Forest and Stream. 



A Weekly Journal of the Rod and Gun. 



Tbbms, S4 a Year. 10 Cts. a Copt. ) 

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NEW YORK, OCTOBER 2 9, 1891. 



j YOL. XXXVII.-No. 15. 



( No. 318 Broadwat, New i'^obk. 



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CONTENTS. 



Editoriai,, 

 Brown Trout vs Brook Trout. 

 Fate of the Fur Seal. 

 Snap Shots. 



The SPOHTSMAJf TO0RI8T. 



A Night of Peril, 

 Natural Histort, 

 Fate of the Fur Seal in Amer- 



Gamb Bag and Gtra. 



Among the Wildfowl. 



A Story of Wolves. 



Our Moose Hunt Up the 

 Ottawa. 



Deer in Wisconsin Woods. 



Notes of the Game. 



Wiscnnsin Game. 



Adirondsob Deer. 

 Sea and River (Wishing. 



The Lamprey Eel. 



Sandusky Bay White Bass 

 Fisbing. 



International Fish Protef'tion 



Tbe Anglers' Protective Club. 



FlSHCULTORE 



Colorado Trout and Whiteflsh 

 The Kennel. 

 American Coursing Club Meet 



The Kbnnbt/. 



Collie Club Speciale. 



U. S. Field Trial Club Entries. 



Lord Clover's Pedigree. 



Hospice of St. Bernard Fund, 



Disposition of Bloodhounds. 



Barzois— Psovoi. 



Nores and Notions. 



Philadelphia Withdraws. 



Dog C^at. 



Kennel Notes. 



Answers to Correspondents, 

 Rifle and Trap Shootihq. 



Range and Gallerv. 



The Revolver Championship, 



Massachusetts State Shoot. 



The Trap, 



WilliamsDort, Ind. 



Chlrago Trap Shots. 



Inter-State League, 



Nori h Baltimore vs Tiffin, 

 Yachting. 



Yacht Racing in 1891.— ii. 



New Yachts. 

 Canoeing, 



Amendments to the Racmg 

 Rules, 



Answers to Correspondents. 



FATE OF THE FUR SEAL. 

 Wf E publish in our columns a very important paper by 



' ' Mr. William Palmer, taxidermist of the National 

 Museum, vpho went to the Seal Islands last year to obtain 

 a series of skins of walrus, seal, sea lion and other animals 

 of the Prybilov group for the Museum collection. His 

 observations are those of a trained naturalist, and deserve 

 the closest attention on this account, and because of the 

 importance of the subject treated. The address was read 

 by the author before the Biological Society of Washing- 

 ton, and was discussed by Doctors Dall, Gill, Bean and 

 others. It was stated by Dr. Dall that the estimates of 

 the seals on the islands were greatly exaggerated. In 

 his opinion a million of seals never were gathered on the 

 rookeries at one time, and the diminution now apparent 

 to every one is due chiefly to the number of young males 

 legally killed. He recalled the fact that in the early days 

 of the industry fur peal skins were worth only 12^ cents 

 each; but about 1867 the fur became fashionable and the 

 business was more carefully managed. At first the prin- 

 cipal market was found in China, and the European de- 

 mand was very small. The invention by Raymond of a 

 machine for preparing the skins revolutionized the indus- 

 try. Dr. Dall attributes the present decline chiefly to the 

 excessive killing of young males; there is not now a suf- 

 ficient number of males on the breeding grounds to main- 

 tain the species. He admits that the method of driving 

 referred to by Sir, Palmer is also very destructive. The 

 excessive destruction of males began in 1873, and has 

 continued to the present time. 



