FOREST AND STREAM. 



473 



ha and 



FISH IN SEASON 



JANUARY. 



SOUTHERN WATERS. 



Fompano i Bronpsr, Epitu > h 



Dru'm (two speeies). Family Sria;- 'J'ront {o 



atrarius. 

 Kingiish, lienKetrrw nctulMUS. Stilpetl Baas, or ltoctiOsli, Roam 

 Sea Bass. Saiatnapa 01 ' ifnsaeus. 



Sheepstiead, Archnmrgus probata- TftllotrLah, Pom<iti»»tt8 taliatrte. 



Seinisg Codfish. —Through the ciTorts ol Prof gpencer F. 

 Baird the Norwegian method of seining codfish Iras been BUC- 

 cessfully introduced among American teamen. Hitherto the 

 hook and line alone has been employed. 



Tub First Shad come early this year. They have been 

 abundant iu the Savannah Kiver for several days. 



The Fishing Fleet Dubibg 1378.-- The number of arri- 

 vals reported at this port, the past year was 2,180, averaging 

 half a dozen a day from the more important fishing grounds, 



Georges, the Banks, the Bay St. Lawrence, New 



Grand Meuan, etc. This does not include the boat and dory 

 fishermen, the short tripe OH shore in the winter cod and had- 

 dock fishery, while only a part of the hhore mackerel arrivals 

 in summer are reported. The number of Bank trips reported 

 Was 503 ; Georges, 1,234 ; Grand Meuau, Bay of Fnndy and 

 Kastport, (herring), 30; Newfoundland and Magdalen Islands, 

 18; Greenland halibut fishery, jj 5 Southern and Eastern 

 mackerel trips, 280 ; Pay St. Lawrence do., 113. 



The estimated mackerel catch ot this port for the year 1878 

 is 00,203 bbfs., Hi, 197 bbls. Off shore aud 20,00(5 iu the Bay 

 St. Lawrence. Only a small proportion of the latter could 

 have bsen taken withing the three mile limit, aud as Glouces- 

 ter is the priueipal port sending vessels to the Bay, and this 

 the chief privilege for which we were called ou to pay, it will 

 he seen that five and a half million dollars for a dozen years' 

 right to the inshore fisheries was '-paying dearly for the 

 whistle." The Gloucester inspection last year was 4;i,ij4t.', 

 bbls., showing again this year of over 11,000 bbls., but the 

 quality of fish is much poorer arid the prices obtained consid- 

 erably less than last year, and the business has been less re- 

 munerative. — Cape Arm Advertiser, Jan.. 3. 



KKNTngKr— dSieknum, Bee. 28.— Fishing is froze up: that 

 is, the lake aud ponds are. The river is full of ice and fishing 

 in il is inaccessible. No shipments this week ; last week only 

 0,085 pounds shipped; was shown two very fine salmon, 

 taken from the river a few days ago. Yal. 



Tennessee— Nashville, Jan. 1.— Shad, from Savannah, are 

 quite plentiful and at moderate prices. Oysters are brought 

 to this market from Mobile, as well as New York, Baltimore 

 and Norfolk. 



For Forest and Stream and Mod and Gun. 

 CONCERNING STRIPED BASS. 



Mk. Editor-. There are in the waters of the United States 

 three different fishes properly known as striped bass, inas- 

 much as all three are bass and all three are striped. These 

 are: 1. Moccus Uiualus, the rock, rockfish or striped bass of 

 ^ the Atlantic Stales, which ascends all suilable streams from 

 New England to Florida, aud which may perhaps be con- 

 sidered as properly a salt-water fish. 2. lloccus chrysops, ihc 

 white bass, or lake bass, of the great lakes and Mississippi 

 basin, called also sometimes striped bass, aud iu Wiscousin 

 Cisco bass. 3. Morone udurapta, the yellow bass of the 

 lower Mississippi and the rivers of the Gulf Stales, sometimes 

 called in books the short-striped or brassy bass. A near rela- 

 tive of these is the so-called white perch of the Atlantic 

 States, Morone Americana; but as that small fish is not 

 striped, and is not usually called a bass, it may be omitted in 

 the consideration of the kinds el striped bass. 



