Bulletin - United States National Museum

#»

^cparfmenf _of the interior

r. s.

NATIONAL MUSEUM.

BULLETIN

UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM

No. 2 6.

1VIFAUNA COLUMBIANA:

BEING ^A LIST OF BIRDS

ASCERTAINED

TO INHABIT

THE

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,

WITH THE ^TIMES

OF

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE

OF SITU AS

ARK

NON-RESI- DENTS,

AND

BRIEF NOTICES OF HABITS, ETC.

THE SECOND ^EDITION,

RKVISED I I)ATK. ANI>

ENTIRELY RE W

RIT T EN^. BY

ELLIOTT

COUES. M. D.. Ph. D.,

Professor ofAnatomyin theNational Medicalf'ollege, etc.,

AND

D.

WEBSTER ^PRENTISS,

^{A. M.,M. D.,}

Professor ofMateria Medicaand Therapeuticsin theJfationalMedical College,etc,

WASHINGTON:

GOVERNMENT ^{PRINTING- OFFICE.}

18 8 3

.

^PeparfmeTif of ^the inferior

U. S.

NATIONAL MUSEUM.

32

BULLETIN

OF THE

UNITED ^STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

No. 26.

PUBLISHEDUNDERTHEDIRECTION OFTHE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.

WASHINGTON:

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.

1883.

ADVERTISEMENT.

This

work

isthe thirty-secondofa series of papers intendedto illus- trate thecollections of naturalhistory

and

ethnology belongingto the United States,

and

constituting the National

Museum,

of which the Smithsonian Institution

was

placedincharge

by

theact ofCongressof

August

10, 1846.

Itbasbeen preparedattherequest of theInstitution,

and

printed

by

authority ofthe honorable Secretary of theInterior.

SPENCER

F.

BAIED,

SecretaryoftheSmithsonianInstitution.

Smithsonian

Institution,

Washington,June 1st, 1883.

AVIFAUNA COLUMBIANA

LIST OF BIRDS

ASCERTAINED TO INHABITTHE

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,

WITH THE TIMES OF ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE OF SUCH AS ARE NON-RESIDENTS, AND

BRIEF NOTICES OF HABITS, ETC.

THE SECOND EDITION,

REVISED TO DATE, AND ENTIRELY REWRITTEN.

BY

ELLIOTT

COUES,M. D.,

PL

D.,

ProfessorofAnatom_yin theNationalMedicalCollege,etc.,

AND

D.

WEBSTER PRENTISS,

A. M.,M. D.,

Professorof Materia MedicaandTherapeuticsin theNationalMedicalCollege, etc.

WASHINGTON:

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.

1883.

CONTENTS.

Page.

I.

—

Literatureof the Subject 7

II.

—

LocationandTopographyoftheDistrict 11

III.

—

^{GeneralCharacter}of theAvifauna 28

IV.

—

^{AnnotatedListof}theBirds 33

V.

—

Summary andRecapitulation Ill

VI.

—

^{Game LawsoftheDistrict 119}

5

AVIFAUNA COLUMBIANA:

BEING

ALIST

OF BIRDS ASCERTAINED

TO

INHABIT THE

DISTRICT

OF COLUM-

BIA,

WITH THE TIMES OF ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE OF SUCH AS ARE

NON-RESIDENTS,

AND BRIEF NOTICES OF

HABITS, ETC.

THE SECONDEDITION,REVISED TO

DATE AND

ENTIRELY REWRITTEN.

BY

ELLIOTT COUKS,

HVE. D., I>h. D.,

ProfessorofAnatomyin theNationalMedicalCollege, etc.,

AND

T>.

WEBSTER PRENTISS, A.

JVC., ]Yt.

D.

Professorof MateriaMedica andTherapeutics intheNational Medical College,etc.

I.— LITERATURE OF THE SUBJECT.

The

authorsofthe"Avifauna Columbiana,"while classmatesin college at the Columbian University

and

still

mere

boys,

became

enthusiastic onthe subject ofOrnithology,as boysoften do.

They

wereconstantly together,devotingalltheirsparetime,which mightnothave beenbetter employed,tothepracticalstudyofbirdsinthe

woods and

fields. Large collectionswere

made;

careful

and

copious noteswere takenoftimesof appearance

and

disappearanceof birds, theirrelativeabundance,resorts, food, song,nidification,

and

other habits. These observations

became

in afewyears of

some

positive value.

This

was

chieflyduring the years 1858-1862, both inclusive. Soon after the outbreak of the

War

ofthe Kebellion, both authors, having meanwhile graduatedinmedicine,entered the

Army

asmedical officers.

One

of

them

soon afterwardsettled in the practice of his profession in

Washington

; the otherled for

many

yearsthe

vagabond

lifeofan

Army

surgeon5

and

the exigencies of their respective avocations long pre.

vented eachfrom payinganyfurtherattention tothe subjectwhich

had

brightened theircollegedays

and

cementeda life-longfriendship.

Meanwhile, however, at thesuggestion

and

through the kind atten- tionsofProfessor Baird,theirearly experiencesinOrnithology resulted in a "List of the Birds of the District of Columbia," etc.,which

was

publishedin 1862inthe

Annual

Reportofthe Smithsonian Institution for 1861, pp.399-421. After the lapse of nearlyaquarter of acentury

7

8

they

may

bepermittedto refer tothat productionwith

some

littlepride, as toone which has stood the test oftime betterthanboys'

work

gen- erallydoes.

The

^original " List"

was

necessarilybrief,

owing

to the fact thatthelimitations imposed

by

law

upon

the sizeof the

volume

in whichit

was

printed prevented

any

extendedpresentation of their ob- servations.

They had

on hand,or in head, material which,

had

circum- stances beenentirely favorable,itwould

have

beenwell to publish,but whichis little likelytobe recovered

now

that time has softened the outlines of original observations,

and wrought what

were fresh

and

clean-cutthenintothe

shadowy

shapesoffar-away pleasantperspective.

In preparing the presentarticle as oneofa seriesinwhich, following the leadof Prof.Lester F.Ward's admirable Flora,itisproposedto set forththe

Fauna

oftheDistrict,the authors haveineffect simply

made

a secondeditionof their "List," asstatedin thetitle. There has been foundlittleto correct,becausetheoriginal"List" containedscarcelyany- thing erroneous;

and

not

much

to add, of theauthors'

own

knowledge, becausetheyhave paidlittleattention to the subject duringthe inter-

vening years.

