154 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



Bedtime comes, and so soundly do -we sleep that appar- 

 ently but a few minutes have passed and daylight oomefl to 



wake us to the consciousness of the fact that he is not yet in, 

 but that hishorse is and is without his bridle. "We "take in " 

 the situation, and in a minute have saddled a couple of 

 horses, roped the stray nag, who has evidently left his 

 rider in the lurch — or swamp, rather — gathered a few frag- 

 ments of yesterday's dinner, and started to the relief of our 

 -unlucky comrade. The crisp, fresh morning air exhilarates 

 us and stimulates our ponies to put their best foot forward. 

 The level, grassy bottoms afford a smooth road, so the six 

 or seven miles that lie between our cainp and his hunting 

 ground are gone over in a few minutes, and we enter the 

 big Myakka swamp, now dry, and only covered with water 

 during the summer rainy season. 



Winding around among the great live oaks and rough 

 palmetto trees, we ride a mile "or more into tlie thicket, 

 careless of disturbing by the shrill notes of our hunting horn 

 the game we are not seeking. Grave fears for the safety of 

 our friend disturb us as no reply comes to our repeated 

 calls, and with few words and serious faces we ride on, 

 carefully scanning each open glade. Stories of hunting ac- 

 cidents and deatlffrorn snake bites intrude disagreeably and 

 with oppressive force on our recollection, and the straight. 

 column of smoke we finally discern, away through the tree; 

 by the river bank, somehow is not reassurintr, rising, as it 

 seems to, from a smoldering or dead tire. We ride quickly 

 Up to it, wiih hearts beating audibly, and discover our 

 comrade stretched out on a pile of moss — sound asleep and 

 the sun an hour high. W. S. Wapjmh. 



' Manatee, Fla., July 10, 1878. 



THE LOTUS FOR FISH PONDS. 



Cleveland, Sept. 10, 1878. 

 Editok Forest and Stream : 



Among the numerous native aquatic plants described of 

 late m the Pobest and Stream, as adapted to the aquarium, 

 fish pond and stream, 1 have not seen the attention of fish 

 culturists called to the most magnificent of all our water 

 plants— the nelumbium {Nelumbium luteum) commonly called 

 the water chinquapin. This nelumbium is the largest and 

 most beautiful water lily of the northern zone. It is allied to 

 the nymphrea speciosum and the N. lotus of India and the 

 Nils ; it can rightly be called, on account of the size and 

 beauty, the Victoria Tiegia of the North. This plant is found 

 in many isolated marshes in the West. Those under my own 

 observation are at the west end of Sandusky Bay, on Portage 

 Biver, that empties into Lake Erie at Port Clinton, West 

 Harbor, on Lake Erie near the mouth of this river, and in 

 Point Au Pelee Island marshes on the north shore of the lake. 



In the quiet bayous of these localities this lily could once be 

 seen growing in patches of from one to five acres, its broad 

 green leaf, twenty to thirty inches in diameter, on stems two, 

 three and eight feet long, covering the water eutirely from 

 view. The blossom, which comes out in August, is from 

 eight to ten inches in diameter and shows itself well above 

 the water. The seeds, from fifteen to twenty in each capsule, 

 ripen in October, and are about the size, form and color of the 

 " black-jack oak " {Querent nigra) and with the root of the 

 plant, which resembles much the root of the sweet potato or 

 yam, were both used as food in early times here by the In- 

 dians, and cultivated, it is said, by them. Prom my own ex- 

 perience 1 can here affirm that both are quite edible. 



For deep water and ponds of great extent I consider this 

 lily (iV. luteum) of more value to the fish culturist than the 

 sweet scented variety (Nymphma odorata). 



Some years ago a friend requested me to procure skins of 

 the male woodduck, Anassponsa (Audubon), as lie wished lo 

 Bend the feathers to a salmon-fisher correspondent in Scotland. 

