USA > New York > Chautauqua County > History of Chautauqua County, New York > Part 48
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406
HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N. Y.
CANADA GOOSE. Branta canadensis.
Head and neck black, with white patch on throat and sides of head ; bill, feet, tail and wing quills black, tail coverts white, upper parts grayish brown, under parts paler or whitish ; length 35-43, wing 1512-21. Seen in greater or less numbers every year, though not many are killed by sportsmen. Other species may visit us but are rarely taken.
WHISTLING SWAN. Olor columbianus.
Whole plumage white, bill and feet black, small yellow spot on bill near eye, length 416 feet, extent 7 feet, wing 21-22. Occasionally seen, not COM11111011.
Order HERODIONES. Herons, etc.
With this order begins the second sub-class, Terrestrial birds, or Runners. The herons with the shore birds, cranes and rails are frequently referred to as Wading Birds.
Family ARDEID.R. Herons and Bitterns.
Owing to the rarity of the least bittern, and black-crowned night heron here we omit descriptions. The herons have long legs and necks, and long, sharp beaks, feathers 'more or less long and flowing. Their favorite haunts . are swamps and margins of lakes and streams.
AMERICAN BITTERN. Botaurus lentiginosus.
Brownish yellow, finely mottled and striped with dark brown, whitish and brownish red, blackish stripe on sides of neck, eyes yellow, length 24-34, " wing 10-12. The bittern is also called " stake driver." Not very common.
GREAT BLUE HERON. Ardea herodias.
Grayish blue above, head chiefly black, with crest, forehead white, neck brownish with white throat line, beneath black striped with white, feathers of lower neck long and loose, eyes yellow ; length 42-50, wing 18-20. Fre- quently mistaken by the unscientific observer for the sandhill crane, which it resembles. The latter is of rare occurrence in the county. The blue heron is not uncommon, and arrives from the south about April 1, remain- ing sometimes till December.
GREEN HERON. Ardea virescens.
Above principally dark lustrous green, including a flowing crest ; neck maroon-chestnut, skin of hind neck bare, under parts dark brownish ash variegated with white, iris yellow ; length 1512-2212, wing 614-8. Com- mon about Lake Chautauqua in summer.
ORDER PALUDICOLÆE. Cranes, Rails, etc.
It is to be doubted that any of the cranes reach this county.
Family RALLIDA. Rails, Coots, etc ..
Besides the sora the Virginia rail reaches the county in small numbers, while the yellow rail is less common. The coot is occasionally met with.
407
BIRDS.
SORA. Porzana carolina.
Above olive brownish striped with black, flanks broadly barred with white and slate-color, anterior portion of head also throat black, neck and chest plumbeous ; length 8-934, wing about 414. Occasionally found skulking in the grasses and reeds bordering lakes and streams.
Order LIMICOLÆE. Shore Birds.
Family SCOLOPACIDIE. Snipes, Sand-pipers, etc.
The greater yellow-legs, yellow-legs, solitary sandpiper, willet, black- bellied plover and golden plover are seen occasionally. The purple sand- piper, pectoral sandpiper, white-rumped sandpiper, least sandpiper, red- backed sandpiper, semi-palmated sandpiper, sanderling, bartramian sand- piper, long-billed curlew, hudsonian curlow, eskimo curlew, piping plover and turnstone are possible visitors.
AMERICAN WOODCOCK. Philohela minor.
Upper parts varied and harmoniously blended black, brown, gray and russet ; below pale cinnamon brown tinged with light ashy, eye large and high-placed ; length 1012-1134, wing about 514, bill 212-24. The wood- cock nests here to some extent. The places most frequented are bushy coverts about streams, lakes and swamps, and it is often known to hide in standing corn. It is strictly a ground bird and bores into the soil with its long bill for its food. It is a favorite game-bird and moderately common in its chosen haunts.
WILSON'S SNIPE. Gallinago delicata.
Bill straight and much longer than the head, upper parts varied with black, bright bay and tawny ; neck and breast speckled with brown and dusky, beneath white with dusky markings ; length 9-11, wing 434-5%. This is also a game-bird, difficult to shoot for the unskilled sportsman. Most common in April and October and found in open wet places.
