July l, l&mj 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



491 



predate the sport which these animals afford can be 

 found in their glory. 



It was singular, but I did not see a partridge (grouse), 

 nor did I see a man who had seen any. t cannot believe 

 that they do not exist there. It is a land that produces 

 nuts and berries in the utmost profusion. 



Of course, wildfowl shooting is good in the season. 

 When the geese and ducks come south in the fall the 

 waters of White River are covered with them. 



If I could go there for sport I would go in October or 

 not later than November. I would carry a Winchester 

 for large game, a shotgun for feathers and a ,22cal. rifle 

 for fun. If a man could not supply a hearty appetite 

 with enough game with the aid of the little rifle heougfffi 

 go hungry; and he would not need to take an unfair 

 [vantage of the game either. 



To reach the Ozarks from New York take the Pennsyl- 

 vania road to Springfield, Mo. It will cost a little over 

 " ' : including palace car and meals to ride there. A spur 

 the 'Frisco road runs down iuto Taney county. The 

 re is a dollar, T think. Thereafter one can either hire 

 guide with dogs, team and camping outfit for, say, $3, 

 ; ior he can take up quarters at some tavern. A pleasant 

 ■trip would include a stop at Ozark, Christian county, at 

 (Mrs. Wrightsraan's hotel; another at Forsyth, Taney 

 County, at the Bilsabeck House; another at Vivian's, in 

 pakersfield, Ozark county. Mrs, Wrightsman and Mrs. 

 fvivian are model cooks — serve food that a Northern man 

 Can relish. Vivian is a sportsman of the native sort, and 

 a right good fellow. 



I have forgotten to mention the fish. I saw some big 

 jphannel catfish, one weighed over 401bs. I was told of 

 ithers weighing over 7a. I was told there were no trout 

 here. This seems to have been an error from what you 

 ave printed. The water was clear and beautiful in "the 

 .reams, but it did not taste just right to me. I believed 

 ;hose who said there were no trout — the taste of the 

 r ater made me do so. Possibly the fault was in myself. 

 I can heartily recommend the readers of the Forest 

 !and Stream to try a trip to the Ozarks. It is a most 

 beautiful country, and the climate in the foil can be de- 

 scribed in no better way than by the word delicious. 



_ _John R, Spears. 



[PATTERN AND PENETRATION TESTS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Your journal is entitled to the thanks of shotgun men 

 who like trap practice for the exhaustive gun trial you 

 have begun. But the task v*ill prove a lengthy one. 

 iHuch time, good judgment, technical knowledge and 

 powder and. shot will be required if the experiments are 

 jfiarried to any satisfactory conclusion. But the points 

 which recommend this trial to trap-shooters lies in the 

 hope that that trial may demonstrate what should be the 

 method of handicapping guns, so as to put the handlers 

 on an equality with each other, so far as guns of different 

 weight and caliber are in question. Handicapping by 

 caliber will, I believe, be found to be wrong. Other 

 Things being equal, weight, which largely if not wholly 

 governs charges, will be found to be the factor to be taken 

 Into account in the greatest degree, as applying to guns 

 alone, leaving the handler out of question, I believe 

 that the tests for killing power will show strongly in 

 [favor of heavy guns, without reference to bore. That is, 

 'ie actual killing power of two guns of equal weight but 

 1 different, caliber will be found to differ but little when 

 >ach gun is loaded to bring out its best capacities. If 

 your trial is carried out with the fullness and accuracy 

 §jf detail that characterized the rifle trial conducted by 

 Forest and Stream, and the problems presented well 

 Worked out, it will be a great contribution to the science 

 pi gunnery as applied to shotguns. I confidently pre- 

 dict that at its conclusion this trial will lead to radical 

 changes in the present general method of equalizing guns 

 a,t the traps, and that method adopted by the National 

 ^association in particular. * Nor'east. 



Auburn, Me. 



