FOREST AND STREAM. 
341 
WHAT SOME BIRDS EAT. 
Russell County, Kan., June, 1874. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
I have noted the contents of crop and gizzard of such birds as I have 
collected this spring. Thinking it might interest some of your readers, 
lhave made out a list which you can publish if you choose. The birds 
were collected during the months of March, April and May, namely, 
several of each species; locality, prairie and narrow strips of timber 
along the Smoky Hill River, Kansas. Few cultivated farms near. Per¬ 
haps in a different locality and in other seasons the same birds might eat 
different food. 
Insects only .—Western lark, mountain plover, burrowing owl, chest¬ 
nut collared bunting,Western ground robin, field plover, bluebird, yellow 
billed cuckoo, red-eyed vireo, scarlet tanager, Baltimore oriole, orchard 
oriole, night hawk, eared grebe, Hudsonian godwit, rail, Wilson’s tern- 
Esquimanx curlew. 
Insects and Seeds— Yellow-headed blackbird, cow blackbird, white 
crowned sparrows, cardinal, Wilson’s phalarop. 
Insects , Feathers and Bones of Small Birds. —sparrow hawk. 
Insects , Green Plants— Pinnated grouse. 
Insects , Ant's Fggs.— Yellow-shafted flicker. 
Sumac Berries,— Red-shafted flicker. 
- Seeds .—Indigo birds. 
Leaf Buds .—Louisiana tanager. 
Plants , Water Snails.— Blue-wing teal. 
Fish— Sheldrake, green heron. 
Seeds and Insects — Lark bunting. 
I have an eared gt&he (Pordiceps Auritus) that was killed here this 
soring. They are very rare, the only ones I have ever seen being this 
and one other, killed in Northern Illinois last summer. “Jacobstaff” 
inquires about rail in May. In Davis county, Kansas, May 16th, 1874, I 
killed a rail {Porzana Carolina ); male, average size, in good condition. 
Saw several others the same day. 
May 14th I killed a Louisiana tanager (Pyranga LiMoviciana) at the 
mouth of the Saline River. This is the farthest east that I ever knew of 
their being obtained. Their range is from the Black Hills westward. 
Red-shafted flickers were quite abundant during their migratory sea¬ 
son. This is about their eastern limit. Saw some hybrids. At present 
none but golden shafts are to be found. 
Perhaps it would interest some of your New Jersey readers to know 
that, under certain conditions, pinnated grouse are migratory. They 
were tolerably plenty liere last fall, but during t he winter not one could 
be seen. This spring they made their appearance about the middle of 
April. They were quite abundant for a couple of weeks, then grew less 
so. I think they went east last fall into the colder settlements, probably 
driven away by the scarcity of food, as the frost killed insects. As no 
crops were raised here last year, they had to go where they could find 
corn and grain fields. F. S. B. 
Wisconsin State Poultry Association, I 
Janesville, Wis., June27th, 1874. f 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
Mr, Wanmaker’s supposition that black bass exterminate themselves 
in a period of ten or fifteen years, if not increased by outside supplies, 
is not borne out by my experience. We have near this place a small 
lake which was Stocked with bass 27 years ago. No fish have been put 
in it since, and yet the bass fishing is good every year, my. brother and I 
having taken out this month in three hours’ fishing, fifty-two fine bass. 
In regard to the Geneva Lake ciscoes being identical with the niuch- 
talked-of grayling, I would say that I have, in common with most anglers 
of this section, caught many a cisco, and there are peculiarities about 
them, a knowledge of which may aid you in determining whether or no 
the cisco and grayling are the same. The ciscoes begin to “run” as we 
call it, between the 5th and 10th of June, at which time the “eiscoe fly” 
makes its appearance in great numbers. For a few days after the run 
begins the-fish can be taken in great numbers and the fly is used for bait. 
Then fish and fly both disappear and are seen no more until another 
year. They are by no means a game fish in the sense that trout or bass 
are game, and I never could find much sport in catching them, though 
they certainly are fine eating. Yours, A. M. Valentine. 
—In the last report of the Societe cVAcdimatation of Paris, 
we find that for 1878, sales of animals were made to the 
amount of 295,472 francs, on which the profits were 41,204 
francs, and that 452,697 people visited the establishment. 
In 1870, 302,805 francs worth of animals were sold. This 
was owing to the Prussian war. In fact the collection of 
animals had to be entirely made up after the war. The 
society offers prizes to those who propagate new animals or 
birds into France. W e notice that for our prairie chickens, 
who ever can show twelve birds of this species any time 
before the close of 1875 in France, bred and born there, 
will receive the prize of 250 francs. We also see that a 
prize of 350 francs will be given to any one introducing our 
hickory (carya alba) into the country. 
