FOREST AND STREAM. 
Greenwood Lake, Orange Co., N. Y., Feb. 18. 
Editor Forest and Stream : 
I read with much interest in your issue of Jan. 81 the com- 
munication of Mr. S. M. Eaton, of Watertown, Wis., upon 
the winter protection of quail, and 1 take great pleasure in 
contributing my own experience of the same subject. We 
have tried the experiment several times at Greenwood Lake 
of keeping quail over the winter in confinement, and our ex- 
perience is that it is difficult to obtain an enclosure sufficiently 
close and secure to preserve birds from vermin, and which 
will, at the same time, allow them sunlight, fresh air and 
room enough for exercise. If the quail are kept too warm 
and close during the winter, the birds, when turned out in 
the spring, seem to have lost their energy aud to have become 
dull and listless, staying just where they are put out, apparently 
expecting still to be fed. and making no effort for their own 
subsistence. From their sluggishness they become an easy 
prey to vermin after all the trouble taken for their preserva- 
tion. For these reasons we prefer, in winters of ordinary 
severity in tins climate, not to place the birds in confinement. 
When the haunts of the birds are found we place there in 
severe weather food for tbeir support. If their chosen loca- 
tion is a favorable and well protected one this will he suffl- 
. cient, but if It is a bleak, exposed situation, a few piles of old 
rails or wood, together with some brush aud straw, should be 
loosely and openly piled together for their protection, and it 
will be found that if properly located and a little grain is 
occasionally scattered through these piles, the quail will ha- 
bitually resort to them. 
This winter a bevy of at least thirty quail are being fed and 
protected here, and so far are thriving and doing well. They 
come regularly to be fed, and are so tame as to show no alarm 
at the presence of the person feeding them. No restraint is 
placed upon the movements of these birds, but a careful 
watch is kept for cats, hawks, poachers and other vermin 
The history of a part at least of this covey of quail is inter- 
esting. A pair of quail nested and bred in a swale known as 
the “Little Swamp" on the property of Mr. S. C , and 
on which he would allow no hunting. In the early fall the 
birds could be daily seen and heard in the swale, and became 
very tame and bold, frequently flying out to adjoining fences, 
and when approached running away rather tliau flying back 
to their cover. Unfortunately, one day in November, a party 
of boys got into the swale and sh it several times at the birds 
and killed one at least before they were discovered and driven 
out. Complaint was made, and the whole party were arrested 
and fined for trespass, which ha9 had such a salutary effect 
that the quail have siuce remained unmolested. Now comes 
the singular part of the matter. The original covey was only 
a dozen or fifteen birds, of which one at least is known to 
have been killed, while the present one now being cared for 
is three or four times as large, which suggests the idea that 
the establishment of shelters and feeding spots draws to 
these spots other coveys from the surrounding country, which, 
being well treated remain. Should this prove to be the fact 
it will much facilitate the winter protection of the8e birds, as 
a few quail placed and fed in any given spot as a nucleus will 
thus draw to them the stray, unprotected birds of -the neigh- 
borhood One great advantage of thus feeding is that it 
saves all the trouble of trapping or otherwise catching the 
bird9, to say nothing of the injury they often do themselves 
in their efforts to escape from the trap or from the enclosure 
when first put in it. Hoping some of your readers may 
try this plan and be successful with it, 
I am very truly yours, Greenwood. 
THE BRONCHOS AND DOGS AT THE 
AQUARIUM. 
I F we are not hippie, still evidences of the docility and per- 
fect training of animals are always most pleasant for us 
to tell about. At the Aquarium we must declare that the 
troup of trained Broncho horses are perfect marvels. Now 
who would think, that ir*to the much-maligned Broncho of 
the plains could be inculcated so much obedience ? Our gen- 
eral impressions of these horses are, that they are coarse, 
scrubby brutes, with a talent for kicking, biting, squealing 
and kicking, induced by a paucity of food and a plethora of 
whippings. Here you see a troup of ten handsome animals, 
which seem endowed with the Bense of men. Think of a 
grand military drill, performed in a way which recalls the 
movement, the tout ensemble of a squad in a crack regiment. 
Without any flourishing of the whip, simply at the word of 
command, those Bronchos form into line, march by platoons, 
hall, and file by the right and left when ordered to do so. 
