Marcu 31, 1906.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
595 

canvasback, ruddy duck, woodduck, sprig-tail, 
shovel bill, and all fresh-water birds should be 
protected everywhere, north, south, east, or 
west. 
One of the worst features of the present bill 
is the entire shooting is at a time when many 
of the birds are young and verdant. Any chump 
can kill birds in the fall, if there are any to kill. 
Five birds can be killed at that season to’ one 
in the spring. The season should not open on 
fresh or brackish water birds until Nov. 1; it is 
now Oct. I, and only four days in the week 
should be allowed then, leaving Wednesdays, 
Saturdays and Sundays as rest days. Continue 
this open season until April 1. You can readily 
see what proportion of shooting you would get 
under ordinary circumstances. You are now 
getting three months’ shooting with Sundays 
out—in some places; you would get about the 
same number of days, with five months’ shoot- 
ing, rest days and Sundays out, and the greater 
part of the season birds would be more capable 
of caring for themselves. 
I have lain in a battery in Shinnecock Bay 
from sunrise until sundown the first week in 
April, and hundreds of broadbills, by ones, 
twos and threes, tried to come to my de- 
coys, but not one came near enough to get. 
In the fall, with the same number of birds at- 
tempting to come, I could have killed a hundred. 
It is so with all fowl, with one or two exceptions, 
as any one will tell you. I would rather have 
the opinions as to proper methods of procedure 
for the protection of waterfowl, from our old 
baymen than all the information of the State 
Legislature for the last twenty-five years. He 
may not know the scientific name for a blue 
peter, but he would know if you wanted to pro- 
tect him you would not have the open season 
in October. 
The greatest disturber of waterfowl upon 
Long Island waters to-day is the motorboat. 
The continual pop-i-ty pop has the same effect 
upon waterfowl that a horse fiddle has upon 
a herd of horses. They are scared to death before 
they can even see it. Every cove, stream and 
landing is filled with these boats, which at day- 
light, or before, are going over the feeding 
grounds of our birds, routing them out and 
forcing them to quieter retreats, no matter how 
attractive the feeding grounds may be. Their 
only refuge is now the ocean by day, and the 
bays at night, when traffic is suspended. 
I am well satisfied that the bird conditions on 
Long Island are not at all understood by inland 
people, and that the real feeling of Suffolk 
county people is not known. Hard names and 
immoderate language have been used, and these 
have not helped the matter, as before said. It 
is the smarting under injustice which is the true 
reason for the opposition to the existing law 
Let us hope that a more thorough understand- 
ing may be brought about, which will result in 
benefit to all. SUFFOLK CouUNTY. 
\ 
Note on Reeve’s Pheasant. 
A FEW weeks ago we had something to say 
about the extraordinary and very beautiful 
Reeve’s pheasant, and we then quoted Mr. J. G. 
Millais’ comments on the sportsman-like quali- 
ties of this bird. One thing that he said should 
have been added. 
“In conclusion, I should like to make one obser- 
vation on the flight of Reeve’s pheasant which 
I have never seen touched on before, and which 
is both interesting and remarkable. Reeve’s 
pheasant has the power to stop suddenly when 
traveling at its full speed, which may be esti- 
mated at nearly double that of the ordinary pheas- 
ant; and this is performed by an extraordinary 
movement when the bird makes up its mind to 
alight on some high tree that has taken its fancy. 
This bird may be said to be furnished with a 
‘Westinghouse brake’ in the shape of its tail, 
otherwise the feat would be impossible. By a 
sudden and complete turn of the body, both 
the expanded wings and tail are presented as a 
resistance to the air, and the position of the bird 
is reversed. This acts as an immediate buffer 
and brake, and by this means the bird is enabled 
to drop head downward into the tree within the 

REEVES PHEASANT IN THE ACT OF STOPPING. 
short space of eight or ten yards. This is such 
a very remarkable movement, and one which of 
necessity requires some illustrative explanation, 
that I send you herewith a sketch of it, which 
may be of interest.” 
This picture, which is here reproduced, gives a 
most effective illustration of the act which Mr. 
Millais describes. 
Reeve’s pheasant has been bred quite success- 
fully in Britain, but can hardly yet be called a 
bird for general sport. 
Game in Kansas. 
TorEeKA, Kan.—For the first time within my 
recollection this winter has been so open that 
wild ducks by thousands have wintered in this 
section. As many thousand acres of corn land 
were flooded to a depth of one to two feet last 
November, and the land owners, because of Sun- 
day shooting, posted their farms against all 
hunting at any time, the wild ducks have found 
the Kaw River bottoms an ideal paradise, and 
the regions south have had no attractions to draw 
them from the fields of Kansas. The only chance 
sportsmen have had to now and then. get a corn- 
fed duck has been the stragglers that used the 
water in the river. 
The game law enacted in 1905 that made the 
sale of game illegal, has stopped the market hunt- 
ing and spring shooting, and without doubt many 
of the ducks that have wintered here, will breed 
and nest in and about the sloughs and ponds of 
the preserved farms, and in this manner helping 
delay the wildfowl extermination. 
Spring is here, the grass and buds are starting 
and these warm, sunny days have started the 
anglers to looking over tackle and making 
preparations for future fishing trips. W. F. R. 
BATTLE CREEK, Mich.—I wish to congratulate 
you on the change in the form of Forest AND 
StrEAM. It makes the paper so much more con- 
venient to handle and in a better shape for bind- 
ing. I wish that you would give us more natural 
history news. The interest in nature study is 
growing so fast out here in the West that it now 
equals the interest in hunting and fishing. 
Cuas, E. Barnes, President Nature Club, 
