so 





FOREST ^AND ^ STREAM. 1 



season I have been fortunate enough to see the same 

 thing ami at neatly the same place. In all wfrks to which 

 I have access I have been unable to find ary reference to the 

 habit in question ; and as many old spt rtsmen to whom I 

 have narrated the above doubt the reliability of my observa- 

 tions, I would like any one who has observe . ate above habit 

 to give their lesthnony to its truth through the columns of 

 the Forest and Stkkam. J. T. B. S. 



[This is not new, though but, few works have noticed it. — 

 Ed.] 



Another Htjmbuo Hybrid.— A few days since a corres- 

 pondent sent us a cat which in early kitttenhood had evi- 

 dently met with an accident which removed the tail and in- 

 jured both legs, also dislocating one hip. The youth of the 

 animal prevented scars perns; seen, and as pussy's walk and 

 mode of standing upon her hind legs was not dissimilar to 

 that of a rabbbit, the conclusion was reached that it was a 

 hybrid of a cat and hare, and the cat sent to us for examina- 

 tion. As before stated in these columns, such a hybrid is a 

 physiological impossibility. 



Instinct vs. Reason.— My small Scotch terrier, two years 

 old, of not very pure blood, was one afternoon in a chamber, 

 in front of an old-fashioned pier glass, fastened on the divid- 

 ing wall between this room and the next. As soon as he 

 caught sight of his image, he ran up to the glass and nosed 

 about in "an excited way, then ran round by a door into the 

 other room and made a thorough examination of all the parts 

 and the furniture, barking and wagging his short stump of a 

 tail. Failing in his search, he returned to the glass again, saw 

 his image, and was satisfied at once that no dog but himself 

 was there. He never could be excited by so placing him 

 again, and evidently had either solved the problem or had at 

 least determined that there was some fraud about it. No 

 human being could do more, and this is simply one of many 

 instances well known where extreme power in instinct equals 

 our boasted superiority of reason, it seems to me. 



Sawbones. 



Melanosis.— I have in cage a black robin (Turdus 

 miyratorius, Linn.) as black as a grackle. It was taken 

 from the West about two months ago, is now moulting, and I 

 am anxious to see what the moult will be like. This black 

 plumage for small birds must be very rare, as I have over 

 twenty species of albinos in my collection, and but two me- 

 lanos. This black or dark plumage is not uncommon with 

 some of the larger hawks. Geo. A. Boaedjian. 



Milltown, St. Stephens, Aug, 2G, 1877. 



— I obtained last weeks a chipping squirrel jet black, I have 

 had an albino of that variety, but have never seen or heard 

 of a case of this land. Is it a common occurrence? 



A. J. COLBUBN. 



31 Boylston street, Boston, Mass., Aug, 30. 



[Lovers of the curious can view it at above address. Me- 

 lanosis is by no means uncommon particularly among birds, 

 but it is not. of sufficient frequency to cause the interest of the 

 naturalist to wane, as it has in the case of albinosis.— Ed.] 



Albino Robin.— While out for a stroll Aug. 25, I discov- 

 ered a while bird perched upon the limb of an old elm. Fpon 

 examination it proved to be a beautiful specimen of the robin 

 (Turdus migratorius). It was a perfect albino without a 

 spot. I have seen but one before, which was the pro- 

 perty of George Dwight, of Sheffield. Fkank H. Mekton. 



JTatJkld, Mass. 



To Prepare Fisn Skins. — Skin your fish carefully, but do 

 not be particular as to leaving a little meat on. Spread the 

 skin in layers and sprinkle with salt and alum, or make a 

 pickle in a small keg of a weak solution of carbolic acid. Any 

 remaining flesh can be scraped off afterward and the fish 

 set up by a taxidermist. Many of the most delicate fishes 

 with large scales will not, stand the above treatment, to say 

 nothing of mounting them afterward. — From ITallocJc's Sports- 



man's Gazetteer. 



. — ~©, — , 



— Three Arabian sheep, the first of the tind ever brought 

 to this country, arc on their'way to Philadelphia. 



Intelligent Otsteks. — These educated oysters interest us. 

 It is agreeable to know that oysters possesses powers of per- 

 ception, thought and affection; that they can recognize their 

 friends among men; that they can show gratitude for kind- 

 ness, and that they can give tangible evidence of being tilled 

 by the passion of revenge. If the education of those that 

 have already been put in training can be properly completed, 

 wo may have revelations of a still more surprising nature. 

 They are cunning, a, quality into which many faculties enter. 