SPOTTED SANDPIPER. Actitis macularia.
Above olive with a bronzy luster finely varied with black, line over eyes and under parts white, spotted with black, white markings on wing and tail ; length 7-8, wing 4-414. Perhaps more commonly known as "tip-up," so called from its habit of quickly elevating and depressing its tail. Common about all our streams, lakes and ponds in summer.
KILDEER. ZEgialitis vocifera.
Upper parts chiefly grayish brown, head markings, throat, ring around neck and lower parts white ; also black head markings and two conspicuous bands across chest, rump and tail orange-brown, latter marked with black and white ; length 10-11 44, wing about 612. A bird of striking appear- ance, often seen about pasture lands, and common in localities during sum- mer. It arrives in April.
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408
HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N. Y.
Order GALLINA. Gallinaceous Birds. 1
The early settlers occasionally met with the wild turkey, and the quail, " bob-white," was not extinct here till a comparatively recent date.
Family TETRAONID.E. Grouse, etc. RUFFED GROUSE. Bonasa umbellus.
Commonly called " partridge." Above varied with different shades of black and brown or gray, streaked and spotted with pale buffy or whitish, beneath chiefly white barred with brown, neck tufts black, tail mainly rich rusty or gray, crossed near tip by a broad black band ; length 1512-19, wing 7-712. In general appearance the majority are brownish ; some specimens, however, are markedly different, the brown being largely replaced by gray. The latter are locally known as " silver-tails." The ruffed grouse is one of the few birds strictly non-migratory. It is common in the less populous parts of the county.
Order COLUMBA. Pigeons.
This and all the following orders belong to the third sub-class, known as Perching Birds.
Family COLUMBID.E. Pigeons. PASSENGER PIGEON. Ectopistes migratorius.
Above dull bluish or drab, below dull purplish red whitening towards tail, sides of neck with a metallic gloss, wings and tail marked with black and white, and latter, which is long and pointed, also marked with chestnut ; length 15-1714, wing 8 -- 812, tail 814-S34. Formerly abundant, a few still nest here. Like the bison, the pigeon has fallen a too easy prey to man, and its complete extinction may not be far distant.
MOURNING DOVE. Zenaidura macroura.
Above brownish olive with a few spots of black, below purplish red be- coming tawny white towards tail, neck metallic green, tail marked with ashy blue, black and white ; length 11-13, wing 534-6, tail 534-612. A sum- mer resident common in localities.
Order RAPTORES. Birds of Prey.
Family FALCONID.E. Hawks, Eagles, etc.
Of the larger hawks the two most common are the red-shouldered and the red-tailed hawks, both called " hen-hawks." The cooper's hawk, a little less in size, the broad-winged hawk and the marsh hawk are occasionally seen. The sharp-shinned hawk, still smaller, is rather more common. The pigeon hawk is rare. The sparrow hawk the smallest and handsomest of our birds of prey is quite common. The bald eagle is occasionally seen about Chautauqua lake. The American goshawk, American rough-legged hawk, golden eagle, duck hawk and American osprey are perhaps occasional visitors.
Owing to the great variation of plumage in birds of this order during different stages of development, descriptions, unless very comprehensive and
·
409
BIRDS.
embracing the technicalities of science, would often be only confusing and are omitted.
Family BUBONIDIE, Ouls, etc.
The more common of the owls are the screech owl, great horned-owl and the barred owl. The snowy owl is frequently seen in winter. The Ameri- can longeared owl, the shorteared owl and the sawwhet owl are not common.
Order COCCYGES. Cuckoos, etc.
Family CUCULID.E. Cuckoos, etc. BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. Coccyzus erythrophthalmus.
Upper parts uniform olive-gray with bronzy luster, below white, tail rounded, and tipped with black and white, bill curved, toes two before and two behind ; length 11-1234, wing 5-512, tail 614-7. Sometimes called "rain crow." Unlike the European cuckoo, our American cuckoo does not lay its eggs in the nests of other birds. Quite common during summer. The yellow-billed cuckoo is much less common.
Family ALCEDINID.E. Kingfishers. BELTED KINGFISHER. Ceryle alcyon.
