292 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



ffisff ffitlftqe. 



Tills Journal is the Official Organ of the Fish Ciiltur. 



isls' Association* 



PROF. B AIRD'S REPORT, 



We continue this excellent report this week. 

 "The 401 ipuuially directed that investiga- 



tions should be conducted on the great Iftkes, of the same 

 kind its tliosc ordered for Hie United Slates ;, and, under 

 i his provision, Mr. James W Milner was appointed assist- 

 ant commissioner, Willi instructions to collect as reliable 



dutn i ' on lite following points : the evidences of 



in i - tif the food-fisheries ; and, this 



■•:. mill Hs causes, and what practi- 



cable mullunls maybe applied for their restoration, tl 



mill to confine the inquiry for the first -season 



lu to give it u i borough examination. Lake 

 , having [be longest line of shore within the 

 To tvti Slates mill tin- Sargent number of fisheries, was 

 SOlei d id tlie legion tor the investigation. 



BLioi iveri ilso given jilni lu make full collections 

 of nil forms of life found ill the waters, and to take as full 

 nu the habits of the species; making the 

 while fiah, the most valuable food-fish of the lakes, the 

 principal object of attention and efficient action for their 

 i'' ..i aiioti. 



■ 18th of April, 18.71, the first visit, to the fishing 

 shores was made, and it became evident from the first, that 



of the 



dei 



idei 



s laki 



,-ident 



idei 



to obtain any definite knowledgi 

 it would be necessary to make tl 

 The migratory habits of the hsii s 

 entirely change I heir locality after a ti 

 in the opinion of the fishermen, mad 

 thai the conditions as to numbers coul 

 from any eircnmseribed area of shore, but that a collect 

 of accurate statistics througlln term of years for all the 

 fishing regions must be gathered to give sat isfnetory evi- 

 ls to their condition. 



rutliern end of the lake was visited from point to 

 by m earner and rail before the middle of Summer, 

 and, al llie Northern end, where no steamers plied, the 

 Was made in an open boat, the trip lasting about five 

 weeks, the sum of the distances traveled from point to 

 point being about six hundred mbes. Seventy-one stations 

 Were visited, embracing nearly the eniire number of 

 fisheries. 



;h recorded statistics In the fishing localities were 



rare, still gopd evidences were obtained of The decrease and 

 .,,!.! many interesting notes of the habits of 

 species and their mutual relations procured. Information 

 Was eonsiaiiily sought and obtained, from fishermen, 

 dealt-- i , <>u the subject of the fisheries, which 



wag noted for tlSO in preparing a report of the subject of 

 ti e inquiry. 



The inquiry was renewed in the latter part of June, 

 i be region of Lake Superior was explored, collec- 

 tions and notes wen: obtained, and similar inquiries were 



made with reference to numbers of fishes. Much less evi- 

 dence of decrease in this lake was the result., though a 

 marked diminution was ascertained to have taken place in 

 certain localities. 



u Autumn of 1872 nearly a million of white fish 



-tained by Mr. Milncr and placed inMr. N. 



V,.' Clarke's hatching- house at Clarkstou, iMieh., from 



which iu. the Winter a largo number were forwarded to 



California for the wafers of clear hake. Arrangements 



went also nude for the hatching of salmon for the waters 



'id Wisconsin. 



lose of the field work of the season, Mr. Milncr 



visit i prominent dealers on the chain of the lakes, 



",., ,. '".'.".'i i ne amounts of their receipts of lake-fish for 

 ihuyeai 



After Hie clo=e of the distribution of the rhad In 1-878, 

 Mr. .Milncr visited ihe shores of Lake Huron, ami obtained 

 a collection of its fishes. The inland locality in that region 

 inhabited by the grayling was also examined, notes relating 

 liable. " '"mined, and a knowledge of the facili- 

 ties for obtaining the spawn acquired. 



Later he proceeded to Lake Erie, and made a large col- 

 leen "ii ol ttslies in the vicinity of Sandusky, Ohio \ and 



afterward at Ciueinnati the species of the Ohio Ri'y er Were 

 !." 



I'ROrw: VT10S ok EHAI1 IN 1872. 



"Little time was to be lost in tarrying out the sugges- 

 tions 'ii reference to Bliad, as the appropriaiirm was not 

 available until the 1st of July, and ihe season during which 

 the eggs could be successfully hatched lasted but a few 



lial perio.l. 

