FOREST AND STREAM. 



commissioners to control the streams while their experi- 

 ments are in progress, it is manifestly unwise to continue 

 the work, however important or promising of great results 

 it might be. It is too late to discuss the practicability of 

 restocking rivers with fish, for that question has been ab- 

 solved from doubt and its feasibility demonstrated in other 

 States, and is it not proper that we should make some ef- 

 ficient and systematic effort in this direction, or else forego 

 all spasmotic endeavors that are practically useless and af- 

 ford us no enlightenment upon this important subject? I 

 trust, however, that the past legislation in this behalf will 

 be supplemented with whatever is necessary to make a 

 sufficient test of fish culture in Pennsylvania. 



"I transmit herewith a communication, received throngh 

 the State Department at Washington, from the British 

 Minister^ wherein he states 'that regulations have been 

 adopted in Canada to protect and promote the increase of 

 fish frequenting in common the frontier waters of this 

 country and the Dominion, and suggests the importance 

 of kindred legislation on the subject on the part of the 

 State of Pennsylvania/ to which 1 ask your attention." 



- — «».»■ — . 



—The hatching house of N. W. Clark & Son, at Korth- 

 ville, Mich., has turned out 4,000,000 whitefish for the 

 State and 750,000 California salmon for the United States. 

 li is said to be one of the best houses in the country. 

 — ~ — -».»» — _ _ 



— A Philadelphia correspondent writes : — 



"We have heard two gentlemen complain that, after catching good 

 messes of fish in the Schuylkill, they hart to throw them away, as they 

 were so impregnated with the taste and smell of petroleum and gas-tar 

 as to be unfit for the table. The large quantities ofgas-tar and the refuse 

 of petroleum distilleries thrown into the Schuylkill are ruining the fish- 

 ing," 



VIM* Department is now tinder the charge of a competent Naturalist, 

 indorsed by the Smithsonian Institution, and will henceforth be made a 

 special feature of this paper. All communications, notes, queries, re- 

 marks, and seasonal observations will receive careful attention.] 



MUSICAL MICE. 



AN English gentleman, who had been confined to his 

 room for several weeks by sickness, has written to 

 Land and Water (London) of a mouse that came into his 

 room, after a while became very tame, and afforded him 

 great amusement. At last the gentleman relates that he 

 heard occasionally a quiet subdued chirping, more resem- 

 bling the singing of a teapot than anything else. "At first," 

 the writer says, "we thought it must be a cricket; but one day 

 we found it came from the little mouse, and I have since 

 then watched him repeatedly while he gives forth his little 

 song. His voice seems to have grown stronger and louder 

 every day since we first heard him; and now he can be 

 heard quite distinctly when in an adjoining room if the 

 door is kept open. His voice is of great compass, and he 

 has a variety of airs. Sometimes one can almost fancy it 

 is a canary that is singing — there are so many little runs 

 and trills. Suddenly he changes his tune into a monoton- 

 ous chirrup, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. He gener- 

 ally keeps on singing for about an hour at a time, and as 

 the noise in the middle of the night is so great as to put 

 sleeping out of the question, we have tried all expedients 

 to stop him, but generally without success." 



There was a tuneful mouse exhibited by a showman in 

 London, several years ago, which gave occasion to the wits 

 for no end of fun-poking. Nevertheless, there have been 

 mice which sang, and they are not so uncommon as most 

 persons suppose. One morning, a physician of Minneapo- 

 lis, Minn., was sitting not far from a half-open closet door, 

 when he was startled by a sound issuing from the closet 

 "of such marvelous beauty" that he thought Bobbie Burns, 

 his canary, had found his way into the closet, and wondered 

 what had started him singing such a queer sweet song in 

 the dark. He procured a light, and found, not the bird, 

 but a mouse, which had filled an overshoe with plundered 

 pop-corn. The next evening his solo was renewed, and 

 the doctor crept close to him and watched him sing. "His 

 song was not a cldrp, but a continuous song of musical 

 tone, a kind of to-witto-wee-woo-woo-wee woo, quite varied in 

 pitch." This one proved to be a prairie mouse, and the 

 doctor determined to domesticate it, if he could, but his 

 success has not yet been announced. 



