w% 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



which, together with the metallic objects, were completely 

 covered and held in masses by metallic crystals, evidently 

 deposited by the water above. These crystals were*f such 

 a nature that geologists would unhesitatingly describe their 

 formation to natural causes, working through ages. That 

 such is not the case is plainly evidenced by the known 

 eras of the coins above which they have formed. It will 

 be seen that this circumstance may throw serious doubt 

 over a large quantity of important geological deductions 

 as to lapses of time, when the same, as is the fact in many 

 instances, are wholly based on supposed slowness of for- 

 mation of similar deposits.* The third discovery relatesto 

 the fragments of sandstone. By comparing these with 

 other pieces, already found in similar localities, the inves- 

 tigators have concluded that such fragments were thrown 

 into the wells as votive offerings to local divinities by the 

 ancient inhabitants of the country, and that the same cus- 

 tom, continued through centuries, accounts for the pres- 

 ence of the much more recent Koman money. A chain of 

 proof mainly circumstantial, has been elaborated, which 

 refers the stone fragments to the neolithic epoch, in pre- 

 historic ages, and further shows that the pieces probably 

 represent the earliest money used by man. 



. . -«»» » . — — — 



— The "sea serpent" has come again. This time he ap- 

 peared off Cape St. Roque, South America. Jfe was 

 fighting with a whale— a cachelot, it must have been— which 

 he wound himself about, and twirled with tremendous ve- 

 locity. This monster u had two coils around a full-sized 

 whale, with thirty feet clear at each end, " 

 and when the rumpus was over he "raised himself 

 sixty feet out of the water." Pretty large serpent! An an- 

 aconda thirty feet in length would be a giant. The whole 

 story rests upon the authority of the Zanzibar correspond- 

 ent of the Western Morning News, who has written up an 

 account, told with a sailor's latitude in details, of what 

 Capt. Driver and the crew of a collier bark thought they 



saw. 



. ,— — ••*+» 



— Two young lions, three weeks old, the progeny of the 

 lions at Central Park named Lincoln and Jennie, are being 

 reared by a terrier whose puppies were taken away. She 

 has grown very fond of them and caresses them contin- 

 ually. 



NEW BIRDS FROM MINNESOTA. 



- — + - 



Minneapolis, Minn., Nov. 17th, 1875. 

 Editor Forest'and Stream:— 



On the 22d of September, 1875, a fine specimen of the sanderling ( Ca- 

 hdrls armaria) was shot in the vicinity of Minneapolis by Mr. W". L. 

 Tiffany. There were two of them on the sandy beach of one of our 

 many lakes, but only one was shot, the skin of which I have in my col- 

 lection. From all the quotations that 1 can find regarding this bird, I 

 infer that it is seldom found in the interior. On the 23d of Oct. '74,1 

 shot a cardinal grosbeak ( Qardmalis Virginianus,) in th 3 midst of large 

 woods, abo at six miles from this place. The specimen was a male in 

 "brilliant plumage. I have seen it mentioned in the American, Naturalist 

 that this bird has been found in the central counties of Iowa; but do not 

 know that it has been taken in Minnesota before. On the 9th of May, 

 1874 while riding through an open, scrubby section of country, some 

 seven or eight miles from Minneapolis, I saw large numbers of the Har- 

 ris' finch (Zonotrichia querula) . I shot two specimens, one of which is 

 now in the possession of Dr. Hatch, of this city. On the 16th of the 

 same month I shot the last specimen that has been seen in this locality, 

 _ although constant and thorough search has been made each Fall and 

 Spring since. They were seen in abundance only on the first day men- 

 tioned, and the same section being visited two days afterward;?, not a 

 single individual of the kind could be found. Besides the three men 

 tioned above, I have in my possession specimens collected in Minnesota 

 of the following species, not in the catalogue of the birds of this State, 

 published by Dr. Hatch in 1874:— 



Wilson's thrush, Turdus fuscescens. Probably common. 



Golden-crested wren, Eegulus satrapa. Occasionally met with during 

 migration. 



Red-bellied nuthatch, Sitta Canadensis. Rare. 



Short-billed marsh wren, Cistothorus stellaris. Summer resident; not 



common. .,*-,,.» 



