448 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Fur, Fin and Feather 
Nubbins of News From “ Forest and Stream’s ” Duffle Bag for the Information and Pleasure of Readers 
TO OUR FRIENDS—THANKS. 
Richmond, Va., March 19, 1914. 
Editor Forest and Stream : 
The Virginia legislature has declined to pass 
the Hart-White Game Bill, a comprehensive pro¬ 
tective measure on which this association has 
been working for the past several months. As 
the campaign is now concluded it seems a fitting 
time for us to express publicly our deep and 
earnest appreciation of the help given us in this 
campaign by our very good friends, the New 
York Zoological Society, the American Game 
Protective and Propagation Association and the 
Camp-Fire Club of America. Without the help 
of these organizations we could not have prose¬ 
cuted our campaign in as thorough a manner as 
we did, and every true sportsman in Virginia 
feels greatly indebted to the friends mentioned 
above. Very truly yours, 
W. P. PATTERSON, Pres., 
Va. Game & Game Fish Protective Ass’n. 
NO GAMIER THAN ROOSTERS. 
The English pheasant is no gamier than a com¬ 
mon rooster, according to the opinion of Willis 
Austin, of Norwich, Conn., as expressed in a re¬ 
cent letter to the state commission. 
“Pardon my entering a severe protest against 
this state spending any time, energy or money on 
the rearing of the English ring necked pheasant,” 
he said. “I think if you have ever shot this 
pheasant, as I have, in Connecticut coverts, you 
will agree with me that it would be in no way 
superior to hunting the Plymouth Rock rooster. 
“The average gamekeeper turns to the English 
pheasant as an easy means of earning a living, 
for the pheasant is no more difficult to rear than 
the ordinary barnyard fowl, and they do not care 
to tackle the more difficult problem of propagat¬ 
ing the true game birds.” 
WEST BRANCH VALLEY ANGLERS’ ASS’N. 
Williamsport, Pa., March 20, 1914. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Certain conditions of long standing have ex¬ 
isted in the West Branch territory which it seems 
the state officials, due to various causes, 'have 
been unable to overcome. Up to this time there 
has been no united effort made upon the part of 
the people of the West Branch Valley to properly 
support the state officials in their efforts. 
These conditions relate to the pollution of the 
streams, to the work of the forestry department 
and the protection of our game and our birds (in¬ 
sectivorous and song as well as game birds). 
You are perhaps thoroughly familiar with the 
phase of this matter with relation to the poison¬ 
ous pollutions of the stream and the destruction 
of fish and other forms of aquatic life therein. 
The West Branch Valley Anglers’ Association 
was organized on February 3rd last to co-operate 
with the state authorities in overcoming these 
conditions and in extending all possible aid in the 
propagation and protection of fish in our streams 
and the protection of game and birds and in the 
restoration and preservation of our forests. 
All the industries seem to realize their obliga¬ 
tion to the public and are willing to co-operate 
with the state authorities in any manner possible. 
The work of the association will be in a great 
measure educational as well as co-operative. The 
greatest difficulty we have met so far has been to 
impress upon the public the fact that the work of 
the association will not be confined to any par¬ 
ticular phase of the conservation problem, but 
will be of broad scope and a direct benefit to the 
public both in conserving opportunities for recrea¬ 
tion and pleasure, and in the results which such 
conservation policy will bring from a pecuniary 
standpoint during the course of time. 
In the future work of the association we desire 
to form a co-operative branch or membership in 
which the general public, in addition to the sports¬ 
men, will be interested. One phase of this work 
will be an endeavor to form a junior department 
among the school children. 
We advise you thus fully with the idea of your 
future co-operation with the association. 
H. E. ECKENSTEIN, 
Secretary-Treasurer. 
SHORT, BUT DEFINITE. 
The bill recently signed by the governor of 
Massachusetts, providing for five years closed 
season on quail in Essex county, is very short, 
reading as follows: 
“It shall be unlawful to hunt, pursue, take or 
kill quail in the county of Essex until the begin¬ 
ning of the open season for quail throughout the 
commonwealth in the year 1919.” 
“THE DOG LOVER’S COMPANION.” 
Fresh from the press of Frederick Warne & 
Co., of 12 East 33rd street, New York City, comes 
a handy little volume of nearly 200 pages, enti¬ 
tled “The Dog Lover’s Companion.” The author 
of the volume—which is illustrated with a num¬ 
ber of photographs of the various breeds, and is 
attractively bound in cloth—-remains anonymous, 
writing under the pseudonym of “An Expert.” 
There are thirteen chapters, covering exhaustive¬ 
ly the various phases of dogdom, and including 
the choice of a dog, the food question, the hous¬ 
ing problem, training, puppies, general manage¬ 
ment, sickness, dog law and other topics. Every 
dog lover will find something of interest in this 
new publication, which sells at $1.00 net. 
FIVE YEARS CLOSED SEASON. 
Quail enthusiasts in Essex county, Mass., have 
greeted with favor the passage of an act by both 
houses of the legislature establishing a closed 
season on quail for five years. Representative 
James M. Lyle, of Gloucester, introduced the bill, 
which was backed by most of the sportsmen’s 
clubs in the county. 
BLUE BIRDS IN OHIO. 
The arrival of blue birds at Cincinnati, O., has 
been reported to Forest and Stream by George 
E. Hughes, of that city. Game Warden Louis 
Ivuertz made a large paper megaphone to catch 
the song of the birds, which he succeeded in 
transmitting over the telephone. 
ELK HARD TO CATCH. 
A recent report from Livingston, Mont., indi¬ 
cates that the Montana ranges will not be re¬ 
stocked with elk from Wonderland this year, the 
winter weather having been so pleasant that the 
animals refused to leave Yellowstone Park. 
Orders for 600 live elk may remain unfilled. 
SAFE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1. 
Pennsylvania hunters need not take out their 
1914 licenses until next September 1, according 
to Dr. L. Joseph Kalbfus, secertary of the state 
game commission. 
Six million whitefish, recently hatched at the 
government hatchery at Point Edward, Mich., 
will be placed in Lake Huron as soon as the 
weather permits. 
The Maryland State Game and Fish Protec¬ 
tive Association offers to reimburse farmers for 
grain used in feeding game birds in winter, it is 
reported. 
Manhasset, L. I., March 16, 1914. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
The song sparrows and blue jays have been 
with us all winter. Yesterday I saw a king fisher 
and this morning the first robins came. Yours 
truly, D. E. SMITH. 
