324 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



tgisJl §uUnt[e. 



This Journal is the OfllciaL Organ of the Fish Cultur- 

 Ists' Association. 



REPORT OF THE MAINE FISH COMMIS- 

 SIONERS. 



WE are indebted to E. M. Stillwell, Esq., for this ra- 

 port, to which we referred to last week. It is 

 quite valuable aa showing the progress of foil culture in 

 that State. The following summary will probably embrace 

 nil its essential news to the general reader, but we shall 

 have occasion to refer to it again: 



"Our livers are capable of being so stocked with salmon 

 by yearly contributions of young fry to their waters, that 

 no protection would be needed, but simply fishways to al- 

 low the grown up fishes to ascend to their utmost trib.tr- 

 tarios, that all, from the river mouths to their inland fast- 

 nesses, might have the opportunity to catch and consume. 



Two hundred thousand salmon 'eggs was our dividend 

 from $700 invested in the Bucksport Breeding Works. In 

 addition, 250,000 eggs were placed to our credit as a gift 

 from the United States Government, through her Commis- 

 sioner of Pish and Fisheries, Prof. Baird, making a total 

 of 450,000 eggs. These were distributed and planted in 

 several localities in the State. The reports that have been 

 received from the rivers and ponds where the salmon fry 

 have been planted are of the most favorable description. 

 .Mure legislation is needed to protect the young fish. 



The Commissioners give a condensed description of laud- 

 looked or fresh water salmon, and its "habitat." As a table 

 fish, they are of a richer flavor than the sea salmon; as a 

 game fish they have no equal. The Commissioners speak 

 very particularly of the blue-black trout as a stock fish, to 

 be put into ponds, to afford an unlimited supply of food 

 for trout and laud-locked salmon. It is a great mistake to 

 allow these fishes to he taken at all; as the great size of the 

 Kangely trout is to be attributed mainly to them. The 

 blue-back is to Hangely what the myriad of smelts are to 

 Sebago Lake and Ueed's pond. It is thought that these 

 fish can be advantageously introduced into all waters that 

 are. stocked witli trout or land-locked salmon. 



In the autumn of 18(i0, several ponds were stocked with 

 black bass, and the fishes have grown and multiplied won- 

 derfully. There are abundance of these fishes in all the 

 ponds in which they were placed, but the commissioners 

 are not always successful in being able to find parties living 

 near these ponds to catch them, at reasonable prices. As 

 the case is now presented, the best method is to purchase 

 of dealers in Massachusetts, and have the fishes delivered 

 at the desired localities here. 



Five years ago, the Commissioners of Fisheries for 

 Maine made the attempt lo have fish-ways constructed over 

 the dams on the Presumpscot Kiver. "Their efforts and 

 the wishes of the people were defeated by the determined 

 opposition of the mill owners. The case was taken to the 

 courts, and the commissioners in behalf of the State tri- 

 umphed, but the fish-ways are not yet built. 



At the expiration of 1 lie statute of limitation exempting 

 the owners of the Augusta dam from the execution of the 

 law enforcing fish-ways, the Fishery Commissioners were 

 solicited for an immediate enforcement of the law. A 

 notice was served upon the owners and occupants of the 

 dam at Augusta of a hearing, and a hearing was duly held. 

 When the survey was made by E. A. Brackelt, the engineer 

 whose patented fish-way it was proposed to use, the Hon. 

 James W. North, Mayor of Augusta, and Col. DeWitt, 

 the representative of "the Messrs. Spragne, were present. 

 A through explanation of the intended fish-way, its loca- 

 tion, place of entrance into the canal, all was talked over, 

 and met the entire appioval of the agent of the mill owners. 

 So soon as the plan could be got ready, they were served 

 by an officer, with an order requiring the fish-ways to be 

 constructed according to plan and specifications annexed, 

 by the first day of September, on Col. DeWitt, who repre- 

 sented the mill owners as their agent and engineer. On 

 the 38th of October, the fish-way not being constructed; 

 and no apparent design being evident of complying with 

 the order of the Commissioners, the matter was placed in 

 the hands of the County Attorney and the mill owners were 

 indicted by the Grand Jury. 



Two fish-ways have been finished in Mnehias, and an- 

 other will be built. 



The Commissioners urge the necessity of a more uniform 

 system of fishing laws for the State, especially in the mat- 

 ter of close time; the punishing of offenders who hung 

 around the waters and wantonly uestroy the fish; that no 

 charter be granted for the construction of any dam on 

 brook, stream, river or outlet of pond, without 'making it 

 imperative on the parties or applicants that they build a 

 fishway, and a more rigid enforcement of the law forbid- 

 ding the throwing of sawdust and other wivate Into 

 rivers. 



