36 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



Jfe/jr §ttJttti[e. 



This Journal is the Official Organ of the Fish Cnltnr- 

 ists' Association. 



FLASHES FROM THE "BLUELIGHT." 



SIXTH WEEK. 



THE past week has added five to the Blue] ight's record 

 of dredging trips, and brought the number of suc- 

 cessful hauls of dredge and trawl up to one hundred and 

 thirty-five for the season. One trip was along one, leaving 

 Koank on Tuesday forenoon, spending the night at Block 

 Island and returning the next evening." During this trip an 

 opportunity was afforded to the party to draw a strong con- 

 trast between inshore and off-shore work. Fifteen miles 

 out in the Atlantic, to the south of Block Island, the long 

 ocean swell played the mischief with science, and only a 

 quick return to smoother waters saved lives and dishes. 

 Pale Professors staggering about, clinging steadfastly to 

 the corks of broken'jars, could not con'.ribute much to the 

 good cause, and since our return there has seemed to die 

 away the oft expressed longing for a good outside trip to 

 deep waters. 



Yesterday, on our trip, in which we had the pleasure 

 out at sea. of the company of Mr. Wyckoff, of the Tribune, 

 Dr. Bessels and Captain Button of the Ordnance Corps, 

 the sound was boiling with leaping fish; the pilot called 

 them "Ml hluefish " " I haven't been able to find out how 

 a live bluetish looks yet this season, but should have de- 

 clared them to be bonitas. 



The Commission has chartered a roomy, comfortable jib- 

 boat, with a cabin and fair sailing qualities, and in this, 

 with Captain Chester to manage, Professor Goode is work- 

 ing hard, seining and trawling in the places where the 

 Bluelight cannot well go, and with good results. Sleeping 

 as best they may on board the boat, aud depending on their 

 seines for their chowder, they have spent several nights 

 away, working with seine in Nasseaguo Harbor, on the reef 

 near Montauk Point, Shagwam Bay, Cow Bay, and New 

 fcborehura, and nearly circumnavigating Block Island, set- 

 ting i lie "scrawl," a long line, with baited hooks at inter- 

 vals, in suitable places, and capturing great numbers of fish, 

 B larce proportion being skates. 



Several new species were added to the list of fishes found 

 in this vicinity, among them several JSnpraulis riW/tu.i, a 

 fish closely resembling the anchovy of European waters. 

 A line specimen of the bill fish, (Tetrnpturus albidius.) five 

 feet iu length, and a curious sucker fish, the Rhombochirws 

 gsteoohir, with an apparatus in the back of his head re- 

 sembling the rasp with which a shoemaker removes pegs, 

 were among the captures, and a large sturgeon was sent 

 to us. 



The. pouuds are doing very little now, the season being 

 considered over. Several have been taken up, and in them, 

 left standing, but few fish are taken, Spanish mackerel be- 

 ing the principal catch. The smacks, that, when we first 

 began work, arrived almost daily with full fares of cod, 

 mackerel, weakfish, &c, are now mostly laid up, receiving 

 repairs and refitting for next season's work. The skates' 

 eggs, (hat we bring up in our trawl, are uo longer filled 

 wrlh' a living; occupant, but arc mere husks from which the 

 life has sprung. Everything marks the approach of the 

 end of our season, and fills us all with regret that so de- 

 lightlul a summer should be so short a one. 



A most interesting and valuable set, of experiments have 

 been, and are still, at the date of this letter, 22d, noon, be- 

 ing carried on at the Fish House, in attempts to raise 

 voung shad in waters containing various proportions of 

 sea-water — from pure fresh lo entirely salt. The shad, 

 (about fifty thousand,) were taken from the hatching boxes 

 at Holyoke at five A. M., on the loth instant, then about 

 one ho'ur old, and were brought to Isoank by Mr. Milner, 

 Assistant Fish Commissioner, arriving here at 11.30 A. M., 

 the water having been changed three times. At 9 P. M., 

 all being lively and in good order, they were divided into 

 lots and placed in earthen jars containing each 128 gills of 

 freak spring water. Jars N6. 1, 2, 3 aud 4 were devoted to 

 experiments with salt-water. No. 'a 5, 6, 7 aud 8 to experi- 

 ments on temperature. No.'sO and lu with spring water, 

 changing every six hours; No. 11 pure sea-waler, and No. 

 12 surface water at low ebb. 



