some succeeding while others of the covey were obliged to 
light on driftwood, and three fell on the deck of a steamboat 
on which I was traveling, so much exhausted as to be easily 
captured by some of the deck hands. Once when hunting in 
Texas I succeeded in getting a covey nicely scattered on the 
edge of the lank of the Colorado River, where it was about 
300 yards wide. All that were flushed seemed much averse 
to flying across the river; there being no cover for them we 
killed nearly all, a few that did cross the river seemed much 
exhausted and confused when they reached the opposite bank, 
dropping down quite heavily and lying perfectly still, not at- 
tempting to run or hide. I shot and killed one about 20 yards 
from the hank only to see it swallowed by an immense gar, 
almost hef re it touched the water, leaving only a few ripples 
and floating feathers to gaze upon. In Virginia on the banks 
of the James River, where it is over 500 yards wide, I have 
followed coveys of quail from one bank to the other and hack 
again many times, hut only late in the season when the birds 
arc fully grown and strong. A noticeable characteristic of 
Virginia quail, is their adroitness in eluding a dog by taking 
to trees ; I have seen them run on the ground in pine thickets, 
until hard pressed by the dog, and then hop into the lower 
branches, letting the dog pass under them and then fly (often 
noiselessly) to a more secure shelter in the thick top of some 
large pine. 1 have seen good dogs put to their wits ends by 
such behavior. When a covey scatters in a clump of pines, 
flying from tree to tree, the dogs wind them everywhere, but 
seldom are able to get a point. C. R. 
JV. Y., April 19, 1878. 
Ruffed Gbouse in Texas.— Wo learn from an army offi- 
cer now on duty in the Southwest that he saw last November 
five ruffed grouse in the "Brown Sand Hills,” almost in the 
centre of the Staked Plains, west of Cedar Lake ” (the water 
of which, with the exception of one small spring, nothing can 
drink). Ruffed grouse arc migrating to Texas in large num- 
bers, and the Indians and old citizens say that it is only with- 
in the last two or three years- 
Breeding of Bears. — A correspondent writes us to say 
that old mountaineers have told him that no man ever killed 
a female black bear that had cubs in her. He says that this 
idea is new to him, and asks us whether wo can give any in- 
stance of the kind. This belief is a very widespread one 
and is well nigh universal among hunters of the old style. 
We have heard the eame thing alleged in regard to squirrels. 
The fact appears to be that both bears and squirrels keep 
themselves so close during the period of gestation that it is 
extremely unusual for a pregnant female to be killed. With 
the black bear wo have #td no experience, but we know that 
the grizzly brings forth her cubs early in January, and that 
at birth they are very small, hardly larger than new bom 
puppies. 
Deer Shedding their Horns. — Mr. Editor : I would like 
to say a word more on deer shedding their horns, or rather 
burying their horns. I have juBt read the article from 
" Sycamore,” in the Forest and Stream of March 14, also 
the letter of Mr. W. H. Cassell, where he positively asserts 
that they do bur)' their boras. I am just as positive that in 
this part of the country they don't. About two months ago 
I was hunting cattle and came upon a deer track. Following 
a cow-path, 1 soon came in sight of him feeding. I stopped, 
and he moved off over a hill. He had Dot seen me and was 
not scared. Before I got to where I had first seen him, I 
found one of his horns lying beside the path. It had appa- 
rently fallen off as be walked aloDg. I found the other horn 
where he had been feeding. I have seen at least forty horns 
this spring, and all of them had apparently dropped off of 
their own accord, and my experience has been that where there 
is timber they avoid it as much as possible about Bhedding 
time. Might it not be possible that deer have different habits 
in different localities? I for one should like to hear more on 
this subject. Plainsman. 
Dismal Ranche, Ned., April 15, 1878. 
What a Crappie Is. — Editor Forest and Stream. — Some 
time ago I noticed 6ome questions from an Iowa correspond- 
ent concerning the crappie. I am not familiar with the (Ohio) 
Btate report referred to by your correspondent, and know 
next to nothing of the grass bass, but suppose him to be iden- 
tical with the crappie ( Pomoxis hexacanthus), of Cuvier, 
which is very abundant in the eddy and lake waters of the 
Mississippi River and its tributaries. It breeds in the lakes 
or lagoonB of the low bottoms, and is very prolific. Its eggs 
are usually found in a glutinous mass attached to limbs and 
snags just below low water mark. In somo parts of Missis- 
sippi the fi6h goes by the name of " tin mouth.” In this 
vicinity, on account of a fancied resemblance in marking to 
the dominick fowl, it bears the name of domimek perch. It 
is a very superior pan-fish, weighing from one-half to two 
pounds. For further and full technical description of 
this fish, I refer your correspondent to “Norris’ American 
Angler’s Book,” p. Ill, where it is fully described UDder the 
names of Crappie, Sac-a-lac or Chincapin Perch. Yell. 
