S78 
FOR:eSt AUn STREAM. 
shade of the little green houses standing ready for their 
reception. In a single day a dealer will thus take as 
many as twenty thousand birds, and, as the traffic is 
carried on all along the shores of the Mediterranean 
for the whole period of migration, millions of quail are 
yearly captured alive. 
In spite, however, of their astonishing fecundity, this 
wholesale slaughter of the birds began to produce an ap- 
preciable effect, and in France, as, indeed, in other coun- 
tries of Central Europe, it was noticed that the flocks 
were rapidly decreasing in numbers. Unfortunately, too, 
the demand — in London, more particularly — for the deli- 
cacy is as great in the spring as in the autumn, although 
the bird is then thin and out of condition. In order to 
meet this demand the Minister of the Interior in 1878 
authorized the import and sale of quail throughout the 
breeding season. This decision called forth an earnest 
protest from the farmers, who valued the birds highly on 
account of the quantity of weed seeds and noxious in- 
sects consumed by them, and from sportsmen, who fore- 
saw a still greater diminution, if not indeed the utter ex- 
termination of the game. Their efforts were, however, 
fruitless, and the immediate result w"as merely a new 
development of the trade. To prepare the spring birds 
for the table a number of merchants in the neighbor- 
hood of Paris undertook to fatten them artificially, and, 
though the flesh after the process lacked the delicate 
flavor of the autumn birds, they at once began to figure 
largely in the menus of the fashionable hotels and 
restaurants of the capitals. 
Meantime the numbers of the quail in the yearly 
migration became noticeably and steadily less, and so- 
cieties for the protection of game insisted ever more 
loudly on the necessity of suppressing the spring trade, 
which, by preventing breeding, was doing incalculable 
harm. In 1892, accordingl}^ a fresh decree prohibited the 
sale and carriage through France of the Egyptian quail 
during the close season. It was found, however, that in 
spite of this step the birds became every year more 
scarce, and in 1899 the Minister of Agriculture, on whom 
iiad devolved the regulation of the game laws, prohibited 
the transport, carriage and sale of any kind of quail on 
l^rench soil. As this, however, had naturally no effect 
cn the steady demand for the bird in London, the de- 
cision of the minister had only the eflfect of diverting a 
very lucrative branch of railway traffic, and the London 
markets were henceforth supplied by way of Brindisi and 
Germany. 
Bird lovers now opened negotiations with Germany 
with a view of closing her doors to quail, whether liv- 
ing or dead, in the breeding season. Realizing the im- 
portance of the step — for the quail had practically ceased 
to visit Central Europe by this time — an arrangement 
was concluded between the two countries, and both 
France and Germany refused to allow the bird dealers to 
transport these birds through their territory in the close 
season. This left only the way of Gibraltar open to Lon- 
don dealers, and the protracted journey added no less 
than 60 per cent, to the cost of carriage. In consequence 
of this increased expense the English trade has sensibly 
diminished. 
These measures have been attended with so much suc- 
cess that the last two seasons have seen the return of 
the quail to France, and this year farmer, sportsman and 
epicure are alike rejoiced to find the birds so dear to 
them once more abounding in wood and moorland. The 
shooting season in Northern France opened this year 
on September 6, and the quail are unusually plentiful 
and strong in flight, and quail shot in France are now 
being sold at the Central Market, in Paris for 20 francs, 
or $4, for ten birds — exactly the same price fetched for 
the ordinary French partridge. 
Dr. Combes, Minister of the Interior and President of 
the Ministerial Council, is so encouraged by the result 
that he has induced M. Delcasse, Minister of Foreign 
Affairs, to enter into negotiations with the Governments 
of Great Britain, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, 
Holland and Switzerland for more strenuous interna- 
tional protection of the woodcock, already becoming ex- 
ceedingly rare. It is even propesed totally to prohibit 
the shooting of woodcock for a period of three consecu- 
tive years. — Paris Correspondent New York Tribune. 
Caribou. 