 When they catch Bight of their friend Hamilton they open 

 their shells in a seductive manner, and when he gives them 

 some dainty morsel, i hey close up to revel in its enjoyment. 

 One of them has a way of inviting him to put his linger inside 

 of its shell. It can recognize him, as the rest of them can, at 

 a glance, and will not allow other people to lake the liberties 

 freely enjoyed by him. A stranger tried to deceive it, but it 

 made h'un squirm as it closed on Jus finger, which it refused 

 to release till the touch of its friend soothed its wrath. It is 

 said in the books that the adult oyster has no power of loco- 

 motion, but these educated oysters, under the control of their 

 affections, are practicing the art of propulsion. Confidence is 

 a plant of slow growth in oysters as in men, and it required 

 weeks to bring the educated oysters up to the point of trusting 

 in anybody. They had probably been in the habit of looking 

 on man as a monster, destitute of ihe better qualities that 

 dwell in the mind and shell of an oyster. One reason for the 

 superiority of the oyster is probably to be found in the fact 

 that it does not look out of one eye, like Polvphcmus, or out 

 of two eyes like ordinary human beings, but out of those 

 numerous yellowish brown eyes that lie between the fringes 

 of its mantle. Let us think of these things, when consuming 

 oysters raw, on the half shell, regardless 'of their views and 

 feelings.— Ex. 



ETHNOLOGICAL. 



Washington, D. 0., June 15, 1877. 

 Editor Forest and Stub am : 



Sin : Being engaged in preparing a memoir upon the " Bur- 

 ial Customs of the Indians of North America, both Ancient 

 and Modern, and the Disposal of their Dead," I beg leave to 

 request your kind co-operation to enable me to present as ex- 

 haustive an exposition of the subject as possible, and to this 

 end earnestly invite your attention to the following points in 

 regard to which information is desired : 



1st— Name of the tribe. 2d — Locality. 3d— Manner of 

 burial, ancient and modern. 4th — Funeral ceremonies. 5th— 

 Mourning observances, if any. 



With reference to the first of these inquiries, " Name of the 

 Tribe," the Indian name is desired as w T ell as the name by 

 which the tribe is known to the whites. As to "Locality," 

 the response should give the range of the tribe, and be full 

 and geogriphically accurate. As to the "Manner of Burial, 

 etc.," it is important to have every particular bearing on this 

 branch of the subject, and much minuteness is desirable ; for 

 instance : 



(a) Was the body buried in the ground ; if so, in what pos- 

 ition, and how was the grave prepared and finished? (b) If 

 cremated, describe the process, and what disposal was made 

 of the ashes, (c) Were any utensils, implements, ornaments, 

 etc., etc., or food, placed in the grave? in short, every fact is 

 sought that may possibly add to a general knowledge of the 

 subject. 



Answers to the fourth and fifth queries should give as full 

 and succinct a description as possible of funeral and other 

 mortuary ceremonies at the time of death and subsequently, 

 the period of mourning, manner of its observance, &c. 



In obtaining materials for the purpose in cmestion it is par- 

 ticularly desirable that well-authenticated sources of informa- 

 tion only to be drawn upon, and, therefore, any points 

 gathered from current rumor or mere hearsay, and upon 

 which there is doubt, should be submitted to searching 

 scrutiny before being embraced in answers to the several in- 

 terrogatories, and nothing should be recorded as a foot until 

 fully established as such. 



In seeking information from Indians it is well to remember 

 the great tendency to exaggeration they show, and since ab- 

 solute facts will alone serve our purpose, great caution is sug- 

 gested in this particular. 



It is earnestly desired to make the work in question as com- 

 plete as possible, and therefore it is especially hoped that your 

 response will cover the ground as pointed out by the several 

 questions as thoroughly as you may be able and wiling to 

 make it. 



In addition to notes, a reference to published papers cither 

 by yourself or others is desirable, as well as the names of 

 those persons who may be able to furnish the needed informa- 

 tion. 



Permit me to assure you that, while it is not offered in the 

 way of inducement to secure the service asked, since it is 

 barely possible you can be otherwise than deeply interested in 

 the extension of the bonds of knowledge, full credit will be 

 given you in the work for whatever information you may be 

 pleased' to furnish. 



This material will be published under the auspices of Pro- 

 fessor J. W. Powell, in charge of the U. S. Geographical and 

 Geological Survey of the Eocky Mountain Region. 



Communications may be addressed to me either at the ad- 

 dress given above or at the Army Medical Museum, Washing- 

 ton, D. C. — Respectfully yours, H. C. Yarrow. 



iffoatttmd, <$drm mid §>zrdetL 



CHINA ASTERS. 



