70 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
are those which have tiot been placed ih preserves aftet 
being picked up, but have been sunply shut up ni pens 
where, through want of nourishment or from unnatural 
conditions, they have only formed at the entrance to the 
shell a simple veil of slime. 
Snails, as has already been noted, are nocturnal m their 
habits, moving about and eating during the night espe- 
cially so during the rains of spring. In the period known 
as coureurs they are gathered on dewy mornings or alter 
heavy showers; consequently when there is a wet spring 
enormous quantities come to hand m the markets of 
Paris. It may be added that they are "moist goods to 
handle, and therefore become easily heated, and deterio- 
late in three or four days. It is during this season that 
they are sold in the streets of Paris from small carts. 
The snails that are despatched to the Halles Centrales are 
packed in cases, baskets, or sacks containing from five 
hundred to two thousand each, the cases being pierced 
with holes for aeratian. With respect to the snails that 
come to hand in the voiUs and bouches periods, these are 
generally sold by private contract to grocers, pork- 
butchers, wine-sellers, and restaurant-keepers, who pre- 
pare them and sell them to consumers. 
The collecting of the snails is carried on m the 
provinces all day long by men, women and children, who 
with iron hooks search for them at the foot of thorn 
hedges and under ivy, and in winter in old walls. If 
lucky, a good searcher will collect from one thousand to 
fifteen hundred snails. These are paid for according to 
their weight, about a thousand snails averaging ten kilo- 
grams, and the payment varies with the prices current m 
the Paris market, but it usually ranges from twenty to 
forty centimes per kilo. This work, therefore, cannot be 
said to be well paid. The result of allowing children to 
collect them has been that they pick up and bring m snails 
that are unsalable, and as these are thrown away, broken, 
or in other ways made useless, the snail-population of the 
country, through the loss of immature young, is rapidly 
dccrcssin^ 
Generally the slack time in the snail market is during 
May and June, when the collectors endeavor to restrict 
their collections so as to place more on the market in 
August and September. In some cases, instead of being 
sent to market the snails gathered are held in reserve by 
being kept in snail preserves or gardens. The size of 
these snaileries vary greatly, according to the number of 
snails they are intended to stock. In these pehs are a 
number of shelters about two meters long and one meter 
broad, and each of them looks like a wooden roof laid on 
a bed of soil having a slight slant. They are so placed 
that round about each of them food for the snails may be 
grown, and every morning the keeper has to pick up and 
replace the snails that have wandered about during the 
night in search of food. 
Snail gathering and preserving does not seem to be at 
all profitable, and curiously enough we now find many 
B'rench authorities expressing the opinion that snails, as 
an edible commodity, trade a good deal on their ancient 
fame. It is possible that snails will some day be a lost 
or exceedingly rare commodity so far as French cooks 
and gourmands are concerned. Undoubtedly the edible 
snail is getting very rare in certain parts of France, and 
it is possible that there may come a period when a few 
edible snails will be kept and exhibited at the Jardin des 
Plantes in Paris as unique specimens of an animal which 
through man's gastronomic voracity has disappeared. 
The loss will not be felt in England.- — -Chambers's Journal. 
Tom^ Turkey and Fox, 
A GOOD fox story was told me last season by old friend 
Tom, a well-known hunter in Ticonderoga, which I will 
try to relate in his originaL and simple way: 
"One day I was coming down the hill leading to the 
upper part of Weedville, when I saw a big red fox walk- 
ing slowly along closely followed by a great turkey 
gobbler that would have weighed about twenty pounds. 
Knowing that the bird belonged to a neighbor's flock 
on the next farm, I quickly stepped into some brush by 
the side of the road and got the old muzzleloader shot- 
gun ready for business. The two looked so comical that 
I had hard work to keep from shouting, but I succeeded, 
and again peered forth, and what do' you think? I saw 
that fox turn about and kill that turkey in a second. 
