24 



RECREATION. 



"This enthusiasm soon took me to the 

 sea coast, where there were new worlds to 

 conquer in the hordes of migratory waders 

 and strong winged fowl of the deep, about 

 which the books were all too silent. Audu- 

 bon knew them best, but my other favorite 

 writers seemed to have sadly neglected 

 them. Samuels' "Birds of New England" 

 I almost know by heart, but many of my 

 bird favorites its author was evidently 

 little acquainted with. Minot was intense- 

 ly interesting, but he stopped short of the 

 water fowl. In pursuit of these inhabitants 



time past these have been thought of laigely 

 as targets for the gun. Perhaps they will 

 pardon me for laying bare their lives to 

 scrutiny, as I protest to them, on the first 

 occasion of our future meeting, that I am 

 trying to raise up friends for them, not 

 foes. It will mark a new era in our civil- 

 ization when the now persecuted wild fowl 

 can alight in the village pond and feed in 

 peace, the object only of friendly admira- 

 tion. 



"As yet they are fearful of that new, 

 mysterious Cyclops with its staring eye, the 



Wilson's petrels; the one on the right shows their characteristic "walking 



on the water " 



of shore and ocean, various were the craft 

 that I -owned and navigated, and many the 

 narrow escapes. However, I am yet alive, 

 and the wild fowl have thought it best, in 

 view of my persistency, to take me in some 

 measure into their confidence and divulge 

 to me some of their secrets. After round- 

 ing out a full quarter century of these pry- 

 ings, on land and sea, I hope I am not 

 abusing the confidence of my wild friends 

 in telling what they have taught me. The 

 robins and chippies, with their kin, have 

 been popularized in books innumerable; but 

 why should not the great nature-loving 

 public find also interesting and instructive 

 the lives and ways of the water fowl? In 



camera ; but I hope they may learn to recog- 

 nize in it a real friend, for in thousands of 

 hands this is taking the place of the gun. 

 Far be it from me to deny that there are 

 legitimate uses for the dead bird; but owing 

 to relentless, short sighted slaughter, hith- 

 erto carried on, it is coming to be a question 

 of birds or no birds. Every true sportsman 

 will practise moderation in the capture of 

 game, and every thoughtful lover of wild 

 life will stand for its protection. Exercise 

 afield and contact with Nature are invalu- 

 able, but require an incentive. If the de- 

 struction of life can be minimized by the 

 finding of some satisfactory substitute for 

 the gun, no one will be the loser. Such a 



