April 4, 1896.., 
27® 
have been less troublesome than heretofore. Many fine 
moose heads were sold in New Glasgow, Pictou and Truro, 
and were exported to the United States. Mr. Pritchard 
says that cow moose far outnumber the bulls. He has 
not heard of any caribou having been seen in his district. 
Partridges are conspicuous by their absence, and it will 
only be a matter of time before they become extinct un- 
less the sale of them is prohibited, as every man and boy 
belonging to both the agricultural and mining districts 
owns a gun, and the open season being a fortnight too 
early, the mining industries that are growing up not only 
on the borders, but in the depths of the forest, have con- 
siderable to do with the destruction of game. 
Commissioner Bigney, of Wentworth, Cumberland, re- 
ports moose plentiful. Daring the few days' snow in 
December quite a number were killed. 
W. B. Harlow, agent at Caledonia, Queens county, re- 
ports that all game in and about Caledonia are multiply- 
ing annually, with the exception of partridges, which are 
growing more scarce every year. Since snaring and dog- 
ging have been stamped out there has been a greater 
number of moose and caribou in his district; he thinks 
the law prohibiting the killing of cows is a very unjust 
one. Mr. Harlow considers his section one of the best in 
the Province for large game. One or two hunters re- 
ported having seen red deer. 
The Cape Breton branch society, which has only been 
in existence for two or three months, with twenty-one 
paid up members and the promise of assistance of all the 
sportsmen in the county, has prosecuted three persons 
for illegally having partridges in possession, and another 
year they hope to be able to give the parent society con- 
siderable assistance in enforcing the game laws. 
Commissioner Donald Ross, N. E. Margaree, C. B., 
writes that there are fewer caribou this season than in 
former years. Mr, Ross is pleased to state that there has 
not been a single case of snaring in his district the past 
year. 
H. A. P. Smith, of Digby , who cl urns to be an old hunter, 
writes that notwithstanding the reports to the contrary, 
moose are not increasing in our Province; he says that if 
we consider the small area of country in Nova Scotia 
where moose still live, and the way they are hemmed in 
by the railroad and small villages, it is an easy matter to 
understand why the novice who goes into the woods for 
this game, and sees a lot of tracks, imagines them to be 
very thick, and often takes each track he sees for that of 
a separate animal. Dr. Smith is also of the opinion, 
backed by several old Indian hunters, that the scarcity of 
caribou is greatly owing to wildcats. They follow the 
does about the time they are going to drop their fawns, 
and destroy the young as soon as born; he states that two 
Indians saw five wildcats attack a full-grown caribou, 
and they would have certainly killed it had they not been 
frightened away. He is afraid the red deer imported by 
the society will fall a prey to the cats. 
MONGOLIAN AND RING-NECK 
PHEASANTS. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I have read Mr. E, A. Brackett's remarks in your issue 
of March 28, in which he compares the merits of the pure 
Chinese pheasants with those of the English ring-necked 
birds. 
I doubt if Mr. Brackett's experience is sufficient to en- 
title him to lay down the law so decidedly. A local 
knowledge gained within a very few years, with a com- 
paratively limited number of birds, is of little value for 
general instruction. I do have "birds and eggs for sale," 
and those in large quantities, having handled during the 
past twelve years nearly 100,000 pheasants of all varieties. 
I would prefer, therefore, that some one else should em- 
phatically contradict Mr. Brackett's statements, but that 
I think that there ought to be no delay in producing over- 
whelming evidence against his absolutely groundless libel 
on the English ring-necked pheasant. It is of no conse- 
quence whatsoever to me which kind I supply, but I am 
anxious as a sportsman that only the best all-round variety 
for game preserves should be "introduced. I have sent 
English ring-necked pheasants to all the Northern States 
and different parts of Canada, even to Nova Scotia, and 
receive nothing but the best accounts of them from every 
part. A gentleman put out a few hundred birds on an 
island near New York where they are to be found now by 
the thousand after a season's heavy shooting. One of the 
largest preserves in America, situated in Vermont, was 
most successfully stocked with the same breed. A gen- 
tleman living on Long Island let out a few birds last 
spring to breed at liberty and found in the autumn that 
they had increased tenfold, and he assures me that within 
five years the whole island will abound with them. I can 
quote many other statements corroborating the above 
given instances from all parts of North America. 
Mr. Brackett asserts that ''the breeder who cannot raise 
from 85 to 90 per cent, is not in a position to instruct 
others." May I ask him if his experience has been gained 
by rearing these birds by the thousands or from a few 
coopfuls. If the latter is the case, it is needless to point 
out the vast weight his dictum will carrv. 
