316 ‘ 
—A thoughtful correspondent in Florida sends us the 
following interesting account of game in his particular 
neighborhood, which is well worthy of attention :—- Within 
eight miles of Mellenville we have deer, bear, panther, tur- 
key, snipe, quail, duck, plume birds of various kinds, such 
‘as white heron, pink curlew, blue heron, &c., squirrels, 
foxes, mink, otter, sand-hill crane, and hosts of other fine 
game. Deer, bear, and panther are hunted with hounds, 
and a fine pack can be collected on short notice. Fox hunt- 
ing is good sport, but our foxes climb trees, and last night, 
after a two hours’ chase, and treeing twice, Reynard got 
away from us. Strangers will find plenty of gentlemen 
who have hounds, and know the stands, who are always 
willing to give them sport. 
‘William M. Humphries and Count Nersgaroo are the 
most noted deer stalkers, and have each killed over 2,000 
since 1867. They reside near Mellenville. We have no 
geme laws. The finest hunting ground is the southwestern 
part of Orange county, on the coast. The country is inva- 
riably too rough, being covered with saw palmetto, but in 
the interior a carriage can be driven one hundred miles 
through the pine woods, with scrubs er thickets on every 
hand, where the deer ean be ‘‘jumped” at all times. 
“Our only mode of travel is by steamer on the St. John’s 
River, and hunters should take a team and wagon at Mel- 
lenville, with tent and supplies to last a few days, and 
about forty miles from Mellenville they will find the best 
hunting ground in America on Davenport Creek. 
“We have hotels here, but none in the hunting grounds. 
We have no sportsmen’s clubs yet. Fish abound in all 
our streams and lakes, but Jam not an angler, and would 
not venture to give advice. EI «Asn Mit 
Satem, Mass., December 15th, 1878. 
Eprror Forrest AND STREAM :— 
Among the remarks in Fin, Pur, wnd. Feather about the 
resorts of game, is the following upon the ‘“‘upland plover.” 
It says ‘‘it is the least maritime of their race,” (true); and 
also says, ‘‘and never visits salt marshes or water meadows 
of any kind.” Ido not think this is correct, as 1 have 
seen them on snipe ground in the spring at Newburyport. 
They are common about the hills of Ipswich Neck from 
August until frost, and some of them breed, but I have 
never seen a nest. Though generally shy, they are taken 
comparatively often, and I have repeatedly seen them alight 
upon the marshes and slough holes which intercept these 
hills, and further, I have, when in a booth, decoyed and 
shot them; but, though often answering the whistle, they 
will seldom be decoyed, and about here are considered the 
most difficult of our bay birds to shoot. It may not be 
generally known to sportsmen that the bird is no plover at 
all, but a ‘‘tattler,” (Acdémus bartramius). I donot know why 
it is called a plover, as it has very few characteristics of 
the Charadriida. My experience, as above, with this bird 
may be an exception, but as it is the result of careful ob- 
servation I present the same to your readers. Yours truly, 
; R. 8. Newcomer. 
—A correspondent from New Orleans tells us teal and 
duck are coming in quite lively into the bayous, and speaks 
of Rigolet’s and Miller's Bayous as swarming with birds. 
The New Orleans markets are full of wild fowl, and 
pirogues are at a premium. 



Pachting and Boating. 
Ali communications from Secretarves and friends should be mailed not 
later than Monday in each week. 


+>+>——— 
HIGH WATER, FOR THE WEEK. 



DATE. | BOSTON, | NEW YORK. | CHARL’S'IYN 
1 ae bese ae Se SS SS 
| h. m. h. m. h. m. 
DCC eels spats ae hes 3 46 0 32 | morn. 
Det. 26:0 -h onset | 4 38 bs | J 38 
Dec. 27. 5 33 | 2 19 4 ik Bs) 
MSOs 28 coca cen ! 6 31 | 3 16 | 23 
DOC. 20 easter aes 2 | 32 eee da fee|| 3 32 
DEChOO CMake oo | 8 30 | 5 15 | 4 30 
Dee. Sl esa. eiactous 9 29 6 14 l 5 29 