 Having noticed numbers of these birds on October evenings 

 alighting in a small bayou at the west end of " Mud Bay," a 

 continuation of the west end of Sandusky Bay, I poled my 

 boat in there one day about sundown, and soon procured 

 thirteen male buds in passable plumage. 1 found, on skinning 

 them, their crops filled (as I supposed) with acorns, and not 

 until a half-breed Frenchman proved lo me that they were the 

 seeds of lily pads did I discover my mistake From that time 

 I have ever been interested in the history of this magnificent 

 water plant. Passing my hunting boat in deep water along 

 the border of these liiy fields, I have stopped by the hour to 

 study the natural aquaria of an acre or more of water covered 

 entirely with the broad leaves of the nelumbium. The frog 

 had not been hunted then for market, and Rana pljmns 

 numbered his family by thousands and hundreds of thousands. 

 At evening every broad leaf became the sounding-board and 

 platform for one of these batracbians, and the song that they 

 sang will ever be remembered. 'Twas no mild " Colonel 

 Dyer and Eldigau, too," but 'twas like the beating of a thou- 

 sand gongs and twice ten thousand bass-drtuns combined. 

 In the afternoon in early October you could see the gallinules, 

 rails and March wrens running and Sitting over these water 

 carpets, while under them, in "the clear and shaded water, 

 thousands of pickerel, bass and sunfish took their quiet siesta 

 on their morning meal. 



Since the above was written I have had brought to my 

 noiice two newspaper articles on the nelubium. 



The first, from the Green Bay (Wis.) Advocate, as follows : 



" The Egyptan Lotus, so celebrated for its rare and beautiful 

 blossoms in flavor and color, have not until quite recently been 

 known to exist at all in the United States, but are found in 

 great perfection iD several placeB in this country- > ' 

 which we discovered last week to be in Lake Winnebago, 

 near the Insane Hospital, and probably at some other points 

 on the lake. It grows also at Sheldon's Cove, on the Connec- 

 ticut liiver, not far from Long Island Sound, and its rare and 

 beautiful blossoms are always in great demand there, from $8 

 to SiO having been ottered for them. Every effort to trans- 

 plant the plant has been unsuccessful, and it has teen hereto- 

 fore believed that only one spot elsewhere on the North Caro- 

 lina coast — now that idea is exploded, wo are correct in be- 

 lioving that it grows in Lake Winnebago. The oriiiin ol the 

 lotus at Sheldon's Cove is attributed by tradition to some 

 seeds which blew from a shipload of Egyptian rags passing 

 up the river. The blossoms on the Lake Winnebago speci- 

 mens are of a delicate, pale buff color, and larger and finer in 

 texture than the ordinary pond lillies of this country." 



The second is from the Cleveland Herald; 



" In your issue of yesterday, you reprint ah article 

 from the Green Bay Advocate, in which it is claimed that the 

 famous Egyptian lotus has been recently discovered in Lake 

 Winnebago, and it is said to occur at only one. other point 

 in the United States, Seldon's Cove, on tho Connecticut 

 river, where its presence is attributed to "a shipload of Egyp- 

 tian rags passing up the river from which some seeds blew 

 into the water," etc., etc As the plant referred to in this 

 article is not the Egyptian Lotus; is found at several localities 

 in this country, three of which are in this State; is one of the 

 most beautiful and interesting species in our flora, and has a 

 close relationship to one of the many so-called Lotus plants 

 of the Old World, I venture to send you a brief note of com- 

 ment upon it. The plant mentioned in the Advocate is Nelum- 

 hium litUwn, or Water Chinquapin, the largest and finest of 

 our water lilies. Aside from the localities mentioned, it oc- 

 curs at Sodus Bay, Lake Ontario, on the islands in Lake 

 Erie, at Toledo, at North Bend on the Ohio, and at some 

 other places ; and yet it is a rare plant. It will be recognized 

 by its circular, peltate leaT, often two feet in diameter, which 

 floats on Ihe surface of the water, and by its groat fragrant. 

