215 
forest and stream. 
question as to when they might be expected to appear in the 
Potomac said he had every reason to believe that they would 
soon appear in these waters as well as in other streams with a 
rush. They were planted here, in the Susquehanna and various 
other rivers, about the 6ame time in 1878 and ’74, uud it was 
then expected they would return to the streams in four or 
five years, so he would not bo at all surprised at their be- 
coming abundant within a short time. K. F. B 
Albino Pisiies. One of our leading fish oulturists informed 
us the other day that Albino trout wore quite common in his 
ponds ; and we have since discovered by investigation that 
albinoism is possibly as prevalent among both salt and fresh 
water fishes as it is among birds and animals — haddock, rock 
cod, groupers, butterflsh (E. onataUbi), eels, gold fish, and 
other species furnishing the data. Melanism is common 
among trout, some specimens being of a very dark blue-black. 

Pennsylvania. — Salmon trout have been placed in the 
headwaters of Penn’s Creek; 8,000 California salmon in the 
river at Reuovo; 2,000 of the same in Paddy’s Run, and 2,000 
trout in Youngwoman’s Creek, near North Point. 
SnAD in tiie Alabama.— The fish from the Alabama River, 
recently sent to Prof. Baird for identification, has been pro- 
nounced by him “a fine specimen of the white shad, although 
not quite so large as it is found in Northern waters, but repre- 
senting fully the best products of -the St. John’s River." This 
settles the shad question, so far as the fish of the Alabama and 
Coasa rivers are concerned, and the people of Alabama are to 
be congratulated on this valuable acquisition to their food in- 
dustries. The Walumpka Alabamian, of a late date, says: 
"It is estimated that not less than 1,000 pounds of white 
shad have been caught out of the river, at this place, within 
the lost week. Over 175 flue ones were caught ou Sunday, 
Our market is so glutted with these delicious fish that they arc 
selling for only 5 to 7 cents a pound. 
— The Manchester, Mich., Enterprise says the eel artificial 
propagation is a success in the waters of that vicinity. 
<U utnrnl 
BIRD NOTES FROM LONG ISLAND.— 
No 2. 
BY FRANKLIN BENNER. 
[Concluded,] 
HE great-crested fly catchers have not been very abund- 
ant at Astoria for some years. Nests have occasionally 
been found in the orchards, but this last spring it became 
quite common, as many as six or seven nests coming to my 
personal knowledge. Their screams could be heard every- 
where through the orchards and around farm-houses. On 
this day I watched a pair constructing their nest in an old 
golden-winged woodpecker's hole, in a dead limb of an apple 
tree, and upon a bluebird’s nest, from which the eggs had 
been taken some weeks earlier. I concealed myself under a 
hay rick, at a distance of about forty yards, and observed 
them for over three-quarters of an hour. They had but just 
commenced, and in a few moments they both appeared, the 
female bearing a feather in her bill, which Bhe placed in the 
cavity. In a moment they were off in the direction of a 
farmyard, aud remained away nearly five minutes, returning 
by the same way in which they left. Their arrival was an- 
nounced by the male, who, alighting on a neighboring tree, 
would utter his harsh shriek, while the female placed the 
feather or tuft of cattle hair which she had brought in the 
hole. This was repeated continually ; they always left and 
returned in the same direction, the male acting merely as 
escort, without doing any of the work. 
On the 13th I went to the nest again, and, as I approached, 
the female flew out and perched on a tree close by without 
uttering a note. I went up to her, but she flew off and did 
not reappear again, although I waited for some time. The 
nest, which contained five fresh eggs, is quite an elaborate 
one, being made up of a curious selection of materials. It is 
five and a half inches in diameter outside, and about one and 
a half inches deep ; the bottom is partly of grass, which com- 
posed the bluebird’s structure, woven in with large chicken 
feathers and bits of cattle hair, both white and red. The 
chicken feathers also formed the sides and bed for the eggs, 
together with cattle hair, a couple of tufts of soft white hair, 
evidently from some rabbit, a piece of muskrat skin, and 
pieces of the cast-oil skin of a snake. Altogether it is one of 
the most interesting nests of this bird I have ever met with. 
A f«w days later I came upon another, which was being con- 
structed likewise upon an old bluebird’s nest, in a knot-hole 
in an apple tree. There was no very extensive attempt at a 
nest, only a few feathers. In the bluebird’s nest, however, 
were four of its eggs spoiled, and the fly-catcher had deposit- 
ed three eggs above these. I left them untouched, hoping to 
get a full set in a day or two, but when I returned I found all 
bad been laid, but two were broken, and the nest was in a. 
state of confusion and the birds gone. Now, the cause of all 
this mischief could not be imagined until further investigation 
revealed another hole in a tree, not twenty yards distant, con- 
taining three young mottled owls about four or five days old. 
