260 
FOREST AMD « STREAM, 
[MARCH 28, 188&. 
8, Fish Commission. His answer was that he found 
minute tumors upon the filaments of the gills containing 
scores of myxosporidia, a fish parasite, very contagious 
and very fatal. The disease often appears as patches of 
moss or fungus on any part of the body. The fish, m this 
epidemic, principally Effected is siizostedion vitreum, 
wall- eyed pike, dory, or yellow pickerel. There were 
also a great number of large water lizards, necturus mae- 
■ulatus, washed ashore. 
Chief Warden.: 
Since the last report a successor to the late chief warden 
has been appointed in the person of Mr. Edwin Tinsley, 
of Hamilton, and there is good reason to say that he has 
been painstaking and efficient. His whole time beirjg 
devoted to the work, he is better able to accomplish the 
duties of his office and other work than if only paid for 
part of his time, as seemed to be the case with his prede- 
cessor. 
The Commissioners are also of the opinion that m order 
to start tbe nucleus of a collection of mounted specimens 
of the game aDd fish of the Province as well as of other 
rare and curious specimens of natural history, the chief 
warden should intimate to sportsmen and others his 
willingness to receive and have mounted by the best 
taxidermists such specimens as they may be pleased to* 
donate. They are confident that a large number of 
valuable specimens could be thus secured. These could 
be kept in the office of the chief warden until their 
number would warrant a room or rooms being set apart 
for their accommodation. 
"Squabs au Cresson." 
When .the members of the National Wholesale Lumber 
Dealers' Association visited Saginaw last week they were 
royally treated by the members of the local association. 
Among other features of the entertainment of the visitors 
was a banquet at the East Saginaw Club, and this banquet 
was far and away ahead of any other like affair ever 
given in this city. The markets of the country were 
searched for delicacies and it was the opinion of those 
who partook of the spread that it could not have been im- 
proved upon. There were many invited guests in addition 
to the members of both associations and the evening was 
delightfully spent. Among the many dishes on the menu 
card was "squabs au cresson," which was most palatable. 
Mayor Mershon cut short his California trip and re- 
turned home in time for the banquet. He was never in 
a happier mood than when he rose to address the banquet- 
ters in response to the toast, "Our Guests," and in fact 
he fairly outdid all his previous efforts in this line. The 
mayor partook of the dish labeled "squabs, etc," and was 
highly pleased with it. There was something about the 
taste of tbe "squabs," however, that set Mr. Mershon to 
thinking. The mayor is a sportsman of no mean ability 
and has successfully hunted everything on this continent 
in the shape of wild beast and fowl from grizzly bear to 
snipe, and it is safe to say that he had partaken of their 
meat, consequently he is entitled to be classed among the 
connoisseurs of epicurean morsels. For a time he could 
not just make out what the "squabs" tasted like. Then a 
happy idea struck him and as usual it happened to be 
correct. The "squabs" were nothing more nor less than 
quail, the killing of which at this season is strictly pro- 
hibited by law in Michigan and many other States, while 
the unlucky possessor of the birds is liable to arrest and 
punishment for having them in his custody. 
The mayor thought about those "squabs" during the 
banquet and the next day he called the attention of the 
deputy game warden to the matter. It was learned that 
the "birds" were purchased in Chicago, were labeled 
"squabs" and puc on the menu as such, and that neither 
the officers of the club or the local lumbermen's association 
were aware of their nature. The deputy warden is in- 
vestigating and if possible will make complaint against 
the Chicago dealers. The affair has become noised about 
and has caused considerable comment among the mem- 
bers of the club, but it is not probable that anything will 
come out of it. — Saginaw {Mich.) Globe, March 10. 
Mr. Mershon comments on this: "The inclosed clipping, 
taken from one of our local papers, is self-explanatory. 
What the result will be I cannot say, but if dealers had 
no market for game it would not pay them to handle 
quail in or out of season, and the result would be, instead 
of our game being exterminated, as it is sure to be in the 
near future, we would have plenty of it and some left for 
our grandchildren." 
Ontario Indians and Moose. 
