378 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



For Forest and. Stream, and Rod and Oun, 

 MOOSE HUNTING AT SPIDER LAKE. 



ALL-SAINT'S DA.T (1st Nov., 1878) didn't look very 

 cheering to mortal eyes, -when our host, French, of the 

 Scotstown Hotel, called ua to breakfast at 5-.30 a. m. We had 

 arrived from Sherbrooke by the train of the previous evening, 

 and after interviewing the road master, Mr. Smith, were con- 

 soled by the assurance that if the weather was propitious the 

 hallast train would give us a lift as far as Spring Hill, some 

 twenty miles on our road to Latce Megantic. Eight weeks 

 nefore we had shot our first moose on Spider Lake, and now 

 we anticipated more sport in the same line. We had footed it 

 from Scotstown before, and knew what a blessing a ride on the 

 engine would prove. The first snow of the seuson was fall- 

 ing fast, our banner didn't show "Excelsior," nor any other 

 device. Smith wanted to be off. Our baggage was locked 

 up in the station ; the station-master was not bound to be on 

 hand before 7 a. m., and every minute's delay cost the wages 

 of some fifty or sixty men. At last Mr. Scott, the station 

 agent, appeared doing the walk to the depot and the buttoning 

 up of his nether garments at the same time, and shortly after 

 O'clock we were off. "Joe," the engine driver, made room for 

 our traps on the tender. "Clark,' ihe stoker, politely placed his 

 aide of the cab at our disposal, and apparently didn't miss his 

 seat very much. The iron horse had to travel on an up grade, 

 consumed an enormous quantity of fodder, and Clark bad 

 something else to do than sit down. After a trip of two or 

 three hours, we uncoupled from the ballast train, and Joe 

 gave us a lift two and a half miles further to the Spring Hill 

 crossing, where we were glad to take shelter from the storm 

 in Capt. McAulay's camp, and waitthe arrival of John Boston 

 McDonald's team, which was to meet us there. No train 

 beiug expected in such weather, we had to wait until the 

 afternoon before our team made its appearance, when we 

 started, and after using up three hours in travelling four and 

 a half miles reached John Boston's about 5 f. m. We met Mr. 

 Hale, of Sherbrook, rejoicing in the possession of a splendid 

 skin and antlers of a seven-ytar-old moose, shot by him the 

 previous week. "Den" Ball, our guide on a former trip, was 

 on hand, and after consulting the glass, we concluded it inex- 

 pedient to attempt running through Lake Megantic that night. 

 Next morning we took an early start, called at the Chandiere, 

 where we were hospitably received by the Messrs. Bruce, and 

 the same night were a lad to find shelter in the shanty of a 

 French -Canadian habitant at Famee's landing, near the head 

 of Lake Megautic. Ball crossed the carry (portage) to his own 

 pliice at the foot of Spider Lake. 



Next day we had our traps hauled across the carry in an 

 old ennoe, and found, and were glad to find, comfortable 

 quarters with Den Ball until next Friday, the weather being 

 too severe to admit of our going into camp. We were regaled 

 by Mrs. Ball on partridge, rabbit and other backwood deli- 

 cacies, served up in a style which would do credit to a Soyer 

 We bad no difficulty in procuring such game within a few 

 rods of Den's habitation. Fresh tracks of deer could be seen 

 daily on the portage, within 100 rods of Den's, but the weather 

 made it impossible to hunt them successfully, although Den 

 took many a tramp, and offered innumerable fifty-cent bets 

 that he would bring back a deer. On Friday we started bright. 

 and early for the head of Spider Lake, some five miles distant, 

 aid, running out from the snug bay in which Den has pitched 

 his camp, were no', tardy in rinding out that we had struck a 

 different climate. The white caps from North Bay washed 

 down with Polar rigidity, and we foundit impossible to reach 

 the head of the lake wilhout cutting our way through ice just 

 thick enough to be treacherous. This we did for over half a 

 tnile, got our traps ashore, and pitched camp in a nicely shel- 

 tered position, 100 feet back from the lake, where we soon 

 had a blazing fire of white birch, kiln dried, with dead cedar. 

