FOREST AInD STREAM. 



but only tha Salmo fimtirutlil eggs generously given last year to the 

 Society of Mr. Seth Green, of Rochester. 



As for the Salvia qninnat ova Bent In 18TT by Prof. Spencer F. 

 Balrd, the endeavor was a failure. All the eggs have been lost for 

 want of being packed In ice. Bnt recently a new lot has reached Paris 

 In most splendid condition, and this only, thanki to the excellent care 

 of Mr. Fred Mather, who brought them to Europe in it special refriger- 

 ator. Almost all those eggs have been hatched, and the fry are now 

 very lively. In fact, this lime the operation is a Teal success, and all 

 the merit Is indented to Mr, Fred Mather, to whom onr society has 

 utmost gratefulness. 



I remain, dear sir, truly yonra, RAvABST Wattsh, Sec. 



turd Jpsi0?2?, 



FISHES OF THE DEEP SEA. 



AT the meeting of the Christiana Society of Science on the 

 13i.li of December, Mr. Robert Collett communicated 

 that the material of deep -water fishes collected during the last 

 Atlantic. expedition amounted to thirty-three species, and 

 proved to be of great interest for science, as the fish had, with 

 a few exceptions, been taken from depths which no arctic 

 fishes had previously betn obtained. The apparatus em- 

 ployed was the so-called trawlnet, constructed on the same 

 principle as that employed by the EDglish fishermen on 

 Doggershank. Fish were taken up with that apparatus from 

 depths of 1,400 and 1,500 fathoms. Five species proved to be 

 entirely new to science, and it was necessary to classify one 

 of them under a special new genus. This was caught at a 

 depth of 1,200 fathoms, and was about one foot long. While 

 alive it was beautifully rcse-colored all over, but of so soft 

 and gelatinous a substance that it was half transparent, and the 

 heart could be seen performing its functions ; and large por- 

 tions of the brain, the entrails and the whole back-bone were 

 visible through the akin. The abdominal fins were trans- 

 formed into two long, split threads, which gave the fish a 

 very peculiar appearance. It was named Rhodichtys regina, 

 and belongs to a group of the genuine deep water fishes, 

 which is chiefly limited to the tropic seas. One of the new 

 species was taken up in the trawlnet from a depth of 700 

 fathoms, but in so mutilated a condition that it has not yet 

 been positively classified. It probably belongs to a some- 

 what divergent group of bhnniidts or to the genus I&parides 

 (remora). Among the other species several were known only 

 through Bingle specimens scattered here and there in museums, 

 and the descriptions of which are generally incorrect and de- 

 fective. We were therefore quite unprepared to find the 

 genuine arctic genus Ly codes, of which, up to the present 

 time, only a few specimens have been found near Greenland 

 and in other places in the Polar Sea (almost always taken by 

 chance from the stomachs of sharks), spread as it appeared in 

 quantises everywhere at these great depths, where the tem- 

 perature of the water keeps under deg. It has only been 

 the lack of suitable apparatus, which has until now prevented 

 the discovery. Of this genus, some species of which are more 

 t Jan two feet long, six species were found, two of which were 

 new to science. The material collected has in consequence 

 been of vs,ry great interest, and will be described in detail in 

 the general report, for the publication of which the Storthing 

 has granted the necessary means. It will probably be an illus- 

 trated folio with English and Norwegian text. The most of 

 the deep water fishes caught by the expedition will be there 

 repiesented. In conclusion, we will add that examinations of 

 the animal remains still to be found in the ventricles of these 

 deep water fishes have contributed much to the knowledge of 

 the pelagic evertebrates' extension in the Polar Sea. 



Washington, Jan. 24, 1879; S. F. Baird. 



exceptional advantages. Writers on ornithology in this coun- of the manuscript offerings end th printer's proofs, and 

 try have generally agreed to consider as North America promises closer surveillance in future. 



only that portion of the continent which is north of the Our correspondent of last week is informed that the pre- 

 boundary line between Mexico and the United States, and it is ferred natural food of quail is worms and bugs. The best 

 obvious that near our Southern border line will occur the I artificial food is bird seed mixed will, a little wheat, gravel, 



WHIPPOORWILL AND NIGHTHAWK. 



