187a 
57 
in summer, but, with sportsmanlike forbearance, made 
no serious opposition to the change of close time for 
these birds, not wishing to defeat the passage of the 
bill which in other respects tliey aoproved. 
No further important change in our game laws is 
needed unle s the other Eastern States shall change 
their laws relating to the close time for woodcock. 
There had been less illegal shooting and fishing during 
the past year than previously for the same time, not- 
withstanding some few rumors to the contrary. Tlie 
measures had been well received by the people generally, 
since the means adopted had been conciliatory and per- 
suasive. rather than abrupt and coercive. 
The League was ably represented at Niagara last fall, 
by their delegate, Hon. A. G. Dole, who had joined 
since organization, and it was desirable that the League 
should pacticipate in the Convention at Cleveland on the 
8lh of .June. 
Mr .Joseph Kidder and Gov. Smyth addressed the 
meeting at length on the subject of re-stocking the riv- 
ers. As to its feasibility there could be not a particle 
of doubt, and the idea that manufactories pollute our riv- 
ers so fish will not live in them is simply ridiculous, for 
while fish live and thrive inthe Thames, the Seine and 
other foreign rivers, they certainly can do so in the Mer- 
rimack and Connecticut. 
The President of the meeting remarked that the one 
subject which demands the attention of the League is 
that of providing some way by which fish-ways can be 
constructed over dams in our large rivers. Other inter- 
ests seem to have strength enough to take care of them- 
selves. Mr. Oliver Noyes, one of the Fish Commission- 
ers, explained what had been done in this and other 
states in the matter of fish-ways, Mr. Kidder had exam- 
ined the fish-way at Law rence, but w’as satisfied that not 
a fish had gone through. JJut that it was perfectly 
practicable to re-stock our rivers is shown by the fact 
that at Holyoke, where a few years ago there were no 
shad, 2300 had been recently taken at a single haul of 
the net. 
Dr Fletcher and Gov. Smyth concurred in the opin- 
ion as to the dilatoriness of Massachusetts and s oke of 
taking away the charter which gave her control of the 
N. H. lakes. The fishway at Lawrence was good for 
nothing. 
Hon. A. G Dole deprecated all antagonisms. As to 
stopping the Merrimack, he did not know of any power 
under heaven that couid do it. Jlr. Dole then proceeded 
to explain the objects and purposes of the 
NATIONAL SPOKTSMEN’S ASSOCIATION, 
Whose last convention he had attended and urged the 
appointment of delegates; the invitation was accepted 
and the following gentlemen were elected with power 
to appoint substitutes; 
John B. Clarke; Waterman Smith; Albert G. Dole, 
of .Manchester; William Jarvis of Claremont; and Geo. 
Bisco of Manchester. 
A committee consisting of Ex-Gov. Fred. Smyth and 
Josenh Kidder, Esq , of Manchester, Charles P. San- 
born, Esq., of Concord, Dr. Edward Spalding of 
Nashua, and Dr. W. W. Fletcher of Concord was ap- 
pointed to act in connection with the Fish Commis- 
sioners in presentitig the subject of Fishways to the 
Legislature and obtaining from it such action as may be 
needed. Mr. Dole spoke of the importance of sports 
men respecting the laws made for the protection of game 
and at considerable length upon the health, instruction 
and comfort to be derived from sporting. Mr. Colburn 
corroborated all that Mr Dole had said, and Mr. Clarke, 
followed with some remarks upon the work of the 
League during the past year, which he said had been 
more effectual than appeared on the surface. It had 
been found that a few punishments have been sufficient 
to cause the game laws to be respected. But the par- 
tridge law has aroused some opposition among those 
who believe the birds are a damage to appletrees and it 
is probable that an effort will be made next June to 
repeal the law. 
The meeting then proceeded to an election of officers 
for the ensuing year, which resulted in the unanimous 
choice of the following: President, John B. Clarke: 
Sec., William W. Colburn; Treas., Frederick Smyth; 
V. P., Marcellus Eldridge, Luther C. Critchett, G. V. 
Pickering, Wm. C. Fox, Elbridge F. Perkins, John M. 
Hill, William Jarvis, Burns W. Pattee, Nathan R. Per- 
kins. 
The meeting which had been very numerously at- 
tended by gentlemen sportsmen from all parts of the 
State as well as by members of legislature and other 
leading men, then adjourned. 
The Ga. and Ala. Spoutsmen’s Association pub- 
licly notify all whom it may concern that they mean to 
enforce the law for the protection of game birds, turkeys 
and deer. They publish the names of their officers and 
executive committee. The handbills and posters are 
widely circulated. This is doing the thing handsomely ; 
no shirking responsibilities; all fair and above board. 
Livingston Stone and H. H. Hoopkk, of Cold 
Spring Trout Ponds, Charlestown, N. H., announce 
that they have made special arrangements for furnish- 
ing towns and Sportsmen’s Associations with full 
grown Black Bass of the finest quality, for stocking 
lakes and ponds, and are now ready to receive orders 
for this magoiflcent fish. 
