THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND N ATI I: ILIST. 



71 



appeals to us tliat there is an overstretch of 

 history i" the matter which is veiled in ob- 

 scurity and we are anxious to see the quotations. 

 The tadpole form of frog is hy no means 

 rare in the vicinity of western lakes. The 

 development of young frogs depends on the 

 amount of warmth they receive during their 

 early aquatic stages. The eggs or spawn are 

 deposited in shallow semi-stagnant water, and 

 the heat from the sun produces the tadpole. — C. 



A TRIP TO RIGAUD. 



On the 19th of last June a friend and my- 

 self anxious to avoid the heat of the city, left 

 to enjoy a couple of days in the neighboring 

 forests near Rigaud, a village situated on 

 Riviere a. la Graisse, said to be forty-five 

 miles from Montreal. We obtained a boat 

 and entered that river at its mouth, where 

 it Hows into the Ottawa river. In this vicinity 

 we noticed kildeer plover ( Aegialitix voci- 

 ferus) in a ploughed field. The occurrence 

 of these birds at this date indicates that the 

 locality may be a breeding-ground ; we, 

 however, discovered no nests of the species. 

 By crossing the Ottawa, we landed on Jones' 

 Island, a part of which is cleared, forming a 

 good farm. Passing through a patch of ferns, 

 a woodcock was flushed, but we could not find 

 its nest. A few days afterwards I met Mr. 

 Jones, who informed me that he saw young 

 woodcock, and he also said that about the 10th 

 of May, a black duck's nest was found on the 

 Island. The eggs of this duck {Anas obscura,) 

 were taken away and placed under a domestic 

 hen, and they were hatched in due time, but 

 the ducklings followed their wild nature, took 

 to the water, and never to his knowledge 

 returned to their foster mother. We enjoyed the 

 scenery, and the exercise gave us vigour, but 

 there was one annoyance to mar our pleasure ; 

 mosquitoes swarmed upon us, and we were 

 obliged to leave the island sooner than we an- 

 ticipated. — Woodcock. 



Montreal, 27th August, 1881 . 



OUR FOREST TREES. 

 (concluded.) 



Choke Cherry ; P. Virginiana. — A tall 

 shrub or small tree. The wood is of no value, 

 but the tree is very pretty when in flower and 

 fruit. 



Honey Locust; Glediiischia. — This tree 

 has been introduced from farther south, where 



it often reaches a great rfze. I I ap- 



pearance and long, sweef j - »• J - make it an ii 

 eating tree. The wood i- very hard, but i- much 

 worked by wormsi and it is difficult 

 specimens <> r much Bize. 



Bed Maple ; Acer rubruim. — Thii al-<» 

 called the swampor Bofl maple, and 

 of middling size, growing abundantly in Ion 

 grounds. The bright red Sowers in spring, and 

 the brilliant leaves in autumn, make the name 

 Red Maple highly appropriate. It i- not un- 

 common to see a single tree in a copet 

 maples, turning to a crimson or scarlet, as 

 early as August, while all the surrounding 

 trees remain green. This is believed t.. be 

 a proof that the frost has very little to do with 

 the autumn colors. The wood is whitish com- 

 pact and firm, is well suited for turning, and 

 takes a fine polish. It is much used lur com- 

 mon bedsteads, and other cheap furniture. It 

 is however not strong, and whin exposed to 

 dampness speedily decays. Authorities differ 

 widely about the maples. Mr. Emerson as- 

 serts that the curled maple is a variety of tin- 

 red, and the bird's eye, a variety of tin - 

 maple. 



White, or Silver Maple ; .1. dasycarpttm. 

 This rapid growing and handsome shade 

 is abundant in western New England, but not 

 common eastward unless planted by man. It 

 reaches a good height, and forms a fine spread- 

 ing top. The roots arc believed t>> impoverish 

 the soil around them by their long rami- 

 fication. As intimated above, the wood is said 

 by some authorities to be of little value, while 

 others place it at the head of the maples, h- 

 sap contains some sugar,but far less abundantly 

 than the sugar maple. 



Rock, or Sugar Maple ; A.saccharimtm - 

 This noble and valuable tree often grows t" 

 a height of eighty teet, and when in early foliage 

 and flowers,can scarcely be surpassed in beauty. 

 South of New England it is more prized a- a 

 shade tree, though its slow growth detracts 

 somewhat from its general merits. Thewood 

 is much used in cabinet work, being capable of 

 a very tine polish. Hut it is as a source of 

 sugar supply that this tree claims its highest 

 value. There is good evidence that from :!."> to 

 40 pounds of sugar have been made in one 

 season from a singletree, and that a barrel of 

 sap has been taken from one trunk in 24 hours. 

 These are extreme cases. The average is from 

 12 to 30 gallons of sap oro to eight pounds of 

 sugar from a tree in one season. This industry 

 is one of the chief sources o\' income to New 

 England farmers. 