They

have, however, ^entirely recast the article; em- bodied the additions tothe list

made

meanwhile

by

others; extended theirremarks onthe habitsof birdsin

many

cases; included a

more

elab- orate notice ofthe

Topography

oftheDistrictwithreferencetothelocal distributionof thebirds;

and added

the

Game Laws now

inforce inthe District.

They

havealsonoted,as far as theirknowledge enabled

them

todo so,the changesin theAvifauna resulting from the growth of a greatcity.

Twenty

ortwenty-five yearsago,with a populationofabout C0,000,theNational Capital

was

a

mud-puddle

inwinter, a dust-heap in summer,acow-penandpig-styalltheyearround; there

was

goodsnipe- shooting within thecity limits,andthecountryallabout

was

asprimitive as themostenthusiastic naturalistcoulddesire.

But

withthe assistance ofMr.AlexanderShepherd,

who

oughttohaveastatue,

we

havechanged

all that;

Washington

has

grown up

to 180,000,

and become

"citified"

intoquitea respectable establishment; thesuburbanwildernesshas been reclaimedfrom Nature

and

largelygivenovertoArt; whileOrnithology has long been

more

assiduously

and

successfullypursuedwithin than without the walls ofthe SmithsonianInstitution. Besidesall this,

we

havethe Sparrows now.

The

original "List" represented probablythe first attempt at

any

formalenumeration of the Birds of theDistrict of

Columbia —

^perhaps

thefirstlocal Fauna.

At

anyrate,noearlierthing of thekind has

come

to our knowledge.

A

little book entitled "

Washington

Described,"

which

had

been published just previously

by

Philp

&

Solomons, con- tained cursorynoticesof the natural history of the District,prepared anonymously

by

several of the resident naturalists;

and among

these

was

aslight sketch ofthe Ornithology

by

oneofthe presentwriters.

Botany had

been

much more

cultivated,

by members

of theold Bo- tanical Club, which preceded the Potomac-side Naturalists'Club; the

LITERATURE OF THE

SUBJECT. 9 result of theirlabors forming the

groundwork

of

Ward's

Flora,,already mentioned.

As

amatteroffact,the present authors

had

littletogo

upon

beyondthe records of averyfewrarespecimenswhich

had

been taken fromtime to time

and

were preserved in the Smithsonian collection

;

though Mr.C. Drexler

was

then the taxidermistofthe Institution,

and

a diligent

and

successful collector,

whose

results were within their reach; while the marketsoccasionallyafforded

him and them

specimens that mightnot otherwise have been noted.

The

" List" presented a

summary

of 44

permanent

residents; 44 win- ter residents; 59

summer

residents; 54 regularvisitants, or migrants neither

summering

nor wintering with us;

and

25 accidental visitants, or stragglers,

making

a total of 226. There were also indicated 15

"probabilities," not,however, enumerated.

On

reviewing the subject, the authors find that only one species (Podicepscristatus,inserted

by

mistake) istobeeliminated. This leaves alist of225species as thebasis ofthe presentarticle. Before noticing the accessionstothe list since 1862,however, the authors shouldrefer toMr.Jouy's Catalogueof 1877.

Though

there

have

been

meanwhile

variousdetachednoticesof

Wash-

ington Birds in the Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club

and

elsewhere,bythe present

and

other authors,Mr.Jouy'sistheonlycom- plete listwhich has since appeared. This

was

publishedin

May,

1877, in Vol.ii, No. 11,of "Field

and

Forest,"t pp.191-193, entitled: "Cata- logue of the Birds of the District of Columbia." It

was

immediately reprinted, together with

some

remarks

we

offered on the

same

occa- sion, in afew separate copies entitled: "Catalogueof the Birdsof the DistrictofColumbia, Prepared

by

PierreLouis Jouy, with

Bemarks

on the Birds of the District,

by

Drs. Coues

and

Prentiss." (1877. 8vo.

Washington, pp. 1-11.) This

was

simplyalist of names, without an- notation_; thestragglers indicated

by

an asterisk, the additionsto the old Coues

and

Prentiss Listprinted in italics. Mr.

Jouy

subtracted 1 species (Parus atricapillus

—

^{wrongly, as}

^now

^appears),

^{and added}

^15,

namely

:

1.#Geothlypis Philadelphia.*

2. Vireo noveboracensis.

3. Passer domesticus.

4. Loxiaamericana.*

5. Loxia leucoptera.*

6. Quiscaluspurpureus emeus.

tA monthlyperiodical conducted through twovolumes hyMr.Charles R.Dodge.

Itwasostensiblyandvirtuallytheorganof thePotomac-sideNaturalists'Club,which wasgalvanizedinto some sortof re-existence afterhaving beenlong defunct. But as an organization this Club was anachronistic, and,therefore,unable to survive.

OurpresentflourishingBiologicalSocietyhasinonesensebeen evolvedfromthe old Club; butismoreproperlyto be consideredintbelightof a specialcreationofthe timesthan anevolutionfromwhatpreceded.

10 AVIFAUNA COLUMBIANA.

7. Tyrannusverticalis.

8. Ahico flammeuspratincola.

9. JEgialitessemipalmatus.*

10. Gallinula galeata.

11. Spatulaclypeata.

12. Marecapenelope.

13. Berniclabrenta.

14. SternaforsterL*

15. Oceanites oceanicus.

These 15 accessions raised the total from the 226 of the Coues

and

PrentissList to 240,Mr.

Jouy

havingdiscardedone(Parus atricapillus).

Of

these 15,the 5

marked

with the asteriskwereindicated

by

usin 1862 as ofprobable occurrence.

We

^{have toannounce} the following 8 accessions,

making

atotal of 23 additions

:

1. ThryothoritsbewicM.

2. Lanius ludovicianus.

3. Chondestesgrammicus.

4.

Ammodromus

caudacutus.

