts. 



Indian Point, Uhateaugay Lake, N. Y. 



Editor Fm'est and Stream: 



I have no doubt that every reader of the Forest and 

 Stream will be greatly interested in its late acquisition of a 

 pair of pet bears, and grizzlies at that. Still, notwithstand- 

 ing the fact that all are aware how deeply you are interested 

 in the study of wild animal life, it is not quite clear whether 

 you have lost any grizzlies or not. It seems to me that a pet 

 of this kind, under certain judicious retrictions, might be a 

 valuable adjunct to the office in case any of the pot-hunters, 

 c^ose-season butchers and trout hogs, who from time to time 

 have been so scathingly rebuked in its columns, should make 

 a descent upon it with hostile intentions. The presence of 

 a full-grown grizzly, as an auxihary persuader on the side of 

 the defense, would have a wonderfully soothing effect upon 

 any irate individual of this class entering the sanctum with 

 belligerent intentions, and enable him to argue the matter 

 with a decidedly more delicate appreciation of the feelings 

 of the party he was interviewing than would be possible 

 under less mollifying circumstances. I suggest that at least 

 one of the little jokers be assigned a place upon the editorial 

 staff to preserve the balance of power and give tone to the 

 establishment. Forked Deer. 



San Francisco, Jan, 6. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In reply to a pernicious attack made on the Pennsylvania 

 hunters by some narrow-minded correspondent of the Boon- 

 viUe Herald, I beg to submit that, take them as a class, the hun- 

 ters from our State will compare very favorably for morality 

 and honor with those of New York or any other State in the 

 Union, and may possibly eclipse some of them in the hunt. 

 But this probably is where the shoe pinches. Wm. Williams' 

 party, while hunting in the mountains last season, killed 

 thirty -seven deer and one bear, while several other parties, 

 mostly residents of Herkimer and adjoining counties, located 

 in the same vicinity, hardly succeeded in bagging a single 

 deer. This is what caused green-eyed envy to creep into the 

 bosom of the sylvan scribe, and in order to get even, he 

 sought to vilify them by calling hard names such as ' 'vaga- 

 bonds" and "pot-hunters." But there may be other grievances 

 gnawing at the heart of the author of the HeraM's impertinent 

 attack.' Wealthy sportsmen going into the woods for a hunt 

 usually hire guides to pilot them in pursuit of the ' 'little cervine 

 creatures,'' as the Herald correspondent tenderly puts it; and 

 as the "law-breakers" feel capable of taking care of them- 

 selves, the scribe howled that our boys lived very "scantily" 

 and spent but a "pittance." G. W. Casper. 



NOTES FROM A WINTER CAMP. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



As long ago as .July when we pitched our tent on the shores 

 of Brassua, we promised you as well as ourselves to write a 

 series of letters for your excellent journal; but it is no easy 

 task for a man of the woods to take his pencil and ponder 

 over the phrasing of sentences for critical eyes to read. He 

 may not hesitate, nay, he enjoys to take his corn cob pipe 

 between his teeth, and after locating himself in good range 

 of the hindmost log of the fire-place, a half dozen old 

 mountain salts as his companions, and spin out lies about 

 the size of the trout he caught the day before, or the height 

 of a windfall that a buck deer that he was chasing last 

 winter jumped over. Should he now and then in his narra- 

 tive stray away from his old-time teachings of Lindley 

 Murray, there is no unkind comment, nothing confronts him 

 at the finish but gaping mouths and dilated eyes, for it is 

 almost a religious dictum among these big-hearted men of 

 the forest to believe, or pretend to beli eve, every lie that's 

 told them; and the bigger the lie the more unbounded this 

 seeming credulity, But when one puts himself in print he 

 calls forth, not alone criticism on his literary effort, but the 

 wrath of the conflicting witness. With this fear before our 

 eyes we have postponed our advent into your columns until 

 a sufficient number of incidents should really occur to build 

 up a letter that should at least be free from parry and thrust 

 from the latter. 



Our cabin is on the south shore of the lake, Norway Point, 

 with its rugged pines, affording excellent shelter from the 

 north winds. The famous deer park, extending from Lower 

 Moose River to Brassua Stream, Is within five minutes' walk 

 of camp. This territory, six miles square, presents a sight 

 at present that could not fail to enrapture the eye of any 

 lover of a deer chase. The fall of snow is not yet sufficient 

 to drive the deer to yarding, and their roamings have liter- 

 ally beaten down the snow covering nearly the entire park. 

 The tracks are so numerous that it is impossible to select any 

 particular one and follow it. Reports from all parts of the 

 Jake region, however, proclaim deer to be more numerous 

 this season than ever known before. 



The fact that deer are plentiful and trout scarce in this 

 section is not a hard one to understand to any one spending 

 a year here in camp. Just as soon as the spring season opens 

 for trout the boats plying the lake are crowded with sports- 

 men, and the Mount Kineo Hotel, which affords accommo- 

 dations for five hundred persons, is soon crowded to over- 

 flowing. Not a day is to be wasted. On the evening oC 

 their arrival they arrange their rods and tackle, and, although 

 many of them make' a three-months' stay of it, the next 

 morning bright and early finds them en route to the alleged 

 best fishing grounds. The waters of the different streams 

 are kept in a foam by constant fly-whipping until the law 

 kindly interferes and leaves barely enough grown trout to 

 carry on preparations for the next season's sport. And even 

 the law has no terrors for some of these men, as a neighbor- 

 ing magistrate's docket will bear witness. Many of these 

 self-styled sportsmen catch as many as one thousand trout 

 in a season, and they are proud of it, too: but it costs them 

 persistent hard work eveiy day. 



Mount Kineo is the beast center for nearly all sportsmen in- 

 tent upon the streams and forests of Northern Maine, afford- 

 ing as it does, large facilities by steamer and canoe for fifty 

 miles in any direction. It is ciuious to note how the prefer- 

 ence runs toward summer, rather than winter sports. Dur- 

 ing the summer Mr. Dennen, of the Kineo House, is con- 



