NEW YORK, THURSDAY, SEPT. 24, 1874. 



SEPTEMBER. 



ishine browned, 

 wheat-ears crowned, 



ORICH, sweet month, by suinmi 

 With bronzing leaves and goldi 

 With calm, glad eyes o'er finished labor bent 

 In deep repose and measureless content, 

 Thine is the joy of harvest— thine the spoil 

 Of fields and vineyards and of summer toil. 



For thee Hie sun withdraws his fiercest rays, 

 And veils his face behind a silvery haze; 

 For thee the moon prolongs her wondrona light, 

 And with a double beauty comforts night; 

 For thee earth doth the royal robes unfold, 

 And clothe'herself in crimson and in gold. 



The merry 6ongs from vine-clad hills are thine. 



The shouts of husbandmen that wheat sheaves twine, 



The negro chants among the Indian corn, 



The childreus' laughter and the hunter's horn, 



The hymn of gratitude from every clime, 



The year's most joyful melodies are thine. 



lovely month* If, In thy perfect days, 

 When all the world to- hinging songs of praise, 

 The Christ again in love and peace should cornel 

 Then earth, indeed, would shout her "Harvest Home!" 

 And sweet September's name stand first among 

 The glorious syllables of heaven's "new song." 



— Animal Kingdom. 



■»■► 



For Forest and Stream. 



SALT WATER AND RIVER FISH. 



THE Pacific Ocean will probably equal the Atlantic in 

 its variety of edible fish, and, I think, excel it in 

 numbers; but the species frequenting both are quite oppo- 

 site, and in many cases the contrast is so very great be- 

 tween the two varieties that it is hard to identify them. A 

 large number is known by names different from those they 

 bear elsewhere, hence one is apt to be confused unless he 

 examines closely, and has a work of reference. The latter 

 is an article that cannot be found in the Northwest so far 

 as I know — at least anything general — and even if it were, 

 the difference between the eastern and western species is 

 so great that one might be led into error unless he exer- 

 cised strict caution. Take, for instance, that type of the 

 perdicidffi family, the AnMoplites intfirruptus, which is 

 found from the rivers of Oregon to Mexico, I believe, and 

 you hear it called by half a dozen names, not one of which 

 gives a clue to the other. By these appellations one is very 

 apt to be led astray, lience is liable to place the same spe- 

 cies in one or two localities, under different names, unless 

 he has made a personal examination. The following list 

 is, however, as near correct as I could secure, and if it 

 does not embrace nil varieties, it does at least the principal 

 species. Of the salt water fish the best for commerce are 

 the halibut (Mppogbmus) and cod (morrlma), and both are 

 quite abundant, yet they are not used as an article of com- 

 merce; in fact, the abundance of salmon causes all ocean 

 fish, to be entirely overlooked. 



Of the families the hcterolepidm is represented by a couple 

 of species, the coltida, or sculpins, by about seven, the scor- 

 paenidce, or rock fish, by four, the gasterosteidoi, or stickle 

 backs, by three, the bknida, or blenny, by three, the gobidai, 

 or gobius, by one, the opftida, or lance, by one, the gadida, 

 or cod, one— though there is a second variety of the mor- 

 rhua, yet it is not a true cod — the pleuronectidas, or flounder, 

 by three, the embiotoeoidcB, or perch, by three, the cyprinUlw, 

 or dace, by several, the greater number being suckers, and 

 the perdicidat by one. 



Of the latter the AmMoplites mterruptu* is found in south- 

 ern Oregon and at the head waters of the Pitt and Sacra- 

 mento rivers, in California, It is sold in San Francisco 

 under the name of perch. Of the Jieterolepids, the best Sb 

 Chiropsis ptftus, which is known us sea trout and rockfish 

 in California. The Indians of Fuca Straits capture an- 



other, the Opiopoma paniherina, but for this there is no ver- 

 nacular. The dorsal and lateral region is spotted black; 

 beneath it is a reddish brown, and above a blackish brown. 

