10 



RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



becomes more strange from this, for it is 

 very readil}' perceived that the apple-tree 

 cannot have become so changed as to be 

 able to send out yellowish-green forked 

 shoots, and to bear leaves, thick, feathery 

 leaves, too, in winter. As little can the 

 apple-tree bear little leathery flowers with a 

 four-parted envelope, or a berry filled w^ith 

 tenacious glue, instead of an apple. And 

 we are equally unable to suppose it to be a 

 graft, for not only do we know that only 

 nearly allied plants can be grafted on one 

 another, while the mistletoe is extremely 

 different from the apple, but we seek in 

 vain for the mistletoe upon the ground. It 

 is met only upon trees which all differ in 

 the highest degree from it. Consequentl}' 

 there is nothing left for us but to suppose 

 that the mistletoe is propagated by seed 

 upon the tree itself, and obtains its nourish- 

 ment from this." In short, it is a parasite, 

 making another plant do its work, and 

 thriving at its expense. The seed is peculiar 

 in often containing two or more embryos ; 

 but, for that matter, so do many orange 

 seeds commonly, and a long list of plants 

 occasionally'. We have found it the case 

 in some acorns, for instance. The radicle, 

 instead of seeking the earth, strikes for the 

 stem of its host. " If it is the upper side 

 of a branch, it has a tendency downwards, 

 while if the enveloping glue fixes it to the 

 under side, it grows upwards." Dutrochet 

 proved that this was in response to an im- 

 pulse to seek darkness, perhaps because its j 

 deeds are evil. Mistletoes ma}' even be- 

 come parasitic on each other — certainly' a 

 profound depth of degradation ! 



In tins country we do not possess the 

 Viscvm, but the related Plwradendron and 

 Arceuthohium are found in various sections, 

 and arc often very distinctive. The former 

 grows on various deciduous-leaved trees, 

 while the latter occurs on coniferous plants. 

 The Loranthus is still another genus found 

 in Europe. 



Every one remembers the ceremonies of 

 the Druids in connection with the cutting of 

 the mistletoe. A good account of this and 

 other ceremonies and traditions connected 

 with the past, can be found in a book called 

 The Botanical Looker Out. 



W. W. Bailey. 



A BOY says, salt is the stuff that makes 

 potatoes taste l)ad when you don't put any on. 



I WAS interested in 3-our article in May 

 relating to the toes of birds, for I have often 

 noticed that the Sharp Shinned Hawk, 

 upon seizing his prey, always repairs to the 

 ground to secure leverage, even if the vic- 

 tim be a young bird from the nest. My 

 attention was especially attracted to the 

 subject by an incident occurring about that 

 time. A pair of Phebes had built a nest 

 on the post-cap to my piazza, and two eggs 

 were already deposited therein when this 

 affair occurred. 



Like their relatives, the King Birds, 

 Phebes have a habit in the breeding season of 

 rising high in the air, and with many tortuous 

 winding flights and loud outcries announc- 

 ing the approach of an\' hawk that appears 

 in their vicinity ; busy in my yard one day, 

 I heard the Phebe's warning notes as she 

 manoeuvred upward ; the old hen cackled, 

 and the Blackbirds joined their notes of 

 warning with hers, which ceased so sudden- 

 ly' as to attract my attention, and looking 

 up I saw her struggling in the clutches of a 

 Sharp Shinned Hawk, which immediately 

 descended with her to the ground, and held 

 her there in a death struggle so long a time 

 that I went into the house, loaded my gun, 

 and came out just in time to see the victim 

 borne away by her triumphant captor. I 

 had no idea before that any hawk could 

 capture any Fly-catcher on the wing. The 

 male Phebe, the mate of the Hawk's vic- 

 tim, remained in the vicinity over a week, 

 piping his loudest notes, and occasionally 

 going on the nest by the hour, but discour- 

 aged at last, he disappeared from the vic- 

 inity. 



The Cooper's Hawk often invades my 

 poultrj' yard and bears off the luckless 

 chick straying too far from protection, but 

 he always seizes it without pausing in his 

 flight, and bears it away still struggling. 



J. N. Clauk. 



WANTED. 



A BRIGHT large specimen of the Vohta 

 vexiUum, without cracks or breaks, for 

 which a liberal price will be paid. • 



Address C. B., 



Care Pandom Notks. 



