FOREST AND STREAM. 
219 
Feb. s, 1910.] 
lands were not accounted for in it, and no doubt 
some hunters evade the law and do not take 
out licenses. In a recent publication the num¬ 
ber of hunters was estimated editorially as five 
million. Probably a few of these hunters use 
a rifle only and never shoot birds; others kill 
very few birds, but many market hunters in the 
South and West often kill 100 ducks a day each. 
If we assume that the average number of birds 
for each hunter the country over is only ten 
a year, five million hunters would kill fifty mil¬ 
lion birds annually. 
Edward Howe Forbush. 
On the Gulf Coast. 
New Orleans, La., Jan. 27. —Editor Forest 
and Stream: Thomas Taggart, of the national 
Democratic executive committee, was shot by his 
secretary, W. H. Norton, while hunting quail 
near Fayette a short distance from Natchez, 
Miss., Friday. The shooting was accidental. 
Mr. Taggart went to Natchez, where he was 
treated in a sanitarium and afterward left in 
charge of a physician for Indianapolis, his home. 
Forty-two shot peneltated Mr. Taggart’s face, 
side and shoulder and one shot penetrated his 
right eye, destroying the sigh't. The shot was 
from a twelve-bore gun owned by Mr. Taggart. 
Mr. Norton had fired at a bird without seeing 
Mr. Taggart when the accident occurred. The 
party was composed of Mr. Taggart, Mr. Norton 
and J. E. Bell, an attorney of Indianapolis. It 
was their first day in the hunting field. They 
have all returned home with many regrets. 
The hunting season has been productive of 
many good results this year, although the num¬ 
ber of hunting licenses issued will not probably 
aggregate a very great increase over the past 
season. The cold snaps of the last four or five 
weeks have had much to do with improving 
hunting conditions and many gunners have taken 
advantage of them. 
The prospects for a good fishing season are 
bright. Many of the club houses blown down 
by the storm last September have been rebuilt 
and the members seem to be more determined 
than ever to follow the sport during the com¬ 
ing season. The salt waters of Louisiana and 
Mississippi furnish the most sport for the local 
fishermen. 
It is predicted by some that the next Legis¬ 
lature will abolish the present fish and game 
commission and leave the administration of the 
laws governing these subjects to the police juries 
of the parishes. While that view is held by 
quite a number, on the other hand it is claimed 
that Governer Sanders wants the commission to 
stand with certain changes; that he will veto 
any measure having for its object the oblitera¬ 
tion of the body; and that he and his friends 
in the Legislature will not allow the commission 
to go out of existence. A number of police 
juries have adopted resolutions calling for the 
abolition of the commission. 
Harry Farwell entertained a large hunting 
party in his houseboat on lower Barataria Bay 
last Sunday, the party killing fifty-four ducks. 
Another party was entertained at the Crescent 
Gun and Rod Club. 
Several hunters spent the day at Lake Cathe¬ 
rine and caught eleven perch and killed several 
ducks and rabbits. A few of the members at 
the Paradox and Pine Island clubs in Lake 
Catherine report only fair luck. T. H. Lyons, 
Jr., C. Lyons, J. P. Rauch and J. G. Pratt at¬ 
tempted to hunt in a large automobile in the 
lower coast section, but after going twenty-five 
miles had to give up on account of the bad roads 
and return home. 
At the annual meeting of the Tallyho Club 
of Chef Menteur the following directors were 
elected: J. W. Barkdull, L. Bamburger, Geo. 
Brockman, Charles Hagan, Wm. McL. Fayssoux, 
Pete Jung, Jr., and M. Michaelis. F. G. G. 
New York Legislature. 
Albany, N. Y., Feb. 1 .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: Among the bills just introduced in 
the Legislature are the following: 
Senator Bayne.—Amending the forest, fish and 
game law by providing that the punishment for 
causing forest fires shall be that prescribed in 
Section 1421 or Section 1900 of the penal law, 
as the case may be, instead of being as at pres¬ 
ent prescribed in the forest, fish and game law. 
At present it is declared a misdemeanor pun¬ 
ishable by imprisonment for not more than one 
year or a fine of not more than $1,000 or both 
for each offnese. Section 1421 of the penal 
law makes the punishment imprisonment for 
not more than four years if the offense is not 
arson in any of its degrees, and Section 1900 
declares certain named offenses in relation to 
causing fires misdemeanors. This is a compan¬ 
ion bill to Senator Bayne’s Int. 161 and 162. 
