Briefer Articles. 143 
Not long since he was severely poisoned immediately after having 
gathered and handled a large quantity of Cypripedium spectabile and 
in view of the above facts very naturally attributes his trouble to this 
plant. : 
The above is largely circumstantial evidence, it istrue, but any one 
who has examined Dr. James C. White’s Dermatitis Venenata cannot 
but suspect that there are not a few plants, harmless in the case of the 
great majority of those who handle them, which nevertheless may be 
harmful to certain persons of peculiar temperaments and susceptibili- 
hes.—Henry G, Jesup, Hanover, N. H. 
The pine grosbeak’s attack on the ashes and spruces of Cambridge, 
Mass,, in January, 1893.—For several days preceding January t5th, 
Cambridge received a visit from an unprecedented number of pine 
stosbeaks from the north. Flocks of hundreds filled the trees and 
grounds here and there throughout the city. Mr. William Brewster, 
the ornithologist, Says that it is not at all strange to see a few of these 
ds during the winter, and that about every third year, they are apt 
. Msit this Tegion in considerable numbers, owing probably to a 
“ateity of food in their native home. 
ya fed on chiefly, during their last visit, was the seeds of the 
the buds of the spruces. They would attack a large ash tree, 
€0 with fruit, 
23 to take 
it and in a few hours strip off every key. Their method 
Of the base a hey mn the beak, deftly split open the outer covering 
them doi of the fruit, and extract the seed. This Mr. Brewster saw 
birds Rs by hundreds, as he stood close by under the trees. The 
Within rea ‘a tame, In fact, that one could stand close up to them, 
is “hing distance, but they would hop away quickly, if an at- 
ting the hia... Catch them. I was unfortunate myself, in not 
Tet Shelling the ash keys, but I did see the snow under 
tire wi of the remnants left by the birds. As a rule, the 
Ring quite thro ae a €xception of the slit in the ovary, the slit “a 
Sometimes ugh both Sides, Generally the wing was untouche ’ 
q Parts, but 4 nas split clean through. This divided the key into 
Othe bird, a — the action was not at all intentional on the part 
: birds ay Ject naturally being merely to get the seed. — 
Mla much ost completely stripped the spruces of their buds, 
—_ h ed to know what effect this treatment will have 
* though, Othe trees. The Norway spruce is our common species, 
law ea the case of the ashes, I did not see the birds at work, 
Mitted, @ careful examination of the havoc which they com- 
| ain I have Mr, Brewster’s testimony to the wonderful 
these voracious birds. The spruces were laden with 
