SALMONID.^. 53 



world in books the story of their experiences and investiga- 

 tions, as to recount their marvelous adventures and hair- 

 breadth escapes to eager listeners within the magic circle of 

 the camp-fire. If egoism is a prominent trait or blemish in 

 the sportsman's character, I crave for him the indulgence of 

 a pardon freely given. 



Though his avowed pursuits be slaughter, and the taint of 

 blood be on his clothes, the sportsman is never cruel. He 

 hunts not for the mere enjoyment of taking innocent life, 

 nor to multijily trophies ; his impulses are those of calm and 

 clear intellection. With him the joy of free roving, of battle 

 with the elements, of pure air, of sunshine and of storm, of 

 penetrating the secrets of nature, and of successfully circum- 

 venting nature's cunning by artful counter-wiles — these are 

 the nobler purposes. He never feeds his passion to satiety ; 

 he is rather the conservator of the creatures he pursues. 

 Self-interest makes him their champion and preserver. He 

 has learned that he must not only protect them, but assist 

 the natural processes of reproduction if he would secure a 

 continuance of his favorite pastime. He recognizes their 

 true value in the respective spheres they fill. He rigidly dis- 

 criminates between those that are noxious and those that are 

 harmless. Vermin he slaughters; but he lays no violent 

 hand on the songsters and those other creatures which famil- 

 iar intercourse and study have taught him render invaluable 

 service as scavengers and as aids to the husbandman, even 

 though some of them take liberal toll from the farmers' 

 crops. He makes the laws of nature his rule of conduct, and 

 subordinates his desires thereto; he holds stated seasons 

 sacred to the work of propagation. He captures and kills 

 only after prescribed modes, and scrupulously spares the 

 young. He regards the offender against these reasonable 

 and judicious ordinances as his enemy, and is not merciful 

 in passing judgment upon him. 



It is only within a few years that the true character and 

 good offices of sportsmen have begun to be properly appre- 



