FOREST AND STREAM. 



a wider range in America, even in the United States, than 

 was at first supposed, and we are constantly receiving from 

 our correspondents confirmations of the accuracy of this 

 opinion. 



Says the Fidel — 



"The lmhitnl. of Black'- nrayliug is, wa arc told, in the 

 ilacKenzie River . . . WE are further told fch&l it is 

 never found south of the 62d parallel of latitude; and that 

 we take to be a rather rash statement. MacTCr-nzie River is 

 a very large aud wide river, and so far as we cau roughly 

 estimate it, from its earliest source or tributary to its 

 mouth, runs through some 1,200 to 1,300 miles, and is the 

 outflow of Great Bear Lake, Great Slave Lake, Athabasca. 

 . NOW, if we note the ramifications of the Mae- 

 Keuzie Rivet's headwaters, we shall find that they very 

 closely approach in many places some of the affluents of 

 the Winnipeg, which again communicate by other streams 

 and chains of lakes with Lake Superior, and so to Michigan 

 and Huron." 



Professor Agassiz, to whom one of the first of the Michi- 

 gan grayling- was sent on February, 1803, writes: — 



"Thus far this species has only been seen by one Amer- 

 ican naturalist, Prof. Cope, of "Philadelphia.' ... It 

 is a species of grayling. Before Prof. Cope's discovery— 

 this genus of Ash. wa- only known on the American con- 

 linen! from the Arctic regions, about MacKenzie "River, 

 where it had been discovered by Sir John Franklin, <fec." 

 I See Hallock's Fishing Tourist, p. 200.) 



The argument deduced by our learned contemporary in 

 regard to the increased range to be given the American 

 grayling, wants no further confirmation than that, found in 

 our columns. In Montana, Vermont and Canada, as may 

 have been noticed by our readers, grayling have been found. 

 We are even inclined to believe, from a very careful des- 

 cription given us of a fish by a thorough icthyologist, that 

 grayling have been caught in the northern section of our 

 own Slate. 



As to the slender appearance of the fish in our engraving, 

 we do not think it exceptional, though some may be more 

 bulky in form. We have had a private letter from Mr. 

 Mather assuring us of the faithfulness of our engraving. 

 The high dorsal flu, flaunting like a hcrsc's mane, 

 we know was purposely distended by the artist in order 

 to give it its exact size. When swimming, as Mr. Mather 

 informs us, the grayling allows its dorsal fin to wave 

 somewhat on one side. In our collection we have 

 some specimens of these dorsal tins. The largest, taken 

 from the average run of fish, measures one inch and 

 five-eighths in height. We trust before long to be able 

 to add still further information in regard to the habitat of 

 the grayling, believing that the range of the fish will be 

 found quite as -wide as that of the other smaller species of 

 the salmouidte, and that the judgment of the Loudon Meld 

 in this respect will be fully substantiated. 



New Yoek, August 7th, 187-1. 

 Editor Fokest and Stream :— 



I baud you herewith a specimen of a fish taken by me 

 July 10th 'from the Jacrpres Cartier River while fishing for 

 trout in the rapids. It was oue of a dozen caught, for they 

 rose voraciously to the fly, and in fact were a source of 

 great annoyance, for no soouer did the fly touch the water, 

 than one of these little fellows, often not more than five 

 inches long, would dart at it, and persistently follow it up 

 to the very edge of the canoe, in its vain endeavors to 

 swallow what was almost the size ot its own body. 



I should have at once proclaimed them to be smolt, did 

 not my intimate knowledge of the river preclude the possi- 

 bility of salmon ascendiug above Sullivan's Falls, some ten 

 mile's below where these fish were caught. The fall is 

 some thirty feet high, and at the top there is a dam some 

 eleven feet in height. Sis years ago, I took these fish in 

 just about the same locality. The natives call them " rapid 

 trout," as they are only' caught in swift running water. 

 They seldom exceed ten inches in length. 



