March 31, 1881.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



173 



ade 



temperature of the rivers wafi 8(1 

 urhid, but tho Ocouec thirty rears 

 is as muddy nS at present With 

 n:n j , emu pet capita the Doctor 

 plentiful that a large otic can be 



Carp have i rcoeived from Prof. Ba 



which haye dona well, cue con eap itfle ut B riting that a lis] 



lyeighed halfau ounce ou d-;!.-: u Nov.. is:-, i.nv.. {.in. It 

 weighs torn- pounds, and others report a growth, nearly as 



Tho supplemental report referred to eonl'ilme ::u :irlir'li: ... 

 from the reports of the IT. ,S. Fish Commission. 



,-arp 



but is ins 



tmetiva; E 



of iflany 



jftbo 



pub) 





trer j 



1 1 i, 



suitable 1 



or the 





minimum 



depi 





source an 







veloped t 







hottomlo 







There ma 



V be. s 



■in- 



Mr. Ban- 



,t. Of 



he C 



tion of tl 



e pal 



ic wt 



KEPOKT OP THE VERMONT COMMISSION. 



'T'HE biennial report of the Fish Commissioners of the 

 L State of Vermont for 1379-80 is quite a small pamphlet, 

 since the last report surveys have been made 

 .- waters, » i la jnablertha Oomnrisaiou to 



cut in tho selection of the kinds of fish most 

 1 ■-: i 3i m-vs included the area, the mean and 

 fauua aud fldra, the floor and the water 

 tin lakes and ponds. These surveys have de- 

 , " most, if not indeed all. of the so-called 

 at their deepest, part, about forty feet deep, 

 lecper. but as vet we have not found tkem." 

 jmmission. has made a man showing the posi- 

 tters of the State. 

 Hmelt have been fully established in every lake into- which they 

 have been placed and heard from, aud it is a curious fact that the 

 people have not found out what a truly excellent fish this is for 

 the table, to - laSgjnneanl size seeming to fully protect it, save 

 from an occasional fisherman -wha.haa taken them for bait This 

 use of smelts would cause smelt-fishers to raise their eyebrows and 

 examine the man who did sneti a thing in their presence ■ but the 

 rural angler will get oyer that in time, which will educate him that 

 the little smelt has other uses and a hisher value. The report 

 Truly says of the smelt: " When they come to be established 

 wbeivvr there m a li; lodgment for there, lieu even! alone will 

 fully pay for all the expenses incurred since the formation of the 

 Commission." 



1'ike-peieh have received some attention, many adults which 

 w ei e near spawning having been placed in the Btroams. land- 

 locked salmon have been caught in some waters which were 

 stocked, hut to what extent they have thriven is not known. 



Nothing has been done with salmon lately in the valley of Lake 

 Cham plain, " because all the streams appropriate for spawning 

 roads are rendered inaccessible by dams, and in regard to the 

 tributaries of the Couucehciu, because vie are naithe: im the u h h- 

 cry interests of the State of Connecticut and its Legislature to 

 show some sign of a sense of county and justice to the rights of 

 "Vermont, aud also for the time when salmon can ascend the fish- 

 way at Holyokv. Ma-., all of which we are disposed to regard as 

 things indefinitely pott poned." It is recommended that the lisb laws 

 and regulations shall be remitted to the towns in w-hich the waters 

 he or to some local authorities or commissioners, instead of beiug 

 subject to continual change of different Legislatures. 



TEBKAPIN CULTUEE. 



In answer to inquiry we have received the following : 



Cedar Point. Ala. 



Yours of the 10th of Feb. is at hand. I have been in the terra- 

 pin business for five years, and have about two acres under a strong 

 fence with ditches twelve feet wide and 200 feet long. Terrapin 

 begin to lay about the 1st of May and lay seven to eight eggs at a 

 time, they say three times during tho season, aud begin hatching 

 about the last of August. The bottom for terrapin must bo soft 

 mud. a.iio the immie ground -heel J lie sand eighteen inches deep. 

 As soon as they hatch they should he put in separate pans where 

 plenty of salt grass grows, as the large ones will eat the vonng. It 

 takes them about live years to got largo enough to ship. Salt 

 water snakes are very bad ou the young, killing many. They will 

 stand a good deal of fresh water, but the Salter the water they 

 better. 