The parent bird was perched upon a limb overhead, and 
blinked down at me as I avus trespassing upon her home. 
She no doubt avbs the cause of the desertion of the eggs of 
both bluebird and fly-catcher, for she no doubt, on her noc- 
turnal tramp, found the bluebird early in the spring, and on 
the increase of her family, made another trip to the larder. 
From this very hole, where the owls Avere, my friend, Mr. C. 
S. Allen, took a set of six eggs of the same bird early iu May, 
and this was evidently the second brood. In April, 1872, I 
took a net of five eggs, and Mr. Allen has had another set 
since then from this same nest. There are several places 
where I am sure to find the eggs of this owl every year. It is 
very common ou this part of Long Island. They have been 
found in both plumages. In 1870 I found a set of eggs with a 
gray parent, and the parent of the young spoken of above was 
red. In 1873 I found fcix young in New Haven, Conn., 
where both parents were red, and 1 watched them until they 
were able to fly, when I captured five of them, which were 
distributed around, and, as far as I was able to trace them, 
they retained the gray plumage. Two which I brought home 
and kept for a couple of months, and then placed in the Mu- 
seum iu Central Park, retained their gray plumage for over a 
year, Avhen 1 lost all trace of them. The majority that are 
found in Astoria are of the red variety. 
Ou this same day (May 30), while passing through a patch of 
peas a grass finch ( Poocctes gramenens) started up from her uest, 
Avhich avus placed iu one of the rows and sunk so that the top 
was on a level Avith the ground and very neatly concealed. It 
was almost entirely composed of old pea vines, to which, were 
added a few coarse grasses, aud it was sparsely lined Avith 
horse-hair. It contained four eggs partially incubated. 
June 2d avus bright and clear with a cool breeze blowing, 
and a tempting day for Avoodland investigation. Several of 
the discoveries of this day have been mentioned above for the 
Bake of continuity, but there were a few ihing9 noted of Avhich 
nothing has been said. On the borders of a salt water inlet, 
was a piece of marsh grass not more than forty feet square, 
in which were four nests of the long-billed marsh wren (Tel- 
matodytes palusMa) in various stages of construction. As 
there were only one pair of birds to be seen I judge they must 
all have belonged to them. Some ten days later I examined 
these nests again but found only one inhabited and containing 
five chocolate eggs. These birds are common all through the 
salt meadows and many of their nests can be found, but ouly 
oue out of every three is occupied. 
A colony of red-winged blackbirds had taken up their 
quarters along this same stream, and their “conk chereo" 
note avus very decided in objecting to any trespass. The 
nests, of Avhich there were about a dozen, were all placed at least 
tAVo feet from the ground, and some as high os six feet. The 
lowest were in Avild rosebushes, the others iu swamp willows. 
In a swamp not a mile distant they nest iu the grass as is their 
usual custom. Nearly all the nests contained eggs, the ma- 
jority of them freshly laid ; their size varied very much, 
some sets being very much smaller thau others. While goiug 
through a rather solitary piece of wood9 and looking up I 
6pied a green herou ( Ardea viresccns ) looking down from 
her bundle of sticks and on the alert to depart with a farewell 
croak. On climbing the tree I found five eggs just on the 
S oint of hatching, three of them in fact being already picked, 
fearly every piece of woods around contains a uest or two of 
these herons, and likewise of the night heron, but the latter, 
which five or six years ago were very abundant, are rapidly 
leaving, and iu a short time there will he none left. The 
9hore iu the vicinity of their breeding place is being used for 
docks and other purposes, and persons are continually digging 
for clams, etc., so that they are unable to obtain their food 
without going a long distance in search of it, and this has un- 
doubtedly had as much influence in driving them away as the 
persecution of so-called sportsmen. 
A red-eyed vire ( Vireo olivaceus) had just laid one egg in a 
nest found, and a lot of young crows were on the point of 
leaving their home. 
June 4. — Found another nest of the least fly-catcher contain- 
ing four fre6h eggs. These were hatched on the 17th, aud in 
eight days the young AA'ere able to leave the nest. 
July 4. — A set of young cutbirds left tbeir nest, and ou the 
18th the parents were carrying materials for a neAv one. 
Ou J uly 27, the last day to which my notes have been brought, 
a brood of young robins were taking their first lesson in flying 
when one more unfortunate than its follows fell to the pave- 
ment and Avas instantly killed. 
For Forest ami Stream and Rod and Oun. 
HABITS OF THE RUFFED GROUSE. 
HERE has been so much written about the ruffed grouse 
that it may seem to the general reader that nothing more 
remains to be said, but having seen very feAV articles upon the 
subject that gave this best of game birds any credit for its 
many good qualities without qualifying the statement with 
some slur or innuendo that, to Bay the least, “ condemns with 
faint praise,” I propose to tell you “what 1 know about 
grouse.” 
