m 1883, J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



345 



up, [u the particular case hi mind, a circular membtaue, 



hollow within. and open al the lower end. is produced down- 

 ward an Hi.' colony grows. After becoming an inch or hum. 

 lomr. tin' Open '-'ii'il doses, thus enveloping n mass of mud 

 and having flic shape 0/ a bulb. This bulb-like base istiy 



far the lufwl common mode of fixation in these soft legions. 



The P. ■iiiudvhimi. or sea pens, beautiful clusters of bright 

 red 'i h.I purple polyps, upon 11 straight stem, the basi 

 which is slightly bulb ,-hnped but tapering gradually to the 

 end, receive l.iieir name from the fact that the polypi are all 

 on one side; and on account of llii.s, together with the pointed 



end, ilie i.-cmlil; e to a quill penis nearly perfect. The 



most peouliiiramrtiitcrcslingof this group of Radiates is thai 

 rather abetrent form of Penriat wliiK, the OmbeUifera, so 

 named from their resemblance to an umbelliferous flower. 

 In this ea.se there i.- a stein often two feet in length, fast- 

 ened in the mud by means of an elongated bulb, but bearing 

 upon the other end 11 peculiar cluster of animals, which as 

 they gracefully 1" aid over, nave an almost perfect resemblance 

 to certain umbelliferous flowers. The allied animals, the 

 so called m;i anemones, are represented by many forms, of ten 

 large ami always beautiful in color. 



Kpiz'iii /ilium' n form which secretes a silicious sand-like 

 substance in the body walls, alter the free swimming stage, 

 attaches itself to a shell inhabited bj ■■< hermit crab. in 

 :;r and dividing, quite a colony is formed, which grad- 

 ually envelops the whole shell excepting the entrance. The 



shrl'l is finally dissolved and the hermit: tiausports the ane- 

 mone through Ihe water from place to place. But the crab 



; furnished with a comfortable transportable 



bouse, which grows at about Ihe same rate that the hermit 

 ndisthus an accommodating house. 



Starfishes are represented in all varieties, from the live- 

 armed species In thnxowitb 1i I'tceu anus, and from the nearly 

 pen! agonal forms to those with a mere disk, with five narrow 

 'i branching from it. Among the sea urchins, perhaps 

 in 6 Oddest are those forms which have no hard shells, 

 but are soft. Besides these are sonic with very thin and 

 delicate shells and others with many long and sharp spines. 



One night at It o'clock the crowd of naturalists standing 

 around the sieve, in the full glare of the electric light, were 



atts sly waiting lor the bag of the dredge lobe untied, and 



lie- cmilenls dropped into the sieve. At last the mass of 

 mud and animal life came tumbling out, and conspicuous 

 among the objects Were peculiar white forms one foot long. 

 01 lialf foot wide and tWO inches thick. Every one was 

 pn/./.led. One suggested fliat they might be' Planarian 

 worms, another Aseidians, and one ventured to say Hololhu- 

 rians, Some were of the opinion that they belonged to a 

 group of animals intermediate between two of the above 



the 



After 

 i to 



as settled, for flier 



the peculiar orgai 



Upon arriving home and 



lay 



class s. and of which these 



a few moments of such suggi 

 make a dissection ol i n 

 the internal organs the (pies 

 before the anxious crowd 

 which belong to Eehitiodernis. 



CO "i'" books we found that several similar species 



of ITololhuritiiiH had been described from the Challenger 

 Expedition. This, however, proved to be a somewhat dif- 

 EerOHI ii eics and received the scientific name lit itthoditex 

 tl'tqwilea. But it was uot destined to escape so easily, for 

 the sailors applied Various names, such as lump of 'p irk, 

 loaf of bread, and animated boxing gloves. The creatine 

 was pure white, and although i if the great size mentioned 

 above, still the vital organs were Confined to a narrow por- 

 tion near Ihe center, the rest being quite superfluous. Later 

 in Ihe cruise another peculiar Hololburian was dredged and 



was ehri 

 bianco to 



berime, s 



In plfl 



ITS old boot. 



It bore quite a 



Of the ho 



• Wuphro- 



like ptotu- 



shells 



to ihe animal Food is spoked in through a rather long 

 Simple proboscis. 



