398 A NATURAL HISTORY TOUR IN NORTH AMERICA. 



the carriage going over : at Newark we exchanged for locomotives, and soon got 

 to Rahway, about ten miles further. Newark, Elizabethtown, and Rahway are 

 all places of considerable trade in coals, and there are some manufactories in the 

 latter : all these are rather irregularly built ; the houses are mostly of wood. 

 The country around is salt marsh, with some good pasture land ; in places scat- 

 tered about are large rocks, almost rising into considerable hills. Veratrum 

 nigrum grows in plenty among the rocks. The climate was more like our 

 March than the end of April. I saw few birds, and fewer insects. 



We are now staying at the house of a friend, about two miles east of the city 

 of Hudson : it is a most beautiful place, but how to describe it I know not. In 

 looking from the window where I am now writing, the first object that attracts 

 my notice is the gigantic range of the Catskill mountains, distant eighteen miles, 

 with their summits still covered with snow. The Hudson lies below, invisible 

 from the house, and a gently rolling country extends from its shore. The tops of 

 the hills are covered with Pine, Hickory, Oak, and other trees ; and here and 

 there is seen the genteel house of some opulent farmer, or the humbler dwelling 

 of him who has to depend on his own industry. Meadows not yet verdant, and 

 arable land, fill up the space to the little river (Americe creek), which runs at 

 the bottom of a steep orchard, belonging to the premises. The fruit trees are 

 alive with birds. The day before yesterday I saw the first Blue-bird {Sialia 

 Wilsonii. — Ed.) ; as he glanced between the trees in the sun, nothing could be 

 more beautiful. A pair of these birds are now building in a hole in an old 

 Apple-tree. They go and pull off Moss, and, returning with it, hang a moment 

 at the mouth of the hole before they enter. Sometimes they hover over the 

 ground, and pick up an insect; but seem mostly to find their food on the 

 trees. They are as tame as possible : their nest is not twenty yards from the 

 window at which I am writing. Just now a pair of Baltimores were sitting on 

 an Apple-tree, close to the corner of the house ; I went out and got right under 

 them, and had a good view of them. 



Yesterday, whilst pinning Beetles, I saw some birds in a tree, by the side of 

 the creek ; I took R. Foster's* telescope, and found them to be Golden-winged 

 "Woodpeckers, apparently two males and a female ; the males were twisting their 

 heads, erecting their feathers on their crowns, and spreading their tails in a most 

 odd manner. I used to think our English Green Woodpecker put itself into the 

 oddest' attitudes at such times; but 'tis nothing to the Golden- winged. At last 

 the two males had a furious battle ; after which one flew away, followed by the 

 female, and the other remained behind. Just after this an Osprey passed like 

 lightning along the creek, and perched on a large white Oak, close by. 



* Mr. Docbleday's companion.— Ed. 



