- 
7 
points, fastened to thread-like arms, each of which is coiled 
up in a little cell. Whenever it is necessary to use them, 
Vhey are hurled ont with violence, and the barb striking the 
object penetrates, for it has the power of working into ami- 
mail tissues, and being covered with a sort of poison, #, in 
conjunction with many others, benumbs theprey and rend- 
ers if harmless. That Physalia possess this property to a 
marked depree, some of the sailors of the Albatross can 
testify, for they cautiously placed their hand into a tub 
of water containing one, and the shock they received was 
compared to a shock from a Leyden jar, though not at all 
electric. I have seen a deep sea sea-anemone, six inches m 
length, by this means kill and afterward swallow a lively 
fish a foot long, which was placed in an aquarium with it. 
The fish barely touched the anemone and then seemed in- 
capable of moving further, and after a few struggles became 
paralyzed, On one occasion we dredged several bushels of 
am anemone from deep water, together with some rays or 
skates. The sharp spines of the skates tore my hands in 
several places, Upon handling the anemones I found that 
sharp pains shot through my hands. 1 continued until all 
the specimens were disposed of, but the pain stil] kept on 
and my hands began swelling. Several days elapsed before 
the pains and swelling ceased. These arrow poiwts retain 
their power of motion for many hours after being detached 
from the animal, Probably I should not have been badly 
stung had my hands been uninjared. Lasso cells can be re- 
placed as fast as lost, and in a very short time. On a square 
foot of surface there are millions of cells. It is a curious 
fact thal most well-defended marine animals are brilliantly 
colored. This can be seen in the case of sea anemones, 
tropical shells and crabs, Those with little or no defense 
are inconspicuous and resemble surrounding objects. The 
reason for sll this is plain, for if inconspicuous they easily 
escape the notice of their enemies. Brilliant, well-defended 
aninijls haye no feur of enemies, but by their bright colors 
altract curious animals within teach of their deadly powers. 
In the day we often pass large schools of jelly fishes, at 
that time hardly visible, so great is thei transparency. As 
soon as night approaches there is a sudden and remarkable 
change, for (he masses of jelly are then transformed to bril- 
Tiant balls of fire, wonderfully phosphorescent. When dis- 
turhed they became more brilliant and tben the whole sur- 
face is one bright glare. Patches of gulf weed furnish a 
refuge for good-sized crabs and shrimp, which feed upon 
their more minute brethren also seeking safety under the 
floating weed. The goose or stalked barnacle is found 
everywhere attached to anything which floats. ‘This is the 
animal which is such an enemy to shipmasters sailing from 
tropicnl ports. Although the vessel’s bottom is scraped just 
before leaving port young goose barnacles attach themselves 
and grow so rapidly that before the ship is nearly across 
they seriously retard its progress. There is no remedy but 
to sail on, letting them grow as fast as they will and remov- 
ing them when port is reached, Norwegian sailors believe 
that the barnacle goose hatches out of the goose barnacle, 
and many will assert that they have seen the young just on 
the point of flying ont, This belief probably arises from 
peculiar motion of the hairy feet when food is being pro- 
cured. These feet remind one somewhat of a partially 
feathered wing of a bird. When the barnacle is young it is 
free swimming and resembles a shrimp; but as it grows 
older it attaches itself to some object by a sort of cement 
and becomes so changed that unless its anatomy is carefully 
studied no resemblance to a shrimp would be guessed at. 
Harly naturalists classed it as a mollusc, even nearly down to 
the middle of this century. Odd as it may seem, many 
kinds of animalsat first possessed of free motion voluntarily 
attach themselyes to some object, and are from that moment 
imprisoned, having no power of moving from place to place. 
