FOBEST AND STREAM. 



them 'i 1 ' I' perching hiin 



twig of n wild cherry tree, from whence he can dart 



upon sparrows, now hides in the tall grass. A. grave and 

 solemn old blue bird now makes an animated speech, as long 

 of Ben Kill's, and gives the signal of battle. In u few 

 moments a elond of feathered rascals go wildly c, i 



lie fields, pursued by the blue coats, who. 'if they era- 

 ill their adversaries, at least can strike a wholesome awe 

 into the robber crew. 



1 am sorry to record that the blue bird, usually so tenacious 

 of his own rights, and scrupulously averse to larceny oi any 

 kind, yet. has his moments of mental aberration, when his no". 

 tions of nv !■</?», tt tiiuin are sadly mixed. 



TJje house-martin, another pugnacious bird, comes about a 

 month.' later than our blue-coated friend. A house is usually 

 provided toi the martin. Among the well-to-do, this house IS 



painted and fn 

 dor- Among Hied; 

 wiih holes cut in th 

 The blue tajrds Beei 

 bine together to ilri 



for birds, with 



i, in front of their cabins. It 



nil the domicile of Mons. 



i- martins so happy, some 



:• them away and take possess) 



LXJll 



iplen- 



■ gourds 

 Martin. 



■-' 



of their 



homes. The while boys shoot the blue fellows wit 

 but the darkeys roll their while, eyes at their little friends, and 

 ■ lib solemn scnlentiousncss, " Ef you can't tight, Martin, 

 you have to git I" 



Another bird, whose time of arrival and departure has been 

 little noted, is the snipe {OaMnaga ioitwnH). You cross, for 

 weeks together, a piece of marshy land on your way to shoot 

 quails, and y 'iir dog never shows, any sign of a point. Some, 

 day. however, wheii you have readied the. high land, you look 

 back and see " Dolly Yarden " turned into stone. ' You re- 

 trace your steps, and' " Scnipe '. BCaipel" the well-known cry 

 salute's your ears, and. as a cloud of feathers floats down the 



i, i ,, ,,u recognize the fact that tin' snipe have come. 



Thai the snipe have regular laws governing their migra- 

 tion in the South 1 do not believe. That they have in the 

 North 1 feel equally as assured. Du Quoin, Illinois, the v 



DWARFED MASKALONGE. 



paradise i 



Male. Thci 



t.hut GrOUm 

 n b iddi a 



,all ganu 



about the lr.ih of Me 



of that great 

 of such a character 

 ke. lie comes with 

 ,reh, and leaves With 

 comes is a mystery ; 



Another bird, eotigt-nei of the last mentioned, a shy, wild 

 bird, is but little known at the South. That the woodcock 

 breeds in the South; that it breeds in some localities in vast 

 numbers, is so well established that it is unnecessary for me 

 to dwell upon it. No longer ago than last summer, while cut- 

 ting away the vines on the banks of the Ogechee, in order to 

 give me room to fish for bream, I found a nest with six little, 

 wee woodcocks. The mother, with great round, amazed 

 eves was squatting under a chunk, within three feet of my 

 hand. She happily believed heiself hidden, and I did not 

 disturb that belief. 1 doubt, indeed, if five hundred braces of 

 woodcock are killed one year with another in Georgia. Their 

 habitat is impenetrable swamps, marshy thickets, and the 

 wooded banks of streams. You shoot at the whirr of the 

 wings and the stream of feathers coming back to you is the 

 only indication that your shot has been successful. Shooting 

 "iitirely nl short range, No. it shot is the best si/.e. Some use 

 No. 13." No. (i is duck shot, under fifty yards. 



About the 15th of October in our latitude, when some very 

 Blight frosts have tinged the trees with gold and red, you 

 wake up some tine sunny morning and determine to have a 

 day with the woodcock. Quail shooting has become monot- 

 onous. It, does not require any great degree of skill to bring 

 down a lazy bird which llies in a straight line, and which is 

 so fat that "he can scarcely fly at all. Ah ! what a difference 

 in December ! Then, they fly as if possessed by the demon of 

 swif'lness. and in all sorts of zigzags and curves! Then if 

 vou can bag your double bird after the covey is up, you can 

 shoot ! 



Well, you wish to have a day with the woodcock. You 

 take the shortest gun that you can find and the lightest. Not. 

 less than 13 in the bore, for you wish to shoot 1 J oz. of No. 9 

 shot. It must be a good gun. A gun that will drive her shot 

 clean through the woodcock, for you rarely, if ever, retrieve 

 the wounded ones. 



You use the best powder, Ely's wads and caps. You go 

 into that thicket which skirts the road, and your dog, who 

 looks at you disdainfully, as being out of your mind in com- 

 ing to such a place for quails, now pauses, as she " snuffs the 

 tainted gale." You walk up to her and give her the word. 

