496 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



IDec. 8, 1893. 



ROBINS ISLAND FIELD TRIALS. 



On Friday, Dec. 2, tte Robins Island Club resamed the 

 annual running of their field trials. Since the organization 

 of the club, some eleveQ or twelve yeans ago, there have been 

 • but two omissions. The first occurred when the night before 

 the trials were to commence the club house caught fire. 

 The next omission was last year, principally owing to the 

 fact that two of the most enthusiastic workers at the field 

 trials were engaged in business matters, and two others 

 equally as energetic in the cause were confined to the house 

 by illness. , , . » ^. 



'George W. Green, the secretary of the club, is one ot the 

 most enthusiastic of the shooting men belonging to the club. 

 Indeed, in this regard the club has been most fortiinate in 

 its selections. I can recall five men in the short history of 

 the club each of whom have done everything to advance the 

 interests of the club. The first was the late Leander Water- 

 bury, then the late Samuel B. Duryea, then W. H. Stanley, 

 and now Geo. W. Green. ... 



More progress has been made m the last two years than 

 ever before. True, at times large numbers of live quail have 

 been purchased and forwarded to the island. But this pres- 

 ent season three kinds of game are to be found upon Robins 

 Island, each of which kind furnishes capital sport to the 

 shooting man. These are the native quail, the Engli.sh 

 pheasant and the English partridge. Each of the latter 

 kind has thriven wonderfully in their new home, the pheas- 

 ant perhaps the better of the two. Superintendent Glessing 

 was for many years one of the game keepers for the Baron 

 Rothschild on his estate some forty miles east of Paris. 

 Here the breeding of pheasants was most largely gone into. 

 Oa this e.'^tate and the adjoining one, owned by Baron 

 Rothschild's brother, some 8,000 birds were successfully 

 raised each season. So that Glessing came to Robins Island 

 with all the knowledge and experience necessary to run 

 with snccess the pheasantry started by the club. Last year 

 nearly 200 birds were raised and had it not been for the crow 

 black birds the number would have been doubled. It was 

 found, but not until a sfood many chicks had been killed, 

 that these birds were carrying them ofT one after anothpr in 

 hawk-like fashion. The crow blackbirds breeding upon the 

 island, it required some shooting to exterminate them. It 

 was done, however, and Mr. Glessing looks forward with 

 confidence to a great result in pheasants the coming year. 

 A pheasant house has been constructed, divided into three 

 compartments. Each has a yard attached some 30ft. long 

 by 10ft. wide. Each of these compartments has running in 

 it nine hens and a cock. When the writer examined these 

 last Saturday they appeared to be in full vigor and in the 

 very pink of condition, the plumage glistening in the sun 

 like burnished metals. Already this season seventy-five 

 pheasants have been shot by visiting members and their 

 friends and the writer can attest that a large number are 

 still roaming the grounds at will. 



The pheasant is a warv fellow, ever on the alert and apt to 

 rise away ahead of dog or man. When flushed he rises high 

 in air and goes off uttering a peculiar JdvJi-Muk-kluk, which 

 is more like the hoarse call ot the crow blackbird (purple 

 grackle) in mating time, than anything I ever heard. Quite 

 a number were put up during the trials. Of these but one 

 lay to the dog.", and he was a beauty. Singular to say, the 

 tail feathers of this cock bird were a pure white color, a 

 marked contrast to the deep, invisible green of the bird's 

 head and neck. 



The English partridges have not done so well. They pre- 

 fer the open fields and have become the prey of the maraud- 

 ing hawkswhich it appears to be impossible to rid the island 

 of. They are shot at every opportunitj', are caught in traps 

 set upon poles in doz.ens of places, yet they still come. As 

 fast as one is killed another takes its place. The rascals no 

 doubt in migrating find what a "butcher's hall" the game 

 ot the island makes for them, and they naturally stop to 

 enjoy the meat. Dozens and dozens are killed each year, 

 anil to that extent are the quail and the partridge spared. 



