380 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



a bird" would particularly .'delight to dwell, ther arcely 



asparrow to be sceu. In tin' whole Park there 



than a regiment or two, merely detailed to drivi 



more delightful and in every way more desirable bi la fuose 



lose tothe lunch baskets of the dally pick- 

 Dickers, hang around StetSQife, the casino, the dairy, the 

 ; -house, and I .■ here there are 



choice crumb and sugar candy pickings. Down town, in 

 Madison and Union squares, where nurses and children most 

 do congregate, and in up. town streets, where the tramps beg 

 at the area doors and immediately and indignantly sling the 

 bestowed bread and butter into the gutter— these are the 

 chosen spots for the sparrows, and they fairly haunt the 

 school houses at lunch time. The lazy little louts! Catch 

 them in the way of any work, such as worm rl ing, wbj n 



they can. stuff themselves with cake crumbs, fragments of 

 French rolls, and like luxuries! And then they do " increase 

 and multiply" so pre i :id even {he most liberal 



construction of the scriptural injunction, and make such a 

 confounded twittering under the bedroom windows at early 

 morning hours— such a noise, indeed, as almost to drown the 

 Comanche yell of the milkman and the fierce notes of the fish, 

 horn. Oh ! it is getting to be too •'intolerable, and not to he 

 endured." I don't suggest a summary ami indiscriminate. 

 squelching of the sparrow nuisance, but some plan for their 

 rapid reduction in respect of numbers would be desirable." 



Mr. Brewer believes the sparrow to have been of incalcu- 

 lable benefit to the parks and gardens of his city. He depre- 

 cates the agitation of the starling question, begging to substi- 

 tute that bird for the sparrow. He says : 



Just now in Europe, where they ought to know better, in 

 mauy places the starling is an outlaw quite as much as the 

 sparrow. You surely have not forgotten when the latter 

 were introduced how grateful the residents of our cities were 

 when the measuring worm disappeared as if before a magi- 

 cian's wand. A few years have flown, and now all our grati- 

 tude has flown ! Forgetful that what has been once will be 

 again without the sparrow: . •'.■ Beds of the same 

 nuisance lurk all around us to surely reappear if they have 

 but a ghost of a chance to repn ! . igratefhl J or what 



we owe the sparrow, like nr a ;i. Air. 



Alinot, they tell us these birds "are practically useless and 

 are no longer needed." Such wiU be the fate of tie starling 

 ■with the unthinking, the ungrateful and the short-sighted ; 

 and such is at present its hard lot in Southern Germany, in 

 Austria, in Italy, and even in some parts of intelligent Switz- 

 erland, that it is hunted down as a destroyer of grain. 



Living as 1 do on the eel.. aiiaon, with abund- 



ant opportunity daily to see and judge for myself, I prefer to 

 trust my Dwn eyes and ears than the ipse dixit, the inference, 

 deductions or opinious of any other man. So, when I am 

 told that a sparrow has been seen to attack a Hue bird, I may 

 be pardoned for remembering that in i ex] irience, and 



in various instances, the blue t>i , been the aggres- 

 sor. There are more native birds, especially robins ana blue 

 birds, and more, kinds on Boston Common this year (June, 

 1877), than I have ever seen before. 



Mr. B. also cites several incidents, well known in Boston, 

 of the blue birds taking forcible possession of the nests of 

 sparrows and ejecting the young, which are verified by the 

 parties on whose premises the actions took place. He also 

 calls our attention to the fact that when this subject was 

 opened we asked for evidence; while much that has been 

 written is but mere assertion or opinion, neither of which 

 throw any light upon the question at issue, but rather tends 

 to obscure and puts to one side the goal which is so desirable 

 to reach. 



Mr. John Galvin, superintendent of public parks and 

 squares of Boston, corroborates Mr. Brewer as to both starling 

 and sparrow. Of the latter lie says that it has accomplished 

 "all and even more than we had any right to expect from it. 

 ¥e are not at all sure that the new comers, the starlings, even 

 if they succeed in maintaining a foothold in this country, 

 which is very doubtful, will not be put under the ban like all 

 of our own most useful native birds." 



THE FAUNA OF MICHIGAN. 



BY AECHEE. 





GKNCS cyrjNTJc. 

 i. Sharp. Arnericau Swan. 



r, Eicb. Trumpeter Swan. Specimens are met 

 ■Willi occasionally on St. Clair Flats. 



GENTS A-NSER. 

 .. its. Pall. Snow Goose. 