Golden-winged warblers, Helminthopliaga chrysoptera. bummer resi- 

 dent; rare. 

 Tennessee warbler, Helminthopliaga peregrina. Abundant during the 



Spring migration of 1875. 



Blackburnian warbler, Dendroica Blackburniae . Seen occasionally 

 during migration . 



Black-poll warbler, Dendroica striata. Taken during migration. 



Cape May warbler, Dendroica tigrina. Five specimens were taken 

 during the Spring and Fall migrations of 1875, 



Canadian flycatcher, Myodiocles Canadensis. Occurs during migra- 

 tion. 



Yellow- winged sparrow, Goturniculuspasserinvs. Not rare. 



Black-throated bunting, Euspiza Americana. Abundant during the 

 Summer of 1874, but none appeared during the Summer of 1875. 



Olive-sided flycatcher, Contopus borealis. Summer resident, but rare. 



Pileated woodpecker, Hylotomus pileatus. Not common in heavily 

 timbered sections. 



Yellow-bellied woodpecker, Sphyrapicus mrius. Common in heavily 

 timbered sections. 



Baird's sand-piper, Tringa Baadii. Several specimens taken. 



Forster's tern, Sterna Forsteri . Not common . 



Thomas S. Egberts. 



The following are recent arrivals at the Philadelphia 



Zoological Garden:— 



Garden op the Zoological Society, I 



Fairmotjnt Park, Philadelphia, Dec. 13th, 1875. f 

 One Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo. Presented by the Duncannon 

 Iron Company, Penn. 



One Jaguar, Felis onca; 2 Beavers, Castor Canadensis; 4 Common 

 Camels, Camews dromedarius, and 4 Bactrian, Camelus buctrianus, 



^One^Yellow-cheeked Amazon, Chry soils autumnalis. Presented by 

 Miss Abbott, of Philadelphia. 



One Horned Grebe, Podiceps comutus. Presented by J. S. Champitt, 

 of Philadelphia. 



One Florida Gallinule, Qallinula galeata. Presented by H. B. Phil- 

 lips, of Delaware. - : 



One Yellow-footed Rock Kangaroo, Petrogale xanthojias. Purchased. 



One King Vulture, Oyparc/ms papa. Purchased. 



One Horned Grebe, Podiceps cornutus. Presented byJ. W.Sweis- 

 fort, of Philadelphia. 



One Leopard, Fetis pardus. Purchased. 



One Wild Goose, Bemicla Canadensis. Presented by J. M. Wilson, 

 of Washington, D. C. 



—The Natural History section of the Long Island His- 

 torical Society will hold a meeting in the hall of the Soci- 

 ety, at Court and Livingston streets, Brooklyn, on the eve- 

 ping of, December 30th. 



New York, December 9th, 1876. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



Will you be kind enough to ask your correspondents for a note of 

 such birds as they surely know to rear more than one brood in a sea- 

 son? I can only start the list with the robin and bluebird from actual 

 observation. Also, whether such birds breed a second time in the same 

 nest, or build another, as does the robin? C. S. W. 



[We gladly give space to this inquiry, but would offer a 

 word of caution against substituting hearsay for personal 

 observation. Anything that stimulates close and intelli- 

 gent observation of the habits of our birds is welcome to 

 our columns . — Ed. ] 



%t MmneL 



Cost of Keeping Dogs.— It is not an unusual thing for 

 us to hear gentlemen say, that they would keep a good 

 dog, or a brace, but for the expense of feeding, or for the 

 expense of boarding them daring the close seasons. Let us 

 say that a full-grown setter may be kept in first rate con- 

 dition at such times at an expense not exceeding twenty- 

 five cents per week. One pound of cornmeal, costing 

 rather less than two cents and a half, a pound of scraps 

 costing one cent, when well boiled, is sufficient for one 

 dog per day. During Winter this kind of food will keep 

 a week. We have kept dogs for years on this food, and 

 know that when regularly fed as above they keep in first 

 rate condition. While dogs are being worked during 

 shooting season, in addition to the above, they should have 

 some meat. 



— «»» 



— Mr. Joseph E. Fisher, of Brooklyn, who had the mis- 

 fortune to lose his fine Gordon setter bitch Flirt has had 

 the loss supplemented by the death, by distemper, of a 

 daughter of Flirt, Queen of the Field . This fine pupy was 

 eight months old and sired by How's Duke. Flirt's pedi- 

 gree was published in No. 2 of our present volume. Mr. 