Port Arthur, Can. — Editor Forest and Stream: A short 
time ago two Indians shot and killed a herd of seven 
moose, comprising two bulls, three cows and two yearling 
calves, on Jarvis River, about thirty miles southwest of 
this place. The two Indians returned to their reserve for 
assistance to bring home the spoil. After they had disposed 
of the meat among their friends, the Indians brought the 
two bull moose heads to Port Arthur to sell. After ped- 
dling them around town they found a purchaser in Dr. 
, who paid $50 for the two heads. They were fine 
specimens. The Doctor sent them to Montreal to be 
mounted. After they were shipped one of the game war- 
dens telegraphed and had the two heads seized on the 
way; the Government authorities took possession and 
threatened to prosecute the Doctor for having them 
in his possession. So much for the game laws of Ontario, 
that will allow the Indian to slaughter moose and caribou, 
and a white man cannot even purchase a piece of venison 
or a head from them without paying the penalty of a fine. 
The Ontario Government is protecting the moose and 
caribou for the lazy half-breed Indians to slaughter as 
they see proper. J. E. Newsome. 
"A Day in Central Iowa." 
"A Day in Central Iowa," by Mount Tom, served to 
bring vividly to mind the many spring days of long ago, 
when the birds were plentiful on the prairies where I 
lived, and the tooting of the prairie chicken was heard in 
that land. Were it practicable I could find it in my heart 
to make a journey to eentral Iowa once more to hear that 
old familiar sound. 
I thank Mount Tom for his information anent the 
spring flight of the waterfowl, and I hope that every 
feather of them will return next fall in good order. 
Kelpie. ■ 
Stop the Sale of Game Out of Season at 
any Rate! 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I have just had handed me a menu of a prominent club 
here, and on noting thereon "Roasted quails, 60 cents," 
- made the remark that they wanted to look out or ihey 
would get themselves in trouble by selling game out of 
season, to which is the usual reply, "Well, what are you 
going to do about it? We can get all we want. The 
markets keep game birds on sale. There is no way of 
proving whether they were or were not shot, trapped or 
in any way obtained in or out of season. There is no law 
to prevent a man's selling goods which he has bought for 
the purpose before the close season went into effect. I 
can buy and will buy all the game I want. I don't care a 
fig about shooting. Consider it cruel! It makes no dif- 
ference to me when the game was shot. Would prefer 
to have it snared because I don't like to get those nasty 
shot in my teethl" etc., etc. 
~ And the only reply we can make is, "What are we going 
to do about it!" What is the use of our spending hun- 
dreds of dollars restocking the covers, having game war- 
dens to keep the birds from being shot out of season, when 
the market hunters can shoot all they can get, the cold 
storage men keep them for whatever call they may have, 
and the market men sell them openly up to this date 
(March 18). 
There is only one way and that is, if not to stop the sale 
entirely, to at least stop the sale out of the open season, as 
well as to stop the shooting out of season. 
May this little seed in the great platform of the "non- 
sale" question fall not among thorns and rocks, but where 
it will take root. Art. 
Providence, R. I., March 18. 
More Notions. 
Grand Rapids, Mich., March 16.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: I have been a reader of your (our) paper for 
something over a year, and Raymond Spears, in the edi- 
tion of March 14, is the first one to express my personal 
belief in regard to birds and animals being able to think 
and reason. I wish to say I heartily concur in his views. 
The majority of mankind is so magnanimous as to allow 
that they have instinct — but reason, oh no! That would 
be placing ourselves on the same level with the rest of 
creation, so they say. My own belief is that birds and 
animals have sharper mental faculties than a great many 
people; at least they have a truer sense of friendship. 
I also indorse what E. E. has to say in the same issue 
in regard to shooting ducks. A great many sportsmen 
seem to think it is positively wicked for a non-sportsman 
to kill a single bird out of season, but during the season 
they themselves will scatter their decoys in such a man- 
ner as to enable them to kill hundreds in a single day to 
each gun, and then we read a lot of complaints in Forest 
and Stream about pot hunters killing off all the birds 
and leaving none for the "sportsmen." 
I am sorry to say I am not a "sportsman," unless read- 
ing Forest and Stream makes me one; but I very much 
enjoy reading the hunting and fishing experiences of 
your contributors, and sometimes feel like uttering an 
equivalent to "eheu" when one of them tells about miss- 
ing the biggest buck he ever shot at, or lets the biggest 
fish get away. 
