Feb. 17, 1887.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



67 



about the edge of the rocks, occasionally alighting on 

 the water to pick up a fragment of food, and rising on 

 the wing again to look for more. I stood thus watching 

 the spread of light as the sun rose higher and higher 

 above the horizon, and his rays illuminated in succession 

 Berwick pier and lighthouse, the sands of Spittal point 

 and beach, the links of Goswick and the castles of Baui- 

 borough and Holy Island, until my watch pointed the 

 hour of seven, and the bell of the town clock boomed 

 out its solemn confirmation, and I was beginning to think 

 of home and breakfast, when I observed a dark line 

 creeping up the glassy surface from the southeast, the 

 harbinger of the wished for " gull wind," and soon the 

 smooth water between my stand and Holy Island became 

 streaked with the "eatspaws" which precluded the 

 coming breeze. 



While thus watching the advance of the wind, which 

 began to fan my cheek in intermittent puffs, a shadow 

 crossed tlie point in front of me. and looking up I saw a 

 large gray gull hovering witliin 30ft. of my head. To 

 seize and pitch my gun was but the work of a second, and 

 the bird fell, dead shot, and lay upou the sloping turf at 

 the edge of the bank. I was' undetermined whether to 

 load up again or to pick up my bird and walk home, when 

 casting my eyes to the northward I observed a wavering 

 line of white objects following the sinuosities of the 

 shore. I made all haste to reload, and was just in time to 

 meet the first of the line with a charge of No. 4 shot, and 

 I continued shooting until sixteen large gulls lay dead 

 within a space of ten yards square, and rny guu became 

 so hot that I dared not put another charge of powder in. 

 All these birds took the inland side of my hiding place, 

 and were all shot within twenty yards of the gun muzzle, 

 and with the first one killed made seventeen killed with- 

 out a. miss. 



By this time the whole of the first flight had passed, and 

 other companies coming I soon secured all I wished, so 

 picking up half a dozen birds, as many as I could conve- 

 niently carry, and giving the remainder to a party of 

 fisher women and children, who had been gathering "bait 

 from the rocks to the northward, I started for home and 

 breakfast with a light heart and a heavy burden. 



These birds are chiefly valued for then- feathers, the 

 flesh of the old ones being tough and fishy; but the 

 breasts, wings and legs of the young ones, laid over night 

 in salt and water, and made' into a pie with a piece' of 

 pork or beefsteak, make a dish by no means unworthy of 

 the attention of a gourmand. S. D. 



Belleville, Ontario. 



WINTER IN CAMP. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I have eaten my supper and put the camp to rights. A 

 furious storm is raging without, but with a cheerful fire 

 the camp is cosy and I am prompted to give you a screed. 



"With the fading of the leaves I began to experience 

 longing for the woods, and one Monday morning in 

 September I started with a crew from the last settlement 

 on the east branch of the Mattawamkeag for its head- 

 waters to build a camp. The route was by old, disused 

 logging and tote roads, and required a great deal of 

 swamping out; so that it was nearly dusk when we 

 reached our destination and pitched the "Nessrnuk" tent, 

 and made snug for the night. The spot was on a bank of 

 a cold spring brook, and a noted runway for caribou. At 

 the end of the week a nice camp of peeled logs 10x12ft. 

 inside, with a wood shed annex of the same size, was, ex- 

 cept some inside work, completed. October 1 I started 

 in with a span of horses and a jumper loaded with my 

 winter's provision, such as flour, pork, beans, onions, cod- 

 fish, molasses, sugar, tea, canned goods and other condi- 

 ments. I expected to find plenty of game, but experience 

 had taught me that one cannot live on game alone for any 

 length of time. For a few days at first, by cooking in 

 several ways, one can live almost wholly upon it. After 

 that an occasional meal is all that is desired. After fitting 

 the inside, banking the outside with earth and boughs, 

 with a deep layer of boughs on the roof, I put hi my time 

 in pleasant weather fitting and piling my stock of wood 

 which I had cut sled-length and hauled up while having 

 tire team. I don't like the plan of cutting from clay to 

 day as needed, and wallowing waist deep in snow, green 

 wood at that. But that is the way with most hunters. 

 With a good stove and plenty of dry, hard wood, I can 

 laugh at .the rigors of this coldest of winters. A fire is 

 seldom kept up later than nine o'clock evenings, yet the 

 vegetables have not been chilled. 



