FOREST AND STREAM 



281 



(who wrote the article now quoted just eighteen years ago), 

 Its accidental discovery was like meeting an old friend long 

 supposed dead. It revived many pleasant reminiscences of a 

 1 mg voyage among the rocks and icehergs, the seals, codfish 

 and salmon of the dreary Labrador coast. The habits of the 

 capelin are well known to the fishermen of that region. Iu 

 May they arrive in immense quantities to spawn, coming an 

 going with each tide to oast their ova or milt upon those 

 ■hores or flats of the bays and inlets which are either sandy 

 or muddy. There is one stream called "Freshwater," 

 ■Which empties into the Invuktuck Inlet or Great Esquimaux 

 Bay, which is an especially favorite resort for them, the whole 

 bottom of the stream being sandy. This stream is on the 

 main-land, of course ; but the belt of rocky islands (some 

 twelve miles wide), which girts almost the entire length of 

 coast, is filled with capelin swarming from May until late in 

 July. The codflshing season extends from about the first of 

 .Tune until the middle or end of August. Codfish generally 

 follow the capelin. Capelin constitute a principal part of the 

 food of the few fishermen who winter in Labrador, being 

 cured by spreading them out on the rocks in the hot sun of 

 July. They are eaten greedily, cooked or uncooked. A very 

 accurate drawing of this pretty fish accompanies the article 

 in Stamper's Magazine referred to by Mr. Buekland. The 

 seines used by the fishermen are 100 feet or more in length, 

 and they are often hauled in full of capelins. 



New Scientific Publications.— It affords us pleasure to 

 extend to the American Quarterly Microscopical Journal, the 

 first number of which appeared last month, a welcoming baud. 

 American students and workers in this department of scientific 

 investigation have long felt the need of some periodical in 

 which they could publish their new facts, or discuss those 

 already announced j but up to this time, if we except the Lens, 

 which for a short time flourished in Chicago, but soon died, 

 no medium has ever existed in this country through which 

 microscopists could express their views. So true is this, that 

 many of our ablest, investigators have been obliged to send their 

 papers abroad. The Journal is edited by Mr. Romyn Hitch- 

 cock, whose qualifications for this office are well known, and 

 among the contributors are Professors H. 8. Smith, Seaman 

 and Lighton, Dr. Beffield, J. D. Hyatt, F. B. Hine and 

 Percival Wright. The appearance of the periodical is attrac- 

 tive, and this number is illustrated by some beautiful plates. 



We hope most Bincerely that this venture may be a success- 

 ful one, and that the Journal may live and prosper for many 

 years. 



A number of papers of very great interest to entomologists 

 have recently been issued by Mr. J. A. Lintner.whohas drawn 

 his material largely from the State Cabinet at Albany. The 

 papers to which we have reference arc printed in advance of 

 the regular reports, and, beside their great value to the student, 

 they ace important as giving a great deal of information in re- 

 gard to certain insects, which, in one stage or another, cause 

 great injury to the agriculturist by feeding on the foliage of 

 various trees and other plants which he desires to protect. 



The first and second of these papers, appendix D and E of 

 the Twenty-third New York Annual Report, and an extract 

 from the Twenty-sixth Annual Report, deal chiefly with the 

 Lepidoptera, and, besides being replete with interesting facts, 

 contain the descriptions ol a number of new species. The 

 former is illustrated by two admirably executed plates. 



The fourth paper from the Thirtieth Annual Report is not 

 less interesting than the others, though more miscellaneous in 

 character.for it contains notes on, and descriptions of , Entozoa, 

 Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, etc. We have read these articles with 

 much pleasure, and shall hope to receive from Prof. Lintner 

 a continuation of the series when published. 



Natural history matters have recently assumed a very con- 

 siderable activity in Cincinnati, and we are gratified at learn- 

 ing that the Natural History Society of that city is at last 

 located in its own building, and has "a sufficient annual in- 

 come to enable it to do earnest work in promoting the objects 

 for which it was established." One of the results of the 

 present happy state of things is the publication of the Journal 

 of the Cincinnati Society of Natural History, of which Nos. 1 

 and 2 are now before us. A portion of No. 1 is taken up with 

 a list of officers, a history of the society, and a catalogue of the 

 Lepidoptera observed in the vicinty of Cincinnati, after which 

 we come to an interesting paper entitled "Notes on 

 Paleontology" by Messrs. S. A. Miller and C. B. Dyer, in 

 which a number of new fossils are described ; this is followed 

 by an article on " The Tongue (Lingua) of some Hymenoptera, 

 and both contributions contain a great deal which is new and 

 interesting. 