Senator Bayne.—In relation to causing of 
fires, by increasing the punishment from four 
years’ imprisonment to ten years’ imprisonment, 
and providing alternative punishments of fine of 
not more than $5,000 or both such fine and im¬ 
prisonment. The bill also includes in the of¬ 
fenses so punished, wilfully setting fire to or 
assisting another to set fire to any wild, waste 
or forest lands belonging to the State or to an¬ 
other person whereby such forests are injured 
or endangered; wilfully setting fire to one’s woods 
by means whereof the property of another is 
endangered; and wilfully suffering any fire upon 
one’s own land to extend beyond its limits. The 
section at present applies only to wilfully burn¬ 
ing or setting fire to any grain, grass or grow¬ 
ing crop or standing timber or tQ any building 
fixtures or appurtenances to real property of 
another. 
Senator Bayne.—In relation to failure to ex¬ 
tinguish fires, by making the section apply only 
to negligent actions, instead of wilful and negli¬ 
gent actions as at present. 
Assemblyman Howard.—Providing that hunt¬ 
ing licenses issued to resident citizens shall be 
good for three years. Licenses issued to non¬ 
residents and aliens are to expire on Dec. 31 
succeeding their issue, which is the present rule 
regarding all hunting licenses. 
Assemblyman Shea.—Bringing within the pro¬ 
tection afforded the plumage of native wild birds 
the plumage of birds from without the State. 
The same bill has been introduced in the Senate. 
By Assemblyman Vosburgh, of Fulton-Hamil- 
ton county, relating to protection of fish and 
game in private parks. It subjects trespassing 
on such lands to exemplary damages not to ex¬ 
ceed $25, instead of being at that sum, besides 
the actual damages sustained. It strikes out the 
provision by which both penalties may be re¬ 
covered in the same action; also the one by 
which they may be recovered in the same ac¬ 
tion ; also the one by which they may be re¬ 
covered by the owner of the lands, which he 
can do under present law with costs of suit in¬ 
cluded ; and limits the exemplary damages to 
each trespass committed instead of to each “of¬ 
fense” or trespass as under the present law: 
By Assemblyman Shortt, of Tompkinsville, 
relating to causing fires. Amending the Penal 
Law (Section 1900) in relation to causing fires. 
Relating to punishment for causing forest fires. 
These bills were also introduced in the Senate. 
Dr. Cook Out of Arctic Club. 
The Arctic Club of America, which long per¬ 
mitted its loyalty to a member to influence its 
judgment, has at length taken action on this 
matter. 
At the first meeting of the board of directors 
for 1910, held on the evening of Jan. 5, the fol¬ 
lowing resolution was unanimously adopted: 
Whereas, The claims of Dr. Frederick A. 
Cook of having discovered the North Pole have 
been rejected by the University of Copenhagen 
and other scientific bodies, and 
Whereas, Dr. Frederick A. Cook keeps in hid¬ 
ing instead of facing his accusers, and 
Whereas, Dr. Frederick A. Cook has failed to 
communicate with the Arctic Club of America, 
whose members have so staunchly proved his 
friends in the past; therefore be it 
Resolved, That we consider the further mem¬ 
bership of Dr. Frederick A. Cook in the Arctic 
Club of America as not to its interests, and that 
the name of Dr. Frederick A. Cook be dropped 
from the roll of members forthwith. 
Deer and Dogs. 
William Harris, who lives in the Wickopee 
hill district in West Brattleboro, found the body 
of a large doe in his pasture recently, partly 
eaten up by dogs. Mr. Harris immediately re¬ 
ported it to County Game Warden R. L. Frost, 
who upon investigation said it was evident that 
the doe had been killed by dogs. The snow 
being deep now, it is hard for the deer to make 
a good escape, and so it is imperative that peo¬ 
ple should keep their dogs from chasing deer 
if they wish to avoid being fined.—Springfield 
Republican. 
Unusual Wildfowl in Currituck. 
Corolla, N.- C., Jan. 24 .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: Some rare birds have been killed this 
and last season at the Light House Club on 
Currituck Sourd. 
E. C. Kent m the early part of November, 
1909, killed a blue goose. 
In January, 1908, James H. Hayden killed a 
white-fronted goose. 
Several of the snow geese referred to in your 
issue of Jan. 22 have fallen to the guns of 
sportsmen visiting the club. C. J- Foulke. 
Foreign Game Birds for New Jersey. 
Wenz & Macicensen have received from the 
State of New Jersey an order for 2,000 Hun¬ 
garian partridges and 4,000 English ring-necked 
pheasants to be delivered in the spring. 1 his 
order was received early in January. 
