

FOREST AND STREAM. 



The Pbasori uEhsbttm of Yale College which has reofflrfty 



' ompleted, has during I in on furnished with 



Cases, and a large part of flie collections in the various de- 

 partments of Natural History have deen placed on exhibition. 

 The, line appearance of the building, its great size and the 

 completeness of its equ I lledwithpricle the hearts 



graduates wliOjwere present at the recent Commence- 

 ment exercises. 



Although the r-o'leetions are as yot only partially arranged 

 taereis very much to ba seen which will interest the most care- 

 ibserver. Thevery fine collection of minerals has been 

 completely arranged, and the same is true of the zoological 

 ii tions. In geology less progress has been made owing to 

 LSt amount of material to be worked over, but the won- 

 i Otisville Mactodon and the Eichstadt Pterodactyl are 

 lire to hi noticed by every visitor. A large quantity of im- 

 plements and utensil from the mounds and graves of North 

 America are a striking feature of the Archaeological display. 

 We hope before long to be able to give some detailed account 

 of the present condition of the Museum as a whole. 



Note.— In our issue of June 21, our correspondent It. 

 G. Carter refers to a bird shol recently in Nebraska as being 



probably the, " Wet Weather Bird" referred to I i issai »i 



about which there has since been some 

 inquiry in our columns. 11 our correspondent will compare 

 a of the ""Wei Weather Bird '" -with that which 

 he gives of the specimen secured by himself, he will at once 

 see that the two are very different. Mr. Carter's bird was 

 evidently a gull; no doubt one. of the species included in the 

 enus Chrorcoeephalw, and very likely Larus franklin!. 

 An inspection of the specimen would at once decide its position. 

 These comments should have been made when Mr. Carter's 

 note was published, but, by some error, they were omitted at 

 that;time.— Ed.] 



—Prof. Marsh, of Yale College, continues Ms investigation 

 at Turner's Falls. Lie has opened a new ledge for" lard tracks. " 

 Dr. Field has carried on the work since June 13th. 



Moi.uisca of Kkwi'cunoi.ano.- St. Johns, iV. P., June 

 '.M, L877. — An eminent German conchologist, ilcrr T. A. 

 Verkruzen, of Frankfort, spent a ]>art of last summer dredg- 

 ing for moll usca around St. Johns. He did nottind the ground 

 favorable, the bottom being in most places bare rook, or 

 covered with boulders. Hence the collection he was able to 

 make proved to be small, but it contained many interesting 



" 



of \ 



■cr from the hanks, which were 

 brought in by the captains of fishing vessels whom he was 

 able to interest in the mailer. I was able to render him some 

 assistance in his various operations: and when leaving he 

 kindly present! d mewiih a mourned set containing representa- 

 tives of the different species he obtained here, together with a 

 descriptive catalogue of the same. This valuable collection I 

 al once placed in our local museum which is under the care of 

 A. Murray Esq., P. G. S., our provincial geologist. It is 

 specially interesting as being the first collection of Ha- kind 

 evermade here : and I trust it will have the effect of stimulat- 

 ing further efforts, and that additions will be made to it from 



time by our local conchologists or by collectors who 

 may visit our shores. In time this nucleus may enlarge into a 

 complete collection, containing representatives of the various 

 species ifmollusca in the seas around this island. As all 

 naturalists will take an interest in this collection, I forward 

 herewith a catalogue which 1 trust you will publish in Pokbst 

 anli Stream. It is thoroughly reliable, as I he specimens have 

 been identified and named liy llerr Yerkru/.en; and in any 



, >ubt reference has been made to the highest authori- 

 ties in Germany. 