.Jar No. 1, had taken from it at the end of every three 

 hours i wo quarts, aud the loss was made good by replacing 

 tvo quarts of a mixture of fresh and salt water, beginning 

 with fifteen gills of fresh to one gill of salt, and on each 

 nucceasive change increasing the salt and diminishing the 

 fresh by one gill, until at the end of forty-five hours on the 

 fifteenth change, aud every three hours after, the water ad- 

 l.'i'i was pure sea-water, that in the jar being nearly so. At 

 the end of sixty hours, they having been for fifteen hours 

 In nearly pure' salt- water, the shad began to show a little 

 weakness, lying at the bottom of the jar. At P. M., 18ih, 

 it the twenty-fourth hour iu sea-water, they succumbed, 

 itnd about ninety-five per cent bad died; a lew Still living 

 wen- taken from the jar and placed in a mixture, half fresh 

 and half sea-waler. They revived and are still in good 

 order at date, (noon 22d.) 



Jar No. 2 was the same experiment as No. 1, except that 

 ine .-ea-waler was added iu oue-half of above proportions, 

 taking ninety hours to bring the mixture to nearly pure 

 sea-waler, and from which time, 3 P. M., 19th, the change 

 has been' witi) pure sea-water, they have gradually died, 

 u,u iu tuja dale about ten per cent are living, but rather 

 (tail, having been in nearly pure sea-water sixty-nine 

 hours, and iu water more or less salt 15G hours. 



Jar No. 3 had salt-water added in same proportion as in 

 No. 1, until at the end of fifteen hours the water was nearly 

 one-third salt to two-thirds fresh, and this mixture has since 

 ,,een supplied every three hours, two quarts at a change. 



Jar No. 4, supplied in same proportions as in No. 2, 

 bringing me mixture nearly to half fresh, half salt in forty- 

 eight hours, the changes being continued since with mix- 

 ture oi same proportions. 



At dace No. 3 lias had its full proportion of salt, nearly 

 one-third for 144 hours; No. 4 has been at nearly half-and- 

 half ill hours; and in each jar the fish are lively and but 

 lew have died. Those in No. 4, where, although the more 

 salt of the two, the salt-water was added more slowly, seem 

 to be livelier than those in No. 3. 



In the above experiments the temperature varied from 

 08° to 70°, no artificial means being employed to alter it. 



the adding of the sea-water, of course, bringing it down a 

 little — the temperature of the room raising it. It was orig- 

 inally intended that No.'s 5, aud 7 should be kept at 65°, 

 00" and 55°, respectively, by the addition, as necessary, of 

 fresh ice-water, but Mr! Milner, having been compelled to 

 leave us, we were, till the arrival of Mr. John Vealev, to 

 assist Mr. C. D, Griswold, who was led by Mr Milner in 

 charge, rather short-handed, and it is probable that the 

 average temperature of each jar has not been below 02 or 

 63°, although each has been temporarily lower. In these 

 jars the shad are all lively and well now, at the end of 

 seven days and seven hours since they were taken from the 

 hatching boxes, three hours more, and there is no sign but 

 that they will last longer, and we will have beaten the 

 longest time as yet on record, as occupied in the transpor- 

 tation of shad, viz : the journey of Se.th Green with a slock 

 lo California. 



Jar No. 8 averaged about with 5, 6 and 7, being under 

 same treatment, until last evening, when the temperature 

 was suddenly reduced to 60° and Carefully kept at that 

 point. This was too cold, and the last, of the lot died in 

 seven hours, they having began to die in about three 

 hours. 



Jars No. 9 and 10 have been left at natural temperatures, 

 subject only to such changes as the changes in the temper- 

 ature of the room and "the changing id' the water might 

 cause, the water being fresh spring water, and changed 

 every six hours; the fish are all doing well. 



One small jar, No. 11, was filled with sea-water several 

 times and a few lish transferred to it; in each case they 

 all died iu from two to three hours. 



Jai' No. 12 was filled with surface water at dead low tide, 

 the river being unduly fresh on account of late rains, but 

 the water was perceptibly brackish to the taste. The 

 water was changed every three hours by adding surface 

 water taken at low ebb. This, however, became much 

 Salter than at first, owing to a southerly gale, and by uoon 

 of the 21st (hey had all died— all having" kept well Tor about 

 forty-eight hours. 



In all of these experiments the temperatures were noted 

 with one of Green's standard thermometers, and the pro- 

 portions of sea-water calculated by the amount placed in at 

 each change; this, however, would not give exact propor- 

 tions, as in taking out each time two quails of the mixture, 

 more and more salt each time was removed, and the pro- 

 portion of fresh water left a question of much closer cal- 

 culation. It, however, approximated, and I have used the 

 qualifying word neatly in speaking of the degrees of »alt- 

 ness. 'The method of this first systematic experiment in 

 rearing shad in salt-water was devised by Mr. Milner, and 

 it is to be. regretted that circumstances prevented him from 

 staying to carry it, out. Mr. Griswold and Mr. Vealey 

 have, however, taken every pains and done all possible. 