He then looked sort of sorrowful around and lay down 
and watched the struggling bird. Pie then got up and 
went over and took a good snifl: at his game, when I let 
him have it for all I was worth. Pie hardly moved from 
his tracks, and I afterward sold his skin for three dol- 
lars. I walked up the hill with my prize and sent word 
to the neighbor that a fox had killed his gobbler, and 
for him to come down and get him. Do you know that 
old chap always had it in for me that I had shot hisj 
turkey, and said that they found a shot or two in his 
carcass wlieii they dressed it. Well, perhaps they did. 
The fox was pretty close to the bird, and I was a good; 
ten rods away when I shot." 
I have seen a fox annoy turkeys in a nieadcw, when 
they would form in battle array, with the old ones out- 
side and the young inside the circle, at the same time;! 
making loud cries and showing fighting spirit in abund-j 
ance. I never waited to see the outcome of Reynard\s-! 
tactics for fear of missing a good shot; but I am sure' 
that in the case referred to liy my friend, the fox per-i 
suaded the old gobbler that he was afraid of him, audi 
cut him out of the flock to make the killing the easierj 
for himself. Then he would not have to carry the birdi 
so far to eat his share. Peter Flint. ■ 
Panthers in Pennsylvania? 
Readers of Mr. Samuel N. Rhoads's extremely inter- 
esting volume on the "Mammals of Pennsylvania andi 
New Jersey" will recall frequent mention of the observa~[ 
lions of Mr. Seth Nelson, an old hunter and trapper, with' 
whom Mr. Rhoads made many 'excursions and had fre- 
quent correspondence. 
From his studies of Pennsylvania fauna, Mr. Rhoadsj 
concluded that the panther is extinct, and sO' declares..'. 
Recently he received from Mr. Nelson a letter which in', 
substance is as follows : 
"Jan. ID, X905 — Mr. S. N. Rhoads: Dear Sir— I just'i 
read in the , National Sportsman of a man killing a't 
panther near Port Jervis, N. Y., measuring eight feet| 
one inch. A hunter at Eaglesmere, Pa., saw that animal] 
and two panthers were seen near Eaglesmere this fall.^ 
One panther was killed at Meadix Run this fall| 
measuring eleven feet. Two bear hunters in Cameron [ 
county, about ten or ele^■en miles from where' 
you and I were trapping and hunting, got after a very ' 
large panther with two bear dogs. They treed the ! 
panther twice, and then the panther licked the dogs, so, 
they would not look after it any more. The hunters sawl, 
the panther jump off the tree, but could not get a sure 
shot at him. Meadix Run is in Elk county. I killed, 
five bears and two deer this fall and one wildcat near my' 
camp. Seth Nelson." 
K'lATiNG, Clinton Co., Pa, ; 
In Massachusetts* 
Boston, Jan. 21. — Editor Forest and Stream: At, a 
meeting of the Executive Committee of the Central Com- 
mittee for Protection of Fish and Game, last evening, 
George M. Poland, Esq., of Wakefield, was chosen chair- 
man to succeed Mr. H. A. Estabrook, of Fitchburg, who 
desired to be relieved of the duties. Mr. Poland is 
House chairman of the legislative Committee on Pro- 
bate and Chancery, to which has been referred a bill 
to prohibit the killing of game by use of the automatic 
gun. The committee passed a vote indorsing the 
measure, and a similar vote was passed later in the even- 
ing by the Board of Management of the Massachusetts 
Fish and Game Protective Association. The Central 
Committee also passed a resolution giving its hearty in- 
dorsement of the Shiras bill for the protection of wild- 
fowl now before Congress. The committee and the 
board voted to support the bill presented by the Board of 
Agriculture, which calls for an appropriation of '$3,000 
for the publishing of a pamphlet on birds and their uses 
to the farmer. The purpose of this publication is to 
stimulate the study of the farmers' feathered friends, 
and disseminate information concerning their habits and 
the importance of their care and protection. 