—The Columbia Yacht Clubtheld their regular meeting 
at the club house, foot of west Fifty-seventh street, last 
week to elect officers for the coming year. The following 
were the choice of the members: Commodore, John §. 
Gave; Vice Commodore, R. McWhinney; Secretary, James 
A. Smith; Treasurer, Robert Wilson; Messurer, F. Pabst; 
Steward, J. P. Smith. 
—The Brooklyn Yacht Club held a special meeting in 
the club house, at 26 Court street, Brooklyn, last week. 
There wasa large number of members and their friends 
to witness the distribution of the prizes won by the com- 
peting yachts during the regatta of June last. W. P. Os- 
trander, Esq., presided. Vice Commodore Dickerson, in 
presenting the two prizes won by Commodore Voorhis, of 
the celebrated Schooner Madeleine, made a happy speech. 
The first of these, the club prize, was a magnificent mando- 
line; the second, the flag officers’ prize, a beautiful silver 
fish knife. The Commodore responded, thanking the mem 
bers for their uniform kindness and courtesy. Then fol- 
lowedthe presentation of the Union prize to the Fleur de 
Lis, Vice Commodore Dickerson. First class .sloops: 
Vision, Joseph J. Alexandre, silver ice-tongs, flag officers’ 
prize, andtwo bronzes, American birds in full flight, the 
club prize; Undine, Brasher and Fowler, Union prize, dozen 
silver desert knives with pearl handles. Second class 
sloops: Sophia, Chauncey N. Felt, two oil paintings, (not 
yet finished;) J. T. Seagrave, Nceanic Club, silver wine 
castor, Union prize. Third class sloops: William T. Lee, 
Chauncy N. Felt, two oil paintings, (not yet finisned:) 
3rooklyn, William Edgar Morris, large marine glass, Union 
prize 

FOREST AND STREAM. 