On Oct. 12 my friend. Dr. E. M. Schofield, and my- 
self left Jamestown, N. Y., for a hunt in Newfound- 
land. We passed Vanceboro, the line between Maine 
and New Brunswick, on Wednesday morning, and from 
there on the country was new to us. We had expected 
as we went north to find it colder, and the season more 
advanced, but it was not; in fact, there had not been 
as much frost there as in New York State. A large 
portion of the country is well settled, and is a fine farm- 
ing country, with good buildings, good roads, and all 
the evidences of prosperity. We crossed from New 
Brunswick into Nova Scotia, and stayed at Truro over- 
night. Truro is a good town with a bright, healthy 
look. Thursday we crossed to the Island of Cape 
Breton and reached North Sidney at night, where we 
took the steamer Bruce for Port-aux-Basques, New- 
foundland, and arrived there soon after daylight Fri- 
day morning. Here we secured our licenses of Mark 
Piice, Esq., and took the Newfoundland Railroad. 
This is a narrow gauge road, but is equipped with sleep- 
ing and dining cars. We took our breakfast on the 
dining car, and a good breakfast it was. We were all 
day reaching Llowley, our destination, where we were 
met by our guides, John Stroud and R. B. Stroud, his 
son, Charles Stroud, our cook, and Lige Sweetapple 
and James Arnold, packers. Saturday morning we 
started for camp, ten miles south of Howley, on Hinds 
Plains. On our way out we passed the camp of Mr. 
J. P. Howley, the Geological Surveyor of Newfound- 
land, whom we found to be a most pleasant and hos- 
pitable gentleman. From Mr. Howley's camp our 
way was mostly up hill and in places very steep, and 
we wondered how the packers could carry those heavy 
loads — but they did it without trouble. 
Soon after leaving Howley we began to see caribou 
tracks, and just before reaching camp we saw two cari- 
bou. We reached camp at 2 P, M., where we found 
tents and everything in first class order for our com- 
fort. Our camp was at an altitude of about 750 feet. 
At Howley there is a Government reservation extend- 
ing five miles on each side of the railroaa and for ten 
miles along the track. No one is allowed to kill cari- 
bou on this reservation. 
On Oct. 21 our hunt commenced, and the first day 
nvr friend, the doctor, got a nice head of twenty-two 
points, and I one of twenty points, but much smaller 
than the doctor's. There were plenty passing south 
every day, but we wanted larger ones, and saw none 
to suit us until the 27th, when 1 got two fine ones out 
of the same herd — shooting them in a blinding snow- 
storm. The best one had thirty-six points. The fol- 
inwing day the doctor got two magnificent heads in 
nearly the same place— killing both out of the same 
herd at 200 yards. These were large, massive heads 
with long beams and great spread, and were almost 
exactly alike. This finished our hunt, except that we 
had each secured two ptarmigans. 
We broke camp and returned to Howley, reaching 
there on a Thursday at 2 P. M. We found caribou 
crossing the railroad in great numbers. From the 
time we reached there until dark, at least 200 caribou 
passed. The next day there were at least 300 more 
passed — all within sight from the depot. One herd of 
fifty or sixty swam the lake there, and it was a fine 
sight. 
We returned by the same route, and certainly had one 
of the most delightful trips it was ever our privilege to 
enjoy. I wish to say that we were everywhere treated 
with the greatest courtesy. The railroad officials, the 
steamboat people, the customs officers and Mr. Pike, the 
Game Commissioner, all did their best to make it pleasant 
for us. As we were preparing to leave Howley, Mr. P. 
J. Howley made me a present of a caribou head ready for 
mounting, which I appreciated very much. 
Of our guides I can hardly speak with praise enough. 
R. B. Stroud guided the doctor, so I did not come so 
much in contact with him, but he is a gentleman, and 
perfectly reliable and responsible in every waj'. My guide, 
John Stroud, sixty years old, is known from one end of 
ihe island to the other. He has never done anything in 
his life but hunt. He killed the meat for the men that 
built the Newfoundland Railroad, hunting both sides of 
the road clear across the island for 550 miles. He is one 
of the keenest sportsmen I ever knew; up early, always 
ready, never tired, quick of foot and quick of eye, with 
his hearty laugh and ready stotx he certainly was "a 
boon companion well met." 
Here's to my guide! Ilis name's John Stroud, 
A man among men of whom I feel proud; 
His step it is quick; his eye it is bright; 
No game gets away when once it's in sight. 
Anyone contemplating a hunt in Newfoundland would 
certainly do well to correspond with John Stroud, of 
Alexander Bay, Newfoundland, or with his son, R. B. 
