134 

FOREST AND STREAM. 
ee 


Batural Histarp. 
TELE DRAGON Fly. 
SE ° 
HE insect world offers a wide field for study, research 
JE: and speculation, and many curious and wonderful 
things relating to entomology are becoming more known to 
the student of this delightful science. Of our fly, Lidelluli- 
doe, there are many species, such as the great blue-barred 
Dragon Fly of the -highlands, the ‘‘Devil’s Darning 
Needles” of the waters and creeks,the small, yellow ‘‘Snift 
Fly,” that depredates upon our fruits, and is frequently 
found in company with the hornet. In this great family 
of Dragon Flies, generally so denominated, there are, even 
in our Own country, many who possess a very interestine 
history. But of them we do not speak in this paper, our 
attention having been called to a denizen of a far-off coun- 
try—a resident of Japan. In that country, where every- 
thing is either monstrous or grotesque, we may naturally 
suppose the ‘“‘bugs and flies” to have a like curious appear- 
ance. Itisso. These fellows, called Japan “High Jigs,” 
may be found of every possible color, tint, and shade. All 
the colors of the rainbow are flashed from their wings, as 
they sail over the marshy pool or dart upwards among the 
flowers. Here 1s seen one of the “great Red Dragons,” 
and see, he is literally like a flash of lurid flame, darting 
hither and thither. How brilliant! how beautiful! Here 
is one large fellow clothed in royal purple and gold. 
Thanks to him for pausing a moment in his whirling career 
to gratify our curiosity. He is like one of the royal per- 
sonages of the earlier time—clad in all the hues of the Per- 
sian looms, the Tyrian dyes. Here we have the gold and 
purple barred with black, and there he goes on his glee- 
some flight. Well, enjoy it, insect of a summer’s day; it 
will soon be over. The Zombo of “Japan, as this fly is 
called, is a dweller among the water courses, in all the 
swamps and on the level plains; even at the mountain sum- 
mit it may be found, always wide awake, always busy. 
Here they are found in much more diversity of color and 
beauty than with us. Here are the blue, the green, the 
scarlet, the violet, orange, and in short, it were hardly pos- 
sible to name a tint that is not displayed upon the wings 
of the many kinds of this wonderful species of the ““Japan- 
ese Dragon.” The country abounds in undeveloped riches 
in the insect world, some of which we may speak of here- 
after, and allof which are worthy the attention, not only 
of the student of science, but of the casual reader. * 
L. Wyman. 
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GuLuToNy oF Brrps.—A letter to the London Times says: 
““W ould it surprise you to hear,” that not only such birds 
as sea-gulls, but that all the owls, even up to the eagle owl, 
feed on insects when they come in their way, and not only 
cae Owls, but all the six British species of true faleons— 
the y-eregrine, hobby, orange-legged hobby, merlin, and 
ixestrei—as also most, if not all, of the hawks, and some, if 
nui u ’. even of the eagles, the spotted eagle, for instance? 
Few | sons are aware of the innumerable number of in- 
sects tn destroyed by birds. Thé following observations, 
and sever. of them are much 
this :— 
The blue titmouse has been watched, and found to feed 
its young from 3:30 A. M. to 8:30 P. M. 475 times, bringing 
one large or two or three small insects each timé. 
tsThe thrush from 1:15 A. M. to 9:15 P. M., 206 times. 
The blackbird from 3:15 A. M. to 8:40 P. M., 113 times. 
The mistletoe thrush from 4:20 to 8 P. M., 66 times, 
each time bringing several large worms or insects. 
The sparrow, from two or three to six or eight insects at 
once, and as this goes on forall the day, and they fre- 
quently have two or three broods in the year, they must 
destroy an immense number. 
I watched the other day a wagtaii catching insects to feed 
its young, and it took eight or nine into its bill in a minute 
or two, and had not left off when I turned away. 
The starlings I frequently observed this spring getting 
caterpillars for their young, flying from tree to tree with 
two or three together in their bills to collect more. 
a 
Hyprip Between THE MuLE anv Horse.—The inter- 
breeding of a mule with a horse is very rare, but not an un- 
known circumstance in the annals of science, but it it 
seldom that the produce has been born alive, or, if so, that 
it has survived more than a !ew days. At the Paris “ Zoo,” 
however, a young mule, born on the 23rd of April, 1873, a 
cross between a Barbary horse and an Arabian mule, and 
still alive at the end of July, seemed in a healthy condi- 
tion and likely to thrive. The list of the crosses between 
different varieties of the genus Hguus, known to exist, in- 
cl es the following:—Ass and mare, horse and she-ass, 
bors and zebra, horse and quagg, ass and zebra, wild mule 
+ vt are, wild mule and she-ass, wild mule and zebra. 
