FOREST AND STREAM 
151 
land, and by this means they can moat always obtain a shot. If tho 
night bo clear, Ihuu they will notice before dark where the ducks are 
feeding, ami then, whenever the moon jjeta an hour high, or the same 
from moon down, (depending upon which side of tho river you may bo 
on,) they got between the shore and the ducks, and by tbls means they 
have ii full view of all tho ducks without their seeing the boat. One shot 
at ducks, while asleep it night, will scare them more tlinn a week’s cou- 
atnnt shooting In the day time with a sm ill gun. Between here and 
Alexandria, (distant live miles,) (he river Is and has been for the last two 
weeks Ailed with ducks, and if you were here I could show you now from 
two to five thousand between these two points, and yet, you might try 
all day and secure, perhaps, one or two. There has been four large guns 
all the Winter at Four Milo Run, inbout half-way from here,) and Just a* 
soon as a hunch of ducks alight, they will try and creep up on them: but 
if they find this impossible, they defer It until night, or Just before sun- 
nac, when you Will thing a naval engagement is going ou. We have no 
law against these big guns, so you see our condition, and if at any tlmu 
we go duck shooting we go far from this place. Duke. 
DUCK SHOOTING ON THE HUDSON. 
Hudson, April 8, 187:. 
EnrTon FonEST and Stream:— 
I noilco that the petition to allow duck shooting ou the Hudson with 
swivel guns Is again before tho Legislature. Undoubtedly you are al- 
ready aware of tho fact. I do not favor, but opposo.that petition, yet 
Is it not objectionable as a law prohibiting shooting from boats, or muk- 
Ing September a close time in this locality for duck shooting? These 
amendments may do for Long Island, but I do not believe they are 
wanted elsewhere. Ducks arc mated by the 1st of May, and 1 have seen 
them In Northern Iowu with young by tho middle of May; yet this 
amendment would indicate that it Is more objectionable to snoot thorn 
In September lhau In May. Yours very truly, Da. W. II. H. 
SLAUGHTERING DEER. 
Fbrbisburo, Vt., March 2fi, 1875. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
In your paper of tho 18th lust. Is an Item stating that "Georgo L. 
Matherson lately returned to Lyndon from a deer hunt In Eust Haven, 
Vt .having secured llvo deer during his absence. Ho says there is a 
deer yurd in that town flvo miles long, where the snow is completely 
trampled down like u door yard. He believes there are two hundred deer 
within fifteen miles of that village.” I am afraid there arc uot two bun 
dred deer within the limits of Vermont, thunks to just such barbarians 
as this same G. L. M ., who wantonly slaughtered the helpless and hnlf 
starved animals by hundreds, in a Winter of deep and crusted snow some 
forty years ago, when the deer were well nigh exterminated here by the 
merciless butchery of theso wretches. If there are any honorable 
sportsmen In that portion of our beloved State— which one rauy well 
doubt, when such a murderous exploit is boasted of— the wonder is that 
they did not mount this G. L. M. on the sharpest rail that could be 
found, and escort him With all honors beyond the borders of the Stole, 
after mulcting him in the fine of $250, to which ho laid himself liable by kill- 
ing a deer in Vermont at nay seasou, under an act passed Nov. 8th, 1865, 
which makes a fine of §60 the penalty for killing any animal of the deer 
kind found running nt large within this State, or assisting in snch kill- 
ing, or hunting, or worrying uny such animal. Nothing but a savage 
love of slaughter could prompt one, not starving, to kill deer toward the 
close of a Winter of such almost unprecedented severity as the past bus 
been, when the poor beasts must be utterly worthless in every respect, 
not even their skins being worth taking off. In the name of fair pluy 
and true sport, do give this fellow the scourging he deserves. 
Yours truly, R. E. Robinson. 
Hoboken, N. J., April 9, 1875. 