Stroud, of the same place. O. C. Frisbee. 
Scent. 
It is not easy to find a subject pertaining to hunting 
which has not been discussed in Forest and Stream, 
but I do not remember to have seen in print the inter- 
esting, if inelegant subject which Mr. Rodney West, 
an old Essex county hunter, treats of in the current 
issue of the Elizabethtown Post, and given below. 
It is, of course, a well-known fact that there is a 
marked difference in the scent of individuals of the 
human family. I have heard of a deaf mute who could 
separate the soiled linen of a number of persons by the 
exercise of his highly developed sense of smell. Dogs 
follow their masters by their keen appreciation of their 
different odors, It does not, therefore, seem unreason- 
able to believe that some men are handicapped at the 
start as Mr. West asserts in their attempt to approach 
game, and the fact may serve to explain the perpetual 
bad luck of some hunters — though I have no doubt 
the hunters would prefer to believe it bad luck rather 
than bad smell. 
While photographing deer for Forest and Stream 
in Maine eight years ago, I was much impressed by the 
manifestation of terror observed in deer which had 
.scented but not seen Jock Darling and myself. It 
suggested the human terror inspired by fear of ghosts 
and the supernatural. The deer that sees a hunter 
realizes its danger, but it is never as badly rattled as 
the deer that scents him. J. B. Burnham. 
People wonder sometimes why it is difficult for one 
man to get within shot of large game, while another 
with less skill, less knowledge of the habits of the an- 
imals he hunts, and less care generally, seems to 
stumble right on to them, and become a successful 
hunter, without really knowing very much about the 
how. A specific odor escapes every person whether 
he knows it or not, and most any barber can tell you 
he never found two heads of hair (barring perfume) 
to smell alike. It is part of the individuality of the per- 
son, and, like him, differs from every other. His dog, 
his horse, and other animal pets and stock know it, 
and wild animals notice it also, in a curious way. They 
divide mankind itself into two classes, i. e., those whose 
perspiration is naturally of a sour odor when fresh, 
and those in whom it is sometimes of a heavy, sweetisli 
smell. Sour-sweated people are generally not easily 
affected by the poison of ivy, but wild animals general- 
ly will more than avoid them when they can. There is 
something about that odor that they are "deathly 
afraid of," and the man thus constituted must_ be as 
cautious as an Indian, and must become a long-distance 
marksman if he would be a stxccessful hunter, though 
the other sort have but little trouble in creeping on to 
game. I have known two men, one of each sort, to run 
cn to a deer, the "sweet" man was in sight, while the 
sour was not. The deer gave one look at the man she 
saw, flirted her head and regarded him no further, 
v.'hile she was looking keenly, with every mark of fear, 
for the man she did not see but winded. She soon 
caught a glimpse of him through the leaves and brush, 
and then left in double quick time. This last was a 
man who felt his natural disability in this respect keen- 
ly, and had become a long distance marksman from 
necessity, for he had a great fondness for the hunt, 
and with meat not shot with a "silver biUlet," though 
he could handle poisonous plants without inconven- 
ience. 
Cleanliness as well as caution is a very good thing 
for a hunter to practice. A dirty man is easier 
"winded" by game than one who is clean, because his 
scent will be stronger. And the man who goes out 
hunting all perfumed, as if for the ball room, adver- 
tises himself to the game most effectively, and they 
consequently do all they can to keep out of his way, 
especially if he is sitting "on watch" or going down 
the wind. Scentlessness, cleanliness, coolness and 
caution are four good cartridges for every hunter to 
carry with him, unless, indeed, he gets enough of the 
scent of his game on him so that it will (like the rabbit 
killer in Australia, who gets to smell like his business), 
neutralize or cover his own personal odor. I have 
proved and seen others prove the truth of these things 
in many instances. I once knew a hunter to rub some 
perfumed vaseline on his gun to protect it from damp- 
ness. He went out hunting with it, and soon found 
that the deer could smell him long before they could 
see him or he see them, and he could hear them jump 
up and run off before he could get at all near. He went 
home disgusted, washed his gun clean of the objec- 
tionable odor, waited a day and tried it again. This 
time he was successful, but the experience of a few 
days before taught him a lesson he will not soon for- 
get. 