Deep-sea fish. were represented bj many new spines, and 

 some extraordinary forms. One, Qwiirostomvi '■nitdi!. will 

 proliably form the basis of a new order. It has a remark- 

 ably long mouth, occupying a great deal more than half the 

 body. The skull is very primitive, and the whole animal is 

 a curious case of extraordinary development. One fish 

 was taken, in which all trades of eyes were appiircnlly 

 wanting. 



At Ihe surface, two or three hundred miles from land, 

 animal life is extremely abundant. Cuttlefish swim around 

 and are chased by swoVdflsh, sharks and dolphins, Mother 

 Gary's chickens fly about, often in great numbers, attracted 

 by the refuse thrown overboard, which they hover over and, 

 apparently, greedily devour. Notwithstanding the amount 

 of food thrown away, still the stomachs of these birds are 

 usually entirely empty. In the warm waters of Ihe Gulf 

 Stream, by dragging a very tine net along the surface, mil- 

 lions of minute animals can be obtained in a very shorl time. 

 Attached to pieces of timber and floating seaweed, the 

 stalked, or goose, barnacle lives in great number. Oood- 

 sized crabs and shrimp also seek refuge among the seaweed. 

 Ail these new and wonderful things have been discovered 

 and studied by the Fish Commission, under the excellent 

 management of Prof. Band, in addition to, and without in- 

 terfering with the* regular works of exploring the fishing 

 grounds and studying the movements of the food fishes of 

 Eastern North America. E. S. T.utti. 



DISCOVERIES IN ALASKA. 



CAPT, M. S. IIEALY. of the United States Revenue Ma- 

 rine steamship Corwin, recently submitted to the 

 Treasury Department an interestrag report of discoveries 

 made in Alaska duting Ihe past summer. He says: 



Being desirous of ascertaining tlie exact locality and ex- 

 tent of a large river reported by the natives to debouch in 

 Ilotham Inlet, 1 availed myself of Ensign G. Kt. Stoney's 

 (United States Navy) better knowledge of surveying and his 

 desire to make such examination, with a view to ulterior ex- 

 plorations should the result of the preliminary expedition 

 warrant them. 



1 placed the dingy, with two men armed and equipped with 

 ten davs' rations, under his command, and landed him at 

 Hotham Inlet July 23, with instructions to report on board at 

 the expiration of ten days. 



The result of his expedition, considering the limited means 

 and time, is highly gratifying and well worth the attention of 

 the Government. " He reports that, leaving the native village 

 on Hotham Inlet under the guidance of a native from the 

 interior and well acquainted on the river, he made for the 

 liver marked on the chart. Arriving there, he found it to 

 be small and very shallow — not worth exploring. Thence 

 lie proceeded some twenty-three miles along the northeastern 

 shore of llothnm Inlet. "Here he struck the mouth of another 

 river of considerable size, which the native said was one of 

 the outlets of a larger river. Ascending this branch in a 

 southeasterly direction for two days, he struck the main 

 stream, which proves to be a river fully three-quarters of a 

 mile in width, having nowhere less than two and a half 

 fathoms of water, deepening at times to seven fathoms. He 

 ascended the river a distance of fifty miles from ils mouth. 



The banks generally were steep and thickly timbered with 

 birch, alder and spruce, some of the trees attaining a height 

 of forty feet, with twelve inches diameter at the base. Back 

 from tiie r 



ilremcly abundant and are often 

 found in considerable variety. It is, however, a peculiar 

 feet. Unit the deep-sea shells 'are usually nearly related to 

 shallow water and shore forms, while in other- groups of 

 animals the case is quite the reverse. It is to be borne in 

 mind, that the shells proper or Mottimu bear no resemblance 

 to the shelby Tfbramintfera, the former being quite high in 

 the animal scale, while the latter are tin" lowesl group 

 known. Our most beautiful deep-water shell QalliosU 



named in honor of Prof. P.aird, is one of the few 

 deep-water animals which will live after being brought up 

 to I lie- surface from 5(10 fathoms, and flourish after being 

 plaeed in the aquanuui. 



Squid and Oetopi are quite frequently taken, and arc 

 represented by many curious forms. 