1 may mention thai Herr Yerkruzeu had arranged to accom- 

 pany ttofessor Hind, ofWindsor, Nova Seoiia. on his pro- 

 jected expedition to Northern Labrador, under the sanction of 



mmentof Newfoundland, to examine and report, on 

 the new fishing grounds in thatquarter. That expedition has 

 heeii deferred till nefcl year, owing tbademand for Professor 



Hind's services in connection with the Fishery Commission, 

 in Halifax: hut it will he cai Tied out next year. Interesting 

 investigations will be made into the lower marine life of this 

 unknown region. Herr Yerkru/.en has kindly promised nie a 



collection of the Tarious species he may secure for can- local 

 museum. He, devotes this summer to dredging around the 

 Nova Scotia, and especially in the Bay of Pundy. 

 ih' has just commenced operations in the latter. 



M. IIaRVKV. 



ANOTHER OPINION OF THE SPAR- 

 HOWS. 



Pottsvii.i.e, Pa., June 12, 1877. 



Entrou Fo BEAM : 



, i, . ,,■ m Uered fellows who swarm the streets, and 



[Ti i Li i nb, birds who stay with us all winter, are Subjected 



, . cer persecution than they deserve. I think the, ways 



nr habits of the sparrows are but little known to the farmer, 



because they incline to stay around the cities and towns. The 



swallo 



■ uai-dia 



wifl and night-haw 





jflaid it. 



■Ct lilt 



lil; ! 



ilig the 

 'id check the increase >j insa ti 

 iclpeckeis, areepeis and cluca- 

 runks of trees ; warblers and 

 >; blackbirds, crows, thriLshes 

 ie and woodcock protect the 

 iv, while tne poor little sparrow is de- 



ruit-di -irnver, and battling off our beautiful 



Hi ve bit ■ ' ■■■■■'"■' scrutiny and observation, I 



, , ,...,.,... i the sparrow molest noreat any kinda of fruits 

 ,, i ■ ,■.. rather i isposed to pass tin I'l'iiie ' nungly unob- 

 served ami perch upon shade frees, or light, upon the ground 



1'iirfood. 1 have seen the sparrows llcin" a 



,,,'., igsand pick from the walls and weather-boarding bugs 



, , i is kinds of worms that chanced to 1 ic crawling Uicre- 



it 1 1 1 nl v devouring the caterpillar and much 



In ided canki v ■ - i ■ ■ ■ vi,. ■■" ■ ■ ■>••'■ i ■ I me 



■ i ' ori t by these hlrdfl ii omi 



known by sad experience. The little Ftuit and grass seed 



taken by I he spari'Ow i as is claimed]] is more than compensat- 

 ed by the vast quantities of obnoxious insects and worms he 

 destroys. Upon throwing a chunk of bread in the yard, I 

 have seen two bodies approach it, and suddenly, as if by 

 agreement, a champion from each body would aii 

 almost simultaneously begin an attack "upon each other, both 

 endeavoring to possess themselves of the food. When one 

 champion was exhausted another stood ready to lake his 

 place, and so the thing went, on until four or live battles had 

 been fought, when the defeated side, would throw up the 

 sponge and fly away, leaving the champions in possession of 

 the food. I have never seen the sparrow offei: tight with 

 any other species of birds outside their own iribc— seem to 

 be family quarrels only. The wren, bulbird. robin, oriole 

 and martin are sociable and as numerous as previous to the 

 advent, of the sparrow. Each tribe has its respective duties 

 to perforin in the economy of nature, and if is an undoubted 

 fact that, if the birds (sparrows included) were all swept off 

 the face of the earth, man. could not, live upon it; Vegetation 

 would wither antl die, and insects would become so numerous 

 that no living thing could withstand their attack. Spare the 

 birds. Don Pedro. 



" MOBB About Eras.— PiUsJield, Mtisx., June 20.— I find a 

 query in a late number of your paper from R. Ii. Roosevelt as 

 to eels and their poting and several answers to the question. 



Th Lresl to the mark conies from your correspondent, R. 



