424 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[MarcH 17, 1906. 

or illegal, do not all such leases come under that 
order, and is it not spoliation in its worst form 
for the present Minister to take advantage of the 
illegal act of his predecessors, to deprive the 
Crown’s grantees of their rights? I do not de- 
sire to say anything harsh, but I feel I am quite 
within my rights in saying that the Minister who 
does so is not too careful of the honor of the 
Crown he represents, or the dignity of the high 
position he occupies. Let us hope that his col- 
leagues in the Government may not agree with 
his views. 
I am not familiar with the laws of Quebec, but 
in every other Province of the Dominion a mis- 
take in fact can be cured, and money paid there- 
under can be recovered back, but a mistake in law 
cannot. The law may be different in Quebec, but 
the eternal principles of right and justice are the 
same among all civilized people. 
Let me in conclusion ask the Hon. Minister 
why, if he is so certain of his legal position, that 
on 21] leases now being renewed he inserts a 
clause making them subject to the imposition of 
this license fee? One so positive in his statement 
of the law would hardly weaken his position by 
inserting a provision so utterly unnecessary. 
Wo. R. WHITE. 
Indians Are Poor Shots. 
DuRING a residence of many years among 
four different tribes of Indians, I found, with 
very few exceptions, they were poor shots, 
either with the gun or rifle. 
When one considers that from young boy- 
hood they have been in the habit of using a gun 
almost daily, and their very living depends, in 
a great manner, on accurate shooting, their 
poor marksmanship is to be wondered at, never- 
theless such is the case. A good wing shot is 
a rarity among the Indians. 
The Montagnais of the Labrador and North 
Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, are no ex- 
ception, and this in a country where most of 
the wildfowl are killed flying. It is admitted 
they kill wild geese’and ducks while on their 
passage north and south, but this is only possi- 
ble from the immense numbers of birds and a 
lavish expenditure of ammunition. 
It is a common thing for an Indian getting 
his spring outfit to go among the islands to 
take from the trader one hundred pounds of 
shot, a keg of twenty-five pounds of powder 
and two thousand five hundred percussion caps 
(they use muzzleloaders). They always take 
about 20 per cent. more caps than are necessary 
to fire the powder, as they explain, to make up 
for what they drop. 
The Indians are very partial to loon; but, as a 
rule, it is the most expensive food they eat. A 
great number alight on Lake Ka-ke-bon-ga on 
their way north in the spring. This happens 
about the time the Indians arrive at the Post 
to trade their winter catch of furs. 
When a poor unfortunate loon would settle 
on the lake it was the signal for ten or twenty 
canoes to put off and shoot or drown him to 
death. Far more frequently, I fancy, the poor 
bird expired from want or air than weight 
of shot. 
To watch these loon hunts from the gallery 
of our house was picturesque in the extreme, 
the canoes going, some in one direction as fast 
as the paddlers could drive them, and then all 
of a sudden the cry would ascend that the loon 
had broken water in quite the opposite place 
from where they were confident he would. Then 
in a moment, the canoes would be whirled about 
like tops, and off again in the new direction, 
possibly to again find they are at fault. 
The wonder to me was there were no casual- 
ties, as almost incessant firing was kept up, with 
canoes going in several directions at once, and 
all on the same level; and when the loon would 
emerge, bang! would go several guns, regard- 
less where pointed, in the excitement. 
I call to memory one day in particular. At 
the call of “loon!” I took a seat on the gallery, 
with the fixed resolve to count how many shots 
would be fired, and this is the result of my tab. 
Twelve canoes put off from the camps, four 
hours consumed in the killing, and ninety-six 
shots were fired. 
This happened nearly forty years ago, when 
powder sold, at that inland post, at a dollar a 
pound; shot, thirty-three cents, and gun caps at 
half a cent each, so the reader can readily see 
that loon meat, under that way of hunting, was 
expensive. 
We read of and are told about the great 
slaughter the Indians used to make among the 
buffalo in the good old days; but this success 
was not to be attributed to their good marks- 
manship, because they killed these noble beasts 
with their guns almost “boute touchant.” 
One thing about their mode of loading and 
firing might be interesting to readers of the 
present day, inasmuch as a generation has been 
born and has grown up since the last buffalo 
roamed the plains. 
The Indians and half-breeds who went on 
these periodical round-ups were armed with 
and preferred the old nor’west muzzleloading 
flint-lock. ‘They could load and fire with such 
rapidity that one would almost fancy they car- 
ried a repeating gun. Suspended under their 
right arm by a deer thong, was a common 
cow’s horn of powder, and in a pouch at their 
belt a handful or two of bullets. 
As the horse galloped up to the herd, the 
Indian would pour a charge of powder into his 
left hand, transfer it into the barrel of the 
gun, give the butt a pound on the saddle, and 
out of his mouth drop on top a bullet. As the 
lead rolled down the barrel it carried in its 
wet state particles of powder that stuck on the 
sides, and settled on top of the powder charge. 
No rod or ramming was used. 
The gun was carried muzzle up, resting on the 
hollow of left arm until such time as the In- 
dian desired to fire. The quarry being so close 
no aim was required. On deflecting the barrel 
the trigger was pulled before the ball had time 
to roll clear of the powder. 
The Indians saw that their buffalo guns had 
very large touch-holes, thereby assuring the pan 
being primed. When all the balls were fired a 
few others were chucked into the mouth, and 
merrily went the game. 