Professor Baird has ordered made by Tagliabue some 

 hydrometers, the whole length of whose scale will cover 

 but twenty per cent, thus embracing pure fresh and pure 

 sea water," and with them we wdll be able to determine ex- 

 actly on future occasions. I am watching our little nursery 

 with great interest, and will give you next week the final 

 results; (hey have occupied so much of my leisure lime, 

 (hat I have not noticed much the worli in the laboratory, 

 where, however, there has been the usual late hours and 

 busy investigation. So you must wait till next week for 

 the notes 1 have promised iu regard to the actions of various 

 poisons on the lower forms of animals. 



One typographical error in last week's letter I must ask 

 to be corrected. I wrote "one sagacious Captain," not 

 "our,'" whicli rendering makes me guilty of self praise. It 

 was Captain Rath bon who towed his lobsters to sea, and 

 not Piseco. 



P. S. — And ";dght whale" should be right whale, and 

 kraker should be kraken. 



THE CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENTS. 



how many eggs we shall sue ted iu tak: 

 get things in readiness for taking live m 



U.S. Fishery, i 



Ihuiijssi-,. L',i . Aiejii -: inrti, is, 1 

 Editok Forest and Stream:— 



Permit me to enclose you some proofs of pictures taken by onr photo- 

 grapher here, around the camp, just lo give you an idea what the place 

 aud fish, look like. We are getting along as well as could he expected. 

 Our wonting force now consists of ten white men, one Chinaman and 

 three IndJarja, and wbSsvo kept very busy at work ever since we came 

 here— the lirst of last month. We nave got up our tents aud our buikl- 

 int-'s, and liave ;;ot the wheel in rai-e ilie water into working order. It 

 . lee* IE 00 Rations of water an hour into the 

 hatching troughs. Weara just completing a bridge Bn8 trap across the 

 ertaking, on account of the depth and 

 ud. The i-nlmuii ate extremely abuntl- 

 u Hto river; Hie last, haul we made with the net we caught a ion of 

 on. We have also caught quite a number with a buok hailed will 

 on roe, and have taken out one with the artificial lly. I do not know- 

 year, but we are going to 

 Yours truly, 



LlVlSOSTON STONE. 



We certainly feel much interested in these photographs, 

 and are very thankful lor them. We recognize the old 

 salmon settlers readily by the specimens of the California 

 salmon which we find iu our markets, although we have 

 not had the pleasure of seeing full grown ones alive. We 

 do not think the facial expression of either variety as ami- 

 able as that of our Canada fish. They have a kind of 

 ragged respectable look, Something like that of an old 

 Forty-niner. The camp shown in the photograph is em- 

 bowered in adeuse foliage of tall trees and luxuriant shrub- 

 bery, aud backed by the gray cliffs of the ravine through 

 which the McCloud River runs. There are two board 

 houses, several tents, an awning, the American flag pend- 

 ant, and the cold, rushing river. AVe can almost fancy we 

 can distinguish John himself in Ihe party.— Et>. 

 ■»«♦ 



Grayling and Trout for Stocking Ponds.— We are 

 informed that Mr. E. L. Fraser, of Grand Traverse, Michi- 

 gan, is able to procure, at certain seas us, any given quan- 

 tity of young grayling and trout, which he will dispose of 

 to fish culturists at given figures. He is thoroughly con- 

 versant with the habits of the grayling for seventeen years 

 past; and is well recommended by those to whom he refers. 

 A misfortune has incapacitated him from hard labor, so 

 that those who need him will do him a kindness by 

 patronizing him. 



— An association for the protection of game and fish is to 

 be formed at Geneva, 111., anti will be composed principally 

 of persons residing in the vicinity of Fox river. The asso- 

 ciation will make special efforts m preserve the fish in Fox 

 river and tributary streams 



—The hist New York legislature passed an act for the 

 construction of a fishway in the dam of the Mohowk above 

 Schenectady, and work on the structure will be presently 

 commenced. 



Pound Nets.— In the Connecticut Pish Commissioners' 

 Report for 187-t ara many allusions to pound nets, which 

 ought to be abolished forever, No rivers can be made 

 self-supporting so long as pounds are permitted. The in- 

 'oalculable damage they do is summed up and their prohibi- 

 tion urged in the following reasons; 



" First. They are nuisances on the high seas, placed in 



the water without a shadow of rigid — a continual 



to the navigation of both large and -mall craft. 