 The sculpins are very numerous, and bite freely at a hook, 

 but they are not used at the table, owing to the insipid 

 character of their flesh. The Chiropsis nebuhsus is black 

 on the upper region,' olivaceous beneath, and the caudal is 

 sub-concave posteriorly. It seems to prefer the brackish 

 mouths of rivers subject to tide water. The prickly 

 skinned sculpin (Cottopsis atper), the slender sculpin (Lepto- 

 eotluis amatus), toad fish, or buffalo sculpin [Aspieottits 

 bison), Ayre's sculpin (Artedius notosphilotus), the rough 

 sculpin {Zaniolepit- htlipinnk), and the bar-eyed sculpin 

 {NaUthictTiys orulo-fasciatus), arc as abundant as desired, and 

 about as useful as that family is anywhere. 



The Gasterosteus wmtut, or stickle back, frequents the 

 fresh water in June, July, and August during the spawn- 

 ing season. Its grass-made nest may be seen in the rivers 

 emptying into Puget Sound, and also the parents hovering 

 around it until the young are hatched. It has a plated 

 body; peduncle of tail keeled, dorsal spines three inches 

 high, and slender, and conspicuously serrated upon the 

 edges. The upper region is of a dark grayish olive; be- 

 neath of a purplish white. 



The Gusterosteus pugyetti differs from the preceding in 

 not having the peduncle of the tail keeled, and -not having 

 its dorsal spines serrated, and the body only partly plated. 

 It varies in length from one to two and a half inches, and 

 is very dense in the fresh water streams. Another species, 

 the 0. ircipinatvs, is found in California. 



Of the blenidm, the most curious is the Qunthis ornatus, 

 or banded mud fish, a sort of amphibious creature that 

 loves the higher beds of molluscs to the liquid element. It 

 measures only a few inches, say from three to six, and is 

 useless as an article of food. It is found in all the bays 

 formed by the Pacific Ocean. Its dorsal and anal fins are 

 contiguous to the caudal; it has I, wo anal spines, two very 

 small ventras, and its color is a sombre grayish. The com- 

 mon monkey fish [Oebidicthys liolaceons), and the eel-shaped 

 lumpenus iLiimpanis iinguillaris), are also found in all the 

 interior bodies of salt water. 



The porous cattish (Porirtliys mtatii.s) is also abundant in 

 the interior basins. This handsome creature was, in my 

 opinion, placed in the Sound to make people swear, for It 

 will rush for a bait with an energy equalled only by its im- 

 pudence. Of the giididiii, there is but one true cod (morrhua 

 prcvima), and that is found very abundantly from California 

 to Alaska. It lias always been a leading article of food 

 with the Indians, as they can spear it in all the shallow 

 waters during the summer. It is excellent eating, so meets 

 ii. read}- sale. It weighs, perhaps, five or six pouuds. A 

 variety known here as rock cod i - . ;mi is quite 



common, and as it bites readily at a baited hook furnishes ex- 

 cellent sport. It varies from sixteen to twenty-two inches 

 in length. The upper regions and sides are of a light pur- 

 plish brown, the latter being mottled a shade darker. The 

 superior surface of the head is spineless. Three other va- 

 rieties, or species, are found south of Astoria, Oregon, 

 namely, the pauc&tpinis, auriadatus, and fasciatus, which 

 differ only in minor details. 



The, Platktliys rugosim, or rough flat fish, is the represent- 

 ative type of the pleuroiwctids, and is quite abundant at the 

 mouth of the Columbia, but especially in Puget Sound. 

 The eyes are on the left side, the inter-ocular space being 

 of moderate width; the right is a dark yellow, and the left 

 a reddish brown hue; the fins are olivaceous, dorsal and 

 anal having alternate bands of black, merging into longi- 

 tudinal on tail, the ventrals and pectorals being unicolor. 

 The scales are rugose. The length varies from seven to 

 twelve inches. It is captured in nets, but can also be 

 speared or taken with the hand after the recession of the 

 tide, as it lies high and dry on some of the flats. The In- 

 dians slaughter large numbers along Shoalwater Bay and 

 Gray'B Harbor, where they crowd in immense throngs. 

 When started, |this fish will dive right into a mud bank, stir 

 it up, and escape under this cloak of concealment. An- 

 other specie*, having a light brown hue on the left side, 



and a light brown on the right, is caught in Fuca Straits, 

 and is known specifically as the P. umbrasus. The paro- 

 plirya vetulus is a denizen of the waters around Astoria, 

 Yaquina Bay, and Port Orford. Its ground color is cine- 

 rous, interspersed with black; the head and body is a red- 

 dish ash; the fins are maculated and olivaceous. 



