FOREST AND STREAM. 



181 



inn- for many years to tire same spot, though its character 

 was entirely changed. It UadJbean part of an extensive 



rabbit . warrtn, .and whs become the renin- of ftlargeand 

 flourishing plantation, It seems to mo, therefore, that 



among the causes nf migration the desire of returning to 

 old ViLiunis must be included. 



Thai all birds do not murrate in the same manner is 

 pretty plain. Some, as the swallows, conspicuously con- 

 gregate in vast flocks, and « lea shore* in. a large 

 company, while the majority Of our summer visitors slip 

 away almost unobserved, each apparently without concert 

 with others. 



It is also pretty nearly certain that the same species of 

 bird does not migrate in Ihe same manner at all limes. Mr. 

 St. John tells os.of the arrival of skylarks on the coast of 

 Ni.vwia-:- "They come flitting over in a constant strag- 

 gling stream, not in compact flocks." Yet it is notorious 

 that a little later these same birds collect iu enormous 

 (locks, which prosecute their voyage in company. As tend- 

 ing to Ihe same conclusion, I need hardly do more than 

 refer to the excellent observations of Mr. Knox on the 



(a of the pied wagtail ("Ornithological Ranibles," 



tnird edition, |.|i. Efls-86), and, indeed, to the whole of his 

 remarks on migration, because they must or ought to be 

 known- to everyone who takes an interest iu the subject. 

 lint more than 'this, it is pretty nearly certain that of the 

 majority of urn Ihward migrants in Spring the males take 

 the lead, and anticipate the advent of their mates by some 

 days, not to say weeks— a fact which may possibly indicate 

 the existence of another cause of migration to which I have 

 not before alluded — while this peculiarity has never been 

 Observed in the autumnal movement. — future. 



Blkds.— The D.ii'y Tchyrn.ph notes that "of late a singu- 

 larly beautiful theory of xhe migration of birds has been 

 Buggestod by the aged poet Runeberg, who, lying on his 

 sick bed at Helsinirfors, in Finland, has watched day after 

 day through the Often window the habits of the feathered 

 visitors He believes that what draws birds southwards is 

 the longing after light When the -days shorten in the 

 North fhen thev wins their passage to the South; but as 

 soon as the Northern" nights set in, with all their luminous 

 and long-drawn Iiouts, the wanderers return to their old 

 haunts." ' The same instinct,' Ac, be asks us to believe, 

 ' that works in plants— which, although firmly rooted in 

 ground, yet strain towards the light, spreading upwards in 

 search of it— works also iu birds, who, on their free wings, 

 fly after and follow it.' Beautiful as the fancy is, it yet 

 unfortunately must be rejected by those who follow the 

 terrible logic of facta The coming and going of birds is 

 in no wny'"coincideut with the shortening of the days, but 

 is later, in some y< ars and earlier in others, from causes til 

 which from the present we can only guess. That want of 

 food has in some discs a great deal to do with it can hardly 

 be questioned. The sea-birds which winter on our coasts 

 follow the southward passage of the herring and pilchard, 

 upon which thev feed; and" when, the ground within the 

 Arctic circle is irOn bound with the bitter frost, the snipe 

 and the snow bunting pass down towards the South. But, 

 on the other hand, it is impossible to explain the Spring 

 passage of the swallow from Africa to Southern Europe by 

 any want of food, or losav whv so many of the warbler 

 tribe Should leave us long before the insects on which they 

 feed have disappeared."" 