My lines of traps are not extensive, owing to my lame- 

 ness, a legacy of that little "picnic" down in Mexico in 

 '46-'48. I have, shot two caribou near the cam]), and seen 

 a dozen or more handy by that I could have shot if so dis- 

 posed. But those I got were all" I could use, and there is 

 yet enough of the meat to "spring out" on. 



A few hunters from the settlement have made brief 

 calls and brought my mail, among which is the highlv 

 prized Fobest and Stream. I have always been a 

 reader of the paper, but never with so much pleasure as 

 this winter. I might have had a camp mate, but, like 

 Daniel Boone, I like camping by myself; besides, a long 

 winter in camp is trying to dispositions. So, too. there 

 are many sportsmen in the cities who would jump at the 

 chance and pay well for a home in my cozy camp and a 

 crack at the caribou. But I am not "built that way." 

 Sixty winters have frosted my head, but have not chilled 

 in me the least my love for a hunter's life. Warfield. 



Camp Caribou, Aroostook county. Me., Feb. 4. 



Rifle Sights. — Editor Forest and Stream : For 

 several years failing eyesight, mcideut to old age, has 

 made it extremely difficult to get satisfying aim even on 

 laige game. My near sight is a " buckhorn," and the 

 sides of the semicircular disk caused a blurr. I have 

 filed off the horns level, and a little of the V-shaped 

 notch, and cut down the bottom with a flat, square-edge 

 file as was recommended by a writer a few years ago in 

 your columns. The improvement is great.— Warfield 

 (Camp Caribou, Aroostook Co., Me.) 



: Notes From Southwestern Georgia.— Bain bridge. 

 Ga.— Deer, mink and otter are found here, and I am in- 

 formed that the beaver is yet occasionally met w*W>. 

 Quail are very abundant in the pine woods, and as one 

 can ride anywhere among the trees, afford a convenient 

 game. The wild turkey is also met frequently in these 

 splendid woods. Rabbits so abound that they have be- 

 come a nuisance to settlers. — Edward Jack. 



MONTANA NOTES. 



BOZEMAN, Mon., Jan. 20.— Montana Territory is hav- 

 ing an unusually heavy dose of winter weather, 

 and cattle are having a wretched time on the range, with 

 nothing but sage brush and snow to live on till a chinook 

 comes to their relief. The deer will not suffer while they 

 have rose brush in plenty, and the same is true of the 

 grouse. A few mallards winter here on the West Gallatin 

 River, which never freezes, on account of its great swift- 

 ness; and the little water ouzel, too, braves the cold 

 wherever open water is to be found. 



Following the good example of the bear, my partner 

 and I have "holed up" for the winter, and Forest and 

 Stream adds very materially to our enjoyment. 



One of the principal trespassers of the Crow Reserva- 

 tion stopped at our "shack'' last night, and, visitors being 

 rare, we talked tdl late at night on matters national and 

 territorial. Most, indeed all, the cattle that were on the 

 Reservation when the order of evacuation and destruc- 

 tion was issued will winter there, as they have for several 

 winters past, being taken off in the spring as formerly. 

 A show of rounding up and driving off of the stock was 

 made, but the stock men found that ice had already 

 formed along the sides of the Yellowstone, and the cattle 

 refused to enter it. If forced into the river, the ice on 

 the opposite side would have prevented their climbing 

 out, and they would simply have drowned. To drive 

 them into the mountain, on the south of the Reservation, 

 would have been equally impossible in the winter, so they 

 concluded to turn the cattle loose again and take chances. 



Some buildings and corrals were burned, some were 

 not. Those of Nelson Story, another of the trespassers, 

 escaped from their being just without the boundaries, his 

 cattle, however, range on the Reservation all right 

 enough. 



It is true enough that what few cattle the Crows own 

 would, if they were driven in at round-up time with cat- 

 tle belonging to white men.be immediately claimed as 

 mavericks (unbranded cattle) and marked with the brand 

 of the finder; but, on the other hand, the Crows levy a 

 very considerable tax by the surreptitious killing of a fat 

 beef whenever they want it, and also get considerable 

 beef from the carcasses of cattle killed'by the railroad. 

 In such cases the animal is killed by the railroad em- 

 ployees, or rather they hire some Indian to do it, as the 

 railroad company has the hides of such animals sent to 

 St. Paid that the brand may be proved; the beef is 

 claimed by the Indians. 



Few cattlemen would object to the Indians' killing now 

 and then a beef, if all the meat betaken and none wasted. 

 It is the finding of a fat steer with only a sirloin or 

 part of a ham taken, which is often done by predatory 

 bands from the North, that arouses the cowpunchers' 

 he, and the determination to make "good Indians." 



