NATURAL HISTORY. 



493 



should be glad to give it. If you wish any 

 such controversy in your magazine : I will 

 venture to start it by the assertion, based 

 on my own and others' long experience, 

 that in migrating from North to South the 

 flocks probably never fly more than 20 

 miles without alighting. Natural history 

 books give the opposite idea. 



Geo. K. Tinkham, Fall River, Mass. 



Let us hear from others who have any 

 new facts as to the habits of this grand old 

 bird. — Editor. 



BOYS WORSE THAN SPARROWS. 



I have seen a number of articles in Rec- 

 reation condemning the English spar- 

 row, and none in favor of it. The great- 

 est objection to him was that he was 

 responsible for the decrease of song birds. 

 The next was that he destroyed large 

 quantities of grain, but not many bugs or* 

 insects. I have seen boys shoot many 

 song birds for whose death I suppose the 

 sparrow has been blamed. A few boys 

 will do more damage in one week than 

 all the sparrows in existence. I think black- 

 birds and robins are far more destructive 

 birds and more injurious to farmers 

 than sparrows are, as they depend entirely 

 on seeds and grain. The sparrow stays 

 with us during our long, cold winters, and 

 helps to brighten many cheerless days 

 while all our song birds are enjoying a 

 warmer climate. Did any of you ever 

 realize how deserted and desolate our cit- 

 ies would be in winter without that little 

 fellow? I believe in protecting all game 

 and song birds, but I believe we must get 

 at the root of the evil by teaching boys 

 and men not to kill everything they see, 

 and by passing laws that will protect. 

 We need shorter open seasons on all 

 game birds and animals. Our laws should 

 be made by sportsmen and not by men 

 who have no knowledge of what such laws 

 should be. You would not employ a car- 

 penter to build a gun. 



John A. Dyer, Binghamton, N. Y. 



ANSWER. 



The reason you see nothing in Recrea- 

 tion in favor of the English sparrow is 

 that nothing can be said in his favor. He 

 is a pest without a single good trait and 

 should be killed at sight. Instead of deco- 

 rating the winter landscape, he is as a fly 

 speck on it. As well talk of ornamenting 

 our streets with rats. That boys kill song 

 birds is no reason why sparrows should 

 be allowed to drive them (the other birds) 

 away. The sparrows should be destroyed 

 and the nest-robbing boys locked up. — 

 Editor. 



inquiry in August Recreation regarding 

 Belgian hares. At the time a doe kindles 

 she has an almost insatiable thirst, and if 

 not provided with an abundance of water 

 is likely to eat her young. Give her 

 plenty of water; and don't forget to fasten 

 the water dish so she can not turn it over. 

 Don't think your Belgian doe is not tak- 

 ing care of her young because she leaves 

 them alone all day. She never allows 

 them to suck during the day. If you will 

 look into her nest after dark you will see 

 she is not neglecting her young. Of 

 course, the buck is always kept in a separ- 

 ate hutch; and the doe placed with him 

 when desired for a few moments only. 

 F. N. Lang, South Superior, Wis. 



I heard my late father say that an old 

 lady bearing the name of Doliber, his next 

 neighbor in his childhood days, kept a 

 blackbird 40 years, confining it to its cage 

 during the cold season, but when summer 

 came hanging the cage outside her win- 

 dow, with the door always open. The bird 

 flew away every morning, returning at 

 night. The cause of its death was un- 

 known; they simply knew that there came 

 a night when it failed to return. 



J. J. H. Gregory, Marblehead, Mass. 



Near Bernardston, Mass., lives a farmer, 

 Mr. W. B. Nelson, who relieves the mo- 

 notony of farm work by breeding pets of 

 various kinds. Six years ago he enclosed 

 a deer park of about 5 acres, and now has 

 6 tame deer. He has a number of other 

 animals; among them a pair of coons that 

 raised 3 young ones last year. 



Mrs. C. P. Nelson, Mt. Hermon, Mass. 



HARES CARE FOR YOUNG. 

 I wish t© reply to F. Doltz, who makes 



Have you commenced to think of Christmas 

 presents? If so, here is a suggestion : 



A yearly subscription to Recreation fur- 

 nishes one of the most delightful, instructive, 

 entertaining Christmas presents you can possi- 

 bly give a man or a boy who is interest* d in 

 nature, in fishing, shooting, amateur photogn- 

 phy; or, who is fond of the woods, the fields, 

 the mountains, the lakes or the rivers. 



Many of the presents which people give 

 their friends afford pleasure only for a few days, 

 or weeks. A subscription to RECREATION 

 means solid comfort a whole year. It reminds 

 your friend 12 times during the year of your 

 kindness and generosity. There are many 

 men and women who for 5 years past have 

 annually sent in long lists of names of friends, 

 accompanied with checks in order that these 

 friends might be made happy a whoH year. 

 Would it not be well for you to adopt this plan? 



Try it and ,see how grateful the recipients 

 will be. 



