338 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Feb. 26, 1910. 
Massachusetts Legislature. 
Boston, Mass., Feb. 19 .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: There are forty-nine bills scheduled 
to be heard by the legislative committee on fish¬ 
eries and game. Ten relate to shore and salt 
water fisheries; most of the other bills relate 
to birds, animals and game fish. A bill to pro¬ 
hibit digging out rabbits and hares from the 
ground or from stone walls was heard Feb. 9. 
The bill originated with the Brockton Fish and 
Game Protective Association and at the hear¬ 
ing was strongly urged by members and by other 
sportsmen. In the region of Brockton within a 
few years a good many white hares have been 
purchased and liberated by the hunters who es¬ 
teem highly the sport of rabbit hunting. 
A city official of Fall River appeared for a 
bill which would require the State treasurer to 
reimburse all cities twenty cents for each hun¬ 
ter’s license issued, not as compensation to be 
paid the city clerk, but to be turned into the 
treasuries of the cities. Speaking in behalf 
of those who took out licenses to hunt, several 
remonstrants urged that the hunters had been 
led to believe that by so doing they were help¬ 
ing to sustain the Department of Fisheries and 
Game and in reality making a contribution to 
enable the commission to employ more deputies 
and carry on the work of protection and propa¬ 
gation of game more effectively. The bill was 
not strongly backed at the hearing. 
The most important hearing of the week was 
on the sanctuary bill. In urging its passage 
President Charles spoke of his experience and 
observations while in the covers, chiefly in the 
central portion of the State, the past season, 
comparing the scarcity of birds at present with 
their abundance years ago. He declared that 
he had been led to prepare and present the bill 
to forestall the necessity of an absolute close 
time. The bill gives the commissioners authority 
to close the whole or a portion of a town where 
there shall be no killing of birds or animals pro¬ 
tected by law for a period not exceeding five 
years. Its passage was forcibly and ably urged 
by President Charles. Several other men urged 
some changes in the bill while strongly in favor 
of the objects to be secured by its passage. 
Henry H. Kimball. 
New York Legislature. 
Albany, N. Y., Feb. 21. —Editor Forest and 
Stream: Assemblyman Thompson, of Suffolk, 
has just introduced a bill providing that there 
shall be no open season for deer on Long Island 
for three years. It also strikes out the provis¬ 
ion permitting taking dogs into forests inhabited 
by deer during the open season for deer on 
Long Island. Senator Hubbs has introduced the 
same bill in the Senate. 
The Assembly has passed the bill of Mr. Mer¬ 
ritt, authorizing the Forest, Fish and Game Com¬ 
mission to reforest lands in the forest preserves, 
to propagate or purchase trees for the purpose 
and to sell trees under proper restrictions to 
citizens of the State for. reforesting lands. The 
bill carries an appropriation of $10,000. 
The Assembly has advanced to third reading 
Assemblyman Sweet’s bill reducing from fifteen 
to five the number of tip-ups that may be used 
in Big Sandy Pond, Oswego, and passed his 
bill providing an open season for marten and 
sable, the same as for mink and skunk, from 
Nov. 1 to March 15, both inclusive. 
The Assembly committee of forest, fish and 
game has reported favorably the following bills 
of Assemblyman Sweet, of Oswego: Provid¬ 
ing an open season for marten and sable, the 
same as for mink and skunk, from Nov. 1 to 
March 15, both inclusive; reducing from fifteen 
to five the number of tip-ups that may be used 
at the same time by one person in Big Sandy 
Pond, Oswego. 
By Assemblyman Lupton, of Suffolk.—Insert¬ 
ing a new article in relation to game breeders 
and game dealers. Game breeders are defined 
as farmers and other landowners or their lessees 
licensed under this bill to undertake in good 
faith to increase game or game fish. The open 
season for breeders on the lands and waters to 
be used under the license granted by the forest, 
fish and game commissioners is to be for game 
from Sept. 1 to March 1, and for game fish from 
April 1 to Dec. 31. Breeders would be per¬ 
mitted under this bill to sell live game to other 
breeders for propagation at any time. The bill 
also provides for the licensing of game dealers 
who are to give bonds to the commissioner con¬ 
ditioned that they will not purchase nor sell any 
game whatever except game from licensed 
breeders. 