The waters of the Gulf Stream teem with minute life of all 
kinds. Here the young of larger animals exist, of micro- 
scopic size, and adult animals which never grow large 
enough to be plainly visible to the naked eye, oceur in im- 
mense quantities. By dragging a fine silk net bebind the 
vessel these minute forms are easily taken, and when placed 
in glass dishes millions uncounted swim backward and for- 
ward and are seen through the transparent sides. When 
looked at through a microscope we sce young jelly fishes, 
young barnacles, crabs and shrimp, besides the adult micro- 
scopic. vurieties which are so abundant. These animals 
furnish food for the toothless whale, being strained from the 
water by its hairy plates of whale bone and-then swallowed. 
The abundance of this kind of life can be judged from the 
fact that they compose the bulk of food for all the toothless 
whales. The warm Gulf Stream waters are very favorable 
to rapid growth, and the animals there are tropical. The 
stream serves not only as a modifier of naturally cold 
climates, but it also transports marine animals from place to 
place, equally distributing them throughout the osean, The 
near resemblance of Huropean shore species to American is 
due to this fact. Ii it were not for such a stream the faune 
of the two regions wonld be as decidedly different as that of 
Asia is from the Hastern American fanna. 
Raupe §. Tarr. 
THE ROBIN AS A GAME BIRD. 
Eititor Forest and Stream: 
Tam one of those wicked people so often condemned, who 
are so fond of robin flesh that, regardless of existing laws, 
they will persist in killing this ‘harmless song bird.” All 
who have fasted a robin know that if is very fine, equal, in 
fact, to many of our established game birds, but still we must 
not shoot it because it is ascng bird, Its song usually 
amounts to a harsh, noisy chattering but little superior to a 
crow, buf when itis mating in early spring if really does 
have a pleasant song, A quail has a nice voice and, what 
there is of it, a nice song, but that is neyer urged as an ob- 
jection against shooting it. I must confess that I have an 
intense hatred for robins, because of the many scrapes they 
have gotten me into in days gone by, when I was yery much 
interested in collecting birds and birds’ eggs. Of course I 
would nof touch a robin'’s nest, because I did not wish their 
epes or their nests; still whenever I came within a hundred 
yards of such a nest the bird would set up a most unmerci- 
ful sereaming that would bring out all the people who lived 
within a mile to see what was up. Now sometimes I con- 
sidered it necessary to stealtbily enter a man’s orchard for 
the purpose of investigating its avitauna, and if by any mis-. 
chance I should happen to disturb Lord Robin, precipitate 
flight was tecessury, for although I had a certificate for col- 
lecting IT always considered Hight better than stopping to be 
turned out, In this connection robins have caused me much 
trouble, so that Lam prejudiced against them, and hence do 
_ fot feel the merey toward them that some do, 
Another thing that has prejudiced me against him ig the 
——— | = = 
- FOREST AND STREAM. 
fact that a cherry orchard in which I haye an interest is 
every spring the field of his destructive operations. Flocks 
of robins, undaunted by scarecrows, gather in_ the early 
morning and destroy quarts of the delicious cherries. It has 
been urged that the few cherries taken from the tree are 
amply paid for by the destructive grubs it eats, ete. I fail 
to see it in this light, and am inclined to think that this 
cherry orchard and other orchards would get along without 
the robin’s aid, From what Ihave observed it seems that 
the grubs eaten by a robin will freqently turn out to be earth 
worms, and these are now admitted to be beneficial to fields. 
His song being distasteful to me, he himself injuring my 
cherries without giving a return, and his flesh being agree- 
able to my taste, | consider myself fully justified in saying 
that shooting him is no worse, and, if anything, not so bad 
as killing quail, for the quail certainly does man no harm 
whatever. In the fall of the year robins are very abundant, 
and nice shooting could be had. As good sport could be 
gleaned from robin as from quail or plover shooting. In 
Massachusetts game birds are scarce, and there is very little 
good shooting to be had im the eastern part except the 
autumn sea birds. Why not add the robin to the list? 
we 
GuoucrestER, Mass. 
ANTIDOTE FOR SNAKE’S BITE. 
