i 
a a 
fifteen per day. Stomachs of most that I killed were filled 
with ants. 
372. *Red-hellied Woodpecker.—Resident; less numerous 
han the preceding. 
874. *led-Leaded Woodpecker.—Resident, the most com- 
mon of the family and a great enemy of the squirrel, who 
often steals his stures. 
(3738. *Yellow-shafted Flicker.—Resident, excepting the 
‘the last, the most numerous of the family, occurring in 
flocks of from ten to thirty. Feeds largely ou ants and 
mash, 
682. Kingefisher.—Resident; common throughout the year, 
W. W. Oooxs, 
Moorugap, Minn., Dee, 17, 1884. 
[ro BE CONCLUDED, | 
ADVANCE OF THE FOREIGN HORDES. 
dior Forest and Stream: 
A little flock of birds has been staying about my place for 
several weeks, There were aboutfive at the start, but they 
are now, I think, fur whatever reason, reduced to two, 
I believe that they are English sparrows, as they resemble 
those which | haye had pointed out to me in Massachusetts; 
‘except that these have on, of course, their winter dress. 
hey are the first I haye observedin this town. Remember- 
ang the universal clamor against these foreigners, I realize 
that I muy yet find it advisable to destroy them, but ut 
present I feed them, as | cannot see them starve. In view of 
the possible necessity of turning my batteries against these 
birds, I would ask of your correspondents, first, what are the 
leading grounds of complaint against them; and second, what 
sort of artillery is best adapted to their destruction. Ido 
not think that I at present possess any weapon specially fitted 
for this purpose. At any rate, if I must kill them-1 wish to 
compass their destruction with as little racket as possible. 
Last summer I first observed meadow larks in this region, 
and the small song birds appear yearly in greater numbers 
than before. They are welcome. KELIIR. 
 CentRaL Laren, Mich., Dec. 19, 1884, 
_ [There is a very extensive and complete bibhography of 
Passer domesticus im America, but to publish all the 
etters would fill several pages of Forrest AND STRwAM. 
Back files of this journal contain charges and specifications 
against this species which appear to be proven, but the fiat 
‘of extermination has not yet gone Forth. | 
OTES OF THE WOODS AND WATERS. 
VI. 
COLLECTING ON CONHY ISLAND, 
HEN taking an outing, one of my fayorite grounds 
’ for collecting marine specimens during the winter 
“months is the outer shore of Coney Island from Norton’s 
Point to the iron tower. After a heavy storm such as oc- 
curred last winter, when the marine life of the ocean was 
piled up on the beach to the depth of two and some places 
three feet, collections of thirty and forty varieties can be 
ade. The great advantage of visiting the island during the 
winter aba is that what is thrown up by the sea remains 
undisturbed by the visitors, who, during the summer time, 
flock there by thousands, thouehtlessly walking over and 
crushing with tlcir feet many very interesting and often 
rare specimens, or else carry them to their homes and cast 
them ont as soon as they begin to take ona hig. odor, 
for as arule very few of these collectors know or care 
to learn the method of preserving them. Among the most 
‘common, and at the same time the most puzzling, of marine 
aa 
| objects cast upon the shores of Coney Island are the ‘‘sea- 
ruiiles” and *‘sea-necklaces,”’ which are strings of egg capsules 
of the two largest shells fonnd on the Eastern coast of North 
America, and which haye received various names by fish- 
Permen on the different parts of the American coast, such as 
Winkle, wrinkle, periwinkle, smooth winkle, rough winkle, 
conch, and ladle shell; but the scientist and uaturalists know 
them by the names of Mulgws' carica (the rough winkle) and 
Sycotypus canahiculate of (the smooth winkle). As a rule the 
latter is the larger of the two shells, and by many of our fish- 
‘ermen is known as the ‘bull” winkle. 
- These shells often measure from eight to ten inchés in 
length, and are pear-shaped, bemg provided with wide open- 
Bivgs which, in the case of the smooth winkle (Fig, 1) is 
Jengthened out into a narrow channel or spout. Fishermen 
have taken advantage of the peculiar shape of this shell, and 
utilize it when running hot tar into the seams of their boats 
when calking them, from which fact they ate often cailed 
Jadle shells. The strings of eg@ capsules of both these shells 
very curious, dnd if is not to be wondered that to the 
al observer they are suggestive of the vertebra of some 
rine monster, so nearly Uo they resemble the articulations 
~t 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
of the backbone of some huge fish. (Wig. 2.) The eggs are 
contained in leathery or parchinentlike translucent capsules 
ofa light yellow color, varying in size from a nickle to 
an old-fashioned cent. These are united together by a 
continuous ligamentous string from two to three feet in 
length. Hach capsule contains from twenty to thirty eggs. 