By Assemblyman S. C. Clark, of Otsego.— 
Empowering the forest, fish and game commis¬ 
sioner, on the request of a majority of the town 
board of a town, to prohibit or regulate the tak¬ 
ing of birds or game on lands set aside with the 
consent of the owner as bird and game refuges 
for a period of not to exceed ten years. At 
least thirty days before the prohibition or regu¬ 
lation takes effect a copy must be filed in the 
office of the clerk of the town and printed copies 
at least one foot square must be posted along 
the boundaries of the land affected not more 
than fifty rods apart. Violation of any such 
prohibition or regulation is made a misde¬ 
meanor, and in addition to the punishment for 
such offense a penalty of $60 may be imposed 
for every violation. 
By Senator Hubbs.—Changing the open sea¬ 
son for ducks, geese, brant and swan so that 
they may be taken from Sept. 16 to Feb. 1, in¬ 
stead of Sept. 16 to Dec. 31, as under present 
law, and that they may be possessed from Sept. 
16 to Feb. 10. The open season for these wild¬ 
fowl on Long Island is changed so that they 
may be taken from Oct. 1 to Feb. 1 instead of 
Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, and possessed from Oct. 1 to 
Feb. 10 instead of Oct. 1 to the last day of 
February. E. C. C. 
Great Sale of Guns. 
The Norvell-Shapleigh Hardware Company, 
of St. Louis, Mo., has just purchased from the 
Remington Arms Company, of Ilion, N. Y., the 
entire stock of hammerless double barreled and 
semi-hammerless single barreled guns of the 
Ilion factory for the great price of $500,000. 
This is said to be the largest single sale of shot¬ 
guns of one make ever carried through in this 
country. In this purchase is included a complete 
assortment of all gauges, weights and grades. 
These guns are all new and fresh, and are fully 
guaranteed. 
Most of these guns are already manufactured 
and will shortly be shipped from Ilion, N. Y., to 
the warehouses of the Norvell-Shapleigh Com¬ 
pany at St. Louis. The first carload is expected 
about March 1. Guns not yet completed, but in 
process of manufacture at the factory—a small 
number relatively—will be finished and then 
shipped to St. Louis. 
No more of these guns will be made by the 
Remington Arms Company, which purposes 
henceforth to devote special attention to the 
manufacture of their auto-loading shotguns and 
rifles. Nevertheless they will at any time in 
the future supply all parts for the guns covered 
by this sale. 
The Norvell-Shapleigh wholesale hardware 
house was founded in St. Louis in 1843 and is 
the largest hardware and sporting goods house 
west of Philadelphia. Mr. Saunders Norvell, 
formerly vice-president of the Sjmmons Hard¬ 
ware Company, joined the Norvell-Shapleigh 
Company in 1901 and is now its president. 
The Remington Arms Company has been 
manufacturing rifles and shotguns for many 
years, having been founded in 1816. William J. 
Bruff, its secretary, states that since 1888 they 
have manufactured on an average 48,000 guns 
per year or over one million in that time. The 
fact that they have now determined to cease the 
manufacture of double and single shotguns as 
above mentioned will by so much reduce the 
output of guns in this country. 
A Parry Sound Wolf Hunt. 
J. E. T. Armstrong, of Parry Sound, Ont., is 
organizing a four or five days’ wolf hunt in the 
Township of Carling, Ont., to take place about 
March 1. The hunt is expected to last about 
four days. 
It is said that the farmers in the Township 
of Carling have lost nearly all their sheep this 
winter, and they estimate that there are between 
fifty and one hundred wolves in the Township. 
The farmers, like the hunters, want to get some 
of these wolves. 
The organizers of the hunt purpose to furnish 
teams from Parry Sound to the hunting ground, 
and provisions and accommodations while there. 
Each man is expected to bring his own blankets, 
gun and snowshoes; and it is estimated that the 
cost per man after leaving Parry Sound will be 
only about $6. Of course there is no certainty 
that any wolves will be killed, but the chances 
seem very good. 
Deer Abundant. 
Berlin, N. Y., Feb. 11 .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: Deer are plentiful and very tame in this 
vicinity. Farmers up the hollows see them fre¬ 
quently and one tells of five deer spending the 
day in his barnyard. 
Rabbits are plentiful, but few have been taken 
owing to the deep snow. A few foxes have been 
shot on days when a hound could be used. 
More skunks have been captured than any 
other fur-bearing animal, two young men dig¬ 
ging out $20 worth in one day. 
It is said that in the southern part of the town 
there are several cats with skunk-like character¬ 
istics whose paternity can be traced to a skunk 
captured young and tamed. 
Rob Saunderson. 
