March 31, 1887.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



201 



waters of this State, is guilty of a misdemeanor. Every 

 person who shall cast, extend, or set any seine or net of 

 any kind for the catching of In any river, stream or slough 

 of this State, winch shall extend more than one-third 

 across the width of said river, stream or slough at the 

 time and place of such fishing, is guilty of a misdemeanor. 

 Every person who shall cast, extend, set, use or continue, 

 or who shall assist in casting, extending, using or 

 continuing, ''Chinese sturgeon lines," or "Chinese 

 shrimp or bag nets/' or lines or nets of sinii- 

 ilar character, for the catching of fish in the 

 waters of this State, is guilty of a misdemeanor. 

 Every person who, by seme or other means, shall catch 

 the young fish of any species, and who shall not return 

 the same to the water immediately and alive, or shall sell 

 or offer for sale any such fish, fresh or dried, is guilty of 

 a misdemeanor. Every person convicted of a violation 

 of any of the provisions of this chapter shall be punished 

 by a fine of not less than $50 or more than §300, or im- 

 prisonment in the county jail of the county where the 

 offense was committed for not less than thirty days nor 

 more than six months, or by both such fine and imprison- 

 ment. One-third of all moneys collected for fines for 

 violation of the provisions of this chapter to be paid to 

 informer, one-third to the district attorney of the county 

 in which the action is prosecuted, and one-third to the 

 lish Commissioners" Fund of the State of California. 

 Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit the 

 United States Fish Commissioners or the Fish Commis- 

 sioners of the State of California from taking such fish as 

 they shall deem necessary for the purpose of artificial 

 hatching, nor at any time*. It shall not be lawful for any 

 person to buy or sell, or offer or expose for sale, within 

 this State, any kind of trout (except brook trout) less than 

 8in. in length. Any person violating any of the pro- 

 visions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor. The 

 board of supervisors of the several counties of this State 

 are authorized, by ordinance duly passed and published, 

 to change the beginning or ending of the close season 

 named in section 026 of this code, so as to make the same 

 conform to the needs of their respective counties, when- 

 ever in their judgment they deem the same advisable. 



BEARS AND BEAR HUNTERS. 



STAUNTON, Va., March 8.— Wlrile the bear stories 

 are going the rounds let me tell you one. Mr. Hugh 

 Ingram and son, living at Buffalo Gap, in the North 

 Mountain, ten miles west of this city, while returning 

 from their work in the mountains a few days ago, noticed 

 on the snow signs of fresh earth, thrown out of a sort of 

 cavern formed by the falling of a large tree, which had 

 torn up roots and earth in a way familiar to every woods- 

 man. Upon examination into the cause of these fresh 

 disturbances the skull of a bear was seen just inside the 

 pit, and the father, who is an old and skilled hunter, 

 called upon the boy to arm himself with some good-sized 

 stones, and by one* well-directed cast the head was fairly 

 crushed. They then pulled it out and found it to be a 

 cub about a year- old. But as soon as he was fairly out 

 of the mouth of the cavern, another head appeared, and, 

 like the Irishman at the side show with the snakes, young 

 Ingram saluted it with a stone, and down it went. His 

 father and himself pulled the mate to the first cub out 

 dead, and just as the orifice was cleared of this one, the 

 old lady bear appeared in sight, gave one growl and made 

 a dash for liberty, Ingram's shepherd dog seized her as 

 she ran past him, and hung on to her about ten paces. 

 She, However, soon shook him off, and made her way 

 safely to the mountain. 



The Staunton Spectator of this date, showing the 

 destruction of the bear family that has lately been going 

 on in an adjoining county of Rockingham, says: "In 

 Briery Branch, Rockingham county, four citizens have 

 killed and captured ten bears since Feb. 1. The Spirit of 

 the Valley says that John A. Curry has killed two, Phillip 

 Miller one, George Michael two (and captured two cubs) 

 and James D. Long has killed three." 



I think these circumstances go pretty far to show that 

 these animals do not hibernate in this latitude to any 

 very great extent Whack. 



WISCONSIN GAME LAW. 



THE new Wisconsin game law reads: Sec. 1. It shall 

 be unlawful to take, catch, kill, or have in possession 

 when killed or taken, any woodcock between the first 

 day of December and the succeeding tenth day of July. 



Sec. 2. It shall be unlawful to take, catch, kill, or have 

 in possession when killed or taken, any quail, partridge, 

 pheasant or ruffed grouse, prairie hen or prairie chicken, 

 sharp-tailed grouse or grouse of any other variety, snipe, 

 plover, or wild duck of any variety, or any aquatic fowl 

 whatever, between the first clay of December and the 

 succeeding first day of September. 



