May 3, 1888.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



291 



Sportsmen's Rod and Gun Association of New Eno- 

 ■t/AND. — The first meeting of gentlemen interested in the 

 formation of a new fish and game association to be located 

 in New England, with headquarters at Boston, Mass., 

 was hold at the Bromfield House, Boston, Monday even- 

 ing. March 36, at half past eight o'clock. A call, signed 

 by Mr. Chas. F. Da,nforth, of Boston, had been issued and 

 in response to the same about fifteen gentlemen were 

 present. These gentlemen agreed to associate themselves 

 together and to organize a new association interested in 

 the lawful taking of fish and game, the perpetuation of 

 sports With rod and gun, and sociability: at a subsequent 

 meeting held the second day of April, the name "Sports- 

 men's Rod and Gun Association of New England," was 

 adopted, as well as a constitution and by-laws. The fol- 

 lowing gentlemen were chosen for officers: Pres., Chas. 

 IT. Dan forth, of Boston; Viee-Pres., Leopold Babo, Jr.; 

 Sec'y, Richard O. Harding: Treas., Eugene W. Babo; 

 Executive Committee, (Chairman) L. Babo, Jr., Win. G. 

 Lash. Frederick W. Clark, Jos. W. Marmaud, E.W. Babo; 

 Membership Committee, (Chairman) R. O. Harding, Chas. 

 P. Varney, W. G. Lash: Toastmaster, Saml. N. Cohen. 

 The President's address is 20 Kilby street, and that of the 

 Secretary, 304 Washington street, Boston. 



Grouse in Michigan. — Lowell, Mich,, April 23. — I 

 have taken a little pains to find out how partridges have 

 wintered in this locality. I have taken a walk in two 

 different directions, and not over one mile from the 

 village; the first morning my dog put up three partridges, 

 and the next he put up twelve; and yesterday a friend 

 and I walked out about four miles, and the birds went 

 whizzing through the air in every direction. I am un- 

 able to state how many were put to flight, perhaps fifty 

 tir more. They are very tame, not offering to fly out of 

 ihe trees as I approached, until I got in under the tree or 

 Sapling and hit the trunk with my hand. I saw twenty- 

 eight wild geese fly over one day last week, the first I 

 pave seen this season; they never stop in this vicinity 

 long enough to ever get a shot at them; they go further 

 north. From all accounts so far as heard from, all game 

 'birds have wintered well, and the prospects for rare sport 

 with the birds this fall are quite flattering.— C. D. P. 



Results of the Blizzard. — New York, April 27. — 

 Editor Forest and Stream: A letter is before me written 

 by Hugh C. Smith, of East Moriches, Long Island, dated 

 -April 33, 1888, in which the statement is made that the 

 shooting has been very poor on account of the blizzard. 

 I quote from the letter: "That storm seemed to break 

 the whole thing up; after the storm was over the life 

 saving men on the beach found lots of ducks frozen to 

 death. This is a pretty tough story to tell but such is the 

 fact.'' Have any of "your correspondents noticed this 

 result from the blizzard of March 12? Possibly they may 

 have, and in that case their accounts would be interest- 

 ing. Can we not hear from them?— Rob't B. Lawrence. 



A minister who traveled in Iowa, to protect himself 

 from the storm and gratify bis love of the beauti- 

 ful bethought himself of a skunk robe. He purchased at 

 a good round price forty prime skins, paid $3 to 

 have them tanned and took them to a manufacturer in a 

 neighboring town to have them made into a robe. Agree- 

 ing upon the price, he gave the man $6 to purchase the 

 lining with. When he returned for the robe he was in- 

 formed that the skins had been spoiled in tanning and 

 had been thrown away. After standing around awhile 

 as if waiting for something he made some remark about 

 the $6. "Oh," said the man, "I charged $6 for throwing 

 them away."— X. 



To wand a, Fa,.— Editor Forest and Stream: A party 

 of three sportsmen from this place, consisting of Chief of 

 Police Dimock (who, by the way, is also our fish and game 

 warden), Joe Ochs and Geo. Fairchild, tried their hand at 

 wild ducks by floating down the river and shooting from 

 the boat, starting point being Milan, eleven miles above 

 Towanda. On arrival home they had made a bag of four 

 ducks and a mink. Reported seeing only sixteen. Two 

 more were killed opposite this place by other sportsmen 

 the same day.— Sus. Q. Hannah. 