Editor Forest and Stream 
As your valuable and Interesting paper is abont the only sporting 
paper read in this section of ihe country, 1 have taken the liberty o.’ ad- 
dressing, through yonr medium, some advice to several German pot 
hunters living tu West Hoboken They ere out on the Hackensack nnd 
vicinity the year through, and nothing escapes their guns. Not long 
since the writer saw several woodcock In Secuucus Woods; one week 
ufter, (being yesterday the 8th,) they were all gone. Come to make 
enquiries in regard to the matter, I found that this same party had been 
thorn and shot them all off for specimens to set up, as they said. The 
game keepers live in the same street with them, and must know of the 
transaction. Aro tho laws of New Jersey so loose that they allow 
foreigners to come over here nnd exterminate game in their breeding 
season ? I have repoatedly r. ad of gentlemen wishing the close season 
from January 1st to October 1st, or the woodcock would in a few years 
bo non ee/; but, Mr. Editor, I think there are more killed In tho close 
season than there are in the months of July and August, as for instance, 
July 1st, 1S74, 1 took my brace of setters in said Secaucus Woods to 
show them grouse. I was surprised to find so many points on different 
birds. I went there ou the 4th at sunrise, and beat tho whole ground and 
never gotaslnglc point; they hid all been shot off on the 3d. I would say, 
Mr. Editor, that this party of pot huuters are now watch’d, and will not 
be allowed to shoot sora or rail on the Hoboken meadows In July, as 
they did last year, while on their nests hatching. 
Yours, Hoboken. 
HUNTING COAT. 
Boston, March 25, 1875. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
Considerable ingeuuity has been displayed in the Invention of various 
styles of hunting coats, cartridge belts and vosts, and game bags. Now, 
presuming tho sportsman cnreajiot to array himself In the toggery of ii 
brigadier of the home guards on dress parade, I would like to recommend 
a particular style of coat. It consists simply of a coat made in sack pat- 
tern, of stout duck or corduroy, having as many small pockets inside or 
out as may please the fancy of the wearer, and then a pocket lu the 
hack side, made by sewing u piece of duck about twenty inches wide on 
the inside the back, running from the bottom of coat np to tho arms, 
leaving openings for the hand at each side near the upper corners, Such 
a pocket can be introduced In any old sack coat at the expense of 
twenty-five cents and on hour's work with the needle, and serves a va- 
riety or uses. It is never In the way, and always with you when needed. 
If ou a fishing excursion, it will hold a drinking cup, liues, fly-book, or 
ball, a lunch, pair of dry socks, nnd shoes, and everything you wish to 
"take nlong,” and nothing will be lost out while jumping, or in contact 
with the brush. In fact its great safety Is the important feature. I 
would rather have it than all the other pockets in ray clothes. 
When carrying the gun it is more capacious nnd loss troublesome than a 
game bag, and thirty pounds of game in it will not puli painfully on the 
shoulder. Then again, if the day’s sport has not been crowned with re- 
spectable success, you have not the mortification of an empty game bag 
dangling under your nrms as you meet your comrades on your return. 
Yon all know how Hint is yourself. M. 
San Francisco, Cal., March 30, 1875. 
Editor Forest and Stream:-- 
A sportsmens’ club was organized hero on tho 2Rth Inst., under the 
name of the Amnteur pigeon Shooting Club of San Francisco, with the 
following o fiicers: President, Mitchell Wright; Vice President, John 
Ma«t*>rson; Secrelary, I. P. McSwecney; Trea-urer, T. F Mlsgill. We 
huve agreed to have the first match on the IHth of April, of which I shall 
take pleasure in sending yon an account. With best wishes for the suc- 
cess of Forest and Stream, whose principles have won for Itself the 
respect of all true sportsmen, I remain yonr humble servant, 
I- P. McSwhenet, Secretary. 
METAL SHELLS. 
Baltimore, March 23, 1875. 