JSditor Forest and Stream: 



L I have been a, subscriber and constant reader of the 

 [Forest and Stream for the last four years, and I con- 

 sider it good authority on all matters pertaining to guns 

 and gunning. I read your articles on trajectories and 

 learned a great deal that was useful to me, and I expect 

 jo learn a great deal more from your test of shotguns. 

 fThe questions as to charges and weights of guns as laid 

 down by J, J. M. are questions that have troubled me for 

 a long time, and it affords me pleasure to know that so 

 able authority as the Forest and Stream has under- 

 dertaken the solution of them, for I know that it will 

 benefit hundreds of gunners who now carry guns, some 

 ^oo heavy and some too light, some too large in bore find 

 some too small for the pnrpose. N. 

 Pottsville, Pa. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In your tests it might be well to see whether a recoil 

 pad lessens penetration; also, how much more loz. of 

 Chilled shot will penetrate than Ljoz., same load of 

 powder — say 3| drains dead shot; bow much more a 

 gun will penetrate when the stock is placed against a 

 post. This point may show shooters the importance of 

 folding a gun very hard against the shoulder. H. 



Philadelphia. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



My suggestions for the shotgun trials are as follows: 

 First— Will a gun barrel shoot as hard when well greased 

 as it will when dirty with soft powder? Second — Will a 

 rubber recoil pad weaken penetration? Third — Is there 

 any difference of account between a 26 and a 30in. 

 barrel ? . W. 



Nkwahk, N. J. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In describing the guns tested at Claremont the make of 

 barrel and kind of choke is not given. Barrels are of 

 two kinds, English and Belgian, and the advocates of 

 the former claim for them greater penetration because 

 of their being made of a harder metal and consequently 

 possessing greater elasticity. In this trial of penetration 

 :he make of barrel, i. e. , whether English or Belgian, 

 should be declared. It was required to be declared in 

 fehe trial conducted by the London Field in 1879. 

 In respect to declaring the kind of choke I have this 

 Bay. While the contest was between cylinders and 

 okes it was sufficient merely to state that the particu- 

 barrel was choked, but now with cylinders practi- 



cally out of the race and the contest left to the different 

 chokes, the kind of choke shofdd be given; and the de- 

 clared pattern should also be taken as it was in 1879. In 

 the latter trial, recoil, depending as it does on the boring 

 of the gun as well as on the amount of charge and nature 

 of explosive, was a prominent factor in the test. I don't 

 see. it mentioned here. 



In an article entitled "Pattern and Penetration Tests." 

 published Feb. 21, 1889, you stated that the gun's pedi- 

 gree would be taken with description of barrels, whether 

 choked and how and of what material. 



Certainly in a gun's pedigree so important a matter as 

 the parentage of its barrels should not be omitted; and 

 your correspondent J. J. M., whose interesting letter you 

 published with that article, will be disappointed unless 

 the kind of choke is deckued, for he hoped to see the re- 

 lative merits of the recess and muzzle choke determined. 



Rochester, N. Y. 



R. 



THE ARKANSAS GAME LAW. 



LITTLE ROCK, Ark., June 24.— Editor Foreft and 

 Stream: I see in your last issue a letter from Mr. S. 

 D. Barnes, of Bald Knob, about the Arkansas game law, 

 which deserves some attention. I agree with him that 

 changing the open season for deer from September to 

 August was a step in the wrong direction, but it is due to 

 the demands of the farming element, whose interests 

 seems to be so dear to his soul. I am well versed in the 

 history of game legislation in this State, having had the 

 matter largely in charge. I know that we had to accept 

 this change or a repeal of the whole law because the 

 farmers deluged the Legislature with petitions, alleging 

 that August was the only time they had to hunt deer, 

 having their crops laid by" and nothing else to do. So we 

 had to take the change and make the best of a bad bar- 

 gain. 



But Mr. Barnes's wrath Seems to be chiefly poured out 

 on the non-export law. I drew the law and think I knew 

 what I was doing when I saw it through. I was after 

 just such gentlemen as Mr. Barnes speaks of, who com- 

 bine pleasure and profit and supplied the Memphis mar- 

 ket with our game until venison and wild turkeys were 

 quoted "lower than beef and poultry.*' And the law 

 will accomplish that result, as it puts too heavy a penalty 

 on the railroads for carrying the game to make it profit- 

 able to haul it out. Mr. Barnes's friends may have to go 

 to work for a liviug instead of camping out and killing 

 everything they can see for six or seven months of the 

 year and selling it for less than the value of the hides. 