Cavalry Barracks, | 
St. Louis, Mo., June 29tb, 1874. j 
Editor Forest and Streami- 
Id your paper of June 25th, 1874, amongst the answers to correspond¬ 
ents, is one to “Idaho.” relating to a species of fish found in a small 
lake, a 'tributary of the Peyette River. Idaho’s description of the fish is 
correct, excepting possibly to size. I don’t believe that he will find 
many ten pounders among them; but he is evidently mistaken about 
this fish having only been discovered last summer, for I heard of them 
repeatedly during 1869, ’70, and ’71, while in camp at our fort. In 
1869 a party of miners prospected the headwaters of the Peyette and 
Wieser Rivers for gold, and while there caught great numbers of these 
fish. On returning to Lewistown they brought a small keg-full back 
with them pickled. The heads and tails were cut off and consequently 
worthless as specimens. I did not get any on that account.. I write this 
simply to corroborate Idaho’s statement that such a fish actually exists 
there, and that it is of a deep red color; it is not bony and is of excellent 
flavor. Fish of the best kind are so plentiful in that country that unless 
it is of the very best quality nobody would eat them. The lakes—I be¬ 
lieve there are three of them—are perfectly alive with these fish, and 
game of all kinds is exceedingly plentiful. The lakes can be reached in 
about four days travel from Boise City, and should any one of your 
readers wish to go there to get this flsli and all the bear he wants, I can 
give him the directions. Yours respectfully, Chas. Bender, 
Capt. First Cavalry, 
. •— - -+++ - 
CENTRAL PARK MENAGERIE. 
Department op Public Parks, I 
New York, July 5, 1874. \ 
Animals received at Central Park Menagerie for the week ending 
July 4,1874. 
One great Horned Owl, Bubo Yirginianus. Presented by Mr. James 
Purnell Toadvin. 
OnePetz’s Conure, Cmuruspetzii. Hob. Mexico. 
Four Ground Parakeets, Calopsita novae-hollandiae. Bab. Australia. 
Two Laughing Kingfishers, Dacelo gigantea. Bab. Australia. Placed 
on exhibition by Mr. L. H. Caldwell. W. A. Conklin, 
T oodhnd, Wmvtt md (Maiden. 
THE WISTARIA SINENSIS. 
“Day stars! that ope your frownless eyes to twinkle 
From rainbow galaxies of earth’s creation, 
And dew drops on her lonely altars sprinkle 
As a libation.” Horace Smith. 
I N continuation of the subject of the Wistaria as a flow¬ 
ering shrub—too much overlooked in our home gar¬ 
dens, arbor and pot plants—we shall in this concluding 
paper offer some suggestions for the aid of such of our I 
florists as really and truly love a most beautiful, easily cul- \ 
tivated, and long-lived shrub. 
Treated only as a shrub, this plant will fully repay any \ 
one in any locality for all the pains he or she shall take in \ 
giving it the very best of culture. We are rejoiced to 1 
know that within twelve yeais’ time there lias been a \ 
greater love manifested for this flower, and more thought j 
and care given to its cultivation, than had been given to it I 
during the entire period of fifieen years previous to these l 
last twelve years. For a dwarf tree, grown on the lawn or j 
in pots, it is very easily cultivated. 1 once had a very.fine 
plant that occupied a prominent place in the centre of a 
lawn of one acre in extent, and which had been planted in 
this situation by an oversight of the “man of all work” 
about the grounds. As a matter of course it wa« not pos¬ 
sible that so fine a plant should stand alone in the middle 
of the lawn when there was a very fine elevated plateau at 
the upper part of the lawn, upon the left of a fine drive 
way, and a little in the rear of the fine dwelling house, 
which elevation was of some thirty feet, and overlooked 
one of the finest ocean views in old Massachusetts. This 
place being just the location for a rustic summer house the 
plan was suggested, and the work commenced at once, the 
design being of so simple a plan—the rural Gothic—that 
soon, under the manipulating saw and hammer of the vil¬ 
lage carpenter, a pleasant Gothic structure 30x40 feet, with 
a projecting roof, rose in clear and well defined outlines 
against the blue horizon. This structure was made of red 
cedar, at an entire cost of some fifty dollars only, includ¬ 
ing the Wistaria and Laburnum planted at the front and at 
each end of the same. It was recommended to remove the 
Wistaria —a j^ant of some ten feet stem or trunk—from 
the lawn and plant it at one end of the structure. Having 
carefully removed the same with unbroken roots, and care¬ 
fully planted it in its new home, we trimmed off all the 
superfluous wood, leaving only six lung arms or shoots, 
which we trained over the roof of the arbor. These shoots, 
as well as the others from younger plants, made a very vig¬ 
orous growth the first season planted, and for a compensa¬ 
tion for labor expended gave us some fifty or sixty fine 
blossoms and a luxuriant growth of new wood and brilliant 
green leaves. It was deemed advisable to plant some two 
plants of the great Bigonia radicans at each end, and two 
golden Laburnums to give additional beauty to our rustic 
arbor. The plants therefore chosen (as they always should 
be from the best plants obtainable) at the next season gave 
out their huge scarlet and trumpet shaped flowers, inter¬ 
mingled with the royal purple of the princely Wistaria in 
great abundance, almost covering the entire arbor. 