EniTon Forest and Stream:— 
I beg leave, for tho aafoty of ilioao ualng brass shells with the screwed 
top, to suggest to tho manufacturer* of thorn a simple nnd yatuable 
Improvement, which l*. to havo tho orifice through which tho pin strikes 
tho percussion cop rimmed out sufficiently largo to admit of the cap be- 
ing placed upon the ulpple after the shells aro loaded, without unscrew- 
ing the plate Co place the cap, as there 1* groat danger In screwing It on, 
of the cap, if at nil long or full sized, becoming wedged In the too small 
orifice In the top of case, nnd turning with same. The friction thus crea- 
ted I have known to explode the cap, nnd In one case the shell burst ret 
and dreadfully maltued the h.iud of an acquaintance. After this accl 
deut I immediately had the orifice in my shells made larger, and find I 
can now use safely Eley’s waterproof caps, which ion great Improvement 
over tho abort and more indifferent caps usually used with theso ehells, 
P. 
BORING GUNS. 
Boston, March 28, 1873. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
I notice "Sido Lever’s" loiter of February 17, nud concltido he must 
have read my communication w ith oxtromo carelessness, or not at all, ns 
ho pretends to quote from It the following: "U. G. says that If 1 look at 
a number of pins of d{{r<rent makers," &c.(m<HF Me ItoliclMdaitJixUcr). 
His whole refutation of my argumont on that particular point falls to the 
ground on tho simple statement that I did not neo tbo word he Italicizes 
in that context, and In point of fuel it does not occur In tho entire ar- 
ticle. Tho word actually used conveyed simply enough my meanlug, 
and the Idea— or rather the fact— which I wished to present was, that no 
one of the numerous English makers, whoso pins are more or less ex- 
tensively for ?alo by our importers, had any special method of chamber- 
ing to which they invariably and carefully adhored, almoly because they 
believed It to bo the beet. I have seen no reason to change my opinion 
ou this point, but on the contrary am quite confirmed In It, by tho more 
extended observations which goutlemon of bitter opportunities than 
mine bavo slnco made. This occnrs, too, in very fino piu*. It is uot 
Improbable that thla arises from tho proverbial carelessness with which 
almost every article la made, when intended for open, general sale in the 
American market; but whatever may bo the cuuse, the fact rematus all 
tho same. I never pretended that "my Boston man," il» 8. L. somewhat 
facetiously styles our well known gnnuiaker, Mr. Wo. U, Schaefer, had 
no formula. Quito the contrary. Ho not only ha* one, bnt one that 
both lie and hls customers have proved to be good; therefore he sticks 
to it, boring hls guns ou that plan aud no Other, and that, too, with all 
possible cure and nicety. That Messieurs, onr neighbors across the 
water, do not do it, Is the very thing I complain of. 
The art of gun making is by no means, at this lute day, a closo corpo- 
ration; no one man "knows It all," and good guns are made on several 
different plans. 1 merely wished to slate what, In my opinion, was a 
good and successful method of boring; ouo also that 1 believed to bo 
much superior to the square shoulder for uny pin Intended to use both 
melal and paper shells. For the latter a square shoulder, Is every way 
bad, as when turned down, as they ought to be for good shooting and 
safe carriage, they vary so much in length that while some may be up 
to the shoulder others will fall short, aud the wads often get upset in 
passing it. I notice 8 . L.’s disclaimer. Scott ft Sons cerlaluly make 
fine ana beautiful guns, w hich duserveall the praise 8. L. can give them; 
but I never shonld have suspected him of being Interested In that firm 
simply because he saw fit to speuk favorably of thclrwork. Like him, I 
have no Interest of any klud with any gunmakers, or with any gnn, ex- 
cept the general one which all sportsmen must feel In a good example of 
either; nnd I hope the time mny come when a gentleman can favorably 
note any Improvement Ingunncry, without being accused of owning the 
patent, or speak well of a deserving nnd skillful mechanic, without being 
charged with a partnership in his business. 
