ENTOMOLOGICAL CLUB. 489 



hills. Veratrum nigrum grows in plenty among the rocks. 

 The climate was more like our March than the end of April. 

 I saw few birds, and fewer insects. 



" We are now staying at the house of a friend, about two 

 miles E. of the city of Hudson : it is a most beautiful place, but 

 how to describe it I know not. In looking from the window 

 where I am now writing, the first object that attracts my notice 

 is the gigantic range of the Catskill mountains, distant eighteen 

 miles, with their summits still covered with snow. The Hud- 

 son lies below, invisible from the house, and a gently rolling 

 country extends from its shore. The tops of the hills are co- 

 vered with pine, hickory, oak, and other trees ; and here and 

 there is seen the genteel house of some opulent farmer, or the 

 humbler dwelling of him who has to depend on his own in- 

 dustry. Meadows not yet verdant, and arable land, fill up 

 the space to the little river (Americe creek), which runs at the 

 bottom of a steep orchard, belonging to the premises. The 

 fruit trees are alive with birds. The day before yesterday I 

 saw the first blue bird ; as he glanced between the trees in the 

 sun, nothing could be more beautiful. A pair of these birds are 

 now building in a hole in an old apple-tree. They go and pull 

 off moss, and, returning with it, hang a moment at the mouth 

 of the hole before they enter. Sometimes they hover over the 

 ground, and pick up an insect; but seem mostly to find their 

 food on the trees. They are as tame as possible : their nest is 

 not twenty yards from the window at which I am writing 

 Just now, a pair of Baltimores were sitting on an apple-tree, 

 close to the corner of the house ; I went out and got right 

 under them, and had a good view of them. 



" Yesterday, whilst pinning some beetles, I saw some birds 

 in a tree, by the side of the creek ; I took R. Foster's tele- 

 scope, and found them to be golden-winged woodpeckers, ap- 

 parently two males and a female ; the males were twisting 

 their heads, erecting the feathers on their crowns, and spreading 

 their tails in a most odd manner. I used to think our English 

 green woodpecker put itself into the oddest attitudes at such 

 times ; but 'tis nothing to the golden-winged. At last, the two 

 males had a furious battle ; after which one flew away, followed 

 by the female, and the other remained behind. Just after this, 

 an Osprey passed like lightning along the creek, and perched 

 on a large white oak, close by. 



