FOREST AND STREAM. 
* 
1005 
£*?L Old Uncle Ben also lias a great talent i'or 
and serving up oppossum bo aB to make it a 
unir an e Pi c ure. 
traveler as he passes through Virginia is surprised 
t° "jrxd the blood-stained fields, so recently devastated by 
opposing armies, either in cultivation or grown up in pine 
£o Jrests, which would yield abundant cords to the wood¬ 
man's axe. Most of the dwellings that were destroyed 
a te replaced, and while nature and improvement have 
Clone so much to obliterate the track of war, social inter¬ 
course lias done its share toward overcoming bitterness 
and healing wounds that political schemers would have 
kept open. The sportsman from the North, if a gentle¬ 
man, will find a heavty welcome among many good shots 
and enthusiastic sportsmen. He may have the chance 
to vealize the fact that a log cabin in the mountains often 
shelters people of culture and education hardly to be ex¬ 
pected in such surroundings, and hog and hominy with 
a hearty hospitality is a delightful change sometimes. 
“Chine,” " Spare-rib," “ Egg-bread" and “Sally Lun,” 
are Southern institutions not to lie sneezed at, and the 
scoffer who cannot believe in them must indeed be one 
who would murder with a. howitzer a whole covey of 
birds skeltered under a pine tree during a snow storm. 
New York, Jan. 12 th. Bedford. 
^jjpfartd Mjisforn. 
A Frog-eating Rail.— Some time ago a correspond¬ 
ent, C. M. Ci, sent us for identification a bird shot at 
New City, N. Y. It proved to be a king rail (Rallus 
longiroStris ). The most curious part of the affair is, that 
when the bird was slioUit had a small bullfrog in its 
throat. This is to us a new article of food for rail. 
Winter in Connecticut.—A lthough remarks upon the 
extraordinary mildness Of the present winter are in 
everybody’s mouth, we think it is not generally appreci¬ 
ated how extremely warm the weather is for the season 
of the year. Ii is true that the piteous scream of the 
ice-man rings out upon the soft, balmy air, and that from 
the dark fastnesses of his hack shop, low, plaintive 
moans and muttered curses tell us that the plumber who 
lurks there in waiting for his unwary victims is being 
deprived of his natural prey ; but these sounds are to he 
heard almost every winter during brief intervals of mild 
weather, and hence axe no satisfactory indication of bow 
warm it really is and has been. A better test is a 
series of observations on the animal life of any region, 
and we may mention one or two facts relative to this 
point which have recently eome under our observation. 
On the SOfch of December we killed, near Derby, Conn., 
an adult rod-tailed hawk {Bates borealis), which had in 
in its stomach the fresh fragment of a garter snake 
(Eutainia), On the 10th of January we observed, near 
Milford, Conn., eight or ten specimens of the'fgolden 
winged woodpecker (Colaptes auratus), a species whieh 
usually leaves these latitudes for the South in November. 
A few occasionally winter here, it is true, and we have 
ourselves observed them in the same locality before, dur¬ 
ing the months of December. January and February, but 
the few that stay during the cold weather are usually 
found alone, whereas the ones referred'to here were in a 
flock and seemed to be as jolly and comfortable as possi¬ 
ble. On January 12th we. observed at New Haven, 
Conn. , a flock of about a dozen yellow red-poll warblers 
(Dendrcem palmarum). This flock had been in the 
neighborhood for some weeks, and had attracted the at¬ 
tention of a. gentleman interested in birds, who reported 
its presence to us, and gave us the locality whore the 
birds might be found. The species usually departs for 
the South by the 1st of November, and its tarrying here 
so late in the season is a most remarkable occurrence, 
and only to be explained, we think, by tire phenomenal 
weather which we are enjoying. 
No doubt many of our correspondents have observed 
similar facts during the past month or two, and we should 
be glad to have them send us any notes bearing o.u this 
point which they may have collected. 
The Potato Bug Bird Agajn.— Ames * Iowa, Nov. 
