428 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Deo. 38, 1886. 



suspicious of the Senator from the Twenty-sixth, and 

 Brown cautiously suggested that the good "old man" had 

 been playing "roots" on us. To this I demim-ed, as the 

 Senator, relying on the fecundity of the average rabbit, 

 really believed there were 444 rabbits on his country place 

 and within i-eaeh. 



We stood not upon the order of our going, but hasten- 

 ing back to the piazza, as the sun had long ago passed the 

 zenith; and sure enough there was the magisterial Sena- 

 tor, reading the latest "Daudet," the smoke artistically 

 curHng above his head, and before him spread an appe- 

 tizing lunch which Mynhere Van Tassel might have re- 

 joiced to see and taste on that memorable occasion when 

 kindly Minerva, Eaiickerbocker says, provided a couch 

 for Van Tassel on the gTeensward after a "full" dinner. 

 That lunch disappeared like the contents of an ambitious 

 politician's pocket book on an election morn. The Sena- 

 tor sadly drew out his check book and filled out a check 

 for |100, as he feared Dr. Parmenter would demand Ha 

 Ha Fly, or what the negro called "a squidulent," when 

 we got home. The Senator believed he had been grossly 

 deceived by the Cxame Protective Society of Montgomery 

 county, and disbelieved in the fecundity of the rabbit or 

 that the cottontair habitually "breeded every month," as 

 the Game Protective Society asserted. 



The dinner made us forget our bad luck, and Terry, the 

 farmer, devoured his share of the beefsteak on a Friday, 

 albeit Farmer Terry was a good Catholic; but we didn't 

 have the heart to stop his good digestion, which clearly 

 waited on appetite. The Senator says next year there will 

 be more rabbits and better beagles. J. jM, S. 



LEARNING A LESSON. 

 /^NE morning in October a few years ago, after nine 

 months of careful training of a young Irish setter, I 

 set out to hunt ducks. I had great faith in my dog; he 

 was of excellent strain, had proved tractable and intelli- 

 gent and was a good retriever, which I pai-ticularly 

 desired to have, being very fond of duck shooting, I had 

 started early, and soon after daylight was passing through 

 a piece of woods on the shore of the river along which I 

 was hunting, when a large bird flew over just above the 

 treetops. Without stopping to determine what it was I 

 brought the gun to my shoulder and fired, and the large 

 bird fell plump into the river. In an instant my dog was 

 in the water after the game. When I reached the bank, 

 having to push through some heavy undergrowth, I saw 

 him in contest with the bird, and at one moment drawn 

 completely under water in the struggle. 



The large bird was a bald eagle, slightly wounded in 

 one wing. He had grappled the setter, and the setter, 

 surprised and frightened, broke loose and swam rapidly 

 to shore. I shot the eagle, and at a sandbar a short dis- 

 tance below brought him out and showed the setter he 

 was no longer to be feared, 



A half mile further on I killed two ducks within a rod 

 or two of shore, and told the setter to bring them to me. 

 He refused; and no amount of coaxing could induce him 

 to go or stay near them, though I was gentle with him 

 and held the ducks near his nose after I had retrieved 

 them myself. To cut the story short my dog was ruined, 

 and months of careful training went for naught, through 

 the mistake of a moment. 



Young gentlemen, and others, too, for that matter, may 

 learn a lesson from my misfortune, and I put it on record 

 for tlieu- guidance. One point to be remembered is that 

 it is unsportsmanlike and often discreditable to shoot at 

 everything that flies over, or comes within range of j'our 

 gun. J, C, B. 



Washington, D. C. 



A MOOSE HUNT. 



^ LL day we traveled up a steep ascent, 



And over barrens "wrapped in fine, crisp sdow 

 Till evening came, and tlien prepared our camp 

 Beneath the shelter of the silent firs, 

 "Whose spreading limbs almost obscured the sky. 

 Our camp completed, some, with sturdy strokes 

 That started Echo from her frozen caves 

 Amid the mountains, felled the groaning trees; 

 Some peeled the bark for fire, some water brought, 

 While some prepared the couch. Our labor o'er, 

 Berore the glowing 15 re whose kindling blaze 

 Coiled like a serpent round the frosty logs, 

 We circling sat and ate our rude repast, 

 Bread, meat and tea. Smile not, ye epicures! 

