96 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



^istorjj. 



For Forest and Stream. 

 SOME FLORIDA FISHES. 



ON the East Coast of Florida is to bo found the largest of 

 tliii Vemmls, and one of the largest of edible fishes— 

 Lin .lowtish, Guiiwi of Cuba, Pnimhraps Haam, Gill. Individ- 

 uals have been taken in the Halifax and Indian Rivers of 1(10 

 pounds to 500 pounds weight. One was shot last year by B. 

 Jfacetti. of Musquito Inlet, in Spruee Creek, which he esti- 

 mated at 000 pounds, and he. is probably as well acquainted 

 with the fishes of this coast, as well as those of Cuba, as any 

 other man. I have only seen one of them taken with hook, 

 and that was a small specimen, weighing only 19 pounds. It 

 very much resembled an overgrown tautog, or blaeklish, both 

 i m tad color. I afterward partook of it upon the table, 

 and found it excellent eating. 



I :i ,i . inter we Bet a large shark hook, attached to a heavy 



: i, baited for sharks, near the Inlet, and next morning found 



.::. l, l iroken. It hud a strong chain and swivel to it, and 



lVei lu was of opinion that a large jewlish was the marauder, 

 the jaw of a shark not being powerful enough to produce 

 Sis effect, while those of the jewfish are. It is a sluggish 

 iish, usually living among rocks or under a bank, to which 

 stronghold ' it retreats when hooked or speared, and from 

 which it is difficult to dislodge it, 



The rock-grouper. .-' . . Su/rUus, Gill? resembles the 

 jew fish in appearance and habits, but is very much smaller, 

 n i : ceeding ten pounds in weight; in some places, how- 

 ever,' it is called by the kilter name. I caught in the Halifax 

 River, February 8tb, while fishing for sheepshead, a fish of 

 about two pounds weight, which so much resembled, the tau- 

 i i took it for a stray specimen of that species. But 

 in ide and referee in all piscatory questions, B. Taeetti, 

 pronounced it to be a Cuban flsh called " Cropa," and says it. 

 is common here in summer, that it is taken with the cast net 

 while sleeping on the surface, and that he never before saw one 

 taken with the hook. I think it is mentioned in Gill's Cata- 

 logue of the Fishes of the East Coast ot North America, under 

 the name of PimelepttbrUS Jjuscii Lac, Chopa bauea of Cuba; 

 rij earn of Bermuda. We found it rich and delicate when 

 cooked, much like the pigfish. 



I have also taken, in the warm weather of April in these 

 waters, a handsome fish of one or two pounds weight, for 

 which ecu i'aeetti has no name, save, that he calls it a Cuban 

 fish. It is shaped like" the fresh-water sunfish, 1'omoiis, nearly 

 circular in form, light colored beneath, dark above, with 

 brassy and bronze-colored tints on the side, with metallic re- 

 flections, and a black spot near the gills ; very active and 

 vigorous, as its form denotes, and of excellent flavor, as in- 

 deed almost all the fishes of this coast are. 



A year or two ago I mentioned in Foeesi and Stream the 

 capture of a JNeuse shark, which I called Soma iosus, in this 

 river with my rod, and was severely criticised by Professor 

 GUI for my statement, he asserting that tiomniusus was a 

 purely northern species. I have lately found in "Gosse's 

 Naturalist in Jamaica," a description of aNeuse shark, ,SW//- 

 '/.,, cireahm, Out., found in those seas, which exactly cor- 

 responds with my tisn, of which 1 have since taken another 

 Specimen. " Dpper parts of a dull brown hue ; inferior parts 

 wliite; eye white and very small; scales minute, round, and 

 strong; teeth small, with" a single high central point, and 

 three small points on each side; two neshy civri, about two 

 inches, long depending from the muzzle; length of specimen 

 7i feet: habits sluggish; taken only for its liver, from which 

 oil is made." 



A .specimen of this Neuse shark may be seen in the collec- 

 tion ni the Chicago Academy of Sciences, which was taken 

 by Dr. Viele on the West Coast of Florida. This may con- 

 vince Prof. Gill of the existence of a Neuse shark in Florida 

 waters, so that he may venture to add Soyttium arrahiM to his 

 list of the fishes of the East Coast, or, if not, it will be easy 

 to obtain a specimen here. S. G. C. 



CURIOUS HABIT UF A CATFISH. 



