NATURAL HISTORY. 



67 



YES, RABBITS DO SWIM. 



I was much interested in the article in 

 October Recreation, by Mr. McCurdy, of 

 Fresno, Cal., on the ability of rabbits to 

 swim. It brought to mind an incident that 

 happened under my observation some 20 

 years ago. 



While boating one afternoon, on one of 

 the bayous of the Mississippi, we noticed 

 a small animal swimming, some distance 

 ahead of the boat, that we thought was a 

 muskrat. On coming nearer, what was 

 our surprise to find that it was a common 

 cotton tail. We could not determine 

 whether the rabbit took to the water of its 

 own choice, or was forced to do so by some 

 predatory fox. We took bunny aboard; 

 and landed him on the shore, where he 

 quickly disappeared in the bushes. 



Another incident, which occurred in the 

 same locality, shows the ingenuity which 

 birds of prey exhibit, when necessary, to 

 catch their game. It was before the ice 

 was out of the river, though there were 

 numerous open places of varying extent. 

 In one of these was a mallard duck, which 

 had been winged by some hunter. A bald 

 eagle espied the duck, and pounced upon 

 him with the speed of an arrow, but the 

 duck was alert, and dove in time to escape 

 the cruel talons. The eagle swept on and 

 upward and circling again launched him- 

 self at the quarry; but again the mallard 

 escaped by diving. 



The eagle apparently became convinced 

 that he must use his brains as well as his 

 swiftness and strength. So, flying to the 

 shore he alighted on a water elm overlook- 

 ing the field of action. He spent 5 or 10 

 minutes in perfecting his plan of campaign, 

 and then circling about he darted with the 

 speed of a meteor at his prey. The mallard 

 as before disappeared in the icy water; but 

 the eagle, instead of passing along, re- 

 mained hovering in the air, over the place 

 where the duck went down. When the 

 shining green head reappeared the fierce 

 talons closed on it, and the tragedy had 

 been enacted. 



Dr. S. O. Arnold, St. Paul, Minn. 



A GOOD DAY F_;R SNAKES. 



I take much pleasure in reading your 

 magazine, and although some might think 

 it strange, I first read the letters from your 

 many correspondents, because, as a rule, 

 they are true, full of facts, and I always 

 learn something. I raised a litter of ter- 

 rier pups this season, and when about 6 

 weeks old, let them into the yard for exer- 

 cise and noticed them all, one after another 

 " doping." On examination, I found them 

 rolling on a bit of rabbit skin, that had been 

 there all winter; so you see it is instinct, 

 and nothing learned by experience or 

 otherwise. 



One day last week N. B. Fuller, of this 

 place, killed 21 milk adder snakes at one 

 stroke of a shovel. This sounds a little 

 snaky, but 20 of them were in the mother 

 snake's stomach, where they are frequently 

 carried for safety. They were 4 to 5 inches 

 long. 



I. T. Monroe, North Livermore, Me. 



MEMBERS OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETY DON'T 

 WEAR THEM. 



I am naturally sweet-tempered, but the 

 self-laudatory address of the Audubon So- 

 ciety, in September Recreation, stirred 

 my bile. " Doing excellent work for the 

 protection of birds " are they? " It is to 

 laugh." There never was a time when bird- 

 skin trimmings were in greater demand, or 

 more generally used, than now. Every 

 fashion paper is printing instructions in 

 home taxidermy for decorative and milli- 

 nery purposes. The ladies have such tender 

 hearts. They are dear creatures, and I love 

 them all, but am not banking on their con- 

 sistency. One lately reproved me for 

 shooting a hawk. How could you kill 

 the pretty thing," she said, looking re- 

 proachfully at me from under a hat covered 

 with fragments of a dozen birds. If the 

 sale of bird skins is ever stopped, it will 

 not be by any ladies auxiliary committee. 

 G. A. M., Pleasantville, N. Y. 



Nevertheless the Audubon Society is 

 doing excellent work, and deserves the 

 active support of all bird lovers. — Editor. 



A beautiful specimen of the great blue 

 heron was discovered by my wife, early in 

 October, at Winthrop Beach, Mass., while 

 strolling with her hostess, Mrs. Arthur 

 Young. One of the bird's legs was broken 

 and it could not escape, but, true to its in- 

 stincts, it aimed a savage blow with its 

 beak at one of Mrs. Young's eyes, striking 

 fortunately on the bony framework just 

 above that organ. The heron was killed 

 and presented to the Natural History So- 

 ciety, at whose rooms on Copley Square, 

 Boston, it may now be seen. 



The bird's beak was 6^> inches long, 

 neck circumference 4^2 inches, girth of 

 body 19 inches, length from beak to tip of 

 tail 3^2 feet, from tip to tip of wings 6 feet. 

 Edward W. Wild, Keene, N. H. 



NOTES. 



To the discussion whether rabbits can 

 swim, I would add the following: In the 

 summer of '96, I was one day fishing in the 

 Pompton river. Opposite me was a sand 

 bar, extending far out in the river, which 

 was, at this point, about 75 feet wide. 

 Looking across, I saw an animal swim- 

 ming, that proved to be a rabbit. 



