FOREST AND STREAM 
391 
AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN WOOD- 
COCK. 
wnrron Foukst and Stiikam:— 
Sportsmen often usk, "Wl.nl b the difference between tin, Engl .h 
«nd American woodcock?" Now. as the auction I* ffcnerul. I tfve the 
following notes for the boneflt of .port..., cn. who nrc InteroHcd scien- 
tifically In game bird*. The European Scotopax rustloola L n large. dark 
colored bird, nearly twice the x,/.e of It- American relative; yet he 
marUlne- of both specie* are almost the »om«. T he black bar running 
from the nostril to the eye. and a similar bar from the cheek to the hack 
of the neck and the four black patchea on the back of the head and 
nock of both species are proportionately the same. The general colora- 
tion or the European woodcock In darker than that of the American 
bird particularly the under part*, which are crossed with Irregular liars 
of brownish black. The tails of both species vary In color, yet they 
both have (lie characteristic dark ashy edges extending nearly half an 
Inch from the extremities of the feathers. The legs and bills of the 
two species are of the sumo shape and color, and the primaries and sec- 
ondaries have their edges ashy, and was it not for the plain rusty breast 
and dlinlnntlvenoss of our common Phtlohela minor the species would 
hardly bo recognizable save by the practiced eye of tho ornithologist. 
Doth species generally have fourteen tail feathers, although I have cx- 
utnlncd specimens of the two kinds that had but twelve aud thirteen 
feathers in their tails. The lulls vary In length ua follows: Hcolopax rut- 
llrttlo 3 12, 3. 10, 8.05; Philoheta minor 2 75, 2 115, 2.55. I can see no dif- 
ference in the form of tho nostrils In the foreign and native species. 
The females of both lire much larger than tno males, winch is charac- 
teristic of the snipe family. If some of our sportsmen could but bag a 
bruce of the large, long billed foreigners It would amply repay them for 
a hard day's work In our delightful (?) Long Island cover. Could the an- 
cestry of tile two species of woodcock be traced I think they would tnrn 
out to bu blood rolutioua, though I behove intermediate varieties arc 
wanting. J. II. Batty 
CENTRAL PARK MENAGERIE. 
DarAUTMEUT or 1‘itblio Parks, I 
New Yoiik, .July 25. 1875. ) 
Animals received at Central Park Menagerie tor the week ending July 
21th. 1875:- 
One Opossum, Didtlphys Virginian/!. Presented by Mr. lierman 
Schmidt . 
Two Night Herons, Nyctiardca gardenl. Received In exchange. 
One Condor, Sarcorhamphus gryphus. Captured near the Cauqnenccs 
Mountains, south of Santiago, Chili. Presented by Rear Admiral N. 
Collins, U S. N„ commanding United States naval force South PaciQc 
•lotion. W. A. Conklin, Director. 
The following arc recent arrivals at the Philadelphia 
Zoological Garden:— 
Garden op tiie Zoological Society, I 
FAiiiMorar Paiik. Puiladklpuia, July 2<Uh, 1875. | 
Six common Boas, Itoa constrictor Purchased. 
Five Yellow Fronted Amazons, CrysoU* otrocephala . Purchased 
Oue Kiislmanse, Qrnturchu* obsenru*. Presented by J Stockholm 
Four Triiridcr's Capromys, Capromyi pUoride*. Presented by E. T. 
Cnbada 
One Tasmanian Devil. Diurgurus ortirtur. Purchased. 
One Burcbell Zebra, Kguus barcheUii. Purchased. 
Two Brazilian Taoirs, Tapiru* UrrestrU Purchased 
Two Wan Hogs, Phacochoertu aethopiau. Purchased. 
Threo Crested Porcupines, Uysltix crUlata. Purchased. 
One Seal, Photo vitulina. Purchased. 
Two Mandrills, Vynocephalu* rnoivion. Purchased. 
One Sooty Maugabcy, Cercocttn/s fuhginotus. Purchased. 
One White-nosed Monkey, Cereopxtheeus petaurieta. Purchased. 
Two Ostriches, StrutMo can* tin*. Purchased. 
Oue Wood Ibis, Taulidu * loculator. Purchased. 
Two Alligators, Alligator UUeUrippientlt . Purchased. 
