228 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



SsJf §nltttr L e. 



This Journal is tlic Official Organ of the Fish Cultur- 

 lsts' Association. 



THE STATE HATCH-HOUSE. 



Sctli Green, Esq., informs us that lie has had great suc- 

 cess iu gathering salmon trout and white fish spawn this 

 Fall. The State Hatch ittg-Houso at Caledonia is full to 

 superfluity, and Sir. Green is hatching a great many out of 

 doors. Under these circumstances, he renews his offer of 

 a few months past, in the shape of the card appended, 

 which is really liberal, and uo doubt will ho thankfully 

 and eagerly accepted by many persons Wishing to stock 

 depleted waters : 



KoorrEsTEii, Novcmbc-r 13th, 1874. 



Any parties lu the United Slates or Canada wishing to experiment In 

 hatching salmon rront or while Ash spawn, will bo Bent a few hundred 

 on receipt of lifty cents (to pay for the package) by addressing the un- 

 dersigned. Also parties desiring to ejperiment in rearing the yonug of 

 the California salmon, will bo given a few hundred, by going to the New 

 York State Hatching House for them. Ail applications to be inade dur- 

 ing the month of December. All kinds of fish will ho distributed to the 

 publie waters of this State the same as years before. Seth Gbeeh. 



Rochester, N. T. 



It will bo perceived on perusal of the circular that is ap- 

 pended herewith, that this offer is exceptional to the rules 

 which make the Hatching-House products availablo only 

 to public waters. The directions that are included in this 

 circular will prove useful to applicants, and convey infor- 

 mation which we are often called upon to give : 



DIRECTIONS. 



In delivering "spawn and living fish from the State 

 Hatching House, the following rules have to be obeyed 

 exactly : 



Only public waters, and no private ponds, can be sup- 

 plied." 



The impregnated spawn of salmon trout and white fish 

 can be sent, in October, to such places as have conveniences 

 for hatching it. Living salmon trout and white fish, can 

 only be delivered at Caledonia, and all persons want- 

 ing living fish of any kind must send a man for them, as 

 there are six hundred and forty-six lakes in this State, not 

 to speak of streams ami rivers, ami the means at the dis- 

 posal of the Commissioners are too small to justify the 

 attempt to deliver fish at the expense of the State." To 

 avoid jealousy and dissatisfaction, no exception will be 

 made to litis rule. The expenses of tho person coming for 

 the fish will ds fifty cents at Caledonia, and two dollars at 

 Rochester, for cartage, besides their traveling expenses. 



Young while fish are in condition to transport from the 

 first to the tenth of February; salmon Irout from the tenth 

 to the twentieth. 



Oswego bass, strawberry bass, white bass, rock bass, 

 black bass, yellow perch, pike, perch or walleyed pike 

 and bull heads can be delivered at Rochester at any time 

 during tho Winter months. Application to be made at 10 

 Mortimer street. 



Milk cans are used to carry all kinds of fish. A five 

 gallon milk can will hold two thousand white fish or one 

 thousand salmon trout; or from ten to twenty of the other 

 fish above named, according to their size. 



All communications must be addressed to the under- 

 signed, and must describe particularly the waters to be 

 stocked, giving their names, locations and size, and stating 

 whether the ponds have rocky or muddy bottoms, or have 

 eel-grass, flags and pond lilies. The wall-eyed pike, rock 

 bass, white bass, black bass, while fish and salmon trout 

 are suited to clear waters with rocky bottoms, where the 

 crawfish is lo bo found, and Oswego bass, perch, strawberry 

 bass and bull heads will only live ou muddy bottoms with 

 flairs and pond lilies. It should also ba staled what kinds 

 of fish are found in the lake. 



It is almost useless to stock rivers which overflow their 

 bauks and flood much extent of country, as tile fish are 

 stranded by the receding waters and gel into pond holes, 

 where they perish in dry weather. 