"Second. They prevent the fr*e. passage of the fish to 

 their spawning grounds, and destroy them in such quanti- 

 ties as to threaten complete exterminatiorj 



"Third. They impair vested rights, in that they indict 

 immense injury upon all the fishing rights on the river, not 

 only in our own. but in sister Stales, and this without any 

 Compensation. Wore such rights injured in anv o her way, 

 as for example, by a dam thrown across the river, no one 

 would question the right In such compensation 



•'Fourth. Justice and equity demand Ihftt Hie preserva 

 lion of fish at the public expense should be for the benefit 

 of the public. The right to a free passage of (he fish into 

 aud up the river, is a public right, and it, is subject In legis 

 httive control. This control silo aid he exercised lot the 

 greatest good of the greatest dumber*, and should prevent 

 yiouud fishermen creating a virtual monopoly of the fish. 

 All our people alike upon the river are entitled to a fair 

 proportion, as the fish ascend the liver. There should be 

 no exclusive privileges permitted, either in lime or modes 

 of fishing. But all should he mi regulated and adjusted 

 that Ihe'Iegitimatc claims and rights of all are protected." 



JHfttural Jjistorti. 



' CANADA LYNX, \l.pn.r Coi>«.>1en*i*.\ 



DURING the Winter of 1869, a very severe one in Que- 

 bec, Ihe lynx were driven by thousands from their 

 mountain and swampy fastnesses by the great, scarcity of 

 their natural prey, the hare, [Lrptm Cnnmieuxix) who were 

 either destroyed by the severity of the Winter or were car- 

 ried off by some contagious disease, which it is well known 

 will sometimes deplete a country for miles around. 



The lynx, naturally a shy animal, retiring before the ad- 

 vance of man and civilization, but now emboldened by llie 

 keen pangs of slarvation and oblivious of all danger, 

 swarmed through the settlements devastating the sheep- 

 folds of the settlers. Hunting singly or in pairs theyhesi. 

 tated not, even to entering the barn yards during the day, 

 watching the opportunity when the farmer and family were 

 within doors to commit some depredations aim. ng the stock. 

 Active measures were taken for their extinction and a de- 

 termined and relentless warfare was waged against them. 

 Extra precautions were taken to protect Ihe sheep and 

 other animals. Asthe Winter progressed, the lynx, reduced 

 to sore straits to procure food, entered even the city of Que- 

 bec, along the cape above the river and through thejicuehes. 

 Great was the excitement, and such a furbishing up and 

 clashing of arms, that had a stranger chanced to enter the 

 city at the time he might have thought a Fenian raid was 

 again imminent. 



One lynx, after an exciting chase, was killed in the gar. 

 den of the Archbishop's Palace; another in the rear of a 

 restaurant, attracted by the savory odor from cooking 

 viands. 1 forget whether it was afterwards served up to 

 its patrons in the guise of hash or not. Many more were 

 shot in the trenches by the soldiers aud one even penetrated 

 to the citadel itself, but paid with its hide for its temerity, 

 and now doubtless graces some officer's sanctum as a trophy 

 of his prowess. 



I remember vividly one which we captured at Cap RoUge, 

 and after dispatching and skinning 1 solicited the hind 

 quarters, detirmined to test the culinary qualities id the 

 beast. Its appearance was certainly in its favor. Packing 

 my acquisition iu brown pr.perj trudged into town, and on 

 reaching my boarding house I presented myself before my 

 landlady and showing her my game, I requested that it 

 might be roasted for my dinner the following day, paying no 

 attention to her evident repugnance to cook such a nasty 

 thing, as she termed it. Prompt lo the minute next day 1 

 reached home and opening the door a fearful odor assailed 

 my olfactory organ. The dinner bell sounding I made my 

 appearance at the table, aud before rny seat was my leg Of 

 lynx, beautifully brown and templing, 1 heeded not the 

 jokes cut at my expense, but carving myself a portion I 

 took my first moulkful. Bab! it was the last. Take away 

 the thing' il is not tit for human beings. Reader, in. more 

 lynx for me My landlady, with disgust, depicted in her 

 face, said she had been Obliged to have every window and 

 door opened iu the house, and the thermometer 30" below 

 zero. 



The Canada lynx is about the size of a setter dog. Hair 

 long and of a mottled grey color The head resembles a 

 cat's, though somewhat shorter. Its triangular ears have 

 an erect tuft of coarse black hair growdng from their ex- 

 tremity. Its paws are large and spreading, with powerful 

 claws which enables it to climb. The tail is short and 

 bushy. 



Its'lJanadian name, Loup carina; is descriptive of one of 

 its characteristics ; that of leaping upon its prey from the 

 branches of some tree close by where it will pass. It will 



