Wilbur F. Parker, - - Editor and Proprietor. 
THE OXLT JOUBSAL PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES 
Devoted Exclusively to 
SHOOTING, FISHING, NATURAL HISTORY, FISH CULTURE, 
AND THE PROTECTION OF FISH AND GAME. 
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THE ROD AND THE GUN. 
West Meriden. Conn. 
We earnestly request all our contributors to adopt the plan in 
regard to the use of scientific names which some of them have 
already adopted, viz; to PRINT all such names legibly in the manu- 
script, as this will prevent error by giving the compositor piain copy 
to follow. Above all things we say, do not venture upon the use 
of scientific names at all unless certain of their accuracy. 
SATCRDAY .WAY 22, 1875. 
CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER. 
Page. Page 
The Silvery M ole 113 Lihra^ Table 119 
Notes OD Norway T^vel.... 114 Western Items 119 
The Trapper's Fireside. . . 114 National Sportsmen's Aaso- 
Hisiorj' or A Great and Di&- ciation 120 
astroDS Battle 115 The Watertown ^nch Show 120 
The Ride 116 The Editor on the Wing 120 
PUeon Matches 117 The National Sportsmen's 
Stray Leaves from a Na- Convention 121 
tnralist's Note-Book 118 Letters from Sportsmen. 122-123 
XATIOAAL SPORTS.WEA’S ASSOtlATIOA. 
The approaching general meeting of the National 
Sportsmen’s Association at Cleveland is momentous to 
the best interests of sportsmen and to the question of 
game protection in this country. It is to be hoped that 
no “let well enough alone” weakness or inertness on 
the part of the great body of sportsmen themselves will 
let so important an occasion lapse into a vain and use- 
less effort. There are a large number of earnest men 
who feel the full value of the question at issue. Among 
the thousands of our readers we have indeed spoken 
and written to very little purpose if we have not 
roused in some minds, a strong desire to organize our 
field sports on a sound basis, with a determination to 
do all that lies in their power to regulate the use of the 
gun and rod and to stay the wasteful destruction of 
game animals. AVe have received too much hearty 
assurance from our brother sport-men, for us to enter- 
tain any doubt of ultimate success for the cause of 
sportsmanlike sport and game protection. But we do 
not intend to disguise from our readers that there is 
work to do, nor shall it be said that we are silent from 
excess of confidence. It is not enough that the cause 
is good. The best of causes requires aid and comfort, 
and in fact the better it is the more of pains is needed 
to drive its truth and merit into the dull brains of the 
lukewarm and the indifferent, who look on with folded 
hands and “think ’it will last my day, why should I 
take trouble for those who come after me.” 
The organization of shooting and fishing clubs has 
hitherto been chiefly for the purposes of recreation. 
Some few societies bringing intelligence to bear on the 
subject have shown that the clubs are capable of some- 
thing better. We have but to mention the Cuvier or 
the Audubon to convey our meaning. But the better 
the organization and the higher it aims, the more fall}' 
do we recognize its inherent weakness and ultimate ex- 
tinction in tee face of the daring recklessness of those 
sportsmen who set all laws of nature and humanity 
openly at defiance, who live only for themselves and 
for to-day, caring nothing about others or the 
morrow. The strongest and wealthiest club is 
weak in the face of a whole State without law 
and in which selfishness is the only rule. Even 
those rich clubs or rich sportsmen who can pur- 
chase their own demesnes and shooting grounds would 
soon find a depreciated property on their hands. Pub- 
lic opinion would be a better protection than the strong- 
est fence line; but if indiscriminate warfare against the 
tenants of the air and the soil be continued without re- 
gard to times or seasons, there will soon be very little 
for their fences to protect. 
We have reason to expect a veiy strong meeting at 
Cleveland, but it must be very strong indeed before we 
shall be satisfied. We shall not be content until we see 
every county in the United States represented and cast- 
ing its vote in favor of measures for protection which 
we believe to be fruitful of good as we believe their 
neglect to be pregnant with evil. We shall require our 
executive committee to Ue invested with powers that 
will enable them to counsel and advise State associa- 
tions and to set afoot State laws. We shall expect that 
State laws shall be concordant and homogeneous 
one with another; and especially that they shall be con- 
sistent with themselves, reasonable and practical. It 
wiU be needful that committees be appointed on the 
nomenclature, the habits and the increase or decrease 
of species — and those committees must be, if possible, 
composed of men of scientific attainments, or at least, 
they should have power to consult with such men, 
and to propose laws and regulations that shall be on a 
basis of knowledge. 
