Sept. 9, 1886.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



±2B 



that there are more near at hand, although occasionally 

 smgie birds wiU separate from the general horde and pm-- 

 sue a solitary course of Life. 



From April to Sei)teml3er, during the nesting and rear- 

 ing- time, both male and female bird quit the tree boughs 

 for term firma. The latter becanae slie is obliged to, the 

 former because ho must bear liis inate company. At such 

 times the spot chosen will generally he at the foot of the 

 same tree or beneath some bush or shrub. Plieasants are 

 polygamous, and each coclc l>ird will have from thi'ee to 

 live liens, according to circumstances. Courtship com- 

 mences in March, wlien tlie plumage of tlie male increases 

 in brilliancy. A large amount of promisciious crowing is 

 indidged in, jealousy between competing cavaliers is en- 

 gendered and more or less ])rol(inged battles result, the 

 victor securing as his reward the favor of the hen bird in 

 question. From the end of April to the end of IMay nest- 

 ing is pm-sued. The nest is of rude character, a mert; 

 depression devised in any suitable sj)ot; beneath a bush, 

 at the foot of a tree, in a clump of grass, or beneath a 

 gToup of bracken ferns; anywhere, in fact, where a slight 

 protection from observation and weather is vouchsafed, 

 and where a few dry leaves or pieces of grass may be 

 scraped together as lining for the nest. To this the hen 

 bird chngs persistently, and it is only when concealment, 

 possibly safety, is no ' longer possible that she leaves her 

 nide, instincti vely and hastily covering it with any leaves 

 or such liKe material which may be at hand. 



Hatching commences u.siially in the second half of May 

 and will fmisli about the middle of Jirly. From fiv(5 to 

 eigbtccn may be the number of the brood, and when from 

 twelve to twentj'-four hours old they leave the nest and 

 under the guidance of the hen start out into the world. 

 For some little period the neighborhood of the nest wiU 

 be the locality w^here the brood will remain, later on 

 beiaig initiated into the mysteries of the hedgerows 

 and stubbles, sometimes being taken to the covert for pro- 

 tection, usually affecting some spinney as tlieir haunt 

 until about the middle of September, when full grown 

 and self assertive they assume the aii's and responsibilities 

 ol" the full grown bird. 



The food'of the pheasant in its natural state is of curious 

 variety, bemg mostly of a kind undesirable to the agri- 

 culturist, so that in the pheasant we have a burd of great 

 use on the farm, Insects of every conceivable kind, the 

 seeds of comitless weeds, plants of succulent nature and 

 roots of various description, corn,; beech-mast, hazel 

 nuts, acorns, the fruits of the -wild rose and white-thorn 

 and many other such form the food of the common 

 pheasant. 



Fi'om the foregoing outlines of the natural history of 

 Phasianus colcMcus you can judge that of nearly all om- 

 other varieties, most of them differ very immaterially, 

 some hold sliglit divergence but none of them sufhciently 

 so to warrant" my detailing the points of divergence. 



Moorman. 



London, Eng. 



[TO BE CONTINUED.] 



BRANTING AT MONOMOY, CAPE COD. 



OJfE of the most enjoyable gunning excursions that 

 has fallen to ray lot was in consequence of an invi- 

 tation to spend a week in sj^ring brant shooting at Mono- 

 moy, Cape Cod. We secured in all about thirty brant, 

 besides two or three %ving-tii)ped ones saved for decoys, 

 and a fan- number of sea-ducks (eiders), sheldrakes and 

 old squaws, a total wdiich hardly satisfied the "old hands," 

 though we enjoyed ourselves most heartily. 



The necessary arrangements made, our party of five 

 met one pleasant April morning in season for the early 

 Cape train, equipped with gmis, ammunition, wading 

 boots, oilskins and other baggage, and in due time arrived 

 at the station of Harwich. Here we transferred our traps 

 to a rickety old concern called (bj courtesy only), a stage, 

 for a ride of two horns through a sterile, sandy country, 

 meeting when half way the party of the week before, and 

 at last, after riding through the quaint village of Chatham, 

 -were welcomed by Alonzo and his Avife. 