The deuarture for the island was made on Thursday after- 

 noon. Vague rumors of a heivy snowstorm at the eastern 

 end were floating around, but as the train was ready at 

 Long Island City the few present concluded to go on as' far 

 as Robins Island', at all events. The party was but four 

 members— Wellington, Gi'een and Austen and your corre- 

 spondent. 



Cutchogue reached half an hour later, it was found that 

 winter reigned supreme. The snow was piled in long drifts 

 and in depths varying from a foot and a half to four feet. 

 Farmers had to turn out and shovel the roads clear the day 

 before, as they were .simply impassable. To add to the dis- 

 comfort a heavy snow pquall set in, blinding for a short 

 time in its intensity. The station master was jocose. He 

 saluted the party with "Had company here last iiight, your 

 Mr. Swan (a member of the club) got here to take yesterday 

 afternoon's train. After he got here he couldn't get away 

 to train, no vehicle, couldn't walk. Passed the night in the 

 station. Got off at 11 this morning; funny wasn't it-"' Per- 

 haps it was to hirn, inxt 1 \vnuld much like to know what 

 Alden S, Swan had to say about it. New SuflEolk duly 

 reached after numerous delays, tor riding up and down 

 little short hills and hoUows'may be provocation of good 

 dige.st.ion, but it is fatal to comfor,t. The sail from the main 

 land was soon accomplished. A stiff wind making double 

 reefs necessary saves time immensely, especially if the 

 breeze be fair, which it was on the present occasion. The 

 wharf I'eached, but little time was lost in the transfer of 

 baggage to the club house. 



After supper Secretary Green handed in the following en- 

 tries: I 

 The Puppy Stake. 



W, L, Wellington's orange and white Countess (Tardv 

 Jack— Wanda). ^ 



Dr. S. Fleet Speir's black and white Prince of Wales (Dur- 

 yea's Ned— Princess J uno), 



G. VV. Green's orange and white Bufl! (Roy— Queen Glad- 

 stone). 



E. H. Litchfield's black and tan Dougla.ss (Argus— Laura). 

 L. H. Bullai-d's orange belton Giuck (pedigree not given). 

 The order of running was drawn: 

 Prince of Wales against Bufl:'. 

 Countess against Douglass. 

 Gluck a bye. 



. All-ARBd Stakes. 



Chauncey Marshall's black setter Topsy. 

 L. H. Bullard's orange and white Bessie. 

 Dr. S. Fleet Speir's orange and white Dixie. 

 Dr. S. Fleet Speir's orange and white Joe, 

 Dr. S. Fleet Speir's Washington. 

 W. Flint's Frank. 



G- W. Green's liver-colored setter Mack. 



G. W. Green's blue belton setter Belton. 



Dr. Speir's Washington, on account of sickness, and Flint's 

 J rank, owing to lack ot work, withdrawn. This left six to 

 The judges were to use simply their own judgment 

 anrt to be hampered by no given rules,' the best dog in their 

 judgment to win. Unfortunately the judges failed tu come 

 with one exception. Judge Calvin E. Pratt, of the U. s' 

 Supreme Court, sent a letter of regret, stating that it was 

 ^°}\ ^0 '^^^^ weather was so again.st him 

 Mr. McL,ftUghlin was detained upon urgent bu.smess. Mr 

 u" ^f^^ could not come, so no one of the old judges were 

 on hand save Mr. Jacob Peutz, the judging by ccinsent of all 

 being lett m his hands. That gentleman stated that while 

 he appreciated tbe compliment, it was preferable that some 

 one should join him iu the w^ork, Mr. Austen kindly con- 

 sented to assist in every way possible. 



The drawing for the order of running: 



Mack against Dixie. 

 Belton against Bessie. 

 Topsy against Joe. 



FRIDAY. 



After a delightful breakfast Friday morning the first 

 brace of the Puppy Stake was called. 



