FOREST AND STREAM 
183 
A COMPARISON of winter birds. 
Riverdale-on-Hudbon, N. Y., March Kith, 1876. 
and 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
I Bend you a brief comparison of the winter birda of this locality, 
during the past two years. The past two winters combined the extremi s 
of the winter weather of our climate, and presented unusual opportu¬ 
nities for observing the different habits of certain birds, dnring an ex¬ 
traordinarily rigorous and an unusually mild winter. The severity of 
the winter of )87'l-5. brought many birds down from the North, which 
do not ordinarily visit ns, and in greater numbers than I had over seen 
them before, indeed most of the winter residents appeared more numer 
<ms than usual. Among our boreal visitors T may mention the red and 
the while winged crossbills (jutt )Id curmrostra var. Americana, and L. 
-leucoplevd), the pine grosbeak (Pinicola enmleator), the pine linnet 
(VhrysomitrU pinm), the red-poll -linnet (sEgiothuB limria), and the 
snow bunting {Plrctrofilulney nlralbi}. The first of these birdB to arrive 
in the fall, were the pine linnets and red cross-bills. The cross-bills were 
the first that I had ever seen here. I first observed them on November 
3rd—a small flock feeding On the seeds of the cones of a Norway spruce. 
They remained with us through March and April, and were last seen on 
May Kith. I was much surprised to find a pair breeding here in April, 
'an account of which I willifive hereafter. Most of the other birds did 
mot arrive till January, 1870. Many of llic semi-migralory birds 
'which do Svotircgniarly remain through the winter were comparatively 
abundant that year, notwithstanding the severity of the weather. Robins 
and bWe birds were seen several times, while flocks of purple finches 
(Cai-yimlams purpurcus), were noticed on different occasion. Anum- 
teor-of white-throated sparrows remained throughout the entire winter- 
tend one swamp sparrow (Melospiza paiusttis) was seen several times. 
(On February 28th, 187S, I was much surprised while walking through a 
(pine- wood, to observe before me a hermit thrush (Turdus PcUlasi), a 
third which I had never before seen earlier than the second, week in 
.April or later than the third week in November. It appeared to be In 
.good condition, uttering its well-known ‘ 'chuck" as it flew from tree to 
tree, and raising its tail as it alighted, in the manner peculiar to this 
species. I again saw a hermit thresh neat' the same-place on March 
28th, which was undoubtedly the same one, as uo others were eocn until 
April lith. Whether this thrush had remained oil winter, T am unable 
to say, bat thiukit very improbable that it should have come from the 
South at that early date, when the winter was by no means over. 
During the past winter there have been fewer birds in this locality than 
I have ever known before, and none of our northern friends have made 
their appearance. It might be supposed that on aeeonnt of the nnusnal 
clemency of the Season, the birds which do occasionally remain with us 
would be more nnmerons than usual, but this is not the case. I have 
seen but -one robin during the entire season, a few bine birds, and not 
ione purple flneb, or cedar-bird, while goldfinches (UknjsomUHs Irietts), 
'which are ordinarily common, have been seen very seldom. One of the 
uuost common birda this season, however, was the bald eagle (Haliwpus 
tleucocerhalus), dnring the latter part of February and the first of March. 
,1 have seen on one morning as many aB twelve eagles sitting on the cakes 
■of ice in the Hudson Iliver, and very often have observed as many as six 
or seven. I am anxious to learn whether ornithologists in general have 
noticed a scarcity of birds this winter, in other parts of the country. 
E. P. Bicknell. 
QUAILS EAT SKUNK-CABBAGE SEED. 
FISH IN SEASON IN APRIL. 
Brook Trout, Sahno FontincUU. Hand-locked Salmon, Salmo Gloucri. 
J2§f*For list of seasonable (rout flies for April see our issue of March 
23d. 