Refreshed by a good fish dinner, we stow om* luggage 

 in the sailboat, and are soon heading for the island, which 

 is reached after a pleasant sail, and arrive at our jommey's 

 end. The evening is sioent looking over the records of the 

 previous parties and discussing the merits of the different 

 bars; but finally, after assignmg each one his place for 

 the morning tide we tm-n in, and despite the novelty of 

 the situation are soon asleep. 



Long before light we are roused up in order to take ad- 

 vantage of the morning tide, and while the stars are still 

 shining famtly through the mist, are on our way to the 

 "Gravel," one of the different sandbars on which the 

 boxes are simk. We put out our two live decoys, which, 

 ■with the thirty wooden ones, make quite a show, and are 

 ready for the brant. To the right, some two miles off, 

 we see the shores of Chatham and Harwich, and on the 

 left the island of Monomoy, a barren strip of sand stretch- 

 ing six or seven miles to the left. Just as the sun is rising 

 behind us over Nauset beach, w^e liear the report of guns 

 and see a bunch of brant swinging away from the box at 

 the North bar, and soon the sight of some one out of the 

 box tells us that the first brant is scored, and so occupied 

 are we in w^atching that a flock of sea-ducks are within 

 g-unsliot of us before they are seen. We manage, how- 

 ever, to put two barrels into them before they are away, 

 and see a pair drop, but one only is retiieved, the other, 

 diving, is seen no more. Soon, however, another bunch 

 come sweeping along, and we prepare to give them a 

 warm reception, but they swing by out of gunshot. Now 

 a single old squaw comes along and is gathered in. Again 

 we have a shot at a flock of sea-ducks, this time seeming 

 thi-ee, one of them a beautiful male. The water is now 

 up to the boxes, and as it breaks over the edge we gather 

 om* things together and start for the shore. The gunners 

 are driven out from the other boxes also, and we are soon 

 all at the shanty comjjartng notes and ready for the break- 

 fast wiiich Seth had prepared. The North bar is ahead 

 Avith tln-ee brant, and the Mudhole comes next with tw^o 

 and a sheldi'ake, while all we can oft'er are the seaduck 

 and old squaw, not having had a shot at the brant. 



We pass the time between the tides smoking, telling 

 stories, asleep, or perhaps some go fishing and others for 

 the succulent clam or scollop. There is plenty to do to 

 occupy the time, but if any one is anxious for real work 

 it is always at hand, for the tides are continually washing 

 away the sand from around the boxes, and the fun of 

 working for an hour wheeling sand to repair the damage 

 usually satisfies the most industrious. Early in the after- 



noon we start again; this time for the North bar, to be in 

 our box when the tide turns, since all the shooting is on 

 the flood tide; and we have om- decoys out and make 

 ready for the bii-ds just as the sand flats begin to be cov- 

 ered' by the fast advancing waters. Behind us w^e can 

 see the brant still feeding on the eel grass in the channel, 

 where the water appears to be black with them for acres. 

 Soon a couide of bunches rise and come toward us, but fly 

 l^ast wltliout noticing tlie decoys, and settle half a mile 

 away: and these are followed by another and another, but 

 none of them come within gunshot. At last we see a 

 flock of a, dozen or so heading directly for us; and down 

 we croucli below the edge of the box, motionless, waiting 

 for the word. They see the decoys and wheel, but do not 

 like the looks of things, so tm-n again to leave. It is a 

 lona- shot . but the best we shall have. The signal is given. 

 We discharge four barrels and have the satisfaction of 

 seeing tAvo brant come dowm with a splash into the water, 

 wdiilc at the reports the birds for a mile around rise, 

 circle, and finally settle in the water, as it seems, in 

 thousands. 



