62 
THE MUSEUM. 
Slfctont. 
Zoology. Two years ago, when studying the 
three species of land salamanders, or semi- 
aquatic ones, I was surprised to find so great 
a number with lacerated tails, or that had lost 
a greater or less portion of the member. 
During the months of April and May, when¬ 
ever opportunity offered, I watched the dusky 
and red “ water lizards,” as the farmers call 
them, and while I could not discover that the 
tails of the creatures were of any use, I did 
witness many incidents that showed they were 
frequently the direct cause of the animal’s 
death or maiming; and also, that scores of 
them, with but mere stumps of tails, were as 
active, as well conditioned, and, to all appear¬ 
ances, as happy, as any of their longicaudate 
brethren. 
My first effort was to determine what ani¬ 
mals were given to nipping the caudal appen¬ 
dages of these inoffensive salamanders. 
Finally I discovered a meadow mouse with 
the tail of a dusky triton in its jaws. The 
frantic efforts to escape, on the part of the 
batrachian, resulted in the tail giving way, 
and the mouse had but a meagre breakfast, if 
this was all he ate. I think, from this fact, 
that, as all rodents are eminently carnivorous, 
mice and squirrels may be largely the offend¬ 
ers ; but to a greater extent the amputa¬ 
tion of tails must be attributed to the hun¬ 
dreds of turtles, which, during the summer, 
leave the creek and water for inland, often, to 
deposit their eggs. And again, only look at 
a dusky salamander, as he scuttles away from 
you and hides under a stone; the chances 
are, nine in ten, that the stone will conceal 
only his body, and there he remains, in fancied 
security, with two inches of tail in broad day¬ 
light. 
To further satisfy myself that these tails 
were of more harm than good, I captured a 
hundred or more dusky salamanders, and 
endeavored to learn to what use they put 
their tails. This was an utter failure. Were 
they a guide in running ? I instituted an elab¬ 
orate series of races, and those whose tails I 
had amputated generally made the better 
time, on the principle, I suppose, of having 
less weight to carry. 
Finally I amputated the tails of all my cap¬ 
tives, and only four per cent, succumbed to 
the operation. The others were soon set free, 
and some are even yet in full health and vigor, 
and neither'suffer fear of attacks in the rear, 
nor show the least disposition to be jealous 
of their elongated brethren, with whom they 
associate on the most friendly terms.— From 
Dr. Charles C. Abbott's forthcomi?ig book , 
“ Upland and Meadow .” 
Amongst the additions to the Philadelphia 
Zoological Garden during the past month, 
were an American porcupine, a puma, five 
Guinea baboons, a fallow deer, a Virginia 
deer, four red foxes, one gray fox, four Ameri¬ 
can flamingoes, a turkey buzzard and an En¬ 
glish sky-lark. 
Ornithology and Oology.— Nesting of Hel- 
minthophaga pinus. —No nests of the above 
species have ever been taken by the writer 
within the limits of Philadelphia, nor have 
instances of such finds been recorded by 
collectors. Further west and south, in the 
adjoining counties, especially in that of Mont¬ 
gomery, such structures are often obtained. 
In the summer of 1877, about the tenth of 
June, a nest containing four eggs was dis¬ 
covered by the writer near Mill Creek, Lower 
Merion township, of the latter county. It 
was built upon the ground between two 
blackberry bushes, and completely hidden 
from view by the surrounding verdure. 
The succeeding year, as early as the second 
of June, another nest was met with in the 
same locality. Instead of eggs, four young 
birds, fully one week old, occupied its capac¬ 
ity. Like the other, it was placed upon the 
earth, and held in position by grasses. Allow¬ 
ing the utmost limit of time for the essential 
processes of nidification, oviposition and incu¬ 
bation, it could not have been commenced 
later than the tenth of the preceding month. 
When nearing the nest, we became ap¬ 
prised of its presence by the restlessness 