The report closes with a summary of the year's opera- 

 tions at the Bucksport Salmon Breeding Works, under the 

 direction of Charles G. Atkins, formerly fish commissioner. 

 He placed in the pond, this year, 590* living salmon; hut 

 from this small supply of breeding salmon were obtained 

 a large.' number of eggs, and at; a lower cost than ever 

 before. 



The whole number of salmon of all kinds recaptured, 

 was also much greater than in former years. The 590 sal- 

 mon placed alive in the pond in the Summer, were reduced 

 by known deaths to 502, and of this number 519 were 

 caught in the Fall— 187 males, 341 females. Total num- 

 ber of eggs taken, 3,039,000. The cost of the season's 

 work up to the time of distributing the eggs (March next) 

 may be estimated at about $6,000, which gives $2 per 

 tho'usaud as the cost of collecting, developing and pack- 

 ing the eggs. When compared .with the cost in previous 

 seasons, this shows a very satisfactory progress in the 

 direction of economy, in the face of a smaller number of 

 breeding salmon purchased and of a higher price paid for 

 them. 



On the 28th dav of October there were received 100,000 

 eggs, which had been shipped by Mr. Stone, of California, 

 nine days before. On unpacking, the temperature of the 

 interior of the box was found to be 70° F., that of the air, 

 at the time and place being 50° F. As might be expected, 

 the inner portions of the package were in a very unhealthy 

 state and very few of ihe eggs therein proved good. Those 

 eggs in the outer portions of the package were however, in. 



very good condition. The whole number of bad eggs 

 picked out to this date is 63,600. Of the 37,400 remaining, 

 about one half are hatched out, making for the most part 

 strong, healthy fish. 



■•**■ 



* Ajietitoan Fish Cui/turists' Association.— The next 

 meeting of this association will he held in New York, Feb- 

 ruary 9lh, 1875, at No. 10 Warren street As the past year 

 has been one of activity and progress in the science of fish 

 culture, it is expected that this meeting will he one of the 

 most interesting and instructive ever held by the Associa- 

 tion. 



Medal to Setii GltKEN. — The New York State Agricul- 

 tural Society has presented an elegant gold medal to Seth 

 Green. It is over two inches in diameter and very heavy. 

 Around the edge are the words "New York State Agricul- 

 tural Society," inside is a wreath of corn, wheat, &c, con- 

 taining the inscription, "To Seth Green for his services to 

 the State, in fish culture. Rochester, 1874." On there- 

 verse is a figure of Ceres. It is a very elegant affair, and 

 the greatest beauty of it is, it is well deserved. 



— T. C. Bergen, of Bergen Park, Jefferson county, Col- 

 orado, is constructing a fish breeding establishment at his 

 place, with a lake containing an area of seventy-five acres. 

 When the lake is ready it will be stocked with Bear Creek 

 trout, and as these are already acclimated, good results may 

 be looked for. Fish culture, at no distant day, is destined 

 to be an extensive and profitable industry in Colorado, 

 v *~- ■ 



Tjie Spawning Season.— Here are some timely words 

 printed in the Western Rural from Dr. W. A. Pratt, of 

 Elgin, Illinois:— 



"We are now in the season for the spawning of the trout. 

 Many people over the State as well as in other States have 

 built hatching houses ard are intending hatching their own 

 trout eggs. There seems to be a larger interest now taken 

 in fish culture than ever before: but from all appearances 

 Colorado Territory is taking the lead. From descriptions 

 the water is much more abundant there than here in Illi- 

 nois, or adjoining Stales, and to get a description of water, 

 as 1 do from Colorado, would almost make one dissatis 

 tied with his own home, especially if he is a lover of fishing 

 or fish. 



The season for spawningof the salmon trout is now past, 

 and their egus will commence hatching next month; it re- 

 quiring nearly the same length of time that it does the 

 trout, or from seventy to eighty days, according lo the tem- 

 perature of the water. White fish arc another Fall spawn- 

 ing fish which grow in our fresh water, but it requires 

 only about half the lime to hatch a while fish egg that it 

 does those of trout. 



Perhaps a word in relation to building trout ponds may 

 be a benefit to some. Many persons have had trouble with 

 crawfish burrowing through their dams, where they have 

 built these dams of clav, or from a muck soil that does not 

 allow the hole to fill up after the crawfish has burrowed 

 through; and a leak once started only grows larger in a soil 

 of this kind. , 



When gravel cannot be got, a brick wall ol four inches, 

 laid up in rhe centre of Ihe dam, will prevent crawfish from 

 going through; but where gravel can be secured it is far 

 preferable to an embankment, as anything burrowing in 

 the gravel, the material fills up after them, and if but a 

 I hick covering of gravel, say two feel, can be put on the 

 side of the. embankment, it will be found equal to all emer- 

 gencies. If mink or muskrat should give trouble, the 

 bank should be coated on both sides with gravel, as neither 

 of these animals will burrow in Ibis material. 



