FOREST AND STREAM 
199 
calling it Microptems nigricans. Why does it tend more to 
confusion to call a species pike perch, Ohio salmon, or 
glass eye than to change its long accepted name of Lricio- 
perca to Stizostcdion f It used to he thought proper to allow 
the name given to a species by its first uescriber to stand, 
but the northern pickerel first described by Agassiz as 
Esox boreut has been in some mysterious way re-narned E. 
luceoides , which name, as far as I have been able to trace 
it, was first used by H. W. Herbert, aud by him wrongly 
attributed to Agassiz. Now, it is proposed to call this 
species E. cstor, a name hitherto applied to the musca- 
longe, that species to be known in future as E. nobilior. 
And so also with birds. Thirty years ago I could drive 
out half a dozen miles from Chicago and shoot prairie hens 
and partridges, and they belonged to the family Tetrao. 
Now I have to go 100 miles to find them, and they have 
changed their names as well as location; for under the 
new dispensation they are to be called Oupidonia and Bo- 
nam. Even our cliff swallow has lost his old familiar name 
of Hirundo, and henceforth flies under the polysylabic title 
of Petrochehdon lunifrons. 
Who shall decide when doctors disagree? Is not a con- 
gress of naturalists needed to settle once for all this matter 
of nomenclature? 8. C. Claiike. 
Collections for the Philadelphia Zoological Gar- 
dens.— Prof. G. Brown Goode, of the Smithsonian Insti- 
tution, has been down in Florida making collections for 
the Zoological Gardens in Philadelphia, which are accumu- 
lating specimens very rapidly. The Jacksonville Union of 
April 20th says:— 
Those who visited the wharf of the Charleston and Sa- 
vannah steamers on Thursday appeared to be greatly 
astonished by mysterious chatterings, scratchings, hissings, 
and rattlings proceeding from a pile of boxes in one corner 
of the warehouse. On investigaiion this proved to be a 
collection of living Florida animals on its way to the new 
Zoological Garden in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. The 
animals were collected by Mr. G. Brown Goode, of the 
Smithsonian Institution, during a stay of three weeks at 
Arlington, near Jacksonville. 
The collection includes a large proportion of the animals 
of the State adapted for exhibition in a zoological. garden, 
with the exception of the larger species of mammals, such 
as deer, bears, raccoons, lynxes, etc., which can be more 
readily obtained farther north, and birds which it was 
found impossible to secure at this season of the year. 
Among the mammals there arc two fine specimens of the 
Southern fox squirrel ( Sciurus vulpinus), one grey with 
black head, the other entirely black; an excellent instance 
of the “melanism” so common in this species; also a grey, 
or cat squirrel (Sciurus Caroline Mis), specifically identical 
with the grey squirrel of the Northern States, but smaller 
and more rufous upon the back. Also two salamanders 
(Gcomys pined), familiar to Floridians as the animals which 
undermine the pine barrens so extensively, throwing up 
countless little hillocks of loose sand; they are pouched 
rats, and closely resemble the pocket gopher ( Gcomys bur- 
sari us) of the Western plains, so great a pest to the agri- 
culturist. Eight or nine specimens were obtained, but 
only two were domesticated sufficiently to send North, the 
others dying or escaping. A young wood hare ( Lepus syb 
vaticus) is included, and an earth mole ( dcalops aquaticus), 
smaller and grayer than moles of the same species at the 
North. 
The only birds shipped weie ten pairs of quail ( Ortyx 
Virginianus), of the Florida form, which are smaller, dark- 
er, and have heavier bills than the Northern quail. A 
air of Carolina doves (Zcnaedura Carolincnsis), some paro- 
eets (Conurus Carolinensis), a marsh hen (Radius etigans), 
and a sparrow hawk (Falco sparccrius) were obtained, but 
all died in captivity before they could be shipped. 
A large alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis), over ten feet 
in length, occupied a large chest outside the house. Here 
a box containing twenty chameleons ( Anolius Carolinensis), 
in their liveries of green and scarlet, and twenty-five scaly, 
or alligator lizards (Sceloporus undulatus), and a pair of red 
headed lizards ( Plestiodon erythrocophalus), the scorpions so 
dreaded by the negroes, in spite of their harmless nature. 
