878 
Sept 18,1875. 
TA BLE. 
Brgardus’ Trip to Exgl-AN-d, by Adam H. Bogar- 
dus. N. Y. American Xews Co. This book, as its 
name implies, is made up with the author’s experience 
as a shooter during his recent professional tour in Eng- 
land. Mr. , or, as he is better known. Captain Bogardus 
went to England with the Rifle Team “ on his own 
hook.’’ He was not an attache of the team, nor did he 
obtrude his company on them, but with American self- 
reliance and sure of his ground, he went because he 
thought it an opportunity to show what an American 
could do with the shot-gun, as the others were about to 
do with the rifle. He came hack, having out-shot all 
that were put against him, and winner of the interna- 
tional champion badge. Since his return it has been 
ungraciously thrown out that the English did not put 
up their best men. If so, that was their fault; also, 
that he did not accept another challenge, which might 
have turned out less favorably for him The answer to 
the latter is, that his passage had been taken, he had 
been publicly announced to sail by the City of Berlin; 
and lastly, that BeWs Life, a good authority on such a 
point, fully sustained him, and thought that he was not 
bound to wait everybody’s convenience. The book be- 
fore us contains, for the most part, matter already fa- 
miliar to our readers. After a short critique upon guns, 
the writer gets to sea, tells of his voyage across, and his 
challenge to the Hurl ingham Club, which led to noth- 
ing. He then gives us the story of the Irish Rifle con- 
test in Dublin, much as it has been told in the Rod and 
Got, and in which we should have been glad to have 
seen some originality. Mr. Bogardus’ personal views 
about rifle shooting, although he is not a profes- 
sional rifleman, would have been worth knowing. On 
his return from Ireland to England, he paid a visit to 
Manchester and Liverpool, and shot successfully in 
all the handicaps. In London a match was made for 
him with Rimell, the best man that could he found, for 
a champion badge, which he won. A tribute to the ex- 
cellence of the Scott gun, of which it may be said that 
any other good gun would have been as well in Bogar- 
dus’ hands, with the rules of the shooting clubs, closes 
the pamphlet. 
Log Book of a Fisherxiax .and Zoologist. By 
Frank Buckland, M. k. Philadelphia: Lippincotl & 
Co. Xo student nor lover of Xatural History, no friend 
of Rod or Gun, but knows the name of Frank Buck- 
land, reads his writings readily, and likes the man 
heartily. To borrow a popular phrase : “ What he don’t 
know about animals isn’t worth knowing.” He spends 
•his life in the pursuit of the denizens of earth, air and 
water, in the study of their natures and habits, and in 
the diffusion of the knowledge thus acquired, after such 
pleasant fashion, thatj those who fun must read, and 
reading, must get some insight into the wonders of 
nature, the order of the universe, and the infinite wis- 
dom which directs and regulates all this endless variety. 
The book in band is but a corrected reprint of articles 
which have appeared in the London paper. Land and 
'Water, a journal which originated with 3[r. Buckland, 
and since its inception has received the steady support 
and supervision of himself and chosen friends. Prefaces 
are often only an apology for appearing in print ; but 
!Mr. Buckland’s preface, contrary to custom, is almost 
jnore interesting than any chapter in his book, for here 
he tells us of himself, while there he tells us of his 
precious animal friends. There is a flavor of egotism 
which says to us, “We are all friends, let us know each 
other ; I will begin.” Every real observer of nature can 
say something worth listening to ; new, perhaps, as a 
fact, but surely new in the impression made on trained 
thought. Mr. Buckland tersely tells us that “ at all 
times the faculty which is most useful is that of quick 
and accurate observation of truths both small and great.” 
He refers to his own experience of the uses to which the 
experience of humble men may be turned. He declares 
himself a staunch upholder of the school of philosophers 
who believe in the “ Power, Wisdom and Goodness of 
God as manifested in the Creation,’’ and having thus 
proclaimed his creed, he is of opinion that the so- 
called education of the present day is too much confined 
to book learning.” He would have his boys and girls, 
and even adults, taught “to analyze and draw, and 
above all, to dissect beasts, birds and fishes.” In other 
words, nothing if not a naturalist. This whole-souled, 
hearty declaration fitlj" introduces the subject matter of 
the hook, by which, if the reader is not entertained and, 
though satisfied, yet hungry and asking for more, we 
Can only say we are sorry for him. In its picture draw- 
ing, its originality, its thoroughly free, out-of-doors, 
breezy style, it is worthy of a place on the shelf beside 
White, of Selbome, Huber, or Izaak Walton. Id an 
other page we have used an article on the Brighton 
Aquarium. 
