FOREST? AND > STREAM, 



blossoms— while I part the houghs of this noble sycamore, 

 just putting on its summer livery of green leaves. Now drop 

 your line, with one single buckshot on it, about a yard above 

 the foam; it will float down under it, where tlie black and 

 yellow beauties lie, Was that the current which gave the 

 line that tug? "No, by St. Bride of Bothwell— no!'' It 18 

 a veritable six-pounder! See how gallantly he flat 

 the river and spins out fifty yards of line, and then leaps 

 high in air, mouth wide open, fins extended and a general ail 

 of determination to get rid of thenoak at all hazards ! De- 

 press the end of your rod now and the real work of captur- 

 ing a six pound bass with a nine ounce rod commences. 

 Stand a little higher up the stream and you can see the old 

 tree lap toward which he is now turning. Give him the hull ! 

 The good, tough rod bends until you can touch the tip wilh 

 your hand. You hear the timber creak and groan, but it 

 holds, for it was made by an honest man and an honest maker 

 (Couroy), who stands no chance of being beaten by, or will), 

 rods I Now let him run at his own sweet will— and he will 

 be sure to do it. Bound and round, in constantly decreasing 

 circles, until, all play exhausted, he is lifted up the bank— a 

 full grown specimen of — 



And yet, all the youthful fire is not gone out of the old 

 man. As I recall all the exciting spoils of my youth and 

 boyhood, I am templed to say : " Would I were young 

 again.'' But age has its hallowed pleasures, Lo which all other 

 periods are strangers— the fond pleasure of a genial retrospec- 

 tion. To have merely lived, that is not enough. If we have 

 not done some good in our "day and generation" then in- 

 deed must our lives be called miserable failures. That the 

 few lines we have written may induce some half dead dys- 

 peptic to try his hand at " bass fishing" were reward enough; 

 to know that genial sportsmen and accomplished gentlemen 

 have read them with pleasure were a still higher reward ; but 

 the highest of all, the knowledge that what I have Written 

 has been a solace and a pleasure to my own jaded and wearied 

 mind. 



Soon, I promise you some articles on "Southern Angling." 



Lmclonville, Qa, St. Clalh. 



The black bass of the North is Miaropterus nigricans, that 

 of the South M. sahnoides, and the question of the relationship 

 is very fully discussed in the "Sportsman's Gazetteer," which 

 contains the latest information on the subject. The differ- 

 ences between them consist mainly in the size and arrange- 

 ment of the scales and the bones of the head, and in the num- 

 ber of the dorsal, pectoral and anal fin rays. There are also 

 differences of habit, the Northern bass preferring running 

 waters while the Southern delights in stretches of still water, 

 such as the mill ponds and quiet bayous of the Southern 

 States afford. There are many variations from these two 

 types, and it is as yet difficult to say whether some of these 

 varying forms are not entitled to be regarded as permanent 

 varieties, or whether iudividual variation will account for all 

 differences. As stated in the " Gazetteer," " The differences 

 of the two primary forms are, however, perfectly apprecia- 

 ble, so that even the veriest tyro, seeing them side by side, 

 must admit their distinction." 



The fish of which our friend St. Clair writes is of course 

 M. sahnoides, which may be called " the cousin german of 

 the black bass proper." 



■ .«. ■ 



THE STRIPED BASS IN TEXAS. 



X Houston, Texas, July 9, 1878. 



Editob Fobest ahd Stheam : 



Tour correspondent, St. Clair, in his article 011 bass 

 fishing in Forest and Stream of the 4th states that the striped 

 bass is not found anywhere in the West except Missouri and 

 Arkansas. If Texas is a Western State, then he is mistaken 

 in his statement, or I am mistaken in a fish. For some time 

 past we have had in our market a fish which exactly resembles 

 the fish described by St. Glair as the striped bass, and ilic 

 fishermen here call it by that name. The only difference that 

 I can see is, that as we have it here it rarely reaches a pound 

 iu weight, and usually not so much, while he speaks of it as 

 often weighing several pounds. It is caught in the Ban 

 Jacinto River and other streams flowing into Galveston Bay. 

