FOREST /AND STREAM. 
235 
Shad in Tennessee. — George F. Ackers 
missioner, writes to tbe Nashville Banner that 
n tishennan, cuught five genuine shad in a net below the city 
list week James O. Davis, an old Virginian, partly raised 
on shad, examined them closely, and decided that they were 
the genuine sail writer shad. If this can be confirmed by 
nuolher catch anil exhibited for inspection, it will establish . 
,.i T.,;™inm r>f iln> TTnited States Fish Comm is- 1 
Slate Fish Pom I shot by a frier d Stant 19 1872, at Roekaway, and kindly pre- 1 good deal of trouble. But the partridges rise with great 
riU ".’ 1 vv I t ID lOhuvi nvi <■ — 
Jagcraw^rc very numerous at Roekaway, making tlieir ap- 
pearance in the last of August and remaining until the mid- 
dle of October, and never before that year or since have 1 seen 
.ection, it will esiaoiiBu OMtwrunm * ' . r„, i... the in ihi* 
the fact of' tbe wisdom of the United Stales Fish Comma- 1 here noted I very much decomposed, 
sioner's aetior. in planting nearly 200,000 young shad in the species. 
Cumberland several years ago. A tmisumcicuuy pn 4 nnW ,• 
NOTES ON SEVERAL RARE BIRDS 
TAKEN ON LONG ISLAND, N. Y. 
By N. T. Lawrence. 
[Read Before llic Llnaeaa Society of New York, March S3, 1678.] 
HE following species were observed aud taken during a 
period of time extending over six years. Most of the 
. e ...... i-i •<-> 1 iw<nurrf'T 
1 period ot lime caicuuiub u.v. o.- j — , . „ . 
snecies noted are of rare or unusual occurrence, and two of 
dbem L'olluri* Qudowcianut and Triiuja bairiln lam quite cer- 
Sin have not .been previously recorded from Long flsland 
1 am indebted to Mr. Robert Lawrence, of blushing, L. I., 
for the ’notes from that locality and Moriches. 
Jfbnusipdiyglottus, Mocking bird.— Two ** k fS 7 a , k 
Roekaway , tbe first, a young male taken * J{* 
'Which, 'from its nestling plumage, had probably been bred in 
■the wirinitv The second, a fine adult male, was taken Nov 
r h am , in au open field a short distance from the salt 
"St WMKW Loggerliead Slinke.— Oaeflprcimen 
‘(female) taken at Roekaway, Sept. 19, 187o, on a Qtom of up- 
land of about nine acres in extent, con^ningn s^Uercd 
growth of low cedars, and surrounded by wit T Xd not 
Another was observed in beptember, 1876, but I did not 
/'fee trophancs lapponicus , Lapland Long-spur. — One male 
shot at Roekaway in December, 1871, in company with the 
shore larks ( KrenwpMla •atpeatria). A second specimen was 
procured in FuLon Market, March 13, 1875, which probably 
Ipswich Sparrow.— Five^specimens 
tt ikeu at Roekaway, amoDg a ilow ^ range of sand l hills that 
skirt the main shore of bay. The first in D “-* 187 ®J.J ec ? d 
and third, Nov. and Dec., 1872 ; four tb, Nov 1874 and 
fifth, Jan., 1878 (See “ Nut. Ormth. Bull., AprIL1878). 
Vontopua boreaU a, Olive-sided Flycatcher.— Mr. Robert 
ILawreucc bad the pleasure of taking a full plumaged male,. 
May 3t, 1872, shot on a spruce a short distance from his resi- 
Red-bellied Woodpecker.-* fine 
sadudt specimen was taken by Mr. Robert Lawrence in a piece 
<>f wood near Flushing in October, WTO. I have an adult 
male procured in Fulton Market, Nov. 2, 1872, which prob 
Wilson’s Plover.— An adult male taken 
at ttucknwny, July 1, 1872. From its slightly worn pl““ ft ge 
and excited actions at time of capture I surmise may have 
r boen breeding in the vicinity, but could find no trace of nest. 
SUaanoptu mUeonii, Wilson’s Phalatope.— On theSdof Oct. 