Sec. 3. It shall be unlawful to kill or take by any 

 means, contrivance or device whatever, or pursue with 

 intent to kfll or take or worry, or to hunt with dog or 

 dogs, any deer, buck, doe or fawn, between the tenth day 

 of November and the succeeding first day of October. 



Sec. 4. It is unlawful at any time to take, catch or kill 

 any of the animals or birds mentioned in the first three 

 sections of this act, by means of any snare, net, trap or 

 spring gun: and it shall also be unlawful at any time to 

 use at any time in pursuit of any such animal or bird, any 

 pivot or swivel gun, or any other firearm not habituallv 

 held at arm's length and discharged from the shoulder. 



Sec, 5. It shall be unlawful to take, destroy, or have in 

 possession the eggs of any of the birds mentioned in this 

 act, or of any wild pigeon, or to wantonly disturb or 

 molest the nesting place of any such bird or pigeon, or to 

 kill, wound or take any wild pigeon within three miles 

 of a pigeon roost. 



Sec. 6. It shall be unlawful to use in the pursuit of any 

 duck, goose, brant or other aquatic bird, any decoys, 

 sneak boat, sail boat, steamboat or floating raft or box,' or 

 any similar device, and it shall also be unlawful to con- 

 struct any blind in the open water outside the natural 

 growth of grass or rushes. 



Sec. 7. It shall be unlawful at any season to hunt, shoot, 

 catch or pursue any of the birds or animals mentioned in 

 the first six sections of this act in the night time, or to 

 employ any device, means or contrivance whatever for 

 catching, killing or destroying any such animal in the 

 night time. 



Sec. 8. It shall be unlawful to kill, take, wound or pur- 

 sue any of the birds or animals mentioned in the first six 

 sections of this act with intent to export, carry or convey 



the same, or any part or portion of such bird or animal 

 beyond the boundaries of this State. In determining the 

 question of intent of any party charged under this section, 

 any competent proof that the accused has within one 

 year exported or caused to be exported or conveyed 

 beyond the limits of this State, any bird or animal covered 

 by this section, or any part of such bird or animal, shall 

 be received as prima facie evidence of the existence of 

 such unlawful intent charged in the complaint or informa- 

 tion. 



Sec. 9. it shall be unlawful to catch, kill or destroy, or 

 have in possession when so killed or taken, any otter, 

 marten, mink or muskrat or fisher between the first day 

 of May and the succeeding first day of November. 



Sec. 10. It shall be unlawful to pursue, trap, ensare or 

 kill any otter, beaver, mink or muskrat or other fur-bear- 

 ing animal, upon the lands or to the middle of any stream 

 of water adjoining lands of another person who is en- 

 gaged in the business upon such lands, of breeding or 

 rearing any such animals. 



Sec. 11. Any person who shall violate any provision of 

 this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be 

 punished by fine not exceeding one hundred dollars, or 

 by imprisonment in the county jail not more than six 

 months or by both such fine and imprisonment. 



THE ALASKA EXCURSION. 



NEW YORK, March 28.— Editor Forest and Stream : 

 I suppose that any undertaking of the magnitude 

 of the Alaskan sportsmen's excursion is sure to encounter 

 difficulties, and when I received a copy of the "Laws and 

 Executive Orders Relating to Alaska," and read Section 

 1,955, which says in substance that no firearms, ammu- 

 nition or distilled spirits shall be exported from any port 

 or place in the United States to the Territory of Alaska, 

 and all such arms, ammunition and distilled spirits landed 

 or attempted to be landed or used at any port or place in 

 that territory shall be forfeited, and if the value of the 

 same exceeds $400 the vessel upon which they are found 

 or from which they have been landed, together with her 

 cargo, tackle, apparel and furniture shall be forfeited, 

 and any person violating such regulations shall be fined 

 not more than $500 or imprisoned not more than six 

 months, I was dismayed, And Section 1,956 says that no 

 person shall kill any otter, mink, martin, sable, or fur- 

 seal Or other fur-bearing animal within the limits of the 

 Alaska Territory or in the waters thereof, and every per- 

 son guilty thereof shall, for each offense, be fined not 

 less than $200 nor more than $1,000, or imprisoned not 

 more than six months, or both. This section, however, 

 contains a "but" that saves the Alaskan excursion from 

 shipwreck before leaving New York; and it reads like 

 this: "But the Secretary of the Treasurer shall have 

 power to authorize the lulling of such mink, marten, 

 sable or other fur-bearing animal, except fur seals, under 

 such regulations as he may prescribe." And I take great 

 satisfaction in stating that Secretary of the Treasury C. 

 S. Fairchild, after some little correspondence to show 

 him what we wanted, issued the necessary instructions 

 to the Collector at Sitka under date of March 25. So the 

 shipwreck that seemed imminent has happily been averted, 

 thanks to Secretary Fairchild. 