We call upon all sportsmen throughout the country to 
bestir themselves, and those who have not already sent 
their delegates, will do well to set about it now. 
THE WATERTOWA BEMH SHOWS. 
The programme of the Bench Show of the ‘ ‘ New 
York State Association for the Protection of Fish and 
Game,” which will be held at the coming meeting of 
the Association at Watertown, has been arranered, and 
though the date has not been definitely fixed, it is pretty 
generally understood that it will be the first week in 
June. In our next we expect to be] able to state the 
exact time." The classification is excellent and the 
prizes are doubtless the handsomest and most valuable 
yet offered at any such exhibition in this country; asa 
natural conseouence the largest number of fine dogs 
ever seen together in public will be there. Indepen- 
dent of the iionor of winning a prize when there will 
be such a large competition, the value will be sufficient 
to induce owners of dogs to compete for them. The 
classes are ten, and are divided as follows: 1st, Red 
Irish Setters: 2d, Field Trial Laveracks, or any other 
breed of setters other than the black and tan; 3d, 
Black and Tan Setters; 4th, Pointers (large); .5th, Poin- 
ters (small); 6th. Cocker Spaniels: 7th, Foxhounds; 
8th, Beagles; 9th; Dachshunds; 10th, the Champion 
Class, in which there are two prizes, one for all aged 
setters, and the other for young setter whelps under one 
year old. In each of the nine classes there are two 
prizes and two diplomas for the be*t and second best 
dog and bitch in each class. 'Fhe prizes are as follows: 
A very handsome Parker gun, donated by the editor of 
this paper for the best Irish dog, and a solid gold dog- 
whistle, worth $40 for the best Irish bitch: In the 2d* 
class a solid gold dog whistle, worth $40, and another 
prize worth $60, for the best dog and bitch; In the 3d 
class a solid gold dog whistle worth $40, and a hand- 
some solid silver cup, engrayed, worth $60, donated by 
the Laflin & Rand Powder Co., for the best dog and 
bitch; In class 4th, a solid gold dog whistle, worth $40 
and a handsome solid silver cup, presented by John D. 
Dougall, England, for the best dog and bitch; In class 
5th, a handsome solid silver medal, donated by J. i AY. 
Tolley, and a mother-of-pearl, gilt, engraved and silver- 
plated revolver, presented by E. Remington & Sons, 
for the best dog and bitch. In class 6 and 7, 8 and 9, the 
prize* are a solid silver cup and solid silver collar for 
the best dog and bitch respectively in each class. The 
prize in the champion class for the best dog and bitch of 
any breed, is a handsome gold medal worth $75, dona- 
ted by the Turf, Field, and Farm. The prize for the 
best setter pup, is a handsome solid silver cup worth 
$60. One side of the Turf, Field, and Farm prize rep- 
resents shunting scene from life, beautifully engraved. 
It istakenfrom a photograoh, of Air. AVm. Jarvis, of 
Claremont, New Hampshire, well known as “ Nimrod,” 
with a brace of his dogs on a point. The railroad from 
Rome will convey all dogs intended for the show, free 
of charge. “Alohawk,” who is the head cook of the 
whole affair, is endeavoring to get Air. Vanderbilt to 
pass all dogs over the Hudson River and N. Y. Central 
R. R., to Rome, and hopes to be successful. 
Anew feature of this show will be that many parties 
intend visiting it for the purpo.se of purchasing dogs, 
and dogs can be sent there on sale. A catalogue of all 
th« dogs exhibited, with the prize winners will be pub- 
lished, as they do in England, after the show, which will 
be for distribution among the sportsmen at large. 10,- 
000 copies will be printed. A list of premiums and 
copy of rules with all information as to entries, can be 
obtained by addressing C. R. Skinner. Corresponding 
Secretary, N. Y. Association for the protection of Fish 
and Game, AA’'atertowt, N. Y. 
THE EDITOR 0X*THE WI.\G.— NO. 3. 