We have received the following extremely interesting note 

 through Prof. Spencer F. Baird, of the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, whose interesting explanatory letter we append:— 



VAN11EUBU.T UMVEttSlTY, I 



Nashville, Tenn., .February 19, 1677. j 

 Prof. Spenceb F. Baibd, Commissioner of i'ith ami Fisheries, SmUhsouian 



Dl ; ..:— About the middle of July, 1S0S, while on a visit to 



Mobile, Ala., 1 accompanied a part)* of friends on a fishing excursion to 

 Wish I iv. i a small stream on the eaateru side of Mobile Bay, some 

 twenty-five utiles below the city. 



This river, near its moutb, widens out, forming Berwick's Bay, a sheet 

 of water iibout three miles wide by lour in length. This Berwick's 

 Bay is a lavorite fishing ground, beiug the resort, especially after a 

 Btoriu to the Gulf, oi immense schools of mullet. A great variety of 

 oiler llsh, such as the croaker trout, redfish, etc., abound in this bay. 



I . v. ,. ... no owned a largo saw-mill on the bank of the river, 

 and "Wlioae hospitality we were enjoying, kindly proposed to show us 

 i ... , ' , ; , i . - i i , ... i fish winch frequent tlees... waters, and to this end 

 , „ i ■,.,! ; :,!■■ j -...-iisc ami the necessary force to draw it. 



While exaiuiuiuj' the fish, mj attention waa called to several cat, each 

 ahont ten inches in length, which seemed to have a wondertnl da- 



aloj t Of the throat. Oh examination, the enlargement waB found 



as 1 by small cattish and eggs, which were carried in the 

 mOUth, From the month of one- I took out eleven small fish, each about 

 an inch in length; and from another eight or nine eggs, the size of a 

 small marble, the e;cs of the embryonic cat showing distinctly through 

 the thin membrane euvelopi u§ ' - 



On mcuiryieade of several old li.-heimeu in the neighborhood, and 

 of a large number elsewhere, I have failed to find one who know any- 

 thing whatever of this habit of the cattish. If the observation is new 

 and It deserves to be placed on record, you are at liberty to use this lu 

 any way you may deem proper, Very respectfully, 



Washington, February 20, 1877. 



Editoe Fobest and Bib-bask— j, ,, , 



I inclose, herewith, a letter from Frof. Lupton of Nash- 

 ville, in ie habit, ot ooi catfish, which is in 



corroboration of what 18 already known II gl rd 



, ;e nui from Central iffl n a, Prpf, Gillin- 

 fonnSBiBthatt i B I is probably a species of At y , 

 all probability the A. Milburii, or sea cat oi the Atlantic 



coast. .... -, 



,,,,■ i,.,i is , -■i..ii'cipn.ntlv taken in pounds on our 

 oast and! would invite attention to it during the 

 comiii'' summer f have taken it myself at Beaaley's Point 

 ami' Vineyard Sound, and presume it is common in the sum- 

 mer season in the vicinity ot Mew \ork 



Yours truly, Spencer F. Baibd. 



A LIST OF BIRDS OBSERVED ON AND 

 AROUND CLARK'S ISLAND, PLY- 

 MOUTH, MASS. 



BY F. C, BEOWNE. 



Editor Forest and Stream:— 



The following list is from observations a long time ago, 

 namely, in 1852, between May 1st and Dec. 25th, but I think 

 it would correspond in the main with one made up at the 

 present time. A few species observed during visits since 

 that date (one of them of considerable interest) I have noted 

 below. A word as to the locality. This island has an area 

 of about eighty acres, elevated', fertile land, is situated two 

 miles or more from the main land proper, along which are 

 ranged the towns of Marshfield, Duxbury, and Plymouth; 

 but it is sheltered on the seaward side by a narrow "beach oi' 

 several miles in length, which, at its nearest point near its 

 extremity, approaches within a quarter of a mile or so of the 

 island. In old times it was a very famous gunning location, 

 and many are the thousands of ducks and plover that have 

 bad their "hang up" in the breezy porch of the old house. 

 But now the marshes and beaches are comparatively deserted, 

 and although the ducks still visit their old haunts in consid- 

 erable numbers, it takes a good gun "held straight" to stop 

 enough to make a "good bunch o' fowl" nowadays. The no- 

 menclature is worthy that of Coues. F. C. BbownE. 



FramiiKjham, Mass., Feb., 1877. 



1— ON THE ISLAND. 



Robin Turdus migratorius. 



Brown Thrush .Barporhynchus rufus. 



Catbird Minus carolinensis. 



