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RECREATION. 



Nature's great scheme. Keep an eye on the 

 evil disposed ones, and when they get too 

 numerous or too saucy, thin them out. 



Mr. Mannion's experience with the 

 wounded grouse reminds me of a similar 

 incident that came under my notice. Two 

 boys were hunting in a patch of woods. 

 One fired at a grouse in a tree. It flew 

 away, and the boy, who prided himself on 

 his steady aim, protested, honestly enough, 

 that he had not fired at the bird, but at 

 some object he had mistaken for it. He 

 changed his mind when, on returning home 

 a few hours later, he was met by the news 

 that a wounded grouse had flown out of the 

 wood and taken refuge beneath a doorstep 

 of the house, where it expired. It was un- 

 doubtedly the one he had fired at, for when 

 last seen in the wood it was flying in the 

 direction of the house. 



John L. Woodbury, Cornish, Me. 



BIRD NOTES. 



Since my last letter to Recreation the 

 house wrens raised a large brood in the 

 former abode of the bluebirds. The latter, 

 finding themselves dispossessed, made a 

 new nest in a flower pot a few feet higher, 

 on a clothes post, to which I had fastened 

 it. They raised only one bird, the other eggs 

 being broken by accident. My purple mar- 

 tins raised 60 birds. Fifteen pairs had 

 young. I average them at 4 to the pair, al- 

 though some had 6 and 7, and one pair 

 but 2. 



I append a few notes made on a calen- 

 dar : 



August 31 : Saw a flock of 2 dozen mar- 

 tins flying about, calling to the old birds. 

 They usually leave August 22 to 25. 



October 18: Two or 3 bluebirds about. 

 Also saw one October 24. 



October 27 : Family of 6 bluebirds flying 

 rapidly South. I presume they were an old 

 pair and 4 young. Their loud calling at- 

 tracted my attention at 6 o'clock in the 

 morning. 



November 10 : Heard a bluebird calling. 



A traveler informed me wild pigeons 

 were to be found in Old Mexico. I do not 

 think it was possible to exterminate them, 

 as many believe was done ; but believe they 

 either migrated to Northern British prov- 

 inces, or to South America. Possibly they 

 have scattered and live in small colonies, 

 away from civilization. 



Frederick Wahl, Milwaukee, Wis. 



PROTECTION FOR BIRDS. 



Some officers in the East, becoming tired of the 

 boldness and regularity with which the laws for- 

 bidding the slaughter of birds were defied, hit on 

 a good plan. They raided the millinery shops 

 and confiscated the illegal stock. The wings of 

 the songster and the breast plumage of the 

 feathered beauty were taken away as evidence 

 that the statute had been violated. This method 



is fair and it ought to be effective. It is no 

 more radical than the measures applied for the 

 protection of game out of season. When the 

 restaurant man offers venison, ducks or quails, an i 

 the law states that he shall not have these articles 

 in stock, he is subject to a raid, which deprives 

 him of the forbidden articles and leads to the im- 

 position of a fine. 



The fact has been made clear that women have 

 no sympathy with the plan of saving birds from 

 extinction. They can not be relied on as allies 

 in the movement, and the friends of bird life 

 will have to take severe steps or give up the fight. 

 As the appeal has been made to sentiment and 

 has not excited any response, it is time for the 

 police to be called in. Fashion, if unchecked, 

 will exterminate the singing birds and the ones 

 notable for the charm of their vivid coloring. As 

 these birds are more important to the world than 

 the style of hats, it becomes necessary to change 

 the style of hat. — Tacoma, Wash., Ledger. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 

 , In October Recreation P. P. Chase, of 

 Ishpeming, Mich., describes a bird which 

 he wishes to have identified. The descrip- 

 tion he gives is that of the great bittern. 

 This bird is plentiful here, and is known 

 by sportsmen as the green legged crane. It 

 appears about the 1st of April and stays 

 until October. It is seldom seen during the 

 day, as it stays in dense swamps and feeds 

 at night. 



I think Recreation the best sportsman's 

 magazine. I like the way it roasts bristle- 

 backs. 



Glenn Artman, Jamestown, Pa. 



How would you poison coyotes? They 

 are numerous here, and go around in droves 

 of 3 to 8 or 9. They do not seem afraid 

 to go around a carcass that we have han- 

 dled. 



. Buck Shot, Milnor, N. Dak. 



Will Recreation readers please answer? 

 — Editor. 



I noticed an article in a recent issue of 

 Recreation that reminded me of a similar 

 occurrence. While looking for birds' eggs 

 for my collection I saw an oriole's nest, 

 and on climbing the tree found a kingbird 

 hung by a horsehair around its neck. The 

 nest was old and the bird had apparently 

 been there a long time. 



Charles Metz, Sheridan, Wyo. 



This is the time to send in your sub- 

 scription to Recreation, so you will be 

 sure to have a copy to take when you go 

 for your hunting trip. Then you can read 

 what the other fellows say and can com- 

 pare notes with them. 



Edith — Why did you refuse him? 

 Ethel — Fie has a past. 

 Edith — But he can blot it out. 

 Ethel — Perhaps, but he can't use me for 

 a blotter. — Puck. 