I take up my parable again with quotation, resuming 
effectively at the point where my last closed; 
It is a very beautiful sight to see these animals about 
the time they are migrating southward, surrounding 
you and extending as far as the the distant horizon, in 
dark masses, quietly journeying along to their winter 
quarters on the Arkansas River. They have been 
known to travel in such dense herds that they rubbed 
against the telegraph poles on the line, till they shook 
an insulator off. causing the wire to sag, and carried off 
about half a mile of it on their horns; and frequently 
during the migratory season the trains have to stop two 
or three times in a "trip, to let them cross the line in 
front of the engine. A needle-gun or a AVesley Rich- 
ards riffe are the best to use for buffalo shooting, on ac- 
count of carrying a heavy ball; they are very tenacious 
of life, and as many as twenty-five bullets have been 
known to hit one before bringing him down— in fact, a 
shot in he heart or kidneys seems to be the only one 
that proves directly fatal. Parlies may get off at al- 
most any station beyond Ellis (314 miles, or fourteen 
hours’ run, from Kansas City,) and get good shooting 
at these noble beasts. In the northern part of Russell, 
Ellis and Trego counties are found elk, black-tailed 
deer, antelope, and wild turkeys in abundance. 
To the sportsman whose chief dehghs is in his breech- 
loader and his pointers or setters, the very finest sport 
may be had by getting off at any of the stations along 
the line from Kansaa City to Salina. The whole of that 
country swarms with quail and prairie chickens. The 
abundance of quail may be estimated by the fact that 
they are sold in the markets at one doUar to one dollar 
and a half per dozen, and prairie chickens at two dol- 
lars and a half per dozen. In the season a good shot 
can bag his fifteen to twenty brace of quail per diem 
with ease. An eleven or twelve-bore central fire breech 
loader is about the most useful gun for this work, and 
cartridge shells may be had at Kansas City and Law- 
rence at one dollar and fifty cents per hundred of Ely’s 
third quality. All kinds of ammunition may be had at 
such prices that it would not pay sportsmen coming 
from a distance to bring it with them, excepting only 
the shells, which may be had better and cheaper in the 
East. A good pointer is on the whole, the best dog 
for quail and prairie chicken work, as the abundance of 
burrs which cling to the long hair of the setter, render 
It extremely annoying and painful — so much so as to 
frequently drive them from the field. The best dress 
to wear is a pair of lace-up, thick-soled boots or shoes, 
leather leggins, cord knee breeches, and a canvas or 
flax shooting coat with large pockets. The season for 
quail shooting is between the first of October and first 
of Alarch; prairie chicken between the first of August 
and first of Alarch. The Kansas River, which runs par- 
allel with the line of railway for upwards of three hun- 
dred miles, with its tributary streams, marshes and 
lakes, abounds with all kinds of water fowl, viz: 
Swans, pelicans, Canada and Biant geese, cranss, bit- 
terns, mallard, gadwall, red-bead and blue-bill ducks, 
spoon-bill, teal, widgeon, pintail, English or AA’ilson’s 
snipe, and a numerous variety of the genus sand-piper 
or plover, the prairie or upland plover and curlew — 
these last chiefly in the spring. "The geese sit on the 
sand bars of tl;e river during the day, and at night re- 
pair to the adjacent cornfields to feed. For duck 
shooting, the principal requiiemsnts are— a heavy tsn- 
bore gun and a good retriever. India-rubber thigh 
bools are to be had at any of the principal towns on the 
line as cheaply a., in the East. In the Rocky Alountains, 
not many miles from Denver, (the terminus of the line,) 
the sportsman may have good shooting at big game such 
as the grizzly and cinnamon bear, the ibex, or Rocky 
Mountain sheep, black-tailed deer, wolves and wild cals, 
while the beautiful mountain streams swarm with that 
prince of game fish — the Speckled Trout. Such are 
the inducements held out by the Kansas Pacific Rail- 
way to sons of the trigger. 
The rivers along the Railway are well stocked with 
fish, but not such as are usually caught with rod and 
line. Chief among these is the Catfish, which ranges in 
weight from ten to one hundred and fifty pounds, and 
it is said that one was caught in the Kansas river at 
Topeka, in 1869, which actually weighed one hundred 
and seventy pounds. These are caught in nets or with 
stout lines and large hooks, such as are used for deep 
sea fishing. Next in order is the Buffalo fish, which is 
very fine eating. Sun-fish and Perch. But for the 
angler, Denver and its vicinity afford the no plus ultra 
of enjoyment.” 
Of Denver, we quote from the Kansas and Colorado 
Gazette, of Dec. 1874: 
“This aristocratic little burgh, romantically situated 
at the foot of the “Shining Alountains,” is without 
doubt one of the most beautiful of the inland cities of 
the world. Can anything grander be imagined than the 
sight to be obtained here of the Rocky Mountains. 
Built on the Plains, within two miles of their base, to 
the north may be seen Long’s Peak, over fift}*inile* 
away, rising fourteen thousand and fifty feet above the 
sea level; Gray's Peak, south of this, fourteen thousand 
one hundred and fifty-four feet; immediatly opposito 
