FOREST AND STREAM. 3 



261 



known fact that a pound of treat will livo in a bucket, of water in Win: 

 lor, out of doors, for a half day or metre, while lliey would not live a half 

 hour iii the same quantity of water in Summer 



It. i* not very bard to tell \\ iion the foil &ro Buffering from ait. ItJS 

 only tlnrfiiff waiiii weather that. Hie breeder need wuteli Pot ihl* mid 

 chance if bo I) OS only been moderately prudent in ftii.tkiitj: his ponds. 

 If the water la geftlnB too warm. . a. in othffl) IVSrdB, If the "ir in Hit 



r loo small in ijuanlily for the nnnilier or ll-di, a few will bo found 



dead, perhaps, without any mark upon tnnm, iii-ini? to all appeaiance 



plump and healthy. Fangiw wtyl show itself u[iou .some, and e I 



turn dark in eolor. A few may he fonnd upon the gr«8»i near the en 

 tram-L of Hie water, if the hanks are low. Their appetites may not he 

 visibly affected at ..no,, hut will sooil twgtH to disappear, and Hie fish die. 



"hy hundred-,." The onl, I I, toglvc tliem more water, or lake 



our a quantity ..f lish, and eventhla ignot-a remedy nnleaa done at the 

 very start* foe even with InerOtWOd How of water Ihe'llsb will keep flying 

 Itor along timis. I believe Ibal more brook trout have been lost in ponds 

 by overcrowding than from all other mi pal -. iber. It must be 

 borne in mind tiial ovorerowdlng Una reference to the How of water, nnd 

 nj.lt..iii<- -:,., of i he 1...1.1I. A tank ten feet by twenty may be over- 

 croud, ., ., tatUei preratooked. with fifty pounds of fish, and again It 

 may coniforiahly support two hundred pounds or more. Ctold water, and 

 plenty of it, is the motto of the brook trout. A. S. Collins. 



SALMON SPAWN. 



Horns, n;n, N. Y., November MO, 1871. 



ElllTOlt Toe.KST AMD STBBAM:— 



I received from Prof. Tlaird, Imbed States Commissioner of Fisheries, 

 500,000 Callroruia salmon spawn, of which 1 hatched 830,000, and have 

 Ihem on band at the "Nen York State Hatching House at Caledonia, They 

 are now ready for distribution to stock any of tin- public waters in New 

 York Stale. Any parties can have from 5,000 to 60,000 by Coming for 

 them. Setu Geees. 



Natural !§istarg. 



The Blaci;-footet> Ferret is Wanted. — We have re- 

 ceived from Dr. Cones a letter, from which \vc should 

 judge that lie was In great trouble about an animal he needs 

 to see to complete his knowledge of a particular group of 

 mammals he is now investigating, and we take pleasure in 

 calling the attention of our readers to this, in hopes that 

 some of them may be able to help him out df his difficulty, ll 

 seems that the Xorth American animals of the weasel and 

 ferret kind are pretty well known, only the black-footed 

 ferret, putorw&'O.igripea, of Audubon and Backman, being rc- 

 quired to complete the series now in. the hands of natural- 

 ists. This animal was discovered many years ago along the 

 Platte Kiver, but no additional specimens in good order 

 have since been forthcoming. It is known to inhabit, Col- 

 orado, near the town of Greeley, where a headless skin was 

 lately obtained, and may be expected to occur also in por- 

 tions of Kansas, Dakota and Wyoming. The animal is 

 most like a mink in size and shape, but almost entirely 

 whitish, with black paws, a black streak on the lace, and 

 black tip to the tail. This description will suffice, as there 

 is no other animal in the country at all like it. The for- 

 tunate possessor of a black-footed ferret will undoubtedly 

 find it to his advantage to send it to Dr. Coues, at the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, AVashingtou, D. C. Will Western 

 papers please copy? 



A FftocsoERY.— Salt Lake City scientists are very much 

 agitated over a frog which has been found in a growing 

 turnip. Now the query to speculators in natural history 

 mnstbethis: — Did the turnip produce the frog by spon- 

 taneous combustion, or did the frog enter it while a mere 

 ■m ' 1 1: us molecule find grow up with it? In cither case the 

 solution of the problem must be rather odd to those not 

 actptainted with such peculiar conditions as arc said lo 

 envelop this amphibious creature who lives for hundreds of 

 years, according to chroniclers, embedded in rocky walls, 

 and without a morsel of food or a breath of air. The 

 answer to the query will fulfill Shakespeare's words in tho 

 mouth of Hamlet when he said that there was more in the 

 earth and air than Horatio's philosophy ever dreamed of. 