Mr, Boswell, of Quebec, the lessee of the river, had sev- 

 eral of these fish sent him some years past for the purpose 

 ot having them classified, but we have never heard from 

 them since. Now, Mr. Editor, if you can throw any light 

 upon this matter vou will greatly oblige your correspondent 

 aud many others." G. M. Faihchild, Jr. 



We should pronounce the specimen before us a smolt, or 

 young salmon of second year's growth. We have seen 

 hundreds of them, and caught them precisely as our cor- 

 respondent describes, while fishing for trout, and cannot 

 see. wherein this differs. Perhaps some of our Quebec 

 readers can inform us if salmon have not been planted in 

 the Jacques Cartier river, above Sullivan's Falls. We can 

 account for their presence in no other way .— Et>. F. & S. 



No. 170 W. Biddle Street, Baltlmoke, / 

 August 8th, 1874. \ 



Editor Forest and Stream: — 



Dear Sir— The last number of your paper contains a 

 letter from H. DeNehcosnova, with regard to a bird he saw 

 beiug fed by a much smaller one, and asking what birds 

 they Were-. 

 The lMger bird was a young cow-pen bird (Molothrw 

 ml its foster mother was probably a Maryland 

 yellow throat [G,.vihli/pis trkiia*.) 



' Audubon, in his birds of America, gives a full and very 

 iutercstin"- account of the bird and its habits. 



G. II. M. 

 " Fred Beverly " says the bird is a cow-bunting, and so 

 does R. S. N., a prominent naturalist of Salem, and several 

 others, who refer the writer to "Samuel's Birds of New 

 England," ami "Wilson's Ornithology" for full informa 

 lion.— Ed.] 



NEW Haves, Conn , July 30lh, I8M. 

 Kditoh FobebI i5B Stream:— 



Itiad to-day an opportunity or observing a queer course if instinct in 

 HU ,.:-[■, -i A large black and red hornet .?':<■„. ,;>.■■ ,,,.,. ;,... . 1 think, had 

 secured a locaet t tofl to pi ninety}, winch was nearly twice n- own size, 

 and wua trying to carry it to its nest, but the locust beaut; too heavy to 

 entry directly its instinct came to the rescue. It would grasp the loi isl 

 ground the body with the two lust leys of its body, then, with the use of 

 hi legs and wings, it would climb up the trunk of tree, post, ot 

 uthgt object, and Itaviiig roach. ■' eio. would suddenly fly 



oil. forcing itself and load ii 

 Hon. and in that way 

 reached the ground it %vonld 

 operation, stopping every in 

 a remarkable 



ildtal 



• direction towards its de&tina- 

 2ral yards each time. Having 

 ' to the next tree and repeat, the 

 o take o short rest. Is this not 



inct'? 



Anvi 



CENTRAL PARK MENAGERIE. 



DEPAET3IEST OT PUBLIC PARKS, I 



New Yokk. Aug. 9, 1871. f 

 Animals received at Central Park Jteuagerte for the week ending 

 Lugttst -'H.1874: 

 !'•:.• 3a 1,-- :, T • .'..',,, \>„trl,"i>.u , 

 One Gnu. Oi/nl'ip'i' iji"i. Hub. Africa. 

 Oue Polar Bear. /" -•-■ m <ntimu*. Hob. Polar regions. 

 Twofi ■.-./-■■' ■ ■.".'-';■.,/ H<h. jfortli Atlantic. 

 One iiiuu' Vulture, Gj/parr/w' jiaprt. Huh. South iVtnerka. 

 Sixteen Cockatoo?. 

 Two Monkeys. W. A, Cosklix. 



ffoodlxnd, ^atvn and <§<irden, 



CARNATIONS AND THEIR CULTURE. 



"The fttltivation of the carnation ever new— always Yielding it* varied 

 blossoms.— Old MSS. 



"They may read, and read. 

 And read aa-ain. and sti'.l find something new. 

 Something to please, and something to instruct." 



