FOREST AND STREAM. 































DeEvorTED TO FIELD AND AQUATIC SPoRTS, PRACTICAL NATURAL Hisvory, 
Fish CULTURE, THE PROTECTION OF GAME, PRESRYATION OF Forests, 
AND THF INCULCATION IN MEN AND WOMEN OF A HEALTHY INTERFST 
IN Ovu7-* )oR RECREATION AND STUDY: 
PUBLISHED BY 
Forest and Stream Publishing Company, 
103 FULTON STREET, NEW YORK. 
women eS 
Terms, Five Dollars a Year, Strictly in Advance. 
AS 
A discount of twenty percent. for five copies and upwards. Any person 
sending us two subscriptions and Ten Dollars will receive a copy of 
Hallock’s ‘‘ Fisnine Tourist,’ postage free. 
ae 
Advertising Rates. 
In regular advertising columns, nonpareil type, 12lines to the inch, 25 
cents per line, Advertisements on outside page, 40 cents per line. Reading 
notices, 50 cents per line. Advertisements in double column 25 per cent. 
extra. 
10 per cent. will be made; over three months, 20 per cent; over six 
months, 30 per cent. 
——$_$$__$_$_$$$ 
NEW YORK, THURSDAY, OCT. 30, 1873. 
To Correspondents. 
ee es 



All communications whatever, whether relating to business or literary 
correspondence, must be addressed to THE Forest AND STREAM PuB- 
LISHING CoMPANY. Personal letters only, to the Manager. 
All communications intended for publication must be accompanied with 
real name, as a guaranty of good faith. Names will not be published if 
objection be made. No anonymous contributions will be regarded. 
Articles relating to any topic within the scope of this paper are solicited. 
We cannot promise to return rejected manuscripts. 
Ladies are especially invited to use our columns, which will be pre- 
pared witr .areful reference to their perusal and instruction. 
Secretaries of Clubs and Associations are urged to favor us with brief 
notes of their movements and transactions, as it is the aim of this paper 
become a medium of useful and reliable information between gentle- 
men sportsmen from one end of the country to the other; and they will 
find our columns a desirable medium for advertising announcements. 
The Publishers of Forest AND STREAM aim to merit and secure the 
patronage and countenance of that portion of the community whose re- 
fined intelligence enables them to properly appreciate and enjoy all that 
is beautiful in Nature. It will pander to no depraved tastes, nor pervert 
the legitimate sports of land and water to those base uses which always 
iend to make them unpopular with the virtuous and good. No advertise- 
ment or business notice of an immoral character will be received on any 
terms ; and nothing will be admitted to any department of the paper that 
may not be read with propriety in the home circle. 
We cannot be responsible for the dereliction of the mail service, if 
money remitted to us is lost. 
This paper sent gratuitously to all contributors. 
Advertisements should be sent in by Saturday of each week, if possible. 
CHARLES HALLOCK, 
Managing Editor. 


Calendar of Events for the Current Week. 
——_4—__—— 
Fripay, October 31st.—Trotting. White Plains, Westchester, N. Y..... 
Macon Fair, Georgia... .: Richmond Fair, Virginia....Eutaw Fair, West 
Alabama....Roanoke and Tar Rivers, Weldon, N. C. 
SaturDAY, November 1st.—Boat Clubs, foot 133d street....Foot ball, 
Princeton vs. Yale, New Haven....Trotting, White Plains, Westchester 
county, N. Y. : 
TuEspAy, November 4th..... Columbia Fair, 8. C.....Aurora Fair. 
South Eastern Indiana. 
WepnespAy, November 5th.—Foot ball, Princeton vs. Rutgers, New 
Brunswick, New Jersey. 


ROMANCE AND SCIENCE. 
eter eres 
ERHAPS modern romance writing is more indebted to 
Oliver Wendell Holmes than to any other author, for 
the introduction of scientific matter in its midst. Balzac, 
the greatest novelist the world has ever produced, whose 
comprehensive brain held all subjects, rather generalized 
science than otherwise in his romances, a notable instance 
of which may be found in his “‘Pean de Chagrin.” Dr. 