Upper parts, sides and broad band across chest plumbeous blue ; belly and collar white, head large crested and more or less blackish, wings and tail marked with black and white, bill black and large, peculiar cohesion of third and fourth toes. Female with chestnut chest bands and sides ; length II-1412, wing 6-612, bill 2. Common ; often seen in winter.
Order PICI. Woodpeckers, etc.
Family PICIDLE. Woodpeckers.
So well known and characteristic in appearance are the woodpeckers that, for the sake of brevity, descriptions will be dispensed with.
The golden winged woodpecker, "flicker," "yellowhammer " or "high- hole," as it is variously called, is one of the handsomest and most abundant of its tribes. It arrives early in April and is a common resident. The red- headed woodpecker, hairy woodpecker and downy woodpecker are seen at all seasons. The pileated woodpecker or " logcock," about equal to the crow in size, is to be found in spring and fall, and sometimes in summer. The yellow-bellied woodpecker is a regular spring and antumm visitor. The red- bellied woodpecker is an occasional migrant. The black-backed three-toed woodpecker is a rare winter visitor. The American three-toed woodpecker is still more rare.
Order MACROCHIRES. Goatsuckers, Swifts, etc.
Family CAPRIMULGID.E. Goatsuckers.
The whippoorwill is rare. The nighthawk arrives in May and is moder- ately common during summer. Large numbers are often seen in September previous to migrating southward.
410
HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N. Y.
Family MICROPODID.E. Swifts. CHIMNEY SWIFT. Cinetura pelagica.
Also called " chimney swallow." Sooty brown above, slightly paler beneath, becoming gray on the throat, tail feathers tipped with sharp spines, wing narrow, bill very small ; length 5, wing 5. The flight of the swift is rapid and peculiar as well as long sustained. It comes in the latter part of April and is common till October.
Family TROCHILID.E. Hummingbirds.
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD. Trochilus colubris.
Arrives from the south about the second week in May and is common during summer.
Order PASSERES. Perching Birds.
Family TYRANNID.E. Tyrant Flycatchers.
To this family belong the well-known kingbird, which arrives about May ; the phoebe, coming early in April ; the wood pewee, a few days later, and the least flycatcher or " chebec," about May first ; all common summer residents. The crested flycatcher is a less common resident, and the Acadian flycatcher is rare. The. yellow-bellied flycatcher and Traill's flycatcher may occasionally reach the county.
Family ALAUDIDLE. Larks. HORNED LARK. Otocoris alpestris.
Also called " shore lark." Occasionally seen at all seasons, but not very CO111111011.
Family CORVID.E. Crow's. BLUE JAY. Cyanocitta cristata.
A well-known and predacious bird, common in localities throughout the year.
AMERICAN CROW. Corvus americanus.
Common except for a few weeks in severe winters.
Family ICTERID.E. Blackbirds, Orioles, etc. BOBOLINK. Dolichonyx oryzivorus.
It arrives about the first week in May, and for some weeks thereafter its merry melodies ripple across our meadows and grain fields. By August it has undergone an almost magic transformation. Its music has ceased, and the male's gay dress of black and white has been exchanged for one of yellowish brown. In habits it is also changed, and, gathering in flocks, it shortly flies to the south, where it is the "reedbird " and "ricebird."
COWBIRD. Molothrus ater.
So called from its seeking the society of cattle, sometimes even perching upon their backs. It is about the size of the bobolink, and the male has a black body and glossy brown head. Its notable peculiarity is that it shirks
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4II
BIRDS.
parental responsibility by laying its eggs in the nests of other birds, leaving them to be latched and the young brought up by unsuspecting foster-parents, a habit shared with the European cuckoo. Not uncommon in summer.
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. Agelaius phanicus.
A common resident, appearing about the middle of March.
MEADOW LARK. Sturnella magna.
Common during summer, occasionally remaining throughout the year.
ORCHARD ORIOLE. Ictcrus spurius.
Not co111111011.
BALTIMORE ORIOLE. Icterus galbula.
A very noticeable bird attired in a rich dress of orange and black and with a loud piping voice. It has an extensive musical repertoire, through which it progresses with the advance of the season. It is remarkable for its ingenious pensile nest. Coming early in May, it is common among shade trees of towns and villages.
RUSTY BLACKBIRD. Scolecophagus carolinus.
