Walter Deane (1848-1930) Papers; Journal Jan-June 1900. Botany Libraries, Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, Mass.

10 1900 Feb. 21 to Mar. 10 (5)

makes the webs quite inconspicuous when the bird is standing on a dark surface. I heard a man say "looking at one of these Mandarins standing on the black soil of the bank, "This Duck hasn't got any web."

The female resembles the same sex of the Wood Duck surprisingly. I went from one species to the other for some time before I could find some good diagnostic character to separate them by. The eye of the ♀ {female} Wood Duck has a broad white ring round it. This ring is drawn out into an angle at the back of the eye, thus: [drawing], while the ♀ {female} Mandarin has a narrow white ring about the eye with a white line extending behind it, thus: [drawing]. The ♀ {female} Wood Duck has some white spots on the upper mandible, while these are lacking in the Mandarin. The similarity between the Japanese Flora and that of portions of our country has been wonderfully illustrated by the late Asa Gray, and I was much impressed by the story told by plain colored but remarkably similar birds before me in the females of the Wood and the Mandarin Ducks.

A perch erected over the water always had a number of birds sitting on it. This exhibit attracted much attention.

11 1900 Feb. 21 to Mar. 10 (6)

The Wood Ducks occupy the end of the long stream of flowing water, opposite the Teals, and one could never tire watching these exquisite birds. They are not as gaudy as the Mandarin, but the colors harmonize, and make a more satisfying tout ensemble. I can imagine one tiring of the excessive brilliancy of the Mandarin, never of the Wood Duck. The colors of the male are well known and often figured. The Ducks were swimming about, bathing sometimes flying up to the perches erected over the water, or asleep on the bank, or busily preening their feathers. Here a male is attentively following every movement of his mate, and I saw one pair sitting together on a perch, the female actually leaning on her handsome drake. The females have a queer way of throwing the head forward and down and uttering an odd note, far from musical. The Mandarin females did much the same thing. The males uttered a short sort of peep. I was interested to note that these Ducks as well as two or three other species moved freely the upper mandible without moving the head. It is easy to make these observations when one is standing within one foot of the object observed.

12 1900 Feb. 21 to Mar. 10 (7)

The Brant and honking Canadian Geese are noble birds and are shown to advantage in their roomy quarters.

A pair of Shovellers {Shovelers}, the male, a very handsome bird, and the broad bills well meriting the name, a flock of Gadwall and Wigeon and one compartment full of beautiful Pintails, all were surrounded by admiring observers. The male Pintails (Dafila acuta) are graceful birds with an air of refinement, and they sit daintily on the water and display that rich brown heads and black necks with delicate white stripe.

The European Wigeon, represented by about a dozen birds are an attractive bird. They are quite unlike our American representative.

The Ducks mentioned above include all our New England pond and river Ducks, except the Green-winged Teal, which is very much like the European (Anas) Nettion crecca as told above.

Of the bay and sea Ducks there are two American species the Red Head (Aythya americana) and the Canvas back (Aythya vallisneria). Immature birds are easily distinguished by the size and shape of the bill. The Pochard of Europe, a near relative of one Redhead, is in the same cage. It is a fine Duck —

13 1900 Feb. 21 to Mar. 10 (8)

I cannot undertake to describe all the animals exhibited. They are a fine lot and I studied them carefully and have looked up many interesting facts about them at home.

The following were sent from Merrymeeting Park, Brunswick, Maine: — Muskrats, Great horned Owls, a fine specimen of Wild Cat, four Moose, Porcupine, eleven Red Deer, Rabbits (Eu.), and a cage of Raccoons.

I watched one of the Moose, whose head was but a foot from mine, tearing off the bark from a log, by the powerful movement of his lower jaw and long teeth.

The Province of Quebec sent a good collection: — a Fox, three Black Bear, eight Red Deer, one Moose, an Himalayan Goat, a young Caribou, an unusual animal in captivity, and most interesting of all, a lot of Fox Squirrels.

These Squirrels are in a very large and tall wire cage with a tall tree in the middle, and the little creatures have a free hand. I had never seen this species before. They are about the size of a Gray Squirrel, but the color is quite rufous. I watched them a long time.

A magnificent specimen of Black Bear is exhibited by the National Soldiers Home Togus, Maine. He is a huge fellow,

14 1900 Feb. 21 to Mar. 10 (9)

with a coat of the purest, richest black.

Three specimens of the Coati-mundi from southern North America south of the United States are curious creatures. They are about three feet long (tho these are smaller) including a long tail striped like a Coon's. They have short legs with sharp claws, as I found out by putting my hand too near, and a remarkably long, flexible nose. They can raise the snout, and even turn it back, as they make it rigid when rooting for insects in the ground. They are great tree climbers, and run down a trunk head foremost like a Nuthatch.

One cage contained a beautiful Sable or Marten. He is an active fellow and I saw him chasing round and round after his tail, among the branches of his perch. I heard one lady say she would rather have him in a tippet.

An albino Crow, contrasting strangely with its black mate is a curiostiy. I thought of my brother Ruthven whose propensity for albinism is well known.

There is a cage of Possums and one of Badgers but during every visit the wretched creatures were curled up and sound asleep, and when these animals