Fisa in Market.— The continued unsettled weather has 
made fishing' a matter of some difficulty, hut thanks to the 
refrigerators there is but little change in either variety or 
quantity. North River shad made their first appearance 
on Tuesday, about fifty fine fish being taken. When fine 
weather sets in large catches will be made. California sal¬ 
mon are very plentiful.- Two more car loads are due to¬ 
day, and consumers may expect low prices- Our quota¬ 
tions are as follows. Striped hass, 18 to 20 cents per 
pound; smelts, 15 to 30 cents; Salmon, frozen, 60 cents; 
California do., 45 cents; mackerel, 25 cents each; North 
Carolina shad, 50 cents each; North river do.. $1.50 each; 
white perch, 18 cents; Spanish mackerel, 50 cents; green 
turtle, 21 cents; terrapin, $12 per dozen; frost fish, 8 cents 
per pound; halibut, 15 cents; haddock, 8 cents; king fish, 
15 cents; codfish, 8 cents; black fish, 15 cents; herrings, 6 
cents; flounders, 8 cents; eels, 15 to 20 cents; lobsters, 10 
cents; sheepshead, 30 ceuts; turbot, 25 cents; scollops, $1 
per gallon; soft clams, 30 cents per 100; white fish, 18 
cents per pound; pickerel, 15 cents; sun fish, 10 ceuts; 
yellow perch, 10 cents; brook trout, Canada, 50 cenls; 
Long Island do., $1; hard crabs, $4 per hundred; potn- 
pano, 1$ per pound. 
—One of our New York City subscribers, who has just 
returned from a vacation in Florida, mentions having 
had great sport recently in catching blaelt bass among the 
lily-pads off the point of Harts’s Island, opposite Ptilaika. 
The fish averaged 4 pounds each in weight,, and took the 
baited hook very freely. Sixty or seventy pounds at a sitting 
was a common basket. These fish, by the way, can be 
caught off any of the sand bars along the river, and there are 
two or three capital places between Palalka and Dunn's Creek 
seven or eight miles up, The fishing in Dunn’s Creek 
either witli fly or troll is fine- 
—A correspondent writes that he haB tried our recipe for 
dyeing his lineu lines green, viz., soaking them in au in¬ 
fusion of green tea, with most gratifying results, and can 
recommend it. 
Tenaei.t, N. J., March 80th, 1ST8. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
I send herewith a box of berries of the skunk-cabbage (, Symptocarpus 
feetidm), which form the principal food of the quail in this region. I do not 
think it is generally known that quails will eat these berries In preference 
to.buckwheat, but such is the case. Last fall l found three bevies of birds 
on a buckwheat field, near a swamp filled with tfie cabbage. In Septem¬ 
ber they were feeding on the buckwheat, but in November they had all 
moved into the swamp, and I never founder heard of their Doing found, 
outside up to the close season, i have opened anumber of the birds, and 
found from five to seven of the berries in each of tbeir crops. Some of 
the berries are nearly as large as chestnuts. The berries grow in clnsters 
of twenty to thirty-six. Two or three plants will furnish enough feed 
for a very large bevy of birds, and as the pUnts grow closely together 
iBhe birds soon find enough to satisfy them. When.food is plenty quail 
do not travel far, hut prefer to seek some sunny place where they can 
dost themselves. Sometimes they will uot move more than a few yards 
from their roosting place, which makes them very hard to find, as the 
dogs have no trail to work on. The berries have the same rank emeil 
as the plant, and sometimes flavor the bird’s flesh so strongly as to be 
unpleasant to the taste. The weather has been so mild this winter-tbat 
the quails that were left over are doing very well, and are plenty enough 
to make good sport next fall. We have a few pairs of Ohio birds, 
which we shall turn loose about the let of April, if the weather is mild. 
We have fine cover and no pot-hunters. Bed Wing. 
THE BIRDS AND COMING STORMS. 
Cambridge, Mass., March 25tb, 1876. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
I notice that your correspondent, A. B. Covert, refers to the freezing 
to death, at Ann Arbor, Michigan, of blue-birds and song-sparrows after 
aheavyfallof snow late in April, and asks "if birds are able to foresee 
the coming weather, why had they not departed and escaped death?" 
