•Ornithology to adorn his little volume ; but as he does no. 
explain to bis readers the peculiar manner in which houses 
or misuses, some of them, I cannot admire his inlnSi v in 
the construction of one Cuban bird from two North wjfoan 
f&rAd" ,rankn “ s ' *•“* 
Audubo “' 88 ” Jf «*k ASsssry 
On iMfre 11 is plate 1, with figures 1 and 2. 
IMg. x. Falco peregrinus, Linn. Vulg. Spanish Hal 
-con is the male BuUo borealis, Gmel., token from “Audubon’s 
Bird 3 of America, vol. 1, plate 7 — the red-tailed ImranrA 
Fir 2. liuteo borealis, Gniol (Vulg. 8p., Gavilancoli— roioA 
I -embeye gives no description of this bird in his text. He 
constructed this figure from the two figures of the Peregrine 
falcon, F peregnnus plate 20 vol. 1. “Audubon’s Birds of 
America by placing the female falcon’s head upon the male fal- 
con’s body. In doing this lie probably studied the picturesque. 
In Audubon’s plate the male falcon had pounced u^on a green- 
winged teal, while the female was devouring a gadwal duck 
Having made his one new Buleo borealis out of two sexes' 
Lenabeye aUows this interesting bird to rest upon the gadwa’l 
duck. The whole may be called not a copy of, but a com- 
position from, Audubon. 
Plate No. 2.— Fig. l. Pandion halicelus. 8av. Vulg Rn 
Sali€°-„J^ d u n A iD u teD 3^ l ? an imitation of figure in 
pkte lo vol. 1. “Audubon's Birds of America,” but the colors 
are not 'Chose of the fish-hawk, 
Plate No. 3.— Fig. 1. Astur fusem Gmel. Vulg. Sp 
Cenaicalo morado. The attitude, coloring etc are tolerahlv 
good. Fig. 2. Buteo latissimus. Wils. Vulg ’ Sn Hair' 7 
^le Monte This figure is taken from Audubfn-vol Ww 
aO-the broad-winged buzzard. Lembeye gives this figS 
'without alteration from the original of Audubon h,??. ! 
-coloring rs veiy far from the truth Fig i w! , tbe 
urvAitnga (?), Ouv. Vulg. Sp, Batista. 
bird «n Audubon's work, the Catalonian oi'Sholo !", 6 ' hl ? 
having anything better to copy, evidently took Sip n , ot 
Sp. 
watching a turtle, or tortoise on Up0n a bank 
bird upon a leafless branch of afree^d !w )eye put8 r the 
“markings” on the feathers ° mi , ts 8 ? me oC the 
necessary for a true representation of f hJ» gina !,® rt i 8t b ^. ieved 
Noclua nudipes, Daud Vulg Sn o ® ub J ect ' T Fi S- 2. 
find in this bird any particular rp£ m hF° tUn ‘°' } cannot 
■ Gunicularia or other owls Let, us liotSHwT to Audubon ’ 8 
some of his illustratwJas f rom nature P nVwS C “ bey f ■ ■ COpied 
benefit of the doubt, since the sS p fml l glve him lhe 
»ngina, of a* igoro'^oTTe 'LTerSnT ^ 0aU '° th ' 
5 SP J^ ?rdr, ri . Can0 ' T . he author copie* Audubon, Vol. 
heHEdhill -LV lbe . exceptl0n of tko outline figure of the 
Plate i 18 ?°o repreBentcd i Q Lembeye's plate. 