■♦♦♦■ 



Far Forest n ml Stream. 

 THE MYCARCHUS CHIN1TUS. 



BY F. W. HALL. 



THIS species of the lly-catcher is not very common in 

 any of the New England Slates, and consequently 

 very little definite knowledge has been obtained concerning 

 its habits. 



For the past two years I have had limited facilities for 

 observing its movements, and I therefore give a brief record 

 of such Of its habits as I have beer, permitted to notice, 

 and which, may not be uninteresting to the scientific -orni- 

 thologist. 



The: species prefers for its abode a dry, rocky and 

 wooded bill slope, and here, at intervals through the day, 

 it shrieks forth its harsh discordant notes, which, alone, is 

 capable of distinguishing the bird, so that it cannot be mis- 

 taken for any other. It usually, if not almost invariably, 

 nests in a hollow tree. Samuels says that "it is a distinguish- 

 ing characteristic of the nests of this species, to have the 

 skins of one or more snakes woven into the other mater- 

 ials." 



A nest found in the hollow stump of an old apple tree in 

 North Haven, Ct., was composed of withered grass and 

 chips — chiefly the latter. I judge from this that the species 

 may occupy the deserted nest of the woodpeckers, as no 

 snake skins were found in the nest, as Samuels asserts. I 

 am inclined to think that the young leave the nest when 

 quite young, even soon after they have got their eyes open, 

 ana before they have a single well-developed leather on 

 their bodies, or at least before Ihey are fully fledged, as I 

 shot one in Killmgworth, Ct., in a high tree, having only a 

 very few undeveloped and rudimentary feathers, and with 

 its neck and head entirely bare . 



As soon as the bird was shot the old ones came around 

 and appeared to he in great distress for the safety of their 

 young. This species appears to be more shy than any of 

 the other fly-catchers. It occasionally utters a wild, care- 

 less shriek, but, to my knowledge, only when sitting, as 1 



have never heard it emit any sound while on the wing. It 

 sits perfectly still when perilled, and does not seem to be at 

 all restless Ot as vigilont in its lookout for insects as most 

 oilier fly-catchers; but its keen eye soon detects a passing 

 bug, and it instantly darts upon it in a manner not unlike 

 the remainder of il's group. It does not remait] long in one 

 place, but is constantly on the move, although it seems to 

 adhere to one neighborhood, and usually among large Irees 

 and will almost invariably return to the same spot, if not 

 to the same tree, wiihin half an hour. 



1 i ..ucounlrrcd quite a family of these birds in Killing- 

 worth, Ct., in the Summers of 1873-4, and shot several 

 which were not in full plumage, but the markings of which 

 were not unlike those of the adult bird. I judge, 1 here- 

 fore, from these facts that the species breeds abundantly in 

 Ibis looalily,or about six miles from the sea shore, its I have 

 noticed the old and young together for two consecutive 

 \ oafs. 



As is usually the case among the fly-catchers, after dart- 

 ing upon an insect, they will often return to the same perch, 

 particularly if the tree or object, upon which they alight is 

 sltinding alone. The bird will often :-it upon a limb and 

 keep perfectly still for the space of twenty minutes, ap- 

 parently very watchful, and at intervals of perhaps a min- 

 ute it will "utter its fierce cry, as if in great agony; but 

 rather because if becomes impatient in wailing so iong a 

 time for its favorite insect. While these birds appear to be 

 rather shy, they are not at all affected by the report of a 

 gun, and even tho report seems to have a tendency to bring 

 an additional number together. The habits of .this species, 

 owing to its comparative rarity, have been only little 

 studied; so many of its more important and peculiar char- 

 acteristics are yet to be discovered. 



■»♦*. 



— The Chicago Academy of Sciences was the other day 

 told by a member that there are over 700 species of 

 clam in North Ameiica, and 1,500 species in all have been 

 described, more than one thousand books and papers having 

 been written on the subject. 



A 



ALEW1FE AND ALOSA 



Editor Fohkst ani> Stwiaji :— 



A communication by •' Ollipod Quill " in 

 mo to tlllntOns how a lish sot such a name 

 the result or my cogitations, Alewire. (the 

 land— and, I think, came lo England from 

 the Romans was called Alosa, then by the French Alois-pro 



correctly fU waw — hut the French peasantry, like all olher peasantry, do 

 not often pronounce words in the refined manner. The tendency of the 

 F. P. ns any one who lias been among the haMtaits of Canada may re- 

 member is to prnnou nee word* ending in ois as way instead of waw. 

