Feb. 36, 1891.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



10 B 



rods, over orchards and buildings, and probably miioli 

 further. Some two weeks later my brother saw the 

 famUy again. The sparrows were trying to feed the 

 kingbirds something which the latter seemed to dielike, 

 as they would back away ui evident disgust. Apparently 

 the sparrows, true to instinct, were trying to feed their 

 children seed?. 



Doling the time I saw the kingbirds they behaved and 

 made sounds like all young kingbirds, and did not show 

 one sparrow characteristic, Reuben M, Strong. 



Watjwatosa, Wis. 



Winter Rail on Long Island.— The Cedars, Oakdale, 

 L, I. — About Jan. 20, after our meadows had been cov- 

 ered with Bin, of suow, while I was looking for black 

 ducks I passed a very pleasant five or six minutes in the 

 company of a very fine specimen of the Vu-ginia rail. 

 His actions would lead one to tbiuk tbat be felt very 

 lonely. As he ran out from the cover of some tall sedge 

 grass on to a large mud flat made by muskrats while 

 building their winter homes, came to within 8ft. of wbere 

 I was standing, seeming to wish to have an interview 

 with me. He was a cunning liitle fellow. First he 

 would cock his head to one side, then to the other, aud 

 his actions were comical to behold. He really seemed 

 very inquisitive. He was very pretty with his deep red 

 breast and long curved bill,' and while standing up so 

 proud he looked not unlike a small woodcock. After 

 admiring the little fellow's antics all my curiosity was 

 satisfied, I made a move closer to him. He was gone in 

 the twinkling of an eye into the cover which gives them 

 such a safe retreat, I think I can put up a Virginia rail 

 any day with the aid of my setter dog, but if I had an 

 old dog I owned one year ago I am certain 1 could put up 

 one or more. He surpassed anything I ever saw on rail, 

 annoying me very much when beating the meadows for 

 English snipe, if he came upon the scent of a rail he 

 would not leave it until he put the bkd up or brought 

 him to me alive and with the greatest care in his mouth. 

 I have brought to bag over him the coot, clapper, king, 

 sora, Virginia and yellow rails. The little black rail he 

 flushed several times, but the bird was such a tiny little 

 fellow I let him go on his way rejoicing. The game laws 

 for Suffolk county as framed by the three Commissioners 

 is as pprfect as any sportsman could wish. I thank these 

 gentlemen who have labored so hard in our interest, and 

 hope the law will get through the Albany mill and not 

 be tinkered with again.— Alfred A. Frasee, 



Do Coons Prey on Rabbits ?—J7cZi#o/' Forest and 

 Stream: I was very much surprised to learn of the new 

 fad that coons have taken up of catching rabbits, as des- 

 cribed in Mr. Lathrop's letter to FOREST and Stream, 

 Feb. 13. Goons are eccentric creatures, no doubt, but 

 before we accept JMr. Lathrop's conclusion in the matter 

 of their preying upon rabbits I think we should examine 

 his practices closely to see if his observations have been 

 made with that thorough minuteness the importance of 

 the subject demand, for it is a death blow to formerly- 

 received theories of abstinence while in a state of hiber- 

 nation, etc, if we are to believe that coons spend the long 

 mid-winter nights in carnivorous orgies, Mr. Lathrop's 

 argument is based on a case of circumstantial evidence. 

 He saw rabbit tracks, he found a dead rabbit, which had 

 met with a violent death, he saw other ti-acks of the 

 murderer but, unfortunately, he did not see the deed 

 performed, nor did he capture the murderer. Such being 

 the case, aud as long as tliis state of things exists, I tnink 

 we must consider Mr. L.'s article "not proven." In other 

 words, I don't believe a coon made the tracks Mr, L. saw. 