 Any one who has experienced the pungent, smartimg effects 

 of the smoke from a white birch fire will excuse the expletives 

 which added emphasis to our subsequent conversation. Here 

 ■we met Mr. Gerard Nagle, of Sherbrook, and Mr. Hoyt, 

 ■who were trapping for pleasure and profit, on the Upper 

 Spider lliver, and were camped two miles above us. They 

 were short of bread, and Mr. Nagle was on a foraging expedi- 

 tion to tbe nearest settlement. Their boat was f lozen in up 

 the river, and our opportune appearance saved a long and 

 tedious trip on "shanks' pony." We cast our bread upon the 

 waters, and were next day rewarded by a generous allowance 

 of moose meat, part of a three- year-old cow, shot by them on 

 the previous Wednesday. When I think of that juicy steak 

 — fried in butter— our standing dish for the next two or three 

 days, my mouth waters, and I feel that it is possiblefor one to 

 sell his birthright for a mess of pottage. I can find an excuse, 

 also, for the aboriginal who camps alongside his dead quarry 

 until the flesh has diappeaxed, and the polished bones show 

 signs of denial ivories. Try it yourself, and you'll find that 

 you can't get up as much opposition to my remarks as would 

 successfully carry on the government of a one-horse hash 

 , factory. 



I sincerely pity the person who has never tasted a fresh, 

 tender moose steak, ne can't understand what constitutes 

 good living. " Man wants but little here below" doesn't 

 apply to moose steak. Like the Indian's whisky, "too 

 much is just enough." Saturday night at least a foot of snow 

 fell. Traveling through the woods was decidedly tiresome, 

 and the snow on the bushes soon assumed liquid form, and a 

 dip in the lake couldn't have made us much wetter. We re- 

 ligiously observed the greater part of Sunday. On Monday 

 we helped Hoyt to drag our boat over tbe ice to open water, 

 and he started fcr the nearest store, over twelve miles, for 

 bread and pork. The wild geese and ducks took advantage 

 oi our boatless situation and "honk honked "and "quack 

 quacked " at us to their hearts' content as we crossed on the 

 ice to inspect some of Den's traps. In the afternoon we 

 traveled on the ice to Nagle's camp. Not one at home ; but 

 as Den had found a portion of the bottom of Spider River 

 within five feet of itB ice covering, we took possession of his 

 camp, built a fire and warmed up. Grouse disputed our right to 

 occupation of the camp, hut finaliy with dogged, resolution 

 took up a position under a couple of beaver skins and re- 

 signed the portion nearest the lire. Tuesday morning Nagle 

 and Hoyt met at our camp, Hoyt with supplies and Nagle to 

 [ping hand with them up the river. Nagle had shot 

 11 tnOOSe the day before, four prongs on one horn and 

 tl ir(:r ,'iiieh would make him between six and 



seven years old, aa tbe first prong appears the third year. 

 ,., fat this season) two bulls were traveling to- 

 gether. Mr. Nagle had a shot at the other at abcoul 

 yards, but the ball gl meed lirou tree and he had to 



content himself with the one he got— the smaller of the two. 

