RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



83 



U[)on the edge of a [juiid uu ilie banks of a 

 stream, the long lithe brandies reach towards 

 the water, sometimes dipping into it, form- 

 ing a beautiful fringe-like border. 



The bark is dark iron-gray in color, 

 smooth when the tree is young, rough and 

 in scales upon the outside upon old trunks. 

 The bark of the young shoots has a sweet, 

 aromatic taste, giving it the name of " sweet 

 birch." The leaves are oblong, ovate, and 

 heart-shaped at the base, tapering to a 

 point, finel}' serrate, smooth, dark green 

 upon the upper surface, paler beneath, veins 

 straight, prominent and hairy upon the un- 

 derside. 



The sterile blossoms upon their jauntv pend- 

 ent aments, are among the first harbingers 

 of spring. The aments both the fertile and 

 sterile, are formed in July of the season 

 previous to the blossoming. The fertile 

 aments are short, stiff, and erect. The 

 seeds are furnished with a circular wing or 

 samara, b}' means of which the}' are freel}' 

 scattered abroad. It is not uncommon for 

 them to germinate upon a mossy log or in 

 rock}' crevices, from whence the\' grow, 

 throwing out branch-like roots, making the 

 tree, as it develops, a most pitcuresque ob- 

 ject. 



The wood is fine grained, of a silk}' lus- 

 tre, and has a pinkish tinge, from which it 

 is sometimes known as " mahogany " birch. 

 Veneers made from wood formed by the 

 juncture of limbs of this tree are of nota- 

 ble beauty, being much prized in cabinet 

 work. The toughness of the wood makes 

 it valuable for yokes, wooden bowls, and 

 other wood-ware. As fuel it ranks next to 

 the rock maple, while its aromatic odor in 

 burning, makes it very pleasant for an open 

 fire. 



For the lover of trees the black birch has 

 many points to commend it. When well 

 developed, it is stately and graceful, the 

 light airiness of its ramification preventing 

 any aspect of stiffness. Its blossoms are 

 the delight of early spring gleaners; its 

 foliage and shade are cheering all summer, 

 while the orange tinting of the leaves in 

 autumn gives them attractiveness to the last 

 of the season. The specimens observed by 

 the writer in this state ai)poarina healthy, 

 thrifty condition. Near Providence may 

 be found fine specimens on the borders of 



Mashapaug Pond, in the woods near Sil- 

 ver Spring, and along the banks of the 

 streams in the vicinity. When the fine 

 qualities of this species of birch are better 

 known, it will be prized as a shade and or- 

 namental tree. 



Reptiles and Batrachians of Rhode Island. 



BY HERHON C. BUMPU3. 



Number XXIV. 



8. Spelerpes hiUneata Baird {Salaman- 

 dra bilineatas Gveen) . The Two-lined Sala- 

 mander has the teeth small, the tail short 

 and compressed, the flanks presenting 

 thirteen or fourteen grooves, and the inner 

 toes longest. The posterior limbs are, more- 

 over, nearly double the anterior in size. 

 In coloring, yellow predominates, while there 

 are two narrow lines of a deep black shade 

 passing along the back from the orbits, 

 nearly the entire length of the animal. The 

 tail is dark along the sides while below and 

 continuing on to the belly a beautiful 

 unspotted bright yellow shade obtains. 

 Though small and delicate, seldom exceed- 

 ing three inches in length, the Two-lined 

 Salamander is extremely active, sometimes 

 seen skipping about from under one damp 

 rock to another, or, after rain or in the dusk, 

 emerging from its hiding-place to search for 

 the then inactive gnats, and other small in- 

 sects. It is interesting to examine the lower 

 side of the animal and observe that the in- 

 tegument is so delicate and transparent 

 that the intestines can be seen passing along 

 as a dark line ; quite like that presented by 

 some of the smaller fishes. 



The three previous genera are united 

 with the genus Plethodon into a family 

 known as the Plethouoxtid-e, which is char- 

 acterized by having the carpus and tarsus 

 unossified, though the vertebrte are as in 

 the genus Amblystoma, already described. 



9. Desmogaathusfuscas Rafinesque, {Sal- 

 amandra 2)icta Harlan, Salamandra quad- 

 ramaculata Holbrook). The Painted Sala- 

 mander is the only one of four North Amer- 

 ican species of the present genus likely to 

 occur within the boundaries of Rhode Island. 

 The genus Di^smognafhns is the sole repre- 

 sentative of the fainilv Desmognathid.e, 