 Fisher still has his red setter Belle, who took second prize 

 at the Mineola show, and is expecting shortly a litter of 

 puppies sired by Hamilton Thompson's Duke. 



The Birmingham Dog Show of 1875 opened on the 



29th November and continued untill the 2d inst. Entries 

 comprised an even thousand dogs, being something less 

 than last year. The largest class was the Fox Terriers, of 

 which there were one hundred and eighteen exhibited. 

 The pointers numbered seventy-six, and the setters, of the 

 three varieties, English, Irish and Black and Tan, one 

 hundred and twenty-one in all. Of Collies, or Sheep dogs, 

 there were fifty-seven, and of Retrievers sixty-three. 

 Cocker Spaniels are not mentioned, but of Clumbers, 

 there were twelve and also eighteen Sussex Spaniels. The 

 awards had not been published when the last mail left . 



-•*♦• 



The Second English Field Trial Derby for setter and 



pointer puppies of 1875 is announced to be run in April 

 1876. The ground will be the same as on the last occasion, 

 Horse Heath, near Linton, Cambridgeshire. The entrance 

 is ten shillings, to be raised to four guineas for starters, and 

 the winner receives fifty pounds. Entries close Jan. 1st. 

 ^*e* 



The Chicago Bench Show. — We have received the 

 prize list of the National Poultry Association, who hold 

 their first exhibition at Chicago commencing on the 20th 

 of January. The principal prize is a "special" presented 

 by Forest and Stream, valued at $150, (nominally, its 

 real value being much more) to be awarded for the- best 

 display of sporting dogs or bitches of any one breed or 

 variety by one exhibitor. There are in all forty classes with 

 prizes as follows: — Our space only permits us to mention 

 the sporting dogs or the most valuable of other varieties.— 



Class 1.— Imported English setters, or their progenv, over one year old. 

 For best dog, premium cup, value $35; second best, cup, $25; third best, 

 $10 For best bitch, premium cup, value $35; second best, cup, $25: 

 third best $10. ' . , . 



Class 2.— Imported red or red and white Irish setters, or their progeny, 

 over one year old. For best dog, premium cup. value $35; second best, 

 cup $25; third best $10. For best bitch, premium cup, value $35; sec- 

 ond' best! cup, $25: third best $10. 



Class 3.— Imported black and tan Gordon setters, or their progeny, over 

 one year old. For best dog, premium cup, value $35; second best, cup, 

 $25-* third best $10. For best bitch, premium cup, value $35; second 

 best, cup, $25; third best $10. 



Class 4 .—Native English setters, over one year old. For best dog, pre- 

 mium cup, value $35; second best, cup, $25; third best $10. For best 

 bitch premium cup, value $35; second best, cup, $15; third best $10. 



Class 5 —Native black and tan setters, called Gordons, over one year 

 old For best dog, premium cup, value' $35; second best, cup, $25; 

 third best $10 For best bitch, premium cup, value $35; second best, 

 cup, $25; third best $10. 



Class 6.— Native red or red and white setters, called Irish setters, over 

 one year old. For best dog, premium cup, value $35; second best, cup, 

 $25- tlrrd Tbest $10. For best bitch, cup, value $35; second best, cup, 

 |25; third best $10. , . 



Class 7.— Pointers, over fifty pounds weight, over one year old. For 

 best dog, premium cup, value $35; second best, cup, $25; third best $10. 

 For best'bitch, premium cup, value $35; second best, cup, $25; third 

 best $10. _ _, , ,.., ._ _ 



Class 8.— Pointers, under fifty pounds weight, over one year old. For 

 best doo- premium cup, value $35; second best, cup, $25; third best $10. 

 For best'bitch, premium cup, value $35; second best, cup, $25; third 



best $10 ..., . . _* _^ ', , 



Class 9— Irish water spaniels, over one- year old. For best dog, pre- 

 mium cup, value $35; second best, cup, $25; third best $10. For best 

 bitch premium cup, value $35; second best, cup, $25; third best $10. 