 Your dainty palates ne'er enjoyed repast 

 As sweet as ours; for hunger seasoned all 

 With sauces richer than the choicest spice 

 From India's sun-kissed land. Our supper o'er, 

 Our pipes produced, attention on each face, 

 We silent sat and heard our guide relate 

 How, near this spot, some twenty years agone 

 He found a yard, ajid ere the evening came 

 Had killed Ms seven moose, with how and where, 

 Description of the cows, the calves, the bulls, 

 The weight of each, the number shots he fired, 

 The distance of each shot, each shot's effect, 

 TlU, half the camp asleep, he slumbered too. 

 And dreamed the hunt again. Then 'neath the stars 

 With solitude and nature all around, 

 Tired eyelids slept fatigue and care away; 

 Tin o'er the distant mount that towered high, 

 Like a huge cloud in the keen eastern aii-, 

 The kindling dawn appeared; and ere the sun 

 Had reached the distant m.ountain'8 topmost height, 

 We had our moose killed and prepared for home. 

 Oape Breton, Nova Scotia. Henby E, Bakeb. 



AMress all commimicaUons to the Forest and Stream Pub. Gn. 



LONG ISLAND BIRD NOTES. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In looking over my bird notes the other evening, I came 

 across a few records for Long Island which I do not tliink 

 have ever been printed and which may possibly interest 

 some of your readers, 



Tritiga mantima — Purple Sandpiper, — On Nov. 23, 1876, 

 Mr. James Remsen shot a specimen of this rare sandpiper 

 at Westhampton, Suffolk county, L. I. The bird was the 

 only one seen, and Avas killed as it flew across the duck 

 decoys. I happened to be staying at the same house with 

 Mr. Remsen, and he presented the bird to me, I had no 

 difficulty in identifying it, as I had a specimen of the 

 species in my collection, and appreciating its value as a 

 local specimen, I carefully prepared it for skinning by 

 filling throat and nostrils with cotton and expressed it 

 ■svith a basket of ducks to my home. On my arrival at 

 home two days afterward, my disappointment can be im- 

 agined when I found that an over-zealous domestic had 

 carefully plucked and prepared the bird for broiling. I 

 have not had the good fortune to secure another Long 

 Island specimen since that time. J. P. Giratid, in liis 

 "Birds of Long Island," says: "This species I have never 

 met with, and from my own observations of its habits and 

 customs I know nothing. On the shore of Long Island it 

 is exceedingly rare." 



Somateria dresseri — American Eider.— On Nov. 29, 

 1879, two eider ducks, presirmably of this variety, were 

 shot in Flushing Bay by a local gunner. 



Oceanites oceanicus — AVilson's Petrel. — On Aug. 7, 1881, 

 Sir, O. B. Smith, of Brooklyn, shot a specimen of this 

 petrel on Long Island Sound near Sand's Point, Queens 

 county. The bird was mounted, and I had the pleasm-e 

 of examining and identifying it in Mr, Smith's office, 

 where it now is. 



Nyctala aeadiea — Saw-whet Owl. — On Nov. 4, 1884, I 

 shot a female of this variety neai' Flushing, Queens 

 county. RoBEiiT B. Lawrence. 



We created quite an excitement on the way. At every 

 little place where our car stopped for a few moments a . 

 crowd of the cruious would gather around and make com- 

 ments, I brought home an excellent specimen of what I 

 suppose to be the blue goose, as it is a rich slate color all 

 over except on the under side of the head and throat, 

 which is white. I had it nicely mounted, together with 

 other specimens, and prize it very highly. 



We contemj)late having a re-union of the party just be- 

 fore Christmas, and have wiitten to the absent members 

 to see if they can come, Thev are R, D. Schultz, of 

 Ranesville, 0., and Gen. E. S. Jackson, of the British 

 army, at present residing in Canada, whom I had the 

 good fortune to meet on the Cascapedia River last sum- 

 mer, as I was one of the pai-ty of which he and Mr. WeUs 

 were members, where we spent several weeks with the 

 salmon and trout. 



If the opportunity presents itself before long, I will give 

 you a little sketch of a camping exijedition which tlu-ee 

 of the fraternity indulged in a few weeks ago. and relate 

 how one of the members got lost and inquired for "Sec- 

 tion 37." W. B. Mershok. 



A Snowy Owl was shot bv a correspondent G. B. H., 

 at Fernwood, 111., Nov, 29. 



$Hm^ and 0utj. 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream Pub. Co. 