 What they were— mink's, slrank's or wildcat's — I willnot 

 attempt to say, but, as Mr. L, can neither produce the 

 coon nor the tracks, I think we had better leave the case 

 as it stood before his discovery and not try to convert 

 "Old Zip Coon" into a greyhound. — B, 



Eider Duck on the Niagara.— Buffalo, N. Y.. Feb. 

 IQ.— Editor Forest and Stream: Perhaps you can niake 

 use of the inclosed clipping from to-day's Times regarding 

 an eider duck shot on the Niagara River near Buffalo a 

 few weeks ago. The fact is of considerable interest to 

 local gunners and scientists: "I learn through the Times 

 and other papers that a,n eider duck was kdled on the 

 Niagara recently by John Storck, and the notices would 

 lead me to believe that it is the first eider duck ever shot 

 near Buffalo. Such is not the case, although in point of 

 fact the bird is such a rara atns that it is practically un- 

 known to the majority of the people. The duck in ques- 

 tion is the king eider (Somateria spectabilis) and a most 

 beautiful male in full jslumage. Both this bird and the 

 common eider duck are noticed in Dr. Bergtold's 'List of 

 Birds of Buffalo and Vicinity,' and are credited to the 

 late Professor Linden, They are both rare, accidental 

 summer visitors to this region. Dr. J, A. Allen has noted 

 a large 'irruption' of the king eider on Lake Erie near 

 Buffalo in November, 1879. At least eighteen were then 

 shot. Rev. Mr. Langille also notes the eiders in his book 

 as being occasional visitors to our water front. Mr. Storck 

 should donate his fine specimen to the Society of Natural 

 Sciences.— D."—Eben P. Dorr. 



The Swift Flight of Ducks.— I read with interest 

 the last paragraph of Mr. Hough's Chicago letter in your 

 issue of Feb. 13, in regard to the speed of wildfowl on 

 the wing. I liave had no experience with the four 

 species of ducks named, but I have often shot (behind) 

 two species here in Massachusetts that are fast goers, the 

 long-tailed duck, locally "old squaw" and "quandie" 

 (Clangida hyemalis) and the blue-winged teal. The man 

 who can score two out of three off" of either — single birds 

 behind time on an appointment to loo'ard — "knows it all" 

 as to the holding on or ahead question. If any of your 

 readers have done for them what Dr. M, has done for the 

 species he names, it would no doubt gratify many to 

 hear of it through your columns, — F, C. Browne (Fram- 

 ingham, Mass.), 



Wn^soN's Snipe IN Rhode Island.— Providence, R. I. — 

 On Saturday, Feb. 14, the writer started 10 Wilson snipe 

 on a salt water marsh very near the cicy, and killed 8 fine 

 birds over a dog, although the day was raw and windy. 

 Gunners here think these birds must have wintered in 

 this locality. Please give your opinion, — F, L. G. [It is 

 quite probable that the birds wintered there. Snipe do 

 not aeeessariiy go south in cold weather provided any 



ground remains open where they can feed. Thus there 

 are several records of snipe having been found in Wyo- 

 ming and Colorado in the dead of winter, when the ther- 

 mometer had beenstanding at — 15^ to — BO" Fahr., but they 

 remained by warm springs which did not freeze and where 

 it w^as always possible for them to obtain food.] 



Moose Horn Measurements.— Belfast, Me., Feb. 15. 

 — Editor Forest and Stream: I have noted the moose 

 horn measurements given by Dr. Parker and others, and 

 I send you photograph of a pair of antlers which I claim 

 to be the largest in Maine. They are of almost perfect 

 shape. They measure as follows: Extreme breadch, 

 measui'ing convex surf acefback of horns, 6t:t. 4in, by tape 

 line. By straight-edge in front, as shown by arrow 

 terminals, oft. ^in. Palms or blades in the clear, by 

 straight-edge, loin, exclusive of points. If any person 

 has a finer or lai ger set of antlers, I would like to own 

 them. — C, B, ILiZELTlNE. 