TIR72 at Hockawav, I met with a pair of these birds, in com- 
t panv wi.h two big yellow legs, Totanua melurwleucua and 
succeeded in taking one, which proved to he a young male , 
another was observed in October, 1874, but did not secured. 
ff .bil. W^-ing, 
month of August, we came across a party of five 1 uaiaropes 
swimming in the ocean, which, from their size, I presumo 
W S t & ftSSlSSwa, Northern Phalarope.-At Roekaway, 
on thSthSf August 1874, I killed a young male and imma- 
^StakeS September 25, 1874;. another observed m Septem- 
wLted ^ t“e Atlantic MW,” whicli to 
Ss&stf- s z 
JrJTtoM to “,7,Lk*Te? frequently a 
Rnckawav The first two in September, 187.,, snot on a smau 
liocsaway. flock of Tnnq a mmutilla. I he 
XSSl^SS. Swo, September 20, 1874. Three of 
the above specimens were males _ imen taken 
^2W*» rufescens, Buff-breasted Sandpiper -Although 
us bird is more uncommon than rare ®« ll J J h J? £ ** 
' Bynehopa i ugm, Black Skimmer.— A pair o f Jne adult 
specimens were shot by a gunner at Roekaway, July - • ’ 
and presented to me. These with two others observed Jiving 
over the Bay Sept. 3, 1876, and one young bird procured i 
Fulton Market, are the only specimens that have been noted 
in a number of years, and yet Mr. Geo. N. Lawrence In- 
forms me that twenty-five years ngo the SUimmeix were very | 
numerous on the south side of Long Island, and particularly 
in the neighborhood of Roekaway. . 
Oolumbu* seplentrioruiUa, Red-throated Ehvcr — Two spi ru- 
mens noted, one taken by myself at Roekaway, Sept. 19, 
1872 the other liy Mr. Robert Lawrence in Flushing Uu>. 
Oct ’ll 1877. Both of the above are adult birds. In tins 
plumage it is rare, although tbe young are frequently shot 
^Utamemiabordo, H*K#s\)\llcd Auk.— Mr, Robert Lawrence 
informs me that lie has iu his collection a flue female, taken 
by a gunner at Centre Moriches. March 5, .1878, while do- 
coving ducks. The man had fallen asleep in bis blind, and 
on awakeniag found the Auk sunning itself within a few 
feet. It was very gentle, and was secured while swimming 
AO j^u7u/alle, Little Auk.— On the 10th of Jan., 1878, at 
Centre Moriches, a specimen was found lialf a mile back 
from the Bay in a piece of woods; it was still alive but 
unable to fly. The bird had probably been driven ashore by 
the storm of a few days before, aB they have been quite nu 
merous on the coast this winter. 
noiBe, 
UI1U, UUVV OMUIVU, <**4/ TVIJ 41".— -o • 4 “V young 
and s imewhat excitable sportsman friend, let me tellyou there 
is such a thing ns now and then missing a bird, and if ever 
you get a aide-shot at a Kuropi.au partridge, aim fully as much 
ahead as ou a ruffed grouse. 
The writer wishes to fix the attention of our enterprising 
sportsmen to this bird, aud feels no hesitation in predicting 
that if once introduced into this country and properly pro- 
tected, it would multiply all over the continent and give us a 
game bird, tho superior to which is not found either here or 
in uliy other country. J. 8. 
BIRDS TOWERING. 
this biru is more uuwmiiwu ; o f 
noted four specimens taken at Roekaway, ns fc • 
Aug. 25, 1873, adult_ female; another, Aug. 1874, me 
° l An/S ot’Jm, 1 Leasl 5 Bittern. -Mr. R^^t La^nco^n- 
” jus, ^ 
K eSS shot along the surf Oct. 1. 1872, the others 
.. , llP meadows 8ept. 3, 1873. Both young birds. 
mrM VentbP', European Widgeon. -An immature male 
procured in^ Fulton Market. Jan. G, 1873 1. shot at Southamp 
P. t i (q,. 0 Nut. Ornith. Bull., April, 18 1 8. ) 
Swat^ti rnollisHma, Eider Duck -Two specimens m i im- 
mature plumage were taken on Long Island bound near Flush- 
Pomarine Jager.-One specimen 
Note.— We have the pleasure this week of presenting to 
our readers an extremely valuable paper on some of the rare 
birds of Long Island. The notes are communicated in a 
paper read before the Linnean Society of New York, by Mr 
N. T. Lawrence, and are especially important in that they re 
cord the capture of two species never before taken on Long 
Island, we believe. Ornithologists and collectors will read 
this communication with great interest. 
