4 88 



RECREATION. 



U. check list, and make a reasonably care- 

 ful count of all the birds of North America 

 which might be classed as edible, or 

 " game " birds. I made the number 144, 

 or 20 more than Mr. Bates; but without 

 codes and canons, it will be difficult for 

 2 men to pick out exactly the same num- 

 ber of species of birds which are edible. 



I will not find fault because Mr. Bates 

 omits from his list a few rather rare species 

 which might possibly have been included; 

 for the argument that could be bestowed 

 upon this subject would fill a volume. The 

 author's list includes of geese, ducks and 

 swans 52 species, shore birds 56, gallinace- 

 ous birds 15, and pigeons 1, making a total 

 of 124. • The little volume is " a handy 

 pocket manual for sportsmen," a book for 

 the camp and the blind, where its concise 

 descriptions, measurements and weight rec- 

 ords will be most gratefully appreciated. 

 Like all good bird books, it contains a key 

 to the identification of species, and numer- 

 ous small illustrations. I sincerely hope 

 its success will be such as to warrant Mr. 

 Bates in doubling the size of the volume, 

 when it is time for a revised edition. 



" Game Birds of North America." A 

 Descriptive check-list. By Frank A. Bates, 

 i6mo. Illustrated, pp. 118. Bradlee Whid- 

 den. Boston. $1.00. 



pp. xiv. + 137- G. P. Putnam's Sons, 

 New York. Price $1.50.' 



FRENCH-CANADIAN DIALECT POEMS. 



One of the most laughable sketches I ever 

 read was in the dialect of the French-Cana- 

 dians. Whoever is yet a stranger to this 

 funniest of all dialects is to be envied the 

 treat that is in store for him. In "The Hab- 

 itant," by Dr. William Henry Drummond, 

 we have a collection of 23 narrative poems, 

 cast in this quaint form, the most of which 

 are highly enjoyable, to say the least. Al- 

 though they contain so much of pure and 

 untranslated French as to seriously detract 

 from the personal comfort of every reader 

 who knows nothing of that erratic lan- 

 guage, this copy of the " Habitant " glories 

 in being one of the "ninth thousand." 



Dr. Drummond has contributed several 

 excellent poems and stories to Recrea- 

 tion; among which are "Autumn Days," 

 " A Dream of Wayagamack " and " Ze 

 Wreck of Ze Julie La Plant." The latter 

 was not credited to the Doctor at the time, 

 owing to an oversight, but he wrote it all 

 the same. His present volume will be 

 found a most delightful companion for any 

 lover of nature, in camp, or in the library, 

 and all such people should read it. 



The mechanical make-up of the volume 

 is, in more ways than one, highly satisfac- 

 tory; and I congratulate the Messrs. Put- 

 nam on their good sense in trimming the 

 edges. 



' The Habitant, and other French-Ca- 

 nadian Poems." By Dr. W. H. Drum- 

 mond. i2mo. Illustrated by F. S. Coburn. 



RECREATION'S RIFLE TOURNA- 

 MENT. 



I reprint the conditions in this match for 

 the benefit of any who may not have seen 

 them in April RECREATION. 



Each contestant will be allowed to shoot 

 any number of scores, each month, at 10O' 

 yards, but may enter only 3 each month. 



Five shots to constitute a score. 



Any 22 calibre rifle, any ammunition, any 

 trigger pull, any sights, except telescope 

 sights, and any kind of rest allowed. Each 

 contestant to mail such of his targets to 

 Recreation, at the end of each month, as 

 he may desire to have entered for competi- 

 tion— not exceeding 3 in number. 



Each target to be certified by 2 witnesses, 

 beside the shooter ; and the Editor of Rec- 

 reation reserves the right to call for 

 affidavits, from shooters and witnesses, as 

 to the conditions under which scores were 

 shot. This provision does not imply any 

 lack of faith in contestants or witnesses; but 

 is made in order to avoid, as far as possible, 

 dissatisfaction on the part of contestants 

 who may not win. 



The object in allowing contestants to en- 

 ter 3 scores each month is to give any one 

 contestant a chance to win 2 or more prizes, 

 if his shooting is good enough to do so. 



Shooters who may enter now, or later, 

 will stand just as good a show of winning 

 as those who entered earlier, if they do as 

 good shooting. 



Contestants must be actual paid yearly 

 subscribers to Recreation. 



No entrance fee will be charged. 



All scores to be decided by string measure. 



Telescope sights positively barred. 



prizes. 



First prize a Stevens Schuetzen rifle, 

 handsomely engraved and listed at $60. 



Second, a 22 calibre take-down Marlin 

 repeating rifle, handsomely engraved and 

 listed at $25. 



Third, a gold hunting case watch, listed 

 at $25. 



Fourth, an Eastman photoret camera,, 

 listed at $22. 



Fifth, a No. 4 Eastman Bullseye Camera, 

 listed at $16. 



Distances to be carefully and accurately 

 measured. Not paced or estimated. 



Awards will be made by 3 judges, to be 

 appointed by the editor of Recreation, 

 none of whom shall be contestants. 



Competition will open April 1st and close 

 September 30th. 