BABABOO, Wis., Jan. 14, 1ST9. 

 Emtob Fobest asd Stkeam : 



I never was so mnoh surprised as when I saw your answer to T. E. 

 p., tn your issue of Jan. 9, In regard to a whippoorwill being distinct 

 from a nighthawk. 



Our best authorities in our pattof the country claim that they are one 

 and the same thing, and as for myself I have killed a good many whip 

 poonvtls and I also fail to see the distinction. Will you please describe 

 tie difference? Ed. HoiJ.iND. 



[We cannot spare the space to go into a detailed description 

 of both birds and must refer our correspondent to some work 

 on ornithology, where he will find the information which he 

 wishes. The two birds may, however, be readily separated if 

 it be borne in mind that the whippoorwill {Antrostomus vOcif- 

 erus) has long bristles, or " whiskers" along the edgo of the 

 upper jaw, has a rounded tail, has no large white patch on the 

 quills of the wing and has plumage of a general grayish tone, 

 with perhaps a tinge of rufous. The nighthawk {Cltordules 

 popelw) has the rictal bristles short and inconspicuous, the 

 tail somewhat forked, large white wing patches, and the gen- 

 eral oast of the plumage quite dark, and without any pro- 

 nounced shade of rufous. The whippoorwill is nocturnal and 

 very seldom seen abroad during the day j the nighthawk flies 

 at all times of the day, but especially toward evening and in 

 cloudy or rainy weather. No one who has ever compared the 

 two could possibly mistake one for the other. 



Our correspondent will see that not only are the two species 

 distinct, hut they even belong to different genera. We are 

 sorry for the " best authorities," but we think that aft 

 ing up the matter they will " acknowledge the corn. "—Ed.] 



most favorable opportunities for observing, within our terri- 

 tory, the presence of stragglers or occasional visitors from the 

 great South American region. These opportunities have 

 recently been taken advantage of by an accomplished orni- 

 thologist. 



Perhaps no one of all the great army of working ornitholo- 

 gists in this country has recently added so many new facts to 

 our knowledge of this science in North America as Dr. J. C. 

 Merrill, U. S. A. Within the past two years and a half he 

 has increased our United States avifauna by no less than twelve 

 species of birds not previously ltnown to belong to it, and has, 

 besides this, contributed a considerable amount of novel in- 

 formation concerning the habits of other species, of which, 

 hitherto, our knowledge has been vety meagre. Dr. Merrill 

 has been most fortunate in his collecting ground, and no one 

 can read over his recent " Notes on the Ornithology of South- 

 ern Texas " without coming to the conclusion that he has been 

 most earnest and faithful worker as well. 



His list, which has been recently sent out from the Govern- 

 ment Printing Office as a part of the " Proceedings of the 

 Dnited States National Museum," contains notes on 252 species 

 of birds observed in the vicinity of Port Brown, Texas, with 

 accounts more or less full, as the subject may demand, of 

 their habits, distribution, nests and eggs, etc. In the prepara- 

 tion of this list Dr. Merrill has had the able advice of Dr. T. 

 M. Brewer and Mr. B. Bidgway, to whom he returns, in his 

 prefatory note, hearty thanks for assistance given. 



The work is ono of the greatest interest, and all ornitholo- 

 gists who have not seen it will, we are sure, thank us for 

 bringing it to their notice. A very great portion of the mat- 

 ter contained in it is quite new, and to any one interested in 

 birds it is most attractive reading. The species added to the 

 bird fauna of North America by Dr. Merrill are the follow- 

 ing: Thryotlioms ludovicio.nus var. berlandkri, Cyanospiza, 

 versicolor, Myiarchus cryt7irocercm var. cooperi, Amazilia 

 fmei-caudaia, A. yucatensis, Nyctidromim albicollis, Stumella 

 magna var. mexicana, Molothrus mneus, Buleo albi-caudalus, 

 Parra gumnnstoma, and Podiceps dominicus. 



