MO 



FOREST AND STREAM 



watched, and us tliey tlecome ripe a female and male are. 



caught in the dams below aud brought to the hai.H ■ i,,. M 

 and placed in this basin. When perfectly ripe I In > nil 

 gently and carefully Stripped of Iter eggs into a saucer or 

 small basin, and she is thrown back into a dam below fitted 

 forliah in her stale. Her eggs are then covered with milt 

 stripped from the male, and thus tile process of impregna- 

 tion takes place. The eggs are theu placed on the gravel in 

 the troughs, the eggs of each female generally by themselves. 

 .000 to 80,000 eggs in each trough. 

 This work of artificial spawning commences about the mid- 

 ale of October, an tntil the middle of December. 



The batching commences about the first of January and 

 continues until about the first oE March. The eyes of young 

 unborn fish begin to show in 35 days from the time th'o cues 

 are put on the gravel. When first hatched the young trout 

 is a most ungainly looking thing, and bears under its chin 

 for six weeks a sac which contains its food, and in this con- 

 dition it presents the figure of a miniature alderman. After 

 this sac is drawn up or absorbed, whichisiu about six weeks 

 from the egg, the young fish is ready to swim and to cat. 

 They arc then fed thick sweet o cam in the rearing trough 

 for a few weeks ; then they are given grated hard-boiled 

 eggs, when they are turned off into the ponds and fed some 

 lobbered milk, etc. 



In reply to an inquiry, Mr. Holt said: " f began with 50 

 nine-months old fish in November, 1871. I bought (htm in 

 Grand Rapids, but they were undoubtedly of Eastern origin. 

 Afterwards 1 procured some Grand Traverse, trout, and 

 hence you will see a difference in my fish, us I claim that 

 there is a difference in the size, form and color of the trout 

 from the two different sections. The head of the Grand 

 Traverse trout is wider and larger, the spots are larger ,ui i 

 less in number, the Eastern trout having twelve rows of red 

 spots, while the Grand Traverse have three or a much less 

 number; the dark aud light spots on the back and sides are 

 larger, and of course less in number, for the back and sides 

 of a trout are all spots. The eggs of the Grand Traverse 

 trout are nearly twice the size of the eggs of the Eastern 

 trout, but they lay about half the number. From actual 

 count where I have found the Grand Traverse trout lay 1 ,200 

 eggs 1 have also found the Eastern trout pro luce 2,500 et '. s, 

 From these facts I have made up my mind that there is a 

 marked difference between the trout of these two sections, 

 and have no doubt the Eastern is the better fish." As to 

 stocking the trout streams of Michigan, Mr. Holt said, "I 

 believe it can be done." — Detroit Post, Dec, 3. 

 . — -» — . 



Progress in FiSH Ccxiurb.— Salem, Mam., Dec. 23 — Ed- 

 itor Forest and Stream : While at Gloucester recent 1 v Capt. 

 Chester, of the U. S. F. C., related the following incident 

 to me, which is too good to lose. Said the captain ; 



"Two fellows were inspecting the hatching apparatus 

 here a few days ago; they -viewed the live cod in the car 

 alongside the'wharf and the spawn m process of hatching 

 with much interest. Passing out of the building they saw 

 workmen very near by cutting up and packing salt fish, and 

 branded "Cape Ann, Turkey." One said to the other, "By 



, Bill, this 'ere is the quickest way of doing 



seen !" They evidently thought the fish were born and 

 cared right in this one small building. R. L, N. 



American Ova in New Zealand.— Mr. Livingston Stone 

 has received from Prof. Spancer F. Baird the following very 

 pleasing intelligence : 



United States (.omission Fish and Fisheries, it 

 Washington, D. 0., Deo'. II, J 

 bear Mr. Statu— T. I 1 '. Cheeaeoian, Secretary of the Aukland Aecll- 

 jnatiaalloa Society, NOW Zealand, writes tint the egga forwarded by 

 tlie " Zeaiandia " in October arrived la excellent condition ; also, that 

 young Balaton, fltteea Unities long, liave been seen In oae of the tribu- 

 taries of the Upper Thames Hlver. 



Spenoeb F. Baird, Commissioner. 



THE STRAYING SHARK. 



Washington, Dec. 20, 1878. 



EdITOE OJf FOKKST AND STREAM: 



The " straying shark discovered in the fiats at the western 

 part of Provincetown (Mass.) harbor," concerning which you 

 ask in your letter and notice in Forest and Stream for Dec. 

