8 
[Jan. 5, 1895. 
deep, bottle shaped house at a great expense of time, 
labor|*and mucilage, but the dangers which surrounded 
the original barn swallow have ceased to exist and the 
cunning workman, realizing this, now makes a shallow 
and more simpler nest, which answers the purpose 
equally as welL In the outskirts of cities and towns, 
where birds of prey seldom come, the oriole builds a more 
open and loosely woven nest than does his country 
cousin, who must protect himself from ariel foes. 
There are few more interesting subjects for study 
and observation than the reasoning power of the birds 
in rearing and guarding their families, and it would be- 
easy to point out and multiply instances of it. How, 
before the leaves are fully out they build their nests 
with a view to being shaded and screened when the 
foliage is more mature ; how the woodpeckers in the 
South locate their dwellings on the north side of "the 
tree to avoid the heat, while those in the higher latitude 
build in the south side to secure warmth ; how the 
arctic owl lays her eggs at intervals of several days, so 
that the first are hatched before the last are laid, thereby 
making the warmth of the voung birds assist in hatch- 
ing out their younger brothers and sisters, while the 
parents are away in search of food. These and a thou- 
sand other marvelous things are revealed to him who has 
the leisure and the inclination to wander through the 
fields or sit at the threshold of the forest and study the 
habits and characteristics of the birds. Soon his eye and 
ear will become trained to catch the sights and sounds 
which hitherto have escaped his i notice, the shrike 
impaling his victim on a thorn, the mother partridge 
feigning helplessness and fluttering along the ground 
just out of reach, attracting the attention of the pursuer 
while her chicks run away and hide themselves ; the 
sentinel crow, always posted where he can get a wide 
view of the surrounding country and notify his com- 
panions if an enemy approaches. The keen observer 
will surprise, in their furtive and unnatural act, the 
cuckoo and the cowbunting that lay their eggs in other 
birds' nests and know nothing of the joys of mother 
hood. He will be able to distinguish the notes of the 
birds and to call them all by name ; the wren's cheery 
diminuendo, the kingfisher ' ' sounding his rattle along 
the fluvial street;" the hermit thrush thrilling the 
forest with his melody, the yellow hammer sending his 
mellow, rippling call across the sunsteeped fields, and 
the rollicking bob-o-link balanced on some swaying 
weed and pouring out a torrent of sweet sounds. 
Like every other affection, a love for birds is sus- 
ceptible of development. It grows by what it feeds on. 
and we may indulge it without satiety and without 
harm. Authub F. Rice. 
Passaio, N. J. 
iin\e §ag dt\d §mu 
THE ADIRONDACK DEER. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I am glad to see that the question of the better pro- 
tection of Adirondack deer being agitated through the 
columns of yonr excellent journal. As I live in the 
Adirondack woods all the year round and note the 
workings of the present law in all its feat arcs, I trust 
that I may not be considered incompetent to offer a few 
suggestions in relation thereto. I would suggest that 
the law be amended so as to prohibit the hunting of 
deer with dogs in the Adirondacks. It must be evident 
to every one who gives it the least thought that a 
method of hunting that requires no experience, no skill, 
no good shot and one that forces the deer into the water 
without any effort on the part of the hunter, and when 
once in the water the game is reduced to the same con- 
dition as in the snow crust, a club being the only 
weapon necessary to complete the work of destruction, 
must be more destructive than any other. 
The sportsman that visits only the interior of the 
Adirondacks and employs law abiding guides has no 
conception of the extent to which deer are slaughtered 
nearer the borders of the woods. This easy and sure 
method of hunting deer invites hundreds of people into 
the woods Avko care nothing for deer protection or the 
law, only intent on killing all they can. Two years ago 
deer were fairly plenty about here. But at the opening 
of the hounding season the woods were filled with 
hunters, and every pond, lake and stream was watched. 
Over three hundred deer were taken out, besides supply- 
ing the camps and feeding the dogs, which would 
require ten deer each dog. Deer wandered in here during 
the past season from adjacent private parks, so that 
there were a few here at the opening of the hounding 
season. But then even more meat and skin hunters 
were on the ground and the same slaughter was repeated, 
until now there are no deer left here. 
