Atjgcst 81, 1888.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



S3 



and many an amusing stoty did he reel off touching the 

 doings of tltt) itinerants. 



But La Porte was reached at last, and bidding MoTgati 

 good-bye, we wbiled away the afternoon and evening at tile 

 court house, taking in the pro? and cons o. Sullivan county 

 justice. At .5 A M. we were aboard the stage en route for 

 borne and civilization, feelinc well paid for our trip. 



n, % d. l. 



A SUMMER AFTERNOON. 



I^UNDAY afternoon, dinner over, we saunter slowly out 



mnoek listlessly hanging 



n old beech is; though 



md full of gap, running 



toft brown 



with paper and pilio 

 uuder the beeches. Gloi 

 its bark be gritty its heat 

 out into the tips" of its til 

 envelope which pn beets 

 IE showers to tie- Earth. 

 eate, soon grows firm, sr 



.-, and so 



frail 



py 1 



a no 



ehfia :':•'' auiili'. Too mi 

 the paper, which fiutti 

 with a soft rustle. Pn 

 between the tree trunks, 



weparea to enjoy 



exertion to read, 

 down, subsiding 

 , our elevation, ' < 

 njt over the sunlit fai 



uto the 



ring them 

 and deb- 

 ts a most 

 privilege 

 uir com- 

 full our 

 Iy drop 



H..M-, 



. ...tilth... 

 lestled snugly among clumps of dark green verdure, 

 still waters of the bay, and beyond' to where the 

 Mountains break the horizon. A 'few fleecy clouds 



bang over their tops, quiet, motion! 

 single exception, the steady wheeze, win 

 of one restless steam tug, all uature 6 

 soft beat of paddles is borne to u: 



ut for 



leeze, 

 Tbi 



nib her dense crowd 



forges past, laden v 

 . all is silence again. 



up among the green boughs, hangs an 

 vith that wonderful ingenuity this bird 



xtreme fork of a bending branch, light, 

 ig responsive to the lightest 



excursion sicau 

 of humanity, t 



Overhead, w 

 oriole's nest, til 

 displays, to tli 

 airy, it bangs suspended, 



breath. A '"subdued twittering, with an unmistakable move- 

 ment of the gray pouch-like shape, tells us that there is life 

 there, and the tremor of the overhaiigina leaves testifies that 

 the little household is stirring. A bright form flashes flown 

 through the tree-top as the parent bi.d spproaca'fla cku, 

 liously, silently he comes, with short, quick flirts, from twig 

 to twig, until reaching his little ones. Then ensues a pause. 

 and after a final glance around to see that all is right, he 

 ducks in under bis green doorway, and the twitter and hub- 

 bub is fairly doubled, as he drops the longed-for food into 

 the hungry lb tie mouths. Another flash of bright plumage, 

 and his clear riuging note is heard, as he darts off to renew 

 bis search for more choice morsels in the orchard near bv 

 with which to gladden the hearts of his darlings in their 

 CpSV name. His mate now appears, going through the same 

 performance, the stealthy approach.' jovous reception, and 

 quick departure; this continues until all fades into the far 

 away, and — you — are — asleep. 



lSr r-r-whii! an ominous muttering awakens yon The 

 clouds are heavy in the west, and' during your nap have 

 tumbled into great masses and banks, which are slowly and 

 majestically rising and spreading over the sky. Boom, 

 Broom, Br-r-r-oomm, the. distant thunder crashes among them! 

 and reverberates as it rolls down their mighty corridors; 

 there comes the breeze, you see the tree-tops bow before it, 

 and soon it rollicks and surges through and among the 

 branches above, making it very lively for our little friends 

 in tne nest. The sun disappears behind the now swiftly 

 gathering clouds, and the heretofore stationary vessels bend 

 with full sails as they rim before, the gust. All is activity, 

 and a gloomy darkness takes possession of the quiet scene 

 of an hour before. The clouds are inky in their blackness, 

 and the thunder following close to the lightning's flash, 

 bellowing incessant!}', and rending the heavens with that 

 terrifying s-o-i-w-s-h. bing, bang, boom, boom, completes 

 the confusion now raging in the air.' Great, splashv drops, 

 the forerunners of the deluge to come, patter among the 

 foliage as we hasten under shelter. We see the rain coming 

 like a mist over the water, shutting out Robins' Beef Light, 

 then, one by one, the vessels, as with a veil. As it draws 

 rapidly nearer we hear the dull, hollow roar of its approach, 

 and see the dust spurt up from the parched fields to vanish 

 on the instant, beaten down by the flood. Its damp breath 

 fans our face, and with a mighty rush it is upon us. Blinds 

 hang, windows strain and creak, and the heavens seem as 

 though shut, out forever. There is a silver lining to all 

 clouds, however, and while the very air teems with the fall- 

 ing water, a yellow gleam breaks' through from the west, 

 which broadens and suffuses the whole landscape as the 

 storm recedes, until all is blue, above, and the glances of a 

 setting sun fall upon a lovely scene. "Nature smiling 

 through her tears." In the east our clouds show their gold 

 and silver liuing, spanned by the sign, of God's covenant. 

 and while we breathe the reviving air, the sweet, flute-like 

 voice of the swamp-robin floats out from the. shrubbery as 

 his clear notes are raised in evening song, the deep-voiced 

 thunder rolling in at intervals a rich accompaniment. 



