FOKEST AND STREAM. 



specially of the male, become, during: the breeding season, 

 exceedingly intense, brilliant, aud iridescent. Another 

 striking instance out of many is afforded by the male 

 stickleback, which is described by Mr. Warrington as be- 

 ing then beautiful beyond description. The back and eyes 

 of the female, on the other hand, are the most splendid 

 green, having a metallic lustre like the green feather of 

 . humming birds. The throat and belly are of a bright 

 crimson, the back of an ashy green, and the whole fish tip 

 pears as though it was somewhat translucent, and glowed 

 with an internal incandescence. After the breeding sea- 

 son these colors all change; the throat and belly become of 

 a paler red, the back more green, and the glowing tints 

 subside.' I have a dried specimen of stickleback now be- 

 fore me; during life the throat and mouth were of this 

 pale red color, which is still maintained. I should imagine 

 that owing to the coloration of the pigment cells in Gasler- 

 osteus sciurus being more developed at certain seasons than 

 at others, according to circumstances, the fish is under the 

 guidance of instinct, or, call it what you wish, some natural 

 law which renders it an involuntary agent. At death the 

 color appears to be like a mordant permanently fixed in 

 dried fishes. How far the laws of light affect the pigment 

 cells in the natural element of the fish I am not prepared to 

 state. Probably the same unerring laws of instinct are in 

 operation guiding the fish to seek that watery station best 

 adapted to its salety.— J- Colebrooke." 



" With reference to some remarks by a correspondent in 

 your last publication on the change of color in fish, per 

 mit me to say that, judging from ihe following facts, it 

 would seem certain that the power of change is in the fish. 

 I have taken from a clear river minnows black on the back, 

 and putting them into a white basin, with a dinner plate 

 over the same day, next morning found them light brown 

 on the back; again placing the same fi^h in a. bottle, and 

 carrying them all day in a coat pocket, at night they have 

 become black, and if carried in an open fish basket instead 

 of the pocket, retained the light brown color. But, more 

 remarkable — when fishing for some years at the mouth of 

 a river where the estuary contracted into a nan ow neck, 

 standing on the top of a steep bank or dyke, I have seen 

 on a bright spring morning the sea-trout rise at the fly 

 brown on the back as the sand on which it lay, and on be 

 ing hooked, instantly assume the usual blue color. Let 

 me also refer to a letter in your number of November 20th, 

 1874, in which it is said of a cephalopod, "The membran- 

 ous cuticle, in the creature's rage and terror, changed in 

 pattern and color as rapidly as the shifts in a kaleidoscope. 

 W. T.H." 

 ^ «..*. ■ 



Crowding Trout Pones. — Seth Green, Esq., has kindly 

 furnished us with the following interesting correspond- 

 ence: — 

 u\- Oakland, Bergen County, N. J., July 31st 1876.^ 



Seth Green, Esq.:— 



Dear -&'«r— I want to trouble you a little by asking a few questions 

 about my trout, or a portion of them. I have a pond of fine two .year 

 olds that I keep in a pond that is from six to three feet deep; is shaded 

 two-thirds of the day; temperature of water, from 56° to 60°, never 

 above or below; has a fine stream of water running into it, as much as 

 would run through a three inch square pipe; and the fish have a chance 

 to run up it, and do, more or less; the water ha plenty of fall, and is 

 well aerated. The water runs over a stony, graveily bottom, aud the 

 pond is not foul, but has plenty of watercres^es growing iu iv. one side. 1 

 feed on lights mostly, sometimes raw and sometimes cooked— mostly 

 cooked. Sometimes I give them thick milk or curd, aud once in a 

 while fish cut np, but not often. To all appearances ttiey are healthy 

 and grow finely, but for some time past they have been dyin'4 oil from 

 two to eight or ten per day. They will start all at once and dart liue 

 lightning through the water, and jump out on the bank sometimes, aud 

 appear to be as crazy as possible. After swimming about in this way 

 for a while they get into shoal water, or perhaps, lie on the bottom; or 

 swim lazily about until they turn belly up, and in a short time die. To 

 all appearances, inside and out, they are perfectly healthy. I have fed 

 them once a day regularly. Now, can you tell what the cause of this is, 

 and have you experienced the same disorder? What can 1 do to remedy 

 the matter? Please let me know by return mail, aud 1 will be very 

 much obliged indeed. Very respectfully Yours, &c , B. B. Porter. 



My trout are not crowded, but have pleuty of room. 



Rochester, August 3d, 1876. 

