128 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[March 11, 1886. 



MASSACHUSETTS ASSOCIATION, 



THE regular monthly meeting was held at the Parker 

 House, Boston, March 1. Forty- six members present, 

 and as invited guests Mr. "Win. H. Parker, of the Fish and 

 Game Protective Society of Montreal, and Ned Barber, from 

 Rangeleys. Two members were elected and thirteen propo 

 sitions for membership presented. The prosecuting attor- 

 ney of the association, Mr. J. Russell Reid, was elected an 

 honorary member. There was considerable discussion in 

 regard to pushing the work at the State House regarding the 

 game bill prepared by the association, and the following 

 resolution was unanimously adopted : 



PREAMBLE. 



The existing game laws of this Commonwealth are in the 

 opinion of the members of the Massachusetts Fish and Game 

 Protective Association and many others who have given 

 these laws an intelligent, impartial and unselfish study, the 

 weakest and most absurd of any in this country. 



In almost every other State in the Union, the close time for 

 the sale of gamers the same as the close time for the killing, 

 or in other'words the open and close season for field and 

 market are identical. 



In every other State in the Union, except New York and 

 Missouri, it is most stringently forbidden by law to buy, sell 

 or have in possession any Virginia partridge (commonly 

 called quail), or pinnated grouse, commonly called prairie 

 chicken, after the first day of January. 



In New York, dealers are given the month of January to 

 close out all stock of these birds they may have on hand, 

 but after the first day of February they are forbidden under 

 heavy penalties to have these birds in their possession. 



In Massachusetts, game speculators ate by our present law 

 allowed until the 1st of May, or three months longer than in 

 any other State, to buy, sell or have these birds in possession. 



This absured provision of law, this association claims, 

 works greatly and directly to the detriment of the people of 

 this Commonwealth; for it authorizes the game speculators 

 to keep at will from the market, and thus from the people, 

 all the supply of these two kind of game birds which come 

 to this State, and permits them to hold for a rise in price 

 greatly in excess of what is just and fair. 



The supply from outside the State, both legitimate and 

 illegitimate, must stop early in February, and this being the 

 fact the speculators secure the entire stock, and hold it in 

 freezers for a fourth part of the year; thus keeping from 

 consumers an important and wholesome article of food, 

 doling it out in quantities to suit themselves, and at most ex- 

 tortionate prices. Such a thorough monoply of any article 

 of food should not, in the opinion of this association, be 

 countenanced by the laws of this Commonwealth. 



The existing law also encourages and stimulates fraudulent 

 and surreptitious dealings; for a large proportion of the sup- 

 ply of these two kinds of game birds that comes East is sent 

 here illegally. 



The States which furnish about all the quail and grouse 

 brought here are Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, 

 Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri. Kansas and Nebraska, and from 

 a majority of these States all persons, express companies and 

 other transportation companies are forbidden by the law 

 under heavy penalties to transport or carry these birds out- 

 side, the borders of those States. 



All quail and grouse, therefore, that are shipped here from 

 those States are absolutely contraband; they are sent here in 

 defiance and violation of the law. Can Massachuetts longer 

 countenance such a monoply as the game speculators now 

 enjoy? 16 it wise policy to protect and encourage a specula- 

 tive business whose foundations rest upon a questionable 

 basis? 



The association believes it is not, holds that the time 

 should no longer be deferred for the observance of decency 

 and a fair regard also for inter-state comity in our game 

 laws. 



The provision by law for the protection of our native 

 song and insect-eating birds is lamentably and miserably 

 weak, and as a result, hundreds of thousands of them are 

 slaughtered annually for millinery purposes. In conse- 

 quence of this wholesale slaughter, noxious insects, the far- 

 mer's worst enemies, are increasing to a most alarming extent, 

 and crops which were formerly protected by these birds are 

 now almost impossible of cultivation. 