5. Falcoperegrinus.

6. Archibuteolagopus sancti-johannis.

7. MacrorJiamphusgriseus.

8. Rallus longirostris crepitans.

A

^{singlespeciesis tobesubtracted} (Podicepscristatus),leaving

—

Tenablespecies of 1862 225

Added

in 1877 15

Added

in 1883 8

Total 248

LOCATION AND TOPOGRAPHY OF THE

DISTRICT. 11

II.—

LOCATION AND TOPOGRAPHY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

The

^Districtof

Columbia

liesjustbelowthe 39thparallelof latitude,

and

on the

Washington

meridian of longitude. It is on the

Potomac

River,100 milesfromitsmouth,atthe

head

of tide-water, andisbetween the States of

Maryland and

Virginia.

Formerlyit

was

10 miles square, occupyinga portion of both States, on eithersideof the

Potomac

River,thus

making

anareaof100 square miles.

Of

this area 64 square mileswere in

Maryland and

36in Virginia, including the city ofAlexandria. In 1846,

by

^actofCongress, theVir- giniaportion ofthe District

was

retrocededtothatState, sothat there remains since thatdate only that portion within thelimitsofMaryland, containing64 squaremilesofterritory.

Although

the areaof this territoryis comparativelysmall,itpresents asufficient varietyof sceneryto attract almost every species of bird incident tothe latitude

and

longitude.

For

convenience of description

we

will divide theDistrictofColum- bia into three regions,

namely

: 1.

The Potomac

River region; 2.

The

Anacostia Riverregion; and, 3.

Rock

Creekregion.

1.

THE POTOMAC RIVER REGION.

The Potomac

River

coming down

from the northwest

makes

a long sweeping curve towardstheeastfromthe"Little Falls,"passing around

Georgetown and Washington

tothe ArsenalPoint, a distance of eight miles,

when

it again

makes

a sharp turnto the south, passingAlexan-

dria.

The

tidereaches to thefootofthe "LittleFalls,"justwithin theDis- trict line to the northwest.

Here

the river is confined in a narrow gorgescarcely100feetacross

—

^{aswiftrunningtorrent}

— ^bounded

^onthe

southwest(Virginia side)

by

high, precipitous, rockycliff's,

and

on the northeast

by

a rocky river-bottom halfa mile wide, reaching to the

cliff's on the

Maryland

side, whichcorrespond in height with,but are not so rugged as, those of the Virginia side.

Along

the base of the northerncliff's runs theChesapeake

and

OhioCanal.

This river-bottom extends along therivertoward the city for about a mile

and

ahalf belowthe Little Falls, graduallybecoming narrower untilitterminatesatEdes's Mill.

When

the riveris high this space is flooded,

and

in times of great freshetsthe wholeriver-bedisconvertedintoaraging,roaringtorrent.

In the greatfreshetof

November

26, 1877, thewater rose until iten- tered thecanal,

and was

within 15 feetofthefloorofthe ChainBridge, which is89feet abovethe bed of the-stream,

and

47 feetabove

mean

12

low-water mark.

During

the freshet of February 12,1881, the water reached at itshighest floodthe top of thefifth course of stone, about 12 feetbelow the floorof the bridge.*

This bridgespans the riverfrom cliff to cliff,

and

is

an

elegantiron structure, built

upon

strong buttresses of stone. It derives its

name

from thefactthattheold, original bridge

was

suspended on chains.

When

the riversubsides afteraflood,pools of water are leftstand- ing here

and

there over the surface ofthelowland, around which

have grown up

several speciesof

swamp

willow, together with grasses

and

shrubbybushes. In thesepoolsareabundanceofsmallfishes,whiclifur- nish food for King-fishers

and Green

Herons. In this locality

many

species of birds are found, chief

among

which

may

be mentioned the

Woodcock

(Philohela minor), the Spotted Sandpiper (Tringo'ides macu-

larius), the King-fisher (Ceryle alcyon),

Green Heron

(Butorides vires- cens),

and

the

Maryland

Yellow-throat(Geothlypis trichas); whileonthe

clifl'softhe

Maryland

sidelarge coloniesofCliffSwallows(Petrochelidon lunifrons)and Rough- winged Swallows(Stelgidopteryx serripennis)breed.

InthislocalityalsotheBlueGrosbeak(Guiracaccerulea) has been found breeding.

At

thehead oftheLittleFalls,abouthalfa mileaboveChainBridge, a

dam

hasbeenconstructed as a feeder tothe canal. Thiscreates

an

extensive lakeof smoothwater, extending from

High

Island, at the headofthe rapids,

up

theriver foramile

and

ahalf,

and

hasan average width of half a mile.

Here

are foundduring the winter season

many

species of Ducks,

and

in the

summer

the beautiful

Wood Duck

(Aix sponsa) breeds intheneighboringforests.

Over

its surface during the

summer

arecontinually

skimming

thevarious speciesofSwallows.

At

theupperendof this broad expanseof water are found the beautiful timbered islets appropriately named,

by

Prof. Lester F.

Ward,

t

Box

Elder, SugarMaple,

and

Larkspur Islands,

where many

of the timid wood-birds breedin undisturbed retirement.

"

High

Island" liesatthe junction of the feeder-dam

and

the feeder (ofthe canal),whichlatterconvertsitintoanisland. Itisahuge, tow- ering rock, coveringseveral acres.

Professor

Ward

eulogizes thislocality,botanically,

by

the

remark

that thefloraof

High

Island "is

by

farthe

most

exuberantofallwithin the knowledge of botanists."

We

regretthat the

same

cannot be saidof fauna.

As

far as birds are concerned, it is decidedly

common

place, only afewofthe

summer

residents breedingthere,

and many

localities

found

more

profitable during _thespring

and

fall migration.

The

cliffsonbothsidesoftheriverextend fromtheLittleFalls tothe

Aqueduct

Bridge,atGeorgetown.

On

the

Maryland

sidetheyare soine-

*This information is kindly furnished byCol. A. F.Rockwell, U.S. A.,officerin chargeof public buildingsandgrounds.

tGaido to theFlora of the District ofColumbia, Bull.22, U.S. Nat. Mus., 1881, pp. 22, 23.

LOCATION AND TOPOGRAPHY OF THE

DISTRICT.

13 what

rolling,

and

in

many

places arecultivated.

Above

theChain Bridge thehillsideis wooded, whilealong the base,betweenthe canal

and

the

hill, there arelow,

swampy

places,

grown

overwith smalltrees,briars,

and

tangledundergrowth, in which

Woodcock

can always be found at the right season.