Specimens of the wood lizard ( Lygosoma lateralis) and the 
snake lizard ( Ophisnunis ventralis), the so-called “glass 
snake,” or “joint snake,” were secured, but did not take 
kindly to captivity. The collection of snakes is especially 
complete, comprising, with a few exceptions, all the spe- 
cies which have been observed in Florida. Here are all 
the venomous snakes of the South — a pair of diamond rat- 
tlesnakes ( Crotalus adamanteus) from the Indian River coun- 
try, two ground rattlesnakes (Crotalophorus miliarius), a moc- 
casin, or cotton mouth (Ancislrodon piscivorus), and a pair 
of harlequins ( Elapsfulvius ), gorgeous in their bands of 
orange, black, and crimson. The garter snake ( Eutacnia 
sirtalis), the king snake (Ophidotus getulus), the bead snake 
( Ophibolm coccineus), the “calico” snake (Abaslor erylhro- 
rammus), with its delicate tints of rose and purple, are 
ere, as well as a pair of the red chicken snakes of the 
Floridians, (Coluber guttatus.) In one box are five slender 
black snakes ( Bascanion constrictor), in another a fine bull 
snake (Pityophis melanolucus), and the horn snake, or “rat- 
tlesnake’s pilot,” who greets his visitors with hisses and 
puffs like those of a small steam engine. Two boxes con- 
tain water moccasins, harmless water snake , usually con- 
fouuded with the poisonous moccasin, whir... belongs to 
the rattlesnake family. One is the Tropidon usfascuitus, 
the other, with a copper colored belly, Trop onotus ery- 
throgastcr. Other boxes contain several specim ns of two 
Bpecies of spreading adders ( Heterodon platyrhin « and II. 
almodes.) Specimens of the green snake t Cyclophis ueslivus) 
and of Coluber confinis escaped from their cages. 
Among the turtles we notice a barrel containing nineteen 
gophers, or elephant tortoises ( Xerobates oirolinus), the pe- 
culiar tortoise of the region, so much in favor with the 
peninsular negro for soups and other toothsomo culin ry 
compounds. Three large leatherback turtles (Platyrc is 
ferox), such as Barlram ilescibed in his Florida travels, pub- 
lished a century ago, occupy another cage. And here are 
two fine green turtles ( Chclonia mydas), taken in Trout 
Creek, and thus saved from the Jacksonville epicures. 
Another box contains nine yellow bellied terrapins (Ptychc- 
mysconcinna) and a specimen of the alligator terrapin, 
(Cinosternum Pennsylvanicum.) 
All the specimens shipped were in apparently healthy 
condition, aud will form a part of the Centennial Exhibi- 
tion of 1876. 
To sum up, the total number of specimens shipped iu 
healthy condition was 182, representing thirty -two species, 
distributed as follows: Mammals, five species; birds, one; 
lizards, four; serpents, sixteen; turtles, five; ampliibiaus, 
one. A number of Florida wild hogs have been engaged, 
and negotiations are being carried on for some manatees 
{Manat us Americanus) from the Indian River country. 
Two large tanks, containing a collection of the fishes of 
the St. John’s River, made in behalf of the United States 
Commission of Fish and Fisheries, were shipped at the 
same time. 
BIRDS WALKING UNDER WATER. 
Nashua, N. n„ April 28, 1875, 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
Some one writing to the St. John (N. B.) Telegraph says that while 
looking In the water from the Bay of Fnndy from the lantern of the 
lighthouse at Dlgby, N. S., a height of ninety feet, ho saw a flock of 
wild ducks, known as shell drakes, which suddenly dived down to an 
apparent dlstancs of Ufteen foet, spread on', like a fan. and began liter- 
ally to fly through the water, using their wings with a quick intermittent 
motion, while their lege and feet seemed only employed for the purpose 
of steering. In this way they darted here and thcro after small flub, 
which they seemed to cutch end swallow with great rapidity. 
I noticed lately In a work published In Cincinnati, Issued In monthly 
parts, entitled “The Birds of North America,” this description of the 
Great Northern Diver, Loon, or Stndcr: "Under water they stretch out to 
their full length, press wings and feathers closoto the body, and moving 
their feet only, shoot onward lake au arrow through the water." Now, 
I would not question that statement hadl I not been a witness a great 
many times to the manner In which they move through the water with 
snch astonishing raplllty. They nee their wings when swimming under 
water as they do in the air while flying. I think all aquatic fowl make 
use of their wings uudor water when in pursuit of their food. Jean 
For exhaustive article on this subject see description by 
Dr. Elliott Coues in Forest and Stream, Vol. 1, page 
149.— Ed. 
PARASITES ON FISH. 
Grand Rapids, Mich, April 26, 1875. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
I looking over your Answers to Correspondents I 'And a qnettlon In 
regard to grubs in black bass during certain seasons. In your answer 
you state that such parasites are common, but you don’t state anything 
In reply to their hurting the flesh of bass so Infected for food. Wo And 
bass from our river (Grand) infected during the month of August, and 
about until the 15th of September. By cutting out part of flesh near tho 
backbone, where we only And them, wo think no harm Is done to the re- 
mainder of the flsh, and if your correspondent “M. A B., Olean," will 
come out here, we will try aud satisfy him as above and also give him a 
chance to handle as tine a string of bass as he can wish, as I have taken 
in one afternoon, with an eight ounce rod, thirty-seven bass, weighing 
nearly elghty-flve pounds, and that during the month of Angust. 
