212 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



SHUFELDT, Robert W.— Continued. 



There is a widespread zoological myth enter- 

 tained by the huuters aud .sportsmen of the 

 United States, to the effect that male sqnirrels 

 habitually castrate each other at the season of 

 tlie rut. Tliis myth finds its origin in the 

 demand of the ignorant for some explanation 

 to account for the disappearance of the testes 

 in the Sciuridiu after the breeding season is 

 over. This brief article gives the true expla- 

 nation of the physiology of these organs in the 

 Eodentia. 



The mystery of eels. 



Popular Science News, xxx, No. 1, New 

 York, Jan., 1896, pp. 2, 3. 

 The original title of this contribution read 

 "Eels and their Allies," but without the au- 

 thor's permission the editor changed it to the 

 one here given, and under which the article 

 appeared. It is needless to say there is no 

 "mystery" connected with eels. 



.The article gives a great deal of general in- 

 formation on the natural history of this group 

 of fishes, rendered in a popular style, and 

 illustrated by a reduced copy of Anguilla roi- 

 trata, drawn by the author after Goode's figure 

 in his "Fishery Industries of the United 

 States;" Several references are made to the 

 publications of the National Museum. 



The Moose group in the National 



Museum. 



Shooting and Fishing, ix. No. 19, New 

 York, Feb. 27, 1896, pp. 387-389. 

 Contains an account of the collecting and 

 mounting of the famous group of Moose in the 

 mammal hall of the U. S. National Museum. 

 The article is illu.strated by four half-tones, 

 from photographs, of the various specimens 

 composing the group. 



More facts about squirrels. 



Am. Field, XLV, No. 9, New York and 

 Chicago, Feb. 29, 1896, p. 198. 

 A further attempt to dispel the ignorance of 

 many hunters throughout the country in the 

 matter of tlie disappearance of the testes, dur- 

 ing the rutting season, in the Sciuridae. 



More about animal photography. 



Mdologist, in. No. 6, New York, Feb., 

 1896, pp. 57, 58. 

 Contains additional information upon the 

 methods of making photographs of living 

 animals, and refers to the remarkable work in 

 this line accomplished by M. Bontan, the 

 European naturalist. The contribution is 

 illustrated by a fine half-tone from a photograph 

 of a living specimen of the young of the "Jack 

 Rabbit," made by Mr. H. W. Nash, of Pueblo, 

 Colo. 



[Reviews of the following papers:] 



Birds of Narbertli, I'a., aud vicinity, 

 by W. E. Rotzell, 8vo, pp. 1-8, 1895; 



SHUFELDT, Robert W.— Continued. 

 A list of the birds of Maryland, by 

 F. C. Kirkwood, reprint from Trans. 

 Md. Acad. Sci., 1895, pp. 241-382; Bul- 

 letin of the British Ornithologists' 

 Club, xx.\, Nov., 1895. 



Xidologist, ni, No. 6, New York, Feb., 

 1896, p. 67. 



Some account of spiders. 



Great Divide, xiv. No. 2, Chicago, Feb., 

 1896, pp. 28, 29. 

 This paper gives considerable general infor- 

 mation about the Arachnida" and some allies of 

 the family. It is illustrated by a halftone 

 from a photograph by Dr. Shufeldt of a speci- 

 men of Dolomedes tenelrosus carrying her 

 young in a silken ball. It is natural size, and 

 was t.aken from the living spider. Another 

 figure, from a drawing by the author, gives a 

 life-size representation of the "Whip-tailed 

 Scorpion," Thelyphoyius giganteus, from a 

 specimen collected in New Mexico. Botli of 

 the specimens are now in the collections of 

 the U. S. National Museum. 



The American Box-tortoi.se. 



Forest and Stream, xlvi. No. 10, New 

 York, Mar. 7, 1896, pp. 194, 195. 

 The natural history of Cistudo Carolina is 

 given, and the article is illustrated by a half- 

 tone figure, nearly natural size, from a photo- 

 graph of a living specimen of a tortoise of this 

 species. Notes on the breeding habits are 

 added, and reference is made to the ability of 

 this reptile to swim when compelled to by force 

 of circumstances. 



Shedding of antelope horns. 



Shooting and Fishing, xix. No. 21, New 

 York, Mar. 12, 1896, p. 429. 

 Areply to Captain Cusick, of the U. S. Army, 

 pointing out his error in entertaining the idea 

 that Antilocapra does not shed its horns. 



The American Partridges. 



Shooting and Fishing, xix. No. 23, New 

 York, Mar. 26, 1896, p. 466. 

 Running descriptions of the American rep- 

 resentatives of the subfamily Perdicina, with 

 their breeding habits and geographical ranges. 

 The article is based upon the material in tlie 

 U. S. National Museum and the standard pub- 

 lications on the subject, including the author's 

 own writings and observations. The article is 

 illustrated by a half-tone figure, nearly life 

 size, of the Massena Partridge, Cyrtonyx mon- 

 tezumce, from a specimen in the Museum. 



— Thechimneysof BurrowingCrayfish. 



Observer, vil, No. 3, Portland, Conn.. Mar., 



' 1890, pp. 85-89. 



The literature on this subject is reviewed to 



a considerable extent, and the problem as to 



whether or not the crayfish builds its "chimney" 



