Forest and Stream. 



A Weekly Journal of the Rod and Gun. 



NEW YORK, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2 8, 18 95. UnJ^SKrS^ 



For Prospectus and Advertising Rates see Page v. 



The Forest and Stream is put to press 

 on Tuesdays. Correspondence intended for 

 publication should reach us by Mondays and 

 as much earlier as may be practicable. 



THE UNITED STATES. FISH COMMISSION. 



The project of handing the United States Fish Com- 

 mission over to the politicians has been brought up again 

 in Congress. Representative Haines and Senator Thurston, 

 both of Nebraska, have introduced a bill to make the 

 Fish Commission a bureau of the Agricultural Department; 

 and the measure has in each house been referred to the 

 Committee on Agriculture and Forestry. 



The conditions have in no wise changed since the 

 previous attempt to give the Commission into the control 

 of the Agricultural Department in 1890. It is just as 

 evident now as it was then that the proposed 

 transfer is for politics, and not in the best in- 

 terests of economy and efficiency. The Commission's 

 work has been done under the direct and constant "super- 

 vision of committees of both Houses of Congress; the 

 details of its expenditures have been scrutinized annu- 

 ally; various departments of the Government have 

 contributed to its scope and, in turn,, utilized its results. 

 Leaders among business men and scientific associations 

 at home and abroad have expressed their admiration of 

 the very efficiency which has provoked the envy of 

 political creed. From far and near, wherever the Fish 

 Commission is known, protests have come against any 

 experiments with this successful branch of the public 

 service. Clearly this proposition has its origin, not in 

 the public demand, which is unreservedly opposed to it, 

 but in a supposed political necessity. It aims simply to 

 pull down the organization to the level of a fish-distrib- 

 uting machine, double appropriations, and provide addi- 

 tional places in reward for partisan service. 



It is preposterous to assume that the Fish Commission 

 would be benefited if put under tbe erratic control of 

 Secretary Morton. 



CHOPPING- AND CRUELTY. 



The issue in the matter of cropping, which has been en- 

 gaging the attention of the American Kennel Club, is one 

 deserving more than a passing consideration, since it in- 

 volves more than a mere matter of fancy on the one hand 

 or sentimentalism on the other, though when sentiments 

 are in favor of greater kindness to animals or the stopping 

 of cruel practices, such sentiments are worthy of respect- 

 ful consideration and earnest admiration. 



The question is not a new one in itself, nor is the prin- 

 ciple involved one of doubtful issue. In all civilized 

 countries, cruelties which can not show material justifica- 

 tion have received the stamp of public condemnation. 

 Statutes have been passed by practically all the States in 

 the Union making unlawful all forms of unjustifiable 

 cruelty. 



Nor is public opinion in a passive state in respect to these 

 matters. Innumerable thousands of men and women 

 throughout the civDized world have raised their voices 

 and devoted their time, effort and means to the suppres- 

 sion of cruelty and to the punishment of the offenders 

 whose sensibilities were so dead or dormant that they 

 could not be touched by suasion or example, and they still 

 continue to do so. The humane sentiments are growing 

 stronger day by day. The cause has its own special jour- 

 nals, in which humane considerations impel hundreds of 

 writers to advocate a proper observance of greater 

 humanity between man and man and man and the lower 

 animals. The opposition to cruel practices has a firmer 

 foothold and a greater influence at present than ever be- 

 fore, and it has its sentiments in the tangible form of 

 statutory law with vigilant and zealous officers to 

 enforce it. 



So far as cropping is concerned the question is whether 

 it conflicts with the law or not- The presumption is that 

 it does, since many of its advocates admit its cruelty. 

 Nearly all of those fanciers who have no special interest 

 in the breed disapprove or condemn it. The public at 

 large looks upon it with an unkind eye. There is thus no 

 question but that it conflicts with humane sentiments. 