Prince of Wales and Bttff.— They were cast oli at edge of 

 woods back of club house and hauled over the open pasture 

 lots where in 1S78 Charles T.Raymond's Lemonade made 

 such a striking feature at that year's Eastern Field Trial 

 Club's meeting. Prince showed much the more style in 

 going and was faster in spots. Buff ran with an easy 

 manner but not in handsome fashion, for he goes with head 

 and tail both down. After the opening spin a turn was 

 made to the bush lined bluff at west of island. Buff soon 

 flushed a single outlying bird which in turn started a full 

 bevy some yards ahead. Both dogs steady to wing. Moving 

 on a grand cock pheasant flushed wild away ahead of dogs, 

 his plumage flashing in the sunlight as jewel encru.sted. 

 Dogs steady. Soon a single flushed wild ahead of Prince. 

 Buff so far proved the better ranging. Out to the marsh and 

 both point. Nothin? found. Then along south to ice pond. 

 Prince pointed. A big bevy flushed wild. Glessing shot 

 and killed. Prince broke at the shot and chased birds. 

 Tried for a retrieve. Neither dog did it in proper style, the 

 Prince almost refusing to fetch. On the way to the dead 

 quail Buff flushed a cock pheasant. From here the island 

 was crossed to east, huuting along past old feed house and 

 the new pheasantry to the rye stubble beyond. In the 

 blackberry cane lot almost at the north shore, Wales threw 

 up his head and began roading. Buff came along, took the 

 scent and roaded also. A big bevy of birds flushed to side 

 of dogs, both steady to wing. The birds followed. Prince 

 drew'"up;in a bit of 'wire grass and stood for a second or so, 

 then went on again. At the left away off" another big bevy 

 flushed wild and sought the cover of the scrub and oak tim- 

 ber. This last lot ha'ving been plainly marked down, were 

 followed. Location soou reached. Both dogs making game 

 simultaneously, so both moved along, the birds flushed wild 

 ahead of them. Buff unsteady to wing. Wales comes into 

 his handler at the "whirr" of the birds. This patch of woods 

 was thoroughly hunted without result. Small wonder. The 

 snow was a foot deep in the lightest thickness. It was a 

 blanket cru.shing down the tangles of weeds almost to the 

 ground, but leaving hundreds of places with room enough 

 for abevy of birds to find harbor under the mass ,if snowand 

 weeds. A turn to the north and another bevy flushed wild 

 all of fifty yards away. Working in that direction a single 

 bird flushed in front of Buff. That dog commenced reaching 

 again, but was checked by handler. The birdgot up ^vild at 

 the sound of the human voice. Another single flushed in 

 front of Wales. Buff then got a point. Green put up the 

 bird. Buff steady to wing. Dogs taken up. Time down just 

 two hour.s. 



Countess and DotTC4LASS.— Instantly taken from the fol- 

 lowing wagon and started from where the others were taken 

 up. Both went off speedily, ranging out well and quarter- 

 ing their ground nicely, Douglass especially going with a 

 good deal of style, He is a handsome Gordon and showed 

 beautifully against the snow. The dogs had been worked 

 south and then west to the open. Douglass commenced 

 roading, when fifty rods away a cock pheasant flushed 

 wild. Douglass dropped to wing. Countess coming up at 

 that moment caught sight of the black dog and backed capi- 

 tally. Then both dogs made game and did some pretty 

 roading side by side, Countess working off to right, Doug- 

 lass to left. Both stopped and pointed. A crippled bird was 

 in front of Douglass. In front of Countess a full bevy w^as 

 flushed. Shot at and a kill. Neither dog retrieved well, 

 but Countess's work the better. On again toward the old 

 clay pit, Douglass pointed; handler claimed a x>oint. but 

 after a few seconds' stop he roaded along again. Then 

 Countess got a point Douglass came up and backed the 

 bitch handsomely. Handlers put up a big bevy. Moving 

 over to edge of bluff, Douglass drew to a point, Countess 

 backing him. While .standing a cock pheasant flushed itself 

 ahead of the dogs: both steady. Then Douglass flushed a 

 bevy, followed by a flush for Countess on a single. Then 

 Countess got a point in a few seconds. Douglass called in 

 for aback, refused, walking in and taking scent alongside 

 of the standing Counte.ss, but only then stopping to order of 

 handler. Bird flushed bv h,andier. Dogs taken up, time 

 down 1h. 10m. Time, 12:30 P. M. 