Hditor Forest and Stream: 
Asa contribution to the discussion of the treatment of 
rattlesnake biles now going on in your journal, permit me to 
briefly relate the only case of the sori I have personally 
treated. My setter, running along the roadside, was bitten 
just above the right foot. He yelped once or twice when 
first bitten, but thinking he had stepped on a prickly pear I 
paid no attention to him until he began to limp, which he 
did very soon. On examination, the two punctures made 
by the poison fangs were plainly seen, and the foot rapidly 
swelled. In a rattlesnake country l always carry a hypo- 
dermi¢ syringe and a small bottle of ammonia (agua ammo- 
mi@e one part in three parts of water). lat once injected 
two syringefulls (each about a dessertspoonful) of this where 
the poison fangs entered. For a day or two the dog suffered 
from the great swelling of the foot, but this and the inflam- 
mation rapidly subsided, and within a week the animal was 
as well as ever except a slight limp, which soon disappeared. 
This treatment, with, in addition, the free internal use of 
dilute ammonia or alcohol in some form, is the best as yet 
known for man oy beast. The great point is that it should 
be prompt, and to gain time it is well, if the person or animal 
is bitten on an extremity, to tie a cord tightly a little above 
the bite. Time spent in heating irons is time lost. The 
hypodermic syringe can be carried in a vest pocket, is easily 
and quickly used, and is always ready. 
I should add that in the case I haye described the snake 
was the comparatively small species found in Montana; 
the bite of the larger ones found in the South is more fre- 
quently fatal. ARE-BAR-DEA. 
FRUIT-EATING BIRDS. 
Editor Forest, and Stream: 
“Picket’s” table is an interesting one. I presume he will 
not object to its being used as a basis to figuve upon in esti- 
mating his loss of fruit. His object (a perfectly proper one) 
is to realize as much in dollars and cents as is possible from 
his crop. Let us then reduce the matter to dollars and cents. 
Asa majority of the birds dissected were killed among his 
raspberries, we will figure on ‘‘raspberries.”” The table 
shows ten berries as the highest number found in any one 
ease, and although the ayerage as shown is below this, we 
will call it fen all around. 
In his endeavors to saye his crops he says, “‘I killed 128 
robins, 32 thrushes, 44 catbirds,” total 299 birds, say 300. 
At the above rate of destruction these 300 birds robbed him 
of 3,000 berries. The usual market quart of raspberries 
(‘‘Picket’s” may be larger) will containabout 800 berries, so that 
by killing these birds he has saved ten quarts of fruit, worth 
at the yery liberal price of 25 cents per quart, $2.50. The 
number of shots fired to kill them he does not state, say he 
fired 250, allowing him 50 shots at two birds each, the other 
200 one bird each. ‘The cheapest kind of ammunition and a 
muzzleloader would cost him at least one cent a shot, which 
just squares the account. If he use a breechloader the ex- 
pense is increased. The price allowed for berries as above is 
a full one, too full, we think, but he has had the benefit of 
all doubts in the calculation.. 
Brother “P.” may stand aghast at this statement, but he 
cannot alter cold facts, as per his table. This by his own 
showing squares the fruit account with the birds. The in- 
sects are all to their credit, but as*‘P,” has confined his at- 
tention to figuring actual loss by damage to fruit we have 
aone the same. In making his arrangements for the destruc- 
tion of 1,000 birds next season, let him take the above 
“vaporings” into serious consideration. Further investiga 
tion we trust will prove to him that his actual loss is trifling, 
and that his sufferings are more imaginary than real. We 
have seen many flocks of robins largely in excess of 150 in- 
dividuals, but are free to confess that we have never met 
with the long-nosed species that can ‘‘scent” berries a mile. 