All fish should be deposited as near the head of the lake 

 as possible, so they will not go into tho outlet before Ihey 

 become familiar With tho waters. Tho young fish should 

 be deposited during the night, when most large fish uo not 

 feed, and will iind hiding places before morning. 

 hF.TH Green, Superintendent. 

 Office, 1(5 Mortimer street, Rochester, N. Y. 

 Office hours from 7 to 8 A. M. ; 12 M. to 1. P. M. ; to 

 7 P. M. 



IIoitATto Set.voitr, Utica, 

 Edwaud M. Surra, Rochester, 

 Robert B. Roosevelt, New York, 

 Commissioners of Fisheries of the State of New York. 



BLUE BACKED TROUT OF MAINE. 



[Accompanying the following interesting note from G. 

 Shepard Page, Esq., who is one of the officers of the 

 American Fish Cullnrist's Association, was a box of trout 

 of the nearly uniform length of eight inches, with backs of 

 dark blue velvet pile, and sides liberally sprinkled with 

 Vermillion spots from gills to candal fin. While in general 

 appearance they resembled the common mlmo fontinalu, an 

 examination showed their form and markings to be deci- 

 dedly different. There was no steel blue halo around Die 

 carmine spots, as iu the familiar brook trout, and in shape 

 they nearly approached the capeliu or the smelt, being 

 very narrow at the shoulders, and of uniform width 

 throughout. The flesh had a yellowish tinge, and was 

 rather insipid, we thought. Of a dozen which we opened 

 u few hud spawn iu them. 



We shall much value all information that our correspon- 

 dent and the Maine Fish Commissioners shall favor us 

 with. Meanwhile our thanks are bestowed for the gift of 

 these interesting specimens.— Ed.] 



Maw York, Novembor 15th, 1874. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



Of course you have hoard of the famous -'blue back" trout of Range- 

 ley Lake, ilatne. They ttru never seen until the 10th of October, when 



they swarm the diffcrcntstreams in countless myriads. Theyremaln for 20 

 days, and then leave, returning the following year at almost the exact 

 day, and always the exact place. Another most singular fact is that they 

 arc never tnkcn lnrgcr or smaller than these 1 send yott. Tlic country- 

 men gather them by bushels and barrels, smoking and salting them for 

 home use. They are specially exempted from tho provisions of tho 

 Maine game law. I have receis-ed a large box or thetn, which I believe 

 is only the second lot that ever came to New York. They were sent by 

 my consln, Henry C. Stanley, one of the Commissioners of Fisheries, 

 who has iaken iJO.OOO eggs, and will hatch them and stock other streams 

 in Maine, If you desire, I will send yon an article on them, giving many 

 singular facts. We havo taken at our hatching house on TScnra sir.ara, 

 Rangoley, to the present time, 200,000 eggs of the six and eight pounders. 

 Sincerely yours, Geo. Suepard Paok. 



•+—> 



THE FISHERIES OF FRANCE IN 1872. 



\From the Revue Maritime et Colonial, August, 1874.] 



The Commissioners of Customs havo just published a 

 General Kxhibil of the Commerce of France with her Colonies 

 and Foreir/n Powers in 1872. From this document we see 

 that the total commerce of France with her colonies and 

 foreign countries during the year 1872 (imports and exports 

 of every kind) is estimated at a total of $1,928,750,000, being 

 an increse of $422,292,500 over the previous year, and of 

 $340,000,000 per year (21 percent.) over the average of the 

 quinquennial period prior to 1872. 



This exhibit shows that the share which the French flag 

 had in maritime commerce — its total value being $1,288,- 

 958,333 iucluding exports and imports— was $005,025,000. 



Of these $605,025,000, $100,250,000 belong to commerce 

 with the French colonies and the great fisheries, and $499,- 

 375,000 to international maritime commerce. The portion 

 falling to the share of foieign navies was $083,333,333. 



