470 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



ground with the tips of his outstretched wlDgs, I was perfectly satiBfled 

 that the thing was settled, as my two stood perfectly erect, aa described, 

 while the opened wings were carried to the feet at every stroke appar- 

 ently. But last week a correspondent states decidedly that the t/ird 

 drums by striking the wings over the back; so again there is doubt in my 

 mind, as these two birds certainly did bring the wings very nearly If not 

 quite together over the back. Analogically considered, the ruffed 

 grouse drums in the same manner as the barnyard cock beats his wings 

 just before crowing. Ladlyear an old cock grouse which I brought 

 down with a shot through the head, commenced to drum irregularly as 

 soon as he had touched »he ground ; but a nervous young dog which I 

 was using, rushed in and retrieved it before it could be seen. 



Have any of your correspondents noticed the fact that the ruffed 

 grouse in the Western part of New York will almost always alight in a 

 tree at tlie end of its flight. While In Connecticut it very seldom does so. 



E. T. M. 



fWe quite agree with our correspondent that it is impossible 

 to tell with certainty the sex of the ruffed grouse from the 

 plumage alone. We do not hesitate to declare that if the state- 

 ments as to the disparity of the sexes in birds killed during 

 the season are based merely upon the appearance of the speci- 

 mens, they are of little value. Dissection is the only safe 

 method of determining this question, and we hope that our 

 readers will bear this in mind, and next season will give us the 

 benefit of their experience in the matter. — Ed.] 



Etrn-iND, Vt., Jan. 1, 1878. 

 Editor Forest and Stream akd Bod and Guh: 



I have b«en much interested in reading the articles in your paper 

 from your various correspondents concerning the "ruffed grouse." 

 Up here in Vermont, where game is so scarce, we consider the " par- 

 tridge" the prince of birds, and when I even hear the word spoken I 

 liave the same sensation that I imagine a terrier has when somebody 

 says " rats," I know that you can appreciate that feeling, and will bear 

 with me if I give you a little of my experience. I can add my testi- 

 mony to that of your Ferrlsburgh correspondent in your issue of Dec. 

 6th, as to the vitality of the partridge. I am not a good shot on the 

 wing, but I always make it a rule when a bird rises anywhere in sight 

 blaze away, knowing that if I don't fire I won't kill anything. I have 

 f ten been astonished at my success in finding my bird after it had 

 Aown away apparently unharmed. A few days since I was passing 

 down a ravine along the course of one of our mountain streams when I 

 saw a partridge sitting on a small Bprnce within easy range ahead of 

 me. I dropped the bird, which immediately got np, ran a few steps 

 and then flew down the ravine ont of my Bight. I followed him so long 

 as I thought there was any chance of finding him, but finally gave 

 him up as a lost bird. Three days afterward I was hunting in the 

 same locality, but followed the course of the stream up instead of 

 down as before. When I had arrived withtnlabout one hundred rods 

 of the place where I Bhot my bird I found him lying upon his back 

 dead. He w*s fairly riddled with shot. 



I spent nearly a month in the " North Woods " this fall, camping on 

 " Big Wolf Pond," about eight miles from Big Tupper Lake. I shot a 

 few partridges near onr camp with my rifle. I remember one particu- 

 larly tough one that I captured. The ball from my rifle (cal. 44) 

 nearly cut hi9 neck from his body, letting his head fall entirely over in 

 front, yet the bird ran nearly twenty rods in my plain sight before he 

 yielded, and then I believe it was only from loss of blood. 



The grouse, although, not remarkably plenty near our camp, were 

 very tame, and I had the chance that I have often wished for to see 

 them drum. Toward sundown one evening I heard a bird drumming 

 near by, and I succeeded, by carefully creeping through the brush, in 

 getting within a rod of him, and watched him repeat the call several 

 times. I was so near the bird that I could not be mistaken in the evi- 

 dence of my senses. The wings are raised slowly, about to a level, and 

 then a quick downward motion is given increasing in rapidity. The 

 wings do not hit any hollow log, or the bird's sides, or any thing else. 

