Mat 3, 1883.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



26B 



AN ANGLER'S NOOK. 



HERE wild woods dusky shadows tliiur, 

 Here ln'nl m>tcs- through aim aroiea ring, 

 While cadi musician Beems "> sing 



With Joy, yet still unseen. 

 With drops of moll 

 As dear a? air, asi 

 First enlin. an i :':,- 



See then' ii" Btr 

 I'll.- brou-ii leaves i 

 By zephyrs stirred 

 "III.' (.-i-ay moss hangs from all annuel. 



Eternal without I. ml. 

 or red one sees a ruddy gleam. 

 Where BW&mp-puite in the sunshine lirea 

 Rejected in the rushing stream 



Afire amid the flood 

 There down the dancing. waters whirl, 

 Swift o'er the rocks with sudden swirl, 

 And in the pool he-low they purl 



right, 



■ night. 



1 the ground, 

 lstlings sound 



ads 



eliar 



ayf 'lis a sylvan sjtot-SQsweeti 



Thai, all the sounds and sights which greet, 

 The one who comes with loving feet, 



Would darkest thoughts disarm, 

 "lis here lie- angler loves to stand. 

 With watchful eye and steady hand. 

 Till skill at last brings slow to laud 



Tho monarch of the brook. 

 In vain the victim strives to hide 

 In some cool cavern in the tide. 

 See there! his scarlotspol led side 



Comes glancing from the nook. 

 Anon he feels his pulses Slir 

 To hear the woodcock's startled w liir. 

 As feeding in a group of tlr 



lie springs in sudden fright. 

 And to the angler wandering here, 



In grottoes where lights green appear. 

 There comes the dim, primeval tear 



Of louelincss and night. 

 As toiling pilgrims lift their ey&s 

 To where tall Mecca's towers arise: 

 Or seamen whom the tempest tries 



Sigh for a South Sea isle 

 So memory paints the place he craves. 

 As life's long busy cares he braves, 

 And deeply in his mind engraves 



His shrine with magic style. 1 



ntm L nl ^i^tortu 



NOTES ON THE STICKFISH. 



Vbmrillia Blakei, Btearas. 



THE history of the discovery of this singular pole;, is this ; 

 As curly as 18G8, or at latest 1869, a Portuguese fisher- 

 man, by itanu Josfrpl] Silvia, who was al thai time engaged 

 in fishing for dogfish at Burrard Inlet, British Columbia, 

 nnd the nciirhhorine. waters, brought some of the sticks to 

 i he -aw -mills at Burrard Inlet as a curiosity. Heine a new 

 tiling they attracted considerable attention, (ml as there was 

 no one there resident of a very scientific turn of mind, no 

 special means were taker) to have thctn identified, and ii was 

 a matter of doubt as to whether they belonged to the animal 

 or vegetable kingdom. 



Although living ni Burrard Inlet al that time, and seeing 

 tin- flrsl specimens brought there, I tlitl not titkc auy 

 measures for their identification, as tit that time I was not 

 in communication with any scientific institution or natural 

 history periodical. 



Some time subsequently, Mr. George Dietz, the resident 

 part tier of lite firm of Moody, Dietz <fc Nelson, mill owners 

 at Burrard Inlet, sent some of the "sticks" to Mr. F. G. 

 Claudctz, Ihe chief assayer of the Government assay office, 

 at New Westminster. a chemist of more Ihan ordinary 

 ability, who pronounced them to be hugely composed Of 

 phosphate of lime. This set at resl the question as to whirl) 

 kingdom they belonged, and shortly afterward Mr. Dietz 

 sent some of the "sticks" to the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences at San Francisco, California, which' led to their 

 being placed before scientists in various parts of the world. 