The three species above enumerated belong to two groups, 

 which are Considered as distinct genera by most late writers, 

 aud probably correctly SO; but it must be admitted that Hue- 

 y Closely reiated, and one of them, 

 Moccus, is stilt more neaily related to the European germs 

 Labrax, to which genus our spec;' ne and Moc- 



oils were formerly referred, '1 hose who do not admit Morone, 

 Moccus and Labrux as separate genera should notice that of 

 the three names Morone is the oldest aud Roeeut next, and 

 that a Pacific coast genus of Chlrido: had received the name 

 Labi ax before it was given to tin- 



The ski 1 , ;.ij by Professor Gill to differ con- 



siderabJy from that of Morone. 1 have not Perilled lliis dif- 

 ference. The principal evident differences between the two 

 genera are the following ■ In JZoecw the scales on the head 

 are eilher^ey loid or imperfectly ctenoid ; the teeth on the 

 tongue are. developed in one or two patches at the base, 

 besides the series along the edge ; the two dorsal fins 

 are not. at all connected, and the second anal SJ ineis not so 

 large as the third. The spines iu general arc less developed 

 lhaa in Morone. 



in Morone thy scales about the head are very rough on their 

 edges; there are no teeth on the tongue except a. series along 

 its margin ; the dorsal tins are connected by a low 

 the second anal spine is louger than m Moccus, and usually 

 considerably larger than the third. 



The first of i he three species is the striped bass par excel- 

 letiee, or roekhsh, of the Atlantic States. Its scientific name, 

 Jioccus Uneatun, recalls the common names, for lineatus means 

 striped and Hoecm is rock, takeu bodily iuio Latin, with more 

 directness than correctness. This fish reaches a large size, 

 and is highly valued as food and for its gamiuess. It is a salt- 

 water or brackish water fish, ascending all streams, especially 

 southward, but usually returning like the salmon and shad to 

 the salt water. It has not been taken iu the great lakes nor 

 in the Mississippi Valley, and there is uo authentic account of 

 its occurrence in the Gulf of Mexico so far as I km 

 pecially delights in the wide mouthed rivets and bays, with 

 which our coast is so well supplied. 



The second species, Jtoacus c/irysops, is not so well known to 

 most anglers, but it is a beautiful fish, and by no means rare, 



1c much resembles the rockfish: so much so that you will 

 find many anglers who will maintain thai they are the same 

 thing, and that they have the real eastern striped bass in Lake 

 Mchigan or in the Mississippi River. The following are 

 some of the more evident differences between them : 



1 white bass " is a chunkier fish than the striped 

 bass; its body is shorter and deeper and more compressed- 

 more like that of a sunfish. The greatest depth of the body 

 is about one-third of the distance from the snout to the base 

 of the caudal fin, instead of nearly oni Con Ih ai b tl 

 Beams lineatus. The back is much more arched in the white 

 bass. 



2. The teeth on Ihe base of the tongue are in a single patch. 

 In Roccus lineatus there are two patches. 



3. The spines— especially of the anal fin — are longer and 

 stronger in the while bass than in the Stripei I 



4. The coloration in the white bass is usually whiter, and 

 the black streaks are commonly narrower and more frequently 

 interrupted than in the other. 



5. The maximum length of the white bass is certainly not 

 much over a foot. It is therefore a much smaller fish than 

 the striped bass. 



The white bass is very common in the Great Lake region, 

 notably so in Lake Eric and Lake Michigan, it, is also foUnd 

 iu the Ohio and Mississippi^ and their principal tributaries 

 clear down to the Gulf. It does not often ascend small 

 streams, and even the young are seldom seen except in large 

 rivers and lakes. It takes trie hook readily, and is reckoned 

 as a gamy fish. Asa food fish it. is excellent-, li he i i 

 been found east of the Alleghenies, except, perhaps, in Lake 

 Uhamplain, aud, so far as is known, it never descends to tin- 

 sea. This is Ihe fish termed Labrux mitUiiiuiatus, alUdus, 

 nutalus, etc., by different writers, hut Bafiuesque's name, 

 Chrysops (Golden-eye j, is the oldest. 



