Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-29
CURIOSITIES OF NATURE FOUND
BY NATIONAL VIVARIUM SOCIETY
Swamp Along Patuxent River Harbors
Fish That Build Stone Houses and
White-Feathered Tree Trunks.

recently which might be identical
with this specimen.
In the course of this progress down
the river, members of the society ran
into the stone houses of colony OF
river clubs. This phenomenon, how
ever, has been known to science for
a long time. At the breeding season
the male Of this small fish carries
stones from the river bottom in his
mouth and piles them up in the form
of a rough, circular wall to prevent
the eggs from being carried away.
Eventually leaf and twig debris borne
downstream catches on these walls
and forms a sort of roof so that the
nest may appear like a rough, thatch-
ed toy cottage built under water.
The feathered tree trunk attracted
considerable interest. 1t was dead
stalk, probably very ancient, covered
from top to bottom with a peculiar
sort of white fungous growths, very
light and delicate, which were ar
ranged at such regular intervals and
so closely together that they present
ed very much the appearance of
feathers.
Discovery of Orchid.
The discovery of the orchid which
had very small, delicate white BIOS
som tinted with purple, also caused
considerable debate, since none of the
bontanists present could identify it.,
but the theory was advanced that it
probably is fairly common along the
North Carolina coast. The actual
swamp, where the ooze is waist deep,
was not explored yesterday. 1t
abounds with life. however, and sew
eral members of the society plan to re.
turn equipped to cross it.
The net was dragged through a cold
spring. apparently entirely devoid of
life, and four or five lively mud min.
nows were brought to the surface and
captured alive. They will be placed
In the aquarium at the National Zoo.
logical Park. Many frogs, turtles.
nymphs and salamanders were col.
lected. the latter being found under
rotting logs in the marsh.
A notable feature Of the swamp OBJ.
served by members of the Vivarium
Society was the enormous size attained
by some Of the poison ivy vines which
Irvine around the trunks of the sweet
gums and river birches, and are SO
large that it sometimes is difficult to
tell which is the vine and which is
the trunk. AT every stage of its
growth the vine sends out hosts of
tiny roots into the air, which draw
nourishment to the plant in much the
same fashion as the roots sent into
the ground.
Absence of Birds.
One very ancient form of plant life,
the sphargum moss, was found in
dense patches and collected in canvas
sacks as food for fish. This moss
grows about an inch from the ground
and Is the degenerated descendant of
one Of the carboniferous tree growths
from which coal is formed.
the absence of bird life in the
swamp was notable, this probably
being an off season for most of the
forms which inhabit this region. Evi.
dences of nominal life were abundant,
however. including muskrats. mink,
otter. racoon, opposum, fox and
weasle.
Among those who took part in the
exploration of the tract, besides DR..
and Mrs. Hubbes. were DR.. William M.
Mann, director of the National Zoo.
logical Park; Herbert Barbour of the
National Museum; John H. Paine,
Maurice X. Brady, Mrs. Brady and
Miss Doris Cochrane. assistant cura-
tor Of mammals at the National Mu-
scum.