 , i .uimlieM. Hart. White-fronted or Laughing Goose. 



. Bel. h this be a species, as Eaird supposes, it is 

 common. 



•Bernicla canadensis. Bole. Canada GooSB. 



. Bonap. Ilutcin 

 arenUt. Steph. Brant. Notwithstanding all that has been 

 said to prove that the brant does not frequent the great lakes aud 

 rivers, I must, give evidence to the contrary, having seen several 

 One shot In Samla Bay, two from St. Clair Flats, two 

 from Torch Lake, aud myaelf captured a wounded one near Iowa 

 Point, Kan., in the Missouri, April 25, lsT6. 



LM1LT ANATlN.f. 

 GENOS ANAS. 



Jtwxx hoechat. linn. Mallard. 



1m. Dusky Duck. 



TIO.N. 



acuta. Jenyns. Pintail. 



Jiittion carolincnsis. Bd. Green-Winged Teal. 

 gf.ncs orEBGCEDrr.A. 

 liecora. Steph. Blue-Winged Teal. 



QBNOS Sl'ATCLA. 



Spatula dypeata. Boie. Spoonbill ; Shoveller. 



GENUS cilACl.EI.AS.Ml.S. 

 ClMuUlturmua itreperus. Gray. Gray Duck; Gadwall. 



GENUS MAKECA. 



nmininivMi. Steph. BaldpaUi; Widgeon. 



OKKC3 AIX. 



BoJv, summer Duck ; Wood Duet 



STTB-FA5IILT FTLIGCLIN A, 



eciax. 

 '■<•?«. Bd. SeanpDuck. 



' "'iaris. Bd. Ring-Necked Duck. 



J'Wte a finis. Bd. Little Blackhead ; Blueblll. 



Uterus avtuva. 

 Aythya americcma. Bon. Red-Head Duck. 

 Aylhya, vallianerta. Bon. Canvas-back Duck. 



GENUS BUCEl'UALA. 



< Bucephala islandim. Bd. Barrow's Golden Eye. Common on St. 

 Clair Flats and Samla Bay in winter. 



limxphaln albeola. Bd. Butter Ball; Dipper; Buffle Head. 



Bucephala ami-ricana. Bd. Golden Eye; Whistle Wing. 



CENTS HARELDA. 



llarelda glaciali*. Leach. Old Wife ; Long-tailed Duet. 

 GENUS OIPEviia. 

 imaentatn. Bd. Lake Huron Scorer. 



GENUS CAHPrOL^MUS. 



■' Camptolcevius labrailoriim. Bd. Labrador Duck. Probably an acci- 

 dental visitor, as one or two specimens have been seeu in Georgian 

 Bay; hence I add it to the list. 



GENUS BRISMATURA. 



JJri.tinatura rulvla. Bonap. Ruddy Duck. 



Mr.rrnia amirieamia Cass. Sheldrake, Goosander. Fish Duck. 

 Menjus senator. Linn. Red-breasted Mergansu. 



GENUS LOPHODTTES. 



Lophodytes eveuttatws. Reich. Hooded Mergansn. 



FAMILY LATUD.E. 

 GENUS LAKUS. 



Lani* ijhimuH. Brunn. GlancusGull. Burgomaster. 



■■ . ■■■■.■■a:.'.. Brunn. nerring Gull. 

 harm deicwarmsis. Opt. Ring-billed Gull. 



GENUS CaiiOICOCEPHALUS. 



C'roirorephahts africilla. Linn. Laughing Gull. 



Craieasephdtvs franklin ii. Franklin's Rosy Gull. Common in Northern 

 Wisconsin and adjoining parts of Michigan at certain seasons. Seeuia 

 to be migratory. 



■■■■■ Philadelphia, Law. Bonapart's Gull. 



GENUS F.ISSA. 



. Jlissa tridactylus. Bonap. Klttiwake Gull. Frequent in winter on 

 Lake Huron, common around the Straits of Mackinac. 



Sterna imlscmi. Bonap. Wilson's Tern. 

 Stentafre/uUa. (iamb. Least Tern. 



Sterna fosxteri. Nun. Forrter's Tern. On authority of late Dr. G . 

 B. WilsOn, F. S. S. 



GENTS HVDROCIIELILION. 



Tlydroclteliaon plumbea. Law. Black or Short-tailed Tern. Very 

 abundant In marshes around Saginaw Bay, where it breeds. 



relicami-1 erythrorhynchus. Gen 61. Rough-billed Pelican. A speci- 

 men was killed a few years since In Sarnia Bay. The only one known, 

 la how in museum of the University, I believe. 



