IBO 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
^FeB. 20, 1904, 
point with about a dozen of wooden decoys Mr. Kulka 
had. I went out in his canoe, which, by the wayj-pnly 
weighs 35 pounds, was made in Racine, Wis., and is a , 
very light and handy boat. I kept the ducks moving, and 
in less than two hours from the house until our return 
we got 14 big fat canvasback ducks. We were home by 
8 A. M. We could have got more, but we had enough. 
Anyone going there and writing Mr. Kulka, Box 36, 
Tampico, Mex., far enough in advance, could get accommo- 
dations on the ranch ; but as he can only take about 
twenty, it is necessary to write early, as half the trip is 
the pleasure of being right on the ground and having 
for a host Mr. Kulka, who will see that your every want 
is satisfied, as in the city the natives invariably impose 
on anyone that can't talk their language, but when fur- 
nished a guide by Mr. Kulka you have no bother, as he 
saved us money by giving us boatmen for just half we 
could have gotten them for. 
Our party are planning to go again next winter, and 
we -know there will be several new converts to tarpon 
fishing, as they seemed to catch the fever from our trip. 
We are also talking about making up a party to go_ up 
about fifty miles above the ranch for tiger and lion. ' 
There is a virgin forest of 400,000 acres belonging to a 
friend of Mr. Kulka's that they claim has lots of tigers 
and lions, as well as turkeys and deer which can be hunted 
a few miles above the ranch. But next season I won't 
forget plenty of light shot for woodcock. 
J. A. Cathcart. 
Fish and Fishing. 
Indians and Seals. 
A CURIOUS incident in connection with the bounty upon 
seals in the State of Maine was brought to my notice 
during the recent sitting of the North American Fish 
and Game Protective Association in Portland. The 
destruction wrought by the common North Atlantic 
seal among the commercial fishes of the New England 
coast caused the enactment, some time ago, of a provision 
in the law according a bonus of one dollar per head upon 
all seals destroyed. The proof of the killing is the pro- 
duction of the hairy covering of the seal's nose. These 
noses are brought from tim.e to time to the treasurers of 
the various municipalities, who, having redeemed them at 
the rate of one dollar each, destroy the proof in order to 
prevent the possibility of having it presented a second 
time, and make a return of moneys paid, to the State 
authorities, by whom the amounts so paid out are re- 
funded. The Indians engaged in the seal hunt have lat- 
terly been bringing in so many noses that suspicions were 
recently, aroused, and when, some few days ago, 86 were 
brought in together to City Treasurer Dyer, of Portland, 
by Louis Sapieo and Joseph S. Dana, of Eastpdrt, who 
have been located at Pleasant Point, near that city, in- 
vestigation proved that the noses were bogus, having been 
manufactured specially for the purpose of cheating the 
State by the crafty Passamaquoddies. After the Indians 
had signed the vouchers specifying that they had killed 
86 seals, they were taken into custody upon the charge 
of obtaining money under false pretenses. The arrest is 
of sensational interest, as it discloses a wholesale system 
of defrauding the State by bringing in what falsely pur- 
ports to be seals' noses, and by collecting a dollar each 
on them. The bogus "noses" are made by cutting up 
sealskin into small pieces, sewing bristles in for whiskers, 
and then slitting openings to counterfeit the nostrils. 
When the bristles are sewn in, a knot tied at the end of 
each prevents them from falling out, but a sharp yank 
draws them through the hide and then it is seen that they 
never grew there. The nostrils are so well sirnulated 
that they are apparently genuine until careful examination 
is made. The deceit, though crude, is clever, and after the 
inspection of a few of the bogus specimens, I found it quite 
easy to distinguish between the genuine and the counter- 
feit noses. The seal's whiskers taper to a delicate point. 
Those employed by the Indians are stiff and blunt, and 
quite unlike the real article. 
Sapieo says that the Indians have been carrying on 
this nefarious game for a long time, all the way from 
Portland to Eastport. Thousands of dollars have been 
dishonestly obtained from towns and cities to be re- 
funded by the State. A man who is familiar with the 
whole bay says that he does not believe that one-third of 
the noses brought in have been genuine. At Bangor a 
similar discovery was made. The very day after the 
arrest of Sapieo and Dana, two other Indians came in to 
Portland from Cousen's Island, who had evidently failed 
to hear or to read of the previous day's arrests. They 
made oath that they had killed one hundred seals between 
them, and presented as vouchers that number of noses, 
which proved, upon investigation, to be all bogus. After 
the examination, both men were compelled to admit tliat 
not a single nose of the lot was genuine. They confessed 
that they bought the manufactured noses from the Indians, 
who made them, and also that they knew that they would 
be arrested if they were caught, but there was good 
money in it, and so they were willing to take the chances. 
