FOREST AND STREAM. 
204 




















when, falling on his hands and knees, he makes his further 
approaches slowly and cautiously. In the meantime he 
MATCH FOR THE AMATEUR RIFLE CLUB BADGE, NOVEMBER 1. 
Seven shots at 
Shoat Gun and Rifle. 
















° ' F Name. Arm. 500 yds Total. 
causes his well-trained dog, who should be of a reddish : ; P ; 25 
GAME IN SEASON FOR NOVEMBER. 8) ; qctert mann ahs eee Ne Ey ny ee sporting........ 33 4 443 ce 2 
color, to gambol before him, which heeffects by every now | $0 ie is settee peer rachon s exave 3 Pin are - : : : i c oe 2 
3 : ‘ Bodine -.2. ene ates sporting........ 2 
Moose Ayes Malehis) Caribou, Tarandus Rangifer.) and then throwing the animal a crumb of bread that it | 3° P. M. Richaras. Sharpes. ene 3343443— 24 
Eik or Wapiti, Cervus Tae), ae Deer, Ce Belrgreten catches in its mouth. The ducks, attracted by the antics a foes Res aa Gide pe med pay oe Ean 5 : 4 “ ? ‘ 3 2 
Ro hits, common Brown and Grey. quirrels, Re ack and Gray. : " pee eC letele\e fein pie = Areialnseiele 1 BEY sais simone 2: 7 
Wild Turkey. Maer ey. tA ani @ Virgintana) of the dog, gradually approach the strand, and thus the M3 ee. aie nae Beraingion sporting........ 434323 3— = 
Woodcock, Scolopar rusticola.) Parse ht Sea peEN man is often enabled to get sufficiently near them to fire | G@ WeYa Pelee inure) 282020. ate gine canes 
Nutted Grouse, Tetrao umbellus,) Pigeons, and all kindsof Wild Fow] it] a A . W. RB BNE oo soe ee sine 09 2 wenden eee ees 4434023—- 2 
with effect.” According to the accounts of the men in _ famarieon Be eS Remington Sporting’ seve 4 7; 9 é ‘ 2 ne 7 
Ris SD wept ; , ; 5 - Hamilton........ Sharpes: /\ccueneenne bee — 
| Under the head of “Game, and Fish in Season” we can only specyfy mn question it was from seeing the way in which the fox at | a. V. Canfield, Jr. Remington sporting........ 8023443— 19 
general terms the several varieties, because the laws of States vary so much | times secures his prey that they were induced to adopt the | ¥- M. Ballard........... Remington sporting........ 043038 7 
that were we to attempt to particularize we could do no less than publish 1 7: tf ‘ag ant Ta Ma Bruce,..j0-- ote Sharpe military............ 8080834 16 
tose entire sections that relate to the kinds ao game in question. This | P4an spoken of, for that cunning animal in the autumn re- ea Aer bie ee Re : ; . : ; 3— 2 
mould require a great amount of our space. In designating game we are | sorts to imi . re ov o ‘ 2 then Beeb WEN. ......2+5. emington sporting... -% 
guided by the laws of nature, upon which all legislation is founded, and eile @ einer ruse te gapenre young CK 22 * 5 G.Crouch............ 5: Sharpe.......... es 3008222- 12 
our readers would do well to provide themselves with the laws of their re- | PrOMenades near to the water’s edge, sometimes vaulting | A. Alford............... Remington... 000022 4— 8 
spective States for constant reference. Otherwise, our attempts to assist them 
{ t=” Wind variable in intensity, blowing from right to left. Clear. 
will only create confusion. | 
The three best scores, 25, 25, and 24, were made with the 
Remington rifle. Between Messrs. Omand and Wingate 
the shooting was very close; the outer on Mr. Wingate’s 
third round making him lose the match. Mr. Bodine’s 
score, 24, was a fine one, closing with three bull’s eyes. 
high in the air, and at others crawling on his belly, his 
brush meanwhile trailing along the ground. These mancu- 
vres of his so excite the curiosity and tickle the fancy of 
the ducklings that they gradually swim towards him, occa- 
sionally so near, itis said, as actually to seize hold of his tail 
with their bills; but they usually pay dear for their temer- 
wa eae 
—We learn that there is an extraordinary current of 
winter travel setting toward the semi-tropical resorts of the 
South. All our immediate friends and acquaintances are 
preparing for the journey, and many hotels report orders 
for board coming in rapidly. The same is true of Nassau 
and Bermuda. 
has had all its rooms engaged for some time, and are turn- 
ing away applications. In addition to the usual company 
of invalids and valetudinarians, a larger number of sports- 
men than usual will go to Florida during December and 
January. For the information of such, we print herewith 
a list of the game of Florida, which we have obtained with 
some little difficulty, and beg those sporting papers who 
prig from us every week, to give us the proper credit in 
this instance, if they copy. We have the scientific names 
and classification of the varieties mentioned, so that there 
can be no doubt of our perfect accuracy here. 