 After partaking of the balance of a rabbit stew— a rehash from 

 the night before— Hoyt and Nagle departed and we saw them 

 no more. Two Indians and a squaw were camped on the 

 north side of Spider Lake en route for Moosehead Lake. If 

 this weather continues the trip will have to be made on foot, 

 and as there is no frost in the' ground it will be hard getting 

 through swamps. Tuesday night we stayed at Ball's, where 

 we enjoyed a supper of hot wheat buns, potatoes, stewed 

 partridge, dried moose hash, butter, tea and coffee, and fried 

 trout caught before the 1st of October. Wednesday morning 

 Den got on the track of three deer, quite fresh, on the Carry 

 between Spider and Megantic, and like two fools we followed 

 them. Their tracks diverged, and about 11 a. in. I found my- 

 self on the Arnold River, tired, hungry and three miles from 

 anywhere. Recognizing the place I took a fresh start, and 

 after skirting Rush Lake (which I felt would be more appro- 

 priately called the lake of the Dismal Swamp) fording the 

 lower Spider twice, and drenched from head to foot, 1 reached 

 Ball's and found a hot dinner waiting, which I surrounded to 

 the best of my ability. 1 passed a beaver slide down which 

 three or four poplar trees had been slid the night before. Two 

 sticks of about five feet in length lay ready for shipment, 

 cleanly cut. as if with an ax. The beaver are very plentiful, 

 but owing to the ice few have been taken. Mr. Nagle had 

 found four new dams and was awaiting fine weather in order 

 to become better acquainted with the occupants. Both he and 

 Ball had some flue skins. Sable are plentiful and the fur 

 very fine. At 2 p. m. we left Spider, backed our traps to 

 Megantic, and started for home. The snow fell thickly and 

 melted as it fell, soaking us completely. At Rocky Point, 

 half way through the lake, it, became squally, wind shifting to 

 N. W., and for Ihe first time in seventeen years I had to coast 

 round Victoria Bay, the bete noir of voyageurs, in a blinding 

 snow storm. The waves froze as they dashed over the boat, 

 and when at dark we reached the foot of the lake, our clothes 

 were frozen stiff. Our friend Mr. Ryan met us and kindly 

 carried our baggage to John Boston's, where a pair of dry 

 socks, a hot supper and a good fire speedily dispelled the 

 afternoon's gloomy winter. Here we were fortunate enough 

 to meet Mr. Boss, a contractor on the International Railway, 

 who has our best thanks for carrying us to Spring Hill Cross- 

 ing just in time to catch an engine at midnight, by which we 

 reached Scotstown in time to take the morning train for Sher- 

 brook. Farewell ye forests and ye streams. When the 

 showers of April and May have released you from yolir present 

 ice bonds, 1 hope to be able to chronicle a glowing account of 

 a fishing trip among you, and by next September will he happy 

 to welcome under a shingle roof, near the head of Spider lake, 

 any reader of Forest and Stream who would like a few 

 nights deer and moose shooting in one of the best localities 

 within a radius of 200 miles. D. Thomas. 



Sherbrook, P. Q.,Nm. 18, 1878. 



the season and the securing of a sufficient number of skilled 

 manipulators to operate simultaneously throughout the fishing 

 region being the chief factors upon the favorable conditions 

 of which success mainly depends. Of thoBe who took spawn 

 during tiie late season, those who practiced the dry method 

 succeeded best ; that iB, those who extruded the eggs into a 

 dry vessel and applied the milt before immersing them in 

 water, impregnated not »nly better, but a larger percentage 

 than those who extruded into a vessel partially filled with 

 water. The milt and ova from fish dead less than au hour did 

 not seem to have their vitality ilnpared in the least degree ; 

 in fact, the milt and ova from such fish could not be distin- 

 guished from that taken from live fish when mingled with it. 



How to Tur.r. the Gbndbr op Eels.— Take the inside of 



a French breakfast roll and cut in small square pieces about 



the size of a marrowfat pea. Feed lo Ihe eels in early morning. 



H he eats it he is a male. If she eats it she is a female. 



rule never fails. 



.-.< — . 



Nsw Hahbbbikb— JVos/ma, Dec. 2.--Messra. Dr. Spalding, 

 Phillips and Gillman have just completed placing 180,000 ova 

 of the Salmo fonUnatts, taken from trout of their own rais- 

 ing on the hatching trays at their hatching houses in this 

 place. By the way, their ponds were among the first estab- 

 lished in the country, having been in operation since 1867. 

 They have been very successful, and have this past season 

 enlarged their ponds to accommodate their trout and business. 



Wbbb. 



