1148 
An Angry 
Bull Moose 
Ferociously Charged 
Theodore Roosevelt 
near Quebec, last hunting season. 
How the Colonel killed the Bull 
in self defense, after having previously 
obtained his legal limit of Moose, 
is told by him in the February 1916 
“Scribner”, and by sworn affidavit 
at Quebec. 
Caribou and Deer 
are abundant in parts of Quebec 
Province, as well as moose and bear. 
The Best Trout Fishing 
in the world is in the Province of Quebec, 
and so are the best Guides both for fishing 
and hunting. Read Henry van Dyke’s de¬ 
scription of some of them in “Little Rivers.” 
Mining Rights 
are obtainable on most liberal conditions. 
Write for details. 
Would you like to own 
A Summer Camp 
for your family, by a forest-clad stream or 
mountain-surrounded lake ? 
You can build one of your own, by leas¬ 
ing a fishing and hunting territory from the 
Government of the Province, whether a 
resident of it or not, or by joining one of 
the many fish and game clubs. 
Write for an illustrated booklet on 
“The Fish and Game Clubs of Quebec”, 
which tells you all about them, and address 
all enquiries concerning fishing and hunting 
rights, fish and game laws, guides, etc., to 
HON. HONORE MERCIER, 
Minister of Colonization, Mines and Fisheries, 
QUEBEC, QUE. 
Q 
Fine Fishing Tackle 
Our Factory and Salesrooms are under the same roof 
We have always set an inflexible standard for 
the Edward vom Hofe Tackle. Each article must 
represent the maximum value at its price. May 
we suggest that you will have cause to con¬ 
gratulate yourself if you will call at our Tackle 
Salesrooms and purchase your fishing outfit. If 
too far away to call, 
Our Splendid Catalog Sent Upon Request 
Edward vom Hofe & Company 
105-107 Fulton Street NEW YORK CITY 
FOREST AND STREAM 
THE SPEED OF DUCKS 
(Continued from page 1147.) 
It was found that a lark whose spread of wings 
was only 8 inches and a lumbering heron 6 feet 
from tip to tip each flew at 27 to 28 miles an 
hour. A red-tailed hawk when loafing in search 
of his dinner was given credit for only 22 miles, 
with a sparrow hawk but a shade faster, and yet 
I have seen a hawk outfly a duck. A yellow- 
hammer’s speed was placed at 25 miles, a crow’s 
24 and a shrike’s 28. The investigator thinks “all 
these birds could have flown more rapidly if 
frightened,” while my idea is that twice the speed 
stated would have only been about normal. This 
is based largely on observing crows, common 
domestic pigeons and blackbirds from swiftly 
moving trains. There was a time when I made 
almost daily trips between Chicago and Mil¬ 
waukee on a fast special. The mile posts were 
large, white and easy to be seen. A stop watch 
showed that during much of the journey the dis¬ 
tance from mile post to mile post was done in 
from 58 to 62 seconds, say a mile a minute. A 
pigeon under ordinary conditions could just about 
keep up with the train. A crow had about the 
same speed but more stamina, holding the pace 
longer than the domestic bird. A flock of black¬ 
birds, badly frightened, for a short way out¬ 
stripped the train but soon tiring fell far back. 
A little bunch of golden plover flushed from a 
burning, left the train behind with ease until 
they circled back to their feeding place. In no 
instance except that of the blackbirds were the 
flyers fully extended and using the above as a 
basis I should put the speed of crows and tame 
pigeons at from 60 to 70 miles an hour, more if 
carried by a gale but flying ahead of a heavy 
wind is something all birds avoid if possible, 
preferring a quartering course. As for larks and 
song birds in general their velocity will about 
equal that of blackbirds. Sixty miles for a short 
distance under most favorable conditions but 
not much more than forty for a prolonged flight. 
My idea as to speed is borne out to a considerable 
extent by the conclusions of the university ex¬ 
pert that these birds, larks, hawks, yellow-ham¬ 
mers and such “could have flown more rapidly 
if frightened.” 
THE REAL SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 
By Theo. A. Aldrich. 
O NE who signs himself as “Reelfoot,” in 
writing “Southern California Notes,” is 
certainly writing about a portion of South¬ 
ern California which I never have had the pleas¬ 
ure of seeing. While I believe that every man is 
entitled to his own opinion, I feel that when the 
expressed opinion of one man is contrary to the 
opinions of thousands on the same subject, that 
at least the mass should be heard. 
In California we speak of the lower end of 
California as Southern California. Having been 
in the sporting goods business for the past ten 
years, I have come in contact with and have cov¬ 
ered nearly all of the territory included in the 
very broad term of Southern California. There 
are men who would kick if they were being 
hanged with a new rope; and no matter how 
ideal the country might be, they would be dis¬ 
satisfied. 
We who live here are strong for it and are 
always ready to defend Southern California. 
The opening paragraph applies more to Ariz¬ 
ona, New Mexico, the small desert section of 
California known as the Mohave Desert, and 
Death Valley. As the records will show, we have 
a very even climate with as many summer as 
winter tourists. The inland (Southwest) states 
furnish our summer tourist and the North and 
East our winter tourist. 
Regarding the fishing in this section, I will say 
that San Diego County and Imperial County lack 
fresh water fishing. There are, however, in San 
Diego County, plenty of black bass, and in an¬ 
other year we will be supplied with excellent 
trout fishing. There are any number of moun¬ 
tain streams that run the year ’round. Our duck 
shooting is excellent and it is not necessary to 
belong to a gun club to get' in on it. I have 
always got my share of ducks and have only 
shot twice in ten years on a duck preserve. 
In our particular section, the only game planted 
has been the turkey, and they are still here, hav¬ 
ing become tame. The records of the Fish and 
Game Commission do not show that Hungarian 
grouse or China pheasants were ever planted in 
San Diego County. I cannot imagine where 
“Reelfoot” was. A rattlesnake skin is more 
highly prized than the limit of quail, and the 
whole world will tell you that it is hard to get 
the limit of quail; not particularly here, but any¬ 
where if you shoot them on the wing (Mexico 
barred). Heat, thirst, and cactus are absurdities, 
as they do not enter into the hunting conditions. 
We shoot quail from October 15th to December 
31st. Scarcely one hunter in a hundred packs a 
canteen of water on his back when going bird 
shooting, because the weather is such that they 
do not suffer from heat, consequently have no 
need for the water. Only the rankest amateur 
shooter ever comes in contact with the cactus. 
One experience is sufficient for those who have 
to learn by experience, the average hunter taking 
one notice and avoiding the little there is. We 
do have cactus here, and some good sized patches 
of it, but neither the quail, doves, no ducks are 
in them. The most and the best valley quail 
shooting runs true to name, in open valleys. 
Mountain quail are also true, and if “Reelfoot” 
ever shot any mountain quail, I am sure that he 
saw real, live oaks and had to crawl to get 
through some of the underbrush to get at his 
birds. 
Regarding the dog question; I have seen the 
time in Southern Minnesota where even Bob- 
white (foot quail) would not lay, a thing you 
are apt to find in any section. Some of the most 
beautiful working dogs and the best laying birds 
I have ever seen have been in this section. 
I am always ready and willing to take any one 
out and show them our back country; where the 
pines and live oaks grow, where the crystal pure 
water trinkles down the mountain, where the 
game abounds, where you can hunt all day and 
never see cactus and where even the natives sit 
up and take notice when you say you saw a rat¬ 
tlesnake. One of the most beautiful and pic¬ 
turesque spots in the world—a veritable gem in 
the mountains. 