The New York St.vte Sportsmen’s Convention. — 
The Jefferson Co. Club, Dr. Sargent, President, have 
accepted the duties of host to the N. Y. State sports- 
men association in their coming convention at Water- 
town. Henry Knapp, the well-known trapper has been 
engaged and 12,000 pigeons have been contracted for. 
The birds, wintered in West Virginia and Tenne.ssee 
and are expected to nest in AVisconsin. There are 30 
clubs in the State, and if each sends five delegates it 
will make a goodly gathering. The Jeffersonians antic- 
ipate that something will be done with rod and line as 
the Black River fishing is very good. The shoot will 
come off in the grounds of the AVatertown River Paik 
Association. Rifle and pistol shooting are to ha» e .spe- 
cial attention, and a m'niature|Creedmoor is expected. 
The line of prizes is quite extensive and includes forty 
articles, all of use to a sportsman, valued from $3.50 
downw'ards; besides which, the Deane I-lichmond cup, 
already described and illustrated in this paper, will be 
again shot for. It has already been taken twice by' the 
Foresters and a third success will make it their’s. 
Mrs. Ibex is not the only lady who puts herself in 
print on rod and gun matters. A lady writes thus to 
Seth Green: 
Parma, N. Y'., April 6. 
Dear Sir: I want to show you w'hat a set of cowards 
are found in Parma and Greece. There are men at 
every stream with nets catching every fish that comes 
up the stream, and nobody tries to stop them. If I was 
a man 1 would do something to stop it. The men admit 
that it ought not be so, but sit still and let others go on 
year after year, until every fish is caught. One man 
will say, “I haven’t time,” another, “I don’t want to 
make enemies,” and so on. I wish there weie thou- 
sands more like you to help save the fish. Excu.«e me 
for the lilierty I take in writing to you. I know that 
you will think our men a cowardly set, and you will 
think quite right. H. E. 
Warren, Ohio, will hold a pigeon shooting tourna- 
ment Tuesday and AVednesday, April 27 and 28. $600 
in cash prizes; professionals barred ; entrance fee $10 : 
ten single birds ; purses to fill ; one-half entrance over 
the purses to be added to the prizes, equal per cent. 
Ohio State Sportsmen’s rules to govern. Birds 2.5 cents 
each; plunge traps; plenty of birds for sweepstakes 
Shooting to commence at 10 a. m. ; entrances close at 
2 P. M. 
The First Woodcock of Niagara Falls for the sea- 
son w'as found last week. It had evidently been injured 
by flying against a telegraph wire. AVitmer had the 
bird, which was large and of handsome plumage, taken 
to a physician for treatment. The next day the bird 
was liberated on ground it would be likely to choose, 
and fletv away with the good wishes of true sportsmen. 
The Springfield Show. — The prospect is good for 
a large show. A good many of the prominent dogs 
will be there. The prize silver cups are very pretty, of 
solid silver, cost .$16. The collars are of pure silver 
for ornament only. The railroads allow dogs with 
their owners, going to this show, to be taken into smok- 
ing cars. Some question has been raised as to the class 
distribution of the dogs. The projectors probably 
need a little experience in classification and doubtless 
it will be found all right at the show. 
♦-4^- 
AVounds from Deer's Antlers. — In the article on 
•his .snbiect bv J-’dge J. D. Caton, the age of his young 
son gored by the deer should have been printed “eleven” 
in place of “seven.” The Judge suggests that such an 
error might throw a dubious air on his communication: 
scarcely so, any matter of fact statement by Judge 
Caton would be accepted by us and our readers. If he 
had said “seven” it would have been seven. 
The Kennard House, Cleveland, Ohio, is one of the 
first hotels in the country. AY. F. Parker, when stay- 
ing there, had a talk with the proprietor about the Na- 
tional Sportsmen’s Convention in June, and the proprie- 
tors saw the advantage to the city of such a gathering in 
such light, that as good citizens they felt it a public duty 
to make a reduction from regular rates. To delegates, 
&c., for that week only, the price will be only $3 a da}'. 
This ought to fill the Kennard’s rooms which, however, 
are but seldom vacant. 
The International Shooting Association for the 
enforcement of game laws of the State of Vermont and 
British Provinces, was organized at Derby Line Vt. 
April 10. Officers for 1875: Pres., D. Mcllhiney; A'. 
Pres., A. H. Jones; Sec., J. T. Flint; Treas., C. AY. 
Butterfield; Ex. Com., R. C. Parsons, AY. M. Pike, 
H. S. Taylor, T. Hinman, £. L, Nelson, L. A. Young, 
Avi-Fauna— .\ Correction. 
In a list of additions to the Avi-Fauna of the United 
States, published in the Sport.sman of February 20th, 
givin.; seme of the results of the last season’s work in 
the Explorations in charge of Lieut. G. M. AA'neeler, 
mention was made of JJrubutinga anthracina. I now 
learn, however, that this bird was ascertained toinhabit 
Arizona in 1812, by Capt. Charles Bendire, U. S. A., 
who also obtained the nest and eggs, the credit, there- 
fore, of its introduction into our fauna belonging prop- 
erly to him The bird in question was at first supposed 
by Capt. Bendire to be the Buteo zonoce)cu», but has 
since been satisfactorily determined by him to be the 
above. Not being fully aware at the time of the cir- 
cumstances, I was led into the error which I now desire 
to correct, as I certainly had not the slightest intention 
of detracting in the least from the credit which attaches 
to the industry and zeal which have marked Capt. Ben- 
dire’s ornithological labors in Arizona. 
