NATURAL SCIENCE NEWS. 



57 



567. Slate-colored - Junco. /unco hyemalis. Common migrant. 

 Reported by L. V. Case as an occasional breeder at Naples, Ontario 

 Co. Also breeds sparingly in Erie, Cattaraugus, and possibly other 

 cou nties. 



581. Song Sparrow. Melospiza fasciatu. Common summer resi- 

 dent and breeds. 



583. Lincoln's Sparrow. Melospiza lincolni. Occasional migrant. 



584. Swamp Sparrow. Melospiza georgiana. Summer resident and 

 breeds. Probably much more than the records show, owing to its se- 

 cluded habits. 



585. Fox Sparrow. Passerella iliaca. Occasional spring migrant. 



587. TOWHEE. 



breeds. 



Pip ilo erythrophthahnm 



Rare summer resident and 



593. Cardinal. Cardinaliscardinalis. Very rare straggler. Mr. 

 J. L. Davison reports securing a male on May 10, 1883. Also saw 

 specimens in January on two occasions. My father secured a speci- 

 men in winter or early spring some years ago. 



595. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 

 summer resident and breeder. 



IfiiJii'i ludovinciand. 



Common 



589. Indigo Bunting. Pusserinci cyme 1. Common summer resident 

 and breeder. 



Family TANAGRID.ffi. — Tanagers. 



608. Scarlet Tanager. Piranga erythrortielns. 

 and breeds. 



Summer resident 



Family HIRUNDINID/E. — Swallows. 



611. Purple Martin. Pro'gne subis. Rare summer resident in 

 in some localities. Breeds. Reported by N. F. Posson as fairly com- 

 mon in Medina. 



612. Cliff Swallow. 

 resident. Breeds. 



613. Barn Swallow. 

 resident. Breeds. 



Petrochelidon lunifrohs. Common summer 



Che lido n ervthrososter. 



Abundant summer 



614. Tree Swallow. Tuc/iycineta bicolor. Summer resident and 

 breeds. Not as common as most of our swallows. 



616. Bank. Swallow. Clivicola riparia. Abundant summer resident 

 in localities. Breeds mostly in colonies. 



617. Rough-winged Swallow. Stelgidoptcryx serripennis. Summer 

 resident and breeds. Seems to be confined to localities where stone 

 work abounds, in the crevices of which it breeds. 



Family AMPELID/E. — Waxwings. 



618. Bohemian Waxwing. Ampelis garrulus. An irregular winter 

 visitant. 



619. Cedar Waxwing. Ampelis cedrorum. Common summer resi- 

 dent and breeds. Occasionally seen in winter. 



Family LANID^.— Shrikes. 



621. Northern Shrike. Lanius borealts. Occasional winter visi- 

 tant. 



621a. Loggerhead Shrike. Lanius ludoviciauus. Rare summer 

 resident. Breeds. Reported by F. H. Lattin of Gaines, Orleans Co. 



622a. White-rumped Shrike. Lanius ludoviciunus excubitorides. 

 Common summer resident. Breeds. 



north. In the middle ages it was 

 believed to be incapable of con- 

 taining poisons, and would betray 

 their presence by breaking or be- 

 coming obscured, consequently 

 cups and goblets made of it were 

 highly esteemed. The Emperor 

 Nero is said to have possessed two 

 magnificent crystal cups engraved 

 with subjects of the Illiad, which 

 cost an enormous sum. When his 

 downfall took place he destroyed 

 them that no one else might drink 

 from them. The large round balls 

 under proper manipulation were 

 supposed to disclose events which 

 were to happen and showed per- 

 sons who were distant. Pieces 

 were held against the tongue in 

 fevers to assuage thirst. For this 

 purpose it is still used. In 1791 

 the quartz crystal treasures of the 

 crown of France were valued at 

 $500,000 of our money. 



H. C. Simons, 

 Philadelphia, Pa. 



A Mountain of Solid Granite. 



In Burnet County, Texas, ris- 

 ing abruptly out of the level prai- 

 rie, is a mountain of solid granite, 

 as smooth and bald as a negro's 

 head, without hair. It covers an 

 area of seventy -five ?xres and rises 

 two hundred feet above the sur- 

 rounding surface. It contains, 

 above the level of the base, one 

 hundred million cubic feet of gran- 

 ite, available to the quarryman 

 without a foot of dirt or other mat- 

 ter to be stripped off. The value 

 of granite at the quarry in Eastern 

 States is twenty-five cents per cub- 

 ic foot. The granite in this moun- 

 tain, at the nominal value of one 

 cent per cubic foot, would be a 

 million dollars for the amounc of 

 stone above the level or its base. 

 The size of the stones which may 

 be here quarried and moved is 

 limited only by the capacity of ma- 

 chinery for moving them. Tests 

 made by Col. D. W. Flager; of the 

 United States Army, at the Arsen- 

 al, Rock Island, 111., and certified 

 by him to the Texas capital com- 

 missioners, show the crushing 

 strength of the granite from this 

 mountain to be 11,891 pounds to 

 the square inch, while the ratio of 

 absorption of water to the weight 

 of stone tested was only 0-00094 

 after soaking forty-three hours. 

 Its specific gravity is 2*8249. The 

 granite from this mountain is pro- 

 nounced equal to the celebrated 

 Scotch granite and it contains com- 

 paratively no iron or other foreign 

 matter. It is stripped by nature, 



