5S 



RECREA TIOX. 



Which is the stronger, good Damascus or 

 good twist barrels? How many No. 8 shot 

 should a good gun put in a 30 inch circle at 

 40 yard- 



Frank Cortright, Benton Harbor, Mich. 



How does King semi-smokeless powder 

 compare in penetration and cost with Du- 

 pont smokeless? 



R. J. Boynton, Hillsboro. N. H. 



What is a taper choke? Is it better than 

 any other sort? What is the best variety of 

 bore for a gun intended for all kinds' of 

 shooting. 



X. Y. Z., Seattle, Wash. 



What is the best all round rifle, for large 

 and small game, using cartridges that can be 

 reloaded with good results? 



Wm. Blake, Palmyra, la. 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



THE COOT, FULICA AMERICANA. 



ALLAN BROOKS. 



See page 13. 



Most American sportsmen know this bird 

 as " Mud hen," " Splatterer " or by some 

 other name, while the Scoters are known as 

 **■ Coots," or " Sea Coots " — the latter name 

 fitting them very well. 



Another bird that the coot is confused 

 with is the gallinule, which can always be 

 distinguished by its long slim toes, while 

 those of the coot have scalloped lobes. 



While the coot is not generally reckoned 

 a game bird there is no reason why it should 

 not be, for it is a much stronger flyer than 

 most of its family, and flies more readily. 

 The flesh is good at all seasons, and the 

 bird is just as clean a feeder as a mallard; in 

 fact more so. 



Coots are good subjects for the young 

 duck shooter to practice on, as they fly 

 steadily and at a good speed when fairly 

 started. On rising from the water they 

 make a great splashing, using their power- 

 ful feet to give them the necessary impetus. 

 When alighting they come down in the 

 water with a tremendous flop and do not 

 plow along the surface as most ducks do. 



A crippled coot is a hard customer to 

 catch, and when caught will scratch like a 

 cat. Its claws are as sharp as needles. 



By robbing their nests they can be made 

 to lay an enormous quantity of eggs. Ind- 

 ians living near their breeding haunts reg- 

 ularly send the squaws to gather the eggs, 

 which are nearly as good as hen's eggs. 



The young, when newly hatched, are cu- 

 rious little mites and can swim and dive as 

 soon as they are clear of the shell. Their 

 bills are then bright red, with a white tip. 

 The crown of the head is bald, and is bright 

 red. The neck is covered with orange col- 

 ored down. Later they turn darker and 

 blacker, and lose their bright coloring alto- 

 gether. 



The bill of the adult is white, with the 

 apex of the " shield " and a bar across tip. 

 dull claret color; iris claret color; and feet 



olive green with a " garter " on the tibia of 

 dull orange. 



In the breeding season coots have a great 

 variety of cries and are very noisy, espe- 

 cially at night. At this season they are also 

 pugnacious, and fight not only among them- 

 selves but with every other kind of water- 

 fowl. I have heard complaints of them kill- 

 ing young domestic ducks. 



It is almost impossible to pluck them, so 

 when preparing them for the table it is best 

 to skin them. They should be cleaned as 

 soon as killed, for, like all vegetable feeders, 

 they decompose rapidly. 



THE ASCENT OF THE GRAND TETON. 



Chilicothe, O. 



Editor Recreation: I note your men- 

 tion in November Recreation, of the re- 

 cent ascent of the Grand Teton by W. O. 

 Owen and others, and Mr. Owen's claim 

 that this is the first ascent. The highest 

 pinnacle of this grand mountain, perhaps the 

 most inaccessible in the United States, was 

 first surmounted, so far as we have any au- 

 thentic account, by the Hon. Nathaniel P. 

 Langford and Capt. James Stevenson. The 

 latter had charge of the Snake River Divi- 

 sion of the Hayden U. S. Geographical Sur- 

 vey. The ascent was made on July 29, 1872, 

 and due mention of same is made in Dr. 

 Hayden's report. A full account of the as- 

 cent was furnished by Mr. Langford to 

 Scribner's Magazine, and was published in 

 the June number of 1873. 



As is well known, the mountain, while ex- 

 ceeded in altitude by many other peaks, pre- 

 sents unusual difficulties to the mountaineer, 

 and many are the attempts which have since 

 been made to reach its summit, all of which, 

 it seems, have been unsuccessful save that 

 of Air. Owen and his party who again 

 reached the highest point of the mountain 

 in August, '98. after 2 previous unsuccess- 

 ful attempts. His pride in the achievement 

 has, it is to be regretted, led Mr. Owen 

 into the folly of trying to magnify it by 

 claiming this as the first ascent. Most 