H. AY. Henshaw. 
westem’items. 
Tby our own correspondents ] 
Chicago, April 17. — Well, the close season on all waterfowl has 
commenced, and for the next four months the recollection of the 
spring's sport and the anticipation of that to come will be all, ex- 
cept of course some little amusement at the trap, that the poor 
sportsman will have left. Taken as a whole, the spring shooting 
has been above average, aithough the very good beginning was not 
kept up all through, and the shoal water ducks were just beginning 
to come in quantities when the law took effect. This was also the 
case last season, there being no ducks at all up to the 15th. and very 
large quantities immediately after, even the blue-bill and red head 
not going north till nearly the 1st of May. The general idea among 
sportsmen seems to be that the open season should be extended 
until nearly that lime, while my own is that any law on duck except 
mailard, wood and teal is nonsense, for they protect themselves by 
going to the far north as soon as they are protected by any law. 
After the first arrival of the deep water ducks when such large bags 
were made, the general average has been twenty to forty per day by 
the old hands, and of course less by the less expeiienced. But as 
for snipe, they were so plenty that it was no snort to shoot them; 
from the 8th to the 15th the Kleinman Brothers bagged from sixty 
to one hundred a day, each, and then didn't try very hard either. 
Wild pigeons have been arriving in large quantities dead for some 
time past; but one lot, however, was received alive, and they were 
secured for the Gun club grounds and shot on the 15th, together 
with a small lot cf snow birds saved over from the winter's sport, 
it is said by old sportsmen that never in any one season's shoot have 
so many involuntary cold baths been taken and so many large ducks 
been bagged as in this. Perhaps Mr. Wm. Watcher of Dexter Park, 
Calvin Wilson of the City Law dcp.irtment, Vice-President Gilles- 
pie and Secretary Martin of the Gun lub, and sundry others could 
answer how they liked it in theirs, and to them I must refer you. 
Tuesday morning Mr. F. J. Abbey, the well known gun-maker, 
returned from a three day's snipe hunt in company with Mr. W. B. 
Wilcox. They were very successful, having used up some 300 car- 
tridges and bagged 1 kiideer plover, 'Z blackbirds and 1 mud hen. 
Fred says if the gun business don't pay better he shall leave it and 
hunt for the market. 
Milwaukee, April 7, — Last week citizens of Decorah, la., and 
vicini*^y organized a club under the name of the Wionesheik Fish 
Association. Among other things, and after mentioning the ordi- 
dinary duties of the officeis , the constitution says: “ It shall be the 
duty of the Superintendent to go after or receive spawn or fish 
from the State Commissioners and distribute the same; to remove 
unlawful obstructions from our streams, and to act under the in- 
structions of the Exeentive Committee, ai?d to prosecute all viola- 
tions of the fish laws when the same are brought to hia notice," 
Arti« le seven of the by-laws is as follows: "We, the members of 
this Association, faithfully agree not to violate the fish laws of the 
State, but on the contrary will report to the Executive Board all 
violations of the same with which we may become asquainted." 
Advices from Munroe, Michigan, state that ducks have arrived on 
the marshes in large numbers. Sixty-nine were killed by one gun a 
a day or two ago. 
A party of five including W. C. Colburn, of Detroit, J. J. Brown, 
George Storrs, George Hamson. Sam. Harrison, aud J. J. Kirkland, 
visited Manday*s Landing, near Hannibal, Mo., and in three days 
shot 561 mallards. 
At Albert -Lea, 3Iinn . , first duck was killed on the 28th nit Game 
is not as plenty as usual— mostly blue-bills, snow-balls, red-heads, 
an i canvas-backs. Geese are scarce. The muskrats and fish were 
ki led by the excessive cold of the past winter. Prairie chickens 
bid fair to be plenty. Jack and English snipe thicker than usual. 
Season backward. 
Russ. 
Milwaukee, April 13.— The sporting season begins to furnish 
amusement for the Badger Nimrods. I have just now seen one of a 
party of four returned from a day's hunt on the Little Fox River, 
who reports blue-bill unusually abundant. They brought in nearly 
300. Geese are beginning to move, but none have been brought in. 
A report, received to-day from the southwestern portion of the state, 
brings word that since the middle of last week pigeons have gath- 
ered in the timber there in immense numbers, and that while feed- 
ingin the fields they have been taken in nets by hundreds of doz- 
ens. It is thought they are returning to a former rich brooding 
ground in the vicinity of the Galena lead reiiion, in which case Wis- 
consin sportsmen have a good prospect ahead. 
"FlARnis' " Gn.pER-LEEVE Nellie, the only living bitch of the 
Benson Twaddcll bruuch of the breed of setters has iust returned 
from a visit to Mr. Charles Raymond's Laverack "Pride of the Bor- 
der i" the onion of these two strains eh cold prodoce superior whelpst 