Jacksonporl, Ark. 
[The crappie is also called a goggle eyed perch, a strawberry 
perch, chub (South Carolina), crappie (8t. Louis), grass bass 
(Ohio), chinkapin perch (Louisiana), sac a-lac (New Orleans 
creoles). See " Hallock’s Sportsman's Gazetteer, pages 378-9. 
-Ed.] 
SNAKE FASCINATION. 
Mh. Editor— A n article In a late Ipsuo of your moat, instructive 
paper, entlHed “Snake Fascination," brings, la relation to tbe same 
aubject, au Incident to min l which occurred two years ago, to which I 
was witness, and which may be of Interest to some o t your readers. 
About live o’clock one June afternoon, as I was tusteuiog through the 
woods to regain my carriage, having Just left Ihe stream “where I 
was wont with line and hook to deceive the leaping Ashes," my atten- 
tion was attracted by hearing on my right the shrill, discordant notes, 
as thoBe of a bird whoae eggs or young are endangered. I slopped, 
and saw that at a distance of twenty feet, on a horizontal branch of a 
Blunted apple tree, was Be&lcd a cat-bird, from whose throat the tones 
proceeded. It seemed in great distress, as, nattering Us wings and 
swaying its body to and fro, It repeated the plaintive cries whl«h first 
drew my attention to It. In all its seeming agoDy it moved not from 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
the limb, but clung to It as U It were lie only protection. In J 
gazed, but not loDg. A rasillDg la tbo leaves be o 
from the bird. Stooping, I crawled nearer and nearer 
and on the ground, beneath the braucli on which the < P w < th 
was a black snake from two and a half to three feet 1 ’ dQ . 
body In close coll, head erect, and moving with an nadn'aU g, P nd^ 
lous motion, tongue Hashing and eyes riveted on Its vie , 
fee. above him. Again he rustled the leaves with his «aU, and l qulcUy 
withdrawing it, left but a small portlon-perhapa three or foa ^“ 
-out of ihe coll, which part he caused to vibrate with d ‘ y ' 
The motion of Its head Increased. I fancied Its eyes gained brilliancy 
In us eagerness. All this time the poor bird continued Its cries and 
Anttcrlngs, but, as 1 watched, Us struggles grew weaker, Its flutterlnga 
leas. It would alt for a time with drooping head and closed eyes, ns 
though asleep, and then, as If suddenly awakened, would feebly raise 
Its wings and utter a low, sad cry. At last these censed, and the poor 
bird, after vainly struggling to retain Us hold upon the limb, fell os If 
lifeless to the ground. Immediately the snake uncoiled himself and 
stretched out Its head to grasp the bird. At that moment I klUed him. 
1 gently raised the bird from the ground, and, placing It in the palm of 
my hand, I could feel the violent pulsations of Its heart, as with closed 
eyes and tightly olenched feet, It lay Inanimate. 1 carried It quite a 
distance before the first signs of consciousness appeared . Then a tre- 
mor ran through Its body, its feet unclasped, Its wings made a slight 
motloD, lta oyca opened, and, raising itself on Us feet, it stood tottering. 
TheD, ns If endowed with new Ufe and strength, It spread its wings 
and swiftly fie w to Us native woods. Misal. 
A HAMPERED DEER. 
We present herewith an engraving of the deer’s foot en- 
circled by a riDg of wood, which we referred to recently. 
The curiosity was sent to us by Mr. W. Kelleman, of Aber- 
deen, Mif s., with the information that tho deer so singularly 
hampered was killed by a hunter near Winchester Station, 
Miss., on the M. and O. R. R. The growth of the hoof and 
of the toes leaves little room for doubt but that the specimen 
in its present shape is the growth of years. 
Animals Received at Central Park Menagerie for Week End- 
ing Mat 4, 1813 . — One hog deer, Cerous porcino*, born in tho menagerie; 
one opossum, Dcdelphye virginiana , presented by Mr. Geo. H. PennlmaD, 
N. Y. City ; thirteen painted tortoise, Enrya picla, presented by # Mr. 
John Sutherland, N. Y. City ; one gray squirrel, Seturius caroUtuwis, 
presented by Mr. William Irving, N. Y. City ; 12 pair fancy pigeons, 
presented by Mr. William R. Powell, N. Y. Olty. 
