YOUNG HUNTERS 



American Head-hunters — Deer — A Resurrected Wood- 

 pecker — Muskrats — Foxes and Badgers — A Pet Coon 

 — Bathing — Squirrels — Gophers — A Burglarious Shrike. 



IN the older eastern States it used to be 

 considered great sport for an army of 

 boys to assemble to hunt birds, squirrels, 

 and every other unclaimed, unprotected live 

 thing of shootable size. They divided into two 

 squads, and, choosing leaders, scattered through 

 the woods in different directions, and the party 

 that killed the greatest number enjoyed a sup- 

 per at the expense of the other. The whole 

 neighborhood seemed to enjoy the shameful 

 sport especially the farmers afraid of their 

 crops. With a great air of importance, laws 

 were enacted to govern the gory business. For 

 example, a gray squirrel must count four heads, 

 a woodchuck six heads, common red squirrel 

 two heads, black squirrel ten heads, a partridge 

 [ i68 ] 