Between

the Chain Bridge

and

thefirstlockof the canalis a large stone quarry,

worked

inthe face ofthecliff,near the top ofwhich a colonyof

Bough-winged

Swallows havetheirhome.

Along

those portions of the cliffs remaining

wooded

a fewof the wood-birds

still

may

beseen,butthe rapidly increasing populationisdriving

them

out.

The

cliffs

upon

theVirginia shore are quite different fromthosejust considered, in being rugged, very precipitous, heavily wooded,

and

aboundingintangled undergrowth.

A number

of beautiful miniature glensexist, formed byspring branches

and

storm water, cutting their

way

through the rocks totheriver.

The

faceofthe cliffhas anorthern exposure,

and

henceis

more

deeply shaded thanthe hills on the oppo- site side.

The

locality is afavoredonefor breedingof the

Worm-eating War-

bler (Helmintherusvermivorus),

Oven

Bird (Siurus auriccqnllus),

Wood

Thrush₍Turdusmustelinus),

and

the

Woodcock

(Philohela minor).

Here

also

may

be found

much more

abundantly than forcomfort the copper- head snake(Ancistrodoncontortrix),as

many

^startledpicnic partiescan

testify.

Coming

back

down

the Potomac,the rivercontinuesnarrow fromthe foot ofthe Little Fallsto Edes's Mill,whereitwidens out considerably

and

continuesto increase inwidthuntilthe

Aqueduct

Bridgeisreached, whereitis halfa mile wide.

This portion of the river,about four

and

a half mileslong,althoughof no specialinterest ornithologically,isremarkableforthe large

numbers

of fishwhich arecaptured in the springof theyear

when

they run

up

the river to breed.

Many

fishermen

make

aliving duringthe

months

of

May and June by

catching shad (Alosa sapidissima)

and

herring (Pomolobus vernalis,P. cvstivalis) with dip-nets in the deep, rapid cur- rent, fishingfrom therocks or standing in the sternof aboat fastened to the shore. Great

numbers

of white perch (Morone americana) are alsotaken

by

anglers,

who

linetheshore duringthisseason.

The Potomac

River widens out rapidlyfrom Edes's Mill, one

and

a halfmilesbelowtheLittle Falls, whereitis100 yards,to the

Aqueduct

Bridge,whereit ishalfa milein width. This presents abeautifulsheet of quiet water, so thoroughly utilized

by

the boat clubs

and

rowing partiesthatfewwater-birdshave opportunityto alight.

Along

the shorestheonly birds seen areanoccasionalSpotted Sand- piper, King-fisher, or

Swamp

Sparrow.

The Aqueduct

Bridge (socalled becauseof carrying theAlexandria Canalacross the

Potomac

at this point) crosses the river at theupper endof Georgetown.

At

its southern extremity isthe little villageof

14 AVIFAUNA

Kosslyn. Just belowthe bridgeisAnalostanIsland, whichliesoppo- sitethe shippingwharvesof

Georgetown

for nearlytheirwhole extent, about ^{half a mile.}

The

island has awidth of about300 yards,

and

is

now

used as

summer

resort

and

picnic ground. It is separatedfrom the Virginia shore

by what

^iscalled "Little River," butwhich

was

^for- merly the

main

channelofthe Potomac.

Some

thirty-fiveor fortyyears ago acauseway

was

built across this channel to the Virginia shore, thus cutting^off the flowof waterin this direction

and

forcing the cur- rentaroundinfront ofGeorgetown. This little

dam

joiningAnalostan Island tothe main-landproved,in the history of subsequentevents, to have beena causeofverygreat mischieftothe

Washington

riverfront.

It

was and

isa greatadvantageto the shippinginterestof

Georgetown by

^{forcing the}

main

channel

down

in front ofthewharves. In

an

orni- thological sense,it is of interest ashavingbeeninstrumental

—

^{in con-}

nection withthe causewayin the middle of the river at the ^"

Long

Bridge"

—

^indeveloping

^immense

^tide-water marshes^{ofwildrice(Zizania} aquatica).

The Long

Bridge isonemile

and

a quarter long

and

crossestheriver in frontof the city of

Washington

^atthefootofFourteenthstreet. Be- tweenthe

Washington and

Virginia channelsoftheriverthe bridgecon- sistsofhalfa mileofearthcauseway, impedingtothisextent the current ofthe river.

The

distancebetween the lower

end

of AnalostanIsland

and

the

Long

Bridgeis about onemile

and

a half, the riverwidening from half a mile to a mile

and

aquarter.

When

^the

^main

^currentot

the^river swept through the channel behind Analostan ^{Island it}

was

deflected atits lowerend towards the east,

and

a large proportion of the water

was

carried acrosstothe

Washington

side,

making

achannel along theentire

Washington

frontofsufficientdepthfor vessels of light draft. (See

map

of

Potomac

Eiverregion.)

A

glance atthe

map

will

show

the effect of closing thischannel

and

diverting the current tothe north side above the island.

When

it

reaches the lowerend of theisland the entire current enters the Vir- giniachannel,

and

the

Washington

channelis as effectually barred as though

dammed.

Immediately the spaces

marked by

the dottedlines began to fill

up

from alluvial deposits,

and now

they are marshes of wild rice,

marsh

grass, wanquapins, etc., whichaffordfeeding grounds forvast

numbers

ofReed-birds (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), Rail (Porzana CarolinaaudEallusvirginianns).Blackbirds (Agelwuspliceniceus),

Marsh Wrens

(Cistothornspalustris), etc.

We

have referred

more

in detail tothe formation of these marshes than

we

otherwise would becausethey

have

another

and more

^impor- tantsignificance thantheornithologicalone

—

^{one which, although not}

connected directlywith the subject of this paper, still is of sufficient generalinterest to deserve a passingnotice.

We

^{refer to}the increased production of malarial diseases inthe adjacent portion of

Washington

Cityas aresult of thesemarshes.

The

subjecthasalso an indirect in-

LOCATION AND TOPOGRAPHY OF THE

DISTRICT.

15

terestfrom an ornithologicalpoint of view, for ina few years,perhaps atthe timethissketchis beingread,thesemarsheswillallbereclaimed

and

their present locus occupied

by

a beautifulparkdiversified

by

pict-

uresque lakelets, bridges,

and

groves of ornamental trees;

and

the places which

now

affordfeeding grounds to myriads of

marsh

birds, already mentioned, will

know them

no

more

forever.

