the plains, upon which antelope and cattle can be seen, 
feeding in countless numbers. The time is rapidly 
passed in watching the movements of the antelope as 
they gallop away, the jack-rabbit as they run and hide 
behind some knoll, or an occasional coyote standing in 
mute surprise; prairie dogs and owls in profusion. To 
a stranger the numerous deserted dug-outs, piles of 
buffalo bones, occasional emigrant teams, form interest- 
ing subjects for consideration. During the day we saw 
many instances of the wonderful mirage of the plains, 
which has led many an emigrant on a wild goose cha.se. 
thinking to find a beautiful lake in the distance. Early 
in the evening we arrived at Denver and were soon at 
home with our old friend Wilkins of the Inter Ocean, 
which is the leading hotel of the city. The following 
is from Weston’s guide to the Kansas Pacific railway, 
published in 1871, but we regret to say that the immense 
herds ot buffalo are not so frequently seen of late and 
will cease to exist unless stringent laws are enacted for 
their protection: 
“ Few lines of railway in the world offer such facil- 
ities for the sportsman and hunter as the Kansas Pacific. 
Where else in the world can a man recline in the luxu- 
riously cushioned seal of a Pullman Palace cai, gliding 
over the smoothest of tracks, and look out on immense 
herds of that Monarch of the Plains — the Buffalo — some 
clumsily cantering along within one hundred yards of 
the train, and others still further off, watching it with a 
sort of lazy, stupid wonder. Not only buffalo, but 
herds of antelope, and the noble elk, are to be seen by 
passengers on the Kansas Pacific trains. It is by no 
means an unusual thing for buffalo to be killed from the 
■cars, and if near enough to the track, they sometimes 
stop the train, takeofi the hind-quarters and hump, and 
perhapa the head of the quarry, and then proceed, har- 
ing afforded a never-to-be-forgottfn pleasure to travel- 
lers from the East, who have thus got their first look at 
the great North American Bison. This occurs fre- 
quently during the summer and early' fall; in the winter 
they travel southward, leaving behii d the aged and in- 
firm, which foim in little herds of twenty to thirty, and 
may be seen along the line the winter through. The 
buffalo range now extends westward from about Ellis 
station. Though existing apparently in countless 
myriads, their numbers are fast diminishing, and it is to 
ba feared that the day is not far distant when the buf- 
falo shall exist only in stories of the past. Much, how- 
ever, might be done to prevent this. Laws have been 
passed by the Legislature of Kansas protecting insect- 
ivorous birds, and such insignificant game as quail, 
prairie chickens, etc.; why not preserve the “noblest 
game of them all?” Easily domesticated, easily fed, 
and affording excellent meat — is it not a sin that they 
should be 'vantonly butchered, as they are now? Hun- 
dreds are annually slain for sport (?), their tongues cut 
out, and ihe immense carcasses left to rot in the summer 
sun; thousands are killed merely for their hides, and 
thousands more w'ounded and disabled by thoughtless 
excursionists who fire into them from the trains. “Still 
hunting” buffalo is, after the first two or three days at 
it, buttame sport, with but just enough spice of danger 
in it to make it interesting, they are easily a|)proache(l 
by creeping on them up wind, and will alwats run from 
you, unless too closely approached when wounded. But 
with a good horse between your knees, and a long navy 
revolver in your grasp, to single out your bull, and 
then dash across the velvet sward and itito the middle 
of the herd, and bring down your quarry, has the ring 
of true sport about it, aud requires a clear eye and 
steady nerve.” W. F. P. 
NEED FOR CAME LARS. 
The following letter, which belongs of right to an- 
other column, puts the need of game laws so concisely 
and practically that we prefer to introduce it here : 
MoNTGOirEUY, Ala., April 25. 
Our club failed to get the game laws passed at our 
last legislature, and we see the need of a State or Na 
tional law almost every day. Last week a merchant re- 
ceived per express a deer killed in an adjoining county, 
sent here for sale in our market, or on the streets. 
CJiiail, plover, etc., are seen for sale and eagerly bought 
by some, and worse than all, our net fishers who have 
pikes or set nets, have been catching all the fish going 
up the riverto their spawning beds. A short time since 
they caught several salmon trout, very full. Yesterday 
our market was stocked with rock fish; never was such 
a sight here before, as they are very scarce here; but it 
seems nature had attempted to do what O'ir Fish Com- 
missioners have failed to do, i. e., stock our rivers w-ith 
choice fish, and if let atone no doubt we soon would 
have tho.se fish in abundance. These nets caught over 
fifty of these striped bass or rock fish, all large, from 
15 to 85 lbs. each. Never have more than two or three 
been caught during the season before; vvhat could have 
sent them up here now. One man says he had nearly 
100 in his net but .saved only 14, us they broke through. 