Hunters of this class do not go far into the wood if 
expense is incurred, so that sportsmen who visit only 
the interior are not fully impressed with the destructive- 
ness of hounding. This method reduces the hunting of 
deer to a level. One as well as another can kill a deer. 
It is virtually placing the deer in the hands of the 
public and trusting them for their protection. And 
how well the public acts as a game protector we have only 
to look to the past. Extermination has followed where 
hounding has been continued in all places like the 
Adirondacks abounding in lakes and ponds. The lake 
region of Florida and Maine are examples. Maine had 
reduced her deer to a scarcity by hounding. I happened 
to travel through the Maine woods only a year or two 
after hounding was prohibited in that State. There 
were very few deer left. I would sometimes travel two 
miles through the best game woods without seeing a 
deer's track. I have visited the same locality every 
year since with the exception of two years. I have 
noted the steady increase of deer. Slow at first because 
the breeding stock were so few, but gaining faster each 
year. And the past two years the increase has been 
astounding. This fact has been abundantly substantiated 
by reports published in Forest and Stream. I traveled 
over the same grounds last fall and judging from the 
tracks I should say that where, there was one A deer six 
years ago there f are fifty now. And this increase is 
made with the law adverse to their protection, as the 
open . season continued late in the winter when snow 
aided the hunter and. passably deep and crusty_snow. 
I would have a heavy penalty for the owner or har- 
borer of a dog caught running at large on grounds 
inhabited by deer. 
I would also prohibit killing deer by jack light. * It 
has been suggested that the killing of deer in the water 
be prohibited, but this would amount to nothing so far 
as protection is concerned and would render the enforce- 
ment of the law impossible without an army of pro- 
tectors. All the runways leading to the water would be 
watched and if a deer slipped by and got into the water 
it would be an easy matter for the hunter on the lake to 
place himself where the deer is coming out and shoot it 
as it gets well on the bank. Besides, there are hundreds 
of lakes occupied by honters during the hounding season, 
and who will be there to see that there is no deer killed 
in the water. The hunter will certainly not report each 
other. This only adds complication and the enforcement 
of the law is impossible. But with the dogs excluded 
from the grounds at all times the enforcement of the law 
would be a simple matter, for no one would take the 
chance of evading the statute. The above amendments 
to the game law would insure the rapid increase of deer 
in the Adirondacks. Owners of private parks and club 
preserves may object. If so, then exclude the dogs from 
all lands in the Adirondack not posted according to ] iW; 
Deer protection will be a farce so long as this most 
destructive method is open to the public one month in 
the year. 
"Musset. 
The Supervisors of Broome County have adopted this 
resolution relating to deer : 
' ' Whereas It is a well known fact that the wild deer 
in the forests of this State are becoming anually more 
scarce, and 
' ' Whereas, We believe it for the best interest to the 
sporting public as well as a humane preservation of the 
noble game that further rstrictions be placed in the 
method of hunting deer, therefore, be it 
"Resolved, "That we recommend to and request our 
representatives at Albany and they are hereby requested 
to adopt such means as may seem best to them to pro- 
cure the passage of an amendment to the game laws 
prohibiting the hunting of deer with dogs in each and 
all counties of the State of New York. ' ' 
TEXAS AND THE SOUTHWEST. 
Deer and Turkey. 
San Antonio, Dec. 25.— Charley and Billy Campbell, 
two well known votaries of the gun and rod, returned 
last week from their anual week's outing on the Trio. 
Charley says that he is not a good hunter, as he likes 
the soothing sensation of a prone position under the 
sheltering branches of a friendly live oak much better 
than a stumped toe amidst the crags of the canyon's 
sides. He was thus dreaming of home, sweet home, ■ and 
wondering what he would buy to please the blue-eyed 
baby the most on Christmas day when he was startled 
out of his delightful reverie by a turkey flying up the 
tree. It being nightfall the hunter immediately guessed 
that the bird was going to roost. Up flew another, 
then another and in a few moments at least twenty -five 
of the bronzed backed beauties were smoothing their 
.plumage preparatory to slumber. Charley crawled out 
from under the tree, and as he straddled a grape vine out 
flew a big gobbler stuttering out a frightened "put-put- 
put !"The gun quicklyspoke and the bird thumped against 
a flat rock as it fell stone dead. Then another flew out, 
and as the hunter turned sharply to kill he tripped and 
fell headlong in the midst of a bed of newly sharpened 
thongs, which brought blood in many places. Of course, 
the turkeys all flew off the tree before Charley could 
recover his equilibrium. The American tvu-key has that 
habit largely developed. They don't tarry long when 
they know the enemy is about. 