The third species— the yellow bass, Morone interrupta—is 

 one, the history of which is little known, ft has somewhat 

 the form of the white bass, but it is slenderer and less com- 

 pressed, and iis expression is different, Ll may he known by 

 the following characters: 



1. There are no teeth ou the tongue, except the band along 



Highest 



On 



do Ueg. 



sots 



m •• 



UtU 



S3 " 



Kith 



18 " 



1st AT.ltU 



70 " 



2a to loin 



61) " 



Uth 



Lowest. 



On 



Average. 



02 tleg. 



101,11 



71) drg' 



58 " 



55M 



» '• 



01 '• 



•.'■'it 



76 " 



SO " 



2lHri 



l,,S •' 



40 " 



tilth 



58 



its 



2. The dorsal spines arc. very strong, and the two dorsal 

 fins are connected by a low membrane." 



3. The second spine of the aual is larger and stronger than 

 the third. 



4. The color is decidedly brassy or yellow, and the black 

 stripes are broader aud more conspicuous than in the other 

 species, n tripes are usually broken near the mid- 

 dle of the body. Hence the name, inlermpta. 



The yellow bass is found iu the Lower Mississippi and 

 Ohio, at least as far up as St. Louis. 1 have never taken it, 

 and I know little of us habits, except that on general princi- 

 ples we may suppose that it does not ascend small streams, 

 and that it is "gamy" and excellent food. Whether it ever 

 to the sea is not known. Anglers from the Gulf 

 States will do well to tell us what they know about this fish. 

 The largest specimens which 1 have seen were something less 

 than a toot long. 



I have written out this outline of the characters of these 

 species in answer to numerous correspondents of the Editor 

 ofFoKKST and Stp.eam. Those who care to study further 

 will find a general account of the group, with figures of the 

 yellow bass aud the white bass, m Prof. Gills Kepoit on the 

 Ichthyology of Gapt. Simpson's Explorations of the Great 

 Basin of Utah. The relations of the species were first worked 

 out by Prof. Gill in the Proceedings of tire Academy of 

 Natural Sciences, at Philadelphia, for 1800 and 1861. 



As throwing further light on the habits of the white bass, 1 

 subjoin the following extracts from letters received by Mr. 

 Hallock, and placed by him at my disposal. 

 Irvinrjton, Indiana, Dee. 30. David S. Jordan, M. D. 



My efforts to settle Ihe question as to the existence of 

 striked bass in our waters have been rewarded by the follow- 

 ing proofs, from statements of two or three reliable persons, 

 who are known to be the best fishermen about here, and men 

 of intelligence. Captain Stoekwetl, Chief of the Fire Depart 

 meat of this city-, says that he has frequently, during hi! 

 many years devotion* (o the sport of angling, caught th( 

 striped bass, both iu the Cumberland River and Piney Creek 

 He described the fish as being of a milky white color wit) 

 several black stripes ruuning longitudinally on the side, frorx 

 tail to head, the latter being a little more tapering than the 

 black bass, aud in weight about a pound to a pound and 

 half. He says they apparently go in small schools. He 

 makes the above assertion from the fact that each lime hi 

 has ever met with the fish be has taken several in pretty quick 

 succession. The fish is, and has always been, very scarce 

 with us. Some four years ago he succeeded iu taking five i 

 the Cumberland Kiver, using minnow bait. 



from another gentleman, 'who prefaced his remarks by d< 

 scribing the fish, f heard of several striped bass being taken 

 every year in Turnbull. They are found in clear, deep water. 

 He also reports them as very scarce. 