 Of all the birds killed by oar party only one was a hen. 

 Yours truly, S. B. Btonham. 



THE EUROPEAN STARLING. 



Editor Forest and Stream : 



Some time ago, while an interesting discussion was going on in 

 Forest and Stream on the good and bad qualities of the English spar- 

 row as a new citizen of our country, some Jone contributed to your 

 columns an article on the European starling, highly commending him 

 as having all the good points of the sparrow and none of his bad ones. 

 Besides it stated, if I recollect rightly, that he is no mean songster. 

 This article interested me very much, and I have since been thinking a 

 good deal of the starling. Will you please post me on these points ? 

 Is he pugnacious to such a degree that lie will drive other birds from 

 his bailiwick— for instance, our mocking-bird, the sweetest of alj 

 feathered songsters? If he is I want none of him, whatever may be 

 his good points. Nest, is he a first-class bug and worm-eater, and will 

 he put himself to the trouble to hunt and scratch for them ? Is he ur- 

 ban or suburban in his habits, or will he fly away and take to the un- 

 frequented forests and fields ? Will he survive a trip over the raging 

 Atlantic, and, if so, what is the beBt season of the year to import him ? 

 Does he sing well, and win he assist in making our homes vocal with 

 musio ? And, lastly, is he a pretty fallow to look upon ? 



My reason for asking these questions about the Btarling is this : 

 We stand greatly in need, in this portion of Texas, of an industrious, 

 indefatigable bug and worm-eater— one that will work well in winter. 

 During the warm days of our winters our gardens swarm with wretched 

 pests, inflicting severe damage on, and sometimes destroying, our cab- 

 bages, cauliflowers, etc. Indeed, they are worse in some winters than 

 at any other season, for the reason that the bugs and other " varmin,,, 

 whose peculiar food is the tender vegetation of spring and summer, 

 being left still alive and kicking, and, compelled to have something to 

 eat, pitch into our hardy winter crops, which are the only kind that we 

 grow at this season. Thus, in addition to their own pecnllar enemieg> 

 the cabbage tribe now have to contend with the peculiar enemies of the 

 Cucurbitaoite and other liot season plants. The strip bug Is now attack- 

 ing my cabbages and cauliflowers in precisely the same way that it 

 does the leaves of the melon, cucumber and squash in summer ; and 

 the cutworm climbs up on the plants to eat the tender leaves. Butter- 

 flies, depositing villainous larva, are now disponing on my grounds. 

 We want something to Help us &gH these pests, and if the starling will 

 make a good ally, and is not too objectionable on other grounds, I pro- 

 pose to join with others and import him. His kinsman— our common 

 blackbird— is a good bug-eater, but he is too fond of damp grounds and 

 forests, and will only stay around us in wet weather. As soon as It 

 gets a little dry he bias us good-bye, to return no more till It rains. I 

 believe that we have no other bird that devotes his attention particu- 

 larly to our destructive bugs and worms. 



Aa for the English sparrow, I am distrustful of him. I am satisfied 

 that he is a good insect killer, but I dread his furious pugnacity. I 

 have seen them in yonr New York parks gather together in knots and 

 bails and fall to the groana, fighting one another like forty wlld-oats 

 I believe, if you wer« to turn a mo«king-blra loose in one of your parks 



they would skin him alive in three seconds, and then. tear him into 

 mince meat. N. A. T. 



Houston, Texas, Deo. 27, 1877. 



