FOREST AND STREAM. 



441 



Those who visited tin- New York 



Aipuu in'" !.■ ,in' II i i 



, 



OUtes tinder water in a. glass tank, Where all her move- 

 be plainly Observed. In London they have HOW 

 <mp u\ in. ■. ' named James Swan, 



- pi i ■: ice uLilic Pavilion, in Ooventry street, are 

 thus described by Frank Iiucklami in Land and Water: 

 When the curtain drew up I observed on lite stage a pretty 

 i iss front, filled with water. In the water 

 : otiug live living crocodiles, averaging from four to six 



op a lively tune, and the mat 

 climbs upa ladder at tin.' side of ihetank, and at once jumps into 

 Bich comes nearly np to his fieclt! lie first of all 



walks round I he tank, and (as it, were! stirs up the crocodiles. 

 making them swim about in all directions. There is one of his 

 aquatic beasts, however, of which he seems to be in wholesome 

 dread. This is a large snapping turtle, but I could 



!, species he was. 



Having looked aroundto see where these reptiles areswimming, 



a. to the bottom of the tank, and quickly 



seizins' Mr. Snapper Turtle, brings him up into the air, where 

 he flourishes him about, over his head, much to the delight of 

 l ludiehce and the discomfort of the turtle. The reptile 

 with, is allowed to go, and he 

 ■ is with a heavy, lazy motion to the bottom of the 

 water. Mr, Swan next feels among the thick of the croco- 

 diles, which have by I '• Hav- 

 ing chosen two of thorn, he very adroitly takes one in each 

 hand round the neck. This, 1 should imagine, was a difficult 

 thing to do, as the crocodiles object considerably ; they make 

 the \v«t..-r boil again with the lashings of their tails. 



At last a firm hold is md their necks, and they 



are flourished about in th afa pen ag their mouths .and. snap- 

 ping about right and left. 



3ir. Swan then descends again, and remains under waler for 

 a considerable time. When under water lie drinks, 68 

 writes on a slate, in this respect rivalliug, if not outdoing, the 

 " Human Frog," who performed in London » 



The inscription he writes on the slate is "Swan, the man- 

 crocodile." I le causes the crocodile which he has at the hot- 

 it h him to make pretence to rub oul the writing with 

 his paw. Ascending again to the surface. Mr. Swan is offered 

 a box by the attendants. He opens the lid of this box, and 

 extracts therefrom a good-size, i r. This 1» en- 



twines round his neck and chest, and again descends to the 

 bottom, wearing bis serpent necklace. From the bottom 

 iws the boa constrictor to ascend and swim about the 

 tank where he likes. The serpentine mode of swimming by 

 tlie boa constrictor, as seen in the water, is highly interesting. 

 Tin- h, '.diles has yet to be exhibited. Mr. 



I lie seems to know from experience quite well what is 



g, so he swims round and round at a tremendous pace, 



causing the water to become so full of bubbles that one can 

 hardlv Mi ,' 'i i " nog on in the tank. At, length 

 catches the reptile ; 'he has evidently considerable di'faouli v n 

 keeping hold of this fellow, who lashes his tail about in a most 

 wonderful manner. 



At length, after remonstnmcea with the crocodile, he man- 

 ages to gel, hold of his head With the right hand and his tail 

 with the left. He litis him out of the water, and apparently 



In lei him go again, so violently does he Strug 

 iris-liberty. Other performances are then gone through, such 

 opening tie- crocodile's mouth, making the large snake 

 swim round in a circle, etc., etc. 



This performance is interesting to those accustomed to feats 

 of diving and to naturalists. Managers of aquaria ma 



bint from it, inasmuch that they may learn that eroco- 

 ,i, in aquaria are really graceful swimmers, and nol I u 

 oe, sleepy brutes that one sees basking like logs of wood 

 in shallow water behind iron bars. Of course the di 



mi, I be in keeping these crocodiles in large tanks, that of 

 lys of one temperature, that is, GO deg. to 



FliANK BUCKLA-ND. 