Every horse knows his name, and when called upon, marches 
to the front as would aoy other full private. Bravo and 
Bonito are twin steeds, who hide handkerchiefs in boxes and 
find them again. Perhaps the most comical thiDg possible is 
to see an intelligent collie going through an act of equestrian- 
ism. One amazing feat is, where the dog, with a graceful 
bound, lights on a little staging, while the horse continues 
on his course around the arena. It is the funniest thing im- 
aginable to see the collie, when safe on the staging, wait for 
a moment, as if enjoying the applause, and then suddenly be 
all anxiety, lest he should miss his jump when the horse 
comes around again. He hang9 forward on the staging all he 
can, looking for the coming horse under the platform, and 
just in the nick of time on he is again. Boys nnd girls see- 
saw, but do horses ever eDjoy themselves that way? Yes, 
they do ; at the Aquarium one horse tries it first on the plank, 
and having had a good bit of fun by himself, invites another 
horse to teeter with him, nnd away they go see-sawing until 
they make a perfect balance, and there they stand like statues 
In perfect equipoise. The neatest trick, and one which prob- 
ably only a Broncho could perform, is for one of the twins to 
i atand in the middle of the narrow plunk, not more than two and 
a half feet wide, and absolutely pirouette on it, as would a 
ballet dancer. We are pretty sure that only a horse with 
Spanish blood in him could do that kind of a thing. Then 
there are goats— long -horned, ample-bearded patriarchs, the 
most grave, respectable and solemn looking animals, who in 
a digaifled mauner mount their flying steeds, and tbe capri- 
corns caper and jump, and perform in a double act, just as 
if they liked it. It is a beautiful sight to see a Billy go car- 
eeriug around the ring with his beard floating in the wind 
The big, handsome cream-colored horse Nettie, who comes in 
with head and tail all up in the air, is a glorious animal. 
Nettie jumps as if life depended upon it. First he looks at 
his jump and calculates exactly whether he shall spring over 
one or four or six horses. Having inspected the whole mat- 
ter for himself, off he goes at a good round canter, and. with a 
bound, over he goes. Mr. Fryer, the trainer, has dogs under 
just as thorough subjection as his horses. Dogs dance and 
cut all kinds of shines, and behave in the most elegant and 
accomplished way. One dog steals a collar from another 
dog and is judged on the spot. That kleptomaniac is con- 
demned by a dog jury to sudden death ; a slip-knot is put 
around his neck, then a terrier and a collie rig a scaffold, one 
dog jumps over the cross-beam with a rope in his mouth and 
enacts Jack Ketch. Of course it is a little yaller dog who is 
the thief, who, after a slight neck-stretchiDg-a kind of canine 
lynch law— is let off again, under promise of never doiDg the 
like any more. One trick after another follows, the dogs being 
the performers. The concluding performance is a Madem- 
oiselle Dockril act; a spaniel going through an act of high 
equestrianism on a bounding Newfoundland. It is in fact°a 
dog circus, all composed of the most distinguished perform- 
ers. We have no hesitation in declaring that the troup of 
Bronchos are the most wonderful animals we ever saw, and 
with the dog9, the entertainment at the Aquarium is of the 
greatest excellence. 
The Chimpanzees at the Aquariom.— Poor Nipl when 
we saw him he lay moaning, wrapped up in his blanket. It 
was a pitiful sight. Every now and then the poor creature 
would toss his head about, as would an uneasy child One 
languid ftaw lay outside of the cover, and occasionally the 
slender, delicate fingers would open and close. It w^s a piti- 
ful sight to see 1 Sickness in an animal, when nothing can be 
done for it, excites the warmest sympathy. Nip, the young 
chimpanzee, died on Friday of acute rapid consumption, aud 
Tuck, his sister, mourns his loss. During a long winter voy- 
age Nip caught cold, and, as with chimpanzees and monkeys 
generally this disease is as swift as it is fatal, poor Nip was 
the victim. On Saturday, at the Aquarium, Drs. Hammond, 
J. It. Wood, Valentine, Mott, Little, Sayre, Bates, Darling, 
and Janeway, assisted by Dr. Spitzka, made Nip's post-mortem 
examination. The cause of death, as had been expected, was 
enteritis, with turberculosis of the lungs. It was curious for 
the physiologists present to examine the brain of the deceased. 