 B. B. Porter, Esq. ;— 

 v \ Dear Si?-— You have too many trout in your pond for the amount of 

 water you have flowing into it. Your trout act exactly as all kinds of 

 fish do when they are confined in a can or pond where i hey need a 

 change. The first sign fish show of wanting a change of water is, 

 they come to tte top and swim about with their noses out, and keep 

 opeuing and shutting their mouths. They do it for a short time, and if 

 they do not get a change Ihey will become crazy and jump out if they 

 can, and will die as soon in the water as they would if they were out. 

 If a man was suffocating he would try the experiment of jumping into 

 the water before he was dead. I wish you to try the experiment, wneu 

 you see your trout getting sick or crazy, of catching them and put ing 

 them into running water above your poud where they have good running 

 water, and I thtak they will recover. If I am not correct, 100k for some 

 other cause. Some evilly disposed person may have thrown something 

 poisonous into your water. Their actions would be similar if they weie 

 poisoned. If your trout die there is a cause for it, and you should make 

 it your business to find what it is. I have watched days and weeks to 

 find out the causes of fish and spawn dying. Seth Gheen. 



Salmo confinis in Connecticut.— Our State Fish 

 Commissicners will be glad to know that the 10,000 Salmo 

 sebago placed in the two brooks that enter Twin lakes on 

 the north are growing finely, some of them last s< en in our 

 brook being at least three inches long; and if they will 

 continue the good work by putting in some thousands more 

 each spring, it would be a good thing to do. Of the 8,000 

 Salmo co / finis set free from our hatching house eighteen 

 months ago, it is two soon to hope to see much— though 

 we expect another year to hatch" enough to populate tne 

 deep waters of Waushining with this . popular fish; and 

 With the aid, promised, of the Salisbury Game Protective 

 Society, enough Salmo fonUnalis to make our trout streams 

 sparkle with these "gems of the first water," as iu the olden 

 times. What is wanted now is a law, and a public opinion 

 to make the catching and keeping of "fingerlings" (under 

 five inches in length) a crime and an oh'ense that no true 

 angler will be guilty of. "Only this and nothing more." 



JiP BAY. 



of your ova did not hatch so well as I had anticipated; so 

 many died after the eyes were visible, and many burst just 

 at hatching. I feaied at first that fungus had come in with 

 the moss, but as there was no sign of the. ova adhering to 

 the each other, or to the gravel, it must have been from 

 some other cause; but in any case we must not expect, after 

 so long a voyage, that fish will hatch as in their natural 

 way. I believed I had in all about 25,000 after they were 

 laid. The fish are much stronger than I expected, and very 

 few, if any, deformed, as was the case to so large an extent 

 in the Oberon shipment, when nearly one halt proved un- 

 able to feed when the sac was absorbed. The first fish of 

 both your lot and Mr. YouFs hatched on the 22d, and were, 

 if taken as I believe on the 5th January, 87 days in the 

 ice at about 32 degrees, and 22 days in the hatching- boxes 

 here at 51 degrees, or 109 days altogether. If my estimate 

 is correct, this is I believe by far the best hatching yet at 

 the Antipodes. The Lincolnshire's shipment of 87,000 to 

 Tasmania produced, I believe, 6,000, and I think that by 

 the Norfolk 4,000; but 1 am not sure of this, or of the 

 quantity sent. One large box and one small one of Mr. 

 i'oul s 1 sent by order to Christchurch, and I see by a press 

 telegram that 127 fish are hatched from the 3,000 ova, but 

 i don't know if that represents the hatching. I have no 

 news from Victoria, but doubtless you will have heard all 

 particulars ere this reaches you. Those at the ice house 

 there should do well, but I have no faith in the rest of the 

 shipment hatching in water at 67 degrees and 68 degrees, 

 boiiio of the rivers 1 tried there were as high as 73 degrees, 

 aud what can be the use of hatching, even in ice, as the 

 fish when spawning afterwards must go through this ordeal, 

 Depend upon it, it is a wa3te of ova, and does harm to the 

 cause in the long run. 1 trust the Government will not let 

 it rest heie, but still go on; for depend upon it, salmon will 

 never be established with one shipment or two, though 

 now people will be convinced that sieam vessels are not 

 naturally death to ova we shall yet see fifty per cent. 

 Horn a shipment hatched. A few auch shipments would 

 soon put the matter right. — Land and Water, July 22d. 



V 



Salmon Eggs Hatched Out in JSew Zealand —I have 

 received the following from Mr. Henry Howard : " Saimou 

 Ponds, Wallacetown, Souihland, New Zealand, May 1, 1870. 

 I am happy to be able now to say that the hatching of the 

 ova by the Durham has turned out a great success. 1 think 

 I shall not over-estimate it when I lay it at from eight to 

 tea thousand hatched iu all, but I regret to say that many 



Natural §istoTQ. 



