348 
FOREST AND STREAM 
[May 2, 1903. 
pay a high price for a specimen of this new product of 
legislation. 
This is not the first time that the Legislature has 
dipped into the realms of science. Among the fishes 
which make thier summer homes in the lower Delaware 
there are two kinds of sturgeon and also a fish called the 
mammoose, which somewhat resembles a sturgeon. For 
man}' years the mammoose was popularly regarded as be- 
ing the j'oung of the long-nosed sturgeon, but scientists 
investigated the matter and declared that it was an alto- 
gether different kind of fish. This aroused the ire of the 
Legislature, and in 1891 the Legislature passed an act de- 
claring that mammoose are young sturgeon. Since that 
time mammoose has been a distinct species of fish all over 
the world, with the exception of the State of New Jersey, 
where it is a young sturgeon, although it never develops 
into an old sturgeon. Now, if the Legislature can make a 
young fish of one species out of an old one of an alto- 
gether different species, there is no reason why it should 
not add to the numbers of birds frequenting the State a 
"sharp-skinned" hawk, no matter if no such bird never 
had an existence before.— Paterson (N. J.) Chronicle. 
Connecticut Spring Shooting* 
Bridgeport, Conn., April 25. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: Your remarks on the action of the Connecticut 
Legislature in passing a bill extending for a month the 
time during which ducks may be shot" in this State have 
the approval, I believe, of nine-tenths of the sportsmen 
of the State. It is true that we all wonder at the action 
of the Legislature, and at the statement by the Governor 
that the bill is_ to become a law ; but what we wonder 
at most of all is the action of the Legislative Committee 
on Fish and Game, which recommended the passage of 
this act. 
Lt is an open secret now that the matter was carried 
through simply the efforts of a few men living at 
points along the shore of Long Island Sound, who were 
cunning enough and found help enough among the mem- 
bers of the Committee on Fish and Game, to carry 
through their plans by secret methods. 
Since the passage by the Legislature and the signature 
by the Governor of New York State, of the law prohibit- 
ing spring shooting there, the action of the Connecticut 
Legislature and of Gov. Chamberlain becomes more than 
ever absurd. As things stand now, ducks swimming in 
the waters of Long Island Sound on the shores of Long 
Island are protected, but if by chance these unlucky birds 
shall spread their wings and fly a few miles to the north- 
v/ard, then let them look out. The rapacious Connecti- 
cut gunner will be after them and kill them. 
_ The action of the Connecticut Legislature and authori- 
ties in this matter is a direct slap in the face to the bet- 
ter class_ of sportsmen, and leaves our State in a shame- 
ful position between New York on the one side and Mas- 
sachusetts on the other. The sportsmen of the State 
hardly feel responsible; yet they cannot deny that they 
have been tricked and swindled by their representatives, 
nor can they deny that they ought to have kept a sharper 
watch on these representatives and to have seen what 
they were doing. I venture to say that if that good 
sportsman and earnest game protector, A. C. Collins, 
were alive to-day, the stigma which now rests on the fair 
fame of our State would not attach to it. 
I cordially agree with Mr. Avis in last week's Forest 
AND Stream when he says that the sportsmen of the 
State ought to make their feelings known in this matter. 
The Governor should be written to and told how the real 
gunners of the State feel. There is no doubt in my mind 
as to what the sentiment is, and I believe that from Stam- 
ford east along the Long Island shore the sentiment 
against the present change of tlie law is practically 
unanimous. 
If the sportsmen of the State— of whom I claim to be 
one — do not show very plainly how they feel about this 
matter, then they deserve to rest under the burden of this 
bad bill and cannot escape a certain amount of responsi- 
bility for it. Bridgeport. 
The Planfc in Arkansas. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Little Rock. Ark., April 22. — inclose you copy of the 
new game law just enacted, from which you will see that 
Arkansas, as well as Texas, has gotten squarely on the 
Forest and Stream platform. And none too soon, either, 
for the pot-himter was getting in his work in great shape, 
and game was getting to be one of the things that were. 