WESTERN GAME NOTES. 



t"'AST SAGINAW, Dec. 14.— I noticed in last week's 

 J issue of the Forest and Stream that my friend 

 John Davidson tells of the brief Aisit he made to East 

 Saginaw, and the sport he had with the ruffed grouse. I 

 heartily agree with him that no nobler game bird exists 

 than oiu- gi-ouse, and that it requires a dog of exception- 

 ally good qualities as well as a man that is a quick shot 

 and above the average to make a creditable bag on this 

 game. 



The shooting has been very good this year, myself and 

 a friend bagging from eighteen to twenty-two or three 

 birds in a day's shoot a number of times, and takiug into 

 consideration that we have a city here of fifty thousand 

 inhabitants, and going out in the morning and coming 

 back at night and making a bag of tbis kind I think is all 

 one can desire. The weather has been glorious. The 

 ideal October days have lasted well through November, 

 What I have to complain of is the merciless slaughter of 

 the pot-hunters. For those who shoot for market and 

 market alone, I think are to be classed as such. I think 

 it is safe to say that upward of ten thousand birds have 

 been shipped out of the Saginaw valley to mai-ket, and 

 this must necessarily destroy our shooting before long. 

 Every time these fellows see a. bird, whether it is in a 

 tree or on the gTound or gets up before the dog, the largest 

 thing he sees is the almighty dollar, and that is what he 

 shoots for and that alone, and besides they carry it to such 

 an extent that they go every day that it does not storm. 

 We may in the fall see some particular cover where, after 

 the leaves get off and the proper time comes, one expects 

 to go out and take a day's recreation (for a business man 

 these days are limited and do not come as often as they 

 should), and after all preparations are made and one has 

 gone through the keenest anticipations he finds hopes are 

 dashed and it is only a straggling bird now and then that 

 the cover ijroduces. You learn only too late that the birds 

 are gone to market. 



Several of your correspondents have made mention of 

 the snowy owl this fall. Owls have been extremely 

 numerous with us this season. Wm. Richter, the taxider- 

 mist here, who hao a State reputation for the quality of 

 his work in mounting deer heads and birds, informs me 

 that he has so far put up eighty-five owls, and about 

 three-quarters of them have heen wliite ones. This is 

 very unusual, for if half a dozen are brought in during 

 the fall and winter months it is as much as we expect. 

 ' Your correspondent from Bismarck, Dakota, says he is 

 surprised that none of the parties visiting that section this 

 fall goose shooting have reported their luck, and 

 makes mention of one party killing about 600 birds. I 

 rather think he must refer to the annual pilgi-image made 

 by the East Saginaw party. I have been for the past 

 fom- years out there each fall, and tliis year about Oct. 1 

 with seven friends made up a party in the good car "City 

 of Saginaw" (which belongs to our hunting club) taking 

 along otu' cook and porter, and spent two weeks of soUd 

 enjoyment in this jDaradise of water fowl. We killed 511 

 geese in six days sliooting, besides getting a number of 

 ducks, sandhill crane and sharp-tailed grouse. One day 

 we had exceptionally good luck, bagging 165 geese, 76 of 

 them being killed by myself and one other. This may 

 seem to some of yoiu: readers imnecessary slatighter, and 

 the question will be asked what could we do Avith all this 

 game? To such I Avill say that not one bird was Avasted. 

 What we could not eat and give to om- friends in the 

 West we brought home and distributed to our friends 

 here. A hard freeze coming on about three days before 

 we left froze our birds solid, and we built a big crate on 

 the rear platform of the car that held 200 geese, and our 

 ice box underneath held nearly as many more. 



BELGIAN HARES AND GRIZZLY BEARS. 



Ediior Forest and Slream: 



In Forest and Stream for Dec. IC, "A. C. H." asks 

 Avhether it wo'ald be advisable for him to introtlttce Bel- 

 gian hares into Maine. The experiment Avould cer- 

 tainly be worth trying if your coiTespondent Avill import 

 a large number of the animals and turn them loose in a 

 locality Avhich is suitable for them. In many Em-opean 

 tOAvns the hares are a stajjle article of food, and although 

 I am an '-ardent partisan" on tlie subject of the sui>erior- 

 ity of things American, I must say that the European 

 hare far excels any of our own species as far as table 

 qualities are concerned, Tliey breed once a month only 

 when chased by hoop snakes," but nevertheless they are 

 prolific breeders and will mtdtiply rapidly Avhere food is 

 abundant. There would be no danger of an over supply, 

 because they are too Araluable for market purposes, I am 

 afraid that the Maine snows AAdll be rather too deep for 

 these hares, as they are groimd feeders, and do not leave 

 the open fields until they are driven into the woods by 

 the severest weather. It is said that they rapidly become 

 emaciated when confined to the woods. I have killed 

 these hares in Denmark in the middle of Avinler, and have 

 found them very fat at that season of the year. But the 

 snowfall of that northern land is not nearly so great aa it 

 is in Maine. Young hares that are hardly "bigger than a 

 minute are able to keep fat so long as they can feed 

 on gi'asses, no matter what the temperatui-e may do with 

 their thermometers. 



