14 



THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURALIST. 



THE GREAT NORTHERN SHRIKE, &c. 



Sir, — With reference to an article that appears 

 in your primary number, page 5, I heg to say 

 that a male Shrike, (Collyrio borealis) was 

 shot in a private garden in this town on the 

 14th of the current month. It had probably 

 been attracted by the numerous English spar- 

 rows that now infest our streets, 'several of 

 which it had killed before it was killed itself. 

 For these sparrows, however, notwithstanding 

 old country associations, I entertain no friendly 

 feeling, inasmuch as they drive awa}' our own 

 native birds, Blue Birds, &c. And yet one 

 cannot but admire their indomitable pluck. No 

 severity of weather daunts them. During the 

 exceptionally cold winter we are experiencing, 

 with the thermometer indicating 18° below 0, 

 and on some days with the mercury never 

 reaching zero, they hop about with as much 

 liveliness and self conceit as if they were " at 

 home." Some other importations of Fauna and 

 Flora into the Colonies from England are any- 

 thing butdesirable, e.g. the Rabbit in Australia, 

 and the Scotch Thistle in America. A fine 

 specimen of the Long-tailed duck, (Ileralda 

 glacialis), was shot on one of our back lakes 

 last November. 



Vincent Clementi. 



Peterboro', Jan. 22, 1881. 



The Long-tailed Duck occur abundantly in 

 the Niagara River and Lake Ontario in winter 

 and spring, in fact, it is the most common wild 

 duck frequenting the Canadian Lakes. It is a 

 pretty duck, but not at all palatable, for it is 

 neither" fish, flesh nor good red-herring, al- 

 though partaking largely of the nature of all 

 these, being exclusively a fish-feeder*" — En. 



SWIVEL Oil FUNT GUNS. 



SlR,— I am glad to observe that a correspon- 

 dent over the signature " Wallace," in your 

 first, number directs attention to the" whole- 

 sale destruction of wild ducks on Lake St. 

 Francis, by American pot-hunters by means of 

 swivel guns." Such guns, or rather their use, 

 lor (lie purpose of killing wild fowl, is contrary 

 lo law in the Provine ol Ontario, and any 

 person using them to kill game subjects himself 

 lo tin- penalty of l\\enty-li\e dollars lor each 

 offence. There surely must he sportsmen of 

 the legitimate class livingin the neighborhood 

 of Lake Si. Francis, who will take some inter- 

 est in preventing such a flagrant breach of the 



Game Act. "We have no objections to see our 

 brother sportsmen from across the border, 

 whenever they chose to come to Canada, to 

 enjoy themselves; but pot-hunters who kill 

 for the market are always objectionable; and 

 if they cannot, as they ought, be prevented 

 from killing game, they should at least be 

 compelled to do so according to law. I hope 

 that no such illegal and unsportsmanlike 

 modes of killing ducks, by swivel or punt guns 

 of any kind will be allowed during the coming 

 season . 



Yours truly, 



Hammerless Greener. 



Ottawa, Jan. 27, 1881. 



THE REDPATH MUSEUM. 



The building to be hereafter known as the 

 Peter Redpath Museum, in connection with 

 McGill University, we are pleased to state, is 

 progressing, and after the removal of the Geolo- 

 gical Survey's Cabinets, the citizensof Montreal 

 may have one good collection to refer to. The 

 present room is too small to contain the yearly 

 increasing material, which is either purchased 

 or donated to the University. Dr. Dawson 

 deserves the thanks of the public for his efforts 

 in procuring the specimens and advancing the 

 this educational department. 



MONTREAL BRANCH ENTOMOLOGICAL 

 SOCIETY. 



The eightieth meeting of this Branch of the 

 Entomological Society of Ontario, was held on 

 the 8th inst., at the residence of the Secretary, 

 Mr. G. H. Bowles. Mr. Caulfield read a paper 

 on the Coleoptera of the Island ofMontreal. A 

 number of insect dissections were also examined 

 by the microscope. 



A successful reunion of the Fish and Game 

 Protection Club, ol the Province of Quebec, was 

 held at the St. Lawrence Hall on the evening 

 of the 20th January. The menu, very properly, 

 was largely composed of fish and game, and 

 was served in a manner highly creditable to 

 Mr. Hogan, the proprietor of the Hall. 