The sick man whom we first quoted thought that the mu- 

 sical power of his mouse might be due to an accident 

 which had injured its nose or throat. Others have con- 

 sidered that it was due to disease in the animal. But both 

 these ideas seem to be wrong, for nothing could be more 

 healthy and active than the few little minstrels whose his- 

 tory we know, and the young bred from them are among 

 the strongest and largest of young mice. One person who 

 kept a great many mice tells us that, after breeding nearly 

 300 white mice, with the hope of meeting one of these vo- 

 calists, he at last succeeded in getting one and no more; 

 yet, strange to say. this one never displayed his accomplish- 

 ment more than three or four times in seven or eight 

 months. His master induced him to sing by the somewhat 

 cruel method of depriving him of all society and exercise 

 for several weeks. At the end the poor little mouse would 

 be so glad to get out of prison that he would sing for very 

 joy as he bounded in his revolving wheel. This same gen- 

 tleman also possessed a hiccoughing mouse. 



Several other domestic musical mice have been known; 

 but the best account of one of these gifted little creatures 

 is given by the Rev. Samuel Lockwood, in the American 

 Naturalist for December, 1871. He had as a pet one of the 

 white-footed, or deer, field-mice, called by naturalists Hes- 

 peromys. She came from Florida, and was named Hespie. 

 Hespie had innumerable pretty traits, but there is not space 

 for the whole story. It was at night that her genius as a 



singer shone. This little musician had several snatches of 

 melody, which were often repeated. But in her repertory 

 were two notable ones, each of which deserved to be dig- 

 nified as a professional role. The most frequent one was 

 the wheel song, which she gave when running in her revolv. 

 ingcage. More complicated in notation than this mellow 

 little strain was her grand role, which was strictly in the major 

 key of B (two flats); this is remarkable, because it has gen- 

 erally been supposed that the untaught cries of all animals 

 and birds was in the minor key. Dr. Lockwood records 

 one of Hespi&'s performances as follows: — 



"She was gamboling in the large compartment of her 

 cage, in a mood indicating intense animal enjoyment, hav- 

 ing woke from a long sleep, and partaken of some favorite 

 food. She burst into a iulness of song very rich in its 

 variety. While running and jumping, she rolled off what 

 I have called the grand role, then sitting, she went over it 

 again, ringing out the strongest diversity of changes, by an 

 almost whimsical transposition of the bars; then, without 

 for an instant stopping the music, she leaped into the wheel, 

 started it revolving at its his highest speed, and went 

 through the wheel song in exquisite style, giving several 

 repetitions of it. After this she returned to the large com- 

 partment, took up again the grand role, and put into it 

 some variations of execution that astonished me. One 

 measure, I remember, was so silvery and soft that a ca- 

 nary able to execute it would be worth a hundred dollars. 

 * * * So the music went on as I listened, watch in 

 hand, until actually nine minutes had elapsed. Now, the 

 wonderful fact is, that the rest between the roles was much 

 more than for a second of time; and during all this siuging 

 the muscles could be seen in vigorous action through the 

 entire length of the abdomen. This feat would be im- 

 possible to a professional singer; and the nearest to it that 

 I have seen was the singing of a wild mocking-bird in a 

 grove." 



Dr. Lockwood describes still further the scope and va- 

 riety of Hespie's vocal power, comparing the expression 

 and melody of portions of her different songs to the notes 

 of well-known birds; and calls attention to the fact that 

 most of the music was given when the animal was at play, 

 and very active, and that often she ate and sang at the same 

 time. Her notes of anger, distress and terror, were very 

 different in timbre or quality from the song, which evi- 

 dently expressed her satisfaction. Dr. Lockwood's rea- 

 soning upon this musical ability is highly interesting, and 

 he recalls the fact that several other rodents, rats, rabbits, 

 tree and ground squirrels, and woodcocks are capable of 



musical sounds, although not to be called singers. 

 •»•+» 



Note3 from our Correspondents.— Several years ago 

 Mr. M'Gloughlin, one of our crack shots, killed a white 

 meadow-lark near this city. The same gentleman, at an- 

 other time, killed a partridge, the plumage of which was 

 as white as milk. Audubon, Harrisburg, Penn A cor- 

 respondent writes from Niagara Falls, under date of Janu- 

 ary 11th, that robins have been seen there during the 



winter thus far A Terre Haute, Indiana, correspondent 



sends the following item, which is of interest to Ichthyolo- 

 gists: — "A few days since my next door neighbor was pre- 

 sented with a string of nice bass, fresh from our own 

 Wabash. In the stomach of one of the larger fish was 

 found an almost perfect (undigested) minnow of full four 

 inches in length. This would seem to disprove the theory 

 that the bass do not feed, but lie dormant during the colder 



months." 



.*«..*- . 