This is not the only evil, for many of our native songsters, 

 particulary those of bright plumage, those beautiful denizens 

 of our woods and fields, are almost entirely exterminated, 

 and unless a quick remedy in law is found we shall lose 

 completely some of our most valuable birds. 



This association has tried, in vain, for several years to 

 secure a better law, and believing that it is its duty to try 

 again, makes still another effort, We again call upon the 

 Legislature for the enactment of a good and strong law which 

 Will serve to stop the merciless destruction that is so con- 

 stantly going on. 



RESOLUTIONS. 



It is therefore by the Massachuetts Fish and Game Pro- 

 tective Association : , 



Resolved, That the Legislature of this Commonwealth be 

 and is earnestly requested to enact a new and more wise and 

 iustcodeof laws providing for the protection and sale of 

 game birds, and for the preservation of our native song and 

 insect-eating birds. 



Resolved, That an appeal be, and is made by this associa- 

 tion to the clergy of this Commonwealth, the various "Bands 

 of Mercy" and other bodies formed as bird protectors, the 

 Dublic press, the farmers and horticulturists and all others 

 who love our native birds and wish to protect them, to, 

 without- delay and in the most earnest manner, urge the 

 Legislature to enact a better law than that now existing, a 

 law that will give protection and which can be enforced. 



CLUB RULES. 



r |"HE following are the by-laws of Delhi Sportsmen's 



Article I. Name. This club shall be called the Delhi 

 Soortsmen's Club. 



"Art. II. Object, The object shall be to promote gun prac- 

 tice, and the protection of fish and game. 



Order of Easiness. Reading minutes of last meeting. Col- 

 lection of fine3. Reports of committees. Balloting for can- 

 didates. New Business. Adjournment. 



Art. III. Officers. The officers shall consist of a president, 

 vice-president, treasurer, secretary and board of three 

 f\j rectors * 



Art. IV. Duties of 'Officers. Section 1. The president 

 shall pr e«de at ail meeting of the club or board of directors. 



£ The sdce-presideat shall perform tfbe duties of the 

 er^ffldeni dw'vBjf At? atosmi. 5ec, ». '.Tfce .treasurer »h$U 



collect and have charge of the funds of the club, and pay 

 such bills as have been approved by the directors, and at the 

 annual meeting shall make a detailed report of all funds col- 

 lected and disbursed by him during the year. Sec. 4. The 

 secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the club and 

 board of directors, and notify each member of all meetings, 

 by mail or otherwise. Sec. 5. The directors, together with 

 the president, vice-president, treasurer and secretary (who 

 shall be directors ex officio), shall have charge of the manage- 

 ment of the club and club property. 



Art. V. Membership. Any person wishing to become a 

 member may do so by notifying the secretary and receiving 

 a majority of the votes cast, at any meeting of the club, and 

 the payment of $1. 



Art. VI. Meetings. Sec. 1. The annual meeting shall fall 

 on the first Wednesday of March in each year. The regular 

 meetings shall be held on the first Wednesday of each month, 

 and special meetings may be called by the president and 

 board of directors, or upon the written request of five mem 

 bers of the club. Sec. 2. The officers shall be elected at the 

 annual meeting, by ballot, for one year, and should any 

 vacancy occur during said term it shall be filled by the board 

 of directors. Sec. 3. No meeting shall be called except on a 

 previous notice of two days to each member. Sec. 4. Five 

 members shall constitute a quorum. 



Art. VII. Fees. Sec. 1. Initiation fee shall be $1. Sec. 

 2. If, at any lime, the funds of the club shall be exhausted, 

 an equal assessment shall be made upon all members of the 

 club, and in no case shall the assessment amount to more 

 than five dollars in one year. 