A Bold Tittle Crab. — Very little is known about the ani- 

 mals and small creatures that dwell at the bottom of the sea 

 beyond the merest facts relating to their anatomy and species. 

 The great depth of water under which they pass their monot- 

 onous lives, is an effectual barrier to the curiosity of scientists; 

 consequently their habits, maimer of feeding and other inter- 

 esting features of their cvery-day life arc but little understood 

 by the unscientific world. Since, the establishment of the 

 IJew York Aquarium. many peculiarities and intelligent traits 

 have been discovered in different kinds of lishes. particularly 

 in the lower order of animals, and which were hitherto sup- 

 posed to be devoid of any more intelligence than just sufficient 

 to pwxmre food for themselves. Opportunities arc now, how- 

 ever, provided of observing these curious little creatures, and 

 , . their balms just as if they resided in their native 

 haunts. I tesultsof close observation has been to 



discovei a degree of intelligence in the hermit crab alto, etht 

 unsuspected before. Its boldness and villainy were known, but 

 that its audacity was of such a character as to actually lead 

 i to (ttacli and destroy fish ten times its own size, was but 

 i found out. The circumstances i 



lustration of the knowledge and pi 

 little fellows, not larger, some of them, 

 morning a good sized hayfette fish was Bi 

 small crabs clinging to its gills. The 

 were watched intently tea- some time, wl 

 served to gasp as for air, and to struggle 



itself in efforts to g h | rid of its tenacious enemy, all of wliicii 

 proved unavailing. The crab would not let go. This Strug. 

 ding continued lor some, time, when the lisb was noticed to 

 unlly weaker and weaker, its struggles less frequent, 

 mhi ii strength entirely leaving it, it sunk to the bottom of 

 The crab now" begun the repast for which it had 

 fOUghtand which it had secured, and commenced to feed upon 

 its victim. But the feast was not permitted to proceed— 

 science must be served — they were both taken from the water 

 ,,, , , , still holding on to itf upon examination, 



> ivered that the crab had actually pinned the gills of 

 itssides preventing it from breathing, thus really suf- 

 focating it. Prom this remarkable incident, it is supposed 

 that, large fish Weighing many pounds have been killed and 

 eutea by crabs. R. F. H. 



-Petrified and agatized wood, and petrified turtles and co* 



! in earth momids in Southern CoJ 



these, and it is a 

 -f these 

 i an inch. One 

 rith one of these 

 ■emenis of both 

 lie fish '' 

 rally and shake 



Oh Rxakrs!— T i I, ti 



the follow :, 



"Mrs. Br. Nobles killed acrickel the other evening of mam- 

 moth size, after which, three small snakes crawled 



the intestines of the dead insect, each about two feel ill length, 

 the size of akntlHng needle. They were captured and put 



info a bottle, and i' n US Of the imprisoned reptiles 



gave birth to three smaller snakes. We have the entire 

 , on exhibition at this oil' 

 i lsb— have only two of a kind. | 



- -»^^ 



1 Natural History Society was 



recently organized, and by Sept. 1st expect, to haveaflne 



room on Main street. Prof. Denton has offered very kindlv 

 to contribute to the departments oi geology and at 



, for a collection. Others have cbnlribo 

 department?, andprospi cl r rood for a live society. Friends 

 of the cause in other places sending specimens wil 

 noticed by the society. C. A. SoMNitit, Sec. " 



— F. K. Andrews, ofGrassout, Lawrence Co., Pa., found a 

 medium Sized bullfrog July Moth, which had five legs, the extra 

 one growing out of its right hind leg near the upper part of 

 the thigh. He is in the aquarium in good condition, and if it 

 is of any scientific interest, he may be addressed us above. 

 .- ,». -»_ 



Arrivals at 1'iru.ADEi.riiiA Zoological (Jakhrntiukinc wkkk entj- 

 i, .st;.- .five-common seal {PhnaivtrlulintQ pjnr- 



eimsoil; one elimneleon (.!,', Linii), presented ; live 



striped liv.ai ,1:: i.i.m , iire'scnti'il ; four gray 



1 : ' ■ presented ; one brown tiza ' 



',',,, ■ , 



seated ; »i row (6 i mun i nttld tortoise 



."O,',', ,,,_,- < : one greetl lie:'' I, I ■■'• , 



mama), presented; two ohiclcei] ,,,.,,, 



aellteil; one WOliill'.tllliO I ,', ,, „. 