-».*- 



Tn.UNEn Bikds.— The Baltimore American gives the 

 following account of a troupe of trained Java sparrows 

 and parroquets now exhibiting iu the streets of that city: — 



"When a suitable place is" found, a circular table is 

 opened, and the birds are all turned loose upon it; they 

 manifest no fear at the crowd, and do not oiler to escape, 

 The performance consists of ringing bells, trundling small 

 wheelbarrows, slack wire walking, tiring off pistols, ianc 

 ing, swinging each other in small swings, an excellent lini- 

 tafi'on of a trapeze performance, and a number of other 

 equally interesting tricks. The most wonderful part of 

 the performance, however, is done by a parroquet. The 

 bird walks to the centre of the table, and, after bowing to 

 the crowd, scats himself in a small chair near a bell. To 

 the clapper of the bell there is attached a small cord, and 

 any one in the crown is allowed to ask the bird to strike 

 au'v nuumber of times upon the bell. If asked to strike 

 ten limes, he leaves the chair, seizes the bell rope, and 

 pulls it ten times, after which he bows aud returns to his 

 seat. This was repeated a great many limes, and with one 

 exception, the bird made no mistake. The bird will count 

 twenty-seven times, but it appears that his memory gives 

 out at that point, and he is unable to count further. A col- 

 lection is of course taken up after each exhibition. 



The expedition sent out under the auspices of the Trea- 

 sury Department for the investigation of the fur-seal rook- 

 eries of the North Pacific, and especially on the Pnbylov 

 Islands, consisting of Mr. Henry W. Elliott and Lieuten- 

 ant Mavnard, of the navv, has been heard from to the date 

 of Ihe Slh of July. The party was then at the island of 

 SI George, which they had reached from Alaska. During 

 ihe year which had elapsed since Mr. Elliott's last visit he 

 was Satisfied that there had been no material diminution or 

 alteration otherwise of the numbers of the fur seals. He 

 an i bris companion expected to Leave Bfc George in a few 

 days ,1,, proceed thence to the islands of St. Matthew, 

 Si' Lawrence, the Dh.medes, St. Michael, aud to Nuuivak, 

 after which they would return to San Francisco. 



—A pet EOX in Leavenworth, Kansas, though pretending 

 'o be entirely regenerated, still retained his penchant for 

 chicken meat A pel wolf in the same neighborhood had 

 Ihe same, uislc. One night, it happened to both to feel 

 l, mm ■■<■■■■ -imnllaneously, and they met in a hen-house, each 

 upon homicidal thoughts intent. "The wolf," says Dr. 

 \\ ebsb r in Itis GreatTJnabridged, "is crafty, greedy, and 

 ravenous." "The fox."sav< the same indisputable autkor- 

 ii., »« 1 1 mmm Imm-Im- Edt his cunning and preys on hens." 

 Similarity of tastes iu this ease led to single combat. The 

 poor Cos showed light to the last, but the wolf was too 

 much lor him, and not only killed but afterward ale him, 

 , . i , iail, alter the manner of South Sea warriors. 



—A paper was read by Professor Pauceri before the 

 Egyptian Institute of Cairo, relating to his experiments on 

 tlu actim of the p3lttU :i Egepliiti serpents in which he 

 presented the conclusion that two animals only, the ich- 

 neumon aud Mephitis libyea, are able to resist large doses ol 

 the poison of the naj.-i and the cerasic, so that in ordinary 

 casus i hey may be consul. -red as invulnerable to these ser- 

 [..-nis. These" results are thought possibly tq account for 

 I tie feneration, in Which the ichneumon is In Id by the an - 

 1 ptians. 



—The Zoological Garden, cf Cincinnati, was recently 

 Ihe recipient of" a package weighing 650 pounds, contain- 

 ing live specimens of Bill but three kinds of native Ameri- 

 can snakes. 



— A horse raised in Ihe town of Concord, Mc, but sold 

 to a person living fifty miles distant, recently got loose and 

 brought up in his old quarters, though he" had not been 

 there" for ten years. 



— The Alaska fur trade is not a bad thing for the United 

 States Treasury. The Government receives $263,600 di- 

 rect The skin's of the seals are taken to London, cured, 

 and brought to the United States, and the duties paid 

 amount to $800,000 more. 



-■«» 



THE ENGLISH AND MICHIGAN GRAY- 

 LING. 