As I have previously pointed out on the authority of 
those competent to speaJr, the Chinese pheasant is the 
most unsatisfactory of all the varieties bred for sport. It 
is a'third smaller than the English bird; it is a great wan- 
derer and prefers its legs to its wings, and in all other 
countries is barred from their game preserves. But I 
must of course bow before Mr. Brackett's experience, 
which makes the opinions of other soi-disant authorities 
of no value. I hope, however, that he will forgive me 
for completely traversing his statements to the detriment 
of the English ring-necked pheasant, and allow me most 
unhesitatingly to maintain that wherever this breed has 
been introduced with any regard to its requirements, it 
has thriven and multiplied. 
I noticed a letter some time ago in your columns 
about the inbreeding of pheasants, and advocating the 
constant introduction of fresh blood. I have always been 
convinced of the necessity of mating unrelated birds and 
have each year at great outlay and loss imported large 
consignments with that object. As another means to 
achieve this end I have begun an experiment in the cross- 
ing of Japanese pheasants (phaseanus versicolor) with 
the English ring-necked variety, and have so far found it 
extremely satisfactory in every way. This crop is very 
beautiful and hardy, and I hope soon to be able to supply 
it in large quantities. 
I have been told several times that the views I have 
expressed in your paper and elsewhere about Chinese 
pheasants have brought down Dn my head very scathing 
remarks sent to other publications which I d > not see. I 
do not think that this is a fair method of answering my 
opinions, as I cannot be expected to peruse all the sporting 
journals throughout the States7 and it leaves unassailed, 
without an opportunity of defense, by persons I would 
gladly have replied to. 
In conclusion I would acknowledge that even people of 
the largest experience in the management of these birds 
can learn yet more about them; but it is worse than use- 
less to be guided by mer a tyros in this fascinating occu- 
pation. Vernkr db Guise. 
Mahwah, N. J., March 27. 
SCOUTING BELOW THE YELLOWSTONE. 
Late in the month of January last Capt. George S. 
Anderson, the commanding officer at Fort Yellowstone 
in the National Park, Wyoming, ordered Capt. Scott and 
Lieut. Lindsley to make a scout through the country to 
the southwest of the Yellowstone National Park for the 
purpose of learning what they could about the game and 
the game destruction of the region. The report of this 
scout made by Capt. Scott has been received in Washing- 
ton, and from it we make some extracts. 
The officers proceeded by rail to Market Lake, Idaho, 
where they learned that game trophies are occasionally 
shipped from that station, but always boxed and con- 
signed as merchandise. 
From this point they went on Jan. ,'39 twenty-five miles 
further to Rexburg, a little Mormon town of few inhab- 
itants and no interest. On Jan. 30 they proceeded to St. 
Anthony, the county seat of Fremont county, whose in- 
habitants are largely Gentiles. At the hotel kept by Mr. 
White the officers learned that Rice & Findlay, bankers 
and leading merchants at St. Anthony, recently had a 
buffalo head which they had been trying to sell for $50. 
It was learned also that the Winegars, one of whom is 
the son-in-law of Bishop Parker, who was formerly the 
Mormon bishop of the Egin ward, killed some buffalo last 
fall, probably two or three, and that they have a cabin in 
the Squirrel Creek Meadows, where they go to hunt and 
trap. It was subsequently learned that the man who 
brought in the buffalo head whioh had been in possession 
of Rice & Findlay was one Osborn, of Island Park. This 
man is said to have killed eight buffalo last fall. 
On Sunday, Feb. 2, Capt. Scott and Lieut. Lindsley met 
Mr. Hawley, the deputy sheriff and acting game warden. 
All of the county officials seemed much in favor of game 
protection, and especially of a law fcr the preservation 
of the buffalo in Idaho. The present law prohibits the 
killing of elk and moose, and several attempts have been 
made to enforce it, but as yet the officials have been 
unable to secure a conviction. Many of the settlers to 
the north and east of St. Anthony kill elk for their 
winter's meat, but except the Winegars they do no other 
hunting and no trapping. One of the buffalo heads that 
Rice & Findlay had was a cow. Of the other no 
description could be had. On Capt. Scott's broaching 
the subject to Rice, he seemed considerably frightened 
and at first denied everything. Finally, however, he 
admitted that he had known the whereabouts of two 
heads and that he had been negotiating for them. He 
said, however, that he had got frightened and had re- 
fused to have anything more to do with them. It is 
probable that Rice Findlay have the two heads 
hidden somewhere at present. The impression seems 
quite generally to prevail that there is some United States 
law protecting the buffalo. 