The viviparous or sapphire perch is the handsomest spe- 

 cies of the emtriotocoids. This is a deep purplish blue above, 

 lighter beneath ; fins, except pectorals, reddish purple; lat- 

 ter yellowish. It is very abundant, and presents a striking 

 appearance as its gaudy colors change from purple to 

 olive, green and glistening golden, according to the way in 

 which the light strikes it. It can be taken readily in sum- 

 mer, as it frequents shallow water, but the Indians capture 

 it extensively at all seasons. This species must remain 

 pregnant a long time, as the flesh is even soft in mid-win- 

 ter. Some caught as late as January by the Pingallup In- 

 dians contained over forty young, and others had several 

 in the uterine sacs. An old swash fisherman told me that 

 it always contained young, or, as ho expressed it, u Yaka 

 mitlitt' konmcay hiyon tertai pish;" always full of young fish. 



The silvery perch (DunaHctkys i:ac<xi), which is also quite 

 common, never takes bait. It is of a grayish olive color; 

 scales have a silvery and golden reflect; fins unicolor. The 

 male carries the sac on the anterior third of the anal. 



The golden barred perch {Hoicortotus rhodoterus) has a 

 small mouth, sub-conical head, large eyes, and the colors 

 vary from a bluish gray above to a silvery white, with 

 three transverse bars of golden on the belly and sides. It 

 arrives in immense schools as early as May, keeping close 

 to the surface, so is caught quite readily. It bites freely 

 at a hook baited with salmon roe; but the mode of taking 

 it adopted by the Indians is to push their canoes among a 

 school, and as it has a habit of leaping out of the water 

 the canoes are filled in a short lime, especially when the 

 fish are crowded towards the shore. It leaps to its death 

 quite frequently, without any other motive than sportive 

 playfulness. It has rather good edible qualities, but this 

 does not induce fishermen to seek it. 



The cyprinoids are best represented by the Columbia 

 River dace (Mylnelieibm centrums), but its gastronomic qual- 

 ities are poor indeed, being bony and soft. This has a 

 round, somewhat Hunt, sub-conical snout; the posterior 

 end of the maxillary extends to a vertical line drawn across 

 the posterior rim of the nostril. The colors are a brown- 

 ish black above, golden beneath, the two lateral bands 

 being darker, the iuferior one as as far as the vent. 



Several true suckers are found in Klamath Lake, eastern 

 Oregon, but they scarcely deserve a description. About 

 the most common is the Algansea bicolor, whose back and 

 sides are a metallic blue, intermingled with a golden yel- 

 low; inferior region a whitish yellow. Some species are 

 quite common in the upper Willamette River, and in the 

 streams of northern Idaho. 



Of the gobidm, I know only one species, the Gobius le-pi- 

 dus, found in southern Oregon; xheop/iidmU also represented 

 by only one, the Ammodyte» penouatv*, or sand launce. Two 

 species of killy ate found in the Sound, the Richardsonius 

 hitiridis, or spotted, and the R. balteatus, or Puget Sound 

 killy. They run in large schools, bite readily at a bait, 

 but are not very edible. The color of the latter is a gray- 

 ish black above, silvery white beneath; fins unicolor. The 

 Argyrent: uubilus is also common. 



The most abundant chub is the Gheondu coopen, or Van- 

 couver chub, which has a subfusiform profile and elon- 

 gated body. The head is about one fifth of the body; 

 snout thick, overlapping lower jaw; eye and fins well de- 

 veloped. Superior region reddish gray; sides and belly yel- 

 lowish white, with metallic reflect. Bites at hook baited 

 with meat; useless as food. 



The C. eaeruta is found in the Willamette. 



The Western dog fish, Acanthus uiic/dtyi; Raja cooperi, 

 northwestern skate ; Ptychoeilus Oregonemis, Oregon carp; 

 and Oceipenser trnnsmonhiiiits, or sturgeon, are very abund- 

 ant. The carp, which is common in the Columbia, is about 

 fifteen inches long, and bites readily at a hook, but not 