Annelids, ihe group of worms proper, are not represented 

 by many remarkable forms, being for the most part rather 

 small, and often represented by similar forms iii shallower 

 water, furtuat north. It is a well known but curious fact 

 thai many animals, which are found in from 100 to MO 

 fathoms south of New England, are often common species 

 in the shallower waters, and even on the shores, on the 

 noiiheru coast of Eastern North America. Anil, further- 

 more, the fauna, on the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, 

 and off the coast of Europe, is in many respects identical 

 with the fauna of the bottom off our coast. Besides this, 

 tin 1 fossil rocks of Italy contain many species which are at 



' 1 1 Miig upon the ocean bottom. But. lo ivi urn 



Annelids. The only really curious one is the species called 

 lli/idinariti tn-tr/i\c~ which secretes a circular lube, open at 

 lOtl ' ' . which, in structure, resembles the quill of a bird's 

 feather. In fact, it was actually made to serve the purpose 

 of a pen. One of the party went so far as to clean out one 

 and lit il into his pipe, lo be used as a stem, When last 

 si-en, lie was puffing away through a worm's tube taken from 

 ihe bo itom in 500 fathoms. 



In places shrimp are so abundant upon the bottom that 

 hushes are brought up at each haul In such cases advar 

 lage is taken of the quantity, and the mess is treated I 

 shrimp cooked in various ways. One species of shrimp was 

 taken in 2,^00 fathoms, which measures a fool in length, 

 and u species similar lo the sand flea, nearly three inches 

 long Drftb8-ar(> found quite abundantly. By'far the most 

 il ;ing animals which have vet been taken are the Pycno- 



gonids. or sea spiders. It is not yet determined Jusl where 



in ihe animal kingdom to place them, for they have affinities 

 to the crust n ceans. spiders, and also to the group which in- 

 cludes the grandfather long-legs. One specimen taken this 

 summer measured, when stretched out upon a table, over 

 l wo feet from the end ot one leg to ihe end of the one on 

 the opposite side. But notwithstanding this immense length 

 I he body is bul an eighth of an inch in breadth and an 

 inch long. In fact, its body is so small thai a brunch of tin? 

 stomaeb has to lie extended into each of tlie eight legs, in 

 order to make it large enough to digest the food required un- 

 file support of the legs, for ilieseare about all that tie 



>r banks the undergrowth formed an impassable 

 jungle, particularly where the banks were low. The current 



was strong, at the bends reaching the rate of two knots per 

 hour. The natives reported that the river held its depth of 



mot 



not less than two Fathoms and its width of half a mile f 

 less than three hundred miles beyond where Mr. 

 turned back. Itwasfuither stated by the natives that by 

 making a small portage near the bead of this ri cer they could 

 reach another stream flowing northward into the Polar Sea. 

 Mr. Stoney, having gone as fur as time permitted, retraced 

 his steps to the mouth of the main stream, which, with two 

 other branches, forms the delta on the north side of Hotham 

 Inlet. 



Everywhere the natives were kind, harmless and hospit- 

 able, many of them evidently having never seen a white man 



before. The heat was intense, Vegetation rank and the 

 natives scantily clad. 



Captain Hea'ly also says: 



Thus far on our cruise nothing has been seen lo show that 

 either liquor or breech-loading arms have been lauded ou the 

 American side by traders or others, while quite the reverse 

 is the ease on the Siberian shores. 



Captain Healey also submits a repc 

 Reynolds, who hastil; 

 back from the beach i 



has an 



Ihe easten 

 Strikiug ri 

 plorers bund 



tenant W, E. 



ion thai lies 



The lagoon 



red tb 



f Cape Sepr. . 

 Ith of about two miles, though the flats o 

 e exposed in many places at low tide. 

 SS lioiii the mouth of the lagoon, tin ex 

 inlrance to, a small river up which they 

 proceeded about five miles, when the current became so 

 strong thai they could not stem it without using the oars. 

 Owing to their* limited time they were unable to follow the 

 si i earn but two miles further. Tracks of foxes and deer 



Lieutenant Reynolds concludes his report by saying that 

 were it uot for the shoal water at the entrance the lagoon 

 would furnish an excellent harbor for small ships such as 

 visit the Arctic, and recommends that the lagoon be named 

 after the steamer Corwin. 



