May 6, 1905.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
853 
the orchid family. They are freely visited by bumble- 
bees which bring about pollination by a curious and com- 
plicated set of devices. The method by which this is ac- 
complished is well worth the careful study of anyone 
living in a region where the plant grows. 
With the possible exception of the May-flower or Trail- 
ing Arbutus, the Wild Columbine is the most fascinating 
of the spring flowers. Along the rocky shores of the 
New England coast its nodding blossoms often color 
the hillsides in May, the scant soil yielding only suffi- 
cient nourishment for a growth of a foot or eighteen 
inches. But in localities where the conditions are more 
favorable the plants often reach a height of two feet or 
more. 
Although the Columbine is found in blossom from 
April until June, the height of its season in the more 
Northern States occurs in May. The flower is often 
called "honeysuckle" on account of the nectar to be 
sucked through the spurs when the tip is opened, but 
this name more properly belongs to another group of 
plants. In some regions the blossoms are also called 
"red bells." These flowers are especial favorites of the 
humming-birds. 
The blossoms of the Columbine seem to be especially 
adapted to the visits -of queen bumble bees, whose long 
tongues can reach the nectar secreted in the vertical 
spurs. Normally the bees alight on the open end of the 
flower, and as they make the circuit of the five nectar 
spurs, the under side of their bodies rub against the 
stamens and pistils. When the flowers first open the 
pistils only project beyond the petals, so that these are 
touched by the pollen on the body of the visitor. A little 
later the stamens curl outward, yielding abundant pollen 
to be carried by the bees. 
The Columbine is often found along the borders of 
RUFFED "grouse. " / ' ^^ ; ' 
This specimen, captured Sept. 26, was photographed Nov. 2, 1904. 
rich woods, and in somewhat similar situations the red 
and the White Baneberries, are likely to be seen. These 
are among the most characteristic plants of the middle 
spring season. In the case of the White Baneberry a 
smooth, robust, leafless stalk rises from the ground eight 
or ten inches before it sends out the one large, doubly- 
compound leaf, with the margins of its many leaflets cut 
into numerous serrate lobes which are tipped with a 
pointed tooth. Then the stalk goes on upward to hold 
the oblong cluster of small white flowers. Later 'some 
of these flowers develop into strange white berries with 
a purplish white tip, which in New England have long 
been called "doll's eyes." These berries are poisonous, 
however, and of course should never be eaten. 
The Red Baneberry is very similar to the White, the 
chief difference being in its bright red berries which are 
borne on much more slender pedicels than are those of 
the White Baneberry. 
A little deeper in the woods one is likely to find the 
Star-Flower abundant. Few blossoms have been blessed 
with so appropriate a name as this, for it is a perfect 
white star that dots here and there the brown carpet of 
the leaves. It has an extremely delicate odor, and its 
grace and beauty are beyond praise. The slender, round, 
straight stem rises vertically a few inches before it sends: 
out its platform of long, linear, finely-pointed leaves in a 
whorl, above which the slender pedicels of the one, two 
or three flowers continue for about an inch until each is 
crowned by the star-like flower. A clear-cut plant, it 
seems always sufficient unto itself, and I fancy one is less 
tempted to gather it than is the case with many other 
beauties of the wood. _ - 
The Wild Iris or Blue Flag is one of th'e most con- 
spicuous lowland flowers of May. Thoreau thought it 
"loose and coarse in habit," a judgment with which most 
of us would disagree. For it is a graceful and attractive 
plant as it grows in its favorite haunts along the borders 
of slow-running brooks or in the margins of ponds. It 
has moreover an extraordinary relation to the world of 
insects, which adds greatly to its interest. It is visited 
by a host of bees, flies, butterflies and moths that find 
an abundance of nectar in the lower part of the flower. 
All communications for Forest and Stream must he 
directed to Forest and Stream Pub. Co., New York, t& 
receive attention. We have no other oMce^ 
Rearing Ruffed Grouse. 
The report of the Commissioners of Fisheries and 
.Game for the State of Massachusetts for the year 
ending 1904 has just been issued. It contains a great 
-amount of very interesting information from the points 
of view of both sport or of commerce, and may be 
read with profit by all gunners and fishermen. The 
good work of hatching, rearing and distributing fish 
goes on. For example, 6,100,000 shad fry were planted 
in rivers of the State, 3,300,000 pike perch fry were 
hatched and planted and 16,000,000 landlocked smelt 
eggs were distributed in various ponds stocked with 
the landlocked salmon. The question of rearing frogs 
has been considered by the commission, but as yet 
day, and the chicks were left undisturbed in the nest. 
At the end of this time they were removed to warm 
nest boxes, placed within boxed yards covered with 
netting, which gave the chicks access to grass. 
The weather was stormy and very cold, and despite 
every precaution against exposure a number of the 
chicks were taken sick, apparently with colds or pneu- 
monia, and five died within the first ten days. One was 
killed in the nest the first day. Subsequently, two were 
snagged by cats which reached through the inch-mesh 
wire of their enclosure, and died in consequence of their 
wounds. This leaves four of the original stock, and at 
present writing they are as fine, vigorous birds as one 
could find in the covers. 
About the first of October two wild birds which had 
flown against windows in the city were added to the 
flock. These, under the influence of the others, rapidly 
became practically as tame as they, and we thus have 
a stock of six healthy birds, from probably four dif- 
ferent broods. 