A migrant passing to the north about the first of April. Not common.
PURPLE GRACKLE. Quiscalus quiscala.
Also called " crow blackbird." A common resident arriving in March. BRONZED GRACKLE. Quiscalus quiscala concus. A variety of the last and scarcely distinguishable from it. Common.
Family FRINGILLIDLE, Finches, Sparrows, etc.
This is a large and interesting family, and nearly all its members are sing- ers-some of them delightful musicians. A family characteristic is a thick, . strong bill adapted to cracking seeds, etc. As a rule they are inhabitants of the open rather than of the forest. With a few marked exceptions they are plainly colored. Beside those more extensively referred to, the white-winged crossbill, redpoll, pine siskin, grasshopper sparrow and swamp sparrow may sometimes visit us.
PURPLE FINCH. Carpodacus purpurcus.
Called " linnet " also. A very vigorous and persistent singer, arriving in March. Common resident.
AMERICAN CROSSBILL. Lovia curvirostra minor.
Remarkable for the twisted appearance of its mandibles. A rare winter visitor.
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. Spinus tristis.
Commonly known as "yellowbird " or " thistle-bird." Its beautiful song is not often heard ; its ordinary chatterings are musical, and it utters no harsh cries. It has a peculiar undulating flight. Common summer resident, sometimes remaining after winter has set in.
412
HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N. Y.
EUROPEAN HOUSE SPARROW. Passer domesticus.
The English sparrow is abundant throughout the year in our towns and villages. It first became fairly common here about 1880.
SNOW FLAKE. Plectrophenar nivalis.
Called " snow bunting " as well. A bird of the far north, a winter visitor. Not comnon.
VESPER SPARROW. Poocctes gramineus.
A small gray bird often observed sporting in the dust of a country road. It may be recognized by the lateral white tail feathers which are shown as it flies. Its song is pleasing and first heard about the beginning of April. Common1.
SAVANNA SPARROW. Ammodramus sandwichensis savanna.
Another small gray sparrow, which, like the song sparrow and vesper sparrow, commonly passes for a " ground bird." Not uncommon.
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW. Zonotrichia leucophrys.
More or less common in May and October.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. Zonotrichia albicollis.
A large sparrow much like the last, with which it associates during migrations.
TREE SPARROW. Spizella monticola.
It arrives from the north in early winter, passing northward again on approach of spring. Not uncommon.
CHIPPING SPARROW. Spizella socialis.
A familiar little visitor of the doorstep, arriving early in April.
FIELD SPARROW. Spizella pusilla.
In appearance scarcely distinguishable from the last, but differing widely in habits and song. Common resident, coming early in May.
SLATE-COLORED JUNCO. Junco hyemalis.
Known also as " snowbird." Upper parts, neck and breast slate colored ; bill, under parts and lateral tail feathers white. A summer resident, most common early and late in winter.
. SONG SPARROW. Melospiza fasciata.
Perhaps better known as " ground bird." Its dress is Quaker hued, its song is pleasing and first heard about the middle of March-next after those of the robin and bluebird. One of our most common songsters.
FOX SPARROW. Passerella iliaco.
An early spring migrant ; rather rare.
TOWHEE. Pipilo erythrophthalmus.
A large finch, chiefly black, with white and chestnut markings and a long tail. Often observed on the outskirts of woods. A quite common summer resident, arriving about the second week in May.
413
BIRDS.
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. Habia ludoviciana.
Male black and white with rose-red breast and very thick bill. Nearly the size of the robin. A fine singer, frequently heard in our woods and groves. It arrives about the second week of May.
INDIGO BUNTING. Passerina cyanca.
A small finch whose plumage is almost entirely dark blue. Seen in bushy pastures and along the margin of woods. Comnon, coming about the second week of May.
Family TANAGRID.E. Tanagers. SCARLET TANAGER. Piranga erythromclas.
Colored bright scarlet, with black wings and tail. Perhaps our most . brilliant forest bird, and also a fine singer. A summer resident, but not very common, arriving early in May.
Family HIRUNDINIDE. Swallows. PURPLE MARTIN. Progne subis.
