March 27, 1909-] 
FOREST AND STREAM 
497 
Though I can find the advertisement of this 
book in a contemporary periodical, my research 
has failed to reveal the name of the author. He 
was undoubtedly an officer in the English Army 
which was occupying New York at that time. 
A second edition of this book was published 
without change, except in size—^24°—by Isaac 
Neale, Burlington, N. J., 1791. A copy of this 
edition is in the Lenox Library in New York, 
one in the Congressional Library and another 
in the library of George B. Raymond, Morris¬ 
town, N. J. 
The Congressional Library has also a copy of 
a third edition, published in Philadelphia, n. d. 
Title page is the same except “Printed for the 
Purchasers.” Contents the same in 36 pages, 
i2mo. 
The subject matter, though somewhat simple, 
is as good as tliat of most contemporary English 
books. 
It is interesting in noticing sport with quail 
and snipe in New York Island, and the grouse 
or “heath hen” on Long Island. 
The “partridge” referred to in Chap. IV. is 
included in some comments on the English par¬ 
tridge as compared with our quail. 
Very few of us know of the existence of this 
book and this is the reason I suggest record¬ 
ing it. Charles Sheldon. ’ 
In Nearby Legislatures. 
New Jersey. 
The hearing before the Legislature, held 
March 16, was very interesting. Among the 
speakers were: Dr. A. K." Fisher, of Washing¬ 
ton; Prof. A. H. Phillips, Geo. Batten, and 
Edw. Winslow. Each speaker was limited to 
five minutes. If they spoke briefly they spoke 
to the point. The bay men and shore residents 
in opposition told the old story, declaring that 
there are more birds now than ever before. It 
is perhaps true that the number of birds is 
slowly increasing, but New Jersey is not doing 
much to help this increase. Notwithstanding 
the fact that so many States have adopted hunt¬ 
ing licenses, there is bitter opposition to the 
license bill in New Jersisy which provides for a 
resident license of $1.15. 
Connecticut. 
In Connecticut it is as yet quite uncertain 
what the action of the Legislature will be. It 
is believed that one of the bills protecting the 
woodduck will become law. 
New York. 
On March 16 a hearing was held at Albany 
before a committee of the State Legislature on 
Assembly Bill No. 65, introduced by Mr. 
Francis. Among those who spoke in behalf of 
the bill were Wm. Dutcher, president of the 
National Audubon Society; Dr. T. S. Palmer, 
of Washington; E. PL Forbush, of Boston, and 
F. N. Godfrey, Master Granger of the State of 
New York. 
The Francis bill is amendatory of Sections 
98 and 241 of Chapter 130 of the Laws of 1908. 
It names certain hawks not to be protected, 
forbids the sale or possession for sale of the 
plumage of any bird protected by the section, 
irrespective of whether said bird was killed or 
captured within or without the State, and 
makes the law apply to fish, animals, birds, or 
the flesh, skins, plumage or any part thereof, 
taken without the State as well as taken within 
the State. Briefs on the subject are filed by 
Mr. Dutcher, Dr. Palmer, and by Mr. Carter, 
counsel of the Audubon Society, as to the con¬ 
stitutionality of the bill. These are all strong 
papers. 
It being generally acknowledged that birds 
are necessary to the successful pursuit of agri¬ 
culture and forestry, it is important that every 
wild bird in the State should be protected, and 
in order to protect those birds resident in the 
State, it is necessary also to give the same 
protection to birds coming from without the 
State. Dr. Palmer’s brief refers especially to 
the danger to agriculture from insects and 
mammals which are the natural prey of various 
birds. Many States mention injurious hawks 
by name, some States protect all hawks. The 
law is not a menace to any industry. Mr. For- 
bush’s remarks deal with the harmful work of 
the gipsy and brown-tail moths, which have 
injured agricultural products in Massachusetts 
to the amount of nearly five millions of dollars 
annually, in addition to which half a million is 
yearly spent in fighting these insects. Mr. 
Carter’s brief for the constitutionality of the 
law quotes freely from the many game law de¬ 
cisions of the Supreme Court. 
F. N. Godfrey, Master Granger of the State 
of New York, announced himself unqualifiedly 
in favor of the bill, stating that he represented 
83.000 farmers in the State who were practically 
unanimously in favor of the bill. He declared 
that the farmers were now aware of the useful¬ 
ness of birds, and the impossibility of getting 
along without them. 