The

firststeps towardsreclaimingthe

"Potomac

Flats"havealready been taken in Congress(1882),

and

before ma.ny years thewhole area between Easby's wharf

and

Greenleafs Point

and

the present north rivershore,embracinganareaofabout1,000 acres,willhave been

added

to the citylimits of Washington. This is a

consummation

the

more

devoutlyto be wishedfor, for another reason than danger from ^"ma-

laria,"onewhich

we

havenot heretofore seen urged,namely,thedanger from "yellowfever."

The

yellow-fever

germ

is not indigenous tothis locality,but that

we

arenot

exempt

from theliability to the diseasein the

summer

seasonisevidenced

by

theravageswhich^it has occasioned inpastyearsinthecitiesofNorfolk,Portsmouth,Philadelphia,

and New

York. Thereisreasonto believethat the

germ

ofcontagionofthis dis- easeisnot perfected inthe

human

body,butrequires certainconditions outside the

body

foritsdevelopmentintothe virulentformwhich works such deadly consequences to the

human

race. These conditions are found bestfulfilledin maritimeportsduring thehot season, wherethe tideebbs

and

flows,alternatelyexposing accumulated sewer-filth tothe rays of a

summer

sun,

and

againflooding it, twice each twenty-four hours. This is exactly the state of things with the

"Potomac

Flats."

Sewer

deposits arecaught bythe vegetation of the marshes, stirred

up

constantly

by

the tides,

and

for a portion of each

day

exposed to the sun

and

air.

What

the result might be were the yellow-fever germs onceto geta fairstart in so favorite a soilis terrible to contemplate.

Coming

back to ourbirds fromthis digression,

we

observe that this portion of the river, lying between Analostan Island

and

Greenleafs Point

and

extending southward from Greenleafs PointtowardsAlex- andria,furnishes feeding-watersto large

numbers

ofDucks, which

may

be found especially

abundant

in the

months

of February

and

March, justprevious to theirspring migration.

At

this period

many

areshot forthe market

by

gunners,

and

sportsmen can havefair sportonocca- sions in shootingfromfloatslocated above orbelow

Long

Bridge.

Eoche's Inlet

and

the "Four-Mile

Eun"

are favorite feeding-places, where ajudiciously placed"blind

"and

decoyswill afford attimesgood shooting. Four-Mile

Eun

issituatedon the Virginiaside of the river,

abouthalf

way

between

Long

Bridge

and

Alexandria.

The

Alexandria Canalcrosses it at the point

where

itempties into theriver, whichit

does through

two

culvertsunderthecanal,throughwhichthetidepours in a strong currentduringitsebb

and

flow.

Behind

thecanal

embank-

ment, therun expandsinto quite alarge

marsh

of reeds, wildrice,

and

marsh

grass, whichgives refugeto

Summer

Duck,Teal, Eail,etc.,while

16

alongitsborderare severalfine

Woodcock

brakes. In thehighbanks in the vicinity arealso colonies ofthe

Bank

Swallow (Cottle rvparia).

On

the Virginiasideof the river,abouthalf

way

between Analostan Island

and

the

Long

Bridge,a small stream,

known

as "GravellyBun,"

empties. Thisstreamcontinuesaroundinasoutherndirection,

and

again connects with the

Potomac

below the

Long

Bridge

by

a cove called

" Boche'sInlet,"or "Boche's

Bun

^".

The

land lyingbetweenthisstream

and

the river is

known

as Alexander's Island,

and

the singlehouseat thesouthernterminusofthe

Long

Bridge

by

the high-soundingtitleof

"Jackson City."

Gravelly

Bun

receives

and

dischargesthetides,

and

itsbordersforits entirelength constitutea

swamp

of tangled weeds, shrubs,

and

small trees. Itisafavorite resort for

Green and

Blue-

winged

Teal,

Summer

Duck, Green Heron, Wilson's Snipe,

Woodcock,

as wellas the

common marsh

birds, Bail, Beed-birds,

and

Bed-shouldered Blackbirds.

Here

alsoare found several

"Woodcock

brakes," which yieldsportinJuly tosuchas enjoy thesteam bathof a

midsummer's Woodcock

shoot in the close

and

tangledrecessesof thickcover.

2.

EASTERN BRANCH (ANACOSTIA RIVER) REGION.

At

the

mouth

of theEastern Branch,on thenorthside,isGreenleaPs Point, on whichtheUnited States Arsenal islocated,

and

on the south sideisGiesboro; the distance betweenthe

two

being abouthalfa mile.

From

the

mouth

tothe Anacostia Bridge, a distanceof a mile

and

a half, the narrow

and

tortuous channel runs close to the northern bank, passing infrontof the

Washington Navy-

Yard.

The

remainder of theriver bed consistsof"flats"ofaquatic grass,thewaternotbeing

sufficiently shallowto give root to the wildrice.

The

river, however,

is gradually fillingup,

and

the time is notfar distant

when

herealso

we

^shallhave

an

extensive tide-water

marsh

of zizania, saw-grass, etc.

Above

theAnacostia Bridgeto therailroadbridge (Baltimore

and

Po- tomac), adistanceof three-fourths of amile, the character of theriver is thesame. This portionoftheAnacostia Biver has butlittle interest ornithologically.

A

few Coots (Fulicaamericana),Dippers(Podilymbus podicipes),

and

Butter Balls (Clangulaalbeola)

may

be seen, butthe lo-

cationis too publicfor

any abundance

ofwaterbirds.

Above

the Baltimore

and Potomac

Bailroad Bridge, however, the characterof the stream changes,

and

becomes of

more

interest tothe ornithologist.

The

"flats"of thestream

become

sufficientlyshallowto

meet

the conditions necessaryforthe growth of the wild rice,

and

for three miles above the railroad bridge the channel winds tortuously between extensive marshes

composed

of wild rice (Zizania aquatica), saw-grass(Polygonum arifolium

and Polygonum

sagitatum),wanquapins (Nelumbium luteum), lily-pads (Nupliar advena),

and

several speciesof

marsh

grasses.

TOPOGRAPHY OF THE

DISTRICT.

