Aug. 86, 1886.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



In addition to this vegetable diet, insects in their multi- 

 farious natiu-e provide it witli a large proportion of its 

 food, notable in this category being ants, spiders, aphides 

 of many kinds, that destructive little pest the cuckoo-spit 

 in paxlicular, wu-eworms and slugs. The young par- 

 tridges, in fact, until txdij matured, "consume nothing but 

 insect food. I 



It is not until late in the summer and during the 

 autumn months that partridges draw a share of their 

 supplies from the cornfield, and I am right, I think, in 

 maintaining that it is onlj- the few cars of corn witliin its 

 reach that are emptied of their grain. The bu'd does not 

 pull down the corn and feed on it as do such buds as the 

 wood-pigeon. I doubt, too, moreover, if it be the grain 

 which is tlie primary end in view; may it not bo, 

 is it not, in fact, the countless swarm of insects in the 

 fields, and the almost as numerous seeds of cornfiekl 

 weeds? After the corn is cut, liowever, the parlTiidge eats 

 grain fi'eely, for it is well witliin reach, and the cornfield 

 is no longer tlie seething mass of insect life it was before 

 the reaping machine \\ as put to it. 



Directly pai'tridges have fed; they adjourn to some j)ar- 

 ticular spot, tlicrc to pass the day. This may be a root, 

 clover or even ciwnfield, some low brake or covert, per- 

 haps a moor-edge, and in the reajjing season, last, but not 

 least, the stubbles. In winter time scarcity of provender 

 will modify tliis rontuie considerably. As evening ap- 

 proaches, or to speak more correctly, toward sundown 

 the broods "squat" for the night, when tliey "juck," 

 jucking being their evening calling to one another. The 

 covey is inseparable until next mating time, but some- 

 times several broods will pack or occasionally one or two 

 coveys only will unite their forces. 



Sometimes, in fact frequently, lien partridges will use 

 the same nest and hatch conjointly, but when the young- 

 sters tumble into tlie w-orkl a division of the progeny is 

 made and two broods formed. No buxls are neater or 

 more careful of themselves than partridges; they piusue 

 their toilet daily ^vith. almost rehgious regularity. They 

 are in many ways gi'and game birds, and the common 

 variety provides us in Britain with sport of unsui-passed 

 excellence. 



THE FRENCH PARTRIDGE. 



Red-legs — the French iiartridge — owes its introduction 

 into the British Isles it is said,"to our erstwhile merry 

 monarch Charles 11. Be this so or not he gets the credit 

 of it, but his endeavors to establisli red-legs in Britain was 

 an ultimate faihu-e and their successful installation is due 

 to the action of some "noble lords" who some seventy 

 years ago managed to establish a head of tliis game bird 

 in Suffolk, from wliich comity they have spread through- 

 out Britain and become thoroughly a denizen of our pre- 

 serves. 



The Guernsey partridge offers so little divergence in 

 habits, though of decidedly different coloring from the 

 ordinary 0}ic, that no useful ends would be gained were 

 I to detail all its various idiosyncracies of habit and char- 

 acter. As far as tlie choice of locality goes, it prefers 

 rouglier, more hilly parts than the common partridge, 

 landscape of semi-cultivated nature, interspersed with low 

 uneven copse appearing to find most favor. Unlike the 

 Perdix cmerea it perches on trees, gates and hedgerows, 

 and aff ects rather the habits of the pheasant in this respect 

 than those of the partridge kind in general. They do not 

 suffer domestication, and j^ou cannot hand rear "them as 

 you can the common parlTidge, As a bird of sport I hold 

 them inferior; they are decided rumiers and diflicult to get 

 up. To move them well a quick, bustling spaniel or driving- 

 is necessary; when frequent among their more favored 

 congeners they are decided spoil-sports. They are obtru- 

 8ive,domineering birds, always seeking to "lord if over the 

 others, and if they reacli any numerical importance upon 

 a partridge preserve will contribute largely to a decrease 

 in the stock of common partridges. As a Perdix I dislike 

 the Guernsey partridge; per se it is a fair game bird and 

 not to be desjiised by any means. 



