^ov. 4 , 1905-] 
'ed him. The doe, heavy with fawn, which accom- 
lied the buck, was pulled down by dogs and killed in 
rac^ that took the buck to safety, 
some good deer have been killed this season in Herki- 
r county. A number have been shot from buggies by 
id travelers, notably a white one a few miles north of 
tie Falls. The few days that I passed in the woods 
re dry, and approaching deer was a matter to lest one’s 
11 . Hunters generally report dry weather as a cause 
' baffling their efforts. I doubt very much if the num- 
■ of deer taken from the mountains this year will equal 
: low record of previous years. 
II The game wardens are shov\ing considerable activity on 
5 sides. Hounding is being done around the Tupper 
li ke country, and in other Adirondack localities. But 
I. : gradual tightening of the lines by the present game, 
<1 1 and forest administration has resulted in a marked 
It :rease in hound values. In northern Herkimer county, 
I ’ore the law forbidding hounding was passed, hounds 
It re- worth and brought from $50 to $100. Last fall they 
^ I nearly reached the former valuation. This fall an 
:ellent deer hound brought only $20. The purchaser 
il tsumably needed him for service in South Wilmurt, 
il )und the forks of the West Canada, where it has not 
8 ;n too dangerous to dog deer. 
II Partridges were never more plentiful in the edge of the 
'I ; woods, if I may judge of those seen in the old chop- 
igs up the West Canada. Raymond S. Spears. 
t ITILK Fails, N. Y. 
. 
Big Game Shooting.* 
Though big game is constantly getting scarcer and 
ircer, books on big game hunting continue to’be writ- 
1, and yet if the truth were known a good big game 
ry is hard to write. There are obviously two w'ays 
writing such accounts. One has to do with the simple 
)ort” Side, as it is often called, that is to say, with the 
'i covery of the game, the approach and the kill; while 
j ! other deals wiih the animals themselves, the country 
. ;y live m, their ways of life— their natural history in 
' :t— and make the killing of an animal merely the climax 
’ the story. There are very many sportsmen, who, 
' lile successful in the amount of game that they have 
led, are quite unable to tell their story from the natural 
' ffory viewpoint, and must necessarily confine them- 
1 ’*ves to the excitement of the chase and the capture of 
: trophy. If is hardly necessary to say that an account 
lich deals with the life history of the animal, as well 
with the acts of the hunter, appeals to a larger sym- 
thy and a wider public than one wh ch is a mere narra- 
•e of capture, and the w'riter who deals with the sport 
; the broader lines tells a more interesting story than 
who knows but little about the habits of the animal 
; pursues. 
Two volumes entitled ‘‘Big Game Shooting” have re- 
j ntly been published in the Country Life Library of 
)ort and issued by two London firms as well as_ by 
larles Scribner’s Sons, of New York. They are edited 
Horace G. Hutchinson, contain together over 600 
ges, and are illustrated with a multitude of beautiful 
gravings. These are composite volumes, and the chap- 
rs contributed to^them are written by a number of big 
.me hunters, all well known in England and some of 
em in this country. Among the latter are Sir Henry 
;ton.Karr, Clive Fliillipps-Wolley, Warburton Pike and 
. S. Reed, while Mr. H. A. Bryden, who writes of the 
g game of Africa, is also well known here. The volumes 
e divided into Parts, the first of which — less than thirty 
iges — is devoted to Sporting Rifles, by the Hon. T. F. 
reemantle. In an interesting chapter ' he brings _to- 
;ther considerable useful information. It is interesting 
note that, the L}unan sight is recommended to British 
lortsmen, and interesting also is the comparison of the 
lattery of rifles” recommended to-day with that ad-, 
scd.a dozen years ago for east Africa in the Badminton 
ibrary volume on “Big Game Shooting for East Africa.” 
hat list ran from a single four-bore rifle, down to a .295 
ook rifle, and included two double barrels. Now, Mr. 
reemantle says that,, by taking a proper assortment of 
irtridges, a double ri.fle of .45 to .50-bore for big game 
; all kinds, and a magazine rifle of .256 to .350-bore for 
ter and smaller quadrupeds, will answer all purposes, 
f course the difference comes about largely through the 
loption of smokeless powder and of new forms of 
rllet. 