 It is a most excellent little fish for the table, and the fisher- 

 men tell me that for his size he is remarkably gamy. 1 have 

 noticed them for the first lime this season, hut the fishermen 

 say they are plentiful in San Jacinto. I intend to go out to 

 that river in a few days and try them on. 



I was for some lime perplexed to know where to place this 

 fish iehlhiologically, and 1 may he mistaken in il yet. I at first 

 thought they might be the young of the Roocus lineatus, or 

 sea bass, buL I never heard of that fish in Texas, and my oppor- 

 tunity has been a pretty good one to become acquainted wilh 

 all our coast fishes. Then I concluded that it must be the 

 Labrose lineatuts, but Mr. Hallock does not credit us wilh the 

 possession of that fish. It is very evident that it is St. Clair's 

 striped bass, whatever that may be. 



Aud while on this subject of bass, " which I wish to 

 remark," is this : 1 have seen nothing in any of the books 

 which properly describes the bass of Western Texa?, or the 

 fish commonly known there as the trout. He is very unlike 

 our black bass here. The latter is of a dark greenish 

 or bronze color, with a distinct dark line along his 

 flanks ; his shoulders are very heavy, and he has a. 

 most monstrous and ungainly mouth. He is a furious fighter 

 when hooked. A lew (lavs ago I caught one in Eagle Luke, 

 sixty miles west of Houston, weighing 5£ pounds, which 

 fought with such desperation that I thou 'ht for a while I had 

 hooked a wild horse. They are sometimes caught weighing 

 10 or 13 pounds. They are never seen iu brooks or shallow 

 water, but stay altogether in deep and still water. The bass 

 of Western Texas are longer, slimmer, of a light color, "with 

 no line on the flanks, and have no such shoulders or pi ':->■ 

 ous mouths. They rarely reach 4 pounds weight. They are 

 very gamy, but not at all equal iu that respect to the terrific 

 hump-shouldered "cusses" we have here. Though inhabiting 

 mainly still water, I have often seen them by hundreds sport- 

 ing in rapid brooks, where the water was not more than five 

 or six inches deep. Coming upon them in such sports, they 

 dart like lightning toward the deep water, jumping clear out 

 of the water over one another iu their haste to get away. 

 Every brook in Western Texas, in Ihe hilly regions, is filled 

 with them. Indeed this bass is a highland or mouotaiu bass, 

 While our black bass belongs strictly to the lowlands, At 

 least I have never seen the West Texas bass in the lowlands, 



or our black bass in the highlands. I believe the West Texas 

 bass is the true 8almo fontinalis in everything except his 

 scales and spots. 



Has this West Texas bass been described in the books, and 

 if so, what is his name i N. A. T. 



We have doubts whether our correspondent is exactly 

 right as to the fish being the liocem lineatus. The Fish Com- 

 mission is not informed that R. lineatus ranges in the Missis- 

 sippi Valley. At the Smithsonian there is a single specimen 

 from the Gulf, taken at Fensacola. This is the only case of 

 its occurring below the St. John's River. Perhaps the fish 

 may ho the R. ehryso/js. 



SHOULD FISH BE KILLED AS THEY 

 ARE CAUGHT ? 



Brooklyn, N. Y., July 27, 1878. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



In your journal, May 10, 1878, page 283, you publish a 

 communication on this important subject from Charles Roedel. 

 You supplement his advice on the question with a strong and 

 characteristic article advising each angler as each fish is 

 caught, either to knock it on the head or to thwack it over the 

 head "on a stone or the thwart of the boat," or, what you 

 say is more genteel aud to ihe point, pierce the cervical column 

 at the "base of the brain with a sharp knife." Yousay further, 

 " This produces paralysis, or almost immediate death." The 

 postulate with which you commence your interesting article, 

 viz : ,: Fist will keep twice as long by being killed by a blow 

 on the head directly after being caught than if left to die a 

 natural death," is, we think, with due respect to your larger 

 experience, rather a proposition needing proof. 



