288 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Oct. 31, 18S9. 



IDAHO WILDFOWL. 



TT was my good fortuue to have spent nearly all the 

 JL month of August in Idaho and the Yellowstone Na- 

 tional Park. The" longest stay at any one place was at 

 Soda Springs, and I visited that rnamly to chink as freely 

 as possible of the delightful waters for which the locality 

 is noted. Out of an extensive bed of lava there corner 

 gushing and sparkling from the earth a number of 

 springs, mostly cool, and highly charged with the salts of 

 lime, iron, soda and magnesia. 



I took my 14 bore Tolley along with me. and quite a 

 number of shells loaded with 22drs. of gunpowder and 

 loz. of No. 5 and 6 shot, with the view, if the temptation 

 was offered, of trving my si- ill on sage hens and other 

 small game. While at Soda Spring-', and on my way 

 from Beaver Canon to Snake River, I killed probaMy fifty 

 of these birds, and found them verv agreeable food wkeu 

 well prepared. Ah Sm, Tin Pan, the Chinese cook at the 

 hotel where I stopped, knew how to prepare them, as he 

 did most other articles which were put in his charge. I 

 went to a lake about eight miles northeast of the town, 

 which has no visible outlet. It covers hundreds of acres 

 of land, and one of the streams — the main one — which 

 supply the water for it. is so heavily covered with the 

 salts of lime that the waters have deposited an enormous 

 quantify of gypsum , mixed with silica. The area was no 

 less than fifty acres. Tn this lake there is a breeding; 

 place for ducks and other waterfowl. I saw thousands 

 of them, fully grown, and but for the mosquitoes, which 

 disputed my right of entry. I could have killed a large 

 number of them, even though it was said to be the close 

 season. Among the ducks were quantities of mallards. 

 I did not see a f- ingle gieenhead. In the hundreds which 

 I saw on Shotgun Creek not one had a green head. They 

 were all grown, and many of tbem must have been males. 

 Is it a fact that the beautiful vivid color of the heads of 

 the mnles is not developed until just about the time the 

 migration commences? It must be so. 



On my route frorn Beaver C fi-m, wbilepassing through 

 the plains from Antelope Valley to Kooch's Hotel, my 

 companions and myself killed 37 sage hens and a few 

 other birds. IE we had not tired of the sport, we could 

 have filled our wagon. So soon as we reached a cieek 

 called Sheridan we found them in grfat abundance. 

 They had just gone to the water for drinking: purposes. 

 The following day we killed about 20 ducks, to help out 

 the menu of our host, the most of which were green- 

 winged teals. There were among them five mallards and 

 one spoonbill. The mallards had the green spot on the 

 wings, but the head looked like that of the female. I 

 would like to spend a part of Ausust and September in 

 that rection. under a tent, with three companions, each 

 supplied with a breechloading shotgun and a rifle. What 

 a pleasant time we could have! Wells. 



Rockingham, North Carolina. 



ON BOYHOOD'S STAMPING GROUNDS. 



Dear Forest and Stream: 



Those of us, who when boys lived in the country — God's 

 country — know how to pity the other fellows who, un- 

 fortunately in their early days, were forced to inhabit 

 man's portion of creation — the towns: and I do pity such 

 unfortunates from the depths of my heart, for they 

 missed pleasures that brick walls and paved streets know 

 not, that wealth cannot buy, and yet that linger with us 

 through all vicissitudes of fortune, and help us to feel 

 young again even though we may have passed the three 

 score notch in life's calendar. I feel this to be true, for 

 I am spending a few days among the rocks and hills 

 where I received my first lessons of life, and their 

 memory ever has been, and is to-day, blight, pleasant and 

 beautiful. 



I did not intend to be sentimental when I began this 

 note, but I know you will excuse me if you "have been 

 there yourself. 1 ' I simply intended to say that I had 

 come up here to spend a few days in shooting among the 

 birches and alders, the hills and the valleys, where as a 

 boy I had done the same nearly half a century ago. 

 (Thpre I go again, right off my feet.) 



Well, quail, woodcock and partridge are fairly plenty 

 here; they are somewhat scattered of course over a broad 

 scope of country, and one has to know in what direction 

 to look for their favorite haunts and feeding grounds, 

 and then has to put in a good day's tramping m order to 

 get even a fair tag - ; but notwithstanding tliCEe difficul- 

 ties, I find a pleasure I never found elsewhere. I killed 

 my first quad and woodcock in true sport-man's style, 

 but made a dismal failure on my first partr dge, and it hap- 

 pened in this way: We had just eaten lunch and got into 

 the wagon to drive to another point, when looking up the 

 road I saw a partridge standing under some overhanging 

 bushes. Before I got withm shooting distance he whizzed 

 across the road into a s^vamp to the left, and at the same 

 instant I saw another run into the brush whpre I had 

 seen the first one. Moving rapidly, exppcting this one to 

 attempt to follow his mate in a flight across the road into 

 the swamp, I was going to give him a snap shot, but to 

 my surprise, the first glimpse I got of him lie was sailing 

 straight away 10yds. further up the road and going like 

 a scared partridge (you know how fast that is). 1 let go 

 at him, and while the boys (probably to console me) said 

 I hit him, he did not stop to show me how badly. When 

 the wagon came up, and one of the boys said he thought 

 I would surely have got him, I t dd him 1 had thought so 

 too, but I had come to the conclusion that I had conscien- 

 cious scruples against shooting a partridge in the road. 



