Problems Confronting Beginners 257 



be turned to good account. A reformed gunner, 

 if honest, may make the best kind of a game 

 warden. 



Sportsmen 



The term " sportsman " in its very best sense, 

 is practically synonymous with "gentleman." 

 Both stand for the spirit of fair play and decent 

 conduct. With the true sportsman, therefore, we 

 can find no fault; he takes no unfair advantage 

 of the wild things whether the law permits him 

 to or not; he prides himself on small bags 

 rather than on large ones, and does not shoot at 

 all when for any reason game is becoming scarce. 

 He does his best to secure good game laws, and 

 to see that they are enforced, and to encourage 

 the establishment of game refuges and bird 

 sanctuaries, public and private. 



So-called Sportsmen 



Unfortunately there is a large body of so- 

 called sportsmen or perhaps we should say 

 "self-styled" sportsmen, who constitute one of 

 the most difficult problems with which the bird- 

 protector has to contend. To be sure, some of 

 them obey the letter of the law, but they lack 

 the fine sensibilities of the gentleman, which 

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