196 



[March 3, 1892. 



THE VALUE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



THE naturalist is not infrequently asked, "Of what 

 use are yotir studies? It is true they are interesting; 

 your specimens are beautiful; I have no' doubt ycu find 

 your occupation congenial, but I cannot see that the re- 

 sults are of real value; there's no money in it." 



This aspect of the case is so foreign to the student's 

 accepted ideas of the importance of his own especial pur- 

 suit, that he may find himself puzzled to make a satisfac- 

 tory reply. A stranger to the world of finance, he cannot 

 place a money value on subjects which he has been 

 trained to regard only from the standpoint of the scien- 

 tist. For this reason he attempts a scientific reply, not 

 pausing to think that to the lay mind his explanation 

 will be quite as unintelligible as the investigations which 

 led to the original question. 



There are, however, two sides to the question, and 

 every branch of natural history has its economic as well 

 as its scientific aspect. For example, the determination 

 of "geological horizons,"' the identification and relation- 

 ships of fossil animals, appear to the popular mind of 

 slight importance as compared with the analysis of min- 

 erals; in other words, a geologist is of practical value 

 only as a mineralogist, while as a palaeontologist his 

 labors have no pecuniary worth. In a similar manner 

 the ichthyologists may describe innumerable fishes, may 

 study their relationships to past and present forms, and 

 may classify all the known species in order that he may 

 further treat of their life-histories; but it is only when 

 the ichthyologist becomes a pisciculturist that his studies 

 assume a value which can be expressed in figures. Still, 

 the maintenance by our government of a Fish Commis- 

 sion, and the establishment of fish hatcheries where may 

 be propagated millions of food fishes with which to stock 

 our depleted streams, is unanswerable proof of the prac- 

 tical value of ichthyology. For it is only through care- 

 ful, scientific study as an ichthyologist that the fishcul- 

 turist is enabled to intelligently direct his efforts. 



An entomologist or "bugnian" is supposed to spend 

 half his time catching insects with a net, and the other 

 half in impaling them on pins. Fortunately the results 

 of the studies of entomologists are now receiving the 

 consideration they deserve, and not only has our Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture its Division of Entomology, but many 

 States are establishing similar bureaus where the system- 

 atic study of insect life may be pursued. It must be 

 obvious to the least scientific-minded, that if we hope to 

 effectually combat the,, ravages of noxious insects, our 

 first step should be a thorough study of their habits. 

 Before making an assault a general studies the forces 

 and position of his enemy in order that he may direct his 

 movements to the best advantage, and if we expect to 

 destroy an insect pest, we must first become thoroughly 

 familiar with its modes of life, and thus discover under 

 what conditions it may be most effectually attacked. 



The word ornithology is generally pronounced with an 

 effort, while the work of an ornithologist is commonly 

 supposed to consist of blowing eggs and stuffing birds. 

 The sceptic may be told of the aesthetic side of ornithol- 

 ogy, of the pleasure to be derived from a study of the 

 habits of birds, their songs, the intelligence displayed by 

 them in nest building, their migrations, and the hundred 

 beautiful phases of bird life, or he may be told in the 

 words of Professor Morse, that "there is no group of ani- 

 mals which exceeds birds in varied and suggestive ma- 

 terial for the evolutionist An attentive and 



patient study of the birds has established almost every 

 point defined by Darwin in his theory of natural selec- 

 tion, . . . indeed the student need go no further than 

 the birds to establish every principle of the derivative 

 theory." Still I doubt if this statement will appeal to 

 him, or increase his respect for the ornithologist as a use- 

 ful member of society— the dollar mark is wanting. If, 

 however, it is asserted that without the presence of birds 

 the earth would not be habitable, he may be sufficiently 

 impressed to grant that objects so important to man's 

 existence may be worthy man's attention. 