My ditches are two to five feet deep, aud a good circulation is re- 

 quired. The late hurricane has injured mc a good deal as I am on 

 au exposed point. It washed awav my fence, and I lost a great 

 deal of stock. They reed on fresh fish and Crabs, which should be 

 cut up and thrown in the ditch as they eat all theft food 



water. Ifoedmytei ..,_ 

 do not seem to feed under eii 

 three thousand every year f re 

 dogs in the laving season. 



I do not think the eggs cai 

 close in tho holes then-' lay in, 

 inches deep and two inches i: 



month c 

 i the mi 



r twie 



.I'shei 



Jell, but the young 



r. I get from two to 



They are eaught by 



e -'i .red as they are packed very 

 They dig holes from seven to eight 

 diameter, more or lees. 



M, DOBLON. 



' CAEP BBEEDING.-For the last two years I have sent my 

 Forest and Stbeam to a friend in the South, and consequents 



net luvihR it til icier :■..; I. toll el. ip oil to u-ll sou for . i I i e 111 a 1 n el 



What I want to know is, The prol labilities of [he successful breed- 

 ing of e;rp in the waters I shall describe ? Pond No. 1— About tei 

 acres, no outlet or inlet ; depth of water, from one to thirty feet 

 muddy bottom, no sand or gravel anywhere: both yellow and 

 white lilies grow in profusion near the shores. There were, a fey 

 years ago, pickerel, perch and pouts (bull-heads) in considerate 

 numbers in the pood. hut. since the outlet was closed ("which con 

 nected with the liver) I think they have greatly diminished. Ther 

 were plenty of what wo call "shiners," and I" presume tiiero ar 

 nun , provided they can breed in such a bottom. 



Will carp do well in such a pond without artificial food? 



Pond No. h contains about llmd-i acres te luhu, , ,- , .., 

 brook flows from it to tho river (about a mile), which is a stream 

 of about fifty yards in width, with but little current* the bottom 

 beiug mud, sand and gravel in different places. The water in the 

 pond is from six to ten feet deep in the deepest places, with mud 

 of unfathomable depth everywhere, and well covered with lily 

 pads. There are many pickerel, perch, ebineiB and bull-heads ,li 

 tho pond. The outlet can be easily closed with a sieve netting if 

 necessary. Will they breed in this" pond, or will they run to the 

 river? An answer iu the columns of Foeest and SeSBAm will be 

 gladly received. Fk.ki>. A. Taft. 



ICai-p prefer sluggish waters, and will be apt to remain in the 

 pond. We incline to prefer pond No. 1, but think thev may do 

 well iu both, if the cannibals arc not too thick in No. 2.] " 



NETTING SMALE FISH.— It in a well known fact that, the fish 

 in the great lakes arc neither so plentiful nor so largo as thev were 

 say fifteen-years ago. This is accounted for in a \arictv of wiys— 

 over-fishing, using nets with too small mesh which take the small 

 fish, and as these are not valuable thev are generally thrown awav. 



I fins causlli., na-'le ol lee are !,,,„1. it ,'.: ,....,,, : , ; , , , j , ,-. ;1 Utfee 



Huron, Ontario. Erie and Michmmi t have fre.ptentlv gone dor, ,, to 

 see the shore fisheries where the seine is most con cuVy used 

 These nets arc of different lengths aud depths, but aiemosr of their 

 -very long ; the mesh is small— too small, it seems— if thev may be 

 judged by the damage thev do. At each haul of the not they hnm 

 in large numbers of small rich fn mi three to six meh.es lecc, "princi- 

 pally herring, lake pickerel, small whitefish and trout. These be- 

 ing of no use are shaken out of the net and left to die on the lea. li 

 and I have seen nearly a bushel of these young fish destroyed in 

 this way iu one haul. Now this kind of thing is going on all around 

 the lakes from the beginning to the end of the season, couec-ouently 

 the aggregate number of fish destroyed must be immense, while ar 

 the same time the return is extremely small in proportion to the 

 whole number of fish destroyed ; and it is only a question of time 

 before fishing will cease to be a paying trade'. Something might 

 surely be done to prevent the waste In some way. If some of our 

 fish commissioners would look into thematter it would perMj .. pa 

 them and give some of the fry they plant a chance to arrive at 

 maturity.— An Sabijs, 



VOll 



SEQUEL TO "THE PESTIFEROUS MINK." 