No. 2 contains a number of papers, most of them geological 

 or paleontological, the latter describing a great number of new 

 species of fossils. We all know that the paleontologists of 

 Cincinnati are very favorably bituated for obtaining good 

 things from the Lower Silurian, and no doubt they exercise 

 due care in making new species and genera, and are conserva- 

 tive, although among young naturalists the tendency is apt to 

 be in the other direction. 



We shall always welcome the appearance of this Journal 

 and hope for continued prosperity to the society by which it is 

 issued- The Journal can be obtained by applying to J. W. 

 Hall, Jr., 108 Broadway, Cincinnati, O. 



We have just received a paper on the Molluscs, Dredged and 

 Collected by T. A Verkruzen in 1876, in the neighborhood of 

 St. John's, Newfoundland. It consists of a catalogue of the 

 speciee, with remarks on them and brief descriptions of 

 miml n«w varieties. 



The Basses. — Mr. Editor: In your columns under the 

 head of " Natural History," of October 24, you say : 



v MrcROpnratra SALMOrDPS ash M.Ukjrioaks— Under tho revised no- 

 menclature of Gill and Jordan, the big mouth, o.wego, or grass oas-a 

 aa li is variously called, will be Known us jr. fnlliuus instead ot jr. n<- 

 m-fcaw as heretofore. A.8 ihe Irue black baa.-, known ,.- 

 is really ihodarkes: in co or, wo are pleased with me ehanj>e which 

 marts tue distinction between it and its cousin pallidas, or pale. 



This new name of pallidus is eminently just and proper, 

 but bow is it with regard to its identity with the grass bass ? 

 Either you are wrong, or our Fish Commissioners are, in sup- 

 posing they are introducing that variety, Pomoxis annularis, 

 from ibe Licking reservoir in Ohio. These fish are in shape 

 more like the pumpkin seed or suntish, and attain the weight 

 of about a pound or over. The name of SatmMdet ought in 

 some way to be stamped out, as it is no way connected with 

 the salmo famuy ; nor does it hear the slightest resemblance 

 to any of the tribe, except perhaps it, may be thought so about 

 the head and mouth. A. F. Ci.APr. 



Sunbury, Perm , Nob. 4, 1878. 



The grass bass is M. pallidus. Tlio P. annularis is quite 

 another fish, known as the croppie, new light, etc. The 

 croppie is sometimes called grass bass ; but fishes us well as 

 roses are known by different local names. See Hallock's 

 Sportsman's Gazetteer for synonyms ; also Jordan's Manual 

 of Vertebrates.— En. P. & S. 



A Urinous Relic— London, Ky., Oct. 19.— Editor Forest 

 and Stream : In October, 1873 or 74, while hunting on 

 Craig's Creek, in Laurel County, Ky., about seven or eight 

 miles from Rockcastle Springs, with Isaac Storm and W. M. 

 G. Hale, Esq., we killed a very large fat doe, in the left 

 shoulder of which was found the inclosed flint, by Mr. Hale's 

 wife find daughter, while preparing the venison for cooking. 

 I see so many accounts of such things in the Fokkbt and 

 Stream that I requested Mr. Hale to let me send the flint, 

 which was carefully saved, to you. As there arc no Indians 

 within several hundred miles, and nearly a hundred years have 

 elapsed since they were here, the question is how, where and 

 when did it get there ? This is no humbug, but will be sworn 

 to by Mr. Hale's whole family, who are reliable people, if 

 necessary. J. T. Brown. 



[We regret that the data furnished by our correspondent are 

 not sufficiently detailed to enable us to form even a conjecture 

 as to whence the flint came. The case is a most interesting 

 one, for the specimen is a genuine Indian arrow head, and its 

 presence in the deer's shoulder seems to indicate an incredibly 

 great age for the animal which bore it.l 



A Whitb Buck.— Bedford, 0., Oct. 27. -Newton Waite, of 

 this village, is hunting iu the woods of Michigan. He writes 

 me that on the. 15th ult. he shot a large albino buck, weighing 

 over 200 pounds, with five-pronged antlers. He says he was 

 white as snow, except • few gray spots on the back of his 

 neck, also a few on his shoulders and hips. His head and 

 neck will be preserved and set up. T. Garliok. 