 There was some difference of opinion us to what they really 

 were, some supposing them to he a species of gigantic sea 

 pen, while many disciples of Darwin thought the connecting 

 link between the animal and vegetable kingdom was at hist 

 obtained. Numerous inquires were made from various 

 places for information respecting them, and requests made 

 for specimens. Many specimens of the complete animal 



were sent to various scientific establishments, put. up in dif- 

 ferent arsenical, alcoholic, and oilier preparations, hut none 

 of these, I believe, reached thcit destination in good order, 

 the happy medium for strength of the preparations not being 

 arrived at, and in consequence some specimens in strong 

 preparations were dissolved, while other weaker ones did 

 not succeed in preserving the tissues. A Captain Lawson, 

 of the United Stales Coast Survey Service, then stationed 

 on Pugel Sound, Washington Territory, applied to me 

 through a friend of his and mine in Victoria, to obtain 

 specimens, have them put up in a tin lube, and the tube then 

 tilled with glycerine, which he was of the opinion would 

 answer the purpose of preserving them for transmission to 

 California. 



1 caused the specimens asked for, some five or six in num- 

 ber, if I recollect rightly, to be put up in the lube, and 

 eighteen pounds of glyeer'iue was required to fill up the 

 empty space; the tube was then sealed up, and forwarded 

 to Capt. Lawson, and was by him sent to some scientist for 

 identification. I was afterward.-, informed thai the Speci 

 mens arrived in perfect order, were classified, and received 

 the present double name in honor of Prof. Verrill, of Yale 

 College, and Dr. Blake, of San Francisco. As notes were 

 not made at the time, dates, of course, must be approximate 

 only, but they are. as accurate as a person can reasonably be 

 supposed to give after such a lapse of time as fourteen or 

 fifteen years. 



Now, as regards the animal or animals, so to speak, with 

 out going into a scientific description, which I confess I am 

 unable to do, perhaps a few remarks concerning them may 

 be of interest in connection with the foregoing statement. 



They are caught only at Burrard Inlet and vicinitv, as far 

 as is at present known, although the entire coast has been 



fairly prospected by parties fishing for dogfish from Queen 

 Charlotte's Sound to Olympia, m the head of Puget Sound. 

 The dog-fishermen arc the only ones who tlo or would he 

 likely to catch these animals," and they have only found 

 them in this one locality. So far as can be ascertained, no 

 other place produces them, and did they exist elsewhere, 

 they would have probabJy have been procured ere this. 



Their mode of capture "is in this wise: The gear for dog- 

 fishing is a line or rope resembling the ordinary clothes line m 

 size, of a mile or more in length, with pieces of cod line at- 

 tached every two feet, or thereabouts, to which an; fastened 

 codfish hooks. The main line is anchored at both ends:, 

 and the fisherman in a large skill' keeps underrunning it, 

 taking offl the dogfish, and rebaiiiug the hooks. When he hits 

 reached one end, he turns around and undci runs to t he other. 

 The dogfish, in their endeavors to get loose after being 

 caught, entangle the line about the sticKflsh, and {he Inner 

 is brought to the surface when the line is lifted. 



All circumstances seem to justify the idea or view that 

 the sticktish, having no locomotive functions, are attached 

 to Hie bottom. The fact that they are only found within a 

 very limited area, confirms this "belief, for if they were de- 

 tached, the strong tides prevailing where they are found, 

 would necessarily disperse them over a greater space than 

 they are known 'to becupy, Other circumstances seem to 

 indicate thai the stlckfl9h in it- normal slate assumes an 

 ereel 01 vertical position, and nol a horizontal one-. For 

 the dogfish, if the natural position of the polyp were a horizon- 

 tal one, would be obliged, in order to entangle the lincsabuut 

 it, to swim under and over the stockfish, while if the posi- 

 tion is an creel one, Ihe same effect would be produced by 

 swimming around it, which is more likely lo he done. The 

 large bulbous appearance of one end of ihe slickfisli makes 

 it seem likely that it is imbedded in the bottom, which is 

 always of a sandy nature, and the belief thai were it not so 

 planted it would he of wider distribution, is not at all un- 

 reasonable. 



Another feature favors this i.l. .-, The stick Itself is spiral 

 in structure, and this characteristic is associated with the 

 idea of strength as exemplified in trees growing in exposed 

 situations, they being of greater spirai construction than 

 those in sheltered localities, lithe position of the auiraal 

 were horizontal no great strength would be necessary in the 

 stick, while the reverse would be true were the position an 

 erect one. This mailer can only be settled by means of a 

 submarine diver, as the great depth at which this animal is 

 obtained — thirty fathoms— precludes any chance of the 

 matter being si tidied from Ihe surface. 