The main portion of Volume I. consists of two Parts, 
uropean Big Game, and American Big Game. Of the 
uropean section the red deer naturally takes up by far 
le greater portion. There are chapters on Scottish Red 
'eer and Deer Stalking, by Sir Allen Mackenzie and the 
liter, one on Park Red Deer and the Warnham Court 
ierd, one on the Scandinavian Red Deer and one on the 
ontinental Red Deer, both by Sir Henry Seton Karr, 
hapters on Reindeer Stalking in Norway, and on Nor- 
egian Elk Hunting, by Mr. Abel Chapman, are followed 
y one on the Chamois, by Randolph LI. Hodgson. The 
v^arnham Court red deer have been carefully bred for 
ize and for fine heads, and the illustrations of heads 
'om that herd show how successful this movement has. 
een. ' A stag is described, which, at ten years old, had no 
;ss than thirty-two points, and there was one which had 
orty-seven points, the cast horn weighing seventeen 
ounds one ounce. White there are larger parks and 
irger herds of red deer in parks, this particular herd 
lands very high in estimation of experts on the red deer. 
Jot a few stags have been taken from it to im- 
rove the deteriorating wdld deer of the deer forests of 
I icotland. In his chapter on Continental Red Deer Mr. 
ieton Karr has a good deal to say about deer’s horns, 
nd among others discusses those of the wapiti. He de- 
lares that in the w'apiti group there is an absence of 
upping on the crown of the antler, but later, in speaking 
f the West American wapiti — by which he means those 
ff Vancouver Island— says that there is a tendency to 
upping and to palmation. Again, on page 172. he says 
iccasionallv wapiti horns are palmate, and this is said of 
mils in Wvoming, or, at all events, on the main divide. 
|\.s a matt er of fact, old hunters know that cupping and 
Game Shooting. E.dited by Horace G. Hutchinson, Lon- 
100 ‘and Fe\y York- 2 vols, Cloth, TUu.s, Price $ 7 -Si) net, 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
palmation -in the horns of the wapiti was not very un- 
usual. , - . 
Part III. of Volume L, is devoted to American big 
game. The moose, elk, caribou, mule deer, blacktail deer 
and whitetail deer, the mountain sheep, Dali s sheep, bears 
and t’ne muskox are all more or less fully described, but 
to our verv great astonishment not a word is said about 
the buffalo, the pronghorn antelope or the white, goat. 
Obviously these animals were known to the editor, for 
there is a picture of buffalo and one or two of antelope, 
but the white goat is not referred to at all except that it 
i,s mentioned as “goat” in a chapter on Game Laws, which 
Mr. Phillipps-Wolley contributes to_ close the volume. 
The chapter on moose, by Mr. Phillipps-Wolley, and me 
one on the Moose of Alaska, by Capt. C. E. Radclyffe, 
have both to do with the moose of the riorthwest coast. 
Each contains some information as to weight and horns. 
Captain Radclyffe killed a seventy-seven-inch moose head 
and Mr. Phillipps-Wolley gives the list of Mr. Reeds 
heads running from sixty-five to seventy-six inches, the 
climax being capped by the horns of a bull moose found 
dead in Kenai River a few years ago said to have mea- 
sured slightly over eighty-one inches. 
In Volume IP, Part I. is devoted to_ African big game. 
Mr. Bryden’s introductory chapter points .out that there 
are still large areas of country in the African continent 
where the white man’s face is almost- unknown._ To show 
how much we slill have to learn about Africa, he in- 
stances the recent discovery of the okapi and of a_ num? 
her of new antelopes, zebras and other animals. It is true 
that in many cases where a multitudinous life once 
crowded the veldt those ancient pastures are now vacant, 
but in many parts of Africa there is still abundant, game. 
Preservation also has done something for Cape Colony, 
and certain species of game are increasing. First rate 
big game hunting is still to.be had, though of course the 
sport will cost more in labor, in time and in money than 
formerly. Game licenses range from $50 to $250, and 
much of the hunting has to be done on foot and under 
severe heat, so that success in hunting in South Africa 
means work. On the other hand, it means also educa- 
tion. It teaches a man to be observant, quick, strong, self- 
reliant. No doubt it was because the Boers were prac- 
ticed hunters that they were also such good soldiers. 
Mr. Bryden’s battery of rifles includes five'arms* among 
them a double eight-bore paradox and a twelve-bore dou- 
ble-barrel shotgun. These are the special weapons of the 
leader of the expedition, who also has to supply a certain 
number of his people — his native hunters and the like — 
wdth rifles for their use. 