The Adirondack Fokests.— The Couslitution Club of 

 this city met last week. A committee appointed at a pre- 

 vious meeting presented a report. By the act of incorpora- 

 tion of the Adirondack Railroad, in 1863, Ihe company was 

 authorized to hold 1,000,000 acres of wild 



lditi 



dispe, 



lands 



A Hoii-Noskm Snake. — West field, N J., Nov. 3,-1 send 

 herewith a small specimen of a snake common to New Jer- 

 sey rind New York, that I know under Ihe name of "Hat. 

 : adder," and believe to he as poisonous as either the 

 rattlesnake or moccasin, though I have never seen the snake 

 mentioned anywhere in Forkst and Stream as being ven- 

 omous. Some time since I caught one and placed a live 

 toad in an ash can with it and teased the snake until he hit 

 the toad. I watched for some time, but saw no indications 

 of the bite taking effect. Some hours after 1 concluded lo 

 kill the snake, and found the toad still sitting in the same 

 mil oral position in which I left him, and therefore concluded 

 that the snake was not poisonous. The load, however, 

 proved to he stone dead, and had uever moved or even 

 kicked after being bitten. I am told that snakes of this 

 species when tormented will flatten their bodies as well a 

 heads, and finally bite themselves and die. What is the 

 proper name ami classification of speeimeu sent you? I 

 have rarely seen them over two feet long, and I have never 

 known them to move an inch to get out of the way of man 

 or dog. Thev hiss as loud as a goose when disturbed.— 

 Jon,, J. "vvW.is. [The snake is the common hog-nosed 

 snake (lid, rod on plati/rhino*), also called flat-headed adder 

 and puffing adder. It is a very common species, and from 

 its appearance and actions is "rather alarming to one not 

 acquainted with it. Il is not venomous, however, though 

 generally believed to be. See Dr. Yarrow's ' Noics on Rep- 

 tiles," recently published in these columns.] 



Flying Against Buildincs. — Cosunmo, Gal., Nov. 8.— 

 A note in a recent issue reminds mc of an incideut which 

 happened to me some years ago. while living in Orange 

 county, N. Y r ., near Ihe New .Jersey hue, 1 was out after 

 grouse with a friend. Above his house, at three or four hun- 

 dred yards distance, ran a high rocky ridge well covered 

 with rhododendron, along which many a grouse had in tlie 

 course of time fallen before our guns. On this occasion a 

 brace whirred up and one dropped to my shot. The other 

 got away unharmed, slanting down the hill at a tremendous 

 rale, wiili wings almost stationary as is their custom when 

 under full headway down hill, only an occasional movement 

 keeping them in the air. We could find nothing more of 

 him and returned to the house, where we were astonished 

 to find a fine cock hung up; and ou inquuing, were told that 

 the family had been startled by a tremendous blow on the 

 house, and going out had found this bird lying on the steps 

 with neck broken. At the same place on auoiiier occasion, 

 I saw a Hock of quails pursued by a hawk, three of whom 

 flew against the barn and were killed, while 1 had the plea- 

 sure of killing their enemy. Shooting lure is fine, quail be- 

 ing plenty and geese coming in by thousands. Have just 

 come back fiotn a hunting trip in the Sierra Nevadas, dur- 

 ing which the party brought thirty-five deer to camp.— W. 



Enormous Fossil Shark Teeth. — Monroe, Louisiana, 

 Nov. 9, 18S3. — There was recently found, in a gravel pit, 

 ou the fine of the V. S. & P. Ry.. two stones, one about 

 twice the size of the other, and each having exactly the 

 shape of a shark's, or "gourd seed," tooth. The larger one 

 measures thirty four inches from extreme projection of base 

 to point, besides several inches brokeu off from the point. 

 It is nineteen inches across the base and seven inches thick 

 at the thickest part. There were no other stones found in 

 the pit except sinall gravel. These have been pronounced 

 genuine fossil teeth by a scientific authority. The animal 

 that owned and operated these toys must have been the one 

 that swallowed Jonah, or a near relation of that one. One 

 .specimen is now in the R.R. office. I inclose a rough out- 

 line sketch of the larger one. — Ouachita. [We have no 

 knowledge of any fossil shark's teeth having been found 

 that are at all comparable in size with those here reported.] 