American Hares and Rabbits.— Mr. J. A. Allen, who 

 has long had charge of the departments of Mammals and 

 Birds in the museum at Cambridge, Mass., is preparing a 

 monograph of the American Loporidae, or the hares and 

 rabbits. A synopsis of the classification, based on a very 

 large series of specimens that have come under his examina- 

 tion has already been published. Mr. Allen finds three 

 groups based upon anatomical characteristics. These three 

 groups comprise the following American species:— Lepus 

 timidus var. arcticus, the polar hare; L. campestris, the prai- 

 rie hare; L. Americanus, the Northern hare, or white rab- 

 bit; L. tylvaticus, the gray rabbit; L. Trowbridgei, Trow- 

 bridge's rabbit; L. Braziliensis of South America; L: Gali- 

 fomicus, the California hare; L. palustris, the marsh rab- 

 bit; and L. aquaticus, the Southern water rabbit. Of L. 

 Americanus and L. sylmticus several varieties are ennumer- 

 ated w 7 hich have heretofore ranked as species, but which 

 owe their peculiarities to geographical causes. Mr. Allen's 

 work in this direction is greatly needed, and will have a 

 lasting value. 



, -*•♦- 



Wild Red Deer in England.— In 18G6 Mr. J. Clarke 

 wrote: — In England, at the present day, the red deer exists 

 in a state of nature only on Exmoor, a wild tract of country 

 on the borders of Deoon and Somerset. The red deer still 

 occurs in Ireland, and abundantly in the Highlands of 

 Scotland. It formerly extended all over the British Islands, 

 and was exterminated on Dartmoor, Deoon, only three gen- 

 erations since by the stag hounds of the Duke of Bedford. 

 , ... **-••*- 



TENACITY OF LIFE IN A PERCH. 



lightning speed, making for the waters of tne lake from whence he 

 came. This story looks a little "fishy," but nevertheless is trne in 

 every particular. g 



♦♦♦ — - 



HYBRID DUCKS. 



Nicasio, Marin Co., Cal., Jan. 6th, 1876. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: — 



In answer to Prof. Le Conte's question concerning hybrids in ducks, 

 I would say that, in twelve years' active pursuit of wild fowl in Califor- 

 nia, ending in 1861, 1 did not meet with a single hybrid duck; but in the 

 Summer of 1855 I saw a female widgeon with seven young ones. The 

 old bird had been crippled in the wing, ana rendered unable to pass 



north with other ducks of that class, and the young birds were about 

 half grown. From what I could observe of them, I formed the opin- 

 ion that they were crossed with the gad wall. Since 1861 1 have seen 

 three wild hybrids; two appeared to be ciosses between the mallard and 

 pintail, and the other one between a pintail and a gadwall. All the ex- 

 amples that have come to my knowledge lead me to think that hybrids in 

 California always come from ducks that breed in the north, which are 

 crippled and unable to go to their proper breeding places, being found 

 by the male of some of the ducks that remain here to breed, such as Ihe 

 mallard, gadwall, red-head, wood duck, and blue-winged teal. That 

 new ducks do appear, I am positive. After an absence of six years I 

 made a visit to a lake where I had used to shoot, and found ducks that 

 were strange to me, looking somewhat like a female red head, with long, 

 light leas. My friend there told me they first came about four years be- 

 fore. He knew no name for them, but said the late Mr. Hepburn called 

 them Southern Summer ducks. Since then I have seen one specimen 

 mounted in San Francisco. Thos. S. Estey. 



January, 1876. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



I notice on page 339 of Forest and Stream th at certain hybrid ducks 

 are prolific, and "transmit their peculiarities with great fidelity.' 1 Is 

 this really so? If so, it is contrary to my teachings and experience, 

 which has by no means been limited. In the Southern States, where I 

 have resided for many years, muscovies were reared largely, and often 

 in connection with the common paddle duck. Crosses often took place 

 which were always sterile. I cannot say whether the cross was from the 

 male muscovy with tbe female common duck, or v.ce versa. This differ- 

 erence may account for this productiveness, if such is the case. Please 

 call the attention of the Editor on Natural nistory to this subject. I 

 once wrote articles on this subject of hybrids, which will be found in 

 the Fancier's Journal, Vol. I, in which I stated that they were sterile. 

 If I am wrong, I would like to know the fact. 



Jas. S. Bailey, M D. 



[The ducks referred to by Dr. Bailey, are those existing 

 in Mount Auburn Cemetery at Cambridge, Mass. The 

 facts questioned were given by Dr. T. M. Brewer, in the 

 hearing of the Natural History Editor, before the Boston 

 Society of Natural History. Dr. Brewer vouched for their 

 truth; and that a certain race of hybrid ducks does main- 

 tain itself from year to year at Mount Auburn, is undeni- 

 able.] 