It may be the berries were “‘tired,” which might in some 
measure account for the powerful bouquet. Wimor. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I would like to offer a few facts in defense of the 
catbirds. For several years a pair have nested close to 
my house, and although within a few feet of the garden, 
where there are berries of all kinds, I haye neyer seen 
them destroying any of the fruit. I wish I could say 
as much for the robins, | have watched the catbirds by the 
hour catching bugs, beetles and worms of all kinds, at which 
they are very expert. ‘They would pick them off the trunks 
of the trees, under the fence slats, and in all sorts of out-of- 
the-way places. ‘The large bectles they would take down to 
the board walk and break them to pieces before cating them, 
I counted In one day over thirty bugs of different kinds that 
this pair of bitds Killed inside of twenty minutes, aud the 
number destroyed during the season must haye been enor- 
mous. Wakeman HoLeerton. 
New Yorr, Aug. 28. 
Evyipence Av Last.—Central Lake, Mich.—I am pleased 
to say that [ have seen a man who has seen a man who has 
seen a tree which was killed by the “pizen” tail of the much 
dreaded hoopsnake. This time it was in Northern Michigan. 
The snake was going to prod the man, but injudiciously 
punched the tree instead. Both died.—KxE prin, 
_ 
A Nest of rae Buntocn’s Ortone.—Fort Snelling, Col.,. 
Aug. 20.—I have a pensile nest, found on the 16th, made en= 
tirely of hair from black cattle, It is egg-shaped, 7 inches 
in depth and 15 inches in circumference at its largest part. 
The opening is 2 inches in diameter, and the bottom lined 
with down from the cottonwood. From the bottoin hangs a 
tuft of tail hair one foot long. I take it to have been made 
by Bullock’s oriole (Zeterws bullockit), as that is the only bird 
here that is known to build a pensile nest, Yet the shape 
differs from any nest of that bird I have seen. Its jet black 
gives if a very peculiar appearance, and I have never seen or 
heard of one like if, A brood has been hatched in it, but 
on account of its material its condition is as perfect as when 
first made, Dead cattle were plenty here in the spring, and 
about the nesting season of Bullock’s oriole heavy rains had, 
made vegetation very rank, Could the bird have used hair 
because his usual material was not in good order?—T. 
Tun GrounD SNaKke.—I was very much interested in the 
article on the “Ground Snake,” by B, Horsford, in Formst 
AND Srream of July 24. Ground snakes are occasionally 
seen in this State while plowing or digging upthe soil. They 
are generally about eight or ten inches long, of a dirty gray 
color on the back, and white on the belly, with a rounded 
nose and mouth well back like the shark. All I have seen 
appear to have eyes, but some seem to think, nevertheless, 
that they are blind. J found one last summer and sent it to 
the Smithsonian Institute; I asked for information in regard 
1o its habits, what it was, cte., but so far haye heard nothing 
from it. The snake appears to feed on earthy matter, as the 
last one I found seemed to have been eating dirt. All Thaye 
seen haye a horny substance on the end of the tail, Can any 
one give me ‘‘more light” on the subject?—Grunpy Wine 
(Glencoe, Fla.). 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE LinnaiaAN Socimty,—We have 
receiyed the second volume of the Transactions of the 
Linnean Society of New York. It contains a frontispiece- 
plate of Bendire’s Shrew, the conclusion of *‘The Vertebrates 
of the Adirondack Region,” by Clinton Hart Merriam, M.D., - 
and a description by the same author of a ‘‘New Genus 
and Species of the Sorecids: (Alophyrar bendirit), Published 
by the Society, price $2 im paper, $3 in cloth. The corres- 
ponding secretary is N. T. Lawrence, No. 4 Pine street, 
New York. 
Gane Bag and Guy. 
BULLET VERSUS BUCKSHOT. 