Dick. 



DESPOILING THE ADIRONDACKS. 



ICditor Forent and Stream; 



The recent purchases made of the large tracts of land by 

 a few individuals in the northern wilderness for the timber 

 it contains, and the huilding of railroads through this 

 region, is to the sportsmen who visit this resort like the tear- 

 ing down of the old homestead, coming, too, as it does now, 

 at the very time when the woods abound iii deer (thanks to 

 the vigilance of State Game Protector Dodge 1 ) where a scanty 

 few formerly existed. 



There is enough influence in this State by eminent men to 

 make this place the much-talked of Stale park. This could 

 easily be brought about if one good influential man would 

 take the lead and make it a business to draft an act exempt- 

 ing these woods for the uses of the State, put himself in cor- 

 respondence with the men of different cities in the State, and 

 they to circulate petitions and use such influence as may be 

 necessary for its enactment. 



Could not such an act be passed when we know it. would 

 receive the support of such men as ex-Gov. Seymour? 



A stranger visiting these woods will be surprised to see 

 what a large number of the regular visitors arc made up of 

 professional men — Judges, Senators, Congressmen, and all 

 men of note. Such an act would receive their hearty sup- 

 port. 



Who is the man that; will take the le*d and who will join 

 hands in its support ! * 



SERPENTS WANTED. 



VVasttcn-oion, A mr. 81, 1882. 

 timor Fonsl mid SfowW 



In the year 1S:;:{ Dr. Gerard Troost. Professor of Chemis- 

 try and Natural History in the University of Nashville, 

 Tenn., presented a paper to the Lyceum of 'Natural History 

 of New York, which was read in' April, entitled "On a new 

 genus of serpents, and two new species of the genus Heler- 

 odon, inhabiting Tennessee." In this he described a, venom- 

 ous serpent from Maury county. Tenn., calling it AennMas 

 /ifrti-fii.scit.i, but finding that the generic name was preoccu- 

 pied, he substituted for Aconlim. To.eknphis; this gave place, 

 however. 1,0 an older name, Aneistrodon of Palisot de Benu- 

 vois. so that, at the present time the species is known as 

 J m-istrodon atrof uncus Troost. 



Since the time the species was first described it has re- 

 mained unrecognized, and so far as the writer knows, there 

 arc no specimens in any of the large ooJlectiOna of the 

 United States, certainly none in the National Museum, 

 Washington, l>. 0. 



For some time Prof. S. P. Bsird has been endeavoring to 

 complete the National Museum series of North American 

 reptiles, and mauy rare species have been supplied through 

 the efforts of friends and correspondents, but quite si num- 

 ber are stilt wanted, among them Ibis particular serpent of 

 Troost 's. 



A description is here given in the author's words, in order 

 that if seen it may be recognized; and the National Museum 

 will be glad to receive a number of specimens of the species. 

 living or dead, for which due seknowledgincnt will be made. 

 In case living examples are captured Prof. Band should be 

 notified, as it is necessary to moke Special arrangements for 

 safe transportation. 



DESCRIPTION OF ANCIS'IKODOJT VTKOFUS0CS, 



"vulgarly called highland moccason." As 1 have already 

 mentioned, different names .are given to the same animal, so 

 the present species is also called copperhead and pilot, while 

 these names are also given to other poisonous snakes. 



Character— Head large, sub-triangular: broad behind, 

 smaller and truncated in front, covered with plates to the 

 occiput, behind which are small, smooth hexagonal scales; 

 a deep pit between the eye and nostril; upper jaw armed 

 with fangs (four in all, Dr.' Troost says, but this is probably 

 not the rule, two being the proper' number); body above', 

 dusky, variegated with dark brown spots. Abdominal 

 scales 133, sub-eaudal scales 25, 18 to apex of tail." The 

 specimen described by Dr. Troost was 25 inches long, 

 the circumference of the thickest part of the body being ££ 

 inches. "The. thickness of the body diminishes abruptly at 

 the tail, which is short, cylindrical, slander and terminates 

 in a small horny point." 