Che wink Pipilu erylhroplUhalmut. 



Baltimore Oriole Icterus baltiinore. 



Kingbird Tyrannus carolinensis. 



Ilcd-wii,.", ! j 1.1, ,■,[ Lpktrtis r h„-Mteus. 



' ]'""' Ijla.'l i"! i ' , e , ii ,.,o. / 



Bobolink DoUcionyx oryzivorus. 



Meadow Lark Sturnella magna. 



- «: -'.' "■■ . ...•/. ■."..■:., ..■.'■.■lIi',",:., 



Golden-wing Woodpecker Coluples auratus. 



Barn Swallow nirundo horreorum. 



V| hits-bell;..'"! H",'.T!l!...Y !'■: I,,:.;,",., :■■ ,'. ,"..'.:"' ■„■. 



Black-billed Cuckoo Coccytut erythToplOkalmWi 



Hummingbird Trochilu* colubris. 



Wild Pigeon Ectopislam igratorius. 



Pine Lionet (:>,,■«■■■-. ■.: ,' ;,.„..•. 



Goldfinch Chrysomitris tristii. 



Bed-poll Linnet Aegiothus livaria. 



I'ine Grosbeak Pinicola euuKnhdor. 



Snowbird Junco hytmatis. 



Sharp-shinned Hawk Acdpiter floats. 



liagle , , flafi'fj.us tmroixphalus. 



Barred Owl Syriuni ndjulusum. 



Sn o wy Owl v , A'yctea nivea. 



Little Night Owl tfyclale acadica. 



Noie.— At various times since date, as above, have recorded the fol- 

 lowing additional:— Black Rail, I'orzana jamaicemis,, {a single specimen 

 obtained August, 1869). Woodcock Philohda minor, (on the marsh just 

 across the channel from the island). Shore Lark, EremophUa atpestris. 

 Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus. Quail, 0ri[ix virginianus (breeding 

 on the island in 1876 ; first time for many years). 



2— ON THE BAY AND BEACHES IN VICINITY 01? IKE ISLAND, 



SanderliDg. Calidus arenaria. 



Turnstone Slrepsitas iidtrpres. 



Yellow-leg Totamis flavipis. 



Greater Yellow-leg T. metmuitim-us. 



Solitary Sandpiper T. sotttarim, 



Spotted Sandpiper Trvngoides maculalus. 



SeniipaheateLL Sandpiper Brenpetes pusUlus. 



Wilson's Sandpiper 'Jrtnga minutiUa. 



Pectoral Sandpiper T. maculala. 



Red-back Sandpiper , T. alpina. 



Red-breast Sandpiper T. mnulus. 



Bonaparte's Sandpiper. , T. Bonapariii, 



Stui Sandpiper J 



Black-breast Plover... Squatoirolii hebvettica. 



Golden Hover '■■;. ■:,■,:, ■.',•,",..< n,;\-ur. 



Ring Plover Aegialitis sent ipaimalus. 



Piping Plover legiaiitis aeTodus. 



Upland Plover ActiturUI 'mrtramitis. 



Red-breas t Snipe '. : , M tt>/l Ut griSeilS. 



lis.l.u:ill.".ll^ Cdirl'jW v ■■':■. :.:■/:■. oo.e.ee:. 



HudBoman Curlow .jV. ftudsonicus. 



"Long-billed Curlew A', tougirostris. 



Blue-wing Teal Queynedida discors. 



Dusky Duck. . . . :. Anas obscura. 



Pintail Duck .Dapilaacida. 



Shoveller Duck Spalula ciypeata. 



Velvet Duck... Ocderniafusca. 



Surf Duck O.perspicUlate. 



Scoter Duck O. americana. 



Scaup Duck Fuligula marila. 



Eider Duck ...SomaUriu invHussima. 



Buffle-head Duck Bucephala alleola. 



L':.lieo:".i.0!l j MJ. 1: - ; ,'■■:■ ■'■:■! ;:V" :■■:::!■::. 



Red-breast Merganser Magus serrator. 



Canada Goose liranta canadensis. 



Brant Goose B. bernicla. 



Bonaparte's Gull Lams Philadelphia. 



Kithwake Gull L. tridactyias. 



Black-back Gulf i. marinus. 



Herring Gull L . a rgentalus. 



, I , oi; ■!":. ',:■! ..■:,. :■:' ' ■:■:■:■: ■ ■ : ;:■::.■!::■':■■'■: : ;,J 



Least Tern Sternafrenata. 