17 The

extent of these tide-water marshes has very greatly increased during the past twentyyears (since theformerpaper

was

published),

and

they aresteadily encroaching-

upon

the channel. Fifty years ago there

was

sufficientdepthofwaterintheAnacostia Eivertofloatocean- goingvessels

up

toBladeusburg,theheadoftide-water,six milesabove

itsconfluence withthePotomac. Since that period the stream hasbeen gradually fillingup, until

now

it is navigable onlyto sandscows.

The

marshes have an average width of one-third ofa mile,

and

are about three mileslong. Benning'sBridgecrosses theAnacostia River about

two

milesabovethe

Navy-Yard

Bridge

and

three milesbelowBla- deusburg,

and

isthe headquartersfor

marsh

shooting.

Here

skiffscan always be hired, and,ifnotice be given,pushers alsocan be obtained.

The

marshes are intersected at intervals

by

streams called

by

the euphonious

name

of "guts," which arefrom3 to 6feet indepth,

ami

10to20feet wide.

The

largerof these are the continuationsof rivulets which

empty

into the river,

and by them

the tide overflows and ebbs from the marshes.

Along

the edges of the river

and

of the "guts,"

never entirelyuncoveredatlowtide,

grow

thelily-pads(Nupliar advena) andwanquapins {Nelumbiwmlutcum). Inthesemarshesthe Long-billed

Marsh Wren

(Telmatodytcspalnstris) breeds abundantly.

Emptying

into the river just below Benning's Bridge, on the west

side, is a large branch

known

as"Turtle Gut/' Itis the outletof a small stream

coming

in at

what

are

known

as "

Mayhew's Meadows,"

a grass

marsh

onthe westside, a short distancebelowthe bridge. This

meadow

is a well-known feeding groundforthe

Jack

Snipe (GaUinago wilsoni) in the spring of theyear.

Twenty

yearsago the outlet of Turtle

Bun expanded

intoa broad, shallow bay,with

Mayhew's Meadows

on thewest

and

awild-rice

marsh

onthe east. In this

bay grew

patches of wild rice, wanquapins,

and

lily-pads,

and

it

was

afavorite resort for ducks.

At

this date,

however

(1882), this space has been entirely converted intoa wild-rice marsh,

and

" Turtle

Gut"

is nearlyobliterated.

Above

Benning's Bridge about a quarterof a mile the river

marsh

widens out into a bay on the east side.

Here we

find another large gut,

known

as Succabel'sGut,alsoafavorite resort forDucks.

On

the shoreatthispointisanexcellent"

Woodcock

brake."

On

thewest^side oftheriverthe marshes,intersected

by numerous

guts,extendunbroken for one

and

a halfmiles to a bold bluff, which reaches

down

tothe water'sedgeata point near the

Reform

School.

Opposite this bluff, a little

up

stream,

comes

in Piney Run,quitea large, winding gut;

and

half a mile stillfarther

up

the Beaver

Dam

Run

empties.

At

Beaver

Dam

issituatedagoodwild-ricemarsh,

known

asMcCormick's Marsh,whilebetweenthis

and

Piney

Run Gut

the

marsh

is

grown up

with buttonwoods

and

alders,

making

goodcover

and

feed- ing groundfor

Woodcock and King

Rail (Rattuselegans).

On

shore, along the edgeof Beaver

Dam

^{Run, at} McCormick's, is a Bull. Nat. Mus. No. 2G 2

18 AVIFAUNA

large, typical

Woodcock

brake,

marshy

groundoccasionallyoverflowed

by

high tides,

grown up

with saplings, briars, vines,etc.,

making

splen- did cover

and

feeding ground.

Here

the sportsman, with agooddog, can always

make

a bag, ifindustrious

and

notafraid ofmud.

This wholeregion along the edges of theriverabounds with

Wood-

cock,whichinthetwilight

may

be heard

coming

in to feed

by

thescore.

Above

McCormick's the marshes

grow

narrower and shallower, until theyceasejust below Bladensburg, which^isone mile

up

theriverfrom McCormick's.

The

marshes as they

become

higher

above

lowtide also changein character^; thegrowthofwildriceceases,

and

itsplaceistaken

by

rank grass

and

stunted bushes, whichafford a refuge for

many

birds, from whichtheycannotbedislodged. Thereisa

bend

intheriver justabove McCormick's, where the channel widens out, in which during spring great

numbers

of

Ducks

congregate.

Duringthe tail migrations these marshes afford refuge

and

food for innumerablehostsof Rail,Reed-birds,and Red- wingedBlackbirds,which attract scoresof"gunners,"sothatduringthe early days ofSeptember

this localityreminds one of the firing of a skirmish line preceding a great battle.

The

crack of fowling-piecesisincessantfromearly

morn

to twilight. Allclasses in societyare represented, fromthe gentleman sportsman withhispusher

and

favorite breech-loader, huntingRail, to the ragged contraband with the cheap, old-fashioned, single-barreled muzzle-loader, or old style

army

musket,

"wading"

the marshes from knee to waist deep, to

whom

all fleshis game,

who

takesin principally Blackbirds

and

Reed-birds,

and

is particularly

happy when

hecan sur- prisean unsophisticated Rail on the side ofa "gut."

The

professional ormarket gunneris also wellrepresented,

and

duringthe earlydaysof theseason reaps agood harvest. Itis a

common

thingonthe first

day

of the season for one gunner to secure from twelve to twenty dozen Carolina Rail

and

as

many

Reed-birds. These birds are protected

by

law until September1.

Itisrather a comical sight towitness the gathering of the clansat Benning's Bridge on the 1st

day

of September, preparatory to the slaughterofthe innocents.

As

the light begins toappearin the east amotleylineofsportsmen

may

beseensitting

upon

therailofthe bridge waitingfor sufficient light to see to shoot, dressedinall

manner

ofcos- tumes,

and armed

withall sortsofblunderbusses;

some who

have

had

the

means and

forethoughttoengage askiff

and

pusher areoffin style withthetide,othersgoⁱⁿcouplesinskiffs

and push

eachother,while the rabble,

who

constitutethe greatmajority,taketothemarshes

and

wade.

RAIL SHOOTING ON THE ANACOSTIA RIVER MARSHES.

Rail shootingin the fall of the year affords sport to

many who

are fond of the gun.although to the true sportsman it is rather

tame

amusement.

