Massachusetts Legislature. 
Boston, Mass., Feb. 2.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: Another line of work suggested by 
the Massachusetts Commission on Fisheries and 
Game is an investigation to determine how birds 
which feed upon gypsy and brown-tail moths, 
etc., can be "increased or colonized within the 
infested regions, or in special localities.” Pos¬ 
sibly something might be done by Prof. Rane 
who, in addition to his work as State forester, 
has charge also of the apparently insurmountable 
task of suppressing the ravages of the various 
moth pests. In this he is meeting with diffi¬ 
culties. from present appearances his work in 
reforestation is mere child’s play in comparison. 
1 he fish and game commission asks also that 
provision be made for rearing game and in¬ 
sectivorous birds by the leasing, purchasing and 
constructing of increased facilities for this work, 
and that part of the money received by the 
Commonwealth for hunters’ licenses should be 
expended annually for the purpose of acquiring 
land for such purposes. 
On Feb. 1 there was a large number of men 
from the shore towns (chiefly) in attendance 
upon the hearing on House Bill 619 providing 
for winter and spring shooting of whistlers, coots, 
shelldrakes and brant. Ex-representative H. A. 
Ellis, of Hyannis, conducted the hearing for the 
petitioners. Orville D. Lowell, Fred K. Swift, 
Charles Nye, F. J. Orstrom, J. Arthur Jacob 
and ex-representatives Pattee, of Falmouth; Gif¬ 
ford, of Westport, and Collins, of Edgartown, 
testified in favor of the bill as did W. C. Adams, 
secretary of the Massachusetts Gunners’ Asso¬ 
ciation; Fletcher Osgood, President, and C. H. 
Brown, of \ ineyard Haven, of that association. 
They claimed that while these birds have never 
found favor in the market, many families among 
the natives liked to take them for table use in 
limited numbers. Also that they are not to be 
classed as insect-eating birds, useful to the agri¬ 
culturalist. Some of the witnesses laid great 
stress upon the destruction of scallops by coots 
and shelldrakes. 
The remonstrants were led by ex-representa¬ 
tive J. A. Lowell, of Newton, and among those 
who spoke at considerable length in opposition 
to the bill were Dr. Frederick T. Lewis, repre¬ 
senting the Boston Society of Natural History, 
and ex-representative Charles M. Gardner, mas¬ 
ter of the State Grange. 
Mn Gardner emphasized the strong sentiment 
for bird protection existing among the grangers 
throughout the Commonwealth, and Dr. Lewis 
quoted the opinions of several well-known orni¬ 
thologists. The Senate chairman of the com¬ 
mittee announced that an adjourned hearing 
would be given in some one of the Cape towns. 
PIenry H. Kimball. 
About the Roosevelt Expedition. 
J. Alden Loring, long a correspondent of 
Forest and Stream, well known as an accom- 
p ished field naturalist, and constantly spoken of 
in Colonel Roosevelt’s account of the Smith¬ 
sonian s Scientific Expedition to East Africa has 
prepared a lecture entitled, “Through Africa with 
Rooseve t.’ The subject cannot fail to interest 
everyone, for it tells movingly the story of a 
years sojourn in a land of which little is known 
an much is imagined. The lecture is illustrated 
by over 250 colored slides made from photo¬ 
graphs taken by members of the expedition— 
Colonel Roosevelt, Kermit Roosevelt, Mr. Heller 
and Mr. Loring. The lecture—though as yet 
delivered in only a few places—has attracted 
much attention, and is spoken of with great en¬ 
thusiasm by the newspapers. A wide popularity 
may be expected for it. Mr. Loring’s address 
is Owego, Tioga county, New York. 
Guns and Revolvers in Venezuela. 
The total imports of arms and ammunition 
into Maracaibo for 1909 amounted to $20,511, 
the origin being 
as follows: 
Article. United States. Germany. Spain. 
Ammunition . $244 $3,179 
U u, ) s .,. 5 4,250 $354 
Cartridges . 99 q 
Total. 
$3,423 
4,609 
223 
11,629 
627 
Revolvers .. 
Percussion caps .... 
. 11,169 
50S 
'460 
119 
Total . 
■ 12,149 7,429 
933 
20,511 
Although the 
United States 
supplies 
more 
than one-half of the total, investigation would 
lead one to believe that we should not only sup¬ 
ply a much greater share, but that with a little 
effort the total imports could be greatly in¬ 
creased. A great many more guns and rifles 
could be sold if this market were investigated 
and the right articles offered for sale. Two 
things must be considered: First, a cheap and 
reliable gun; second, that it be of a class for 
which the ammunition is not too expensive. 