Good night. W. 



Haddam, Conn., Oct. 28. 



A DELAWARE STATE OF AFFAIRS. 



MILFORD, Delaware, Oct. 26.— I have been expecting 

 to see appear in your journal a communication 

 from "Del. A. Ware," of Dover, in which he will claim 

 that the Game Protective Association is seeing that the 

 laws are not violated. Your Dover correspondent made 

 this assertion last year about this time, when it was a 

 well known fact that the law was a dead letter three 

 weeks before the opening of the shooting season. 



The woods and fields are now full of men and bovs 

 with guns and dogs. This afternoon I stood on my front 

 porch and saw two packs of beagles running rabbit*, and 

 armtyof three shooting quad. A local paper has it: 

 " Detective Hutchins says tnat wheYi properly informed 

 he will proceed against those who violate the law." He 

 draws the salary and expects others to do his work. A 



few arrests in this neighborhood would put a stop to this 

 business at once, but as those in authority are totally in- 

 different, of course the extermination of game goes 

 bravely on. 



Non-residents will be pleased to learn that the cost of 

 license is now but $5. Victor M. Haldeman. 



Habits of Quail.— Garysburg, N. C— Editor Forest 

 and btream: I have been a huntsman for thirty-five or 

 forty years and have been studying the habits of deer, 

 wild turkeys and quail for twpnty-five years. I have 100 

 or 150 coveys of quail in a radius of four or five miles of 

 my house. For the past six months I have been experi- 

 menting. I bought thtee dozen hawk traps, which I set 

 in and around my hunting grounds to see if catching the 

 hawks would increase the quantity of birds. I find it a 

 perfect success. The number of hawks caught in the six 

 months was about fifty; and there is a groat increase of 

 birds. After the hunting season opened, which was 

 Oct. 15,1 took my dog without my gun to examine the 

 coveys, which I find very full. Owing to the wet spring 

 the first brood was drowned, consequently the birds are 

 too small to shoot at this time. In the spring at mating 

 time I leave in the coveys of quail from six to two old 

 birds. In the fall, at batching time, I take my dog to 

 ex unine the birds and find on tne same grounds a covey 

 of young birds with two old birds. There are no other 

 o'd birds with the covey nor any new coveys in the im- 

 mediate neighborhood. Can you tell me where the old 

 birds go? — W. T. K. [When quail piir and select their 

 nesting grounds, each cock drives other birds from his 

 own bailiwick, and defends it pugnaciously throughout 

 the breeding season. The rest of the buds seek other 

 nesting grounds.] 



The Bellingham Bay and Country. — The editor of 

 the Bellingham Bay Reveille, published at Whatcom, 

 Washington, thinks no sinall potatoes of his corner of 

 the world as a sporting ground. "No other country in 

 the world," he says, "offers better inducements to'the 

 genuine sportsman than is afforded here in Whatcom 

 county. Game of all kinds is aburdant. On the main- 

 land deer of the largest size are numerous, but owing to 

 the heavy growth of timber, still-hunting is attended 

 with difficulties. On the islands, from 5 to 10 miles west 

 of Whatcom, across the bay, deer are more numerous 

 and easier of access, and hundreds are killed annually by 

 pot-hunters. Elk abound in the eastern and unsettled 

 portions of the county near the foothills of the moun- 

 tains. Mountain goats of gigantic size frequent the 

 mountain crags near Mt. Baker and the Cascade rango. 

 Throughout the entire county pheasants and blue grou-e 

 are plentiful. Water fowl of every description swarm 

 in myriads in the bays, rivers and inlets of Whatcom 

 county. Canvasbacks, sprigtails, mallards, teal, wild 

 geese, swan and brant are here taken by the thousand 

 during the months from October to April. Our rivers 

 and lakes are teeming with the speck'ed and gamy 

 trout, while ccd, silmon and hal but may be obtained at 

 nearly all seasons of the year in Bellingham Bay." 