The non-resident hunter has been a burning question in 
this Legislature, for they have been coming, in by the 
hundreds and staying all winter, and in many instances 
have bought up the large lakes and kept the natives out 
The last, I suppose, is inevitable under present circum- 
stances, but the native don't like it all the same. There 
are a number of laws proposed on the subject, and at 
present I cannot tell what will be done. When it crystal- 
lizes into action I will let you know. But certainly the 
present Whitley law is a great advance in the way of 
game protection, and one that would not have been con- 
sidered two years ago. In fact, two years ago we could 
not get our non-export law re-enacted. 
Every embryo statesman was hunting trusts and com- 
binations then and did not have time to come out of the 
skies and protect game. May be in two years more we 
can get a decent fish law. We passed a good one through 
the Senate but the House killed it. It is time to protect 
the fish, for I find that streams that a few years ago fur- 
nished good sport are now played out, and the same ap- 
plies to the lakes. But the present law shows that the 
world do move, and may be it will move some more some 
day. J. M. Rose. 
[The anti-sale law is printed on our editorial page.] 
The Game Park Question* 
St. Augustine, April i8.~Editor Forest and Stream: 
I send you an item from the New York Times of April 
17 for the calm consideration of your contributors who 
denounce me 'for the stand I have taken against game 
"preserves" of unnecessarily great extent. There is a 
right and a wrong side to this question, and they are free 
to take either without disturbing my equanimity in the 
least. The Times' correspondent, writing from Pittsburg 
under date of April 16, says : "Buckwood Park, owned 
by C. C. Worthington, of New York, has lost nearly fifty 
deer from starvation. The park is near Shawnee, this 
county. So rapidly have the deer increased there that 
early in the winter they ate up all the food they could 
find. Keepers have put out food in different parts of the 
Worthington preserves, but they are so extensive that in 
some parts the food was not found by the deer." 
If the way to preserve an animal is to kill it, the:i 
Buckwood Park is a game preserve, but I am not able to 
see it in that light, and I still hold to my old-fogy notion 
that no one has the right to violate the laws of humanity 
by inclosing more of this free country than he can 
properly control. If a poor man starves an animal to 
death the humane society pounces on him, but here is a 
millionaire who can laugh at them, because their penalties 
are of no account to him. If nearly fifty deer were 
penned up and forced to die of starvation the number 
that suffered up to the verge of death must have been too 
great to think of calmly. If the owner of that park is 
rich enough to inclose a township he is rich enough to 
put a sufficient quantity of hay throughout his vast do- 
mains to save the animals from starvation. 
In the plain language of truthful James, if Mr. C. C. W. 
cannot feed his deer he has no right to keep them. 
DiDYMUS. 
Game and Fish at Albany. 
Albany, April 25.— An examination of the records of the Legis- 
lature, whose labors have just been completed, shows more real 
good accomplished in the interests of sportsmen than might 
reasonably have been expected, in view of the number of worthless 
game law amendments offered during the session. More measures 
designed to change the fish and game law were introduced than 
a year ago, and more were passed and sent to the Governor. In 
the latter category are some bills from which the executive should 
withhold approval. A majority of them are considered not un- 
desirable, however, while several are regarded as eminently 
proper. It is known that the State Forest, Fish and Game Com- 
mission is rather gratified than otherwise over the results of the 
session, in that more good bills than bad ones managed to get 
to the Governor. 
Thus far the following game law amendments have been signed 
by Governor Odell: 
Assemblyman Reeve's (Int. No. 182), relating to the close season 
for trout on Long Island. 
Assemblyman Bridgeman's (Int. No. 479), in relation to spearing 
fish in the creeks of Otsego and Orleans counties. 
Assemblyman Doughty's (Int. No. 613), relating to the taking 
of pheasants. 