At the point of each of the capsules is a small circular spot 
of lighter colored material than that of the capsule. This 
the young winkles cut through with their lingual tongues 
when strong enough to make their escape. The winkles that 
are earliest out of the era feed on a thick gelatinous sub- 
stance contained in the capsule, and when this is exhausted 
they turn their attention to their iénder brothers and sisters 
who were borne later; tliese having none of the jelly-like 
food on which to exist, become impoverished and weak, in 
which condition they fall an easy prey to their stronger re- 
lations. 
Thus it rarely happens that more than twenty from 2 single 
capsule, and very often considerably less, ever enter the 
AAS 
muck thicker than of the smooth winkle. During the spawn- 
ing season in sutnmer time, the winkles leave the deep water 
and betake themselves to the bars and shallow tide pools to 
deposil their eee cases, the females being unaccompanied by 
the males, but during the winter mouths they spawn in deep 
water. I know it to be a fact that clean and bright-colored, 
newly laid strings of eggs can be obtained throughout the 
entire year on the Coney Island beach, which goes far to 
prove that these two shellfish have no particular season for 
spawning. 
The inhabitants of these two shells are seldom eaten, 
though [ have seen the common or smooth winkle (Fig. 1) 
sold in the poorer quarters of New York city, but the 
foreizn born inhabitants looked at them very suspiciously, 
while the denizens of the negro quarters eagerly purchased 
them at three cents a piece. 
On the back outskirts of Keyport, N. J., is a locality 
known as ‘“‘Winkletown,” which is populated by nesro 
fishermen that work on the oyster and clam vessels of Prin- 
ce’s Bay. ‘To these negro fish- 
ermen fall all the winkles that 
come up in the dredges and 
rakes, who pronounce these 
tough winkles toothsome and 
highly nutritious, I haye 
eaten thein, but 1 was very, 
very hungry at the time, and 
there was nothing else to fall 
upon. First 1 boiled them 
Pig. 1.—Smoorn Winkie (Sycotypus Ounaliculata). 
ocean world. As soon as they touch the soft and shifting 
sand they immediately bury themselves beneath it, and move 
about in search of minute marine life. It is not known 
what length of time is required by the winkle to exude the 
Jong string of capsules, but the great wonder is where or how 
so larze a quantity of material can be coutained in so small 
an animal, and when one considers the Jarge muscular 
foot which has also to be taken into the shell house 
of the winkle and securely packed away, the mystery 
becomes still greater, Professor Coues states that the string 
of capsules is gradually projected upward as fast as formed 
by the winkle, which all the while remains buried in the 
sand, but he docs not give any idea as to the length of time 
required to form and exude the string of capsules. Even 
should the capsules become buried in the sand a few inches 
Fig, 2,—Hac CApsuuEs oF SMooTH WINELE (Sycotypus Canaliculata). 
below the surface, the eggs will hatch out and the young 
winkles will make their escape. This L know from experi- 
ments that I have made when connected with several public 
aquaria, Thongh | was never able to raise them, this was 
probably due to the fact that the sand in the bottoms of the 
ee was entirely deficient in either animal or veretable 
e, 
The first few capsules ab the beginning of the string are 
small, imperfect, and barren, But the size gradually in- 
creases fill the middle of the necklace, when they begin to 
diminish in size till the end is reached, which is terminated 
with several abortive capsules, These capsules, when placed 
in a flame, give off an odor exactly like that of burnt horn 
or hair, thongh in all probability they consist of the same 
material as the beard of the mussel, which is known as bys- 
sus. 
There are two forms of these strings of capsules found on 
the Coney Island beach, those of the smooth winkle being 
the Most numerous and Jargest in size, but not so thick as 
those of the rough winkle, and having thin, sharp outer 
edges. Their sidés have radiating ridges or raised lines, 
while those of the rough winkle are nearly smooth and are 
for an hour, after which they 
were removed from the shells 
without any trouble, then 1 
boiled them again in fresh 
water in which two onions 
were sliced to improve their 
flavor. After cooking, the 
foot of this snail is very sug- 
cestive of crude India rubber. 