The vessels which were engaged in codlisheries in 1872 

 reported 418,299 quintals of "fresh and dried cod, oil, roe, 

 &c, which is a decrease of 84,684 quintals from the 

 year 1871. 



The export of dried cod, with the benefit of a premium, 

 amounted to 36,534 quintals, instead of 28,578 quintals 

 in 1871. 



The accompanying table has been published by the Min- 

 istry of Agriculture and Commerce; it contains statistics 

 for the last few years, as follows : 



1. Number of vessels engaged in the cod fisheries. 



2. Direct export from the fishing stations to the colonies 

 and to foreign countries. 



8. Exports from French porta to the colonies and foreign 

 countries. 

 4. The sums paid as premiums. 



? 



1 § § § 



K S 8 5 5 £ 



1 II 



W\ '% 



I 



« i ? > 

 - 8 i 1.3.1 



8 I 



g I 1 1 1 i 



Nil 



2 f. % g I 



i e "s % "5 



3 <y» -» -3 © 



704 vessels, with a total tonnage of 27,843, have in 1872 

 been sent out to the herring fisheries; the crews of these ves- 

 sels numbered 11,093 men. In 1871 there were 791 vessels, 

 with a tonnage of 25,192. 



The quantity of herrings, fresh and salted, brought into 

 our pons was"l77,715 quintals less than in 1871, (210,339 

 quintals in 1872atrninst 308,054 quintals in 1871.) 



The number of voyages which have been made under all 

 flags, both by sailing vessels and steamers between France, 

 its colonies the great fisheries, and foreign countries, was 53,- 

 104iu 1S72, and the total tonnage of all the vessels engaged 

 was 11,891,000. Comparing these figures with the statistics 

 of 1871, we find an increase of 5,888 voyages, and of 1,457,- 

 000 tons. 



Our merchant navy has taken part in these movements 

 at the rate of 38 per cent, as regards the tonnage, whilst 

 iu the previous year the percentage was 35. Making a dis- 

 tinction between sailing vessels and steamers, we find that 

 the percentage of France iu the former is 38£, and in the 

 latter 37 1-3. 



The countries with which France has had maritime rela- 

 tions present themselves in the following order: England, 

 Algiers, Italy, United States, Germany, Spain, Turkey, 



Russia, Sweden, Rio de la Plata, Norway, Egypt, Peru, 

 Brazil, Belgium, Austria, Holland, Uruguay, Spanish 

 American Colonies, Portugal, British Indiest West Coast of 

 Africa, Hayti, San Domingo, Mexico, Tunis, Morocco, 

 British Possessions in the Mediterranean. 



To the courtesy of Professor Baird, of the Smithsonian 

 Institute, we are indebted for the foregoing valuable ex- 

 cerpt. — Ed.] 



■***■ 



Salmon Culture — A correspondent writing of a visit 

 to an establishment in Canada, thus refers to_thc success of 

 the undertaking : 



"A visit to Mr. S. Wilmot's establishment devoted to tho 

 propagation of llsh proved of unusual interest. The opera- 

 tions of the past week have proved beyond cavil the gratify- 

 ing success which has attended Mr. Wilmot's efforts for 

 the past few years. The creek with which the breeding- 

 houses and ponds are connected, which previous to hia 

 operations had become almost completely denuded of sal- 

 mon, has for the past week been swarming with these 

 choice fish, of from one to three feet in length. The small 

 quantity of water in the creek prevented the ascent of some 

 of the largest salmon, but a sufficient number of large 

 ones, over 800 in all, entered the fish pen, and from these over 

 800,000 ova were secured and impregnated, and are now on 

 hatching trays ; from which it is estimated that about 80 

 per cent, will come to maturity and be liberated iu the 

 streams throughout the Province in the early parfof May 

 next. Hundreds of fine large salmon may now be seen in 

 the ponds connected with the establishment, where they 

 were placed after being manipulated by the pisciculturists. 

 In a day or two these will be liberated, and will at once go 

 down the creek into the lake. 



