272 



RECREA TION. 



Thickness from one thigh-bone head 

 K, through to the other on the oppo- 

 site side 



Width of fore foot or hoof, YY Figs. 3 

 and 5 



Width of hind foot or hoof, YY Fig. 6. 



Length of fore foot or hoof, XX Figs 

 3 and 5, measured from where the 

 hair ends behind to the point of the 

 longest claw or hoof 



Length of hind foot or hoof, XX Fig. 6 

 (see above) 



Length of longest claw, measured from 

 the base above, following the curve 

 to the tip 



Length of horns, from base to tip, fol- 

 lowing curve 



Spread of horns, that is, the widest 

 place horizontal and at right angles 

 to the line of the neck 



Girth above burr or base 



Number of points on each 



The horn measurements are usually the 

 only ones taken, and are of the least im- 

 portance, because the horns are usually 

 there to speak for themselves, to taxider- 

 mist or artist. 



For small mammals, such as moles, mice, 

 squirrels, prairie dogs, rabbits, etc., it is 

 enough to take the first 3 measurements. 



In all cases, hunters who wish to do serv- 

 ice to science, should preserve the skull of 

 the animal, with the skin. In some cases 

 it is of more value than the latter. 



COLOR. 



Another important matter that can b 

 settled only by examination of the fresh 

 specimen, is the color of perishable parts. 

 There is at present almost nothing pub- 

 lished on this subject. How rare it is to see 

 the colors properly reproduced. For ex- 

 ample, how often we see an otherwise well- 

 mounted animal spoiled by having the eye 

 of another species. 



Colors are difficult to describe in words, 

 but it can be done if we use several well- 

 known objects, held beside the color to be 

 described, and compare the color of the eye 

 with that of other eyes. Thus we might 

 say a coyote's eye is a brassy gray, like 

 dull bronze, or like what would be hazel in 

 a human eye. It is much darker than the 

 eye of a lynx but lighter than that of a gray 

 wolf, etc. 



WHEN GOES THE ICE. . 



F. C. R. 



To boat, to boat, the winter's fled — 



The gorge is gone at last, 

 And over by the harbor bar 



The gulls are sailing past. 



Yet, while we hail the quickening breeze 

 From sunny climes, and know 



The pleasures of the woodsman's heart, 

 Who would a-camping go — 



The river, wrapt in rising mists, 



Reverberates the boom 

 That marks the heartless hunter's post, 



And sounds the mallard's doom. 



Alack for shame that men should seek 



To slaughter and molest 

 The birds, defenseless in their flight, 



To find their summer nest. 



Not any plea of poor defense, 



Though poachers may deny, 

 Such travesty of sportsmanship 



Can ever justify. 