On Feb. 3 the trip was continued eighteen miles up the 
North Fork to Marysville, to the house of Mr. Gooch, 
who is a justice of the peace and postmaster. 
Marysville is between the North Fork and Falls River. 
The country is flat, not much higher than the river and 
without timber. It is a newly settled Mormon commu- 
nity and the people are poor and ignorant. A Salt Lake 
company has begun the work of taking out a ditch from 
Falls River, near the southwest corner of the Park. This 
will be completed in June and will furnish Water to the 
whole country. 
At the Black Spring, about four miles south of Marys- 
ville, Fred Reising has a homestead. He has been in the 
country only about a year, but is generally regarded as 
the worst poacher in the neighborhood. 
On Warm River, which empties into the North Fork 
about six miles from Marysville, there are large springs, 
and along this stream there is more or less trapping of 
fur. Between Warm River and North Fork there are 
meadows where moose are said to winter, and up toward 
the National Park from this place is the hunting and 
trapping ground of four men, a father and three sons, 
named. Shepherd. 
On Feb. 6 Lieut. Lindsley went to the cabin of a man 
named Vaux, a trapper who lives on Warm River half a 
mile below a big spring, twelve miles from its mouth. 
About half of this journey was on skin over 2ft. of loose 
fresh snow. Vaux is a Union veteran, who came here last 
October from the Big Hole. He is a prospector, and is 
trying to trap and poison enough fur to make a grub 
stake for next summer. He has killed two moose and two 
elk this fall and winter. He says that while fishing in the 
Falls River meadows last September . saw the carcass 
of a buffalo. The hide had been takon and the horns 
chopped off with an axe. 
Dick Rock's cabin and elk corrals are one mile north- 
west of Vaux's cabin, in the meadows, and from them a 
wagon trail runs to Island Park and Henry's Lake. It is 
clearly out of the Park, probably eight miles. Vaux 
says there are six moose near his cabin, but no elk now. 
He thinks the elk come in later, for he sees many shed 
horns about. The river contains vegetable growth simi- 
lar to that in Nez Perce Creek and Firo Hole, and Vaux 
said the moose wade the river and feed on the grass. 
There is usually a hard crust in March that sometimes 
gets strong enough to hold an elk. The snow early in 
February was a little more than 6ft. deep at Vaux's 
cabin. Vaux said he saw trails of eight or ten buffalo 
last October about two miles up the river from his cabin. 
It led toward the meadows and had been followed by 
horse tracks. He said that some of the saw mill men 
told him it was scouts or soldiers driving them back into 
the Park. 
There are three brothers, named Bell, logaing at the 
saw mill. One of them has worked for Mr. Waters in the 
Park. They are Gentiles and seem very energetic, and 
seem somewhat inclined to hunt or trap, but the officers 
could hear of nothing against them. 
On the 8th Capt. Scott met Mr. Samuel Talon, who lives 
on a ranch at Marysville. He reported that Mr. Osborn, 
of Island Park, had sold buffalo meat to Mr. Cnarles 
Brown, on Fall River; also that Larney Bros, had several 
hundred thousand feet of lumber out on south bank of 
Fall River last winter— moat of which he thinks was cut 
in the Park. 
Securing a guide, the officers started out on Feb. 9;for 
Raising's old cabin on Porcupine. This cabin was built 
bv him m 1890, and he has occupied it every winter since 
until last winter. It is now occupied by hunting parties 
who go there for meat. It is probably four miles from 
the west boundary of the Park. The report reads: 
''Mr. Gooch hauled us in a sleigh about five miles, 
whence we proceeded on snowshoes and reached the 
cabin at dark. The snow increased rapidly in depth, and 
the skis sank deeper at every step. Found the head and 
forequarters of a bull elk near trail, about two miles 
before we reached the cabin. Found Mr. Shepherd and 
his son camped at cabin. They had a dog and toboggan. 
They said that the boy had killed the elk and had taken 
the hindquarters home. They had some of the meat in 
camp and were going to haul the rest home. The old 
man is not very strong. He is trying to get some fur, but 
has had no success as yet. Young Green has been with 
them and is expected up to-morrow with another dog 
and sled. They have two more elk somewhere, but they 
say nothing about it. It snowed all day, but was not 
cold. 