QUAILS. 



We have but one British quail— strictly speaking— and 

 that is Coturnix vulgaris. Taken altogether the bird is 

 not a permanent resident here, as the large majority of 

 them pursue an annual migration to and from more 

 southern climes. A small percentage of them, however, 

 remain here, permanently nesting and breeding. Our 

 stock of quail is on the increase and with increased assist- 

 ance from preservers would soon be important as it is at 

 present scattered. It is dming the months between 

 May and October that we get om- chief supply of quails 

 in several parts of the country, the bh-ds in others being 

 practically absent. 



In habits the bird as we have it much resembles the par- 

 tridge, choosing as its favorite localities what we woidd call 

 typical partridge land. Unless flushed by dog or man it 

 rarely rises to wing and spends practically the whole of 

 its life upon the ground finding its food and nesting in 

 the same way. G-enerally dubbed polygamous. I am of 

 opinion that as a very general rule it is monagamous, 

 besides being unsociable and pugnacious. According to 

 whether the birds have wintered here or not, so the time 

 of nesting, three or four weeks difference in period serv- 

 ing to denote this fact. _ The eggs vary from eight to 

 tAventy, the female alone incubating, the male remaining 

 irregularly in attendance. The period of incubation ex- 

 tends over twenty days; a poor jiercentage of the young 

 reach maturity, the latter running and feeding within an 

 hour or two of birth which, with unmigrated birds -will 

 be toward the middle of July. 



The quail has a varied diet, finding its chief sustenance 

 iU the seeds of the chickweed, plantain, orache, persi- 

 caria, dock, wild vetches, iiishes and spret; besides the 

 tender shoots of all these, small quantities of grain slugs 

 and many kinds of ground insects. 



In constitution it is a decidedly hardy bird and fairly 

 free from diseases. Tlie winter time, however, causes it 

 to lose condition, particularly is this the case when we 

 have much snow. 



As birds of sport they are held in least estimation by 

 those who know them least; they certainly have a ten- 

 dency toward creeping, but that is a difficulty easily 

 remedied, and i think we should preserve and foster the 

 quail much more than we do. 



LANDRAILS — {Crex pratensis). 



The landrail, corncrake, daker hen or what not else is 

 also tndh-ectly to be incduded among the game birds of 

 the fields, although really not such, speakmg strictly. A 

 piigratory bkd with an occasional disposition to winter 



and nest here; it arrives early in May, sometimes before 

 then, the northern parts of our island usually witnessing 

 the first arrivals. As a bird of sport its qualities are poor; 

 a confii-med runner and one of the worst description, it is 

 a spoil-sport, and unless on preserves where rough shoot- 

 ing is pi-acticed, I do not recommend its encouragement 

 for reason of the bad influence its exei-cises upon the 

 woi-king of setters and jiointers. Being of but little in- 

 terest, I need not enlarge upon its habits and the like, but 

 merely mention it as Ukely to get up when you are brush- 

 ing for partridges or rabbits. Moorman. 

 Devon, England. 



[to be continued in ISSUE of sept. 9.] 



Hints on Camping.- MechanicsviUe, N. Y., Aug. 6.— 



Editor Forest and Sti'emn: For twelve years I have been 

 a reader of the Forest and Stream. First it was bor- 

 rowed from a friend, then bought at a news stand, and 

 lastly subscribed for. Many are the useful hints obtained 

 and interesting stories read of the events of others. 

 "Nessmuk'' says "hunters arc born and not made." I 

 was born a hunter. Contrary to the warnings of parents 

 who pointed to certain shiftless fellows as patterns of 

 hunters, I would go hunting imtU my father took the 

 hammers off my gun (or his gun). " I then traded my 

 watch for a gun of my own, and until this day have never 

 been without one. Many are the hoiu-s I have spent in 

 the woods with no other companion than my dog and 

 nature, and I shall never consider it time lost. ' Such time 

 is never lost to the true sportismau, Imt win bring to liis 

 memory in old age such pleasant thoughts that he will 

 bless his Creator for the gifts of the woods and streams. 

