276 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



S*h §Mw- 



This Journal Is the Official Organ of the Fish Cultnr- 

 Ists' Association. 



PROF. BAIRD'S REPORT. 



n 



ONE of the most interesting and important works issued 

 from the Governmont printing presses in many a 

 day, is the report of Prof. Baird, the United States Com- 

 missioner of Fisheries, a hand-hook Utat cannot he excelled 

 either in its thoroughness, or the manner in which the 

 facta are presented. The work is divided into two general 

 departments, the first being an "Inquiry into the decrease, 

 of food fishes," and the second into "The propagation of 

 food fishes in the waters of the United States." The first 

 part, opens with an inquiry into the motives that led the 

 Government to appoint commissioners to make a report on 

 the fisheries and the cause for their decrease, and the result 

 of their investigations. Of the corresponding researches of 

 other nations he says: — 



"A few years previous to the movement on the part of 

 the United States in (he establishment of a commission for 

 the investigation of the fish and fisheries of its coast, the 

 Fischerei-Verew, an association composed of several emi- 

 nent, naturalists, physicists, and statisticians of Germany, 

 warmly urged up.m its government the importance of prose- 

 cuting' similar researches, recognizing equally with the 

 United States that the only way of securing definite and 

 practical results in the ways of protecting and improving 

 the fisheries was to initiate a scries of thorough inquiries 

 into the general physical and natural history of the seas. 



A commission was accordingly appointed by the German 



fovernment to report upon the best method of securing the 

 eaired object. A report of what was needed was pre- 

 sented by the commission, which invited careful inquiry 

 into tho following fpoints: first, the depth and character 

 of the water, the peculiarities of the bottom, the percent- 

 age of salt and gas is the wafer, and the nature of its cur- 

 rents and temperatures; secondly, a minutely-detailed de- 

 termination of the animals and plants found in the sea; 

 and, thirdly, the distribution, mode of nourishment, pro- 

 pagation, a"nd migration of the useful fishes, shells, crusta- 

 ceans, &c. While this programme embraced the primary 

 physical conditions "f organic, life in the sea, and I heir vari- 

 ations, the final object, of course, was a practical one, 

 namely, the determination of the facts embraced under the 

 third head. As, however, very little was known in refer- 

 ence to the natural laws of distribution, &c, of the useful 

 animals, it BGeam'a necessary to investigate them from a 

 scientific point, of view; so "that the primary iuqiries were 

 strictly scientific, the deductions therefrom "leading to the 

 i ic d end. 



'I he initiation of the Franco-German war interfered 

 vi t y materially with this programme, and it was not until 

 1871, and nearly at the same time with the American inves- 

 tigations, that operations were actually commenced. The 

 commission consisted of Dr. H. A. Meyer, Dr. K. Mobitis, 

 Dr. G. Karsten, and Dr. V. Hansen, each gentleman having 

 charge of some special branch, and all co-operating toward 

 the common result. Fixed stations were established at 

 various points for the purpose of observing the variations 

 of atmospheric conditions, the daily changes of temperature 

 of the water, and the occurrence of special phenomena of 

 animal tied vegetable life; and for several mouths in the 

 year the commission, with its assistants, was engaged in 

 researches at sea, prosecuted upon the government steamer 

 Pommerania, placed at its disposal, under Captain Hoff- 

 mann. Upon this work the commission has been engaged 

 for three successive seasons, and has just published a re- 

 port of its operations during the year 1871." 



Of the cod fisheries of New England he says: — 



"Of all the various fisheries formerly prosecuted directly 

 off the coast of New England, North of Cape Cod, the 

 depreciation in that of the cod appears to be of the greatest 

 economical importance. Formerly the waters abounded in 

 this fish to such an extent that a large supply could be 

 taken throughout almost the entire year along the banks, 

 especially in the vicinity of the mouths of the largerrivers. 

 At that, lime the tidal streams were almost choked up with 

 the alewives, shad, and salmon that were struggling for en- 

 trance in tho Spring, and which filled the adjacent waters 

 throughout it great part of the year. 



As is well known, the erection of impassable dams across 

 the streams, by preventing the ascent of the species just 

 mentioned to their spawning grounds, produced a very 

 great diminution, and almost the extermination, of their 

 numbers; so what wbereas in former years a large trade 

 could be carried on duritig the proper season, now nothing 

 would be gained by the effort. 