"Side Lever’s" retnnrks on the shell question are sensible; but 1 am 
at a loss to know why he should propound to me the conundrum ns to 
whether I can carry tho "Bostou pattern motal shell," ,%* , as easily as 
he does his paper ones. As Artomns Warn says, "I glvo It np," never 
having seen or heard of the shell mentioned. My Schafer gnn Is cham- 
bered for metal shells, and nuy of the various patterns, as the Berdan, 
Sturtevant, Ac., fit it well; but I alwnys prefer paper, extept for »nlt 
water purposes, and havo never used a dozen of any other kind in tho 
gun mentioned, but like 8. L., carry my paper shells with porfect 
serenity and composure in my numerous pockets, and therefore have 
not, as yet, given my order for tbo belt or vest which ho says I must have. 
Mr. Editor, Ihavesald mysay, and with manythanks for your courtesy 
in giving me so much space in yonr oxcelient piper, I promise faithfully 
never to trouble yon again, at leas', on this subject. Goodnight, 
Under ilnir 
CREASING SHELLS. 
Ituaoa, March 38, 1873. 
Editor Forest and mtream: — 
I noticed not long since a statement that the creasing of the shell 
affected the shooting very materially. I consider that the rolling over of 
the end of the shell will cuuse the wad to bend together, consequently 
jam the shot, and whllo Increasing tho recoil, vnry tho pattern just In 
proportion to the amount of rolling. 1 endeavored to get something 
that would at the eume time fasten the wad, *nil yet nst jam It or In- 
crease the recoil. Since I made my machine, Mr. Hall, In hls creuser, 
has given to sportsmen something similar; bat a* a matter of course (?) 
I do not think it quite Hie thing, My machine was mudo to be placed 
upon a loader, ond consists of a short, hollow cylinder with a hoveled 
ping in one end. Ou one side of the cylinder Is situated a short arm, 
with a dye at one end, which work* through a silt In tho cylinder upon 
the bevel of the plug. The shell Is loaded, pressed Into the open end of 
the cylinder lilt tho wad is firm against tho end of the ping, the nrtn 
forced down, and un Indentation made Just lu front of the wad; the shell 
can then be turned and a* many indentations made as wished. These In- 
dentations form very little resistance to the wad lu shooting, and yet 
they have, with me, always held the wad firmly lu place while In my 
pocket. Shells creased with this machine perform much better than by 
any other method which I have ever trltd, and I have no doubt It la on 
account of the little resistance, about the *111110 ns in a brass shell, which 
the shot meet with In escaping from the barrel. 
In the last number of Forest and Stream you mention a stylo of 
tying tiles luvented by Mr. Mulluly. 1 trust tills Inven- 
tion (?) has not been pitented, for In lliu Hummer of 
1672, while camping on beaver River, In tbo North Woods, my guldo 
criticised the lying of my file*, saying that tho right way was to have the 
••book turned up Instead of down," a* lie expressed It. IIo said (tint was 
tho way he always lied tiles, and that be could catch fish with files thua 
tied, when they would not look at one tied with the hook down. 1 have 
had no occasion since that to try hls method but had noted it down a* 
worthy of trial. I shall await anxiously the report of the Fishing Editor 
a* to his success with the now (?) fiy on those seven year old veteran*. 
II. 
We regret that want of spueo prevents our giving the 
diagrams of our correspondent’s attachment. With regard 
to the Mulluly fly; that gentleman's invention may he the 
same as the one mentioned by “II or quite different, and 
yet in either case original as far as Mr. M. is concerned. 
And unless the guide has patented his fly, the first appli- 
cant will be the one entitled to the benefit.— Ed. 
Captain J. M. Coventry, of Canada, formerly of IT. 
lv M 15tl» Regiment, Infantry, says in a private letter to 
us that tho hollow point bullet of tho Martini-Henry Ex- 
press ritlo makes the most awful wound in an animal 
and drops it atone dead whenever hit in tho body. Thla 
gentleman killed eight caribou early In March, and hits 
trapped $1,000 worth of furs tho past Winter. Thla i* 
turning sport to valuable account. Captain C. has a llvo 
young caribou, which he is taming to drive. 
JfnswcfS go Correspondents. 
Anonymous Comiiiunlcallona not Noticed, 
John Major, Huntsville, Ain. Thu duublo barrel rlfin and shot ova to 
which yoii refor has boon sold. I: Is a miur.lv loader. 