I am a plain, unlettered couutryman, brought up among the 
green hills of New England, the homo of the noble bird I 
love so well. My pen is but a poor stub at best. Had I but 
the inspiration of that glorious sportsman, “ Frank Forrester," 
then might I hope to express some portion of the feelings that 
stir my soul to its inmost depths, when on some beautiful 
October morning, Avith eager dogs and trusty gun, L seek 
their favorite haunts. I feel that I shall come far short of 
doing justice to the subject, as the high-flown words and 
well-rounded periods that reail so well are entirely beyond 
my reach. 
There ! having fired my 6hot I feel better, and wo will now 
proceed to business. Let us visit the ruffed grouse in his na- 
tive “wiles” (I think that is original). In the first place, 
although I presume that yoq. are aware of the fact, I will 
stale that they are the most Avily and cunning bird in the 
Avorld ; full of tricks and dodges to cheat the honest sports- 
man out of his dinner. But the very fact that they are so 
crafty only adds to the enjoyment and given a zest to the 
pleasure that is not found in the pursuit of any other bird. I 
could fill columns with the sloty of my wrongs ; of how I 
have been cheated and fooled by the sly witches when they 
could not g“ . away. Perhaps the relation of a few instances 
may prove interesting ; they certainly were to me, and I do 
not recall a single one in which admiration for their skill and 
good judgment did not much more than repay me for my dis- 
appointment at their escape. In the fall of '59 I lived in 
Connecticut and hunted the whole season through. About 
half a mile from my house, and in a direct line Avith a famous 
hunting ground that I was in the habit of visiting quite often, 
was an alder run that nearly always contained oue or two 
birds. There Avas a heavy stone wall running the wholo 
length of the piece, near which I had started an old cock 
grouse several times, and had not succeeded in getting a 
shot. I had never followed him up, as he invariably crossed 
a stream at the lower end of the run that I could not get 
across without going some distance. One evening, on my re- 
turn from a rather unsuccessful tramp, my dog came to a 
point near the wall. Thinking Iioav easy I had him this 
time, I walked in forward of the dog, wheu, like a young 
hurricane, this vile bird rose and gave us to understand that 
he was going, like a rocket, straight for his cover on the other 
side of the stream, instead of which, after attaining an eleva- 
tion of about twenty feet, as I was complacently taking in the 
entire situation and calmly waiting for him to get away the 
proper distance when I would deliberately cut him down in 
his prido, he suddenly, and with a twist of his tail that 
whs very aggravating .to my feelings, made a swoop down- 
ward within a foot or two of the ground, and left me on the 
other side of the wall, I still comprehended the entire situa- 
tion, but not with the uforesaid calmness, without which no 
ono can ever hope to successfully cope with an old cock 
grouse. A few days later, Avith the remembrance of my do- 
feat still rankling iu my bosom, I concocted a plan to get the 
best of that bird ; in fact, the wholo of him. 1 placed my 
little brother at the head of the run with the old dog, and, 
giving him iuy Ayatch, told him to wait just ten minutes, auu 
then start with the dog and beat through the rim toward mo. 
1 very cautiously Avcnt round to the placo where ho invaria- 
bly crossed the stream, and was congratulating myself upon 
my successful strategy, when a whoop from my brother guv* 
me warning of a point. I signalled him ou and decided that I 
would lay out the old cock just on the bunk of the stream, 
about twenty five yards to my right. A confused flutter in 
the brush, and a loud “Mark” from tho boy, started 
my pulse a little fuslcr, aud wheu 1 caught sight of the bird 
my blood fairly boiled— As was going the other way. Ho 
started out of a little clump of bushes aud Uew directly at my 
brother, Avithin three feel of his head ; ho mude a grab ut liim 
and missed. About tho same time he missed my watch, and, 
for aught that I know to the oontrary, as I have never seen 
it since, that bird wears that watch, and shows it to ad- 
miring crowds of his friends, aud tells them how ho got ahead 
of iny time. 