One of the two, named Patwin, has collected more than 
$1,000 from the city of Portland alone during the last 
year. It seemed natural enough to recognize his ability 
to do so, for he explained some time ago to the city 
treasurer that he used to go out with his canoe every 
night and lay on the rocks to wait for the seals to crawl 
up and inspect the surrounding water. When a dozen 
or more had thus emerged from the water, he would 
spring out and beat them down with a stout club. After 
he had disabled as many as he could, and before they 
could get off into the water, he would kill them with a 
knife, cut off their noses, slit a hole in the carcasses and 
insert in them a rock before pushing them off to sink in 
the sea. While he brought in some fifty or so a month, 
the number seemed to be reasonable, since it appeared 
natural that he should average two or three a night. The 
present arrests and prosecutions will probbaly end the im- 
aginary sea killing industry along the coast for some 
time to come at least. The word has gone out with the 
exposure of the rascality in both Bangor and. Portland, 
that while the Indians outwitted the pale faces in the 
first instance, Caucasian intelligence has demonstrated 
itself as usual in the long run. 
The Netting of Pifcc-Perch in Missisqaoi Bay. 
So far as can be learned, there is not much prospect- 
that the spring seining of pike-perch will be prevented 
this year in Missisquoi Bay, Lake Champlain, though 
there is a more hopeful feeling as to what may be accQm 
plished in the near future. The present situation may 
be briefly summarized as follows : Vermont fixes the 
responsibility for the slaughter of spawning fish upon the 
Canadians, by an enactment providing that whenever the 
Canadians shall refuse to issue more licenses for this 
fishing, none are to be issued by. the State. Either the 
Government of the Dominion of Canada or that of the 
Province of Quebec can easily put an end to this netting 
of the spawning fish. The Federal authorities may pass 
an order-in-council prohibiting any net fishing in the 
bay, and even if these authorities fail to pass any such 
order, it is still within the power of the Provincial G6v- 
ernment to decline the issue of any licences for such 
fishing. The committee appointed by the North Ameri- 
can Fish and Game Protective Association to urge the 
prohibition upon the Canadian authorities consists of the 
entire delegation from the Province of Quebec, and it is 
already at work endeavoring to educate public opinion to 
assist it in demanding the change. One argument which, 
it is hoped, will prove effective is that the nets in Missis- 
quoi Bay in the spring of the year destroy the fishing in 
the Richelieu, and injuriously affect some of it in the St. 
Lawrence. _ Years ago the pike-perch and bass fishing in 
the Richelieu River was vei-y good. Now it is almost 
destroyed. Canadian members of Parliament representin.g 
counties along the Richelieu .River are being appealed to 
to aid the committee in its work. 
A Pike Swallows a Watch. 
A melancholy story is attached to a watch which was 
once found in the body of a large pike that had been 
captured in the river Ouse. The fish weighed little short 
of thirty_ pounds, and was disposed of to a resident of 
the locality, whose cook proceeded to prepare it for the 
family's dinner. In opening the pike she was amazed to 
find in it a watch, with a short length of black ribbon and 
a couple of seals attached. Inside the timekeeper, the 
maker's name was discovered, and on being appealed to 
he was able to ascertain from his books that he had sup- 
plied the watch some time before to a certain gentleman's 
servant. It transpired that the latter had been drowned 
in the Ouse a few weeks before the capture of the pike, 
which had picked up the watch and had made a meal of it. 
Considering the attraction which bright glittering 
baubles have for many fish, it is certainly not difficult to 
believe the stories that are told of a wedding ring having 
been found in the stomach of a haddock, of a locket in the 
inside of a bream, of a silver spoon in the maw of a pike, 
and a half sovereign in that of a mackerel. 
E. T. D. Chambers. 
An Invitation to Fish. 
_ W. Wright, in his "Fishes and Fishing," tells an amus - 
ing story -of a tradesman, who had retired from the 
iatigues of business, inviting very pressingly a London 
friend to visit him at his sylvan residence, and, among 
other inducements, promising, though he was no angler 
himself, to afford his friend the sport of angling in his 
water. This attracted the Londoner; a day was fixed, 
and our_ angler arrived with a full complement of rods' 
lines, baits, etc., and was anxious to commence. But, no ! 
luncheon was first to be disposed of, after which the host 
introduced his friend to his water, which proved to be a 
little round basin, not wider than the length of one of 
the rods the angler had brought with him. As must 
naturally be imagined, the visitor was disappointed and 
vexed, though he did not choose to show his vexation; 
and on the assurance that there were perch in the pond', 
he put his tackle together, and the moment he dropped 
his bait into the water he hooked a fine perch; another 
and' another followed; and when his friend came to tell 
him dinner was ready, and inquired as to the success he 
had had, the angler showed him thirty-five perch. "Well !" 
said the good-hearted host, "I am glad you have had such 
sport; I caused three dozen to be put in the day before 
yesterday." "Oh!" replied the angler, "I will take the 
other, and then I shall have nothing to do in that way 
after dinner !"— London Fishing Gazette. 
