40 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 257. 



it is usually called, is our most abundant species. He seems 

 to be everywhere and a general favorite. He is lively and 

 spirited, often making his larger comrades — white-throats and 

 song-sparrows — stand aside while he takes his meals. He 

 commences to sing in IVIarch, and before he leaves in April 

 his music is heard on every side. 



The purple finch remains with us until late in May, some- 

 times until early June. He is the dandy among winter birds ; his 

 full dress is a dark, rich crimson, while his mate is attired in 

 simple drab. He is one of our best early songsters ; his notes 

 are loud and rolling. He never leaves us until he has helped 

 to thin out the superabundant fruit-blossoms, especially of the 

 Cherry and Apple. The pine linnet is an irregular visitor, but 

 there is scarcely a winter that I do not see a flock now and 

 then on the Pine-trees picking the seeds from the cones and 

 uttering little plaintive notes, something like those of the gold- 

 finch. As they scatter the winged seeds some of the party 

 are sure to show their dexterity by catching them before they 

 reach the ground. 



Many of our permanent residents are also charming song- 

 sters, like the song-sparrow and the little Held-sparrow — the 

 smallest of all our species, more diminutive than the little chip- 

 ping sparrow which goes south for the winter. And the ves- 

 per bird — what music is sweeter than his twilight song? And 

 where can we find a more exquisite creature than the little 

 goldfinch, which puts on his greenish drab or olive suit for 

 winter and comes out in early spring in brilliant black and 

 yellow ? And now in full gala dress, before the company dis- 

 band to attend to its domestic duties, he gives us his fascinat- 

 ing song. At such times these birds often congregate on an 

 old Pine near the house, where their bright color is set off to 

 the best advantage. Here they preen and prim, and sing in- 

 cessantly, until one makes a move to adjourn, when all with 

 one accord, in graceful, undulating flight, still singing as they 

 fiy, pass out of sight. 



The merry little black-capped chickadee is always with us, 

 but in winter we notice him more, when he is willing to be 

 very friendly and to accept our hospitahty ; while he can easily 

 manage for himself without any of our aid, still he is not 

 averse to taking bits of meat which are fastened to the twigs of 

 trees or pinned to the window casement, where his.dimmutive 

 lordship watches us closely while he daintily takes his meal. He 

 is often in company with the small brown creeper and a small 

 black-and-white woodpecker, when together they search over 

 the fruit-trees for hibernating insects and for the eggs of in- 

 sects. Beneath the loose bark of Apple-trees they find the 

 larvasof many fat codling moths, whichhave spun themselves 

 silken cradles in which to repose during winter, and if left to 

 themselves they become chrysalids in the spring, and in early 

 summer come forth as moths to work destruction to our ap- 

 ples. In the spring, when I look over my trees, I find but 

 few of the larvae or chrysaUds. I have marked trees in the 

 fall, when the larvae were hibernating abundantly, and when 

 spring came nearly every one had been destroyed. Many 

 times I have seen the chickadee clinging to a twig of an Apple- 

 tree, going all around it, head downward, picking at something 

 which he evidently relished. On examination I find he was 

 feeding on the eggs of the tent-caterpillar. These eggs, two or 

 three hundred in number, are in a compact cluster, glued firmly 

 around the twig, but the chickadee can loosen and eat them. 



When we consider how many large birds remain with us in 

 winter which are dependent in a great measure upon insects 

 for their living, we may partly realize the immense number 

 destroyed. In winter insects are in a condition most relished 

 by birds, as now they are mostly in the egg, larva or chrysalis 

 stage. Packard enumerates over a hundred different insects 

 that feed upon Pine-trees alone, and a large number of these 

 are found in the trees of New Jersey. The old Pine-trees near 

 the house give me something of an idea of the ferreting work 

 of these birds. Among the largest of these workers is the 

 golden-winged woodpecker, which is about a foot in length, 

 and very handsome heis with his rich golden wings and his fine 

 head, a light fawn-color on the top and a brilliant red behind. 

 On his breast is a broad crescent of black and a stripe of black 

 on each side of the throat, and his rump is pure white. This 

 is his general appearance as he flits around us, but in hand we 

 find each feather has distinct and beautiful markings. He is 

 somewhat shy, owing to the persistent persecution of sportsmen, 

 still he soon learns whom to trust, and makes his nest in our 

 orchards, often within a few yards of the door. 