, — , — * — 



A KEY TO OUR SHORE BIRDS.— II. 



We conclude herewith the Key to the families, genera 

 and specie3 of our bay birds which comprise the order Lim- 

 icolte — a Latin word meaning "dwellers alongshore." We 

 nave already been thanked for so much of this synopsis ab 

 eve have printed, and have no doubt that in its complete 

 form it will be widely appreciated by gunners. The local 

 names of all these birds differ widely in different parts of 

 the coast. We should be glad if, at least in writing of these 

 birds, these uncertain local names might be utterly disre- 

 garded for a single appropriate term which should be known 

 and used universally. This, perhaps, is too much to hope 

 tor yet; but a part of the confusion might be avoided if we 

 knew the various aliases under which each species of shore 

 oirds appears between Labrador and Florida. If, therefore, 

 spoitMuen from every part of our coast will, after careful 

 iaentitication, send us all the local names by which every 

 species in his neighborhood is known, we will publish a list 

 of theise local names, and the birds to which they properly 

 apply as soon as facts enough have accumulated. 



The following concludes the Key: — 



FAMlL? SCOLOPAClDiE. 

 snipe. 



BUI elongated, usually longer than the head; if short not plover-like, 

 being sofi-trkinufcd throughout (hard wnen dry); naeal grooves narrow 

 chau neld ranging from half to neaily the whole length of the bill; sides 

 oi lower mandible usually also grooved; nostrils narrow exposed slits; 

 head feathered. Wings usually thin and pointed; tail short and toft; 

 tibiae rarely entirely featuered. Tarsus never entirely reticulate and us- 

 ually scutellate in fiout and behind; hiud toe present (except in Culidria); 

 front toes cleft or slightly webbed; size medium or small. Sexes alike 

 or female slightly larger; seasonal changes in plumagu often strongl> 

 marked. Eggs usually four, placed with the Biubll ends together in a 

 slight nest or depression in the ground; notes various; mostly migratory 

 or gregarious. Genera hi teen or more, species about ninety; chiefly of 

 northern regions, but some species in most parts of the world. 



*Toes 3 Calidris, 8 



** roes 4. 



tTasus scutellate in front only; bill slender, decurved, very much longer 

 tiiau the head NrjMKmus, 15 



tf Tarsus scutellate in front and be bind. 



JEeet semipidwate; toes somewhat webbed at base. 



a. Tail barred crosswise, v\hh light and dark colors. 



b. oaue not reaching bevona base or cuirutn. 



c. Cuhnen furrOwea; length less than i2 Macrorhamphtjs, 4. 



cc. ( uimen uniutrovved; if ngih more than 12 * Limosa, 9. 



b-j G-pe reacuiug be.voud base of culmeu. 



d. Lv ngth loose than 9. 



e. Bill longer than head Totanus, 10. 



ee. B<11 not loug r than he id. 



/*. i ail nioietli.au half ti e length of wing Actittjrtts, 13. 



ff Tail less than halt the lengLh of wing PhiLomaohtjs, 12. 



dd. Length legs than 9; second toe urmebbed. 



g. Hill grooved marly to tip; back not specked with white; adult with 



black spots below Tryngoiues 1 1 



gg. Bui gr ,oved aoout naif way to tip; back speckled with white, not 



spot ted below Totajnus, 10. 



aa. Pail not barred. 



h. One minute weo; primaries mottled with black Tringites, 14. 



h/i. Feet w ith two plain webs. 



i. Bill about as long as tuad Ereunetes, 6. 



it. B 11 much longer than head. Mickopalama, 5. 



ft'i'i.tb not u i bbea at all. 

 j. Fust primary attenuate; bill straight, shorter than head; culmen 



• • S^' 0VtsU u :••••. S-colopax, 2 . 



jj. Fust three p> unarms attenuate; bill as in Scolopux. .Philohela, 1 

 jjj. Piimarits'f oi attenuate. 



A. B.U straight, about twice as long as head Gallinago, 3. 



k/c. Bill btiaighi, much shorter than ne~d; primaries mottled with black. 



77 r .,!--,.. o j ■ Tryjsgites, 14. 

 kick. All other Sandpipers Trikga 7. 



1. PHILOHELA, Gray. American Woodcock, 

 1. P. minor, (6m.) Gray. American Woodcock. Variegated, black, 

 brown, gray, and russet; below warm brown; eye high, far back; L. 11; 

 W. 5; B. 3; T. 3}. Eastern U. S., in swamps, etc. 



8. feCOLOPAX, Linnaeus. European Woodcock. 