Ipsarraka. 



New York Law.— At the last meeting of the New 

 York Association for the Protection of Game, President 

 R. B. Roosevelt read the amendments to the game laws, 

 which will be sent to the Legislature. The amendments 

 provide that game birds may be sold until Feb. 15 and 

 venison until March 1. They forbid the hunting of deer 

 from Nov. 1 to Aug. 14; the' killing or having or selling 

 of wild duck or goose or brant from April 1 to Aug. 31; 

 of quail, robin, meadow larks or rabbit from Jan. 1 to 

 Sept. 30: of partridge, pinnated grouse, or Canada par- 

 tridge from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30; of woodcock from Jan. 1 

 to Sept. 30; of black or gray squirrel from Feb. 1 to July 31. 

 Every offense is punishable by a fine of §2.3. The bnly 

 summer shooting under the new laws would be Avood- 

 cock in July. Protection will also be given to trout 

 of the brook, speckled, German, California and 

 brown varieties from Sept. 1 to Feb. 28, except in the 

 Adirondack preserve; to lake trout and salmon trout from 

 Oct. 1 to March 31; to muskallonge, Oswego bass, black 

 bass, pike, perch, wall-eyed pike and fresh-water striped 

 bass from Jan. 1 to May 20. Each violation of these laws 

 will entail a fine of §10. The Fishmongers', the Game- 

 dealers', the Marketmen's and the Hotel associations 

 approve all the proposed amendments. The association 

 decided to ask Governor Hill to remove George W. Whit- 

 taker, game constable in Suffolk countv.f or incompetency. 

 —Times, Feb, 15. ' 



Davy Crockett's Stamping Ground.— Dversburgh, 

 Tenn.— This is the finest country for field, forest and 

 stream sport that I ever saw. It seems to be no trouble 

 in our beautiful dry Indian summer weeks for the sports- 

 men to find all the game they wish. You can take all 

 the fish in the lakes and bayous that any heart could de- 

 she. Parties bring them to town in wagons." on horseback 

 and some come carrying them. Deer are brought in 

 in the fall. The part of the country here, where deer, 

 bear, wild hogs, turkey, etc., are the niost abundant is 

 the Mississippi bottoms. The timber is mostly cotton- 

 wood and cypress, though sometimes a dense forest of 

 hickory may be foimd, the latter is found on what is 

 known by the natives as ridges. The white sand is found 

 in the lowest parts of the bottom and is literally roofed in 

 by large tall cypresses, which grow close together and 

 form a dense forest. Here is where the turkey hunter 

 loves to saunter, and it is needless to say that deer and 

 bear are plentiful. Not far away, over toward the Mis- 

 sissippi, was Davy Crockett's stamping grounds, where 

 he hunted for a number of years. Not long ago a party 

 of us went by what is known as Davy Crockett's camp. 

 We found the marks of his existence very dim; nothing 

 but the sign of his chimney remains.— T. T. P. 



The Ideal Manufacturing Co., of New Haven, 

 Conn., makers of reloading tools for rifles, pistols and 

 shotguns, have had the misfortune to be visited by fire. 

 Luckily, however, their damage was confined mostly to a 

 wetting down, and a few days will suffice to put them hi 

 complete running order again. They are to be congratu- 

 lated on their fortunate escape. 



Enlargement.— Messrs. Von Lengerke and Detmold, 

 of this city, dealers in general sporting goods, announce 

 that owing to an. increased business which has outgrown 

 their present facilities, they will move on the 1st of May 

 to larger quarters on the ground floor of No. 8 Murray 

 street. ' ' 



The Travelers, of Hartford, Conn., issued 2,130 life policies in 



AN ANALYSIS OF THE TRAJECTORY TEST. 



Concluded from Page. 9. 



THE MEAN TRAJECTORIES. 



T WILL next consider the mean trajectories as I find them laid 

 JL down in tpe tables in your pamphlet report, also in Fohest 

 and Stream. I will consider them in the order of their merit for 

 flat trajectories as established in your report. 



No. 1— Merrill's .12-100-213, ratio 1:2.13. Wind 18m. per hour. 

 Theoretic fall of ball 5.221iu. 



Yards. 35 50 75 100 



Height df Traj's .Of 1.130 +1.306 +1.2T3 -fO 



Negatives '.—.66 -.495 —.33 —.165 -0 



Errors -.66 +.035 +.076 +1.108 -0 



Semi-diani.ball.-21 -.21 —.21 —.21 



Reduced errors.— .45 +.425 +.766 +.898 + from the L.S. to 



the cut of bullet. 