[Our correspondent asks us a good many questions, but we 

 will try to give him such information as we have space for- 

 The starling is said by British ornithologists to be not at all 

 pugnacious. It is very sociable and mingles freely and ami- 

 cably with flocks of other species of birds. The food of the 

 starling consists chiefly of insects of various kinds, worms, 

 snails and so on, with occasionally a little grain seed and 

 fruit, much the same diet, in fact, as that of maDy of our 

 blackbirds. Whether he will work hard after insects when 

 he can get other food at a smaller expense of time and trou- 

 ble we do not know, but presume not. If he will he is cer- 

 tainly very differently constituted from other birds and indeed 

 from all animals. The starling dwells indifferently in town 

 or country, and in many English cities ia found in great num- 

 bers, breeding in church steeples, holes and crevices in walls, 

 etc., etc. This species is said to sing rather nicely, although 

 it is by no means celebrated for its powers in this line. It has 

 been taught to speak, and, under favorable circumstances, is 

 said to display considerable conversational powers. Lastly, 

 he is a pretty fellow to look at, being shining glossy hlack in 

 color, each feather tipped with a spot of cream color or 

 brownish white.— Ed.] 



*»» 



SQUIRRELS AND EMASCULATION. 



Jersey City Heights, Dec. 31, 1877. 

 I was much interested in the last number of Forest and Stream and 

 Rod and Gun In an article from Chas. Linden in regard to squirrels 

 and emasculation. The theory he advances, giving as authority Prof. 

 Grote, Director of the Buffalo Society of Natural Science, is, indeed, 

 " a new thing under the sun " to me. That an insect is the entire cause 

 of this very common operation on the Sciuridce, both the gray and black, 

 for I believe It is an undisputed fact that they are^identical— that this 

 (Bstrtts ematculator deposits its egg on the testicles of the rodent, and 

 that this egg, after developing into a larva, gradually destroys the organs 

 and leaves no sign, seems to me most improbable. 



Is it possible that this is a fact 7 I have often found this larva or 

 grub, or something very similar, with Its head deeply burled in the flesh 

 of animals, more especially of bares and squirrels In the spring and 

 early summer ; but have generally found them about the neck of the 

 animal, but never discovered them in any other place, as the animal, 

 one would think, would make short work of these surgical individuals, 

 could it readily get at them. I hope Prof. Grote or Mr. Fitch, of Albany 

 (another authority C. L. quotes), will give us an article in your columns 

 and throw some light on this (as it strikes me, rather flshy) theory. 



Again, C. L. rather takes Mr. Fitch to task for being inclined to place 

 reliance upon thejmany reports of trustworthy persons, who testify em- 

 phatically in regard to their personal observation of the red attacking 

 his larger congener for the purpose of performing this operation. What 

 country boy familiar with squirrels and squirrel hunting does not believe 

 this, and scores can positively testify to this act of surgery, as witnessed 

 by them performed by the chlccaree, the Ishmael of the rodent tribe, and 

 pirate of the forest (for it is nothing else), upon their larger brother. 



Now, I know whereof I speak, for my eyes have absolutely seen the 

 thing done. In good old Madison County, New York State— and it was 

 a good place for squirrels, I tell you— I remember well one day haying 

 taken my place on a log In a wood, waiting for the gentle dropping of a 

 bud or nut, or the rustling of limb, to notify me j where the bushy laij 

 was concealed, I was aroused by the shrill chl-chl-ohl-lree-e-e-e-e of the 

 5. hvdsonivui. I soon espied the impudent rascal cocked up on a limb 

 his tail on his back, reeling off his song like a first-class sewing ma- 

 chine. As the presence of one of these fellows in our hardwood 

 forests is often a good guide to one of the larger kind, gray or black 

 I waited,to see if this Bhould prove an exception to the rule. Suddenly 

 a branch rustled In another part of the tree, and I saw that a large gray 

 was endeavoring to steal off to another neighborhood. With a sudden 

 chir-eTe, and a whisk of his tail, like a flash the red was after ■miyrator- 

 ius. The gray turned and made for the top of the tree, and had readied 

 the very highest point when overtaken byits«aore nimble pursuer. 

 Almost at the instant of the actual contact of the two animals, as it 

 seemed to me, I fired, and both came tumbling to the ground. rpoa 

 examining them, to my astonishment I found the act of surgery on one 

 of the testicles complete, and tne sac of the other was slit as neatlv 

 as if done with a keen-edged knife. As a gelder, S. hudsonuts was a 

 most skillful success. 