It was then decided to go to club house for lunch and after- 

 ward commence with the first brace of the iUl-Aged Stake, 

 leaving the bye puppy to run off' the next morning. At the 

 club house a complete change of raimert was necessary, 

 every man being wet through to the hips. Rubber boots 

 proved hut little protection, for when floundering through 

 snow drifts the snow dropped in over the tops, giving one's 

 feet an ice bath at every mile of travel. At half-past 2 an- 

 other start was made. 



M.\CK AND Dixie.— The usual course followed, a spin of 

 some minutes over the open jiastures to west ana then 

 toward the little bluff, which with its cover was ever a 

 favorite .spot for hiding bird.s. At a little bit of rye field, 

 Dixie running fast down wind, slackened his speed, threw 

 up his head, and before he could draw up away whirled a 

 startled bevy to clospr cover. Moving on, a single outlying 

 bird jumped in front of Dixie. Moving after the bevy 

 toward the salt marsh Dixie flushed a single. Both dogs 

 were going fast and well, Dixie showingthe most style. Out 

 to the big sedge grass meadow back from the sands to the 

 bluff it hunted along, the hunters availing them.selves of 

 the old railrad bed. At very point of blufl", Mack, running 

 fast, wheeled almost round and stopped fa.st, his body 

 almost bent double. Di.\:ie, who had been oft' hunting a 

 wotiuded quail, called with difficulty in to back, came up, 

 refused the back and went up to Mack, taking the scent 

 himself. Green flushed the bird, killed with a capital sec- 

 ond barrel as it flushed, Dixie unsteady to shot. Mack 

 located dead bird, but refused to retrieve it. Moving past 

 the break in the bluff, but still going south,' Dixie drew to 

 a point. Mack called in for a back did so, but in faint man- 

 ner. Green jumped from the height of the bluff down on 

 the tangle of sand-hidden'bushes. Out bounded a big bunny, 

 shot at and missed. Both dogs steady to fur and to shot. 

 Still going south Dixie on the way flxished a single. Then 

 he drew to a point; point claimed and allowed: nothing 

 found. He moved on a few yards, jumped a half dozen 

 times and picked up a crippled bird, Dixie hard to manage 

 and headstrong. Quite a tramp was had before birds we're 

 found again. Then Mack got the point, bird flushed wild 

 ahead of hiiu, dog steady to wing. Then Dixie pointed. 

 Mack backed handsomely. Bird ttushedby Green, shot at. 

 At report Dixie broke shot and chased 'the flying bird. 

 Mack steady as a clock. Dogs ordered up. Tim's 3:35, hav- 

 ing been run 1 h. 5m. 



Belton and Bessie —Turned down where the others had 

 been taken up without any delay save that of taking them 

 from the accompanying wagon, They were hunted easterly 

 along the edge of the timber which covers all the center of 

 the island from west to east. Neither dog ranged oft" well, 

 for the snow was in drifts every rod or so, in which the dogs 

 sank up to their bellies at every leap. Rounding a little 

 promontory of scrub oak which jutted out into the open, 

 Belton drew suddenly into a most beautiful point. Bessie 

 also stopped. It was a pretty picture and a '-Kodaker" 

 should have been pre.sent. A big bevy flushed wild at ap- 

 proach of men. Austin and Green each fired a single shot 

 The result was astonishing. The birds lumped, bunched' 

 and no less than five birds fell. One was but wing-tipped 

 and It started off run nin a: with head up as if untouched. 

