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BY THE WAYSIDE 
47 
The Snapshot Sportsman 
By William Wilson 
j A ith the year fully ripened to autumn; 
Clothed in beauty not half under¬ 
stood ; 
•\ ith winter caressing the twilight 
Now tingles the sporting man’s blood 
i: 
\lone with Nature—delightful com¬ 
panion— 
For wild Nature is never morose— 
am stalking the forests primeval 
Snapshotting “His Majesty” Moose. 
\ e ei a wave is disturbed on the waters 
As I row to where wild birds abound, 
ilarmed the flock scatters to cover 
\\ ith the speed and freedom of 
sound. 
V ith Camera—my ready companion— 
Now I shoot at the birds in their 
flight, 
jmd swifter than sounds in the passing 
i. 
Have captured the beautiful sight. 
sOt a victim shall tarnish my pleasure; 
Not a bird shall repine for its mate, 
he spoils at the banquet shall only 
Be spread on a photograph plate. 
As well suppose the trees without 
aves as the summer air without 
vallows. Ever since of old times 
*e Greeks went round from house to 
ouse in spring 'singing the swallow 
mg, these birds have been looked upon 
; the friends of man, and almost as 
ie very givers of the sunshine * * * 
he beautiful swallows, be tender with 
'em, for they symbol all that is best in 
iture and all that is best in our hearts. 
— Jeffries. 
Bird Destruction in the Pacific 
In January the revenue cutter Thetis 
arrested 23 Japanese plume hunters on 
Laysan and Lisiansky islands, in the 
Hawaiian Bird Reservation, and seized 
259,000 wings, mainly of albatrosses, 
and a large amount of other plumage. 
The prisoners were brought to Hono¬ 
lulu, whei e they were tried, convicted, 
and sentenced to a brief imprisonment. 
The mildness of the punishment was 
due to recognition of the fact that the 
Japanese arrested were only subordi¬ 
nates. Proceedings were ait once insti¬ 
tuted against their employer. The com¬ 
mander of the Thetis estimated the 
total slaughter at 300,000 birds. The 
work had been in steady progress since 
last April. It will be remembered that 
the albatrosses of Laysan were the birds 
whose interesting dance was photo¬ 
graphed and described by Walter K. 
Fisher. 
A light broke in upon my soul— 
It was the carol of a bird— 
It ceased—and then it came again, 
The sweetest song ear ever heard. 
-— Byron. 
Many haps fall in the field, 
Seldom seen by wishful eyes; 
But all her shows did Nature yield, 
To please and win this pilgrim wise. 
He saw the partridge drum in the 
woods; 
He heard the woodcock’s evening hymn; 
He found the tawny thrushes broods; 
And the shy hawk did wait for him; 
What others did at distance hear, 
And guessed within the thickest’s gloom, 
Was shown to this philosopher. 
And at his bidding seemed to come. 
— Emerson. 
