8420 



Mottusks. 



case being of thistle-down, but the eggs of the American species are 

 white, with a very faint bluish tinge, and generally unspotted; the 

 birds themselves are very distinct. Peach trees in Ohio, it should 

 perhaps be observed, are not trained against a wall, as in England, but 

 grow free, like apple trees. Speaking of birds' nests, not far from here 

 I found a nest of the Virginian colin (Ortyx virginianus) : it was 

 placed in a field of Indian corn, between the rows, where two small 

 decayed logs were lying at right angles, surrounded by a patch of 

 weeds, principally Rumex and Chenopodium, with a little grass. The 

 nest itself was a shallow hole scratched in the ground, in the angle 

 formed by the aforesaid logs, and possessed hardly any lining, a very 

 little dirty straw and a feather or two. The scantiness of lining and 

 its want of cleanliness may account for the stains so often seen on 

 these eggs, the original colour being probably pure white. The old 

 bird was sitting as we approached, partly concealed by the logs and 

 grass. The eggs in this particular case were six, the full complement 

 being from about fifteen to twenty. 



But to return to our stroll. On the hill-side, in grass fields, we ob- 

 serve Silene stellata and Tradescantia pilosa. A little further on we 

 come to some woods with little or no undergrowth. Here the black 

 walnut is frequent, also the foetid or Ohio "buck-eye" [Msculus glabra), 

 the abundance of which in this part of the world has suggested the 

 popular name of the State. Under their shade are flocks of the American 

 goldfinch, occasionally a robin (Turdus migratorius), also blue birds 

 [Sialia sialis), "chipping sparrows" [Spizella socialis), and now and 

 then a purple grackle (Quiscalus versicolor). We get into the road again, 

 and, clambering over the fences, cross through the tall Indian corn to 

 the river. In among the corn grow the beautiful wild potato vine 

 [Ipomcea pandurata), the ground cherry (Physalis viscosa), Sicyos 

 angulatus, Phaseolus diversifolius and Portulaca oleracea. Shells of 

 snails of three species (Helix clausa, H. profunda and H. elevata) 

 occur in myriads strewn over the fields, in a kind of semi-fossil state. 

 Cultivation has had the effect of making these, especially the last- 

 named, comparatively rare, at least in the immediate neighbourhood. 

 Between us and the river a dense weedy thicket intervenes, con- 

 spicuous among which, both in size and relative number, is the tall 

 coarse Ambrosia trifida, reaching here to the height of from twelve to 

 fifteen feet. Other plants composing it are the tall nettle (Urlica 

 gracilis), the horse mint {Monarda punctata), Actinomevis heli- 

 anlhoides, Teucrium canadense, with occasionally bushes of the 

 American elder (Sambucus canadensis) and other trees. 