 19, has been received at the Smithsonian Institution, and 

 Capt. At wood's identification proves to be correct. .It is a 

 specimen of the EeMnorhinvs ipi no sits, first made, known in 

 1780 by Broussonet under the name Le chien de Met- bode, or 

 Le boucle, introduced into the binomial nomenclature by 

 Gwelinin 1789 nsSqualus spinosus, and considered by De Blair- 

 ville in 181 G as the type of a distinct genus to be desig- 

 nated Ecldnorhinvx. It may be at once recognized by the 

 position of the fins, the armature of the skin and the form of 

 the teeth. There is no anal fin ; the vcnlnils are very far 

 back; the two dorsals are also very far back and quite close 

 together, the first being over the ventrals ; the skin is mostly 

 smooth and not shagreened as usual ,- but there are scattered 

 oval or subeircular scutelke with central recurved spines, re- 

 minding one of the thorns of a rose bush, and, like them, 

 leaving scars behind on removal. The teeth, finally, have 

 nearly horizontal cutting edges with points directed sideways. 

 Such are the characters by which the newly discovered shark 

 can be discriminated from any other visitor to the American 

 coast. There are equally imporlaut anatomical characters, 

 and the species is, in fact, so peculiar as to have caused a 

 distinct family— EohinorMnidos— to be flamed for i' s recep- 

 tion alone. Its discovery in our waters is therefore of great 



interest and importance. 



Tiibo. Gill. 



DEATH FROM A SKUNK BITE. 



Denver, Col., Nov. 21, 1878. 

 Editor Forest akd Stream : 



A young maa in the southeastern part of this State, who 

 was recently bitten by a skunk, has since died of 

 like hydrophobia. He was herding catile, and, as usual, slept 

 in the open ah. While asleep a skunk fastened upon his 

 face and held on until removed by force. The wound healed, 

 and for some time he suffered no inconvenience from it. Go- 

 ing to Texas on business, he was there taken down and died 

 as before stated. The event has brought out numerous others 

 of the same kind. A gentleman who spent last winter on the 

 Staked Plains of Texas says that one of his party was bitten 

 by ft skunk and died from the effect, in terrible convulsions 



for want of water. The bringing of water hoar him, though 

 ton] . ■ is stus. 



1 = ill victim while 

 sleeping in the open air. Sometimes the subject is bitten 

 While yets I ivrsed and striving to drive 



the animal away, it turns and attacks him. Tit. 

 generally in the face. In the recent case in Bent Oouuty, in 

 this State, the skunk fastened to its victim whiie asleep, and 

 held on until removed by force. In the case referred to on 



Plains of Texas a gentleman, who Was 

 says the wound was very Blight— a mere scratch. - 

 after the man fell into spasms and, as my informant said, 

 "died absolutely of thirst" Perishing, as his comrades 

 thought, for water, whenever it was brought near him, 

 1 1 if could not see or feel it, he fell at once into violent 

 spasms. In his agony he dug in the ground with his hands 

 until his nails were tor off and his fingers lacerated. This 

 description of death seemed more like hydrophobia than any 

 ither 1 ha ve ever heard of from skunk bite. 



Mow, is it rabies or a natural venom ? IE rabies, why is 

 the animal never seen suffering from the disease ? Why are 

 the skunk's actions so different from those of a dog with the 

 same malady 'I 



Yours truly, W. N. B. 



[The questions asked by our correspondent are puzzling 

 ones and not to be answered hastily. Our knowledge of the 

 subject is as yet only slight, and, until more is known of it, 

 such inquiries cannot be answered. The first notice of this 

 curious malady was published in the American Journal of 

 Science and Arts, and was from the pen of the Bev. M. O. 

 flovey. Mr. Ilovey gave a discript.ion of the disease, and 

 dignified it with the name Babies mepUitica to distinguish it 

 from Rabies .caninn. In a number of the Medical Record, 

 issued shortly after the publication of Mr. Ilovey's article, 

 Dr. Jane way, U. S. A., who has had great expel 

 treating hydrophobia from the bites of dog3, wolves and 

 skunks, published a paper on the same subject, in which he 

 took the ground that death from skunk bite differed in no 

 respect from the death following the bite of a dog. Br. 

 Janeway holds that the bite of a healthy skuuk is not danger- 

 ous, and that when skunk bite is followed by death this is 

 prima facie evidence that the skunk is rabid. lie stales, too, 

 that rabies in akunks is always accompanied by a retention of 

 themepbitic odor, usually so characteristic oE the animal. A 

 very full account of the cases observed by Dr. Jane way ac- 

 companied the last-named article, and the accounts here given 

 are most valuable aud interesting. 



We should be very happy to hear from any physicians 

 who may have had opportunities of observing the phenomena 

 by which this disease is marked. The subject, is of the 

 greatest interest to those who travel much on the plains, and 

 deserves the most careful attention of those who may have op- 

 portunities for investigating it. We have to thank W. N. B. 

 for his kindness in reporting the case above mentioned.] 



QUESTIONS FOR ICHTHYOLOGISTS. 