As yet we are on the threshold of a knowledge of the 

 relationships of birds to man, but let us cite one easily 

 demonstrable instance where ignorance of birds' habits 

 has resulted in direct pecuniary loss. In 188;") the Legis- 

 lature of Pennsylvania passed an act which provided 

 a bounty of 50 cents on each hawk and owl killed within 

 the limits of the State. As a result of this act $90,000 

 was paid in bounties during the year and a half which 

 succeeded the passage of the law. This proves the de- 

 struction of nearly 128,1,00 hawks and owls. Dr. Merriam, 

 the ornithologist of the Department of Agriculture, in 

 commenting on this fact says: "Granting that 5,000 

 chickens are killed annually in Pennsylvania by hawks 

 and owls, and that they are worth 25 cents each (a 

 liberal estimate in view of the fact that a large propor- 

 tion of them are killed when very young), the total loss 

 would be $1,250, and the poultry killed in a year and a 

 half would be worth $1,875. Hence it appears that dur- 

 ing eighteen months the State of Pennsylvania has ex- 

 pended $90,000 to save its farmers a loss of $1,875. But 

 this estimate by no means represents the actual loss to 

 the farmer and the tax-payer of the State. It is within 

 bounds to say that in the course of a year every hawk 

 and owl destroys at least 1,000 mice or their equivalent 

 in insects, and that each mouse or its equivalent so de- 

 stroyed would cause the farmer a loss of 2 cents per 

 annum. Therefore, omitting all reference to the enor- 

 mous increase in the numbers of these noxious animals 

 when nature's means of holding them in check has been 

 removed, the lowest possible estimate of the value of 

 each hawk and owl to the farmer woxtld be $20 a year or 

 $80 in a year and a half. 



"Hence, in addition to the $90 000 actually expended 

 by the State in destroying 128,571 of its benefactors.it 

 has incurred a loss to its agricultural interests of at least 

 $8,857,180, or a total loss of $3,947,180 in a year and a 

 half, which is at the rate of $2,631,420 per annum! In 

 other words, the State has thrown away $2,105 for every 

 dollar saved. And even this does not represent fairly 

 the full loss, for the slaughter of such a vast number of 

 predaceous birds is almost certain to be followed by a 

 correspondingly enormous increase in the numbers of 

 mice and insects formerly held in check by them, and 

 it will take many years to restore the balance thus 

 blindly destroyed through ignorance of the economic 

 relations of our common birds and mammals." 



To their credit be it said that the legislators of Penn- 

 sylvania were not slow to recognize the error which a 

 lack of proper information had caused them to make. A 



State ornithologist was appointed, and through his efforts 

 this ruinous and absurd law has been repealed, and fur- 

 ther, by the distribution of a State work on ornithology 

 the inhabitants of Pennsylvania may claim a better 

 knowledge of the value of birds to man than the people 

 of any other State. 



Let us look at the subject now from a somewhat wider 

 and more general aspect. The importance of quarantine 

 stations will not be questioned, even though their ac- 

 counts and reports have no debits and credits. We pass 

 here from the domain of pure natural history into that 

 of medicine; the question of health is involved, and 

 health can be shown to have a market value, since with- 

 out it the accumulation of riches is, as a rule, impossible. 

 I But why should we so jealously protect our cities from 

 the incursions of cholera and fever microbes, which at 

 the worst can only occur as an epidemic, when we have 

 permitted and continue to permit the introductions of 

 such universally destructive pests as rats, mice, English 

 sparrows, cockroaches, clothes moths, buffalo beetles or 

 "carpet bugs," hessian flies, elm-beetles, etc., etc. Not 

 one of these animals is a native of this country, and 

 although they may assume the form of a scourge and 

 cause the loss of millions of dollars, their further intro- 

 duction or the appearance of equally harmful vermin is 

 a subject which has not yet concerned legislators. 



What we have written here is an outline merely of 

 some of the more striking aspects of economic natural 

 history. The instinctive, insatiable craving of the human 

 mind for a knowledge of the things that be, the inborn 

 desire to solve the great problem of existence, have not 

 been touched upon, but even without these powerful 

 pleas for a study of the life of the world, it is hoped that 

 sufficient commercial importance has been given to some 

 phases of zoological investigation to assure the naturalist 

 that he may pursue his private study and at the same 

 time fulfill his duty to his fellow-men. Naturalist. 



WILD GEESE IN WINTER. 



]V| APLE CORNER, Willington, Conn., Feb. 11.- Editor 

 It A Forest and Stream: About three o'clock in the clear, 

 bright, sunlight of yesterday afternoon a very large fbek 

 of wild geese flew over, following the course of the Wil- 

 limantic River, southward. They were flying in regular 

 harrow shape and very low, the even movement of their 

 wings and their musical call being distinctly audible. 

 "Honk ! honk ! honk !" called my husband in a good 

 imitation. A little ripple ran along the line, and the leader 

 flew downward and circled over the place from which 

 the sound proceeded to ascertain, evidently, who was pre- 

 suming to hold him to account for their unseasonable 

 appearance, and becoming convinced that it was one not 

 in authority, he flew back and resumed his place of com- 

 mand. During the evening there was a halo about the 

 moon, and to-day the snow is falling heavily. Will some 

 of the Forest "akd Stream readers give their theory in 

 regard to these aerial traA^elers and their course at this 

 unusual season. . Where can they be to-day? If any one 

 sees a corresponding flock will they kindly report? 