The brain was found to have many convolutions, and to re- 
semble strikingly that of a child. That portion of the brain 
which is supposed in human beings to give the power of 
speech, was found to be fairly developed. Dr. Spitzka re- 
marked the resemblance between this brain and that of a per- 
son of feeble intellect. What seemed to strike those most 
familiar with the human brain, was that in this poor monkey’s 
skull the higher intellectual mechanism predominated largely 
over those purely devoted to the automatic or reflex functions. 
It is to be hoped that the Neurological Society of New York 
will examine the brain most oarefully. Tuck, the female 
chimpanzee, is disconsolate, and would break her poor heart 
if not for the care and affection her keeper bestows on her. If 
she had her own way she never would leave her attendant. 
It is a wierd kind of look Tuck gives you when you take her 
delicately formed hand, as she gazes at you gravely with hgr 
soft brown eyes. Nothing could separate her from her keeper. 
One hand she gives to the curious, but with the other she 
holds tight to her friend. In order to put her in her cage, she 
must be cajoled, by means of a bit of biscuit. When she is 
left alone she throws herself on the ground, and cries like a 
disconsolate child. Then repressing her grief as with an ef- 
fort, she look9 with longing eyes for her friend. Tuck is now 
left all alone in this world. IIow long she maybealive.no 
one can tell. Those who wish to see this curious specimen 
among the rarest of all moakeys, would do well to visit the 
Aquarium as speedily a9 possible. 
A Zoological Garden for New York.— Professor Albert 
S. Beckmore presented last week to the Board of Apportion- 
ment the plan for the establishment of a Zoological Garden in 
Central Park. The propo.-ition is conceived on a most liberal 
basis. It is not to be at the C09t of the city, and the request 
was made that the Board only approve of the bill to be pre- 
sented to the Legislature. The following statement embodies 
tbe eading features of the Zoological Garden : 
Arif —Capital to be not lcs3 than $200,000, to be disbursed 
during the first three years. 
Sceand— Admission : Sundays free ; Saturdays free to the 
pupils of the public schools wnen visiting in a body under the 
care of their teachers— one day, fifty cents-, other days, twen- 
ty-five cents. 
Third — Receipts to be applied, first, to maintenance; 
second, to interest at 7 per cen . on stock and bonds paid for ; 
third, the surplus if any, to be devoted to purchase of more 
animals, the improvement of the grounds, or reduction of ad- 
mission. 
Fourth — The city is not to be at any expense, either for the 
construction or maintenance of said gardens, except furmshiDg 
policemen to preserve order. 
Fifth — The city authorities to have the right to investigate 
the accounts of the corporation. 
We trust our legislators and the general puhtfc will fully 
endorse and support Professor Beckmore's plans. Both Phila- 
delphia and Cincinnati have their zoological gardens, due to 
private enterprise, and both of them arc wonderfully success- 
sunnort W ' ° 1 rk ’ Wlth 113 large population - be able to 
rival oDh 0g '? garden * which ou g ht to be in time the 
nvai of the one In London. 
imUaWr^'L < t HIlZLT Cons. -Tu one of Mr. Lanegan’s in- 
oompassionfofth^^’wf 0 eIderly eIepbant - touched with 
nestling an 1 tl • 0 pillabl ° pli « ht of a motherless partridge 
“ ,,ed iho po,t “*» °> -wen 
sta rssisfc 
lonialo Weight, l lb. l oz - bruises on back nprk inn 
PnnaTn e ° f tborucic cavity containing coagulated b’looiF 
Considermg the large size of (he adult gS bear which 
^nbViomc° U | uma!^ h T <lred P ° Und8 ' und - compared with the 
h rtlD (who souieUniC3 weighs thirteen pounds at 
r ’ , lLthe young are very small and present many imerest- 
ng features It is hard to realize iu them the terrible Sv 
hombihs, whose tremendous strength is proverbial and whose 
appearance creates consternation in the S3 
2 ive a nmm w ? l . l * devcloped claws oil these infama at birth 
give a premonition of what would follow. (j. D 
Deer Shedd.no their ‘ Horns. -The interesting article 
under this head which recently appeared in these columns 
from the pens of Hou. J. D. Caton and Penobscot has called 
forth from our friend Everett Smith, of Portland, Me., the 
following experience in regard to the wapiti ( Ccrvus canaden- 
sis). The incident is remarkable, for the horns of this spe- 
ciea are usually hard aud bare of velvet by Sept. 1. Mr 
Smith writes : 
attracted bea “.^ iful zoolomcal'gardcn at Hamburg, I was 
fu Jthe lnL “* ol,ona ., of a wapiti as he stood sinking 
Srthinnwh d - rcpeatud| y w,Ul bis lore -feet, throwing the 
aurrn, ndoH U f Aa 1 up P r °»clicd the enclosure, which was 
fwr 1 d f d by a , 8trOU ° iroQ feuce of und netting, the 
d ™™ d f. a y usl1 at me ’ s-nking the feuca with great force, 
W^VdevJon g pd‘ 8 |w arg ? agUi “ f ? nd “ gaiu His burns were 
well developed, but not yet fully hardened, aud the velvet 
? fr( ? m tUe bl'Wdy points, which 1 had good op- 
p ° ta ' “ ? t0 c,09el y examine, as he once thrust them through 
the netting so as to get caught aud held for a while This 
was in the month of October. Everett Smith." 