Mr. E. Howe Forbush, State ornithologist, last year 
prepared a valuable monograph on the destruction of 
birds in Massachusetts in 1903, which was published by 
the Board of Agriculture, his data being derived chiefly 
from reports of a large number of observers m various 
sections of the State. In regard to quail, he expressed 
the opinion, based on the reports sent in, that 95 per 
cent, of them died from cold and starvation during the 
winter. 
At the meeting of the board, the standing committees 
on publication, legislation, enforcement of laws, etc., 
were appointed', and Plon. C. M. Bryant, of Qumcy, spoke 
forcibly in favor of a bill which he will introduce in the 
Legislature providing for the payment of a bounty on 
foxes. He stated that the Blue Hills Reservation was a 
great breeding place for them, and that they are increas- 
ing very rapidly there and making their way out into 
the surrounding country, causing destruction to _ bird 
life and great loss to the farmers and poultry raisers. 
His poultry farm and yards are in the infested neighbor- 
hood, and he states that he had offered $5 bounty to any- 
one who would bring him the carcass of a fox killed on 
his premises. It being late in the evening when the mat- 
ter was brought up, and several members having startel 
for trains, it was thought best to defer action to another 
meeting, which will be held soon. With Mr. Kinney 
and Salem D. Charles on one side, and Col. Dimick and 
Mayor Bryant on the other, there would seem to be a 
chance for a very pretty forensic discussion on the fox 
bounty question. 
Our Springfield friends and some others are urging a 
hunters' license, and have secured the introduction of a 
bill establishing a fee of $1 for the privilege of hunting. 
The attitude of the Central Committee is not unfavorable 
to the bill, and it voted to lend its support, but several 
members are doubtful whether it is quite time for such 
legislation. The bill provides that unnaturalized resi- 
dents shall pay a fee of $10. Another bill before the 
Legislature removes the limit of length (loj^ inches) 
on lobsters imported from the British Provinces. 
There will doubtless be the usual annual crop of bills 
on fish and game matters, which often number forty or 
more, and present a great variety of opinions. It is not 
unlikely that a close season of one or more years on 
upland game birds will be called for; but while there 
is no doubt our quail are scarce, the weight of testimony 
in reference to the woodcock and ruffed grouse proves 
conclusively that they have been fairly plentiful, and the 
shooting of those birds has been as good as the average 
of the last three or four years. There are exceptional 
localities where most of the cover has been removed and 
birds have been scarce. As a whole, I believe sportsmen 
v/ould prefer to put out money for' restocking with quail 
rather than be deprived of the opportunity for shooting 
even for one year. There are those who look upon a 
close season for three or four years as necessary to re- 
gaining our quail. It seems to the writer that such a 
step is unnecessary, provided the work of restocking is 
pushed vigorously, and the birds we have are provided 
with adequate food. 
Mr. E. Harold Baynes is eagerly pursuing his work 
for saving the buffalo. On Wednesday evening a start 
was made in the rooms of the Natural History Society 
toward forming an organization for that purpose. In his 
lecture before the society he used about 100 lantern 
slides, and told of the reckless slaughter by which these 
animals had been almost annihilated. He enumerated 
the remaining herd.s — that of the Government in Yellow- 
stone Park, the Corbin herd, a few small ones owned 
by private individuals, and a mythical ( ?) one in 
Canada. He read letters from prominent men, including 
President Roosevelt, showing the widespread interest in 
the subject. A committee was appointed to take the 
necessary steps for organizing and holding future 
meetings. 
The Sportsmen's Protective Association of Eastern 
Massachusetts held its second meet for a fox and rabbit 
hunt to-day. The usual quiet of North Reading Square 
was broken at an early hour by the gathering of mem- 
bers, about seventy in number. The committee for the 
day included M. E. S. Clemans, Wakefield ; John Baxter, 
B. Frank Goodwin, Reading; Dr. E. A. Merrill, Somer- 
ville, and J. Allen Eames, of West Reading. A little 
after 8 o'clock A. M. the party divided into sections and 
started for the north part of the town. The hard surface 
of the snow proved somewhat of a handicap to the 
twenty or more dogs. When the hunters rounded up, 
however, at the town hall about 4 P. M., there were 
spoils to the extent of two foxes and seven rabbits. J. 