Yours, Ac., Valley City. 
SPECIMEN BIRDS. 
6 Josltn Park. I 
Rochester, N. Y., April 80, 1875. J 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
The following may be worth inserting in your valuable paper: Dur- 
ing tho past week a flne specimen of Golden Eaglo was shot at W. Rush, 
Monroe county, and a specimen of Wild Swan (whistling, or Hooper) 
was shot at Mt. Morris, Wyoming county, both of which are in my lumds 
for preservation. Yours very respectfully, Thos. W. Fraine. 
|$! oadland , $<mn and <§arden. 
In Memoriam. — We turn our rules here in respect 
to the memory of the editor of this department of our paper, 
Mr. Luke Wyman, known to our readers as “Ollipod 
Quill,” who died at his residence in Arlington, Massachu- 
setts, April 29th, of heart disease, aged about sixty years. 
Mr. Wyman has been connected with this journal from its 
start, and has worked hard to promote Us interests. He 
was the uncle of John W. Hutchinson, gun dealer, Cham- 
bers street, this city, and for many years was associated 
with Mr. Downing in the publication of the Horticulturist. 
He was a keen sportsman and a devoted student of Nature. 
His death will be lamented by a large circle of friends. 
NEW METHOD OF CRANBERRY CUL- 
TURE. 
T HIS excellent and very profitable fruit has, during a 
series of years, almost changed its entire habits or 
forms of culture and location. We have frequent inquiries 
made for information, both general and special, as to tho 
best kuown methods of the cultivation of this fruit. Years 
ago and the cranberry plant was confined to the bog- 
meadow and overflowing low lands, where it brought forth 
abundantly or sparsely, according to location and capabili- 
ties of land and soils. Then we had to content ourselves 
with a comparatively small and meagre fruit termed “ wild 
meadow cranberry,” of a subacid taste, not to be compared 
in size or flavor with the nice red-cheeked specimen of to- 
day. The cultivation of the cranberry may now be looked 
upon as a complete success. It commands the first place 
in the catalogue of remunerative fruits, and deserves the 
most careful attention of the farming community. We 
well recollect tho days of the early history of the diminu- 
tive cranberry of our schoolboy days, and the hours we 
spent on the Lexington great meadows in gathering the 
little purple berries. True, the meadows were covered 
with short, stubby vines, full to overflowing with this 
fruit, and men, women, boys, and girls literally swarmed 
the meadows with picturesque and animated life, gathering 
cranberries with hands and rakes, each for himself ; and 
the quantity seemed exhaustless. This fruit then com- 
manded from $10 to $12 per barrel, and the weeks of cran- 
berry gathering were regarded by many persons in the 
vicinity of these meadows as not only a God-send, but a 
sort of carnival lime, for the poorer classes in particular. 
In these and other meadows such an idea as private 
property, or restrictions forbidding the gathering of the 
crauberry, wa9 unknown. On the Phinney or Simonds 
meadows, as they were called, the cranberry gatherers bad 
“ full run." The Harrington grounds often presented 
scenes of industrious hilarity and good cheer, as the well 
laden baskets and bags were filled and removed by these 
primitive cranberry gatherers. 
We could make a pleasant paper full of tho illustrative 
incidents of the times of these old meadow gatherings, 
but the manner of cranberry culture Uas, in many In- 
stances, changed almost entirely from tho old fashioned 
mode of letting them take care of themselves, now and 
then looking to “drainage and flowago," and a few minor 
matters that did not amount to any great outlay either in 
time or money. The cultivation of this fruit is no longer 
confined to low lands and wet locations, os of yore, but it 
is now cultivated upon higher lands, such ns dr)-, sandy 
loams, grounds suited for corn growing. It has become 
rather aristocratic in its acclimation aud habits, and, so far 
as my own careful observation serves, may bo easily and 
very successfully cultivated in our gardens with entire sat- 
isfaction and a plentiful yield of a much improved fruit 
both in size and flavor. 
The cranberry requires no more moisture than usually is 
found in most of our tilled arable soils. Fine cranberry 
beds may be mado upon dry, sandy loam, aiul if well cared 
for, will yield from three hundred and fifty to four hundred 
bushels per acre. I ltavo rarely found under the best yield 
upon what has been classed as fair cranberry meadow more 
than one-lmlf of the best crops under the old system of 
“ let them alone." The tesult of this method of improved 
cultivation is, as before remarked, a much larger fruit, of 
a fine dark color, very firm in its texture, a better flavor 
by far, and it ripens sooner than the fruit of tho old 
meadow. Having iu its new location adapted itself to its 
new soil it receives tho full benefit of a superior fertiliza- 
tion, together with an abundance of sun and air, both of 
which were strangers to it in its old home in tho meadows. 
