BALTimoRE, January 21, 1874. 
Eprror Forrst anp STREAM:— . 
Tread with much interest an article in your journal onthe intelligence 
o. of pointers, and thought you would not object to hearing something 
more on the subject, though I must tell you I prefer the setter, and I 
believe him to be the equal of any of the canine rece. 
Whilst at Cobb’s Island last summer I was much _ strnck with the in- 
telligence of a pointer pup in the posession of one of the men connected 
with that famous shooting resort. Although but six months old, the dog 
was already a good retriever. One morning his master detected him in 
a the act of digging most industriously at the roots of one of the trees of 
theisland. Timber bemg scarce and shade a desideratum, Master Puppy 
was at once called off, but he returned immediately, and evinced such 
pertinacity of purpose that the curiosity of the bystanders was aroused, 
anditwas nnanimously agreed to let him dig, You may judge of our 
* surprise when he unearthed some spoons, which doubtless had been hid- 
den by one of the domestics of the hotel. The owner of the puppy imme 
diately caused him to investigate the roots of all the trees on the island, 
without success, however, and was then called upon to refuse fifty dol- 
lars for the dog, which he did like a true sportsman. I can vouch for tne 
truth of the above, but would not like to endorse the statement of one 
of the visitors that the would-be purchaser was from New Orteans. 
E. S. 
——_~————— 
—It frequently happens that travelers would like to carry 
their dogs by rail, and the matter has been hitherto left for 
arrangement by feeing the baggage master, sometimes at 
: . ha 
extortionate rates, and always with uncertainty as fo what 
the cost will amount to onalong journey over different 
lines. We see that regular rates have now been adopted 
on the road between Philadelphia and Baltimore, and the 
example is one that should be followed elsewhere. These 
prices are, for distances of fifteén miles and ‘under, fifteen 
cents; over fifteen and under thirty, twenty cents; over 
thirty and under sixty, forty cents; over sixty and under 
100, fifty cents; and 100 miles, seventy-five cents. 
Shot Gan and Rifle. 
GAME IN SEASON FOR JANUARY. 
Moose, Alces Aalchis.) Caribou, Tarandus Rangifer.) 
Elk or Wapiti, Cervus Canadensis.. Squirrels, Red Black and Gray.) 
Rabbits, common Brown and Grey.) All kinds of Wild Fowl. 
FOR FLORIDA. 
Red Deer, Caricus Virginianus) Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo.) 
Woodcock, Philohela minor.) Quail, Ortyx Virginianus.) 
Snipe, Plover, Curlew, etc., in great 
variety. 



| Under the head of ‘Game, and Fishin Season” we can only specify wu 
general terms the several varieties, because the laws of States vary so much 
that were we to attempt to particularize we could do no less than publish 
those entire sections that relate to the kinds of game in question. This 
would require a great amount of our space. In designating game we are 
guided by the laws of nature, upon which all legislation is founded, and 
our readers would do well to provide themselves with the las of their re- 
spective States for constant reference. Otherwise, our attempts to assist them 
will only create conjfusion.] 
$e tno 
—We are delighted to perceive that the people of Geor- 
gia are moving in the matter of game pretection in their 
State. The South as a section, is sadly deficient in game 
laws, which are especially needed at this time, when almost 
every gunner one meets is an irresponsible negro, delighted 
with his newly acquired privilege of ‘ bearing arms,” ig- 
norant of the value and necessity of sumptuary laws, and 
intent the year round on filling his bag. The following is 
a.copy of a new game law, introduced into the Georgia 
Legislature, by T. R. Mills, (all praise and success attend 
his efforts), to apply to the counties of Chatham and Bryan. 
We trust it may be amended to cover the whole State, with 
suitable special provision for the mountain district. 
Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the 
State of Georgia, and it is hereby enacted by the au thority of the 
same, That the shooting, killing or destruction of any deer, 
partridge, wild turkey or wild duck, between the first day 
of April and _ the first day of October of any year, in the 
counties of Chatham and Bryan, shall be held and deter- 
mined a misdemeanor, and shall be punished by a fine not 
exceeding five hundred dollars, or imprisonment in the 
county jail not exceeding six months, at the discretion of 
the court. 
Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, Trapping of either or any 
bird mentioned in the premable of this act, at any season of 
the year in said county, whether the same be done by the 
use of traps, snares, nets, or any other means, shall be pun- 
ished as provided in the first section of this act. 
Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, That the trapping or killing 
by any means, of any mocking birds, at any season or time 
of the year, shall be punished as provided in the first sec- 
tion of this act. 
Sec. 4. Be it further enacted, That the fact of the posses- 
sion of any bird described in the first section of this 
act, at any time from the first day of April to the first day 
of October of any year, shall be held as strong prima Sacte 
evidence of the fact of killing or trapping or destroying, 
and can only be overeome by positive proof to the 
contrary. 
Section 5 repeals conflicting laws. 
Enactments of this kind are specially needed in Florida, 
where it is true they would be enforced with difficulty as 
to pot-hunters, but might operate with some effectiveness 
upon venders, hotel-keepers, and market men, .We are 
glad to see the mocking birds protected. By the cupidity 
of those who catch them for the high price they bring as 
songsters, they are in danger of being exterminated. 
—The Dunn County (Wisconsin) Wews tells of a mighty 
hunter named Warren Young, who while hunting recently, 
started on a run for a herd of four deer feeding, and with 
a double-barrelled shot-gun killed three at twenty yards at 
one shot, and then brought down the fourth with the second 
barrel. The buck weighed 180 lbs., the doé 110, and the 
two fawns 75 each. 
—Mr. H. G. Kelly died recently at Palmer, Massachu- 
setts, at the advanced age of eighty-five years. He devoted 
much of his middle life to explorations in Oregon, and is 
believed to have been the first white man who ascended 
the Columbia river. In one of his tours of exploration, 
after he had been deserted by his last attendant, sick and 

FOREST AND STREAM. 
feeble, armed only with a long fowling-piece, he had the 
misfortune to fall from his horse, and break off the stock of 
his gun just below the lock. To be alone, ill and unarmed, 
among hostile Indians, many miles away from the home of 
a civilized being, was a condition deplorable enough. Mr. 
Kelly, however with true Yankee courage and ingenuity, 
succeeded with his jack-knlfe, an old buffalo horn found in 
the forest, and a part of the limb ofa tree, in making a new 
breech, and attached it to his gun, rendering it as service 
able as ever. This gun he brought home with him, and a 
few years ago presented :t with other curiosities to the mu- 
seum of Amherst College, where it can now be seen. For 
the last twenty vears he lived the life of a hermit. 
—On Monday, January 21st, Sir George St. George Gore, 
Bart., of County Donegal, Ireland, arrived at Jacksonville, 
Florida, and took rooms at the Grand National Hotel, 
having been preceded the day before by his retinue of 
twenty-two sporting dogs, consisting of pointers, setters, 
&c., and three horses. He is bound for Manatee county, 
which has been highly reeommended to him as a good 
sporting country, where he will remain some weeks. Sir 
George is now sixty-three years of age, having been born 
in 1811, and succeeded as 8th Baronet on the demise of his 
father in 1842. 
—As Mr. Twadell and one of our correspondents were 
exercising their dogs not a mile from West Phila., on the 
23d. inst., they noticed several flocks of purple grackles or 
crow black birds, and a number of robins, and on return- 
ing homeward, flushed a woodcock. The frogs had been 
‘‘peeting ” while the sun was bright during the day, which 
was noticed for its spring-like balminess. How is this for 
the 23d. day of January ? 
—We have received from Mr. W. B. Hall of Lancaster, 
Pa., a most simple and ingenious teol for (creasing) fasten- 
ing the wad in a cartridge. Former tools for this purpose, 
we have always thought were lumbersome and complicated. 