Allen Eames secured one of the foxes, a young lad the 
other, and Messrs. J. Baxter, D. T. Strange and Justin 
Curtis bagged the rabbits. Several foxes were seen, but 
TOO far away tO' warrant a shot. The members enjoyed 
the tramp greatly, and when gathered at the well-laden 
tables in the town hall rehearsed to each other the ex- 
periences of the day. 
Large additions were made to the membership list, which 
has already more than 100 names. The club has an in- 
vitation to join the Middleton Fur Club in a fox hunt 
on the 22d of February, and most of the members have 
signified their acceptance. 
The events of to-day continue late into the night, as 
your readers will understand when informed that "King 
Megantic" has rallied his cohorts at the Somerset for the 
annual banquet; This is the one occasion of the year 
when men gather from half a dozen different States just 
for a jolly good time. Last year the feast was at 
Delmonico's, and from all reports everybody had 
enough. No questions of very serious import are ex- 
pected to come up for consideration on these occasions, 
although Commissi oner Carleton is allowed to draw the 
li^nes over the members in a mild and agreeable manner. 
This evening Dr. George H. Payne, vice-president of the 
club, occupied the seat of honor and introduced Mr. Wm. 
L. Quimby, of Boston, as toastmaster. . In marched four 
stalwart men to the tune of the "Torpedo and the 
Whale," with a large fish from which, when cleft by a 
villainous-looking bolo, there emerged a tiny Miss — 
Olga Clark — who presented the chairman a bunch of 
roses. A telegram from President Richards, of New 
York, was read, also one from President Roosevelt 
which set the boys wild. After Commisisoner Carleton 
had depicted in glowing colors the beauties of the appli- 
cation of the license law, he was given three cheers and 
a "Bengal" and made an honorary member. A telegram 
from Grover Cleveland was read by the toastmaster and 
received with vociferous applause. Gen. Charles W. ■ 
Bartlett, Rev. Fr. J. E. Choquette, Cure of Megantic; : 
Rev. George A. Crawford, Chaplain U. S. N. ; Samuel j 
M. Child, Esq., all spoke in a vein that suited the occa- 
sion. The speaking was interspersed with the singing 
oi the songs which form an important part of the pro- 
gramme on such occasions. The Harvard Quartette's 
rendering of the "Old Kentucky Home" raised a vocifer- 
ous call for repetition, which was given with telling 
effect. There were about 200 at the tables. 
Mr. Roll in Jones, with half a dozen boon companions, 
has gone to his camp on - Winnipiseogee for winter 
fishing. Central. 
Talk About Old Arms. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I read with interest the remarks of Mr. George Bird 
Gnnnell on the subject of the early use of the Colt's re- 
volver and repeating rifle. I presume the question of the 
date of introduction of these weapons can readily be 
cleared up by referring it to the Colt's Arms Company 
My impressions of the matter may be erroneous as 
they refer back to the period of my early youth , I re- 
member when a boy reading a book by Captain Mayne 
Reed, I think The Scalp Hunters." a book written for 
boys, m which the Colt's revolver is introduced as a new 
aevice to astonish the Indians. I believe the period 
covered by the story was the early fifties. 
Early in 1861, one of the newly organized Confederate 
companies was armed with the Colt's repeating rifle 
until then unheard of by me. It was said that these 
rifles were ineffective because more than one of the 
chambers were discharged when the piece was fired 
During the Civil War— 1861-1865— repeating ' and 
breechloadmg rifles were regarded as novelties- only a 
few were in use, I believe, and were not held in much 
esteem. When m the trenches around Atlanta in 1864 
the "Confeds" were occasionally aroused at night by 
rapid firing from the Federal lines, with the expectation 
of a night attack, when some soldier would remark 