A Stidt of the Gener.a Geomy» and Thomomye with 
addenda on the osteology of Geomyida and the habits of 
Geomye Tuza, by Dr. Elliott Coues, Washington. Xo- 
body from this title could be misled into thinking this 
monograph a bird song for a sultry summer afternoon, 
and yet Dr. Coues can write airily, as our readers well 
know, and even now the workman hammers his iron 
deftly and gracefully. Geomys and Thomomys, in all 
their generations, which Dr. Coues shows to be many, 
are nothing else but gophers by other names; animals 
perplexing to the naturalist, annoying to the farmer, but 
a provocation to free speech for the prairie traveler, who 
thinks the chief purpose of the gopher is to dig holes 
for horses and mules to fall into. As a contribution to 
natural history it is valuable, with the painstaking an- 
alysis and comparison for which Dr. Coues is so well 
known. 
CHICKEX AND QUAIL SHOOTING. 
W. A. Xichols, of Xew Chicago, Kansas, writes thus 
to the Great Southwest: 
The sporting season, so far as prairie chickens are 
concerned, is now in its glory; and from this time until 
the first of October, the stubble-fields and prairies, in 
the celebrated Xeosho Valley, will afford as fine sport for 
the lover of the dog and gun as any other place on this 
continent. !Most of the birds are fvfil-grown, strong and 
healthy. For two or three months back, we have been 
blessed with plenty of rain, which seems to have made 
a prolific season for chickens; for it is a remarkable fact 
that nearly all the coveys are more full than formerly — 
running from ten to twenty birds to each covey. Dur- 
ing the morning and afternoon, they can be found in the 
oat, wheat and flax-stubble, on the higher prairies, 
where there is always a refreshing breeze; and on the 
adjacent prairie during mid day, each covey will seek 
some shady place where they will huddle together, 
smooth down their ruffled feathers and leisurely take 
their eiesta. 
For the two previous drj' 5 'ears, the chickens have 
been rather shy and wild; and when flushed took a long 
flight so that it was almost impossible to “mark" them. 
From a few days gunning this season, the writer has 
found that the habits of the chicken have materially al- 
tered for the better; a covey is seldom flushed further off 
than five yards. And although they fly strong they gen- 
erally scatter handsomely in the grass but a short^is- 
tance away. They are then apt to lie close, getting up 
one and two at a time, and often right under your 
feet or your dog’s nose. 
A friend came among us three days ago. He was a 
good shot and expressed a desire to indulge in a couple 
of hours chicken shooting. As he had come some dis- 
tance to see us, we concluded (to use a very expressive 
term with us Americans) to ‘give him a good show.’ A 
pleasant walk brought us to a flax-stubble. It was about 
four o’clock in the afternoon, and the dog, a well-bred 
setter, within five minutes began to make a splendid 
draw. Creeping slowly along she came to a dead stand, 
with one fore-foot drawn up toward her body, and her 
well-feathered tail as straight as a string, trembling like 
an aspyen leaf. As the covey was flushed, our friend, 
with a double shot, bagged two. There was a round 
dozen left, and thej’ distributed themselves in the grass 
not seventy-five yards away. As so<Jn as he came up to 
them he bagged ten more birds without moving ten 
yards. One he missed; and this one flew straight up 
from between him and the dog. It is rather awkward 
shooting backward over your head, and our friend said 
his foot slipped. Vhen we miss a bird somehow our 
foot always teiU slip, or some other thing vitl happen ! 
However, he bagged a dozen birds in a short time, which 
so elated our friend, that he lhas promised to give us 
similar lessons in shooting each afternoon until further 
notice. 
For several years back, there has not been a better 
season for chicken shooting than the present. The fre- 
quent rains which have soaked the earth have had a ten- 
dency to cool the air, and the mornings and evenings 
are inuch cooler and more pleasant than we have had 
for several years b.ack, and a dog can find a covey of 
chickens much ea.sier, and scent them much further, 
when the ground is 'not parched with heat, and the at- 
mosphere so very dry. Dogs should have water often 
to do well, and plenty of it; and there is water now in 
even' ravine. 
Chicken shooting on the uplands about here, where 
there are always delightful breezes of pure air, is not 
onlj' a healthful recreation, but the finest sport imagin- 
able. The game is plentiful and can be found in the 
stubble-flelds and on the prairies near any of the towns 
in this county. 'This town (Xew Chicago) and Osage 
Mission are surrounded by first-class shooting. The 
hotels are roomy, the beds clean, and the tables as good 
as at any hotels in the country. Both towns are on the 
line of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway, and easy 
of access. The people are hospitable, glad to see stran- 
gers, and take pleasure in showing them anything of 
interest. Sir Samuel Hays and his friends stopped at 
this place last year for several days, to indulge in the 
rare sport this country affords. They expressed their 
appreciation of their generous treatment and moderate 
bills, and were highly delighted with the excellent shoot- 
ing that they enjoyed during their short stay. 
