856 
[June 3, 1911. 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
Game Bird Shooting. 
In its review of the recently published book, 
“American Game Bird Shooting,” by George Bird 
Grinnell, the Boston Herald has this to say: 
The author has aimed to make this a com¬ 
panion volume to his “American Duck Shoot¬ 
ing,” and a worthy one it is. While claiming to 
have presented a more complete treatment of 
the subject than has hitherto been attempted, he 
has restricted the term "game bird” to birds 
which are usually hunted with the use of dogs. 
This excludes species of the feathered tribe 
which offer good sport and are excellent for the 
table, such as plovers, beach birds, the Bar- 
tramian sandpiper and raiis. The book has 
three principal divisions, the first being devoted 
to “American Game Birds.” Under this head the 
author begins with the snipe family, such as 
the woodcock and American snipe, and passes 
quickly to the gallinaceous variety, giving spec'al 
attention to the American quail and grouse. In 
a clear and painstaking way he differentiates 
these birds, naming their various species, mark¬ 
ings, their habitat and life ways, his object evi¬ 
dently being to interest sportsmen not only in 
the sport itself, but in the birds they seek. To 
facilitate this, a liberal use is made of plates, 
some of which are in colors. Technical terms 
are used for the family genera and species in 
the interest of scientific accuracy, but they do 
not intercept the non-scientific reader’s interest. 
Another noticeable feature in the treatment of 
the subject is the author’s attitude to the indis¬ 
criminate and unsportsmanlike slaughter of rare 
game birds, tie pleads constantly for the sports¬ 
man's self control, needed restrictions and the 
enforcement of game laws. He mentions several 
species almost extinct, not through the effect of 
untoward climatic conditions wholly, but the lack 
of official protection and thoughtlessness of the 
hunter. 
Especially interesting is the treatment of the 
wild turkey. Mr. Grinnell mentions the fact that 
it is purely indigenous, extending its ancestry 
back to Tertiary times, portions of its skeleton 
having been found in the Miocene deposits of 
Colorado and the post-Pliocene of New Jersey. 
In Massachusetts this rara avis persisted till the 
beginning of the last century, being seen and 
hunted in Cambridge at that time. Gradually, 
however, as the population increased in New 
England, it was driven back, till at present it 
finds its haunts in the Southern States, in Ari¬ 
zona and New Mexico, and in the Rocky Moun¬ 
tains. There are outlying colonies of a few 
birds still in Iowa and Nebraska, but such 
colonies, in the opinion of the author, cannot 
long remain unless protected. In the Rocky 
Mountains they build their nests at an altitude 
of 3,000 to 5,000 feet, but as summer approaches 
they ascend to greater heights, being found at 
8,000 to 10,000 feet. In autumn they move down 
to find shelter in canons or timbered river val¬ 
leys, where they live through the winter. 
The second part of the book is devoted to 
“Upland Shooting,” and the woodcock, quail and 
grouse are amply dealt with. In this division 
Mr. Grinnell also treats of “Aids to Shooting,” 
“Clothing,” “Guns and Loads” and “Dogs,” their 
relative value and working methods. In part 
III. he discusses “The Shooting of the Future,” 
in which the introduction of foreign game birds 
is treated, particularly the English pheasant, 
which flourishes well in certain sections of the 
country, and the Hungarian partridge. Ihe lat¬ 
ter, which is the gray partridge of Europe, is 
the latest experiment, having been brought over 
within the last four years. It is said to thrive 
well, and is believed by many to be the coming 
game bird. The concluding pages take up the 
theme of “Destruction and Protection.” The 
gist of the author's summing up is found in 
these words: “In view of all our experience it 
is clear that American sportsmen cannot con¬ 
tinue to kill off their game and still have their 
covers full of birds. I believe that a time will 
come when there will be good shooting in many 
parts of the country, but this will not be until 
gunners have been taught the lesson of self- 
control. Methods must be devised for restock¬ 
ing our fields and woods, and the birds put out 
must have an opportunity to live and to repro¬ 
duce their kind. This means better enforcement 
of law, shorter open seasons and a bag limit.” 
On the whole we have here an entertaining 
and useful book, which will be read with keen 
interest not only by sportsmen, but by those who 
cannot indulge in the use of a gun and dog, but 
who love nature and her children. 
Massachusetts Legislature. 