Of late the attention of the legislatures of the New Eng- 

 land States has been called to this fact, and to the import- 

 ance of restoring their fisheries, and a great, deal has been 

 already accomplished toward that end. Unfortunately, 

 however, the lumbering interest in Maine, and the manu- 

 facturing iu New Hampshire and Massachusetts, are so 

 powerful as to render itjextremely dillieult to carry out any 

 measures which in any way interfere with their conven- 

 iences or profits; and notwithstanding the passage of laws 

 requiring the construction of fish-ways through the dams, 

 these have either been neglected altogether, or are of such 

 a character as not to answer their purpose. The reform, 

 therefore, however imperatively required, has been very 

 slow in its progress, and many years will probably elapse 

 before efficient measures will be" taken Jo i'emedy.the evils 

 referred to. 



It would, therefore, appear that while tile river-fisheries 

 have been depreciated or destroyed by means of dams or 

 by exhaustive fishing, the coil fish have disappeared in equal 

 ratio. This is not, however, for the same reason, as they are 

 taken only with ihe line, at a rate more than compensated by 

 the natural fecundity Of the fish. I am well satisfied, how- 

 ever, that there is a relation of cause and effect between the 

 present, and past condition of the two series of fish; and in 

 litis 1 am supported by the opinion of Capt. U. S. Treat, of 

 Eastport, by whom, indeed the idea was first suggested to 

 me. Captain Treat is a successful fisherman, and dealer 

 in tish on a very large scale, and at the same time a gentle- 

 man of very gcesX, intelligence and knowledge of the many 

 details connected with the natural history of our coast- 

 flskes, in this respect worthily representing Captain At- 



wood, of Provineetown. It is to Captain Treat that wc 

 owe many expeiimcnts on the reproduction of alewives in 

 ponds, and the possibility of keeping salmon in fresh 

 waters for a period of years. These general conclusions 

 which have been reached as the result of repeated conver- 

 sations with Captain Treat and other fishermen on the coast 

 incline me to believe that the reduction in the cod and other 

 fisheries, so as to become practically a failure, is due to 

 the decrease off our coast in the quantity, primarily, of 

 alewives; and, secondarily, of shad and salmon, more than 

 to any other cause. 



It is well known to the old residents of Eastport Chat 

 from thirty to fifty years ago cod could be taken in abun- 

 dance in Passamnquoddy Bay and off Eastport, where only 

 stragglers are now to be caught. The same is the case at 

 the month of the Penobscot River and at other points along 

 the coast, where once the fish came close in to the shore, 

 and were readily captured with the hook throughout the 

 greater part of the year. That, period was before Ihe mul- 

 tiplication of mill-dams, cutting oil the ascent of the ale- 

 wives, shad, and salmon, especially the former. The 

 Saint Croix River was choked in the Spring with the num- 

 bers of these fish, endeavoring to ascend; and the same 

 may be said of the Little River, the outlet of Boynton's 

 Lake, about seven miles above Eastport. The lake in 

 question is one of considerable size, and was visited by im- 

 mense numbers of alewives, which could be dipped out to 

 any extent, on their passage upward, while the waters of 

 the adjacent bay were alive with the young fish on their 

 return.' 



The fish themselves enter the waters of the streams in 

 May or June, and return almost immediately after spawn- 

 ing' to the sea. But they may be taken by the drift-nets 

 along the shores as early its March and April; and, indeed, 

 it is quite probable that the whole period of their abode in 

 the salt water is spent adjacent to the rivers in which they 

 were born. The young come down from the ponds in 

 which they are hatched, from August to October, keeping 

 up a constant stream of the young fish. In this way a sup- 

 ply of alewives was to be met with throughout the greater 

 part of the year, and nenrer the coast they furnished every 

 inducement for the cod and other ground fish to come in- 

 shore in their pursuit. 



It is true that the sea herring is also an attraction to 

 these fish, and probably but for their presence our pollack, 

 haddock, and hake-fisheries would be greatly diminished. 