I do not know Mr. Barnes, but judge from his letter he 

 is in sympathy with the market-hunters. I have seen a 

 good deal of t he market-hunter and he does not appeal to 

 my sympathy at all. I have seen in the heat of Bummer 

 the market-hunter's camp surrounded with spoiled game. 

 I have seen a barrel of prairie chicken eggs. I have seen 

 fish hauled out with semes and left to rot for want of ice. 

 And I have seen the prairie chicken completely annihil- 

 ated in this State by the market-hunter. If the law 

 makes some of these gentlemen go to work it will accom- 

 plish that much good! 



The law does not prevent Mr. Barnes or any one else 

 from killing a deer in the open season for his own use or 

 to sell in Little Rock or Bald Knob. It does prevent his 

 sending it to St. Louis or Memphis, and it does prevent 

 the hundreds of professional hunters who camp in oiu - 

 woods all the year round and violate our game lawsfrom 

 carrying their game to market, and as the profit of the 

 business is gone I hope it will stop. 



Mr Barnes also pours out his wrath in a mighty flood on 

 a law that would prevent his going camp-hunting any- 

 where but in his own county. 



I do not suppose the idea of reading the acts of the 

 Legislature ever entered Mr. Barnes's head. If he had 

 done so he would have found that there is no such law on 

 the book. Such a bill was introduced at the instance of 

 the farmers, who claimed that hunting parties started 

 damaging fires, but it never passed. So Mr. Barnes need 

 not hire his ranch in any county, but can go and hunt 

 like a gentleman wherever he pleases; but I fear me the 

 occupation of the pot-hunter is gone until they can work- 

 up enough influence to repeal the law. J. M. Rose. 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



CHICAGO, 111., June 27, — I know of three woodcock 

 nests within ten miles of Chicago; but alas! so do 

 certain other parties, and doubtless within the next two 

 weeks the young birds will all have been illegally and 

 legally slain. Hardly a woodcock in this vicinity ever 

 sees the light of the legal opening day of the season. 



The upland plover (Bartram's tatler) breeds abundantly 

 near this city, and there are now a great many of the 

 birds about on the prairies, although it would be a shame 

 to think of shooting them now. "Italian Joe/' the best 

 plover shooter in Chicago, says he could kill fifty in any 

 day, but he adds, "me no care-a for dem. No fetch-a 

 much mun when-a sell." Italian Joe is one of my new 

 friends. His specialty is plover, and he will not hunt 

 snipe, ducks, chickens, or anything else except wood- 

 cock. I am going out after plover with him this fall and 

 will see how he shoots them. He killed 9,000 one spring 

 four years ago, aud all within fifteen miles of Chicago. 

 So goes the game. E. Hough. 



RIFLES OF SMALL CALIBER. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Considerable has been said about the efficiency of the 

 ,22cal. rifle as a hunting implement as compared with 

 other calibers. I think the general conclusion of all that 

 has been written is that if the bullet is only put in the 

 right place it will often do wonderful execution, and to 

 further substantiate this I relate this true incident: Three 

 years ago last winter two young boys by the name of 

 Heaton went hunting In a marsh near Kalamazoo, in 

 this State, taking with them a- Flobert and a Ballard 

 rifle, both using the ordinary .22cal. R. F. cartridge. 