Mr. Halls’ arrangement is convenience itself, and is so 
light and small, that it can be carried in the pocket. The 
tool can be held in the hand, does not require to be fasten- 
ed to a table and does the work admirably. To those load- 
ing their own cartridges for breech-loaders, we should think 
Mr. Hall’s iuvention would be invaluable. 
Byers, Ohio, Jan. 20th, 1874. 
Epiror Forrst snp STrREAM:— 
Our shooting in this section is not first rate, the brush being too thick 
and high and the land too hilly. Still thereare occasional spots where 
onecan getsome good shooting. Rabbits, pheasants and quail. are 
quite plenty. Last season a party of two (myself anda boy of 15 years) 
killed in a hunt of three days 804 quail (not shooting at rabbits or hares, 
as you call them) working two pointers and using muzzle-loaders. My 
count alone onthe second day was 93 birds. This season I have not 
hunted a great deal, not having the time. In fact have had only one 
whole day’s hunt, getting 54 quail and 6 rabbits: 25 of these quail I 
killed in the afternoon in 26 shots, missing but once. 
Thad half aday a couple of weeks since, and did what I call good 
shooting, getting 22 shots and bagging 21 quail and 1 rabbit, not: missing 
a shot, and the birds all full grown and lusty fellows, too. tS I Sa oie 
—Our correspondent ‘“‘Homo” sends some remarkable 
scores in rail shooting at Port Penn, Delaware in 1873:-— 
Epritor ForEST AND STREAM: 
Not long since I gave you an account of our Rail shooting in the im- 
mediate vicinity of Philadelphia. Since mailing you the matter I have 
procured the score of aremarkable exhibit of the same shooting at Port 
Penn, in 1878. 
Dr. E. J. Lewis hasit recorded in his valuable work, that a famous 
week of rail shooting was enjoyed at Chester, Penn., in 1846, and gives 
the scorein detail, and which I add to mine for sake of comparison, 
The September of 1846 was noted forits quantity of birds, and no sea- 
son has equalled it until 1873, when Mr. Kerlin boated 226 rail, the lar- 
gest numberever known to have been bagged. Mr. J. M. Eyre, at Ches- 
ter, in 1846, shot 195, and held grand ‘“‘high boat” ever since, but now 
resigns the position in favor of Mr. Kerlin. 
It will be seen the shooting at Chester covered a period of nine days, 
while at Port Penn the “‘big tides” only lasted three days, and the foot- 
ings of the two scores are not wide apart by any means. 
When it is taken into consideration that rail are nine times out of ten 
shot singly and on the wing (they never should be messed), it requires 
pretty rapid loading and firing to boat 150 birds ina period of three 
hours, each rail having to be retreived, remember, and oft times sought 
for. 
AT CHESTER IN 1846. 





Sept. 3 J. Irwin 82 rail|/Sept. 7 J.M. Eyre 90 rail 
Sept.4 J.M. Eyre 122 “ |Sept. 8“ Matsenger 122s 
Sept. 4 B. Pearson 101 “* |Sept. 8 EH. F. Byre 94 ¢ 
Sept. 4 T. Thurlow 88 ‘* |Sept. 8 Brown G7) «6 
Sept. 4 E. Wells 1386 ‘* |Sept. 8 C. Price 91 “ 
Sept.5 Matseneger — 95 “ |Sept, 8 J.K. Bonsall 107 °° 
Sept.5 J.M. Odenheimer 128 “‘ |Sept. 8 **J. M. Eyre 195s 
Sept. 5 B. Ford 87 “* |Sept. 9 J. Newboid 81 ‘* 
Sept. 5 Wells 154 ‘* |Sept. 9 J. Odenheimer 132 4% 
Sept. 5 A. Worrall 136 ‘* |Sept. 9 W. Read 107 “ 
Sept.5 E. Wells 114 *“* |Sept. 9 G. Epley 85 
Sept. 6 E.-E. Eyre 108 ‘* |Sept.10 J. Newbold a3 “¢ 
Sept. 6 S. Smith 93 “* |Sept.10 J. Bonsall tay 
Sept. 7 OC. Price 82 ** |Sept.10 S. Smith 108 ‘* 
Sept. 7 Bringhurst 91“ |Sept.19 EH. Eyre ALB: 
Sept. 7 H. Taylor 96 ‘* |Sept.11 E. Eyre LOTS 
Sept. 7 H. Edwards 108 ‘* |Sept.11 H.Edwards 107" 
Boh en ark COE ec eee 1917 ED QUAD siactont Niyiy oka epee, 1851 
- 1917 
; 3768 
AT PORT PENN IN 1873. 