Half an hour goes by, when a flock of about twenty are 

 seen sweeping dowm, and as they catcli sight of the decoys 

 wheci toward us as if to light. Motionless, hardly daring 

 to l)reatlie (for the brant is more wary than Canada 

 goose or black duck) we wait while they circle round and 

 round, and the decoys flap their wings and honk a wel- 

 come. Evidently everything is not satisfactoi-y, for they 

 tm-n again to leave; but we both give them our right and 

 left, though they are 60yds. fiom us, if a foot. One— two 

 — three— there goes another into the water with a splash 

 a couple of hundred yards away; yes, and there is a 

 fifth scaling down off there twice as far. "Don't shoot 

 that wing-tipped one if you can help!" is shouted as we 

 splash tlu-ough the water in chase of a wounded brant, 

 which is finally secm-ed and brought in ahve and kicking, 

 and the dead ones retriev^ed. No other opporl^mitj^ offers, 

 though we wait patiently; so when the tide washes over 

 the edge of our box we "start back, and after a wade of 

 over half an hour through the shallow water reach the 

 shanty, tired and himgry, eat a hearty supper, pass a 

 pleasant evening, and when we turn in are asleep almost 

 before our heads touch the piUows. 



So the time passes, each taking his turn at the different 

 bars, and if any one shirks the long walk to the North bar 

 some one froin the Mudhole or Gravel is ready to 

 change for the better chance of a good shot. Sunday is 

 spent in the shanty reading or wiiting up the journal; 

 taking a long walk on the outer beach and in various 

 other ways; and much too soon Monday comes, when 

 some of the party are obliged to return home. It must be, 

 however, so the bu-ds are divided, valises packed, good- 

 byes said to those remaining; and soon we are rowed in 

 the dory by the stout arms of George and Virenus to 

 Chatham, where we take the stage, and finally reach 

 home A\ith our ti-ophies, vowing that if ever it is our good 

 fortune to go again we will stay at least one week, busi- 

 ness or no business. Boston. 



Boston, Mass. 



PROPOSED MOOSE PRESERVE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The moose is yet to be f omid in various parts of New Bruns- 

 wick. Its great enemy is the lumberman, who often adds 

 to his lumbering the business of himting. Every lumber 

 camp is provided with snow shoes, and when the deep 

 snows of February and March ^ have fallen and the crust 

 has become stiff and hard, the moose falls an easy victim 

 to the gun of the woodsman whose previous explorations 

 during the autumn haA^e made him acquainted Avith its 

 usual resorts. AVhen the moose is killed at a point near 

 enough to the lumber camp the carcase is made use of, 

 but when the distance happens to be great, only the hide 

 and a small portion of the meat is removed, the rest being 

 left to decay or to become the food of smaller animals. 

 The Indians also frequently kill the moose for its skin 

 alone, leaving the body in the woods. From long experi- 

 ence as a land surveyor, as well as haAing been for some 

 time timber agent for the Province of New Brunsw^ick, the 

 Avriter is well aAA-are that up to the present there is a large 

 annual desti-uction of moose there dm-ing the time of deep 

 snows. There are government regulations in New Bruns- 

 wick restricting the time for kiUing moose, but they are 

 not enforced and nobody regards them. 



For the preservation of the moose and other game in 

 New^ Brunswick, which is easily accessible by rail from 

 any of the large centers in the United States, I recom- 

 mend the formation of an association for the purpose of 

 securing the freehold in some tract of forest-covered land 

 in that Province, on which moose, caribou and other game 

 are yet to be found, preferably on the Miramichi, Avhere 

 a tract of from 40,000 to 60,000 acres, which would answer 

 these conditions, could, no doubt, be had at a probable 

 cost of from $1.50 to $3 per acre, and that the lumberman 

 be converted from the enemy of the moose to its pro- 

 tectors, Avliich could be accomplished in the folloAving 

 manner. 



After securing the land referred to, which has on it 

 large quantities of sprace, cedar and other woods, and 

 as the charge of $1,50 per thousand feet B. M. is made 

 for stumpage, which is readily paid by the lumbermen, 

 the lands could be leased to them, under the supervision 

 of a foreman, Avho should, while ascertaining the quantity 

 of logs cut by each party, report any infraction of game 

 regulations during the three months of deep snow. At 

 the time Avhen the permit to cut Avas given, a clause could 

 be inserted in it, that if the head lumberman or any of 

 his crew should kill a moose on the reserve, that he or 

 they shall forfeit $200 for such act, which sum should be- 

 come a charge on the logs, to be collected Aviththe stump- 

 age, when they had arrived in the boom. The Miramichi 

 is but forty-eight miles distant from Fredericton by rail, 

 is easily ascended in canoes to its source, which is yet 

 entirely forest-covered; it also has large tributaries on the 

 north Avhich discharge the coldest and clearest of waters, 

 and on whose shores there ai"e no settlers, as the stream 

 runs through vast forests Avhich cover land unfit for cul- 

 tivation. The money derived from the sale of timber 

 would not only, under proper management, pay the cost 

 of pm-chase, but also yield a large profit, and at the same 

 time the game could be preserved. 