Vermont.— Ferrisburg, Vt., April 24, — The first robin 

 was reported March 29; March 30, bluebirds and song 

 sparrows: April 3. phcebe bird; 12, meadowlark; 18, 

 flicker (high hole): 22, purple finch and slate-colored snow- 

 birds. Trappers and pickerel hunters tell of a good many 

 ducks in Little Otter, but I am glad they bring none 

 home to show. It is said that an otter was killed lately 

 in Monkton, the next town east of us. If true it is an 

 uncommon event in these parts, but I have heard no par- 

 ticulars. — AWAHSO OSE. 



Michigan.— Argentine, April 26.— The birds are here 

 in great numbers; the quail are singing their courting 

 songs, and the outlook is very good, better than for some 

 time. The Michigan game warden law is rather a poor 

 stick in this vicinity. The appointment seems to be made 

 for political purposes in this county; but we live in hope 

 of a better condition of things. — W. H. S. 



. Wisconsin and Illinois Spring Shooting.— Madison, 

 Wis. — Wisconsin is vigorously enforcing the law prohibit- 

 ing spring shooting, while Illinois is slaughtering them in 

 every township in the State, which makes it very hard 

 for us to enforce the law: but we live in hopes that legis- 

 lative bodies will gradually develop intelligence to con- 

 sider and act as they should on this important question. 

 —A. M. D. 



Vinton, Iowa, April 23. — Prairie chickens have win- 

 tered well; the fields are full of them and the prospects 

 for a great crop of young was never better. But few 

 ducks have been seen; they either did not come or did 

 not tarry long on the way. Quail are scarce; the hard 

 winters have killed them out.— L. S. K. 



Gold Dust Landing, Red River, La,, April 16.— This 

 last week I had two very successful hunts for turkeys. 

 I yelped up a gobbler each hunt, and killed him in fine 

 #tyle. They averaged each 22-Jlbs. net. Will write the 

 hunts up for you soon. — G. D. A. 



Dog, Deer, Wire Fence.— A deer pursued by a dog 

 dashed into the village of Elizabethtown, Essex county. 

 N. Y., and broke its neck against a wire fence. 



THE ALBANY CAME LAW MILL. 



[Correspondence of Forest and Stream.] 



ALBANY, April 25.— The Legislature is now so nearly at its 

 . • close that nearly every game hill has been introduced. It 

 Will be of interest to take account of stock, and sec juat what the 

 bills are and where they are situated; so that if any one wishes to 

 help or hinder, he can write to his Senator or Member before final 

 adjournment on the 11th of May. 



The numbers which precede the description of the bills refer 

 tp their introduction and printing. The first numher in every in- 

 stance is the introductory number. If there is no second number 

 it means that the bill has not yet been printed. Tf there are one 

 or two numbers after the first number, they refer to the numbers 

 of the printed hill or hills: 



SENATE BILLS. 



14, 98, Langbein Csame as Hadley, Assembly 9!i), the game code 

 from Robert B. Roosevelt. In the Opmmltte on ©ame Law-.. 



51, 388. 464, Coggeshall, providing that woodcock, and gray squir- 

 rel and partridge season shall be only during September, October 

 and November; that no snare or bird lime shall be used; and that 

 The wild duck season shall begin April 1. In committee of tin 

 whole. 



65, 8, 356, Sloan, relating to sales of land which belong to the 

 Forest Preserve. In the Assembly. 



134. 289, 4(55, Coggeshall (same as Assembly 232, McAdam), mak- 

 ind the close season for duck, brant, etc., from March to Septem- 

 ber. In committee of the whole. 



276. 534, Foley, amending the hateherv laws so as to protect Mill 

 Creek. On third reading. 



347, 182, 268, Hawkins (same as Assembly 683, Hunting), ceding 

 lands under water in Huntington Kay, Long Island, to the trus- 

 tees of that town for the cultivation of shellfish. On third read- 

 ing. 



390, Hawkins, amending' the revised statutes relative to lands 

 under water. In the Committee on Commerce and Navigation. 



403, 347, 466, Coggeshall (same as Assembly 801, from the Game 

 Committee), providing for the appointment of fifteen fish and 

 game protectors and for as many districts, in committee of the 

 whole. 



417, 248, 348, Dearie, prohibiting pound-net or purse-net fishing 

 in the Hudson River from March 15 until June 15. In the Assem- 

 bly. 



628, 539, Coggeshall, amending Section 640 of the Penal Code in 

 regard to dredging for oysters. In committee of the whole. 