An Albino, or What?— Editor Forest and Stream: In- 

 closed is a sketch of the head of a hybrid killed near Dunn- 

 ville, Canada, by a friend of mine who furnishes the follow- 

 ing description, and for whom I would bespeak a genealogical 

 history: It measures 20.50 inches in length; tarsus, 1.50 

 long. Its general color light buff, the forehead speckled with 

 buff and cinnamon-colored features. The iris is buff ; the 

 wings are darker, the primaries being a dark cinnamon, the 

 rest of the wing somewhat lighter, The coverts on the back 

 almost white. Tail short and very light, almost white. The 

 breast and belly darker than the hack. The bill cinnamon- 

 colored, with the nails black ; the bill is peculiar in that from 

 the point to the crown of the head is almost a straight line. 

 The flesh was very white and tender. Such, Mr. Editor, are 

 the peculiar points of a very interesting specimen, and I 

 trust that I shall soon know its history. C. B. 



New York, Nov, 1. 



|We regret to say that we cannot give our correspondent 

 the information which he seeks. The sketch inclosed re- 

 sembles quite closely the head of the canvas back duck, but 

 if the flesh was white it could hardly have been that bird. 

 We should imagine the bird to be a partial albino— but of 

 what species ? Was the specimen preserved ?— Ed. ] 



Solitude Island.— A new field of study has been opened to 

 ornithologists by the discovery of a new island far beyond 

 Nova Zembla — Eensomheden (or Solitude). It is in 77 deg. 

 35 min. north and 86 deg. east, and about 15 miles long. The 

 vegetation is poor, but there exists a rich fauna of birds. 



Animals Keceivkd at Cenibal Park Menaskrie for Week Ending 

 Nov. 2, 1878.— Two cocoauut BqulrrelB, or Tapul, Seiurius villains, Bab 

 Malay, presented by Mrs. Otto O. Muller ; one doe and lawn. Certms 

 eirginianus, llab. Mobile, bought at auction at the Cotton Exchange for 

 the yellow lever sufTenra by Mr ft, Seidenberg ; two opossums, M- 

 delphya virginiana, presented by Mr. LouiB Thebaud, N. Y. city ; one 

 nigtrt heron, A'vctiardea gardeni, presented by Mrs. Jordan, N. T. city ; 

 one gray squirrel, Seiurius virginianm, presented by Mr. P. B. Benja- 

 min, N.Y city; four Floiida tortoises, Teotudo polyphemm, presented by 

 Capt. E. E. Vain, St. Augustine ; one green turtle, Chelone viridis ; two 

 opossums, Dtdelphys mrginiana, presented by Dr. Edward 11. Dixon, 

 N. Y. eiry. W. A. Conkxin, Director. 



Cleveland, Ohio, Oct. 29, ISIS. 

 Dtttmmr Powdtr Co., So, 2 Covrlland.t siren, X. 1' ..- 



Gentlemen— Allow me, please, to tender to yon my unqualified praise 

 cl the DlWmar Powder ; Its being unsolicited on yoor part may increase 

 its valne. I have J ust returned Jrom a lew days' ducking, bringing with 

 i 104 ducks, most of whloh ware Killed with your powder. I tested 

 well as I Knew how the comparative merits ol yonr powder and the 

 black Palcon Docking, aide by side, both at target and live game, and 

 give the preference de*dedly, ror every reason, to the Dittmar. The 

 ducks I hit with the, Dittmar Jell, almost without exception, as If they 

 been struok by lightning. Not so with the black. With the latter 

 A frequent cases ol wing broken and crippled ducks. At the djs- 

 ards, with 4 drachms Dittmar and Mi oz. No. 6 shot, I put 

 53 pellets into the ltd ol a tobacco pail, and most of the 53 went elea* 

 thtoogU, Yours truly. A. P. Giarr.— Udn, 



JP* Mi ***& 



DISTEMPER. 



TVT O W is the season when breeders of do^s who have litters 

 -L ™ of young puppies must be on their guard against the 

 great scourge which seems fated to attack all and usually car- 

 ries off the best. In fact the puppy whelped in the fall is un- 

 fortunate in many respects. The severest weather comes 

 when he is most liable to disease, and with the faintest indi- 

 cation of an east wind, or indeed a change of weather of any 

 description, his warmth, dryness and general comfort should 

 be most carefully attended to. And then again the fall puppy 

 is unfortunate, inasmuch as he arrives at an age when he 

 should be taken to the field to receive his first instructions at a 

 period when there are no birds, unless indeed his owner is so 

 fortunate as to live near good snipe ground, which does not 

 fall to the lot of every one, so that he is perhaps a year old 

 before it is possible to show him birds. To be sure, in Eng- 

 land they are of the opinion that a dog should not be broken 

 until he is a year oid ; but we are strongly in favor of early 

 breaking, and a puppy whelped early in the spring should be 

 introduced to game during the succeeding open season. 



