204 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Feb. 15, 1913 
showed that the land-killing was almost equally 
destructive, as the unlawful killing of seals two 
years old and under at an age when it is diffi¬ 
cult to determine the sex resulted in at least 
50 per cent, of the young seals thus unlawfully 
killed being females.” 
Facts; It was not ''unlawful,” nor has it 
been so charged, to kill seals two years old. 
The “evidence” to the effect that land-killing 
is destructive to the seal herd is contained only 
in the assertions of one individual who has ever 
seen fur seals in the. ocean. This evidence was 
supported by only a few other individuals, all 
of whom disclaimed any knowledge of the fur 
seal based on practical observations. The “evi¬ 
dence” as to killing yearling seals and pups and 
females is of a strictly similar kind. On the 
other hand, the evidence of every individual 
with the above mentioned exception, who has 
practically observed and studied the fur seal, 
agrees that properly regulated, land killing is 
conducive to the welfare of the seal herd. This 
evidence includes all of our ablest naturalists 
who have practically studied the question. 
The “evidence” that yearlings and 'females, 
except for a few unavoidable and insignificant 
exceptions, have been killed by the agents of 
the Department of Commerce and Labor, is not 
sustained. In fact, the proof is positive that 
quite the contrary is the case. 
The latest report on the seal herd made by 
Dr. David Starr Jordon and George A. Clark 
(Economic Circular No. 4, Bureau of Fisheries) 
is the result of the last investigation made after 
land-killing had been suspended. It deserves 
careful reading by all. This is the report to 
which Mr. Raines alludes, but it is clear that he 
has not read it wtih care, since it contains some 
of the above mentioned facts correcting his 
errors. 
The fur seal question needs more attention 
from the public than has been given to it. But 
those bringing it to attention should at least 
state undisputed facts and thus clear the way 
for an intelligent consideration of the questions 
at issue. Ch,\rles Sheldon. 
Old Clothes. 
R. B. Marston, whose writings as editor of 
The Fishing Gazette, London, are famous for 
their erudition, had a little mental wrestle in his 
issue of Jan. ii over the subject of old clothes 
brought about through a recent editorial in 
Forest and Stre.\m. The subject is so well 
handled that we print it herewith in its entirety 
including the cause of it all: 
“Old Clothes.” 
“Have the days of old clothes gone by?” 
asks Forest and Stream. “If so, the fun of 
summer living has passed away for all time. 
Time was when we went to the woods, our 
old togs were as essential as rod or gun. Now 
many sportsmen’s resorts compel good clothes 
in the dining room and on the piazzas. Hotel 
proprietors, who know only formality and never 
have experienced the pleasure of baggy trousers, 
have an idea that the patrons demand style. A 
ballot from the guests would show that only 
suffragettes and wallflower resorters want ‘glad 
rags’ on the premises. 
“Much has been done to ruin resort busi¬ 
ness by the Cafe de I'Opera suggestion. M'e all 
are willing to show our respect to the ladies, and 
those that come with them, by ‘dressing for din¬ 
ner,' but the man who goes to a resort where 
fishing is good, goes first for the fishing, ne.xt 
for the food and bed, and last for any 'hit' he 
may make among feminine boarders. 
“The hotel wise enough to advertise ‘Old 
clothes may be worn here’ will be popularized 
by real outdoor men and women.” 
I have often wondered what the American 
expression “glad rags'’ meant. One can see from 
the context that the editor of Forest and Stream 
means those “best clothes” which one has to 
wear on festive occasions and at funerals. But 
just what "rag time’' means I do not know. I 
wonder if even delightful Wilkie Bard does? 
Since I wrote this, curiously enough I find 
in the Field an article by Captain Frank Wemyss 
on the same subject, and with the same title, 
“Old Clothes,” in which he also sings the praises 
of the angler’s favorite old fishing togs. There 
is no doubt that most of us do come to get a 
sort of affection for an old fishing coat or hat— 
for one thing I always know that even if I 
should leave my match-box at home, I shall be 
certain to find odd ones in one or other of the 
pockets, and if not there, then certaintly two 
or three in the lining along with the rooks’ 
feathers one has picked up for pipe cleaning, 
which have a wonderful way of making a hole 
in the corner of the pocket, and so leading a 
match or two astray. I think one of the most 
delightful of half hours is when a sudden thun¬ 
derstorm drives you to take refuge in a shed 
in an orchard, from which you can see the river, 
and watch the birds and the queer ways of the 
fowl, and the delight of the ducks, while you 
have a smoke. And to find your only match 
is in the lining of your old fishing jacket adds 
to your respect for the latter. R. B. M. 
The Bustard. 
New Yoric City, Feb. i .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: The reference to the bustard in Forest 
AND Stream for Feb. i reminds me that I have 
several times had in my mind the idea of sug¬ 
gesting that the bustard be introduced into 
America. There are a number of species, some 
of them of enormous size, and of great value, 
both from the viewpoint of sport and of adding 
to our food suppL'. Bustards from different lati- ’■ 
tudes would thrive all the way from Mexico to 
Canada if turned loose on our plains. It should < 
not be at all difficult to secure specimens for 
the purpose. 
In Flungary the bustard is one of the com¬ 
mon game birds, and this particular species I 
think sometimes reaches a length of nearly four t 
feet and a spread of eight or nine feet between } 
the wing tips. Eggs, no doubt, could be ob¬ 
tained without any difficulty b}^ the men who 
are engaged in importation of game birds, and 
who are in a position to correspond with col¬ 
lectors. Robert T. Morris. 
Grit a Quail Necessity. 
Packer, Conn., Jan. 30 .-—Editor Forest and 
Stream: Winter is half gone and thus far has 
been very mild, indeed, with only one snow, and 
it laid less than a week. Our shooting season 
ended Nov. 23, with far more quail and ruffed 
grouse left for seed than last year, as has been j 
the case for several years. Our cover is such j; 
that sportsmen simply cannot kill out these birds, ^ 
and until another severe winter decimates the i 
quail, they will keep on increasing. While last f 
winter was very cold here, we had almost no 1 
snow and quail were unhurt. Over much of 
the west the cold weather was accompanied by 
snow and quail suffered greatly. I notice one 
writer, reporting from Kansas, says last winter 
was very severe, and many quail were frozen 
to death. He also says: “One discouraging 
thing about this was that some of the birds re¬ 
ported frozen were reported to have had their 
crops full of food.” This is right in line with 
claims I have been making in the sportsmen’s 
journals these thirty years that quail do not 
starve or freeze to death primarily, but die be¬ 
cause the}' cannot get grit to grind the weed 
seeds which are easily gathered from the weeds 
reaching above the snow. Over thirty years since 
after a deep snow' had been on the ground for 
about tw'o w'eeks I took a w'alk to see how the 
quail w'ere getting along. The day was pleasant, 
sun shining and snow' melting. I soon found 
tracks of a bevy, and after following them a 
AN ARGUMENT PRO OLD CLOTHES. 
