1877.] Scientific News. 507 
chickens, Oregon grouse, Oregon pheasants, and an elk for the same 
destination. Mr. Thomas Russell, President of the New Zealand Bank, 
makes a present of these animals to the Auckland Acclimatization 
Society. 
— About four miles from San Buenaventura, California, on the river 
of that name, is a grape-vine of the Mission variety, the stem of which 
measures forty inches in circumference. It covers an area of about 
eighty feet in diameter. This vine yields about one thousand pounds of 
grapes annually. The clusters of fruit will measure from twelve to 
sixteen inches in length, and average three and a half pounds. It is on 
the ranch of Don Jose Moraga, and was planted by that gentleman seven- 
teen years ago. 
—A Natural History Review, to be called Termésretrajzi Fiiretek 
(Naturhistorische Hefte), to be edited in German, was issued from the 
National Museum of Buda-Pesth, Hungary, about January 1, 1877. It 
contains papers on Zodlogy, Botany, Mineralogy, and Geology. Arti- 
cles may be printed in various languages, but extracts literally translated 
will be given in the Hungarian text. It will be devoted wholly to Hun- 
garian matters. 
— A circular was issued December 30, 1876, by the National Society 
of Natural Sciences of Cherbourg, France, announcing the twenty-fifth 
anniversary of its foundation, and expressing great gratitude to the 
learned societies and its corresponding members for numerous congratu- 
` latory a on their jubilee, which it regards as precious testimonials 
of estee 
L The, following facts I learned from Dr. T Nettleton, who now 
resides in Racine. It is too good a story to be los 
One morning in the latter part of February, 1884, the U. S. schooner 
Shark, Lieutenant Pierce commander, having Audubon and party on 
board, anchored in Cote-Blanche Bay, at the mouth of Bayou Salie, 
Bonianna: The scientists here left the schooner, rowed up the bayou in 
her boats and landed on Michael Gordie’s sugar plantation. 
Audubon made many inquiries about birds, where they could be found, 
where they roosted, etc., and all day the report of fire-drms was heard 
among the reeds and swamps where the men were busy Se speci- 
mens of the birds that were so numerous there at that ti 
Gordie was greatly alarmed. He consulted his overseer and inter- 
Togated the blacks with whom Audubon had talked. The conclusion 
Was that the strangers were pirates, and that he would be robbed that 
San and perhaps lose his life. Thus he reasoned: “The black craft 
ed,— has guns. No sane man would engage in such trifling 
faia as ane worthless little birds. This is evidently a ruse 
gotten up to deceive 
So, as there was no Shido of procuring assistance, the sind 
being iulie by swamps and the bay, he hid his gold, secreted his 