Two Rufus Itat Kangaroos, Stypslprimnui ruf retreat. Born in Gar- 
dens. 
Four Northern Sea Lions, Eurnatoplas steUeri. Purchased. 
One Mouse, A Ices machlis. Purchased. 
%jjtfoodland, Jfjarm and (garden. 
Tue Delaware Peach Crop.— The peach growers of 
the Maryland and Delaware peninsulas have met in con- 
vention and agreed that their crop of this lucious fruit this 
year will be not less than 8,000,000 baskets; so we may 
expect them to he cheap aud abundant. It is not always, 
however, that the consumer reaps the benefit of a bouuti- 
ful harvest. Dealers and middlemen usually enter into 
combinations to keep prices up, while the producer is 
squeezed down to the lowest point. About the 1st proximo 
the trade is expected to he fairly opened, although some 
of the earlier varieties may reach us sooner. The arrange- 
ments for transportation are on an immense scale. Quick 
trains are to run to New York, Boston, and even to Maine, 
at a rate of speed hitherto unparalleled. Eleven hundred 
and fifty cars have already been leased to growers and 
branch railioads, to be used in the New York trade, while 
the Old Dominion Steamship Company will do a heavy 
business between Lowes and New York. A new enter- 
prise is the opeuing of direct communication between the 
peach country and interior cities, and hv this means grow- 
ers anticipate doing business quicker and mukiug greater 
profit, by doing away with middlemen. These arrange- 
ments extend as far as Chicago and St. Louis, aud are 
made direct willx the Pennsylvania aud Baltimore aud 
Ohio Railroads. 
It is also proposed to fit up the between decks of Euro- 
pean steamers with immense refrigerators and carry thou- 
sands of baskets across the Atlantic in this manner. 
—A revision of the sub order Tulipca\ by .T. G. Baker, 
bus recently appeared in The Journal of tho Linneun Society, 
ot interest to American botanists. This group of six 
genera and 170 species is confined to the north temperate 
zmie, having its largest development in Eastern Asia, but 
ranging largely on the oue side to Europe and on the other 
to California aud tho Rocky Mountains. The tulip is the 
only genus not represented in Ament a, the lily extending 
across the continent aud the fritillary slopping short at the 
Reeky Mountains. On the other hand, the enlochortus, 
numbering twenty species or more, i.s limited to our more 
Western Territories. Of the half-dozen erythroniums, one 
is restricted to the old world, the rest to the now. It is 
•jugular Hint a species in the smallest genus (Lloydui srrotina) 
•houlvi ho the oue most widely distributed of ull lh<j lily* 
“ibe uuil wily pjjg (il&l jo foully tuvlic Of ulpiue. 
Ardtilons— Bodle dr Nieoe,— A mong the many orna- 
mental plants offered by the Mallow Family, the abutilons 
take a high rank. One of these, Abutilon striatum, has been 
a long while in cultivation, and is now quite common under 
the rather absurd name of “flowering maple," no doubt so 
called from the resemblance of the leaves in shape to those 
of the maples. This is one of those plants that satisfy the 
most exacting grower, ns it will bloom all the year round; 
it is easily managed as a window plant, and when set out 
in the garden in Summer, it proves attractive there. The 
principal objection to it as a window plant, is its ten- 
dency to grow out of hounds, and as many cultivators are 
too fond of their plants to use the knife to them, wc often 
see this grow out of all proper shape. No plant more 
needs judicious pruning, and none repays it better than 
tliis; it is so very tractable that it may he made to assume 
any desired form, and may be grown as a pyramid, well 
furnished with branches from the base upwards, or it may 
be pruned to a clean trunk, with a tree like head at any 
desirable height. This tree-form is very eflodivc when 
planted out on the lawn in Summer, and it is well adapted 
for the window, as its head can be quite above Hie lower 
growing plants. Another reason for its popularity is the 
ease with which it is propagated, cuttings of the half-hard- 
ened stems taking root readily. The flue cleau handsomely 
shaped leaves of this abutilon, together with'iLs gracefully 
pendulous, bell-shaped, curiously veined flowers, make it a 
very desirable plant. A variety with the leaves handsome- 
ly blotched with golden yellow, is one of the few variega- 
ted plants that are satisfactory at all times. This, which 
is called Abulilon Thompsoni, is equally manageable with 
the plain form, and whether grown indoors with partial 
shade, or out in full sun, its makings are clear and brilliant; 
this form does not flower so freely as the plain. Another 
species, A. venosum, has larger and darker flowers than A. 
striatum, but is not so well calculated for window culture 
Between these two there are several hybrids with florist’s 
mimes. These plants are very useful in green houses and 
conservatories, for training up to pillars or against walls, 
they bear pruning so readily, that they may be made to 
adapt themselves to either place. — American' Agriculturist. 