This wo9 mauy years ago, but I still retain a vivid recollec- 
tion of the scene. I trust that I have grown wiser since, and 
I think that the birds have too, as they still succeed in getting 
away with me quite often. Only lust lull, whilo out with a 
companion for a day's sport, wo started oao of those crafty 
birds several times. Each timo there was some plausible ex- 
cuse Avhy wc did not bring him to bag. There would be the 
trunk of a tree iu tho Avay, or a rock, aud at last wo had a 
dead sure thing on him in a hazel thicket, Avith both ilogB on 
it staunch point oil one side, iuy companion ut tho end where 
lie must show himself, myself opposite tho dogs, forming a 
triangle, with the bird iu the centre. Of course, with “straight 
poAvaer” no bird could cBcape this situation. Any one cun see 
at a glance that his days wore numbered. Brother sportsman, 
sympathize Avith us iu our great bereavement. That bird, in 
the language of the immortal Webster, “still lives.” Ho burst 
from the thicket about twenty feet from my companion, and 
probably did not know that lie was there until he reached tho 
top of tho brush— like the felloAV that was going to jump 
from the top of a building into a pile of shavings, but when 
lie got half way down some one shouted, “Glass in tho shav- 
ings," ho immediately stopped and wont back. Just so this 
bird went back on us. IIu pitched suddenly to the ground, 
and, alighting behind a big rock, ran for his life. Wo heard 
him a moment after riso from a sufo distance, und caught a 
glimpse of him ns he scaled up tho sidoof the mountain, where 
we could not follow. My companion expressed himself per- 
fectly satisfied — Avas glad ho escaped — so smart a bird ought 
to live. I did not argue tho point with him, as there waa a 
far-away look iu lus eye, and an expression about his mouth 
that made me think that comments from mo were uuculled 
for. A few days later I had occasion to remember with pro- 
found satisfaction tuy “golden silence.” Wo Avero beating 
down an alder run that swung round in a half circle from a 
piece of large timber. I was ou the inside, and wc had nearly 
reached the lower end when a wary old bird sprung from be- 
low us, and sturted nearly towurd mo for tho timber. When 
opposite, and not more limn ten feet from me, I turned slightly 
to gel in good position, at tlio same timo 6aying to my com- 
panion, “Tliis makes eight " (wo then hadsevea iu tho hog). 
Then this wretched bird, that I thought so simple, quicker 
than thought turned and made a dive straight at mo, and push- 
ing within three feet of my head, plunged through the middle 
of a small pine tree behind me. I was so worked up that I 
did not even hit the piuo tree wheu I fired, and to this duy, 
although every other Incident is strongly impressed upon iny 
mind, I cannot recall tho direction in which my gun was 
pointed at tho time of the discharge. But, alas! for tho 
gallant bird ; lie had played his last trick. My companion 
stood just in the right place, aud there Avas no sheltering pine* 
The scalp of the gamy bird now adorns tho belt of hiB deadly 
foe. I felt very grateful to my companion in that ho made no 
invidious remarks upon the occasion. 
We have since talked it all over, and I find that in his for- 
bearance he avos ouly reciprocating former action on my part. 
Thus you see that virtue sometimes has its reward. The above 
are only a fair sample of many, very many, similar instances 
that these eyes have beheld. And, render, although you may 
be skeptical upon the point, do not deny mo the right of my 
belief, that for sly manoeuvres and successful tricks, an old 
cock grouse will discount Joey Bagatock and tho Heathen 
Chinee. Ruffed Grouse. 
Fekkibbubo, Vt., March 24, ISIS. 
yesterday a warm south wind was blowing, aud I saw a purple flneb, 
and on the lake a vessel waking her way northward, and robins and 
song sparrows were singing merrily. To-day a real winter enow storm 
with a howling north wind holds possession of onr land, aud tho poor 
birds are In dolorul dumps In the shelter of barna and thickets. What 
a deal of interesting In forraatlou you ore publlBhlug concern- 
ing ruffed grouse. But I think J. P., of 8t. Paul, La wild, or eiso 
the Minnesota partrldgeB have most remarkable habits. I've a mind to 
start a theory. How would thla do? The partridge hammers with hla 
b'll on a hollow tree, after the fashion of a woodppcler. I havo novor 
seen him do It, bnt doubtless he might If ho chose, quite as easily as to 
poand a log with his wtngs^wblch I never saw him do either, bull 
have seen him drnm on a rook As to alighting on trees or on tho 
giound whan flushed by a man they are as apt to do one as tho other 
here, except toward nightfall and there L much snow on tha ground, 
when they mutually “tree," or when flashed by a dog that pursues them 
barking they almost always take refuge In a tree, I] believo. I am 
much gratified to learn that I am not tho only ono of thoie who attempt 
It who cannot bring down the ruffed grouso In bis flight oftoner than 
once m times, that Is to say, not always every time. To teU tho 
bouest troth, tho shot I havo oxponded on them would probably many 
times outweigh all tho partrldg '8 1 ever bagged. Bat I will keep try- 
ing, It amuses me, and ltdoesn't hurt tho birds much. 
Awaits o«s^, 
COENINO, N, Y., March 23, 18T8. 
Editor Fobrst and Stream : 
Lest the subject might be forgotten, I will contribute my experience 
In reference to the female partridge drumming. While in St. Law- 
rence Co. in tse; I shot a partridge on a dramming log, which proved 
on dissection to bo a female. As I found none other there, and the 
drumming being repeated several times before 1 could got alghl of It 
although 1 waa within threo rods, I concluded that sho must hsgo dome 