20th, 1879. — In your issue of Nov. 20tli, I notice a note 
from “ W.,” of Coralville, Iowa, in which he speaks of a 
bird which feeds upon the Colorado potato beetle. This 
bird is the rose-breasted grosbeak —Goniaphm htdoviei- 
ana, Bowditch. The first who noticed its habit of feed¬ 
ing upon the potato beetle was, as far as I know, Pro¬ 
fessor Bessey, of the Iowa Agricultural College, who 
observed it several years ago. I confirmed the observa¬ 
tion during the past summer, and am glad to get this 
additional proof from Coralville. As the potato beetle is 
a comparatively recent comer in the State, it is of course 
new food for the bird which seems to he just finding out 
this strange and abundant supply of provision. It is to be 
hoped that tins will prove one of those natural enemies 
to the insect which we have been looking for, and which 
■will restore the balance of nature which has been so sad I y 
disturbed m the case of the potato beetle for the past ten 
years. _ F. E. L, Beal. 
What I Know About Rats,— Coralville, Jorm.— Read¬ 
ing in a recent issue of your paper about ducks being 
attracted by light, reminded me of an incident that 
occurred to me a few years since. 
One night I went to the cellar on an errand, carrying, 
to light tue way , a small brass hand-lamp— one that burns 
Without a chimney. On entering the cellar I perceived 
some three or four rats on one end of a long hanging 
shelf in close proximity to a pan of milk that had been 
carelessly uncovered. I advanced towards them think¬ 
ing to frighten them away, when to my amazement, 
they merely stretched their necks and with protrud¬ 
ing eyes shining like great jet heads, stood r still and 
gazed at the fight. I still advanced, thinking that of 
course they would turn and run away : but they did not 
move. I came so close that the blaze of the lamp actu¬ 
ally burned the long hair off their faces, and even then 
lliey did not stir. I could easily have dispatched them if 
I had desired; but thinking that they nad been suffi¬ 
ciently punished for their misdemeanor. I went away and 
left them. T have never known of a like instance, and 
suppose that the rats were So busily engaged in skimming 
the milk that they were unconscious of my approach 
Until the light flashed upon and bewildered them, or they 
would upon hearing my footsteps have retreated. 
By the way, I would remark that the most successful 
method of trapping rats that I have ever known is to 
sink a steel trap in a box of com bran, covering it lightly 
with the same. Set the box in any place that the rats are 
wont to frequent', and partly cover it — taking care to 
leave an opening large enough for the rats to enter. I 
have known of a half-dozen being caught in this way in 
a few hours with a single trap. w. 
Another Word for Dr, Hayden.— Webster City, 
Iowa., Jan , 13th—Editor Forest and Stream—l was much 
pleased with the just and generous tribute of Wm, Hosea 
Ballou to Dr. F. v. Hayilen in your excellent journal of 
the 8th inst., though I had previously read the eulogistic 
remarks of Mr. Geike, in his lately published “ Outlines 
of Field Geology,” winch are therein copied. The past 
ten years will be noted in the history of this country as 
the “ era of exploration.” When the history of this era 
is written no name will staud out so conspicuously as that 
of Dr. Hayden. Should any Of our great painters — and 
Bievstadt once had such a work in contemplation—ever 
put on canvas a picture illustrative of this period, Hayden 
will most unquestionably he the central figure. During 
all this time he did more than any and all others to ac¬ 
quire and popularize information concerning our wide 
and almost unknown public domain. In addition to his 
topographers and geologists, he generally had with each 
party in some other useful capacity—and therefore doing 
double work—a good newspaper man. Nearly every sea¬ 
son scores of letters appeared from correspondents with 
his several parties in the New York Tribune, Herald, 
Times and Post, in Forney’s Press, the Chicago Tribune, 
Times and Inter-Ocean, as well as in other widely circu¬ 
lated journals. Probably not less than one hundred 
columns of new and fresh reading matter were thus given 
to the public each year, and we all know with what 
eagerness it was sought by intelligent people. In many 
cases members of his scientific corps thus gave to the 
public their early impressions of the region through 
which they passed. Later came the regular annual re¬ 
ports of the survey, making known, as Geike so justly 
remarks, “the geography, geology, natural history, 
botany, meteorology, ethnology and antiquities of thous¬ 
ands of square miles of previously unexplored or hut 
partially explored land.” Collections were made each 
year by these parties in the field, which were turned over 
to accomplished specialists like Leidy, Cope, Lesquereax, 
Cones, Packard, Thomas, Newbury, and others, to be 
worked up and published in the great quarto volumes 
embodying the more permanent work of the survey. 
Thus Hayden’s plans were at once original, comprehen¬ 
sive and practical. The press gave the public the earliest 
possible information—without expense to the Govern¬ 
ment,—concerning these new regions. The annual re¬ 
ports, printed cheaply hut in editions of tens of thous¬ 
ands, were sought by people in every part of the Union, 
as well as abroad, where Hayden was better appreciated 
than he ever was at home where he served his country 
with such rare ability. His final reports — if they are ever 
completed and published—will comprise a vast amount 
of information of the highest scientific value, sufficient 
to make a proud and imperishable monument to his won¬ 
derful energy and skill. 
