FOREST AND STREAM 
38 
this most emphatically tUnies. He seems to Imagine that every Bettor, 
which IB hreii in Irelipul. or comes from. Ireland, is an Irish Better, 
Now, he is all in the WTong, and can And no recognized authority 
that gives the genuine Irish dog as of all colors. This reply is not writ¬ 
ten to involve a lengthy or personal controversy, but merely that men 
who buy liver and white, ot black and white dogs, or dogs of any color 
hut red, or red with white, for the pnre Irish, may look into the purity 
of their purchase. But if Buck purchasers arc satisfied with the lineage 
of their onlmuls. of innny colors, as being true Irish, then many a ken* 
n-1 will contain a begin? specimen of (lie gamy Jri-li dog, and many a 
dealer of arrant frauds will laugh in secret, at the ignorance or credu¬ 
lity of the purchaser. Let us pictnise by saying that wo have never 
visited the best Irish lccnuols, neither have we traveled all over Ireland, 
but that is no reason why wo should not place faith in mon who hme 
made sporting dogs their life stndy, and who have been in Irelaud and 
know the color of the Irish setter. 
Tins “Georgia” ever become iniiraate wiih Roland and the most noted 
Irish kennels, by personal observation? What does he know of'the Irish 
setter, but what he has seen of imported dogs of that strain," or what he 
Iimr read of them. The writer of this, being especially a lover of the 
Irish getter, has stnddied all the authorities pertaining to that dog, and 
not alone from his o»n personal experience, but from the letters of men 
who knew from personal experience what they were writing about, he 
firmly believes the only color of the genuine Irish dog to be red in Us 
different shades, and wlrh more or less white 
Had “Georgia” carefully followed the letters of the most noted of 
In?h breeders, which at one time flooded the columns of the London 
Field, ho would not now, 1 think, “emphatically deny that the Irish set¬ 
ter mast be red, or red and white to be pnre.” 
It has been the practice of some dealers to sell to sportsmen dogs of 
all colors as the pure Irish, giving no more proof of their purity than 
their own word, which is about as genuine as the dog they sell. This is 
not Tight, and it is done by those who eh her know not what an Irieli set¬ 
ter L like, or else knowiu *ly believe the purchaser to bo ignorant. It ia 
nil bosh for any man at this day, to try to establish the idea of the 
thorough Irish setter being of any color. 
“Georgia” quotes as aothority, “Frank Forester” on the Irish breed. 
Now we all know that the lamented Herbert was the most fascinating of 
sporting writers; that ho has never been excelled, either before or since 
Ills lime, in descriptions of sport by flood or field. But he la not regard¬ 
ed as particularly an authority on matters canine. 
Your correspondent also aludes to your venerable Kennel Editor, 
WhtTse personal opinion ought to bear weight, as he is the oldest breeder 
living next to Lavorack. Now with all due respect to the “Squire,” let 
Us go back one stop farther and refer to Lavcrack himself. Does he 
publish tl»e Irish sutler ns of all colors, or of any color but red, or led 
and white? He certaluly does not. He only says that the dark red 
Irish dogs eoineihne? have a black taint to their coats, and that evon 
this black tinge 1* the result of a distinct cross >vith a black seller, 
though he dove in it very much object to the color. So highly does he 
bold tlie true Irish dog, iba- he visited the beet kennels iu Ireland with 
the Idea of purchasing animals to cross with his own breed, but he found 
With-exception of a few strains, that the grand old Irish dog had dc-gen 
craLed, and finally he couctnded that they would not nick with his own. 
The two very befet authorities on sporting dogs—“Stonehenge” and 
•Tdetone”—do not acknowledge the pure Irish setter to be of all col¬ 
ors, bat most positively assert that he must be red, with more or lees 
White, 
Yes; “Old Callabar” has advertised chestnut-colored Irish eotters; 
but what is chestnut but a rich shade of red? But this shade of chest¬ 
nut, as found m the Irish setter. Is not a liver color; neither is it that of 
the chestnut grown dark and black by age, but it is the brilliant rich 
red of the chestnut ns found when it comes with a gloss and a glow fresh 
from the burr. It is ihiB shade of red which Is the perfection of color in 
the Irish dog, and which, when the animal is iu good condition, varies 
With every flash of light and shade, from the tinge of red mahogany iu 
its highly polishod state, to the hue of a golden red. Not that the color 
really changes, hut that the sunlight gives the tinge of blo.ud to a color 
which, In the shadow, has a deeper, darker hue—a hue such as one sees 
iu old mahogany burnished to a deep ted ochre tiogc. 
Hu tchinHon's “Bob,” regarded as a perfect type of the Irish breed, 
Stonehenge say?? was a red chestnut in color. But he does not mean a 
liver color; neither docs be mean such a color as we find upon our span¬ 
iels, but a rich red, the tips of the hairs looking as if “dipped in port 
wine—a blood red. * ’ 
There is a great difference betweeu a red chestnut and a liver color. 