Holmes, however, draws his similies from chemistry, nat- 
ural philosophy and physiology with such delicacy and 
neatness as to add immensely to the interest of his books. 
It may be said of this admirable author that illustrations 
taken by him from science, are something like Thackeray’s 
French quotations—they are never out of place. The ad- 
vance sheets of the admirable romance, fraught with scenes 
of startling horror, when the primeval Alfred Augustus 
fights with the Megasaurus, and from his gaping jaws res- 
cues the primitive Angelica, are, we suppose, to-day in the 
hands of the publishers. 
French romance writers are exerting their skill this way, 
and nature’s secrets are getting dressed up for exhibition like 
actors, with no end of rouge, frippery, artificial flowers 
and spangles. 
Perhaps the time may yet come when the dime novel, 
with its atrocities, may be rendered yet more horrible by 
paleontological effects, and servant girls when they buy 
the ‘‘Penny Dreadfuls,” may shed tears over the struggles 
for life of some hero and heroine of the lacustrine era. 
How far true scientists like this rather promiscuous 
handling of their sacred subjects is quite a question. ‘‘Pop- 
ularize science” is the cry. All the world is shouting it. 
But perhaps, though wise men may ‘‘hark on,” they may 
be fearful that the dogs are on a false scent, leading to 
very little. 
Nature, ina poem called ‘Molecular Evolution,” (quite 
a touching production, by the way) has these lines, which 
seem pertinent as to what the present romantico-scientific 
period may lead us to:— 
“Yield, then, ye rules of rigid reason! 
Dissolve, thou too, too solid sense! 
Melt into nonsense for a season, 
Then in some higher form condense.” 

















Where advertisements are inserted over 1 month, a discount of 
HAIR TRIGGERS AND RESTS. 
a= ee 
\ K JE have received from numerous correspondents a 
series of questions in regard to rifle shooting at Creed- 
moor, and various is the character of the information asked 
of us. As a sample of such inquiries, we have taken a 
letter received from a prominent gentlemen in Mobile, as 
embodying some of the principal queries. Our correé- 
pondent writes: 
“I sce your accounts of target practice that three and six pounds pull 
on the trigger is still insisted on at Creedmoor. Is not this unnecessary, 
since the introduction of the breech loading target and army rifles? I 
know from experience that in the army a “‘hard” trigger had to be used 
for safety with the muzzle loading musket, when it was frequentiy ne- 
cessary to carry the arms loaded day and night, but now that an army gun 
need not be loaded until the enemy is in sight, or until the marksman 
takes his place at the shooting stand, a one pound or even half pound 
pull on the trigger seems tome to be ample. Should the New York State 
militia take the lead in this the army will followin a few years. As it 
is now, a soldier has a poor show opposed to an adversary armed with a 
hair trigger rifle.” 
The same correspondent, in a later letter, says: 
“In Mobile and New Orleans rifle clubs hair triggers are always used. 
A man must not cap a muzzle loader, or load a breech loader until taking 
his place at the stand.” : 
Our correspondent’s letter is not wanting in acumen, 
and is worthy of a full explanation. In regard to the pull 
of three and six pounds required on the trigger at rifle 
ranges, questions of this character, though appertaining 
rather to the ordnance department, enter somewhat with- 
in our province. The primary object in the formation of 
any rifle range, whether at Wimbledon, Hythe or Creed- 
moor, is to engender more fully proper military spirit; to 
relieve, as it were, the dull monotony of the drill; to make 
the citizen-soldier have something to think about, and by 
affording him a thorough acquaintance with his rifle, to 
give him greater reliance. We donot think it at all dere- 
lict to the noble fraternity of sportsmen to which we he- 
long, to state that the interests of the huntsman are cer- 
tainly secondary to that of the soldier, at Creedmoor or any 
other national ranges. A proficient marksman as a soldier, 
would be of course an excellent shot when using his rifle 
for game. 