 Uoth Messrs. Green ami Clil't, however, underlook to do 

 what iliey could, and worked with greal energy. In addi- 

 tion to ihe lai-e number of cgirs introduced by Mr. Green, 



tif of til of .New Vork, into the lliulson River, 



Oueid i Lak", Lake L'hamolain, and Genesee Itiver, he fur- 

 nished 5u,V)U0 fish for Lake Lhainplain to the Commissioners 

 in. .Mi, and, in behalf of the United States Govern- 

 ment, placed Btf.UUU in the Alleghany River at, Salamanca, 

 X V., and 'i-'coo I in the Mississippi Itiver, a lew miles 



t. Paul, Minn. 

 The later period at which the shad spawn ill the Conuec- 



i. ..I i Ur. Clil't to secure a larger margin of time 



l'..i Ins nrriiue-eiueui..s ; and, by the kind assistance of the 

 Commissioners of theSiaieo! Connecticut, he succeeded in 

 prooUt'lUg, irom the Slate liaiclliug-house at itolyoke, Mass., 

 a siiuicienl number for his ,. impose. Mr. ('lilt started on 

 . ;d "f July, with several hundred thousand young fifth, 

 liiliug nine eLhl gallon cans. Of these, a portion, est 1- 

 liKue'.i at LOUjUOO, were placed in the Alleghany at Sala- 

 . i.mI si like number in the Cuyahoga, in the While 

 liivw at lu.iiauaijolii;, lud. ; the remainder were carried 

 direct to Denver, in Colorado; and, on t lie 7th of July, 

 introduced B.IHM) in number Into the Platte. 



Very vi . c was rendered in this experiment 



by ihe express ci'iupiinies, especiully the Adams and the 

 Auiericau and Mw'uuauts' Union. Without the help ot 

 -.ijtcial i.i ." ion l.u their agents to assist Messrs. Green 

 ana Ulill, it would nave been difficult to accomplish the 

 object in view. , . 



tre also due to the commissioners, 



bc.ii'i oi New ioii; uud Connecticut, for placing their 



. i, ( .ii.." sh ... ins at the disposal of the United 



. to turnisli the necessary number o: eggs. 



loucunentiy with Ihe operatious on the part of the 



UiihwJ .-ruues, the commissioners of both New York and 



goaueetieut were industriously engaged during 1873 in 



continuing experiments previously instituted in regard to 

 stocking the waters of their respective States with shad, 

 and incredible numbers of young fish have been introduced. 

 Thus in New York, under the efficient direction of Mr. 

 Seth Green, 7,000,000 shad were released in the walers of 

 the State, while the extraordinary number of 93,063,000 

 young tish is reported by Dr. Hudson to have been turned 

 into the waters of the Connecticut. Dr. Edmonds, Com- 

 missioner of Vermont, also obtained 50,000 young tish from 



Mr. Gri , which were placed in Uurlingiou ' 'It r. . I , ike 



Cbamplain. 



Whether shad can live permanently in freshwater, and 

 maintain those characteristics of flavor and ,-i/e which 

 give them such a prominence, and whether they can be 

 established in the Mississippi Valley, are problems mil yet 

 solved; but the results to be Obtained, in the event of "its 

 possibility, arc of such transceudaiit importance in relation 

 to the food-supply of the country, and the cost of theox- 

 perinient so very trilling, that it' would be inexcusable not 



to attempt it. 



Editob Kent, t am' stream:— 

 Wo, hiring contributed several iirtieli 



crval arcs hiivin;; been ex 

 linds ii- way into this si 

 Pennsylvania— Schuylki; 



IlAMncjjr,, T'a., December, 1874, 



water, which 

 'il region '>r 



C Willi. hi Imii 



n.andi.len.i 



begiuiiimr of the \m 



Walton, living upon the 



Urns far, the predicli 



btertly ptoi 



e u 



^successful. 



There arc mino 



r streams in llie coin 



oiichthe tl 



sh , 



re of medium size, but »'fei 



• and far between," 



nl-e'wj ha\ 



1>. CO 



lCluded the 



article of the fisii 



of the Sclinjlklll hi 



hot thee 



mnt 



• seat, Read 



ng, some, no doi 



bt, will infer that 11 



• is an "o 



it 



f the way- 



place; but tills i 



snot the fact, as a v 



hi amply p 



•ove 



It has (VI 



n considerable n< 



toricly as a Summer 



, ami the 



unite ot moan 



alns (Blue), abo 



it one mile north o 



emrtegtm 



i is 5uu?h 



vie 



vs. and the 

 ill ptrjasiir, 



pure, healthful, a 



seekers. '1'hc p 





e labout 1,1 



DO), 



i Composer 



of quiet and res 



icctablc people, and 



• cannot fail be 



ng please*! 



vith the citizens of Hamburg. 