Scene— Trnutbeck by moonlight (behind clouds). 

 Dramatis rersonae: Grandfather of departed mink and 10.000 

 jlmou iu water. 



L— Salmon fry sleeping. Enter grandfather of departed 

 nging : " Where, oh, where, is mine little mink gone?" 

 The cruel steel empties Or. D. Iff. by tail. Uproar. Boom 

 ictheardin the distance and G. K M. is seen hastily re- 

 treating chased by trap. 



H.— Morning— Sylvan bank withhold. Man digging under 

 stump for trap and (J. D. SI. Man digs all dav. Finds <i. D. M. 

 start and stiff, but no trap. Mystery ! Boy approaches and skins 

 G. I>. SI. to the tune of "Oh ! dear, what can the Matter be."- 



THOH Cl.ACUAM. 



JPre fennel 



FIXTURES, 



April 1, at Columbia, Tenn. — Close of entries, National Ameri- 

 can Kennel Club's second American Field Trial Derby. Joseph H. 

 r, Secretary. 



Fifth Annual Jieuch Shut 

 nue and Sixty-third stree 

 Superintendent. No. 13S I 

 City. 



THE SPANIEL. 



^sheets of Yen, Shaw's " Book rf the Bog." 

 .ubtOuest and NritEAM try the author, through 

 ., . CasseU, I'etter, Gfatpln £ Oo., publishers, So, BflB 

 Broadway, New York./ 



THE antiquity of the spaniel is an undisputed fact among sports- 

 men, for references to same varieties of this breed have been 

 made in every w%k on canine subjects from tho time of Edmund 

 De Laugley, in the *' Maister of (dame." down to the present day. 

 This writer states most positively that the spaniel came from 

 Spain, and gives a description of the dog's appearance and the uses 

 to which he was put by sportsmen of his dav. Dr. Caius, in the 

 reign Of Queen Elizabeth, draws attenlion to the spaniel hi the 

 following words: 



" .Ser/i llOgges as seniS.fbr fowling, I thinke conueuient and re- 

 quisite to place iu this seconde section of this treatise. These aTO 

 also to bee reckoned and accounted in the number of the dogges 

 which come of a gentle kind, and of those which serue for fowling. 

 (The first fiudeth game ou the | 

 There be two ! (and- ' 



mirl.m,- ', fiie other mated en me on ," 

 i.i be water. 

 "Such as delight ou the land, play their partes, eytber by 

 swiftnesse of foote, or by often questing, to search out and to 

 Fpying the byrde for further hope of aduantage, or else by some 

 secrete eigne' and priuy token bewray the place where the.v fall. 

 The first kind ot (The Haute, 



The: 



"1 The 



r tr-alne. 





"Tho first kindehaue no peculiar names assigned vnto them, 

 saue onely that they be denominated after the byrdo which by 

 natural! appointment he is alotted to take, for tho which .con- 

 sideration 



Some be called i For the Falcon) 

 Dogges, -i The fliesaur. l and such like, 

 1/1 hePaltlldge ) 



oion sort of people call them by one generall word, 

 ells. As though these kiude of Dogges came origi- 

 it of all out of Spame. The most part of their skynnei 

 are white, and if they bo marcked with any spottcs. they are com- 

 monly red, and somewhat great therewithall, the heares not 

 growing in such thicknoK.se but that the mixture of them maye 

 easely be perceaued. Othersome of them be reddishe aiid 

 blackishe, hut of that Borte there be but a very few. There is Blab. 

 at this day among vs a newe kiude of dogge brought out of 

 Frauuco (for we Euglishe men are maruaious greedy gaping 

 gluttons after nouelties, aud couetous covrorauutes of things that 

 be seldom, rare, straunge and hard to get). And they bee 

 speckled all oner with white and black, which mingled colours in- 

 cline to a marble blewe, which bowtifyeth their skiunes and af- 

 l'ordefh a seemly show qf comlynesse. These are called French 

 dogges as is aboue declared alre'ady." 