For instance, look at someof the spaniels which have the liver color In 
perfection, and then glance at the red chestnut of a thoroughbred racer, 
or at Ihe hae of the chestnut Itself, when, new and fresh, and the differ¬ 
ence is too marked to be mistaken. 
To be sure there are many dogs bred in Ireland which are of all colors, 
but the fact of their being born in Irelaud docs not make them Irish 
sellers any more than docs the birth of an Irishman in America make 
*liim an American. No doubt there are fine s'rains of setters bred in 
Ireland of different colors, but it is only the . red dogs that have made 
Ireland famous for its setters; and it is only the red dogs which to day 
ore recognized as the genuine Irish—dogs that if kept pure hold their 
Identity and superiority no matter to what clime transported. 
Nimrod. 
Although we have much confidence !n any allegation 
that may be made in regard to Irish setters by our corres¬ 
pondent, and notwithstanding one of our contemporaries 
alleges that those who say that there are Irish setters of 
other colors than red, or red and white, are either “knaves 
or fools, 11 we are not yet convinced that it Is so. AVe never 
have been in Ireland, yet we have had considerable inter¬ 
course with Irish gentlemen, and have done much shoot¬ 
ing over Irish dogs, and those dogs were either red, or red 
and white, as those colors we admire, but for fall twenty 
years of our life we did much shooting with the late Robert 
Gamble, Esq,, of Flew Orleans, an Irish gentleman of 
large means, and an enthusiastic, skilltul field sportsman; 
and through his influence and efforts we obtained some 
dogs from England and Ireland quite equal to any we have 
ever met with. With Mr. Gamble we hive spent weeks 
together camped out on the prairie, when we had ample 
time to discuss the merits of foreign and domestic dogs, 
and all matters relating thereunto, and by that gentlemen 
we were assured that there was almost as great a variety 
of color among dogs bred in Ireland as in England or 
America. We have frequently heard him speak of a ken¬ 
nel of jet black dogs belonging to a friend of his there. 
Now, our experience has convinced tis that, sometimes 
when a black setter is crossed with a red, or red and white 
one the pups may come liver color, or liver and white, per¬ 
haps we should say chestnut, or chestnut and white, the 
latter is fashionable, you know* Perhaps some will say 
that the black dogs were not Irish. IIow long does it take 
a dog to change his nationallity? If there is no limit to 
this tiling, will we ever have dogs which should be called 
American dogs, or must they to the end of time continue 
to be called English, Irish, or Scotch? 
DISTEMPER. 
Qoebrc, February 16th, 18?6. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
My Irish red setter dog I J outo, about eighteen months otd, has lately 
had a severe attack of distemper, and eoou became so ill that I greatly 
feared he would die. In Forest and Stream, No. «G, Vol 5,1 noticed 
a remedy given by one who signs himself “Canine” which, recalled to 
my mind that I had seen some dogs, suffering from distemper, with a 
lamp of wax (put on by their owners) between tboir eyoa, und was told 
it waB very beneficial. I gave Ponto two autl-hilions pills, which purged 
him well. I then clipped the hair off from close to the end of the nose 
well up between the eyes, covered a piece of linen with shoemaker’s 
wax, and applied it on the hared spot warm. The next day the running 
from his nose was very profuse, and appeared to worry him a good deal. 
Some person recommended burning old leatUer uuder his nose. This I 
laughed at, hut the day after, finding him very uneasy from the large 
quantity of matter still escaping, I decided to try it. An old boot was 
thrown on the fire, and when well scorched yud smoking was put into a 
bag and the dog’s head closed in and kept there as long as he could hear 
it. When the bae was removed he ran around sneezing, and in a few 
minutes appeared to have completely discharged the offensive matter, 
and was quite lively. I have left the plaster on, and every two or three 
days perform the smoking operation with most favorable results, aud 
my dog is fast recovering his appetite and spirits. This remedy is so 
simple and harmless that I cannot refrain from giving it to you for the 
benefit of any of your readers who may have a dog suffering from dis¬ 
temper and are willing to try it. I did not try the arsenic mentioned by 
' Canine,” nor have I gi veu any medicine except the pills mentioned. 
His food, while ill, is oatmeal porridge, or sea biscuit in milk, or shceps- 
hcad broth. Stadacona. 
Kennel Froddce.— Mr. N. Salln* ? imported redXnVli setter LilliII. 
has a very lumdt-ome litter of dark red pups by his Dash, whose portrait 
was published in this paper a fortnight ago These pups are very prom¬ 
ising. on account of themeriis of their sire and the blood of their dam, 
who is one of the handsomest iu the country, and one of the highest 
bred; her pedigree was given in the account of the dogs 1 portraits. 
ten mid Mher 
FISH IN SEASON IN FEBRUARY. 
