NATURAL HISTORY. 



139 



nothing else. They will flee from a hawk, 

 but the hawk can't catch them. 



Red squirrels have a larger proportion of 

 pure cussedness in their make up than any- 

 thing else I know of in the shape of quad- 

 rupeds. Their delight in injuring their 

 betters, the grays, is only one instance. 

 They will destroy eggs of any kind, for the 

 sake of deviltry, as they don't eat the eggs; 

 and they share with boys, snakes and milli- 

 ners the responsibility for the growing 

 scarcity of birds. I have seen a red squirrel 

 lie in a tree top and watch a ruffed grouse 

 till she moved off her nest, in order that he 

 might smash the eggs. He will kill chick- 

 ens for the joy of seeing the blood run, not 

 even doing it to suck the blood, like a 

 weasel. They will even fight rats and serve 

 them the same as they do the gray squirrels, 

 but I have knowledge of only one instance 

 of this. 



Mr. Bruce also mentions migratory habits 

 of the gray squirrel. I don't think our 

 Maine grays are travelers. I have never 

 heard of them traveling, and I have certain 

 knowledge that they have been shot in the 

 same woods every successive season for 20 

 years. But they are not numerous, and I 

 believe the little red devil is to blame for 

 their present scarcity. 



The red squirrel is the spryest, and most 

 athletic animal in this region (except the 

 weasel), and comes pretty near being king 

 of the forests — or if not the king, the boss! 

 I hope that through the pages of Recrea- 

 tion you can stir up the hunters of this land 

 into eternal and unremitting destruction of 

 the red squirrel. 



I see that some give good reasons for be- 

 lieving the chipmunk is a bird eater. I have 

 always supposed they were strict vegeta- 

 rians, but am inclined to think, in view of the 

 evidence, I have been mistaken. 



D. C. Clark, Norway, Me. 



PROOF OF GUILT DEMANDED. 



Schenectady, N. Y. 

 Editor Recreation: Stories of the red 

 squirrel's skill in a certain line of surgery 

 have been current hereabouts for many years. 

 I heard them when a boy, and old men whom 

 I consulted then said they had believed 

 them from their youth. Notwithstanding 

 the claim for credence which these stories 

 possess by reason. of their long acceptance 

 here, I think they stand on a frail foun- 

 dation. In view of the large number of 

 persons who have recently written Recrea- 

 tion in support of the damaging charge 

 now made against the red squirrel this 

 may be considered an unjustifiable state- 

 ment, but I believe many of these observers 

 were unconsciously influenced by precon- 

 ceived opinions which they were zealous to 

 confirm. For instance: Mr. Paul Scheur- 

 ing says he saw a gray squirrel jump 

 from the top of a pine tree, that stood at 



least 50 feet from the water's edge, into the 

 river to get away from a red. Now with all 

 due respect to Mr. S. a broad jump of 50 

 feet from a swinging limb, and while being 

 hotly pursued, is a good deal of an athletic 

 feat for any squirrel; and while I may be 

 mistaken, I am inclined to take this as evi- 

 dence that Mr. S. sometimes speaks a little 

 extravagantly. I think I may say the same 

 of Mr. E. S. Billings, who says he saw a red 

 mutilate a gray so quickly it was hardly per- 

 ceptible that his rapid course along a log 

 was interrupted. A gray's skin is strong, 

 and not easily severed, even with a sharp 

 knife, and that he should be almost instan- 

 taneously changed by a red, in spite of re- 

 sistance, seems a rather large story to be- 

 lieve. 



I do not wish to prolong the controversy 

 over this matter, but should be glad to see 

 it either positively or negatively demon- 

 strated by evidence which would leave no 

 room for differences of opinion. Person- 

 ally, I cannot accept it on the foundation on 

 which it stands. Could not some of the gen- 

 tlemen who have such good luck in striking 

 these cases, forward to the editor a few skins 

 which have scars clearly testifying to their 

 having been mutilated sometime before be- 

 ing killed by the hunter? This would be 

 evidence which would satisfy us all. Who 

 will produce it? Alfred Smith. 



LONG-BILLED CURLEW, NUMEXIUS LOXG- 

 IROSTRIS. 



ALLAN BROOKS. 



See page 104. 



This is the largest of the American Lim- 

 icoke, or shore birds, and is generally reck- 

 oned a prize, both by the sportsman and the 

 ornithologist, as it is seldom found abun- 

 dantly anywhere. 



Here in British Columbia it breeds in fair 

 numbers in the Southern interior, and is 

 rarely found on the coast during migrations. 



In the breeding season it is tame, and 

 courageous in defense of its eggs or young. 

 No man, dog or coyote can come within a 

 quarter of a mile of its nest without the birds 

 attacking him. They make a great outcry, 

 hovering over one's head and swooping 

 downward with great swiftness, passing 

 sometimes within a few feet: at the same 

 time uttering a harsh, grating cry very dif- 

 ferent from their usual musical whistle. 



The young, like all birds of their family, 

 run as soon as hatched. They then have 

 short, straight bills. They are clever at hid- 

 ing, and as long as the old birds keep up 

 their warning outcry the young remain 

 squatted behind some tuft of grass. 



So far as my observation goes the female 

 turns over the care of the young to the male, 

 who also seems to do most of the incubat- 

 ing. As in the case of most shore birds the 

 female is much the larger, and has a longer 

 bill than that of the male. 