Rn and . A Str& P s tti* interpret, Linn. Vulg 
page231 P An,b,h r0m ‘ Audub °o’s Birds of Am.” Vol £ 
? e s„Tnn;^ A . d bou represen, 8 the two Turnstones as “ No 
SEES? aL h thSemdef 
ft r.r iat sl°' ~^ m / r J , yP er ^ T fus, Gmel. Vulg. Sp. Guam 
~” a ' 8tC Audubon’s Birds of Am.” Vol. 6 page 212 
Lerabevp 0S ^n P ° a PP r eciate the constructive genius of 
y » . m , ust examiQ e Audubon’s plate of the snow 
fo? from 0 ?! alsothat ? flh c American swan, (Vol. 6, page 226 ) 
for irorn these two birds has the artist made up the curious 
publ?MSeT hlCh i tlle C > ,al&nian orD ‘tbologist gives to the 
the snow S '! ^ h yn boreus - ln Lembeye’s plate • 
„ n e | r D ™ goose the reader will recognize Audubon's Am- * 
wdb a North American water lily upo- 
face of the pool. The feet ot the swan, mo** u 
coverts and its neck are given, while the da--' ^ its wing 
tbi^np^i 11 ,,“ 0W go08t ;- are P ul upon it - .< WiP£, primaries 
«,'S 
„ Plate 18. — P. f .^WVopfetented. ' oL 
given by Audubon. Wrd 18 a fa,r cop y of the figures 
demaoto^e'm? r a TwZtl Sp - Gaviota 
Am.” Vol. d page 55 Py fr ° m Audubon ’ 8 Birds of 
ofi-toSiS wSTemik ' l ihat'i? i! ' d3 - ° f '“f, , Ia '“« 01 
port Don Juan Lembeve Sfl!! lt ,- 18 l “ po8Slbl ° to sup- 
r ^e 
which many of them have been babeve tbat the misuse to 
IsUce George" W^ct N . Y . H ' »««<*• 
bef o7 Fo^stT° M « THE WS€T LndiE8 -^ a recent num- 
somn nfTr 7 AND BAit Wa8 aQ account of 
some of theadven ufesbf Fred Beverly, the special corres 
-sfand 
483 
on to it for several hours, evidentlv feeding :* , - 
few days later a small water snake! eleve^Sif 
StettS 0 thC a( * uarium « il immediately -* A 
seizing it in the same manner as the turtle—* -ong, hav- 
ine neck. A desperate struggle ensued. r attacked it, 
for his life, but in a few momenta hi- ’ the back of 
around ns to dislocute the vertebre fi 8htlog hard 
In this case we could not fin-' -« «*d was forced so far 
- a»d he ceased to wriggle. 
.Wle wound of the beuk. al'- 
though Mr. Baker exam 
would seem that the w 
„ v- ^ *vuunu oi me beak, al- 
clung to the snake tb ? sn " ke carefully; yet it 
• ^ have existed, as the insert 
beiDg forced 
ruge, scudd 
at a sti-’ 
sue 
/ / ■ - Hgure can* 10 * he ascertained Fta a V n , ‘ Journa1 ' ™ has been exploring the Island 
■ imitation^ »’ ue original than anv A betler S vlu undergone wbi 'e engaged in the arduous 
Plate Na , ^ lDal l ban aQ y Previous imitations. task which has occupied him for two years, have been ex- 
‘ * u “ v « existed, as the 
.vwTlta L«d d appcarcd to be feeding. On 
stream and pond for miles iou5’*and fJinw! i ir !' g ? ed ever 7 
A Sassiz with thousands of specimen m , ed tho1a,e Pr °L 
Wrrt'town, Pa., June aSflsTO ’ ' '“"VS ^ 
das etc VVe wtl P con,atoln 8 the harvest-flies cica^ 
from them several years P Tlio h™,^' ^ 181 /owj8 ' and bred 
=ver .howed a oy InSionTo? fe"* W P-Wen 7 . 
about five years old, began to havS’ whh« hen ' when 
each moulting the whltefeathera fealhcrs - and at 
eventually she became entirely whlte-et^g? n ' irpcrou B. and 
legs and bill, aud even her S-naila i n V 6 * " #nd l l uill > 
eyes a beautiful pink At ton & Pa l “ r # ncd wb,te > and her 
nest. I have noticed rhb^n 7 • uge f h S d »ed on Lor 
in several S£es ^ tCQdeUCy ,n tbo black Spanish fowta 
Very truly yours, ■ 
“ “ "f kn0w 1 n ’ *• — ency t „ ^ “S 
s.ow,; n stato of mture - 
auction. He slyi! ° le W ‘” Cl ‘ b “ r ’ »“ tM 
PteN? VIST 1 tb “" »“r previous imitationa. 