Another prison told me that he had occasionally taken the 

 striped bass iu Big Harpeth with hook and line, and also with 

 seines, but that it was a rare fish- J. D. Hill. 



Nashville, May 29, 1878. 



You ask me if I knew of the striped bass in the waters of 

 Tennessee, and in reply will answer : i r es, lots of 'em j they 

 are, however, called while or pond trout (bass) iu this section. 

 They live iu the deep, still eddies of the mill pond and deep 

 holes in the streams, always preferiug still water, and next lo 

 our black bass it, is the most abundant and valuable fish of 

 our waters. In general appearance they much resemble what 

 is known in Virginia as the "chub," or "southern chub," 

 prefering still to running waters they become larger in size 

 than our black bass, i have caught them within twenty miles 

 of Nashville, six and a half pounds weight, and have known 

 them lo be caught eight and a half pounds, with hook and 

 line. They are not so game as the black bass, but will take 

 every advantage of their prey. In ponds he usually lies near 

 a log or brush pile and will gobble up any size minnow they 

 can get into their mouths, hook and all. 



Very truly, etc., 'Geo. F. Akkcs. 



Nashville, Tenn , May 0, 1878. 



Striped bass can be found in the Swashin River, a small 

 stream that empties into the Mississippi 6ome twenty-five 

 miles below St. Louis, iu Jefferson County. They are not 

 large iu Unit stream, but the black and yellow bass are. 11 

 striped hasg— genuine- -are found in any oilier Western streams 

 than those 1 have named, 1 have never Seen therm They are 

 Sui generis indeed. St. Claim. 



Luiotonmlie, Georgia. 



8tb0>kd Bass in Inlami Wati-:i;s.— " L\" willing from 

 Greenville, this Slate, says "striped bass aic being caught in 

 IheBhenango here in large numbers." "B." means black 

 bass, as there is not a Btriped bass in the Shenaugo River, 



Sluwon, Pa., May 8, 1878. K. 



A DIARY FROM THE BEAVERK1LL. 



New Yobk, Dec. 30, 1878. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



My Dear Hir— The following extracts from this year's re- 

 port upon our Beaverkill Club may interest you and your 

 readers. Bulkley began to keep a record of the thermometer 

 at Weaver's, June 7, 1878. On June 6 it "froze ice j 

 that the temperature at noon was as follows : 



.tune 

 July 



AllRUSt 



.September ,S 

 October 70 

 Nov (to 14) 60 



I make the following extract from Bulkley's diary : 

 Ou Sept. 28, 1878, saw the first trout on the spawning bed 

 in the Beaverkill. 

 Oct. it. The first trout ran up the inlet of Balsam Lake. 

 Oct. 14, The trout in the Beaverkill are in the height of 

 spawning. 

 Nov. 4. The trout have all left he inlet at Balsam Lake. 

 Nov. 10. The trout are all off their spawning beds iu the 

 Beaverkill. 



total number of trout caught on our preserve was 1,234, 

 of which 300 were caught by Other than members, leaving 

 865 trout taken by the cluh rods. Besides these, members of 

 our club took in other waters than our preserve, in accordance 

 with our privileges, 355 trout. Total taken by club members, 

 1,228. The total expense to the club was a little less than 

 $480;. 



Ho far as known to our warden, there were caught in Bal- 

 sam Lake this season 1,379 .trout. Doubtless many were 

 taken of which we have no account. 



On the club preserve the catch by members was in May, 1G ; 

 June, 321 ; July, 528 ; April and August, none. 

 On Weaver's were caught 980 trout. 



So far as recorded, 34 trout were taken in April aud 40 

 trout in June, in Beecher's or Thomas' Lake. 



In Balsam Brook, outlet of Balsam Lake. Earnhardt took 

 75 trout in April. 



Notwithstanding our supposed privileges on Leaf's, but one 

 of our members, with a friend, availed himself of their fish- 

 ing, and took but 23 fish. 



