374 



RECREATION 



The crow is getting altogether too numer- 

 ous, as well as the despicable English spar- 

 row, and were a bounty offered on each of 

 these I daresay game and bird protectionists 

 would gain an advantage. This cannot be 

 done bv written opinions ; something more 

 strenuous must be done. But I notice one 

 writer mentions the hawks with disfavor. I 

 say no farmer has a better bird friend than 

 the common hawks, and the good they do far 

 overbalances their shortcomings. 



R. T. Fuller. 



BEAUTIFUL NEWFOUNDLAND. 



Editor Recreation : 



In looking over your magazine I was sur- 

 prised to find how little mention is made of 

 Newfoundland, with almost unlimited game, 

 both fish and fowl, deer and bear, for those 

 that go far enough. 



And scenery so beautiful that parts of it vie 

 with famed Killarney. The rugged gran- 

 deur of Pete Harbor, or the beautiful 

 bay of Outer Cove, and the rocky hills near 

 Logy Bay. I may be prejudiced, but I have 

 not seen anything pictured to come near them. 



Oh, Newfoundland, with your beautiful 

 bayous and shining creeks, wherein salmon 

 and that pet of good anglers, speckled trout, 

 with its firm, pink flesh, abound. I often won- 

 der that more lovers of fine sport don't visit 

 you. Topsail is an ideal place to spend a sum- 

 mer ; its beautiful scenery, the old-fashioned 

 hospitality of its people leave nothing to be 

 desired. And then, in September, when the 

 partridge or ptarmigan comes in, what sport 

 to go up to Pettigrew's and out to Toad's 

 Cove, when the ship, a point out on the bar- 

 rens, usually finishes the trip. Then the love- 

 ly ride back amidst such scenes as can only 

 be found among people that both fish and 

 farm for a living. 



Bessie Bogan Cowman, Chicago, 111. 



THE CONNECTICUT. 



Editor Recreation : 



I have done considerable canoeing, both in 

 Maine and Canada, but I hardly think I have 

 derived more pleasure than upon the Connec- 

 ticut river. Starting from Saybrook, Conn., 

 which is the mouth of the river, it is smooth, 

 easy paddling to Hartford, Conn. The river 

 above Hartford shoals gently, and at Wind- 

 sor, Conn., the river rushes over a very rocky 

 bed. Many canoeists take a carry here (two 

 feet or so) and go by way of the canal to 

 Windsor Locks. Above Windsor Locks, it is 

 but a short paddle to Thompsonville, Conn., 

 where a 300-foot portage is required to go 

 around the dam. 



From Thompsonville, it is good paddling to 

 Springfield, Mass. From Springfield to Hol- 

 yoke, Mass., is but a few miles, and here is 

 the largest carry on the trip — about half a 

 mile. From Holyoke to Northampton, Mass., 



is an easy run, and here another carry is 

 made to avoid the "ox-bow" dam. The pad- 

 dling is good from Northampton to Bellows 

 Falls, Vt, where a short carry is necessary 

 to go around the falls. The next carry is 

 another falls — Turner's Falls— and from here 

 upwards the state the paddling is of the or- 

 dinary. £ s t. 



WILD GAME IN VICINITY OF OSHKOSH* 



Editor Recreation : 



Oshkosh is very fortunate in being situated 

 on a fine system of lakes and rivers. On 

 these lakes and rivers, ducks, geese and brant 

 find good feeding grounds, and a place where 

 they can rest on their long flight to the 

 North. 



The woods, though not very thick, form 

 a home for hundreds of rabbits, squirrels, 

 and, maybe, a sly old fox or two. 



_ There are many species of ducks ; the prin- 

 cipal ones are the mallard, pintail, blue-bill, 

 widgeon, canvas-back, blue-wing teal, red 

 head, red eye, whistle wing, black duck or 

 dusky mallard, wood duck and butter ball. 



The mallards and canvas-backs are the 

 largest, and are noted for their fine table 

 qualities. 



The blue-wing teal are small, but very 

 good eating. They fly at the rate of from 

 ten to one hundred miles an hour. There 

 are very few of thes- ducks here in the 

 spring, and the law prohibits the hunter from 

 hunting, killing or pursuing either these or 

 the wood duck or mallard. 



The blue-bill is so called from its short 

 flat bill, which is of a gray-blue color. He 

 is the one most commonly shot in the spring. 



The whistle wing derives its i.ame from the 

 peculiar whistling noise which its wings make 

 as it flies. 



The Canada goose is the principal goose 

 found here. Last sprirg the rivers and lakes 

 near Butte des Morts were black with them, 

 and the noise they made at night was similar 

 to the barking of several hundred small and 

 restless_ puppies. In the fall the geese are 

 found in cornfields, and a favorite time to 

 hunt them is at night when the moon is 

 bright. 



Rabbits and squirrels abound in the woods 

 and in the open. The law allows them to be 

 killed from September 1st to May 1st, and 

 any number may be killed at one time. In 

 November, most of the squirrels migrate to 

 the city. 



There are very few grouse, quail, prairie 

 chicken or partridge here, although a flock 

 of quail is sometimes seen. The grouse and 

 partridge are often taken for the same bird, 

 though there is a difference in size. The 

 grouse has a black ruff around his neck, 

 which gives him his name of ruffed grouse 



Forty years ago there was three times as 



*This paper was written by a boy of fourteen. 