Art. VIII. Fines. Section 1. If any member refuses to 

 pay an assessment or fine, he shall be suspended or expelled 

 from the club. Sec. 2. Any member pointing his gun at 

 another member, whether gun is loaded or not, shall be fined 

 $1 for each offense. Sec. 8. If any member shall be proven 

 guilty of violating the game laws, he shall be fined by the 

 club $5. Sec. 4. If any member knowing of the violation 

 of the game laws by another member, and fails to report, 

 the same to the club, he shall be fined $2. Sec. 5. It shall 

 be the duty of each and every member to report any viola- 

 tion of the game laws to the club, and the president shall 

 appoint a committee of three to investigate the case, and if 

 they find a just one it shall be the duty of the club to prose- 

 cute said parties. Sec. 6. Any member divulging any of 

 the private business of the club shall be fined 50 cents. 



Art. IX. Liquor. Section 1. No liquor shall be fur- 

 nished by the club or directors. Sec. 2. Any member using 

 intoxicating liquors before or during any match or practice, 

 shall be debarred from shooting on said day. 



Art. X. These by-laws may be amended at any regular 

 meeting, notice of the same being sent to each member of 

 the proposed change. 



AMERICAN RIFLE TRAJECTORIES. 



[From the London Field. Feb. 13.J 



MANY inquiries have been published in The Field from 

 time to time with respect to American rifles, and 

 numerous letters have appeared in reply ; but, although a 

 good deal of information has thus been given, preciseness as 

 to matters of detail has often been deficient, and occasion- 

 ally statements have been made which could only be accep- 

 ted with the proverbial grain of salt. The remarkable flat- 

 ness of trajectory of some American rifles has been among 

 the subjects of eulogium, although the powder charges ordi- 

 nary used seemed quite opposite to the production of any 

 phenomenal results; and it appeared highly probable that 

 the statements made on this point were based merely upon 

 hearsay, or upon the assertions set forth in advertisements; 

 at any rate, it was obvious that the trajectories spoken of 

 could not be considered low when compared with those of 

 rifles using very small charges of powder, and that they 

 were not likely to be low in comparison with the trajec- 

 tories of English sporting rifles. At length, however, au- 

 thorative information has been published on the, subject; 

 and it is satisfactory to be put into possession of particulars 

 that can be accepted without fear of bias. 



The American journal Forest and Stream has for some 

 time past been engaged in carrying out and printing the 

 details of an extensive series of experiments with rifles, con- 

 ducted with the utmost care and precision. They were 

 commenced in September last, and extended over several 

 weeks, and the publication of the results has recently been 

 brought to completion. In some respects the experiments 

 followed on the Jines of The Field trial of rifles carried out 

 at Putney about two years ago; but in other respects they 

 differed. The Putney" trial was competitive— prizes being 

 awarded for the greatest accuracy in the shooting of the re- 

 spective weapons, as fired from a machine-rest; and this com- 

 petitive trial having been decided, a few of the most suc- 

 cessful rifles were afterwards put through tests to ascertain 

 their trajectories. The trials carried out by our American 

 contemporary, on the other hand, were experimental only, 

 and not competitive; there was no test for accuracy of shoot- 

 ing, the main point being to settle conclusively a long-exist- 

 ing cause of disputation— viz , the height of the trajectories of 

 the numerous rifles that are produced for American sports- 

 men. The trials were held on the celebrated rifle ground of 

 Creedmoor, where the weapons were tested at ranges of 100 

 yards and 200 yards. As at Putney, the rifles were fired 

 from a machine rest, the bullets passing through paper 

 screens, on each of which was marked a horizontal line, on 

 a level with the centre of the bore (the height being carefully 

 ascertained by means of a spirit level), so that the position of 

 the bullet marks could afterwards be accurately measured. 

 There were, however, at Creedmoor, only threejscreens for 

 each range, whether 100 or 200 yards, whereas at Putney 

 there were six screens in the 150 yards range, which was the 

 only distance in which the trajectories were taken. 