," ' ■ ', -. ' ,, I I I', ',- '.,• , . ,, ,,".,. j.|V- 



" " ' ■' ' , ■ , " -"iiied. 



AiiTneu E.^liKowN, Oen'l Supt, 



Woodlmid, ^nrm mul §urdcn, 



A MARVELOUS GARDEN OF EXOTICS. 



ONF hour from New York by the Central It. P. of New 

 Jersey leaves us at South Amboy, and a nice drive 

 through oak and Me with dead branches, 



the work of the seventeen-year locusts, takes us to the noted 



horticultural establishment of Oeorge Such, Esq. Here, 

 under the genial guidance of Mr. Taplin, his able and enthusi- 

 astic manager, we pass several pleasant hours, and fairly revel 

 amid Orchids and Pitcher-plants. Ferns and Palm*, l ill we 

 almost imagine ourselves in the veritable tropics. The first 

 plant house bo which our attention is directed contains a line 

 collection of Orchideie, and though at this season not, many are 

 ough to make a fair and interesting 

 • giving evidence of an abundance of 

 iter months. A group of Cypripe- 

 ice, conspicuous among which is a 

 four feel, in diameter, 

 well as useful of the 



iwer, yet, there 



display, while numbers 

 bloom for the fall and 

 ditirns first, claims our 

 magnificent plant of C. Koezelii, 

 This is one of the most remarkabl 



genus, as it is almost constantly in bloom. Fine plants of 0. 

 Reichenbachii, C. Stonei, 0. Barbatum in several varieties, C. 

 Pearcei (three feet in diameter and showing six spikes), C. 

 caudatum and others follow, while arranged among them are 

 good plants of many of t he newer and rarer varieties, such as 



C. Payanum,Villosum, Lowii, Naevium.Coucolor, etc. There 

 are also line plants of the Fl Spirito Santo, or Dove flower 

 (Paisteiiii <?Zafo),wltb from Iwo to live spikes each, each spike 

 producing on an average thirty of its singularly beautiful, 

 waxlike flowers, a six foot long spike, bearing over 500 blos- 

 soms of the graceful Oncidium obrizatum ; a number of 

 plants of a Calanlhe, something like 0. venitrifolla in general 

 appearance, but much superior to that well-known species: 



! vary from pure white with a yellow eye, through 

 light to dark purple, and are exceedingly showy. Mr. Taplin 

 iuforms us that not being able to place it with any described 

 variety, Specimens have been sent to the veteran orchi- 

 dologist, Dr. Keichenbaeh, for name. AVb fear, however, 

 we would weary the reader were we to mention all the 

 interesting varieties we saw, and will merely mention a few 

 of the more striking: Phtilrenopsis amabilis, I', grauditlora 

 and P. Schilleriona ; Dendrobium McCarthia?, 1). Nobilis, 



D. Crassiuode, F>. thyrsi llorutn, etc.: Cnttleya Leopoldii and 

 M issis ; -l-i ides suavis, A. quiiiquevulnerum and A. 

 Fieldiugii; Saccolabiums and Vandas ; immense plants of 

 Ccelogyne cristate that bore over 500 blooms each last winter; 

 /,i_', petahim cririitum, a lovely and aromatic species over four 

 feet in diameter; Sobraliti maeraulha, with its large, richpur- 

 ple blossoms ; Calanthe masuca and Epideudi'um fragraus 

 major, with six spikes of bloom each: OdonLoglossums and 

 Onclduius, etc., in great variety. We must not, overlook here 



6 ' i ii plants of the beautiful Cape, orchid, Diss grandi- 



flora, one pan of which is just coming into bloom showing 15 

 shoots. This orchid js rarely seen in such perfection, and 

 will remain m bloom for several months, One side of the 

 orchid bouse is devoted to the Bast Indian pitcher plants. 