War on the Grouse Shippers.— Hartford, Monday, 

 Oct. 21, 1889.— Mr. A. C. Collins, the Hartford county 

 game warden, was instrumental in intercepting a con- 

 signment of game for New Yoik in this city Saturday, 

 and proceedings against the offenders will be instituted 

 without delay. The game was seized in the office of the 

 Adams Express Company, the lot consisting of twenty 

 pariridges and eleven quail. It was consigned to Knapp 

 & Van Nostraud, Nos. 208 and 216 Washington Market, 

 New York city. The game was sent by Orrin J. Whiting 

 of East Thompson, his name appearing on a card in the 

 box. There are sixty-four counts in the offense, there 

 being two for each bird. One count is for killing for 

 transportation out of the State, and the other is for ship- 

 ping. The fine on each count is not less than $7 and not 

 more than $50. Cunningham & Ladd, of Souiers, have 

 also been detected in shipping twenty-seven partridges 

 to Springfield, Mass., the game being secured while in 

 trans tu. It is expected that they will be brought before 

 a justice of the peace on Tuesday. The disposition is to 

 enforce the law rigidly in all cases where men are found 

 sending game out of the State. — Hartford Post. 



Ohio Eabbits and Quail.— Mr. John H. Law, the Ohio 

 State Fi-h and Game Commissioner, has sent out the fol 

 lowing order to all the county game wardens: "Cincin- 

 nati, Oct. 11, 1889.— Dear Sir:' Between now and the lOili 

 of November many hunters, under the pretense, of huni- 

 ing rabbits, will violate the game law by shooting qu.iil. 

 I wish you to do your utmost to bring all i-uch violttors 

 of the law to speedy punishment. It would be well to 

 send to all your assistant wardens a similar notice that 

 thev may be on the lookout. I am satisfied ihat a large 

 number of quail were shot last year before the 10th of 

 November; also, after the 15th of December. You will 

 please look out for such violations. The present law we 

 think lame in not proteding rabbits and making it law- 

 ful for them to he shot only during the same time when 

 it is lawful to kill quail, thnteby removing the temptation 

 to the rabbit hunters. Yours very truly, John H. Law, 

 Commissioner." 



Grouse Snarers.— Providence, E. I., Oct. 26.— There 

 are great quantities of game in the markets this week, 

 and it is mo-tly snared. I have been tlrs week to Taun- 

 ton. Mass.; Chepachot, E. I.; Pascoag, E L, and several 

 other places, and the gunners all complain of the birds 

 being thinned out. Three men with two dogs went up 

 on the train with me as far as Smithfield, E. I. This is 

 a good partridge country, but to-night when they came 

 home they failed lo show any game, and seemed dis- 

 gusted. I know one man who kicked up over twenty 

 snares on these same grounds in a day's hunt. — Cohannet. 



A Moose Invades a Barnyard.— Calais, Maine, Oct. 

 25.— As Mr. Seth Gerry, of Eobmstown (about twelve 

 mile below Calais), was milking his cows in the yard on 

 Wednesday, evening a large bull moose made its appear- 

 ance among the cows. Tney did not appear the least 

 alarmed. Mr. Gerry shot the creature from his house 

 window. Not often does such large game come to a 

 man's yard to be shot in such an old-settled neighborhood 

 as Eobinstown. Tne head will b« sent to your neighbor, 

 John Wallace, to be mounted. — Geo. A. Boardman. 



Ohio Notes.— Cincinnati, O , Oct. 26.— The guns and 

 general hunting p iraphernalia of the l ite IT. F. Robinson, 

 for three terms president of the Independent Gan Club, 

 were all sold by his family last week, realiziatra fine 

 sum. Mr. R. T. Belt, the State Game and Fish Warden 

 of Hamilton county, and his assistants, arrested eleven 

 violators of the game laws and had them appear before 

 Squire Hornberger, of this city. Two were arrested for 

 shooting on Sunday at Bridgetown and fined, with costs, 

 $70.10: two for the same offense at North Cheviot, $35 

 and costs each, and nine for shooting on Sunday and 

 killing two quail, $25 and costs each man. Total fine with 

 co-t, $490.10. The open season for quul op°ns Nov. 10. 

 They are reported plenty everywhere throughout the S>ate. 

 Six quail were seen on the Cincinnati court house Tues- 

 day last, and while at Diyton a few days ago I saw eia:ht 

 birds flushed in the heart of the city.— C.'G. Newsboy. 



The Schultze Gun Powder Co. have enlisted the aid 

 of the camera to demonstrate the difference in smoke- 

 producing qualities hetween their product and ordinary 

 black powder. Messrs. V m Lengerke & Djtmol i, their 

 American agents, send us a series of instantaneous photo- 

 graphs of a comparative trial. Two gunners shooting at 

 the same instant, facing the camera, are photographed 

 at the moment of di-charging their guns, or rather the 

 Schultze man is pictured with tolerahle distinctness 

 through the little smoke of his gun, wh le the black 

 powder man is left to the imagination, his person being 

 entirely shut off by a cloud of "smoke. 