1'EKE Nlso> 



WHEN BLACK BASS SPAWN. 



Ni » li \> is. November J-, i -n. 



ttlBdge ..r ail auch It 



liiinml'u'ijht 1 '.';." 



;";:;;:„£:■ l £ 









iborit ..uc. half 

 'i'hiaktng at 



the -in...:: ti-ii. uhii 



cies to be breeding 

 astlm! my lly dinclli 

 a darted out into t 

 that It might not ini 



;.!-'• -" it at libort 

 v returned to the ties 

 ik. clearly proved th. 





■ 



ami 

 and tl 

 c 1 re 



l.'-l •! 

 . lira 



-cot calrhjre.. 



walchlngiof a 



inallv came to 



tin- conclusion "'■'" 

 stril'tigQ lor ilea s;n 

 out if it mmwi. t 

 dial el y seized It, .n 

 ipiickly as possible 

 iisclf from 1 1,,- ho.- 

 Rome linn , ii ijnall 

 before. This, HUi 



£i 



he 



inkim: it very 

 solved lolled 

 e bass IliOlM - 



King it in in 

 Icavorstg free 



appeal in:: for 



giiar.Ung ic as 



d to tin base. 



;: V. vi. 



CALIFORNIA 



SAJ 



.MON. 

 111., Dccer 

 nnieiiccd 1 





Clin u.o 

 Koitob FoaJSSl and Stucam: — 

 The V. S, Fish Commissioner has nlrea.ty ro 



0>erS, ts;i. 

 e distribution 



which will, 

 lively and i 



MORE SALMON. 



Lkk~iici;o, V... Deeomher lStli isrt. 



the depot to a carriage aud 

 and well. We hope to lies 

 tributary to the Potomac. 



BELMONT'S TROUT. 



Ethtor FoltltST and Stream:— 



Lu-t week 1 went up the Island lor a tew day shoo ting, on! hud .-t- 

 cclleut sport. Un going on board tbe boat for HaiiK-r's I'o.i [noticed 

 a few milk cans Willi il crowd about them. Supposlu;; the milt h.id been 

 well waered, I walked up, and was surprised to see them filled with live 

 trout foOr inches long, ai lively as if they were in a brook. 1 learned 

 that Mr. Tnouipson, of ^enusylvania, had sold Augustus Belmout t»vo 

 thousand trout, aud they were being delivered to his place at llabylon. 

 If trout cau be raised in such quantities iu 1'eunsylvBuifl, why cannot it 

 be done ou Lonjj Island, aud our pouds be stocked and have some Ush- 

 iiigi If they canuot be hatcned cnere, let us make up a purse and buy 

 some trout and stock our pouds and have some sport . L»tsomeone who 

 understands start it, 1 am Lu. '- = U 



Mitintal gfatorg. . 



THE WHITE TAILED DEER, 



Editor Fokest and Stream:— 



A RECENT article in your paper, by Judge Caton, in 

 which lie specifies that the metatarsal gland is alike 

 in the common den' (0 PUfginiamin), and the white-tailed 

 "'-•-(.v:. of the Pacific Stales and Territories, has 

 attracted my attention. From the assumption of tho article 

 I am led to believe that the writer considers the two species 

 or varieties mentioned as being the same species, differing 

 only in minor details, not general enough to form each into 

 a distinct species. 



If I am correct iu my comprehension of the mall, r, 1 

 would beg leave to call lite attention of Judge Caton and 



others to an article on the 

 I saw published in your jo 

 ii'iniiiif tl, /iliihn of '■.Morlim 

 that hybrid ity is very eomm 

 and not only that, but also, 

 are met with occasionally in 

 Washington Tei 

 albinos of the 

 C.Unewnis\ax. , 



if the Northwest, which 

 urnal last Blimmcr, under the 

 •r Kerry," in which lie states 

 on among the white-tailed deer, 

 that small herds of while deei 

 i the mountains of Oregon and 

 ml that they are supposed In b< 

 lie called the former, I belie,-., 

 nd to the latter he gave the speci- 

 fic flame also, classifying il as variety albiw. In his meas- 

 urements of the white-tailed deer I find that it also .differs 

 materially from the Virginia deer, especially in length of 

 tail, legs and breadth of head, while the colors differ quite 

 materially. Its mode of running is also unique, Kow if 

 both these deer are Ihe same species, it seems peculiar to 

 me that one is not found west of the Kocky Mountains, nor 

 the other east of it, and that two varieties of albinoism 

 general in one species, and so rare in the 

 differ in such essential characteristics it 

 plausible to me to infer that, because they 

 metatarsal glands alike, that they are the 

 The subject, I think, has not yet received 

 imp of naturalists who have been able to 

 make an exlelisive investigation, so, ere we can accept the 

 assertion that both the deer mentioned are one species, 1 

 should like to hear from Prof. Ba'ird, Judge Caton, Dr. 