 Alois then would degenerate in the mouths of the Chauuel fishermen 

 from " alwaw " to ■' alvvay," " al" being aspirated as in alley iu both 

 cases. The English Channel ilsherinau would bear the parley vous say 

 ahi'iiy, and bow rev, then, the transition from alway to a/ewi/e. Re- 

 membering Ihe leudency of the John Bulls always (o give some sort of 

 I think it is a very fair doduc- 

 *y. Have la 

 shsail- 



chai 



have supposed. Kecollecl. alewife is nit.r-a tyro 



or alw 



;ed by the 11 ri 



CENTRAL PARK MENAGERIE. 



DiPAr.THENT op Public Parks, I 

 New Touk, Nov. 29, 1871. f 

 Animals received at Central Park Menagerie for the week ending 



November 38th, 1874: 

 One Mottled Owl, Stops aMo. Presented by Dr. E. Sterling. 



One Monkey, Mac<(cu* I'yiiomolyus. 



One Monkey, hfocoem llh'Slix, 



One Leopard, FelU Impardu.t. Born in Menagerie. 



W. A. Comkun. 



foodkmd, Enwn nnd <Bnrdm. 



Carnivorous Plants.— Dr. J. D. Hooker's recent ad- 

 dress to the Department of Zoology and Botany of the 

 British Association, gives the result of his study of the 

 carnivorous habits of the Nepenthes, the pitcher •plants of 

 the East Indies, and supplements what was already known 

 of likil habits mDionw, Sarraeenia, DYo&era, D.triinr/toiiitt, 

 and Pinownla. He states that the rim of the pitcher and 

 the under side of the lid, always more highly colored than 

 the rest of I he plant, are provided with numerous honey- 

 secreting glands, while the surface immediately below is 

 covered With a glass like cuticle which affords no foothold 

 to insects. Tin: entire lower portion of the cavity is occu- 

 pied by innumerable spherical glands which secrete a fluid 

 that is' always aeid and is found in the pitcher before the 

 opening of the lid. The digestive powers of this fluid were 

 tested in various ways, often with surprising results. 

 Fragments of meat were rapidly reduced, and pieces of 

 fibrin weighing several grains dissolved and totally disap- 



peared i 



eight 



days 



;• three days ; lumps of cartilage weighing 

 ns were half gelatinized in 21 hours, and in 

 greatly diminished and reduced to a clear 

 parent jelly. The experiments make it probable that 

 . es.iiN are not wholly due to the original fluid, but. 

 iflcr the addition of the animal matter a substance 

 g as pepsine is produced by a change in the process of 

 lion. I)f. Hooker shows the analogy which exists be- 

 i this mode of plant-nutrition and the more ordinary 

 if the embryo in the act of germination, and of some 

 less plants which live by the absorption of the elabor- 

 ated juices of ol hers. He also very briefly indicates how 

 the highly specialized organs and strange habits of these 

 plants may be conceived to have arisen by the process of 

 natural selection from ordinary leaf-structures and from 

 processes which are common iu the vegetable world. The 

 fact may at least be accepted as proving that the proto- 

 plasm of plauls can avail itself of the same food with that 

 of animals — thus serving as one more link in the continu- 

 ity of nature. 



;<)lo 



Denuding a Country of Its Trees. — The Khanate of 

 Bokhara affords a signal illustration of I he damage done 

 by denuding a country of its forests. Thirty years ago, 

 the Khanate was one of the most fertile provinces of Cen- 

 tral Asia, and, well-wooded and watered, was regarded as 

 tin earthly paradise. .Five years thereafter, a mania for 

 forest-clearing broke out among the inhabitants, and con- 

 tinued lo rage as long as there remained timber on which 

 lo vent itself. What trees were spared by rulers ami peo- 



ple were afterwards utterly consumed during a civil war. 

 The consequence of this ruthless destruction of the forest- 

 growth is now painfully manifest iu immense dry and arid 

 wastes. The water courses have become empty' channels, 

 and the system of canals constructed for artificial irriga- 

 tion, and supplied from the living streams, has been ren- ' 

 dcrcd useless, The moving sands of the desert, no longer 

 restrained by forest-barriers, are gradually advancing and 

 drifting over the land. They will continue their noiseless 

 Invasion until the whole Khanate will become a dreary 

 tlcsert, ns barren as the wilderness separating it from Khi- 

 va. It is not supposed that the Khan has sufficient energy 

 or the means at his command to arrest the desolation that, 

 threatens to spread over his territories. The example is one 

 lo stimulate enlightened governments to avoid a similar 

 catastrophe, by preserving a due proportion of forest-lands 

 in their domains, and by restoring those which have been 

 improvidcutly laid bare. 