(.'. B., and hail he bcenable to save his fish in a tank lie would 

 have found they were not orijurromt . Eels are viviparous and 

 hatch the egg or ova in the body. The egg. when fully devel- 

 oped is ibout the aide of a herring egg and of about the same 

 general appearance, The hatching operation commences lira 

 in the upper pan of the body, in the throat, and the egga are 

 retained there as they are hatched. I have found them in dif- 

 ferent stages in one fish about one inch deep of y 



measuring from y to | inch, all fully develop! d and lively as 

 crickets. The upper end ol ova. next the , ■ n- I 

 dark color and full of life. Theova lli o r.tl i bi dy had a dif- 

 ferent appear;, :nr n enioi asthes ages Of hatching progressed 

 the lower end at vent having a bright, fresh color! The lime 



of capture -was a few week's before fall run; the nearest lish 

 to tide water, four miles; the farthest fish taken Irom tide, 

 '3D miles. I believe they carry their young to tide water, un 

 less obstructed by nets or pads, when they may eject them. 

 Tnos. CiiAuauta. 

 |TJe\im:k.— This is information we have been waiting for. 

 — Pn.J 



Na-iivh.i.k Notes. .\<i*lo:il!t . 'J'"i>i., May CU.— A grey 

 eagle, measuring six feet and nine inches from tip to tip, was 

 killed on I 'mid Greek, in Monroe county, a few days ago. It 

 weighed eight pounds. 



quail, with the exception that the brown plumage 

 lighter hue. It had web feel, with long legs and thighs. Tin- 

 was three or four inches in length and very pointed. It pos- 

 sessed a combative disposition. When its wings were 

 si retched it measured nearly four feet. 



Thomas Rinc captured a veritable, horned owl. ahoul two 



A few days ago Dr. \V. C. ilankins, of Lawrence county 



house-cat at liome with two kittens. When he re'turned he 



found that the infantile members of the feline family had 

 none where the good little kittens go, and that the bereaved 

 maternal relative had adopted two young rabbits, and was 

 nursing them with all the tenderness and devotion peculiar to 

 one of her race. 



A gentleman named Parks recently caught three catfish 

 near .lames Perry, which weighed respectively To, 88 and 98 

 pounds. 



In concluding this communication, permit me to congratu- 

 late the Forest a xi. Si ki.-am upon its consolidation with the 

 Ron axu Gun, thus uniting I lie sterling qualities of both 

 journals, and making it the best journal for sportsmen ID 

 America. I-Y.w, 



[Except for the webbed feel, we should have taken Judge 

 Kcruan's bird to be a bittern (linLuurna minor). The descrip- 

 tion agrees almost precisely, except in the point referred to.— 

 Ed.] 



A Stkanoi; Visitor. — /Ww'Mt', l'a.. May 23.— The wire or 

 a suburban resident of this city while alone', me day last week, 

 suddenly had tier attention attracted by a strange "and mystcr- 



natter, and 

 and web- 

 turc it, but. 



She weal into their back vard to 

 there found a large, loiiu-ncekcd bird. Ion 

 fooled, making the noise'. ^\\<: atte'mptei 

 before she succeeded, the bird pecked her i 

 several times ; she was determined, however, and at last gain- 

 ed the victory. The bird is a "1 ," belonging to the family 



of divers known as Coiymbfdai. It has a well shaped clean 

 head, long black bill, bright black eyes, dark feathers on the 

 in tani back, and white breast. The legs are straight, and 

 are placed SO (at back that it, always assumes an erect position 

 when standing. These birds are "rapid and powerful divers, 

 are the fastest swimmers, and feed on fish and veget&bdes 

 they inhabit northern countries. Nobody knows where the 

 captured bird came from -, it. seems that "it just dropped into 

 I hat yard and commenced its uncouth music. It is very 

 vicious and dangerous, pecking at. people's eves when close 

 enough, and trying to get a mouthful of flesh from any person 

 who happens to come along. L)o\i Fbdbo. 