It is evident that the number of seals on the Islands 

 must have been much larger that Dr. Dall is willing to 

 admit when we consider the enormous number killed 

 within the last few years in Bering Sea. For the last 

 three years the skins sold by poachers averaged fully 

 30,000 a year. It ia generally known that most of these 

 are females containing unborn young. The actual de- 

 struction of seals, on the basis of the returns, is 100,000 

 ^eajrl^; but besides this it is well known that from 50 to 



90 per cent, of the seals [killed by pelagic hunters sink 

 and are not recovered. It is safe to say, therefore, that 

 in years of successful poaching the actual number of 

 seals killed is fully 500,000. As this practice has been 

 continued for a great many years a very small amount 

 of calculation will serve to show that the number of fur 

 seals inhabiting the Prybilov Islands must have been 

 fully up to the estimates mentioned in Mr, Palmer's 

 address. Pelagic sealing is undoubtedly the most waste- 

 ful of all methods of taking the fur seal, and the present 

 legalized method of driving is likewise very destructive 

 to seal life. The remedies proposed by Mr. Palmer and 

 others, to stop the killing in Bering Sea, drive only killa- 

 ble seals, and proclaim a close season, must certainly re- 

 commend themselves to every one interested in the 

 future of the fur seal. 



BROWN TROUT VS. BROOK TROUT. 

 npHE Caledonia Fishing Club has a singular experience 

 on its hands in its leased waters of Spring Creek, 

 The creek has been liberally supplied for the past two or 

 three years with brook trout fry, and yet the moat ex- 

 pert fly-casters have noted a marked decline in the catch 

 of fontinalis. The usual enemies of the brook trout were 

 charged with the destruction of the fish ; but Mr. Annin 

 has discovered that the brown trout is the real culprit, 

 or at least one of the most active enemies of the brook 

 trout. By setting a large-meshed gill net in the creek he 

 caught a 6lbs. brown trout, whose stomach was filled 

 with brook trout. An 8-pounder, taken later, had cap- 

 tured a brook trout 6 inches long. Mr. F. P. Brownell 

 caught a brown trout last May weighing lllbs., and Mr. 

 Annin is convinced that examples weighing lolbs. exist 

 in the lower part of the stream, near the Caledonia 

 hatchery, from which the brown trout was introduced 

 into the neighboring waters. The brown trout grows 

 very large, is a powerful fish and a voracious feeder : it is 

 feared that it will soon exterminate the smaller, but 

 more beautiful, brook trout unless kept rigidly in check, 

 if not, indeed, removed entirely from brook trout waters. 

 The brown trout is a magnificent fish, and a decided ac- 

 quisition to Eastern waters, which have no native black- 

 spotted trout ; but if it should unfortunately clash with 

 the interests of the fly -fishermen, there will be " trouble 

 in the camp " at once. The Caledonia Fishing Club will 

 try to exterminate the brown trout in Spring Creek before 

 they commit any fatal damage. The problem of selec- 

 tion of fish suitable to a given region is a grave one, and 

 well worthy of serious study before introducing a preda- 

 tory species. We invite free expressions of opinion upon 

 this important subject. 



SNAP SHOTS. 



TylT HILE deer hounding on Long Island is limited to 

 ' ' the first ten days of October, the still-hunt- 

 ing pei'iod extends to Nov. 1, the law in this respect 

 being identical with the general statute. Four baymen 

 who had clubbed a deer to death with their oars in 

 Champlins Creek, Islip, on Oct. 17, were haled before a 

 justice for having killed game out of season; but were 

 quite properly discharged. The Long Island deer area is 

 so limited and the hunters are so multitudinous that 

 prudence dictates a revision of the existing law in the 

 direction of a more restricted season. The codification 

 bill of last winter provided for a five years' close time. 

 Such a clause, we trust, will be contained in the amended 

 law. This failing, those interested in the game might 

 prevail upon the county supervisors to enact special 

 ordinances, as they are empowered to do. 



In a suggestive note last week Mr. E. E. Thompson 

 wi-ote of the breeding of certain wild animals for then- 

 fur, and of the possibilities of profit, as well as of pleas- 

 ure to those whose tastes incline to natural history. 

