52 



RECREATION. 



rank and odoriferous and swallows up the 

 bird scent. Third, The atmospheric condi- 

 tions do not favor scenting as they do after 

 frost. 



These seem sufficient to account for the 

 difficulties a dog encounters in search of 

 game in hot weather, in luxuriant grasses, 

 herbs and undergrowth ; but Nature is cun- 

 ning and resourceful in her provisions for 

 protecting wild animals in their reproduc- 

 tion and it may be that she cuts off the 

 odors in breeding season for this purpose. 

 Jno. S. Wise, New York City. 



I know of no way to determine whether 

 game birds can withhold their scent during 

 the breeding season, unless, as you say, we 

 can find a dog that can talk. Personally, I 

 do not believe a bird can withhold its 

 scent, but it is probable that the scent is 

 lost much sooner in dry, hot summer time 

 than it is in cooler weather. 

 A. K. Fisher, Acting Chief Biological Sur- 

 vey, U. S. Department of Agriculture. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Last summer I saw a bird which I took 

 to be a black tern but was not sure. This 

 is its description : 



Length, 6 to 8 inches ; tip to tip of wings, 

 14 to j8 inches ; color, bill, head, neck and 

 body, jet black; wings, tail, and under tail 

 coverts, silvery grey or light drab. Bill, 

 pointed and about 1% inches long. 



The bird was flying up and down the 

 creek when I saw it about 8 to 10 feet above 

 the water. Its flight was swift. It would 

 suddenly stop in its flight and dip into the 

 water and then come up. I do not know 

 what it was after, but that was all it did. 

 It did not alight while I watched it, but 

 kept on the wing. It was tame and would 

 come within a few feet of me. When fly- 

 ing its bill pointed down at an angle of 45 

 degrees. 



Keep up the good work of roasting the 

 game and fish hogs. 



Fern. L. Young, Greenville, Ohio. 



ANSWER. 



The bird described is the black tern, 

 Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis. Its oc- 

 currence in Ohio is unusual. — Editor. 



I have been reading Luther Michaels' 

 and Geo. R. Mauley's opinions of Mr. Gor- 

 don Wrighter's article about the snake and 

 the pickerel. They may all 3 be right, for 

 after something I saw I would not doubt 

 anything. A friend and I were standing 

 on the corner of Seneca and Michigan 

 streets, looking in the window of the Canan- 

 daigua hotel, the window being fitted up 

 as an aquarium. Suddenly there was a com- 

 motion and we were surprised to see a 

 large frog with a small garter snake's head 

 in its mouth. The snake had the best of it 



as long as they were on the edge of the 

 tank, but as soon as they got into the water 

 the frog turned the tables. It would have 

 gone hard with the snake if one of the 

 waiters in the hotel had not come to the 

 rescue. I have often heard of snakes swal- 

 lowing frogs, but that was the first time 

 I ever heard of or saw a frog tackle a 

 snake. If any reader of Recreation has 

 heard of another case I should like to know 

 of it. I find many articles in Recreation 

 that I should like to answer if I had time. 

 I am a lover of a good argument and that 

 is one reason I like Recreation so well. 

 Hugh D. Thompson, Brantford, Ont. 



I see by your September number that a 

 reader % of your magazine wishes to know 

 about song and game birds being turned 

 out in British Columbia. Last winter sky- 

 larks, goldfinches and robins were turned 

 out on Vancouver island, B. C. I do not 

 know how they have thrived, but it was 

 the first attempt of the kind. Chinese 

 pheasants and California quails are numer- 

 ous all Over the island and are perfectly 

 able to look after themselves. Last winter 

 near the city of Vancouver, on the mainland, 

 skylarks, thrushes and robins were turned 

 out in the country. Pairs of English par- 

 tridges have also been turned out in the 

 country. Capercailzie, Ietras uragallus, have 

 been turned out in the Algonquin National 

 Park in Ontario ; black game also in New- 

 foundland. 



If any of your readers wish further infor- 

 mation I shall be glad to give it. 



A Canadian, Seattle, Wash. 



October 16th I saw a small snake on the 

 Jersey Palisades, near Fort Lee. It was 

 sunning itself on a grassy slope and when 

 disturbed it crawled away quickly. It meas- 

 ured about 20 to 25 inches in length, and Yx 

 to one inch in diameter at the thickest part, 

 which was comparatively near the head. It 

 was light and dark brown mottled and its 

 head was blunt. It showed the perfection 

 of protective coloring among the dead grass 

 and fallen leaves. Will you please tell me 

 what kind of a snake it was? 



O. F, New York City. 



ANSWER. 



It was a hog nosed snake, or blowing 

 viper. Look on page 347 of the American 

 Natural History, by W. T. Flornaday, and 

 see if the snake in the picture is not it. 

 The blowing viper is harmless, but it hisses 

 frightfully and is a great bluffer. — Editor. 



"Jones' cure was very quick, wasn't it?" 

 "Yes ; his doctor received private infor- 

 mation that his affairs were in bad shape,'' 

 -—New Orleans Times-Democrat. 