Boston, Mass., May 27. —Editor Forest and 
Stream: The bill for a commission of one man 
at the helm together with a deputy in charge 
of sea and shore work, which w T as referred to 
the Committee on Ways and Means, has been 
reported upon unfavorably to the House and 
there defeated. It is understood that the meas¬ 
ure is finally defeated so far as this session is 
concerned. The bi.l called for a salary of not 
less than $4,000 for the commissioner and one 
of $2,500 for the deputy in charge of the sea 
and shore work. The advocates of the changes 
contended that with a commission of one man 
the possibility of shirking responsibility would 
be removed and better results might reasonably 
be expected. It is not unlikely that political con¬ 
siderations had much to do with the defeat of 
the bill. The result is a disappointment to many 
of the sportsmen. 
Senate Chairman Keith made a strenuous ef¬ 
fort to have the deer bill amended in accord¬ 
ance with the wishes of President Treadway 
and the general sentiment of Southern Berkshire 
by exempting Berkshire county from the five 
counties in which an open season of six days 
is allowed. Senator Malley, of Springfield, ob¬ 
jected to this and declared that he was opposed 
to the slaughter of deer and favored permitting 
game wardens only to kill them. Senator Mellen, 
chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, de¬ 
clared that “the farmers do not want slaughter, 
but do want protection.” Several other senators 
participated in the discussion, and the vote stood 
yeas seventeen, nays nineteen, and the bill was 
rejected. There seems no likelihood of further 
action, and the law' remains as last year. North¬ 
ern Berkshire is pleased and the southern por¬ 
tion of the county is disappointed. Certain sec¬ 
tions of Berkshire are well adapted to deer 
farming. 
At the last meeting of the executive committee 
of the Massachusetts Fish and Game Protective 
Association, George M. Poland, former repre¬ 
sentative in the Legislature from Wakefield, and 
for a time legal counsel for the State association, 
was elected to fill the position of librarian, re¬ 
cently made vacant by the death of Dr. E. W. 
Branigan, and it was voted that the books be 
placed in the office of the association in the 
Tremont building. After the business of the 
evening, Dr. Heber Bishop, of the committee, 
made a very interesting talk on his recent balloon 
trip with Mr. Leo Stevens, of New York city, 
from North Adams across portions of Massa¬ 
chusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire, landing 
near the city of Keene in the latter State. The 
doctor also exhibited several photographs taken 
by him on the trip. 
Many of your Bay State readers know that 
Thomas L. Burney, of Lynn, has been for sev¬ 
eral years one of the most active of the State 
game wardens. Previous to his appointment to 
that office he was one of the pioneers in or¬ 
ganizing the Lynn Fish and Game Protective 
Association, which has made an excellent record 
as a working body of sportsmen. Mr. Burney 
recently arrested Corporal Campbell, of the 157th 
Company Coast Artillery, U. S. A., located at 
the signal station at Nahant for shooting an 
eagle, the bird emb’ematical of United States 
sovereignty. The bird was a young specimen 
of the bald eagle and is being cared for by the 
deputy and apparently on the way to recovering 
from its wounds. Judge Wilson, of Nahant, im¬ 
posed a fine of $20 on the corporal. 
H. H. Kimball. 
Aliens Punished. 
New Orleans, La., May 26. —Editor Forest 
and Stream: During the past week three Italians 
were fined $25 each for hunting during the 
closed season, and also hunting without a license. 
The Game Commission made the charges and 
the three men pleaded guilty before one of the 
city recorders. The defendants, it was c’aimed, 
were not naturalized citizens of the United 
States. F. G. G. 
New Publications. 
Life History and Habits of the Salmon, Sea 
Trout and Other Freshwater Fish, by P. 
D. Malloch. Cloth, quarto, 264 pages, illus¬ 
trated from photographs, $3.50 net. New 
York, the Macmillan Company. 
With all the safeguards that are thrown 
around the salmon in British waters, the loss, 
according to Mr. Malloch, is appalling. Illegal 
fishing, water pollution and natural enemies are 
the causes. In the Tay district alone he esti¬ 
mates the number of immature fish taken by ang¬ 
lers at 157,000 for six months. 
An interesting record was obtained through the 
marking of salmon and the recording of their 
scale growth. Out of over 1,000 salmon exam¬ 
ined in February, all save about 10 per cent., 
which had spawned, were five years old, with 
an average weight of 20 pounds, but one of 
them weighed 381-2 pounds. Another five-year- 
old salmon, weighing 35 pounds when taken in 
1908, was marked as a smolt in 1905, when its 
weight was i t /2 ounces. It had been in the sea 
nearly three years and had not spawned. As 
a result of marking, Mr. Malloch says he is con¬ 
vinced that many salmon of 40 pounds and up¬ 
ward are on their first return from the sea when 
captured. Aside from the marking of the dorsal 
fin with wire, the rings on the scales are counted, 
and these, it is claimed, give accurate records. 