War experience has shown that any rifle or musket, no 
matter whether it be muzzle or breech loader, when carried 
by an army would be terribly unsafe, unless there was a 
certain definite limit, and that rather leaning on the side of 
hardness of pull on the trigger. The general pull of an 
army gun, as for instance the old Springfield and Enfield, 
was from fifteen to twenty pounds. The decision arrived 
at, of aminimum pull of six pounds, is one that has not 
been hastily determined, but is the result of long experience. 
A very simple test of the safety of a gun, is to take one of 
an average weight, say of ten pounds, either a military or a 
sporting arm, to load it, and to drop the but on the ground. 
If the sear spring is made of less restraining power than 
three pounds, the arm will go off by the shock, the spring 
being unclosed. Three pounds trigger pull, though it might 
do for a sporting rifle, would be impossible for a military 
gun, liable as it is at all times to accidental concussions. 
Of course all our military and sporting readers know this, 
as does our able correspondent. 
As to the comparative safety in using muzzle and breech 
loaders, the advantage on the part of the breech loaders is 
immense, as they need not be loaded until wanted; after 
that period, however, when charged, both the breech and 
muzzle loading guns are about the same as to liability to 
premature discharges. It is impossible to prevent men 
from loading guns out of scason, no matter how con- 
structed, and though the facility with which a breech 
loader can have the cartridge removed is one of the strong- 
est points in its favor, it is a question having to do entirely 
with the man and not with the gun. 
Accuracy of fire with the rifle is undoubtedly gained by’ 
means of hair triggers, and also by permanent rests, some 
of our inquiries being particularly directed toward this 
latter subject. When both hair triggers and rests can be 
combined, no doubt extraordinary shooting is the result. 
But practically, for actual service, it is not of avail. There 
cannot be an army of sharpshooters, with hair triggers, 
each one having a fixed rest. The fixed rest was part and 
parcel of the old musqueton, when a match was used, the 
rest being called the fork, and hair triggers are of the mid- 
dle of the last century, and they have not; been found of 
service but in exceptional cases. The time requisite to set 
first the main trigger and then the hair spring catch occupies 
a certain period, and a convenient rest is not often avail- 
able. Army officers used fixed permanent rests every day 
in order to test the accuracy of any special arm, and a 
properly made arm thus secured ought to send a succession 
of balls all to the same spot. The use of hair spring guns 
will not we think show on an average much better shoot- 
ing than that of practical simple trigger shooting. Then 
again, aman who could shoot well with a gun having a 
three or a six pound pull could undoubtedly use a hair trig- 
ger with great effect, while per contra, the hair spring rifle- 
man would shoot quite wild with an ordinary rifle. 
We do not mean to cast the least imputation of diletan- 
tism on the advocates of hairsprings. We have frequently 
used them ourselves, and have seen amazing strings made, 
but it is neither practical, military, nor sportsman’s shoot- 
ing; not because ordnance officers do not endorse them for 
soldiers’ use, but because ninety-nine times in a hundred, 
either on the battle-field, or inthe forest, hair springs would 
be out of order, or circumstances would not allow of their 
being used. When the term ‘‘any position” is used for 
rifle shooting at Creedmoor for distances over 200 yards, it 
; means that a rest can be used, but such rest does not allow 




of any other than the natural one, such as of the elbow on 
the ground, or of the rifle laid across the thigh of the 
shooter. 
There is quite a common error conveyed to scme in re- 
gard to a three or six pound pull, which gives the idea that 
the pull on a trigger is something like the pull on a horse’s 
mouth. The trigger pull isa most gradual one, requiring 
little effort, and the knack and skillis to make the pull 
cumulative, to commence with the slighest pressure on the 
trigger and to bring it up to its maximum, when the target 
and sights are together. The acme of art then is to know 
exactly when your gun is going off. As was remarked by 
the best Canadian shot at Creedmoor: “If I only knew 
precisely when my gun was going off, I would win every 
match in the world.” Now the advocates of the hair trig- 
ger may assert that thisis exactly the excellence they claim 
for this delicate gun mechanism. We are inclined to as- 
sert that a hair trigger piece goes off much more frequently 
when you do not expect it, than an ordinary coarser trigger 
piece. As to the question of certain sights being barred at 
Wimbledon, we believe there is to be greater license allowed 
at Creedmoor for certain matches. In fact, we can see no 
reason if a sight be invented, no matter how complicated 
it may be, if it will give greater accuracy of aim, allowing 
us better facility of sighting, why we should not have it. 