tPeti-Bohc m. ?■ Vtrzo gundlachii. Lemb. Vulg. Sp 
WM M? *A . Tb,sblrd was first described by bembeye and 
Tvho V ‘ ied lD t boD( J r ? f u- D f'r G'indlach, a German naturalist 
.as spent most of his life in Cuba. This fianre was nrnh 
* bl j copied from the true Virco gundlaeMi. Fig 2 AnSbaUs 
f' riuindina. Lemb. Vulg ( gp. Chillina. This splcfe? 
like the preceding one, Avas described by Lembeye. and min^ 
represent the original bird. Fig. 3. Muscicap* 'clizabetl 
Lemb. Vulg. Sp. Ruisenor. Like the t*o preceding 
birds this was described by Lembeye, and may have beef 
figured from nature. 1 
Plate 6— Fig. 1. Uelinaia btrfimanii. Vulg So Gor 
gtnegra. The position nnd markings of Bachman's VVarbler 
are similar to the figure ih Audubon’s, vol. 2. pace OS 
ib.it the colors are very unlike those in the oridnaV 
% Vulg. Sp. Mariposa Galana. Copied 
from “Audubon a Birds of Am.” Vol. 2, page 68. Position and 
markings of the bird approach the original in Audubon but 
the colors are not similar. Fig. 3. S. (estiva. Vulg ’ Sp 
Caneno de mangier. A tolerable counterfeit of the yellow 
[poll wood warbler in “ Audubon’s Birds of Am ” Vol 2 
ipage 50. Fig. 4 Helinaia vermivora. Vulg. Sp. ‘ Gusanero.’ 
VJopied from Auduhon’s Birds of Am.” Vol. 2 paee 86 
A fair imitation in all but colors, which are much lighter thaii 
an the original. b 
Plate 7.— Fig. 1, Uirundo americana. Wils. Vulg Sd 
'Goloudrina Biferoada. The swallows iu Audubon vol 1 
-page 180. are both upon the nest, but Lembeye gives’bis figure 
■of the same bird soaring in the air. Fig. 2. H. bicolor Vieill 
Vulg Sp. Golondrina verdosa. The author copies Aubu- 
*ou s figure of this species, but does not give the violet or 
bluish back, but substitutes a decided green not natural to 
itbe bird. Fig. 3. H.ripara. Linn. Vulg. Sp. Golondrina 
Ribariega. 1 his sand martin is copied from Audubon vol 
1, page 187. The coloring is but a poor imitation Fie 4 
Cypselus tjradii, Lemb. Vulg. Sp. Vencejo Cubano. Prob- 
ably copied from the original bird described by Lembeye 
PlateS.— Fig. 1. U. ludovieianus, Linn. Vulg. Sp * De 
gollado. The best imitation of any bird the author has copied 
(from Audubon. Taken from “Audubon’s Birds of Am” 
Vol. 3, page 209. Fig 2 . C cairuUus. Vulg. Sp, Azulejo 
ret). Nearly so good as the last; also copied from Au- 
dubon. 
Plate 9.— Fig. 1 and 2. Icterus Baltimore, Linn. Vule 
Sp ' „ T , r r upia ]' A go „ od cop y Lom “Audubon’s Birds 6f 
Atu ' Vol. 4, page 37. Fig 3. Agelaius assimilis , Gund. 
Vulg. Sp. Chirriador. Here Lembeye commits a sin by 
giving the figure of the Agelaius phcenictus. Lino., an old aud 
well-known North American bird for the Cuban species dis- 
covered by Dr. Gundlach. The figure he selects to represent 
the Cuban bird is taken from “Audubon's Birds of Am.” 