In all only seven of our club fished on our preserve during 

 1878; and only seventeen persons altogether, of whom four 

 were, friendr, of members, united under our rule ; three were 

 owners along the stream. The other three men were friends, 

 the two owners of Balsam Lake and a friend of theirs. Four 

 of our members did not visit the stream at all. 



On Snyder's (above Mead's; there were caught, so far as 

 known, 810 trout. Doubtless many more of them were 

 taken. 



On Mead's and Merwin's we know of 84G trout. Of course 

 many were caught. 



Our warden, Bulkley, is worthy of all praise. Owing to 

 an early spring and hue winter it was necessary to keep him 

 employed from April 5 until Nov. 14. 



The grand total of these figures shows more than 5,427 

 trout caught in the upper Beaverkill this past season. 

 Yours cordially, q. \y. y. S. 



FISHING A LA FLORIDA GULL. 



(From a Paper read before the Coadl's Ford farmers' Club.) 



THE following interesting paper was read by Joseph Will 

 cox at a meeting of the Chadd's Ford Farmers' Club, of 

 Pennsylvania : 



On the western coast of Florida, at least on that portion be- 

 tween Cedar Key and the Homosassa River, about thirty-five 

 miles farther south, a level, submerged plain of coral rock ex- 

 tends its wide expanse several miles from the shore, covered 

 with only a few inches of water at low tide. A soft, co- 

 hesive, slimy ooze, disintegrated by the action of the water 

 from the reels beneath, covers the surface to the depth of 

 several inches, too unsubstantial to support marine vegetation: 

 but where a small patch of rock exists above the surface of 

 the mud, and they arc of frequent occurrence, there several 

 species of sea Weed attach their roots aud flourish. Anon, the 

 space is shared by the companionship of a friendly sponge, 

 which fastens its strong tentacles to the rough surface of the 

 porous rocks, affording shady retreats to multitudes of aquatio 

 animals, such as crabs and fishes, and protection to them from 

 the attacks of myriads of birds, which wade and swim and fly 

 over this great expanse of shoal water, attracted by ihe abund- 

 ance of animal food subsisting therein. Quite a number of 

 islands may be seen, covered with a deuse growth of mau 

 grove trees, ten or twelve feet high. These odd-looking, am- 

 phibious trees, living upon a soft, precarious soil, which is 

 covered with water at high tide, adapt themselves with won- 

 derful facility to their anomalous, insecure condition, A 

 foot or two above the ground they send forth their branching 

 roots in all directions, which interweave among each other 

 affording mutual support, ami preventing the soil from being 

 washed away. Numerous coons resort to these islands to feast 

 upon the oysters which are abundantly exposed to view at 

 low tide, and which are not inappropriately called "coon 

 oysters," A dozen of these animals may sometimes bo seen 

 at once foraging upon the bivalves, and they manifest much 

 ingenuity in this occupation. They slyly peep around, and 



doubtless somewhat discouraged, vainly endeavors "to close its 

 shells, coony, with much satisfaction, leisurely removes the 

 delicious, molluskous morsel. Former experience, directed 

 with youthful, impulsive thoughtless vigor, resulting in sundry 

 undersirable compressions of the toes, has taught the coons. 

 how far they may safely insert their nails between the shells 

 of the oyster. A little inattention on such occasions some- 

 times results with serious consequences, as the oysters usually 

 grow in clusters which are not easily removed from their bed. 

 Several fatal cases are known where the paw of the coou has 

 become fastened between the shells of an oyster. The tide 

 begins to rise. Fear, added to the pain, redoubles the be- 

 wilderment of the entrameled victim. Deserted by its com- 

 rades, which hasten away iu alarm, the unfortunate animal 

 suffers, for some time, the terrors of prospective death, until 

 it is finally submerged by the surging waters. 



Concurrent wlta tUo vernul sun. 



Another season has begun. 



Now leaves spnuR form, tiro flowers dilate : 



The a , courcuit mate. 



Fresh plumes upon the birds expand , 



The time tor nesting is at liana. 



For reasons best known to themselves, countless multitude 