Cla'«s 10 —Cocker spaniels, over one year old. For best dog or bitch, 

 cud value $35; second best, cup, $25; third best $10. 



class 11 —Clumber spaniels, over one year old. For best dog, pre- 

 mium cup value $35. For best bitch, premium cup, value $35. For 

 be*t pup under one year old, premium cup, value $25. 



Class 12 —Black retrievers and Chesapeake Bay dogs, over one year 

 old "For best dog or bitch, premium cup, value $35; second best, cup, 

 $25"; third best,- $10. 



Class 13.— Retrieving spaniels, other than pure Irish, over one year old. 

 For best dog or bitch, cup, value $35; second best, cup, $25; third best, 

 $10. 



SPECIAL CLASSES. 



Class 23 —For best native English setter pup, under one year old, prize 

 cup, value $25; second best $10; third best $5 ; 



Class 24 —For best English setter pup, from imported stock, under one 

 year old, prize cup, value $25; second best $10; tnird best $5. 



Class 25.— For best pointer pup, under one year old, prize cup, value 

 $25; second best $10; third best $5. 



Class 26.— For best Irish water spaniel pup, under one year old, cup, 

 value $25; second best $10; third best $5 



Class 27.— For best spaniel pup for retrieving ducks, under one year 

 old other than pure Insh, cup, value $25; second best $10; third best $5, 



Class §8.— For best English setter bitch, over one year old, with not 

 less than two of her pups, under one year old, special prize, presented 

 by Chicago Field, value $50. For best Irish setter bitch, with not less 

 than two of her pups, under one year old, pecial sprize, $50. 



Class 29.— For best pointer bitch, over one year old, with not less than 

 two of her pups, under one year old, special prize, value $50, presented 

 by Pod and Gun. 



Class 30.-— For best Irish water spaniel bitch, over one year old, with 

 not less than two of her pups, under one year old, special prize, value 

 $50, presented by Forest and Stream. 



Class 31.— For best setter bitch of any breed, special prize, value $35. 



Class 32.— For best imported English setter dog, for stock purposes, to 

 be shown with not less than two of his get, special prize, value $50. 



Class 33. — For best English setter dog, for stock purposes, to be shown 

 with not less than two of his get, special prize, value $50. 



Class 34.— For best Russian setter dog or bitch, over one year old, spe- 

 cial prize, value $35. 



Class 35.— For best red Irish setter dog for stock purposes, to be shown 

 with not less than tw© of his get, special prize, value $50. 



Class 36.— For best brace of imported English setters, known as the 

 "Field Trial Breed," over one year old, pedigree required, special prize 

 value $35. 



_ -»»»>■ — ■ — 



SPANIELS vs SETTERS. 



Franklin, New York, December 3d, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



It is stated in your issue of December 2d that for ruffed grouse and 

 woodcock shooting no variety of spaniel is to be compared with a good 

 steady, well-brokan setter or pointer. Now, I have had some experience 

 with all the above named dogs, and I have yet to see the setter or pointer 

 that Is equal to a well-broken cocker spaniel for woodcock and ruffed 

 grouse. To say they are perfect don't express it. Again, it is stated 

 that the only places we found where our spaniels were better than setters 

 was in coverts, where the shooter could not follow his dog. Now, I ask 

 is not that just the place where we mostly find cock and grouse? Where 

 Is the sportsman who has not found the most grouse in raspberry brush 

 and second growth beach and birch, blackberry and other matted under- 

 growth? Those are the places where whole broods are found in early 

 Fall. Often have I made an aperture in thick woods for my dogs to en- 

 ter, and yip, yip, and a whirr, whirr, bang, bang. Then to say they are 

 fine retrievers don't express it. Now, who in fairness will say that for 

 woodcock a spaniel has any equal? for in the Eastern and Middle States 

 and in Canada, woodcock inhabit river and creek flats, densely covered 

 with willows, also broom corn fields, where your dog cannot be seen 

 at all fully half the time. I would as soon walk up my birds as go In 

 search of a setter on a point. Again, it is stated that a setter will, when 

 properly broken, etc. Mr. Editor, notice the "properly broken." Yes 

 but it will cost as much to properly break him or her as you can buy a 

 first class pair of cockers for, and will cost you ten times as much to 

 feed and keep them properly broken; and if yon please, sir, they give 

 you a few seconds notice— i. e., yip, yip— before the bird rises, to shoul- 

 der your gun. And is not that far more important to the shooter than 

 to follow your setter say twenty rods and then walk up your birds? 