Charley reached the camp with his big gobbler just 
as Billy, his brother, staggered up with a pretty little 
buck on his shoulder. They killed all the turkey the 
ranchmen could eat, brought a dozen nice ones to San 
Antonio together with five deer, three bucks and two 
does. The boys report squirrels very numerous, also 
state that they saw numbers of the famous Messina 
quail. I am tempted to go there. 
if ~$ ' 'W 
To Eliminate Fraud. 
The Texas State Sportmen's Associaton will hold its 
19th annual tournament on May next at San Antonio. 
The committee on rules have been in session, and I am 
assured by a member thereof that the amateur trap shooter 
will have no fault to find with the changes made in the 
shooting rules. While I am not fully in possession of 
all the facts, I am authorized to say that the "old 
timers" and experts will not have it their own way and 
that no dropping for place will be tolerated. It will be 
severely punished when detected. The shooting will be 
straight, and any one attending the tournament will be 
made to feel at home. It is proposed by the manage- 
ment of the shoot to issue the most attractive programme 
ever sent out from this State. An effort to raise $1,00U 
in prizes will be made and eveiy cent raised for that 
purpose will be given as promised. The guarantee is 
made that the disgraceful scene of 1891 will not be 
repeated. 
% * 4fr 
Quail Returning. 
For the past three years it has been very evident to 
every sportsman in this section that the quail or part- 
ridges have migrated to pastures new and greener 
fields. Where there were thouands in former years 
there were none at all the last season. Several 
theories have been advanced and rejected and the 
mystery is still on. 
k - Marcellina, a flag station thirty miles south of San 
Antonio, was a famous place for quail a few years ago. 
All of a sudden the birds disappeared and up to last 
season one could walk himself blind without starting a 
single covey. This year, however, the birds are plenti- 
ful, having evidently returned from their migrations 
This is good news for San Antonio sportsmen. 
* * •* 
After Canvasbacks. 
Mr. Dick Merrill, the celebrated dog man from Mil- 
waukee, Wisconsin, left the city on the 15th inst. for 
Rockport, ..where, in^company withthe Messrs. Schmidt 
of Milwaukee Jie will try to lure the gay^tarpon from 
his damp abode and plunk ye canvasback as he flies. 
Dick says that he is about to purchase another celebrated 
dog to add to his already large and choice collection of 
canines, and he proposes to pay a large sum for him. 
Game on the Border. 
J. M. McCormick, an energetic hunter and first rate 
trap shot, who has the honor to attend to a bell rope on 
the Southern Pacific, came in on Christmas Day. Mc. 
says that the famous bottom of the Rio Grande in the 
free zone of Mexico abounds with game of all kinds. That 
reminds me of a delightful fishing trip I had two years 
ago at San Juan de Allenade, 40 miles in Mexico, where I 
spent a week with the fiercest black bass I ever encoun- 
tered and saw turkey and deer every day, and not a 
human being but members of our pary during my entire 
stay. Great country for game. 
} • ' '«#'■ 4$. # 
Chickens on St. Joseph's Island. 
A few years ago Mr Wynne Andrews, then general 
passenger agent of the Aransas Pass Railway, stocked 
St. Joseph Island, owned by Col. Sam Allen, with quail 
and prairie chicken, A visit to the island elicited the 
knowledge that both the quail and grouse were doing 
well and multiplying at a gratifying rate. 
Texas Field. 
OUR BOSTON BUDGET. 
Boston, Mass., Dec. 25.— Pickerel fishing has begun 
unusually early this season in Massachusetts. The ponds 
have been covered with ice earlier than usual ; and 
this is the signal for the traps to be put in order. Mr. 
E. C. Paull was elected the other day as one of the 
Common Councilmen of the City of Taunton, but he 
likes to go pickerel fishing or yachting just as well as 
before he went into politics. About Thanksgiving he 
was doing Sampson Pond with pickerel floats. The 
shores were icy. Almost everything was icy, in fact. 