 While in the marsh the boys came across the track of a 

 bear, and as they were lads of considerable grit they fol- 

 lowed after bruin all the rest of the day, as long as they 

 could see his track, and when they could follow it no 

 longer they stayed all night at a farmhouse and started 

 again on the trail as soon as it became light enough to see 

 the next morning. They followed him the next day, 

 getting sight of him several times. They got pretty close 

 to him once in crossing a lake on the ice, but not near 

 enough to commence hostilitias, and he kept at a safe 



distance until he became tired and hungry, since he 

 could not carry his dinner with him as the boys did, for 

 one of them, when opportunity would offer, would go to 

 some house, and getting a lunch would share with the 

 other. In this way they followed the bear until he began 

 climbing trees to get away from his pursuers, but he 

 would slide and tumble to the ground on their approach 

 and get away. At last he found a tree that apparently 

 suited him so well that he thought he would not leave it, 

 but he changed his mind after one discharge from the 

 boys' guns, and coming to the ground charged on them, 

 when the tiny ball from the Ballard rifle passed down 

 the side of the bear's neck, and going on went through 

 his heart, killing him almost instantly. 



I don't want any one to think that Michiganders as a 

 rule hunt the bear with a .22cal. rifle, neither would I 

 advise any one to do so. but the fact remains that it has 

 been done, and successfully, too, and that a ,22cal. rifle 

 of a good make is an effective and valuable weapon if 

 properly handled. Now. I would like to know whether 

 any one else in all these United States ever knew of any 

 other bear or equally large animal being killed with only 

 a small ,22cal. rifle? S. J. H. 



Const antine, Mich. 



PENNSYLVANIA FISH LAW. 



FALLOWING are extracts froin the laws enacted by the last 

 Legislature relating to game fishes: 

 Section 1. Be it enacted, etc. That hereafter no person or per- 

 son:- shall cast, draw, fasten, or otherwise make use of any seifie, 

 drift net, fyke net, or net or nets of any other description', or use 

 any other appliance for the catching of fish, except rod, hook and 

 line in the Delaware. River. Provided. That this section shall not 

 extend to slrad fishing. 



Sec. 5. It shall not be lawful to catch or kill, by any means 

 whatever, any rock bass or any wall-eyed pike, otherwise called 

 Susquehanna salmon (species recently introduced into the river 

 Delaware), within two years of the passage of this act. 



Sec. (j. jfo person shall, by any means or device whatsoever, 

 catch or kill in the Delaware River any black bass, rock bass or 

 wall-eyed pike, commonly known as Susquehanna salmon, be- 

 tween the first day of January and the thirtieth clay of May in 

 auy year, nor shall catch or kill any of said species of fish at any 

 other time during the year save wiOu rod, hook and line. 



An act similar to the above, applying to the Delaware River 

 above Trenton Falls was enacted, to become operative whenever 

 New Jersey shall enact a law of like tenor. 



Sec. 1. Br, ft enacted, etc.. That hereafter no person or persons 

 shall cast, draw, fasten or otherwise make use of any seine, drift- 

 net, fyke-net, or net or nets of any other description, or use any 

 other appliance for the catching of fish except rod, hook and line 

 in any rivers, streams or waters of this Commonwealth. Pro- 

 eided, That this section shall not extend to shad, herring and 

 sturgeon fishing. Provided, That the provisions of this act shall 

 not apply in the open season to the catching of suckers, eels and 

 cattish, in streams other than trout streams, partly or wholly in- 

 cluded in the survey of farm lands owned by any citizen of this 

 Commonwealth, but nothing contained therein shall permit fish- 

 ing by seines at any time. 



Sec. 4. No person shall catch or kill, in any of the rivers, 

 waters or streams of this Commonwealth, any black bass or wall- 

 eyed pike under 6in. in length, or any rock bass under 5in. in 

 length, under a penalty of $10 for every fish so caught. But 

 should any fish be taken of less size than the above, or should any 

 wall-eyed pike or rock bass of any size be taken from waters in 

 which they have been introduced, within two years from the pass- 

 age of this n ct, it shall be the duty of any one taking or capturing 

 the same t o return the fish immediately to the water from whence 

 taken; and no person shall by any means or device whatsoever 

 catch or kill, in any of the waters of this State, any pike or pick- 

 erel between the first day of December and the first day of June 

 in any year. 



