140 



RECREA TJON. 



During migrations the curlew is wild and 

 restless and seems to spend far more of his 

 time in the air than other waders do. He 

 will beat about and balance himself against 

 the wind for hours together, especially dur- 

 ing stormy or threatening weather, generally 

 keeping at a great height, his shrill whistling 

 betraying his whereabouts. 



While incubation is progressing the bird 

 that is not thus engaged occupies a con- 

 spicuous post in the neighborhood of the 

 nest, generally on top of a hill, fence, or 

 straw-stack, and as soon as an enemy ap- 

 pears it gives the alarm. Then both birds 

 instantly rise into the air and drive the in- 

 truder away. I have seen them follow a 

 hawk or harrier a mile or more. 



It requires great patience to find the nest, 

 as the old birds are very circumspect in go- 

 ing to and leaving it; running in a crouch- 

 ing fashion through the grass for a long dis- 

 tance. They are good eating at all times, as 

 they do not seem to frequent the sea coast 

 so much as the European curlew does. 



AMERICAN MAGPIE. 



The American magpie is a resident of 

 Colorado, and breeds here the latter part of 

 April or first of May. Its contrasting colors 

 make it a striking bird. It flies slowly and 

 with its long, wedge shaped tail, looks over- 

 balanced. Years ago I was told they made 

 nice pets, and I procured a young one. I 

 intended to make it the prize magpie of all, 

 but my hopes were shattered, and so, later, 

 was the magpie's skull. I had only 2 hands 

 and they were not enough to keep the bird 

 out of mischief. 



I never heard a magpie talk but once. 

 While walking with a friend one alighted 

 at our feet. We stopped and my friend said, 

 "Hello, Maggie!" Imagine our surprise 

 when it answered " Hello." I stooped and 

 it hopped on my knee and began biting my 

 finger and laughing heartily. It would say 

 " Hello! " " Come kitty, kitty," and several 

 words I have forgotten. We found it be- 

 longed to a ranchman in the vicinity, who 

 had taken it from the nest when quite 

 young. 



The nests are large and bulky and, being 

 built early in the season before the trees 

 are leaved, are conspicuous objects. In the 

 foot-hills magpies build in wild plum 

 bushes; on the plains, in cotton-wool, box- 

 elders, and willows. I have found nests 3 

 to 20 feet above the ground. Most sets I 

 found contained 7 or 8 eggs, but on April 

 17. '98 in company with Stuart Garbett, I 

 took a set of 9. In this vicinity, in the last 

 few years they have changed their breeding 

 grounds. The majority of the birds for- 

 merly nested in the foot-hills; now you find 

 them on the plains along the river. I have 

 in mind several plum thickets in which, a 

 few years ago, every bush contained 2 to 3 

 nests. Now they are deserted. 



W. L. Burnett, Fort Collins, Col. ' 



FOX RAISING. 



The trading companies of Alaska have, 

 by repeated experiments and at great ex- 

 pense, succeeded in raising foxes for their 

 skins, and have found the business profit- 

 able. The silver gray, or black foxes, were 

 tried. They are said to destroy their young. 

 Be that as it may, the companies gave them 

 up as a failure. The common foxes, both 

 white and red, would not pay to raise. .So 

 it was decided to introduce a European 

 species, the Siberian, or blue fox, an animal 

 bearing 5 to 8 young at a litter, about every 

 8 months. They are fine foxes and their 

 skins are worth $15 to $20 each. They 

 proved a great success, as I know from the 

 number of their skins I have seen at Kadiak 

 and elsewhere. They burrow, and in sum- 

 mer feed on the hordes of mice inhabiting 

 the grass covered islands where these foxes 

 are kept. In winter they are fed on dried 

 salmon and a kind of meal mixed with seal 

 oil, which gives the pelt a glossy appear- 

 ance. The foxes are looked after by trusted 

 agents, who receive a monthly salary and a 

 certain per cent, of the increase. 



None but male foxes are killed, and these 

 generally in their second year. 



They can be bought for $300 a pair. 

 There are many islands in Alaska and 

 British Columbia suitable for fox raising. 

 Some would have to be stocked with rabbits, 

 as there are no mice on them. Cattle could 

 be raised on the same islands without inter- 

 fering with the foxes. 



The valuable fur bearing animals are fast 

 disappearing from North America, and fur 

 farming will be one of the paying industries 

 in the near future. 



L. L. Bales, Seattle, Wash. 



RED SQUIRRELS, HAWKS AND OWLS. 



I have lived in the woods all my life and 

 have hunted from New York to California. 

 If evidence was needed in support of Mr. 

 Billings' charges against the red squirrel I 

 could give it. I am surprised any one should 

 defend the red rascal. Any country boy 

 can tell of his misdemeanors. In a recent 

 number of Recreation a writer argues that 

 hawks and owls be protected. He evidently 

 never read the indictments of those birds 

 which are written after every fall of snow. 

 Often, when tracking rabbits on the snow, 

 I have seen the trail end abruptly between 

 the imprints of owls' wings. Within 3 

 months I found the remains of 4 grouse 

 killed and partly eaten by hawks, as shown 

 by the tracks in the snow. Sentimental 

 pleas for such vermin as red squirrels, 

 hawks, and owls are common. If inspired 

 by soft hearts, they are certainly formulated 

 by equally soft heads. 



E. A. White, Ely, Minn. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Edward Dickson, a hunter who lives at 

 Sulphur Springs, Lewis County, Washing- 