Since I last wrote you, we have had a net gain of two 

 to our numbers, two having been obliged to drop out 

 owing to sickness and unforeseen circumstances, so we 

 yet have room for eight more. There is an opinion pre- 

 vailing among the majority of those who have decided 

 to go that the start ought to be delayed until July 15, for 

 the reason that the fur of the fur-bearing animals kilLed 

 in the middle of summer, while they were shedding their 

 coats, would be in no condition to preserve, and if the 

 start was delayed till July 15, we could postpone the re- 

 turn till well, into October, and thus secure mementoes of 

 the trip after the fur had set, in a good condition for 

 preservation. This will be done in deference to the 

 wishes of the majority. 



The latest news from England is under date of March 

 4. A. W. Craig, Esq., of Baythorn Park, Halstead, 

 Essex, writes that family affairs will prevent him from 

 leaving England to accompany the party, much to his 

 regret, but that he has two or three friends coming to the 

 United States this summer who will probably accompany 

 us. To my mind, the decision to delay the start until 

 July 15, is' a good one, and the ultimate success of secur- 

 ing the desired number (30) assured. 



J. E. Palmer (Morton House, City). 



THE MICHIGAN WARDEN. 



EAST SAGINAW, Mich., March 23.— Editor Forest 

 and Stream: Inclosed find clipping from the Grand 

 Rapids Eagle of the 19th. This has the right ring about 

 it. and if the new warden does as he talks we shall have 

 no reason to regret the Governor's appointment. How- 

 ever, sportsmen throughout the State were very much 

 disgusted with the action of Governor Luce, as they were 

 a unit in saying he had the appointment made before the 

 office was created, and used it to repay a political friend. 

 Mr. Smith is a bright young lawyer and has lots of energy 

 and push, but it is extremely doubtful whether he knows 

 a ruffed grouse from a bluejay. After the number of 

 years of hard work that the Michigan Sportsmen's Asso- 

 ciation has spent in its endeavors to secure the passage of 

 a game warden bill, and the earnestness it has shown in 

 its work for the protection of game in the State, it was 

 certainly entitled to the consideration at least of being 

 consulted, even though the Governor made the appoint- 

 ment to suit himself afterward. The people in this part 

 of the State, however, will do everything in then power 

 to assist Mr. Smith, I am confident, 'and as it is largely an 

 experiment, and we are interested in the success of " the 

 measure. I know that the sportsmen throughout the State 

 will lend a willing and helping hand to him in enforcing 

 the laws. B. 



The Eagle says: Knowing the interest felt throughout 

 the State upon the course that will be pursued by the 

 new game warden, the Eagle called upon Mr. Wm. Alden 

 Smith of this city, the newly appointed State game and 

 fish warden, who returned last night from Detroit, where 

 he has been to consult the State Fish Commissioners and 

 others especially interested in the enforcement of the 

 game and fish law, and asked regarding the attitude he 

 should assume in the premises. He said, "Governor 

 Luce tendered me this position unsought, of his own will 

 and accord, and simply said to me, 'There is an import- 

 ant and responsible position which a large and respect- 

 1 able number of our citizens in and outside of sportsmen's 



organizations have been endeavoring to create for many 

 years. At last they have succeeded, and the measure is 

 meritorious. The law should be enforced, and you can 

 have the position unhampered and unrestricted in every 

 way. All I shall expect of you is to enforce the law, 

 and while I am Governor of Michigan, I shall back you 

 up, and aid you wherever in my pow er. You are to 

 represent no clique or class, but owe allegiance wholly 

 to the people of the entire State,'" 



"Under such conditions," Mr. Smith said, "I accepted 

 the place, and am determined to ma ke the appointment a 

 creditable one to Governor Luce, satisfactory to the 

 friends of the measure, and creditable to myself. Of 

 course I realize the difficulty of enlisting the local Boards 

 of Supervisors where the immediate constituency derive 

 both profit and pleasure from violating tbe law. But in 

 most of the counties, especially the northern ones, the 

 local authorities will do all in their power. I have al- 

 ready received about 200 letters from different parts of 

 the State assuring me of hearty co-operation. It shall 

 be my purpose in the appointment of deputies to select 

 men fitted for the place. Applications are pouring in 

 upon me very fast, but I shall take time to organize an 

 efficient and effective force for the work on hand. Several 

 prosecuting attorneys have assured me of then willing- 

 ness to prosecute offenders. Their co-operation is very 

 much needed to make the work a success. Wherever 

 they are loath to take the initiative I shall try the cases 

 myself as far as possible. The value of the game and 

 fish product in Michigan is enormous, and if the laws re- 

 garding its preservation are obeyed, it will last many 

 years, but if they are slaughtered and destroyed wan- 

 tonly, it will be but a short time before several of the 

 most valued species are extinct. 