Such, it seems to me, Avould be an efficient way of pre- 

 serving to futru-e generations a noble animal, whose days 

 are numbered unless some com-se be taken for its preser- 

 vation. Edavard Jack. 



Fredericton, New BrunsAvick. 



NOTES FROM A RANCH ERO'S SADDLE 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



A faithful reader of the "Game Bag and Gun" depart- 

 ment of the ever welcome Forest and Stream, I took 

 special interest in the "Bullet a^s. Buckshot"' controversy 

 some months ago. 1 will not presume to express an opin- 

 ion upon the subject so ably discussed on both sides, but 

 that tlie champions of each may see wherein their favor- 

 ites might ha ve been , or might not have the most avail- 

 able arm, 1 aa-iU relate name experience I had one October. 

 S]iortsmen Avill surely excuse my bad shooting AAiien they 

 know tliat tlie top has been attained, and I haA^e started 

 down the hill to the other side of life; and they may con- 

 sole themselves with the thought that had they l:)een in 

 ray place then- tables Avould haA'-e Ijeen well siqiplied Avith 

 game. A ranchero by occupation, my saddle is ray seat 

 of observation, hence" my opportunities for se(nng game. 

 The country is rolling Avith prairie, timlier and brush. 



The evening of Oct. 29, I haj^pened upon a flock of wild 

 turkeys just preparing to fly up to roost. My .38-cal. Win- 

 chester as usual w'as on my saddle. My first shot was at 

 a gobbler on the ground, the second shot at another in a 

 tree; both flew aAvay untouched. On the 30th, A\ntli assist- 

 ants, I went out to^Avork cattle, and not Avishing to lie 

 encumbered with a gun I left it at home. We passed 

 Avithin 150yds. of a nice bunch of deer; some of them 

 stood gazing at us, others were lying down. 1 returned 

 with my rifle two hours later, but the game had gone. 

 In the eVening of the same day I had occasion to ride 

 over into a field, AA^liere the grass, being tall, I flushed a 

 flock of turkeys. They got up just in front of me, and 

 flcAv over and around the dwelling. 



On the morning of the 31st, as I was passing throug'h a 

 woodland place, five or more does, just donning their blue 

 dress, jumped up about thirty yards from me and soon 

 disappeared. I dismounted, drew my gun out of its scab- 

 bard, and leading my horse, followed the trail. Again 

 they discoA^ered me first, and were on the nm before I 

 coidd get in a shot. I gave them up, and ricHng on, soon 

 two other whitetails were seen boimding aAvay. Eather 

 indift'erently I followed in the direction taken. The game 

 stood broadside about 120yds. from me. Thought of the 

 many fine shots read of in Forest and Stream occurred 

 to my mind as I dismounted and raised my rifle to the 

 shoulder. I drew bead and pressed the trigger; my little 

 .38 cracks prettily, but the timid doe, not appreciating the 

 gxeeting, scampers away unharmed. Crestfallen and 

 Avith misgiAings I go home. Evening finds me on the 

 hunt again. This time I spied the deer first, in a tolerably 

 open place. My horse was quickly picketed to a grub, 

 and I on hands and knees crawled to an oak. The even- 

 ing was cloudy, besides it was getting late and the dense 

 foliage of the oak made it difficult to see my sights, but 

 I must take the shot as it Avas or get none, so I banged 

 aAvay — and score a miss. Again passing thi-ough a strip 

 of brush I saw the deer, raised my gun and fii-ed at just 

 IGSyds. I knew by the way the game got off it was badly 

 hurt, but it got into a thicket, and night coming on, 

 further pursuit Avas prevented. I was out of luck, and as 

 I rode home I resoh^ed to get a gun of larger caliber, per- 

 haps a .45. Some may think any or no gun at all would 

 answer the purpose of so poor a "shot. Be charitable. I 

 love the sport, and much game has fallen to my gim. To 

 redeem the reputation of my bright little .38 I must say 

 that this very morning I picked a hawk out of the top of 

 a tree at 105 steps. 