Yesterday morning for the first time I heard the voice 

 of a bird that always visits here in late winter or 

 early spring. I have never seen him. but knew his not 

 unmusical yet somewhat shrill (l She ling! she-ling! she- 

 ling!" "Oh, hear that bird?" I said to a person whose 

 whole life has been spent hereabouts. "Do you know 

 what it is? ' "Bird? I didn't hear anything. It wasn't 

 an oriole, was it?" 



I am prompted by several inquiries that have been 

 made, to say that any information in regard to forests 

 and streams in this "undiscovered country" will be cheer- 

 fully given in response to a note of inquiry from any of 

 your readers. Annie A. Preston. 



[A general impression exists among those who have 

 never given particular attention to the subject, that mi- 

 gratory birds never fly north in winter. This belief is 

 due to thoughtlessness alone. If questioned, no one 

 would say that he believed that birds begin to fly south 

 at the approach, of cold weather, and continue to move in 

 this direction without ever turning round until spring is 

 at hand. He would say that he believed they went south 

 in autumn until they reached their wintering ground, 

 and. that while they remained there they made local 

 flights in any direction that pleased them, north, south, 

 east or west. Now in open seasons the geese winter in 

 southern New England, and there they may be seen by 

 those who look for them, flying north or south or in other 

 directions. The following is an example of this: On a 

 river which empties into Long Island Sound in Connecti- 

 cut, is a cove fed by a warm spring brook, and the waters 

 of this brook are often open late into the winter, and 

 some winters do not freeze up at all. In this cove, some 

 years ago a flock of geese used to feed, spending the night 

 there, and each morning at daylight, or soon after, flying 

 south to the sound where they remained during the day, 

 to return at night to the cove. Usually, the flight to the 

 cove was made after dark, and the return journey about 

 daylight, but sometimes in stormy or foggy weather the 

 birds were later in their morning flight, and earlier at 

 evening. The northern flight might thus sometimes be 

 seen by people unacquainted with the local habits of this 

 particular flock of geese, and such observers would truly 

 say that they bad seen a flock of geese flying north in 

 winter. But as has been seen, this northern flight meant 

 nothing at all. What the facts may be in regard to the 

 birds seen by our correspondent, we do not know, but it 

 is altogether probable that the matter could be easily ex- 

 plained. Many of the matters in nature which, to those 

 of us who have not studied them, seem most surprising, 

 are so only because of our neglect of the subject in 

 hand.] 



Development of the Lamprey.— We are informed by 

 Mr. William Bahme, of Newlin, Pa., that he bad a lam- 

 prey, Feb. 1, which changed from the blind to the eyed 

 stage of its existence. The little larval lampreys are 

 called sand eels and may be obtained in the fall of the 

 year. The eyes begin to appear in February and the 

 transformation is quickly accomplished. Mr. Bahme 

 found a lot of the larva? in the river where a fallen tree 

 had collected leaves in abundance; they were near the 

 surface in the sun and were soon changed from the blind 

 to the eyed state. He believe3 that the blind and tooth- 

 less condition of this little river lamprey lasts five years. 

 The observations are of great interest and Mr. Bahme in- 

 tends to study the subject thoroughly. 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



[From a Staff Correspondent! 



CHICAGO, 111., Feb. 6.— If I am not mistaken it was 

 my fortune to be one of the first, if not the first to 

 start the "Last of the Buffalo" heading which for five 

 years has been doing such yeoman service in the general 

 press. In the articles written in 1886 in another paper it 

 seemed certain that the Buffalo Jones calf trip of that 

 year had really gotten to the last of the buffalo. Devel- 

 opments since then have shown that such was not the 

 case, and the dernier bison is not even yet, as see later 

 columns of Forest and Strear. Certainly it is surpris- 

 ing and pleasing to know that so large a number of 

 these animals still remain native in the Yellowstone 

 Park. 