Now our readers, particularly our lady readers, can have 
all this, or something very like it, at a very moderate ex¬ 
pense, and at a less cost than the one we have sketched if 
they so ordain. No plant that we know of nas so many 
good qualities to recommend it as a combination plant, to 
be used with other running vine plants, as ivys, honey¬ 
suckles, etc., as the Wistaria , of which we have two 
colors, the purple and the pure white. In this application 
I took wdiat would have made a very fine dwarf tree, and 
changed all its future by the use of the shears and the 
pruning knife. It soon forgot its old home, and as a deni¬ 
zen of the lawn, and obedient to the master’s will, it easily 
assumed its rambles over the rustic palings of the new 
summer house. Suppose we had so willed it that the fu¬ 
ture life of our shrub should have been that of a tree form, 
what then? As before advised, prune well, cut back, and 
make a more compact form of plant, having in your eve 
the identical form of the tree you would produce. Follow 
this close pruning system, and you will readily find your 
dwgrf moulded imperceptibly to your hand. 
Here at this stage we take the Wistaria plant and make 
it a “pot grower,” and to do so successfully requires but 
the simplest of treatment and the most common of our 
good soils. Ho not commit the error with this plant, often 
fallen into by many, of giving it too good soil. An ordi¬ 
nary sized pot and common garden soil are all the requi¬ 
sites you need. Again, do you wish to force your pot Wis¬ 
taria, now is the time to do it. This plant only requires a 
moderate heat to send forth finely developed blossoms in 
profusion and great elegance, and can be started in the 
greenhouse, before being * placed out, with good results. 
We think werejthis mode resorted to by our skilful florists, 
in a systematic and thorough manner, it would prove a very 
valuable acquisition to the most attractive plants of the 
greenhouse. We know of no flower that is a finer bloomer, 
or of more fragrance or beauty than this. 
This plant, when used as a screen, or as a decorative pil¬ 
lar plant, has no equal. It will soon cover an old tree in 
the garden with a verdure entirely its own. I have often 
used it to cover a tall pole, upon the top of which was 
placed a picturesque bird house. Planted at the foot of 
this support, side by side, was a Begonia radicans and a 
prairie rose, or honeysuckle. It is one of the most attrac¬ 
tive ornaments of the garden, and, as a lady friend re¬ 
marked to me, “so simple; liowbeautiful; I’ll go home and 
have one made just like it.” And she was true to her 
word, and has had one of these beautiful pillars of life with¬ 
in her garden for the last eight years. 
From what I have already written of this plant, and the 
many different ways the same may be used as a decorative 
plant, it will readily be seen that you have a very valuable 
accession to real ornamental decoration in the garden as 
an out door plant, or side or screen plant—a climber which 
will beautify the tallest mansion, or nestle over the lowest 
of rustic retreats. In all my practice with covering plants 
for rustic work of any kind I have found none equal to 
this. When you use it as an accessory to the more costly 
adornment of the water landscape, what is so appropriate 
to throw across the ruins of the old stone bridge, or to fes¬ 
toon the rustic gateway to our porter’s humble lodge? 
But as we have already made our paper long, we close it 
with the suggestion that all our friends, if they will only 
take to their arms the Wistaria and study the wants and 
capabilities of its truly homelike, simple nature, they will 
find in our paper a moral as well as a tale in the habits of 
this “always at home” beautiful plant. 
Ollipod Quill. 