BY the early carnation pink culturists, and old Scotch 

 growers "of this beautiful flower, the carnation was 

 set in three distinct classes. This, for convenience, was 

 found to he one of the best arrangements that could have 

 been made This old floral classification has always been 

 retained. They were then called, as they are known to- 

 day, by the Dames of the bizarres, flakes, and self-colored. 

 The bizarres are those having two or more colors, in addi- 

 tion to the white or ground color — these colors always run 

 in distinct stripes through the petals of the flower. The 

 flakes, as the second class are designated, have but oue 

 color only, besides the white, running the same way. The 

 third class, or self, are those having"one color only. The 

 colors of the bizarres are crimson, purple, and scarlet; the 

 flakes have purple, scarlet, and rose color, and tile selfs 

 run mostly to piuk, purple, and crimson. Then we have 

 that other beautiful variety called the pieotec carnation, 

 which differs from the above very materially in its mark- 

 ings. The flowers of this variety consist in edgings of 

 of one or more colors running round the edges only of 

 their petals, the remainder of which being of one color, 

 either white or yellow. These were the old standard col- 

 ors in 1860, and "for several years were considered, as they 

 are to-day, the finest flowers' Of late years some few good 

 varieties have been added to these, besides many other 

 varieties have been grown, both in Europe and America, 

 unworthy of the notice or attention of the cultivators of 

 good flowers. One reason which should be sufficient to 

 deter the growers of this beautiful species of the pink from 

 ever encouraging what we term a "fraud" is that these 

 new varieties, nine times out of ten, are complete failures- 

 mere floral abortions, without compactness or symmetry. 

 The first grand requisite to a fine carnation will always be 

 found wanting in the "new varieties," viz., a pure snow 

 white ground. The well grown carnation flower should 

 never be less than three inches ill diameter. I have, seen 

 them four inches in diameter, and such flowers will amply 

 repay any one for the extra pains bestowed upon them in 

 careful cultivation. The centre or crown of the flower 

 should be prominent, and well filled with petals. The 

 ground color pure, clear, and free from all spots, and the 

 edges of the petals smooth, without notches. If you would 

 have first class flowers grow them in pots, the soil to be 

 two parts of good loam" to one part of road sand or grit, 

 and two parts of old stable manure. 



As all lovers of this plant will be quite likely to wish to 

 know how to grow aud blossom their own plants, instead 

 of buying of the florists, a few plain directions will enable 

 any one to have as line flowers of their own raising as cau 

 be obtained anywhere else. To have your plants bloom 

 well you will about the 1st of April place them in the pots 

 in winch they are to bloom; these are to be eight or ten 

 inches in diameter, aud in each pot you can place four 

 good strong plants, having first enlarged the hole in the 

 bottom to four times tbe usual size. Now place two or 

 three pieces of broken potsherd over the hole, and upon 

 these a little coarse compost from the heap; then ftllup 

 with the compost as first directed. Now your potior the 

 reception of these four small plants being half full of 

 earth, you are ready to finish it up by pressing it down 

 moderately with the hand to prevent too muck settlement 

 of earth after your plains are inserted. Take your young 

 plants carefully from the small pots without breaking or 

 disturbing the bulk of roots, aud so place them in the large 

 pots that the lowest leaves shall be about one half an iuch 

 below tbe edge of the pot. Now very carefully fill the 

 residue of the pot with your compost, give it a gentle 

 shake, and your work is done.' 



If you have a garden frame or cool place, you can now 

 water them gently and place them in free air until the mid- 

 dle of May, when, the pots may be placed out of doors if 

 the weather is not too cold; yet you must be careful not to 

 give them too much sun or heat at first, as this would be 

 fatal to them. A partially shaded place is better than full 

 sunshine, the morning being always desirable. Two hours 

 of the morning aud evening sunshine are to be sought— 

 themid-day or meridian's rays always to be avoided. 