A matter of a good deal of importance to those who are 

 hatching their own trout eggs is: Secure the spawn from 

 early spawning fish, as the eggs from these bring fish that 

 spawn early, and it is much plcasauter handling trout 

 in Ihe early Fall, than in December and January, to secure 

 one's eggs, as it is anything but pleasant to have the hands 

 iu the water lor au hour or two when the thermometer is 

 down to zero. And now a word in relation to trout eggs; 

 they cauuot be shipped for some thirty days after being 

 taken and impregnated. To move trout eggs ten days 

 aller being impregnated, ten miles, would result in a loss 

 of 00 per cent.; but trout eggs thirty days after impregna- 

 tion will stand a ten days' journey, properly packed, with 

 a loss of but very few. 



—P. B. Downs, Esq., one of the Maryland Fish Com- 

 missioners, placed a large quantity of salmon a few weeks 

 ago, in Marsh Run, Maryland. Since that time he has 

 stocked the Conococheague, near Ilagerstowu, with 7,000 

 salmon. We trust that the experiment will be successful. 

 In regard, to the salmon placed iu the Delaware two or 

 three years ago, we. have heard nothing this year that 

 would indicate the success of the experiment; but why it 

 should fail iu .such a river, apparently so well adapted lo 

 salmon, we cannot ita&giue.—Germimhrtcn Telegraph 



-*■•+- 



Leesuouo, Vil., December 26, 1874, 

 Editor Forest ikb Stream:— 



The esperiment in fi«h culture here is dntegiug its slow length along. 

 The Utters, aqueducts, and a carbonized hatching trough have been made, 

 and will be down, we hope, by the 3d or 4th of January. The spring to 

 1)i) use! lias n temperature ot about 52" all the year through, and has had 

 tront in it Tor two or three years. Ii will fill all the year a pipe three inches 

 in diameter. VVe mean to make three plank ponds, small, but large 

 enough, we think, for BOO or 300 breeders, 000 or 600 yearlings, and 600 

 or so;, fry. T - v '' 



— Our excellent contemporary, Tier 'Wddmann, of Leip- 

 sic, Germany, contaiued some spirited hunting sketches 

 last week. One, the boar chase, was described in the most 

 graphic manner, and the article was illustrated in a manner 

 worthy of any enterprising journal. This is one of the 

 most valued of our exchanges, and is in every way worthy 

 the support of sportsmen. 



-*»•■ 



— A bear was recently shot at TJxbridgo. It was of im 

 mense length, but was evidently half starved.— Toronto 

 Globe. 



[Yes; he was very long— without food— Ed. F. & 8.] 



fxtttral !§intorQ. 



For Forest and Stream. 



ROAMERS. 



COHERE have been a number of Southern birds killed 



JL far beyond their usual Northern and Eastern limits 

 this year, and two of them deserve especial mention from 

 the fact that, they hardly come within the term "occasional 

 visitors" lo the region where they were found. 



A canvas back duck, {FuOffukr- WUtneiiWQ,) was shot 

 from a small flock of ducks, eight iu number, I believe, in 

 Casco Bay, wilhin three miles of the City of Portland, 

 Maine, u red headed duck, (Futtgufaferina,) being obtained 

 from the same flock, which was approached on the water 

 by a sailboat. Both these ducks were males, the red head 

 being in very good plumage, and the canvas back was 

 apparently a young bird; they were killed in October 

 last. 



In Cumberland county, Maine, a common vulture, (Ou- 

 thariesawa, or turkey buzzard, was caught in a trap, and 

 kept, alive for many weeks, finally coming into the posses- 

 sion of Lincoln Daniels, Taxidermist, of Portland, who 

 killed it, and now ttas the skin mounted in a most artistic 

 manner. And in this conned ion let me speak in favor of 

 those much maligned birds, the turkey buzzards, so seldom 

 favorably spoken of; being anathematized as "foul," "stink- 

 ing," &c, which opprobrious epithets are mainly duo to the 

 fact that sometimes when caught, or suddenly alarmed, 

 they disgorge their food, which food gives forth a strong 

 and disagreeable odor. The scent of the bird is no stronger 

 than that of a crow; nor is it so disagreeable to my olfac- 

 tory nerves as the scent of that noble bird, the eagle. 

 Compared with our National bird, the turkey buzzard ap- 

 pears favorably in many respects. An eagle is noble only 

 iu appearance, and not noble in character; having great 

 strength which he uses as a tyrant, he does not hunt for 

 food if it can be obtained by robbery, nor will he make an 

 effort to capture living game if dead can be found. I once 

 saw an eagle alight near the body of a skunk which had 

 been dead many days, and commence a meal therefrom, 

 being interrupted, however, by my attempt to approach. 