Dr. Merrill's observations extended over a period a little less 

 than two years and a half, from February, 1876, to June, 

 1878, and we can well perceive from the excellent record be- 

 fore us that he has made the very best possible use of his 

 time. 



Obnithoiogioal Papbe. — We have received from the 

 author, Mr. Geo. N Lawrence, two interesting papers, which 

 contain descriptions of new birds, collected by Mr. Ober dur- 

 ing his recent explorations in Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda. 

 In the "Annals of the New York Academy of Science," vol. 

 I., No 8, Mr. Lawrence described a new species of chimney 

 swift, Chceiura domintca, which, as might be inferred 

 from its name, was taken by Mr. Ober in the island of 

 Dominica. It was at first referred to ft poliura by Mr. Law- 

 rence, but further study has led him to regard it as hitherto 

 undescribed. The other paper referred to is from the " Pro- 

 ceedings of the United States Nat'l Museum," and is a 

 catalogue of the birds of Antigua and Barbuda, from collec- 

 tions made for the Smithsonian Institution by Mr. Fred. A. 

 Ober. Forty-two specie3 are reported from Antigua, of which 

 one {Upeotyto amaura) is new, and thirty-nine are mentioned 

 front Barbuda. The burrowing owl is a curious form, not 

 distantly related, it would appear, to S. quadaloupensis. Mr. 

 Lawrence notes some interesting facts in regard to the 

 plumage of the common quail of Antigua, which presents 

 points of resemblance to both Cuban aud the ordinary North 

 American form of Orlyx. Both of theEe contributions to our 

 knowleogeof the ornithology of this group of islands are very 

 interesting, and Mr. Lawrence must be congratulated on the 

 uumber of new forms which he has been able to announce 

 from these new fields. 



The Dohestioation and Abtlfioial Peopagatiok of 

 Quail.— One of our sub-editors, who seems to have lost his 

 reckoning in a fog, answered an inquirer last week by saying 

 that "we"— that is, he, of course, never knew of quail breeding 

 in confinement. Now if he and the anxious inquirer will 

 turn back to our files of February 12, 1874, just five years 

 ago, they will find very full instructions for breeding quail in 

 confinement, with diagrams of coops and hatching houses 

 which had been most successfully used by the West Jersey 

 Game Protective Society. These diagrams and instructions 

 were subsequently republished by request in our is:ue of Jan. 

 7, 1875. Of course our early readers will recall them. Per- 

 haps we can do our more recent friends no better service than 

 to republish them again in 1879. Independent of this particu- 

 lar article, we have timeand time again printed statistics of the 

 ease and guaranteed success with which quail may be propa- 

 gated in confinement, and the query of our correspondent 

 who "wants to know," does as little credit to his scrutiny of 

 our columns (unless he be a new subscriber,) as the answer 

 does to the memory aud application of our sub-editor who 

 got astray in a fog. Of course such incorrect and improper 

 replies to correspondents are very annoying as, if often re- 

 peated, they would shake confidence in a department upon 

 which ihey have always placed almost implicit reliance, and 



sand, clods of dirt, and fresh water every day. Feed no 



bread. 



In answer to your query respecting I ho breeding of quail, 

 I beg to state that a friend of mine on Long Island has raised 

 fourteen quail, and they are in prime condition. They were 

 bred in a wire cage, seven feet by twelve, with stout branches 

 for roosting ; also a gentleman living in Ktdgewood, L. I. 

 brought up some California quail. As to feed, could give 

 you the address of said parties, who could give you further 

 information. M. Exglert, 35 Delancy street 



New York, Feb. 1, 1879. 



I had for two years a pair of quails which I kept in a 

 warm room, where I had also a number of canaries. The 

 first year the hen laid at different times about twenty eggs 

 which were deposited in different parts of the room ; but 

 they did not try to build a nest, although I had placed the 

 necessary materials in the room. The second year they made 

 a regular nest in the corner of the room, and after laying 

 eighteen eggs, both hen and eoek-bird commenced setting on 

 them, and in due course .of time I found one. morning seven 

 young birds hatched, all of which were regularly brought up 

 until full grown by the parent birds. 



Albert C. Bocssbl. 