One turns with interest to the article on lions — ^for we 
all, big or little, learned or ignorant, love to hear about 
the king of beasts— and Mr. Bryden’s account of the lion 
is a very excellent one. He does not tell much about kill- 
ing them, but gives a great deal of information about their 
habits, and especially about their ways of hunting. He 
speaks also of the ease with which a lion is killed com- 
pared with the thick-skinned eleph.ant, rhinoceros, buffajo, 
or even the larger antelopes. Of the leopard he says : ‘‘It 
is a fact not known to all naturalists and hunters that 
the leopard is in the habit of depositing carcasses of slain 
prey in the forks of branches of some old tree no great 
way from its cave or hiding place. Such a place is well 
known to Cape Colonists as ‘the leopard’s larder.’ The 
food often becomes high and stinking, but the leopard, 
like the lion, is not a specially clean feeder and will de- 
A’our decaying carcasses as readily as will a hyena or a 
vulture. I well remember being shown one of the lardep 
by a Kaffir spoorer who hunted with me ; its odors will 
remain always in my memory. There were the remains 
of a baboon and the carcass of a klipspringer fawn. In 
mountain countries, such as I speak of, the leopard will, 
I think, in preference kill a klipspringer before any other 
quarry. In this he shows his good ta.ste, for the venison 
of this most dainty little antelope is among the best in 
all Africa, Next to the klipspringer he chooses the 
baboon, an animal which abounds only too plentifully in 
almost every range of Cape Colony. The baboons look 
upon the leopards as their most deadly foe, and hate him 
accordingly. They are most alert, wide-awake beasts, and 
in daytime hbve sentries always posted; still, notwith- 
standing all their cleverness, the leopard usually gets the 
better of them and secures his dinner when he needs it. 
It is said, and I believe with truth, that occasionally two 
or three ‘old men’ baboons, when desperate or cornered, 
will go for the leopard, and nathless his_ strength, his 
teeth and his fearful claws, rend him to bits. An adult 
baboon can instantly kill a big and strong dog by tear- 
ing out his throat with his enormously powerful teeth, 
and I see no reason whatever why two or three of these 
fierce apes should not vanquish a leopard.” The elephant, 
rhinoceros and hippopotamus come in the next chapter, 
The Pachyderms, and it is interesting to know that -the 
elephant is still destroyed by ancient methods, such as 
the spear, trap and pitfall. 
There are chapters on Asses and Zebras, the Giraffe and 
Okapi, Hartebeests and Gnus, Antelope and Gazelles, the 
Buffalo and one on Deer, Sheep, Goats, Pigs _and_ Ostrich. 
Part II. of this volume, dealing with Asiatic Big Game, 
has. for us an especial interest because it treats of the 
land where many of our big game animals undoubtedly 
originated. Here are marvellous sheep and goats, certain 
deer , so dike some American species that they cannot be 
separated specifically from them, giant buffalo and bison, 
.‘JO-called, though very different animals, from those which 
Americans know by the name, and the tiger.- All these 
chapters are by Major Cumberland, and the volume closes 
with a chapter on Big Game Shooting in Burmah, by Mr. 
E. D. Gumming. Major Cumberland’s account of Asiatic 
big game is extremely interesting, especially his chapter 
on sheep and goats, and every hunter will look with 
great interest at the very beautiful engravings which 
adorn this chapter. _ , _ 
Of the material found in the volumes the most interest- 
ing is that which deals -with Africa and Asia. It is to be 
regretted that the different chapters are of very unequal 
interest. On the other hand, the illustrations are of great 
beauty, there is much matter in the volumes and they 
should be in the library of all big game hunters. Price, 
-$7.50 net. 
tht; manv-xtse oie 
Clevis out grnokeless po-wder; keeps bore bright and ready for use. 
—Adv. 
871 
The Quails of the United States.* 
BY SYLVESTER D. JUDD, ASSISTANT, BIOLOGICAL SURVEY. 
{Continued from page S 55 ) 
Legislation in Behalf of Bofawhite. 
In addition to natural causes, reasons for the dimin- 
ished numbers of bobwhites are diversity in the open 
season, shooting out of season, excessive shooting in sea- 
son, and unrestricted shooting and irappin.g for market. 
