[Feb. 4, 1911 - 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
extermination, or nearly so, in those woods. 
Now a “no fence law - ’ has been enacted up 
there, and if carried out the turkeys and ruffed 
grouse will still have a chance. But in much of 
the forest these razorbacks have gone wild, yet 
of course there are those who claim ownership. 
It will be a grievous shame if this best of 
our game birds—the ruffed grouse—be extermi¬ 
nated. They are fast disappearing from our 
covers, I am very sorry to say, and what is to 
be done about it?” Ernest L. Ewbank. 
Rain at Last. 
San Francisco, Jan. 23.—Editor Forest and 
Stream: At last after a drouth that has lasted 
for several weeks, a heavy rain has fallen over 
the northern part of California and a great 
change in shooting conditions has resulted. 
Previous to about the tenth of January the bulk 
of shooting that has been done has been on the 
various preserves and along the Sacramento and 
San Joaquin rivers, for other shooting grounds 
were without water and feed. The fall and 
early winter were almost without rain and ducks 
did not scatter out over much territory but re¬ 
mained on the salt marshes and on the bay, 
where only a limited number of hunters were 
able to reach them. 
Now much different conditions are ruling and 
the birds are to be found in almost every section 
in the great valleys of Northern California. 
The rain has been exceedingly heavy, forming 
immense ponds and raising the rivers to a high 
level and already grass is growing, attracting 
the birds, for green food has been scarce. The 
marsh districts have been almost entirely aban¬ 
doned by the birds and in the interior the wide 
expanse of flooded areas makes hunting \ ei} 
difficult. On this account the bags that have 
been secured during the past couple of weeks 
have been light. There has been a general 
scattering of the birds and even the market 
hunters, who are usually enabled to secure full 
bags, are sending but small consignments to the 
local commission merchants. Practically no 
mallards or teal are now to be found on the 
preserves in the salt marshes but some can- 
vasbacks are coming in from the bay, and as a 
result hunters are not neglecting their regular 
pastime. 
Goose shooting is attracting many enthusi¬ 
asts from the bay cities and most of these are 
making the trip to Rio Vista, although there 
is now some sport to be had in the country 
around Tracy, the recent rains having brought 
up the wild grass. The acreage devoted to 
wheat growing this year has been reduced and 
as a result geese are not scattering as much 
as formerly. 
One of the immediate results of the rain in 
the interior has been to bring in great num¬ 
bers of English snipe and some fine sport is 
now being enjoyed with this shore bird. In 
the vicinity of Newman the birds are plentiful 
and shooters in that district failing to secure 
limit bags of ducks have no difficulty securing 
a handsome showing in snipe. 
The black brant season will soon be on and 
already some of the experienced shooters are 
making preparations to go after this waterfowl. 
Sea brant shooting is indulged in by but few 
here owing to the uncertainties of the flight 
of the birds and the fact that their habits are 
known to but few. These birds are to be found 
principally in Tomales Bay and are usually 
shot from a moving boat about nightfall, a 
feat that is a severe test for marksmanship. 
The rainy weather of the last couple of 
weeks has kept quail hunters from venturing 
forth, as a journey of no small distance now 
has to be made before it is possible to reach 
grounds where satisfactory results can be se¬ 
cured. During the clear days that occurred 
during this time the local sportsmen have been 
attending the aviation meet being held at San 
Francisco and but few sporsmen have been 
making long out of town trips. Those inter¬ 
ested in quail hunting are watching with inter¬ 
est to see what will be done by the State Leg¬ 
islature in regard to stopping the hunting of 
this bird from automobiles. A measure to pre¬ 
vent hunting in this manner is to be presented 
to the lawmaking body, as well as one that 
prohibits all hunting from aeroplanes. The best 
quail shooting that is now to be had is in the 
vicinity of Folsom and in the Grass Valley. 
The experiments that have been made for 
some time by the California State Fish and 
Game Commission with game birds of various 
kinds are not meeting with much favor with 
some local sportsmen. They declare that it is 
a waste of time and money to attempt to intro¬ 
duce birds that in all likelihood will never thrive 
here and advise that more attention be paid to 
the preservation of the varieties already here. 
They point to the fact that in most sections of 
the State quail are becoming very scarce and 
advise that urgent steps be taken toward pro¬ 
tecting these birds and increasing their num- 
Death of Samuel D. Kendall. 