While Dr. Hayden is not without his faults, he unques¬ 
tionably stands at the head of all scientific pathfinders of 
the great West, Other men have surpassed him iu tech¬ 
nical learning, but in energy, as an organizer and 
director, and in comprehensive judgment of what was 
due to the great public by whose money these surveys 
were carried on, and to the demands and expectations of 
science, he stands without a rival. Up to his time the 
results of scientific exploration rarely reached the people 
at all, and the official publications were postponed some¬ 
times for a whole decade. He reversed all this—let the 
masses of his countrymen know early what he was doing, 
at the same time that he preserved all the accuracy due 
to science. Though he was brushed aside very uncere¬ 
moniously by the last Congress, he has accomplished 
work which will always keep his memory bright ns that 
of the chief actor iu the era of American exploration. 
Chris. Aldrich. 
if 
FISH-EATING SNAKES. 
T HE communication of Wm. H. Ballou, Esq., Novem¬ 
ber 27th, 1879, calls to the mind of the writer two 
incidents corroborative of the theory of that gentleman 
with relation to the food and habits of the water snake. 
In 1874 it was my privilege to join a fishing party on the 
Upper Champlain, near the head of Hero Island, From 
this islet to the main land (Vermont) there runs a long 
sand-bar bridge, covered with water in the spring and 
fall, but some ten inches above the surface of the lake in 
sunimer. To the south, and between this bar, the island 
and the main shore, is a tract of several thousand acres of 
low water and partial swamp, in. which the water snakes 
breed in immense numbers. Northward from the bar the 
lake is deep, the water clear, and the fishing in May and 
June, for pike, bass, and peroli, excellent. The days of 
my visit to this point were bright and warm, following 
several weeks of cold, damp weather, and the snakes 
were in high spirits and fine condition. During the first 
twelve hours we killed one hundred and seven of the 
rascals, by actual count, upon this sand-bar bridge ; and 
at least a score of this number were shot while crossing 
the bar with fish in their mouths, which they had caught 
iu tlie deep water, and with which they were returning 
to the swamp. While fishing after dark I took a hand¬ 
some pike of some three pounds welghti and had just re¬ 
leased him from my hook a nd placed him upon the ground 
at my side, when a water snake as thick as my arm and 
nearly six feet in length, swam swiftly out of the deep 
water and seized, the still struggling fish with the evi¬ 
dent intent of capturing him and carrying him away. 
The struggles of the finny prisoner, however, attracted 
my attention, and with a heavy club I managed to save 
my game and kill the snake, 
Iu 1875 the writer spent some ten days upon Carleton 
Island, in the St. Lawrence, camping with a party of 
friends and enjoying the glorious air, the delightful 
scenery, and the fine fishing. During the time it fell to 
my lot one morning to prepare breakfast. I was seated 
at the river’s edge cleaning the bass just caught, when 
a noise among the shingles at my side caused me to look 
In that direction, and to my disgust I saw a water snake 
perhaps four feet long, preparing to depart with the 
largest of my basket, a bass of nearly three pounds 
weight. The fish was struggling sharply, but the snake 
had fastened his jaws upon him, and was already in the 
water before I could recover from my astonishment, and 
move. When I did, the slimy thief hastened his speed, 
and hearing his prize high above the water he swain 
rapidly out towards the centre of the river. I had loit 
my fish, but not my revenge ; for, quickly seizing a shot 
gun that lay upon the ground near at hand, I fired at the 
retreating snake, and Ii ad the satisfaction of seeing his 
head drop and Ids body sink with many writhings be* 
neath the pure water. My breakfast was gone, and his 
also. F. E. Hamilton, 
Cleveland, Jan. 10th, 
The black snake {Bascanion constrictor) has always 
been a rare snake in this locality, and when found was 
always of enormous size ; in fact the largest snake of the 
season. This snake is what might be called an upland 
reptile, never frequenting swamps, marshes, or wet 
grounds, but living mostly on the margin of heavy for¬ 
ests bordered by open or prairie lands or rocky ledges. 