If we add to the above the fact that under tho new method 
of culture it keeps better, longer, and retains its peculiar 
richness of flavor, we have another as great inducement in 
the ease with which it is cultivated. 
Cranberry growers will tell you to “ look out for Septem- 
ber frosts.” This applies to the old method of culture, 
but under the new method of up land culture, tho plants 
being stronger and possessing more foliage, the fruit hangs 
below and among the leaves, and is protectad from the 
September frosts, which often kill the entire crops upon 
the unprotected meadows. This being the fact, on high 
grounds the fruit can remain upon the vines until ready to 
atlier without danger from cold or frost. I have seen 
ruit gathered in the Spring which had remained on the 
vines during the Winter. 
It need not be told to those who have cultivated the cran- 
berry for market under various circumstances, 'hat it is a 
very hardy, close growing, trailing, evergreen shrub, of 
peculiar habits and characteristics, whether grown in the 
swamps, or the bogs, or in the cultivated garden. It has 
for many years been confined to the low, wet, swampy 
grounds, and cultivated under many difficulties, but noth- 
ing is more absurd than the thought that such locations 
were its only homo. Such fallacies have given place to 
the well attested fact that in tho higher grounds, tho gar- 
dens, and, in fact, almost any good soil, will grow au abun- 
dant crop. The situations on which the cranberry can be 
grown successfully and at comparatively small cost, nre 
such that we bulieve the futuru will witness a greatly in- 
creased cultivation of ibis splendid health-giving fruit. 
The upland cranberry will grow and thrive well upon dry, 
hard soil, yielding very good crops, and under wlint would 
be pronounced quite disadvantageous circumstances. Pre- 
pare your grounds, wherever they may he, as nearly as 
possible as you do for a good corn crop, and you will raise 
good cranberries, provided you pluut the right kind of 
cranberry plants. This, together with a good fertilizer as 
a stimulant, are among the first considerations in the 
science or art of raising the cranberry upon uplands. 
Ollipod Quill. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Melton, J., 8ag Harbor.— In regard fo your question as 
to “ old shrubberies," I give you a short extract from an 
article upon “Old Shrubberies, and Trontmont of the 
Same,” which will appear hereafter in hook form ; “ You 
frequently find, more particularly in old gardens, the 
borders skirted by a promiscuous assortment of all kinds 
of shrubbery ; they arc planted without any system, und 
it seems as though they came up just as it happened. Con- 
fusion, briars, aud often weeds hold revel here. Babbits 
and squirrels burrow in perfect pence, and an entire aban- 
donment of order reigns. In this case you cannot do much 
by way of improvement and elegance this year. Remove, 
if you please, first all weeds, and cut out all unnecessary 
briars, -if you leave this year the blackberry vines you 
mentioned, and the old red hawthorns, and give the same 
a good cleaning out ; remove the rabbits and squirrels to 
another reservation, and give a good coating of ntunuro, 
and let the evergreens, etc., and all tho other plants live. 
This is about all that can be done for tho first year on an 
‘ old shrubbery.’ ” 
Florence Mayo, St. Clair, N. J.— Your Cnpe jasmine 
will be made all right if you will procure from the woods 
enough good rich mold of decayed leaves, finely rotted, or 
such as may generally bo found under these leaves. Add 
to this soil one-third quantity of white sand and a generous 
handful of pulvorized charcoal ; shake out tho old soil 
from the roots of your jasmine, and if there are any 
worms to be seen about the roots wash in warm soap suds. 
Repot carefully in this soil, and this is ull there is about it. 
In warm Summer weather give your, 'pots the benefit of a 
half shade. 
Andrews, Methuen, Mass.— The cost of grading your 
pasture land would be uot far from this amount per ucre, 
viz. : Plowing deep and thoroughly, say $5 ; for removing 
rubbish and stones from the same, including roots, $15 ; 
harrowing well and scraping, $10 ; grading, shoveling, 
and raking, $25 ; after sowing grass seed, including seed, 
seeding, raking, and rolling, $10, muking a total of $05 for 
an acre. The cost of grading will, of course, decrease 
with the increase of the area gruded to a good lawn. Being 
familiar with this kind of work, I should say $70 would 
be the extreme outlay necessary. 
P P L., Hyan is, Mass.— The sample you call "earthy 
matter” came safely to hand. It is a specimen of tnunga- 
nese, a metal found in many soils. In combination with 
oxygen, associated with oxide of iron, it is found iu many 
of what are termed first class soils. You will find traces 
of its presence in the ashes of plants, but generally a pre- 
ponderance of iron will be found. Soils in which this is 
found are reckoned as good for the growth of pear trees. 
In the ash of the horse chestnut, and also the bark of the 
oak tree, will be found considsrable manganese, but no 
trace of iron. Ollifod Quill. 