This is certainly a pertinent ;question. The fact is one that, most of us 
1 have observed at other localities at Eomo time or other, but only, I think, 
| upon the occurrence of wholly unprecedented, or at least very unusual, 
conditions of the weather, and under Just such circumstances as Mr. 
Covert describes, namely, unseasonably and unexpectedly heavy cold 
Storms of snow. The weather had undoubtedly been previously warm 
and comfortable for the species In question, who had doubtless came 
from the South some days, and probably weeks before, and had become 
in a measure settled for the season. The reports of Thu National 
Weather Bureau, an the othor hand, certainly show that during the fall 
and winter the ducks, geese, cranes, crows, and othur species of birds 
often, and apparently generally, abandon tbeir former haunts upon the 
approach of a cold wave or severe winter storm for more southern local¬ 
ities, often passing beyond the reach of the severity of these changes, 
taking their departure often but a few hours before these unfavorable 
changes occur. J. A. Alien. 
Smithsonian Institution, ) 
Washington, D. C., April 1st, 1876. f 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
Many ol your readers are probably familiar with the Labrador duck, 
OrCamptokemvs labradorius, an American species, which is now extreme¬ 
ly rare, straggling individuals only, mostly young, being now taken at 
long intervals on onr coast. Formerlythey werequite abundant, and spec¬ 
imens are to be found in many of onr older museums. The species la 
now apparently so rare as to suggest the possibility of its entire disap¬ 
pearance before a great while. 
I have lately received a letter from Mr. Gordon Rowley, of England, 
who informs me that he is about publishing a memoir on this duck, and 
desires to inclnde in it a list of all the specimens that arc at present ex¬ 
isting in the museums of the United States,, and I beg to upply, through 
your columns, in his behalf, for the information referred to. 
___________ Spencer F,. Baird. 
Burns.— Charcoal has been discovered to be a cure for 
burns. By laying a piece of cold charcoal upon the bum 
the pain subsides immediately. By leaving the charcoal on 
one hour the wound is healed, as has been demonstrated 
on several occasions. 
—It was carelessness and not ignorance that made us 
say last week that trout fishing was prohibited in Ontario, 
Canada, until May 1st, 
The Oryis Reel.— Last summer Mr. Chas. F. Orvis 
presented us with one of his new trout reels, requesting us 
to give it a trial and report upon Us merits. Our readers 
can obtain a very excellent idea of its appearauce, con¬ 
struction, and qualities by referring to the engraving anti 
printed description in onr advertising columns. It is made 
so that it can be used either with or without a “click.” 
The click is a slight check upon the free rendering of the line 
when a fish is running out with it, and in our opinion is in- 
dispensible to prevent the line overrunning, which it would 
be apt to do otherwise, unless checked by the thumb press¬ 
ing it against the rod; and the wear and tear of the thumb 
is something to be considered, especially when big fish are 
in hand! We think wc can conscientiously say that the 
Orvis. reel fulfills, all the conditions claimed for it. To 
keep the line dry is a point gained, for very few anglers 
will take pains to dry their lines immediately after use; 
and unless this is done they soon rut. Being narrow, the 
reel takes up line rapidly, thus accomplishing in a groat 
degree the work of a multiplying reel, and in the third 
place it holds more line than most reels. Twenty-five 
yards is not line enough for a landlocked salmon, and who 
would use heavier tackle titan trout, tackle for lliesc noble 
fish, which average ouiy two and a half pounds? Besides, 
brook trout in large rapid rivers will sometimes demand 
the ordiuary twenty-five yards in full, and give no receipt 
for the same. The reel b nearly as light as the average 
reel, and weight at the but of a rod is often an object. 