The sticks which are the stem or base of the animal, aver- 

 age sewn to eight feet in length, and a( the thickest point 

 are much the size of an ordinary black lead pencil: they 

 taper at both ends, but much more abruptly al one than the 

 Other, and the smaller end is reduced to au extremely tine 

 needle-like point. When stripped of their gelatinous or 

 viscous covering (the living tissues) they present a white 

 polished surface except thai portiou to which the butt is at- 

 tached near the large end. which is rough and coarse as con- 

 trasted with the other portions. After a short time the 

 sticks split or chock longitudinally, in the tnauner of wood. 

 and they then present tin appearance similar lo tlatof a peeled 

 osier or" willow wand, hence their local name of "Stickush.'' 



Tim sticks tire elastic to a high degree, so much so thai 

 Ihe idea has been suggested of using them as tips for fishing 

 rods, but I do not know if actual experiment has been made 

 in this respect, When benl beyond a certain limit they break 



ahorl oil' and do not splinter as does wood. 



The sticks are covered with a gelatinous mass from one 

 end to the other, which is the animate portion of the polyp, 

 which, being composite in its character, is made up of an 

 immense number of individuals united in one common 

 whole, aud resembles in some respects the coral polvp, which 

 lives within its limy structure while the Micktis'h lives on 

 Ihe outside. In appearance the whole' animal resembles to 

 some degree the arm of the octopus or squid in color aud 

 texture, wanting, of eourse, the sucking discs of the latter 

 animal. The thickest part will probably be about one and a 

 quarter inches in diameter, aud the larger end is furnished 

 with a large bulb considerably I bicker than any other por- 

 tiou of the polyp, aud the appearance of the shape of the 

 entire animal may he. said to resemble at: onion with a long 

 single stalk. This bulb I take lo be imbedded in the ground 

 for the reasons before assigned. 



"When exposed to the nir the gelatinous covering shrinks 

 rapidly and dries hard, and then resembles dried skin or flesh. 



These polyps are to be obtained at any season of the 

 year, and procuring them is only a matter of slight expQh.sc, 

 Tire places where Ihov are lo be had are comprised within a 

 radius of a few miles.' Burrard Inlet, the western terminus 

 of the Canadian Pacific Railway, lies iu lat. 40 N., long. 

 128 W. frorh Greenwich. The .Shetland argus (As(<rop/tyl<m 

 beutafaim) is sometimes found clinging to this polyp. 



The agent of marine and fisheries department of this place 

 has forwarded some of these animals lo tin- international ex- 

 hibition to be held next summer, where no doubt many of 

 your readers will have au opportunity of seeing them. 



New Westminster. H. ( '. J. 0. litem:* 



I.AKOK LeATHETR-BaDE TlTRTLE. — We arc. indebted to |>r. 

 II. ('. Jarrow, of the National Museum, for the following: 

 Guaymas. Mexico, April 18, 1888.— S. F. Baitd, Esq., 

 Smithsonian Institution: Dear Sir— On Ihe Itth inst. there 

 was caught in this harbor one of the largest leather-back 

 sntfles {JD<f)"m.atoeh£lyi coriiuxa) I have ever seen. I tried to 

 purchase it, so as to present it to the Institution, but the 

 fishermen asked so much for it that 1 bud to abandon the 

 idea, but nevertheless took its measurements and weight, 

 This species is not known on this part of the Gulf, and, in 

 fact, has never been seen near nor within 100 miles of 

 Guaymas by any of the fishermen or captains of the coasting 

 schooners. There has been one or two caught at AHatn. a 

 small port down the coast, but they wore quite . small, not 

 weighing over 1-10 pounds; but this" one is the largest ever 

 seen in the Gulf, and probably only the third specimen over 

 seen in these waters. As he is still alive, the parties that 

 bought him intend sending him to San Francisco by next 

 steamer, and y*OU may again hear of him from there. 1 here 

 give you his measurements while alive, so you can better 

 judge of his size: Leugth, 8 ft. 2 in.; height, 'i ft. 1J- iu ; 



