former article published iu The Rod asd GtiN’, that I 
■was interesting myself a great deal in trying to get the 
following petition before our State Legislature, that we 
might have a better law for the protection of wild 
pigeons. See. 3 of the petition reads as follows: 
“And further, we earnestly pray, that the wild pigeons 
of this State may have suitable protection. It is well 
known that Michigan is the principal breeding-place of 
this beautiful bird, and unless netting and trapping are 
prohibited during their breeding season, a frightful de- 
crease will be the result. "We ■would propose that net- 
ting and trapping of pigeons during the months of May, 
June, July and August be prohibited, and punishable 
by a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $500.” 
This petition was presented with the endorsement of 
over fifty sportsmen of this State. I was pleased to no- 
tice in Xo. 12 of the present volume that a convention 
for organizing a State Sportsmen’s Association had met 
at Omaha, and congratulate the Association in having 
such an able and elflcieut President as Mr. Kennedy. 
May he be the means of doing much good in discourag- 
ing side hunts, and getting such laws passed as to pre- 
vent spring fowl shooting". 'Wolverine. 
Fishways. 
Holtoke, Mass., July 9. 
Editor Rod and Gcn : 
From an overdose of cramming, in a verdant youth, 
the Springfield Union is suffering from a severe attack 
of bite, and comes out on the Holyoke Fishway, about 
three-thirds wrong, and right so far as shad, like sheep, 
go in droves, or schools. 
The fiolyoke Fishway is not so much below par as 
the Union would have us believe. We have made sev- 
eral visits to the Fishway this season, on one occasion 
we were fortunate to find the fishway emptied for ex- 
amination and found from toe to head, well-lined with 
lamprey eels, suckers, dace and shiners; not one of 
them had a cast-iron tail, supplied only ■ivith nature’s 
caudal, and none of them badly used up. The supply 
of water on the dam, whether it is one inch, six inches 
or ten inches, has nothing to do with the flow of water 
through the fishway, as the fishwa}' is fed from the Ca- 
rew Canal, which is considerably below the level of the 
dam. The current through the fishway is such that a 
clam might make the trip without other assistance than 
that afforded by the 150 angles spoken of. There have 
been some alterations made on the fishway' this season, 
all inclining in the right direction; during the last three 
or four days several shad have been found in the fish- 
way', some of them having turned many of the angles, 
and well on their way to pure water above the dam. 
Fishways at best, are as yet but an experiment, and like 
all orher experiments must necessarily cost time, money' 
and many' a pet, idea, before success is attained. 
Justice. 
Salutation to ••Xiiiirod.” 
SruiNGFiELD, Mass., July 9. 
Editor Rod and Gun : 
I appreciate the courteous endeavors of “Ximrod” to 
set me right by' his letter in the Rod and Gun of July 
3, bull am still right and he is wrong. When I stated 
that one of your conlemporaiies made the statement 
that over tw'o hundred dogs were on exhibition at Wa- 
tertown, “Ximrod” evidently infers that I referreij to 
the Turf, Field and Farm, and he contradicts the fact 
thereby. I did not refer to that paper, but to Wdkes' 
Spirit which did make the statement as I asserted. As 
to the number of entries of dogs at Watertown, 1 had 
my information directly from 'Alohawk,” the “father” 
of the affair, and the number as stated by me in my 
formei letter was the number given by “5Iohawk,” and 
was the number published in the Watertown city' pa- 
pers as being the maximum entry. 
I believe “Ximrod” and I are both right in our 
guesses as to our respective individualities and for my- 
self I hope sometime to drop upon him among his hills 
as he so kindly suggests, and see him surrounded by his 
dogs, and I certainly reciprocate his invitation and his 
courtesy'. Lex. 
“Badger” to A. II. W. 
Racine, Wis., July .5. 