Appropriation bill, providing that the appropriation of $30,000 

 for the Forest Commission maybe used as it is desired, instead 

 of for specified objects. To the Governor. 



ASSEMBLY GAME BILLS. 



95, Hadley (same as Langbein, S. 14) the game code from Robert 

 B. Roosevelt. In the Committee on Game Laws. 



113, 531, Ainsworth, extending till Doc. 1 the time for killing 

 deer. On third reading. 



165, 717, Fort, changing the time of killing woodcock from Aug. 

 1 to Sept. 1. On third reading. 



188, 895, Flaherty, allowing sportsmen's clubs to participate in 

 the shooting of all animate things. In committee of the whole. 



205, Roeseh, making it lawful to shoot robins and blackbirds on 

 Long Island and Staten Island between Oct. 1 and Jan. 1. In the 

 Committee on Game Laws. 



222, 718, White, repealing the act of 1887 allowing the use of fyke 

 and other nets in Keuka Lake. In the Senate. 



232, 1,085. McAdam {same as Senate 124, Coggeshall), making the 

 season for duck, brant, etc., from March to September. On third 

 reading. 



242, 740, Husted, relating to the conveyance of the Creeclmoor 

 rifle range to the State. In committee of the whole. 



245, Knapp, placing Delaware county under the general law for 

 the shooting of woodcock, the close season being from January to 

 August. In the Committee on Game Laws. 



248, 209, 451, Hadley, permitting the lease to private parties, for 

 pleasure purposes, of small plots of land in the forest preserve, 

 the limit not to exceed five acres. To the Governor. 



348, 150, Cromwell, for the protection of menhaden and other 

 fish in Raritan Bay. In the Senate. 



416, Brownell, relating to judgments procured by fish and game 

 protectors. In the Committee on Game Laws. 



438, Brundage. giving the district attorney of Steuben county 

 discretion in regard to prosecuting complaints against violators 

 of the game laws. In the Committee on Game Laws. 



452, Prime, extending to Nov. 1 the time for hunting deer. In 

 the Committee on Game Laws. 



454, 481, Haggerty, allowing dumping anywhere within a radius 

 of twenty miles from the New York City Hall.. In committee of 

 the whole. 



497, 382, Cromwell, amending Sec. 640 of the Penal Code so as to 

 stop the stealing of oysters. In committee of the whole. 



513, Hadley. providing for a superintendent of fish and game 

 protectors. In the Committee on Game Laws. 



533, 301, 851, Tallmadge, protecting oyster beds in Kiugs county 

 from steam dredges. On third reading. 



595, 1092, Sheehan, allowing the possession and sale of pike, etc., 

 that have been taken outside of the State. lu committee of the 

 whole. 



599, Hadlev, permitting deer killing from Aug. 15 to Nov. 15 and 

 permitting hounding from Sept. 1 to Oct. 5. In the Committee on 

 Game Laws. 



622, Saxton, extending the time of rabbit shooting from Feb, 1 

 to March 1. In committee of the whole. 



624, 374, Husted, allowing clubs to sell to members real estate 

 and buildings, and to convey the same by deed, In the Senate. 



627, Hunnting, for the protection of the robin. In the Commit- 

 tee on Game Laws. 



634, 722, Comstock, giving special privileges to residents of 

 Jefferson county to fish in the St. Lawrence River. On third 

 reading. . 



683, 911, Hunnting, (same as Hawkiui's Senate 317) ceding lands 

 under water in Huntington Bay. Long Island, to the trustees of 

 that town for the cultivation of shellfish. On third reading. 



699, Brownell, making the deer season in Hamilton county from 

 Aug. 1 to Dec. 1. and permitting hounding between those dates. 

 In the Committee on Game Laws. 



701, 723, Thompson, allowing a State bounty of two cents for 

 every English sparrow. In the Senate. 



784. 512, Brundage, making the time in which it is lawful to 

 catch salmon trout including the months of September and Octo- 

 ber. In the Committee on Game ^aws. 



785,488, Hunnting, to promote the planting of oysters in Suf- 

 folk county. In the Senate. 



801, 511, the Committee on Game Daws, (same as Coggeshall's 

 Senate 403) providing for the appointmen t of fifteen fish and game 

 protectors and for as many districts. In the Senate. 



805, 834, 1093, Saverv, protecting bullheads, eels, suckers-, sunfish 

 and perch in the Seneca River from May 13 to June 15. On third 



^aS^Tailmadge, making the season for quail, hare and rabbit 

 Nov. 15 to Jan. 15, and allowing privileges for killing eagles, 

 songbirds, etc., by the owner of the premises. In the Committee 

 on Game Laws. 