We have faithfully tested the matter for ourselves and find 

 your postdate an ignis fatuus. Those fishes which we have 

 knocked on the head begin to decay long before those which 

 we have left to die a natural death, and the decay begins first 

 at the bruise. But, further, is it possible to kill a fish by 

 knocking it on the head, or by the knives, as proposed, id 

 est instanter, so much so as to become to a humane action? 

 I reply to this question, which I raise with hesitation and all 

 due respect for your experience in these matters, by stating 

 the following facts— nothing but facts will serve at this stage 

 of the argument: 



Two or three years ago I spent many days with that noted 

 and most skillful fisherman, the late Republican candidate 

 for Mayor of the City of Perth Amboy, that city just one day 

 older than New York City, Hon. Isaac C. Acken. Every day 

 I accompanied him in his fishing excursions about Perth Am- 

 boy bay for nearly or quite a fortnight. As soon as the tide 

 had served for, say twenty minutes, he would up anchor and 

 start for home. As fast as we caught our fish we placed them 

 in a car, thus keeping them alive. If the time was just before 

 dinner, I would take the oars and he would seize his knife 

 and proceed to prepare some of the weakfish for dinner. Many 

 times I have wilnessed the following, and I make the state- 

 ment without fear of contradiction, for Isaac C. Acken's word 

 will not he doubted by anyone who knows him, and he is my 

 witness to prove my statement: 



After the bead of a weakfish had been cut off, and entrails 

 taken out, taken alive from the car, and killed in cleaning for 

 dinner, I have seen the fish actually jump off the seat of the 

 boat and continue hopping about on the boat's bottom. 



Further, I have seen the cook of our homestead bring a cod- 

 fish to the table which she had just bought alive, and had 

 killed and cleaned, and, just as she was going to put it in the 

 pot, it actually leaped from the table to the kitchen floor. 

 Like all good and faithful cooks, she uttered a nice little 

 scream and said 1 " Why, really, that fish ain't dead yet I" 

 I now propose to show that a fish suffers no pain whatever as 

 soon as it is out of the water. I own, at the start, that I can- 

 not show this affirmatively; only by induction. No one is 

 asked to believe unless convinced. "If so be the ship's gone 

 down, she's gone down ; if so be the ship's afloat, Bhe's afloat," 

 etc., etc. The hypothesis upon which this showing must rest 

 is as follows, to wit : 



Place a man in a room filled with pure oxygen gas, and his 

 life will be short but ecstatic. He will live a lovely life of ex- 

 quisite happiuess in a very short time, lie will literally die 

 in ecstasy. Man from common air to pure oxygen presents 

 the ratio of a fish from water to common air. The very jump- 

 ing of the fish is, therefore, by induction, an exhibit of 

 ecstasy, not, pain. It is proper to conclude by adding, we 

 laithfiilly and devotedly believe that the Creator has wisely 

 and with Godlike skill appointed it so that fish should die a 

 death of pleasure when wanted for the sustenance of man. 

 C. Hatch Smith. 



The question of the fish having no feeling .when out of 

 water is only hypothetical. That different organisms have 

 different perceptions of pain is, however, true. When fish 

 jump out of the frying-pan into the fire, it is automatic, and 

 certainly there is no sense of pain. It is. no doubt, true, as 

 our correspondent writes us, that a bruise in an animal is the 

 first place where decomposition takes place. If a knife is 

 used, and the spinal column be touched, instant death occurs, 

 without bruise of course. An excellent way to kill a fish is 

 to take the head, and with the thumb and fingers move it to 

 the right or left, and so the vertebral column at the base of 

 the bead is severed. The oxygen theory, however, of fish 

 enjoying themselves when taken out of water into the air we 

 do not agree with. A fresh mackerel on a gravel bank has 

 very little appearance of being happy. 



— The Pennsylvania R. It. Company, with its vast and con- 

 tinuous branches, is the best route to take for Ihe great West. 