My plan of feeding has been to give the birds the 
greatest possible variety — as much as practicable like 
the foods they would be likely to find in the woods — 
and to study and note their preferences. The feeding 
can probably be simplified when we discover the staples 
and essentials. At first the chicks were given ripe blow- 
fly maggots and pheasants' custard.* They were able 
to pick up the maggots from the second day on, and 
these remained the staple diet until well into August. 
The custard was plastered on rough boards placed on 
edge in the pens, since the chicks seemed to prefer to 
reach up for it. After the first three weeks, however, 
it could be placed in trays on the ground, and they 
; . RUFFED GROUSE — SEVEN DAYS OLD. 
: Photograph from life, by C. F. Hodge. 
nothing has been dohe about it, it being deemed best 
to await the publication of the experiments of the 
Commissioner of Fisheries of Pennsylvania in this line. 
Trout eggs were collected to the number of 668,000. The 
demand for fish to stock ponds is greater than can be 
filled, and many novel questions relating to the rights 
of the public and of town and village communities are 
coming up which time can only settle. The commission 
has bred pheasants in some numbers. 
Since Massachusetts is about on the limit of the 
northward range of the quail, this species is likely to 
be destroyed there at any time by severe winters. In 
order to protect it as far as possible the commission 
recommends that the quail be encouraged to live about 
the farm buildings, where they can be most readily 
cared for during bad weather; that suitable covers be 
retained for them, and especially that clumps of bay 
berries, sumac, black alder, red cedar, and other berry- 
bearing bushes which retain their fruit over the winter 
be reserved for them, which will afford them not only 
shelter, but food. Two severe seasons have practically 
exterminated the quail in Massachusetts and a close 
season for a term of years is suggested for both quail 
and ruffed grouse. 
Perhaps the most interesting contribution to the re- 
port is the account by Prof. C. F. Hodge, of Clark 
University, Worcester, of his remarkable success in 
rearing ruffed grouse in captivity. This species has al- 
ways been esteemed the wildest of birds, but m Prof. 
Hodge's hands it has, become absolutely tame. Prof. 
Hodge's report is as follows: 
Worcester, Mass., Nov. 25, 1904. 
Mr. Joseph W. Collins, Chairman, Ma:ssachusetts Com- 
' missioners on Fisheries and Game, State House, 
Boston, Mass.: 
Dear Sir — The permit from the Department of Fish- 
eries and Game allowed me- tb take twelve eggs of the 
ruffed grouse for purposes^^'c^- experiment. Five eggs 
were obtained May 28 and sfe'ven June i, from nests 
not less than sixty miles apart, being taken from two 
nest's, in order to avoid the possibility of close inter- 
breeding in case the birds reach maturity. The eggs 
were carried in the crown of a felt hat, between a 
thick pad of cotton batting and the head— the first lot 
from 9 in the - morning until nearly 6 in the evening — 
and all hatched in apparently perfect condition, proving 
this to be an excellent method of transporting incu- 
bated eggs. 
Cochin bantam hens were obtained by the kindness 
of Mr. Merrill from the Sutton hatcheries, and they 
brought out the respective broods May 30 and June 6. 
Food was supplied, but little was taken during the first 
1^ s,\rr • 
RUFFED GROUSE STRUTTING. 
Photograph from life, Oct. 17, 1904, by C. F. Hodges. 
RUFFED GROUSE FOUR MONTHS OLD. 
Photograph from life, Oct. 3, 1904, by C. F. Hodges. 
continued to feed upon it as a staple diet until about 
the rtiiddle of September; after that its place was taken 
by live grasshoppers. 
Along with the foods above mentioned, I gave, es- 
pecially during the first weeks, great abundance and 
variety of small insects: plant lice, thrips and rose slugs, 
spiders, "ants' eggs," mosquitoes and mosquito "wrig- 
glers," small earthworms, flies and gnats; also small 
grasshoppers and moths, obtained by sweeping the grass 
and bushes with an insect net. The chicks were also 
given their freedom — the free run of the lawn and 
garden as much as possible. 
From the first day I kept the pens supplied with fresh 
chickweed, and the chicks began eating it on the sec- 
ond or third day. They also ate dandelion seeds, and 
were fond of the green heads of June grass. All kinds of 
fruits were offered them, and none of the native and 
common garden fruits was declined (with the excep- 
tion of pears and peaches, which were scarcely more 
than tasted), from strawberies in June to apples in 
October. Raspberries, blackberries and mulberries 
were eargerly eaten, and blueberries and huckleberries 
formed a staple food during their seasons. Thorn ap- 
ples, barberries and black alder berries were not re, 
fused, but were not taken in large quantities. Grapes 
of all kinds were greatly relished, especially Delawares. 
Chokecherries and especially black cherries were eaten 
in great quantities. 
Although liberally supplied with green cabbage and 
fresh chickweed and generally lettuce, all of which the 
young birds ate daily, they also took quantities of all 
sorts of leaves (except grape, snowball, artichoke and 
Rosa rugosa) of the trees and other plants which grew 
-in their enclosures: hawthorn, cherry, black cherry, 
apple, hackberry, chestnut, plantain, rhubarb, yellow 
dock, oxalis, all kinds of clovers and many others. 
Early in September they began to develop proclivities 
for budding, and were often seen nipping and tugging 
at small twigs. They ate chestnuts and acorns eagerly 
through October and up to the present. 
The first moult occurred chiefly in August, and the 
adult feathers appeared in September, along with 
"snowshoes" and leggins. Soon after attaining their 
*I am again indebted to Mr. Merrill for supplies of maggots, 
and also for directions in regaid to making pheasants' custard, 
viz.: to one pint of fresh milk add four fresh eggs, and beat: 
then steam or bake until solid. 