The most popular rifle is the lever-action 
repeater, both in carbine and rifle lengths, 
shooting black-powder cartridges of .38 or .44 
caliber. The modern small-caliber high-power 
rifles, using steel-jacketed bullets, are not pop¬ 
ular, owing to the high price of the cartridges. 
There would be a good market for the old 
model .38 caliber carbines, with lever action, if 
they could be furnished at a low price. 
All varieties of shotguns can be found in use. 
The wealthier classes use German, English and 
some American double-barrel breechloaders of 
12, 16 and 24 gauge. The poorer classes and 
the country people use light-weight, single- 
barrel, Spanish fowling pieces of the muzzle- 
loading type. The majority are of small bore, 
about 24 gauge, and are fitted with slings to 
carry suspended from the shoulder. They seem 
more like toys than real guns, but are especially 
well liked because they use such a small amount 
of ammunition. The breechloaders sell here for 
from $15 to $30, and the muzzleloaders from $8 
to $12. 
The revolvers and pistols most in favor are 
generally of a high grade. The revolvers are 
American .32 and .38 calibers of standard 
makes, costing from $8 to $15 and retailing here 
at from $16 to $25. In pistols the modern auto¬ 
matic models are becoming more popular. They 
are sold in .25 and .32 calibers at $15 to $30.— 
Consul Ralph J. 1 otten, Maracaibo. 
Dr. Waddell Lectures. 
Dr. J. A. L. Waddell, widely known as the 
bridge engineer of Kansas City, and an ang’ing 
correspondent of Forest and Stream, not long 
ago delivered two lectures before the faculty 
and students of the College of Engineers of the 
University of Illinois. One of these lectures 
was on materials of bridge engineering and foun¬ 
dations, and the other a more general talk on 
bridge construction. 
Reforesting. 
The New York State Forest, Fish and Game 
Commission has just issued Bulletin 2, prepared 
by C. R. Pettis, Superintendent State Forests, 
for the purpose of giving citizens definite de¬ 
tailed information on how to start a forest. 
1 here is combined in this pamphlet information 
relative to securing planting stock, the most 
desirable kinds to use under different conditions, 
when to plant, how to do the planting and some 
data as to the results that may be expected. 
Reforesting, says Mr. Pettis, means the es¬ 
tablishing of forests on lands formerly under 
forest cover. It may be secured either by 
nature, from wind sown seeds, or by man plant¬ 
ing small trees or sowing seeds. Nature is so 
slow and erratic that she cannot be depended 
upon. Experience in planting trees and sowing 
seeds in the field under varying conditions clear¬ 
ly indicates that planting is a successful method, 
while broadcast seed sowing is too expensive 
and uncertain to be used generally. Trees for 
this purpose may be collected in some localities 
where there is a sufficient supply, may be pur¬ 
chased or can be grown from seed. The first 
named source offers but a limited supply, the 
cost is usually high and the success of such 
plantings uncertain, because such trees generally 
have but few roots, which increases the loss in 
transplanting. 
The purchase of trees for reforesting purposes 
is difficult because there are not at present com¬ 
mercial nurseries growing the desired kinds of 
trees in sufficient quantity. The demand being 
much gi eater than the supply, high prices have 
resulted. 
t I he Forestry Department of the State of New 
\oik maintains several large nurseries for the 
piopagation of forest tree seedlings and trans¬ 
plants—pine, spruce and other species—for re¬ 
foresting the public lands and for distribution at 
a nominal price among landowners in this State- 
who may wish to undertake reforesting opera¬ 
tions on their own account. The price of these 
seedlings and transplants is small, being placed 
at the bare cost, but varies with the age of the 
plant and species. 
Any landowner who desires trees for plant¬ 
ing land in order to raise a forest can secure 
them while there is a supply on hand by making 
application to this commission. Blanks will be 
sent upon request. These blanks are printed 
each year and distributed about Jan. 1. and 
must be completely filled out and filed in the 
office of this commission not later than March 1 
of any year in order to secure trees for plant¬ 
ing that spring. 
No trees will be sold for ornamental plant¬ 
ing. Trees will be shipped during the month 
of April and May following. 
Parties intending to do a large amount of 
planting with transplants will find it desirable 
to purchase seedlings and set them out in a 
cultivated field garden for one or two years. 
1 he demand for transplants (seedlings trans¬ 
planted for one or two years in the nursery) 
is so great that we are unable to fill all orders, 
bl, t by purchasing seedlings and transplanting 
them at home a planter can have a supply when 
desired without increased expense. A large sav¬ 
ing in transportation will be effected by purchase 
of seedlings. 
(Continued on page 232.) 