 Bower, pale greenish-yellow in color, sometimes leaving a 

 Hush of red. Its seeds are held in a flattened receptacle three 

 or four inches in diameter, are nearly as large as hazel nuts, 

 and are eatable. Visitors to the islands will find these lilies in 

 the marshes of Middle Bass, and in much greater abundance 

 at More's Dock, near Ottawa, on the peninsula. Both the 

 root and the seeds were used as food by the Indians who for- 

 merly lived around the western end of Lake Erie ; aud it is 

 probable that it would richly reward efforts for its cultivation 

 in this vicinity, both by is beautiful and deliriously fragrant 

 flowers and its edible, nut-like seeds. Our jfelumbium is 

 closely allied to A", qieciomm, which grows spontaneously in 

 India; and, like the papyrus, was formerly cultivated in the 

 Nile, but does not now grow in Egypt. This is sometimes 

 called the lotus, but|tbe true lotus was a nymphim (N. lotus), 

 a species of the same genus with our white water-lily (N. 

 odorata), and very much like it. This grows abundantly in 

 the Delta of the Nile, and both the immature seed pod and 

 the root were eaten by the Egyptians. This and Ihe A'elum- 

 hmni were accurately described by Herodotus, and there can 

 be no mistake about them. The blossoms of the white water 

 lily of the Nile, and also those of the blue species {N. cmru- 

 lea), which grows with it, w T ere highly esteemed by the flower- 

 loving Egyptians, and were used "by them to decorate the 

 tables at their feasts, and as crowns and garlands for the 

 guests. They also formed a conspicuous feature in the offer- 

 ings to their gods. There is considerable difference of opinion 

 among scholars as to the identity of the plant which bore tlie 

 fruit said by Homer in the Odyssey to have been offered to 

 Ulysses in North Africa, and to have the peculiar property of 

 producing forget fulness of home and country in those who ate 

 it. It certainly was neither the Indian nor Egyptian water- 

 lily, but was probably the fruit of Zizyphus Lotus, a small 

 tree which grows in Barbary. This fruit is something like a 

 date or plum in appearance, and the Arabian poets ascribed 

 to it a lethean influence similar to that felt by Homer's Litlw- 

 pliagi. " 



I hope sufficient has been said here regarding this water 

 plant to induce some of our fish culturists to undertake its 

 cultivation. Should any such want the seedj or roots 1 have 

 no doubt they could procure any amount needed by applying 

 to the members of the Hone's Point or Winnow's Point Clubs, 

 located at the bead of Sandusky Bay. Both clubs have men 

 iu their employ that would willingly collect the material for a 

 sufficient compensation. Ok, E. Steeling, 



Eggs of tub California Salmon. — Mr. Livinston Stone's 

 efforts this year at Baird, Shasta County, California, seem to 

 have been crowned with success. It would be well if the 

 various Fish Commissioners would at once apply for eggs for 

 their use. Mr. Stone writes from the TJ, S. Salmon Breeding 

 Station at the above point, under date of Sept. 11 : 



We have taken eight million salmon eggs this season, and 

 have a good prospect of taking three or four million more 

 within a week. 



This expectation of a further catch seems to have been fully 

 realized, as we are in receipt of the following news from Pro- 

 fessor Baird, who writes from the United States Commission, 

 Pish and Fisheries, Gloucester, Mass. , Sept. 21 1 



Stone telegraphs to-day that he has taken twelve millions 

 of salmon eggs, and can get plenty more. This is beyond the 

 sum of all applications. 



— «*— 



Trout Eggs. — A very large number— one million— brook 

 trout eggs are for sale by the Messrs. Eddys, Randolph, N. Y, 



See advertisement. 



<ST Forest akd Stream will be sent for fractions of a year 

 as follows : Six months, $2 ; three months, $1. To clubs of 

 two or more, $3 per annum 



For Forest and Stream and Mod and Gun. 

 MARINE MONSTERS OF TRADITION 

 A AND FACT. 