By the way, why don't some of the people in favor of 
large calibers for big game try a cannon ? They could 
load it with grape shot, and thus reduce the chances of 
missing and losing the game. M. M, S. 
Rifles for Goose Shooting. 
The Wheatlands, Md.— Editor Forest and Stream: In 
reading the February numbers of our paper I have been 
much interested in the discussion about the proper size, 
load and caliber of hunting rifles; and as I am interested 
in this subjecj — though in a different way — I am going to 
"put in my oar," hoping that I may get the information 
I want from some of "the family." 
I have occasional chances for shots from the shore at 
large flocks of geese, and sometimes swan; as these shots 
are not often closer than 500yds., and seem from that dis- 
tance be 1,000yds., what is the best style of rifle to use? 
It is manifest that the trajectory must be as fiat as possi- 
ble, and that a heavy ball is not necessary to kill the 
game, the difficult part being to hit. A repeating rifle is 
the best for the work if one can be had with low trajec- 
tory . It is my case to under or overestimate the distance 
on the water under different circumstances, as to height, 
state of the atmosphere, etc. It is very provoking after 
working a long while to get a shot to find your bullet fall 
short, and, owing to high trajectory, even the skip of the 
ball will be thrown so high that it will go over the heads 
of the game; with a very low trajectory, a small error 
in estimating distance would still give a chance of "tak- 
ing them in the neck." The reason the repeating rifle is 
best for the work, if equally flat trajectory can be had, 
is that a second or third shot can be had and the aim cor- 
rected by noting where the first ball strikes — either under 
or over. 
I hope that some of our expert rifle shots will give their 
experience on this subject. Sinkboat. 
Dealing Justly with Sister States. 
West Newbury, Mass., March 16. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: I feel as if I was under obligation to you for the 
many pleasant hours you have given me in the years gone 
by, and especially during the past year. I take some half 
dozen different papers weekly, but would rather give up 
any three of them than to miss our old friends of the 
Forest and Stream. And my children look for and lis- 
ten to "Uncle Lisha's Outing" with as much interest as I 
do. And our wish for Roland Robinson is that he may 
live well and long in the land of forest and stream. 
I also wish to commend the effort of the Forest and 
Stream in behalf of game preservation, The clear pre- 
sentation by Mr. Russell Reed of honest dealing with sis- 
ter States is to the credit of the Massachusetts Fish and 
Game Protective Association. 
It would seem as if the market men and commission 
men were in about the same position as the receiver of 
burglar Barrett's stolen goods were. They were know- 
ingly receiving goods from other States that had been 
unlawfully shipped out of their States. Keep up the 
good work of protection to game is the wish of yours in 
love with the Forest and Stream, Quail. 
Maine Deer. 
What State can say that she has deer within the very 
limits of her capital? We can! A pack of hounds ran a 
deer toward the river, just below the State House, last 
fall. Some boys saw a deer in the pasture of Mr. Gan- 
nett's farm, adjoining the muster grounds, and tried to 
corner it, but fences were no barriers to him, and so the 
disappointed boys had to see their game escape. Mr. Cur- 
tis, a man living on the river road, saw a deer near his 
house, and a number of others have been seen about 
there. A companion and I, laBt fall, saw a deer within 
the city limits. And so I could go on and name other 
cases where deer have been seen within the limits of the 
city. As the law of the last Legislature prohibits the kill- 
ing of deer in this county for five years, they will no 
doubt be very plentiful when the time expires. 
It is the same old story all over the State — deer plenti- 
ful everywhere, Aroostook and Penobscot abound with 
them. 
Only about forty years ago deer were very scarce in this 
State. It was on account of the wolves, which were here 
in such numbers. But when the deer left so did the 
wolves, which moved further north. Now that the deer 
are back in such great numbers it is feared that the 
wolves will also. A number have been seen and shot 
already. 
In the report of the Commissioners of Inland Fisheries 
and Game for the year 1895, lately submitted to the Gov- 
ernor, we get some idea of the vast number of deer that 
were slaughtered that year. The report says: "During 
the open time 1,921 deer were shipped away by the Amer- 
ican Express Company from different stations, nearly 
double the number in 1894. When it is remembered that 
the number of deer to be taken was reduced from three 
in 1894 to two in 1895, the claim that shipments of '95 were 
double those of '94 is a conservative one. 