W. A. Conklin, Director, 
r oodhmd, frfj'drm and (garden. 
THIS DEPARTMENT IS EDITED BY W. J. DAVIDSON, 8EO. N. Y. 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
A BIRD’S-EYE GLIMPSE OF TEXAS. 
Mexia, Limestone Co., Texas, April 7, 1878. 
Editor Fobr6T and Stbram: 
Your remarks about Texas have induced me to write you a 
few lines. If you will spread your map of Texas before 
you, right in the middle of it you will see this county. It is 
easily approached, as the Houston & Texas Central R. R. 
passes through it, bringing you to this town with only one 
change from Ne v York. It is in the cotton zone, and here 
that plant matures to perfection, whilst wheat is productive 
and certain, and corn almost a drug. Cattle in immense 
numbers dot the prairies, and horses are abundant and 
cheap. Narasoto Creek runs through the greater part of it 
almost north and south, affording good bottomlands and splen- 
did timber. Game is abundant and in great variety. In the 
bottoms we hunt tbe bear and wildcat, with an occasional 
panther, and once in a great while the cougar strays from 
Mexico. The peccary, a wild hog, is still to be found in the 
impenetrable cedar brakes. Deer are more than numerous, 
doing great damage to the farmers, whilst the mule-eared rab- 
bit (or bare) leaps up from under your feet while crossing tho 
prairies, a perfect carpet of flowers in the spring. The grouse 
are al 60 plentiful, and quail enough to gladden the heart of 
every true sportsman. Ducks and geese are also to be found 
in their scusod, though this winter our wild fowls have been 
scarce indeed. Woodcock none, and snipe but few. 
The fishing is also good. Black bass (trout) very game and 
toothsome, and, in some streams, brook trout, though scarce. 
Tbe scenery is lovely, being a rolling country, covered with 
rich grasses and starred with wild flowers. The climate 
healthy, as it lies almost 000 feet above the sea, and almost 
200 miles from its shores. Sheep-raising is only beginning to 
be realized, as hitherto cotton has absorbed all miDds (and 
well it might, were it not for wars in the Old World), but 
now it has become so unprofitable that many are turning their 
attention to wool raising, and truly for a man of small means 
nothing can pay better. Land is dearer here than in the west 
of the State, but this is compensated, os the products bring 
more, beiDg nearer to market, and all necessaries are cheaper. 
It is difficult to condense this letter within the limits of your 
columns, and I must fain halt. If you desire more infonna- 
SSoI will gladly give it. The geese are going North ; their 
honking is audible whilst writing this. The piover in myri- 
ads, and fat ; very hard to approach unless in f ” 
wagon. I have lately killed many and eaten them, cooked 
as directed by " Elzear Blaze” for snipe. , , 
Quail shooting has afforded me much sport, though hard to 
point, as the running dogs, which .are such favorites here, 
scent and chase them, which makes them shy. Still, a good 
bag can be made any day within sight of my house. 1 he 
grouse arc now packed and difficult to approach, but, driving 
in a light wagon over the prairies, a good number can bo 
killed I have seen a few snipe, hut they are very wild. A 
DB rty ‘has just returned from a turkey hunt, some twelve 
miles from here, and brought with them five deer and seven- 
teen turkeys. These last are in prime condition. The warm 
weather is coming rapidly, and the protracted flight of wild 
fowl without tarryiDg with us warn that spring has come. 
U ENERAL* 
REGARDING SPRING FLOWERS. 
Editor Forest and Stbram : . 
In vour " Answers to Correspondents you are incorrect on 
the ‘’ Alligator question.” 'Hie sweet gum tree belongs to the 
order Hamamelocea, and to the species and genus of Liquid- 
ambar styradllua. Secondly, among wild flowers are some 
inaccuracies:' Dicentra cucuUaria is Dutchman s breeches, 
while Dicentra canadensis is squirrel com ; also, 1 halictrum 
anemonoides is not a Rue, but an Anemone, consequently it 
must be Anemone thalietr aides, and not 1 haUctrum anemo- 
noidcs. As to tho mitre wort, it is many years since I have 
seen it, although it ought to be plentiful enough around here 
to be readily found. It differs from the Tmrella : one is tho 
Mitella diphylla, mitre wort, and the other, fiarclla cordi folia , 
or bishop's cap. Also, may I add that for those who can en- 
joy looking at without handling, there is much to be found in 
our own Central Park, as my notes include my walks in tho 
Park as well as on LoDg Island and New Jersey, although in 
the latter walks I carry a gun, which somewhat distracts my 
mind from botany. The Cornm Jtorida, flowering dogwood, 
and C. stolonifera, red osier, are now in full bloom ; the — , 
Benzoin odorifei um, spice wood; Loniccra lempervirens, 
trumpet honeysuckle; Cydonia japonica, Japanese quince, 
and its companion, Forsythia snspensa. The Forsythia nrc 
very beautiful, although the frosts of March 25 and 26 have in- 
jured them some, and I fear that the magnolias and rhodo- 
dendrons will make a poor show, while the hydrangeas will 
be a failure. c - 
April 20. 
