LXIX 



eggs commenced to liatch, and we soon obtained from 

 them a considerable number of young fish. The large 

 breeding ponds — in which the adult fish 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 considerable time each 

 day, the kingfishers continued their depredations to a 

 troublesome extent, until a plan for their destruction 

 was suggested by 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 and fall upon their prey ; they light, of 

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

 either captures them or inflicts a fatal wound. 



I am satisfied that the number of fish — especially of 

 the Grolden Ide— destroyed by 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 wat*er, at the same time that their 

 habit of swimming near the surface renders them an easy 

 prey to their enemies. 



In order to secure the young Carp for distribution, we 

 commenced to -drain the ponds again on the 20th of 

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

 enemies which had accumulated during the summer. 



