400 



RECREA TION. 



more written on this subject in Recrea- 

 tion. Every living creature except the 

 game hog, should be protected, at least 

 from extermination. 



H. C. M., Storm Lake, la. 



I have always tried to kill birds and rob. 

 nests, but am ashamed of my conduct since 

 reading Recreation. What is the law in 

 regard to robbing nests? I want to stop 

 the other boys from taking eggs. There 

 is no game here except quails, cottontails, 

 ducks and squirrels, and but few of them. 

 I am going to make pets of birds instead 

 of killing them. Is it against the law to 

 keep birds and animals as pets? I am 13 

 years old and prefer Recreation to any 

 other book published. 



Allen Perrine, Indianola, la. 



Unfortunately there is no law in your 

 state against robbing birds' nests, but I 

 hope one will soon be enacted there as well 

 as in all the other states. Nearly all states 

 have laws prohibiting trapping or having in 

 possession any song or insectivorous bird, 

 and I presume Iowa has. — Editor. 



Mr. Allan Brooks gives, in September 

 Recreation, an interesting account of the 

 habits of the blue grouse, but concludes 

 by saying it is a mystery where they go in 

 winter. I can clear up that point, for I 

 have killed them in the depth of winter. 

 They go near or to the timber line and 

 there congregate in large flocks, living for 

 the most part in the trees but also on rocks 

 when free of snow. Nothing suits them so 

 well as a dense growth of yellow pine on 

 the top of some mountain which does not 

 reach the timber line. I have often hunted 

 them in January and February, using a 

 .22 rifle. They are splendid game birds 

 and plentiful here in the rougher part of 

 the wooded mountain slope. 



L. Steese, Douglas, Wyo. 



Will you please give me some informa- 

 tion on skinning and mounting birds and 

 animals. 



Recreation is the best sportsman's jour- 

 nal published. I like the way you roast the 

 game hogs. We have not much game. 

 There are a few rabbits, squirrels, quails 

 and prairie chickens. One man was arrested 

 and fined for shooting prairie chickens in 

 close season. 



Otis Hougland, Edinburg, 111. 



Taxidermy is too big a subject to be 

 treated here. Get a copy of Mr. W. T. 

 Hornaday's book, " Taxidermy and Zoo- 

 logical Collecting," published by Chas. 

 Scribner's Sons, New York City. — Editor. 



I have a valuable receipt for rattlesnake 

 bite. I got it by a lucky accident from a 



mountaineer. He showed me 2 large scars 

 which he said were caused by the bites of 

 2 large rattlers, both on the left arm a little 

 above the wrist. They were cured by this 

 receipt, and it has cured many other cases. 



The formula is as follows : 



1 tablespoonful of coal oil. 



1 tablespoonful of turpentine. 



Sufficient blueing to make a salve. 



Put it on a linen cloth and apply as soon 

 as possible. In 2 minutes after the applica- 

 tion, the salve will become a greenish 

 color. If applied 2 or 3 minutes after the 

 bite, there will be no swelling. 



Willis E. Skipworth, Chico, Cal. 



I send herewith $1 for another year of 

 Recreation. It's the best dollar's worth of 

 literature in the market. To me the pict- 

 ures are alone worth the money. I wish 

 you every success in your efforts to stamp 

 out slaughtering, in the natural history 

 line; but would like to see same carried 

 farther, and make the murderous attack on 

 nests and eggs of our birds a crime pun- 

 ishable by a heavy fine. 



W. Cooper, Milo, Maine. 



So should I, and we may safely predict 

 that all states will enact such laws within a 

 few years. — Editor. 



Massachusetts is not noted, I believe, for 

 rare game, or game of any kind, for that 

 matter. I have, however, a perfect speci- 

 men of albino gray squirrel. It was shot 

 in October last between Palmer and Mon- 

 son, about 16 miles East of here. Every 

 hair on this squirrel is as white as snow, 

 and its eyes, in life, were of a handsome 

 pink color. It is the size of common gray; 

 its tail is, I think, a trifle longer than ordi- 

 nary. I have had it mounted by a well 

 known taxidermist, and am willing to sell 

 it to anyone who wants it. 



R. H. Ray, Chicopee Falls, Mass. 





TO CURE SNAKE BITES. 

 Take internally aromatic spts. am- 

 monia, U. S. P., 30 drops to a fluid- 

 drachm or more, sufficiently diluted with 

 water, every half hour until relieved. Fre- 

 quent doses of whiskey can be given also. 

 Use externally — spts. ammonia. Make an 

 incision across the wound, draw out as 

 much of the poison as possible, providing 

 your mouth has no raw surface; then ap- 

 ply the spts. ammonia. In extreme cases 

 cauterize the wound after drawing out 

 poison, with nitrate of silver. 



B. P. H., Jr. 



Do you ever camo out? If so, why sleep 

 on the cold, hard ground? Why not take 

 with you a pneumatic rubber mattress? 

 You can get one for 25 subscriptions to 

 Recreation. 



