200 



THE MUSEUM 



known to him the true object of your 

 visit. 



Don't take a dog with you when on 

 collecting trips for specimens, i e, for 

 other than game birds. 



Treat every man's property with the 

 same considerate care you do your 

 own. My advice is, don't go speci- 

 men hunting until you have learned to 

 realize that carelessness, such as 

 breaking down fences, leaving gates 

 open, or bars down so that live stock 

 can get out of enclosures and do mis- 

 chief, may mean the loss of hard earn- 

 ed dollars, and sometimes a good 

 many of them, to the farmer on whose 

 possessions you go. 



If you are considerate you will re- 

 frain from firing a gun near horses, 

 either along the public highways or in 

 the fields. 



Don't shoot recklessly. Always 

 make it a special point to know that 

 no person, cow, horse, or fruit tree 

 will get the charge of shot you intend 

 for the bird or other game. It is in- 

 finitely better to lose a specimen than 

 take any chances in this direction. 



Don't shoot at or kill domestic pig- 

 eons when on collection tours. They 

 are personal property and are raised, 

 by many as a source of profit, with as 

 much care and attention, as are poul- 

 try. 



Don't tramp through grain or hay 

 fields or in fact in any crops where by 

 so doing you may possibly do harm. 



Don't build camp fires in woods and 

 then go off and leave them burning to 

 possibly start a serious forest fire 

 which may destroy thousands of dol- 

 lars in timber, fences and other prop- 

 erty. Last year from reports made 

 to our eminent and ef^cient Forestry 

 , Commissioner, Dr. J. T. Rothrock, 



the farmers of this state spent not less 

 than $45,000 in cash to aid in check- 

 ing devastating forest fires, many of 

 which originated, it is asserted, through 

 carelessness of hunters and fishermen. 



In this connection it is further learn- 

 ed from Dr. Rothrock's "Preliminary 

 Report on Forest Fires," that there 

 were about 225,000 acres of woodland 

 burned over in the year 1895, causing 

 a loss to timber of a million dollars. 

 Many fences were destroyed and about 

 5,000 men were engaged in a total of 

 about 250 days in extinguishing the 

 fires. Twenty-five buildings were des- 

 troyed, among which were several saw- 

 mills; five horses and cattle and two 

 men lost their lives. Much cut and 

 sawed timber was also burned. 



The counties in which the most ex- 

 tensive fires occurred are Centre, For- 

 est, Pike and Potter, although Bed- 

 ford, Fulton, Huntington and Warren 

 counties also suffered great losses. 

 These counties contain some of the 

 best shooting grounds for ruffed grouse 

 in the state. Forest fires, particularly 

 in the spring, destroy the nests and 

 young of large numbers of these noble 

 game birds as well as other species, 

 especially those which nest on or near 

 the ground. 



Don't shoot birds simply for the 

 sake of killing, and never kill more 

 than you can take care of properly. 



When you learn to skin and mount 

 a bird don't apply your skill in the 

 preparation of one to grace a lady's 

 hat, but use your persuasive powers to 

 induce her sex to not wear such or- 

 naments, "Fine clothes do not make 

 a gentleman," nor do showy feathers 

 on a pretty, rosy-cheeked girl's head 

 add to her attractions. Remember 

 that. 