-Before recording the trajectories themselves, it may be of 

 interest to give a few particulars about the rifles, for com- 

 parison with English weapons. One English rifle there was 

 in the Creedmoor trial, viz , a .450 bore express, which also 

 had taken part in the Putney trial two years since; and this 

 was the only double barrelled rifle used in the Creedmoor 

 experiments, all the rest being single-barrelled rifles of 

 American manufacture. But, as will b» seen by the weights 

 given below/although having but a single barrel, the Amer- 

 ican rifles are usually heavier than English double-barrels of 

 the same bore; and this does not apply merely to those which 

 are magazine rifles, for some that have no repeating appar- 

 atus are the heaviest weapons. Generally speaking, the 

 Americans put a much greater mass of metal into their bar- 

 rels than is done by English makers; and that is especially 

 noticeable in the muzzlcloading rifles included below, for, 

 although only of .420-bore, one of them weighs 131b. 6oz. 

 imd the other 141b. J2o*. In jthe /enner, the barrel alone, 



28in. long, weighs 81b. 6oz., and in the latter the barrel, 

 27in. long, weighs no less than liflb. In several other in- 

 stances the barrel alone weighs from 61b. to 71b., whereas in 

 the English .450 rifle that took part in these experiments the 

 weight of the pair of barrels is only 5^1b., the full weight of 

 the rifle being 81b. 13oz. 



In the Putney trials there were half a dozen expresses of 

 .577-bore; but the largest size used in the American trials was 

 .500-bore and the smallest .220. The particulars of weight 

 and length of barrel are given in the following list, where 

 the rifles are classified according to bore and the names 

 placed in alphabetical order; and there are also added along- 

 side for the purpose of comparison, particulars of English 

 rifles at the Putney trials. The numbers ".50-115-350, of 

 similar figures after the names of the rifles denote the ammu- 

 nition used, according to the American mode of notation, this 

 meaning "50-bore, 115 grains powder, 850 grains bullet." 

 Of course, where the decimal point is visible, it is immaterial 

 whether the diameter of the bore is printed .5, .50 or .500, 

 and I have seen these three ways in different pages of the 

 same book; but in England, where many rifles are" made of 

 .577 or other calibers that cannot be lessened in numbpr, it is 

 found more convenient to name other bores likewise by 

 thousandths of an inch ; and this, at all events, prevents the 

 misunderstanding that may possibly arise between the 4- 

 bore, 40-bore or other number that means so many spherical 

 balls to the pound, and the .4-bore, .40-bore or other caliber 

 that denotes a fractional part of an inch. Hence I have 

 headed the following divisions in the ordinary English way, 

 although the American notation is followed in respect to the 

 particulars of ammunition; 

 [We omit the list of rifles entered. — Ed. F. and S.] 

 The weight of these weapons of diminutive caliber is 

 especially noticeable, seeing that here is a .220-bore, single 

 barrel, having a charge of only 5 grains of powder and 40 

 grains of lead, and yet it weighs more than the English .450 

 double-barreled rifle, used with HOgraius of powder and 310 

 grains of lead. One may readily believe that very steady 

 shooting at short ranges can be obtained from such ponderous 

 toys. 



The English rifle affords a convenient means of comparison 

 between the American rifles shot at Creedmoor and the Eng- 

 lish weapon tried at Putney. At the latter trials Messrs. 

 Bland's rifle made the bestjfarget at 50 yards in the .450 class, 

 but was defeated at 100' yards and 150 yards by Messrs. 

 Holland's rifle, which carried a somewhat heavier projectile, 

 that showed much greater steadiness at the longer distances. 