The color of the upper part of the body must be consid- 

 ered as black, variegated with brown spots, which are not 

 of a uniform shade, but pass from dark into a lighter color; 

 they are irregularly scattered over the body; nevertheless 

 they exhibit a tendency to run from one side toward the 

 other, widening toward the back. The light spots are com- 

 posed of smoky gray, passing into blackish brown, exhibit- 

 ing all the intermediate shades between these two colors; 

 they are rather small stripes, of the breadth of from two to 

 four scales, and disappear near the tail altogether, which is 

 entirely black, having only four small white points, which 

 are probably accidental. 



The upper part of the bead is black, bordered with gray, 

 which becomes white behind the eyes. A dark longitudinal 

 spot runs from the eyes and terminates ticai the tympanic 

 bones. The upper lip is white, terminating near the tip in 

 gray. 



'1 he lower part of the body is also irregularly spotted with 

 black and a dirty white. The white color predominates, 

 from the head backward, beyond the middle of the body, 

 where the black gradually increases as far as the tail, which, 

 as has been mentioned, is entirely black. The white is 

 punctuated with black over the whole of the lower part of 

 the body. The under part of the head is also irregularly 

 marked with black and white, the white predominating'; 

 but the lower lip has three white spots, the tip being gray. 



"The habits of this reptile differ much from those of' the 

 preceding species. Anrist radon con tori rh. It is always 

 found on high dry land, in the pine barrens and similar 

 places, never in water or swamps, and is therefore known 

 among the inhabitants by the name of highland moccason. 

 It is a very vicious animal, and its bite is very dangerous. 

 General Robertson, one of the first settlers and founders of 

 Nashville, was bitten both by a rattlesnake and a highland 

 moccason, and. according to the statement of his son, Dr. 

 P. Robertson, the pain or wound of the. latter was more 

 excruciating than that of the former." 



It is to be hoped that this description is sufficiently plain 

 to enable observers to identify this much-desired species. 

 Respectfully yours, II. C. Yakiiow , 



Bon. Curator Dept. Reptiles, U. S. National Museum. 



A Mystukkvum SNAKE.— Manistee, Mich. — I see "Byrue" 

 still pursues the mythical illusion of the hoop snake. Will 

 some one tell me the proper name, of the following v In 

 August, 1880, I killed at West Branch, Mich., a spotted 

 snake resembling an adder, but having a hard horn on the 

 cud of the tail of three-quarters of an inch in length and 

 very sharp. I call it horn because it resembled in texture. 

 color, etc., the horns of cattle, light color next to the tail 

 of the snake and the tip black. The natives called it the 

 terrible hoop snake, and said had I not shot it on sight it 

 would have spiked me. But the myth has passed ..-a. :'.., 

 last month I found another, the same as the first, so before 

 killing it; I took a stick and stirred it up to see it roll, but it 

 didn't, roll, neither did it. spike me, but proved to be an 

 arrant coward, and I killed it through fear that it was not 

 its time to roll, and some time in the future some one would 

 get spiked.— S. E, B. [We cannot say what the snake was 

 from the description. II another is taken send it to us. 

 There is no snake which ha- a sting in its tail, nor in its 

 temgue, as some persons imagine.] 



A Buffalo Bokn re Cekteal Park— Mr. Co.nklin has 

 had another addition to the menagerie in Central Park, 

 New York. The large buffalo in the cage opposite the 

 Arsenal in Central Park gave birth to a calf on August 28. 

 The mother has been kept in the Park for about four years. 

 This is her second baby. The first was bona about 'three 

 years ago, 



WHAT IS THE NATIONAL MUSEUM? 



MOST intelligent people know that there is at Washing 

 ton a. National Museum; but respecting the scope and 

 purpose of the institution much misconception prevails. The 

 following particulars regarding the organization and objects 

 of the Museum are taken from the appendix to the "Pro- 

 ceedings" for 1881 : 



1'hvndatvm and Leyal Hiatus. — The National Museum was 

 organized in 1846 by the act of Congress transferring to the 

 Smithsonian Institution the custody of the "National Cabinet 

 of Curiosities," at that time deposited in the Patent-Office 

 Building. These collections were, in 1857, placed in the 

 Smithsonian building, the Regents of the Institution having 

 accepted the trust on condition that, the necessary appropria- 

 tions for their maintenance should be continued by Congress. 



The act above referred to provides that "all objects of art 

 and of foreigu and curious research, and all objects of natu- 

 ral history, plants, and geological and mineralogical speci- 

 mens belonging or hereafler to belong to the United States, 

 which may be in the city of Washington," shall be delivered 

 to the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, and, together 

 with new specimens obtained by exchange, donation, or 

 otherwise, shall be so arranged arid classified as best to facil- 

 itate (heir examination and "study. 