The Mt. Tom Reservation. 
Boston, Nov. 7. — Editor Forest and Stream: Thomas 
Burney and another deputy had an exciting time this 
week in arresting two Italians for shooting robins. One 
of them drew a pistol and threatened to shoot the officer, 
who, however, overpowered and disarmed them, and Judge 
Berry, of Lynn, imposed a fine of $50 upon each of them. 
"Tom" has been on the force ever since it was organized 
by Captain Collins, and the matter of looking into the 
muzzle of a loaded revolver doesn't jar his nerves in the 
least. Besides being a good officer, he is an all-round 
sportsman. He was one of the leaders in forming the 
Lynn Fish and Game Protective Association and has 
been its president. 
Our South Shore gunners have been getting good bags 
of coot, ducks, yellow-legs, etc., of late, due largely to 
the storm. The season, they tell me, has been eccentric; 
with now and then a few good days followed by very 
poor ones. 
There has been some Sunday gunning, which, it is re- 
ported, the local officers are determined to stop so far 
as Duxbury and Marshfield are concerned. 
In my last letter I spoke of the Mt. Tom reservation as 
"provisional." The question of its establishment was 
settled in the affirmative by the voters of Hampshire and 
Hampden counties last Tuesday. The act of the Legisla- 
ture last winter had a referendum giving the voters of 
the two counties the privilege of deciding the question. 
There was considerable opposition to the measure ui 
Northampton on account of its effect in taking away some 
taxable property, but at the election the city gave_ a 
majority of 94 in favor. The total vote of the counties 
was 18,857 yes and 5,237 in the negative.' 
The care of the grounds rests with the commissioners 
of the two counties. For several winters past the ques- 
tion of the reservation had been agitated, and the friends 
of the measure have at last been rewarded with success. 
Ihe legi-slators of Massachusetts are inclined to take 
broad and liberal views regarding these reservations, and 
where the local sentiment is strongly in favor, as it was 
shown to be, for the establishment of "Greylock" and 
' Wachusett," and now "Mt. Tom," they are not unwilling 
to appropriate the necessary funds. 
A thousand pities that the brilliant leaders in New 
Hampshire politics did not take the initiative years ago 
in saving the forests of the White Mountains from 
destruction. Is it possible they were ignorant of the part 
those forests play in feeding the streams on which her 
great factories are built? 
More likely their consciences were quieted by the power 
of the wealthy timber owners and the cry of extrava- 
gance always raised when an appropriation for such z 
purpose is asked for. But one State in New England is 
exempt from the benefits of the rivers that have their 
sources among those mountains. The people of the whole 
country are wont to make pilgrimages in order to feast 
their eyes upon the beautiful scenery, and not a few to 
take the trout from the pellucid waters, the grouse and 
deer from the covers. When stripped of the forests, 
v/hen fire has laid its black hand on the soil, and grim 
desolation stares one in the face, who will care to gaze 
on the scene? The work of destruction is to-day going 
on apace ! Hundreds of axmen are now doing their fiend- 
ish work on the Presidential range and elsewhere. 
Is it not a blot on the fair escutcheon of the Granite 
State? Generations may come and go, but the woods oni 
those rocky slopes once destroyed will never appear' 
again, or if they do it will be long after this generationi 
and probably the next have been "gathered to the 
fathers." A Federal park has been suggested as a means 
of salvation. Possibly some of your readers are familiar 
with the history of some of our national reservations 
and can tell how many years elapsed between the incep- 
tion and the realization of them, or just how many yearS 
will pass before the Great Appalachian Park, which has 
been advocated already for some years, will become an 
established fact. I am compelled to believe that before 
the general Government shall have established a White 
Mountain park every tree that will pay for cutting and 
marketing will be converted into cash. Speedy action 
alone can save these forests. 
Our friends in Vermont have succeeded in securing a 
good many deer the last ten days of October, and I hope 
to be able to give the number approximately in a few 
days. Several men have been arrested for shooting does, 
and all law-abiding citizens hope they will suflfer proper 
punishment. Commissioner Thomas is following up 
several of these cases in court. 
One 300-pound buck was shot in Montgomery, a fine 
2-year-old in the vicinity of Essex, one in Belvidere, and 
several on the line of the narrow-gauge road running 
out of Brattleboro. 
