﻿LXIX 
  

  

  eggs 
  commenced 
  to 
  hatch, 
  and 
  Ave 
  soon 
  obtained 
  from 
  

   them 
  a 
  considerable 
  number 
  of 
  young 
  fish. 
  The 
  large 
  

   breeding 
  ponds 
  — 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  adult 
  lish 
  had 
  been 
  placed 
  

   — 
  were 
  not 
  disturbed 
  again 
  until 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  fall. 
  Dur- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  summer 
  the 
  ponds 
  were 
  greatly 
  depredated 
  on 
  by 
  

   herring; 
  kingfishers 
  also 
  occasioning 
  us 
  much 
  

   annoyance, 
  until 
  the 
  Park 
  Commissioners 
  kindly 
  auth- 
  

   orized 
  the 
  attendant. 
  to 
  shoot 
  these 
  birds, 
  when 
  their 
  

   ravages 
  were 
  somewhat 
  abated. 
  * 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  attendant 
  was 
  necessarily 
  compelled 
  to 
  be 
  

   absent 
  from 
  the 
  ponds 
  for 
  a 
  considera]:)le 
  time 
  each 
  

   day, 
  the 
  kingfishers 
  continued 
  their 
  depredations 
  to 
  a 
  

   troublesome 
  extent, 
  until 
  a 
  plan 
  for 
  their 
  destruction 
  

   was 
  suggested 
  l^y 
  Admiral 
  Ammen, 
  which, 
  as 
  it 
  proved 
  

   effective, 
  I 
  take 
  pleasure 
  in 
  repeating 
  here 
  for 
  the 
  

   benefit 
  of 
  culturists 
  whose 
  ponds 
  are 
  subject 
  to 
  the 
  raids 
  

   of 
  these 
  feathered 
  robbers. 
  In 
  accordance 
  with 
  his 
  

   directions, 
  several 
  poles 
  were 
  placed 
  upright 
  around 
  the 
  

   edges 
  of 
  the 
  ponds, 
  each 
  pole 
  being 
  armed 
  at 
  the 
  top 
  

   with 
  a 
  small 
  steel-trap, 
  set 
  with 
  quite 
  a 
  delicate 
  '"trip." 
  

   The 
  kingfishers 
  and 
  other 
  predacious 
  birds 
  when 
  ap- 
  

   proaching 
  the 
  ponds 
  naturally 
  select 
  these 
  poles 
  to 
  perch 
  

   upon 
  as 
  affording 
  favorable 
  positions 
  from 
  which 
  to 
  scan 
  

   the 
  waters 
  aiul 
  fall 
  upon 
  their 
  prey 
  : 
  they 
  light, 
  of 
  

   course, 
  upon 
  the 
  trap 
  which 
  springs 
  to 
  tlie 
  touch, 
  and 
  

   either 
  captures 
  them 
  or 
  inflicts 
  a 
  fatal 
  wound. 
  

  

  I 
  am 
  satished 
  tliat 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  hsh 
  — 
  especially 
  of 
  

   the 
  Golden 
  Ide 
  — 
  destroyed 
  bj' 
  these 
  birds, 
  before 
  the 
  

   war 
  of 
  extermination 
  commenced, 
  was 
  very 
  considerable, 
  

   the 
  brilliant 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  Ide 
  making 
  them 
  very 
  conspic- 
  

   uous 
  objects 
  in 
  the 
  water, 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  that 
  their 
  

   habit 
  of 
  swimming 
  near 
  the 
  surfa<'e 
  renders 
  them 
  an 
  easy 
  

   prey 
  to 
  their 
  enemies. 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  to 
  secure 
  the 
  young 
  Carp 
  for 
  distribution, 
  we 
  

   commenced 
  to 
  di-ain 
  the 
  ponds 
  again 
  on 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  

   October, 
  and 
  again 
  freed 
  them 
  of 
  eels, 
  catfish 
  and 
  other 
  

   enemies 
  which 
  had 
  accumulated 
  durino; 
  the 
  summer. 
  

  

  