Besides those secured in the fish pen, a very large num- 

 ber spawned in the bed of the creek, which is literally 

 covered with bright spawing beds. As the natural propor- 

 tion of this deposit will likewise come to maturity, the fish 

 produced from the salmon which have this Fall visited 

 Wilmot's creek alone will be of immense value— proving 

 that all that is necessary to a plentiful supply of the choicest 

 fish that can be placed upon a table, is artificial culture aud 

 protection. 



In addition to the establishment on Mr. Wilmot's premi- 

 ses, similar ones have been erected under his superinten- 

 dence in different parts of the Lower Provinces, and intelli- 

 gence which he has received from those points discloses the 

 fact that, from the ova secured at all points, about two 

 millions salmon fry will be liberated next Spring. This is 

 certainly an industry of great importance, demanding pub- 

 lic countenance and support. Mr. Wilmot may well feel 

 proud of the success which has attended his endeavors, tot- 

 he has demonstrated that the breeding of fish need only be 

 limited, with proper care, by the means placed at the dis- 

 posal of those so engaged. 



Under Mr. Wilmot's directions a fish pen has been 

 erecled on Sopet's Creek, and a considerable number of 

 salmon have entered therein. By some means most of them 

 escaped; so that the ova which were wanted were not ob- 

 tained. It has been proved, however, that the salmon fry 

 liberated in this creek has already very largely increased 

 the number of salmon coming up the creek to spawn. 



SPAWNING OF BLACK BASS. 



"! Philadelphia, November 11th, 187-1. 



Editor Forest and Stream:— 



Your correspondent from Hagcrstown, in your iaBue of the 12th, calls 

 attention to the irregularity of the spawning of the black bass. A great 

 many of the llsh have been caught during the season iu the Schuylkill, 

 and an old angler tells me that he found ripe spawn in Ash caught in 

 July. On October 30th 1 caught one weighing a little less than a pound, 

 Laving two fully developed sacs of ova, but neither of them ripe. As 

 the open season begins here June let, I had supposed the ■Dawning sea- 

 son was over before that date. Very truly yours, Sculls. 



—About 2,100,000 eggs havo been taken from the fish- 

 hatching works at Bucksport, Maine, within seven days 

 lately. 



_ «■ » 



Violation of the Massachusetts Lobster Law.— 

 Benjamin Hatchfield, a vender of lobsters on Causeway 

 street, Boston, was before the Municipal Court Friday 

 last, charged with selling lobsters less than ten and a half 

 inches in length, lie was found guilty of having sixteen 

 such lobsters in his possession, and a fine of $5 for each 

 was imposed, making a sum of $80, which Hatchfield had 

 to pay. 



THE METATARSAL GLAND OF THE 

 CERVID^E AS DETERMINING SPE- 

 CIES. < 



IN a late issue of Forest and Stream we referred to 

 the scientific work of Judge Caton, of Illinois, in 

 noting if any difference existed between our moose and 

 caribou and the European species, especially (hose indige- 

 nous to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. One of the 

 most important steps was to learn if the metatarsal gland 

 was the same in the European and American species; so to 

 decide this matter the judge visited the northern districts 

 of Europe to study the living subjects, and note any dis- 

 tinctions that might exist. This long and necessarily te- 

 dious work was undertaken by this pains-taking, close-rea- 

 soning American student of natural history on uo other 

 grounds than in the cause of science, and to prove thor- 

 oughly a point heretofore disputed by naturalists. This 

 action readily proves how far the students of Nature will 

 go to develop a truth which, in the abstract, might be a 

 matter of indifference to Ihe world at large, but not to the 

 naturalist, who must have a thoroughly logical premiss 

 from which to make deductions. The work of Judge 

 Caton has been eminently successful, and being tho first 

 who has undertaken to prove the relationship of the various 

 species, he is entitled to great credit, so we freely offer him 

 the tribute he so richly deserves. 

 The following letter will show the labcr of this truth- 