TnE Army Worm. — This pest has made its appearance 
in Suffolk county, L. I., and is doing irreparable damage. 
In the vicinity of Sayville, entire fields of oats aud corn 
have been destroyed, and the cry is still they come. 
Rubber Cement. — Four ounces of pure India rubber, 
oue eighth of an ounce powdered asphaltum, put together 
in a tin can, then add about six timis the quantity of ben- 
zine, let it stand three or four days, then take a stick and 
work it over, then add benziue and stir it well until you 
have it about the consistency of honey; theu it is ready for 
use. It should be covered as tight as possible while dis- 
solving, and afterwards. To use it, scrupe the polish from 
the rubber, then apply the cement to the place to be mend- 
ed, and also to a piece of rubber to be used as a patch. 
Dry half an hour, and apply another coat, then, after an- 
other half hour, press the patch into the place over the 
break. Like all other preparations contaimngbcnzine.it 
must be kept away fiom fires, as it as explosive as burning 
fluid. 
— The following method for the preservation of fruit 
lias been patenteu in England: — The fruit is placed in a 
vertical vessel in layers, separated by layers of pulverized 
white sugar, and is then covered with alcohol of 80° Gay 
Lussac. After twelve hours the closed vessel Is inverted 
and the maceration allowed- to contiuue for twelve to 
seventy-two hours, according to the nature of the fruit, 
which is then removed and allowed to drain aud dry. 
About two pounds of sugar and two pounds of alcohol are 
recommended for four pounds of fruit. 
— There is a vast difference in the flavor of eggs. Hens fed 
on clean, sound grain, anil kept on a clean grass run, give 
much finer flavored eg»s than hens that have acces to stable 
and manure heaps, and eat all kinds of filthy food. Hens 
feeding on fish and onions flavor their eggs accordingly, 
the same as cows eating onions or cabbage or drinking 
offensive water, impart a bad taste to milk and butter. 
— One fourth of the area of Prus ua is in forest, the most 
of which is controlled and preserved by the Government. 
In Hanover alone there are nine hundred thousand acres of 
wood under State management. 
—The Japanese are shipping bricks to California, and 
sell them cheaper than those made in that State, notwith- 
standing there is an ad valorem duty of 20 per cent, on 
them. The .Japanese brick is 8i inches long, wide, and 
2J inches thick. 
$he fennel. 
— The New England Agricultural Association and the 
New Hampshire State Society will this year hold their 
annual fairs in conjunction, the time named being the 
early part of September next and the place Manchester, 
N. II. At the same time will be held a bench show of all 
breeds of dogs. “Mohawk" has been invited to read a 
paper on canine matters, before the Association. Plunket, 
tho dog recently imported by Dr. Goldsmith, will be on 
exhibition. 
—A new kennel to be known as the Asheroft kennel, has 
been established in England, the stock comprising the best 
portion of the Rev. Mr. Lee’s late kennel, all red Irish 
dogs, tho compliment to he completed with selections from 
the best Irish kennels, 
—Mr. Jacob Glahn, of West Meriden, has sent his fine 
liver-colored pointer bitch, Fau, to visit Old Phil, at Mr. 
Waddell’s Newton Kennels. Fan is full sister to Mr. 
Strong’s Prudence, winner of first prize in her class at the 
Springfield show, and is a fine stylish dog, raukiug among 
tho very best in the country. 
Announcement.— At Fox Farm, Morris Plains, N. J., 
on tho 21st Inst., Polly, black and white, of three fine 
whelps, sired by Pride of the Border. Polly is ayoune 
bitch by Colburn’s Dash, dam, Mr. Rinks’ imported Irish 
hitch. With tho stock they inherit, Polly’s whelps should 
turn out rare ones. 