White WnALE for Europe. — The first white whales 

 brought to New York for exhibition were those captured by 

 Mr. Barnuin for his museum. This veteran showman now 

 proposes to send one of these curiosities to be gazed at by our 

 London cousins across the water. One of the specimens now 

 in the Coney Island Aquarium is to be shipped via the steam- 

 ship which sails for Southampton, Eng., the 15th of this 

 month. A special tank is being prepared for his whaleship, 

 and twenty bushels of eels will be provided for his support. 



Animals Received at Central Park Menagerie tor Week 

 Ending Sept. 1, ISTT.— Two pine snakes (Pitnophis melanoleucw) pur- 

 chased ; two alligators (.1 Uigator mississippimsis) purchased; two Flo- 

 rida iortoisc{Testitdo poliipltt'iaiix) purchased; one raccoon (Procyon lotor) 

 presented by Mr. W. H. Whirnster, N. Y. City ; one gray squirrel 

 (Sciarlas caroli'nensU) presented by Master Geo. Tamlyn, N. Y. City ; 

 three gray foxes (Vulpes vinjiniwinm) presented by Mr. W. Wiggins, 

 Mt. Hope, N. J.; one raccoon (Procyon lotor) presented by Mr. II. W. 

 Tompkins, N. Y. City ; one agouti (Dasyprocta u<ndi) presented by 

 Capt. Samuel L. Clap]}, V. M S. S., Acapuleo. This animal belongs to 

 he same family as the Guinea pig, but more nearly resembles the hare 

 ^n its movements and shape. The feet have long, strong claws; hind 

 egs longer than the fore-legs; it measures about one foot six niches 

 lin length, and stands about twelve inches high at the croup; the hairt 

 on the upper part are anaulated alternately with black, brown and yel- 

 low, giving an appearance of being speckled ; the hairs on the croup 

 are golden yellow and stand erect when the animal is startled ; the hair 

 on the body is about an inch long, while that on the rump is nearly 

 three times this length, hence the generic name Daaypraeta ; back part 

 hairy. When the Antilles and Bahamas were discovered these animals 

 were found in great abundance, and were said to be the largest quad- 

 rupeds there. They also abound largely in Central and South America, 

 in which place they are used as a common article of food, the flesh 

 being white, tender and well flavored, having somewhat the taste of a 

 rabbit. They are gregarious, do not burrow, but shelter themselves 

 behind rocks or the roots of trees. They have voracious appetites, eat- 

 ing all kinds of vegetables, particularly potatoes and yams. When eat- 

 ing they sit on the hind legs, carrying the food to the mouth with the 

 fore-paws like the squirrel. They are destructive to the sugar planta- 

 tions, committing great havoc by knawing the roots of the canes, con- 

 sequently are a source of considerable annoyance to the planters, who 

 take every means to destroy them. The Agouti can be very easily do- 

 mesticated. W. A. Conklin, Director. 



—One of the most delightful of all physical experiences is that of the 

 bather when he steps out of the bath iu a splendid glow of strength and 

 liealih. lie can increase this delight by recourse to B. T. Babbitt's 

 Toilet Soap, a new article, which cannot be equaled, for it is composed 

 of the finest vegetable oils, and prepared with the greatest possible re- 

 gard to excellence of manufacture. Mothers need no longer fear that 

 their little ones will absorb disease and poison from one of the most 

 essential of physical operations.— [Adv. 



A NEW RECOIL PAD. 



Examine the new pad Qust out) at C. L. Eitzinann's, 943 Broadway, 

 can be put on and off the gun in a moment, needs no alteration to gun, 

 Price only |S. Best thing Out,— [Aito, 



THE sight of some beautifully grown Asters in a friend's 

 garden, the other day, led us to think how seldom we 

 see any worthy of the name, and how scurvily treated this mag- 

 nificent fall flower is with us. There are two main divisions 

 in Asters— the German and the French. The definition Ger- 

 man is applied to those having tubular or quilled florets, though 

 this is somewhat restrictive in its application, as the German 

 growers have of late years done much in the way of improv- 

 ing the flat-petalled varieties also. The French Asters, which 

 have large flat petals, are so named because the French florists 

 took them in hand years ago, and effected in them a great and 

 marked improvement, Taking the qudled type, it must be 

 acknowledged that nowithstanding the Germans have grouped 

 them into many assumed types (vide any German seed cata- 

 logue), yet but few of them are worthy of cultivation. What 

 are termed Hedgehog, Porcupine, and other quilled forms, are 

 generally of a poor or worthless character. A really good 

 strain furnishes very beautiful flowers ; the form is a half-ball 

 of quilled petals, and many charming hues of color are found 

 among them. Of the imported varieties, the best types arc the 

 German quilled and Reid's cmilled ; and in all gardens where 

 cut flowers are in demand, a good sized bed of them should 

 be grown to cut from. They require to be planted in rich 

 ground, well manured, mulched with rotted manure in sum- 

 mer, and watered liberally in dry weather. Such a bed will 

 yield large quantities of blooms for many weeks. 