Hiditor Forest and Stream: 
Your issue of the 7tlt inst, al hand, and in it I find my 
humble article entitled ‘‘Bullet versus Buckshot,” as pub- 
lished in FoREST AND STReAM of July 24, the subject of a 
severe scoring at the hands of your worthy correspondent 
“Wells.” IJ feel extremely diffident to open a polemic with 
“Wells,” for, apart from the fact that he carries very heavy 
critical guns, he has the easiest position to defend, and I am 
painfully aware that 1 am on the side of the innovators and 
the onus proband? rests with us. I am not anxious to cross 
swords with one whose many felicitous articles display so 
much logic and acumen as do those of ‘‘Wells.” Neither do 
I care to remain tied to the stake while he makes me the sub- 
ject of a ‘‘clean kill” with his good ‘‘broadsword at very 
short range.” His many pleasant hits and well-told stories 
have afforded me intense satisfaction in the past, and I think 
I recognize in ‘‘ Wells” a legal luminary of no mean magni- 
tude, one whose commanding abilities have placed him in 
the front rank of his profession, and whose passion for field 
sports has gone hand in hand with his professional attain- 
ments, until he can safely be taken as authority on all ques- 
tions relating to both, except the buckshot question, 
H says my “‘views are so extreme that they degenerate into 
absurdity.” Let us see. My idea is to confine the use of the 
shotgun to birds and small game, whose tenacity of life is 
slight compared with that of large game, and use on the 
latter 1 powerful rifle which makes a deadly and a quick- 
killing wound. It is true that a buckshot, or, for that mutter, 
a duckshot even, under certain circumstances might produce 
death in large game quicker than a rifle bullet would under 
adverse circumstances. For instance, a buck or duckshot 
penetrating the heart, aorta, or some large artery or vein, 
would produce death more quickly than a rifle-ball wound in 
some ot the muscular parts removed from the seat of vitality, 
but the chances for quick killing, unless at close range, are 
‘bout ten to one in favor of the rifle. 
Ttis largely a matter of humanity, Other correspondents 
recognize this principle in their many suggestions for an im- 
provement in ‘‘an all-round” gun, and so even does ‘‘Wells,” 
when he uses No. 10 shot for quail and buckshot for deer, 
recognizing the fact that different degrees of killing power 
are needed for different species of game. If my position be 
an ‘‘extreme” one, it is at least an honest one, and should 
my views be the means of causing one young sportsman—lL 
hardly flatter myself that the older ones will adopt them— to 
desist from the use of the shotgun on deer, I should feel 
amply recompensed tor advocating them publicly. 
“Wells” accuses me of “being deficient in logic;” then 
(doubtless unintentionally) misrepresents me in several par- 
ticulars, and als hints that my practice is not in accordance 
with my teachings. My article did not in any way imply 
that 1 was a phenomenal sportsman, a phenomenal rifle shot, 
ora phenomenal man, On the contrary, I honestly con- 
fessed to having committed many unsportsmanlike acts. 
“Wells” usks if because he lets an occasional deer—and in 
another sentence his estimate seems to be every fourth one— 
escape to die by slow torfure, ‘the shall not use the shotgun 
at all?’ His meaning is obscure, If he intends to ask 
whether he shall use it on birds and small game, I answer, 
‘Yes, certainly. Ifondeer? J willsay that while I do not 
propose to dictate to ‘‘Wells” what he shall or shall not do, 
I for one de not want venison at any such sacrifice of animal 
life, Lnever have used, and never will, unless | am stary- 
ing, use a shotgun on deer, notwithstanding the fact that my 
shooting is done largely in timber and thick underbrush, 
And here let me ask, how does it happen that he is under 
the impression that there is no timber or undergrowth in this 
country? Our mountains are heavily timbered, and the 
paiches of chaparrai, wild plum, cottonwood, mountain 
mahogany, and greasewood, on the hillsides make as close 
cover for deer as can be found in any country, In fact, un- 
less they scent the hunter, he will almost have to kick them 
up, so secure is their hiding place, I sometimes have passed 
within fifteen or twenty feet of them before they would stir. 
‘“Wells” wants to know if I hunt ducks with a rifle or an 