THE GRAY PARTRIDGE (Perdix Cinerea) 
Mr. John Swainson, of St. Paul, Minnesota, has called our 
attention to a game bird found in Sweden— the gray part- 
ridge {perdix cinerea) — which, he believes, if introduced here, 
more especially in the North, would be admirably adapted to 
our climate. Mr. Swainson has some objections in regard to 
the European quail. In England, where they were introduced 
some eighty years ago, they are not held iu public favor ou 
account of their propensity to run and skulk in the grass as 
soon as the dogs are on their track. With the gray partridge, 
our correspondent states, no such trouble would be found. As 
we have some friends in Sweden, wo lmve written to them on 
the subject of this particular bird, which is found in winter m 
Northern Europe, and in due time we will be glad to give 
snortsmen full information as to the cost of birds and charges 
of importation. Mr. Swainson bus written to us the follow- 
iDg leUer 1 St. Paul. March 13, 1878. 
Forest and Stream and Rod and Gun : 
have foUmved with great interest the initiatory steps token 
u l il Zris and Mr Hapgoodto introduce into this coun- 
fr y v tSe® an ‘fu“l- (Xtainly these gentlemen deserve 
not only tbe thanks of tbe whole sportsman’s fraternity, but 
e!ery Msistancc and co-operation to promote their very praue- 
wnrThv enterprise. I am glad to notice in your paper that 
sever d other sponsmen have (alien measures for the importa 
rion on a still larger scale, of this interesting game bird ; and 
T hav* reason to hope that another season will see at least 
1 000 o/these lively little fellows planted in the UpperMissis- 
rinni valley from which, in their yearly migrations, I think 
S Xm not much diverge, having a large water-course as a 
SiSSl totheir right and left Mon, they «ro 
fhif tn \rv the experiment of crossing an ocean, while the 
Gulf Statesoffer them for winter quarters a climate as seim- 
? i£iS nearly so, as that of Northern Africa, their most 
Hoiuhem winter home mi the other side of the Atlantic. 
While tb s is certainly a move in the right direction, there 
is another game bird of Europe, to which I wish to call alien 
Ln and tbe introduction of wiiich into this country .would, 
mod, a rmlv succeed but fiivc us one of tho finest 
Lme ffistte” worfd! Kverkf respects far superior to the 
auail The gray partridge of Europe (perdix cinerea) resem- 
■■§§11 
pensatp such kind Htatm^ y sc i80ll _ tlie farmer or liis 
SmT/toISs,^ 
Editor Forest and Stream : 
Tho very interesting and instructive notes 1 havo seen in 
the Forest and Stream, relative to towering hints, move mo 
to narrate an experience of my own touching the subject re- 
ferred to: 
In January, 1801, I was hunting iu one of the river parishes 
in Northeast Louisiana. We had had excellent success, and 
killed quite a number of deer and tho larges 1 , panther I ever 
saw or ever wish to see. It was about three o’clock in tho af- 
ternoon when I came to tho cornfield of Dr. Adam Bowie. 
There were, perhaps, a thousand acres planted in the great 
American cereal, and the stalks were immense, nearly four- 
teen feet high, having grown with the luxuriuucu characteris- 
tic of the plant on the lowlands of the Mississippi. My dogs 
flushed an immense flock of of wild turkeys out of the corn. 
They flew away heavily into the forest ami alighted in an im- 
mense oak tree about 150 yards from where 1 was silting on a 
log by the plantation fence. 
I was carrying nn excellent rifle, made by Frank Wesson, 
of Worcester, Mass. Of course it was a nmzze-loader (at 
that time we had no other) with a thirty-inch barrel of steel, 
carried a half-ounce round bullet, ami weighed about 10.J 
pounds. I have owned a great many excellent rifles iu my 
time, hut htivc never had one which possessed such extraor- 
dinary accuracy; combined with long-range qualities. With 
it I shot a swan on Swan Lake, Aik., nearly a quarter of a 
mile away. 
