i8o 



RECREATION. 



Michigan would be looked on as a loafer 

 and a pot hunter and not only that but 

 would be arrested and fined. A man who 

 can not see something good in a robin is 

 not a lover of nature. 



I am aware the robin is somewhat de- 

 structive to small fruit ; but when I set 

 out a cherry tree I always set out; 2 if pos- 

 sible, one for myself and one for the boys 

 and the robins and I am willing they should 

 have a share of the fruit. A few years ago 

 I set out a small park and in it put some 

 sweet cherries, mulberries, etc., for the 

 express purpose of _ coaxing the robins 

 around. Woe to the person I catch throw- 

 ing a stone or disturbing a nest of any of 

 the birds which fill the trees. During the 

 spring and summer I take great pleasure in 

 watching the birds feed on the various 

 fruits, although my wife sometimes scolds 

 and says we do not get our share. If Mr. 

 Krunkel had been raised near the woods, 

 as I have been, he would love nature to 

 such an extent that he would not advise 

 killing the robins. It is wrong. As to the 

 boys, I have never lost any fruit at night. 

 I do not believe anyone could induce a boy 

 who is acquainted with me to disturb my 

 fruit at night, for they all know they are 

 welcome to a share as long as it lasts and 

 they help themselves in daylight without 

 fear of being driven away. Where is the 

 man who "has not, when a boy, slipped 

 through an opening in the fence or under 

 the bottom rail to get a choice bunch of 

 grapes or a big red apple from a farmer's 

 yard? The robin has her young to feed 

 and is tempted bv the ripe fruit and knows 

 not but it is free plunder. Save the robin 

 and see to it that the boy gets plenty of 

 fruit and no one will be injured. I do not 

 wish to find fault with Mr. Krunkel's arti- 

 cle, but I believe he is mistaken. 



G. S. Y., Alma, Mich. 



THE EUROPEAN CUCKOO. 



This bird (Caculus canorus) is found 

 from Eastern Japan to Western Ireland. 

 His name is a household word in all that 

 vast extent of country and his coming 

 looked forward to as the harbinger of 

 spring. The Siberian convict who makes 

 up his mind to hide from slavery in the 

 vast forests of Central Siberia, says "he is 

 under the orders of General Cuckoo," 

 meaning that he runs away when the note 

 of the cuckoo announces that spring has 

 arrived. This bird, like all the cuckoos, is 

 a destroyer of noxious insects, especially 

 the hairy caterpillars °nd tent caterpillars 

 that are such a pest to our fruit trees. 



I believe the New York Sun tried to im- 

 port cuckoos to this country some years 

 ago. I never heard whether the attempt 

 succeeded. Probably the birds were lost 

 off the Florida coast. If the cuckoo could 

 be naturalized in Mexico first, he would 



spread Northward over the whole conti- 

 nent. The only failing of the cuckoo is an 

 aristocratic one. Madame Cuckoo, wish- 

 ing to avoid the care of maternity, lays her 

 eggs in another bird's nest. Our own cow- 

 bird, or cow-blackbird has the same habit. 

 It is a great mistake to suppose that the 

 acclimatization of desirable foreign birds 

 would cause our own birds to be neglected. 

 The true lover of birds can find some good 

 in all of them. The truth is the great mass 

 of people take no interest in birds except 

 to destroy them. Women who wear birds in 

 their hats, are the greatest enemies of the 

 birds. E. K. Carr, Knoxville, Tenn. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Will you kindly tell me the name of a 

 bird I recently saw? It was about the size 

 of a sparrow. I found its nest. One of 

 the birds had a yellow breast streaked with 

 black, while the other had a yellow breast 

 with no streaks, but one spot in the mid- 

 dle. I could not tell anything more, as 

 the 2 were exceedingly shy. The nest was 

 4 feet from the ground, situated at the base 

 of 2 branches of a small evergreen, in 

 dense woods. At the time of discovery the 

 nest contained 4 young. 



A Bird Student, Seal Harbor, Me. 



ANSWER. 



It is impossible to identify the bird with- 

 out a fuller description.- — Editor. 



You have no doubt correspondents in 

 British Columbia who could tell Recrea- 

 tion what has been done, or is to be done 

 for acclimatizing English song birds 

 there. I think there is a great public in 

 all parts of America who would welcome 

 the coming of desirable song and game 

 birds. Give both sides a hearing and Rec- 

 reation can win as much fame as it has by 

 its war on the game hog. 



E. K. C, Kerrville, Tex. 



Will British Columbia readers, who know 

 of the importation and liberation of foreign 

 game or song birds in that Province kindly 

 report ? — Editor. 



In your April number, J. E. P., of Round 

 Rock, Texas, describes a bird found by him 

 and asks "what is it?" He evidently has 

 found what Coues, and other ornitholo- 

 gists call the ground dove, its Latin name 

 being Chamalpelia passerina. The habitat 

 of this beautiful bird is Southern United 

 States, Atlantic to the Pacific, but chiefly 

 coastwise. The description given by Mr. 

 P., agrees with that given by Coues I 

 have found a ground dove in this locality, 

 perhaps a stray. 



Louise M. Stephenson, Helena, Ark. 