 My first setter was trained according to the suggestion of 

 an old Avoodsman, and the system was very similar to that 

 laid down in "Training vs.' Breaking." Ike Clark was 

 noted in our town as a first-class shot and trainer. Not 

 long ago I brought "Woodcraft" and I never got so much 

 usefulness for a dollar. It should be read by every one 

 who camps out. I think "Nessmuk" coiffd add one more 

 piece of camp furniture to his list, and I send you a cir- 

 cidar of a covered roaster. The top can be nested in the 

 bottom or the roaster can be packed with the coffee, 

 sugar and other small packages, which are forever break- 

 ing in the pack and mixing with everything else. For 

 roasting everything, from potatoes to bread, it is just the 

 thing. Wlien you put your potatoes in it and place them 

 under the ashes you are sure to find them a,gain and clean. 

 I send this in return for many hints of like natm'e I have 

 received, and hope some canaiper who has been bothered 

 like myself by du-t and dust may be benefited thereby. — 

 Sportsman. [The circular is of "Daggett's patent roaster 

 and baker," wliich is a deep baking pan with a cover of 

 equal depth fitting tightly over it, resembling two pans 

 shut together edges to.] 



Club Constitution.— The Waterbury, Conn., Game 

 and Fishing Club's constitution is ' short and yet 

 comprehensive, as foUows: Art. 1. We the undersigned 

 hereby associate oiuselves under the name of the Water- 

 bury Ga,me and Fishing Club. Art. 2, The object of this 

 association is to protect, preserve and replenish the game 

 and fish of this locality. Art. 3. The officers shall con- 

 sist of a president, a secretary and a treasm-er, and such 

 other officers and conunittees as the association may deem 

 necessary from time to time. Art. 4. The president, 

 secretary and treasurer shall perform the duties usually 

 assigned to such officers; and shall be elected annually by 

 ballot, or by vote of the majority of the members present, 

 voting "viva voce." Art. 5. The annual meeting for the 

 election of officers shall be held on Monday in August in 

 each year. Special meetings may be called by the 

 president at any time or upon the request of five members 

 of the club. Art. 6. Each member of this club shall be 

 required to sign the agreement hereinafter written, and 

 upon signing pay the sum of two dollars initiation fee. 

 Honorary members may however be admitted by vote of 

 the club without payment of the fee. Art. 7. No mem- 

 ber of this association shall be allowed to shoot game or 

 catch fish for the market. Art. 8. Members of this club 

 shall use their utmost caution against injuring fences, 

 crops, or other property upon lands over which they hunt 

 or fish. And to guard against fires being set m the woods, 

 the members shall use the manufactured wads and no 

 others. Ai't. 9. We do not deem it necessary to iirescribe 

 it as a rule that no member of this club shall shoot or fish 

 on Sunday, but any member guilty of such practice shall 

 be liable to expulsion. Art. 10. We the undersigned 

 agree to abide by the above rules and regulations and wdl 

 use our influence to sustain them as long as we are mem- 

 bers of this association; and any member wilfully violat- 

 ing this agreement shall be expelled from the club. 