Philadelphia, 626 Spruce street, Feb. 1, 1879. 



Thb Birds os Sodthekn Texas,— The field ornithologist 

 •whOBe collecting ground is near our Southern border enjoys 



THOSE MINNESOTA FIELD TRIALS. 



A Bit or Unwkittkn Histoky. 



New Youk, Jan. 26, 1879. 

 Mr. Editor; 



Last fall I forwarded to you from the Field Trial Grounds 

 at Westport Lake, Minnesota, a " full and accurate" report of 

 the trials there run. The report was full, (as you will see by 

 referring to back files,) because I gave the state of wind and 

 weather at morning, noon, and night ; the lay of the land ; the 

 duration of each dog's peiformance ; the style, pace, and con- 

 dition of each dog ; and specified each point or demerit as it 

 was made, as well as the character of the gvound where so 

 made— whether in stu'oble, grass, slough, weeds or break. 

 It was accurate because my observation was careful, and be- 

 cause the scores, as sent to you, might be termed offlcia', hav- 

 ing been taken from the score books of one or other of the 

 judges, and either handed to me try them directly, or through 

 Mr. Lincoln, the Superintendent of Trials. They were the 

 same scores which I sent to the St. Paul Pioneer-Press, for 

 which paper I was also reporting. I followed tho dogs stead- 

 fastly, either by wagon or on foot, from the beginning of the 

 first day to the end of the last, until after all persons had de- 

 serted the ground except the handlers, the weary judges, the 

 Editor of the Chicago Field, and myself. As an eye witness 

 and participator, I was competent to relate what I saw, not- 

 withstanding I "kept my place seventy-five yards to the 

 rear" of the judges— a circumstance sneeringly referred to by 

 Dr. Bowe, of the Field, as necessitating a deficient report on 

 my part. Throughout the first three days I secured the ser- 

 vices of Mr. S. B. Dilley, of Lake City, Minnesota, who had 

 done similar service for Dr. Rowe the year before, and whose 

 excellent knowledge of dogs made his estimate of their per- 

 formances valuable. 



The attendance on the first day was fair, and on the second 

 day had increased to its maximum, many ladies and family 

 parties being present. Excellent order was preserved. The 

 seventy-five yard rule was strictly enforced, and Mr. Dilley 

 and myself, in common with other spectators, kept the regu- 

 lation distance in rear of the judges. I had no idea that 

 reporters could claim special rights or privileges, for I could 

 see the manifest propriety in all persons being kept aloof from 

 the judges, and from any communication with them whatever 

 which might prejudice or influence their decisions. In no 

 kind of competition is such an observance so imperative as in 

 dog field trials, for the duty of the judges requires intent and 

 continued inspection and mental application throughout. Re- 

 porters are supposed to construct their reports upon their own 

 independent opinions, merely receiving the official results, at 

 the close ; but Dr. Howe, from the very outset, was so con- 

 stantly in company with the judges, in aud out of their wagon, 

 and afterwards in their tent, and seemed so much to assume 

 the direction of the trials that I felt that the most conscientious 

 judges could not help be influenced. He received from them 

 the decision on each point the instant it wns made, and sig- 

 nalled it by flag to the curious spectators " 75 yards in the 

 rear." So conspicuously was he intrusive aud officious— so 

 indifferent to the prerogatives of the judges, that every disin- 

 terested person urged me to go to the front ; and on the third 

 day even the judges, all of them, told me the whole field was 

 mine: they wished fair play and no favoritism. Their 

 annoyance at the dictation aud meddling of Dr. Bowe mani- 

 fested itself repeatedly, and I am inclined to attributo their 

 severe discrimination and their scrupulous stickling for the 

 disputed point in the controversy which has resulted respect- 

 ing the dog Nellie's performance, not to a struggle in behalf 

 of preferred favorites, but to a consciousness that the close 

 intimacy of Dr. Bowe would expose them to charges of pre- 

 in which we have taken especial pride. The managing editor concerted verdicts by those who were jealously watching the 

 confesses delinqu'enco in not exercising more careful scrutiny | whole business. Is there a single reader of this paper or that, 



