The morning call., 1891-09-13
THE GUN.
End of the sportsmen's Tournament-A
New Game Bird.

End OF the SpOTIsmens = AOuTnaH1eHI-A
New Game Bird.
John Z. Orr experimental for snipe on
the Country Clubs preserve on Wednes-
day. He secured, to his surprise, half
dozen fat and succulent Engishmen.
Sportsmen who make practice Of shoot
ing quail in Marin County state that the
birds are very small this year. and that
when the season opens bevies Of half-grown
birds should not be molested.
Great preparations are being made by
local sportsmen for the opening Of the quail
shooting season, and as consequence the
handsome pointers and settlers, which are
becoming annually more numerous in this
city are now being exercised by competent
handlers, who expect to have their charges
in fitting condition to stand good race on
tine inaugural day.
According to programme the State Sports
mems tournament was brought to very
successful close yesterday at the Oakland
track. The CALL was the only daily paper
that gave each days scores in full. and q
more successful tournament probably has
never been witnessed on this coast. Crack
shots from east and west of the big mountains
eontended with each other for the valuable
prizes offered, and those gentlemen of sharp
vision and steady nerves who carried off the
honnrs can feel decidedly proud of the sue
The following letter and comment which
recently appeared in the American Field,
are worth republication:
have noticed in the American Field for sew
eral years that the grand prize at the annual
tournament Of 1882 shooting 1t cans, was won
with Parker gun. Now, as l have never seen
cans used at a tournament, /, with number OF
spottsmen in this section, would like to be In
formed as 10 the size and kind OF cans shot at.
If the shooting was at pepper cans, we all agree
that the shooting was extraordinary, and toler-
ably fair If shot at tomato or oyster cans, but IL
the targets were fve-gallOn Waters Pierce oil
cans, the shooting would hardly be woIthy OF an
advertisement for Two years In first, l,elass
journal OYSTER CAN.
San Antonio, Ter.
1.-The shooting referred TO was not at pepper
cans nor tomato cans, neither was IL at oyster
cans, but simply occurred at Cannes, France
Ed.l
Amateur trap-shooters should remember
that to make good scores at the trap the
cartridges should be uniform and without
fault, and the stock of the gun must not be
too crooked. Most new shooters use stocks
with too much drop. 1t is one thing to put
a gun up to your shoulder at the sture, and
quite another to aim it when proper POSI-
ton has been assumed at the trap. When
there is little wind. and the targets are going
evenly, it matters little whether the gun is
fit or not. But let the wind rise, causing
the targets to assume an erratic course, re-
quiring quick shooting, and the amateur
goes to pieces at once, because he has no
Time for deliberate aim and must trust to
the gun being in perfect condition at the
heel.
Several attempts have been made by the
Fish and Game Commissioners of this State
to import foreign game birds, and so far
their endeavOrs have proven fruitless. 1t is
about time, however, that some action
should be taken to stock some parts OF this
State with game birds of good quality.
Lieutenant Colonel w. G. Ramsden Of India,
writing to DIR. w. o. Blaisdell of Macomb,
ILL.,, regarding the India black partridge,
says:
II you should find Illinois too hot for him (the
black partridge you might try The painted par
fridge which Is common iD Southern Iudla. II
too cold the 'chickOT." This Is a magnificent
bird, twice the size of the black partridge, and
excellent shooting and fine eating His range Is
very wIde-from Seinde Uhe hottest part Of
India, and In climate aud appearance very much
like AriZoua)-up to 10000 feet III he Hima.
layas; aud he extends away through Persia and
Afghanistan TO Turkey and Eastern Europe,
which shows that he is q hardy bird aud able to
adapt himself to a great extent Of climate. He
stands confinement In cage well, which the
black partridge does not, and Is one OF The ardi-
est birds iu India, appearing 10 mlnd neither
extreme heat nor long spells OF frost and Sow.
He dislikes level plains, and here, perhaps,
Illinois would not suit him. He prefers billy and
stony pIo uud Ihe slopes OF bluffs overlooking
rivers and ihe steep sides OF canyons and ravlnes
near fields. He eats all kinds OF SEEDS especially
maze, and In the Himaayas lives on tn out
skirts OF the village fields. On the hot. dry
plains OF Sclnde lie Is equally aOundant, Dut
always near hills or broken ground
The ehckor above referred 10 seems to be
inst the kind of bird suitable to this Stale.
IL is Magnificent game bird, of grand sZe
and fine flesh. 1t is to be hoped that Or.
B aisdell will report again regarding the
habits Of the chickor. the method OF hunt-
ing it, whether it lies well to dog ahd