 1. 8. ruUicola, L. European Woodcock. General appearance of Pnilo- 

 hela, but a third larger. European; accidental on our Atlantic coast. 

 3 GALLINAGO, Leach. Snipe. 

 1. G. Wilsoni, (Temm.) Bon. American Suipe. Wilson's Snipe. 

 Back varied with black ai;d bay; crown black, with a pale median stripe; 

 bill straight, very long; L. 11; W. 5; B. 2*; leg naked, 3; T. 2 1-3. E. IX 

 S., abundant. 



4. MACRORHAMPHUS, Leach. Red-Breasted Snipe. 

 1. M. griseus, (Gm.) Leach. Gray Snipe. Brown Back. Blackish 

 and grayish; breast bay in summer; bill long nearly as in Gallinago; L. 

 11; W. H\ T. 2i. Norta America; abundant coastwise. 



5. MICROPALAMA, Baird. Stilt Sandpipers. 



1. M. Mmantopus, (Bon.) Baird. Stil* Sandpiper. Blackish, marked 

 with chestnut, etc.; ashy gray in winter; bill nearly as in Gatlir.ago; L. 

 9; W. 5; T. 2£. N. Am., not abundant. 



6. EREUNETES, Uliger. Sand-Peeps. 



1. E. pusillus, (L.) Cass. Semipalmated Sandpiper. Peep. Plumage 

 various, usually pale, white below; small; L. 6J; W. 3£; T. 2. N. 

 Am ; abundant along beach, s. 



7. TRINGA, Linnaeus. Sandpipers. 



*Bill, tarsus, and middle toe with claw, of about equal length. (Ac- 



todromas.) 

 tUpper tail coverts (except the lateral series) black or dark brown; 



throat with an ashy or brownish suffusion and dusky streaks. 



1. T. minutilla, Vieill. Least Sandpiper. Peep. Smallest of tire 

 Sandpipers, resembling Ereunetes, but the feet different; L. 6; W. S£; 

 T. 2. N. Am., abundant. 



2. T. Bairdi, (Cones) Scl. Baird's Sandpiper. Colors of preceding 

 but larger; th.oat but little streaked; L. 7 to 7£; W. 4 2-8; T. 2i; B. J, 

 America, rare E. of Mississippi River. 



3. T maculata, Vieill. Pectoral Snipe. Jack Snipe. Grass Snipe, 

 Crown unlike neck; throat ashy-shaded and sharply streaked; L. 9; W. 

 5i; B. 1£. N. Am., abundant. 



t+Upper tail coverts white, with or without dusky marks; throat sharply 

 streaked, witn little* if any ashy suffusion. 



4. T. fuscicollis, Vieill. White Rumped Sandpiper. L. 7J ; W. 4£; 

 T. 2i. E. U. S , abundant along the coast. 



**Bill, tarsus, and middle toe. obviously not of equal length. 

 ttTarsus shorier than middle toe: tiase feathered. (Arguatella). 



5. T. maritima, Brunnich. Purple Sandpiper. Ashy i lack with pur- 

 plish rt flections; feathers with pale edgings; lower parts,, etc., moBtly 

 white; bill neaily straight; L. 9; W. 5; T. 2 2 3; B. 1*. Atlantic 

 Coast. 



HTarsusnot shorter than middle toe: tibite bare below. 



a. Bill slightly decurved, much longer thau tarsus. (Pelidna), 



6. T. afpina, (L.) var. americana, Cass. Am. Dunlin. Ox-Bird. 

 Black-Bellied Sandpiper. Chestnut brown above; feathers black; cen- 

 trally; beily, in summer, with a broad black area. L. 9; W. 5; T. 2 1-3, 

 B. li. N.Am, 



aa. Bill perfectly straight. (Tringa). 



7. T. canutus, L. Robin Snipe. Red-Breasted Sandpiper. Brown- 

 ish black, brownish red (robin-like) below; u. It; W. 6j-; T. 2 13. At- 

 lantic Coast; abundant. 



8. CALIDRIS, Cuvler. Sanderlings. 



1. O. arenaria, (L.) III. Sanderling. Ruddy Plover. Varlpgated; 

 forun of T. canutus, but the hind toe wanting; L. 8; W. 5; T. 2£; B. 1, 

 N.Am.; abundant coastwise. 



9. LIMOSA, Briseon. Godwits. 



1. L. fedoa, (L.) Ord Great Marbled Godwit. Martin. Cinnamon 

 brown, vaiiegated above, nearly uniform below; tail barred; no pure 

 white; L. 16 to 22; W. 9; T. 8*: B. 4*. U. 8., abundant along ehons, 



2. L. hudsonica, (Lath.) Sw. Black- Tailed Godwit. Brownish black 

 and reddish, more or less variegaied above and below; some white; tail 

 black, white at base; L. 15; W. 8; Ts. 2£; B. 3|. N. Am., rather north- 

 erly. 