Do.MESTIOATEO Wll.O CeESE B II EKlil NO. — Sr/ll'u l'\ North 



ampton. Co., |V/.., June 30.— In your issue of .lime 7, I see a. 

 paragraph relating to wild gecse^and mentioning, as a curious 

 dug and coming of the geese. A few weeks ago 

 when on Uollbs Island, I saw a number of lame wild geese j„ 

 the yard. Old Mr. Cobb told me he had tried experiments 

 for the last, twenty years with wild geese, and had for the 

 first time, this summer, succeeded in raising some 

 ■■'■■ in li I Saw. They were accompanied by the maos, 

 dcr, who showed tight when approached. The gander has 

 sometimes two wives, but not often, I also saw another 

 goose sifting on eggs, bull my. It is common 

 for these geese lo go off On the marsh round the island and re- 

 turn at various inCi t ii bru thers * ii i i hern, when 



they are driven into the goose 'house and have their wings 

 ipped Mr, Qobb clips till their wings in summer to keep 



them on the island for breeding purposes, and as I said above, 

 he has succeeded very well, lie has, also, brant, but has al- 

 ways failed to raise- young from them. All arc very tame, 

 the old gentleman goes into the yard and says 

 "Uoiiil-uioruing" to his pets, they answer back in a liiosi 

 friendly way. "Mr. Col >b is the man to give you information 



upon the habits of will geese. I ild think he' has had as much 



experience among wild fowl as any one living in this coun- 

 try. Hoping the. above may prove interesting to some, Ire- 

 main yours, etc., 11. H. 



Revbesbd SnKLi.s. — In our issue of June 7th we published 

 an inquiry from a Leesburg (Va.J correspondent in reter- 

 ence to left-handed land shells. The inquiry, we are happy 

 to state, has elicited several replies from gentlemen versed in 

 the science of conchology, which we append : 



New Bedford, .in 

 Editor Forest and Stream : 



1 uotii-ft in the remarks or "T. W.," in yoni- laRt tsane, in reganl to 

 hetertetropk, or left-Handed laud stiella, lie mistakes Hie meaning of 



,v!iji*li is thut left-handed, ' ns ,a nnr- 



mal, or rigUt-bauded species, are mit eornmon. Tlie tact i: 

 species, and even some whole genera, lire normally left-handed. Is well 

 knows to every coneliologist, especially In the genus Helix from China 

 and Japan, and the geuas Achtftftaltd from tue Sandwich inlands, 



Joun It. Tim.Msos. 



Danveksi'Okt, Mass., June 1 1. I vi. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



in reply to the qaerj of your correspondent T. \v„ of I • ■ 

 " Can it he ilea latitude has any effect du the way the snaEI puis no ins 



idea that U'C i 1 ireneia of stn-lls lurned to tlie left, and 



■ [rash-water snails of the geuas I'ln/xa, a largo- 

 ir correspondent would send nn- a 



in.c:- 



■ 



i-.illv 



ml 



ir in 



curtndextratgon. 



;o;iie left. I will ftjte a few i 



ue.ie on //■■'..f i" i- '■-;.', in ,i meriottn \'atu/ralfgi for September, 1-t.i. giveH 



an Illustration of a reversed specimen "f (Ma 



iremely rare. Prof. Morae Informs me thai he hns cmlei : 



Bpecimenaoi m(antko date* several tlmi Ufl K- 



cently'I received from Mr. if. E. Call of Mohawk, n. y., a revorspa 

 Bpecimeuol WefunQwinUara from the Krie Canal ai that place, llo 



sajsthafpr day about two per uent.pt Hit- young shells are rrf 



versed, hut ol these not.nwre than seventy pcrcant. attain any size." 

 Uanjother instanoes might be cited, bill space will not allow of more. 



A 111 II Lit I'. CliAV. 



Meiiiwh, Herkimer Co., S.Y..JP >17. 