A large vigorous swallow with notes louder and shriller than its conge- ners. Male entirely bluish black ; the female, marked with gray and white beneath. For its nest it prefers a birdbox. Arrives about the first of May and is common in localities.
CLIFF SWALLOW. Petrochelidon lunifrons.
Also called "eave swallow." Forehead whitish, rump light chestnut, upper parts otherwise steel-blue and dusky, throat and sides of head dark chestnut, belly white. Nest usually gourd-shaped, constructed of mud and lined with feathers, and placed beneath the eaves of a barn. Arrives about the middle of April and is common.
BARN SWALLOW. Chelidon erythrogastra.
It may be distinguished by its forked tail. Above steel-blue, throat chestnut, rest of lower parts reddish white, steel-blue on sides of chest nearly forming a collar. Nest of mud and cup-shaped, usually placed inside of a · barn against a beam or rafter. Comes from the south in the latter half of April and is common.
WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. Tachycincla bicolor.
Glossy metallic green above, white beneath. Nests in birdboxes and makes its appearance late in April. Much less common than the preceding two.
BANK SWALLOW. Clivicola riparia.
Upper parts, sides and band across chest grayish brown, elsewhere white. It nests in a horizontal burrow which it excavates in a sandbank or bank of a stream. It comes late in April. Generally distributed, but not numerous.
414
HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N. Y.
Family AMPELIDEE. Warwings, CEDAR WANWINGS, Ampelis cedrorum
Known also as " cherrybird." Prevaling color a soft olive or fawn-color varied with ashy and slaty, with a little white beneath, tail tipped with yel- low, head markings black, with a conspicuous pointed crest, inner quills usually and tail sometimes tipped with horny appendages in appearance like red sealing-wax. It has no song, its only utterance is a weak, wheezy note. A not uncommon resident, arriving sometimes early in March.
Family LANHID.E. Shrikes. NORTHERN SHRE. . Lanius borealis.
Sometimes called "butcher-bird " from its habits of suspending small birds and mice, which it has killed, from thorns and twigs. Above gray, sides of head, wings and tail black, under parts and wing and tail markings white, about the size of the robin. Most frequently seen in spring and fall, sometimes in winter. Not common.
Family VIREDNID.E. Vireos or Greenlets.
The most common representative of this group is the red-eyed vireo ; next the warbling vireo. The yellow-throated vireo is not common. The white- eyed vireo and the blue-headed vireo are rare. The Philadelphia vireo is a possible visitor. The birds of this family are inconspicuously colored, the prevailing tint being an olive green ; they confine themselves to the dense foliage and are seldom seen, although their modest, pleasing notes may be heard almost any day in summer. Nests cup-shaped and pensile.
FAMILY MINIOTILTIDAE. Wood-warblers.
A large family of very diminutive songsters. Most of them are inhabi- tants of the forest and are beautifully clothed in variegated colors. Their food consists of insects, in pursuit of which they are very active. Nearly all return from the south during the first half of May. To identify with cer- tainty the various species as seen in life would be difficult for the casual observer, and descriptions are omitted. It is quite possible that the golden- winged warbler, Nashville warbler, Tennessee warbler, Cape May warbler, bay-breasted warbler, black-poll warbler, Maryland yellow-throat and yellow- breasted chat may sometimes visit us in addition to the following :
BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER. Mniotilta varia.
Summer resident ; not common.
PARULA WARBLER. Compsothlypis ameicana.
Migrant, not common.
YELLOW WARBLER. Dendroica @stica.
Common summer resident. Seen in towns and villages more frequently than in forests.
415
BIRDS.
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER. Dendroica Gerulescens. Not uncommon as a migrant.
MYRTLE WARBLER. Dendroica coronata.
Common as a migrant. The first warbler seen in spring and the latest in autumn.
MAGNOLIA WARBLER. Dendroica maculosa.
A beautiful warbler, common about the second week in May. Ordinarily a migrant but known to have nested here.
CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER. Dendroio pennsylvania.
Common summer resident.
BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER. Dendroica blackburnice.
Sometimes considered the most beautiful of the group. Comnon as a transient, probably occasionally nests here.
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS. Dendroica virens.
Common as a migrant, sometimes a summer resident.
PINE WARBLER. Dendroica vigorsii. Rare. OVEN BIRD. Sciurus aurocapillus.