 We can assure our readers that all dogs intended for the St. 

 Paul Bench Show will receive the best attention, and on as 

 good terms as by any other line. Officers and superintendents 

 of the road are selected with especial care as to efficiency, and 

 travelers are forwarded with comfort and dispatch, The ride 

 over the Alleghany Mountains is one of the grandest as to 

 scenery in the world. 



§ntioml gzHtim$8. 



New York Athletic Club.— The ninth annual fall games 

 and third annual competition for the amateur championships 

 of America will take place at the club grounds, Molt Haven, 

 October 12. The club also give notice that the second annual 

 one mile swimming race for the amateur championship of the 

 United States will take place on the Harlem River on Satur- 

 day, August 17, at 5 o'clock p. m. The swimming coarse 

 will be between the Railroad Bridge and Macomb's Dam 

 Bridge. Entrance for the swimming race (.entrance fee $ 1) 

 will close on Tuesday, August 13, at the club post office box, 

 No. 3,101. 



Scottish American Athletio Club.— The club will hold a 

 series of open games at their grounds on West Fifty-fourth 

 street, August 10, at 5.30 p. m. 



Archery, — Following is the score of the regular weekly 

 meeting of the" Oritani Archers," Hackensack, N. J., July 

 27. '1 lie target used is 24in. in diameter, with gold, red, blue, 

 black aud while rings, Gin. in diameter. Scale of points : 

 Gold (bull's-eye), 9; red, 7; blue, 5; black, 3; white (outer), 

 1. Distance, 30 yds. 7 in.: 



,T MeD Gardiner, Capfc 24 W Holberton, Capt 16 



FAPoor 11 J" Hopper 20 



C E Goodwin, Jr 8 W Walla 12 



MiasETIopper. (i J M Knapp 11 



Mrs W Holberton 7 Mies K Foor 8 



Mias A SlKirraan 10 Mlaa Wells U 



Miss L Zingzam 7 Miss M Wind 21 



Mias E Sherman 15 Mlaa Gardiner 12 



Total 88 Total 106 



§mn% §ag mtd §mu 



GAME IN SEASON FOR AUGUST. 



Woodcock, Philoheht n 

 Black-bellied BiOV( 



ii'lplper, 



ix-blrd, 



— We have seen several very elegant specimens of penman- 

 ship—both curious aud ornamental— executed by Mr. Charles 

 Gonzalez., of this city. With a pen this gentleman reproduces 

 articles copied from the Fobest and Sxkbam so plain and 

 so singularly uniform as to give his work the appearance of 

 original print. It is not only the lettering which is perfect, 

 but the chaste and elegant scroll work around his designs that 

 stamps him as an artist of rare ability. 



iu>r. Red-backed s 



eye, Sqita- Tringa amei ...... 



tHTola lushUica. Great marbled gociwit, or martin, 



King plover, jEgialittx seniipahna- Liriwsa feJoa. 



tun. 



Stilt, or long-sliauks, lluiuoitojm.i T'.iUler, Tnianus ,:ie.!anoleucm. 



nigricoUis. 1 lyinvr-^'ua."!;;:, :V r^.i, :.:*■ .,^v;. ; i ;■,:.. 

 lied-breiisrcd snipe, or dowitcher, 



Mt<L\> ..'.'" <>.!> ., '.!'.'.:' ,/.;,, ,',.''.' 



"Bay birds" generally, Including various species of plover, sand 

 piper, snipe, curlew, oyster-catcUer, surf birds, phalaropes, avocuts, 



etc., coming nn 1 ttt £ ' or Shore Birda. Many States 



permit prairie fowl (pinnated grouse) shooting after August 15. 



Massachusetts— Nantucket, Aug. 4. — Black ducks con- 

 tinue to arrive in great numbers. Birds are also coming in 

 in great numbers, and our ponds are so full that they have 

 no place to feed. Jack Cuklkw. 



Connecticut— East Hampton, July 29. — Shooting pros- 

 pects in this vicinity are very good. Quail plenty. H. C. 



