THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATtJftAtlST 



this year were placed on record. Mr. Lyman 

 laid before (lie meeting a" list of the Lepidopj 

 (era taken l>y Mr. Robert Bell in the Nbrthwesl 

 Territory," which was noteworthy as showing 

 the extensive distribution of some of our 

 Canadian butterflies; and some time was very 

 agreeably spent in examining his copy of 

 "Abbott & Smith's Insects of Georgia," a 

 standard work, and very finely illustrated. 



(torresponbence. 



Tothe Editor of the Sportsman and Naturalist 



Dkar Sir, — I was astonished this week to 

 see it stated in one of our city papers that 

 one thousand brace of black duck had been 

 sold a few days ago on the Montreal market. 

 If this item of news is correct, it indicates a 

 most lamentable state of things, calling loudly 

 upon all sportsmen, and all others interested 

 in the proper and reasonable preservation of 

 game — and what good citizen is not ? — to use 

 their most strenuous and immediate efforts for 

 the effectual prevention — as far as legislation 

 can do so— of the killing of black duck, mal- 

 lard, grey duck, and wood-duck in the Spring. 

 With the exception of teal, all the above- 

 enumerated species are protected in Ontario for 

 the period between the first of January and the 

 fifteenth of August. The law in the sister 

 Province should be the same. Now that the 

 Quebec Legislature is in session, I hope some- 

 thing will be done to prevent the suicidal policy 

 of slaughtering and exposing for sale such 

 splendid birds as black duck in the breeding 

 season, too, when the females are laying their 

 eggs. Admitting that amongst the two thou- 

 sand black duck reported to have been sold in 

 Montreal, there were one thousand females, and 

 that each of such females, if unmolested by the 

 worst enemy of game, the market poacher, 

 would be able to' bring up to maturity, at the 

 very least, five of her brood, and many rear 

 double this number, instead of two thousand, 

 we have actually six thousand black duck 

 improvidently and wantonly destroyed in the 

 breeding season. This kind of work should 

 be tolerated no longer in a civilized country. 

 Even were there no law to control him, no 

 civilized white man ought to be guilty of killing- 

 game in the breeding season. This kind of 

 miserable work should be left to the Indian 



who will soon have the plain- to 1, 

 anything he ever did to protect the game of 

 the country. Trusting that during th 

 session of the Quebec Legislature, the '• 

 mate sportsmen of your Province will !*• able 

 to accomplish something toward- assimila- 

 ting the Game Acl ol Quebec with that ..t 

 Ontario, more particularly as respects deer, 

 wildfowl, snipe, woodcock and ruffli 



I am. yours truly, 



William I'. Lktt. 

 Ottawa, April 29th, 1881. 



THE ROBIN.— Tur.las migratorku. 

 Mr. Editor, — It gave me much pleasu 

 icad the statements by my friend Mr. Saunders 



of London, in regard to our insectn eroue bird-. 

 lam glad he has made these especial published 

 observations, as they agree very closely with 

 the same variety of scientific remarks made by 

 Mr. Riley of Missouri. Nevertheless, much 

 may be said in direct contradiction and with 

 equal truth. As to Mr. Saunders' remark that 

 Turdus migratorius is a very mischievous bird, 

 I cannot agree, as I know t<> the contrary. 

 Nevertheless, this is not the idea I wish to intro- 

 duce. Mr. Editor, did you ever eat a robin? 

 If not, you have a great pleasure ahead. I have 

 eaten many, and am only sorry that I cannot 

 procure them all the time. They are really a 

 delicate morsel at breakfast, and well worth the 

 trial. I do not care to shoot them in Spring, 

 but after the first, of August, when Woodcock 

 come in, I let them pass after killing sufficient 

 for a dish. Try some and then give your 

 opinion. Thousands are sold in New York, 

 and other American cities, for a few cents each, 

 if I remember rightly, about LO cents a pair. 

 is what I paid for them in New York. Before 

 cooking, I should recommend them to be 

 plucked and drawn, as the feathers and the 

 "innards" are as well removed. The 

 them nicely fried in butter lor ten minutes. 

 Serve on toast; and any one of reasonable 

 desires must be content. I think it strange 

 that this bird, as well as many species of snipe 

 and plover, are not included in the game law. 

 as they are well worthy ot protection. 1 moot 

 this point, and being an enthusiastic sportsman, 

 1 sincerely wish it would lie attended to. You 

 mention a delegation to go to Quebec about the 

 Game Act. Would it not be as well to consider 

 the other birds that could be easily included, 

 and that sportsmen seldom allow to pass with- 

 o«t bagging. J.H.Garmkk. 



Lucknow, Out. 