These pots will bloom good flowers, aud here remember 

 to give Some protection to the sides of the pots, but be sure 

 nevei to sink them into the ground. Ton will now stake 

 your carnations with round neat sticks, and Lie up neatly 

 with bass malting. An experiment I have frequent I] trieo 

 with pleasure to myself is the following, which I note for 

 the benefit of such a few choice carnations, and u little 

 leisure to give to them. Have- a small awning made of 

 muslin, or canvass, placed on supports over your plains as 

 they conic into bloom, and if you try it once you will al- 

 ways use it in the future. 



The carnation, it is well known, is propagated from the 

 seed, and by this means some of our finest varieties are oh- 

 taiued. I have often obtained from seed two very fine 

 plants, but the means usually employed to preserve fine 

 varieties arc. by "layering*," "cuttings," and "pipings." 

 This is the only truly reliable method of preservation of 

 choice varieties, for from the same seeds of a flower I lmve 

 had every variety above named, some six different varieties. 

 Cuttings or pipings maybe cut aud rooted at any time of 

 the yew, hence ;m article upon the carnation is always iu 



season, and, like their beautiful flower, is welcomed at all 

 times. The manner of growing them the easiest is as fol- 

 lowst — Select the cuttings. you desire to propagate from 

 the parent plant, and eut it through with a sharp knife just 

 below the third pair of leaves from the top of the cutting; 

 this done, cut oil half the length of every leaf on the CUt- 

 tihg except the two lower ones, which are to be removed 

 altogether. Now, you will till quite a small pot with one 

 half soil and one half sand; make it smooth, and insert 

 your cutting in the centre from oue to oueanda half inches 

 id. depth. Water well, place a hard glass or tumbler over 

 it, and set it aside. This glass will gather moisture, and 

 should be removed every day and wiped dry, and again re- 

 placed. You can by this means stake your cuttiugs in a 

 room of your house with as much ease, aud with as much 

 certainty of their living, as within a greenhouse. Cuttings 

 ed may be "readily rooted in a window or iu a 

 room, from May to October, without failuie. I find a very 

 good way to start cuttiugs to be iu a raisin box of sand 

 filling the same with the cuttings half an iuch apart, and 

 keeping them well watered. 



Layering is not so certain, and requires more care than 

 method, nevertheless it is well to know how you 

 are to do it. With a sharp knife you will remove the leaves 

 From tie- second or third joint of tbe plant, without sepa- 

 ratum the same front the parent stock; having done this, 

 carefully cut a slit close under and half through tbe joint, 

 being very careful not to separate the shoot from the main 

 stem. Have ready your small pot sunk iu tbe ground, in 

 the soil which you cover your layer with. You will now 

 peg the layer clown with a small twig hook, and j-our work 

 is done. Shade these from the sun while rooting, aud when 

 rooted sever from the parent plant, and you have an inde- 

 pendent plant, thrifty and reliable. Very many little ac- 

 quisitions and accessories for the exhibition and beautify- 

 ing of the carnation are frequently noted, but as they are 

 the creations of fancy, and have no real value, we' pass 

 kuein oi a-, as any one of our friends, if they have sufficient 

 Confidence to follow our written experience in carnation 

 culture, can go and do likewise, and we can give them full 

 assurance, that their labors will yield them a rich and plea- 

 sant reward. Ollifod Quill. 

