42 



RECREATION. 



The only vegetation here consists of 

 low bushes, mesquite, and torrella, and 

 cacti of all kinds galore — everything well 

 supplied with thorns. Deer are plentiful 

 in the mountains in the immediate vicinity. 

 There are no laws regarding the shooting 

 of game in Mexico, at least, they are not 

 enforced here. 



E. Harms, Coquillas, Mexico. 



In your issue of May, 1899, on page 

 357, is a picture and measurements, of 

 "A Exceptional Moose Head." I give 

 you below the measurements of a moose 

 shot by Stephen B. Decatur, of this town, 

 he being' a direct descendant of fighting 

 Stephen Decatur, commodore in the navy. 



The moose was shot on the head 

 waters of the west branch of the Tobique 

 river in New Brunswick, in the fall of '97. 



Spread of antlers from tip to tip in a 

 straight line, 66 inches; length of palm, 

 not including points, 36 inches; width of 

 palm, not including points, 14 inches; 

 number of points, 28; length of head from 

 front of ear to end of nose, 24 inches; cir- 

 cumference of snout, 26 inches. I think 

 it the largest head I ever heard of. I 

 heartily endorse your crusade against the 

 "hogs" and believe you'll win. 



H. F. Hunt, Portsmouth, N. H. 



Shooting in this part of the country is 

 not so good as it is in many parts of the 

 middle West. Bob White quails are not 

 native here but have been imported. They 

 are protected until 1901 and are getting 

 quite plentiful. Our game protective laws 

 have been much improved lately and now 

 the county commissioners have authority 

 to appoint a warden in each county if pe- 

 titioned by 100 voters. Mr. Flynn, warden 

 for this county, is active and faithful and 

 is doing good work. 



About a year ago 4 of us went from here 

 to Adams county, a distance of 75 miles, on 

 a goose shooting trip. We shot in stubble 

 fields, from pits, over decoys, and had fairly 

 good sport. My shooting partner and I 

 got 23 geese in 4 days. A few geese were 

 brought home and make a fair showing in 

 the picture taken after our return. 



J. L. S., Walla Walla, Wash. 



In company with my friend, J. P. Godin, 

 I recently visited the surrounding bush of 

 this place. To our surprise we discovered 

 a wild pigeon on a stump. At sight of us 

 the bird flew rapidly away. Mr. Godin, 

 who is an old merchant and resident of this 

 locality, assures me positively that wild 

 pigeons have not been seen here for nearly 

 25 year;. The one mentioned is the first 



seen since that period. Would like to hear 

 from other quarters of Canada respecting 

 the wild pigeon. 



Benjamin Suite, F. R. S. C, Three Riv- 

 ers, P. Q., Canada. 



The Canadian government has recently 

 issued, in pamphlet, "Notes on the Birds 

 of King's County, Nova Scotia." This is 

 an extract from the Ottawa Naturalist, 

 and the material was furnished by Harold 

 Tufts, of Wolfville, N. S., by commission 

 from the government. Mr. Tufts is only 

 about 18 years old, and the commission 

 is, therefore, remarkable. It is a sufficient 

 endorsement of the thoroughness and ac- 

 curacy of his work and an honor of which 

 he may well feel proud. 



After a half-mile chase through the siramps sur- 

 rounding Lake Calumet, Game Warden G. R. Ratto 

 captured Charles Shranski, of Pullman, and arraigned 

 him yesterday before Justice Quinn at Hyde Park on 

 the charge of violating the btate game laws by hunting 

 between sunset and sunrise. Shranski pleaded ignor- 

 ance of the law and was fined $15. 



Another levelheaded justice. It is grati- 

 fying to find an officer occasionally who is 

 disposed to deal out coldblooded justice to 

 violators of the game laws. — Editor. 



Owing to some blunder of the legisla- 

 ture at Hartford, the bill we introduced 

 in regard to rabbits failed to become a 

 law. This is a great disappointment to me, 

 and I can not exactly see how thin blunder 

 happened. Therefore that part oif any let- 

 ter to you, in which I spoke of the new law 

 on rabbits, should be stricken out. Other- 

 wise the law is as I stated. 



F. P. Sherwood, Southport, Conn. 



Can any of your readers explain the un- 

 precedented flight of American crossbills 

 occurring here last fall? It was unusual for 

 the species to be seen here at all, but their 

 loud chatter has been daily heard here the 

 past 6 or 8 weeks. Either there has been a 

 remarkable increase in the number of these 

 birds, or they have changed the course of 

 their Southward flight. 



P. P. Beal, Lisbon Falls, Me. 



Recreation is great and is doing lots 

 of good. It shames many a game hog 

 into decency. Some of the older and 

 more confirmed porkers are almost past 

 praying for, but Recreation will have its 

 effect. 



W. W. Potter, Buffalo, N. Y. 



Captain William McMicken, of Olym- 

 pia, Wash., died at his home in that city 

 September 8th. He was an enthusias- 

 tic sportsman and was for many years 

 president of the Olympia Rod and Gun 

 Club. 