In rtmning for a float that was "bobbing" he stepped 
into an old boat that was icy. His feet flew forward 
with such velocity as to cause him to sit down very 
suddenly. His landing position was a graceful one; 
upright as one would naturally sit. But the sitting 
down was so sudden as to jar the gold fillings out of 
several teeth in his upper jaw. Such is pickerel fishing 
in slippery weather. But Councilman Paull caught a 
good string that day. 
Mr. A. W. Tompkins loves his camp and fishing tackle 
about as well as any busy commission merchant in 
Boston, and the camp on the Sudbury river is kept up. 
The other days he rode up to see how things were for 
winter, hardly thinking of going fishing. He scarcely 
thought that the pond was frozen over, in fact. But he 
found ice and it would bear his weight. The pickerel 
tackle was there and it was easy cutting holes. Out 
came the rigging. A farmer, a short distance away, 
was interviewed for the ' ' shiners' ' for bait. It was fun 
alive. He took forty-two fish, all pickerel, but a perch 
or two and one or two bass. He regards his success as 
pretty good for the first pickoreling of the season. 
Mr. Claude R. Taxbox, with his friend Charlie Bailey, 
has been the first to try the Byfield ponds for pickerel. 
The other day the ice proved to be sufficiently Strong 
and the boys went on and cut holes enough to put out 
about forty traps. The fish bit splendidly and they got 
thirty-two. While they were fishing a party from 
Haverill came down to the pond and asked for advice 
as to the best points for putting in lines. 
Mi-. Bailey and Mr. Tarbox answered that their own 
lines were already in the best places they knew of on 
the pond, and that other positions would be simply a 
matter of experiment. The Haverill party tried several 
other positions, with very little success. 
Some of the Boston parties who have been after 
moose this season have had most remarkable success. Mr. 
M. L. Pratt, prominent in the Boston Athletic Club, 
and Mr. Talbot Aldrlch, son of T. B. Aldrich the poet, 
with another friend, have been successful in taking a 
couple of moose. They went into the region of Uinbazook- 
sis Lake (the spelling of this name I am not certain about) 
and they were greatly delighted with the country and 
their success. The friend who gives me the informa- 
tion does not care to have his name mentioned till he 
is fortunate enough to get his moose. 
Mr. R. P. Woodbury is one of the greatest lovers of 
the rod and gun to be found in Boston. At the same time 
he has the courage of his convictions, and his convic- 
tions run in the direction of the truth. He is recently 
back from a Maine hunting trip after big game. He 
bought his moose meat and he has the courage to say 
so. He says he ' ' owns a little hatchet and is proud of it, ' ' 
and dislikes the big stories told by other hunters, where 
he is perfectly well aware that their guides really kill the 
game. He went to Elliotsville, about 15 miles from 
Monson, a region that has given him great sport in 
years past. He hunted in the vicinity of Boarstone 
Mountain. But the crust was terrble, and besides 
every native for miles around was in the woods with a 
V Winchester rifle. Mr, Woodbury says that the number 
at rifles owned by the citizens in that part of the coun- 
try would surprise anybody who had been there before 
the great increase in big game. They are all hunters 
and hunting ; but the amount of game they take is not 
great, when the number of gunners is taken into 
account. Mr. Woodbury's moose was killed by a French 
man, who followed the big fellow for days; first 
wounding _ him, and then getting several shots that 
brought him down with a broken leg or two. But the 
hunters ammunition gave out at this most important 
time. He tried to club the noble fellow to death with 
his rifle, and then with such other clubs as he could get 
without an axe. Failing in this, as the moose would 
Strike terribly with his forefeet, he tried to lash his 
hunting knife to a pole and thus cut the throat of the 
poor beast. In this he failed, though cutting him 
terribly with the dull point of the knife. He had to 
give up the fight that night. The next day he returned 
with more ammunition and put an end to the sufferings 
of the poor beast, whose only sins were that of being a 
noble game animal, such as God saw fit to make him. 
Such killing is the worst of hunting. If the Maine for- 
ests could speak out the tales of wounded moose and 