Common Tern .V. Wuxtmt. 



Black Tern Ifydnch-didon plumbea. 



Great Loon Coiymbus porgualus. 



Black-throat Loon O. orctiat?. 



Red-throatLoon C. scp'tntrwnalis. 



Ganuet... ..Suta bossana. 



Cormorant. Graculns carho. 



Little Auk .Mr.rgulm alle. 



Horned Grebe Fudiai>s corn idus. 



Great Elue Horon Ardca hermlim. 



Hinrrs of Domesticated Wild Geese. — A correspondent 

 in Christiana, Pa. , writes : 



"Mrs. Gro.fr, of Lancaster County, received from a friend 

 in Indiana a pair of wild geese, male and female. She has 

 been very successful in raising them. The young geese do 

 not lay till they are three years old, and but three or four 

 eggs at first, adding one every fear after. Although she has 

 the common variety, they never have shown a disposition to 

 cross. 1 saw them last spring. Several of the geese were 

 sitting at the time. Their nests were built on the brest of a 

 mill-dam close to the house, and constructed of brush and 

 weeds, and were nicely covered with down and feathers. I 

 saw them again last fall, and then she had a dock of thirteen 

 as nice Canada geese as I ever saw. The first on. ■ I I tb 

 tip of wing taken off at first joint; but she said they did not 

 show much disposition to migrate. They are very hardy, 

 and raise neailv all their young, and are quite as tame as our 

 common variety. I think they would be just the thing for 

 to call down them wild species. Gh !'■ 



A Proof op Instinct.— The large flocks ot geese, which 

 are constantly passing over the town, arc frequently shot 

 at, but they generally fly too high to be reached by the 

 leaden missiles. Sometimes, however, the shots take effect, 

 The other day we were watching a lloek hying southward, 

 when the report of a gun was heard, and we observed one 

 of the geese begin to fall slowly. The others, perceiving 



that their comrade waa wounded, uttered shrill cries of dis- 

 tress, and about a dozen of them flew under the wounded 

 mrd, huddled together so that their backs formed a sort of 

 bed upon winch the wounded one rested. They buoyed it 

 up for some time, the others meanwhile looking on and 

 manifesting their concern by uttering loud, discordant 

 shrieks. Finding that their companion was unable to 

 longer accompany them in their flight, thev abandoned him 

 to his fate, and he fell to the earth and into the arms of an 

 expectant Chinaman.— Anaheim Gazette 



THE BIRDS OF WEBSTER, NEW HAMP- 

 SHIRE, AND ADJOINING TOWNS. 



BT CHAEtES P. GOODHUE. 



rosident ; 



Vtml'muedfmm oar issue of March 1st. 



.ICTERIDiE — 0BI01.ES, STAnLTNGa, KTC- 



Dolichouyx aryzivorus. Bob-o-lmk. Abundant 

 breeds. 



Mohlhrus pecoris. Cow bunting. Not common; have found a few 

 eggs in the last, four years. 



Agelans Phoinicais. Red-winged blackbird. Abundant iummei! evi- 

 dent; breeds, nesting in low bushes and bunches of grass in rueodow3 

 and around ponds. 



Slurnclla magna. Meadow lark. Common in summer; has boon known 

 to remain through the whiter, but not often; breeds in Ion 6 : ' 



Icterus Baltimore. Baltimore oriole. Common summer resident; 

 breeds, often two or three pair on one treo. • 



Scolecophagusferruginers. Busty grakle. Common in the migrations. 



Quiscalus versicolor. Crow blackbird, purjil,; graklo. Not common; 

 lew pair breed on a small island in the river, at a place known as the 

 Bays. 



cORvma— the ORcrtva ahb javs. 



Corvus Americanus. Crow. Common in annuner; Icbs so in winter; 

 breeds. 



Cyanala cristata. Blue jay. Common resident ; most so in winter: 

 breedB. This bird is a great nuisan. e, destroying large numbers ot the 

 eggs and young of the smaller* "birds. 



Tyrannus Carolinensis. King bird. Common siunmer resident; breeds. 

 I once saw a pair of these birds robbing a pair of least fly-catchers of 

 their nest, to build their own with. 



Myiarcltus crinitus. Great-crested fly-catcher. Not common ; a few 

 breed, nesting iu hollow trees. The nest almost al ways has one or inoro 

 suake skins woven in among the other materials. 



Sayornlsjuscus. Pewee. Common summer resident; "breeds. 