Deer, turkey, quail, rabbit, wolves, wildcat, "javaHans," 

 etc., are here in abundance, J. S. H, 



n ANCH Beebe, Texas. 



TARGET TESTS AND SHOT. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I see by your last issue that I have gotten myself into 

 trouble with my friends (I consider every sportsman in 

 the country my friend), and that I must now call upon 

 you to help me out. 



I tliink my friend Stark is aU right and means AveU, but 

 he is laboring under a mistake. There are 495 pellets in 

 loz. of Tatham's improved chilled shot, or ]\Ii-. Tatham is 

 a , Avell, he at least stretches the truth. If he is cor- 

 rect, there would be 618 pellets in the load that I shot. 

 HercAvith find the identical sack from which I took the 

 shot with which the targets were made. Will you xDub- 

 lish the figm-es given at bottom of sack? I do not desire 

 to enter into any controversy over this matter, but am 

 prepared to prove my statement with the gtm. So much 

 for Mr. Stark. 



NoAV I desu-e to say that I have just finished counting 

 l^oz. No. 7 Tatham's chilled selected shot, and they 

 count out just exactly 477. I have a Dixon 1,106 shot 

 measure, and I think I can measure and count as w-ell as 

 any man of my size in this country. I Avould like to know 

 how old "Analytical" gets but 291 pellets to an ounce of 

 No. 7 shot. I think he must have a little shot tower of 

 his own, and makes his sizes to suit himself. To tell the 

 truth, I think instead of being mistaken myself , that both 

 Stark and "Analyticar' are off. As I said before, I am 

 prepared to prove my statement Avith the gun itself, and 

 will do so at any time I may be called upon. It may 

 be that Tatham makes a speciaf size of shot for this mar- 

 ket, and they itm smaller than those used in the East, but 

 I doubt it. 



Beg jiardon for inflicting so long an article upon you, 

 and if you will giA'-e it space this time I promise on my 

 honor I won't do so some more. C. S. BROAyN. 



Marion, Indiana. 



[The number of pellets to the ounce, of Tatham's shot, 

 American standard sizes, are as follows, for soft and 

 chilled shot: 





Diam. 



Soft. 



ChiUed. 





Diam. 



Soft. 



Chilled. 



No. 



In. 



To oz. 



To oz. 



No. 



In. 



To oz. 



To oz. 



13.. 



. .05.... 



...2336... 



....2385 



7.. 



. Trap . . 



.. 338... 



.... 345 



11.. 



. .06.,.. 



...1346 



1380 





. .10.... 



... 291... 



.... 299 



10.. 



.Trap ... 



. . . 1056. . . 



....1130 



«!! 



. .11.... 



... 218... 





10.. 



. .07.... 



...818 



868 



5. . 



. .12.... 



.... 168... 



172 



9.. 

 9.. 



.Trap .. , 



... 688... 



716 



4.. 



. .13.... 



... 132 



136 



. .08.... 



... 568... 



.... 585 



3.. 



. .14.... 



... 106 



109 



8.. 



.Trap . . 



... 472... 



495 



2.. 



. .1.5.... 



... 86... 



. ... 88 



8.. 



. .09.... 



...399 



409 



1.. 



. .16.... 



.... 71 



73 



Tlie bag sent by Mr. Brown contained, according to the 

 label, No. 8 chilled trap shot.] 



A St. Loms, Mo., Club, composed of LaAvry Day, Fi-ed 

 Haganin, Fred Ziebig, Charlie January, Jim Darat and 

 Wilson Hunt, are making arrangements to acquire a con- 

 siderable tract of land and Avater for a new game and 

 fish preserve at Lily Lake, lU., near- Murdock Lake. 