‘io this list may now be added the cross between the horse 
und iule above recorded, and attempts will be made to 
interLreed with the ass and mule.—Land and Wnter. 
eS OP 
The United States signal station on the summit of Pike’s 
Peak is nearly completed, and will be dedicated with ap- 
propriate ceremonies onthe 11th instant. The telegraph 
Ena to the summit is already completed. The station is 
14,216 feet above the sea level. One observer and three 
assistants will remain on the summit all winter, The new 
trail leading thereto renders its location accessible except 
in the most severe weather, sed 
—<—@——— <9 ——_____ 
Fosst. Remarms.—A telegram from Richmond, Ind., re- 
orts that the skeleton of a mastodon has been discovered 
in some marshy lands near New Paris, Ohio, about eight 
miles from that city, and that about 600 pounds of the 
skeleton have been dug out. Among the pieces are bones 
of enormous weight, indicating that the animal was one of 
more than ordinary size. The one tusk that has been se- 
cured isin parts that measure about twelve feet in length and 
wei gh about 160 ounds. A farmer named Thomas Pier- 
son is preserving the bones for public exhibition, thinking 
he will find the entire frame, 
below the mark, will show 
—Recent experiments have shown very conclusively that 
cold-blooded animals behave like plants with regard to 
freezing temperatures. Thus, they die at different freezing 
temperatures ; the honey bee at one degree ; the spider at 
three degrees ; the flesh fly survives a temperature of six 
degrees ; the silkworm eggs at one of twenty-one degrees. 
And as there are plants in which the water may be frozen 
without their dying, there are some animals in which this 
occurs. The silkworm egg may be frozen solid without ex- 
tinguishing life. In the spiders and flies exposed to freezing 
temperature, in the course of the experiments a part of the 
water was frozen; but as. contraction of the muscles still 
took place ina temperature at which pieces of meat were 
frozen stiff, it is improbable that their muscles were frozen. 
Che Aennel. 
GREYHOUNDS.—The Greyhound is the beau ideal of an ani- 
malformed forspeed and endurance. There are several spe- 
cies. The English dog has long legs, with muscles like whip- 
cord which denote extreme length of stride, and rapidity of 
movement. His chief use is in coursing the hare, and in 
actual speed he far surpasses the hare; the latter, however, 
has the advantage of stopping short, and turning quickly, 
which the Greyhound, owing to his immense stride, which 
gives him excessive impetus, carries him far beyond his prey. 
Coursing, as practiced in England as an amusement, is of 
very ancient date. Two Greyhounds are sent after each 
hare, and matched against each other, for the purpose of 
trying their comparative strength and speed. Some hares 
are so crafty and agile, that they baffle the best hounds and 
get away fairly into covers from whence the Greyhound, 
working only by sight (he has no scent) is unable to drive 
them. 
THE Irish GREYHOUND is a remarkably fine animal, being 
four feet in length and stoutly built. His hair is of a pale 
fawn color, and much rougher than that of the smooth 
English Greyhound. The performances of the celebrated 
late Master McGrath, are without doubt the most extraor- 
dinary, as to endurance, speed, and quickness of sight, 
that have ever been credited toa dog. Not only was he the 
victor fora single year, but for a succession of years, in 
winning large stakes for his owner, and at last*won a mag- 
nificant mausoleum for himslf. 
Tue ScorcH GREYHOUND is still rougher in its coat than 
its Irish relative, but not so large a dog in make and is 
chiefly used in coursing the hare. There is only one breed 
of this animal. , 
THE PERSIAN GREYHOUND derives its origin from a 
source which is hidden in the mists of antiquity. It is 
chiefly used to cope with that swift and daring animal, the 
wild ass, the milder antelope, and the more dangerous wild- 
boars. This dog crossed with the Scotch Deer-hound is 
used by many officers on our frontiers to run down the ante- 
lope and black-tailed deer, and where could there be’a more 
magnificent coursing country than the vast plains of the 
West? 