 Only imagine a tine plant of Nepenthes intermedia, with nine 

 pitchers that, would hold over a pint each; N. liafllesiana, 

 bearing a dozen pitchers, the largest of which measured 14'. 

 inches in circumference and fo inches, in length : N. Hookerii, 

 whose pitchers measure fl indies in circumference; N. Do- 

 miniaua with 35, and a neat plant of the est ■ 



curious V lauiiia. with fh ell dove! iped pitchers. Mi, 

 Taplin has been very suo batch of 



seedling Nepenthes, hybrids between . ■' [tistillatoria, N. 

 Rafflesiana and X Sedeni. He c ,, hundreds] 



and quid; a number of them alreadj i , lim j T ary 



very much in the size, shape and in 1 

 well as in their general appearance a , 



is a most interesting and successf 



notal de example of good judgment and tasi . , 



same channel with the skill and perseverance requisite 

 complishment. Closely connected with this family coini 

 Sarracennius (the trumpet leaf of the Southern States) and 

 of which we find some notable examples. S. tlava, a noble 

 plant, with trumpets Si feet long and from 75 to 100 in the 

 cluster, closely followed by S. Drummondi, the horns being 

 long and beautifully variegated. S. rubra, S. psitta'- 

 cinus are also well represented, as is also the curious Darling- 

 tonia California. All these are grouped among the carnivo- 

 rous plants, as is also the Venus Hy-trap (Dioiuea) of which 

 we find many large and sensitive specimens. 



Palms, probatuj the most graceful and ornamental, as well 

 as useful part of the vegetable kingdom, come next in point, of 

 beamy, as well as interest and value. Who has not read of the 

 manifold uses to which the various sorts are put by tire inhab- 

 itants of the " Isles of Palms." They not only provide food, 

 milk and whisky, but clothing, cordage, firing, candles, roofs 

 for their huts, as well as poles for its support— indeed there is 

 little the aborigines of some of these Isles require that is not 

 furnished by one or other variety of the Palm tree. Our at- 

 tention is first directed to a fine specimen of Cocoa Weddie- 

 itina, perhaps the most graceful us well as beautiful of the 

 whole genus ; a noble plant of Cycas cireinalis with leaves .8 

 to 10 feet long, and plenty of them; Veitchia or Kentia Can- 

 lerburvana, 35 feet in diameter, with leaves 15 to 20 feet in 

 length ; and, in addition lo many good specimens of the wore 

 generally cultivated species, hue plants of many of the rarer 

 and more highly prized sorts are seen in various parts of the 

 establishment. Areca giancophylla, A. nobile and A. crinlta- 

 Cei'oxylou niveum, and C. rubra; Verschaffeltia melano' 

 cha its : Thrynax nobilis and T. Argentca; Martinesia erosa 

 and Wellia regia ; Geonoma Schottiaua, etc., etc with the 

 closely allied Kncephalartos villosus, Zamias and ilacrozamias 

 ot South A Erica. All these well repay the lover of the beauti- 

 ful, even if be does not see the magnificent and numerous 

 ■■-ii of Tree. Ferns. The Gleichenias, ferns from 

 New Zealand, probably the largest and finest plants 

 m this country, more notably G. dicaqia, G. dichotoma, G. 

 microphvlla, G. speluucae and G. llabellata, all averaging f 3 

 ireumference and four feet in height. These are well 

 matched by superb specimens of Hypolepis distans, 15 feet in 

 • •oviimiciuiiec, and 1 tens seaberula, almost as large. Many 

 other varieties, as Adiautums, Asplentums, Blechnums aud 

 l.ramea, etc., also gave evidence of careful culture, while the 

 1- ilmy terns, ibe I'odcas, Hymenophyllums and Trichomanes 

 are alone well worth a journey to South Amboy to see. 