•— 



" Fjbh Cdltl'be in the Far West.— There is no industry 

 which promises more liberal returns upon the investment than- 

 the propagation of fish in the far Western States and Terri- 

 tories, where there, is a great scarcity of Ibis kind of food. 

 An enterprising fish breeder, who would construct pom 

 Taise superior kinds of fish for the market In either Colorado, 

 Nebraska or Wyoming, would be certain to realize very hand. 

 somely on his outlay. The prairie regions being subject to 

 surface tlowage every year, ponds should be constructed as 

 remote as possible from points liable to overflow. In build- 

 ing them care should be exercised to secure the cool, health- 

 ful waters from the mountain streams. The nearer such 

 ponds are to the foothills or mountain slopes the better. 

 With the exception of mountain trout and some other fish, 

 the supply in the Far West is brought from the lakes and 

 other remote points. Such fish are naturally expensive, and 

 not always so fresh and wholesome as might be desired. 

 From inquiries made on the ground, we are satisfied that there 

 is a demand here for fresh fish, in the supplying of which lies- 

 a fortune for enterprising fishculturists. Owing to the abund- 

 ance of beef, the demand for fish as a change of diet is very 

 general. — Hon. David \V. Judd in American Agriculturist. 



Second Annual Report of the Ohio State 

 Fish Commission for the Year 1877. 



THE Report of the Ohio Fish Commissioners for the year 

 1877 is a valuable document. We have before this 

 spoken of the importance of these reports and kindred State 

 documents as public educators. The dissemination of natural 

 history information is necessarily very great, when, in addition 

 to a mere compound of statistics, there are pages devoted to 

 scientific descriptions of the various kinds of fish found in 

 the State. In the report now before us some twenty-seven 

 amply illustrated pages are given to " Descriptions of Ohio 

 Fishes," which are arranged from manuscript notes of Prof. 

 D. S. Jordan, with whose superior ichthyological knowledge 

 our readers are familiar. In specific work the Commission- 

 ers are to be congratulated upon the success of their labors. 

 In their efforts to accomplish the artificial reproduction of 

 black bass the Commissioners have adopted what appears to 

 be a feasible plan. It is well known that the adhesiveness of 

 the eggs after their extrusion is such that they cannot be 

 readily impregnated by artificial means. How to best accom- 

 plish their reproduction by other than artificial means has 

 been a puzzle to fish-cultuiists. The Ohio Commissioners 

 have appropriated an excavation on Iielley's Island of several 

 acres in extent and about ten feet in depth, which has been 

 formed by tbe quarrying there. By means of a steam pump 

 the excavation has been filled with water^ and the supply is 

 maintained by permanent subterranean pipes. The crevasses 

 in the sides of this quarry are full of a wonderfully large 

 supply of mollusk life, and on the bottom are great quantities 

 of Symnea and other forms. With the food contained in the 

 lake water it is believed that the bass will find an abundance 

 of food. In July, 1877, a hundred bass were placed in these 

 waters to become acclimated before the next spawning Beason. 

 It is proposed to distribute the fry to tbe different streams of 

 the State. 



The salmon hitherto planted in streams which flow into the 

 lake have been frequently taken with hook and line, and in 

 one instance many were taken in a net, Nothing definite has 

 been learned of those taken in the Miami. The Ohio Com- 

 missioners experience some of the same difficulties caused by 

 the interference of other States as those complained of by the 

 Massachusetts Commissioners. In his annual message, Gov. 

 Young called attention to the fact that by the interposition 

 of citizens of West Yirginia and Kentucky the efforts of the 

 Ohio Gommisioners were rendered in a measure nugatory. 

 These questions of inter-State rights and courtesies should re- 

 ceive proper attention from Slate legislatures and not be left 

 to the caprice of citizens. The matter is one of growing im- 

 portance. 