width, 1 ft. 3 in. ; circumference, 8 ft. 11 in.; circ fereqee 



of head, 2 ft. 4 in. ; circumference of tail, 2 ft. 1 in. ; length 

 of neck, 3 ft, 4 iu. ; length of tail. 2 fl. '.) in. : length of fore 

 fina, :; Ii. 10 in.; length of hind tins. 2 fl. 1 in.', width of 

 fore fins. 1 ft. tin.; Width of hind fins, 1 ft. 2 in. It is a 

 male turtle; weight, 1,102 pounds. I only regret thai my 

 means would not allow me to purchase hint tor the Institu- 

 tion, for I am sure il would have beftu a specimen worth 

 having.— H. F. Eneric. 



SPRING BIRDS OF NEBRASKA. 



i)V A MALI 



'I'M IK following is an annotated list of Ihe birds that came 

 1 under mv observation while on a three months' collect- 

 ing tour iu the vicinity of the Platte River, in Southeastern 

 Nebraska, from March i to June l. 18S0: 



1. Wood Thrush— Twrdm mnsteHn.ua Gin,— Arrives about 

 the middle of May, frequeuts thick, wooded streams, where 

 it breeds, Nesl usually placed in the crotch of a low bush, 

 although 1 have often seen it saddled upon a limb of a beech 

 tree iti the Eastern States. It is composed of gnus and 

 mud. lined with line rootlets. Eggs four or five in number. 

 of a pale green color. This species i, apparently not very 

 abundant, 



2. Oatblrd— Mimua carolintmviv Gr»— Arrrve&flrst week in 

 May, breeds in low bushes, in which is built a very rough 

 ncsi, composed of weeds and grass, lined with tine roots and 

 hair. When nesting near a house, bite of cloth and feathers 

 are often used. Eggs dark green. This species is vety fond 

 of its home or favorite haunts, never straying more than 

 twenty rods the whole summer. To verify this fael, 1 saw 

 one with a white feather in its wing thai remained within 

 such limits all summer. 



8. Brown Thrush— Jffiwjw/^ftfl/lU* <"/'"< Cab.— Arrives 

 about the last week iu April. Nests in low bushes, brush 

 heaps and upon the ground. Eggs, pale green, dotted with 

 reddish brow ii spots, 



I. Eastern Bluebird — BkCUd $>'(iUi Ilald. — A common sum- 

 mer resident. Saw them lighting upon weeds in a thin 

 grove of cottonwoods. 



5. Kuby-crowned Kinglet— RegtiMia cittenduUi Lieht.— A 

 regular migrant. Breeds in high latitudes, aud winters on 

 our southern border. A very tine songster for so small it 

 bird, uttering a very sweet, plaintive warble at short inter- 

 vals the whole day long. 



0. Western House Wren — Tr<»/lotli/t< ,< dommiims park- 

 manni Aud.— This species is a shade lighter than its Eastern 

 representative. Its habits are the same, "mil it can eclipse 

 il iu its song, Which lasts from early morn lill eve, and is 

 much louder. This bird has a variety of nesling places. I 

 once hung a coal, niton a cherry tree, in one of the pockets 

 of which a nest was placed, and the old bird reared bet 

 voting there, seeming well pleased with her novel home. 

 " 7. Long-billed Marsh Wren— Telmatodytea vahldrti Cab, 

 —Shot one on the Platte in May, where they probably 

 breed. 



8. Horned Lark. Shore l.ark- 'HremopJlild aipOft-ft Boie, 

 — Resident and abundant to small, scattering Hocks. I saw 

 Ihem in company with Md'own's and chestnut-collared 

 buntings. I am positive thai they breed here, for 1 shot a 

 female that contained an egg fully developed. 



'.). Titlark— . l/-<'"'< fudmeianui I.icht. — Not uncom- 

 mon I saw I hcin near small pools of water and on fresh- 

 plowed land, but never saw more than tun: at n time. 