Of the pure wlii (e most chaste and lovely lily of the Ama- 

 ,'"i l-ueaart.- ."tua/o; ica 1 we Hud over twenty specimen plants 

 their equais hard to find anywhere ; plants S to 6 feet in diam- 

 eter, with leaves so vigorous and healthy they arc almosl 

 black green color. These not, only give an almost unlimited 



I] ily DI bloom during the duller three-fourths of the year 

 bur, also give a scattering of bloom during the hot summer 

 inn 'is. This most beautiful flower is much in demand 

 wherever really rich and chaste flowers are desired The 

 Flamingo plant {AntJiurimn s(htrUer.:< !; , i,,p. SO ur 



progress, and claims its meed of approbation. 



The two specimens over ten feet in circumference, though 

 not now m flower, show well for winter's work, while the 

 large stock of young and thrifty plants of this as well as all 

 the various plants cultivated for sale well evince genial treat* 

 ment and careful namagement. 



To specify the many good specimens of what are gen- 

 erally classed as Stove Plants would be an endless task 

 We can merely mention a few of the more notable' 

 one or other of which meets us at every step : Annul 

 assa, sativa yanegata the variegated pineapple, strong 

 plants ol winch arc in trim, ; Paridamis Vcitehii, Alpinia vit 

 lata, Alocasias /iebnria \ ettcliii and Sedeni. Orotons Veitchii. 

 Mnjestica. loniigii. fnterrupta aud Disraeli, Ixoras and 

 Dracaenas ot many sorts; Marantas tubispatha, Virginalis 

 major, \\agueri, \eitchiianda noble plant of MakoyTma 10 

 feet in circumference, while the rich variegated and "spotted 

 leaves ol the Calaumms, bonorillas, Dieffenbachias, etc vie 

 with the rich purple flowers of the Oipladenias, the yellow of 

 the Allamaiiuas, the blue of the Thtmbergia tlarrisii and the 

 shell like pink, or white drooping flowers of the Lapagaria 

 The moo; hardy greenhouse plants are not neglected, as many 

 good plants ot Azaleas of the best varieties, Camellias Sikim 

 Rhododendrons and many well known species will testify 

 iNor must we forget the fine pyramidal plant of Eurvt: latil'ol'i-i 

 vanegata, over 5 feet high, with its green leaves heavily ed^ed 

 with delicate creamy yellow, the contrast of the rich brownish 

 mu i -olcrol tkr young growth rendering it peculiarly at- 

 tractive. The hesl plant we have seeu in this country of Lucu- 

 lia gratissuna, I hat gives its lovely waxy pink clusters of blos- 

 som« in profusion, during winter is also in this section and is 

 worthj of a prominent place in every collection. While thus 

 endeavoring to give an outline of the many -rich and rare 

 gems in Mr Such s greenhouses, we may mention that he 

 does not neglect, I hat, ornamental part of gardening which 

 comes more immediately home to the possessor of a, countrv 

 seat or even a small garden in the country, when the proprie- 

 tor has perhaps neither the time nor convenience for a plant 

 house or even a cold frame. 



Mr. Such has long been a lover of the Hybrid Gladiolus, as 

 Ins targe and varied collection will show; Tuberoses and kin- 

 dred bulbs he grows by the thousand. Verbenas, Zonal aud 

 other Pelargoniums, aud other so-called bedding plants he 

 handles m quantity. Lilies of many sorts, Pampas gross ,, 

 beautiful and perfectly hardy variegated Eulalia Japdnfcs 

 ColOi asms, eti etc., are household words at South Amboy! 

 while his stock of Cannas is second to none, being carefully 



i.'.'ti'.l and of a real variety. Indeed we cannot do he'tte) 

 in closing this rambling article than by thanking Mr Tan in 

 tor his eourte«y and attention to us while rnaking these 

 aotet and mentioning a few of the most desirahlevarieues 

 Pi Cam,,! , , [y in U|1 . hm d 



he tollowmg we consider the most, desirable- G 



■| « flowers; Prmchtu J 



dark foliage with crmison flowers ; .!«/;•/. , ,;, n } 



the dark sprta, its foliage of depp copper color, flowers rich 