.■■■'.-' arquattlB. Brnen. Loon. Great Northern Diver. 



■■-. Lion. Black-throated Diver. Not uncommon 

 throughout the State. Have seen it in Eaton, Calhoun, Antrim, Sarn- 



Cofymbus afptmtriimaUs. Linn. Red-throated Diver. 

 family podicipim. 



GENUS PoniCEPS. 



Podicefjs yriseioena. Gray. Red-necked Grebe. 



. Lath. Crested Grebe. 

 J'vdinps cormtttts. Lath. Horned Grebe. 



GENUS POD1I.T.UBU3. 



■ ■■■■,..- Law. Pied-bill Grebe. 

 {To be continued.') 



EniToi: Fi 

 111 the & 



EEL SPAWN HYBRIDS, ETC. 



New Haven, Conn., July tt, ISTT. 



'AND STKEAir: 



.1 History Department of Forest and Stream, of June 

 iud "Jones " each speak of having found Spawn In eels. 

 u thai the - at n i rtfti md i thes inuttsh? I have 



-R. C. 



If Go 



"wilt please uotfi mat lampreys 



r are noteels at: all, agreeing fl Ltl 



■ ■eg body. 

 brought iwui trj '.Hi. i ailing from tbe 

 union of the cat and the raccoon, It is certainly a most wonderful event, 

 and the greatest paina should be taken to preservi 

 alive. On the whole it is highly improbable that the hybl i 1 

 the raccoon, but they may possibly result from the union ri 

 the wild cat (Lyme ru/us). 11 is very rarely that ever two speefes can pro- 

 duce a hybrid, but if the mj have given one, co 



effect upon Mr. Darwin should he hear of it. We have in the classifica- 

 tion of animals : 



1. Ranotespceies, in which hybrids are never produced. 

 .,"!-ei«, which produce an unfertile offspring. 

 ".:,■ specie*, winch produce with each other a fertile off- 

 spring. 



The ■' we; weu:I:er" biMs ol I.'. G. Gaiter fin the same number of 



■ i are undoubtedly terns, but of what species it is 



difflcult t»{ a, 1!. T. M. 



[In rearing dogs, breeders often find that different varieties 

 will assimilate in features and characteristics by bei 

 kept in close contact with each other, although having no ab- 

 solute intercourse, and it is possible that the young of the cat 

 referred to (which was kept in the same house with the rac- 

 coon) acquired some of the features of their mother's com- 

 panion. — Ed.] 



Thb Taubt/P or Gueat Turtle.— Bad a3 are his habits 

 (the pickerel), however, he is not the only nor the worst 

 enemy of the poor, pestered trout. The great turtle, the 

 taurup or U ; iping turtle of more 



refined dialects, is a deadlier foe, for he takes the mature 

 fish, not the mere S ioh satisfy the pickerel. 



The taurup is a horrible creature, one of the antediluvians, 

 cruelty in its eye, strength in its muscle, imperviousness in 



ml neither mercy nor gentleness in il 

 bowels. With equal independence it lives on land or in 

 water; with equal courage it defends itself from man or 

 beast, One of forty, fifty or even sixty pounds, to which 

 f often attain, is no mean antagonist ; when cap- 

 Uired and drawn into the boat, or cornered, it turns, and 



i ml wrinkled legs, not crawling prone like 

 an Ordinary turtle, but with head extended, li 

 glittering, and sharp i advances 



defiant of all created tilings. Then it is no pleasant object, 

 the i arrow limits of an ordinary 

 boat, and the captor at such a moment wishes he had done 

 something ... . : ten astoad of being just 



in that parti. t moment time, 



one I captured, of quite sixty pounds weight— drs 

 ashore by the tail, ami theti - .......... 



an ax — whiei than the "Ole 



folks, young folks," when we undertook to put him into the 



i wash-boiler of boiling water, with a vie up; aud 



i which moved i' , 



j not only decapitab .. i . ml ... i. ... 



| spectacle for the Society tbi i I of Cruelty to 



I Animals, and rne'r.il ! 