Editor Rod and Gun : 
Your i;orrespondent. A, TT W., in your io^ue of .July 
3, states that he never s.iw a gun tlcit is-ou! 1 shoot the 
shot through an inch piue piaak,at 21 yards, 4 drachms 
powder and 1 ounce 3h..t. f will tell him what 1 have 
done three different tiin'-a, and cunU time u company 
with dirterent sportsmen. I have snot from one fence 
to the one on the other side of the road from near a 
distance of 66 feet and put shot, not all tl.at struck the 
board, but full two-thirds of them, through the 1-inch 
pine fence boards, with 3 1-2 drachms Dixon measure of 
Oriental pow’der, F. G. and 1-4 ounce of Chicago Shot 
Tower Co.’s shot Xq. 6. 5Iy gun is a laminated steel 
gun, 8 1-2 weight, Xo. 11 bore, and a muzzle-loader 
made by Ilolin & Sheath, London. I think the Orien- 
tal Powder, F. G., is the best I have ever used. The 
most of the sportsmen of this place use it and do not 
ask a bettor brand of powder for all shooting. 
Badger. 
SHELTER ISLAXD. 
“SLANItANSET-AHA-COSIIA-W'OM.\n'CK.” 
Literally “An Idand Hheltercd by Idands.” 
• A reference to the map of Long Island will discover 
near its eastern extremity two bays known as Peconic 
and Gardiner’s Bays, in which there are a number of 
beautiful islands, the most prominent of which bears 
the above appellation. From the day's when the red 
man, in his birch canoe, glided over these beautiful wa- 
ters; or through the rise and fall of the whale fishery, 
when Greenport, the principal town, was in the height 
of its prosperity — to the present time. Shelter Island, 
by' whatever name it has been called, has always been 
known as a most charming spot. This island contains 
about nine thousand acres. The surface is undulating, 
and the soil is rich and productive, while boulders of 
great size are found. The red sandstone, from Middle- 
town on the Connecticut River, the gray gneiss, white 
quartz, sandstone, and variegated granite from Con- 
necticut, Massachuetts, Xew Hampshire and Canada, — 
are all represented. The remains of primeval forests 
still exist — groves of gigantic oak, interspersed with 
cherry-trees of unusual size, evergreen and locust 
groves, the latter making the atmosphere redolent with 
their rich fragrance; while native vines and creep- 
ers everywhere abound, and from the forest trees hang 
in a thousand artistic forms. 
Shelter Island Park is the name given to about two 
hundred acres of the northern portion of the island. 
This is adjacent to the village of Greenport, L. I., and 
is only separated from it by the harbor, at this point 
less than a mile in width. The surface is varied and 
undulating, rising in the interior to a height of sixty 
feet above the water, sloping gently down to the shore 
on Dering Harbor, and terminating in an abrupt bluff 
frequently broken by pieturesque ravines, presenting 
numerous sites for cottages and villas, most of them 
commanding grand views of land and water scenery. 
The sea front of Locust Point, opposite Greenport, 
presents a bluff from twenty t(« fifty feet high, crowned 
by open groves of locust, oak, hickory, cherry, etc., 
abounding in grape-vines, Virginia creeper, and other 
trailing plants. From this a natural ravine leads down 
to the water, at the mouth of which a fine wharf for a 
steamboat landing has been constructed. Here is a 
good hotel known as the Manhanset House. Its loca- 
tion is grand and imposing. It rises high abuve the sur- 
rounding country, and from the entrance of the bay, as 
we sail up the harbor, is the one absorbing object of 
attraction. The hotel»is situated in the midst of a beau- 
tiful open grove, which is permeated by drives and 
walks. The eastern border is covered by' a large growth 
of hickory, maple, cherry, sassafras, chestnut, and oak, 
some of these original forest trees, to the depth of from 
sixty to eighty rods. The shore of Haven’s Creek is 
wooded throughout its length. Within this belt of for- 
est is an open area of sixty acres, upon which here and 
there rise a few wide-spreading oaks and hickories. 