MR. LAVERACK’S SYSTEM OF BREED- 
ING. 
Tub "Retreat,” Belle Forte, formerly Black* and White*, i 
Nottoway county, Va., July 2lib, 1875. ( 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
Your able correspondent. "Dry Land." In a letter which waa pnblubed 
10 * communication from m. 
! lr ~* ,h ‘ tthe " c * 0Ter * 1 eonUemrn In England pe.fectly able to 
furnish ns pure Laverack* a* Mr L himself." and goM on to «ay -that 
ir any one bought a dog with a pedigree purporting to he pure Lav.- rack 
from , «uch English gentlemen a* Messrs. Price. Hemming, and Ll.wel- 
1 *'.. a ‘ p " re n '" 1 “ rel, «Wo a* If purchased from Mr. L. him- 
-cir. Thin Is all very well a« far ox knowlne that the dog so purchased 
came from tlm loins of a pure Lavcrack, but as Mr L. has frequently 
dated, I do not like crosses, and especially thoso of Mr A* 
B rule, English gentlemen do not biy other men's breed, of dogs to sell 
again, hut purchase wholly for the purpose of amalgamating a fashion- 
able and successful breed with their own kennels, aud, moreover, rarely 
xe I the but at all. unless relinquishing breeding. In my humble union 
it la Impossible for noy one to breed put* Laverack Belter* except Mr. L. 
Ill |x.T«on. und when the old gentleman die*, (which event, we trust, will 
be remote.) then there will be an end, not to the Laverack blood, but the 
great Judgment and discretion In mating, which has achieved such brll 
Pant successes in the Held trials and bench shows of the world. When 
a dog und bitch leave this kennol (Mr. L.*s) they also leave their master'! 
eye, his plun of feeding, his system of giving medicines, his blending of 
colors and dispositions, and, In fact, the general routine on which bis 
kennel is conducted. Supposing one has a pure dog and bitch pur- 
chased from the founder of this system, the progeny of thoso animals 
are of course pure, and literally so. but does one know how to proceed 
to mate these dogs so os to give certain colors, temper, speed, endur- 
ance, nose, style? "There's the rub." Tho direct written instruction* 
from Mr. L would be undoubtedly of great value to the purchaser, pro- 
viding he did not know everything himself, hut I should prefer the pres- 
ence of Mr. L., and un looking carefally and handling the doge he would 
be able to state, mate such and such a one; whereas, on the contrary, 
none of us having had the long anil varied experience with one strain 
might hit or miss, and so trust to chance. ThU breed has not been 
brought to Its present perfection by »uch hazardous mating, but by a per- 
fect system of breeding known ouly to Mr. L It is true that several 
English gentlemen have met with great success In the Held and dog 
shows with the Laverack strain, some retaining the original blood, oibers 
crossing with tbclr own kennels. I should much llko to see this con- 
tinue. 
Is the question of breeding animals aU In the parity of the stock? 
