LETTERS FROM OUR READERS 



22C) 



whether it was papa or mama Redhead 

 who was on guard, and I don't suppose the 

 squirrel cared. All he wanted was to get 

 out of there. 



As long as the squirrel was quiet, the bird 

 perched on a convenient tree trunk, with 

 never a sound ; but the slightest motion of 

 the youngster on the limb, especially if in 

 the only direction he cared to go, was the 

 signal for assault. There would be a sort 

 of muffled "K-r-r-r-r-t !" a rustling of wings 

 and a dash so close it seemed as if 

 there must be a collision. The squirrel 

 wouK lodge, shake the limb violently and 

 then subside. Again and again was this re- 

 peated. Sometimes the squirrel appeared to 

 grow desperate and make up his mind to 

 pay no attention to the attacks, but he never 

 had the courage to go back along the bare 

 part of the limb. 



A dozen times he climbed up a little twig 

 that led nowhere in particular, and looked 

 up into space. Fully as many times he 

 crawled out to the extreme end of the limb 

 and looked wistfully toward the next tree. 

 I imagined he was thinking something like 

 this : 



"What in the name of Christmas did I 

 ever come here for? Here's a whole grove 

 of trees, and I must crawl up into this 

 blasted old stump, where there isn't any- 

 thing to eat, and get that fool thing with 

 feathers on whirling around my head. ' I won- 

 der if I could jump across there. I s'pose 

 I'd break my neck, and it would serve me 

 right, too. Look out there, you red headed 

 idiot ! You'll knock a fellow's eyes out the 

 next thing you know. What do you want 

 to come whirling around like that for? Do 

 you happen to have a mortgage on this tree ? 

 You're welcome to it, if you have. Just 

 keep quiet a minute, will you, and you 

 can have my share of it. Got young ones 

 in that hole! Good Lord, don't I know it? 

 Listen to 'em squeal ! Seems to me if you 

 had a bit of sense you'd go and get them 

 something to eat. Look out, I tell you! 

 What do you suppose I want with your in- 

 fernal young ones? I wouldn't be caught 

 dead eating— Oh, Lord ! this is the eleventh 

 time I've been up to the end of this branch, 

 and its farther from nowhere than any- 

 where else. K-r-r-r-r-r-t ! there you go 

 again ! Like to get me out on that bare 

 limb where you'd have a good chance at me, 

 wouldn't you? Well, I'll just show you a 

 thing or two." 



And he did. A leap out in space, a wild 

 grab, some lively scrambling, and the 

 rest was plain sailing. At the other end of 

 that limb was the tree trunk, away below 

 the hole wherein slept and squealed by turns 

 the birdlings. This road the squirrel took 

 without unnecessary delay, and it was not 

 until he reached the safe seclusion of an- 



other tree that the usual pert kink came 

 back into his tail. 



I really think it was a random jump, 

 made through desperation, and pure luck 

 that he caught on the limb instead of going 

 to the ground ; but I have not the slightest 

 doubt that his brothers and sisters, and chil- 

 dren and grandchildren, will hear more than 

 once of his splendid fight, and his wild and 

 daring leap when finally attacked by half a 

 dozen feathered monsters with red heads 

 and long sword bills. 



Probably the woodpecker was more 

 frightened than the squirrel, and only par- 

 ental instinct made it act as it did. I doubt 

 whether it would have done more than dart 

 past and around the squirrel if he had de- 

 liberately entered the hole and eaten up the 

 entire brood. Certain it is, the bird made 

 no attempt to follow. There was a great to 

 do, however, when its mate returned, a little 

 later, and I am reasonably certain that the 

 first bird's bravery in driving off a fero- 

 cious monster was exploited at its full value 

 and duly commended. There was a great 

 amount of hitching up and down and 

 around, and jabbering in the redhead lan- 

 guage. The bird that had been absent went 

 into the nest, only to reappear in a short 

 time, and they both flew away apparently 

 without fear of the return of the squirrel. 



Then I felt at liberty to go on with my 

 nap. H. W. Morrow, Omaha, Neb. 



QUITE A NUMBER. , 



I believe that Recreation knows every- 

 thing, and would like to ask : What in- 

 teresting animals and birds breed in the 

 Borough of Queens, New York? — AX. 



ANSWER. 



Wood duck have bred in the swamps near 

 the Flushing cemetery for the last twenty 

 years, quail, woodcock, wild brook trout, 

 cotton tails, 'possums, black crested night 

 herons, owls, gray and flying squirrels, be- 

 sides great numbers of beautiful birds, in- 

 cluding the scarlet tanager. Barn owls 

 formerly occupied the steeple of the Con- 

 gregational church, but have not been re- 

 ported since the broken glass was replaced 

 by new in the steeple window. But it 

 should be a crime to hunt these creatures 

 inside the city limits, and the citizens 

 should unite for their protection. — Editor. 



MORE POWER TO HIM. 



Governor Blanchard, of Louisiana, is tak- 

 ing an active part in the campaign against 

 professional hunters in his State. Recently 

 he brought a number of district attorneys 

 before him and directed that vigorous 

 measures be adopted toward enforcing the 

 laws. 