On the other side appeared the Hon. Julius 
Mayer, as attorney for the millinery people op¬ 
posed to the bill. He urged that it should not 
be passed for the reason that it would destroy 
a large and important industry. The obvious 
answer to this was that this large and im¬ 
portant industry depends on the killing of birds 
which belong to the State, and which are work¬ 
ing all the time for the people of the State. It 
is not unlike the case of a man who might set 
up his sawmill on the public domain and begin 
to cut down timber that belonged to the gov¬ 
ernment and so to the people, and then com¬ 
plain if government officials stopped him from 
cutting that timber. 
In the Assembly the Committee on Fisheries 
and Game has introduced a general amendment 
to the fish and game law. Embodied in it are 
parts of other bills introduced previously and 
referred to the committee, and to which it has 
agreed. The proposition to require protectors 
to pass civil service examinations is not new in 
the department. 
The principal features of the bill are sum¬ 
marized as follows: 
The bill provides for 100 game protectors in¬ 
stead of eighty, as at present; a fifth and a sixth 
assistant chief game protector, at a salary of 
$1,200 and traveling expenses, and four division 
chiefs ($1,000 salary). It provides that civil 
service examinations for protectors of all grades 
shall be confined to counties. 
The commissioner is empowered to make 
rules for all persons engaged in guiding on 
lands within the forest preserve counties. No 
person can act as a guide without a license. 
The leaving of treetops and brush when trees 
are cut is prohibited. 
The office of chief fire warden is abolished, 
, but that of auditor of fire accounts is estab¬ 
lished, with salary of $1,800 and traveling ex¬ 
penses. 
Section 68, relating to fire patrol, is stricken 
out. Instead railways operating in forest pre¬ 
serve counties are to be required to organize 
and maintain at their own expense efficient fire 
patrols, but if they do not do so, the commis¬ 
sioner may organize patrols or detail game pro¬ 
tectors to this work at the expense of the rail¬ 
way companies. 
Sections 69 and 70, relating to fire wardens 
and fire districts, are stricken out. Instead pro¬ 
vision is made for the division of forest pre¬ 
serve counties into fire districts, and for the 
appointment of a superintendent of fires at a 
salary of $1,500 for each district, and the con¬ 
struction of fire breaks. Stringent rules and 
severe penalties are provided for negligence and 
carelessness in permitting fires to spread. 
Section 75a empowers the governor by procla¬ 
mation to forbid hunting, fishing and camping 
on State forest lands at times of drouth if such 
action is deemed advisable, and to extend the 
open season to another time. 
And amendment to Section 78 permits the 
shipment of deer or venison from private deer 
parks through .permits issued by the commis¬ 
sioner. 
One season for hares and rabbits throughout 
the State is provided for, Oct. i-Feb. 15, both 
inclusive; mink, skunk, muskrat and sable, 
Nov. i-April 30, both inclusive, with a similar 
open season in 1910 for marten and sable; no 
open season for European gray-legged or Hun¬ 
garian partridge. 
Grouse, woodcock and quail from other States 
may, according to the provisions of this bill, be 
sold in this State under bond. Possession of 
these birds, however, is to be regarded as pre¬ 
sumptive evidence that they were taken in this 
State, save as to those who have given bond 
for the purpose. 
The trout section remains as at present, with 
the exception that in Delaware county the open¬ 
ing date is made April 16 instead of May i, 
and the addition of local provisions for parts 
of Wyoming, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua 
counties. 
Whitefish of less than two pounds weight are 
not to be taken. 
The salmon section is deleted. 
It is intended to permit the sale of pike and 
pickerel taken without the State by persons who 
will permit the department to examine their 
books and accounts relating to the sale of fish. 
Minnows to be taken without a license in nets 
less than four feet in diameter only. 
Other bills introduced: 
By W. G. Miller—Relating to oyster planting 
in Queens county. 
By Mr. Lanahan—Closing the season on quail, 
English pheasants and Hungarian partridges 
until 1914 in Richmond county. Also a bill re¬ 
lating to rabbits in that county. 
By Mr. Scott—Relating to rabbits in Che¬ 
nango county. Also a bill for an open season 
on foxes, ’coons, martens and sables Nov. i- 
March 15, both inclusive, the muskrat season 
to be Nov. i-April 30, both inclusive 