Portland, Me., Jan. 28, 1878. 
Brant in Minnesota.— Evidence that the true brant fre- 
quently occurs away from the seaboard continues to accumu- 
late. Our correspondent, Mr. D. F. Stacy, writing from 
Albert Lea, Minn. , says : 
„‘‘!, have st ^ n ln a late ia sue of your paper that some one is 
W r he occu , rr( ; ace of tbe true brant away from salt 
water. We frequently kill them here. The Cunuda goose is 
E, C .T m ° a hlTe: n8Xt Conie8the brant {BranUbfrn^), 
rf namo Ph • g0 Pi 8e ’ w bitc-fronted goose aud Hutchins' goose. 
(I name them in the order of their number.; Such gentlemen 
A Mr V Leggett 'A F - Frarae “d c5. X 
A. Hatch, all of New \ork, and Mr. Tlios. H. Palmer of 
SSfSS Mtae , ,oU°" le8l,fy “ 10 1110 0CCUm!IK ' C 01 1U “ lr ™ 
An Albino Tnrsir.— A very curious specimen of an albino 
trush, the Tardus pallassii, has been shown to us. The bird 
was killed by Mr. W. H. Sanford near Stamford, Conn, last 
year. As is well known, the natural color of this thrush-called 
the hermit thrush— is, under part white, with buff tints, olive 
shades, and breast and sides marked with distinct dusky spots. 
Late and Early Birds. — Our correspondent, “S. E. B.,” 
who writes to m from Oneida, N. Y., under date Jan. 2G 
says : 
■ Can you account for English snipe remaining in this sec- 
tion through the winter? Too mercury has marked 18 deg 
below zero; still iu swampy places they are yet to be found. 
found/’ ^ w ‘ tb US * 83 arC a * 8lJ tbe rob ‘ n ’ oceas *° n oily 
It is certainly very unusual to find snipe so late, and espe- 
cially when it is so very cold. 
Another friend—" Memoir"— writing from Medford, Mass., 
announces that the song sparrows are put in full song on 
Monday, Jan. 21. “ Onserver," a Long Island correspondent, 
relates his experience as follows : 
“On Long Island, on Jan. 18, 1 noticed robias iu large num- 
bers, and also a few bluebirds. On Jan. 21 and ever siuce 
we have had on a drained pond bed, 12 to 15 killdeer (snipe) 
and yesterday I was within fifteeu feet of an English snipe. 
How is this for nubing the season ? Yours, Observer." 
Two New Species of Fishes. -We beg to acknowledge 
from Prof. G. Brown Goode, a preliminary catalogue of the 
reptiles, fishes and septocardiuos of the Bermudas, und from 
G. Brown Goode and Tarleton II. Bean the descriptions of two 
fish recently discovered by the United States Fish Commission, 
called the Macrurus bairdii and Lycodts terillii . 
Ptarmigans.— We acknowledge the receipt of a pair of 
beautiful Canadian ptarmigans in winter plumage from Dr. 
R. A- Alloway, of Montreal. The ptarmigans are a species 
oS geou.se common to high latitudes, whose plumage varies 
with (he seasons. In summer they are mottle i, with dura 
brown, and tawny und while, but in winter 6 iev are pure 
white, excepting two black feathers in centre of the tail. 
The doctor, we learn, has some fifty specimens in skin, ready 
to be wired and mounted. 