The whitefish spawning: season of 1870 was the shortest that 

 has occurred for many years, beginning very late and lasting 

 for a few days. In the season of 1877 a corps of men accom- 

 panied the fishermen and secured the spawn as the pound nets 

 were drawn in the vicinity of the islands. The total number 

 of spawn supplied was 21,000,000. Notwithstanding the fact 

 that the taking as well as the impregnating the spawn is sim- 

 ply a mechanical process on the part of the operator, yet ex- 

 perience has demonstrated that considerable practice is neces- 

 sary, and skill must be acquired in the manipulation in order 

 to secure perfect impregnation. Some of the spawn taken 

 during the fall of 1877 proved to be badly impregnated, and 

 caused considerable additional expense to remove the bad 

 odories. Becuring the spawn will 



* WmTEFien Cc i/rriiK is Wisconsin- Madison, fTfif., Dec. 

 i. — Thousands of eggs of whitefish were taken from Lake 

 Monoma yesterday by Fish Superintendent Welcher for thft 

 purpose of hatching and distributing in other waters. Fish- 

 ing at present is excellent, but the fish law as regards spear- 

 ing and set-nets is a failure— the law disregarded with im- 

 punity. Rover. 



WISCONSIN — Madison, Dec 7, The Pish Commisoioncro of 

 Iowa have a few days ago secured at the Milwaukee hatchery 

 900,000 trout eggs, and the Superintendent of the Michigan 

 hatchery 1,000,000. Rover. 



COLORS OF GOLDFISH. 



GEETIXGSV1LI.K, Jnd., Dee. 

 Mr. Editor— Last -Tune I wrote you lu regard to Borne goldnuri T 

 have. They were then one year old, and were rrom as line a lot. of 

 golduah as I ever Baw, but die young were all tirown la color. I -wrote 

 to you to learn when they changed their, cojor, ami throe. 

 urnns of " Answers to Correspondents," in June 20, 1 received me dis- 

 couraging reply that any browo llfah were but as dross, and never 

 would become golddsh; also, advising rue to get Bome new stock • 

 that these QyprtuaiBeii hatch of many colors from the same stock, etc 

 I did not throw my BlOeS out, ntt did I add any others, hot now I have 

 aa One young goldfish as auy one could desire, while many are ju>t 

 changing their color indifferent stages, some with only a few yellow 

 spois, and others all gold colors except the ilns, which remain dart lo 

 the last .now, I do not know I hat all young goldilsh are Bret brows 

 and atterward oecome golden clir, imt I do know this fact of my 

 own, and If you will publish this you may call some persons attention! 

 lo it who are more expert than myself, ami give some information, m 

 regard to raising this beautiful ash. 



M.V. Youso.M.D. 



t^atttml ]§istorg t 



THE SOLITARY WASPS. 



THE habit of most hymenoptcrous insects (bees and' 

 wasps) of laying up food for their larva; to feed on 

 When hatched is of course known to all our readers, the case 

 of the common honey bee being the most familiar example of 

 this kind. Some insects of this order do not lay up this store 

 of provisions, but the workers take the food into their 

 stomachs, where it is prepared for the young and ufterward 

 fed to them. There is, however, a large group of these in- 

 sects which do not themselves care for their young, but, hav- 

 ing laid their eggs, prepare a quantity of food, stored up con- 

 veniently for the future grub, and then leave the egg to take 

 care of itself. The common blue, or mud wasp, as any one 

 may learn by an inspection of one of the nests so plentifully 

 distributed on the inside boarding of hay lofts, garrets and 

 Other similar places, supplies its young with Bpiders; olher 

 genera draw their supplies from other sources. 



All the wasps and hornets are ferocious and prei 

 their habits, and moat of them feed lo a considerable extent 

 on other insects. So much is this the case that in some parts 

 of Europe butchers are glad to have Ihem about their shops OD 

 account i if the great number of flies which they devour, and a 

 ceitain speciesm Mauritius which (el da wholly onccckroachtr 

 is on that account held in high BSteei 

 of the social wasp?, however, lay up honey, like n 