Collided with a Whale.— The'steam yacht Restless 

 arrived at Baltimore yesterday from Fortress Monroe. 

 Capt, Stiles reports that on Sunday, when the Restless 

 was heading in for Haoipton Roads, near the Thimble 

 Light, three whales were suddenly discovered ahead, 

 and before the Restless could be checked one of the 

 monsters was struck. The yacht shook all over and the 

 ladies and others on board became excited. The novelty 

 of the experience, however, soon commanded attention 

 and the thought of danger- was dismissed. — Washington 

 Evening Star, FeJh. 19. 



'^m^ §dg md ^nti. 



The full texts of the game laws of all the States, Terri- 

 tories and British Provinces are given in the Book of the 

 Game Laws. 



THE OTHER S!DE. 



Editor Forest and Stream : 



In the war time we had two kinds of war corre."^- 

 pondents — one followed the army, was present at the 

 engagements and wrote the truth, the other stayed at 

 home and manufactured then- news. Your correspond- 

 ent "Special" evidently belongs to the latter class. We 

 Maine people would prefer to "have the truth told about 

 us. Said a leading Bangor physician to me last week: 

 "It makes me mad every time I read one of 'Special's' 

 articles.'" Tiffs voices the feeling of most who read them. 

 Probably no ten men who write on this subject have done 

 so much to make people hostile to the laws and their. en- 

 forcement as he has by his wholesale denunciation of 

 our land holders and people generally. 



In his article in Forest and Streaji for Jan. 16 he 

 says: "As near as I can learn a movement will be made 

 to repeal all fish and game laws, The movement will 

 come from the lumber interest, and it is to be hoped it 

 will acquire no force." Again in Forest and Stream 

 for Feb. 13, he says: "The opposition to opening the 

 month of September for deer hunting is stronger among 

 the lumber land holders than I had imagined. They will 

 oppose such a measure with all the power they can 'bring 

 to bear. * * * They are obstinate to pigheadedness 

 about the matter and can see no difference between the 

 true sportsman who would as deeply regret a forest fire 

 as themselves and the worthless, thieving poacher of 

 their own State." 



Now, who are these "pigheaded" land owners who are 

 thus held up to public infamy? They are the men who 

 own a body of land more than twice as large as the State 

 of Massachusetts, worth millions of dollars, and who for 

 a score of years have allowed hundreds of non-residents 

 to roam over it at pleasure, to catch the fish, to kill the 

 game, to use all the wood they needed for camp-fires — in 

 fact to use it as if it were their own with no restrictions 

 whatever. These visitors are mostly here to kill game in 

 direct violation of om- State laws, and yet these same 

 land owners have kept quiet. I doubt if "Special" can 

 find an article by one of them proposing to curtail any of 

 these privileges. I showed his article to the largest land 

 owner in the State and he jwonounced his statements in 

 regard to lumbermen false, as also his statement of the 

 purchase of the dam and right of flowage at Rangeley 

 Lakes. 



These land owners employ tens of thousands of our 

 men the year round in the woods, on drives and in mills. 

 They do more for the interests of om- State in one year 

 than all the "true sportsmen" ever will in ten eternities. 

 Would it be very selfish, when the prosperity of our 

 whole State depends on the preservation of our forests 

 (for our water powers and farming interests depend on 

 their preservation), if these land owners should wish to 

 take means to preserve them? 



And who are these true sportsmen who are so careful 

 of our property? They are the men who for years have 

 come here in June, July, August and September, who 

 have killed large game and left it to rot by every stream 

 aud lakeside in our northern woods, "Special" speaks of 

 our thieving poachers. How does it happen he has never 

 heai'd of Prof. , of Yale College, who, with his com- 

 panions, killed in September six moose, besides caribou, 

 and left them to rot: and the next year killed a moose 

 and caribou in close time besides another moose in Octo- 

 ber and had the horns seized. It is no secret, Mr, Stil- 

 well can teU him. If he wishes to stii- this thing ujj I will 

 give him names of some of his near neighbors. I can 

 give him a list of some twenty moose killed this very fall 

 near Chesuncook by these same "true sportsmen" and left 

 to rot: I can give the place where each lies, and deer 

 without number have gone the same wav. 