"Speaking of corns, how is yorrr grandmother?" Four 

 of us liaA-e made arrangements to spend a month among 

 the gri-zzly beai's next year and Ave want to hear about the 

 adA'antages or disadA^a,ntages of tlie explosive bidlet when 

 used for the jjurpose of discom-aging the animal in ques- 

 tion. We should Uke very much to hear from men avIio 

 have had actual practical experience. We are under the 

 impression that an exj)losive bidlet No. 50 fired from a 

 Sharps rifle would confuse a grizzly so that he could not 

 fight rapidly or with any precision of movement, and tliat 

 Ave could then put in solid bullets whenever a good open- 

 ing for business offered. We are all accustomed to hunt- 

 ing large ganre and two of the party have just returned 

 from a bear trip in Montana and Idaho, but none of us 

 have ever used the exjilosive bullet. We sha.U start out 

 Avith the aA'-owed purpose of making a record of grizzlies 

 and wish to be as well fortified as possible. 



Let us have testimony on the subject of explosive bul- 

 lets of small caliber- .45 or.50 — and their efi'ects when used 

 on large and dangerous game. Mark West. 



Nbw York, 



Summer Woodcock Shooting.— Tompkins county, N. 

 Y. — Editor Forest and Stream: The communication pub- 

 lished in Forest and Stream of the 9th inst., in Avhich 

 the abolishment of summer Avoodcock shooting is sug- 

 gested, meets with the warm approval of sportsmen gen- 

 erally. Indeed, I have failed to hear, after a pretty 

 thorough discussion Avith many of the leachng members 

 of the fraternity as to the advisability of the proposed 

 postponement of" the season, of a single protest. It has be- 

 come to be a thoroughly recognized fact that eamest, 

 united effort on the part "of the best class of sportsmen is 

 absolutely necessary to much longer preserve CA'^en a re- 

 spectable" number of this rare and wily bird for annual 

 shooting. For a verA' long term of years it has been cus- 

 tomary among gunners to" locate, just prior to the opening 

 day, tiie habitat of the woodcock, and Avith the arrival of 

 the long anticipated event, everything in the shape of a 

 shooting iron, from the modern breechloader to the old- 

 time annihilator, has been improvised and hurried into 

 the field. As a result of this more or less determined 

 course of destruction, Avhere a dozen birds were found a 

 fcAv years ago scarcely one can be started during the en- 

 tire season at present. Tompkins county formerly ranked 

 among the most prolific Avoodcock districts of the com- 

 monwealth, but the last decade of Avholesale slaughter 

 has left only a gentle reminder of the grand bonanza times 

 fast fading. Postpone the opening day until Oct. 1, and 

 let the woodcock thrive. — M, C. H. 



New York.— Ithaca, Dec. 18.— In Tompkins county 

 partridges are not mmsually numerous. Only fair bags 

 are reported by our local gnnners. Rabbit shooting has 

 been poor, owing to the detective tendencies of the treach- 

 erous feiTet. Foxes are fairly plentA^ Duck shooting 

 along the eastern and western shores of Cayuga Lake has, 

 up to the present writing, been faudy good. The best 

 gi-oimd for a day's sport Avill be found in tlie immediate 

 vicinity of Union Springs, The mimber killed this fall 

 compared to that of three years ago, is starthngly insig- 

 nificant. On a cold December day of that year two 

 brothers bagged, in four hours, and within tAvo miles of 

 Ithaca, thirty-four ducks, seventeen of Avhich were shot 

 at the double discharge of a brace of muzzleloadcrs. — ^M, 

 C. H. 



A Number of Wild Boars, consigned to Reiche & 

 Bro.,ofthis city, arrived on the steamer Werra from 

 Bremen, last Sunday. Some of them will go to Tuxedo 

 Park, where it is proposed to intioduoe the sport of pig- 

 sticking; and some to Judge Caton's park at Ottawa, 111. 