The universal wish seemed to be that all had e.scaped, 
but as there are uo laws to protect, of course they were 
sold, at 25c per pound, T. S. D. 
The need, the failure and the consequence are all 
shown. In those States in which they have laws, the 
laws are ineffective sometimes from their partial opera- 
lion, at other times from ignorance of the first requisites 
to legislation. W'e have often insisted on the all impor- 
tance of public sentiment on the subject without which 
the laws themselves are inoperative. The farmer and 
sportsman must learn that their own interests are best 
served by preservation of game. The general public 
who take small interest in the pleasures of field sport 
can at least appreciate the advantages of fish and game 
for consumption. The easiest mode of reaching the 
sportsman is through the association, which as the 
expressed wish of an organized body respectable by 
numbers and personal character will have weight 
with the public and enforce their attention to the ob- 
jects in view. 
The National Association meets at Cleveland on.Iune 
8. Then and there will be the time aud phice for think- 
ing, intelligent men to make known their plans and to 
take measures for acting in the several State legislatures, 
and for making an appeal to all friends of Rod and Gun 
throughout the countiy. 
OFR RIVElir.AND LAKES. 
One of the questions to come before the National is 
the protection of our waters against sewage and manu- 
facturing refuse. This is a subject which involves not 
only the preservation of fish, but the still more impor- 
tant consideration of public health. In Great Britain 
where the public health is a matter of anxious legisla- 
tion, the pollution of streams has been carefully looked 
after, not always even then so successfully as might be 
desired. To this end the vast drainage works of Lon- 
don are undertaken with the purification and deodoriz- 
ing of the sewage — the manufacturers are also compelled 
to provide for the residue of their noxious chemical 
processes both that which ascends as gas and that which 
remains on the surface as solid matter. In this way it 
has been found possible to restock many streams in 
which the fish had been extirpated by the filthy drain- 
age. Gas works, tanneries, dye works, chemical facto- 
ries, paper mills, all the manufacturing establishments 
in fact, used to assume the right of opening drains into 
the nearest running water in total disregard of their du- 
ties as citizens and of the rights of their neighbors. 
That which individuals did the communities did with 
equal ignorance and disregard of their own health. 
The cities and towns poured their pernicious street 
drainage and excrementitious matter all into the rivers 
and streams. We Americans tread faithfully in the 
f lotsteps of our forefathers. In Great Britain they 
hive seen their error and now strive at huge outlay to 
repair it. This country with its scantier proportionate 
population and large landed area can afford perhaps, to 
wait a while, but with our own knowledge based on the 
accumulated experience of other people, it will be in 
the highest degree reprehensible if we do not take rea- 
sonable care to stay the evil. An ounce of prevention 
is better than a pound of cure. 
NATIONAL SPORTMEN’S CONVENTION 
CLEVELAND, 0., J UNE 8, 1875. 
We propose to give a list of delegates from the 
various State Associations to the National Convention 
to be held at Cleveland in June next. To this end we re- 
quest the Secretary of each Stale Association to forward 
us names of delegates as, and when, they may be ap- 
pointed. We have occasionally received letters disclos- 
ing mistaken views as to the nature and objects of the 
National organization. We are very sure that all intel- 
ligent sportsmen who take any pains to enquire into the 
subject will not have any hesitation in giving their 
hearty support to both the National and the State Asso- 
ciations, of which the National is composed. To re- 
move any doubts, however, we give the following ex- 
tract from the proceedings of the National at Niagara 
in September last: 
BcHolml, That its precedent is, first, the protection of 
game and fish in all the Slates and Territories, by pro- 
curing the passage in each State, and in the Congress of 
the United Stales, of uniform co-operation and consis- 
tent laws, strictly prohibiting their destruction during 
the breciling, nesting and spawning seasons, and rea- 
sonable time preceding and following the same. Pro- 
hibiting the capture and destruction of certain species 
of game birds in nets and traps during any aud all sea- 
sons; prohibiting the ealehitig and lieslruetion of fish, 
ill the now navigable lakes and streams, will, nets or by 
means of chemicals; prohibiting the obstructing of the 
free passage of fish by nets acr oss such streams, and by 
the creation of fish-dams aii'l traps; and to procure the 
passage of such other and further legislation as may be 
necessary and proper for the full accomplishment of our 
purpose; second, through subordinate organizations, to 
insure a rigid enforcement of all the same and fish i r )- 
tection laws now or hereafter to be ^enacted; third, to 
secure by and through proper legislation the right of 
property in useful hunting dogs, making them, when 
stolen, the subject of larceny, or when wantonly killed 
or maimed the subject of a misdemeanor; fourth, to 
secure, through and by proper legislation, the passage 
of laws prohibiting at any time and season the killing 
or destruction of all song and non-game birds; to or- 
ganize and consolidate under our State jurisdiction, 
game and fish protective' clubs or associations in each 
State and Territory, to act under the jurisdiction of the 
National Association, in securing and enforcing proper 
protective l^islation. 
