Recent Tournaments. Etc. 



245 



in famishing' condition, is shown by 

 this hanging up of slaughtered birds. 

 That these were not all d^troyed for 

 food I am positive, for I have met 

 these little impaled fellows in all stages 

 of decomposition, yet showing no sign 

 of having been even partially eaten. 



A new club has recently been formed 

 at Flushing, Long Island, N. Y., and 

 duly incorporated according to the laws 

 of the State. The club has purchased 

 a new sloop, 30 feet length of keel, in 

 which to enjoy their piscatorial outings. 

 This boat has been built on purpose for 

 blue fishing excursions, and Captain 

 Arthur Pearsall has been placed in com- 

 mand of the new craft. The following 

 will constitute the governing board of 

 the club: George Lewis, B. A. Fowler, 

 Edwin Oliver, John B. Schmelzel, 

 Charles Hicks, and H. Carpenter. At 

 the last meeting of the club, held on 

 June 6, the following men were eledled 

 as members of the club: George W. 

 Saxe, County Judge Garret, J. Garret- 

 son, Judge Luke, J. Connorton, County 

 Treasurer Joseph Sykes, E. L. Mont- 

 gomery, Alonzo Pettit and Village 

 Trustee John Hepburn. 



^ 5li ^ 



Weak-fish have been running for 

 some two weeks past in the waters of 

 Raritan Bay. They are of fine size, 

 and, being in large numbers, rare sport 

 has been had by the few anglers who 

 were aware of the fa6l of their coming. 



Just below the railroad bridge, spanning 

 the Bay, the waters are fairly alive with 

 boats, each one containing from one to 

 four disciples of the gentle art. Fisher- 

 men are, without doubt, a dissatisfied 

 lot of men. Good as the fishing has 

 been, and is now, they unite in saying 

 that the pound nets have spoiled it. 

 The pound net men, in turn, growl 

 about the big steamers, with their mile 

 long nets, ostensibly catching men- 

 haden, but include in that catch every 

 fish that swims within the circumfer- 

 ence of the lengthy meshes of their 

 nets. Each quarrels with the other, 

 but as for the weak-fish, they have no 

 word in the argument. 

 ^ ^ ^ 

 In a previous paragraph reference is 

 made to the predatory habits of hawks 

 and owls. Since that writing a circum- 

 stance has occurred to the writer which 

 seems to bear dire6lly upon the 

 subje6l. This circumstance is the 

 annual flight of hawks, which follows 

 the migration of the bay snipe, both in 

 the spring and fall. The fa6l may be 

 only a coincidence, but it is a truth, 

 nevertheless. The snipe fly in immense 

 numbers and in their wake follow a 

 host of hawks. Along the New Jersey 

 coast this flight of the birds of prey is 

 so well known as to attradl no com- 

 ment. It comes each year as regular 

 as the season, and a few of the old 

 sportsmen of Jersey enjoy a day or 

 two's shooting when the flight is on. 