10. Missouri Sky lurk- Xiocorj/i spragnei, St 1. -This* 

 species arrives from the South early in May and breeds near 

 the Platte River. They had already paired and begun to 

 carry material for a nest by the middle of May. They were 

 very shj and generally Hew tip out of range, therefore I 

 look but a few specimens. I regretted that- 1 was unable to 

 remain long enough to study their breeding habits and hear 

 their beautiful song. 



11. Black ami White Creeper — UlniotiUa nana V. — Ar 

 lives about middle of May. 



12. Orange-crowned Warbler— EeliirinUwplwjV, celaki Bd. 

 — A common migrant. Arrives in the last week in April in 

 company wilii the Tennessee warbler. The HeteiuntJiohhaga 

 are the most, active of the warbler family, and are always 

 busily engaged collecting the insects which form their prin- 

 cipal food. This species is easily identified by the concealed 

 orauge patch on crown. 



fa. Tennessee Warbler — Hebaiuthophaga peregiina Cab. — 

 Habit- same as preceding. I think it is more common than 

 the orange crowned warbler. 



M. Summer Warbler— 1). ndrbifia gmiim Bd.— Very 

 abundant, Breeds in June. I once found a nest of the 

 species made wholly of cotton batting which it had [ticked 

 up in the door-yard. 



15. Yellow-rumped Warbler— pendraza caromGt Gr.— 

 Very rare iu this locality. Only one specimen seen in April, 

 hopping about iu low underbrush, and occasionally darting 

 to the ground in pursuit of insects. Its habits here appeared 

 to be strictly terrestrial, but in Ohio, early in April, thev 

 will he found in oak timber, darting about, high up in the 

 tops Late in the fall they are seen feeding upon various 

 kinds of berries; they occasionally winter in Ohio, where I 

 shot one January 12', 18§8, the thermometer standing then 

 ai zero. The Stomach was filled with berries from fire red 

 cedar, and ihe bird w as in a good condition. 



16. Maryland Yellowthroat— QeutMypu trkluii Cab.— 

 Common. Breeds upon the ground. This species is terns. 

 trial in Its habits, but it is often seen singing from the lops 

 of IreeS. 



18. Yellow-breasted Chat— Icterfa idretitt Bd,— Thissperaes 

 is easily recognized by its bright yellow throat mid breast 

 aud plain olive green baok, wings and tail. One unnccus- 

 tomed tb its loud, boisterous aoakinga would not believe 

 thai so small a bird was capable of making such :i noise. 



is. Scarlet Tanager— Pjow^fl rubra V.— Rather rare. 



19. Bank Swallow— C',///, riparia Bole. -Saw this Species 

 Inc ding in clonics in the sand bluffs on Loup River. 



20. Bohemian Wnxwing— •Aiivpeiix gtvrrulut L. — A com- 

 mon winter visitant, arriving in large lloeks from the north. 



It i- easily identified bythechestuui oolored patch-on under- 

 tail coverts, Breeds in the far north. 

 81, Townsend's Fly-catching Thrush— MytoOestea tooftfr 



, aili Cab —S line specimen of ibis species was s ( -n| me in 

 die fiesh, Feb II, 1860, by my friend, Frank W. Powell. It 

 wastekenon Wood Kivcr I. iliink its. occurrence ptneU 

 accidental ami know of no oilier record of i'.s occurrence in 

 Nebraska. This bird is said to be one of the most beautiful 

 songster in the I'nitcd States, and excels the mocking-bird 

 in the sweetness of its notes, it is found throughout tfce 

 Rocky Mountain range iu the vicinity of juniper and cedar 

 trees, as they feed hugely upon the berries. They are also 



.'expert llv-cnichei's. But link: is known of its breeding 



lhabits. 



22. Bell's Vireo— Vino belli Auu. — This i- the commonest 

 species of the fiiinily in this locality, and in fact II was the 

 only one 1 observed But there are several others found 

 here which 1 did not notice. 



23. Great Northern Shrike— Litiiiv lita'atlix, V. — Not un- 

 common in winter. 1 saw them perched upon weeds watch' 

 ing for mice, which they pounce npor- like a hawk and ciury 

 off in the bill, They of ten impale them upon thorn trees 

 whence the name butcher bird. 