A peculiar feature in the remarks ol Dr. Caius is that he appears 

 to be in doubt whether or no there was more than one breed of 

 spaniels iu the country. From tho manner in which he speaks of 

 "olbersome of them" that were "reddishe aud blackishe" it 

 might be concluded that he was of the opinion that these were 

 distinct varieties in themselves, but did not like to say so positive- 

 ly ; though be had no hesitation in stating that a new variety was 

 imported from France. While alluding to the work which Dr. 

 Caius wrote, we may add that he, in (mother portion of that work, 

 describes the water 'spauiel as another breed"; hut this will be re- 

 marked upon in the chapter on the water spaniels, later on. Tho 

 only classification which, it appears, was made between land 

 spaniels in the days of Dr! Caiuu was regulated by the work they 

 were called upon to carry out, and tho tdoa was prevalent for a 

 considerable period that 'this was the only desirablo method of 

 distinguishing the classes from each other. 



In "Icoues Annuahum" there are two illustrations of spaniels 

 given, one of the water spaniel, and the other of some small-sized 

 dogs, not much bigger apparently than the modern toy Spaniel, 

 but displaying a distinct difference of type, as one is long-faced 

 and the other decidedly short in muzzle. The latter illustration 

 has been given in the chapter on toy spaniels, and the other will 

 he found under water spaniels, later on. 



Nicholas Cox, writing iu the "Centlemau'sllecreatiou," inl697, 

 alludes to the value of the spauiel as a sporting dog in the follow- 

 ing words : 



"How necessary a thing a spaniel is to falconry, and for those 

 that delight in that noble recreation, keening hawk's for then- pas- 

 time aud pleasure, I think nobody need question, as ffellas to 

 Bprmg and retrieve a fowl beiug flown to the mark, and also divers 

 other ways to help and assist falcons aud goshawks. . . . It is 

 necessary for several reasons to cut off the tip of a spaniel's stern 

 when it is a whelp. First, by doing so worms are prevented from 

 breeding there ; in the nextplneo, if it be not cut he will be the 

 less forward in pressing hastdv into the covert alter his game ; be- 

 sides this benefit, the dog appears more beautiful." 



The custom of docking spaiSele' 1 tails has been kept np until the 

 present day, and in sjaite of the ill-advised proceedings that have 

 been taken against persons detected in the act of removing dogs' 

 tails, it appears likely to be continued. We cannot altogether 

 agree with Nicholas Cv\ in his opinion that the beauty of a dog is 

 improved by the removal of his tail, though we freely admit that, 

 when a ueirge is established fy custom, any new departure from it 

 has the temporary effect of making the animal appear singular aud 

 possibly clumsy. Still, his remarks upon the benefit which this 

 custom confers, in the comfort of a dog who has to work in brush- 

 wood, aro recognized as perfectly correct by a vast majority of 

 modern sportsmen. The same writer mentions that the land 

 spaniel can be trained as a setting-dog, and doubtless in his time 

 the setter yvas to all intents a spaniel, as we ha\e before attempted 

 to prove in tho setter chapter. Nicholas Cox describes the land 

 spaniel as "being of a goud and nimble size, rather small than 



gross .Old si a ceotagaul,, 10, tile. . . . lu-o and. Oluilde 



rangers, of active feet, wanton tails, and busie nostrils. Whose 

 tail was without weariness, then: search without changeableness, 

 and whom no delight did transport beyond fear or obedience," 



This high character given to ttm spaniel appears to hive been 

 fully indorsed by other writers, all ot whom are iirei.oinious in de- 

 claring him to he the moSl useful dug h. sportf-mea. It must, not, 

 however, he imagined that doge warfrusedin (he field to anything 

 like the extent that they came to 1» BUlweqUDntJr. Netting W88 



the great means by which game cm- us d ' iu tie clays Nicholas 



Cox wrote his work the " Gentleman's llecreatiou," and the major 



„ 'fthi 

 laid him- 

 self out to give directions upon the breaking and working of sev- 

 eral breeds of dog and, as will be seen in n subsequent chapter, 

 devoted considerable space to the working of what he termed tho 



Sydenham Edwards, 



ritii 



1:1 



colored plate containing 1 



white, another black-and-\ 



last a sort of sandy liver. 