The blue jay is another elegant bird, a little smaller than the 

 golden-wing. He is the gypsy among birds, camping with us 

 in great numbers one winter, and the next somewhere else. 

 He is so amusing and his talents so varied that he needs a whole 

 chapter to do him justice. Crows are everywhere, and I am 



convinced that they find the larvae of the rosebug. When the 

 ground is not frozen they are often digging for something in 

 the vineyards, but they are so shy that I cannot get near 

 enough with a glass to determine exactly what they unearth. 



The downy woodpecker is one of our smallest species, but 

 he is nimble and strong. He is black and white, and tlie males 

 have a bright crimson spot on the back of the head. He is 

 abundant in winter, tapping the Pines and Oaks and fruit-trees 

 around the house ; no place escapes him where he thinks may 

 lurk a hidden insect. The active little winter wren and the 

 larger Carolina wren are both busy peering into crevices and 

 beneath piles of old lumber and wood and around the base of 

 trees, looking everywhere for hidden chrysalids and larvae. 

 Bluebirds and robins stay in the dense Cedar-swamps during 

 severe cold, but are with us in mild weather. The silent 

 beautiful cedar birds visit us in flocks, soon stripping a Cedar- 

 tree of its berries, and then away as noiselessly as they came. 



vineiand, N.J. Mary Treat. 



Since the above was written, the bluebirds and robins, as if 

 to disapprove my statement that they remained in the Cedar- 

 swamps durmg the coldest weather, have come around the 

 house in considerable numbers. Perhaps it is because they 

 find it so much colder in the Cedars than they have done in 

 former winters. The robins feed on the Cedar-berries, and 

 the bluebirds are eating the fruit of the Japan Honeysuckle 

 which climbs about the piazza. Very handsome both of them 

 look against the sun, for their color is now at its best, and 

 much more brilliant than it is in summer. 



New or Little-known Plants. 



Nymphgea gigantea. 



THIS Water-lily is a native of tropical Australia, and is 

 a plant of great beauty both in flovi^er and leaf. The 

 leaves on well-developed plants are large, peltate, dentate 

 and light green above. On the under side they are strongly 

 ribbed and of a vinous-purple color. The flowers, as 

 shown in the illustration on page 41, from a photograph of 

 a well-grown specimen, are large and well formed. The 

 picture, however, fails to show the color and satiny texture 

 of the petals, which, it will be noticed, are more blunt than 

 those of N. stellata, of which the variety Zanzibarensis is 

 the most familiar in gardens. The petals are M'hite at the 

 base, shading to a pure light blue at the ends. A large 

 cluster of deep yellow stamens is in beautiful contrast. 

 Altogether, in distinctness, purity of color and texture 

 of petals, this may be considered the handsomest of 

 the blue Nymphaeas ; it is, besides, one of the most per- 

 sistent in flower, and is seldom without blooms while in 

 active growth. 



Like other tropical Water-lilies, it is grown successfully 

 here in a number of gardens, but, though introduced many 

 years ago, is comparatively rare, as not every one suc- 

 ceeds in its management. The main secret of success 

 seems to be in keeping it moving, from the time it first 

 breaks from the tubers. In a young state the slightest 

 check will cause it to become again dormant. After it is 

 well started and growing strongly, it may be transferred to 

 quarters outside, where, once in flower, a succession can 

 be depended on for the entire season. A sandy, rich 

 loam seems to be its requirements as to soil. Like all 

 tropical Nympha;as, this requires a fairly high temperature, 

 and while our summers are usually warm enough to grow 

 them successfully in the open, it is agreed that for the best 

 results tanks with available heat are desirable. This species 

 should not be confused with a white variety introduced 

 lately as Nymphoea odorata, var. gigantea. 



For the excellent photograph from which our illustration 

 was made, we are indebted to W. W. Lee, Esq., Northamp- 

 ton, Massachusetts. The photograph of Mr. Lee's water- 

 garden, a tank some forty-two feet in diameter, which 

 accompanied this shows a wonderful collection of varieties, 

 with Victoria regia in prominence, apparently growing in 

 the great vigor required to produce the specimens as illus- 

 trated. The illustration has been reduced about one-third 

 from the original photograph, in which the flower of natural 

 size appeared rather more than ten inches in diameter.' 