SOUTHERN WATERS. 
Pompano, Trachynolus carohnus. Grouper. Epinephelpue nigritus. 
Drum (two species.) Family ScUE- Trout (black bass,) Cenlroprutis 
mdie. atratius. 
Kiugtish, Mentidrrus nebulosus. Striped Buss or Rockfish, Boccut 
Sealiaas, hdamops ocelMus. tmeatus. 
Sheepsbead, Archosargus probata- Tailorilxh, Pomatomm sattaMx. 
cephalus. Black bass, Mtcroplerus sahnotdee’. 
Snapper, Lutgakus caxus. M. nigricans. 
{Voder the head of “Game and Fish in Season'' we can only specify In 
general terms the several varieties, because the taws of Stales vary so winch 
that were we to attemnt to particularize me could do no less than publish, 
those entire sections that relate to the hinds of game in question. This 
would require a great amount of owl'spa* e. In designating game we are 
guided by the laws of nature, upon which till legislation is founded, and 
our readers would (to well to provide themselves with the ta ws of their re¬ 
spective estates for constant reference. Otherwise, our attempts to assist 
them will only create confusion.] 
Fish in Market. —Fish continues to be in very abund¬ 
ant supply and moderate in price. We quote striped bass 
from North Carolina, 20 to 25 cents per pound; smelts. 10 
cents for Eastern and 20 cents for green; blue-fisli, 12J 
cents; salmon (frozen), 50 cents; mackerel, 15 to 25 cents 
each, according to size; shad, Savannah, 50 cents each; 
North Carolinas, $1.25; the latter are very fine, weighing 
as high as six pounds each; whileperch, 18 cents per pound; 
Spanish mackerel (refrigerated), 50 cents; frost fish, (tom- 
cods), 8 cents; halibut, 15 cents; haddock, 8 cents; king- 
fish from ICey West, 20 cents; red snappers, 25cents; pom- 
pano, $1; cod-fish, 8 cents; black fish, 10 cents; flounders, 
12^ cents; eels, 15 to 17 cents; sheepsbead, 30 cents; turbot, 
25 cents; white-fish, 18 cents; pickerel, 15 cents; sun-fish, 
12 cents; yellow perch, 10 cents; salmon trout from Green 
Bay, Wisconsin, 20 cents; black bass, 18 cents; ciscoes, 12 
cents; green turtle, 20 cents, terrapin, $12 per dozen; lob¬ 
sters, 12 cents per pound; scallops, $1 per gallon; soft 
clams, 30 to 60 cents per hundred; hard shell crabs, 50 
cents per dozen. 
—The season for salmon and trout fishing in England 
and Wales opened on the 2d inst.; in Ireland many of the 
rivers were open in January. The prospects for a good 
salmon season are reported as being unusually good. Four 
fish weighing twenty-five pounds each were taken on the 
fitst morning in the Severn and sold for four shillings 
sterling per pound. 
Movements of the Ftsiitnc; Fleet. —There have been 
30 arrivals of the fleet liie past week, 19 from Ihe Banks, 
and 11 with herring from Newfoundland, New Brunswick. 
The receipt of fish, iu round numbers, is 585,000 pounds 
of halibut, aud 395,000 pounds of codfish. The shore fleet 
h ive not doue much on account of the rough weather. 
Sales of ftesh codfish at $2 per hundred weight, and had¬ 
dock for $1.50 .—Cape Ann Advertiser, February 18/A. 
THE FISHERIES AND SEA LIONS OF 
CALIFORNIA. 
w( San Francisco, Cal., February 4th, 1876. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
I have lately met one of the Fish Commissioners ot this State, and he 
informed me that there Is little doubt thnt the Legislature will enact e 
law this seslon to remedy the eviis to our naileries in the use of net, 
with too small meshes by the Italian, Spanish, and Ghiuese fishermen. 
Whether the act for the protection of the sea lions will lie repealed, 
there may be some doubts. A few interested parties for their proturva 
tion, as well as some others who do not believe that they effect eo much 
destruction to fish as is believed by many, are making great efforts that 
they should be spared from either partial or entire extirpation. There 
are even some persona who contend that they do not devour or wound 
many fish, that they even live ia part or in whole on o'her food, such 
crustneete, or sea-weeds, &c. And yet 'liny can hardly be supposed 
be ignorant, so popular is that institution, that they are fed at Wood¬ 
ward's public park or gardens solely on fish, whioh they consume jn la 
quantities too, and are so voracious tUut their keeper states they would 
eat, double the quantity ho gives them, did he throw It to them I really 
do not see what good enrniverotts aUinals do us, unless its interesting 
studies of natural history m i heir wile condition, although li e cm 
amine their curious form3 and habits, in a large pond at Wood want's well 
managed menagerie, find aquntinuta. We lim e had many articles in 
onr newspapers on this subject, and Wo have had many remarkable 
theories and speculations regarding these souls and what, they feed Upon. 
