NATURAL HJ STORY. 



3" 



I note what Mr. Parkham writes about 

 killing a snipe at 127 yards. I have a ham- 

 merless shot gun, 10 gauge, that I would 

 put up against any shot gun made, and I 

 never made such a shot as that in my life. 

 I think if Mr. Parkham would measure that 

 shot he would fall short about one half. 

 Estimated shots are usually long ones. 

 D. M. Hazleton, Corning, N. Y. 



Will some sportsman kindly inform me 

 why it is, that though some rifles were 

 built to be used with the ordinary bullet of 

 pure lead, the rifling is not injured when 

 metal-patched or steel-jacketed bullets are 

 used? 



Have any readers of Recreation used 

 the 22 calibre short cartridge, with mush- 

 room bullet? If so, with what result? 



40-82, Dickinson's Landing, Ont. 



I have used many kinds of rifles, and pre- 

 fer the 303 Savage and the 30-30 smokeless. 

 The shooting qualities of these guns, both 

 as regards accuracy and effectiveness, are 

 all that can be desired. With them, I have 

 killed a big buck, a doe and a black bear, 

 and all 3 fell dead in their tracks. 



Asa F. Hodgins, Everett, Wash. 



Please give your opinion of the rifles 

 using 25-36 smokeless cartridges. Are they 

 suitable for turkey shooting? Can they be 

 used with any success for deer? 



I should be glad to hear from others, 

 through Recreation, on this question. 

 H. W. H., Pittsburgh, Pa. 



1 heard a sportsman say, " Anyone using 

 a repeating shotgun, for hunting, is a game 

 hog." What is the editor's opinion? 



F. R., Elkhart, Ind. 



Well, that depends. If he quits when he 

 gets enough he is no more a game hog 

 than his neighbor who uses a double barrel 

 gun. If he kills more than a reasonable 

 quantity of game he is a hog anyway, no 

 matter what gun he uses. — Editor. 



I own a Remington 12 gauge single shot 

 gun and I could ask no better. At 35 yards 

 it will throw 260 No. 12 shot in an 8 inch 

 100 shell box. It has 32 inch barrel and I 

 use it as a pet. Last fall I shot a rabbit at 

 65 yards. 



Albert Suderley, Marlboro, N. Y. 



I have quite an arsenal, for a peaceful 

 person, and all my arms are made by peo- 

 ple who advertise in Recreation. 



Chas. F. Emmel, Vandalia, 111. 



I should like to say to J. V., that if he 

 wants an accurate rifle, he will find, the 

 Stevens' a fine little gun. I have one — a 22 

 Ideal — and do not want a more accurate 

 arm. It is a handsome rifle and has a good, 

 solid breech. 



P. K. R., Washington, Ct. 



I use nothing but a 40-65, '86 model, 

 Winchester. Have used it 4 years, and be- 

 lieve I can kill as many deer, in a season, 

 as any man who shoots a 30-30 smokeless. 

 O. E. Jones, Eden Valley, Minn. 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



BIRD LIFE IN NEBRASKA. 



North Platte, Neb. 



Editor Recreation: It is safe to say that 

 no State in the Union can boast a greater 

 variety of bird life than Nebraska. Lying, 

 as it does, about in the middle of the con- 

 tinent, it is the most Northerly limit for 

 the migrations of many Southern species, 

 such as the mocking bird, purple gallinule, 

 ibises and Managers. In winter such Arctic 

 species as the snowy owl, hawk owl, Amer- 

 ican goshawk, Bohemian waxwing and 

 crossbills are more or less abundant. It is 

 also the dividing line between the Eastern 

 and Western varieties of many species, for 

 example the meadow lark, night hawk, 

 great horned owl, red and yellow shafted 

 flickers and numerous others. 



Then again, its rivers and sloughs are the 

 favorite feeding and breeding places of 

 many of the so-called sea-birds, ducks, 

 geese, swans, divers, gulls and terns. 



It is therefore not surprising that Prof. 

 Lawrence Bruner, of the Nebraska State 

 University, has been able to publish a well 

 authenticated list of 415 species and va- 

 rieties of birds which have been observed 

 within this State. Of these 227 have been 

 found to breed, and over 100 are winter 

 residents. This is truly a remarkable list, 

 when we consider that only about 766 spe- 

 cies and varieties are recorded as occurring 

 in the whole of North America, North of 

 old Mexico. 



During the past 6 years I have observed 

 that canvasback ducks and swans are quite 

 common in the spring when migrating 

 North; but I have yet to see the first one 

 of either species about here during the fall 

 or winter, and have often wondered what 

 route they followed when returning South. 



Most other migratory birds that visit us 

 in the soring are equally common in the 

 fall. 



