308 



RECREATION. 



one alive on the ist day of May, 1862, and 

 after keeping it a short time I killed it and 

 skinned it. On opening it I found 12 eggs 

 inside. The snake was a large one for this 

 region, being 3 feet 11 inches long after 

 the head and rattles were off. Can it be 

 that there is a difference in this mat- 

 ter between the kind we ' have here and 

 the diamond back and other kinds farther 

 West? I think I have read somewhere 

 that some reptiles are born alive although 

 they come from eggs, being hatched in the 

 body of the mother. Is this true? The 

 snake to which I refer had only 5 rattles 

 although I have seen others considerably 

 smaller that had 8 or 9 rattles. Please 

 answer in Recreation, and tell us also 

 how eels reproduce themselves, as I do 

 not know, nor can I find any one who does. 

 W. L. Remington, Meriden, Conn. 



ANSWER. 



The young of all the viperine poisonous 

 snakes are born alive, generally to the 

 number of 7 or 9. Harmless snakes, for 

 the most part, lay eggs; but with the 

 vipers (rattlesnakes, copperheads, mocca- 

 sins, etc.), the eggs are retained in the 

 body of the parent until developed. 



Eels, like the majority of fishes, are re- 

 produced from eggs. — Editor. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 

 Kindly give the proper name and habita- 

 tion of bird I discovered in a fresh water 

 creek in New Jersey last July. The bird 

 has perfectly white, long neck, bill and 

 dark colored legs like bittern; and is about 

 the same size. 



D. J. Gorman, New York City. 



ANSWER. 



If the bird has black legs and feet it is 

 beyond doubt a snowy heron, Ardea candi- 

 dissima, the ne which bears the fatal 

 plumes. If its legs are yellow it is an im- 

 mature specimen of the little blue heron, 

 and had it lived until next year would have 

 shed its white plumes and appeared in slaty 

 blue. Its scientific name in that case 

 would be Ardea ccerulea. — Editor. 



A resident of Maine tetts me that foxes 

 kill many deer there during winter 

 Has anybody else observed anything of the 

 kind? I do not care for hearsay evidence, 

 but if any reader of Recreation has posi- 

 tive personal knowledge of the subject I 

 should be glad to hear from him. 



I have a beagle hound which is prettily 

 marked and has all the appearance of 

 making a valuable dog. but he is gun shy. 

 Can any reader of Recreation suggest a 

 method of overcoming this? 



C, H. N., New York. 



I should be glad to have points on rais- 

 ing tame rabbits. Have been unfortunate 

 so far. My old rabbits refuse to care for 

 their young, and I have lost 3 large litters. 

 F. Doty, Jersey City Heights, N. J. 



I have received the camera and the gold 

 watch you sent me as premiums for sub- 

 scriptions to Recreation and am well 

 pleased with them. Accept my sincere 

 thanks. A. M. Kreps, Des Moines, la. 



The Vapor stove you gave me as a 

 premium is the delight of everybody who 

 sees it work. As long as I live I don't 

 wish to be without a Primus. 



Martin M. Hand, Sheridan, Ind. 



The Abercrombie waterproof tent was 

 given the severest kind of test in wind, 

 rain and cold, and was found perfectly sat- 

 isfactory. 



T. P. Bowler, Fonda, N. Y. 



She prayed for rain most fervently. 

 The sunshine gave her gloom, 

 Because she had just paid for her 

 New rainy day costume. 



We all read Recreation here. It is one of 

 the best things that ever happened, espe- 

 cially to the song birds. 



David E. Stuart, Council Bluffs, la. 



"That plain little Miss Bullion made a 

 queer match. She married a man nearly 

 6]/ 2 feet 11." 



"He must have been the highest bidder." 

 — Chicago Tribune. 



The horse eats hay and oats all day. 



Give me the "tommy," which 

 Dines only once or twice a week, 



On gassolene and sich. 



— Detroit Journal. 



"I want $10 to buy Indian curios. The 

 Indians, you know, will soon be extinct." 



''Well, if you keep on calling for mOney 

 I'll be extinct long before the Indians." — 

 Chicago Record. 



Have you sent in your contribution to 

 the Lacey watch fund? If not, you should 

 do so at once. 



I received the Australian mosquito-proof 

 tent you so kindly sent me for such a small 

 list of names. It is O. K. 



C. V. Hilton, Lincoln, Kan. 