But to return to my story. The turkeys were very large. 
There was one in particular, an old gobbler, as I could too 
by liis hoard, which was sitting on the extreme end of a dead 
limb in the top of n tree. 1 look a rather coarse sight at him 
and fired. T'<e whip-like crack of tho rille made the echoes 
ring ngnin, ami the startled birds flew In every direction. Tho 
turkey I had shot at noted most, singularly, lie stretched 
himself up to his full height, which was almost live feet, and 
then started to fly toward the cornfield lustead of away from 
it. About fifty yurds from the tree he commenced to tower, 
and in a circle he ascended nearly a quarter of a mile high, I 
should think, when suddenly ho began to tu. n over aud over 
in the air, and fall. With precisely tho same movement oh is 
made by a wild duck with both wings broken, lia fell, about 
seventy-five yards from where I stood watching him, perfect- 
ly dead. The bullet had gone directly through the body just 
below the wing points, ami an inch from the heart. 
This was much the largest wild turkey I ever saw. 1 Iu 
weighed, when dressed and ready for the spit, *27J pounds, 
and tho rat was an inch thick ou his buck. I have frequently 
seeu wild turkeys tower, but never witnessed such a remark- 
able case as the one I have described above. w. n. r. 
Washington, April 6, 1878. 
Br-PE Bird vs. Sparrow.— Our correspondent, Mr. E. B. 
Gleason, writing from Elmlrn, is an admirer of the sparrow, 
and gives us nn interesting account of a battle between blue- 
birds and the foreiguers, in which the latter were worsted and 
driven from their home. Mr. Gleason says : 
“ A lady friend, who is quite an observer of birds, tells tho 
following incident in regard to the birds in question, which so 
corroborates my views that I send It to you. She built a llttlo 
sparrow house in her yard near the -window, aud in a day or 
two it was taken possession of by ft pair of sparrows, who 
gun at once to build their nest. When two or three days had 
elapsed, during which time they hud carried in a great deal 
of building material, us is their habit, along come a pair of 
blue birds (&■ aialia) and lake It into their heads to possess tho 
house and nest of the sparrows, which they do, after a hard 
fight. The meek little spnrrow Is like some quiet people— 
when he is mud he is awful mad. The fight lusted some time, 
but at last the bluebirds came off best, and now occupy tho 
house • but the sparrows still come oround ten or a dozen 
limes a duv, when a little skirmish ensues, in which they are 
worsted. 8q much for tho sparrows driving other birds away.” 
A good many friends of the sparrow seem to lie speaking 
up just now. Here is a newspaper clipping which Bays that 
a flock of bluejays attacked and defeated eighty Iingliah spar- 
rows that were turned loose in a paik at Dubuque. 
Breeding of Foxes in Captivity. — TerrytiUe , Conn . 
April iy , — Editor Forest and Stream : Mr. C. T. Granniss, of 
this Place, bus succeeded in raising u litter of young foxes, a 
feat which the traditional oldest inhabitant says he never 
“bear'll tell on afore." The old foxes wire captured about 
a veur ago in the town of Warren and are kept confined In a 
large cage which gives them more liberty than when chaiued, 
a- is usually tbe case. The young ones, four in number, uro 
about two weeks old. and are doing nicely. Is this a common 
occurrence, or is said ancient inhabitant correct in regard to 
the rarity of foxes breeding in confinement ? W. B. 
[We think that O. H. is quite in the right, and that the 
breeding of foxes in captivity is very unusual. Wolves, how- 
ever, are known to breed occasionally in zoological gardens. 
-Ed.] 
The Linnean SocarY.-This society has now adjourned ’ 
to June 1st, whoa the last meeting will he held before tho 
members separate for the summer to reassemble in September 
or October. Wo ahull look forward with interest to the re- 
ports next full of the summer’s work. 
Jordan's Manual ok the Vertebrates.— We arc glad to 
be able to announce that Prof. Jordan's Mmiuul of Vertebrates 
bus had a most successful sale, and that a new edition is 
promised shortly. This now edition is to bo much oulirged and 
will contain over 400. pages. An important addition to the work 
I 