THe IrauiaAN GREYHOUND is a little creature whose 
merit consists in its diminutive proportions, and slender 
limbs, and is essentially alady’s pet, being useless for all 
purposes of sport. In order to give some idea of the rela- 
tive speed of the Greyhound,Mr. J. C. Simpson of Chica- 
go, who is an owner of thorough-bred horses, has an‘ Eng- 
lish Greyhound that stands twenty-eight inches high, 
weighs seventy-five pounds and covers fifteen feet atea 
stride, and the dog is passsionately fond of accompanying the 
horses in their morning gallops. He always picks out the 
fastest horse and lies alongside of him through the gallop. 
He can beat anything in the stable for half amile. The 
owner has to tiehim up when the horsesare taken tout, as 
the immense exertion tells severely upon him. 
All these classes of dogs are scarcely as companionable 
to man as are other breeds; they are mostly treacherous, 
although not dangerous. The different characteristics of 
the Greyhound have been comprised in the following rude 
and barbarous rhymes:— 
“The head like a snake, 
The neck like a drake, 
The back like a beam, 
The side like a bream, 
The tail like a rat, 
The foot like a cat. 
—— oo 
THE Toronto Hunt.—The Toronto Hounds, after a 
few preliminary pipe openers, which may be taken to rep- 
resent cub-hunting, held their first regular meeting in the 
Queen’s Park on Saturday. There was a large muster of 
carriages and several fair equestrains graced the scene, 
After a short trot up Bloor street, the hounds were thrown 
into the field belonging to the Lieutenant-Governor, at the 
—A correspondent of the Country Gentleman has discov- 
ed that, as a law of nature, every spotted doy has the end 
of his tail whi‘e, and every spotted cat the evd of the tail 
1 lack. He says he has examined many dogs and cats in 
France, England, and America, and always n yticed the 
sameresult. Our former Minister to J apan, Mr. Harris, 
first mentioned the tact concerning the dog in a lett: r pub- 
lished some years since. He has looked at many paintings 
of dogs in the galleries of France and elsewhere in regard 
to this, and found even there the dogs spotted, always, 
in order, proving to him that the artist had invariably 
copied after nature. 
i ____ 
—The following is in continuation 6f the correspondence 
already printed in this paper:— 
Messrs. Suit, Marshall & Cross: 
GENTLEMEN—I am in receipt of yours, and in reply I had 
an idea that you were merely bouncing when I first chal 
lenged you, but now that I believe you to be in earnest, I 
am willing to match my pack against yours for $10,000. 
As the present money panic will prevent me completing 
my first offer for some time, therefore I will reduce the 
amount to $10,000, and if you will send me particulars of 
location, time, judges, cc., at your earliest convenience, I 
will do all in my power to meet your views without unnec- 
essary delay. I am very anxious to bring this matter to a 
speedy issue, for I believe my houndsare superior to’ yours. 
The fox hunters in this State are determined to support 
me, and I can deposit the money at any time on fourteen 
days’ notice. I do not require references for respectability 
from you; it is sufficient for me to know that you are 
sportsmen, and if you are prepared to deposit the cash, so 
am I. I should prefer (in order to prevent dissension after- 
ward) that the articles of agreement should be drawn up by 
our respective attorneys. Waiting your reply, Iam, gen- 
tlemen, Very truly yours, R. G. Snuep. 
TOWNSVILLE, Granville County, N. C., Sept. 30th. 
or 
THE SIBERIAN DOG. 





















































—_—~>—___—_. 