No! The Indians are not good shots. 
Martin HUNTER. 
Long Island Duck Shooting. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Your editorial note on wildfowl is in good 
time. The shooting season has closed, and the 
open season-for bad legislation is at hand. Will 
you permit me to restate the situation on spring 
shooting in New York? The present law pro- 
hibiting spring shooting was passed in 1903. 
To pass it every protective force in the State 
was enlisted, and every condition, interest and 
desire were given the fullest hearings and con- 
sideration by the Legislature. At least 90 per 
cent. of the members of the Senate and Assem- 
bly were then personally inclined to favor the 
reform. Still its passage was, up to the last 
moment, in doubt, owing to the opposition of 
Suffolk county. Her Senator and Assembly- 
man devoted the winter to opposition through 
personal appeals, and largely on _ personal 
grounds. 
Why this opposition of Suffolk? Solely the 
profit from visiting sportsmen and from the 
sale of birds. This activity of Suffolk did not 
end with the passage of the bill. All during the 
session of 1904, 1905 and 1906, the same cam- 
paign is being waged, and personal appeals made 
to every member of the Legislature to modify 
the law out of favor to the Suffolk members. 
If it were not both wrong and fatal to the public 
interests involved, I should be affected by this 
never-ending solicitation. 
The only danger lies in a dormant public 
opinion. Preservation of bird life is no longer a 
subject for debate, but for action. The action 
is too often halting, and as debate has ceased, 
the good-natured yielding of thoughtless and 
uninformed officials is the sheet anchor of the 
Suffolk men. There is no money in hand in 
keeping the present law intact. It is nothing 
but a sentiment—and only a higher sentiment 
at that—from the average point of view. The 
broader business interest is left unnoticed. 
Only the immediate business interest in Suffolk 
is considered. 
Conscious of saying old things to the point of 
boredom, I must yet call attention to some of 
the main reasons why the law should not be dis- 
turbed. 
First—It is prodigal waste to kill fowl as the 
nesting season approaches, or to prolong an 
open season above two months. 
Second—Great South Bay is one of the three 
natural game refuges of wildfowl in winter on 
the Atlantic Coast, the other two being Chesa- 
peake and Currituck. What an absurdity to 
extend the season in a ‘refuge,’ and keep it 
closed in the rest of the State. 
Third—The extension of anti-spring shooting 
laws is notable throughout North America. It 
has prevailed in the Provinces of Quebec and 
Ontario for years—the nesting grounds—and 
extends throughout New England, except Con- 
necticut. 
Fourth—Local breeding of a number of vari- 
eties of duck has noticeably increased since 
spring shooting ceased. Connecticut and New 
Jersey could not be fairly asked to take this 
step unless New York did. For them to sit idly 
by while the birds were slaughtered in spring in 
Great South Bay would be a trifle more than 
could be expected of human nature. 
Allowing for the slowness of legislatures, and 
the constant movement from Suffolk for a re- 
peal, delay up to the present time in those 
States may not indicate undue backwardness. 
As New York possesses this great refuge, and 
Connecticut and New Jersey represent only a 
sort of overflow, they are entitled to know that 
we have sufficiently realized how our interests 
are united with sound principles before they 
make the fight against their pot-hunters to aid 
in the general movement. 
‘ Eton R. Brown. 
Marcu 6. 

In Western Pennsylvania. 
SayReE, Pa.—Many of the visible manifestations 
of spring are to be seen in the course of a 
walk about town, or better still, a long walk 
in the country. Robins, bluebirds, ground spar- 
rows and blackbirds have arrived. Wildfowl are 
moving northward in easy flight, and the clatter 
of the crow ashe circles about in quest of a 
choice morsel presages the advent, at a near 
date, of nature’s annual transformation. 
Game birds have wintered in splendid con- 
dition, owing to the mild weather which for 
the most part has prevailed in this section. For 
some unaccountable reason ruffed grouse were 
exceedingly scarce last season. From the, old 
covers, which for years have yielded a pretty 
generous supply of grouse, gunners came out 
confirming one another in the observation that 
grouse were very scarce. 
Reports following upon the close of the last 
hatching season were all to the effect that birds 
might be expected in plenty, but such prospects 
failed to make good. Indeed, the supply of all 
kinds of game may be described as limited for 
the season of 1905, with the possible exception, 
perhaps, of rabbits, and even in case of these 
prolific little beasts, the supply was exceedingly 
uneven, running large in some localities and 
dwindling to a mere remnant in others. Quail 
are hardly worth while considering in an esti- 
mate of the game resources of this part of 
Pennsylvania, although I am told that a few 
really nice bevies are quartering within a few 
miles of Sayre. The replenishing process, how- 
ever, proceeds slowly and under existing con- 
ditions must be measured as a matter of years. 
In addition to the natural enemies of the quail— 
of all birds, in fact—must be reckoned that in- 
trepid anl lawless forager, the Italian, to whom 
all is grist that comes to the hopper. Here, as 
elsewhere, he is over-running suburban districts 
eae crack of his blunderbuss echoes on every 
and. 
Fortunately, there are the local branches of 
the Audubon Society co-operating with game 
law officials and others for the suppression of 
violators of the statutes, and the effects of such 
united effort is being felt. 