 Again— "He is a much stronger dog; will do much more hard work. " 

 Now, where is he stronger according to size and weight? I claim that a 

 spaniel, say thirty pounds, will propel hiraeelf far easier than a setter of 

 sixty pounds, and will do just as much work, and he is fast enough for 

 any man for cock and grouse. The only trouble with a setter, or the 

 worst trouble is. they are too fast for this kind of work. Perhaps the 

 writer of the article referred to would have the readers of Forest and 

 Stream believe that a draught horse will propel himself easier and do 

 more hard roading than a horse half his size and w r eight. If the setter 

 is superior to a spaniel for this class of work, why in the name of com- 

 mon sense and reason do they use the spaniel in England for pheasant 

 and woodcock, and why are they so careful in breeding and breaking this 

 beautiful, keen-nosed, intelligent dog? I have traveled all that country, 

 east, west, north, and south, and there is not in all England woods or 

 thickets to be compared with the Eastern and Middle States of this 

 country, and yet nearly every nobleman's kennel contains favorite breed 

 or strain of spaniels. Bye the bye, I notice an article in Land and 

 Water, treating of woodcock shooting, that refers to using a good brace 

 of spaniels for that purpose . 



To sum up, I have used pointers and setters, and have come to the 

 conclusion that they are unfit for this section, where the ruffed grouse 

 and woodcock is the game, and have discarded them accordingly and re- 

 placed them with a pair of cocker spaniels, and I am a thorough believer 

 in that breed of dogs, and if any one says aught against them I am on 

 tiptoe. They are keen scented, quick and intelligent and good retriev- 

 ers on land and water, and if I miss my bird on the wing, and it is treed, 

 and I shoot the bird sitting, why that's my business; I want the birds. 



Your correspondent, Manhattan, is in error in regard to a cross be- 

 tween the setter and spaniel, as in all the crosses of the kind that I have 

 seen they will not point, nor yet will they bark, and it would be hard to 

 tell when game was scented, and wonld require the constant watch of 

 the shooter, and the game would be for the most part lost because it 

 rises unexpectedly. In all else I endorse Manhattan, for I have never 

 known a time when spaniels were so much enquired for amongst sports- 

 men as at the present time. Delaware . 



fin our article upon the relative merits # of setters, poin- 

 ters, and spaniels, we did not intend to discourage the use 

 of cocker spaniels in sections of the country where the 

 shooter cannot follow his dog, but we contend that such 

 grounds are rarely met with. We commenced our shoot- 

 ing in 1825, have shot in more than half the States in the 

 Union, and have in all probability killed more game, legit- 

 imately, than any one else in this country except Captain 

 Bogardus, yet we have scarcely ever found shooting when 

 spaniels would have been more serviceable than well brok- 

 en setters or pointers; and when our correspondent alleges 

 that it costs ten times as much to feed and keep them pro- 

 perly broken, we cannot agree with him. We admit that 

 it would cost a trifle more to keep a setter or pointer, but 

 after they are properly broken any skillful sportsman can 

 keep them up to their work. But even a spaniel, in order 

 to be useful, should be well broken, unless he is used to 

 tree birds for his master to shoot sitting, but, for such 

 purposes, perhaps little or no breaking is required- 



Our correspondent states that in England, cockers are 

 preferred to setters and pointers for woodcock shooting. 

 In that country we are informed, that men are also used 

 as beaters for this game and for pheasants. Their shooting 

 must be very different from ours to require such means to 

 make it sport. 



The strongest argument in favor of setters and pointers, 

 for even woodcock and ruffed grouse shooting in this 

 country, is that at least nineteen twentieths of the shooters 

 use them instead of spaniels — whereas if the latter were 

 superior the fact would have been discovered long ago and 

 they would have taken the position in the hearts and ken- 

 nels of our sportsmen which our correspondent desires for 

 them.— Ed. 1 



— The Legislature of Ontario, Canada, has just passed an 

 amendment to the Game Laws allowing snipe to be shot on 

 the 15th August, which is not considered too early in that 

 Province. 