Willi an Orvis reel, and an Orvis rod, and plenty of prog 
at the Orvis Equinox House in Manchester, Vt., tbesporls- 
man wants little more to fill up the measure of his desires, 
—Public notice is hereby directed to the following close 
seasons for hsh, adopted by the Governor General of Can¬ 
ada, in Council, on the 3d of April and the 30th of Sept., 
1875:— Province of Ontario—whitefish. salmon, and lane 
fish, from the 12lh of November to 1st of December; speck¬ 
led trout, brook, or river trout, from the 15tli of Sept, to 
1st of January; bass, from 15th May to 15th June; pickerel 
More), from 15Lh April to tStliMay; tnaskiuonge, from 15th 
April to 15th May. Province of Quebec—whitefish, from 
10th November to 1st December; salmon trout, lake trout 
(or lunge and Winnoniche), from 151,U October to 1st De¬ 
cember; speckled trout, brook, or river trout, from 15ili 
September to 1st January; bass, from 16th May to 15lh 
June; pickerel (dare), from 15th April to loth May; mas- 
kinonge, from loth April to 15th May. 
New York — Syracuse, April 3d.—Trout from Wisconsin 
are selling here at 14 cents per pound, and pickerel from 
Oneida lake at 18 cents. John Maim, manufacturer of 
spoon hooks, has prepared an elegant case of them for the 
centennial, containing fifteen or twenty varieties. 
Connecticut— Mqmmwa April 8tf.—We are commenc¬ 
ing to catch alewives iu the Connecticut River at this place, 
catching the first on Thursday, March 30th, and on Satur¬ 
day quite a nnmber. They usually precede shad by about 
ten days here. They (alewives) sell for 2oc, per dozen un¬ 
til they grow plenty, then at Se. and 10c. per dozen. Great 
numbers are caught here every season; also shad. Wo 
caught a black'bass in our alewive net on Friday last; 
weight, l jlbs. I never heard of one being caught here 
before, excepting once, last fall, when I caught one with a 
spoon; it weighed 3 lbs. I like your paper very much ; 
you are the fisherman’s best friend. Success to you. 
CnAs. O. G- 
[Higgatium is on the Connecticut River, 23 miles above 
Saybrook, where the tide rises and falls, the water at the 
flood of course being salt. The facts given by our corres¬ 
pondent relative to black bass are very interesting, (if Mi- 
eroplerus nigricans is the fish in questisn.) and worthy the 
attention of the Connecticut Fish Commissioners. Should 
any reader learn of black bass being taken in the lower 
waters of the river hereafter, they will render a public- 
service by reporting the fact. If “G.’s" premises arc 
correct, we shall have Connecticut River shad in market 
present!}'.— Ed.] 
^ Virginia — Iceshmg, Na/irh 23d,—Some few bass havo 
been taken legitimately and legally with the minnow, and 
some by illegal traps, I shall commence observations early 
in April to determine their limes for spawning, breeding, 
etc., for this latitude so as to give information to fix the 
proper limits Of the close season. There are sportsmen 
enough here to form a protective association, but it has not 
been so shaped. Give us in your paper some more Icthy- 
ological lecturing; your split bamboo articles are just the 
lore needed now. My wife reads your paper as regularly 
as I do, T. W. 
FC Florida— Mosquito Intel, March 20th. —We have had 
cold and stonily weather for the last four weeks, and fish¬ 
ing has been poor, except for sheepshead, which always 
feed. The bass, groupers, snappers, whiting, and other 
good fish have hidden themselves to wait for warm weather, 
Bo say the local fishermen. Sharks and rays of gigantic 
size still prowl around the waters, playing havoc witli 
hooks and lines, and promoting the interest of llte tacklo 
dealers. Black bass fishing in the rivers and lakes has 
been good. Twelvc-pounu fish are recorded. Lowd’s 
Hotel at New Smyrna has been full of anglers all winter. 