EDITOU Fll.tKST AM) STHKAilt — 



Sii'Httnvpricr.v Davy considers ihe grayling of Northern Europe B differ- 

 ent species from nnrs. for many reasons, Which I condense for yonr in- 

 form ution. In Lapland they have been taken ei^lit to nine pounds in 

 weight. In the Baltic Sea two or three pounds weight and eighteen 

 inellCB length is the common size, being about the proportions of » largo 

 English flat, Itis noteworthy that our English fish cannot -tand tttc 

 Slightest taste of even brackish wntor. A lish above two pounds is a very 

 InrL'c specimen; far more are taken below ten ounces than above it. In 

 looking at the lithograph of yonr Michigan irrayling I do not. observe the 

 peculiarity of the pupil which distinguishes ours, which is, that the pnpil 

 of our fish, instead of betas circular, is shaped like a pear, with the small 

 end. or shank, pointed towards the. snout. 



The northern grayling found by Back and Captain Franklin's compan- 

 ions has much larger dorsal tins than our Knglish tish. This seem! to 

 apply to your lithograph, and I am now inclined to think that, your 

 Michigan flah is not identical with our grayling, bat very likely the. same 

 .as Back's. Our best minorities Been] to u.;r. e that, our fish is not indi- 

 genous, but imported by the old mOOM BO thai these old guzzlers might 

 have an excellent substitute for trout aud salmon in the Autumnal add 

 Winter months, when il N in bast H - " 



The question muv he asked "Why re it not then found in all fine 

 streams nsarold abbeys aud monastic institutions:" Mj answer U that 

 doubtless they were put there, but. the water not f lilting their nature 

 and habits, they dropped dowu stream and disappeared, as they have 

 doue iu many cases in my time. The brilliancy of color of the gray] ag 

 scenic to vary much, as with our common trout. Sir Humphrey writes 

 that lie caught some on the Continent with Ihe back tin as highly colored 



Ag 



n Hem 



l Wo 



tilt «-.-- MM Fi,m1;.,„1, MMM-rlbc- rhe ti-li of hi- rivi . r .||„. T ,,„„, _ [ |„, s ; -A 



grayling in the height of condition, which is in October or November 



fnl purple and violet hue from snout to tall; snout, Bharto; eyi 5, lozenge 

 shaped; hog-backed; under part of lower Jaw and belly tonnh the grount 



very huge, covered with scarlet waves and spots intermingled with pur- 

 ple. Adipose fin also dark purple, and the fish smells like a cucumber. 1 

 Jackson Giu-bant^s. 



CENTRAL PARK MENAGERIE. 



Department or Public Pahks, I 

 New York. Oct. 25, 1874. f 

 Animals received at Central Park. Menagerie for the week endiug 

 October 2-ith, 1874: 



Kour Black Snakes, BMcanion coiwtrld.or. Presented by Mr. U.K. 

 Strong. 

 Two dray Foxes. Vniprs Virginianm. Presented by Mr. Lyman Halt, 

 One Badger. Taxi'tea Americana. Presented by Mr. F. G. Skinner, 



• >■■■!. 



Presented by Mr. John Thioss, 

 ■nted by Mr. D. A. Freer. 



W, A. Co.nklcs. 



Woodland, Etuvn and (garden. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Ellen May, Gloucester, Mass.— Your note received. 

 The specimen branch you send is the tamarix, and is quite 

 a hardy shrub, not so much iu cultivation as it should be. 



There is a legend connected with this unpretending lit- 

 tle shrub, which gives it its name. In ancient, times there 

 were a race of men called the Tamariscie, who dwelt upon 

 the side of the Pyrenues that bordered upon the Spanish 

 territory. They gave much time to the culture of this 

 plant, :iml developed its beauty to its fullest extent. 



When onceseen.it will ever be remembered for the 

 peculiarity of its foliage, which consists of a series of 

 thread-like leaves, very slender and of a feathery appear- 

 ance. The pink blossoms of the tamarix make their ap- 

 oearance early in the Spring before the foliage, and give 

 io the plant a curious as well as uncommon appearance. 

 This plant delights in a deep, sandy soil, and when not 

 placed iu too rich a place will flower twice in the season— 

 early in Spring and late in Autumn. 



