NATURAL HISTORY. 



"5 



dry. This formula is good for any skin up 

 to 12 by 24 inches. 



If you are not in a hurry you can take 

 the hair off by putting the skin in a brook 

 or stream of running water. If you use 

 a pail have fresh water every 2 or 3 days. 

 When skinning the animal be sure to get 

 off all the meat and fat. The alum and 

 saltpetre will cost 9 cents. Larger skins 

 may be tanned in the same way, using in- 

 creased quantities of each ingredient and a 

 larger vessel. 



After being tanned the skin should be 

 soft, smooth and firm. I made a pair of 

 snowshoes of woodchuck skin, but did not 

 tan the skins. 



Arnold N. Holmes, Greenland, N. H. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 

 A queer animal was recently caught by a 

 neighbor of mine and I wish you would 

 please tell me what it is. I might think 

 that it was a pocket gopher only it has no 

 pocket and it always eats its food as soon 

 as it gets it. The animal is about 11 or 

 12 inches long, the fur is almost exactly 

 like a mole's, only it is grayish white under- 

 neath. It has 4 teeth, 2 above and 2 below, 

 the upper ones having a ridge in them mak- 

 ing them look like 4 teeth. It has 5 large 

 claws on the front feet, but the hind ones 

 are short. The tail is about 4 inches long 

 covered with a few short white hairs.^ The 

 ears are not much more than holes in the 

 side of the head, with no earlap or any cov- 

 ering. The head is about like a muskrat's 

 only the nose is larger and more blunt. 

 There is scarcely any neck. This animal 

 stands about 4 or 5 inches high. 



Roswell Puckett, Rock Rapids, la. 



ANSWER. 



It is probably a weasel, but it is impos- 

 sible to say definitely from your description. 

 Can any reader of Recreation make a bet- 

 ter guess? — Editor. 



In reply to the question of Jean Allison, 

 of Jerome, Ariz., in May Recreation, page 

 367, I beg to say that in Wisconsin deer 

 liver is not good to eat for the reason that 

 it has bloodsuckers in it. 



Of course there are no bloodsuckers in 

 fawns, but I have seen them in the liver of 

 a deer that was only 2 years old. Blood- 

 suckers will be found in the livers of deer 

 that have to drink out of lakes and slug- 

 gish rivers. 



As Mr. Allison says, deer liver may be 

 good to eat in Arizona, as the streams 

 there are all mountainous, therefore, they 

 are swift, and the lakes, which are few, 

 are well supplied with fresh water. 



The bloodsuckers found in deer livers 

 are about 2 inches long and 24 °f an i ncn 



wide, when they are contracted. They are 

 the regular lake bloodsucker. 



If any reader of Recreation wishes to 

 see deer liver containing bloodsuckers I 

 will try to send him a piece this fall if I 

 can make my usual hunting trip. 



F. C. Dutton, Bloomer, Wis. 



The April number of your exceedingly 

 popular magazine contains a question in 

 regard to fish hawks. Two birds, only, 

 constitute the family of a fish hawk. In 

 this part of Long Island we can observe 

 many of these birds, flying to the ocean in 

 search of food. They do not, however, 

 breed here, but on the shores of Gardiner's 

 island, where in no case do we find 3 ma- 

 ture birds occupying the same nest. 



It is interesting to watch the old birds 

 guard their young, one staying home to 

 protect and fondle the young, while the 

 other is away to the ocean in seach of 

 some unlucky fish. Two birds and 2 only 

 are the parents of the young hawks, and 

 one parent is always perched near the nest 

 in an attitude of defiance. 



Your work in protecting our birds and 

 fighting the uncivilized, barbarous game and 

 fish hogs, is appreciated by all true sports- 

 men. Keep it up. 



S. L. King, East Hampton, L. I. 



There is in this place a peculiar kind of 

 owl, whose voice would frighten almost 

 anyone. This bird has 6 to 8 young at a 

 time. The oldest inhabitant around here 

 tells me that the parent owl feeds 2 of the 

 young exceptionally well and as a conse- 

 quence those 2 grow with great rapidity. 

 When they have attained a certain size the 

 parent birds throw them out of the nest 

 arid choose 2 others for special feeding; 

 and so on until all are compelled to leave 

 the parent nest. I suppose the old birds 

 early discover the impossibility of feeding 

 the whole family on full rations, and choose 

 this somewhat original way in which to do 

 their duty by their family. I do not per- 

 sonally vouch for the truth of this state- 

 ment but I find it generally believed. 



Dr. Chas. W. Hardman, Laton, Cal. 



Will you kindly tell me what is the 

 greatest speed attained by wild geese in 

 their flight? 



R. R. Heydenreich, Staunton, Va. 



Will some Recreation reader please an- 

 swer ? — Editor. 



Will some reader of Recreation tell me 

 where I can buy chipmunks? Should like 

 to liberate a number on an island in which 

 I am interested. 



Howard P. Beck, 135 Rouro, St., New- 

 Port, R. I. 