C. L. speaks of the large number of these animals found with their 

 organs lacking, and showinglno scar or ulceration. I have often noticed 

 that fact myself, as well as found them with very perceptible scars, but 

 I supposed the absence of the latter might have been owing to the act 

 having been performed when the rodent was quite young, and that it 

 had become grown over and obliterated. 



This grub or larva theory, I must confess, is very interesting, and I 

 hope it will be more fully ventilated by the scientists, or those that have 

 more particularly studied the characteristics of these beautiful creatures. 

 Why the reds do this thing, and why the gray, a so much larger and 

 stronger animal, though by no means as nimble, should allow it to be 

 done, is a scientific conundrum that I have never seen answered. 



Jacobstaff. 



New York, Jan. 2, 1S78, 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



My attention was called to an article In your last Issue entitled, "An 

 111 to which Squirrel Flesh 1b Heir." Are the causes to be ascribed to an 

 Insect 7 



Now, Mr. Editor, I will, if you please, relate a little of my«expertence 

 which " fond memory brings to light." Some thirty years ago the West- 

 ern part of New York State was largely covered with heavy timber, oak, 

 beech, hickory and maple principally, and these woods were the favorite 

 haunt of the black sqmrrel which were found there in great numbers in 

 those days. There were also some gray and a good many red ones. It 

 was the principal sport in the fall season among the farmers' sons to 

 form parties of three and four and, accompanied by one or more dogs, 

 to shoulder their light squirrel rifles. It was really grand sport ; the 

 dogs at times would have three or more up the same tree,and rarely one 

 escaped, for the boys were good marksmen, as the heavy bags at the end 

 of the day's work proved. It was at these hunts that my attention was 

 first called to the subject which forms the caption of this article. It 

 was ai ways customary after finishing up to divide the game as we were 

 seated under some tree talking over the events of the day. While the 

 game was being counted the singular appearance of some of the black 

 squirrels caused us to examine the animals minutely and to debate as 

 to the cause, for it was not found either In the gray or red. We appealed 

 to older heads who had used the rifle for years and shot large numbers, 

 both of black and gray, and there was only one opinion expressed ; the 

 red squirrel was the aggressor. It was a very common thing to see a 

 black squirrel jumping from tree to tree in the greatest fear while his 

 little red «nemy was in olose pursuit, i myself have shot a black squir- 



rel with the wound but partly healed,and so jagged that no inseot could j 

 have had anything lo do with it. Why is it the black is the only victim| 

 if It was an insect? I never saw a gray or red so afflicted, nor ever 

 heard of it though they live in the same woods. I have shot a black and 

 grey off the same tree. I have no doubt among the large circle of yonr 

 readers it will awaken the same interest that it has in my case and call 

 forth the views of many who, like myBelf, have enjoyed many a day's 

 sport, with the squirrels. c.'niLi. 



[The above communications are very interesting and correct 

 one another on a number of points. We have just received : 

 from our correspondent Dr. J. M. Smith, of Lafayette, In- 

 diana, the following note which admirably supplements them. 

 —Ed.]: 



The article on the castration of squirrels In a recent number of Forest 

 and Stream brought to my mind an incident that happened two years 

 ago. My brother and I shot two full grown fox squirrels that were both 

 castrated, and I shot a gray one last June, that waB about, two-thirds 

 grown, in which the wound had not healed. 



[t is a common s&ylng among the old woodmen In this country, that 

 the old males castrate the young ones. I know one thing, and that is, 

 that there are no small red squirrels in this country, and no black ones 

 to be found nearer than the Kankakee River. 



[We would be very much pleased to hear from Prof. Grote 

 on thi3 Bubject, and hope that other friends will give us their 

 experience. It seems to be a well established fact, nowever, 

 that this Oestrus (Cutetrebra emasculator) described by Fitch, 

 does Ave in the scrotum of squirrels and destroys one or both 

 testicles. A high authority says-. "In some parts of the 

 country it is often quite common, and doubtless greatly di- 

 minishes the number of squirrels." — Ed.] 