He speaks of the young man shot in Waltham and slan- 

 ders the people of three counties— Penobscot, AVashington 

 and Hancock — on his a.ccount. Generally when a man dies 

 even his enemies let his faults die with him ; but ghoul-like 

 "Special" takes delight in telling all he knows and com- 

 plaining of not being able to find out more. We Maine men 

 have not done so by your true sportsmen killed in this way. 

 "Special" has probably heard that a few years ago a Mas- 

 sachusetts professor, hunting with a noted Connecticut 

 clergyman, was shot with a charge of buckshot, in Au- 

 gust, 1883. Out of regard for his friends our Maine 

 papers said nothing about the facts. I know the guides 

 and the whole story; if "Special" wishes it, I can give 

 the jbottom facta, 



The majority of our land owners and the men in tlieii' 

 employ have favored observing our game laws. I have 

 seen beef hauled seventy miles when there were moose 

 yarded within tliree miles and plenty of snow for killing 

 them; and those moose were saved— for what? The very 

 next fall a Boston sportsman, by the help of Indian 

 guides, killed two (his guides say three) at the same place, 

 and refused to sell the meat as it lay for less than ten 

 cents a pound to JIi', Rod Sunderland, the same man who 

 had saved them, who having salt and barrels there wanted 

 to get the meat for his lumber crews. Most of it was left 

 there to rot. 



Year after year our people have seen our game killed 

 and wasted by the ton ■ in close time by rich men, who, 

 belonging outside the State, readily make their escape 

 before their deeds are known — men who do more than the 

 French and Indians of Canada, for these do save hides, 

 while the others often leave hides and all, or at best give 

 to the guides the hides they dare not carry home, "Spe- 

 cial" may call our people all the names he pleases, but we 

 have no class of our people who wUl kill for mere sport; 

 such men come from outside. 



My candid opinion, based on facts in my possession, is, 

 that up to this year, more large game has been killed in 

 close time in Penobscot county by parties outside the 

 State than by the inhabitants. The visitors killed in 

 warm weather and wasted; the inhabitants ate all they 

 killed. This year sees a change. Finding that there was 

 no use in saving game only as an inducement for more 

 to come in close time to waste it, by common consent 

 our people in the woods have killed what they needed. 

 As far as I can learn they intend to keep on doing so. 

 For years the sporting papers have., been accusing our 

 lumbermen of doing that of which, as a class, they were 

 innocent, and have been shielding the real offenders. 

 Now, these same men who have so wilfully maligned us, 

 can thank themselves for this state of affah-s. The fact 

 lies just here: keep your true sportsmeir oirb of our woods 

 in close time and our own people will respect the laws; 

 but if these gentlemen sportsmen see fit to keep on doing 

 as they have done, aud have a man like "Special" to 

 charge their sins to us, they must not blame Maine people 

 if we join with them in killing in close time. 



Manly Hardy. 



A SHOTGUN TEST. 



Editor Forest and Sfi'eam: 



Permit me to show some slight experiments I have been 

 making in regard to the manner of loading powder and 

 wadding shells. I chose a very damp day last week, 

 knowing I would get the worst possible results under 

 those conditions, I had prepared a range at my place in 

 the coirntry, using lar-ge sheets of whrte paper, 36x5.5 

 inches in size and the regular penetration pads made for 

 that pirrjDOse by Deunison & Co. The distance shot at was 

 40yds., against a solid outhouse, I used only Winchester 

 shells, birt prepared differently, viz., the regular Winches- 

 ter factory-loaded shells with o+drs. black powder and 

 l^oz. No, 6 shot; the Lyman compressed powder, as 

 bought from the agent, Dannefelser, in Chambers sti-eet, 

 and FFFG dead shot black powder. These shells I loaded 

 myself with 3|drs, of that fine powder, putting one No. 