S. JO. C. 
Movements of tbe Fishing Fleet. —It has boon a 
lively week for the fishing fieet, and tbe work of landing 
and taking care of the fares has rendered it busy about the 
wharves. There have been 74 arrivals the past week, 55 
from Georges, 10 from the Banks, and 9 from Newfound¬ 
land. The receipts of fish are as follows: 750,000 pounds 
of Halibut, from the Banks, 275,000 pounds from Georges, 
1,375,000 pounds of cod-fish, and 900 barrels herring. The 
fares of codfish from Georges have been light for the sea- 
sou, which together with the demand for fish for Nova 
Scotia, will have a tendency to keep the prices at present 
quotations. Halibut, have been plenty, several large Iripa 
having arrived. A good portion of the stock now afloat in 
the harbor will be sold for curing. The prices during the. 
week for shipment, fresh, has'been 4 and 24 cents per 
pound, white and gray. Round Georges cod-fish have 
been selling at $1.75 pet hundred pounds. Shore cod-fish 
$1.50; haddock $1.00.— Gape Ann Advertiser, March 31sl. 
DO WHITE-FISH (Gmgmw albus) TAKE THE 
FLY? 
** Flathead Agency, M. T„ March 9th, 1876. 
Editor Forest and Streami- 
Id writing of the white-fish, Coregonus alt/us, "Frank Forestor" 
states (puge 397) t "So far as 1 can learn, the white-fish is nowhere taken 
With the fly, unless by pita accident; and that it is iitlnrly unworthy of 
the angler's pursuit, as a fish of game, cannot bo doubted." 
GenioC. Scott (page 290 and 291) seems to infer (hat they are not 
taken by the fly, or bait. Has subsequent experience shown lo the cen¬ 
tury ? Is it known whether they are caught in rivers, or streams, othur 
than those falling into the Arctic Sea? I ask these questions for tho 
reason that I believe tho white-fish is caught iu streams of this Terri¬ 
tory, both in the Atlantic and Pacific slopes. If not tho white-fish, what 
is it? It is, as Scott describes the white-fish, a "sucker-inouthud succu¬ 
lent delicacy, * «. The color of the back gray, and the rest of the fish 
a clear white of most lustrous sheen." The weight, however, rarely ex¬ 
ceeds one pound, but he takes the fly like a good fellow. 1 once caught 
one in the Yellowstone that I believe would have exceeded four pounds. 
The eat accompanying GeniQ G.. Scott's description (page 280, "Fish¬ 
ing in American Watere,”) is like the llsk 1 have reference to, except 
that it does not show the month quite su suckcr-like, and it Jacks that 
liump between the shoulders and on the neck, (if I may so express my¬ 
self,) like that so much admired in a well fed hog, and the fish we catch, 
looked at from the front, presents its head, in outline, not unlike that of 
a blunt nosed porkor, with fiat ebooks. Cilibim. 
Our correspondent's description seems to apply lo the 
Coregonvs albus, These fish have been kuown to take (he 
fly on Lake Champlain at a time when a large lead-colored 
fly makes its appearance in countless numbers, strewing 
the surface of the waier in ncre-patehes of dead bodies. 
The white-fish are then feeding on the surface. This fly 
is locally known as the “shad fly;” and the white-fish are 
often called shad. We have scon the same fly bn. the fat. 
Lawrence on every visit at the season referred to, which ia 
about the 1st of August. It is there called the “eel fly.” 
We do not think Hint the white-fish of the lakes is 
an habitual fly-taker by any means, any move thau the 
salt water shad is; hut it i6 not remarkable Ihat the angler 
should hook them repeatedly when schools of many thou¬ 
sands are feeding ou the natural flies. No doubt the 
motion of the artificial fly drawing through the dead 
masses would at tract attention. Wliile-tish, which resemble 
in their structure the Ooregonus albus in all respects are 
caught in Lake Waushiuing, Conn., and in interior lakes 
other than the Great Lakes; we do not remember having 
seen them in any streams. If our correspondent can give 
any further information on this point, it will be of value. 
Has he ever caught the fish he speaks of with a fly, either 
on the Atlantic or Pacific slope? 
PICKEREL IN ADIRONDACK WATERS. 
NEW Ypnic, March 27tU, 1876- 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
Your correspondent "C. 0.” is right in regard to there being pickerel 
iu waters other thau tho Enqueue. Lake Sandford will stocked some 
tweuty-flvo or thirty years ago, by John Cheney and. the late Tony Soy- 
