THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND \.\Ti i:\u~i. 



21 



friend of mine, on one occasion, while an al- 

 most limitless dock of pigeons was pa 

 over, loaded and discharged a single barrelled 

 muzzle-loader nine limes between the arrival 

 ol the front of the (lock and the paf ing of the 

 reat-end, killing about one hundred birds. In 

 the same length "I Lime one could have lired a 

 breech-loader 40 limes. I imagine that the 

 partial clearing away of the bush in flieir line 

 of flight, which was always uniform and fixed, 

 has bad something to do with the comparative 

 disappearance of pigeons from pails ol the 

 cc hi n l rv where they were formerly so numerous 

 during their annual transit. Under existing 

 circumstances, with the improved guns of the 

 present day, I should like to have a few days 

 of the old style nl sport, pigeon shooting, even 

 though such shooting is not to !»• compared 

 with wild liiwl, snipe or woodcock shooting. 

 I have a " bammerless, I reble wedge fast gun," 

 28 inches long in the barrels, 12 bore, 1\ lbs. 

 weight, full choked. It is only simple justice 

 to the celebrated maker, W. W. Greener, of 

 Birmingham and London, to say that this 

 beautiful gun throws its shot, Irom the larger 

 sizes down tp the smaller, with great closeness 

 and penetration at very long ranges. In fact, 

 it is by far the most killing weapon I have ever 

 handled. In beauty of finish, excellence of 

 material, and complete effectiveness, it. is a 

 credit to the establishment in which it was 

 manufactured. The ordinary charge for this 

 gun is.*! drams nl powder ami I oz. of shot, 

 a,nd the heavies) charge, .'!•! drams of powder 

 and 1 J OZ. of shot. I have, however, al II) 

 yards, made an extraordinary pattern with 2.\ 

 drams of powder and \ an ounce of No. 6 shot. 

 I feel confident, that with my gun and the lat- 

 ter charge o! Curtiss it Harvey's No. <i, or 

 Pigou, Wilkes & Laurence's No. I powder, I 

 can kill a single duck sitting on the water, 

 every time, — a much more trying shot than 

 on the wing — at 50 or even 60 yards. With 

 such a gun in theold limes, when pigeons were 

 plenty, I could easily have knocked over six 

 or eight dozen between break of day ami eight 

 o'clock" on any fine morning during the great 

 flights ol the past. Yours truly, 



1! A.MMERLESS < i KEENER. 



Ottawa, Feb. 25, 1881. 



nuall) remove to pa tui 



near prolific beech I 



liv the lnnl a- a ncstin I 



applies io tree squirrels, which instinctive!) 



migrate where i I, especially Im • cli mil 



he abundant lv obtained. — En. 



(ii:Avi.\ui i: i , ii i .. 3rd March, ! 

 Sir, — This may interest you. A young man 

 in my employ, informs me thai while liviuj 

 a farm lurther hack in the woodfi of Musi 

 discovered that one of the cowh had beeu milk- 

 ed. Determined to find out who the robber was, 

 :i strict watch mi- kept on the cow for souk 

 without success, and still she \\a- milked. 

 One of the family happening to go oul aL.ui the 

 break of day, noticed the cow lying down. <m 

 approaching her an adull Porcupine wa# notic- 

 ed in possession "l her lacteal ducts, lioth 

 animals resting quite contented. 1 have a 

 Porcupine almost domesticated, which is fond 

 of milk, lint I never supposed that these ani- 

 mals could procure noiirnishmenl in the above 

 manner. I have a tame Bear. He went into 

 winter quarters on the 27th December. < »n the 

 30th I coaxed him out ami gave him two slices 

 of" bread. He still keeps his bed and when I 

 offer him an apple (his favorite bil .) he -■ 

 to care little whether he eats it or not. All he 

 has had local since the L'Tlh ol December is 

 three slices < if I ireai I ;iml tWO apples. Does iml 



my Bear heat I >r. Tanner ? 



Yours etc., 



I.'. I!. Si i; i\ i:\ 



Forest clearing along the base o I the Lau- 

 rentian mountains may partially canst' the 

 non-appearance ol the Passenger Pigeon in 

 large numbers of late years. The wild pigeon, 

 being gregarious, like the western locust, an- 



WILD FOWL OP THE NORTH-WEST 

 TERRITORY . 

 Dear Sir, 



In the region between the Lif tie Saskatche- 

 wan River and Bird's Tail Creek are innumer- 

 able small ponds and swamps, which, during 

 spring, summer ami autumn, abound with 

 ducks of the following species, \ i:<. : — blue 



and green winged teal, mallard, spoon-bill or 



shoveller, pin-tail ami several others. This 



region appears to have been a great breeding 



place lor wild fowl, and is SO al present; bill 

 the advent of settlers, w ho ha\ e during the la.-i 

 two years come in ureal numbers, will probably 

 drive the ducks to places more unfrequented 

 by man. In the spring ol 1880, the writer 

 spent the month of June in this district, and 

 having nothing in his commissariat buf sail 

 pork, beans and Hour, and twenty-seven men 

 to Iced, was tempted to" go" tor the ducks and 



