American Big Game in its Haunts 



with the same force that they might have for any 

 hard-headed, common sense business American; 

 but beyond this, and perhaps, if the secrets of his 

 heart were known, more than this, Mr. Roosevelt 

 is influenced by a love of nature, which, though 

 considered sentimental by some, is, in fact, noth- 

 ing more than a far-sightedness, which looks 

 toward the health, happiness, and general well- 

 being of the American race for the future. 



As a boy Mr. Roosevelt was fortunate in hav- 

 ing a strong love for nature and for outdoor life, 

 and, as in the case of so many boys, this love took 

 the form of an interest in birds, which found its 

 outlet in studying and collecting them. He pub- 

 lished, in 1877, a list of the summer birds of the 

 Adirondacks, in Franklin county, New York, and 

 also did more or less collecting of birds on Long 

 Island. The result of all this was the acquiring 

 of some knowledge of the birds of eastern North 

 America, and, what was far more important, a 

 knowledge of how to observe, and an appreciation 

 of the fact that observations, to be of any scientific 

 value, must be definite and precise. 



In the many hunting tales that we have had 

 from his pen in recent years, it is seen that these 

 two pieces of most important instruction acquired 

 by the boy have always been remembered, and for 



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