Having once well planted your tamarix, you have it for 

 all time,°if von take good care of it. To have a good ap- 

 pearance this plant should be set upon a lawn, as it re- 

 quires space to develop itself. It will thrive well in this 

 country yet. There are not found in America such superb 

 specimens as may be found in England. In some parts of 

 England trees may be seen from twenty to thirty feet in 

 height, and measuring at the ground twelve inches in 

 diameter. Imagine the rare beauty of such a tree when in 

 full bloom. Some fine specimens may be seen in France-, 

 and it only needs special cultivation to .give grand effect. 

 This plant may be cultivated from cuttings, or bits of the 

 r00 ts. OmjTPOD Quill. 



Yam Anderson, Milo, Me.— Your preparations for the 

 future orchard may be staled as follows, viz. : Plow deeply 

 your ground, and subsoil same. Turn under a large 

 ' manure. Mellow your ground com- 

 np. The trees can 'be planted without 

 Make the holes for the same largo, 

 •ized mould, carefully sifted, about the 

 on hand, and wish to use in the hole 

 sll-rolled manure with it, it will do 



quantity of good 



plelcly three feet d 

 any more manure, 

 anil use finely pulvi 

 roots. If you havi 

 beneath the tree old 



no harm. Place the 

 nursery row, slake, th 

 them to grow. 



x, u^ deep as they stood in Ihe 

 firmly, and patiently, await for. 

 Ollipod Qcill. 



OucuARn Management.— A successful Michigan ov- 

 chardist gives his method of cultivation, in a communica- 

 tion to the Fotnologicai .Society, as follows; 



1 manage the field as though there were no tn • mi mm 

 ing, cropping, seeding to grass, mowing, pasturing, &c. ; 



but I do not forget my trees nor allow them to take care of 

 themselves. I do not allow a living thing to grow under 

 them— grass, weeds, or grain. 



When the field is plowed, the plow is allowed to skim 

 lightly over the roots, with care not to cut many if any of 

 them." I am also particular to keep the trees well mulched 

 with straw litter, either from the barnyard or straw-stack; 

 the latter is preferable, as it is not apt to be mixed with 

 weed seeds, and not so rich as the former. Too much 

 manure can be applied to fruit trees for their good; but 

 straw, entirely clean and unbroken, is a capital application 

 —if a little fine and slightly mixed with the droppings of 

 gfac"k as they feed on it, all the better. Beneath each tree, 

 and as wide as the branches spread above (wider if the 

 trees are young) apply the clean straw eight to twelve 

 inches deep— one half or two thirds this depthlf the mulch- 

 ing is finer or richer, as from straw-stack feeding. 



Iu this practice, here is my theory for success in raising 

 fruit. : Plentiful mulching serves the tree in many wars. 

 First, it is a fertilizer; second, it always keeps Ihe root-bed 

 soil mellow aud moist; third, it operates as a sponge, by 

 catching and retaining the water which falls oft times in 

 Summer in heavy, dashing showers, until it. gradually 

 Sinks away beneath the tree root-bed, where it is always 

 much needed in the hot fruiting season, but where it sel- 

 dom gets where turf is allowed to form — often and nearly 

 always Tunning off, and not wetting half an inch deep dur- 

 ing a" eood average shower the little knoll on which tin ap- 

 ple tree is too apt to stand, so the roots do not gel k tasi 

 Of that for which they are the most thirsting, and must, 

 have, to do well. 



Lastly, I think in some way it favors the destruction of 

 the apple worm, which thrives by thousands aud millions 

 iu sorrae orchards. I have not seen a single nest or worm in 

 my orchard this season, nor do I remember of seeing any 

 last year, though I have had a few years ago, but never 

 many. 1 have seen this year iu u neighboring orchard ten 

 to thirty nests to a tree throughout the orchard, and it 

 looked nearly ruined. This orchard is often cropped, but 

 never mulched. 



I have yearly uniformity in bearing, aud enough in 

 abundance to occasionally break the branches. 