"It is estimated from careful sources that the amount 
shipped away in 1895 (1,921) represents two-fifths of the 
entire number killed ; two-fifths were conveyed home by 
our people or sent to domestic markets, and the other fifth 
consumed by hunters and sportsmen while at camp. 
"According to these figures there were 4,800 taken dur- 
ing the year. The shipment of caribou, 105, was double 
that of 1894. Of moose there were shipped 103, double 
the number in 1894." Burt L. Young. 
The Darling Prosecutions. 
Lowell, Me., March 9. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
Yours of the 7th received. I don't know that I under- 
stand what you mean by those fines, but I suppose you 
mean my recent suits. The first one was some over a year 
ago. A warden in Patten swore out a warrant against 
me for killing a deer on Sept. 28, 1894. All the evidence 
they could produce was that an unknown man had 
passed through Patten with a deer's head on the first day 
of October, and they understood that I had been the man's 
guide. I was brought before a trial justice at Patten and 
nothing could be proved against me. The wardens and 
the State's counsel asked for a continuance and it was 
granted. I went there again at the appointed time and 
the State did not have a witness. I then pleaded for my 
acquittal, but failed, and the justice granted another con- 
tinuance. It was continued five times and I asked them 
if I could then wave examination; they told me I could. 
I paid for appeal papers and when it got to the higher 
court it was thrown overboard and drowned. They made 
it cost me about $40 to run after them where they had not 
a shadow of a case. 
Their next move was, arrested on a warrant for mis- 
conduct in office as a game warden. I was brought before 
Judge Vose, I pleaded not guilty and waived a hearing. 
The judge without a particlb of evidence sentenced me 
to three months in jail. I paid for appeal papers and then 
they made me pay $5 more for a jail bond. I put in my 
appearance at the higher court with my counsel and filed 
a demurrer, which I think carries it to the law court. The 
judge told me that my own bond was good enough and 
that the first fat deer I killed to give the county attorney 
a quarter. The grounds my counsel took were that the 
warrant was without form or substance. They have no 
evidence to back up such a warrant. This makes costs 
and trouble for me and fills our newspapers with slander. 
These transactions worry my wife and have been a 
great persecution to her, as she believes that Messrs. Went- 
worth and Vose mean to keep after me until they get the 
last dollar we have. And it looks like nothing but pure ; 
revenge, as they will swear out warrants against me for 
nothing, and only costs the State and myself money and 
they get their fees, etc. J. Darling. 
We are all Poor Critters. 
The life's experience of the late lamented Deacon 
Bedott was effectively summarized in this dictum, and 
the article signed E. E. in your paper of March 14 
lends to those words of wisdom an added force. He can 
see only selfishness depioted iu every article that has 
appeared in the Forest and Stream in the last ten years 
on true sportsmanship, stopping the slaughter of game, 
who constitutes the pot-hunter, etc. 
Yes, there is no doubt that we are without exception a 
selfish pack, and when we have had opportunities of 
learning just how the particular selfishness of E. E, man- 
ifests itself in field or forest, we shall the better be able 
to judge how far he is to be accepted as a truer apostle of 
game preservation than has yet appeared among us. 
Meanwhile, in answer to his last qupry (who will 
stand by him on the decoy question?) I reply: Even I, 
Not only this, but I will, in poker parlance, "go him one ; 
better." 
I would favor the passage of laws prohibiting absolutely 
for the next five years the use of decoys of any sort, sjxd 
during the same period forbidding the killing of any 
game (except dangerous animals) with any sort of ffce- 
arms except single-barreled muzzleloaders. If with match 
locks or flint locks, all the better. 
I had thought of limiting youngsters under 18 to the- 
use of the bow and arrow, but remembering that I was, 
once a boy myself, I "held in." Next. KjELPlE. 
March 14. 
Wild Geese Going North. 
Shenandoah Junction, W. Va., March 19. — Editor- 
Forest and Stream: A flock of twelve wild geese passed 
here this evening on their northern flight, but owing to a. 
fight fog were headed directly West and flying very low.. 
These were the first I have seen. E. C, D, 