 Once only have I seen an eagle capture live food. It was 

 an eel ; and caught in a small stream which was "alive with 

 them," at a place where the water was so shoal that the 

 eagle did not immerse its body, nor drop from above as 

 does the osprey, but flapped along close to the water's sur- 

 face with dangling legs, and finally succeeded iu picking 

 up a large eel in a most awkward manner, from among the 

 myriads which had been partially enclosed at that place by 

 the receding tide. At that time immense numbers of eels 

 were driven into this stream by the abundance of bluefish 

 at its mouth; (and a stuffed eelskin was very taking in trol- 

 ling for bluefish.) Against this one instance of an eagle 

 uetling a fresh dinner honestly, I have witnessed many 

 times a robbery, or attempts at such, by eagles, and 

 will meution one incident in which the coward was de- 

 feated. 



One day in Spring as I was standing on the shore of a lake, 

 (or as named by the people of its vicinity, pond, although 

 upwards of six miles in length,) my attention was attracted 

 bv the loud and repeated cries of a loon, or great Northern 

 diver. IjChlymbns glactaH^) but not perceiving the bird I 

 brought into requisition a small spyglass in time to see Ihe 

 loon disappear under water; and at Ihe same time an eagle 

 alighted ou a tree of an islet within sixty rods of the loon. 

 Tiie presence of the eagle tended to confirm my first im- 

 pression that they were alarm notes which the loon had 

 sounded, and not a call to its mate; and I watched witli the 

 glass, interested to ascertain the cause of apparent alarm 

 that a loon might have at the sight of an eagle, thinking 

 that possibly the loon had a nest on the islet where Ihe eagle 

 alighted, although very early in the season, (April.) The 

 local reappeared, and quietly proceeded to fish without 

 changing its localion. Alter repeatedly diving it was 

 finally successful, as I judged from its movements, the dis- 

 tance preventing me from seeing if there was a fish held iu 

 the bill. The eagle had remained motionless on the tree, 

 and I had shut him out of my field of vision, when sud- 

 denly he appeared, making a swoop at the loon, rising again 

 into the air and repeating the attack, while the loon, in- 

 stead of diving and thus avoiding its foe, with raised body 

 and extended wiugs, beat off the assailant, who, alter sev- 

 eral attacks, being vigorously repulsed each time, retired 

 in defeat. During the contest the loon kept uj. its cries 

 continuously, and I believe that there had been an en- 

 counter previously, when my attention was first attracted 

 by the cries of the loou. 



I relate these incidenls to show "what's in a name;" for 

 the eagle has been much exalted in poetry and history, and 

 I have heard many persons avow that they would never 

 kill an eagle, because "he is such a noble fellow, imd our 

 National bird you kuow." Although not attempting to ex- 

 alt the vulture" I would save him from abuse. \ ultures 

 are not more "lilthv" in person than eagles, and the results 

 of my examinations of each show that the former arc gen- 

 erally less infested with vermiu, and that the latter are not 

 more dainty iu choice of food, nor is their flight so grace- 

 ful as that of the turkey buzzard. 



To this day it is the popular (and most erroneous) belief 

 that vultures feed solely from carrion, and discover Ihcir 

 food tfty ihe sense of smell. I believe that they cannot dis- 

 cover' t'ood by the sense of smell. That they are guided lo 

 it by their high sense of sight is a fact well known to nat- 

 uralists; and they will discover a freshly slaio animal quite 

 as quickly as a putrid one. Once discovered, they never 

 wait for meat to decav, which would tie but a short tune, 

 however in a Soulhern climate, ere commencing a meal. 1 

 have left freshlv killed game, and found ou my return less 

 than two hours'aflerward that the vultures had discovered 

 it and torn out the eyes, and bits of meat from the most ac- 

 cessible parts; although nol a vulture was iu sight when 1 

 left; as I approached I saw a dozen of them about the 

 game, and many more winging their way towards it. These 

 birds fill an important part in nature in a climate where 

 animal life is abundant, and a dead body so soon tainls the 

 air if nol removed. The vultures are scavengers of the land, 

 as are the gulls of the sea. I have many times seen 

 wounded gulls disgorge their food, as also various other sea 

 birds, and cannot say which is the worse odor, that of par- 

 tially decayed, or half digested flesh, or fish in the same 

 condition. Sometimes the feet and heads of vultures may 

 give forth a stench owing to recent contact with carrion, 

 but this odor is quite unlike the natural scent of the birds 

 themselves. I have had the pleasure of convincing many 