A Greenhorn on a Eunw ay.— Staunton, Va.— There 

 came an Englishman to this city visiting friends, and 

 while here a party of gentlemen went on a deer Inmt at 

 a place known as Duryfield. Mr. P. had the task of put- 

 ting each man on his respective stand, always leaving him 

 with the admonition, "If he comes this way kill him, for 

 if he goes through he will go to the river;" but not once 

 telling them not to shoot at anvthtng but a deer or some- 

 thing larger. After putting all the men on their stands, 

 he rode off to the road leading to the river intending to 

 follow the deer to water should he get through. Not long 

 after Mr. P. left the Englishman he heard two reports in 

 quick succession. He rode to the stand as fast as possible 

 expecting to see a fine buck; but judge of his disgust 

 when the Englishman exhibited a' crow, exclaiming, 

 "Why, Mr. P., I did not know you had such fine ravens 

 in the States!" "Ravens, the devil," exclaimed Mr. P., 

 "that is nothing but a crow. You must not shoot at any- 

 thing on a stand but deer." So once more P. left to watch 

 the road leading to water. After some time a loud shout- 

 ing was heard at the Enghshman's stand, and all hands 

 made for this point. When asked what was the matter, 

 the Englishman told how he had set his gim down at a 

 tree and gone off about twenty yards to walk the cold out 

 of his feet, when down the Mil came the deer, and he 

 rushed for his gim, wlien "the blasted thing tm-ned and 

 went the other way." This broke up the hunt. After 

 getting to the hotel, court was held to try all of the party 

 who had broken the rules of a deer hunter on the stand. 

 The penalty of each offender is usually the loss of the ex- 

 ti-eme end of his shirt; but when they got to the Eng- 

 lishman all hands voted to let him off, which we did,— B. 



The Michigan State Fair will be held at Jackson, 

 Sept. 13-17, 



Denver, Colo., Aug. 17.— A meeting of the Standart 

 Shooting Club was held last evening at the Chamber of 

 Commerce. There were twenty-eight member's present. 

 The president ma de a report on the condition of the club. 

 TJie proixisition made to the club by Governor Grant and 

 Mr. J. M. Patrick to give shooting privileges over their 

 lake was ox plained by the prcaident and treasurer. On 

 motion the lioard of directors was increased from three 

 to five, and the directors were requested to prepare and 

 present to the coming Legislattu-e a bill to ]iro\7ent spring 

 duck shooting. The directors were authorized to build 

 a house near Johnson Lake. It was decided that the 

 honorary members of the club shall not exceed five. The 

 following oflicers were elected for the ensuing year: 

 President, S. H. Standart; First Vice-President, J. S. 

 Sedam; Second Vice-President, L. L. Higgins; Secretary,. 

 J. H. P. Voorhees; Treasurer, W. D. Todd. The Rev, 

 Myron Reed then arose and in the name of the society 

 liresented to Colonel Todd a handsome double-barreled 

 Baly shotgun. On the butt was a silver plate with the 

 inscription, "Presented to Colonel W. D. Todd from the 

 members of the Shooting Club." Mr. Todd responded in 

 a short and wittily turned speech, expres.sing Ms gratitude 

 to the club. After partalring of refreshments the club 

 adjourned until the first Monday in February. 



Tennessee Association.- Nashville, Tenn., Aug. 21. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: The sportsmen of Tennessee 

 have for some time thought of organizing a club for the 

 better protection of game and fish and the improvement 

 of the dog. A large and enthusiastic meetmg of sports- 

 men was held at the Maxwell House in Nashville, Tenn., 

 on the night of Aug. 20, for the purpose of organization. 

 The following oflicers were elected: Col. H. E. Jones, 

 President; A. M. Young, First Vice-President; D. A. Brad- 

 ley, Second Vice-President; R. M. Dudley, Secretary 

 and Ti-easurer. The executive committee will be com- 

 posed of men from all sections of the country. It is the 

 intention of the association to hold a field trial some- 

 where in Middle or West Tennessee, commencing Dec. 30 

 next. There will be a Derby and an All-Age Stake open 

 to the world. Fuller information can be had on appli- 

 cation to the secretary, whose address is Nashville, Tenn. 

 Resolutions were passed indoi-sing the course of the 

 Forest and Stream in its opposition to spring shooting 

 and its fight in favor of game protection. Our next meet- 

 mg will be at om- club room, evening of Sept. 10, to 

 which aE sportsmen are invited. — R. M. Dudley, Sec. 

 and Treas. 



Shooting and Fishing Resorts on the line of the 

 Hastings & Dakota division of the Chicago, Milwaukee 

 & St. Paul Eadway are thus detailed in a handbill pre- 

 pared by General Passenger and Ticket Agent A. V. H. 

 Carpenter, of CMcago. In Minnesota: For hunting— Bird 

 Island, Montevideo, Appleton, Ortonville, Austin, Bloom- 

 ing Prairie, Faribault, Nortlifield, Cannon Falls, Fair- 

 mont, Sherburn, Jackson, Lakefield, Fulda, Edgerton. 

