THE OENITHOLOGIST AND BOTAISTIST. 



43 



supposition, as it is surely less probable. 



The color of the egret is a pure spot- 

 less white, with the exception of the 

 train, which, in the adult bird, has a 

 beautiful creamy-yellow tinge. The 

 feathers of the train, when they are 

 fully developed, are so long as to fall 

 over and entirely conceal the tail. The 

 legs of the egret are quite black, while 

 the eyes are of a pale orange color, con- 

 trasting strangely with the snowy plum- 

 age of the bird, which is quite alike in 

 both sexes. 



The egret, like the herons to which it 

 is closely allied, builds in the tops of 

 large trees, generally preferring cedars. 

 It lays three or four pale blue eggs, quite 

 large in size, and measuring, in all the 

 sets which are in mj^ collection, from 

 2. 17 to 2. 19 inches in length. The young 

 birds are generally hatched about the 

 end of June, and when they are strong 

 enough to be able to walk about, they 

 associate in small flocks of fifteen to 

 thirty in number, and leaving the old 

 birds they fly off to new grounds to 

 search for food. 



THE SALTWORT. 



( Salicornia virginica.) 



BY K. M. , BARNSTABLE, MASS. 



The plant is not remarkable for its 

 beauty, and many dwellers by the sea 

 may have been, like myself, a long time 

 in its neighborhood without knowing 

 that it was in any way interesting. I 

 first became acquainted with it last fall, 

 when happening to meet a friend with 

 her hand full of it, I was curious to 

 know what it might be. She could not 

 tell me, but when strolling near the 

 beach had been attracted by its brilliant 

 color. I fancied it might be a kind of 

 samphire, but that I knew as a green 

 plant only, and this was crimson and 

 had a polished look like some kinds of 

 coral. It is like that too in the way it 

 grows. I referred to Gray as soon as 



possible and found that samphire was 

 one of the common names of salicornia. 



He describes it as turning red in ma- 

 turity, and being rough and scaly when 

 dried. The name comes from sal, salt, 

 and cornu, horn. Afterwards I went 

 to look for the plant, but I had left it 

 rather late as much of the bright color 

 had faded. However, I brought some 

 home and put it in a vase but without 

 any water, and early in the winter I 

 found it had shrunk and dried up very 

 much, though the color had not quite 

 gone, in places being a delicate purplish 

 pink. 



Well, I was going to throw it away 

 when I bethought me of a large strombus 

 shell on the mantel, and in that I care- 

 lessly placed my salicornia. There it 

 seemed quite at home with its surround- 

 ings of shells and corals, and there it 

 has been all winter and has become so 

 hard and brittle that it might be taken 

 for another variety of coral. I have 

 often thought that it was a good illus- 

 tration of the harmony of color and 

 similarity of form that we frequently 

 notice between maiay objects in the dif- 

 ferent realms of nature. I have thought, 

 too, how much pleasure can be derived 

 from the study of simple and seemingly 

 worthless objects, and how one finds 

 them, sometimes, in the most unpromis- 

 ing localities. What can be more dreary, 

 and uninviting than long stretches of ' 

 salt-marsh land; yet, even there, when 

 autum's splendid reign begins, virginica 

 forsooth, must take part and don her 

 crimson gown. 



THE ROSE -BREASTED GROSBEAK. 

 ( Zamelodia ludoviciana. ) 



BY PAUL VAN RIPER, NILES, MICH. 



Among the most beautiful of our birds 

 are the grosbeaks, and not only are they 

 beautiful in plumage, but also in song. 

 Even when judged by that true old 

 maxim, "Handsome is, that handsome 



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