862, 970, Aldrich, forbidding- the catching of salmon or lake trout 

 in Lake George from Sept. 1 to Feb. 1. In the Committee on Game 



887, 1084, Maynard, providing for a fish way in Chittenango Creek 

 On third reading. .. ... 



936, Cornwell, requiring all dogs to have a collar with the 

 owner's name upon if, or suffer the death penalty. In the Com- 

 mittee on General Laws. 



964, Knapp, including Delaware county in the forest preserve. 

 In the Committee on Ways and Means. 



1,010, 732, Endres, providing protection for homing pigeons. In 

 the Senate. . . , , , 



1,090. Cromwell, for the protection of planted oyster beds. In 

 the (!ommittee on Game Laws. 



1,036, Cromwell, allowing an engineer and a clerk to enforce the 

 act for the protection of shellfish. In the Committee on Ways 

 and Means. , , 



1,110. Fort, prohibiting the fishing for bullheads in Lake George 

 between April and July. In the Committee on Game Laws. 



1,124, 815, Savery, regulating fishing in Seneca River, In the 

 Committee on Game Laws. 



1,148, 663, granting to Durant Murray Island in Raquette Lake. 

 On third reading. 



1,166, Fuller, making the brook trout season (tor Chenango 

 county only) from April 1 to Aug. 1. No kind of fish may oe 

 caught between Jan. 15 and Mav 1 except as above. The wood- 

 cock season to be Sept. 1 to Jan. 1; and no quail to be killed for 

 five years. In the Committee on Game Laws. 



1,210, Piatt, exempting Dutchess county from all the game laws. 

 Reported adversely and killed. 



1,213, 904, Hunnting, prohibiting the shooting of ducks, etc., from 

 steamers in Gardiner's and Peconic bays. On third reading. 



1,234. 989, Piatt, protecting the forest preserve from railroads. 

 On third reading. „ 



1.237, 99L Aldrich, allowing the catchiugof black bass in Friends 

 Lake (or Brant Lake), Warren county, between Jan. 1 and Aug. 1. 

 On third reading, 



1,242, 993, Brownell, for the erection of fish hatcheries in the 

 several towns ot the State (but, more, especially at Indian Lake, 

 Hamilton county). On third reading. 



Albany, May 1.— The only bill relating to game matters which 

 hah yet become a law is the one by Assemblyman Cromwell 

 relating to lands under water in Raritan Bay. Considerable 

 progress may be recorded upon the game bills in the Legislature 

 during the past week. Gen. Hustcd's bill turning the Creedmoor 

 rilic range over to the State is in committee of the whole in the 

 Assembly , and is likely to be -reached before very long. The 

 Assembly committee on g.ime laws has reported the Aldrich bill 

 and the Ainsworth bill. The Assembly has passed the Maynard 

 bill providing for a fish way in Chittenango Creek. The Assembly 

 has passed I. lie Ainsworth bill (noted above) extending the season 

 for hounding deer fifteen days later than it, is at present. The 

 Senate has passed Mr. Hawkins' bill giving the right to cultivate 

 oysters in Huntington Bay. Mr. Murphy's bill amending the 

 Penal Code relative to oysters, and Mr. Foley's bill relating to the 

 fish hatchery on Mill Creek. 



One day hist week there came up in the Senate Mr. Hadley's 

 forest commissioners' bill, permitting the lease of small pieces of 

 land in the forest, preserve. Mr. Erwin explained that parties 

 had erected camps, cottages, boat, houses, etc., on public lands, 

 and the present question was whether they should be allowed 

 leases or be removed. Mr. Kellogg thought the bill a dangerous 

 piece of business, giving the commissioners altogether too many 

 and general powers. The forest preserve had been established to 

 keep lands together, and no permanent intrusion on them should 

 be allowed. Mr. Sloan said that the forest commissioners had 

 been appointed to preserve the forests. He did not think they 

 would neglect their duties or do anything to endanger the forests. 

 The bill was ordered to a third reading. 



hit mtd Mit er 



REMOVAL. 



The offices of Forest and Stbkam are now at No. 318 Broadway. 



WINTER SALMON. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The following facts regarding the habits of salmon 

 have lately come to my knowledge and will, I think, be 

 interesting to souie of the readers of Forest and Stream. 