The objection raised to hair triggers or fixed rests is of a 
different character. It seems to us that sights, no matter 
of what kind, can by no means interfere with that steadi- 
ness of aim or the command over the nerves which a rifle 
range teaches. Of course for a military gun, complicated 
sights would be impossible from their delicacy of construc- 
tion. That there are improvements to be made in sights is 
quite probable, and many ingenious men are to-day devo- 
ting their attention to this subject. 
Questions of cartridges have also been frequently put to 
us. It is getting to be to-day, many suppose, not so much a 
question of guns, sights, or grooves in a rifle, as that of 
properly made ammunition. The best arm in the world 
may be worthless when charged with a carelessly prepared 
cartridge. Even a match may be lost by the best of shots 
because the cartridges used by him are not fresh, but have 
been manufactured for a year or more. It is certain that 
the packing of powder in a cartridge case, and the powder 
remaining in this condition for a certain period, not exact- 
ly determined, has a tendency to cake the powder and to 
diminish its explosive power. The fact of balls falling 
short at long ranges is frequently attributed to inferior 
powder, when the fault lies in the cartridge, which when 
first made was excellent, but has deteriorated in time from 
some molecular or chemical change in the powder. We 
are by no means prepared to assert that this is always the 
case; but for careful shooting, when a single point is to be 
gained in a score, the prudent marksman should be perfect- _ 
ly acquainted with the character of the cartridge he uses. 
The subject of hardened balls of rifle grooving have all 
been put to us, which in time we will answer fully in our 
columns. 
Questions relating to Creedmoor, coming from all sec- 
tions of the Union, show the interest taken in rifle shoot- 
ing, and in our correspondence we find many sensible sug- 
gestions, which are not only worthy of the attention of our 
rifle makers, but of consideration by the National Rifle As- 
sociation, 
Perhaps the name of the association will convey to many 
the best idea of itsaim and purpose,and that is that it must 
be thoroughly national. Though hair-trigger shooting may 
be national in Switzerland it is not the case in the United 
States, and between a rifle club, where perhaps a few hun- 
dred gentlemen may practice at their leisure, and C.eed- 
moor, where thousands of the National Guards, and rifle- 
men from all parts of the world will use the range, there is 
a vast difference. 
At Creedmoor and other ranges changes are taking place 
every day. Like everything else, where theory and practiee 
go handin hand, increased skill in rifle shooting has been 
the result, due not only to improved arms, but to individual 
proficiency. In England they are talking of decreasing the 
sizes of the targets, so as to increase the difficulties and to 
make even more skillful marksmen, and very certainly it 
must result in bringing forward better guns and better 
men 
- re 0 pe 
CENTRAL PARK MENAGERIE. 
pa eee 
MR. CONKLIN’S REPORT. 
ENDO SL 
R. Conklin’s report of the Central Park Menagerie 
shows that the collection of animals, birds, reptiles, 
&c., confided to the director’s care, is in excellent condition. 
If the Z ological collection is secondary to the Park it- 
self, it having been we think but a later idea to add the 
show of animals to New York’s pleasure garden, neverthe- 
less with the means at the disposal of the Park Commission- 
ers the results attained have been entirely satisfactory. 
Though the collection is as yet somewhat limited, and it 
might be desirable and by no means impossible to have re- 
presented at the Central Park Menagerie, if not all, at least 
the major part of our native animals and birds, what there 
is at the Park to-day, may be considered as an excellent 
nucleus, around which doubtless other specimens will be 
shortly added. 
Peisonal inspection has convinced us of the care and 
judgment Mr. Conklin has exercised; the best proof of 
which is shown by the healthy condition of the animals 
and the number of births which have taken place in the 
Park collection, That wild animals can be acclimatized 
and propagated to a certain extent in well organized Zoo- 




