RECREA TION. 



XXXll! 



good game ranges along its banks. Ducks, 

 wild turkeys, deer, squirrels, and quails 

 are still plentiful, and independent of the 

 creek we have 23 lakes well stocked with 

 fish. Anyone wishing to spend a few 

 months, or the winter here can find good 

 accommodations, with Northern families, 

 at reasonable rates, and good guides can 

 be had by addressing me. I shall be glad 

 to answer any questions pertaining to these 

 matters. 



THE BULLHEAD. 



DR. H. S. MILLER. 



It has long been a reproach to call a 

 person " a bullhead." Now, in defense of 

 the bullhead, or catfish proper, I will give 

 the result of some observations of these 

 fish. 



I was fly-fishing in a stream one bright, 

 hot day. As I walked along the bank, 

 eagerly peering into the water, I suddenly 

 saw, darting from close to shore, a bull- 

 head, of about a pound in weight. The 

 water was not more than 4 inches deep, 

 with a mud bottom. The fish raised a 

 cloud of mud with tail and fins, about 3 

 feet in diameter and so dense that nothing 

 could be seen through it. I remained to 

 determine what it all meant. After waiting 

 15 or 20 minutes, the mud partially settled. 

 There on the bottom, was a solid mass of 

 little bullheads, about Y% of an inch long. 



As I am deeply interested in all forms of 

 nature (indeed, it is the thing that adds zest 

 to our hunting and fishing trips), I decided 

 to remain quietly on the bank and watch 

 the denouement. The sun was hot, and 

 with my high rubber boots on, I found it 

 very uncomfortable; but I stood without a 

 motion, patiently waiting the return of 

 mother bullhead. 



I was repaid by seeing her come stealing, 

 slowly and with the utmost caution, from a 

 different direction from that in which she 

 made her exit. She approached her little 

 flock with every evidence of affection. She 

 nestled among them, and in a moment was 

 invisible, her flock all about her; a picture 

 of happiness and contentment. 



I still remained, for I was deeply inter- 

 ested, though scorched almost to a blister. 

 In a few minutes a sunfish approached, 

 carelessly threading its way through the 

 weeds. Like a flash of light, the old lady 

 darted out fram the cloud of little folks 

 and plunged after the sunfish, which " did 

 not stay on the order of his going, but went 

 at once." The mother returned td the bos- 

 om of her family, though she seemed to 

 have both eyes free to watch for the ap- 

 proach of enemies. 



I kept perfectly still, not desiring to em- 

 barrass the old lady. Evidently she finally 

 considered me nothing more than a stump, 

 and indeed I began to feel that way myself. 



After a time, pater familias put in an ap- 

 pearance; slowly wiggling his way through 

 the weeds until he came within about 6 feet 

 of the little cloud. Then out with a rush, 

 the madam went, plunging toward the old 

 man, who, evidently knowing what was 

 coming, stopped. As she approached and 

 discovered who it was, I could, in imagina- 

 tion, hear her remarks: "Oh! it's only 

 you, eh? I feared some fiend was after my 

 babies." After caressing each other a mo- 

 ment, by rubbing noses and sides, she re- 

 turned to her family. 



By this time, being stiff and uncom- 

 fortable from my long pose, I started to 

 leave. The mother fish at once became 

 scared and rushed toward deep water. Be- 

 fore her return, the little fellows thought 

 to have a frolic, and began darting around, 

 finally getting down the stream about 6 

 feet. When the madam returned and found 

 the little ones gone, she was greatly ex- 

 cited and rushed about in every direction. 

 So much was she exercised that my pres- 

 ence or motions did not alarm her in the 

 least. She finally found her little flock; 

 but I did not notice that she used her slip- 

 per on any of them. 



Knowing this fish better, ■ I think it 

 should be considered a compliment to be 

 called a bullhead. I have closely observed 

 black bass, and other varieties of fish 

 watching their nests. As long as the ova 

 are unhatched, the female only (I think) 

 guards; but when the fish appear and be- 

 gin to swim, the mother forsakes them, 

 while the male devours them on sight. 



I was deeply interested in the article, in 

 Recreation, describing Mr. Thompson's 

 work with the brush, and the engravings 

 given especially appealed to me. His life 

 in the Canadian Northwest and the illus- 

 tration of the sod roofed cabin wrapped in 

 a blizzard, awoke sundry slumbering mem- 

 ories, for I spent nearly 2 years on those 

 same Assiniboia plains, near the Qu'Ap- 

 pelle Valley. I am familiar with the coun- 

 try from Winnipeg nearly to Edmonton; 

 also with the whole Saskatchewan river. 

 Would I could make a long trip up 

 there again, for it is a splendid country for 

 one who enjoys the finest small game 

 shooting in North America. The lover of 

 the small bore rifle— say a Lyman sighted 

 25-20 — would there have the grandest 

 shooting imaginable. Every kind of aquat- 

 ic bird, from a sandpiper to a swan, is 

 found there; and ruffed grouse, prairie 

 chickens and rabbits innumerable, besides 

 big game in the wilder and heavily tim- 

 bered sections. 



Chas. Greenwood, Chelan, Wash. 



Please send me the names and addresses 

 of all the sportsmen of your acquaintance, 

 in order that I may send them sample 

 copies of Recreation. 