liver-and-white : it is repri 



rather light in bone, anel wide skull and hai 



gtaohia Britau- 

 \ as well as a 

 ,o is hrer-aud- 

 l-w-hitc, and the 

 -nding up is the 

 i dog; with legs 

 •yingfiattotho 



sad. The tail iu docked and is: well feathered, but "the" feather ( 

 the legR is not very extensive, though the thighs are heavily 

 breeched. The coat in two out of the four specimens is curly, but 

 the dog referred to above is flat-coated except upon his back, 

 chost aud loins, where there is a decided ripple. The whole-col- 

 ored dog is smooth-headed but very cm-ly behind. In his re- 

 marks upon this breed Mr. Edwards states : 



" This was usually distinguished by the name of land spaniel, in 

 contradistinction to water spaniel, and may be divided into two 

 kinds, the springing, haukiug spaniel, or starter, aud the cocker, or 

 cocking spaniel. The first wan used for springing the game when 

 falconry was among the prevalent sports of this island, and as it 

 made oue of the principal pursuits of our British ancestors, the 

 chieftains maintained a considerable number of birds for the pur- 

 pose. The discovery of the gun superseding the use of thefaleoo, 

 the powers of the dog were directed to the new acquisition, but his 

 fleetness, wildness and courage in quest of gam* rendering him 

 difficult to manage, a more useful kind was established, with 

 shorter limbs and less speed. Yet eome Of the true springers 

 still remain about Londou, hut are rarely found in any other part 

 of the couutry. These are little different fr"m the larger spaniel 

 or setter, except in size ; generally of a red or red-and-whito color : 

 thinly- formed ears, rather short flong-hmbcd ; the coat wavy and 

 silky : the tail somewhat busby and seldom cut. 



■■ Differing from this is the' cocker, esteemed for his compact 

 form, having the head round, nose short, earH long, and the larger 

 the more admired, limbs short and strong, the. coat more inclined 

 to curl than the springer's, and longer, particularly on the tail, 

 which ib commonly truncated. Color— liver-ami-white, red, red- 

 and-whito, blaek-aud-white, all fiver color and sometimes black 

 with tanued legs and muzzle. . . . The term cocker is taken 

 from the woodcock, which they are taught to hunt. . . . 



•■Spaniels are used as finder's, or starters to the greyhound, and 

 pursue the hare with tho same impetuosity as thev do birds. 

 Thsir beautiful coats, their faithful dispositions, hunible and in- 

 sinuating manuers, suavity and obedience even to servility, 'pro- 

 cure them universal favor ; but the gunner loves them for their 

 intrinsic merit, bestows great pains on breaking them to the gun, 

 and when properly broke or educated is amply repaid for their ser- 

 vices, being indefatigable in their- ex.. 1 1 i; ,:.' dug the coverts, 



brakes and ditches in pursuit of game ; then- tails'carried down- 

 ward, perpectually moving from side to side, and this motion, 

 called feathering, becomes more rapid when thev have caught the 

 scent, eagerly following with frequent whiinpers'liil if. is disturbed, 

 of which they give notice by repeated quests ; nor should they 

 open at any other time. Some sportsmen disapprove of their 

 questing at all, as it spreads the alarm too far. therefore teach 

 them to beat mute. As it is the nature of these dogs to put up all 

 the game they find, good sportsmen are careful to keep them 

 within gun-shot even if in cover, and if it is extensive, jingles or 

 bells are put upon their collars, and the dog-call used if thev beat 



too wide. 



From these remarks it appears tl 

 1800 were very shin liar to those t 

 present day ; and a distinct advance 

 which had elapsed since the time wl 

 remarks upon tho breed. Nowada 

 for greyhounds, hut in many other i 

 iu their mode of huutiug. 