THE periodical "newspaper appearance of the sea-ser- 

 pent," by virtue of its romantic surroundings, has bo- 

 come an old stand-by, and is looked for and read with a pa- 

 tient credulity that is worthy a better cause. Day after day 

 these monsters are hurled at us by the fun-loving "ink 

 fiend," and it is safe to say that if a shoal of antediluvian hor- 

 roTS should enter the harbor at an early date, they would 

 cause but little surprise to the htmdreds w 7 ho are continually 

 being primed and double-shotted with an earnest belief of 

 their existence. Next to the great sea serpent, the devil fish 

 tins been the great Uieme of those who go down to the sea in 

 ships, and even Victor Hugo's wonderful tale of the octopus 

 and its great size has long since been verified by the appear- 

 ance of a relation of this creature at the New York Aquarium, 

 lies in slate, its immense arms, thirty feet long, 

 armed with death-dealing suckers, almost substantiate the 

 tales of the " ToilerB of the Sea," So, perhaps there is still a 



chance for the "serpent." We expect him, and he will un- 

 doubtedly soon put in au appearance at the Aquarium, per. 

 haps in sections, but still there where he will be introduced 

 by "Tody Hamilton" into the mysteries of very alcoholic 

 fire water and " what oysters know "about following a man 

 around the room." The curious effects of thi 

 stories (on the future) can be seen in the numerous statements 

 in history to-day of appearances that are there recorded as 

 facts. Bo, many of our yarns of to-day iu a hundred years 

 will be unearthed and wonnered at by the half-doubting 

 reader. Some of the latter day notes taken upon strange 

 creatures are extremely interesting, to show how the rev 

 of a perfectly reasonable creature can at, times be distorted. 

 So much attention have these appearances taken that. Sir 

 Charles Lyeli, l'. It. S., etc., etc.', made quite a report of 

 them, and in most cases the statements were sworn to, and 

 in almost exactly as many cases they were shown to be tlie 

 result of natural aud not unnatural causes. In 1843 scientific 

 Boston was most shamefully deceived by a Mr. Knock, who 

 exhibited a real ''sea-serpent." It was supposed to have 

 been only thirty feet in circumference, but was finally found 

 to be a. Tegtodon, an extinct cetacean of grout size. It was 

 most carefully made up, the vertebra of several of them being 

 joined together, making a snake of over one hundred feet in 

 length. Soon after this— August, 1S45 — we have the sworn 

 statement of two gentlemen of Merigornish, Nova Scotia, 

 who state that they saw a monster, eighty feet long, hard 

 aground within a hundred yards of the beach, and after 

 watching its motions for an hour, they saw it move off. One 

 of the men mounted a high bank, and stated that it raised its 

 head high out ol water and its back w T as covered with lumps, 

 or they were caused by the motion of its body. The skin 

 was dark and rough, and it worked about continually and 

 would bend its body into a circle aud unbend it with great 

 rapidity. In 1844 a large creature swata past a wharf at 

 Arisaig, near the northeast end of Nova Scotia, and was ob- 

 served by Mr. W Barry, of Picton, who certified that he was 

 within twenty-five feet of him, aud it was over sixty feet 

 long and three in width. The back was covered with lumps 

 or natural ridges. The above evidence was collected by J. W. 

 Dawson, of Picton, for Sir Charles Lycll. In February, 1-U0, 

 Capt. Lawson and crew, of the schooner Mary Belt, stated 

 that they passed a monster snake off Capes Charles and Hen- 

 ry. The length was given at one hundred feet (and not an 

 inch over), and the same general description given as above — 

 probably owing to a similarity of brand in the medium of 

 sight. In the mouth of August of this year, and 

 of July, 1845, articles appeared in the Norway papers 

 giving a description of a monster fish or creature seen by 

 many people, and giving the names of surgeons, lawyers and 

 Other prominent men who had certified lo tlie veracity of 

 the statement. The animal was seen in the vicinity of Chris- 

 tiansand, and also at Molde and Lund 1 It entered the fiords 

 on calm days, and was seen to be over seventy feet in length, 

 of a black color, smooth, andabout three feet iu circumference. 