—Now that our northern waters are closed by ice, and 
snow covers the ground, nothing seems left for us jolly 
yachtsmen but to haul down our burgees, make everything 
snug alow and aloft, up kellick, and get into winter quar- 
ters. Little is being done in yachting and boating circles, 
though preliminaries are being arranged for the season to 
come. When any news of progress made is obtained by 
us, it will appear in these columns under its proper head. 
Yachting is not ene of those diversions that betong to 
the Christmas season. At the frozen north it is the ringing 
skate and merry jingle of the sleigh-bells that make the 
holidays joyous and enjoyable. Inthe Middle States it is 
coursing the hare or night hunts for opossums and coons. 
Even in North Carolina and middle Georgia the water- 
courses are sometimes skimmed with ice, and the hoar frost 
whitens the fields. Certainly, yachting has no interest or 
claim to attention when the Yule log burns. Flirtations 
under the pennant must give place to blushes under the 
mistletoe. The ‘‘wet sheet and flowing sea” have no affin- 
ity with the snap dragon and holly. It is true that in genial 
southern climes—in those flowery realms of low latitude, 
where no frost nips the orange buds, and the cape jessamine 
and oleander grow to stately trees, yachting is indulged in 
throughout the winter months, and jaunty steam yachts 
cruise up and down the Indian River and St. John, or 
thread the intricacies of the Kissimer and Ochlawaha. But 
as we must make up our portfolio from sources more ac- 
cessible than Florida, we shall winter our yachts, house our 
shells and barges, and wait till the coming spring once 
again invites our practice crews to open waters and straight- 
away courses. Fain would we, if consistent with our avo- 
cation, board some jolly yacht that is even now lying at 
Jacksonville with steam up, waiting only the arrival of its 
last hamper to start to the upper waters of the St. John. 
We would gladly enjoy again our well-remembered sailing 
excursions on Lakes George and Monroe, or our boating ex- 
peditions into lagoons and bayous in quest of ducks, egrets, 
and alligators. Many a pleasant cruise have we taken at 
Cedar Keys and Fernandina, and down the bay at St. Au- 
gustine to the lighthouse, where great ray fish scull lazily 
over the shelly bottom atthe bar, and great dorsal fins of 
sharks cut the water in the channel ways among the reefs. 
Even now, at the beautiful St. Lucie, our Forrest anpD 
STREAM commissioner and special correspondent, Fred. 
Beverly, has his chosen camp, fitted out with boats and 
guides and all things needful, with full access on the one 
hand to Indian River and its beach-bound channel two hun- 
dred miles in length, and on the other to the water courses 
that thread the mysterious and intricate recesses of interior 
Florida. If it were possible, we would join him there, and 
aid in gathering an ample store of pen and pencil sketches 
for the entertainment promised at some future day; but 
circumstances forbid. And so, herewith, we dip our pen- 
nant thrice to the yachts and yachting memories that are 
fading away from sight and mind, and bear away for snug 
harbor and winter quarters. 
THE ARGONAUTA ROWING ASSOCIATION OF BERGEN POINT, 
NEW JERSEY. 
Although comparatively in its infancy, this club has a 
history itsmembers may well be proud of. Their active list 
shows eighty members, and their beautiful boat house, sit- 
uated on the banks of the Kill von Kull, is stocked with a 
number of boats unequalled by any club in this country, 
comprising one eight-oared barge, two four-oared barges, 
one English six oared shell, built by Jewett; one six-oared 
shell, built by Fearon; one six-oared gig, four four-oared 
‘shells, two pair oared boats, two double sculls, fifteen 
single sculls, and one Rob Roy canoe. making a total of 31 
boats. The orticers of the Association are Mr. A, R. War- 
ner, President; L. L. Spring, 1st Vice President; Charles 
W. Fuller, 2d Vice President; E..W. Humphreys, Captain; 
E. R. Craft, Treasurer; W. F. Hobbie, Corresponding 
Secretary; B. Stephenson, Recording Secretary. The in- 
itiative of their rowing the past summer was their club re- 
gatta on the 4th of July, in which they rowed two sixes, 
two fvurs, two pair oared, and a single scull race, a num- 
ber of boats and oarsmen that scarcely any other rowing 
association in this country could rival. Their next appear- 
ance was at the Saratoga Regatta, where they entered a 
four-oared shell against the Pape Club of Cincinnati, the 
Duquesne Club of Alleghany City, Pa., the Beaverwycks 
ot Albany, the Ballston Club of Ballston Spa., and the Po- 
tomacs of Washington, D. C. This race was 14 miles and 
return, and though they did not win, they came in a good 
second, 55 seconds ahead of the Beaverwycks of Albany, 
and it is but fair in this connection say that their bow 
oar, Mr. Smith, had been sick for two months previous, 
and had only rowed with the crew four times before the 
start. At the National Amateur Regatta, which was rowed 
on the Schuylkill river at Philadelphia, on the 7th and 8th 
October, they entered a four-oared crew, a pair oared crew 
and a single scull, the gentlemen composing the four-oared 
crew were F. C. Eldred, stroke; B. Stephenson, Walter 
Man, and Ed. Smith, bow. In the first day’s heat they 
were drawn against the Nassau Club in a mile and one-half 
straight away race. Taking the lead from the start they 
came in winners in 8 minutes 16 seconds, beating their an- 
tagonists 29 seconds. The next day Mr. Smith rowed a 
single scull race against Dr. Russell Withers of the Atalan- 
tas, in which Smith was ahead from the start, winning in 
10 minutes 43 seconds, while his opponent was 29 seconds 
behind. Mr. Smith declined to enter for the final single 
scull heat, having already participated in three races that 
day. The final heat of the fours was the next heat in 
which they were engaged. Their opponents were the An- 
alostans of Washington and the Quaker City of Philadel. 

phia. In this race the Argonautas were again successful, 
winning in 8 min. 86 seconds, the Analostans second in 8 
min. 42 seconds, and the Quaker City third in 9 min. 10 
seconds. This final heat of four-oared shells won for the 
Argonautas the Challenge Cup offered by the National Am- 
ateur Association at their first annual Regatta. Following 
the race above named was a pair oar and double scull race, 
in which they entered Eldred and Smith in a pair oar 
against Addicks and Taylor of the Vespers of Philadel- 
phia, ina pair oar, and Steel and Witmer of the Crescent 
Club, also of Philadelphia, in double sculls. This race was 
won by the double scull boat of the Crescent Club, the Ar- 
gonautas being second. On the 18th of October they 
rowed their annual four-oared race against the Neptune 
Club of West New Brighton, 8. I., in which they entered 
the same crew they rowed at Philadelphia, against Messrs. — 
C. H. DeKay, stroke; W. F. Barrett, J. McMurray, Frank 
Bacon, bow; and- seldom, if ever, have we seen so much 
interest manifested in arace, not only by the friends of 
both clubs, but by the boating fraternity generally, as was 
shown by the display of steamers on the water, equipages 
on land, and crowds of people lining both shores from the 
start to the terminus. This race was three miles straight 
away from stake-boats anchored off New Brighton, to a 
line opposite Elm Park Dock, and is a surveyed course of 
three miles. The Neptunes were first to get away, but 
were soon overhauled by the Argonautas, who, on passing 
them, kept the lead to the finish, gaining at every stroke, 
and winning the race in 15 min. 494 sec, the Neptune’s time 
being 16}. This closes theirrowing record*for 1873; what 
the rowing season of 1874 shall score, either against 
or for them, remains to be seen. :. 
In conclusion we feel impelled to congratulate their Presi- 
dent, Mr. Warner, and Mr. E. W. Humphreys, their Cap- 
tain, for the very efficient manner in which they have per- 
formed the onerous duties which have devolved upon 
them. 