Vol. 4, page 31. 
Plate 10.— Fig. 1. M. varia, Linn. Vulg. Sp. Biiirita 
Trepadora. The position of the bird is altered from the one 
given by Audubon. Fig. 2. O. Helena i. Gund. Vulg Sp 
Auazuncito. This was, probably, figured from the original 
Plate 1 1 . —Ardea lentiginosa, Swains. Vulg. Sp Alca- 
raban. The two bitterns are bad imitations of the American 
bittern, and were copied from “Audubon's Birds of Am ” 
Vol. 6, page 94. 
Plate 12 .— Ardea brunnescens, Gund. Vulg. Sp. Aquai- 
ta-caiman oscuro. The water scene and a house with a chim- 
ney is not a Cuban landscape. It was probably taken some- 
where from Audubon. The figure of the bird may or may 
not have been copied from nature. 
Plate 13.— Outlines of the heads of two birds. Fig 1 
Ardea eubensis, Gund. Vulg. Sp. Garza cubana. Fig' 
i. HemipaUima minor, Gund. Vulg. Sp. Sarapiquito. 
Plate 14.— Fig. 1. Homatopus palUatus, Temm. Vulg 
v .. v# J vui o, UU v C DCCI1 (jX- 
treme, and he has proved himself a veritable martyr to sci- 
ence one of tbat large and noble company who patiently en- 
dure all the evils which stand so thickly in the way of the 
^ptorer, and of whom the world so seldom hears. Although 
Mr. Ober has been shipwrecked and several U mes pros- 
trated by fever be has gallantly persevered, and we arc now 
enabled to announce some further results of his investigations. 
The good work which Mr. Ober has done in collecting is 
appreciated by our batUValists, and in the department of or- 
nithology his labors have been especially successful We 
have before referred to a paper by Mr. Geo. N. Lawrence, 
describing a number of new b rds seat from Santo Domingo, 
and we have now to call attention to another article taken 
from the annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, in 
which the same writer announces seven additional species 
from the Island of St. Vincent. 
After completing his explorations in Dominica Mr. Ober 
proceeded to St. Vincent ; but while there he was attacked 
by a fever, from which he did not entirely recover for nearly 
four months. Even after his restoration to health his col 
lecting was very seriously interfered with by the almost con 
stant rains. The collection made in St. Vincent comprises 
ninety specimens, representing thirty-five species, of which 
seven, as already remarked, are new to science. Besides the 
specimens forwarded to Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Ober enumerates 
twenty-four others which he either saw or had reported to 
him as undoubtedly inhabiting the island. Mr. Lawrence 
announces that he hopes before long to be able to give a com- 
plete catalogue of the birds of the island, together with some 
notes on their habits, derived from the collectors’ field notes. 
The new specimens here described are as follows : Turdas 
nigrirostris, Myiadestes sibilant, Thryothorus musicus, Certhi- 
ola alrata, Certhiola saccharina, Leucopeza bishopi, dedicated 
to our friend and frequent correspondent, Mr. N. H. Bishop, 
of Lake George, and Galliste versicolor. 
Rapacity of the Boat-fly— Editor Forest and Stream : 
I venture to ask you for information in regard to a straDge 
water insect caught near our town. It was found by some 
boys in an old quarry filled with water and presented to my 
neighbor, Mr. J. S. Baker, who placed it in his aquarium to 
observe its habits and study its character. In a few days it 
showed habits of such extreme voracity and a disposition so 
ferocious as to attract numerous visitors. No one, however, 
had ever seen anything like it. The insect— for insect, fully 
developed and perlec 1 , it is— is 2§ inches Jong by J wide 
across the back ; of a dark brown or dirty black color. It has 
six legs, all armed with powerful claws at the extremities. 
