THE MUSEUM. 



45 



customary to burn them when the 

 atmosphere gave unmistakable signs of 

 an approaching storm. Thus the rocks 

 often become heated, and when the 

 rain fell upon their heated surfaces 

 and suddenly cooled them, they often 

 broke into many fragments. Keep 

 your eyes open as you travel through 

 an old pasture, which has never had 

 its natural surface disfigured by culti- 

 vation, and from which the rocks have 

 not been removed, and you may see 

 many instances of this kind. 



But I want to describe another 

 means by which fragments of a rock 

 may become separated. 



My last article in the Museum de- 

 scribed some of the results of the up- 

 rooting of trees by wind storms. To 

 this let me add, that trees often twine 

 their roots around large stones or 

 boulders, and when such trees are up- 

 rooted the boulders may often be 

 moved a distance of several feet. The 

 most remarkable instance of this kind 

 which has come under my own per- 

 sonal observation, was that of a hyalim 

 quartz rock which was held in the 

 grasp of the roots of an elm, and, 

 when a storm uprooted the tree, the 

 rock was moved a distance of twelve 

 feet. I estimated the rock to weigh 

 one thousand pounds. 



Now let me describe another rock, 

 situated about two miles from me as I 

 write. This rock is of micaceous 

 quartz, and, by estimation weighs si.x 

 tons. From the upper surface a hori- 

 zontal slab covering the entire upper 

 part has been split. I make no at- 

 tempt to describe the process by 

 which this was done, but the upper 

 slab, which I estimate to weigh about 

 one ton, was raised to a height of si.x 

 inches above the lower slab. Soil 

 formed or was blown into the crevice, 

 and then the seed of an elm tree 

 found its way into the crevice, took 

 root and grew. It pushed some of its 

 roots into the ground from which it 

 drew nourishment, while the main root 

 filled the space between the rocks. 

 The body of the tree extended from 



the crevice, at first in a horizontal 

 direction, and in its efforts to assume 

 a perpendicular position has actnally 

 raised the slab until it is in a ]iosition 

 nearly at right angles to the parent 

 rock, and were it not for the roots of 

 the tree which hold it in their grasp, 

 it would fall to the ground in an in- 

 verted position by the side of the 

 original rock. In time the tree will 

 decay and the rock will fall as I have 

 described. 



I could point to many other less 

 marked instances of this kind and to 

 several where the indication are that 

 the rocks were separated in this man- 

 ner, but all traces of the the trees have 

 vanished. Instances in which rocks 

 have been forced a few inches apart 

 by the growth or the roots of trees, 

 however, are too numerous to attract 

 attention or to merit a aescription. 



To avoid a misunderstanding let me 

 ,say, that in the foregoing article I 

 ha\e used the term "rock" not in 

 its geological sense, but rather as it is 

 used colloquially in New England 

 synonymously with "boulder." 



The Ornithologists and 

 Oologists Manual. 



I.S TUE 



Standard List used by all 

 Collectors. 



If you haven't a copy yet. send 25 

 cents at ouce. You will never regret it. 



SOME OF ITS CONTENTS: 



A complete list of aU North Americau Birds, 

 giving prices of their eggs and skins, which 

 are ihe Standard prices used by over foiir- 

 lifths of the collectors throughoul'the country. 

 The arr.angoinent is according to the A. O. U. 

 list, and after each name is Kidgeway's nnni- 

 ber. Uoth Common and Scieutilic Names are 

 given, ill ditTerent si/.e type. 



A large list of Mammal Skins, with both 

 commou and sclentiHc names, and prices of 

 specimens, also of Ueptiles. n 



Then follows a table, giving the appro.Klmate 

 niiniber of eggs considered a full set, of every 

 family of birds in the U. S. This is of special 

 value to those beginning the stndy of Oology. 



Complete and exhaiistive directions for 

 making Scicntiiic itird and Mammal Skins, 

 .and pr<'parlng specimens for tlie cabinet. In- 

 stnici ions for cr>llectiug. preparing and pres- 

 erving liirds eggs and nests, tools needed, var- 

 ious recipes recommended and valuable in- 

 forntaliou about making cablnels for speci- 

 mens. 



Price 25 cents. Leather Bound, 50 cents. 