Common in summer, arriving in the latter part of April.
WATER-THRUSH. Seiurus noveboracensis.
Migrant, not common.
CONNECTICUT WARBLER. Geothlypis agilis. Rare. MOURNING WARBLER. Gcothlypis philadelphia. Rare. HOODED WARBLER. Sylvania mitrata.
A very beautiful little songster, probably nowhere more common in sum- mer than with us.
WILSON'S WARBLER. Sylvania pusilla. Rare migrant. CANADIAN WARBLER. Sylvania canadensis.
Common migrant, sometimes a summer resident.
AMERICAN REDSTART. Setophaga rusticola.
Common during summer.
AMERICAN PIPIT. Anthus pennsylvanicus.
Migrant, not common.
Family TROGLODYTID.E. Wrens, Thrushes, etc." .CATBIRD. Galeoscoptes carolinensis.
A familiar species, common in suminer, arriving about May I.
BROWN THRASHER. Harporhynchus rufus.
Above reddish brown, beneath white, tail very long ; rather larger than the catbird. An occasional summer resident.
HOUSE WREN. Troglodytes adon.
Common in summer, arriving about the middle of April.
416
HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N. Y.
WINTER WREN. Troglodytes hyemalis. Rare. LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN. Cistothorus palustris.
Not common. The short-billed marsh wren is a possible visitor. Family CERTHID.E. Creepers. BROWN CREEPER. Certhia familiaris americana.
Migrant, not con111011.
Family PARIDE. Nuthatches and Tits.
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH. Sitta carolinensis.
Common, perhaps most so in winter.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. Sitta canadensis.
Rare spring and autumn visitor.
CHICKADEE. Parus atricapillus.
Frequently seen throughout the year.
Family SYLVIIDEE. Kinglets, etc. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. Regulus satrapa.
Not uncommon during spring and fall migrations.
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. Regulus calendula.
Like the last, seen in April and October. The kinglets are, with the exception of the humming bird, the smallest of our birds.
Family TURDIDEE. Thrushes, Bluebirds, etc. WOOD THRUSH. Turdus mustelinus. Quite rare as a resident.
OLIVE-BACKED THRUSH. Turdus ustulatus swainsonii. Rare. HERMIT THRUSH. Turdus aonalaschke pallasii.
Arrives in April and is a common summer resident. Its notes, heard in the dense forest, have a peculiar flute-like melody.
AMERICAN ROBIN. Merula migratoria.
Arrives from the south in February or March. An abundant and familiar species.
BLUEBIRD. Sidia sialis.
Common : appearing in spring with the robin.
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417
GRAPES.
CHAPTER XLIII.
BUFFALO
ERIE
LAKE
Silver Creel
Sheridan
Dunkirk
1
N.
W.
Moorhead
North East
CAKE
ST.
GRAPE
CHI
"CHAUTAUQUA
Laona
+
1.
Dayton
S.
6.
N.
PENN,
L
ASMayville
20
N.
Chautauqua
IL.
D.
U.N.CO., BUFFALO,
N. M.
.. 4*F
GRAPE INDUSTRY OF NORTHERN CHAUTAUQUA.
BY H. C. TAYLOR, M. D.
E ARLY HISTORY .- The honor of introducing that incomparable fruit, the grape, to Chautauqua county, is due to Deacon Elijah Fay, of Broc- ton. Hs came to Portland from Southborough, Mass., in 18II, and located lot 20, T 5, 176 acres. The west portion of Brocton is on this pur- chase. He built his log cabin but a few feet from the present residence of his grandson, G. E. Ryckman, Esq. In this, and a second cabin built a year later, Mr. Fay and family lived until 1831, when the brick house now stand- ing was built. In their New England home they had lived in comparative luxury, and a log cabin with the trials and the privations of pioneer life were not desirable features to contemplate, and a thought of transplanting some luxuries from the old home served to lighten many a care and relieve much of the weariness that came into their life. Along the smaller streams of New England grew thick clusters of the Alnus Serrulata, or common alder, stand- ing from eight to twelve feet high, over which grew thick and matted the vines of the fox grape. The fruit was large and fine, hanging in heavy clus-
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