 Nevertheless, the ale-wife appears to be more attractive as 

 a bait, and furthermore the sea herring are less constantly 

 on the coast, especially in shore, occurring as they do at 

 stated intervals, when they come in from the deep sea to 

 spawn. It is possible, too, that they are less easily cap- 

 tured by the cod, since they swim nearer the surface than 

 the alewives. Corroboration of this idea is furnished in 

 ihe testimony of Mr. W. B. McLaughlin, of Southern 

 Head, Grand "Manan. This gentleman informs me that the 

 only stream in the island which ever furnished alewives to 

 any" extent was Seal Cove Creek, which discharges to the 

 East of the southern extremity of Grand Manan, and into 

 which these fish entered in immense numbers in the Spring. 

 At that time cod, haddock, and pollack, as well as halibut, 

 were taken in great abunance in Seal Cove Sound, between 

 Hardwood Cove, on Wood Island, and Indian or Parker's 

 Point, on the main island. They were to be met with dur- 

 ing the greater part of the year, especially front May to 

 January; and the fishery in the channel-way within a quar- 

 ter of a mile of the shore was really more productive than 

 on the banks much farther out to sua." 



As this report is too valuable to be even summarized, 

 and as it affords the very species of information which our 

 fish culturists, and those interested in sea fishing require, 

 we shall produce it from week to week as the state of our 

 columns will permit. 



-»♦*. 



LAND-LOCKED SALMON. 



RECENT experiments with this fish have proved that 

 it can lie reared in ponds the same as trout, and that 

 it "strips" as readily as any of its family. Mr. H. L. Leon- 

 ard of Bangor Maine, has been experimenting with this 

 species for the past year, and he has succeeded in getting 

 from it about .100,000 eggs, which ho now offers for sale. 

 As they are the first in the market that we know of, they 

 will no doubt meet a ready sale. The first from which the 

 ova were taken were captured in Grand Lake stream, 

 Washington county, Maine. They were "stripped" by 

 the dry or Russian process in Mr. Leonard's rjond, where 

 they entered to spawn. The result of a short investigation 

 proves that the milt of one male is sufficient to impreg- 

 nate the eggs of four or five females, and that the larger 

 portion of the young are likely to be hatched out early in 

 Spring if the water is kept at a fair temperature. If the 

 water is too cold they will not appear before March, but by 

 increasing the temperature, which is usually 32° Fahren- 

 reit, to 33°, they will present themselves a month sooner. 

 These pretty creatures, when hatched in ponds and fed 

 regularly, do not manifest any uneasiness about their con- 

 finement, but the old ones which are enclosed when they 

 enter the fishways almost, always die if they are not 

 allowed to make their escape when they have deposited 

 their spawn. 



A few kept last winter iu a pond in Massachusetts for 

 the purpose of experimenting with them, died later in the 

 season, it is supposed from a nervous irritation at their 

 confinement, as they were constantly leaping and dashing 

 about in a state of excitement, and finally refused all food. 

 The youngsters, on the contrary, seemed to be content 

 with their narrow house, and to thrive on their meals of 

 finely ground cattish. The old fish spawn every alternate 

 year, and on such occasions they commence running up 

 the streams about the latter part of July or the first of 

 August, and continue until the middle of November, but 

 they do not deposit their ova until late in October or early 

 iu the month following. When iu this condition they are 

 caught by the pisciculturist with hook and line, or seine, 

 and "stripped" according to the process mentioned. 



This fish will live in water having a temperature of 70°, 

 but if kept iu ponds there should be scope enough for' them 



to play about freely, and the water should have depth 

 enough to give them an abundance of oxygen. 



The best time to impound them is about the first of 

 August, as they are then in good condition, and being well 

 filled with ova their instinct of maternity is very strong, so 

 that they will thrive in places which under other circum- 

 stances would prove most disagreeable to them. 



They will live on excellent, terms with the black bass, so 

 those who have ponds containing the latter should by all 

 means try to give them the former for companions, as it is 

 presumed that both thrive better by this companionship. 



If the land-locked salmon can be cultivated to a large 

 extent in ponds.it will be. a most important step in fish 

 culture, and will be quite an event iu gastronomy. 



■ «•*•■ 



Far Forest and Stream. 

 . RAISING THE GRAYLING, 



OUR friend Collins has given some very valuable items: 

 on raising this fish, and coining from one who has 

 rather looked with an unfavorable eye upon their introduc- 

 tion, it carries great weight. 



He may justly bo proud of being the first to raise this 

 fish, notwithstanding he says: "I do not see wherein con 

 sists their superiority to the brook trout, nor of what par- 

 ticular use they are, any how." 