The

flightof the bird is so sluggish thatitrequires but

TOPOGRAPHY OP THE

DISTRICT.

19

indifferent

marksmanship

to bring it down, as arule; still, sometimes

when

the birds are wild, before they

become

heavy with fat, it isnot such an easy matter to bring-

them

to bag. In thetalk

among

Rail shootersitisthe regular thingtoask,

"Have

yonmissed a bird to-day?"

And

itis looked

upon

as

somewhat

of a disgrace if the replyis inthe affirmative. Nevertheless,

we

venture the assertion that few ever go on the marsh for a day's Rail shooting without missing not oneonly but several birds inthe course of the day. Then, too, finding the bird afterit isshot is not a simple matter,

and

very

many

are thus lostafter beingundoubtedly killed.

The

reeds of the wildrice

grow

to a height of from 4to6 feet, and thoughusuallybroken

down

sufficiently togive aclearview, they present so uniform an appearancethat

when

abird drops itdisappears inthe foliage,

and

if the eye be taken off the spot without ^"marking," the chances are greatlyagainst its being found.

"

Marking

^"

and

gatheringintirebirdsbelongtotheduties ofthepusher,

and

thatheshoulddothesethingswell isfullyasnecessarytoasuccess- ful day as thathe shouldbeableto propel the boat,or thatthe sports-

man

shouldbea good shot.

The mode

of ^"

marking"

a shot bird isto fix inthe

mind

something aboutthe place where it falls which differs from its surroundings

—

a

verytallreed,abrokenstem, a

wanquapin

leaf, etc.

—

^{anything,however}

slight (andit is wonderful

how

^slighta

mark

will sufficefor an experi- encedpusher),thatwillserve to identify the place.

The

^importance of this appears still greater

when

it is

remembered

thatthe pusher

must

always wait aftera shot forthe sportsman to reload, and frequentlyit will happen that beforehereaches the spot where thefirstbird fell,six or eight

more

birds will be flushed

and

killed, eachof which

must

be

marked

in like manner. Itis notan

uncommon

thing to have as

many

asten oradozenbirds

down

inthe reeds

and

waterbeforeone has been pickedup.

If any interested reader wishesto get a

good

day'sRail shootingin theDistrict of Columbia,let

him make

his arrangements to tryit

upon

the 1st

day

of September.

On

this day the lawprotecting the birds expires;

up

to this timethey have not been disturbed,

and

are conse- quently veryabundant upontheopenmarshes.

Wait

forone

week and

it will be as difficult tosecureone dozen birds as it is on September1 to

bag

tendozen.

The

boat

and

pusher

must

beengageda

week

ortwo beforethe appointed time. This can be done either atthe easternend of Benning's Bridgeor at the

Lower

(Navy-Yard) Bridge.

The

former

is preferable, forit isimmediately surrounded

by

marshes,and no time

islost.

The

boat which is used in Railshootingisof peculiar construc- tion,

and

especiallyadaptedto forcinga

way

throughthe tangledreeds.

Inlocalvernacular it isa "skiff,"

and

^isaticklish-looking affairfor two

men

tonavigate instanding up.

And

indeed it is a ticklish affair, as thegreenhorn will be likely tolearn in his first attempt at Rail shoot- ing.

The

craft isusually about 10 feet long by 3 feet wide across the

20 AVIFAUNA

widestpart, above. Itispointedatboth ends, eachend being covered overforabout2 feet.

At

tbe stern this affords a seat to the paddler, while atthe

bow

it forms a lockerfor the reception of thegame.

The

one^seatisabout the junction of the anterior and middle third of the length.

The

^hullis constructedofthree planks,oneforthebottom

and

one each forthe sides.

The

sideplanksarecut

upon

a pattern,sothat

when

puttogether the bottom curves

upwards

towardseach end very

much

afterthe

manner

of the ocean fisherman'sdory.

The

advantage of this shape becomes immediately apparent

when upon

the

marsh

; the skiff is thus enabledto rideover the reeds

and

grass instead of plung- ingintothe tangled masses.

Withina yearortwo, skiffshave beenintroduced

made

ofgalvanized ironinstead of wood.

They

havetheadvantage of being lighter, and also ofbeing perfectlysmooth, thereby causing less friction in passing through thereeds.

The

metallic skiff iS always ready to be put into the water, being unaffected

by

exposure to thesun

and

air, whereas a

wooden

boat that hasbeenout ofthewaterforseveral dayswill always leak

when

first used subsequently.

Wooden

boats get water-logged

and become

heavier,while the metal ones areunchanged,

and

theylast alongtime.

The

cost ofsuch a galvanizedironskiffasishere described

isabout$25.

We

^{give a} drawingof one belonging toWilliam

Wagner,

of

Wash-

ington, D.

C,

said tobe the "best skiffon themarsh."

It is of galvanized iron, strengthened

by

iron ribs (knees), with a bead-like flange oftin¹

same

material allaround the sideatthetop. It lias water-tightcompartmentsatboth ends,which would floatitin ease of an upset. It weighs about 100 pounds

and

costs about$25.

The

following arethe measurements:

Feet. Inchps.

Length over all 10

Width

overall, widest part : 3

Width

on bottom, widestpart 2 1

Depth

atends ... ^' 11£

Depth

atmiddle 10

From bow

to seat G 3

Width

of seat 1

Air-tightcompartments ateach end23 inches long.

These skiffs, although very "precarious" tothe uninitiated,are quite seaworthy inthehandsof a skillful boatman,

and

areused also on the riverforduck-shooting.

In gettingintooneofthese littlecraftsforthefirst time the sensation

isoneof insecurity,

and

the feelingiswell expressed

by

the phrasein

common

use,that

"You must

partyourhair inthemiddle"toavoid an upset.

The

sportsman gets in first and sits

upon

the middle seat, with his guns and ammunition in front of him. lie should have

two

guns and

Galvanized-iron huntingskiff,property of William Wagner, Washington, D. C*

No.1.

—

^{Doublepaddle.}

No.^2.

—

Single paddle.

No. 3.

—

"Creeping" paddleforuse entirelyunder waterincreepingonducks.

No.^4.

—

"Pushingpole"forpropellingtheboat over themarshinrailshooting.

No.^5.

—

^{Profileviewofskiff,showing}the degree of"sheer"ateachend.

No.^6.