The National Museum is the authorized place of deposit 

 for all objects of natural history, mineralogy, geology, arch- 

 eology, ethnology, etc., belonging to the United States or 

 collected by the Coast and Interior Survey, the Geological 

 Survey, or by any other parties for the Government of the 

 United States, when no longer needed for investigations in 



Organization and Garernment,— -The establishment of tha 

 Smithsonian Institution, to which, in addition to the carry- 

 ing out of the other requirements of the bequest of Smithson, 

 is intrusted the control of the National Museum, is com- 

 posed of the President of the United States and his 

 Cabinet, the Commissioner of Patents and a Board of 

 Regents, which has for its members the Vice-Pres- 

 ident and Chief Justice of the United States, three 

 members of the Senate, three members of the House of 

 Representatives, and six other persons, not members of Con- 

 gress, two of whom arc residents of the city of Washington. 



The management of the National Museum is intrusted to 

 the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, who is, ex-offieio, 

 its director. " He is aided by a staff of assistants, who are 

 chosen by him. and for whose action he is responsible to the 

 Regents.' 



This ■staff is at the present time composed of an assistant 

 director, six curators, six honorary curators, serving without 

 pay, a number of assistants and aids, acting in various capa- 

 cities, a registrar, chief taxidermist, and chief modeler, besides 

 a considerable force of preparators, mechanics, watchmen, 

 Clerks, laborers, etc. The staff is constanly changing with 

 the varying needs of the Museum. The operations of the 

 Museum are carried on by means of an appropriation anml- 

 allv made by Congress "for the care and preservation of the 

 collections. ' The collections are stored and exhibited in the 

 building erected for the use of the Smithsonian Institution be- 

 tween 1841 and 1857, and in the new building, just finished, 

 known as the "National Museum." 



Composition, nf the Collections. — The Museum is made up, 

 in large part, of the following materials: 



1 . The natural history and anthropological collections ac- 

 cumulated since 1850 by the efforts of the officers and corres- 

 pondents of the Smithsonian Institution. 



2. The collections of the Wilkes Exploring Expedition, 

 the Perry Expedition to Japan, and other naval expeditions. 



3. The collections of the scientific officers of the Pacific 

 Railroad Survey, the Mexican Boundary Survey, and of the 

 surveys carried on by the Engineer Corps of the Army. 



4. The collections of the United States Geological Sur- 

 veys under the direction of the United States Geologists 

 Hayden, King and Powell. 



5. The collections of the United States Fish Commission. 



6. The gifts by foreigu governments to the Museum or to 

 the President and other public officers of the United States, 

 who are forbidden by law to receive them personally. 



7. The collections made by the United States to illustrate 

 the animal and mineral resources, the fisheries, and the eth- 

 nology of the native races of the country, on the occasion of 

 the Internationa! Exhibition at Philadelphia in 1876, and the 

 fishery collections displayed by the United States in the 

 International Fishery Exhibition at Berlin in 1880. 



8. The collections given by the governments of the several 

 foreign nations, thirty in number, which participated in the 

 exhibition at, Philadelphia. 



ft. The industrial collections given by numerous manu- 

 facturing and commercial houses of Europe and America, 

 at the time of the Philadelphia exhibition and subsequently. 



10, The material received, in exchange for duplicate 

 specimens, from the museums of Europe, Asia, and Austral- 

 asia, and from numerous institutions and collectors iu North 

 and South America. 



Adjuncts to Administration — As necessary adjuncts to the 

 work of the museum, a working library, a chemical labora- 

 tory, a photographic establishment, a workshop for tax- 

 idermy, modeling, and the preparation of skeletons, and 

 several smaller workshops are carried on as a part of the 

 general work of administration. 



PvUkoiion.it of the Museum, — The scientific results of 

 the labors of the officers of the Museum, and of in- 

 vestigations upon the collections belonging to it, are 

 to be found for the most part in the following 

 works: Bulletin of the United States National Museum; 

 Proceedings of the United States National Museum; Reports 

 of the Smithsonian Institution; Smithsonian Miscellaneous 

 Collections; Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge; Re- 

 ports of the, Bmeau of Ethnology of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution ; Reports of the United States Commissioner of Fish- 

 eries; Bulletin of the. United States Fish Commission, also 

 occasionally in other scientific reports of other scientific de- 

 partments of the government, 



Objects and ..VetltMs of Ufa?*.— The collections in the 

 National Museum are intended to exhibit the natural and 

 industrial resources, primarily of the United States, and 

 secondarily of those of the. remainder of the world, for pur- 

 poses of comparison. 



The activity of the Museum is exerted in three directions. 

 (a) The permanent preservation of objects already in its 

 possession, (b) The acquisition of new material. ' (c) The 

 utilization of material already in its possession, by its ex- 

 hibition in the most instructive manner, aud by the prose- 

 cution of and publication of scientific researches for which 

 it forms the basis; by the distribution of properly-labeled 

 duplicates of materials to colleges and other educational 

 institutions. The preservation St material is accomplished 