 11 card wad over powder with a No, 13 imported felt waa 

 over card, with l^oz. Tatham's chilled shot, using a Von 

 Lengerke & Detmold very thm card wad. And I think 

 shooters make a great mistake in using too thick a wad 

 over shot. I only crimp the shells Lightly, although it 

 does not look as pretty as the flat crimp, yet it gets there 

 much better. 



The gun I used was the Colt hammerless that I shot in 

 the powder tests at Claremont in November last under 

 your management. Since that test I have had Danne- 

 felser take nearly all the choke out, so it only measured 

 13 instead of 15 at the muzzle by the usual gauge, and 

 instead of my gun only b^iug a 50 per cent, arm as at 

 that time, I think it has been improved at least 35 per 

 cent, since he made the change. I have now come to the 

 conclusion that with a modified choke and the new qiuck 

 powders, great deal better results will be obtained than 

 with the full choke now used so much. They are all 

 right with black powders, but entii-ely useless with the 

 nitro and other quick powders, 



Feb, 8, day damp. Pattern and penetration tests at 

 40yds, — Lyman's compressed, 6ogrs. ; two cards and felt 

 wad over powder: l|oz. No, 6 chilled shot; thin wad and 

 crimped lightly. — Right barrel: Penetration 200 (79,% per 

 cent.); penetration 25 sheets (three shots). Left barrel; 

 Pattern :i09 (83 per cent.); penetration 28 sheets, 



FFFG. Dead Shot powder, 3fdi-s., one No. 11 card wad, 

 one No. 13 imported felt wad, lioz. No, 6 chilled shot: thin 

 wad over shot and crimped hghtly.— Right barrel: Pat- 

 tern 176 (70 per cent,): penetration 80 sheets. Left bar- 

 rel: Pattern 188 (74-,% per cent.); penetration 33 sheets. 



Winchester factory loaded shells, 3idrs. blacK powder, 

 l^-oz. No. 6 shot. — ^Right barrel: Penetration 135 (53i^r per 

 cent.); penetration 23 sheets. Left barrel: Pattern 1G3 

 (64-,% per cent.); penetration 27 sheets, E. A, Summers. 



Small Arms for Close Work. — Wni some of your 

 readers tell me about the Little XL smoothbore gun, .44cal. , 

 24in. barrel, olbs. weight? Will it carry the ,44 Winches- 

 ter rifle cartridge up to 10 or 13 rods without the bullets 

 going end over end and flying wild? I want a very light 

 gun that will kill a partridge or rabbit with shot, and 

 that will also carry a bullet with reasonable accuracy at 

 short range. The best gunfor my irse would be a breech- 

 loader that would take the place of a Uttle muzzleloader 

 that I once had. Single barrel, smoothbore, carrying a 

 half ounce round ball and also good for shot, and its 

 weight not over olbs. For pot-himting in a heavy timber 

 country such a girn, if good of its kind and skillfully 

 used, will bring in lots of game. Some sportsmen may 

 smile at the idea of a gun like this, but in land hunting 

 and exploring, where everything has to be packed by 

 main strength and awkwardness, it is a question between 

 a very light gun and no gun at aU, and a matter of entu-e 

 uncertainty as to what kind of a varmint you may meet. 

 Will some of yotrr good hunters give me the benefit of 

 then- experience. — Backwoodsman. 



A SPLESDID opportunity to acquire a trood paying gun business 

 is offered iQ another column, where Von Lengerke & Dermoid 

 advertise their Newark store lor sble. Its Jocaiion is a good one, 

 and the business can be largely increased by special attention, 

 wWQh Vpn L. & D, have beea unable to give iU—Acdv, 