"On the 10th we stayed at the cabin, and Shepherd 
volunteered to guide us to top of Divide toward Snake 
River Station. 
"On the llth we started for a cabin sixteen miles fur- 
ther on and near Bechler River. Reached crossing of 
Rock Creek and were all played out. Had to camp in 
the open air and melt snow for water. Cut wood all 
night with hatchet to keep warm. The snow here is 7ft. 
deep. Very soft on top and it snowed all day. The 
blazes on trees are nearly all covered with snow and 
Shepherd was unable to follow the trail closely. Saw no 
signs of game, the recent snow having covered up any 
trails that may have been made before. 
"On the 12th we left camp at daylight. Reached tree 
where Park regulations are posted at 11 o'clock. Shepherd 
said the cabin, which is a secret one built by Winegar 
some years since, was only one-half mile away. He 
started for it and came out at Bechler River. Was very 
much surprised at not being able to find it. The air was 
full of snow. Circled back and found it at 3 P. M. on 
bank of a little lake and about half a mile from Park 
regulations. It is much dilapidated. Had hole in mid- 
dle of roof to let smoke out and there was considerable 
snow inside. Shepherd's son and young Green were with 
us, besides the guide employed at Marysville, and they 
had two dogs and toboggans. We camped in cabin, and 
at bedtime it was still snowing hard. Shepherd refused 
to guide us any further. Said he wouldn't undertake 
to guide us anywhere in such a storm, as it was impos- 
sible. 
"The morning of the 13th it was still snowing. The 
guide and the young men were played out and sick. The 
dogs were tired and footsore, and we found we had only 
one day's rations left. The Snake River Station was still 
twenty-five miles distant and two rivers to wade before 
reaching it. It was clearly impracticable to proceed fur- 
ther, so we returned that day to Reiaing's cabin over the 
trail we had broken, and where Shepherd had some 
rations left. The next morning we had nothing but a 
small quantity of bread and some tea for breakfast, and 
that night we reached Marysville. During our absence 
the weather had been fine at Marysville, and the snow 
was crusted after we left the timber. 
"From Marysville we returned as rapidly as possible to 
Market Lake and came home by railroad, reaching the 
post on the 18th. 
"On the train coming home saw a traveling man who 
saw Snyder at Park City, Utah, last spring, peddling 
jerked meat and salt fish. He also had a head and skin 
of a young bull, which he was trying to sell for $50. 
"We heard from many different sources that buffalo 
have wintered in the meadows heretofore, and also about 
the warm formation on Mountain Ash Creek. Fresh 
sign was seen in that vicinity late last fall and it seems 
very probable that a small band is wintering there now, 
unless they have all been killed. 
"It is equally certain that the poachers from Henry's 
Lake and Island Park come into th© country adjacent 
every spring as soon as the snow crusts, so they can travel 
with their dog teams. We believe that the remnant of 
the band will be destroyed before spring unless extraor- 
dinary measures are taken for their preservation. 
"There are two cabins in the meadows on Bechler River 
and one on Mountain Ash Creek, and I recommend that 
these, together with the secret cabin where we camped 
and the old Reising cabin, be destroyed." 
A Prairie Chicken Incident. 
Minnesota, March 21. — One morning early in Septem- 
ber Pete and I left the city for a day off, I taking my 
pointer Rex and Lil, my English setter. Rex took his 
position in the rear of the Concord buggy, while Lil, who 
delights in watching the horse, was given the post of 
honor in front. We had scarcely left the city limits 
when at a cross-road Lil stuck her nose up in the air and 
began to look first one way and then the other. I stopped 
the horse at once and turned to look at Rex; he had 
jumped from the wagon and was frozen stiff in the mid- 
dle of the road and looked back, and Lil with her forefeet 
on the wheel was making as pretty a point as one would 
care to see. We hastily put our guns together and started 
in to flush. We walked at least 35yds. and then flushed 
two nice plump chickens. Both fell at a neat double by 
Pete. I was too far behind, having stopped after going 
25yds., thinking the dogs must have made a mistake. I 
call that great work for scrub dogs. The only way I ac- 
count for it is that the strong wind blew the scent and 
perhaps the birds ran on after being pointed by the dogs. 
Jones. 
Illinois Mongolian Pheasants. 
Macomb, III.— While hunting last week a Biggsville man 
shot a Chinese, pheasant. There is no doubt that it wa« 
a descendant of the birds turned loose by Dr. W. O. Blais- 
dell, of Macomb, some years ago. 