Bollisle Bay is an inlet or bay on the St. John River in 

 New Brunswick. About twenty-eight miles above the 

 mouth of the river, the water may be called fresh, though 

 at very high tide it might possibly be slightly brackish. 

 There is but little current. The bay in the winter season 

 is heavily stocked with pickerel, chubb, suckers and other 

 small fresh-water fish. For the past four or five winters 

 parties living there bave been taking considerable quan- 

 tities of ba ss in nets set through the ice. In so doing they 

 ca,ugbt some salmon, so many in fact that one man deter- 

 mined to fish for the latter on a more extensive scale. He 

 obtained a license from the proper offices and commenced 

 operations in the latter end of December last. The mo- 

 dus uperundi is as follows: He cuts a hole through the 

 ice large enough to get the net through, then cuts seve- 

 ral smaller holes in a fine about 10 or 12 feet apart and 

 with a pike pole catches the end of the net rope and 

 passes it from hole to hole until the entire length is set 

 under the ice. The fish generally strike in in the night 

 and next morning he cuts open the holes and draws the 

 net up. From the time he commences fishing up to the 

 end of March he had taken upward of two hundred sal- 

 mon, for all of .which he found a ready and profitable 

 market in Boston. 



When taken in the early part of the winter the fish are 

 comparatively poor and dark colored, but as the season 

 advances they rapidly improve and are now exceedingly 

 fat and well colored. The stomachs of those examined 

 are full of young fish, and a pickerel six or eight inches 

 in lengtli was taken from the mouth of one of them. A 

 gentleman here, an old and experienced salmon fisher- 

 man, had one of these salmon sent to him a few days 

 since. He says he never saw a brighter nor fatter fish, 

 though when it was boiled he thought he could 

 detect a slight earthy or ground flavor peculiar to salmon 

 that have been long in fresh water. I have always 

 noticed the same in landlocked salmon. 



I am inclined to the idea that the Bellisle Bay fish 

 belong to a late run of salmon, which enter the river late 

 in August after the close of the legal fishing season, that 

 they then ascend the river, deposit their spawn, and on 

 their way back to the sea, finding an abundance of food 

 in the bay, remain there for the winter and in the spring 

 continue "their journey to the salt water. There is a late 

 run of salmon in all our rivers. Are they a different fish 

 from the early runners: I mean do the late running fish 

 always run late, or do they ever enter the river early 

 enough in the season to become available to anglers or 

 during the legal net ting season? If not they are valueless 

 unless taken as in Bellisle Bay. I would like to hear 

 what the salmon anglers think about them. 

 Feedekicton, New Brunswick. L HENRY Phair. 



INDIAN RIVER POMPANO. 



MARIETTA, Ga., April 23.— I send an extract from a 

 letter lately received from my old fishing com- 

 panion, B. C. Pacetti. at Halifax Inlet, describing the 

 fishing at Jupiter Inlet, South Florida. While to the 

 young and ambitious angler the tarpon is becoming the 

 favorite object of pursuit, there are many of the older 

 and less vigorous class who would enjoy the fishing for 

 pompano, here described by an expert. I can myself in- 

 dorse Mr. Pacetti's estimate of this fish, as a most vigor- 

 ous fighter, as well as one of the choicest fishes on the 

 table. S. C. Clarke. 



Ponce Park, Volusia County, Florida, April 15. — I ar- 

 rived home a few days ago from Jupiter and. the Indian 

 River Inlet with Mr. J. C. McFerron and Dr. Lewis Deihl, 

 from Louisville, Ky. We have the best record for pom- 

 pano ever made in this part of the world with rod and 

 reel. We caught in three days ninety -nine pompano. 

 On one day that we caught fifty-four pompano, we caught 

 eighty-eight other fish— bluefish, cavalli, and ladyfish. 

 Pompano fishing is worth more than all the fishing I have 

 ever experienced. There is nothing in the fish tribe that 

 can equal it for game, one of 31bs. will take fifteen min- 

 utes to J and . I was so interested to give them a trial, 

 that I caught ten in a short time. They take the bait 

 and run like lightning, and you seldom lose one, their 

 mouths being tough. 



We also caught with a shark fine a monster jewfish 

 which must have weighed SOOlbs. We also caught snap- 

 pers of 71bs., also large grampus and seatrout and bass; 

 our largest bass weighed 241bs., and bluefish of 5 to 71bs. 

 One party at Jupiter told us that two days before we 

 arrived they caught 144 bluefish, in one day. — B. C. P. 