J. II. T.-Plonso give me the price of a good spin. If convenient, sml 
whore I can p.ucbaao one? An*. Wo can got you a good one, two or 
threw month* old. at § 10 . 
J. R. G , City — 1 havo a very premising ae'.torpnp nine months old. 
Will you kindly Inform mo whore I can havo It broken? An*. Call at 
Uils office, and wo will give you iho USillo of a good breaker 
G. 8. B.. Washington, I). <’ -Aro stub twist barrels llabln to have 
flaw* or small dunu insldu of them? I)o theso flaw s or dent* Injure their 
shooting? An». Tlioy should not; well undo barrels have no flaws or 
donts, Wo think not. materially . 
J. A. It , Boston. -Can you Inform mo whore 1 can procure a copy of 
thu different game laws obtaining In tho various Stuto*, particularly In 
tho Western Stales? Ans. Addrera Chaa. Suydam, Editor "Fur. Fin 
and Feather," III Warren street, N. Y 
J. C’„ Gravonhurst. Maskoka —1 havo a llvor and wbllo colored dog, 
a cross between an English pointer nnd a door hound Do you think ho 
will beany good for a sporting dog? IIo Is Ion months old , Ann. Ho 
could bo mudo a good squirrel nnd rabbit dog. 
W. H. B , Wilmington, N. - Havo yon yet published results of o* 
pertinent* with the Dlttmsr powder? Ans, Our Issue of March HJih 
contained tho results of some oxporlinont* with wood powder. Wo tire 
dally In expectation of receiving further reports. 
F- W. G., Erie, Will you kindly Inform mo where a Guido to Su 
porlor Fehlng can begotten, Its price, Ac.? An., Address J |i«to U - 
well, 17 South Sixth street, Philadelphia. Is (.'Inis F. Orvls, M .iuchn*- 
ter, Vt,, u dealer lu fishing good* of established ropatatlou? An* l x- 
collont. 
J. Van 1).— Will you please describe tho process of mnk.ng a split 
bamboo rod? Ans. Calcutta bamboo Is solcctod, of tho host iiia'-riut 
ami proper length ami sawed Into strips, which are llr*i divested of iliolt 
plthj portion*, and then titled together with groat nicety to suit (a,, de- 
sired taper of the rod to bo made , Theso piece* are then glued together, 
whipped with silk nt short Intervals, ami varnished with shellac, i-ic 
further particular* Inquire of any rod maker. 
W. H. C„ Cuxonovlii.— In a recent paper there I* a letter from some 
one that went to Florida, who says that ho was compelled to wait ion 
days for an officer to inspect hls hoot; had to have uu cnvlm or* certifi- 
cate nnd u pilot. Is ho right about It? Ho carried no passengers or any 
freight for hire. Aim. Any steamboat, however small, must carry un 
engineer, captain nail pilot, no one mini to held two licenses, which coat 
$10 each. These uro serious embarrassment • to yachtsmen. 
II. B., Ironton, Ohio, —By whom was the winning shot In tho great 
rifle match fired? A dispute arose between two youhg men, 'one claim- 
ing that tho Ame^Jcanz won by tho Irishmen firing ui the wrong inreei? 
An*. Cnptntn Undine fired tho lust shot In the International Match, 
without knowing that tho result depended upon him. lie msdo ahull* 
eye, which counting four, won tho match by three points, One of Urn 
Irish team shot at the wrong target and lost Ills shot . It 1 < by no means 
certain, however, that had lie fired at the right one ho would have mudo 
thu bullsoyu, which would have been necessary to have enabled Ills sldo 
to Will. 