Albino Squirrels.— In your is«ue of Oct. 17, your 

 very interesting correspondent, E. Hough, mentions see- 

 ing two albino or white squirrels in the zoological 

 gardens at Cincinnati, labeled '"From S Carolina." Mr. 

 Hough ask-3, "Is there such a thing as a species of white 

 squirrel in this country?" In my younger days squirrel 

 hunting was about all the spoit i indulged in, and many 

 a squirrel has been killed by me and Mack Qualms in our 

 boyhood hunts, and I have never seen but one white one, 

 which leads me to conclude they aie of rare occurrence, 

 —BLUE Eidqe. [There is no species of white squirrel]. 



Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 15 —The hunting season for 

 quail and chickens opened to-day. Mall srds, teal and 

 butter ducks are on the market. The migration of geese 

 and ducks has not yet commenced, although a few are 

 shot occasionally. Eabbits and quail are abundant in 

 Wyandotte county, and several good bags have been 

 taken. Nearman Lake, seven miles from Kans is City, 

 will soon be the finest duck grounds near here, although 

 along the Missouri Eiver an occasional flock can be seen. 

 Out fifteen miles on the Northwestern E. E., prairie 

 chickens are found. — W. H. P. 



Wild Animals in San Diego Park.— San Diego, Cal., 

 has a park of 1,400 acres, cmrpo^ed chiefly of canons. 

 Here may be found coyotes, badgers, and a few wildcats. 

 Jack rabbits and cottontails are abundant. Valley quail 

 are present, but not very plentiful, because there is too 

 much shooting. Wild bees are very abundant in the 

 cations, making honey and storing it up in winter for use 

 during the dry summer when flowers are wanting. The 

 honey is found in large masses in crevices under rock 

 ledges, and in the spring great quantities of it are stolen 

 from the hives. 



A Paris Award to American Arms.— The friends of 

 the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. will note with satis- 

 faction and indorsement the fact that those manufactur- 

 ers have carried off the highest honors at the Paris Ex- 

 position. For their exhibit of arms and ammunition 

 they were given a First or Grand Pi ize, the only first 

 prize of that class that came to this country. Tne Win- 

 chesters have faiily won this award on their merits and 

 we take much pleasure in recording the Exposition 

 judges' appreciation of the claims of the Winchester 

 rifle. 



Worcester. Mass., Oct. 26. — The season has been ex- 

 cellent for partridges and woodcock. This evening Aus- 

 tin Warren came in with the best bag of the season, 9 

 partridges and 3 woodcock. Yesterday E. S. Knovvles, of 

 this city, with Capt. B. P. Williamson, of Newburyport, 

 and Ge'orge E Newton, of Grafton, reported with a bag 

 of 10 woodcock and 9 partridges; whne L. E. Divol', of 

 thio city, and George Sampson, of Clinton, to-day secured 

 a bag of 17 birds, and A. E Dean reported with a fox.— 



Live Prairie Chickkns and Dewr.— A gentleman who 

 is desirous of stocking a preserved farm m the East with 

 prairie chickens, is anxious to secure a number of Jive 

 birds for this purpose; and we would he much pleased if 

 any of the readers of the Forest and Stream can assist 

 him. He also wishes to secuie a pair ot deer; this it ap- 

 pears should not be a difficult thing to do, but his efforts 

 have thus far been unavailing. Any letters sent us will 

 be forwarded to him. 



Barrels of Birds.— Capt. John W. Stiles, of Exmoor, 

 Va., runs a yacht and takes parties ducu and snipe shoot- 

 ing. He went once with Messrs. Ben. West, of Fulton 

 Market, this city; S. L. Stone, A. Eddy, and a Mr. Eob- 

 in^n, in ten days bagging 800 du'*ks. Ou a 'Lipe shoot- 

 ing expedition with Hamilton Disston, of Pniladelphia 

 — ihe great saw man and Florida everglades reclaimer — 

 and the booty was over a barrel of snipe, a day. 



Wild Pigeon in Massachusetts.— Apropos of editorial 

 in Uct. 24 uumoer regarding wild pigeon; a pair nested 

 this summer in the town of Plymouth, Mass., being seen 

 by myself. I do not mean the Carolina dove, or Cape 

 pigeon as it is known here, but the real passenger pigeon. 

 These wr.re the first seen by me in this State in six or 

 seven years. — H. J. Thayer (Boston). 



Alexandria, Mo. — The first flock of wild chickens to 

 appear here came forth in regular style on Oct. 10. There 

 were fourteen of them, and their presence in dress parade 

 order was rather a pleasing sight upon a beautiful field of 

 growing wheat. Quail and grouse appear to maintain 

 their average numbers, regardless of the dense settlement 

 of the country. — J. B. 