Answer to Everett, of Salem, Wisconsin.— “Are sun 
flowers of any value?” Not the sun flower particularly, 
but the seeds have always had a high value placed upon 
them by many farmers of Ohio, where considerable space 
is allotted to them. The flowers of the sun flowers al¬ 
ways abound in honey, yielding as much or more sweet 
saccharine matter for the bee than even flax. As an article 
for bee food you cannot plant anything they like better 
than buckwheat, flax, and sun flower seed. The seeds of 
the sunflower contain a very large quantity of an oleaginous 
matter, at the rate of one gallon to the barrel, and which 
oil, in its pure state, is quite as good as olive oil. Some 
farmers have raised fifty bushels to an acre. Horses eat of 
the seeds'of the sun flower quite readily, and for poultry it 
is thought to be a good stimulant. The American Indians 
had the seeds in their possession at the same time they had 
Indian corn, and used them, macerated, for bread, mixed 
with Indian corn meal, The stalks contain a considerable 
amount of potash, and should always be burned upon the 
ground where they grow if possible. Ollipod Quill. 
fennel. 
THE DOG SHOW AT THE CRYSTAL 
PALACE, &C. 
[From our Special Correspondent.] 
T HE dog fanciers had expected something worth seeing 
at the Crystal Palace this week, but I think few of 
them were jirepared for the brilliant success which attended 
the reunion in the shape of a grand entry of 1,187 nomina¬ 
tions. This formidable array of names makes the show 
the largest which the last ten years has produced, and no 
little of the eclat attaching to it is due to the fact that the 
judges names were previously advertised so that subscribers 
knew to whom they intrusted their dogs. 
From the large size of the edifice and multitude of trains 
constantly running to both stations, bringing every few 
minutes some hundreds of visitors, the Crystal Palace is 
admirably adapted for the purposes of the show which was 
held under canvas at the southern end; the dogs being 
judged on the terrace outside, on which were constructed 
rings of movable fencing. The weather was perliaps rather 
too warm for the dogs and even for the judges, but the 
supply of water for the one and champagne for the other 
being unlimited, it was after all more agreeable than a cold 
and rainy season. The Prince of Wales was not behind 
hand in his entries, and amongst his favorites were some 
dachshunds, or German badger hounds, of very beautiful 
proportions. When I say beautiful, however, I rather 
over-shoot my mark, as the little hounds are extremely 
ugly to the taste of every one but connoisseurs. They are 
becoming very fashionable, and almost interfere with the 
rage for fox terriers and Highland colleys which set in a 
few years ago. The dachshund proper is black and tan, 
with a fox hound’s head and ears in miniature, though his 
auricular appendages are never cut short or rounded. His 
forelegs are as crooked as a ram’s horn, and bend in and 
out in all directions. In liis native country he goes to 
ground to a badgerlike a ferret after a rabbit, and his pluck 
and determination is very great. 
Amongst the other proteges of the royal exhibitors were 
the Princess of Wales’ magnificent St. Bernard “Hope,” 
given her by the Rev. J. C. Macdona, and a deer hound and 
Roman boar hound sent by the Prince received special 
praise. The boar hound was very remarkable, being like 
the gigantic hounds in old German pictures. 
Prince Albert Victor sent a very handsome Dalmatian, or 
Danish carriage dog, of the sort one sees so many of now 
in the Park behind the heavy old fashioned Britchka, with 
coronets on their panels and powdered coachmen on the 
boxes, lire beauty of these dogs is the distinctness and * 
number of their spots, which should be clearly defined 
even to the end of their sterns; but a few years ago this 
last peculiarity was rare, and every spot on the tail was 
worth a sovereign. They are often very sensible, and will 
occasionally point partridges like the pointer, to whom they 
are no doubt related, but in my opinion the best dog behind 
a dog cart is a deer hound or greyhound. Captain Patton 
Sanders, however, informed me that he has bred a lighter 
kind of bull dog which is admirably adapted for the pur¬ 
pose. 
When I first went on the Terrace the judging of the 
mastiffs had commenced, and it was “worth while looking 
at them, as the champion class included eight of the best 
dogs which the world can produce, and I don’t suppose 
that £150 in hard cash would have purchased either one of 
tliem, except Miss Hale’s Tabias, who was not so good as 
the rest. The judge was the Rev. Thomas Pearce, author 
of “The Dog,” who was not present at the last year’s show; 
nor did he, I can personally vouch, know either of the do^s 
he selected, even by name; Nevertheless he placed 
“Monarch” first, and gave him the prize for the best 
mastiff of the show, thus putting him in front of 
“Gramby” and “Breton,” two celebrated dogs. This 
judgment was fully borne out by previovs decisions, and 
it shows how accurate his judgment was, and how settled 
a thing has become this scale of a mastifiPs points and s quali- 
ties, which he has himself more or less determined in con¬ 
nection with the Field. 
This breed of dogs has only lately become so numerous. 
About fifty years ago there were but few specimens extant 
of the strain that accompanied the British warrior queen 
Boadicea and her scythe-wheeled chariots. At Lyme Hall, 
in Cheshire, the seat of Captain Legh, they are said to have 