Passing to the French, or flat-petalled, section, it may be stated 

 at the outset that its varieties are legion, but that the greater 

 portion of them are next to worthless. One of the best forms 

 is Truffant's peony-flowered perfection, which bears noble in- 

 curved vari-colored flowers. This is the French Aster, par 

 excellence, and though it is now offered in a bewildering multi 

 tude of varieties, the type named will give the most satisfac- 

 tion. Its flowers are large and full, with the petals folding 

 inward— incurved, as it is termed. The next best is prob- 

 ably the Victoria Aster. This is of shorter and more rigid 

 growth than the foregoing, and has very large, full-petalled 

 flowers, but the petals lie outward, or arc reflexed. This is a 

 splendid variety, with full flowers like a half ball, and they 

 assume a fine variety of colors. If any evidence were wanted 

 of the popularity of this type, it may be found in the fac 

 that it is fast taking the place of Truffant's for exhibition pur- 

 poses. There is one good quality common to both these 

 varieties, and that is, that under ordinary cultivation they will 

 produce good flowers. They deserve, however, to be well 

 treated, and will reward the painstaking amateur -if planted 

 in rich ground, a»d given a little manure-water at the bloom- 

 ing season — with an abundance of rich double flowers. The 

 dwarf Clnysanthernuin-flowered Aster is a peculiar variety, 

 flowering later, and producing large blooms, like those of a 

 reflexed Chrysanthemum. Having a very dwarf, ftec-flowei- 

 ing habit, it is well adapted for flowering in pots, or for use 

 as an edging to abed of taller growing sorts. The Crown 

 flowered or Cocardean Aster represents a distinct and charm- 

 ing type, and is so named because of the flowers having a 

 central disc of white, with a margin of blue, lilac, crimson, 

 carmine and other shades. This is a selection from the Peony- 

 flowered Aster ; the florets are reflexed, but the flowers are 

 not so large and full as those of the Victoria. There are yet 

 two varieties that can be highly recommended, especially for 

 pot culture and for small gardens. These are the Dwarf 

 Pyramidal and Boltze's Dwarf Boutiuet Asters. There is not 

 a wonderful difference between them, but still enough to make 

 their culture desirable. Very dwarf in growth and very free- 

 flowering, they produce a variety of nice flat-petalled, various 

 colored blossoms, that are unequalled to cut from ; they are 

 also well adapted for indoor or window decoration, before 

 those grown in the open ground come into bloom. A ster seei Is 

 are somewhat difficult of germination, but there is -little diffi- 

 culty provided they be Jresh and good. Seed a year old is 

 difficult to germinate, and of little use to the amateur. They 

 may be sown iu pans, pots or shallow boxes, in a rich, light 

 soil, and placed on a warm shelf in the greenhouse, a gentle 

 heat in a dung frame, or a warm window in a dwelling. As 

 soon as they are large enough to handle, transplant them to 

 other pots or boxes, and encourage them to grow fast and 

 vigorously. After being transferred to then permanent beds 

 or borders, where they should have well enriched soil, a lib- 

 eral mulching with plenty of water, and say a weekly allow- 

 ance of manure-water after they get thoroughly established, 

 will give quantity and quality of flowers enough to repay 

 even the most fastidious and unreasonable cultivator. 



—The cultivation of flax in the West is increasing, as it 

 should. The Northwestern Flax Society report the average 

 value of the crop per acre to be §27.08. The United States 

 import annually $.50,000,000 worth of flax, hemp and jute. 

 Improved processes are steadily diminishing the cost of har- 

 vesting, preparing and manufacturing. Jute may be grown 

 in the Southern States, hemp in Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois 

 and Indiana ; further North flax is at home. The two latter 

 are extensively grown already. 



Amekioan Pomological Society.— The annual meeting 

 of this society opeDS at Baltimore September 12th, and com 

 tinues for three days. The displays of fruit, especially from 

 Virginia and South Carolina, promise to be unusually fine. 