■ "♦*+* 



The following are recent arrivals at the Philadelphia 



Zoological Garden :— 



Garden of the Zoological Society, ^ 



Fairmotjnt Park, Philadelphia, Jan. 21st, 1875. ) 



One Weeper Capuchin, Cebus capucinus. One Green Monkey, Cer* 

 copithecus callitHchus. Presented by Dr. O'Connor, Philadelphia. 



Two Snowy Owls, Nyctea nivea. Purchased. 



One Great Kangaroo, Macropus giganteus. Born in Gardens. 



One Kit Fox, Vulpus velox. Presented by James A Storm, Missouri. 



Three Muskrats, Fiber zibethecus. Presented by C. B. Russell, New 

 Jersey. 



One Banded Eattlesnake, Crotalus durisus. Presented by Dr. A. 

 Beecher, Philadelphia. 



One Weasel, Putorius fuscus . Presented by J. Horan, Philadelphia. 



One Snowy Owl, Nydea nivea. Presented by G. DeHaven. 



Three White Deer, Capreolus caprce var. ; one Yak, Bison grunniens; 

 one Axis Deer, Axis masculala; one Zebu, Bos indicus. Purchased . 



\ Bayfield, Wis., Jan. 6th, 1876. 



Editor Forest and Stream:— 



I was one of a party of five camped on the shore of Ashland Bay last 

 month, for the purpose of looking up hive timber to establish a logging 

 camp for the Winter. After returning from the woods to camp for the 

 day, we started out and caught several yellow perch, which we strung 

 upon a stick. Arrived at camp, the string of fish was laid upon the floor 

 of the shanty, and. remained there until after supper. After cleaning as 

 many as was needed for breakfast, four or five fish were left upon the 

 stick and lay upon the door block all night. Next morning one of our 

 party noticed that one of the fish showed signs of life, and spoke of it. 

 We took the fish off the stick, put him in a small pool of water near the 

 shanty, and left him lying upon his side in the water, appa-ently gasping 

 his last. We then started for the woods to run out some section lines, 

 and did not return until about five, when, to our astonishment and de 

 light, the little fellow was seen swimming around as lively as ever. He 

 had enlisted the sympathy of all, and it was unanimously voted that, 

 after so severe a trial for life, he deserved all the aid we could render; 

 so we put the little fellow in the creek, and he started down stream at 



r oodhnd t ^ntm and §>arden. 



An Easy way to Make a Hot-Bed. — This is the sea- 

 son for making hot-beds, and frames for planting seeds, 

 etc. Take three short red cedar or chestnut posts about 

 four inches square and four feet long, plant them about 

 eighteen inches in the ground, then nail on them a one- 

 inch board sixteen feet long and fifteen to eighteen inches 

 wide. This forms the back of the bed. Then plant three 

 more post, only two feet six inches long, eighteen inches 

 in the ground, and nail on them a board twelve inches 

 wide and sixteen feet long for the front of the bed; this 

 will make the pitch of ihe roof six inches, enough to shed 

 the water. Both of these boards should be set edgewise. 

 To form the back part of the roof nail a twelve-inch wide 

 board flat, but a little slanting to carry off the water, and 

 secure it by nailing it to the top of the back posts; then 

 procure a bundle of good strong four feet plastering laths 

 and nail them with lath nails, so as to be ten inches from 

 center to center. These will form the sash bars to receive 

 the glass. Then procure a sufficient number cf 8x10 panes 

 of glass and lay them on the laths without putty or nails. 

 Each pane would have a bearing of one- half inch on each 

 side. To water the bed, or to give air, take off a few 

 panes, and when no longer needed put the glass away in a 

 box for the next year. These frames are excellent for to- 

 bacco seed beds, tomatoes, egg plants, pepper, etc. 



To Make Covered Walks.— An easy way to lay out 



the covered walks and drives of a country seat is to use a 



rope about half an inch in diameter, see that there are no 



kinks in it; then fasten it to a stake at the point where the 



walk is to begin, allow it to lie loosely on the ground for 



about twenty feet, and then let the operator raise it and 



move it about by his eye, until he has a true and graceful 



curve. Mark it out as it lies for that distance, drive a peg, 



and proceed with another twenty feet, and so on. 

 _ «»■<» ■ — 



A Horse with a Silver Throat.— The Cincinnati Com- 

 mercial has this account of a horse with a silver throat:— 

 54 He was a kindly, hard-working beast, belonging to the 

 Cincinnati Omnibus Company, but was 'wind-broken.' and 

 on that account had become almost useless. It was a pity, 

 arid a loss as well f to turn him out to die— he wouldn't sell 