In my opinion there is nearly as much credit to be given to the breeder 
in mating os there is to the purity of blood. Thl. will apply more espe- 
cially to the breeding of animals that have a large progeny. How many 
well-known breed* ate extinct, or have much deteriorated at the present 
day, owing to the death of original owners, and the evident Incapabili- 
ties of fancy purchasers to mate Judiciously? Gentlemen on this side 
of the water who are purchasing Laveracks are not buying them for 
Held purposes, but ns stock dogs and brood bitches, so «s to perpetuate 
this well-known blood among oar first-class native performers, and also 
to keep this breed pure and intact as It can be without the actual super- 
vision of tho judge, and when thoroughly acclimated, original* the 
American Laverack Our friend "Dry Land" states "they nro too fast 
and rangy for this country " This is a vast country, and embrace a great 
vnrl-ty of soil, climate, and cover, bat like most other writers, be haws bis 
assertions on particular States. As regards Virginia, for instance, where 
most of the gentlemen shoot on horseback, one would suppose that • 
setter with the speed of a grayhoond and the endurance of a wolf woaid 
be most Buiuble^ If the Laverocks are so fast and rangy I am glad to 
bear It, as It Is a good fault In an animal, und very easily Dined down; 
bnt I mast say I have never noticed It, oitber In this country or abroad 
This breed are not particularly headstrong; on the contrary, they are sub- 
missive and obedient, and of all breed*, Jnst the one to mate w ith the 
headstrong Irish American setters. I woaid suggest not to cross this 
breed with the black and tans, unless they show excessive speed, ax it 
w ould be hard to improve the nose of the Gordons. The theory of color* 
in dogs will in all probability never be properly explained, a* all the best 
judges agree that color la the effect of certain qualities of object and sub- 
ject. As regards the pneas paid for Laveracks and other fine breeds by 
Americans, I notice Just the contrary in the columns of the London 
Fisfdtowhat "Dry Land" wishes to call attention to. I understand 
Fred 4th sold for £200. Mr, Assheton Smith also gave £80 Mr. Llew- 
ellen’s prices are also known to have been very large. Drake and Major 
sold respectively at public auction for 150 and 67 guineas, saying nothing 
of Plunket for 200 guineas. If Laveracks and other fine stud dogs and 
brood bitches ore so plentiful in England, bow comes It that there Is a 
commission in tha market covering $300 in gold from England to buy back 
one of the Laverack puppies, which orders cannot be executed. I do 
not believe, coaming puppies and all, that there ore 100 pure Laverack 
setters anywhere, and if anything should happen to tho old gentleman, 
those famous animals would naturally deteriorate, and become merged 
In other strains, unless he discloses in plain matter of fact language the 
secrets of the kennel house. Now, Mr. Editor, I think I have said 
enou h on this question for the present, but will retarn to it at a futon 
time If necessary. Jno. M. Tatlor. 
COLOR OF THE SETTER. 
River view House, La Grange, Mo.. July, 1875. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
In your Issue of July 6tb appears an article devoted to the colors of tb« 
setter, giving the opinion of Mr. Arnold Burges In the matter, and dis- 
agreeing with your answer to a correspondent, as to whether or not liver 
and white Is a good color In tbat breed of dogs. Yoar answer wax, to 
the rest of the world of sporting men and dog fanciers, doubtless correct. 
There cannot be, and Is not, but one opinion as to one side of tho origin 
of the setter, I. e. the spaniel; whatever the other may bo Is a matter of 
conjecture. I, for one. favor the Scotch shepherd; an Increase In »im 
and a shortening of ear and curl has to be accounted for, with no dimin- 
ution of Intelligence; and no other dog xcems lo fill tho bill so well. 
After writing thus far I again read the article of Mr Burges until I caiuo 
to where he expresses the opinion that liver markings are spt to indie >t*» 
a predominance of pointer or spaniel blood. I would ask him are the 
colors of the pointer less variable than thoxei of the setter? Are there no 
lemon and white pointers, nor black, black and white, or red, etc ? not 
to mention a breed of the handsomest dogs that I am aware of In a breed 
of black and tan pointers owned In the county of Cumberland, England, 
near Derwent Water Lake. And I would now ask if all spaniels are 
liver colored? Are not cockers frequently black, and black and tan? and, 
without mentioning the King Charles and Blenheim, Is not the most 
highly valued spaniel that we now have, that Is, th« Clamber spaniel, 
lemon and white; and, supposing that tho Invariable coloring of the 
spaniel Is liver, or liver and white, what breed of dogs on earib after the 
spaniel has a better right to it than ibe setter? And for this reason 
alone (though my predilection Is for black and white) do I think that 
Uvcr and white Is a color which Is more appropriate to the setter than 
any other. Mr. Burges might as well xay, and with much better rea*ou, 
that the bluck and tan Gordon setter hud a tincture of bloodhound, Eng- 
lish terrier, or Scotch col ey, and as for Irish dogs, if he think* tbat 
every gentleman in Ireland shoot* over a reel dog ho is inoxt thoroughly 
mistaken He mistakes the cognomen of black and tan Gordon for 
Gordon setters, and red Irish sellers for Irish setters. I will now say 
that a Gordon setter need not he black and un. nor an Irish setter red. 
It Is true that the sporting public have decided on these colors, and Ig» 
jwrwice aiiUU c redeuce w the belief Hut ux IrUU letter mut tm red, 