Sept, 8 +Mason 72 rail|Sept. 9 *Young&Saunders 96 ‘ 
Sept. 8 Flower 100 ‘* |Sept. 9 Luff 50 “¢ 
Sept. 8 Longbotham 115 ‘‘ \Sept. 9 Luff, Jr. 65 
Sept. 8 Baker 115 ** |Sept. 9 *Stett & Newbold 123 “ 
Sept. 8 *Saunders&Young 144 “* |Sept. 9 Fisher 176 * 
Sept. 8 Thuron 7 ** Sept. 10 Flowers 135 ‘* 
Sept. 8 Lehman 75 © |Sept. 10 Longbotham 126“ 
Sept. 8 *Steel& Newbold 104 “ |Sept. 10 Baker ce 
Sept. 8 Fisher 89 ‘“* \Sept. 10 Kerlin 92 ** 
Sept. 9 **Kerlin 220 ** |Sept. 10 Biddle 104 ‘* 
Sept. 9 Longbotham 164“ |Sept. 10 De Camp 109 ‘* 
Sept. 9 Baker 120 “ |Sept. 10°*Young&Saunders &8 ‘“ 
Sept. 9 Flower 145 ** |sept. 10 Thouron 143 “ 
Sept. 9 Fisher 76 “* |Sept. 10 *Steel & Newbold 91 * 
Sept. 9 Beddle 72“ |Sept. 10 Fisher Waist 
Sept. 9 De Camp 72 vail |Sept. 10 Fisher 156i,‘ 
"POtaleruback neon teres 1770 Motaly -\.Nmceer ny arte 1703 
1770 
3473 
*Where two names occur on the score it indicates the sportsmen did 
not engage professional pushers but pushed and shot turn about. 
**The two greatest scores ever made on the Delaware river. 
+Mr. Mason was alone in his boat, and*at the rising of the rail 
dropped 
nis pole and shot his birds. 




395 
Port Penn is allke noted for ite “excellent snipe shooting and duck 
shooting in the ice and can be reached both by steamboat and railroad 
to Delaware City, where Mr, Lord will be on hand with his wagon if de- 
sired “Homo.” 
“ —Wolves are unusually abundant in all parts of Canada 
this winter, and many persons have had narrow escapes 
from the varmints. 
PIGEON SHOOTING. 
—A Sweepstake pigeon match was shot at Deerfoot Park 
on January 20th; Long Island Rules; 9 entries, $5 each; 5 
birds. 
Name. Score. 
Dr TRS lanes aac tees eee a. 
SOM eee 
RFOosoooom 
tt 
tel 
1 
PE 
TO 
dL 0 
01 
ae 6 
Oh Oo womARa Ss 
S 

00 
Ireland won first money, Broadway, Madison and Win- 
gate second. 
Broadway, Townsend and Hicks shot off ties. Hicks 
missed, leaving Birdseye and L. Townsend winners of third 
money. 
Second Sweepstakes—Same day; $3 entrance; 3 birds 
each. 


Name. Score. Total. 
BROAGW AY emailed ic fniostteee oe tet 3 
C. Townsend Boe 
Dire lrelandscix 2.3. hccsior ose rae | 3 
Ce Wingate gts oe. sh el 3 
Ditmar se b 2 
Ed. Madison i 0 2 
Ridwainda tp eare uate 10 2 
MeWalll 9.55 ee: 10 2 
W. Birdseye 0 1 1 
8. Memier...... 0 0 0 
Broadway, Ireland, Townsend and Wingate shared the 
first money. Birdseye got third money. 
