FOREST AND STREAM 
513 
Fur, Fin and Feather 
Nubbins of News From “Forest and Stream’s” Duffle Bag for the Information and Pleasure of Readers 
Quai' Still Alive. 
Encouraging reports about the survival of the quail 
during the winter were made 'by members of the Bucks 
County (Pa.) Association at -a recent meeting. It was 
reported that a number of quail have been seen along 
Pine Run and in other sections of the county since the 
blizzard which, it was feared, had annihilated the birds. 
Kind attention by farmers and other bird lovers and 
sportsmen did much good. It is believed that a great 
number of quail and other birds were saved from being 
frozen or starved to death by reason of the feed and 
shelters put out for them. 
Reports Against Bill. 
The proposed scheme for reorganization of the Con¬ 
necticut Fish and Game Commission, whereby the board 
would comprise one commissioner at a salary of $3,000 
and two deputy commissioners at salaries of $2,000, was 
turned down by the Committee on Fisheries and Game, 
which sent an adverse report into the Senate. 
Urges Cat License. 
Secretary Winthrop Packard, at the annual meeting 
of the 'Massachusetts Audubon Society recently, asked 
his audience to urge their representatives in the legisla¬ 
ture to support a bill requiring that all female cats, and all 
males where there are more than one in a family, be 
licensed. Mr. Packard argued that such a measure 
would not only benefit the cats as a class, but it would 
also mean an important step in bird protection. He de¬ 
clared that Dr. Field, of the State Fish and Game Com¬ 
mission, has estimated that 2,000,000 birds are killed by 
cats each year in Massachusetts. 
Sea Mussels. 
With a tempting list of receipts, and backed by ex¬ 
perience of a unique campaign in Boston, the Bureau of 
Fisheries has undertaken to add sea mussels to popular 
diet. Since the middle of January, by aid of Prof. I. A. 
Field, of Clark University, and Charles Doucot, chef 
of Hotel Brunswick, in Boston, the government has 
brought this neglected sea food into such prominence 
that a score or -more of Boston’s -most prominent hotels 
and restaurants now make it a regular feature, -and de¬ 
mand has spread to other Massachusetts -towns and to 
Rhode Island. Federal agents have -assisted dealers in 
arranging for a supply, and will shortly hold demonstra¬ 
tions in markets, serving mussels prepared in various 
ways. Fresh imussels are the choice form, but several 
firm on both coasts now offer -them canned. 
Appreciating that with increasing cost of meats, food re¬ 
quirements must be met by greatly increased consump¬ 
tion of sea foods, the bureau has been collecting data 
and making laboratory experiments to prove value of 
various neglected products. Among the most valuable 
are the enormous beds of sea mussels along the Atlantic 
coast as far -south as North Carolina and along the 
Pacific down to San Francisco. 
To Supervise Fish Pounds. 
Compla-int having been made by navigation companies 
against maintenance -of fish pounds in the Atlantic ocean, 
between Toms River, N. J., and Metomkin Inlet, Vir¬ 
ginia, new regulations governing the -industry -have been 
compiled by the United States -engineer’s office in Wil¬ 
mington, Del., and have been approved by the chief of 
engineers at Washington. 
The new regulations provide that fish-pound structures 
may be built at such locations as are granted by the 
War Department, to be marked and identified by the 
name of the owner, -and equipped with white lights on 
the outer end and red lights -on the -inner end. If fish- 
pound -owners cannot satisfy -the United States engi¬ 
neer’s office by November 1, 1914, that they can provide 
proper lighting in the winter season, their fish-pound 
structures will be removed by September t. 
The regulations provide also for removal of several 
pounds considered in the way of navigation. These are 
situated between the Delaware Capes and Sandy Hook. 
Government inspectors are now engaged in supervising 
the removal of these pounds. 
Breed Fancy Pheasants. 
A mammoth game breeding project for the Indian 
creek valley, near Connellsville, Pa., is under way. 
That it has reached tangible proportions is indicated 
by the placing of an order with a construction company 
for hundreds of dollars’ worth of lumber for buildings 
for a breeding plant. Unofficially it was learned the 
name to be -adopted is the Killarney Game Breeders’ 
Association. 
Talks on Protection. 
A. C. Cooper, of ‘the Biological Survey, addressing -the 
Carlsbad, N. M., Commercial Club recently, commended 
the law-abiding spirit prevailing in the Pecos valley 
and instanced that only -two cases of shooting h-ad ever 
occurred on the Federal preserves here. In every other 
preserve arrests had been made for unlawful shooting 
many times. He called attention to the increase in black 
tailed deer and antelopes in protected parts of -the st-ate. 
Mr. Cooper suggested changes -in the Federal game law 
to -fit conditions in New Mexico. Because no one looked 
after the matter, New Mexico had been classed with 
West Virginia and -other states not similar in climate 
or location and an open season from September 1st to 
December 16th established for ducks. Texas on the south 
and east and Arizona on the west has the open season 
begin November 1st and close February 1st. New Mexico 
should have -the same open season, he said. 