This part of the animal I 
grated on a coarse grater, the 
rest of the body, being soft, 
was chopped fine, and dressed 
with melted butter, was very 
palatable, perhaps because I 
was so very hungry, The 
flesh of these two sbellfish is 
largely used by cod fishermen, 
and also for chumming blue 
fish; and from the shells the 
North American Indian used 
lo make bis white wampum. 
In the cottages of Zetland, a 
closely-related variety of the 
winkle is used for a lamp by 
being suspended horizontally 
by two strings, the cavity of the shell is filled with oil, and 
the lighting end of the wick is passed along and rests in the 
spout or canal of the shell, 
The young shells of the smooth winkle, when empty, are 
favorite homes for the little hermit crab, and the full-grown 
smooth winkle shell when empty for that of the large hermit 
crab, though the #ulgur or rongh winkle shell is never in- 
habited by these interesting crustaceans, on account of its 
being too heavy to carry about. I know of a friend who has 
had several very fine cameo portraits of the sea-horse and 
other oddly-shaped fish carved on the shell material of the 
winkles, Of all the abominable uses to which these shells 
bave been put, that of combining them with tlie shells af 
fhe surf clams for borderings of flower beds is perhaps the 
worst, For this they are entirely out of place, and out of 
harmony with all nature. 
The vange of these two shellfish is from the Hastern coast, 
and southward to Northern and Western Florida. As fossils 
they are found in the Post-Pliocene of Virginia, North and 
South Carolina and Northern Florida, also in the Pliocene 
of South Carolina and Miocene of Maryland. 
A, W. Ropers. 
Puruars NEsT AND Eaes or Recutus SATRAPA.—In the 
spring of 1879 L found anest near Lennoxyille, Canada, which 
J am confident belonged to this species, although I did not 
capture the bird. I have neyer before written anything con- 
cerning it, and would like very much to have this printed, 
and hear the opinions of some of our ornitbologists concern- 
ing it. While returning home through an open pine woods, 
one day in the first part of June, I found the nest. It was 
placed ina black spruce tree about twenty feet from the 
ground, When my companion ascended the tree, the bird 
darted out from the nest. It was very small, and as far as 
I could see was of this species, as it was exactly the same 
size, etc. The nest was placed at the extreme end of a 
slender spruce bough. It was pensile and small, hanging 
from the under side of the limb, and shaded by several sprays 
of spruce needles. Outwardly 1t was composed of beautiful 
grecn moss, shaped into a round ball, and was lined warmly 
Toside with a thick bed of fluffy white down, From the 
outside the nest looked like a large round ball of mosses with 
alittic holéin the top. In the warm bed of salt white 
down eight extremely small eggs were cosily Jaid and one 
cowbird’s, They were almost exactly the same size as those 
of Trochilus colubris. The color of the eggs was a dirty 
white, marked with a fine ring of light red dots around the 
larger end, but so taint as to hardly be discernible. The 
eggs were perfectly fresh, I have carefully looked the sub- 
ject up and have come to the conclusion that it can be 
nothing else than that of the golden crested or ruby crowned 
kinglet, The plate representing the nest and eges of Regulus 
sutrapa in Gentry’s ‘Nest and Eggs of Birds of the United 
States,” is the image of the nest which I found in shape, 
construction, ete,, and the description also agroes with my 
nest to the letter, except as to the height from the ground, 
which he gives as only afew feet, but for that matter chicka- 
dees usually build within ten feet of the gronnd. But Ihave 
met with their nests as much as thirty-five feet high, so I 
don’t think that that has anything to do with it. Moreover, 
I presented the nest and eggs to Mr. F. W. Richie, of 
Ottawa, Canada, who bas had great experience with Cana- 
dian birds, and he, after looking it up carefully and censult- 
ing several naturalists concerning it, has come to the same 
conclusion. 1 would be deeply obliged to any ornithologist 
if he would give hiz opinion on the subject through your 
paper.—W, T. HmMuer (Concord, N. H,, Dee, 14), 
“Rod and Gun in California,” by T.§. Van Dyke, is the best thing 
on the gaiwe of that ¢ountry, For sale at this office, Price $1,60,— 
