NATURAL HISTORY. 



223 



I take exception to parts of Dr. G. L. 

 Wood's statements in the January number 

 of your magazine. As he did not give his 

 address I take this means of communi- 

 cating with him. Evidently he does not 

 agree with the views expressed in my arti- 

 cle in the same issue. If he will write me 

 his address I will try to convert him on 

 the subject of bounties on hawks and 

 owls. He ought to move to the town of 

 North Stonington, where they still retain 

 that barbarous law. I should like to lend 

 him my copy of Fisher's report on the ex- 

 amination of the stomachs of hawks and 

 owls, if he cannot get a copy himself, and 

 a brief statement of my own finding in 

 similar cases. Protect these birds, I say. 

 I hope Recreation will echo my senti- 

 ments and try to place these noble birds 

 on the safe side of the law, along with the 

 redbreasts. 



Lorenzo Blackstone, Norwich, Conn. 



Many people are slow to learn. Ameri- 

 cans have been taught, for a hundred years, 

 that all hawks and owls should be killed, 

 and it is hard for them to believe the new 

 evidence. Keep at it, Brother Blackstone, 

 and all men will learn wisdom in time.— 

 Editor. 



As I was working in the field one day 

 last summer I noticed a blackbird chasing 

 something, occasionally picking it up and 

 shaking it. At last I saw that the victim 

 was a mouse. The blackbird kept on peck- 

 ing it until it was nearly killed; then pick- 

 ing up the mouse in its bill it flew off, fol- 

 lowed by a number of its own kind, anx- 

 ious to get a taste of the dainty morsel. 

 As the bird flew along at a good rate of 

 speed the mouse suddenly dropped from 

 its bill and fell to the ground. The black- 

 bird flew some distance past before it 

 could stop. Then it picked up the mouse 

 once more and flew off. The same thing 

 was repeated several times. Is this a com- 

 mon occurrence? 



H. H. Berkeland, Roland, la. 



I like your editorial in November Rec- 

 reation regarding the use of correct 

 names. The sooner a stand is taken in 

 this matter the sooner will people become 

 informed regarding the correct names of 

 birds and animals. Our magazines and 

 newspapers constantly use such names as 

 pheasant, hedgehog, coon, bobcat, black- 

 tail deer (for mule deer), and hundreds of 

 other similar inaccuracies. Correct names 

 would sound much better and no one could 

 be misled regarding the identity of the bird 

 or animal mentioned. Recreation is the 

 best sportsmen's journal in the United 

 States. 



Jsador S. Trostler, Omaha, Neb, 



It is my opinion, formed after many 

 years of careful observation,* that the blue 

 jays destroy more of our song birds than 

 all other vermin combined. Probably every 

 live jay represents 10 dead song birds. I 

 have seen a jay attack and kill a half-grown 

 dove. It is true a pair of robins will whip 

 a jay, but if the blue sneak once gets to 

 their nest, goodby eggs or young rob- 

 ins. In this part of Kentucky jays have 

 greatly increased and song birds have de- 

 creased. I notice that the large fox squir- 

 rel is on the increase here also. We have 

 no red or black squirrels. 



G. S. Judd, Maysville, Ky. 



Last August a man living 3 miles above 

 here brought me the body of a dead peba, 

 or armadillo, Novemcinctus, which he had 

 found on his farm. 



This is the first time I ever heard of one 

 being found North of Texas. It was full 

 grown, and how the mischief did it get 

 'way up here in Kentucky? 



G. S. Judd, Maysville, Ky. 



ANSWER. 



It probably escaped from some circus, or 

 menagerie, or private individual. As far 

 as I know, the armadillo has never come 

 North of Texas, of its own accord. 



The gray squirrels in Ulster county, 

 New York, ate but few nuts last fall, but 

 ate liberally of dead wood. Is not this an 

 unusual diet? Can it be that some disease 

 or parasite has got into them, and that 

 their animal instinct prompts them to 

 adopt this diet to rid themselves of it, sup- 

 posing there is some property in the wood 

 which would kill or drive off the pest? I 

 have never before heard of this in grays, 

 although it is possibly natural. 



B. F. Cogswell, Jr., Flatbush, L. I. 



Having read in Recreation of dogs 

 rolling in carrion, and having seen them 

 do it, I can add -mother animal to the 

 list, which I have not seen mentioned, 

 and that is a black bear. I have a cub 

 about 4 months old to whom I gave some 

 cooked fish that had been left over from 

 supper the night bei'^-e. Instead of eat- 

 ing it he took it out of the pan and began 

 to roll in it, rubbing his head and shoul- 

 ders the same as I have seen dogs do. 

 Jas. W. Nicol, Moore, Wash. 



I like Recreation and am in perfect 

 sympathy with the cause it represents. I 

 think you are too rough on the quadruped 

 from which we get our ham and bacon. 

 Don't you think it would be as well to call 

 hunters with slaughter house proclivities 

 Webbers instead of hogs? You see. hogs 

 have their uses; but call a man a Webber 

 and he would hunt a hole mighty quick. 

 D. Van BUricom, Victor, M<>nt. 



