468 



RECREATION. 



In his pen was a female black duck 

 which he winged 15 or 20 years ago. This 

 duck has laid 12 to 30 eggs annually, and 

 has outlived several mates. About 2 years 

 ago her neck feathers began to turn white 

 and now her head is nearly all white. She 

 laid and hatched this year as usual and 

 seemed in good health. 



A. S. Doane, Waterlilly, N. C. 



A FLESH EATING SHEEP. 



A most unnatural and surprising pro- 

 pensity developed in a young lamb owned 

 by John C. Fouts, of New Washington, 

 Ind. A ewe dropped 2 lambs ; one she 

 refused to suckle and it was taught to 

 take milk from a bottle. When about a 

 month old it was allowed to run in the 

 yard, with the fowls. Mrs. Fouts missed 

 some of her young chickens and turkeys, 

 and -could -not account for their loss, 

 until one day on going into the yard 

 she discovered her pet lamb pulling to 

 pieces and devouring a young turkey. 

 She told her husband, but he declared that 

 such a thing was impossible. However, 

 he kept a sharp watch on the lamb and 

 one day saw * it pursuing the young chick- 

 ens. It caught one, pulled it to pieces and 

 ate it ; holding the fowl to the ground with 

 the front feet just as a dog would do. A 

 number of persons were called in to wit- 

 ness this extraordinary case of atavism, 

 and Mrs. Fouts is still sacrificing chickens 

 and turkeys. 



The Ovis of the zoologists belongs to 

 the Artiodactyle or paired toed ruminants. 

 Geologically, sheep are thought to be 

 modern animals, as their horns are not 

 found in the tertiary beds which have 

 yielded abundant modifications of ante- 

 lope and deer. The Equus tribe not in- 

 frequently show atavism, eating flesh, and 

 developing supernumerary toes. This con- 

 dition can be accounted for by exam- 

 ining the bones and teeth of the Eocene 

 Eohippus and Orohippus, which clearly in- 

 dicate that these early ancestors of the 

 horse were carnivorous ; but what about 

 the animal that from time immemorial has 

 been held as an emblem of innocence, and 

 has furnished Cuticle for a badge for all 

 masons? Will some zoologist please ex- 

 plain ? W.. F. Work, Charlestown, Ind. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 

 Mr. Henry Chaffee, of this city, informs 

 me that he saw a flock of 45 or more pas- 

 senger pigeons in the outskirts of this city 

 about 2 weeks ago. Mr. Chaffee is thor- 

 oughly familiar with the appearance of the 

 birds mentioned, so there is no possibility 

 of his being mistaken in regard to the iden- 

 tity of the birds. Mr. Chaffee told me he 

 had seen thousands of the pigeons in his 

 youth, but that it has been many years since 



any have been seen in this part of the 

 country. Perhaps they are coming back. 

 If so, let us not start in to bag them all, 

 but give them a show. 



Game is more plentiful in this locality 

 than for many years. Quails especially are 

 numerous and deer are frequently seen in 

 the woods and pastures. The time may 

 come when it will be possible to bag a deer 

 even if one can not afford a trip to Maine, 

 L. A. Perry, Putnam, Conn. 



I see your readers can not agree as to 

 how -grouse drink. The fact of the wiatter 

 is that in wet weather grouse take water 

 from the leave's ; and in dry weather drink 

 from springs and streams. Last fall I 

 camped at various spots along the Queets 

 river in the Olympic mountains, ,One 

 morning I went to a spring near camp to 

 wash dough from a pan. While I stood si- 

 lently watching a lot of salmon fry eat the 

 dough, out came a grouse from the brush, 

 dipped his bill in the water and drank, ex- 

 actly as a barnyard fowl would do. Hav- 

 ing got his fill, he took a dust bath in a 

 spot where the loose, dry earth had been 

 pawed by an elk. Then he returned to the 

 spring, took another sip, and flew up the 

 mountain side. 



G. Y. Hibbard, Queets, Wash. 



Will some one please tell me how to 

 make a trap to catch snakes alive and 

 without injuring them? Is there any way 

 to remove the poison glands of a rattle- 

 snake? If the fangs alone are taken out 

 they will grow again. What is the best 

 remedy for rattlesnake and copperhead bite? 

 V. A. L., Albany, N. Y. 



Have you commenced to think of Christ- 

 mas' presents? If so, here is a suggestion: 



A yearly subscription to Recreation 

 furnishes one of the most delightful, in- 

 structive, entertaining Christmas presents 

 you can possibly give a man or boy who 

 is interested in nature, in fishing, shooting, 

 amateur photography; or, who is fond of 

 the woods, the fields, the mountains, the 

 lakes or the rivers. 



Many of the presents which people* give 

 their friends afford pleasure only for a few 

 days, or weeks. A subscription to Recrea- 

 tion means solid comfort a whole >ear. 

 It reminds your friend 12 times during the 

 year of your kindness and generosity. 

 There are many men and women who for 5 

 years past have annually sent in long lists 

 of names of friends, accompanied with a 

 check in order that these friends might be 

 made happy a whole year. Would it not 

 be well for y«u to adopt this plan? 



Try it and see how grateful the recipient 

 will be. 