, Which is found, with very little 
varation in shape, size, or color, on both sides of Beh- 
ring’s Straits, is in many respects, to the settled tribes inhab- 
iting those districts, what the reindeer is to the Laplander, 
and the camel to the Arab. He is their only beast of bur- 
den, and is generally employed in drawing materials in a 
sledge over the boundless and dreary deserts of snow, where 
the cold is so intense that no other domestic animal, except 
the reindeer, could exist and bear the hardships this animal 
is called upon to undergo. Messrs Dall and Kennan when 
recording their experiences in northern Asia state that these 
dogs are little better than half domesticated Arctic wolves, 
whose instincts and peculiarities they still retain in a great 
measure; but there is probably no more hardy and enduring 
animal in the world. Although he is often compelled to 
sleep on the snow, with no covering or protection of any 
kind, when the temperature is seventy degree below zero, 
to draw heavy loads until his feet crack open and paint the 
snow with blood, and to go without food for days, until he 
is brought to such a state of starvation as to eat up his har- 
ness, yet his strength and his spirits seem alike unconquer- 
able. ‘‘I have driven a team of nine of these dogs, ‘‘says 
Kennan,” more than a hundred miles in a day and a night, 
and have frequently worked them hard forty-eight hours 
without being able to give them a particle of food.” In 
general, they are fed once a day, their allowance being 
simply a dried fish, weighing, perhaps, a. pound and a half 
or two pounds. This is given to them at night, so that they 
begin another day’s work with empty stomachs. The 
sledge to which they are harnessed is about ten feet in 
length and two in width, made with seasoned )birch 
timber, and combines to a surprising degree the two 
most desirable qualities of strength and lightness, 
No iron whatever is used in the construction, and it does not 
weigh more than twenty pounds; yet it will sustain a load 
of four and five hundred pounds, and endure the shocks of 
rough mountain travel, occasionally rendered more than or- 
dinarily severe by the erratic behavior of the dogs who some- 
times, should a deer or fox cross their route, cannot over- 
come their wolfish propensities, but give chase ina most 
determined manner heedless alike of the driver’s shouts 
and the load behind them, dragging the sledge and its con- 
tents at lightning speed over bluffs, and down steep in- 
clines, often not being brought to a. standstill until sub- 
merged several feet in a snowdrift. The number of dogs 
harnessed to a sledge varies from seven to fifteen, accord- 
ing to the nature of the country to be traversed, and the 
weight of the load. Under favorable circumstances, eleven 
dogs will make from forty to fifty miles a day with a man 
and four hundred pounds. They are harnessed to the 
sledge in successive couples, by along central thong of 
sealskin, to which the dog is attached by acollar and a 
trace. They are guided and entirely controlled by the 
voice (not by the whip as stated by some writers on the 
subject), and by a leader-dog who is specially trained for 
the purpose. The driver carries no whip, but has instead 
a thick stick about four feet in length and two inches in di- 
ameter called an ‘‘ cerstel.” This is armed at one end with 
a long iron spike, and is used t6 check the Speed of the 
sledge in descending hills and to stop the dogs when they 
leave the road in pursuit of reindeer and foxes. The spike 
is thrust down in front of one of the knees or uprights of 
the rnnners and dragged in that position through the snow, 
the upper end being firmly held by the driver, in whose 
HE Esquimaux dog 
corner of which stands Mr. Dalton’s residence. They | hands it forms a powerful lever by which he can check his 
went away at a cracking pace, the line lying along | teamif inclined to be unruly. These animals, although 
the ‘country tetween Bloor street and the Davenport 
road. The fences were pretty close to each other, and had 
not been tampered with, a state of things which told on 
horses, hounds and riders. Some were stopped Ly the 
heat of the day before they arrived at Carleton; the field be- 
ing well thinned o: t before the village was reached. On com- 
ing to Carleton church a check of afew minutes occurred, 
when the hounds once more getting on the line of their 
fox, did some good hunting aiong the fields to a wood 
near the Hog’s back, where the fox headed back, and was 
run into on the farm of Mr. Roundtree, near the Black 
Creek. Miss Strong rode with her accustomed boldness 
throughout the whole run, and was well up at the finish, as 
were the Master, and all the scarlets, with just a sprink- 
ling of “blacks.” The imported hounds led throughout, some 
puppies only ten months ol reared from them being also well 
up. There were a few croppers, but nothing very disastrous 
occurred in this line, and before the kennels were reached 
it was pitch dark. Each season testifies to the increasing 
popularity of hunting at Toronto.—Zoronto Mai. 
treated very indifferently, are absolutely essential to the 
existence of these semi-barbarous tribes. The great dis- 
tance of the settlements one from the other, and the ab- 
sence of any means of intercommunication in summer, 
make each village dependent on its own recources, and 
prevent any mutual support and assistance, so that should 
the winter be extra severe a famine often sets in, and these 
improvident people never think of stirring until the last 
dried fish in store has been devoured, so that their only 
hope lies in their dog teams, which are often called upon 
to commence a journey on an empty belly of 150 to 200 
miles over deep snow, in search of gome friendly tribe of 
wandering Koraks, haying been on scanty rations perhaps 
for a week or fornight previously. 
When these tremendous journeys are made the natives 
are often compelled to travel all night.as well as all day, 
and they’ have a practice of deluding the dogs into the be- 
lief that they have slept all night by allowing them to stop 
and sleep an hour or so before sunrise, when they wake 
them to continue the wearisome journey. This deception 
> 
