NATURAL HISTORY, 



217 



der and closer than the 12 gauge, lever ac- 

 tion, Winchester. I prefer the lever to the 

 slide action, as in the former the barrel can 

 be cleaned from the breech. 



L. P. F., Omaha, Neb. 



I recently killed with a .30-30 rifle a buck 

 that weighed, dressed, 200 pounds. Gave 

 him a paunch shot. The bullet mush- 

 roomed on striking the flesh and tore a hole 

 clear through him. He made but 2 jumps 

 and dropped dead. I had doubted the kill- 

 ing power of the .30-30, but hereafter I shall 

 swear by it. 



H. C. Tupper, Topsfield, Me. 



Will some readers of Recreation give 

 their experience with Marlin rifles, .32-20? 

 I should like to buy a rifle and want to know 

 if the Marlin is better than the Winchester. 

 M. E. Daniels, Kendallville, la. 



I should like to ask the readers of Rec- 

 reation which is the best all around load 

 for .22 calibre rifle, .22 short, .22 long or 

 Winchester .22. 



Lester G. Miller,' Asbury Park, N. J. 



What is the best and most popular target 

 rifle, and'what ammunition does it use? 

 L. A. B., Empire, Col. 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



THE INNOCENT RED SQUIRREL. 



In October Recreation I find several 

 pages devoted to abuse of the red squirrel. 

 He is called " little nuisance," " terror," 

 " detestable red squirrel," etc. 



Are we to condemn the ways of nature 

 that do not suit us? Are we to look out for 

 our personal interest only, or even those of 

 mankind? Is man the only being on earth 

 worthy of consideration? Perhaps we think 

 we would be protecting nature by killing 

 the red squirrel. Let us leave that to nat- 

 ure. She will equalize things. Man, and 

 not the squirrel, is the bird's enemy. 



If the sportsman is going to war against 

 the red squirrels, because they chase grays 

 or rob a few birds' nests, why should not 

 the entomologist set a price on the heads 

 of insect-eating birds because they eat in- 

 sects that he would like for his collection? 

 Though some may think this far fetched, 

 it illustrates a principle. Even though we 

 let the squirrels alone, there will be plenty 

 of birds left — providing the game hog is 

 kept on his back. And although the birds 

 are unmolested, there will still be a few 

 insects left for the entomologist. 



This afternoon, as I sauntered through 

 the woods, I noticed a red squirrel chatter- 

 ing and stamping the limb with his hind- 

 l'eet, with that quick, jerky movement 

 claracteristic of this species. After I had 

 watched my scolding friend a while, a large 

 gra> squirrel came toward me. He ap- 

 proached within a few feet of where I stood, 

 and discovering me, retreated. As the gray 

 came 1 ear me he also came within 30 or 40 

 feet of 'lis supposed enemy. But he did not 

 seem t-) think he was approaching an en- 

 emy, f<-r he came on, apparently in the di- 

 rection of the red squirrel, until he saw 

 what Ke might well have judged to be his 

 enerm, — a human being. It could not have 



been that the gray did not recognize the 

 chatter of the red, for in nature we find 

 those senses of an animal which provide for 

 his safety most acutely developed. 



I never saw a red squirrel in the act of 

 visiting a nest, but I do not doubt the ac- 

 curacy of statements made in Recreation, 

 that they do occasionally kill a bird. As I 

 find this squirrel, he feeds on pine-cones, 

 the fruit of the sweet gum tree, nuts, acorns, 

 corn, etc. I know of several woods within 

 walking distances of my home in which I 

 can, and do, find red and gray squirrels 

 living in harmony. 



Let us relax our efforts against this in- 

 nocent little squirrel, and double our ef- 

 forts in support of the glorious campaign 

 against the game hogs, and exterminate 

 them. M. N. I., Luzerne, Pa. 



NOT SO BLACK AS PAINTED. 



In November Recreation^ Mr. W. A. 

 Bruce writes of " Some bad habits of the 

 crow." While I agree with him in regard to 

 these habits I dissent from his conclusion 

 that a bounty should be put on the crow. 

 The subject is exhaustively treated in War- 

 ren's " Birds of Pennsylvania." A great 

 many specimens were examined; and while 

 it was not conclusively proved that the crow 

 was either altogether injurious or beneficial, 

 still many good habits were shown. The in- 

 vestigations of the Department of Agricult- 

 ure have shown that the bird is, if anything, 

 more beneficial than injurious. Among 

 their good habits are the destruction of 

 field mice, than which there is no greater 

 pest to the farmer. They also eat numbers 

 of grubs; and all sort of insects have been 

 found in their stomachs at all seasons of the 

 year. 



It is best to think twice before offering 

 bounties for birds with bad habit.s. These 