 For fishing— Big Stone Lake (on the boimdary line), 

 White Bear Lake, Minnesota River, Vermillion River, 

 Cannon Lake, Lakes Sisseton, Budd, Buffalo, George and 

 Hall (these last five all near Fairmont). In Dakota: For 

 hunting- Webster, Groton, Aberdeen, Ellendale, Ashton,. 

 Wolsey , Woonsocket, Wahpeton, Canton, Lennox, Parker, 

 Flandreau, Egan, Madison, Howard, Diana, Mitchell, 

 Sioux Falls, Yankton. For fishing — ^Big Stone Lake, 

 Lake Madison, Big Sioux River, Lake Traverse, Waubay 

 Lake, Rice Lake. In Iowa: For hunting— Le Roy, Ply- 

 mouth, Carpenter, Algona, Emmetsbiu-g, Ruthven, Oko- 

 boji, Sanborn, Rock Valley, Calhope. For fishing— Lakes 

 Okoboji, Spirit Lake, Clear Lake, Des Moines River, Peli- 

 can Lake, TrimibuU Lake, Swan Lake, 



West Virginia Game.— Grand Haven, Mich., Aug. 16.- 

 — I have just returned from an extended trip through the 

 mountains of West Virginia. My iTip was made for the 

 purpose of looking up timber and minerals, but I never 

 forget to keep one eye open for game, that the place may 

 be marked down for future reference. During several 

 days spent in the mountains I failed to find anything in 

 the shape of game. I asked some of the natives what had 

 become of all the game, and especially the partridge, and 

 got for reply the old story of shooting at all seasons, every- 

 body seemingly waging a war of extermination on all 

 kinds of game, until now, even in these heavily-timbered 

 mountain gorges, the ruffed grouse are tilings of the past. 

 Near Raleigh Court House I heard a few Bob "Whites, but 

 was told they also are rapidly disappearing, as they are 

 hunted during the summer and fall and trapped during 

 the winter. I would that Forest and Stream might be 

 read by all these so-called hunters and that its able articles 

 on tliis subject might be heeded.— S. C. G. 



A Ground Shooter's Dog Training.— One faU S. and 

 myself went ducking on a well-known stream in old But- 

 ler county, Pa. At the house where we stojiped was Mr, 

 J., who owned a pointer dog, and of .course the conversa- 

 tion drifted toward dogs. Mr. J. said, "My dog was very 

 easy to break, except in backing. I never could teach 

 him to back. But one day, out after quail, he found a 

 bevy at an old hay stack; and when I came up there he 

 stood with the quail all bunched nicely, and his nose too 

 close to them for a shot. I told htm to "back, but he would 

 not move an inch. I did not know what to do, and did 

 not like to lose such a nice shot; I could not move him 

 back; he stood there like a rock. Well, says I to myseK, 

 I guess I may as well teach you to back now as any time. 

 So I pulled up the old gun and let fly at the quail, and 

 about a dozen of the shot hit the dog in the nose; and, sir, 

 I never had any trouble about his backing after that."— 

 Cable. [It was a pitj- to spoil a good dog by making Mm 

 serve the ends of a gi-ound shooter.] 



Game in the Mississippi Bottoms.— Memphis, Tenn., 

 Aug. 20.— The outlook for game ui the river counties of 

 Mississippi was never better. The disastrous overflows of 

 lSS2-'83-'84 greatly depleted the game in this country, 

 having driven out cfi- drowned it. But the protection 

 afforded by the levees dming the last few Mgh- water sea- 

 sons has restored confidence in the minds of the game as 

 well as of the inhabitants. Complaints are now frequent 

 of the depredations of bears on the cornfields, and deer 

 signs are jjlenty, as I can testify. Wild tm-keys are very 

 abundant, and even the partridges (little Bob White) are 

 growing quite nmnerous. The woods were all overrun 

 by squirrels last fall, and the prospect is equally favor- 

 able for tMs season, — Co^vhoma, 