Forest and Stream has advantages in questions like 

 these in natural history which few journals approach, 

 and it has kept check on the actual status of the Ameri- 

 can buffalo question more accurately, I imagine, than 

 any other journal. Certainly it is most gratifying and 

 delightful to learn that this thoroughness of method has 

 not been confined to this country alone, but has also sur- 

 prised and taken a field in Europe. Mr. Waldeck's papers 

 on the European bison will be read with an exceptional 

 degree of interest by all classes of our sportsmen. It 

 will be news to most of them to learn that any such ani- 

 mal exists in Europe to-day, if indeed they know that it 

 ever did so exist. It will be a surprise to them to see, on 

 looking at the engraving?, bow general is the resemblance 

 of this animal to the American bison. The chief sur- 

 prise, however, will be to think that this species should 

 still remain alive and in representation to-day in a coun- 

 try so old and crowded. If this be so, what right have 

 we to think of letting our great native and typical 

 animal die oul? The thought should shame us as a 

 people. 



The paper should be congratulated on having secured a 

 news sensation of general merit, as agreeable as unex- 

 pected. I am inclined to think it should not be looked 

 upon merely as an interesting topic well handled. It 

 ought to be a starting point for a practical interest in our 

 own native bison. It ought to be the first stepping stone 

 in a plan for national legislation for the protection and 

 increase of our animal — a plan whose success is certaiu 

 enough, so long as an American journal can show the 

 picture of a single bison alive in Europe to-day. It may 

 be that Forest and Stream has done a great specific 

 service to the people of America in this. It may be that 

 after a time we shall not concern ourselves about finding 

 news of the "Last of the Buffalo," but shall say that there 

 never is going to be any last buffalo at all; that such a 

 thing would be a shame, and so must not be in America. 



E. Hough. 



Big Horns.— Messrs. W. W. Hart & Co.. of this city, 

 recently showed us a large collection of moose and elk 

 horns which they have lately received from the far 

 Northwest. The pairs are about equally divided between 

 the two species, and contain some very fine examples of 

 each. One pair of moose horns have on each shovel a 

 curious fold, and the antlers are besides very large. A 

 pair of elk antlers are especially noteworthy because 

 much less widely separated than is usually the case, and 

 having the points of the antlers curiously turned up. 



The Linnjean Society op New York. — A meeting of 

 the society will be held at 8 P. M. at the American Mu- 

 seum of Natural History, Eighth avenue and Seventy- 

 seventh street, March 16. Paper by Mr. L. S. Foster, 

 "The Winter Birds of the Vicinity of New York City.'' 



Angling Talks. By George Da wson. Price 50 cents. Fly- 

 Rods and Fly-Tackle. By H. P. Wells. Pr ice $2.50. Fly- 

 Fishing and Fly-Making for Trout. By J. H. Keene. 

 Price §1.50. American Angler's Book. By Thad. Norris. 

 Price $5.50. 



The full texts of the game fish laws of all the States, 

 Territories and British Provinces are given in the Book of 

 the Game Laws. 



WOLF HUNTING IN RUSSIA. 



RUSSIA is preeminently the country of wolves. In 

 America it is only under very exceptional circum- 

 stances that wolves pursue men, and the wolf is hunted 

 and trapped by the skin hunters without any sense of 

 danger to lend excitement to the chase; but in the great 

 uninhabited plains and vast forests of Russia wolves con- 

 tinue to exist in uncounted numbers, and the hunters 

 who lust after the excitement of the wolf hunt must lend 

 themselves to be hunted. 



The method generally pursued is for three or four well- 

 armed hunters to charter a troika, a sleigh with three 

 horses harnessed abreast. A young pig is taken into the 

 sleigh with them and the party move off at an easy pace 

 over the snow. Arrived at the plains, or the edge of the 

 forest or waste, the coachman gives the horses the reins, 

 and they bound along at a good pace, the center horse 

 trotting, the horses on the flanks breaking into a swing- 

 ing canter. 



The young pig, unaccustomed to the inconveniences of 

 travel, raises his voice in remonstrance at the unpleasant 

 jolting, and, finding no relief, fills the air with his 

 plaintive lamentations. 



The squeal falls like music on listening ears; a first wolf 

 raises his sharp nose, scents the keen air, pricks his ears, 

 and, having taken in the direction of the music, raises 

 his own voice in a howl, which, although intended only 

 as a call to his fellows and modulated with excitement 

 and satisfaction, is anything but a cheerful note for any 

 save ears attuned to it by love of the chase. 



To that dismal howl come fainter howls in distant re- 

 sponse, and those howls awaken still more distant howls, 

 as yet unheard, the news of game ahead being telegraphed 

 from wolf to wolf, from troop to troop, in ever widening 

 circles, until every wolf within a radius of several miles 

 has joined in the pursuit. 



Very soon the leaders have sighted the sleigh, and, 

 finding that there is nobler game than a stray pig, they 

 maintain a cautious distance, waiting for the auxiliary 