This snake can mount the smooth, bare trunk of a five- 
foot oak stub as readily as the n i mb le squirrel, and in the 
thick forest can pass from tree to tree almost with the 
rapidity of this animal or the more agile joko on low 
undergrowth when pursued. I will defy any one to keep 
pace with him as he glides from one hush to another. 
His food is the callow bird, birds’ eggs, and old birds in 
their season, rabbits, old and young, squirrels, vats and 
mice, and almost anything of the proper size that is alive 
and healthy. As a snake he has too much brain to re¬ 
quire fish diet, and therefore I do not believe he ever goes 
a-fishing. The largest black snake I ever met with meas¬ 
ured twelve feet eight inches in length, killed bv a squir¬ 
rel-hunter. The snake was stretched out on the upper¬ 
most limb of an ancient chestnut tree some sixty or eighty 
feet high. I once captured one myself that was nine 
feet eight inches long. Although I had a good grip 
on his throttle, his wiggling at times during Jus cap¬ 
ture much distressed me, and has often since re¬ 
minded me of the encounter (the story of which 
we are all familiar with) of Charles Waterton with 
the big boa in Demerara. Father Hennepin, in. lfim 
on his voyage of discovery along the Upper Mississippi! 
tells us that at the Falls of St. Anthony the vovagers 
killed a large black snake they found among, the rocks 
that measured fourteen feet, and owing to its terrible 
contortions he called it the black constrictor. The black 
snake (B. constrictor) is not known among the islands 
at the head of Lake Erie, although snakes of many 
other kinds abound at this late date in several localities 
by the thousands during the summer months ; for in¬ 
stance, on the south shore of Pelee, Middle, and other 
islands there, you will often see the black water snake 
(Ncrodia sipendon) in numbers to suit your fancy, bask¬ 
ing on the sand, rock, beaches, and flood-wood. These 
water snakes are expert fishermen and live almost en¬ 
tirely on minnows (Alburnus vulgaris) found along the 
shore. They can excel their prey in swimming and 
quick movements in the water, As soon as a fish is cap¬ 
tured the snake comes to the surface, makes for the 
shore, and gorges the fish at his leisure. 1 once caught a 
young eight-inch water snake that had in iris maw a 
minnow one and one-half inches Jong, The largest water 
snake I ever met with among the Lake Erie Islands 
measured four feet eight inches. Dr, E. Sterling. 
THE MANATEE, OR SEA COW. 
Titusville, Fla., Sept, 10th, 1879. 
M R. August Parks, of Titusville, Florida, is probably 
the only professional manatee hunter iu the world 
and Florida is believed to be the only State in the Union 
where the manatee is found and the hunting of it can be 
participated in. 
The manatee, or sea cow (Tricecus nianatus), is con¬ 
sidered common by naturalists on the southern part of 
the Florida peninsula, on both the east and west sides. 
Their principal habitat, however, is the St. Lucie River 
a fresh water stream which empties into the St. Lucie 
Sound, a part of Indian River near Gilbert's Bar, in lati¬ 
tude about 27 deg. (J min. north. To this river they 
resort to breed and to feed on the river grass and aquatic 
plants, suited to them and which there abound. Among 
these articles of food may be mentioned tile turtle-grass, 
which grows so abundantly tliroughout the whole length, 
of Indian River in the salt water, and niton which the 
well known green turtles feed and fatten. In the fresh 
water they find lily-pads, of which they are very fond, 
and on the brackish marsh banks they can often, reach tho 
wild purslane ( Povtulaeeagrandijlora), which they like, 
They are strictly herbivorous, and never touch animal 
food. The Sfc. Lucie River is not the only place on the 
east coast where these strange animals are found. C’apt. 
C. R. Gatlin, the courteous and well known river guide 
and boatman, of Titusville, and who was formerly U. S. 
Assistant Lighthouse Keeper at Jupiter lighthouse, and 
who knows more about the habits of these monsters than 
any person we have met, except perhaps Parks himself, 
informs me that when at Jupiter he has often seen them 
passing in and out of the inlet, sometimes going far out 
to sea, and this fact accounts for the finding of the bones 
of the manatee in the ocean between Florida Cape and 
Cuba by the U, S. Coast Survey dredging party of Prof, 
Agassiz some years ago. Capt. Catlin is one of the few 
men who have penetrated the wild and iouely fastnesses 
where they bring forth their young. It has been tho 
good fortune of a l'ew northern touristB and hunters to 
accompany the Captain on some of these expeditions, and 
it is safe to say they will never forget the trip. 
The St. Lucie River is formed by the junction of the 
