March, 1892.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



35 



We also flushed from tlie nettles and toncli- 

 me-nots a fine luna moth and several tiger 

 and ermine moths, which we secured. 



Having all the Lepkloptera that we cared 

 for, we now turned our attention to the 

 Coleoptera or beetles, and in a short time had 

 captured a number of species. By turning 

 over old logs and pulling the bark from old 

 dead trees and stumps we found several of 

 the great stag beetle and the horned passalns; 

 several species of the lady bugs and caterpillar 

 hunters were also secured. 



These low, damp, shady woods were just 

 the place for the Helices or snails. Under the 

 shady side of rotten logs or under pieces of 

 bark numbers of them were to be observed. 

 Setting to work we soon had a cigar box 

 nearly full. The Helix alternata, an almost 

 universally distributed species, was the most 

 abundant; of these we selected only a few of 

 the largest and finest. 



The next in abundance was the beautiful 

 H. mnltilineata or many-lined snail; great 

 beauties a half inch in diameter were found. 

 We also secured a number each of the follow- 

 ing fine snails: H. profunda, H. appressn, 

 H. mitchelliana, H. albolabris, H. hirsutU. 

 We also found adhering to old weed stalks 

 some fine large Succinea ohliqua and oralis, 

 and under the bark of an old sycamore log we 

 secured quite a number of the Zonites 

 arhoreus. 



These land shells should be prepared for the 

 cabinet by subjecting them to a bath of hot 

 water, and after extracting the animal with 

 a hook or head of a pin, drying them in the 

 shade. If it is desired to keep them fresh 

 looking and lustrous a light coating of l)est 

 olive oil will do the work. 



Many birds were all about us as we quietly 

 moved about in the dense woods. Of the 

 Woodpeckers, the Little Downy, the Hairy, the 

 Zebra and the (Tolden-winged were seen, 

 while the trumpet-like notes in the distance 

 of the Great Pileated Woodpecker revealed 

 to us the fact that at least in these woods it 

 was not yet an extinct species. Several 

 Cardinal Grosbeaks betrayed their presence 

 by continually scolding us for this intrusion 

 upon their favorite haunts. The Rose- 

 breasted Grosbeak, too, from a dense tough 

 of vines could be heard uttering in a dreamy 

 undertone a few notes so plaintive and low 

 tliat tliey seemed but the echo of the vigorous, 

 rollicking song heard in the nesting time of 

 the summer months. 



We now returned to the boat, glad to escape 



the sting of the nettles and the bite of mos- 

 quitoes that swarmed about us. Here we were 

 surprised to find that a great migration wave 

 of Bank Swallows had arrived from the north, 

 and were circling and whirling around over 

 the river like thousands of leaves in a whirl- 

 wind. Accomi^anying them were a few Bee 

 and House Martins, accidental stragglers, 

 perhaps, from the main army that had gone 

 south a month before. As the Swallows arose 

 high in the air or dashed suddenly to the sur- 

 face of the river, the Bee Martins flew about 

 in a confused, dazed fashion, uttering their 

 rattling, unmusical notes as though j^rotesting 

 against this delay, and urging the Swallows 

 to come along and stop their nonsense. 

 In a little while they disappeared down the 

 river, and we saw them no more, but certainly 

 our best wishes went with them on their long 

 journey to their winter homes in the far 

 South. 



A half mile down the river we came to a 

 great flock of Blackbirds. A clump of giant 

 sycamore trees was perfectly black with the 

 Red-wings and Purple Grackles, and their 

 camp-meeting chorus as we rounded a bend in 

 the river was almost deafening. Suddenly the 

 song stopped and for a few seconds not a note 

 was lieard; thfu a few clucks from the leadei-s 

 and all at once the hundreds arose on the wing 

 with the noise of a tempest, flying to the hills 

 beyond, turning and circling over the village, 

 .swooping down again to the river's valley, 

 dashing, whirling and turning with the pre- 

 cision of well-trained cavalry; again lighting 

 on the old sycamores, and once more their 

 song was borne to our ears, now afar down 

 the river, now loud and distinct, and then low, 

 dying away to a mere murmur as the breezes 

 gentle or strong bore the sound to our ear. 



Wishing to obtain certain species of shells 

 which we knew abounded in these waters we 

 slowed up our boat and with a dredge made 

 of a large tin dipper commenced to fish for 

 them. Every dredge full of mud brought to 

 the surface would contain a number of species. 



In a short time we had quite an assortment 

 of kinds washed out from the .sand and mud. 

 The little mussel-like shells called Sphcerinms, 

 not larger than small beans, were plentiful. 

 The rare and unique shell called Leivises 

 pleurscera was also found in considerable 

 numbers. Also the large horn-colored water 

 snail, Melantha inteqra and a smaller species, 

 the wax-like Physsa, were found in satisfactory 

 numbers. These were all live shells, that is 

 shells containing the animals, and were as 