Shelter Island Park was laid out by R. Morris Cooe- 
land. Esq., landscape gardener, Philadelphia, and pre- 
sents the attractions of nature beautified by art. It af- 
foids sites for villas and cottages in great variety, and 
is possessed of advantages for summer life rarely found. 
The drives which traverse the island in all directions 
are full of picturesque variety; and the views from 
some of the higher lands, in extent and beauty, are not 
exceeded by those of any watering-place south of Mt. 
Desert. The surface of the road is fine, the soil being 
particularly adapted to that purpose. The prevailing 
cool south-west breeze, and the dry, balmy atmosphere, 
give a special charm to the climate. Deriiig Harbor 
affords perfectly land-locked anchorage for yachts in 
from two to five fathoms; xvhile the surrounding waters 
of Gardiner’s and Peconic Bay's, and Shelter Island and 
Long Island Sound furnish every variety' of excellent 
sailing. The coast-survey' charts are most de* ailed in 
their record of soundings, buoys, and light houses. 
Fish abound in great variety, and it is only necessary 
to add. i'l qiiantilies .«o abundant that many persons 
gai: a livelihood by tnklng them. The crystal clearness 
o’ ;hc watci arld.s to lb - pleasure of the "batliei s. The 
1 de rises end falls bo . N ree feet, which gives additional 
=';curity tf i.iis liealthf''d amusement. Sportsmen will 
he • ‘*r.ici-:’d to this lo cafiy’^ hy the abundance of plover, 
..oodcu<’K, q.iail tu, thv upland, snipe ou the beaches, 
and ducks, coots, and other water-fowl in the bay's 
which surround Shelter Island. 
h A^SWEBSs 
R F. ScKANTON, Pa.— W hat will a pup, six weeks old of the 
celebrated Field, trial, or Lavcrack blood cost me? Ans.— From 
850 to $75, if from the best imported strains, no others are reliable. 
C. W. G., WiLLiAMSTOWN'.— Are rubber decoys for ducks as good 
as wooden ones? I think of taking a sporting trip and would like 
to take rubber decoys if practicable, as they can be much more 
easily carried. Ans.— R ubber decoys of all kinds are liable to 
injury by shot if not by weather. Wooden ones are therefore the 
most reliable. 
Horace, Wasbington.— D o you believe that hunting a bitch 
heavy with pups, will tend to make her progeny develope earlier? 
Ans.— W e do, beyond a doubt. 
Trout-Fisher, Cooperstown.— Where in Pennsylvania, can I find 
fair trout fishing? Ans. — Go to Lock Haven, and start from there, 
taking the stream to the westward. 
BosrtiN. I expect to spend next winter in Western Pennsylvania. 
What sort of shooting can I get there? Ans.— Ruffed grouse and 
deer. The best places for deer are in McKean and Warren counties. 
Some few in Forrest. Grouse everywhere around cleared lands. 
Trout-pisher. How can I get to Rangely Lake from Boston? 
Ans.— Go to Portland, Me., then take the Maine Central R. R, to 
Farmington, where you will find a stage that will take you to 
Rangely, a distance of 37 miles. 
Greene, Hartford.— Has hydrophobia ever been successfully 
treated. Ans.— W e think not when the disease is once fully cstab. 
lished. It can, however, undoubtedly be prevented by an early and 
thorough application of caustic. 
J. M., Cincinnati. I saw in the New York markets last season 
a number of ptarmigan. Can you tell me where they came from, 
and what sport they give before a dog? Ans.— Probably from Lab- 
rador, We have been told that dogs cannot follow the trail as the 
extreme cold and snow kills the scent. 
C. E. Scranton. Can yon give me the address of any reliable 
man in England from whom I can obtain pure water spaniels. Ans. 
— J S. Skidmore, Nantwich, England, bears a very high reputation 
for the quality of his spaniels. You can deal with him in per feet 
safety. Reference iu this country, J. H. Whitman, Chicago. 