It has seemed strange to me why the introduction of the 

 grayling should have been opposed in some quarters, 

 unless it was by some very enthusiastic trout-wor- 

 shipper, who could not bear a rival near the throne. 



Mr. Collins is not an enthusiast; on the contrary he is a 

 cool, observing man, generally careful as to his facts and 

 inferences. He says they were larger at six months old 

 than brook trout at the same age; this suggests rapid 

 growth, and early maturity. And I claim a great superi- 

 ority for them in the fact that they do not eat each other. 

 This is a great point, especially in fish that seek their own 

 food, as in large ponds and lakes. As to other points, it is 

 a question of taste as to their gastronomic qualities. Seth 

 Green don't like them, but has only eaten them in Ihe 

 spawning season. I ate them at the same time and liked 

 them. Col. Skinner, of the Turf, Field and Farm, was elo- 

 quent over a grayling dinner at Sutherland's, and many 

 others, among them the veteran angler, Hon. S. II. Ains- 

 worth. 



The "particular use" of the grayling seems to me to be 

 to live in streams and lakes with the trout and not devour 

 them; to furnish the angler with a new variety as "gamey" 

 as his old favorite, and one to my eye and taste fully as 

 beautiful, and as fine for the table. 



Every one that visits my ponds allows that tho grayling 

 are much the handsomest fish in the water. I am glad' to 

 get this testimony from Mr. Collins as to their growth, and 

 although he only had a hundred eggs, I hear from outside 

 parties that he has done well with them. 



My brother, who has had the care of my fish this season, 

 says that one trout will cat as mueh a.i six grayling, yet the 

 latter arc plump and in fine condition. I have about, sixty 

 of the lot from the Au Sable, and they have grown consid- 

 erably, and I do not hesitate to say that iu my opinion they 

 will become an equal favorite with the trout in the estima- 

 tion of anglers, and much superior to them with the fish 

 breeder, for the reasons given, viz: rapid growth, small 

 feeders, and the absence of cannibalism. Mine have had 

 only beef lights; I never feed liver to my fish, for I cannot 



get it. FiiED Mather. 

 ■»•»■ 



Salmo Quinnat. — The United States Fishery Commis- 

 sion is commencing to move the California salmon {Salmo 

 qitinnat,) a little early, it seems to us, although we have 

 not seen the young fish, and don't know how T nearly the 

 sacs may be absorbed. Fred Mather has gone to Niles, 

 Michigan, with a lot of the small fry, and the distribution 

 will continue until the entire quantity on hand is disposed 

 of. Private parties who wish to procure spawn of the Cal- 

 ifornia salmon can now do so by applying to Seth Green, 

 of Rochester. 



•++•- 



— Last week Fish Commissioners Major T. B. Ferguson 

 andF. B. Downs, Esq., of Maryland, placed in the Marsh 

 run, a tributary of the Antietam Creek, Maryland, four 

 thousand salmon, averaging in size about one inch. The 

 little beauties were hatched out in Baltimore county. Trout 

 spawn obtained from fish caught in MeLeod River, Califor- 

 nia. We are informed that fifteen thousaud more will be 

 placed In tributaries to the Potomac. 



^~f»- 



Giieat Mortality of Skad in the St. Lawrence.— 

 We find the following singular statement in the Montreal 

 Witness of December 3d. It will at once engage the atten- 

 tion of the fish culturists on Bake Ontario, whoso labor, 

 we trust, has not been in vain. 



"During the last few days the River St. Lawrence, op- 

 posite the city, has been literally filled by an immense 

 number of small bright scaled fish, averaging two inches 

 in length, and which have been identified by Mr. T. Caw 

 thorne, who has shown us a sample, as young shad. The 

 fish are floating dead and swimming down stream in such 

 immense numbers that yesterday Mr. Cawthorne, while, 

 crossing to the island iu a boat, could scoop them up out of 

 the water by the handful. Such a phenomenon has, it is 

 said, never before been seen opposite Montreal. The cause 

 of many of the fish being dead is unknown, except that 

 the great change of temperature in the last few days 

 caught the little shad while they were not prepared for it. 

 Shad ascend the rivers from the sea early in June to spawn, 

 the offspring returning before Winter. If they were boxed 

 up in oil, they would'make an excellent substitute for sar- 

 dines." 



* i » 



— Ipwa has had 500,000 whitefish spawn placed in hex 

 ponds by the Fish Commissioner. 