Montreal, Dec. 31, 1878. 

 Editor Forest and Stream : 



Now that Jack Frost has doubly locked our rivers against 

 the knights of the rod, it would be a suitable time for some of 

 our savans v\ho are readers of your journal to give us through 

 your columns more light concerning the varieties aud habits of 

 "that noble tribe of fishes— the Salmonidw. The following 

 questions have often occurred to me, and any information 

 concerning them will be thankfully received: 



1st. How many varieties are there of the Sa'.nvmidw known 

 and recognized under the cognomen of Saline salad .' 



2d. Do Ihey ascend our rivers every year to spawn ? 



3d. If the countless numbers of Salmo salar taken in nets 

 every year below lido water were allowed to escape unmo- 

 lested, would there be sufficient spawning grounds in out- 

 rivers to accommodate that innumerable multitude? 



4th. Fishermen along the coast of the maritime provinces 

 in the fall of the year lake out of their mackerel weirs num- 

 bers of so-called Salmo salar that are full of ripe spawn and 

 apparently on the eve of depositing it. Where are 

 iug beds of those fish— in salt or fresh water? 



5th. Has there been a single instance brought to light where 

 the Salmo salar has been known to deposit its spawn below 

 tide water unless at or near the mouth of a swift running 

 stream of fresh water ? 



tub. What fish is it that deposits its spawn in the saltwater, 

 aud whose ova so closely resembles that of the Salmi) salar 

 taken from fresh water, that old fishermen could not distin- 

 guish the difference between the two kinds ; and this fish de- 

 posits its spawn in such quantities thai tons in weight of it. 

 have been during a heavy storm cast u> on the shores of the 

 Bay Ohaleur ? ~ Stanstead. 



For answers to the first five questions we refer to Ilallocks 

 " Gazetteer "or to Jordan's." Vertebrates." The statement 

 contained in question Olh is most interesting and surprising. 

 We should be glad to receive- fuller information on this sub- 

 ject, when the " savans " appealed to may possibly be able to 

 give a satisfactory answer.— Ed. F. & S. 



THE SAGE GROUSE. 



Dbnveb, Col., Nov. 2G, 1878. 

 El eros Folia t ist> Stream : 



mi take issue with a writer in your paper of 1-lth ins_t. 

 respecting lie -age grouse, or " Cock-of-the-Plains." He 

 must have made its acquaintance in a region of country where 

 there is lit tie vegetation except sage. In more than a dozen 

 years' familiarity with it I have not half-a-dozen times found 

 the flesh of that bird, when properly cooked, unpleasantly 

 seasoned wi h sage. Once only did I find it unfit to eat, and 

 that was an ancient cock, of nine or ten pounds weight, that 

 had been killed houra and brought to camp without being 

 drawn. They should.be drawn as soon as killed. Young 

 birds do not taste of sage at all, and they are esteemed by 

 many as the. most delicious among our grouse. I myself con- 

 sider them equal to any other. True, most of my acquaint- 

 the bird has been in a country of comparatively 

 luxuriant vegetation, where there is a variety and great 

 abundance of food, and where I know it does not feed upon 



sage, except in case of necessity, as when the ground is deeply 



A With snow. If your contributor— whose observations 



respecting this very valuable game bird an- m inly correct — 



art to me next July or August, I will find him "Ock- 



nt-the-.l I Ige, or, failing in that, 



lis share of the "chicks" in addition to my own. 



W. X. B. 



We regret to be obliged to differ from one in whose judg- 

 ment and experience we have so much confidence as we have 

 in that of 'W. N. B." Our experience wilh the Bag 

 lias been in the Great Interior Basin, and in Montana and 

 Dakota, and we have usually found these birds bitter, and 

 tasting strongly of sage. Of course the flavor of any animal's 

 flesh depends mainly on its food, and if sage grouse are found 

 where there is no sage their flesh may well be quite as good as 

 that of any other game bird. A recent note from the same 

 correspondent gives us further details of his experience with the 

 sage grouse in Middle Park. He says : 



My experience with the sage cock or sage hen has been 

 mainly in Middle Park and the country west of that basin, a 

 country that differs very materially from the Great Interior, 

 or Salt Lake Basin ami the arid sage plains of the- North 

 Platte and others like it, in being more fertile with greater 

 variety of vegetation, and especially in fruit bearing plants 

 aud shrubs, "it is a fact that I have very seldom found this 

 grouse tasting perceptibly of sage, and not half a dozen times 

 unpleasantly so. As young chicks, we, in the Middle Park, 

 consider them the best of our grouse. The best shooting 

 i hem are along streams aud gulckes, and around 

 upon thickets and the edges of timber. They like the shade 

 of willows and tall green grass. When there is snow of any 

 depth they are driven to tho necessity of eating more or less 

 sa^e. Their nests and roosting places are, however, among 

 the sage in dry land, where there is little vegetation. 