E. F., Columbus.— What is a landlocked Salmon, in what does it 
differ from other Salmon? Ans. — Authorities differ as to whether 
the two are the same, as there is but slight difference between them 
in appearance. The landlocked salmon are so named because they 
do not go down to the sea like the others. 
C. S., Bentonvillk. — I desire to procure specimens of our va- 
rious song birds, for a cabinet, but am informed that I will be liable 
to a fine for killing insectivorous birds, is this so? Ans.— N ot if 
you really want them for the purpose you name, but you must not 
make this an excuse for general and unreasonable slaughter. The 
laws provide in many states for the killing of any kind of bird for 
scientific purposes, yet requires that this privilege be not abused. 
Inquirer, Taunton, Mass. — 1. I have heard that the deer in Pike 
County, Penn., are larger than in other sections, is this so? 2. 
What would be the size of a well grown buck? Ans.— Pike Co. has 
been celebrated for its heavy deer. We have seen larger ones from 
there than from any other part of the State. 2. A good sized buck 
when fat will weigh from 225 to 250 pounds. We once saw a Pike 
County buck that weighed 312 lbs. 
W. I. JIuscATiNE. Is the split nose desirable in a setter? There 
is a dog here which shows this mark, and his owner declares It is 
indicative of superior scenting powers. Ans. — The split nose be- 
longs to the old Spanish pointer, and to no other dog. It is a posi- 
tive blemish in a setter, and a proof of a pointer mixture in the 
blood. The idea that*a dog so marked is endowed with a superior 
nose is an old absurdity, probably comingfrom the fact that the old 
pointer was a dog of very keen scent. 
K. W., Providence. 1. Which do you consider the better State 
for chicken shooting, Iowa or Illinois? 2. What will it cost me to 
go from N. Y. ? Ans. — A hard matter to choose as portions of each 
State are equally good. If you want extra shooting you had better 
go to Missouri. 2. About $'25 from New York to Chicago. Beyond 
that the cost will depend upon the locality you select. 
F. B., Lexington. Please decide whether a shooter has the 
right to put his gun to his shoulder and sight the trap after taking 
his position at the score, or whether the rule compels him not to 
raise his gun at all till the bird is on the wing. Ans.— T he shooter 
is not debarred from sighting the trap, but he must lower the butt 
of his gun below the elbow before giving the word pull, and keep it 
down till after the bird has risen. 
R. N., New York. Can quail and ruffed and pinnated grouse 
be so domesticated that they will not attempt tv escape if not con- 
fined? Ans .—The pinnatad grouse is much more likely to be tamed 
than either of the other birds you mention. W'e have known of 
their being kept in poultry yards with the fowls, in one or two in- 
stances. Quail are seldom if ever tamed, and the ruffed grouse is 
regarded as wholly intractable. 
G. A. How can I get my dog reduced in flesh so as to hunt him 
on woodcock in July. He is very fat from high living and no work. 
Ans.— Give him a gentle purge, then run him daily on the road be- 
side a carriage, short distances at first, but increasing each day till 
the dog can go from ten to fifteen miles without fatigue, and has 
also lost a portion of his flesh. Feed only once a day, and give plain 
food with broth, but no meat. If the dog’s feet become sore bathe 
them at night in brine after having washed them clean with soap 
and tepid water. 
A. R. S., Macon.— M y setter bitch has some terrible itch, her ikin 
has a red feverish look, ami is continually hot. She cannot rest 
from scratching, and keeps certain parts of her fore-legs just under 
till shoulders, with her ears and neck in a terribly sore condition. 
Ans.— T he trouble is red mange. Give the bitch five drops of 
Fowler’s solution of Arsenic twice a day for two weeks, rub also 
over .. small portion of the inflamed surfaces each day an ointment 
c.'nposed of green iodine of mercury, one part, lard sixteen parts. 
Keep the hitch dry and clean while the ointment is on her. Go 
over a small surface only at one time . One application will probably 
be sufficient. 
