200 
regard to the rate of flight attributed to birds 
and wild fowi. While traveling on a Santa Fe 
railway train in this State recently, an event 
came under my observation that enlightened 
me somewhat. A flock of thirty or forty mal- 
lard ducks kept flying along parallel to our 
train for several miles, and their rates of travel 
and our rate were exactly the same. The day 
was comparatively calm, and the ducks had a 
fair chance to display their ability of flight. 
Our train was running at the rate of thirty 
miles per hour, hence the great rate of flight 
credited to this class of ducks I deem is largely 
imaginary. 
What is the use of writing and talking about 
being careful in the handling and use of fire- 
arms? Here is a sportsman telling in a sport- 
ing journal about how his gun was discharged 
while being pushed under a barb wire fence, 
NATURE'S REALM. 
and the muzzle of the gun directed toward him ! 
Shouldn’t we quit this subject when one of our 
own men will go and violate reason by allow- 
ing his gun at full cock to be pointed toward 
his person? But then we draw consolation 
from the statement of a scientific writer who 
states that we all are at times insane. 
A writer in Sforts Afield speaks very firmly 
against Sunday shooting. There is no defense 
for anyone going forth on the Sabbath and vio- 
lating law and order by the use of firearms. 
No other practice is so far reaching and fla- 
grant than this. People in general respect the 
Sabbath and want it reversed as a time of de- 
votion and rest, hence we are trespassing upon 
the liberty and peace of others by shooting on 
this day. Let the practice be discouraged and 
frowned down by true sportsmen everywhere. 
Fasper Blines. 