New YoffclLe^isIation. """^^ 
Albany, Feb. 13.— No hearings on pending bills have been held 
as yet by the fish and game committees of either branch of the 
I-egislature, but both committees have done considerable work 
thus far in the matter of examining measures before them. They 
have also reported out a number of bills. 
The Assembly has passed the following bills: 
Assemblyman Hubbs (Pr. No. 3S0, Int. No. 282), amending 
Section 103 so as to provide that on Long Island ducks, geese and 
swan shall not be taken from April 1 to Sept. 30, instead of from 
Jan. 1, as at present; nor possessed from April 1 to Sept 30 
instead of from March 1. 
Assemblyman J. T. Smith's (Pr. No. 381, Int. No. 293), adding 
a new section to be known as Section 3a, which provides that 
there shall be no open season for deer in Dutchess county before 
Sept. 1, 1908. 
The Assembly has advanced to third reading the following bills: 
Assemblyman Wemple's (Pr. No. 348, Int. No. 332), providing 
that there shall be no open season for grouse, woodcock and quail 
in Schenectady county prior to Sept. 30, 1906. 
Assemblyman Reeve's (Pr. No. 402, Int. No. 376), providing that 
deer shall not be taken at any other time than between one-half 
hour before sunrise and one-half hour after sunset. 
Assemblyrnan Dickinson's . (Pr. No. 160, Int. No. 160), providing 
that the close season for hares and rabbits in Cortland and Gen- 
esee counties, shall be from Dec. 1 to Sept. 15; for fnink, skunk, 
•muskrat and foxes, from May 1 to Oct. 31, and for trout from 
'July 16 to April 15. . - 
The Assembly Committee oji Fish and Game has reported the 
following bills: ' 
Assemblyman Bridgeman's (Pr. No. 314, Int. No. 300), amended 
,so.as to permit the taking of ducks, known as mergansers, shel- 
drakes or sawbills in (Drleans county, during April. 
■ Assemblyman Coutant's (Pr. No. 415, Int. No. 389), amended so 
as to provide that tip-ups and set-lines may be used in fishing 
through the ice in Ulster and Dutchess counties, in waters not 
inhabited by trout. 
Bills have been introduced as follows: 
Senatoi; Lefevje, two bills (Pr. Nos. 356 and 357; Int. Nos. 326 
and 327), which are the sanje as those of Assembly Coutant's 
(Pr. Nos. 416 and 415; Int. Nos. 390 and 389), making the close 
season for grouse, woodcock, and quail in Ulster county from Dec. 
16 to Oct. 15. and allowing the use of tip-ups and set-lines ia fish- 
ing through !the ice in Ulster county. 
Assembl/rnan Bedell's (Pr. No. — , Int. No. 556), striking put 
of Section 25" the clause rnaljing the close season for grouse in 
Orange county from Dec. . 1 to Oct. 15. 
Assemblyman Hat vey's (Pr.; No. — , Int. No. 482),, amendir(g 
Section 46 so as to make the close season for black bass in 
geneca county from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, both inclusive. 
Senator Townsend's (Pr. No. 371, Int. No. 336), amending Sec- 
.tion- 4 so as to provide that wild deer and venison shall not be 
possessed from NeSv. 6 to Aug. 31, and that possession thereof 
from Nov. 1 to No. 6 shall be presumptive evidence that the same 
, was unlawfully taken by the possessor. The bill further provides 
that no wild deer or venison killed in this State shall be sold, of- 
fered for sale or exposed for sale at any time or place, nor shall 
the same be transported or carried out of the State. 
Assemblyman Reeve (Pr. No. 477, Int. No. 438), amending Sec- 
tion 158 so as to provide that shellfish leases may at the expira- 
tion of the terms thereof or upon the expiration of any renewals 
thereof; be renewed for a term not to exceed fifteen years, upon 
it being shown to the satisfaction of the State Commission that 
the lands'described therein have been used in good faith for shell- 
fish cultivation continuously during the original terms for which 
such leases were granted and during any previous renewal or 
renewals thereof. 