Assemblyman McNair's (Int. No. 549), in relation to the close 
season for squirrels. 
Assemblyman Fowler's (Int. No. 116), for the protection of fish 
in Chautauqua Lake. 
Assemblyman Whitn'ey's (Int. No. 986), in relation to fishing in 
Saratoga Lake and Lake Lonely. 
Assemblyman Cowan's (Int. No. 328), prohibiting the taking of 
trout and game in Delaware, Ulster and Sullivan counties for the 
purpose of selling the same. 
Senator Fancher's (Int. No. 187), in relation to pickerel, and 
pike, and nets in Lake Erie. 
Senator Bailey's (Pr. No. Assembly, 1485), relating to the 
powers of supervisors in Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties. 
Senator Eton R. Brown s (Pr. No. Assembly, 2068), prohibiting 
spring shooting. 
Senator Malby's (Int. No. 179), relative to fishing in Black Lake, 
St. Lawrence county. 
Assemblyman Denison's (Prr No. Senate, 728), relative to the 
close season for wild deer. 
Senator Armstrong's (Int. No. 303), relative to the close sea- 
son for quail. 
Senator Armstrong's (Pr. No. 1700, Assembly), relative to the 
destruction of illegal devices. 
In addition to the foregoing bills, which passed the Legislature 
and are now laws, the following also passed both branches and 
are before the Governor awaiting his action:' 
Senator Armstrong's (Int. No. 305), relative to the close season 
for grouse in the counties of Ulster, Sitllivan, Greene and 
Orange. 
.Senator Armstrong's (Pr. No. 2080, Assembly), relative to the 
sale of grouse and woodcock. 
Senator Armstrong's (Int. No. 309), defining the powers of 
game protectors in various counties of the State. 
Senator W. L. Brown's (Int. No. 365), providing for the pub- 
lication of the forest, fish and game laws, as amended. 
Senator Gates' (Int. No. 778), relative to information concerning 
leases and franchises for the cultivation of shell fish. 
Senator Goodsell's (Int. No. 261), relative to fishing through 
the ice with tip-ups in Orange and Rockland counties. 
Assemblyman Bedell's (Int. No. 427), relative to the close season 
for certain quadrupeds and birds in Orange county. 
Assemblyman Burnett's (Int. No. 199), in relation to taking 
fish in Canandaigua Lake. 
Assemblyman Doughty'S: (Int. No. 266). legalizing and confirm- 
ing leases for the cultivation of shell fish, heretofore executed 
by the State authorities. 
Assemblyman Hubbs' (Int. No. 1029), relative to the transpor- 
tation of fish. 
Assemblyman McCormack's (Int. No. 1274), relative to game 
in Richmond county. 
Assemblyman Nichols' (Int. No. 694), relative to the taking of 
woodcock. 
Assemblyman Nichols', (Int. No. 1281), in relation to spearing 
fish in certain towns of Greene county. 
Assemblyman Palmer's (Int. No. 541), relative to the close sea- 
son for quail in Schoharie county. 
Assemblyman Reynolds' (Int. No. 550). relative to the close 
season for grouse, woodcock and quail in Rensselaer county. 
Assemblyman C. W. Smith's (Int. No. 886), relative to wild 
birds. 
Assemblyman C. W. Smith's (Int. No. 631), relative to penal- 
ties. 
Assemblyman J. T. Smith's (Int. No. 418), relative to taking 
fish from the waters of Whaley Pond in Dutchess county. 
Proprietors of fishing resorts will find it proCtable to advertise 
tbem m Foust and Stkxav. 
"And now that you have finished college, what are you going; 
to do?" asked a friend of the youthful candidate. 
"T shall study medicine." was the grave reply of the young man. 
"But isn't that profession already overcrowded?" asked the 
friend. 