OKEECHOBEE. 
BY GEX). E. 'WEIST. 
On a bright morning, the 11th of March, 187.5. a party 
of four of us left the “Hunter’s Retreat,” in Florida, for 
a thirty-mile walk to the larger Tehopekaliga Lake, our 
baggage and provisions following in an ox- cart, the most 
fashionable mode of progressing in that part of the coun 
try. The sandy road proving too much for our dimin- 
utive cattle, we exchanged them for a team of horses, 
fortunately met on the road, and on the evening of the 
12th arrive at the shore of the lake. Here we find our 
boat in readiness for our long-intended voyage. ‘We 
are visited by several of the settlers, who are fanning 
the lands around the lake, and the evening is spent in 
pleasant narrations of experiences regarding the coun- 
try, and offers of supplies for our expedition. 
March 13. After loading our boat we get under way, 
standing for the outlet at the southern end of the lake, 
which is the commencement of the Kissimee River. Te- 
hopekaliga is a beautiful sheet of water, about twenty- 
five miles in length. Several islands dot its surface, 
while the numerous inlets and bays add pleasure to the 
scenery. The breeze dying away we row for several 
hours, arriving at our camping ground, a sandy beach 
covered with a thick growth of maple and cypress trees, 
in time to make a comfortable camp before nightfall. 
^larch 14. This being Sunday, as by previous agree- 
ment we remained in camp, passing the day os suited 
each best. The temptation to catch some of the nice 
trout and shooting at some of the numerous alligator 
heads, proved, however, too-strong for some of us. T. , 
who had set his rod below in a bend in the river, soon 
cried out that he must have hold of a gaiter; his line 
was nearly run out, and he wanted assistance. We 
help him land a huge cat-fish, to be thrown in again as 
soqn'as curiosity was satisfied. The sour oranges, so 
plenty here on a former visit, had entirely disappeared, 
quite a disappointment to us. 
March 15, beheld us, bright and early, working our 
way through the narrow river, choked at times with the 
almost impenetrable lettuce drift, a plqnt that has no 
local habitation, but floats and grows wherever driven 
by the waves and wind. It masses together and the 
united efforts of all our party is required to make a way 
through. Xow we begin to meet with the different va- 
rieties of the plumed heron, the beautiful purple gali- 
nule, vast quantities of the water turkey or shake-bird, 
flocks of white and Spanish curlew, and now and then 
the lesser sbittem, A few specimens are shot, but know- 
ing that we shall find them more plenty yet below, we 
leave them mostly undisturbed. The smaller variety 
of the' crow is seldom out of sight. He watches the 
water-birds, and as soon as they leave their nests he 
pounces upon their eggs. A shot from a gun is sure to 
bring him, knowing instinctively that the way is open 
for his maurading. Fish are so plenty they take the 
spinner not ten feet from the boat. An hour’s fishing 
here would satisfy the most inveterate fisherman. M’e 
leave this river, passing into the larger Cypress Lake, 
sailing to the southern end of it, where a cypress tree, 
topped by the Indians, shows the mouth of the river. 
A few hours sailing brings us into the smaller Cypress, 
passing the site of Fort Gardiner, by some beautiful 
live-oak hammocks, then down the river to a pleasant 
camping ground. Xear the middle of one of the larger 
hammocks a Seminole squaw is sleeping her long sleep, 
having been executed here by her tribe at their last com 
dance for murder. The grave is above ground, made 
of poles neatly notched together, and covered with a 
thick roofing of palmettoes, entirely impervious to the 
weather, the single cooking utensil left near the grave 
for her use in the Spirit land being a tin bucket bent 
nearly double, for what reason we could not tell, hut 
done probably in accordance with some Indian custom. 
Here are also sheds built by an Indian family, and but 
recently deserted, to rejoin the rest of the trihe further 
to the South. 
March 16. 'VYe awoke this morning to hear the gob- 
bling of the wild turkeys in several directions, prom- 
ising good sport for us. Several were killed during the 
day, and a single deer. Though many are glimpsed 
from out the bays and palmettoes, their wildness 
at tills time shows that the Indians or cow-hunters must 
have visited the island lately, for we found them more 
tame and much easier to get a shot at on our foric-er 
visit. E., on his return to camp, stretched himself un- 
der a live oak. A deer starts out near him and runs 
nearly over him ; his too rapid shot leaves the deer still 
to wander where he pleases. 