QUERIES ABOUT ALBINISM. 



Boston, Mass., Dec, 13, 1878. 

 EbitoB FoBBSr and Stream . 



Is it necessary to look to the possibility of a cross with the 

 domesticated white duck to account for the while mallard 

 mentioned in your edition of yesterday ? I thought that it 

 was generally conceded that birds of ail species were not so 

 very infrequently albinos. It seems to me that I have either 

 seen or heard of specimens of white individuals of almost all 

 the common varieties of birds. Everybody has heard of a 

 white blackbird, aud I believe white robins are not so very 

 rare. I myself a few years ago saw in the month of Septem- 

 ber, on the MRgalloway Bivef, when the swallows were flock- 

 ing just before starting for the South, a perfectly snow-white 

 one in a flock of several hundred. Three or four years ago 

 there was a white English sparrow seen daily on our common 

 or in the public garden, which attracted a good deal of atten- 

 tion and called forth some correspondence in the daily papers. 

 There is one point, however, in this connection that I have 

 never seen referred to, and on which, perhaps, some of your 

 numerous scientific ornithological readers can throw some 

 light, and that is that in the specimen of aibiuoisms in birds 

 that I have seen the absence of pigment was confined to the 

 plumage, the eyes being of their natural dark color. A per- 

 fect albino, of course, shows a total want of pigmeut, and the 

 absence of the coloring matter is most marked and attracts 

 m03t attention in the eyes, or, to be correct, in the iris. The 

 white rabbit with its pink eyes is the most familiar example 

 of this, and it is only yesterday that I was looking at a snow- 

 white gray squirrel in the window of a bird fancier, whose 

 eyes were exactly like those of a white rabbit. It may per- 

 haps be necessary, for the sake of the non-scientific reader, to 

 state that the pink color of the eye in a perfect albino is due to 

 the fact of the blood in the numerous small arteries and veins 

 giving the eye that bin,', when the usual dark coloring matter 

 or pigment which gives the blue, black or brown color to the 

 eye is absent. In the white swallow that I saw the i 

 black, and owing to the contrast looked like jet beads. In the 

 English sparrows a partial albino is not at all uncommon. I 

 have seen a great many where a few feathers in the wings or 

 tail, or a patch of them on the back, were white. My object 

 in writing is to ask whether albinoism is not more common in 

 in other branches of the animal kingdom, and 

 whether in cases of albino birds the abnormal deficiency of 

 coloring matter is not usually confined to the plumage, or at 

 least whether the iris in such cases is not usually normal. 



Mk'mau, 

 We agree, with our correspondent in thinking that ulbtno- 

 . common in birds than in other animals, and are 

 disposed to believe that partial albinism, that is to aay cases 

 in which the eyes are dark, is much more common than com- 

 plete albinism. The his is usually normal.— Ed. J 



Thje Late G. Dawson Rowley.— We have received from 

 Mr. Buthven Deane, Secretary of the Nuttall Ornithological 

 Club, the subjoined clipping, sent to him by Mr. George 



Fidull Bowley, the eon of the late naturalist. England 

 scientific circles have lost a valuable member in the death of 

 Mr. Rowley; we take pleasure in here reproducing the 

 tribute which Nature pays to his life and worth : 



It is with sincere regret that we have to announce the death, 

 on the 21st inst., at his house in Brighton, of Mr. George 

 Dawson Rowley, the projector of, and principal contributor 

 to, the OrtniOyMgieoA Miscellany, which he published at his 

 own very considerable cost, and author of several papers on 

 ornithological aud archaeological subjects. Educated at Eton 

 and Trinity College, Cambridge, where be graduated B. A. i:t 

 1846, he was the companion, both at school and at tho Univer- 

 sity, of 'the late John Wolley, whose early passion i 

 history he shared. In Mr. Kowley, however, the taste for a 

 time gave way to antiquarian studies, and did not return, at 

 any rate very strongly, until some years afterward, when he 

 had married and was Battled at Brighton, white, notwith- 

 standing the dictum of Mr. Buskin that " no English gentle- 

 man has ever thought of birds except as flying targets or fla- 

 vorous dishes," he became, bo far as the opportunities of the 

 place allowed, a very watchful observer of all that was pass- 

 ing in the feathered world, while in the spring he yearly re- 

 paired to his father's estate at St. Neot's in Huntingdonshire, 

 the better to study the habits of birds in the breediii 

 He. also began to form a collection of ornithological speci- 

 mens of singular value, sparing no cost or trouli 

 acquisition of objects of rarity or peculiar interest, and 

 the treasures thus amassed finally became very numerous. 

 The design of his Ornithological Miwllany seems to have 