Coutopus borcahs. Olive-suied Hy -catcher. Nut common in summer ; 

 breeds. 



Contopus virens. Wood pew'ee. Common in summer ; breeds. The 

 nests and eggs of this spedes aro the most beeutiiul of any . 



Empidonax Traillii. Traills fly-catcher. Kol a very common summer 

 resident; breeds, though not often. 



Empidonaz minimus. Least fly-catcher. One of the most common of 

 the fly-catchers; breeds. 



Empidonax jlaviventris. Yellow-bellied fly-catcher. Not common; 

 May breed, but have never found ite nest. 



AL0Er>INIIi£— inn BTNC.PtSHEBS. 



CeryU alcyon. Belted kingfisher. Common su-4Wcr rosident; breeds 

 in the river banks, in company with tin- basil B wallows. 



Antrestomus voci/erus. Whip-poor-Wi " 



breeds. Have harfl work to make people bolie 

 following are the suine. 



Chordales pnj.e'.ue. Night hawk. Summer resident; breeds, nesting in 

 rooky fields and pastures. 



0¥PSELrDiE— THE SWIFTS. 



Chmlura pdasgia. Chimney swift. Common summer resident ; breeds, 

 nesting in chimneys. 



TrochUus columl/ris. Ruby-throated hiiiumie- bird. Common sum- 

 ner resident; breeds; have captured several that have come in to tho 



ccculid^ — TI 



Coccygus Americanus. Yellow-billed cuckoo. Probably ^occurs, but 

 never taken It, as yet. 



Coccygus eryUirophlhalmus. Black-billed cuckoo. Very co mm on sum. 

 mer resident; breeds. This birds destroys a largo number of the eggs 

 of the smaller birds. 



1ICID£— THE WOODMOBEKS. 



Picas villosus. Hairy woodpecker. Common resident ; breeds. 



Pious pubesams. Downy woodpecker. Same as preceding, but more 

 plenty. 



Picoides urcticus. Black-hacked, three-toed woodpecker. Very rare 

 fall and winter visitor. 



Picoides hirsutus. Banded threctood woodpecker. Raro winter vial- 

 tor. Took one in the winter of 1875. 



Sphyrapicus varius. Yellow-bellied woodpsckor. Not very common 

 summer resident; breed. I found a neat oi this species in June, ICTG ; 

 the hole was excavated in the solid live wood, to the depth of ten inches 



iletamrpes erytkrocepluOMS. Red-headed woodpecker. Very rare; have 

 seen it but once, and that was abottf the year 18110, iu June; waB round 



Colaples auratus. Golden-winged woodpecker. Abundant 



Hytalomuspileatus. Pileated woodpecker. Rare resident; I think it 

 breeds as it remains hero through the summer. 

 [To be continued.] 



— ».*- '- 



■YNruALS Received at Cen. PaHEMeNAOEBTE, WeekEsihsu Mail 17th. 

 —One Barn Owl, Slrix Jlammea, var. guatemaUe, presented by Capt. 

 Samuel L. Olapp, steamship Acapulco ; one Opossum, Did: (.; ■■■■-■ 

 presented by Mr. David O. Bode, New Vork City : one Muskrat, Filj.-r 

 cibetldem, presentod by Mr. Stephen Oartwnght, Now York fire ; one 

 Guanaco, Lama lutanaco; ten Dog-faced Baboons, ijiimvpl'a'u/.parcarius. 

 W. A. Comili.n-, Director. 



"' SNUB-NOfKD Salmon.— I have received from Mr. William 

 luc'ie lishmonccr 123 Great Portland street, the head of 

 a remarkable salmon. The. peculiarity of it is that the up- 

 ner iaw inslead of assuming the usual shape, has been 

 turned 'downwards upon itself, thus forming a snub-nose 

 somewhat like that of a pug dog's. The lower iaw is quite 

 perfect The under surface of the inverted jaw has become 

 ouite hard so that it takes the place of theusua 

 This snub nosed malformation is not at all uncommon 

 among young fry just hatched oui It is found 



rtlsoin half-grown or quarter grown salmon. 

 casts in my Museum ot two snub-nosed flak <*>W 

 Wve and presented tome by Mr. A. Miller. The hei.J 

 uow presented by Mr. Luckie, wo* l..U-n from n 



which weighed W lbs. Bo that it is quite i y.deni that this 

 malformation, which is decidedly coflgemtal, did not Inter 



fere with the Bsh being able to teed wall— J<rauk Lucldand, 

 in Land and Walt/: 