 The trajectory ranges at Putney and Creedmoor not being 

 the same, an exact comparison cannot be made; but, judging 

 from the 150 yards records, it may be inferred that the rifles 

 of .400, .450 and .500 bores tried at Putney would vary very 

 little from the Bland rifle shot at Creedmoor — some probably 

 having a slight advantage or di>advantage at the longer 

 range, and others at the shorter, according to the weight of 

 the bullets and charge of powder. The proportion of powi to- 

 rn Holland's .400-bore was about 1 to 2 6; in Bland's .450- 

 bore, 1 to 2.7; and in Holland's 450-bore, 1 to 2.9; while in 

 several rifles not tried at the trajectory screens it was 1 to 

 2.3 or 2.4. The fact that the American lilies (with the ex- 

 ception of the two muzzleloaders) showed, in the majority 

 of cases, much higher trajectories than the English Express, 

 is what might be expected from their comparatively small 

 charges of powder. Except in a single iustauce, with a very 

 litrht hollow bullet, not one of the American breechloaders 

 used a larger proportion of powder than 1 to 3; for the most 

 part they varied in the larger bores from about 1 ; to 1 : 5, 

 and in the smaller bores they extended to 1 : 9 and even 1 : 10. 

 In the muzzleloaders, on the contrary, the proportion of 

 powder was greater than in any of the English rifles men- 

 tioned above, being 1 to 2 in Major Merrill's rifle and 1 to 

 2.2 in Mr. Romer's; and the consequent result was that their 

 trajectories were the flattest in the whole series. 



The following are the heights of the trajectories of the re- 

 spective bullets at distances 50 yards apart in the 200 yards 

 range, and 25 yards apart in the 100 yards range. These 

 heights are the average of five shots each, as a rule, although 

 there are occasional exceptions, hereafter mentioned. The 

 weights of powder and lead are the average of three opened 

 cartridges, and differ occasionally from the nominal weight 

 given above. In one instance there was a remarkable differ- 

 ence between the nominal and actual charge— the .cartridges 

 for the Maynard .400-bore being labeled as containing 70 

 grains of powder, whereas those which were opened varied 

 from 56 to 60 grains. In all cases, except the muzzleloaders, 

 the ammunition was that supplied through the trade, and 

 was not specially loaded for this trial. In the original 

 records the measurements are given to thousandths of an 

 inch; but I think comparison is rendered more easily by 

 having only two decima's, so the results are here given to 

 the nearest hundredth of an inch. 



[We omit the tabulated insults copied by The Field.—Ev. ' 

 F. and S.J 



In the numerous trajectories here given, Ihere are, as may 

 readily be imagined, various irregularities, which depart 

 more or less from theoretical accuracy. If bullets would 

 always spin qdte evenly, and the successive cartridges give 

 exactly the same amount of speed, and if the atmospheric 

 conditions were uniform throughout the trials, then one 

 might expect the results to be regular; but, considering the 

 numerous incentives to variation, the wonder is that the 

 records come out so closely as they do for the most part. 

 Instances of irregularity in cases of this kind may often be 

 traced by taking half the height of the trajectory midway in 

 the 200 yards range, and deducting it from the 50 yards 

 height in the same range, when the height at the middle 

 point of 100 yards should be obtained; or, conversely, half 

 the 100 yards height in the long range may be added to the 

 50 yards height in the short range; and similar methods 

 inio-ht be adopted for other distances whenever there is a 

 foundation to work upon. If such a process be applied to 

 the trajectories of the Bullaid rifle that appear at the top of 

 the. list of .500-bores, it will be found that with the solid 

 bullet there is an appreciable difference between the actual 

 and calculated results, but that with the hollow bullet the 

 figures approach very much closer. This may in great meas- 

 ure be explained by the fact that the atmospheric conditions, 

 while the solid projectiles" were being fired in the a00 yards 

 ran«e varied considerably from those which existed, on a 

 subsequent day, during the corresponding dial at 100 yards. 

 In temperature alone there was a difference of 20 degrees, 

 besides changes in wind and humidity, which altered 'the re- , 

 sistance of the atmosphere, and thus tended to increase or 

 diminish the normal retardation of the bullet. Oh the other 

 hand, when the hollow bidlets were tried at the long and the 

 short range, the differences of atmospheric condition were so 

 ^maUas to be immaterial The careful manner Jo which 

 mtm) was carrje^ fsoj ea&bjeg wany apparent &wwm 



