1885.] PINE BLIGHT IN FRANCE. 259 



in my presence, and the vendors laid great stress upon the good 

 qualities of the waxwiugs, sparrows, and blackbirds as being superior 

 to the shore birds and robins, which latter are more commonly and 

 abundantly offered for sale. 



" At one stand I was amused to find a crow and a scrcecli-owL 

 To the question, ' Are owls good ? ' the darkey replied, ' Yes, sah, all 

 birds is good to eat ; ' and when the question was asked, ' They don't 

 eat crow, do they ? ' the answer came, ' Course dey do. Crows eat 

 corn, don't dey ? Den why isn't dey good ? ' " 



As almost all the birds of the Northern States migrate south in 

 communities or flocks, such fell destruction as noticed above means 

 the wholesale annihilation of needed friends and useful allies 

 throughout the Union. Can we wonder, then, that the institution 

 of strict protective legislation finds advocates ? 



PINE BLIGHT IN FRANCE. 



THE appearance of the jEciclium or Peridemimm Pini var 

 Corticola upon the trees of Pinus Sijlvcstris of the forest of 

 St. Germain in j\Iay and June, threatening their destruction, has 

 caused no small commotion in Erench forestal circles. Visits have 

 been made to the infected pines by the highest cryptogamic 

 authorities, who do not think the fungus spores carry direct 

 contamination. While the young pines are therefore to be spared 

 meanwhile, the elder ones attacked by the uEcidium are to be cut 

 down without delay, so as to counteract at the same time the ravages 

 of the insect which is found to accompany this noxious fungus. 

 Indeed, the insect and fungus both appear on the spotted and 

 blistered pine in May and June, most decidedly in the fifth year of 

 growth at the whorl nearest the ground, and their ravages are felt 

 by trees of all ages and varied species. Sulphur and coal-tar have 

 both been tried as remedies, but with no decided results. The 

 forest guard at present can only combat this wide-spread pest by 

 lopping off the parts of the pine where disease begins to show itself. 



The Mammoth Sequoia of California a Swaimp Teee. — Profiting 

 by this one of the most interesting lessons of his visit to California, 

 Thomas Meehan brought three strong plants with him and set them 

 in a swamp. They have had two winters and one summer, the 

 past winter being notably severe, but the plants are now sound and 

 flourishins. 