 Cones and others who have had an opportunity of judging 

 for themselves. While I give Judge Caton the tribute he 

 so richly merits as a. pains-taking naturalist, yet, might he 

 not decide hastily in this case? The matter may have no 

 general interest, yet. it has for the hunter and lover of ani- 

 mals, so I hope to see the opinions of our naturalists given 

 in the columns of your able journal. T. J. S. 



ilher ei 

 hould he 



Iher. If 



dei 



^»>. 



A CURIOSITY. — A. phenomenon, indeed, In natural history 

 has been found in Canada, if the facts be true. This is no 

 less than the killing of a flee with antlers. We should 

 deem ourselves obliged lo our Canadian friends it they 

 would give us the particulars of this case, as it is n us ,,n.' 

 of unusual interest. 



St Kiw: of A SooitltOS.— -it has been a mooted question 

 whether animals purposely commit suicide. An English 

 correspondent gives the following detail of the suicide of a 

 scorpion, an animal one would not suppose to be troubled 

 With such a mania: — 



"One morning a servant brought to me a very large speci- 

 men of the black scorpion, which, having stayed "out ion 



long in its nocturnal rambles, had apparently gol bewil- 

 dered at daybreak, and been unable to find ils way home. 

 To keep it safe, the creature was at once put into a glazed 

 entomological case. Having a few leisure minutes in the 

 COiirse of the forenoon, I thought I would see how- my 

 prisoner was gelling on, and to havca belter view of it, the 

 case was placed in a window, in the rays of a hot ^uu. 

 The light and heal seemed to irritate if very much, and 

 Ibis recalled to my mind a story which 1 had read some- 

 where, that a scorpion, on being surrounded w ith lire, had 

 committed suicide. 1 hesitated about subjecting my pet to 

 such a terrible ordeal, but taking a common botanical hn 



I focused th 

 this was done ith . 

 sing and npiltintj in a \ 

 was repented some four 

 on trying it once again, 

 plunged the stinir, ipiie 

 The inllietion " 



: tin 



U back. The tin mirn I 

 lly about the case, h'n- 

 tierce way. This experiment 

 Ive limes with like results, bill 

 scorpion turned up its- tall and 

 i lightning, into ils own tun!, 

 nd was followed by a sudden 

 escape of fluid, and n friend standing by me called out, 

 '•See, it has slung il. -ell"; if isdeiid; 11 and sure enough in 

 less ihau half a minute life was quite exliiicl. I have writ- 

 ten this brief notice to show (I) That animals may commit 



- i. (2) That the poison of certain animals' may In 



destructive to themselves. 



♦»♦ 



—The remains of a gigantic steer have just liei n foiunl 

 in Seneca township, 1,'eiiawee county, Mich. The placed - 

 copied by the skeleton is ov.-r iweniy In i long, and the 

 lips of the horns were about Iweuty feel apart. The ends 

 Of each are decayed, but they now measure eight feet nine 

 inches in length," and must have measured about tell feet 

 when whole" Three feet from the large end they arc 

 twenty-two and a half inches in. circumference, and'they 

 weigh" 175 pounds each. Some of the libs were seven feet 

 long. The tooth secured is a fronial tooth, three Inches 

 square, and weighs four and a half pounds.— Wcotetn 

 I; u nil. 

 — I. Newton, of Alstend, has a white hedgehog. — ii. 



. .w.O . 



—A California exchange has this to say of the California 

 deer: — 



"\\ r e are at a loss to conceive how this beautiful animal 

 should be coufounded with the clumsy, ill-shaped elk. It 

 differs from the elk in a great many respects, especially in 

 its most striking features. The' elk, besides the great 

 hump on the neck, has a much longer head and eats, and 

 heavier horns. The nostrils of the elk also resemble those 

 of the horse; while those of this deer, as will be observed, 