Madison, Ditmar, McFall and Edwards shot off first miss 
out. Finally McFall and Edwards shot out, leaving Mad- 
ison and Ditmar the winners. 
Crapping. 
TRAPPING THE FISHER. 
past Tee Lies 



Epitor Forest anp STREAM:— 
Of the habits and characteristics of the fisher I know but 
little, except by experience in trapping. They are rarely 
found in this vicinity, and only far back into the densest 
forest, shunning the haunts of man. Individuals of the 
species taken by me seldom exceed seven pounds in weight, 
and measuring four feet and one or two inches in length. 
Newhouse, in an early edition of his ‘‘Trapper’s Guide,” 
says it ‘‘has been seen watching for fish, lying upon a log | 
that crosses a stream, with head inclined downwards, ready 
for a plunge.” I think the conclusion is erroneous, and ar- 
rived at from the fact that they are prone to lie and run 
upon logs and fallen trees. They are great travellers, and 
will avail themselves of every chance to run thus. Be- 
sides, they are as loth to take to water as a fox, though 
frequenting the borders of streams, and prefer meat to fish 
in taking bait. ‘They are gross feeders, and no meat is too 
stale for them. They go in pairs, and when one is taken I 
invariably get its mate soon in the same or an adjacent 
trap. If one is found by its mate in a trap it will at once 
kill and devour it. They are not in the least shy of a trap, 
and will as readily enter one asa skunk or woodchuck, 
but they are a powerful animal, and a trap must be a good 
one to hold them. When taken in a steel trap it must be 
set with a spring pole to swing them clear of the ground, 
or they wili amputate their leg at once. Still, the spring 
pole is not reliable, as by long setting or in freezing weather 
it loses its elasticity. Of late years I have used a trap sim- 
ple in construction, that never fails to hold them. When 
the trap is sprung a wire loop is forced down upon their 
bodies by a lever purchase with a pole, confining them so 
that the more they struggle the tighter it draws, and kills 
immediately. 
The last pair taken in a steel trap afforded much enjoy- 
ment, an account of which may be of interest to new be- 
ginners. It was mid-winter that I learned by a lumberman 
that a fisher had crossed his road on the mountain near 
by. _ Near where the track was seen I set a large wolf trap, 
with spikes in the jaws, rather trusting to catching the 
game around the body than trust a pole, the weather being 
very cold. At my first visit I found a female fisher caught 
by a hind leg close to its body, and busily amputating its 
limb. Jt had gnawed its ham through to the bone, and was 
quite weak from loss of blood. I despatched her and re- 
set the trap. On visiting it two mornings later I found it 
sprung and a portion of a fisher’s fore foot in the jaws. It 
did not take long to decide what to do. It had commenced 
to thaw during the night, rendering the deep, light snow 
very soft. Iretraced my steps homeward, filled a pocket 
with chaff, in another put a No. 14 Newhouse trap (a favo- 
rite make), took alight axe and my five foot Indian snow 
shoes, and went back to the trail. It was easy to follow 
from its depthand the blood. A weary tramp of two miles, 
often sinking knee deep, brought me to the abrupt side of 
a steep mountain. Faint and weary I was, but not disheart- 
ened, and after many trials to ascend, not unlike the fabled 
efforts of the frog in the well, I at last succeeded, and soon 
run inmy game, At the entrance to.the den I set the trap, 
using the chaff to bed it to prevent its freezing to the snow 
or settling. A moose maple grew conveniently near fora 
spring pole. By this time the temperature had commenced 
to lower, and the clouds to assume that dirty, ragged look 
indicative of squally weather, so, to protect the trap from 
being covered by snow or uncovered by the wind, I fash- 
ioned the still plastic snow into an oven-shaped roof over 