[We are always happy to correct any inaccuracies or mis- 
takes, and some of our correspondent's points are well taken. 
We acknowledge the corn, i. e., squirrel corn, and will ho 
glad to hear from O. B. again, more especially as we purpose 
giving a monthly statement of the most prominent Dative 
flowers to be had in bloom. At the same time we pin our 
faith to "Gray's Manual," who says: " ThaUctrum anemo- 
noides (Mich.), Rue-Anemone; and we have always known 
Forsythia viridissima to be the hardy variety, F. suspense be- 
ing more tender and not so highly colored. The Dog-woods 
belong more properly to May, and will he noticed then ; they 
are not in full bloom with us yet,— Ed.] 
Florida Oranges — Mandarin, Fla., April 30. — This 
season’s orange crop is gathered and marketed, and the results 
on the whole may be considered satisfactory to the grower. 
The golden fruit, much of it, hung a long time on the trees 
awaiting the discretion of the owner in regard to stripping, 
and as the prices showed marked improvement later in the 
season, those who delayed did not do so in vain. The orange 
is not fairly ripe until the latter part of November, aud the 
quality of the fruit steadily improves on the tree if it be al- 
lowed to remain until the first of April. After that it deteri- 
orates more or less, owing partly to natural decay and partly 
to absorption by the tree as it puts forth its new foliage and 
fruit. The blossoms break forth iuto fragrant bloom about 
the first of March ; the petals soon fall from these aud leave 
the tiny green orange formed in the centre, which day by day 
slowly adds to its size. It is a common thing to see the white 
blossoms on the tree intermingled with the ripe fruit, aud it 
is not uncommon to see, later on, the small green fruit hang- 
ing side by side with the ripe. Thus graciously does the 
orange tree give a long time to try the market, keeping the 
oranges hanging sweet and fresh awaiting our pleasure, aud 
overlooking our dilatoriness by driving ahead with the new 
crop, without reference to the old unpicked one on the trees. 
It is better, however, for the tree that the fruit should he 
picked before tbe new blossoms appear, for obvious reasons ; 
and, if a fair price can be ob ained, it is better for the propri- 
etor, for there are risks to be run in keeping the crop until 
late in the season, which really entitles the owner to higher 
prices. December is a stormy month, in which high winds 
prevail, and by them many of the oranges are blown off, and, 
slrikiDg the ground, are bruised and thus rendered unfit for 
shipment. January and February bring occasional frosts, 
and these, if severe, will spoil the fruit aud it will drop to the 
ground with the life killed out of it. These risks impel many 
to strip early in the season, and urgent need of money impels 
many more to do the same ; while on the trees of those who 
can afford to wait and take their ohances the fruit lingers late. 
Many fine trees have begun bearing this year, and thousands 
of oraDge seeds have sprouted into tiny trees, planted and 
tended by careful hands. One might think more trees were 
being raised than it would be profitable to use, but the 
orange business is in its iufancy yet, and with more trees 
added to our groves we can gracefully come down to a lower 
price, if we have to do so in Order to extend the market. 
C. D. D. 
Magnolia Grandiflora. — The Magnolias are in bloom 
earlier this season than last by about ten davs. A northern 
lady, an invalid, was saying a while ago, " 0, I hope I shall 
see the magnolias bloom before I go home,” and here they are 
before us. The trees are from fifty to sixty feet high, say the 
size of an oak or elm. The leaves are dark, glossy green, 
three inches by six, but some of the latest comers of leaves 
are a pale 6ea green and here and there in front of them the 
flowers are set. Is there any need of describing the flower ? 
It is as white as the calla, as large as a dinner plate, and the 
exquisite scent from it reminds us of the lemon verbena, only 
it is far more abundant aud diffusive. The buds are the size 
of a man’s fist, with a beautiful form and taper, and silken 
softness to tho touch. I picked a bud and flower for Easter 
Sunday and laid them on the little desk in the church, where 
\ 
