
age the crops and the orchard. If 
chickens are taken it means the farmer 
only challenges the sagacity of the bird 
by letting them run unprotected. A 
tender morsel running wild and free 
about far-flung fields and woodlots is 
an invitation to bird, animal and rep- 
tile. The Ten Commandments do not 
hold good in the sun-steeped, wind- 
whipped, shadow-haunted corridors of 
the wild. 
And so before the bar of public opin- 
ion the crow stands. Individually he 
should be judged not for how bad he is, 
but how good. Collectively he should be 
judged from the points of the four 
winds. There is no escaping him—he 
is too numerous. When the black horde 
becomes as it is today the crow is a men- 
ace, for danger threatens the farmlands 
and the very heart of nature, and sharp 
measures should be taken. If his num- 
bers be kept down, then he becomes a 
bird highly beneficial to the community. 
E works for man when he devours 
insects, rodents and carrion. There- 
fore he is a useful bird. When he turns 
to predatory habits and destroys wild 
life, poultry, small snakes, grains, and 
spreads seeds of noxious plants, he be- 
comes a serious liability rather than an 
asset and must be called an enemy. 
He must be regulated, severely, without 
gloves. When he has been put where 
he belongs his bad habits may still out- 
number his good ones, but in importance 
to man and his work his lesser though 
good habits win him respect and should 
save his black figure from banishment, 
even extermination. It is a fearful 
thing to exterminate a living form. In 
the cold white light of science the crow 
is placed with the great horde of birds 
—a useful citizen and a benefit to the 
community as long as he walks the nar- 
row path, as long as his numbers are 
not alarming. In this last is the meat 
of the nut. 
Salton Sea Ducks 
(Continued from page 221) 
As we counted our ammunition we 
found that the day for us would soon 
be coming to a close, since we had 
few shells left. We decided that we 
had had shooting enough for one day, 
as our bag had reached a number that 
was plenty for two. 
HILE we sat there trying to de- 
cide what we should do, a bunch 
of eight pintails came in, leaving three 
of their followers. While retrieving 
these we decided to pack up our decoys 
and start for home, tired but well satis- 
fied with a day not to be forgotten. We 
loaded ducks, guns and decoys in the 
trusty little Overland, and were soon 
homeward bound. 
In writing to Advertisers mention Forest and Stream. 
Dreaming Back 
(Continued from page 209) 
He paused, and nodded his head. 
“Grand lines, those, laddie—and sae 
true. I’ve seen the time when I—. 
But I must not get retrospective. To 
our tale.” 
So Mac went on to describe Tam’s 
unwilling departure from the inn, 
leaving the comfortable fire and com- 
panionship to ride through bellowing 
thunder and driving rain, ‘‘well- 
mounted on his gray mare, Meg.” Off 
they went, galloping through mud and 
mire, until they came within sight of 
the haunted Kirk Alloway, but pass- 
ing by the way many fearsome land- 
marks, “the stone where drunken 
Charlie brake’s neck-bane,” “the cairn 
where Hunters found the murdered 
bairn,” the thorn-tree where “Mun- 
go’s mither hanged hersel.”’ 
My eyes, I remember, were fixed on 
Mac’s face as he recited, and my nerves 
were tensed. I tried to break the spell 
of Mac’s weaving to get up and throw 
more wood on the fire: but I could not, 
until that ever-blessed Peter broke the 
spell. He very suddenly gave an ex- 
ceedingly loud and explosive sneeze. 1 
believe I rose to my feet quicker than 
the flash of a gun. In the movement 
I pushed against the end of the cedar 
plank on which we were sitting and 
it slid to the ground. Then Mac came 
sliding down the incline toward me. 
The spell was broken and both Mc- 
Gregor and I laughed heartily. 
“Yon pony of yours ought be taught 
better manners nor that,” smiled Mac, 
as I assisted him to get up. 
“Y’m glad he did sneeze,” said I. 
“You had my blood beginning to cur- 
dle, Mac. You don’t finish the tale 
until I’ve put more wood on the fire 
to drive away spooks. I’m _ seeing 
thing's.” 
Mac chuckled as I gathered wood 
and started the fire into a blaze again. 
“There; sit down now, lad. Ye 
haven’t heard the worst of the story. 
Listen, now. The fire’s burning 
bravely—an’ we’re more than half 
way through our tale.” 
“All right, Mac: do your worst.” 
So Mac went ahead with his poem, 
describing with gruesome gusto (I’m 
afraid that Mac’s mind was a bit mor- 
bid) the scene that Tam beheld about 
the haunted “kirk.’”’ There were dead 
men with lighted candles in their 
hands, the skeleton of a murderer 
hanging from a gibbet, a newly-hung 
thief, and many gruesome instruments 
that had been used to commit murder. 
In spite of the fire-blaze my blood 
chilled again, and I half-wished that 
the old man would stop. But he kept 
on, describing the withered hags, “auld 

It will identify you. 
The Bolting 
System 
A combination 
straight and ta- 
per bolt of hard- 
ened tool steel. 
The tapered 
faces take up all 
wear, the flat 
surfaces prevent 
any lifting of 
the barrel when 
firing. 
Send for Catalog 
PARKER BROS., Master Gun Makers 
29 Cherry St., Meriden, Conn., U.S.A. 
German Navy Blankets 
Brand new, full size and 
weight. Gray with beautiful 
borders. Very warm and ser- 
m viceable. 
Cc 6 for $5 
Parcel Post 
Each  15c Each. 
GOVERNMENT SUPPLY CO., IMPORTERS 
611-M Market Street Philadelphia, Pa. 
J. KANNOFSKY ccass‘srower 
and manufacturer of artificial eyes for birds, animals and 
manufacturing purposes a specialty. Send for prices. Al 
kinds of heads and skulls for furriers and taxidermists. 


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