 W. Taplin, writing in the ' ' Sporlsma 

 " The large springing spaniel and d: 

 they vary in size, differ but littl 

 that tho former does not equal tholatt 

 do they seem to catch the scent so 



t the uses of the spaniel in 

 which they are put in the 



as been made in the century 



:i Nicholas Cox delivered his 

 they are not used as finders 



pects there is little change 



i Cabi 



the 



let" in 1803, says . 

 e cocker, although 

 diticatioiis, except 

 ipidtty of action ; 

 ~~ to enjoy it 



with the same ecstotic enthusiasm when found.' . . . From 

 the time they are thrown off iu the field, as a proof of the pleasure 

 they feel in being employed, the tail is in perpetual motion (which 

 is termed feathering), upon the increasing vibration of which tho 

 experienced sportsman well knows when he is gotting nearer the 

 object of attraction. . , . However- spaniels may he occasion- 

 ally engaged in other sports, they are, in genera 1. considered much 

 more applicable to shooting in covert than to those pursuits in 

 which the pointer or setter arc more properly engaged. . . . 



" The whole species arc naturally inclined! to voracity, but aro 

 capable of enduring very long abstinence, of which there are 

 numerous well-authenticated instances upon record. The follow- 

 ing ijs, perhapH, the most (extraordinary fact of this description 

 that has ever issued from the press. In 1780, when preparations 

 were making at St. Paul's for the reception of Hi.. Msiestv a 

 favorite spaniel bitch followed its master up the dark stairs of the 

 dome, when of a midden it was missing, and both calling and 

 whistling were or no effect. Nine weeks after this, wanting only 

 two days, some glaziers wore at work in the cathedral, aud dis- 

 tinctly heard some faint sounds among the. timbers by which the 

 dome was supported, and thinking it might be some unfortunate 

 human being, they tied a rope roimd a boy and lot him down near 

 to the place from whence the muse came. At the bottom he found 

 a dog lying on its side, the skeleton of another dog, and an old 

 shoe half eaten." The rest of the story may be briefly told as fol- 

 lows : The bitch when lost was in whelp," aud. no ' doubt, con- 

 sumed her puppies when she. brought them forth, aud. possibly, 

 also tho remains cd the other dog, who presumably had followed 

 her into the cathedral. Her emaciated appearnuce, however, 

 pointed to the extreme privations which she had undergone; a 

 further proof of which was to bo found in her weight. Tor when 

 last scaled she drew twenty-pounds, but ■, .• , i - r i ' te poor 

 beast only weighed three pounds and fourteen Ounces. 



In 181.4 Mr. William BobBOn, of Eden Hall, i ;, .herlaml, pub- 

 lished a work ou tho breaking of pointers aud spaniels. "ICnuo- 

 pajdia," for that is the title, however, seems to recognize the 

 spauiel as the setter, a3 the former breed is not directly alluded to 

 by tho author. This would tend to prove that, subsequently to 

 the writings of Sydenham Edwards and William Taplin, sr.ortsmen 

 of conservative tendencies still regarded the spaniel and tho set- 

 ter as practically the same breed, though on other bands, a de- 

 decided difference was stated to exist, between the two varieties. 



In 1820 Johu Scott produced the " Sportsman's Repository," in 

 which he re-copied the engraving of the spaniel which appeared iu 

 William Taplin's work of 1803. This course leads us to believe 

 thatiti outward appearance there had been but little alteration in 

 the spanieldtiring the twenty years which brut passed over the breed. 

 The dog which is illustrated is portrayed in the act of flushing a 

 woodcock, and is apparently of a li\ er-and-nhitc color, with a long 

 and rather lean head, aud a palpable, ripple in his coat, His stern, 

 f shortened stall, has cerlainle ham mi a a -are i-matl portion of it 

 removed, and his legs, though nicely feathered, would be con- 

 sidered long if they belonged to a modern spaniel From the ap- 

 pearance we should say it was meant to represent a dog of about 

 twenty-five pounds in weight, or perhaps a trinV more, aud the in- 

 scription beneath the illustration consists merely of tho one word 

 ' ' Springer," no further particulars being given.' Johu Scott does 

 not throw very much new light upon I he subject of spaniels, al- 

 though he goes a. little further into the description of their points 

 than former writers appear to have thought necessary. He says : 



" Spaniels are generally rough-coated or long-flued, and in' all 