The front set appear to be used to seize its prey ; the second 
set it employs in cliDgiDg to objects (under water) when at 
rest, and the hind legs it uses to propel itself through the 
water. These are flattened and shaped much like the flippers 
of a crab (I send drawing). Its head is armed with a 
powerful, lancelike beak, which is folded back when not in 
use. After being in the aquarium several days, it attacked a 
small turtle, about the size of a silver half dollar. Springing 
on the back of the turtle, it seized and held it with its middle 
and bind leg9, then grasping the turtle's head with one of its 
fore claws, it drew it out of the shell and forced it to one 
side, then inserted its beak into the carotid, suckiDg its blood. 
The turtle died in a short time. The insect, however, held 
and Stream a°nd Knfi “° C J l T Ckcn ’ deflcribcd in Forbst 
s y r- ho A a tf b wl a ° ftWssKt 
ZV V °w»w A T u, “? -Ground, Of 
tne press. Wolves, it is said a pack of them, have escaned 
Zoological Garden, and are ravaging 
the whole of I ennsylvamo. Notwithstanding the heat of the 
season, the Russian sledge story has been repeated, and how 
vonred h“ n »i nw , 0Ut her twiD8 aud l,er be «t bonnet to be de- 
°^ d by he . wolvcs - Wbcn last beard of, the wolves lmd 
attacked a train on the Stony Creek Railroad, after having 
stopped a farmer on the Germantown turnpike and devoured 
his horses and all his 75 cents-a-pound butter. Seriously 
alarmed, we addressed one of the directors of the Philadelphia 
Zoo., who has calmed down our fears, as follows : 
j* tbe regular canard which always turns up this time 
year, in place of the ci-devant big gooseberry which fprl 
the reporters during the summer. We liavo no wolvis nSr 
S^fifnn ‘ H g C ?“ PL 'c fmm the Zo °- There may bo a Custer 
not ‘°r a 80 a • t ! t0Dy L’ rcek Railroad, but I know them 
not. Last summer it .was the wild-cat, and so on. 
»„ An A ?? , 1 n0 Lehr. Wc know of a white male deer auito 
tame, which can be had at a reasonable price in New Bruns- 
gardens lhlS alWn ° ° Usht 10 be put in 80me of our zoological 
HABITS OF THE RATTLESNAKE. 
Camp Bowib, Arizona, June T. 18T8. 
Editor Forest and Stream .- 
I was ranch lot-rested by an article on the CroUMdce, which appeared 
ln your paper of May 9, Though I consider the question, •• Of what use 
is the raitle to Its possessor,” as far from heiog answered as ever. 
It the rattle Is a call by which the sexes are brought together, why do 
we never hear It unless we have alarmed the snake 7 When stationed 
ln Western North Carolina 1 often, when ln the mountains trout fish 
log, saw and killed rattletnakes, but never heard one unless I was so 
close as to be ln danger of stepping on lt-once within four feet of one 
lying directly in my path, and on which I should have trod m two sec- 
onds. It rattled without putting Itself ln coll, and when I stopped 
(which I did promptly, and with a peculiar feeling runniDg up my back) 
It crawled slowly and silently away with the rattles curved up so as not 
to touch the ground, and not making the slightest noise. I suppose I 
should have let it go for having spared me, but I did not. 
With regard to :he rattle attracting birds, from Its resemblance to 
the sound made by certain grasahoppers, I thiok It improbable. 
I never saw birds hunting gruasboppera by ear, and though I have often 
watched and listened tograsshoppeis making their peculiar sound, I 
never yet saw a bird attracted by It. 
Two years ago this summer, 1 kept two large rattlesnakes In a well 
lighted box, and was Interested by observing their hubits. I was most 
surprised by their fondness for water, f gave them a large panful 
every second day, into which they would put their entire bodies, going 
to the bottom and seeming to enjoy It extremely. Of course, they re- 
mained under but a short time, ln drinking,' they drew the water 
between their lips as a horse does. I never could Induce one of ther* 
(the largest) to eat, but the other, a Due fellow with eleven laitifJ- 
begao at the end of two months by devouring a king snake (Oj-Affto 