 A vision of an enormously long bill, a large, bright eye, two 

 short, vigorous wings, accompanied by a wild effort to fly 

 over the tops of the flushes in complicated curves, and you 

 pull trigger! lunt it is done you know not, hut in less than a 

 i-nute you have in your h.v.i.1 a 30ok bird of full weight. 

 pierced, back, brain and heart. You congratulate yourself, 

 for you shoot alone, on being in such good nerve this morn- 

 ing. You go deeper into the thicket, where the dog-rose and 

 the honeysuckle are mingled with the bamboo-brier and the 

 K&'buehes. Ha ! the dog is down. You kick the bunch of 

 briers and, as Burns says, 



" By theL— d, fire!'' 

 Yes, five full grown woodcock careen wildly towards the 

 skie's, and you put in both barrels and never touch a bird! 

 Your dog looks mournfully and reproachfully at you. You 

 i -unci; smitten, and your spirits fall below zero. By 

 way of relief, you kick the dogi and tins act of justice having 

 been done, vou proceed. With much bad shooting and some 

 exceptionally good, you make up your bag, and by nightlall 

 you have a couple dozen birds, bagged under more difficulties 

 than vou can imagine. 



Another remarkable feature about our autumn shooting is, 



male birds, 

 ■ring to the 

 , or whether 



Cleveland, Ohio, May 5; 1877, 

 Editor FohSst and Stream : 



I semi lo you by express a cast in plaster or what appears 

 to be a lull mown fisli. that weighed 'H oz. It may be a 

 dwarfed maskalonge (7iW mubilby), or pickerel (E.hinutj), 

 I cannot determine positively which. The colors resemble 

 those oi the yearling (or ISmonths fry) of both these fishes, 

 but the first was free from anv spots or burs common lo 

 them, even at this size or age. ' The cast represents the side 

 of the fish laid open so as to expose the roc and air bladder. 

 The former was fully ripe, and contained about 2,000 eggs, 

 the moat of which were readily pressed from the abdomen. 

 With respect to the early development of the roe (first part 

 of April) our fish here resembles very much the pickerel, 

 wdiich deposit their eggs some weeks before the maska- 

 longe, but it is seldom, if ever, these last, named fishes are 

 met with under live and twelve pounds weight, containing 

 spawn ripe and ready for the spawning bed. 



The specimen was taken in the Mauiuee river the Oth of 

 April, and sent to me by Judge Potter, of Toledo, who 

 mentioned also that numbers of them had been caught for 

 some time, part by the fishermen in that locality before he 

 was able to procure the one represented. They were noticed 

 swimming in pairs side by side in the shallow water alone, 

 the river margin, with their snouts cutting the surface after 

 the manner of the maskalonge when approaching their 

 spawning grounds. A single specimen of this pigmy fish 

 might easily have been passed by as something only a little 

 ewrtous, but from the fact that [so many were seen and 

 caught. While conducting themselves after the manner of 

 aged and respectably grown fishes of their kind, would it 

 not be worth while to give them further attention. While 

 waiting further developments on theMauinee, willsomeone, 

 believer in the survival of the ; fittest, give, his opinion. 



Yours truly, ' Dk. E. Sterling. 



Reply.— "With all due respect to our learned correspond- 

 ent, we are compelled to say that we do not recognize the 

 similarity between the two fish which he speaks of. For- 

 tunately for the success of our testimony, we have within 

 ten days had both the maskalonge and several pickerel in 

 our possession, which afforded every opportunity for com- 

 parison. We find in the first place that the head of the 

 maskalonge measures about One-fourth of the body ; that of 

 Dr. Sterling's plaster cast a greater length of head in pro- 

 portion. The opercles or gill-covers of the two specimens 

 arc of quite different length and shape. The fins are 

 located differently on the bodies. The dorsal fin of the 

 pickerel is subquadrate ; of the maskalonge rounded ; tail 

 of pickerel deeply forked ; maskalonge, lunated, with 

 rounded, lobes. In color the maskalonge is a dcepish 

 brown, pale on side, and his characteristics are— numerous 

 rounded distinct pale yellowish or greyish spots which, 

 varying in size, are often confluent, blending into each 

 other. Fins whitish yellow. The pickerel varies much in 

 color, as much as the trout does, some dark green, varying 

 to blackish on back and head ; others greyish olive ; others 

 golden or yellow olive on Ihe sides ; the under fins tinged 

 with red. They are not always reticulated. They vary 

 even in the same waters. We have seen spawners not over 

 six inches long ; trout the same, in small brooks, where 

 they seldom attained a maximum weight of a quarter of a 

 pouud. 