10. TOTANUS, Bechstein. Tattlers. 



*Toes with two sub-equal webs; legs dark or bluish. (Symphemla). 



1. T. semipalmatus, Gmelin. Willet. Semipalmated Tattler. Gray- 

 ish, variegated; L. 12 to 16; W. 7J; T. 8; B. 2£. U. S., common coast- 

 wise. 



**Toes with the inner web very small; legs yellow. (Glottis, Nilseon). 



2. T. melanoleucus, Gm. Greater Tell-Tate. Yellow Shanks. Stone 

 Snipe. Ashy brown, variegated; bill very sknder; legs long; L. 12J; 

 W 7i; T. 3±; B. 2L N. Am., frequent. 



8. T. Havipes, Gm. Lesser Telltale. Yellow Shanks. Colors as In 

 preceding; smaller; legs longer; L. 11; W. 6J; T. 2£; B. 1J. U.S. 

 aoundant. 



***Toes with inner web rudimentary; legs blackish, (Myacophilut. 

 Kaup), 



4. T. solitarius, Wilson. Solitary Tattler. Olive brown, streaked 

 and speckled with whitish above; below white, breast with dusky suffu- 

 sion; bill straight and slender; L. 9; W. 5; T. 2£; B, 1J. TJ. 8., abun- 

 dant about secluded ponds, etc. 



11. TRIAGOIDES, Bonaparte, Spotted Sandpipers, 

 1. T, macularius, (L.) Gray. • Tip Up. Teeter-Tail. Spotted Sand 

 piper. Lustrous drab above, varied with black; pure white below, 

 with round blacu: spots in adults; L. 8; W. 4; T. 2; B. 1. U. S., eveiy- 

 where. 



13. PHILOMACHUS, Mohring. Rtjfps. 

 1. P. pugnax, (L.) Gray. Ruff. Reeve. Male in breeding season 

 with a great ruff, and the face bare; female without these characters; 

 L. 10; W. 7; T. S|; B. 1£. European; accidental on our coasts. 

 13. ACTITURUS, Bonaparte. Upland Sandpipers. 



1. A. Barttamivs, (Wilson) Bon. Upland Plover. Dark grayish, 

 variegated; L. 13; W. 7; T. 4; B. 1*. U. S., abundant in fields, etc. 

 14. i RYKG1TES, Cabanis. Buff-Breasted Sandpipers. 



1. T. rufesrens, (Vieill.) Cab. Grayish, reddish below; quills with 

 white and finely mottled with black; L, 8; W. H\ T. 2i. U. 9., with 

 the last, but not common. 



15. NUMEIVIUS, Linnseus. Curlews. 



1. N. lonoirostris. Wils. Long Billed Cnnew. Sickle Bill. Reddish 

 gray, variegated; L. 24; W. 12; T. 4; B. 5 to 9. U. »., frequent. 



2. iV- hudbonic' s, Lath Jack Curlew. Similar, but paler* L 18; W, 

 9; T. Si; B. 3 to 4. U. S. , and northward. 



8. iV. boreahs, (Foist). Lath, Esquimaux Cnrlew. Dough Bird, 

 More reddish; L. 15 or less; W. Pf; T. 8: B. 2£. U. S., northward. 



4»*Ht-» ■ 



THREE MONTHS OP FIELD NOTES. 



The month of April was cool, with frequent rains, and 

 a white frost as late as the 19th; but the temperature did 

 not affect the movements of the birds, as to day (19th) the 

 pioneer brown thrush announced his presence by a glori- 

 ous song, while perched upon the tallest tree on the hill- 

 side. I noted some arrivals earlier than this, as the fish- 

 hawk on the 11th (I have seen them as early as February 

 26th); and on the same day, a number of small blue herons 

 [Ardea {Florida) ccerulea). The killdeer plovers that come 

 early in March (11th) and remained some time, are now- 

 back again in great numbers. The impression obtains 

 among o r gunners that the kill dee rs and snipe {Gallinago 

 Wilsoni) migrate in company; but I am inclined to think 

 that the former reach New Jersey in advance of the snipe; 

 and while they are founa later in the same localities, I do 

 not think they are in any way associated; that is, as we 

 find the grackles and red-winged black birds; or in sum- 

 mer, several small species of sandpipers, in one loose flock. 

 A few snipe were seen in March; but they soon disappeared* 