Above we have the heights of trajectory; the + sign shows that 

 they are above its base. Next below are the negatives; the — sign 

 shows they are below the line of sight, and are to be subtracted. 

 Next comes with the — and + signs the vertical trajectory errors 

 or measurements for "accuracy," from the lino of sight to the 

 trajectory. And last is the semi-diameter of bullet, which is to 

 be subtracted to get the "reduced errors". After these the rifle 

 misses. 



No. 2.— Bland's .45-110-275, ratio 1: 2.50. Hollow pointed express 

 bullet. Wind 13m. Theoretic fall of ball 5.865in. 



Yards. 25 50 75 100 



Height of Traj's .0 +1.257 +L4G6 +1.304 -fO 



Negatives —.66 —.495 —.33 —.105 —0 



Errors ,...—.66 +.762 +1.136 +1.139 +0 



The Bland rifle shot with great power and force. Compare the 

 height of trajectory with the Merrill trajectory. 



Second trial, rifle not cleaned. Wind 12m. Theoretic faU of 

 ball 5.336in. 



Yards. 25 50 75 100 



Height of Traj's .0 +1.175 +1.334 +1.283 -0 



Negatives. —.66 -.485 —.33 —.165 -0 



Errors —.66 +.680 +1.004 +1.118 +0 



This trajectory is virtually the same as the Merrill. 



Third trial, solid ball, 110 310, ratio 1: 2.81. Wind 23m. Theoretic 

 fall of ball 5.340in. 



Yards. 25 50 75 100 



Height of Traj's ' .0 +1.053 +1.410 +1.283 +0 



Negatives —.66 —.495 — .:3 —.165 —0 



Errors -.60 +.557 +1X80 +1.H8 +0 



This trajectory at 50yds. is oulyl-lOin. higher than the Merrill 

 one. I happened to have this rifle in my possession when the 

 Forest and Stream announced its purpose to have a rifle test, 

 and the makers consented to have it entered. It was very kindly 

 sent to me to test its trajectory, forlhad ascertained that its tra- 

 jectory and the Holland trajectory of the English trial were 

 crooked, alike wavy and unnatural, and I desired to find the cause 

 of it. As I was an entire stranger to Blaud & Sons when they 

 shipped me the rifle, it shows thevhad confidence in me and their 

 rifle. 



No. 3.— Rem.-Hep., .32-40-120. ratio 1:3. 



Yards 25 50 75 100 



Height of Traj +1.468+1.803+1.525-1 



Negative —.60 —.495 —.33 —.165—0 



Krrors —.66 .973 1.473 1.360 Th. fall, 7.212in. 



Merrill errors —.66 .635 .976 1-108—0 Th. fall, 5.224in. 



Merrill beats — :0 +.34 +.50 +.252+0 1.988m. 



. And this, remember, is the flattest trajectory of all the 31 Amer- 

 ican breechloaders tested. A beat of .50 in 1.47, about 33 per cent., 

 and almost 2in. in the fall of the ball. 



No. 4. Bulla rd., .50-115-350, solid ball ratio 1:3.04. Wind 18m. 

 Yards. 25 50 75 100 



Height of Traj 1.59S 1.817 1 957-0 



Negatives —.66 —.495 —.33 — .165— 



—.66+1.103 +1.487 +1.492+0 Th. fall, 7.268in. 



The muzzleloadcr beats this rifle, as will be seen, a little more 

 tha.u it did the one above. 



Same rifle, .50-115-300, expl. ball, ratio 1:2.61. Wind 15m. 

 \ards. 2o 50 75 100 



Height traj 1.690 2.017 1.878 



-.66 —.495 —.33 -.165 -0 

 Errors 66 +1.1*5 +1.717 +1.713 +0 Th. fall, 8.188in. 



The muzzleloader beat the Bullard with the express bullet con- 

 siderably more than it dirt with the solid on;. Notice the differ- 

 ence in the fall of the bullet for the range, as well as the ratio of 

 powder to lead in the charge. Do this as you proceed through tho 

 rest of the 31 trials. 



I have omitted to state in the proper place that — (minus) .66 

 shows that the trajectory or bullet starts from below the line of 

 sight. See the diagram to explain this. 



No. 5.— Ballard, .40-85-370, ratio 1:4.47. Wind Urn. 

 Yards. 25 50 75 100 



Height traj +1.708 +2.061 +1.821 +0 



Negatives —.66 —.495 —.33 — .165 —0 



Errors —.60 1.213 1.731 1.656 Th. fall, 8.244in. 