—

^{Bird's-eyeviewofskiff.}

Forfurther particularsseepage20.

The

authorsareindebtedtoMr. Geo. H. Miller, of Washington, D.C,for thedrawings and dimensions givenⁱⁿthisplate.

T

T'T

71

^

^f

10

_L..l

0U

TOPOGRAPHY OF THE

^DISTRICT.

21

notless than300 loaded shells; two guns,to change

when

onebecomes too hot tohandle. Shells shouldbe loaded with2 drachms of

powder and

three-quarters of an ounce of Xo. 10 shot.

Some

use 2.1 drachms of

powder and

oneounce ISTo. 10 shot.

Having

taken his position, the pusher shoves off

and

paddles over the channel to the

marsh

opposite. Entering- the

marsh

both

must

stand,thesportsmaninfront,hisleftfootforward

and

right foot behind theseat, steadying himself as best he can.

He

soon

becomes

accus-

tomed

to themotionoftheboat, which, if thepusher be a goodone,is

moderately steady, being propelled along at therate of about 2 miles anhour. Ifpropelledtoo slowly,the birdswillrunoutofthe

way

with- outflushing,andiftoo fast,theywill dive

and

waitfortheboatto pass.

The

pusher propels the skiff

by means

of a pole 10feet inlength, with acrotch at the distal end topreventit fromsinkingin themud.

By

^skillful use the boat is kept

moving

almost at a uniform rate except wherevery thickmassesof tangled reed are met,

when

all the strength

and

skillis taxedin getting through,

and

thesportsman

must

take care that heis not

by

a sudden lurch precipitatedoverboard.

On

the

marsh

the little craft is

much

steadier than in open water, becausesupported

by

theundergrowth,

and

atumble overboardresults only in a disagreeable wetting, thewaterbeingbut2 or3feetdeep.

The

timeof

day

forentering the

marsh

varieswith thetide.

The

water

is usually deep

enough

one hour

and

a half before the floodtide, and the shooting continuesone

and

a half hours after,

making

about three hours'shooting foran average tide.

The

highesttidesoccur

when

the windhasbeen from the east or southeast for twenty-four hours

and when

the

moon

is in conjunction with the sun.

When

the birds have not been

much

disturbed they willbe found feeding all over themarsh;

and

as the centers are

more

easilyaccessi- ble tothe boat these are first gone over,

and

as

many

birds securedas possible. This drives

them

to such shelter as theycan find inthick patchesof tall reeds

and

tangled saw-grass

and wanquapins

usually found along the edges ofthe river

and

ofthe guts. These covers must then bebeaten as the tide begins to fall.

The

boatis run along the edges

and

the reeds beaten with apole,

by

which

means many

birdsare frightened intotaking flight

and

secured.

So theygo, gliding through the marsh,

and

the birds begintorise.

Now

both the pusher

and

shooter have all theycan attend to. Birds rise in front, to the right, to the ^left, behind; the greenhorn becomes excited, confused; doesn't

know

whichto shoot at; fires almostat ran-

dom

; missesoftenerthanhehits; swearsat his gun,at hisshells,atthe unfortunate pusher,ateverything buthimself,

who

aloneisatfault,

and

not unlikely tumbles overboard. Ifheis of theright mettle, however?

hesoon settles

down

towork,deliberatelypickshisbirdeach time,and then thereis but little

more

missing.

Sometimesbirds will get up behind

him and

outof the range of his

22

vision.

The

pusher cries "Mark,"

when

he wheels

and

fires. Nojjhas the pusher a sinecure; he advances, stops for loading, goes forward, backwards, zigzagging, retrieving the

game; and

soitcontinues until the retreating tide forces the skifffrom the marsh.

Railshootingis often termed ^"

tame

sport,"

and

soitisas far as

mere

skillinshootingisconcerned

when compared

withQuailshooting. But, after all, it is certainly exciting

and

enjoyable, especially to the city sportsman,to

whom

an all-day

tramp

afterQuail isverylikelytoprove exhaustingoreven^painful.

Here

thereisnofatigue, no long tramp in the hotsun, only the labor ofstanding

and

balancingone'sselfin the quivering canoe, twistingto the right orleftor

backward

toget ashot,Avhiletheposition ofthe legs

must

remain unchanged; one experiences the excitementof constant shooting; birdsarealmost always onthe wing; and, withal,theshoot- inglasts but three hours, notlong

enough

for one to

become

satiated.

Since the great increase in thesizeof these marshes, the Railshoot- ingis

much

betterthanit

was

twenty yearsago.*

The

Carolina Hails

when

feeding

upon

the wildrice

become

veryfat

and

acquire adelicious flavor, for which they are

much

prized

by

epi- cures. Their flesh is soft, however, and they readily

become

taintedif

the

day

is hot.

Thus

far thedescription of the Eastern

Branch

regionhas been con- fined totheriver and its marshes.

The

bordersoftheriverare deserv- ing of a few

word

. These

we

extend to takeintheeast

bank

of the

Potomac

from the District line oppositeAlexandria to the

mouth

of the Anacostia River at Giesboro. This portion of the Districtis not deserving of any extended notice.

The

banksof the river are nearly level for

some

distance back,

and

then gradually rise tothe terraceof hills

upon

which the

Government

Insane

Asylum

stands.

In the"way ofbirds nothingpeculiarisfound.

Along

the river

bank

afewKing-fishersand Sandpipers

and

acolonyof

Bank

Swallows; far- ther back

some

favorable spots for

Woodcock and

Snipe,

and

in the woodland the usualwoodland birds.

Pursuingthe eastern

bank

of the stream to the northward

we

find a range of hills extending from theInsane

Asylum

through

Good Hope

Hill toBenning's Bridge, a distanceofthree

and

ahalf miles.

The

^ap- proach from theriver to this rising land is gradual over a distanceof from half a mile to amile, the intervening land beingthe mostfertile in theDistrict, and celebrated forthe excellenceofitsmarketgardens.

In this hilly region arefound several tractsof wild

woods

undergrown with thickets of laurel (Kalmia latifolki). in which theRuffed Grouse, called uPheasants" (Bonasa umbella), breed

and

are at home.

Here

*Themostextensive wild-rice marshes found in the EastareuponthePatuxent River,18miles southeastof Washington, -where at several points boatsandpushers

maybe obtaiued.