 • ihis was too much tor Belton. In spite of the cautions of 



his owner, in he dashed and never stopped his run until he 

 had the bird in his mouth. He brought it in. Then Bessie 

 retrieved but not in best fashion. Then Belton brought in 

 one in similar manner. Bessie had been a little unsteady 

 as the birds rose, but checked herself to order of handler. 

 These birds were followed over the hills. A long hunt en- 

 sued before the birds were found again. The ground was 

 thoroughly hunted along the 50ft. high east bluff toward 

 the south. At the deep cut known as the "Ravine" both 

 dogs straightened out and moved ahead .slowly. 



They were just moving, that was all, when a single bird 

 flushed not a yard ahead of them. In a second the air was 

 full of quail. They got up on both sides of the dogs, in 

 front of the handlers, and seemingly from everywhere. At 

 least 40 birds in the bunch. Green shot and killed. Bessie, 

 sent in, retrieved the dead birds in most excellent style. 

 Then, moving on, Bestie soou drew to a point. Belton 

 backed staunchly. The bitch moved on a few yards and 

 stopped again. Belton stopped as she did. Aitstin flushed 

 the bird. Both dogs steady. Moving forward slowly, both 

 dogs drawing, a single bird flushed wild ahead of them. 

 Then the judges and handlers flushed a half-dozen birds. 

 All those flushed had flown in direct line toward South 

 Point. They could not be found, and a move was made 

 toward the west. As the party walked along a bevv of birds 

 flushed wild to the rear of the handlers. A moment after a 

 cock pheasant flushed away ahead of the dogs. At this time 

 all hands got in the wagon and were driven to the spot 

 known as the sink hole, where, as grain had been reaped 

 last summer, it was thought birds would be found. Reach- 

 ing there, the dogs were cast off once again. Circling the 

 spot, it was drawn blank. As the dogs came back ISessie 

 pointed stiff, as did also Belton, within 50ft. of the waiting 

 wagon. Austin flushed the bird, which proved to be a beau- 

 tiful cock pheasant. It was not shot at. Dogs ordered up. 

 Time, 4:45. Time down, Ih. 10m. 



SATURDAY. 



Gluck bad the bye. An early start was made this morn- 

 ing, for 9 o'clock saw Gluck and his running mate, 

 Buff cast oft' at the usual starting place. Gluck is quite 

 puppy-like in manner, seeming more disposed at the start to 

 follow Buff than to hunt out for himself. Nothing was 

 found in the pasture lots to east of club house. These were 

 hunted carefully along the edge of the woods easterly. 

 Then along the edge of the briar lot north to the beach. 

 Then next along the beach to the blufl' so often mentioned. 

 Down the bluff and across to the marsh beyond. Glesssing 

 claimed point for Gluck. Judge allowed the claim and or- 

 dered the bird put up; nothing found. Back from the bluff 

 to the hills. Gluck flushed a quail directly in front of him, 

 t hen stopped and pointed staunchly where the bird got up 

 from. He then got a good stiff" point and stood nicely. A 

 big bevy of birds flushed from under his nose. Gluck steady 

 towing. Birdsfollowed. A single flushed in front of Gluck 

 but some distance ahead of him. Shot at and missed. Gluck 

 steady to shot. The spot on the sandspit where the birds 

 were thought to be thoroughly hunted out but nothing 

 found. Gluck ranged well, quartered his ground well, but 

 was not under good control. Back to the bluff again. At 

 its edge a cottontail bounced out in front of Gluck. This 

 was too much. Away went hare, away went dog. Back 

 the dog would not come despite the warnings or the coax- 

 ings of his handler. The dog was wild with excitement. 

 Ordered up as he had no chance of winning. .The last of the 

 all-aaed braces nut down at once. 



Topsy and .Joe —Feeling that the last marked down 

 birds were out in the sedge of bushes of the sand spit, the 

 dogs were at once cast off there, Topsy ranging well and 

 going fast ran up a single. She ran completely to the end 

 of the marsh meadow, then called back to more carefully 

 hunt her ground. Green, Glessing and Austin had crossed 

 the marsh and stood at the lower end of the sedge grass. 