 It is a question worthy of grave consideration, not only 

 as it concerns the present, but as it also concerns the fu- 

 ture. The action of the A. K. C. at its recent meeting is 

 not a final disposition of the matter. On the contrary, it 



will serve to bring the question conspicuously before the 

 public, it will draw the sharp scrutiny of the humane 

 societies to it, and it will become so momentous that its 

 future will be out of the hands of the original parties at 

 interest. 



T The question of the right or wrong of it is one which 

 cannot stand public agitation. Agitation means thought, 

 discussion, reflection, the moulding of sentiment, and in 

 the end a condemnation of ear cutting. The vote of the 

 American Kennel Club last week was not sufficient to 

 abolish the showing of cropped dogs on the bench, but it 

 did reveal the existence of a preponderating sentiment 

 against cropping. Had every delegate present been at 

 liberty to vote as his personal convictions dictated, the two- 

 thirds majority required to amend the club's rules would 

 have been voted. As it is, the discussion which has begun 

 will continue, and in the end the American Kennel Club, 

 or the several specialty clubs themselves, will rule against 

 the ear cutting. The specialty clubs may well take note 

 of the signs of the times. It would be a graceful thing 

 on their part to recognize the growing sentiment, and by 

 their own suitable action to win the credit for voluntarily 

 doing away with cropping. If it is left finally to the 

 action of the A. K. C. or statutory law to abolish the 

 cruelty, it will carry with it a rebuke to its advocates that 

 will be avoided by voluntary action on the part of the 

 specialty clubs interested in the matter. And it would be 

 wise for the specialty clubs to give prompt attention to 

 the matter and prompt action to their good intentions. 



BEE HUNTING. 



That survival of man's primitive wildness which is 

 termed the sporting instinct exhibits itself in some forms 

 that are not recognized as legitimate by those who arro- 

 gate to themselves the title of true sportsmen. Yet who 

 shall say that they are not, since they have the authority 

 of most ancient usage and are entered upon with as keen 

 a zest by those who affect them as are the so-called legiti- 

 mate methods by those who practice only them? 



Even the fish spearer and the trapper find in the excite- 

 ment of their pursuits and in the acquirement and exer- 

 cise of skill an enjoyment quite distinct from the acqui- 

 sition of gain, and as keen as that of the acknowledged 

 sportsman. 



They may have, too, their purely aesthetic quality, for 

 it is possible that the wielder of the spear may be as con- 

 templative as the caster of the fly, and that a man may 

 commune with nature as profitably while he sets a trap as 

 does another while he sights a flying bird. 



More apt than either of these to fall into such gentle 

 moods one might fancy the bee hunter. His lines are 

 cast in pleasant places in the delightful weather of late 

 summer and early fall, and he spends the golden hours of 

 busy indolence with bees and flowers for his most inti- 

 mate associates. 



He has time and opportunity to observe the ways of 

 wild things, and he can hardly help but grow into some 

 accord with nature while he breathes the fragrance of her 

 ripeness, hears the drowsy hum of the bees, the faint 

 trickle of the spent rills, caught and lost amid the fitful stir 

 of leaves and the farewell notes of lingering singers. 

 What his craft has trained his senses to catch and 

 much besides he may use to a finer purpose than its own 

 object. 



No man needs a keener eye than he to follow such swift, 

 diminutive quarry, nor keener wits, and he must be cool 

 and resolute, for this hunting has its spice of danger. 



Who shall say that bee hunting may not become a fine 

 art among sports, and that in the increasing dearth of 

 fish and fowls and beasts of venery the wild honey bee 

 may not come to be legitimate game and the hunting 

 thereof the contemplative man's recreation? 



SNAP SHOTS. 