BtjKYrsci CGLKttY fok AV inter. —Select the dryest, best 

 drained spot you have. Dig a trench eighteen or twenty 

 inches wide and tenor twelve inches deep, according to the 

 length of the celery, or just so that five or six inches will 

 be above Ibe surface, throwing out the earth on each side. 

 Before hard freezing weather comes, (fifteen degrees Fah- 

 renheit will blacken celery,) dig the plants, allowing as 

 much earth to adhere to the roots ns will naturally do so. 

 Place the plants upright in the trenches, on their roots and 

 as closely together as' possible, tilling all interstices with 

 earth except the tops of I he plants ; hold them together so 

 that the earth may not enter the. crevices, AVheu all has 

 been finished, bank up the remaining earth about the sides, 

 place a roof of some rough material over all, so as to ex- 

 clude air, and cover securely from frost, adding to the 

 covering as cold weather increases, taking care not to 

 smother the plants. A little care will prevent smothering. 



Uses of the Dead Leaves. — The leaves of deciduous 

 trees and shrubs, grapevines, etc., are now falling, and will 

 soon be scattered by the high winds of the Fall, if not 

 collected and stowed away for future use. They are loo 

 valuable for many purposes to be allowed to go to waste. 

 They form a good protection for strawberries during the. 

 Winter, as a covering of them prevents that alternate 

 freezing and thawing which is so injurious lo the plants. 

 A covering two inches in depth will be necessary, and this 

 should be kept from blowing away by the pressure of 

 twiggy branches spread over it. Decayed leaves produce 

 that valuable manure known as leaf-mold, which is so 

 highly prized by the florist. In the construction of hot- 

 beds, dead leaves are very useful, as layers of them, be- 

 tween layers of manure, moderate the heat and retain it 

 for a long time. For lit luring stock ami absorbing liquid 

 manure, dead leaves are of great value. Large cjuaatilieS 

 should now be collected and kept in Sheds for future use. 

 Edward MASON . 



fflie Mennel. 



THE POINTERINTHE UNITED STATES. 



IT is noliceable that at present we have iu America far 

 more well bred setters than pointers, and greater at- 

 tention seems to have been paid in the past two years in 

 procuring the former blood than the latter. This arises 

 from the fact that the setter is the greater favorite of the 

 two, and justly the choice of the sportsman when he 

 desires a dog that will unflinchingly stand the rough and 

 tumble nature of our shooting. Still, we are sorry to see 

 the balance so much weighed down by the setter, for fear 

 the staunch pointer may bo finally crowded out entirely. 

 Of the two, tho point of the shorter haired animal is far 

 the most marked when on game, and the training once re- 

 ceived by him is always retained, and on each returning 

 shooting season he unlets the field to be depended upon, 

 while the setter oftener has to be partially rebroken each 

 year; and if not owned by a sportsman who shoots con- 

 tinually, becomes headstrong and unreliable. 



For the person whose business will not allow him to lake 

 his gun in hand but two or three times in the Autumn, we 

 advise by all means that his dog should be the pointer; but 

 for the one who takes advantage of the open season for dif- 

 ferent game from its beginning to its close, we recommend 

 the setter as best able to bear continued work in all descrip- 

 tions of cover. 



The short hair of the pointer enables him lo do work on 

 the prairies, where water is seldom to be found while 

 "chicken" shooting, and he can do without the necessity 

 for a much longer time than the setter; but, the latter is 

 frequently used with advantage for the same purpose when 

 a supply for his benefit is taken lo the field. In New 

 Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, and in countries where the 

 game invariably takes to briery thickets on being started, 

 the pointer is at a disadvantage, for wo have seen but few 

 that were not intimidated by these thorny coverts refusing 

 entirely to enter. 



Far more birds are accidentally flushed by the setter than 

 the pointer, who is generally more cautious, notwithstand- 

 ing he may be fully as fast. Certainly we cannot condemn 

 those that write in favor of the pointer as havihg the best 

 nose, for they are given strong proofs of its truth. 



In cool and rainy weather the pointer, on account of his 

 slight coat, suffers greatly, and therefore is far inferior to 

 the heavy haired setter iu wet localities. Nevertheless, we 

 have seen them so highstrung and ambitious as to work 

 whereever desired by their masters at a risk of injury to 

 themselves. 



AVe advise our readers who arc taking an interest in tho 

 breeding of field dogs in the United States, to pay just as 

 much attention to the rearing and improvement of the. 

 pointer as the setter, for when we compare the market 

 value of the two, the well bred pointer is worth the most at 

 present on account of its scarcity. 



