I9« 



RECREATION. 



University, wrote me last year from Japan 

 that the song birds of that archipelago 

 had been practically exterminated. He 

 said there was no local law for their pro- 

 tection, and the trees had been limed and 

 the song birds gathered almost en masse 

 for the millinery trade of the world. 



The market reports show that in a sin- 

 gle day of this abominable traffic 500,000 

 skins were sold in London, of which more 

 than 100,000 were humming birds. 



The forests of Japan have, become silent 

 in order that the dead bodies of her song- 

 sters might be carried for a few weeks, 

 on the head gear of fair women in Eu- 

 rope and America. 



The sea is being desolated as well as 

 the woods. The tern that have been pro- 

 tecting our harbors as scavengers, have 

 been made the prey, too, of this cruel 

 fashion. 



It is pleasing to note that the gentle 

 sex are at last revolting against this 

 custom. 



A true sportsman no longer prides him- 

 self on the size of his bag of game, but 

 recognizes the duty of moderation, and 

 becomes a preserver rather than a de- 

 stroyer. 



Man has always been a killer. Nothing 

 is so destructive as a boy, except a dog. A 

 boy begins to slay things from the time 

 he can first hold a stone in his chubby 

 hands. A boy with a muzzle loading, 

 single barrel, smooth bore musket will 

 slaughter more game in a day than any 

 skilled sportsman with a breech loader, 

 smokeless powder, and the finest equip- 

 ment obtainable at a sporting supply 

 house. 



Our ancestors were all killers. In the 

 caverns of prehistoric man we find that 

 bones of the reindeer, cave bear, and hu- 

 man beings are mingled with the weapons 

 of the stone age. The battle cry of the 

 Moslems was, "In the name of Allah kill, 

 kill, kill! " 



From the days of the troglodyte to the 



present hour an unequal contest has been 

 waged by man against the lower animals 

 The arrow and the stone weapon seem te 

 have been sufficient for the extermination 

 of the mammoth of ancient days. Then 

 came the age of bronze with its powers 

 of increased destruction. Then came iron 

 and steel, crossbows, hawking, and finally 

 with gunpowder, man became the terror 

 of all living beings. Once there was a 

 limit to man's power to destroy, now he is 

 omnidestructive. Once there was a limit 

 to his capacity to travel; now he goes 500 

 miles for a day's shooting," or travels half 

 way round the globe for a brief outing. 



In 1834 Lawrence snapped 2 flintlock 

 pistols in vain at President Jackson. In 

 1881 Guiteau's revolver made no failure 

 in his attempt on the life of President 

 Garfield. 



The immensity of man's power to de- 

 stroy imposes a responsibility to preserve. 

 We have seen God's creatures disappear- 

 ing so rapidly before the tremendous 

 power of modern invention that the 

 whole world has paused to contemplate 

 the extermination of all the lower forms 

 of life. A birdless world would not be a 

 fit place to live in, and a birdless air would 

 not be fit to breathe. The survival of the 

 elephant amidst the general destruction 

 of the larger animals justifies Kipling's 

 description of this animal as a "pachyder- 

 matous anachronism." 



The Dingley tariff law contains a pro- 

 vision to prevent the gathering of the 

 eggs of wild fowl in Canada and their 

 importation for commercial uses to the 

 United States. A like prohibition was 

 recently inserted in the laws for the gov- 

 ernment of Alaska. 



With a vigorous enforcement of State 

 laws, supplemented and aided by national 

 statutes, reinforced by an enlightened 

 public sentiment, we may look for a par- 

 tial restoration of our feathered friends 

 in the woods and fields. Let us save the 

 birds. 



Drill Sergeant (to awkward squad) — 

 The bullet of our new rifle will go right 

 through 18 inches of solid wood. Remem- 

 ber that, you blockheads. — Exchange. 



