January, 1918 
FOREST AND STREAM 
29 
work is constantly assuming greater proportions, and in¬ 
formation recently received from Washington shows that 
during the fiscal year which ended June 30, there were 
killed and secured by the Biological Survey 556 wolves, 
107 mountain lions, 3,053 bobcats and lynxes and 22,342 
coyotes. Besides that, there were killed by poison and 
in other ways, many other injurious animals, among them 
some cattle killing bears. 
This work is carried on by parties of energetic young 
men scattered over the western country. These young 
men take a keen interest in their work, and are ambi¬ 
tious to do it in the most effective way possible. Of 
these young men and of the man in charge of this serv¬ 
ice—Dr. A. K. Fisher, the ornithologist—it may be said 
that on the plains and among the mountains of the west 
they are doing as good work for their country as if they 
were serving in the trenches at the front. 
MODERN MUSKETEERS 
Y the time these words are in print, our student 
aviators in the various “ground schools” will be 
burning up more than a million shotgun shells a month 
in a persistent effort to exterminate a horde of elusive 
“blue rocks,” and as they will be coached in this work 
by civilian instructors chosen from among the country’s 
best trapshooters, the chances are good for making thou¬ 
sands of new wing shots who will go after big game in 
the air. When the embryo airman has become proficient 
in breaking the “clays” he will be introduced to the .22 
rifle, loaded with “spot light” bullets. These little missiles 
raise a star of light upon impact and make scoring 
against moving targets easy and automatic. Upon com¬ 
pleting the .22 course, the student returns to the shotgun, 
until he takes up the actual firing with a machine gun 
from a battle plane; first at objects on the ground and 
later at captive balloons. Thus is Uncle Sam teaching 
our boys the art of judging speed, time and distance, so 
as to be able to bring down the Teuton war birds. 
’ In commenting upon this new activity one of our best 
ballisticians, Steven Trask, took occasion to remark that 
the course is “the result of a hitherto unusual and pecu¬ 
liar condition—shooting from a moving platform at a 
moving target.” Our bluejackets have been doing ex¬ 
actly that for several generations and while we unquali¬ 
fiedly endorse the new basic course of wing shooting, it 
might also be well to call in some old navy men to help 
out with the final periods of instruction. That is the 
method now used in England where the aviators practice 
from the deck of a fast motor boat at a target being 
towed swiftly in another direction. When this practice 
is conducted on rough water the conditions leave noth¬ 
ing to the imagination. The man who can “score” then 
is fit to try conclusions up above. And we hope our 
boys will not be denied the benefit of doing a trick with 
the mosquito fleet. 
All of which reminds us that General Pershing needs 
good riflemen down in the trenches—he said so himself— 
and if the trapshooters can help in the aviation schools, 
isn’t it very near time our expert rifle shots were put to 
work training the new National Army ? 
GUNNING BEFORE SUNRISE 
HERE has arisen considerable misconception, in re¬ 
gard to the Migratory Bird laws recently enacted, 
which careful study of the wording of the regulations 
will dissipate. According to the amendments of the 
Migratory Bird Regulations, promulgated by the Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture, one of the changes permits migra¬ 
tory birds to be gunned from half an hour before sun¬ 
rise to sunset, during the open season, subject, however. 
to the provisions of state laws restricting shooting during 
that time. In other words, if the New York law forbids 
the shooting of ducks before sunrise, that law will remain 
unchanged by the regulations issued by the Department. 
A clause of the regulations issued says: “In response 
to numerous inquiries, the Department announces that 
the Migratory Bird Regulations are not to be construed 
to authorize the hunting of migratory birds at a time 
when it is unlawful to hunt them under state laws.” 
In other words, the Federal regulations may draw 
protective lines closer about migratory birds, but cannot 
give any permission to destroy them as against state laws. 
There should, therefore, be no conflict between state and 
national laws. 
UNEXPECTED RICOCHETS 
HE rifle range is no place for the dandy and the car¬ 
pet knight. Golf, tennis and trapshooting can be 
followed without injuring the color and contour of one’s 
clothes, but operating the military rifle is a different 
matter. One day a distressed and disheveled gentleman 
in a newly soiled golf suit inspected the gun grease on 
his hands and voiced this plaintive inquiry: “Pardon 
me, but have you running water here?” 
“Sure,” replied the Range Officer, “just grab that 
bucket and run up to the well and get some.” 
Gun cleaning is about the only work riflemen do after 
dark and the old timers usually perform this important 
yet unromantic task while they discuss the events of the 
day, seated about the fireplace. During a pause in the 
conversation a visiting Britisher sought some expert ad¬ 
vice. “I say,” he remarked, “could you tell me the 
proper thing to wear on the range? I just cawn’t decide 
whether to have my new shooting kit made up of mole¬ 
skin or whipcord. Tell me, what would you advise?” 
The old Sergeant-Instructor thoughtfully wiped off 
his cleaning rod and reached for a clean patch. “Well, 
we use mostly what we’ve got, and generally find overalls 
plenty good enough.” 
RABBITS AS A FOOD SUPPLY 
ABBIT growing enterprises are reported from va¬ 
rious parts of the country, the animals being raised 
both for fur and meat. A California company is to 
establish a large fur-rabbit farm and pack the meat as 
tinned potted hare. Business men of Hamilton, Canada, 
have taken over a rabbit farm and will raise the Siberian 
rabbit for fur and meat.. It sometimes reaches a weight 
of 14 pounds, is black in color, grows very quickly and 
one doe will produce about 100 young in 8 months. The 
meat can be produced at 5 cents a pound, and it is said 
the hams when corned and smoked will compare well 
with German goose hams. So here opens possibilities of 
a comparatively new, cheap and palatable meat supply 
—welcome, indeed in these days. 
LONG RANGE GUNS 
LL the negroes here seem to know that the world’s 
war caused the high price of cotton, that has filled 
their pockets full of money and is riding them in Ford 
cars, and it is quite amusing to hear them discuss the 
goods and bads of those that are engaged in the terrific 
conflict, writes W. E. Davidson, of the Mississippi Game 
Commission. One negro claimed that the French guns 
would kill at fifteen miles, another claimed that the 
English had them that would kill at twenty-five miles 
and the third one engaged in this discussion said that 
that was nothing at all, that Uncle Sam had guns that 
all he wanted was your address. 
