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RECREATION. 



net of a set of fanatical cranks on a par 



with the State of Maine Prohibitionists." 



Walter H. Coleman, Kennebunk, Me. 



When this document came into my 

 hands I called Inkie (my pet squirrel) and 

 read it to him. He evinced his amusement 

 by waving his tail over his back several 

 times. Then I asked him what he thought 

 of it. He looked serious for a few^ mo- 

 ments, but did not answer. I said, "You 

 know, Inkie, it takes all kinds of cranks to 

 make a world, and this seems to be one of 

 the other kind." And he winked his other 

 eye, which means yes. 



I said, "Inkie, this reminds me of a story 

 I once heard. A Cincinnati member of the 

 Ohio Legislature made a speech in which 

 me bitterly attacked a member from a 

 Cleveland dictrict. When he got through 

 and sat down, the Cleveland member got 

 up and said: 



"'Mr. Speaker: There are 3 kinds of 

 skeezicks. 



" 'First: The regular skeezicks, 



" 'Second: The infernal skeezicks, and 



"Third: The perfect— skeezicks. 



" 'Mr. Speaker, I place the member from 

 Cincinnati in the third class.' 



"Now, Inkie," said I, "don't you think 

 we should place this man Coleman in the 

 third class of cranks?" And Inkie winked 

 his other eye, which always means yes. 



EFFECT OF LACEY BILL ON MILLINERY. 



The New York milliners are now mak- 

 ing their first displays of fall goods, and 

 the effect of the Lacey bird bill is at once 

 apparent. Last fall, and in previous au- 

 tumns, milliners' windows and counters 

 were filled with stuffed birds, wings, aig- 

 rettes, breasts, and various devices made 

 from the plumage of song and insectivor- 

 ous birds. This year the same windows 

 show absolutely no feather trimmings ex- 

 cept such as are made of the feathers of 

 game birds, or of domestic fowls. From 

 the milliners' point of view it is almost 

 pathetic to notice the weird little confec- 

 tions that are tentatively put forth to take 

 the place of the wanton riot of birds and 

 feathers heretofore so remorselessly shown. 

 A bunch of white chicken feathers, curled 

 outward and down, with an artificial heart 

 of a rose dropped in the centre, simulates 

 a flower "that never was on land or sea;" 

 while a pompon of scarlet broadcloth, cut 

 into narrow strips and essaying a smart, 

 military air, almost brings tears to the 

 eyes. The tears do not fall, however. The 

 milliners are brave and will invent other 

 trimmings. The tears are checked by a 

 wave of triumphant joy for the birds. At 

 last an effective means has been found 

 to check the slaughter of these "jewels 



of the air." The Lacey bird bill has ac- 

 complished this by prohibiting the ship- 

 ment of birds and plumage. The passage 

 of that bill is the work of the League of 

 American Sportsmen, to which, after the 

 Hon. John F. Lacey, all honor is due. A 

 more sweeping, radical, effective measure 

 was never passed by Congress. There is 

 hope now for the birds, that they may in- 

 crease in the land and make glad the air; 

 hope for the farmer, that his crop may be 

 saved from pestilent insects; hope for hu- 

 manity, that it may be saved the shame of 

 having exterminated nature's brightest 

 creatures. When women go forth this fall 

 to buy their hats they may learn a thing or 

 2. Perhaps not. Milliners are clever and 

 will simply say the styles have changed. 

 Truly they have; and that which had 

 seemed impossible has been brought to 

 pass by the L. A. S. 



FOR THE RECREATION GROUP. 



These specimens have been contributed 

 to the New York Zoological Park, for the 

 Recreation series, since last report: 



April 12th. Gray Squirrel. One speci- 

 men, by Joseph Leisentritt, Dayton, O. 



April 23d. Red Shouldered Hawk. Two 

 specimens, by Drs. Corlis and Lord, New 

 York City. 



April 25th. Snapping Turtle. One speci- 

 men, by Roy A. Latham. Orient Point. 

 L. I. 



June nth. Black Snake; Black Crowned 

 Night Heron (7 specimens), by C. D. 

 Brown, Rutherford, N. J. 



June 25th. Dusky Horned Owl. One 

 speciment, by Charles Payne, Wichita. 

 Kan. 



July 6th. Raccoon. One specimen, by 

 Donald Bros., Hammond, St. Lawrence 

 County, N. Y. 



July 6th. Raccoon. One specimen, by 

 E. T. Denner, Chippewa Bay, N. Y. 



July 18th. Green Heron. Five speci- 

 mens, bv C. D. Brown, Rutherford, N. J. 



Born to the Missouri Prairie Dogs, do- 

 nated by Mr. Howard Eaton, 17. 



Young Wild Turkeys, hatched by the 

 flock given by E. A. Pond, 7. 



Thus, the Recreation family in the 

 Zoological Park now numbers 116 speci- 

 mens. Truly a formidable gathering and 

 one that every reader of this magazine 

 may well feel proud of. 



Read the article in the photo depart- 

 ment entitled "Important Discovery in 

 Fakirland." This Clarkson Peters, who- 

 ever he is, is a fakir who evidently has no 

 regard for truth or decency, and it is a 

 great pity that any editor could be found 

 who would print such rot and palm it off 

 on unscientific readers as fact. 



