220 



RECREA TION. 



ion that the herd is where it was said to 

 have been seen and that the number re- 

 ported — 63 — proves the herd has increased 

 since last heard of, some 10 or 15 years ago; 

 then it did not exceed 10 or 15 head. Mr. 

 J. H. Crawford, a prominent resilient of 

 Steamboat Springs, Routt county, knows 

 and has talked with the man who started 

 the report. Mr. Crawford says the man's 

 statements are to be relied upon, and that 

 he (Crawford) believes in the existence of 

 the herd. The locality in which it is said 

 to have been seen is on Muddy creek, in 

 Grand county, a stream having its source 

 in a wild, extensive and rugged country ly- 

 ing between Middle and North parks. 



The inaccessibility of the country would 

 account for the concealment of the herd 

 for so long and the difficulties to be en- 

 countered in verifying the report concern- 

 ing it. However, I have requested Mr. 

 Wilcox, of Routt county, one of the game 

 wardens, to be on the lookout for further 

 evidence of the existence of the buffalo and 

 I hope in time to have satisfactory informa- 

 tion concerning the matter. There are sup- 

 posed to be a number of buffalo still in Lost 

 park, but since the finding of the carcass of 

 a cow there the past spring, I have not 

 heard that others have been seen, excepting 

 the calf of the dead cow. 



J. S. Swan, Commissioner Forestry, 

 Game and Fish, Colorado. 



WHY BIRDS DECREASE. 



To the reason given by G. A. Mack for 

 the decrease of our birds, I can add another. 

 It is, the ubiquitous .22 calibre rifle. Many 

 people visit our trout streams during the 

 summer. All — men, boys and, I am sorry 

 to say, ladies — carry .22 rifles. Our visitors 

 are in the country for fun, and when they 

 are not fishing, they must shoot. So our 

 "robins, larks and bluebirds yield their lives 

 to afford a moment's amusement to creat- 

 ures of a presumedly higher scale. One in- 

 cident I noticed particularly. I saw a pair 

 of bluebirds building in a hollow stump, 

 and as often as I passed I looked at them. 

 After a while 5 beautiful eggs lay in the 

 nest. At my next visit I was greeted by the 

 gaping mouths of 4 baby birds. A short 

 time after I saw 2 ladies — save the mark — 

 shooting ,22's near this nest. The next 

 evening I passed and there beside the 

 stump lay the mother bird with a bullet hole 

 through her body, and in the nest were her 

 4 babies, dead of cold and starvation. This 

 is but one incident of many that occurred 

 on the Rattlesnake, and no doubt on all 

 streams where parties go for a few days' 

 outing. G. E. Van Buren, Missoula, Mont. 



A WOODLAND TRAGEDY. 



While returning from a tramp I saw, near 

 our cabin, on one of the open mountain 

 slopes, a dead coyote. Much poison was 

 used this side of Yellowstone park last win- 



ter, and my first thought was that the an- 

 imal had fallen a victim to it. On reaching 

 the body my surprise was great to find it 

 had impaled itself on the point of a stick 

 which pierced the heart. The coyote must 

 have been running down hill, probably 

 chasing a rabbit, when it struck the stick 

 with great force. The point entered the 

 body in front of and under the right shoul- 

 der and penetrated 6]/ 2 inches before being 

 stopped by the stump of a lateral branch. 

 The stick was 2 feet long, and about 2 

 inches in diameter at the larger end. It 

 was freshly broken, and the wood had ab- 

 sorbed blood for about an inch from the 

 body; otherwise there was no sign of blood. 

 The coyote had been dead long enough to 

 spoil the skin, or I would have had it 

 mounted. There are few coyotes as com- 

 pared with last year; and if the park au- 

 thorities continue the use of poison, the 

 antelope will get a rest and increase in num- 

 bers. J. W. Hulse, Crevasse, Mont. 



WILD PIGEONS IN CALIFORNIA. 



During the last 10 years or so, reports of 

 the passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migra- 

 torius), have often reached me; but owing 

 to meager information and other circum- 

 stances connected with these reports, I put 

 little credence in them. I have, however, 

 received a report now, which is worthy of 

 record. It is from Dr. P. L. Hatch, for 

 several years State ornithologist of Min- 

 neapolis, and author of " Notes on the 

 Birds of Minnesota " ; and coming from 

 such a careful bird-observer, it cannot but 

 be authentic. Just before he came to Min- 

 neapolis from Santa Barbara, Cal., he saw 

 in his orchard there, about 15 passenger 

 pigeons. This would be in August. I have 

 seen no pigeons here, nor heard reliable 

 reports of any, since 1884. 



Recreation is getting better every 

 month, and about the 28th I begin to 

 " itch " for it. 



H. W. Howling, Minneapolis, Minn. 



THE WHIS'PLING MARMOT. 



In reply to the query of Mr. C. C. Has- 

 kins (September Recreation, page 226), 

 regarding the identity of the marmot of the 

 Olympic mountains, it may be stated that 

 the animal referred to is undoubtedly the 

 hoary marmot, or " whistling marmot " 

 (Arctomys pruinosus), full cousin to the 

 well-known woodchuck of the Northeast- 

 ern United States. This species is much 

 larger than either of the other 2 American 

 species of Arctomys, and is wholly different 

 in coloration. The hoary marmot derives 

 one of its popular names from the fact that 

 the hair on its breast and shoulders, down 

 to the middle of the body, is of a silver- 

 gray color. 



In our Western states and territories 

 there are scores of fine species of rodents 

 which are as yet totally unknown to the 



