3°4 



RECREA TION. 



They harass the gray and black squirrels 

 and drive them out of the neighborhood. 

 They are especially aggressive toward the 

 males, and frequently mutilate them. I can 

 prove my statement by other eyewitnesses, 

 who have killed both the red and the gray 

 immediately after the operation had been 

 performed. Nimrod, Portage Co., Wis. 



I noticed an article in April Recreation, 

 speaking of pine squirrels robbing birds' 

 nests and breaking grouse eggs. I never 

 saw them destroy birds' nests, but have 

 frequently seen them drive away the gray 

 squirrels. One day last fall while gunning 

 for gray squirrels, I noticed a pine squirrel 

 go into a hollow tree, and out came the old 

 gray squirrel with the " piney " close at 

 his heels. I have often noticed that where 

 pine squirrels were plenty, gray squirrels 

 were scarce. 



B. P. Hooke, Jr., Loysville, Pa. 



Mr. L. W. Brownell, of Nyack, N. Y., 

 would do well to go out in the woods and 

 watch the manoeuvres of a red squirrel, in- 

 stead of studying natural history indoors 

 and roasting Mr. Billings. 



The red squirrel is a mean little nuisance, 

 and there are few hunters who do not use 

 shells on them. They chase grays, rob 

 birds' nests, rob farmers' granaries, and 

 commit crimes too numerous to mention. 

 What Minton and the others say, is the 

 truth. H. P. McDonald, Benson, Vt. 



I have been a close observer of nature 

 and have spent much time in the woods 

 of Michigan and Ohio; I never knew the 

 red squirrel to molest birds' nests, but I 

 do know they are destructive to the fox 

 and gray squirrels. It is a well known fact 

 with us that the male reds mutilate the males 

 of the larger varieties. I have seen them 

 do it and have shot numbers of the latter 

 that were so mutilated. I think that is one 

 of the reasons of their scarcity. 



N. L. Curtis, Perrysburg, O. 



Anent the red squirrel business I would 

 say: I know he will chase the gray and 

 black ones, and even the fox squirrel, if he 

 feels inclined. I have seen it done more 

 times than I can tell; and supposed every 

 man of mature years had seen the same 

 thing, if he ever hunted squirrels. I have 

 seen them destroy eggs and young birds 

 within 20 feet of my door, so I know he is 

 a plunderer. A .22 Winchester fits his case 

 nicely. Chippewa. 



I agree with E. S. Billings that the red 

 squirrel is a mean little fellow. I have seen 

 him chase the gray squirrel, and rob birds' 

 nests. I have seen him destroy a nest of 

 young robins, taking the young birds out 

 of the nest and carrying them away. If 

 there is any good in him I should like to 



know it. He will strip a hickory tree of 

 nuts in a few days by biting them off, often 

 before the gray squirrel begins work. 



Luther Moore, Melrose, N. Y. 



The statement of E. S. Billings, in April 

 Recreation, in regard to red squirrels is 

 correct. They are the meanest little rascals 

 that ever lived. I have seen them eating 

 young robins and chasing gray squirrels, 

 though I never heard of their killing a gray 

 squirrel. 



S. F. Southwick, Millville, Mass. 



I have repeatedly seen red squirrels rob- 

 bing birds' nests, killing the young and 

 breaking the eggs. I have seen them in 

 the hanging nests of the Baltimore oriole. 



In the woods around here it is no un- 

 common sight, when out still hunting in 

 the early morning, to see a red squirrel in 

 full chase after a gray. 



Reader, Mt. Hermon, Mass. 



THE WHALE AND ITS ENEMY. 

 Mr. Gavin's note on the " whale and 

 its enemy the thrasher shark," interested 

 me greatly, for the whale in these waters 

 also has to contend with a similar foe. 



. I have seen the performance several 

 times, from steamer decks or off the shores 

 of Prince of Wales island, but have not 

 been able to identify the fish. It is known 

 here as a " killer whale " and also by the 

 name of " orca." These "killers" will 

 pursue a whale until it is quite exhausted, 

 and every time it comes to the surface to 

 breathe the " killer " throws itself over trie 

 whale's spout. This method of suffocat- 

 ing its victim is persistently kept up until 

 the whale dies. The "killer" then tears 

 out its protruding tongue and is off. 



This may sound fishy, to some, and I 

 confess it did to me at first; but I have 

 since had abundant opportunities of veri- 

 fying it — both from Indians and white resi- 

 dents. Another good proof is the fact that 

 almost without exception the dead whales 

 found adrift lack tongues. 



I also wish to correct a statement made 

 by your correspondent, at Skaguay to the 

 effect that the cougar or mountain lion is 

 found in that locality. They do not in- 

 habit the interior, nor any of the coast un- 

 less it be the extreme Southern end, near 

 the British Columbia line. 



Geo. G. Cantwell, Juneau, Alaska. 



Lynn, Mass. 

 Editor Recreation: Mr. Gavin's ac- 

 count in Recreation, of an attack by a 

 thrasher shark on a whale, reminds me 

 of having seen a similar occurrence. 

 About 15 years ago, while standing on a 

 hill overlooking the Bay of Fundy, I was 

 surprised to see a large whale rise from 

 the water until more than half of his body 

 came in view. Immediately a thrasher ran 