Animals.—Panther, common in all the unsettled parts of 
the State, lynx, abundant and do; gray wolf, some nearly 
black, not common; grey fox, common; raccoon, very 
abundant; common bear do; red deer abundant but very 
small; southern fox squirrel, abundant, confined to pine 
woods, afford fine sport; gray squirrel, very abundant and 
very tame; gray rabbit, marsh rabbit, and opossum, very 
common. 
Birds.—W ild turkey, quail, killdeer plover, wilson plover, 
piping plover, golden and black belly, very numerous; 
woodcock, not very abundant; snipe, very numerous, fly 
in large flocks and cover the whole country; red breasted 
snipe, very numerous; willets, yellow legs, and godwit, 
very common; Hudson curlew and esquimaux, rare; long- 
billed curlew, abundant; black-neck stilt, rails, galannules, 
herons, cranes and ibis, all common, 
Ducks, Geese, &c.—Mallard, very abundant; black duck, 
contmon; this bird is of a lighter color than: ours, its neck 
being more like the female mallard’s, it is said to breed in 
Florida; pintail, green winged teal, blue winged teal, blue 
winged shoveller, wood duck, scaup duck, red head, all 
abundant; bald pate, canvas back, butter ball, ruddy duck, 
all common; hooded meganser, abundant; Canada goose, 
common in western Florida. 
— Duck-shooting is at its height in Canada now, and the 
fowls are constantly passing Southinlarge numbers. Local 
papers report individual bags of 150 to 180, and bets are 
up on a bag of 200 before the season closes. We announced 
the opening of the ducking season last week, and now hear 
through our private correspondence of good sport all along 
the coast line from Montauk to Currituck. Duck shooting 
is one of those sports which cannot be enjoyed in the fullest 
perfection in warm weather, and the advent of these fowl 
means northeasterly storms, driving sleet and chilling blasts, 
the force of which only those can appreciate who lie over 
their stools for hours together. By the way, we hear of a 
man down on Long Island who has seventeen educated 
wild geese which he has tamed and employs as stools. 
What a mean business to engage in, and how mean those 
wild geese must feel to engage in such a business, wheed- 
ling their unfortunate relatives within gunshot range day 
after day! Why, itis the worst kind of coquetry! The 
most abundant species along our coast are the canvas- 
back, red-head, black duck, blue and green winged teals, 
shoveller, bald-pate or American widgeon, coot, and pin- 
tails. The pintail, black duck, coot, gray duck, wood 
duck and blue-winged teal, are properly fresh water fowl, 
and are not abundant along the coast. The coot is often 
zonfounded with the eider or sea duck, but is quite a dif- 
ferent bird, inhabiting fresh water and frequenting the 
weedy margins of streams, but as they dive, hide among 
the plants, or fly, as the humor takes them, are somewhat 
difficult to procure. Mallards are abundant in the West, 
but are seldom seen to the eastward of New York. There 
are two varieties of black duck, the smaller species now here 
giving place soon to the more hardy northern race. Pin- 
tails usually fly in very large flocks. The Euglish teal, anas 
ereced, occurs very rarely on our coast. Gunners should be 
continually on the lookout for them, as specimens found 
here are quite valuable. The shoveller is very abundant 
down South, and frequents fresh and salt water. The 
gray duck is rarely found in New England. 
—Those who are not sportsmen are sometimes skeptical 
in regard to tolling ducks, and even some duck shooters 
scarcely put credence in this device. Undoubtedly the 
plan of ‘‘tolling ducks” in the United States was derived 
from the Indians, who imitated the fox. ‘‘In Norway and 
Sweden,” says Mr. Lloyd, in his exhaustive work on the 
game birds and wild fowl of these countries, ‘‘ducks col- 
lect in large flocks in the neighboring lakes and rivers, the 
strands of which are in general fiat. The fowler, in ob- 
serving the birds, walks as near to them as he can in safety 
The Victoria Hotel at the place first named 
ity, for the wily fellow seizes his opportunity and pounces 
on one or other of them. ‘‘To the devices of the fox,” says 
a Swedish gentleman, ‘‘I have been an eye witness, and it 
was only last autumn that my bailiff shot one of these ani- 
mals in the very act of beguiling young ducks in the man- 
ner described.” 