Lack of uniformity in laws of adjoining Stales, and in, 
some cases of adjoining counties, renders their observ- 
ance difficult and their enforcement often impossible.^ No 
other game bird has been the subject of so much legisla- 
tion, which, beginning in New York in 1791, now extends 
to every State and Territory where the bird is native or 
has been introduced. The length of season during which 
the bird should be protected by law is a matter of para- 
mount importance. It goes without saying that no shoot- 
ing should be permitted during the breeding season, 
which must be understood to last until the young of the 
year are strong of wing and fully developed for the 
struggle for existence. Besides this the close season 
ought to include months of rest, during which the birds 
can fortify themselves for the physiological strain of the 
next period of reproduction. As now established the 
open season varies from twenty-one days in Ohio to 
seven months in Mississippi. In North Carolina, how- 
ever, where nearly every county has its own law, the 
bobwhite may be shot throughout the year in five coun- 
ties. Virginia has recently abolished county laws and 
established uniformity, an example that other States, 
especially Southern States, would do well to follow. It 
is gratifying to note that in 1^3 the open seasons were 
shortened by New York, Illinois, Texas and Virginia. In 
eight States— Maine, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, North 
Dakota, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah — the 
bobwhite is absolutely protected for a term of years, ex- 
tending to 1920 in Colorado. Two conditions justify such 
prohibition of shooting. First, when_ excessive shooting 
or other causes have made recuperation necessary ; sec- 
ond, when birds just introduced into a new locality need 
time to establish themselves. Wherever the bird cannot 
hold its own with an open sea.son of three weeks, absolute 
protection for a period of years is demanded. The length 
of the open season must vary with . varying conditions, 
but in view of the general decrease of the birds there 
would seem to be a growing need for shortening it. The 
sooner Northern States limit their shooting to one month 
the better. Even Southern birds cannot stand the pres- 
ent continuous fusillade of from four to seven months, 
and the open season in the South should be limited to 
two or. at most, three months. 
The slaughter of the bobwhite by sportsmen who hunt 
for pleasure is insignificant in comparison with that by 
professional market hunters. At the present time (1904), 
in about twenty-five States, the law takes cognizance of 
this fact by prohibiting the sale of birds killed wuilnn the 
State or imported from other States, and ihe general ten- 
dency altogether to prohibit the sale is growin.g each year. 
Every State except Mississippi forbids l_be sending of cer- 
tain game outside the Slate — a restriction on the sports- 
man as well as the market hunter, although the privilege 
of carrying home a limited amount of game is often 
granted under a non-resident license. Fourteen States 
have laws, also affecting both classes, limiting a day’s 
bag to from five to fifty birds. Many sportsmen nn*I 
farmers wmuld be glad if the limit were set at twelve. 
Laws discriminating agains non-residents protect the 
game and benefit the land owner, provided visiiiiig sports- 
men are not barred altogether by unreasonable fees. 
Thirty-one States and Territories require non-resident 
licenses. In addition to State game laws there are certain 
Federal laws, the most important of which is the Lacey 
Act, which provides, among other things, through the 
Department of Agriculture, for the preservation, distri- 
bution. introduction and restoration of game birds, and 
also undertakes to bring to justice persons who transport 
from one State to another game killed in violation of 
local laws. The latter clause proves effective in restrict- 
ing such illegal shipments and in suppressing profes- 
sional dealers that kill out of season in one State and 
attempt to sell in another where the season is still open. 
A law to prevent keeping birds in cold storage front one 
season to another would stop certain loopholes in the 
present laws and greatly aid in preserving gante. An 
effective system, of State game officials where it is lack- 
ing would aid in enforcing game Jaws. A number of 
States depend solely on county officers; but experience 
has shown that without a central State organization and 
special game wardens the law to a great extent becomes a 
dead letter. 
Stringent laws against trapping the bobwhite _ have 
been enacted, but such leuislation should permit legitimate 
trapping for purposes of propagation, One of the_ most 
important problems before game commissioners is the 
restocking of depleted covers. If. however, the bobwhite 
can be reared successfully in captivity, all trapping may 
be prohibited. The sporting magazines (Forest and 
Stream and American Field) mention cases of the bird’s 
laying in captivity and raising its young; and in a letter 
to the writer, dated Sept. 2, i^ 4 i O. W. Jack, of Shreve- 
port, La., says : . 
“I now have a pair of quails (bobwhites) which were 
trapped last winter and which I keep in a large wire coop. 
They have made a nest in some grass and have laid about 
twelve or fifteen eggs. ^ 
“The eggs were laid very irregularly, not more than 
two or three a week, so that by the time the nest was full 
the season was far advanced, which perhaps accounts for 
the female not sitting. The eggs were set under a hen and 
proved fertile, but the voting were eaten by the chicken 
as fast as they hatched. ' I concluded that this irregularity 
or slowness in laying was the result of the lack_ of insect 
and other egg-producing food, as the birds subsist almost 
wholly on grain. Of late, however, they have learned to 
eat with much reli.sh the yolk of an egg hard boiled.” 
The failure of the .female to sit was probably due to 
the unnatural confinem>ent in so small a space, a difficulty 
which could readily be remedied if attempts to raise quail 
were made on a largt? scale. Unquestionably, too. it 
would be necessary to .feed the quail, at least during the 
nesting period, to a considerable extent upon animal food. 
An instructive account of quail breeding in confinement 