ReHolved, That all naturalists, fish culturists, and 
sportsmen generally in those States having no associ 
ations be, and are hereby, earnestly requested without 
delay to organize local club.s therein, to form State As- 
sociations under the jurisdiction of the National Asso- 
ciation, and that nil StnU oryanhntinm now exUting and 
operating be and are solicited to become members of this As- 
sociation, so that by unity of action throughout the land 
we may accomplish and perpetuate the great reform 
designed and desired. 
LIST OF DELEGATES. 
Connecticut. — tl. ,1. Boughton, Waterbury; W. F 
Pa-ker, West Meriden; A. C Hobbs, Bridgeport; Henry 
B. Harrison, New Haven; F. W. Russell, Hartford. 
Illinois. — W. F. Milligan, Chicago; Hon. S. P 
Hopkins, Palatine; Abner Price, Chicago; Dr. W. A 
Pratt, Elgin; Jno. L. Pratt, Sycamore. 
JIassachusetts. — John Boyden, Worcester; Luthei 
Adams, Boston; Hon. E H. Lalhrop, Springfield; Geo 
Delano, New Bedford; T. L. Sturlevant, Framingham 
Wisconsin. — H. N. Sherman, Beloit: S. S. Wood 
ward, Watertown; A. F. Lund, Madison; F. W. Wood 
ward, Eau Claire; F. Pond, Montello. 
New HA.vpsFiinE — John B. Clarke, ' Waterman 
Smith, Albert G. Dole, Geo. Bisco of Manchester; 
William Jarvis of Claremont. 
JIiciiiGAN. — Robert P. Toms, Detroit; E. S. Holmes, 
Grand Rapids; D. H. Fitzhugh, Jr., Bay City; Edgar 
Weeks, Mt. Clemens; Charles C. Cadman, Detroit. 
Alternates — A. M. Van Duzer, Detroit; W. L. Thayer, 
Grand Rapids; W. C. Colburu, Detroit; J. G. Winder, 
Saginaw; C. C. Fitzhugh, Jr., Bay City. 
CO.MINi; STATE CONVENTIONS. 
New' York Association for the Protection of Fish and 
Game will hold its next annual meeting at Watertown, 
N. Y. Day not yet announced. 
Ohio State Sportsmen’s Association, will hold its an- 
nual meeting in Cleveland on the 7th June next. 
Kentucky Stale Sportsmen’s Association will hold its 
first annual meeting .at Paris, Ky. It is postponed to 
June 1st. 
We request early notice of all meetings. 
Arnold Burges, known to our readers as the au- 
thor of the articles on dog breeding, breaking, etc., 
which have given such general satisfaction in these col- 
umns, has removed from Scranton, and is making a 
home at Maysville, Ky., the center of a fine sporting 
country. 
The Adirondack tourist and indeed all tourists need 
to carry just as little they can. They want every thing 
compact and put up in the handiest way. All our rea- 
ders who have an idea of camping out will do well to 
enquire about the Camp Lounge. It will carry light, lie 
easy and is always ready. 
libbH'Ttasi.e. 
Thf. American Naturalist for May gives us some elaborate 
papers. “The Law of Embryoiiio Development the same in 
Plants as in .\niinala,” by Dr. Lapham. “On the Physical and 
Geological Characteristics of the Great Dismat Swamp,” by 
Prof. Webster. -‘The Fertilization of certain Flowers through 
Insect Agency,” by Thos. C Gentry. “Botanical Observations 
in Southern Utah.” by Dr. C. 0. Parry. “The Invertebrate 
Cave Fauna of Kentucky,” by Prof. Pa kanl. “Notes on 
Spiders from Caves,” by J. H. Enierton. with engraved illus- 
trations. “Life Histories of the Mollusca,” by Prof. Packard, 
with the usual departmental reviews and notices. 
The Westminster for April has an article on “The Slave 
Trade” showing I lie duty of civilized nations to repress the bar- 
barism of slavery in Central Africa and the inefficient work done 
in that direction’by the present system. '‘Plinys Letters” deals 
in a pleasant way with the social and literary life of the Ro- 
man Empire. “The Natural I'hilosophy of History,” is an 
ingenious appliance of the modern social philosophies to hu- 
man historical growth: aud inferring that all political devel- 
opment is inthicnccd by laws analogous to ttiose which pro- 
mote physical and social development. “Oiir Position in 
India,” refers to the British administration of that great 
country'. “ Itecent Political Memoirs” is a synoptical review 
of court life in the later Georgian era as illustrated by the 
Grevillo volumes. “Savage Life” is an elaborate review of 
the able work by Bancroft of the Pacific slope. The usual 
miscellany closes tbc .utltuber, ivhicb is vigorous gud pungent 
AS lever, 