"Possibly it In" said the knowing youth, ''but I propose to 
study medicine just the same, and those who are already in thp 
professioij will have to take their pbaJices,"— ,Str»y Stoflea. ' 
100 Spommen's Tindi 
Some of the Queer Discoveries Made by Those "Who Are 
Looking for Game or Fish. 
91 
Read the story of the cave in "Letters to a Chum" on 
another page of this issue. 
Publications Received. 
Our Northern Shrubs and How to Identify Them. A hand- 
book for the Nature-Lover. By Harriet L. Reeler. New York: 
Charles Scribner's-Sons. 
Canoe and Camp Life Along the 
Delaware River. 
Snaps With a Pocket Camera, and Fly Casts With Tamarack 
Poles. 
v.— A Native's Satire,— Moods of Light. 
;as 
"What we find in most writers on nature that is disagreeable 
and deterrent of steady reading is a certain conceit, a more or 
less definite and conscious claim to an esoteric relation to things 
that grow or lie in the open air which the people not of their set 
cannot hope to understand, and are contemptible because they 
do not understand it."— New York Times' Saturday Review. 
"The gray clouds kindle with red and yellow fire that burns 
about their purple hearts in tints of infinite variety, while behind 
them and the dark blue rampart of the mountains, flames the last 
glory of the departing sun, fading in a tint of tender green to 
the pure blue." — Rowland E. Robinson. 
Men expend untold sums on frescoes and paintings 
for palace and cathedral, while the blue vision of 
eternity skyed over them is scarcely noticed, even when 
the star-jewels of Orion and Ursa Major embellish it. 
Such apathy dwells in us, with such clouded percep- 
tions! We do not care what nature might teach. Much 
of this is due to the oceans of rhapsody about her 
with which the world has been flooded. She should 
be studied rather than described. How few but could 
paint a puny scene in words about the lessons of the 
vr- 
A STUDY OF FOLIAGE. 
wan fading of the last sunlight on the transient mist as 
its rose and purple change to gray on the mountain 
side! "How beautiful, delicate, exquisite are those 
charms!" cries the mere enthusiast, who could not, by 
any stress of feeling, realize the divine strength and 
feeling in the simple words of Genesis: "And there 
went up a mist from the earth; and watered the whole 
face of the ground." "And out of the ground made 
the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to 
the sight; and a river went out of Eden to water the 
garden." 
The men who see nature best realize that all words 
of description of her are but a pitiful approximation. 
"Does a bird need to theorize about building its nest?" 
or a bee take heed of its "cunning instinct of propor- 
tion" as it constructs its comb of wax? Facts about 
All communications intended for Forest and Stream should 
always be addressed to the Forest and Stream Publishing Co., 
New York, an4 Bof t-P Mf in4W4B»l coiWM^ed with the papef. 
SHADOW. 
landscape, light and color, and capacities for seeing and 
enjoying them, have been stated by one or two men 
when putting forth their utmost power; yet even the 
actual scenes can for many years only be known to na- 
tures which require to be created or cultivated. 
Still less is this any vaunting of superiority. He 
who sees best is least of all willing to boast over one 
who cannot see at all. While he may pursue nature 
with the worship of religion, he has no criticism for 
those who do not see or really love her. For here, as- 
in so many other fields, he knows that all men pos- 
sess a pathetic weakness. 
And he who writes of her must well nigh perform a 
miracle if he rids himself entirely of self-consciousness, 
no matter how humbly and even with tears, he may 
struggle to wrench himself away from that taint which 
will make his words as sounding brass and a tinkling 
cymbal. Ruskin chafed under the disposition of Eiig- 
land to resent as offensive, his "assumption of superior 
knowledge," and mourned over it. Hear him after 
having spoken of that "long attention" necessary be- 
fore nature may be known: 
"It is not singular, therefore, nor in any way dis- 
graceful, that the majority of spectators are totally in- 
^^y^W of appreciating^ the truth, qf ti^turg, v^hep fully 