I These fellows a to deal with, and must be ap- 



proached with caw : their bite is terrible, their jaws never re- 

 laxing till the piece seized upon cornea out, had they are post 

 sessed of a truickx 5 m - let ao one would espee- 



from their heavy, awkward shape. They lay their eggs in 

 the sand during the warm days of early June, depositing 

 about thirty or forty, and scratching out a hole about half the 

 depth of their bodies for the purple. The eggs B 

 nearly an inch in diameter, 



shell being exceedingly thin like transparent paper, and they 

 are left to hatch of themselv te summer's 



sun. Snapping turtles destroy and devour some of our finest 

 trout, approaching them for that purpose from below, 

 rising slowly from the bottom, and looking more like, 

 some black, rough-barked log than a living creature, till they 

 are near enough to dart oaf their long neck md big head. 

 The trout sometimes 



.print of the two horny jaws on either side of his 

 abdomen. — Itolert B. R'j/jscrctt,' iii A iipi- km's Journal fir 

 June. 



Rats is Posse, 

 part of La 

 rats, so munen . 

 not only 1 1 



they also prey upo 

 ens. etc. Young j 



deep, calcj 



mi i... i for them. 



-Tie- county of Saline, Mo., and a 

 d to hein possession of the 

 cstruetive have thev become. They 

 ic corn by lushels, tral 



■ tigs, ducks, chick- 

 ire iti rally gobbled up. The lice, 

 ... ■ ii .- i. ■ the regi u . nffi 

 cal paperss I aE the 



rals of the g p . here, aud 



i third year of their si>j . 

 tear that they have brought along their lath and kindred, and 

 intend to stay. They are here unque^ 



PrGit.isTii! Bex vf.ks.— In :how fight 



when they arc captured. The Butler 7/</.. 



Mr. R. Momfort told ns yesterday of a strange fight. On 

 tlio SOili of April last, Mr. Jackson Kirka 

 W. H. Ficklin's mil!, in tie iding in the door 



of the mill-honse wh on the bank of 



ile and ran between the 

 creek and the b 



water. To I animal turned 



him. when a regula ... 



his pole into three pieces during the fight, 



the beaver, which was a very large one, weighing fifty pounds. 



The Singing Sex Sheio,. — When the sea shell is held up 

 to the ear there is a peculiar vibratory noise which children 

 assure each other is the roar of the sea, however ili 



from it. Philosophically investigated the peculiar 



sound tin 

 lars for a long til 

 ply pressing a sp 

 shell, the sound i 

 Now, what cause 

 of tension. Sort 

 particularly thosi 

 tion of the 



by Bim- 



a stale 



i body 

 s are more on the 



of the finger. ]l is i I ilievibra- 



if those in ti... . communicated 



to the shell, it propagates and intensifies them as the liollow 

 body of a violin does the vibration of 



aeeoustic ner I ■ i r ■ ions .' ' m-i 1 - 



of the leg below the knee are said to vibrate in the same way, 

 and if conducted to the ear produce the same resul: 

 Wateftman. 



AlHUVALSAT CESTKAL 1'AKK MKNAGE1U2 I'OK WEEK ENDING ,lDKE 



30, 1S77 : Two Iepoun ■>..) bred in the menagerie. ; two 



fawns (f.'a/iVu i . ■ lenagerie; t 



ground parr. 



mottled oi 

 Jlr.U.A. Wheekir. New I'.neiinm, 8. i'l ODI eagl 



presented by Hon. Angnat Belmont, HewYort City; 

 one fox-colored sparrow {!••. 



W. A. c ■ • 



Arrivals at ttie PBU-AMSTtPHlA Zoolowcal Cakden for Week 

 ending Tuesiiay, .lui.v ii.-One woodctmck", Antomys numax, prc- 

 reaented; one mm owl, .<irU 

 - 



■..'.•., present- 

 ed; one red-tailed haws, /. '.■■•• | 



Very truly, Amntm E. BBOWN, «en. Hnpt. 



New York AgrjABicu.— Lust of animals and fishes reoeti 

 Aiiuarium for the past week: 

 Holies from Bermuda, spotted I 

 12 seals, 2 sea 

 flshe?, 40 blow fishes. ■■ 



large eollecnon of tropical fishes, among Which are angel, 

 .. i,, farlooa kinds natives of iho 



together wit I ■ • ■ '■ 



"ExperFence woi a 



Bi ..:. - i 



them buy B. T. I . ■:. ■ 



...... '.i | '.e, 



t >i 



— I nil is not 



complete unless the walk have been thoroughly cleansed. If 



be surface 

 I washed. If tin 

 ..i i Id be washed ida. The ceiling 



flhotild also he subjected to a similar treatment, 