—At Holberton's Sportsmen's Emporiu m, 102 Nassau street, 

 can be seen a pair of interlocked buck's horns, which are in- 

 deed a great curiosity, although the like has been seen before. 

 They came from Colorado, where they were found with the 

 bones of the disjointed skeletons of the combatants lying- 

 loose all around. 



tip of flying membrane. Ir. is nearly the satne color 



: the preceding; beneath white, with the 



hair plumhous : tail darker than the back al the tip; hair on 

 thi Feel of nearly the same color as the bad; instead of white 

 as in P. wlmella. This species is quite rare in lliis part of the" 

 country. 1 think thai it lives in ttests altogether, as I have 

 ii 'in.' in hollow lives. Ii has more of the habits 

 I '!■'■' -'quirnis than the preceding, such as running a i< i 



ii ii- ,,:id jumping from one t.o another, in the ma it of the 



common red squirrel. It will also sit on its haunches and curl 

 its tail handsomely over its back; a thing I never Baw P, 



voluaelbt .do. Of its breeding habits I know nothing. I 



captured a specimen of this species that had about an inch Of 

 its tail creamy white; probably a freak of nature, as it is the 

 only one I ever saw so marked. Chas. V. QoopHUB, 



THE FAUNA OF MICHIGAN. 



BTJAB0HE8. 



(G'/'linimf), 



(llWeii RAS1KK8. 



familv c.m uNumi.'i!. 

 '■mrisTKs. 

 Swain. Passenger pigeon; wild do, 



GENUS ZENAIDUUA. 



Zenaiilura carolinensii. Bona]). Cornmou or Carolina dove. Mlgra- 

 lory to Michigan. 



BUB ORDER GALL1N.E. 



£rl„pi.ilcs mitjraturi 



that i 



Whet 



the 



the North at i hi 



Wii 



:mI, ir< 



■ thr 



i til 



■efully 



,al there 



prom i 



North, full 



of the South. T 



ter give all the measurei 

 that would establish a g 



admit; but that there 

 deeper and more loving 

 these papers, without ai 



I shall give some fact 



— Mr. Geo. Bird Grinnellhas been appointed assistant in the 

 Department of Osteology at the Yale Peabody Museum, New 

 Haven, Conn. 



A WORD ABOUT FLYING SQUIRRELS. 



(Pkrmnys Yohueella and Hudson/us.) 



PER: 



jTple 



most pa 



Mebjar/ris ijatlopttm. Una. Wild turkey. 



FAMILV TKTBAON1U.K. 

 QBNUS CANACE. 



I " 1 " .■■tmitiritxix. Linn. Canada grouse, spruce partridge, Upper 



PeniuBula and Pine Lands of northern part of Lower Peninsula, aB far 

 SontU as the Saublo. 



IJENCS PEDIQMCETKS. 



J'alin'cctts plm-sinwilf*. Kit. Sharp-tailed grouse. All oeoasloua 

 Visitor to Lower Michigan ; more frequent in tlie Upper Peninsula. 



Pedeacebea cohimbiamis. Burnt, Columbia sharp-tailed grouse, con- 

 fined to the eastern snore of Lake Michigan; even there is extremely 



GENUS CCT'IDOXIA. 



Cup,;/,,,, Uteu-piilo. Baircl. Prairie chicken Or lien. Pinnated grouse. 

 Confined to the two lower tiers of counties from which it is almost ex- 

 terminated. Formerly afew were seen along the St. Clair Kiver, m St. 

 Clair county— a few may be still left. More rarely it is seen m Senessee 

 and Kent. Counties. Seems inclined to follow civilization, as was never 

 seen in any of these latter localities until after clearings were made. 



Ummm iimbMuts, Steph. It ulfed grouse. 



GENUS l.AGOPCS. 



Latioinis albiis. Aird. Willow grouse, white tarmigan. is found in 

 limited numbers upon the mountains of Upper Penuinsula, 

 family PERDiciD.i.;. 



SIJB-FAMILV OUTYGIN.H. 

 GENUS ORTi'X. 



Oi'tiix. I'irmiiianui:. Bonap. Bob White. Quail. 



OHUElt INSESSORES. 

 FAMILY TUUMUJ1. 

 GENUS TURDUS. 



rwAiiidoHiw, Cienel. Wood thrush. 

 TwdtafuSaiMua. Stepb. Fawny or willow thrush. 

 Tvr.hi* ,1 //,•/„.. Balrd. Alice's thrush. 

 Tunhi.i tmoonson i. Cab. Olive-backed or Swainaon thrush . 

 y'linhm puiluni. Cab. Hermit thrush. 



TwdiU migrotoriut. Linn. American robin. Occaaioaally KinleM 

 in Michigan, as far North as Saginaw Bay. 



Uurpurhynchvs )•»/««, Cab. Brown thrasher. 