—Mr. Phillip Reid Howard, a prominent citizen of Long 
Island and one of its large landed proprietors, was most 
cruelly shot by two gunners last Sunday while remonstrat- 
ing with them for shooting on his premises. His shoulder 
and left side were literally blown to pieces. Mr. Howard 
had arranged to celebrate his fortieth birthday with his 
aged father and mother, who were present to meet him on 
that occasion. Two men, who are probably the criminals, 
have been arrested on suspicion, and are in jail at Jamaica. 
—A letter from Brainard, Minnesota, says; ‘‘ The brush 
about town almost swarms with grouse. Three of us were 
deer hunting last week, the first day we killed a buck and 
a doe, next day four grouse (no dog,) and the third day one 
buck. Deer are very plenty thisfall. A few days ago I 
met the ‘‘ Baron” Evans, of the New York World, who 
was off on a hunting expedition to Red Lake with some of 
the Yellowstone Expedition party. He speaks very kindly 
about you and your FoREST AND STREAM.” 
—The Staten Island Shooting Association, organized 
only a short time ago, is now in quite a flourishing condi- 
tion. It now numbers, including honorary members, about 
eighty, all gentlemen connected more or less with the 
interests of the island, and desirous of preserving game ac- 
cording to the requirements of the law. It is proposed to 
import a large stock of quail, which will be set free over 
the whole island, which affords abundant facilities for 
cover, shelter and breeding. 
—Captain Wild and party, four guns, killed last week on 
the flats at Kinderhook, Columbia County, N. Y., twenty- 
seven reed birds and eight English snipe, twenty-two black 
ducks, and four widgeons. 
—Dr. A. and friend killed last week at Katonah, West- 
chester, four woodcock, thirteen ruffed grouse and eight 
rabbits. 
—Colonel C. and party, three guns, killed at South 
Oyster Bay, L. 1., twenty-seven quail, fifteen willets and 
thirty-two wild fowl] of all kinds. 
—At Olive City, Ulster County, N. Y., a party of three 
killed two dog foxes and one vixen. 
—The prices of furs generally are lower than last season, 
though no schedules are yet published. 
FOURTH CONTEST FOR THE AMATEUR RIFLE CLUB BADGE, 
On Saturday last, the fourth contest for this much coveted 
badge, offered by the Amateur Rifle Club, took place at 
Creedmoor. 
There has been no small amount of interest excited in 
these particular matches, and almost all of the best shots 
were present on Saturday. The weather as far as light was 
concerned and absence from haze, was all that could be de- 
sired; the great drawback was the wind, which blew in 
puffs, from right to left, across the line of fire, somewhat 
disturbing the accuracy of aim. Such accidents of wind 
are beyond the power of the rifleman to prevent, and as the 
gusty days wust be taken with the calm ones, in order to 
make up the average, such natural obstacles to correct 
shooting only demand greater skill of the marksman, and 
allowances for the wind were accordingly called into play 
by the crack shooters. 
To insure accuracy on this particular match the most suc- 
cessful shots made three feet allowance for effects of wind, 
and this too with a charge of eighty-five grains of powder. 
As may be seen by the score, the shooting was remarka- 
bly good, Mr. Robert Omand securing the badge with a 
score of 25. The badge must be won three times by the 
same person in order to become the property of the rifle- 
man. It has been won so far by Mr. Thomas Lloyd, with 
a score of 14 on the first match; by Mr. John Bodine, with 
27 on the second match, (28 possible,) and by Mr. J. P. M. 
Richards, in the third match, with a score of 26. Between 
the 14 score which won the badge the first time, and 25 
which was made by Mr. Omand on Saturday on the fourth 
match, the vast improvement made at Creedmoor is mani- 
fest. The total averages of the various matches for the 
Amateur Rifle Badge has been as follows:— 
Hirst match (oomecsecev ese. on he cte 
» Second matehic gies sea ws. 
Third match. . 
Fourth match 
This shows even better than does the individual scores 
the average made. 












Mr. Richard’s score, 24, with a Sharpe, was also an excel- 
lent one. Of course by this time, what may be called the 
“dead wood,” has been knocked away, the noble company 
of marksmen are getting weeded out, and the best shots, 
asmay be seen, are always coming to ‘the front. Let not 
however those who tail the score be abashed. Practice 
and perseverance will do everything, and those who are 
last, may be some day first. 