CYi.TrjiiE of the (.'actus.— This genus of plants is 

 divided into cactus, echiiio-cactus, epipbyilum, mammil- 

 lara and melo-cactus, some of which are remarkable for 

 their showy flowers, while others, such .as melo-cactus or 

 Turk's rap-cactus arc cultivated more for their peculiar 

 shape than for their flowers. To sec, a collection of 

 cactuses, GCnskting of a large number of different genera, 

 oaves one some idea of the many ways nature exhibits her- 

 self; they convey a repulsive feeling, and also an attractive 

 one "at the same 'lime. The idea of having to travel through 

 a thicket of them makes one shudder, but to study their 

 different shapes, and to admire the gorgeous flowers of 

 some of them, make them a very attractive part of the 

 vegetable creation. 



They are mostly of easy cultivation— more especially 

 those in general cultivation— some of them being also well 

 adapted for house culture, especially some species of the 

 genera cereus and epiphyllum ; they require for soil a good 

 turfy loam and a little well-rotted cow manure, giving 

 plenty of drainage to the pots, with either pieces of broken 

 pots or charcoal'. During their growing season, give them 

 plenty of water and a high temperature, but when at rest 

 keep "them dry, and most of them will endure very low 

 temperature. If these points are attended to, no fear but 

 success will follow. I have never seen or had any diffi- 

 culty with them when treated so. The greatest cause of 

 failure, of growing cactus which I have met with has been 

 in keepine too wet and too shady when ripening their wood 

 and at rest. No class of plants I know of better endures 

 extreme temperatures, if given at the proper time and 

 properly attended with water. I have seen some folk keep 

 plants of EpiphyUnm truncrdum. year after year without 

 their showing any flower buds, while others with the same 

 conveniences have them flower regularly, the trouble al- 

 ways being in keeping too wet, and not enough of sun to 

 ripen the vvood. 



■♦•♦ 



Grafting from Bearing Tkees.— Nurserymen have, 

 made many discoveries of late years, as to the tendency of 

 plants to ''sport' 1 Thev will take one branch of a tree or 

 Shrub, well variegated with foliage, or some other pecu- 

 liarity, propagate this by cuttings till they have secured a 

 large stock, and then send it out as a distinct variety ; aud 

 such it proves. These peculiarities of branch or leaf, seem 

 almost as permanent as those of new varieties originated 

 from the seed. 



We must acknowledge that all experience of this sort is 

 delusive, or we must admit that a great and almost univer- 

 sal mistake is made in grafting nursery stock with scions 

 cut from young, non-bearing trees in the nursery rows. This 

 is continued year after year, scions always cut, trorn young, 

 rapidly growing stock, possibly a dozen or more removed 

 from a bearing' tree. Is not this one reason why young 

 orchards are so long coming into bearing; especially ot new 

 varieties, where the supply of scions is small, compared 

 with the demand? In the olden time, farmers who took 

 grafts from the bearing trees iu their orchards, found no 

 difficulty in changing the wilding to a productive tree of 

 good fruit, often gathering some Specimens the second sea 

 son after the graft was set. True, it is not so easy to cut 

 fine looking grafts from bearing trees as from nursery 

 stock, but if the former make more productive heads, they 

 should be generally preferred. 



I understand very well that grafts are not selected with 

 blossom buds, but. if a tendency or "sport "in a single 

 branch can be perpetuated into a distinct variety, is it not 

 best to cut grafts from trees and branches having some 

 tendency to f'ruitfulness ? 



■++•- 



—The bottom fell out of the Consliockeu reservoir, in 

 Pennsylvania the other day, and one million gallons of 

 water "wholly 'disappeared. " A hole twenty-five feet deep 

 and thirty feet in diameter was left. As the region is of 

 limestone formation, it is conjectured that the country is 

 underlaid with great caves, into one of which the water of 

 the reservoir has disappeared. Evidence of the existence 

 of such caves has been observed at different times in the 

 past. 



—The last number of the GaitiMW** Chronicle gives a 

 drawing of four lopped elms growing near Datchet, the 

 tops of which have naturally grown with the outline of a 

 horse. 