 The fact that wild turKeys are still found in Michigan, 

 as stated in another column, would certainly seem to call 

 for prompt action on the part of the Michigan Legisla- 

 ture and of all the game protective associations of that 

 State. Surely some effort should be made to protect ab- 

 solutely the few remaining individuals of this superb 

 species, and this can only be done by enacting a statute 

 which shall absolutely protect them for a long term of 

 years and by arousing within the State a public opinion 

 which shall come to the support of such a statute, and 

 make it appear to every one who carries a gun a crime to 

 destroy one of these splendid birds. Almost all the States 



where the buffalo used to range now have laws absolutely 

 protecting them, and in States where exotic species have 

 been introduced similar protective laws are passed to 

 prevent their slaughter, so as to enable them to gain a 

 firm foothold. If such action is taken with regard to ex- 

 otic species, how much more should this be done when 

 the most splendid game bird in America, if not in the 

 world, is in question. The wild turkey is to other birds 

 what the buffalo or moose is to mammals, and it should 

 be a matter of peide with all residents of Michigon to 

 protect and foster the species within the State's borders. 



In his report of the Black River Association for the 

 Protection of Fish and Game, Secretary Wolcott writes 

 that some of the members have expressed much dissatis- 

 faction at the non-enforcement of the game law, and 

 have gone so far as to question the advisability of keep- 

 ing up voluntary protective associations. We sincerely 

 trust that such sentiments will not prevail. In the pres- 

 ent condition of affairs the only hope for game and fish 

 protection in this State lies in the existence of voluntary 

 associations. Protection by the State is at the lowest 

 possible ebb. We have a $9,000 Commission, the presi- 

 dent drawing a salary of $5,000, and without funds left 

 sufficient to pay the district protectors, who are being dis- 

 missed right and left, We have a law, which was advo- 

 cated by the president of the Commission, allowing the 

 sale at all times of game killed outside of the State, 

 which means in piactice also the sale of game killed in 

 the State. So long as that law shall remain in force it 

 will be impossible to stop the selling of our own game in 

 close season. Without a reasonable law, and without 

 protectors, the outlook at present is dark. It is no time 

 for voluntary associations to disband. 



For the North land the coming of Christmas marks the 

 end of the shooting season on almost all game. Usually by 

 that time the ground is snow-covered and often ice-bound, 

 and upland birds are in a measure safe from pursuit with 

 dog and gun, while the cold has locked the waters of lakes 

 and bays of the seacoast, and the waterfowl have disap- 

 peared to seek open feeding grounds. The end of 1895 

 has been remarkable for its mild and pleasant weather, 

 which has constantly invited the gunner to be abroad in 

 the fields and woods, and the wildfowl still linger along 

 the coast, by night sleeping in the open waters and in the 

 gray of the morning winging their way into the bays, 

 where with much splashing and with hoarse cries they 

 dive for food or playfully pursue each other under the 

 mild sky. 



In the East it has not been a good season for the upland 

 gunner. Birds have been scarce in the more thickly set- 

 tled districts or rather in many places there have been none 

 at all. Wildfowl, on the other hand, have been unusu- 

 ally abundant along the North Atlantic coast, largely, no 

 doubt, because of the autumnal drought, which made 

 many of their inland feeding grounds unavailable. 



The mild weather of L the autumn made fowl shoot- 

 ing in Southern waters rather unsatisfactory for some 

 time after the season opened, but the cold snap of early 

 December sent a large flight of birds to the Chesapeake 

 and the waters of Virginia and North Carolina, where 

 there has since been fair shooting. We are told in the 

 old saw that "When the days begin to lengthen, the cold 

 begins to strengthen," and no doubt a little later fowl 

 will be very abundant along the Southern coast. 



Those men are to be envied who can take the time for 

 a few weeks' outdoor life in the sunny South at this 

 season to bask in a blind waiting for fowl to come, or to 

 stretch their legs for quail over the old fields behind the 

 dogs, or to flounder through the marshes after snipe. 

 These sports do not carry with them the bracing vigor of 

 the long stalk through the snow-clad forest on the track 

 of big game, nor the tramp over frozen Bwamps for a 

 cunning old partridge, but they are none the less de- 

 lightful and restful. Let him enjoy them who can. 



This is our Christmas number. It brings with it, 

 whether it find you near at hand or in the remotest cor- 

 ners of the continent, our sincere wish for your Merry 

 Christmas, and we hope that this generous fund of stories 

 and sketches which the Forest and Stream contributors 

 have provided for your entertainment may add to your 

 enjoyment of the holiday season. 



