440 
Skunk trying to eat one of our seats. For 
the next 20 minutes George kept the light 
burning, while I tried to make the skunk 
understand that he was not wanted. I got 
him up to the door a dozen times, and just 
as we thought we had him out he would 
bolt to the back of the shanty. I would 
have kicked him out, but for obvious rea- 
sons I did not. At last he went out and we 
went to bed. The next day we put the door 
on, so that our callers would have to knock 
before getting in. 
About a week later, while sleeping in the 
lower bunk, I was awakened one rainy 
night by something heavy on my chest. It 
was too dark to see anything, but I put out 
my hand and down it came on a_ skunk. 
He ran off, and | could feel his bushy, wet 
tail slip through my fingers. I got up and 
slept with George the rest of that night. 
In the morning we found where the skunk 
had dug under the bottom log of the shanty. 
We had no more trouble with them after 
that. 
They were not at all afraid of us, and 
ate everything we threw out. 
If one happened to be in the path when 
we went after water he would not hurry to 
get out of the way and of course we would 
not hurry him. If a skunk is treated right 
he will act right. I knew 2 fellows who 
were trying to kill a skunk with clubs. One 
of them made a lunge at the skunk and the 
club broke and he fell almost on the skunk. 
He got a good dose, full in the face. I 
never heard of his trying to kill another 
skunk. His intended victim got away. 
J. J. McCormick, Ann Arbor, Mich. 

A SEVERE INDICTMENT OF THE CROW. 
Many people are wondering what has be- 
come of the song birds. They have been 
growing scarce for a long time. I know 
how they are going here in Massachusetts, 
and it is so all through the other States. 
In June and July of every year, when 
the young birds hatch, I have watched 
crows eat them. The crows begin about 
4 o'clock in the morning, or a little later, 
and they look the shade trees over for 
young birds. They go into the trees that 
stand in yards and that line the streets 
near buildings. As soon as people stir 
from their houses the crows disappear for 
the day, but begin again the next morning 
just the same and they eat every young 
bird they can find. The robin will put up 
a good fight with them, but the crows will 
get the young birds in spite of the parents. 
Every kind of small bird that builds its 
nest in trees or on the ground the crows 
are destroying rapidly. After the young 
have reached the age when they can fly well 
I have watched crows catch, kill and eat 
these little birds in the air. I have watched 
crows break up the nest of the meadow 
RECREATION. 
lark, which builds on the ground; in fact, 
they kill everything they can, being ex- 
tremely fond of meat. They hunt the 
meadows and pastures and woods every 
day in June and July for the young birds. 
I have seen crows take chickens 2 weeks 
old. If they can eat a robin after it can 
fly well and 2 weeks’ old chickens they 
must be able to destroy young grouse and 
quails. [wo or more crows together could 
easily eat young grouse and will put up a 
big fight to get what they are after. 
If the farmers in every State knew how 
much good the young birds that the crows 
are eating up every season would do the 
trees they would put a stop to some of this 
murder. It is appalling to see the song 
birds killed in this way year after year, for 
they are indeed becoming scarce. 
Anson Howard, East Northfield, Mass. 
KILL THE 

AUTOMATIC GUN 
THE BIRDS. 
I fully agree with you in what you say 
regarding automatic shot guns and other 
game-destroying firearms. 
be adopted and proper laws enacted for the 
increase of game rather than the decrease. 
This is far from being the case.. Species 
after species, once common, «is now hasten- 
ing to extinction. I well remember seeing 
wild pigeons in countless numbers. They 
flew in vast flocks or fed among the foliage 
of our then great forests, and to see them 
produced sensations I shall never forget. 
Geese, ducks, grouse, wild turkeys and 
bay birds are becoming alarmingly scarce, 
while the sandhill crane, the joy of my child- 
hood, that I so much admired as he honked 
and circled far above me, is almost extinct. 
The scattering remnants of egrets and he- 
rons that we sometimes see about the ponds 
and streams give no evidence of the vast 
flocks to be found years ago. 
The clearing of the forests, drainage of 
the swamps, lakes and ponds, together with 
the bird dog and the milliner traffic, have 
been the chief destructive agents. The till- 
ing and harvesting of crops have also de- 
stroyed millions of birds. 
The economic value of birds as insect, 
weed seed and rodent destroyers is impor- 
tants... 
Birds have been the theme of our most 
eminent poets throughout the ages 
The L. A. S., Recreation, Audubon so- 
cieties and bird day at schools are doing 
much to arouse the sentiment of people in 
behalf of the birds. May the good work 
go on! 
E. J. Chansler, Bicknell, Ind. 
CAUGHT A RUFFED GROUSE. 
One morning last summer I arose at the 
usual time, and went to the barn. The 
barn door had been open all night, as the 
AND SAVE 

Means should > 
V—— ee eee 