Narragansett Gdn Clcb. — The Karragansett Gun Olub 

 elected the following officers for the ensuing year: Pres., 

 James Gordon Bennett ; Treas., Frank B. Ponter; Sec, 8. 

 Howland Bobbins; Governing (Jommiltee — James Gordon 

 Bennett, Frank B. Ponter, S. Howland Robbins, Travis Van 

 Buren, John G. Heckscher, Martin Van Buren, Carroll Liv- 

 ingston and Perry Belmont ; Committee on Birds — S. How- 

 land Robbins, Carroll Livingston aud Travis C. Van Buren. 



Adirondack^ — Martin's, Saranacs, July 31.— The usual 

 rush here and to surrounding points has not commenced yet, 

 and I do not think will. Disregard to game laws has 

 rendered this region less attractive to the sportsmen. 

 Another infringement on the region has just laken place— 

 a steamer has commenced running on the lower lake. 

 I find booked hore, Mr. Shack, of New York ; Rev. 

 Mr. Wood, of Brooklyn ; Mr. Brandy, New York. 

 Yesterday, Dr. W. W. Ely and Mrs. T. 8. Ely, of Rochester, 

 N. Y.j Dr. and Mrs. J. It. Romeyn, E. K. Romeyn, of Keese- 

 ville, N. Y., and Miss Babcock, Brooklyn, N. Y., passed 

 through here en route to Bartlelt's. A grand hunt took place 

 a day or two ago, but the two deer driven in the lake by the 

 hounds escaped. The State law forbids killing deer until 

 Sept. 1, Here they make the law to read Aug. 1, and over- 

 look the fact that the law forbids hunting with dogs at all. We 

 need Slate Fish Commissioners to prosecute every offender, and 

 not until then can we save the deer and trout from being un- 

 mercifully slaughtered. 8. 



A Cat Chase Bbfobb Breakfast.— "Val" writes from 

 Columbia, Tenn., of what must be lively fun : 



"Do not think that I have reference to a moonlight chase 

 in nether garments after the feline that discourses sweet mew- 

 sic from bacit fence and convenient sheds. The cat in ques- 

 tion is her more retired brother, the wild-cat. Daylight 

 found our party of three mounted on fiery mules and at the 

 haunt of the cat. We soon surrounded the canebrake and put 

 the dogs in. A few minutes of silence ensued, during which 

 time each rider kept an eye on his mule's ear to tell when he 

 was going to buck. We were soon relieved of our suspense 

 by the bay of tie leader, and we knew ' the cat was thar.' 

 It took some time to drive him out of the brake, but finally 

 we succeeded in ousting him, when he made for the swamp, 

 but was headed off by a gallant charge from Tom D. He then 

 took to the woods, hard pushed by the dogs. After half an 

 hour's run he was treed, and brought down by a ball from 

 Dncle John's trusty rifle, and his slriu now adorns the sanctum 

 of your humble servant. After the cat was bagged we re- 

 turned to Uncle John's to breakfast, about sunrise. Val." 



' EutfSOia— Charleston, July 31.— Squirrel hunting is toler- 

 ably good around here Ihis summer. Some very good bags 

 made, the best by Freeman Biggs, the old squirrel hunter, 

 aud the best in the State. There has been a line doe seen 

 galloping over the prairie, near the three groves. It is be- 

 lieved that she has a fawu iu there. The underbrush is very 

 thick. The unmerciful pot hunter is making a terrible 

 slaughter of the pinnated grouse. J. B. D. 



— Freeport, Illinois, has a newly-organized "Preeport 

 Shooting Club," whose object is the protection of game aud 

 glass ball practice. The officers are: President, L. Z. Far- 

 well; Vice-President, Dr. W. H. Mills; Secretary, E. B 

 Hall ; Treasurer, J, H. Slaver j Executive Committee, Presi- 

 dent Farwell, Vice-President Mills, Jesse Bin-chord, E, V. 

 Hall and Charles D. Knowlton. 