Sec. 5. No person shall by any means or device whatsoever 

 catch or kill any hlack bass, rock bass or wall-eyed pike, com- 

 monly known as Susquehanna salmon, between Jan. 1 and May 

 13 in any year, nor shall catch or kill any of said species of fish 

 at any other time during the year, save with a rod, hook and 

 line. Provided, That neither this nor any of the preceding sec- 

 tions of this act shall apply to fishing in th« waters of Lake Erie. 



Sec. ti. Nothing in this act shall be so construed as to prevent 

 the catching of bait fish, other than game fish, by means of hand 

 or cast nets lor angling or scientific purposes, or the catching of 

 game fish by order of anv member of the .state Fish Commission 

 of this State for the purpose of stocking in other waters. 



NEW CONNECTICUT LAWS. 



nntiE following laws were enacted by the last Connecticut 

 A General Assembly and will go into operation Aug. 1: » 



Prohibiting fishing in Lake Kenosia, Danbury, from Nov. 15 to 

 April 15, until 1894. 



Prohibiting taking or selling any striped bass under >£lb.; 

 penalty f 10 for each fish. 



Prohibiting lishingln Woodstock Lake, or in Little Pond, er in 

 Little River, from the lake to the Putnam Water Company's 

 dam, from Nov. 1 to April 1; maximum penalty $7. Repeals part 

 of section 2,416 relating to these waters. 



Repealing part of section 2,444 relating to fishing in the Ash- 

 land Cotton Company's reservoir and the Griswold Paper Com- 

 pany's reservoir, Griswold. 



Only bona fide residents shall fish in Holly Pond, Stamford. 



Prohibiting other than hook and line for catching fish in Doo- 

 littte, Benedict and Tobey ponds in Norfolk, and Lake Wangum 

 injCanaan. 



Providing for surrender of oyster grounds to the State by not 

 only a grantee, but his "heirs or assigns." 



Prohibiting fishing in Madge, Beardsley or Indian ponds, in 

 Sharon, from Feb. 1 to June 15; maximum penalty $30, or 20 days 

 in jail. Lake Washinee, Salisbury, from J uly 1, 1889, to July'l, 

 1883; maximum penalty $7 fine or 80 days in jail; Long Pond or 

 Round Lake, Salisbury, Nov. 1 to May 1, same penalty. 



For the protection of seed oysters in Mianus River and Green- 

 wich cove. 



Regulating leasing of natural oyster and clam grounds in Bran- 

 ford. 



Prohibiting fishing except by owners, in tho West Thompson 

 reservoir; penalty not less than $7 nor over $60, or 30 days in jail 



Reorganizing the Board of SheR Fish Commissioners and re- 

 ducing expense of the commission. 



Prohibiting the taking of black bass from May 1 to June 10, 

 whether in ponds or running water. 



THE ARKANSAS FISH LAW. 



SECTION 1. That no person shall be allowed to placa, ereet or 

 cause to he placed or erected, or maintained in any of the 

 waters of this State or in front of the mouth of any stream, 

 slough or bayou, any seine, net, gill net, trammel net, set net, 

 bag weir, bush drag, any fish trap or dam, or any other device 

 or obstruction, or by any such means to take or catch any fish 

 in any of the waters «f this State. 



Provided that the prohibitions of this section shall net apply to 

 waters wholly inn the premises belonging to the person or persons 

 using such devices, and provided further, that it may be lawful 

 to use a very small seine not to exceed 15ft. in length for catch- 

 ing very small fisb, usually called minnows, which may be thus 

 caught to be used for bait or for stocking other waters with fish, 

 but for no other purpose. 



Provided further, that it shall not be unlawful for any person 

 or persons to nse a seine not exceeding 60ft. in length in any un- 

 navigahle stream or lake in this State to catch fish for family 

 use or for picnics and for sale, nor shall it be unlawful for any 

 person or persons to place traps in the unnavigable streams of 

 this State, provided such traps do net obstruct the free passage 

 of fish in ascending and descending such streams. 



Anv person who shall violate any of the provisions of this act 

 ^hall on conviction be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall 

 be fined in any sum not less than $> nor mors than $£Q0. 

 Approved March 26, 1889. 