Merrill —.66 .635 .976 1,108 -0 Th. fall, 5.224in. 



Merrill beats... +.578 +.755 +.448 4-0— 3.02in. 



This trajectory is in the diagram. At 50yds. the muzzleloader 

 beats m less error, or in accuracy, as string .976 is to string 1.731; 

 and the theoretic fall of its bullet for the range is over 3in, less 



No. 6.— Mabun .32-40-165, ratio 1: 4.12. Wind. 10m. 

 Yards. 25 50 75 100 



Height tra j +1.773 +2.128 1.868 +0 



Negatives —.66 —.495 —.33 —.165 " 



Errors —.66 +1.278 +1.798 -1.703 +0 Th. fall, 8.512in. 



NO. 7.— Maynard., .40-70-240, ratio 1: 3.40. Wind, 18 miles. 

 Yards. 25 50 75 1C0 



Height of Traj +1.758 +2.155 +1.895 —0 



Negatives —.66 —.195 —.33 —.165 —0 



Errors —.66 +1.263 +1.825 +1.7S0 +0 Th. fall, 8.620in. 



Merrill -.66 +.635 +.976 +1.108 +0 Th. fall, 5.224in. 



Merrill beats.... — .0 +.628 +-.849 +.623 +0-3.395in. 



This curve is in the diagram. The muzzleloader beats it in less 

 error or greater vertical accuracy at 50vds. as .976 is to 1.825 or 

 nearly as 2 to 1; and in the less (theoretic) fall of its bullet bv 3.4in. 



I should have before stated that the fall of the bullet in air is a 

 little more than the theoretic fall in vacuum. 



In all 33 cases or shots the line of fire or axis of the bore practi- 

 cally points above the point blank PB on the target, a distance a 

 little greater than the theoretic fall of the bullets as we give them. 



No. 8. — Bullard .40-70-230, ratio 1:3.30, wind ISm. 

 Yards. 25 50 75 100 



Heights of traj's.. 1.740 2.157 1.888 

 —.66 —.495 —.33 —.165 —0 

 Errors .—.66 +1.245 +1.827 +1.723 -0 Th. f all, 8.028in. 



No. 9.— Winchester .50-95-312, ratio, 1:3.28; wind, ISm.; shot No. 

 3 out: 



Yards. 25 50 75 100 



Height tra j 1.740 2.203 2.210 



Negatives —.66 .495 .33 .165 



Errors 66 +1.245 +1.873 +2.015 +0 Th. fall, 8.S12in. 



No. 10, Bullard .45-85-290; ratio, 1:3.40: wind, 11m. 

 Yards. 25 50 75 ioo 



Height traj 1.791 2.210 1.691 



Negatives —.66 —.495 —.£3 —.165 —0 



Errors 66 +1.296+ 1.880 +1.726 +0 Th. fall, 8.840in. 



No. 11, Winchester .40-60-210; ratio, 1:3.50; wind, 18m. 

 Yards. 25 50 75 100 



Height traj 1.903 2,290 1.973 



Negatives —.66 —.495 —.33 —.165 —0 



Errors 66 +1.408 +1.960 +1.808 +0 Th. fall, 9.160in. 



No. 12.— Winchester .50-95-800, ratio 1:3.16, wind 15m. 

 Yards. 25 50 75 100 



Heights of traj's. 2.090 2.388 2.156 



Negatives —.66 —.495 —.33 —.165 —0 



Errors 66 +1.595 +2.058 +1,991 +0 Th. fall, 9.552in. 



No. 13. — Whitney-Kennedt, .40-60-210, ratio 1:3.50. Wind 6m. 

 Yards. 25 * 50 75 100 



Height traj 1.S64 2.423 2.107 —0 



Negatives —.66 —.495 —."3 —.165 —0 



Errors — 66 +1.469 +2.093 +1.942 + Th. fall 9.692in. 



' No. 14.— Bullard. .32-40-150, ratio 1:3.75. Wind 18m. 

 Yards. 25 50 75 100 



Height traj 2.047 2.443 2.087 



Negatives —.66 —.495 —.S3 —.165 



Errors. -,66 +1.552 +2.113 +1.9&3 +0 Th. fall, 9.772in. 



Shots Nos. 5 and 6 are out— series 1 to 7 shots. 

 No. 0.— Bullard .38cal. "lefusedto act" or work, hence it failed, 

 See p, 7b, pamphlet report. 