 It moved through the water like an eel, and came so near the 

 beach that its waves broke upon the sands at the feet of the 

 wondering crowd as if a steamer had passed. On the neck, 

 hair was observed that waved like a mane in the water. 

 Archdeacon Deint oil, in his official report, says that the people 

 who saw it were not frightened, but observed it with " care 

 and reason," and fired shots at it, some of which must have 

 taken effect, as it. dove and moved away. 



In the years 181? and 1830 a large marine animal made ils 

 appearance upon the New Lnghuid coast, especially between 

 Gloucester and Boston. These visits created so much 

 interest that the Linnean Society of Boston appointed a 

 committee to investigate the matter. It was done, and 

 Dr. Bigelow and F. 0. Gray, two well-known gentlemen, 

 mide the report (and it has clung to them ever since). 

 It was as follows: ''The monster was from eighty to 

 feet long ; his head usually carried about, two feet above the 

 water ; of a dark brown color, the body with some thirty feet or 

 more protuberances— compared by some to four gallon kegs, 

 by others to a siring of buoys-, motions very rapid, faster 

 than those of a whale, swimming a mile in two minutes, and 

 sometimes more, leaving a wake behind him, and chasing 

 mackerel, herrings and other fishes, whieh were sesn jutnpiug 

 out of the water, fifty at a time, as he approached. He only 

 came to the surface in calm, bright weather. A skillful gunner 

 fired at him from our boat, and, having taken good aim, felt 

 sure he must have hit him on the head. The creature turned 

 toward us aud divetl under the boat, and reappeared a hun- 

 dred yards away." 



Such was the report of the scientific men or fifty years ago, 

 and having made it, they termed it Scoliophy's all 

 Drawings were made of it on the spot by Colonel Perkins, of 

 Boston. He saw more and further than all his colleagues 

 jointly, as ho mentions twenty projections eight I 

 and counted the scales by a large majority. The drawing he 

 made resembles the one figured iu the "Natural History of 

 Norway," published by Bishop Pontopiddan in L758, This 

 creature soon alter appeared in Gloucester Bay 

 seen by a Mr. Mansfield and wife. They saw it in Si 

 water from a cliff. The}- could not agree upon its length, 

 one stating it as eighty feet long, and the other as one hun- 

 dred. They judged from a pier Which it, passed that it was 

 one hundred feet in length. 'I 'his gentleman afterwards saw 

 it off Lynn aud Nahant (see "History of Lynn," Mass), and 

 was one of thirty persons who followed it along the beach as 

 it swam along the shore. It is to be supposed that it was not 

 then moving at a rate of a mile in two minutes, as above re- 

 ported. Gentlemen are still residing in Lynn who were of the 

 party, and the writer is fortunate iu having an old and valued 

 friend who was a spectator, and to the present day he still 

 affirms that, it was really the great sea serpent— and 

 say nav. In 1800 Captain Johnson, of ^iaw Jersey, was be- 

 calmed off Hatteias, and reported seeing an immense snake, 

 that, raised its head and moved oil like an eel. Tne sea air- 

 pent has Often been confounded w ith other marine animals, 

 as in September, 1808, a huce monster was thrown 

 the outside reef at Eothesholm Head, in Slrousa, one of 

 the Orkney Islands, where it was found, and measured fifty- 

 five feet. "The affidavits o ' iau. and 

 others were taken and published in the " IS einermn Society." 

 It measured fifty-five feet, and had bristles iu the mi 

 fourteen inches long. Tins was so confounded with the 

 Norway sea serpent that it was named HalsydonU 

 pontopiddani, Afterward the scapula arch and vertebral column 

 were sent to the Edin hureh Museum of Comparative A nat May, 

 and pronounced by Dr. Barclay to belong to an -animal Un- 

 known to science. Some months turns were 

 : io Sir Everad Etowe in London, who at once pro- 



H 



the longest I i set iD length When 



lie historian fails to 



state. In this year, in answer to a request, the Bev. Donald 



Maclean, of Small Isles, in the Uebnd.ee, wrote a statement o2 