 Topsy came alone and wheeled to a point in front of them. 

 Joe coming up on the other side also pointed. Austin 

 flushed the birds and one shot followed. Away went both 

 dogs after the birds. It was exciting but faulty. Back to 

 the rolling land east of bluft". At a little patch of bayberry 

 bxxshes out flushed wild a brace of English partridges and a 

 brace of American quail. The partridges flew a mile. The 

 quail dropped to cover after a short flight. Moving on, 

 Topsy got another point in less time than it takes to write 

 this paragraph. The birds flushed wild. .Toe broke ag,ain. 

 Topsy steady only to command of handler. Afterward a 

 single bird flushed. Topsy made a couple of jumps but 

 came back. Moving forward Joe established a point at the 

 crest of one of the little hills. Topsy called in to back, did 

 so for a second, then left her back, ran around and ahead of 

 .Joe for some distance, wheeled around and pointed the 

 birds, the dogs facing one another, but .^ome yards apart. 

 Birds flushed to order. Shot at, one killed. At the report 

 away went both dogs again like two demons in as mad a 

 canine race as was ever seen. Coming at last, Topsy re- 

 trieved the dead bird in good style. The work of the 'dogs 

 was excellent, but they were both .simply crazy with excite- 

 ment. Ordered up, Time down, 45m. 



Summary. 



Puppy Stakes— First, W. L, Wellington's Countess; sec- 

 ond, E. H. Litchflehi's Douglass. 



All-Aged Stakes— First, George W. Green's Mack; second, 

 L. H. Bullard's Bessie. 



Thus ends the Robins Island Field Trials? of l89a, 



Peconic. 



CANADIAN KENNEL CLUB AFFAIRS. 



HAMILTON, Can., Nov. SO.— Editor Forest and Stream: I 

 beg to inform you that the sub-committee lately appointed 

 by the executive committee of the Canadian Kennel Club 

 to investigate certain charges preferred by Mr. George Bell, 

 of Toronto, agains* Dr Wesley Mills, of Montreal, has de- 

 cided to go no further with its work for the present, as Dr. 

 Mills, by virtue of his office as president of the Canadian 

 Kennel Club, has declared the meeting of the executive 

 committee at which the .sub-committee was appointed to be 

 illegal and unconstitutional, and has ordered the members 

 of the sub-committee to refrain from investigating the 

 charges. The annexed letter from Dr. Mills will explain 

 itself. A. D. Stewart, Chairman Sub-Committee. 



COPT. 



Cote St. ANTOI^fK, Montreal, Nov. Sti.— ^4. D, Stewart, 

 Esq.: I have your letter of Nov. 24, By Article 3, Sec. I. of 

 the byJaws of the C. K. C. it is provided that "two weeks' 

 notice of such meeting (of the executive committee) shall be 

 given to every member of the committee." Such two weeks' 

 notice was not given of the meeting of the executive, there- 

 fore that meeting was unconstitutional, and the aft'airs of 

 the club are just where they were before it was held Those 

 who are so anxious to manufacture a case against Dr. Mills 

 must th erefore just exercise a little patience. 



Wesley Mills, M,D., Pres. C. K. C. 



Our New England i-*aders will be pained to learn of the 

 death of Mr. Chas. G. Wheelock, who at one time owned 

 the Arlington Heights Kennels of St. Bernards. Some time 

 since Mr. Wheelock took up his residence in California. It 

 seems on the loth of last month he was driving with Mr. .J. 

 Irving Crowell when he was thrown from the buggy and 

 died on the 33d from the injuries he received. Mr. Wheelock 

 seems to have made himself popular in his new home, and 

 his sudden takintr oil will be a shock to his many friends in 

 the East. Mr. Wheelock at one time owned su.ch dogs as 

 Scotch Bonivard, Home Rule, Hesperard, etc, 