BpC 



aiiroad purposes, and to 

 )f the products of the forests and iron and other ores. 

 Qpany lite, already come into possession of ooii.otn) 

 iii tin: forests are being gradually destroyed. The 

 died attention to the importance of forests to the 

 tpply of the Stale and to the navigation of its rivers 

 aud canals, to its crops and climate. The discussion which 

 followed the report took the form mainly of suggestions to 

 the committee, which was continued with power to petition 

 the Legislature to pass a general forestry law or such other 

 measure ns in its wisdom may he necessary to preserve the 

 woodlands of ihe State. The club was unanimous in the 

 eocvieiion that the State should exercise its power to pre- 

 vent the destruction of the Adirondack forests by raihoad 

 i ompanies or bj individuals. 



ns 



"HOW TO COOK 



i barber shop one day last v 



:,illi 



■ t.o be sha 



'POSSUM." 

 while several gentle i 



good thi 

 who is considered a connoisse 

 part in the discussion, said 

 about nice things to eat . but 

 tasted was 'possum, hedged ii 

 potatoes, with sugar on them 

 hat he was talking about, 8 



-sin-- various dishes, Joe Ronev. 

 r. and who had taken an active 

 "Well, boys, you can all talk 

 ic best tiding iu the world I ever 

 with brown gravy and sweet 

 It struck us that Joe knew 

 id we determined to invest igat'e 

 the first time we had an opportunity. We soon ha' I the chance. 

 Mr. Walt Furlow extended an invitation soon alter to go out 

 to his plantation and assist in a genuine old-fashioned 'possum 

 hunt, with an hour or two for squirrels thrown in. We sup- 

 pose there is hardly a man in Southwest Georgia who has not 

 experienced the glories of a 'possum hunt. It is not for their 

 benefit, therefore that we write these lines. Possibly the 

 ladies may not feel particularly' interested iu them, but we 

 must beg the excuse that some one will, for we are full to over- 

 flowing with the good of the hunt, and must tell some one. 

 Uu every plantation there is one or more, darkies who d.. the 

 •possum and '.: con-hunting; who can tell vou to a hair's breath 

 where to find them. Mr. Fuiiow's plantation is no exception. 

 There is a negro there named Jim that knows all about it, and 

 what he don't know his dogs do. His dogs are his life and soul; 

 he would rather you would steal his wife than his dogs, for 

 he reasons that another wife he could get, but another cloy as 

 good as Rock, Jack or Pup, never. Rock is his "boss Uog." 

 and when his deep ba y is heard vou can lav your last dofjfar 

 and wager it that 'possum will be ttved. Tlie "first night's ex- 

 perience was a tame one; we got into a dry piece of woods 

 and struckbut one 'possum track, but w-e got that 'possum. 



The next night we had everything iu fine shape, and 

 between 8 and«(t o'clock we started out."" Down the road to the 

 ;nt, stopping long enough to get several handfufs 



of good lighter, aud then' into the forest we went, 

 fifteen minutes had passed before a bark was heard 

 a few moments later by another and then anothei 

 had been struck. The voices of the dogs grew nior 

 until at length a long continuous bay from the 

 nouneed that, the 'possum was treed. A few moi 

 brought us to them, but the scene around tie- toe 

 ■k the doj 



Sei 



bed It is rum 

 sum or the boi 

 more, varied 



do 



linib the'saplii 



i, and the next moment tn 

 s, forty feet away. He had 

 fell, but the d )gs ran too 

 ste of him thev were satis- 

 niu dog will never eat a 'pos- 

 ,.-. goene was repeated twite 



A few 



otto 



the fei 



sti 



On a, big dish 



uld nav 



i the 



the 



the 'possum looked like it was good, but it \ 

 looked. It was a meal fit for kings, bu 

 could have for the trouble of the hunt, i t w 

 we had ever ate, but if our legs hold out it 



Joe Rouey was right. There is nothing that will bent the 

 'possum.— _l.iie,','e»s [Ca.) /,'eeoe.iee 



and 



ed when 

 th.mgbrof 

 ;aSt il was! 

 n and fat, 

 It r than it 

 i anyljo.ly 

 rst 'possum 

 be the last, 