Editor forest and stream : 



Ion luis been Invited to an Inquiry about "left-handed 

 aring to S recent anmber of yonr mierestingpaper, and X 

 words in reply to the Inqntry. Prnt Morse's re- 

 :. ft-hauded shells were unqaestlouawyintemied to applj to 

 moes in which a species normauj dextral or right-handed, 

 utati-al, or left-handed specimen. HoSl ol our 

 have 



•l'a. 



r gel 



lob 



letlll 



Bpeeies of ,Vet«<^/a.. aboni i 

 No example of a reversed I 



la. 



. in the modern sub- 

 ire somewhat commou la must 



■ a of the eiulinorle 



u reve.us tin- raet thai 111 soma 

 ■in. are reversed or left-handed. 

 uiugt.ainls 13 oa record m ihis 

 nails) have liecn kie.wa to pro- 

 1 have one ji.-iu atboldterU ol 

 heUiana. Thia enter species la 

 ..nnea- than any other iidto In 



■/,;,. iit.i« my are at tniamomenl 



... iiiury, ■ -.iiiid name other species that have 



pio.iin-cii reverse.i s| iim-a-. Auunioi i ofyeorsago i aenta reversed 



rcdoata trhvrtnata toD : Philadelphia, who probably 



imwluisltinhis.-olli'oiioii. More recently I have found another re- 

 versed Rpirimcn of V. 'ri.urhiala. 



There are certain fresh water, marine and land shell? thai are always 



left-handed. Your correspondent who propounded the Inquiry ahoul 



■, -us probably ins speoiinei . the shells of 



iyg left-handed, in nuna, ami also in some other parts 



of the WWW lef.-h,.. - probably a right 



iM.ai.i a Bpecles fiormaUy rtnistral wouldbeusrareaaa 



rig. in Africa certain tu-sh water Rficlla, once 



■ . are always sinistral. Thoae sinistral African 



aheaa are now aetaport under thegenua ta»««). in the Sandwich 



Islands occurs u l.caniifiil and Interesting clasa Ol land shells known to 



,,,ii ictora oa AahatiMla. Some ■■( the species are remarkable for pro- 



,i m an'Mii,i;in-i-einlvsu.,sii-aioi ,l,M,:.l Bpecimens, whUe other species 



are all sunstrai or all d.-vtral. In Kurope is found U cfasa of laud 



.shells known as ClausM*. allot which, l OeJWvo, are ainiRtrai. 



Tin- ocourrenue of an oeoaslomiJ leftr-handcii Bpeeuaen 



n i, i ...... ,-. I those phenomena which m i ■ ■• 



aUel to the rare instances In which a human being has the heart on 

 the right side, and the other vital organs iwreesrwutUngly transposed. 



The subject, like many utums that are in ' > "'« "«' Natm-ai 



History, is one of interest, ami much more mii-h 



...,it, a in works flnvDtefl 

 iliseuBsious of species. ■> > ■ '' ■ '■ ' 



NOTES ON SOUTHERN MAMMALS 



LIST OP MAMMALS FOTIND IS NQ8TH M ..MlAMA, SOKTB TUlSStS- 



:-,liT, WEST TE.NNKSSEF. AND t'RNTl'.AI. A lil. A.NS.AS. 



By Rawi.iniw Stomal, M. D. 



..■■'.■ 



time iu Aiakuna or Tear 



BAY LVN. 



, | aisslsalppt; com 



Roi 



. Aial 



round at tins 

 a ami Tenaoaaee ; not so 

 sre in lust three named 



ai in Arkansas. 

 Very 

 .ii bj kansaa. 



I . . ,, „;,.,,; ,,,, . , e common inthefonr- 



. ueriouml In Alabama ana Tennessee from "im- 

 ported stock. " 



junk. 7 -,-,-, ■■ ■ ■ cry common in the four-named blatea, 



especially iu Arkansas. 