Tarpon Springs, Fla., Jan. 35 —Editor Forest 
and Stream: Captain Samuel D. Kendall, bet¬ 
ter known to your older readers as Tarpon, 
died vesterday at his home in Tarpon Springs. 
He was in his seventy-second year, and had 
been failing for many years. His disease was 
a creeping paralysis, perhaps induced by a se¬ 
vere accident long ago, which disabled him for 
a time. 
He was born in Peppered, Mass., in 1838, had 
known Prescott, Whittier and other famous 
men, and was a man of very wide experience, 
extending from Siberia to points south of the 
equator. 
Captain Kendall had sailed the seas for many 
years, and had served with credit during the 
Civil War, in both the army and navy of the 
United States. 
I have often thought it a pity that he did not 
take the advice of Charles B. Reynolds, and 
write the story of his life, but although he had 
often had it in mind, he could never decide to 
take up the work. 
I accompanied him on his last canoe trip, 
some four or five years ago, but although he 
enjoyed it exceedingly, he worked too hard, 
and at last gave out, so that I towed him some 
ten miles to his landing, behind my own canoe. 
When in the mood for talk, he was a very 
interesting man to his listeners, but for a long 
time his powers of speech had almost entirely 
failed. His funeral was largely attended by 
those who knew him. His widow survives him. 
Kelpie. 
Massachusetts Legislature. 
Boston, Jan. 28 .—Editor Forest and Stream: 
'Phe Legislative Committee has held hearings 
on several of the sixty-seven different bills re¬ 
ferred to it. One is to open the shooting sea¬ 
son on upland birds on October 12 (Columbus 
Day) instead of October 15. This was opposed 
by the State Association, by H. A. Estabrook, 
of Fitchburg, and several others, who took the 
ground that the present open season was suf¬ 
ficient, and in fact all that our supply of those 
birds, especially of ruffed grouse, would stand. 
A bill for further extending the close time on 
wood duck for a period of five years was sup¬ 
ported by Dr. Field, and met with no opposi¬ 
tion. A bill, 622, for an open season on male 
pheasants was advocated by several men from 
Lynn and Swampscott and representatives of 
sportmen’s clubs and met with no substantial 
opposition. 
The work of the State in rearing and liber¬ 
ating pheasants has not met with hearty sup¬ 
port from the men who shoot over dogs, and 
wherever those birds have become plentiful 
complaints have been made by the farmers of 
damage to crops. The gunners of Essex county 
hold the belief that they have driven out the 
native birds. The witnesses before the com- 
mitte stated that foreigners, without licenses, 
have been killing a good many and they wish 
the opportunity to shoot the cocks legally. 
There was no substantial remonstrance against 
the bill. 
House bill 194 to extend the time for pro¬ 
tection of the heath-hen on Martha’s Vineyard 
met with no opposition. Dr. Field stated that 
the birds are increasing in numbers, there being 
at this time over two hundred birds of this 
species on the island. 
The hearing on House bill 196 was one of 
unusual interest. This is a bill to prohibit the 
use of scented bait without permission of the 
land owners in trapping. Ex-Congressman 
John R. Thayer, of Worcester, the author of 
the bill, argued in support of it. He frankly 
acknowledged that his purpose was to protect 
the fox. He said: “I do not object to the man 
who runs foxes with dogs; to the man who 
goes out with a bottle of stinking stuff in -his 
pocket and sets traps all around, not visiting 
them for a week or more I do object.” He de¬ 
clared this a common practice in Worcester 
county, foxes, and sometimes dogs suffering 
starvation and thirst for more than a week. 
The increase in the price of furs had given an 
impetus to this method of trapping. He de¬ 
clared that two employees of the Worcester and 
Southbridge Railway gave up their jobs and 
devoted a month to trapping and in that time 
caught twenty-two foxes, four dogs, two coons, 
one' cat and a hen. A Charlton man’s pointer 
dog was found nearly exhausted in one of these 
traps. Mr. Thayer was supported by President 
Charles, of the State Association, Representa¬ 
tive Washburn, of Worcester, and W. C. 
Adams, of the Massachusetts Gunners’ Asso¬ 
ciation. 
In remonstrance Hon. C. M. Bryant, of 
Quincy, claimed that the poultry raiser should 
receive as much protection as the fox. He 
spoke in behalf of the Massachusetts Poultry 
Association of which he is president. He said 
that during the past year he had caught three 