The Committee -on Fisheries and -Game of the Massa¬ 
chusetts Legislature reported a bill intended to afford 
relief for farmers and fruit-growers suffering from -the 
depredations of deer. It proposed to amend the -act to 
give the owner of farm -or orchard a right to shoot a 
deer “which he has reason-able cause to believe has 
damaged -or is about to damage crops, fruit or ornamental 
trees.” It further proposed to permit such property 
owner to shoot a deer in such circumstances, not only 
on his own premises, but -on -adjacent 'territory, with the 
consent of his neighbor. Any person killing a deer under 
these provisions must make an immediate report upon the 
case to the State Commission of Fisheries and Game, and 
is not allowed to offer the carcass, or any part of it, 
for sale. 
Bluebirds and Robins. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Wells River, Vt., March 29, 1914. 
The 27th of March we saw the first bluebird and robin. 
There isn’t much -need of a description of these two well- 
known birds -to most people, -but there m-ay be a few who 
are not sure of -them. 
The bluebird and robin -are our first spring 'birds. The 
bluebird is a migrant here. Their song is described by 
one writer as “Try-al-ly, try-al-ly,” and their call is 
a short, sweet warble. Their length is seven inches, the 
upper parts of the -male are bright blue, and -the sides, 
throat and breast -are cinnamon-red. The female’s color 
is not as bright. Their range -is the eastern United 
States, breeding from -the Gulf to New Brunswick and 
Manitoba. They winter chiefly in the United States, -but 
some go to Bermuda and -the West Indies. 
The nest is lined with grasses, and contains four or 
five pale blue eggs. I have found a good many nests in 
hollow fence posts -and hollow trees; they will also nest 
in bird houses and boxes. 
The American robin belongs to -the thrush family and 
is sometimes called the red-breasted thrush. Its length 
is ten inches. The male has a black head -and reddish 
brown breast, dull brownish olive-gray above. T-he fe¬ 
male is duller and the breast not as bright. The range 
is eastern North America and -they breed from the middle 
of -the United States northward. If -our winters are open 
we have them here all winter in the -thick woods. Their 
song is a loud carol, “Cheerily-cheerup, cheerily-cheer- 
up,” often long continued (Reed). The nest is -a s-trong 
structure of mud and grass, in forks of trees and bushes, 
or in old -buildings on shelves and beams. They lay 
four or five blue eggs and raise two broods in a season. 
G. H. M. 
Prizes for Bird Houses. 
The Manitowoc County (Wis.) Fish and Game Protec¬ 
tive Association, to encourage building and erection of 
bird houses in the city and keeping many of the most 
beautiful song birds, -plans to give prizes to the students 
in the manual training department of the local schools 
for the best bird houses built by the students. 
Exposition Exhibit. 
The Government is now preparing, for exhibit at the 
Panama-Pacific Exposition, the construction of an 
aquarium and, in connection with it, the hatchery in 
which the various stages of development from the spawn 
to the full-sized fish will be shown. 
Stiff Fines in York State. 
A fine of $50 was inforced in New York recently “for 
possession of a meadow lark” and eight fines of $100 
or more, including one of $200 and one of $300, for killing 
insectivorous birds. 
For Polluting Streams. 
Three superintendents of factories at Warren, Pa., 
were charged recently with polluting the streams of the 
Commonwealth jin violation of the law. The complaints 
were sworn to by State Fish Warden J. P. Albert. The 
law provides that upon conviction a -fine of $100 shall be 
assessed, or one day in jail for every dollar of such fine 
which is not paid. 
Resentment in Pennsylvania. 
The United Sportsmen of Pennsylvania are said to be 
aroused all over the state as they have not been since 
the enactment of the resident Hunters’ license bill as a 
result of three bills proposed for introduction in the 
next session of the state legislature. 
The first bill pertains to putting a stop to fishing 
through #the ice, the second provides for a new sanctu¬ 
ary, and the third is that all streams, ponds and lakes 
be open to the public. 
Game Laws Violated. 
Wholesale violations of game laws, state and National, 
have been uncovered in Douglas cou-nty, Wisconsin, by 
representatives -of the state warden’s department, accord¬ 
ing to statements made recently, and it -is said that evi¬ 
dence has been secured upon which to 'base many arrests 
and prosecutions, bo-th state -and Federal. 
Trout Streams Well Stocked. 
With the approach of -the opening of the trout season 
in New York State, April 15, Dr. Tarleton IT. Bean, of 
the State Conservation Department, 'announced that the 
department distributed in the streams of the state in 
[913 a -total of 6,866,655 trout -of four varieties. The total 
fish distribution of the department, Dr. Bean said, w-as 
1,237,325,520 for -the year. The varieties of -trout were 
distributed as follows: Brown trout, 677,530; rainbow 
trout, 535,606; lake trout, 253,500; brook trout, 5,400,019. 
No Discrimination. 
Following 'is an extract from a letter sent ;to game 
wardens by -the California Fish -and Game Commission: 
“It is not -the intention of the commission to collect 
anglers’ licenses from wharf fishermen. 
“Members -of -the rod and reel clubs -and others who 
fish for game fishes are expected to take out a license.” 
In spite of this edict -of -the commission, Game Warden 
Borden, of Long Beach, expressed -himself to the effect 
that he intended to -arrest, -after April 1, all fishermen 
whatsoever who had not taken out anglers’ licenses. 
New Preserve in Iowa. 
Game Warden J. D. Lowden, of Creston, la., recently 
m-ade arrangements with the owners of the land around 
the Nodaway for the establishing of a game preserve 
for Chinese pheasants and English partridges. The 
preserve will embody from 2,000 to 3,000 acres. 