 ♦»♦ 



Tile Snow Plant of the Sikkhas. — One of the grand- 

 est objects; says the San Fraucisco Bulletin, which meets 

 the eye of the traveller in our mountains is the exquisite 

 plant, the snow plant of the Sierras — the Barcodes sanguined 

 of John Torrcy, the botanist. It is an inhabitant only of 

 the high Sierras, being rarely found below an altitude of 

 4,000 feet, and its glorious crimson spike of flowers may 

 be ^-t:n early in May forcing itself through the snows 

 which at that period cling about the sides of our pine for- 

 ests. The portion of the plant which is visible above tbe 

 soil is a bright rosy crimson in color, aud presents the very 

 strongest contrast to the dark green of pines aud shimmer 

 of the snow.. Its root is succulent, thick, and, abundantly 

 free of moisture, attaching itself to the roots of other 

 plants, principally to the species of the pine family. Hence 

 it is among these curious members of the vegetable world 

 which are known to the botanists as parasites, and is con- 

 sequently entirely incapable of cultivation. The deer are 

 extremely fond of it, and it is not an uncommon circum- 

 stance to find a number of these plants uprooted aud robbed 

 of a portion of their underground growth by these ani- 

 mals. It belongs to the natural order OrbdWlhacea, and 

 is met with through the whole of the Sierra region, becom- 

 ing rarer as we approach the south. - 



gen mid giver <#*%#. 



FISH IN SEASON IN AUGUST. 



Salmon. Sahnu Stilur. Salmon nam. v ■'».■■ , o: H,:i*. 



Troii i. Sahii" 1'onliiiaJis. ilichieaiieioo liua\ J':'/i/i(i!iitstricotpr 



Laud-locked Salmon. s,ji,i- o ,>!<..■■. n wh-ioiihi ■/.« nigricans. 



Black Bass, u., "">'. ; <•> -;,oi«-i:/. < Scairom. .sv,'„,,, hiiiiiaculalut. 



Striped U:i-s. /.'•.••_••_•■■.■- Iiucalns. Weakfish. 



BInaflah, temnocton toBator. _ 



—The bays and sounds from Nantucket to Atlantic City 

 have suffered t he past week from a dearth of fish. At Bar- 

 ncgal a few sheepshcad, weakfish, aud bluefish were taken 

 on odd days,- but other days brought most meagre returns. 

 If one kind of fishing was more remunerative than an- 

 other, it was the sheepshcad. The market fishermen aver- 

 aged, say a dozen apiece j/tr t/imi. aud one sportsmen friend 

 ,^\' ours took thirteen, the largest weighing ten pounds. 

 One of lite Hidgways, fishing in his sneak-box, took two 

 ten-pound sheepshcad at once. In Canarsie Bay there is 

 \w fishing to speak of; a few small bluefish outside the bar. 

 The same on the Atlantic side of Long Island, with occa- 

 sional intervals or spurts of good luck. In the Souml the 

 irawls of the Fishery Commission, drawn a half dozen 

 limes daily, are almost barren of food fish. About Nnn- 

 tuckct, however, the bluefish abound, and so also in Mas- 

 sachusetts Hay. Striped bass arc caught in the vicinity of 

 Newport in considerable numbers, and sell iu market at 

 twenty cents for small and fifteen cents per pound for 

 large. We saw some large fellows on the slabs that 

 weighed sixty pounds. Bluefish are abundant, chiefly from 

 llyannis, Massachusetts, aud are quoted at six cents. Pom- 

 pano slill in market, from North Carolina, at sixty cents. 

 One line specimen weighing three and a half pouuds. Span- 

 ish ntiickerel, trotn South Side of Long Island, selling at 

 twenty cents. Sheepshcad In moderate supply, from New 

 Jersey, at twenty-five cents. Salmon vefy scarce, from 

 Mirtiiiu.hi, New Brtinswick, at forty cents. Weakfish, 

 toon lame Island and New Jersey, plenty at six cents, 

 l-'.esli liiaekerel, from Boston, at twelve to fifteen cents, 

 Halibut plentiful, from Georges, at fifteen to twenty cents. 



af| i i. are very scarce, ami sell at $1 ,30 to |S8 per 

 dozen. Brook trout, wild, from Canada, are sold at fifty 

 cents. Frog legs, from Canada, scarce; sold at sixty cents. 

 Green turtles from Cedar Keys, very plenty, at fifteen to 

 eighteen cent-. 



— CutCbiug niacl-.ci.'l "lib hook and line on the New 



England shore is fast becoming obsolete. A fleet of 1BQ 

 i tlv '•' ■■! ' *re, l«s f week, were all seiners. 