8, K., 7n , Boston.— You will greatly oblige me If yon will find out 
from yonr corresponnont Mo vvliat uro tlm part* of alcohol and shellac 
to be used for lacquering guns to keep off saltwater? Ans. We are In 
dobted to "Mohawk" for the following: Take of resin 2 drachuis, of 
sandurach 3 drachms, of gum lac 2} samples, aud heal them gradually 
until thoroughly moltod nnd mixed; then add 3 drachms of turpontlno 
mid heat further, after which ntld 3 iliac Inns of rectified alcohol. l-lltor 
carefully, and put Into tightly corked bottles. It should bo applied on 
the barrel of the gun with a small brush. For guns that are put away 
from season to season It will lie found of much value, 
Bushman, Plko county, Pa —I havo some small spring fod ponds, 
which once contained trout, but are now full of pond pickerel. How 
shall I exterminate tho pickerel? Shall I lime tho pond? An*, Tho lat- 
ter question la frequently asked. Liming kill* everything, animal nnd 
vegetable, so that If the ponds were thoroughly cleaned out In (tils wny 
and trout pul In, they would die for the want of that natural sustenance 
which Is found In tho larva; and orguntc matter which accumulate* m 
ponds. An effective way to get rid of your pickerel I* to stock your 
pond with bn**. These will soon llni»h tho pickerel, and In time (hey 
will prey upon their own kind and runout'. Then draw off your pond, 
luke out thu few remaining buss mill slock with trout. 1 Id* will tukn 
some years, hut Is mi effectual mode of procedure. 
W. E R., Fcrrlsburgh, Vt — Will you greatly oblige tho Fcrrltburgh 
Sportsmen*’ Club by answering the following question*: Them i» a por- 
tion of n email river here, some three miles In length from one mill hum 
to the next below. It larapld, shallow, with occasional deep boles. Tiro 
bottom Is gravelly In some places, elaly in other*. The walorpara nud 
soft, but not very cold In Bummer. No fl*li In It but chubs, duco, mid 
such small fry. Tho banks aro partially wooded Would trout thrivo 
nnd breed here, If introduced, and lathe experiment worth trying? Ans. 
Probably not; can't tell very well without testing. Hugo.-** depend* 
much on food nnd cold bottom springs. 2d. There Is n dl.put i- uiuoug 
us as to whether the hs » common to the sonthorn portion of Luko 
Champlain nud Its tributaries, I* tho black bn*., ortho Oswego hare. 
Will you give us simple descriptions of both varieties? Ans. The Os- 
wego bass Is similar to the black bn-s lu all Its outward marks, oxcupt 
that It Inis a largo bend, lacks the double curve at tho end of thu lateral 
Hue nt tho Joining of the tall, and ha* no red spot in It* eye It* Unity 
meat Is soft and watery, and It common weight Is from flvu to leu pound* 
h'ln/ii'ij in Amu. lean Wafer*. 
E, H 8 , Albany.— Will you plonso Inform mo what charges yon used 
In your double barrelled breech loading shot gun, 3 > inch barrel, No. 10 
gauge. Remington ft Boris' make? 1 recently purchased a gun from thorn 
of till* description, and recollect of reading In one of your papers last 
Fall (I have taken the F«iiest and Stiikam regularly since August last) 
that you bad u.cd one Of Remington's goo* thu season previous lu Flor- 
ida I have tried my gun a foiv time* at a paper target. 3(1 Inches In di- 
ameter, at Mr yards, with tho charge St drachma powder and It ok . shot, 
two wads on powder, and pat 07 No. 8 shot lu the target, some went 
through and others did not; only one thickness was u.cd, I forgot to 
state the weight of the gnu, which Is eight pounds. The recoil was ire- 
mendous, skinned one Unger, end battered rny rinso somewhat. I lisd 
not used a breech loader but a few times before I bought mine. I begin 
to think I don't quite understand the charge which ought tobeused. 
Will you be kind enough to tell un: what charge* you were uccustomud 
to u*c In your gun on woodcock, snipe and ducks? 1 have be«u told that 
1 on. of shut will give as good results In a gun of the gauge and weight 
asinine ns It o*. of shot. An*. For snipe, woodcock aud quail, wa use H 
drachms powder and It o* of No. 8 or U shot. Forducks, u.o I drachms 
powder aud it ox. of No, 4 or 5 shot. These are the usual charge*, hut 
you must experiment with your gun until jou have ascertained lliu host 
charges to use, 