_.~ .— ~*. — . 



A Curious Hybrid. — The London Sporting and Dramatic 

 News publishes a description of the hybrid, the offspring of 

 an African zebra and an Abyssinian ass. The young animal 

 resembles both parents, its color being grayish inclined to 

 fawn, and its legs showing very clearly the zebra stripes. 



A Savage Deee. — The following dispatch to the Boston 

 Herald shows how dangerous tame (?) deer sometimes are : 



Newlrwry'port, Mass., Dec. 20. — At Newbury, yesterday 

 morning, Mr. John Little, an old gentleman 70 years of age, | 

 living on Ocean avenue, found an American deer, belonging 

 to W. C. Johnson, Esq., looking in at his window. He went 

 to the door to drive him away, when the deer attacked him i 

 and knocked him down, breaking two of his ribs. Mrs. Little 

 then tried to frighten the deer away with an umbrella, but 

 was unsuccessful. Finally a son of Mr. Little came to the 

 rescue and shot the animal. 



. This peculiar ferocity is, however, believed to be confined I 

 to the males during the rutting season. 



Swedish Arctic Expedition. — The scientific expedition 

 which is to sail from Gothenburg, Sweden, next July, for Arctic 

 exploration, is to be fitted out with provisions for a three- 

 years' cruise. The expedition is under the patronage of the 

 King of Sweden, the Government, Oscar Dickson, of Gothen- 

 burg, and Mr. Sibariakoff (a Russian). The route will be 

 from Novaya Zemlya, along the coast of Siberia, through i 

 Behring Strait, thence they circuninavigate Asia, and return 

 via the Suez Canal. 



A Canada Moose for the Paris Exposition.— Canada 

 is to send a magnificent specimen of the moose family to the 

 Paris Exposition next summer. The animal when shot was 

 in its prime, being about eight years old. Its dimensions 

 were, from fore hoofs to neck, six feet ; girth just behind 

 fore legs, six feet six inches ; length from tip of nose to tail, 

 nine feet ; pan of antler, two feet nine inches ; spread of 

 horns, four feet ; bell, fifteen inches ; length of head, two 

 feet eight inches. 



^aadldnd, «ffarm mid <§ut(htu 



THIS DEPARTMENT IS EDITED BY W. 3. DAVIDSON, SEC. N. Y. 

 HORTICULTURAL SO0D5TY. 



HOUSE PLANTS— [Continued.] 



FLOWERING- PLANTS. 



IN a life-long experience we have seen many plants succeed 

 well in one situation, or perhaps under peculiar condi- 

 tions, that would fail under other treatment ; but perhaps the 

 greatest reason for failure in the cultivation of window plants 

 is the choice of unsuitable varieties. Without stopping to 

 think as to whether it is likely to succeed well or not in the 

 diy atmosphere of the sitting-room, when we see a beautiful 

 plant full of bloom or blossom buds we are very apt to buy it 

 at once, and wonder at its so soon giving way and becoming 

 unsightly. There are, however, many plants that will do 

 tolerably well under what may be called "half-and-half" 

 treatment, but which under generous care will be a source 

 of pleasure to the cultivator, and these we propose to men- 

 tion. This must be borne in mind, however, that very few 

 plants will succeed if they are removed at once from the 

 warm, moist atmosphere of the green-hous? to that of the par- 

 lor or sitting-room ; they should be gradually inured to a 

 dryer atmosphere, and they will not suffer. Plants forced 

 into bloom in small pots have no constitution to stand such a 

 strain on their vitality, and of those bought in early spring 

 lor window decoration, perhaps not one in ten survives. All 

 plants taken from the open ground in September should be 

 pruned back into shape in August to give the young growth a 

 chance to start properly. They should be carefully potted, as 

 before directed, and hardened off in the shade out of doors, 

 removed to the house when there is any fear of frost, and on 

 warm, sunny days should have plenty of fresh air. By this 

 treatment early winter blossoms may be secured; whereaa, if 