By reference to the score of Saturday, it is noticeable 
that as far as the weapons are concerned the contest ap- 
pears to be narrowing down to a struggle between the 
Sharpe and Remington rifles, few others being represented. 
Those used in this match were very much alike in their 
model, all using a long, hardened and swedged bullet about 
44 calibre, with a paper patch; charge about 85 grains, 
loaded by hand. The former appeared to have a little the 
best sights, being provided with a wind guage on the fore 
sight, the want of which on the Remington rifle was greatly 
felt, but the victory was undoubtedly with the latter. Both 
are good guns, however, and those manufacturing them 
recognize the fact that Creedmoor is the place where their 
reputation is to be made, and spare no pains to produce a 
weapon from which the best results can be obtained. 
Mr. Omand, the victor of last Saturday’s match, is one of 
the crack shots of Canada, having been a member of the 
Victoria Rifles, of Montreal, and having gone three times 
to Wimbledon as a member of the Dominion team, being 
one of the winners in the match for the Rajah of Kolapores 
Imperial Challenge Cup, won by the Canadians in 1870, 
It is therefore not only no disgrace for the Amateurs to be 
beaten by him, but rather a subject of congratulation that 
with as little practice as they have had they can hold their 
own so well against marksmen of such experience. In 
order to afford a comparison between the skill displayed by 
the crack shots of the English and Canadian volunteers and 
that of our Amateurs, we give the scores made at 500 yards 
in the above mentioned match, in which the Canadians have 
been conceded to have covered themselves with glory :— 
United Kungdom Team. 
Canadian Team. score. 
Captain Werner 
Lieut. Birch..... SPUAOIOIGS 
Sergt. Major Harris. ... 
Score. 





Sergt. McMullen... ... 2°"... .3.-/ 28. 9 | \Sergt, lueeson ie... a. ane 22 
Captain Bell.........-. ths Sergt. Hutchinson,............ 22 
Sergt. Wilkinson... ............. oe erivate.Coulsony nis eee 21 
Serpt, Omandsaveceiesencemerecen 22 
Private Jennings... ..eee eee 22 
Private Morrison... 526 s--cels 22 
Seige ty 1eGhikee Oo 5 aa5 gabon p 
Captain Gibson............. 
Private Oronhyateka 
Sergt. McDonald........... : 
Sergt. McNatchan............... 
Reret SAC ererrrop relent mlactlsmepei 
Captain Cotton.............. 
Captain McClingham +.49|  daeut, Hddrain. 28 3.2 
Privete Mason: 427s). -ins- secs es: Private Clark, 2:5) eee 17 
Ensign Waste: ...cil-as<s ceeens'¢ Hnsien Snelus...0e eee 17 
Tobe mh. SUCHE eis yerpersieteieretsta tala sia é private Buchellien ss) aseeme 16 
Motal ae mee cepa wsaeee ami eet 414 TObal 7 cont j Stee eee eae 407 
Average, 20.55. Average, 20.35. 
Compa.ing these scores with those made in the Amateur 
Match, which are given above, it will be observed that out 
of the forty picked English and Canadian sharpshooters, 
there were but two who excelled the score made by Messrs, 
Omand and Wingate, and these did so but by a single 
point, and that there were but jfowr out of the forty that 
made 24 or over, which was done bv a like number of the 
Amateurs, viz.: Omand, Wingate, Bodine and Richards, 
out of but eighteen competitors, a number which if Messrs. 
Collins, Burton and several others of the Amateurs had 
been present, would probably have been increased. As it 
is, the average of score of the Amateurs as a whole, is 17 
points, (or if the lowest score is excluded, 19.22 points,) as 
against 20.55 of the Canadians, and 20.35 of the English- 
men. 
The announcement of the Diamond Badge placed at 
the disposal of the National Rifle Association by Messrs, 
Remington and Son, and now in course of manufacture, 
has caused quite an excitement amongst our riflemen. This 
badge will be the most elegant and costly yet offered, Tt 
is to be won by the most skillful of our many good shots 
at long ranges, 500, 800, and 1,000 yards, being the dis- 
tances. The following are the conditions of the contest: 
Open only to members of the Association; Weapon, any 
breech loading rifie, weighing not over ten pounds, trigger 
to pull not less than three pounds; sight, any but telescopic; 
distance, 500, 800, and 1,000 yards; seven shots, (two sight- 
ing shots at each distance;) the twenty competitors in each ~ 
match making the highest score at 500 yards to be alone 
allowed to fire at the 800 yards, and the ten making the 
highest at that distance to shoot at 1,000, the prize to be 
given to the highest aggregate score, the badge to be won 