"Finally, you can say for me that my purpose is to dis- 

 creetly and energetically enforce the laws as they appear 

 upon the statute books, and the responsibility must fall 

 upon the Legislature that enacted them. If the laws are 

 just they should be obeyed, and if unjust, repealed. The 

 State Fish Commissioners, as well as Mr. Gillman, Dr. 

 Holmes and others interested, assured me of their hearty 

 co-operation, and I shall enter upon the duties of the 

 position with an uncompromising determination to suc- 

 ceed." 



MISSISSIPPI SNIPE. 



ABERDEEN, Miss., March 21.— Our quail season closed 

 on the 15th of the present month. Notwithstanding 

 the long open time and the great number of sportsmen, 

 there is a sufficient number of birds left over to insure a 

 fine crop for the next season. 



Snipe have been coming in in fair numbers for several 

 weeks, but have been pursued so constantly that they are 

 exceedingly wild. Many good bags have been made, but 

 at an expenditure of effort and ammunition altogether 

 out of proportion to the number killed. 1 went out some 

 ten days ago in the afternoon with a friend who has been 

 very successful in former excursions. 



We rode on horseback to a field just across the creek 

 some two miles from town. 



The day was warm, calm and bright, and according to 

 all the rules the birds should have afforded good shooting. 

 But snipe, like men, seem sometimes to take a positive 

 delight in violating all rules and regulations, and a more 

 persistent set of law-breakers than the birds in this par- 

 ticular field I have never seen. Instead of rising within 

 20 or 30yds. and going off at moderate speed, these ill- 

 conditioned birds would get up at distances never under 

 40yds. , and striking a mile-a-minute gait would not clear 

 the tops of the low cotton stalks until they were 60 or 

 70yds. away. As I was there to shoot, I shot, and once 

 in. a very great while I had the satisfaction to arrest one 

 of these swift flyers and see him fold his fleet wings and 

 make a final pause in his mad career. But these happy 

 accidents were dotted along the dreary waste of unprofiL 

 able shots even more sparingly than the oft-quoted oases 

 in the historic Sahara, and "wading in the thick mud 

 under a glowing sun grew at length just a trifle monoton- 

 ous. 



To add to my discomfiture my horse, a wall-eyed brute 

 of gaunt proportions and uncertain temper, but candor 

 compels me to add of fast and easy gait, had taken it into 

 his evil head to break the halter by which I had anchored 

 him to a convenient stump, and leave for town at a 2.40 

 gait, his hoofs clattering over the long wooden bridge 

 like a full charge of cavalry. 



My companion, who is an excellent shot and has one of 

 the hardest and clearest shooting guns I have ever seen, 

 succeeded in making a tolerable "bag, and I was debating 

 whether it were better to tramp over the long and dusty 

 road to town or to borrow a mule from the "son of toil," 

 who cultivates the place where we were shooting, and 

 continue the hunt, when to my delight a colored brother 

 hove in sight leading the recreant steed. The ill-con- 

 ditioned brute had divested himself of the bridle and the 

 negro was leading him by a bit of plow line eked out 

 with a whip lash. Repairing to the aforesaid stump, I 

 found the greater part of the halter, and with that and 

 the bit of rope contributed by the negro improvised a 

 bridle. 



Being again possessed of the means of locomotion, we 

 determined to repair to an adjoining sedge field and try 

 for a bevy of quail. The birds were soon found and I had 

 the satisfaction to bag five in seven shots, making a double 

 and felling a third that rose wild as we were retrieving 

 the first brace. One of this brace was only wing-broken 

 and had fallen near a large ditch full of water. In his 

 efforts to escape he took to the water and swam like a 

 duck. On our way home the dogs pointed a bevy in some 

 thin woods. One of the birds rose and perched in a tree 

 nearly over the head of one of the dogs. 



The dog saw the bird and transferred his point to it, 

 assuming one of the most picturesque attitudes I have 

 ever seen. We bagged a brace from this bevy, which 

 was a small one, and this ended our hunt. Our bag num- 

 bered nine quail, sixteen snipe, twenty-five in all, a very 

 fair bag for two guns in less than five horns and within 

 two miles of a town of five thousand inhabitants. Still, 

 had the snipe behaved with ordinary decency, we could 

 easily have bagged double the munber. Will. 



Illicit Quail Dealers to Pay the Penalty.— Canas- 

 tota, N. Y., March 14.— Editor Forest and Stream: At 

 the special term court in Onondaga county to-day I re- 

 ceived judgment against a party in Syracuse for having 

 quail out of season in the sum of $75. — Wm. H. Lindley, 

 Thirteenth District. 