 It goes without saying that we have not learned to use 

 to best advantage many of our natural resources of this 

 character. On the contrary, the history of man's rela- 

 tion to the brute creation shows in numerous instances 

 that species have been foolishly exterminated, which, 

 with moderate foresight and recognition of their eco- 

 nomic value, might profitably have been conserved for 

 the benefit of the human race. It was not until the buf- 

 falo was all but extinct in this country that any intelli- 

 gent effort was directed to determine its adaptability to 

 domestication and to furnishing a substantial contribu- 

 tion to the country's food supply. A writer in the 



London Sj}ec;fator has just pointed out that by domestica- 

 tion of some of the species of large animals now wild, a 

 valuable addition might be made to the meat food re- 

 sources of mankind; and curiously enough he selects as a 

 fit subject for experiment in this direction an African 

 species which now seem doomed to meet the fate of the 

 buflialo in America, This is the eland, one of the largest 

 antelopes, whose flesh no less an authority than Lord 

 Randolph Churchill has pronounced to be "peculiarly ex- 

 cellent, having in addition the valuable property of being 

 tender immediately after the animal is killed, which 

 makes it much appreciated in Central Africa, where the 

 meat is usually as tough as shoe leather and nearly as 

 dry." In size the mature eland is as large as a two- 

 year-old short-horn; it is hardy, can live on scanty fare, 

 and when given good pasturage puts on fat; it is quite 

 tame, is easily domesticated, and can be acclimatized! 

 Specimens have been reared in the Jardin des Plantes, in 

 Paris, and also on English estates. "It seems to be a 

 waste of the resources of natui-e," says the Spectator 

 writer, "to allow these fine creatures to be exterminated, 

 as they soon will be, in our new African empire, Why 

 should we not save the eland, the harmless antelope, the 

 koodoo, and other large African antelopes from exter- 

 mination—and even try to rear some in England? The 

 experiment may be recommended to some of the noble 

 owners of parks and chases who have already done so 

 much to preserve our own deer and wild cattle from 

 extermination. America has allowed the bison to per- 

 ish. Shall we not take warning, and presprve for our 

 own use the splendid African antelopes which, within 

 the memory of man, were a thousand times more numer- 

 ous than they are to-day?" 



Among those who visited this city last Thursday to at- 

 tend the conference of Fish Commissioners [and others, 

 relative to international legislation, was Mr, J, TJ. 

 Gregory, of Quebec, Agent of the Department of Marine 

 and Fisheries, and well-known to scores of visitors to 

 Canada, because of his never-tiring courtesy to anglers 

 and sportsmen, Mr, Gregory was here to represent the 

 Dominion Government and expressed himself as being 

 greatly disappointed that the session should not have 

 been prolonged, so that he might lay before the commit- 

 tee tbe special measm-es toward securing which their in- 

 fluence was desired, Mr, Grf>gory tells us that the deer 

 from Maine are invading Canada in ever-growing num- 

 bers without heed of boundary lines and import duties; 

 and are now found in sections where they have not been 

 known for many years. 



It is a pleasure to record the work done by the Anglers' 

 Protective Club, of Rangeley, Me., in replenishing the 

 fishing resources of the Androscoggin Lakes and tributary 

 waters in Maine ; and we trust that the report given in 

 our angling columns may call out substantial recognition 

 from residents of other States who go fishing in Maine 

 lakes. The work of the association has been intelligently 

 conducted; the Maine Fish Commissioners are in co-opera- 

 tion with the Rangeley people; and sufficient has already 

 been accomplished to warrant public confidence in the 

 movement. 



We printed the other day a note from Mr, Verner de 

 Guise, of Mahwah, N, J., reporting his complete success 

 in rearing English pheasants. The publication has 

 brought to Mr. de Guise numerous letters, which show 

 that the subject is one of wide interest; and it is probable 

 that within a year these birds will have been introduced 

 into the game covers of widely separated sections of the 

 country. The Tuxedo Park managers have been success, 

 ful with their birds this year- 



The Hon. "Buffalo" Jones, late of Kansas, now of Camp 

 Cook, Neb,, sailed from this port last Tuesday, having in 

 charge ten of his cross-bred bulTaloes, which he is convey- 

 ing to Liverpool there to grace the park of Mr. Chas. Le- 

 land. Mr. Jones, it is said, will receive $1,000 apiece for 

 every one of the animals delivered in good condition at 

 their destination. These buffaloes are a cross betvfeen 

 the buffalo and the domestic cow; but it is difficult to dis- 

 tinguish them from the ptire buffalo. 



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