But to return to the distemper question. We published 

 last week a letter from a correspondent who affirmed that a 

 seton placed in the neck of a dog was a certain remedy for 

 distemper. Another correspondent slates, with equal posi- 

 tiveness, that sour milk is a sure agent for the removal of 

 worms. If these gentlemen should both be correct we have 

 indeed found the panaceas for which we have long been look- 

 ing, and each discoverer should be entitled to a monument. 

 Nothing could be more simple than either, and we trust that 

 some of our readers whose dogs are afflicted will test them 

 and give us the result. We shall certainly take the first op- 

 portunity of doing so ourselves. The seton is easily aDplied, 

 and is besides an excellent remedy for chorea or shaking 

 palsy, which so frequently follows distemper. In the case of 

 very young puppies, however, we should hesitate about ap- 

 plying the seton. We have hoen very successful when the 

 disease was taken in time with Dover's powders, containing 

 one grain each of ipecac and opium, the offect of which is to 

 promote a discharge of mucous from the lining membrane of 

 the bronchial tubes, thereby relieving inflammation and allay- 

 ing cough. A grain or two of powdered rhubarb may be 

 added to the above with advantage. 



Careful nursing and strict attention to dryness and warmth 

 are, however, the best remedies that can be applied. We 

 have heard many old breeders declare that a small piece of 

 garlic given to puppies once or twice a week will prevent dis- 

 temper, but we confess that we have but little faith in it. The 

 fact is, what may be a remedy or preventive in one place 

 may not be in another. There may be unknown or predis- 

 posing causes in or about one kennel, or one strain of dogs, 

 from which another may be quite free. One thing, however 

 seems almost certain, that the finer a dog is bred and the 

 more he is valued so does his chances of being carried off by 

 distemper increase. 



We mentioned a little while ago the necessity of guarding 

 against an caBt wind. The reason is obvious, as it brings 

 with it dampness and rain, and very little exposure may bring 

 on distemper, which will readily assume epidemic form and 

 go through all the unseasoned inmates of a kennel. In Sep- 

 tember, 1877, the writer had at one time two litters of setter 

 puppies, one red Irish from Eleho and Lill III., and one 

 black and tan from Mr. Marble's Grouse and Lou, and also 

 two litters of pointers, one sired by Sensation and one by 

 Snapshot. One litter was in a box stall, over which there 

 was a small window with an eastern exposure. During our 

 absence from home the man in charge of the dogs carelessly 

 left the window open one night at the commencement of a 

 severe easterly storm. In forty-eight hours the puppies in 

 the stall were down with distemper, and from them it 

 spread to the others, and in such a malignant form that nearly 

 all were carried off. 



In his latest work "Stonehenge" divides distemper into 

 five classes, as follows : 1st, Mild Distemper; 2d, Head Dis- 

 temper; 3d, Chest Distemper; 4th, Belly Distemper; 6tli, 

 Malignant Distemper. If the dog is attacked with Mdd Dis- 

 temper he will show first a general dullness, with a disincli- 

 nation to play, and a want of appetite. Soon there begins a 

 short cough and a disposition to sneeze. The cough and 

 sneezing are seldom heard while the dog is quiet, but when 

 he is brought out of his kennel into the air the coughing and 

 sneezing begin. The nose is generally warm and the bowels 

 disordered. In this stage it is easdy cured. 



Head Distemper commences in the same way, but on sepa- 

 rating the eyelids the whites will be found covered with blood 

 vessels loaded with dark blood. Sometimes a fit occurs at 

 the commencement of the attack, leaving a state of torpor 

 from which the dog can with difficulty be aroused. If the 

 brain is not relieved the tits occur at short intervals, and the 

 dog finally dies in a violent convulsion. 



CheBt Distemper appears lo be an extension downward 

 into the chest of the irritation which produces the cough, re- 

 sulting in bronchitis or pneumonia, or possibly pleurisy. 



Distemper of the Belly is the restut of mismanagement, 

 produced either hy the abuse of violent drugs or neglect of 

 attention to the secretions, particularly during an attack of 

 mild distemper. There is a constant diarrhcea, soon followed 

 by the passage of large quantities of blood, eHher black or 

 red, as it comes from the small intestines or lower bowels. 