Rational Zlastimes. 
ES” Secretaries of University and College Athlelic Clubs wi y i 
heir reports not later than Monday in ciioh wooed. SON 


THE RULES OF GRICKET. 
———— 
ARTICLE FIRST. 
eee 
Tk has been wisely said that ‘‘those exercises which in 
their nature and operation have a direct tendency to 
draw the bands of society clcser together by friendly inter- 
course; which substitute the feats of man for the freaks of 
the fop, hardihood for effeminancy, dexterity tor luxurious 
indolence; and which, being free from the the taint of 
crnelty, oppression and selfishness, may be pursued without 
shame or reproach, are entitled to special encouragement 
in a matter so important as that of selecting a sportive ex- 
ercise for the people.” Now there is no field exercise in 
vogue which so fully answers to the above description of a 
sport for the people as the English national game of crick- 
et, for not only is it eminently social in its operation and 
surroundings, and especially promotive of friendly inter 
course, but the pluck, nerve and courage of true manhood, 
the activity and endurance of a healthy physique, and the 
absence of anything of a cruel or oppressive nature, are es- 
sential characteristics of the best exemplars of the game. 
Moreover, the faculties of a well trained, muscular system 
find ample employment in the game; it is equally important 
that the individual desiring to excel in cricket should be 
possessed of his full share of mental ability in order to be- 
come a thorough proficient in all the departments of the 
game. 
Cricket besides occupying a large space in current litera- 
ture has shown its vitality by creating a language of its 
own. In cricket ‘‘lingo” the ballis not the ball but the 
“leather” or ‘circle;” the bat figures as the ‘‘willow;” the 
stumps are the ‘‘timber.” A ball hit into the air is a 
“spoon,” unless it goes a long way, when it becomes a 
“skyer” or a “‘slog.” A player who scores a blank gets a 
“duck egg,” and if he fails to score in either innings he 
gets a ‘‘pair of spectacles.” If however he should make a 
hundred runs, he is said to ‘‘complete a century,” and if 
less he “‘puts on forty,” or fifty, as the case may be. A 
sentence like the following is frequently seen in Bell’s Life 
cricket reports? ‘“‘The new trundler then put down a tice, 
almost a Yorker, which the Surrey colt snicked through 
the slips fora single.” This is decidedly in language of 
its own, and one which none but a regular frequenter of 
“Lord” could correctly interpret. 
The earliest mention of the game of cricket in English 
records occurs. in the ‘‘Constitution Book of Guilford,” 
wherein it is recorded that in some legal proceedings which 
took place in 1598 as to the ownership of a garden, a wit- 
ness aged fifty-nine years gave evidence. that ‘‘when he was 
a scholar in the free school at Guildeford he and gey- 
eral of his fellowes did runne and plaie there at crickette 
and other plaies.” In the beginning of the eighteenth cen- 
tury we first hear of the game being played which may be 
strictly termed cricket. Previously the game of ball chief- 
ly in vogue was the simple “rounders” of our school boy 
days, now changed to the American game of base ball 
In 1780 three stumps appeared in the then “new came of 
ball,” and in 1814 the regular game of cricket as now played 
was introduced. 
Cricket has no ‘‘National Association” under whose au- 
thority a correct and intelligent code of playing rules can ke 
enacted. By tacit consent the government of the game hrs 
been left since 1787 in hands of the Marylebone Club of 