— ^ — 
"Jttst Happened So.** 
The reading of an editorial on events that "just hap- 
pened so," dusted off a section of my memory and 
brought vividly before me many days a-field where the 
success must be attributed to things that "just happened 
so." My two last hunting trips each had an abundance 
of chance in determining their successful outcome. A 
few weeks since a friend and myself planned for a day off 
to hunt with our cameras. As we were about to separate 
the night before, a farmer accosted us and the question 
of game was at once referred to. He said foxes were 
fairly plenty, and volunteered to loan us his beagle hound, 
"■aying "he used to run foxes, but had not been hunted 
for four or five years." We changed our plans at once, 
deciding to substitute our guns for the cameras. We 
arrived at the farmer's in the morning as the sun was 
just peeping above the crest of Spruce Mountain. The 
little beagle was pulled from under the stove and placed 
in the sleigh, the farmer cautioning us not to snap our 
g;uns, for the dog was gun shy. The midget of a hound 
had been stall fed, was sleek and fit to kill. A drive of 
half a mile up the mountain brought us to a favorite run- 
way. Here we found a fresh track. The dog was cut 
loose on the trail, but he absolutely refused to notice it. 
We were disappointed, for we expected a little music, 
but the shooting of the fox we did not anticipate. Hav- 
ing broken several young hounds, I knew a two-hour 
tramp would jump the fox, so we determined to tramp it 
up. A little over the two-hour limit Mr. Reynard was 
awakened from his midday nap. Now was the opportune 
time to test, again the little dog's hunting qualities; so 
calling him from heel (a position which he had held for 
the past two hours), we spoke many encouraging words 
to him, and placed his nose on the steaming trail. There 
was an awakening as from a dream, an expression of joy- 
lit up his countenance, a nervous wag of the tail, a 
low whimper, and he was away in full cry. I looked at 
my watch; in just ten minutes the eager cry ceased, and 
at that moment, at the further end of the timber, a fox 
hove in sight, coming in rapid jumps directly toward us. 
When within a hundred yards it tacked sharply to our 
right and went over the ridge from our view. On came 
the little dog, but his musical voice was silent. He was, 
however, sticking to the trail, but was puffing and blow- 
ing, being well out of breath. In eighteen minutes the 
fox again came in view, this time within shooting range. 
We both, simultaneously and unconsciously, pulled the 
trigger at the same instant; there was one report, and a 
beautiful male fox, weighing io>^ pounds, was lying dead 
sixty yards away. We waited several moments for the 
dog to come up, when we recalled the farmer's caution of 
gun-shyness. Returning to the farmer's, we found the 
dog eating his fill from the carcass of a cow. The little 
dog never knew the final result of the hunt, and it seems 
to me the successful result "just haopened so." 
B. A. E. 
Barre, Vermont. 
Pointer Ctuh of America. 
The Pointer Club of America held their annual meet- 
ing on February ii, at Madison Square Garden. A large 
attendance of members was present. Mr. R. A. Fairbairn, 
vice-president, presided. Considerable routine business 
was disposed of, and special prizes were donated to the 
following for competition at their forthcoming shows : 
New England Kennel Club, Franklin-Oil City Kennel 
Club, Rochester Kennel Club, Chicago Kennel Club, 
Duquesne Kennel Club. 
It was resolved to hold field trials of 1904 in the South, 
for pointers only, and competition open to all, excepting 
that of the Members' Stake. 
The election of officers resulted as follows: President, 
R. A. Fairbairn; Vice-President, A. H. Ball; Secretary- 
Treasurer, C. F. Lewis ; Board of Governors — G. Muss- 
Arnolt, Dr. J. S. Howe, Geo. S. Mott, Geo. S. Raynor, 
E. W. Throckmorton, C. P. Wilcox, W. C. Root, Dr. A. 
G. Terrell; Delegate to American Kennel Club, A. H. 
Ball. C. F. Lewis, 
Secretary-Treasurer. 
Trained Nurses for Sicfc Dogfs. 
The New York Herald's London correspondent says: 
"Another society doing good work in connection 
with relieving the sufferings of dumb animals is the 
Dogs' Protection League, which is now taking women 
probationers who will undergo a thorough course of 
dog nursing. At the end of the course the canine 
nurse will iindergo examination and will then receive 
a certificate from the league, which will then, should 
she pass, send her out to cases the same way as a 
human nurse. Those who have experienced the weari- 
ness of night and day . nursing of some old favorite 
will greatly appreciate the chance of trained help at a 
moderate figure." 
Points and Flushes. 
The American Fox Terrier Club has issued a book- 
let, containing- the rules, list of members, standards, 
and stakes for 1904. Mr. H. H. Hunnewell is the 
secretary and treasurer. The adress of the A. F. T. C, 
is.'.87 Milk street, Boston. -. ■ \ 