Mimits Puli/yhUim. f 

 portions of State. Oca 



.anally 



eking bit.'. Very common in southern, 



«en as far North as Sanilac County. 

 COPIES. 



@aleotico2rt£a ctj/rolin^nsift. Ca.i>. Cat h 



FASIILYSAXIC0LIB.B, 

 GENDS SAXICOLA. 



Saxicola m„<»th>: Hi cli. The wheat ear. An occasional aritumnal 

 visitor to Sanilac and St. Clair Counties. 



GBNTJS SIALIA. 



Sialia xialh. Baird. Blue bird. Appears in February or early In 

 March in St. Clair and Eaton Counties. Iu 1871 arrived in latter couuty 

 Jauuary W. 



llldbet- 



cheerfullv 



i U ivfei 



birds that will startle your readers. 



•essary and all the 



lost willingly and 



f who love nature with a 



3 than the humble writer of 



>r boasting, 1 deny. 



snpe to well known Northern 



,J, W. St. Clair. 



Arrivals IT GMUMN oi' the Zoologica i. Society, Fairmount Park, 

 for Wi:r.K ENDING May ISTu.-Four rabbits, Upua cunicuhd, pre- 

 sented; one great horned owl, r.ubavirgimanvx; one short-eared owl, 

 Ladtm'hu, palustris, presented J one woodchuck, .-Ulani/s mvnax; 

 (me English thrash, Arthur B. Brown, Gen'l Sapt. 



ERHAPS none of our animals 

 id as the flying squir 

 rnal in habits'; but C 

 Where they are found at all 

 nearly every dead tree having its fan 

 They are somewhat local in their dis 

 woods may contain large numbers, a 

 not one is to be found. 



The most common and best known 

 common flying squirrel of the Easter 

 and a half to ten inches long fix 

 color, light yellowish brown at 

 the hair white, to the roots, ears lar 

 forefeet nearly always white, allhoi 

 there is a faint grayish timre. 



This squirrel inhabits hollow trees 

 nests, and sometimes constructs a n 

 birch and dry grass in a thick spruce 

 often. The young are brought fort! 

 ban- to eight at a birth ; thej are born 

 In about two weeks they 

 hole, but do not leave it u) 

 . I think but one litter 



1 in others v 



3 (Pteromi/H 



p of 



; bene 



n to peo- 

 i for the 



•nly they 

 .bundant, 



ithin a mile 



olueAla) the 

 ; about nine 

 ip of tail; 

 tny white; 

 kauri full, 



Off tht 



apr 



, I think. 



deserted woodpeekera' 



■st, of fine bark of Ihe 

 or hemlock, though not 

 the last of May 1 ; from 

 blind, and with little or 

 (ef so strong as to climb 

 dess disturbed until the 

 is produced in a year. 



■ habi 



•aps baited 



d, (suddenly falo 



kof a tri 



(light i 

 as a pe 



id, climbi 



•yard diree- 

 drty yards 

 e top, the 

 uiy as fast 



Pteromy* hudxoiuvs, northern flying squirrel, or the Severn 

 Kiver flying squirrel of Pennant, is from fit. to 12 inches 

 in length, and from 8J to 9 inches in breadth, measured from 



after a warm day. ,' 

 down nearly to the 

 Hon, alight on the t 



from their starting point 



ed. Ii this way they will fn 



i can run. 



SUB FAMILY KKCU 

 BENDS KEG CLI 



Re0lm Mttapa. Llchf. Golden 



Pnvtulux viil'Midtda. Licht. Kuby 



PoliaptOa axruleu, 



GENUS i 



Sclat. nine 



(To be c 



ned ringlet or wren, 

 vned ringlet or wren. 



;ray gnat-catcher, 

 ntinued.) 



BIRDS OF THE COTEAU DES PRAIRIES 

 OF EASTERN DAKOTA. 



, BY CHARLES E. M'CHESNEV, M. I)., C. 8. A. 



(Cmlmu.d.) 



llatanns minor. Aaicricau bittern. Is found here From May 1 until 

 October l. It is not at ftny time numerous. Breeds here. 



Clrw amwicctm. White crane. Is seen only during the spring and 

 fall migrations. 



i;, ua canadensis. Brown crane, is but rarely seen on the Cotcan. 



I'onuim riinlimt. Carolina rail. Is found here iu ntual! numbers 



iw goose. About April 1 this goose commenced 

 ;1 North, and thousands are daily seen during 

 y few remain and breed. About the middli a 

 arrive front ihe North, and by the 1st or Oct. 



will a 



I found hiTc from September 23 

 era, and associated Willi I In: last. 

 ;h during spring migrations. 

 The account of the snow goose 



Anus bosohas. Mallard duck. This duck appears tooater this region 