One writer has said that a seal was observed from the Oakland Ferry Boat 
to gobble up a large shag or cormorant. Tuis is not improbable, but 
still is hardly satisfactorily “proven,” as the movements of both these 
creatures arc so rapid in their proper element that it would take very 
quick eyes to be sure of the fact. But it is not improbable that they dt> 
live partly upon fowl aa well as fish, and as these cormorants and many 
ducks aa well ay gulls, and pelicans, etc., live mostly on fish, the seals make 
a >tne compensation and balance of animal life by destroying ihuid. 
This ia all well, and must mitigate somewhat their destructiveness 
among all kind, and sizes of fish. It ia fiillicnlt to decide nhich ia tile 
swiftest animal, the seal or the salmon, or the other rapidly swiiu uiiog 
game, or carniverons fishes. 1 remember once reading or a gentleman 
in Scotland who so tamed a seal that he trained it to catch salmon and 
bring them to him, which he did in considerable numbers. The Infe¬ 
rence from this is easily drawn about the steal's activity, as we ati, in¬ 
deed, may observe both near the rocks at pur Cliff House aud at Wood¬ 
ward’s Gardens. 
Our Fish Commissioners have recommended the repeal of the law in 
favor of the sea lions, and it la quite probable tUat they know their busi¬ 
ness better than some outsiders and fault-finders, who are proverbially 
facile in pointing out medicines fertile cure of every disease while they 
themselves raise the ory of “no quackery," (the siguature of pile of the 
most verbose and irreverent rambling among their Communicaliuns). 
Another intelligent arguer states that “in the years of our early settle¬ 
ment of .the Stale, the rivers were filled with salmon, aud tho Bay teem¬ 
ed with, nameless varieties of fish. The sea itous roaiuedits waters In 
undisturbed supremacy, and in numbers far exceeding the present lime, 
and yet the waters abounded in fish, aud irs surface was covered with 
feathered inhabitants." What of this? The waters then so swarmed 
with fish that whatever quantities the seals consumed they could make 
no impression, of course, no visible or important diminution of their 
irumhers, but now, and for years past, both the fishermen with their 
small meshes to their nets and the Sacramento River setters for salmon 
and sturgeon, have so swept the fish from Ihe waters that now every 
remedy should be resorted to to cure tile evil, and the dlmiiuabment of 
the seals Should be one of them. 
Besides, Mr. Kaeding, of the sporting firm of laddie & Kacdtug, who 
has been here fioin the earliest days, and hits watched all these matters, 
assures me that the seals were allowed to be killed from 1858 to about 
1B04, to say nothing about it before that time, and he attributes the 
plentifulness of the fish within those years, particularly, to the seals 
having heen in a great measure killed out. Bet, there are interests at 
stake, besides the having fish cheaper, and voila most of this opposition 
to the repealing the law. E. J. Hooter. 
CASTING THE FLY. 
^ Chatham, Mirimiehi, February IStll, 38ffi. 
Editor Forest and Stream: — 
1 read with interest the remarks of Mr. Guo. Dawson on "Fly rush¬ 
ing,” copied in year issues of 3rd aud 10th that., from ihe Albany J- • ■ 
ing Journal. 1 cannot imagine a successful side-cast and have seen it 
piacticed only by beginners. Our best anglers practice tile direct move¬ 
ment, which, at its beginning, lifts the line almost bodily from i lie water, 
rolls it back in a gradually unfolding and graceful loop until ilia almost 
extended its fall length behind at an angle of from 10* lo 13°: then 
brings it forward In form almost the <«::ict reverse of that produced by 
tire first motion, the extreme end of the line, anrl the tender only rearing 
on the surface. 1 may remark, that theawkurd casting of many anglers 
is due almost entirely to a want of appreciation on their pnrr, of Ihe 
forces contained In a little greenhart, or bamboo nnder deft, manipula¬ 
tion. The arc which the tip of the rod. is made to describe is too great, 
and made too regularly as to time, Yoiir unpracl iced uiiplvr whips Ills 
twenty-five or thirty feet of line out of tile water with a savage jerk and 
almost, if not quite, tin ashes tho ground behind him with the Up of his 
rod, which he brings forward again with an equally viciohB motion thnt 
almost buries it in the water before him. Nearly ali the force rcqulr- d 
for this kind of performance may be saved by beginning willi a s.euilu 
upward motion, quickened when the line ia straight, to aa to lift it dear 
of the water aud give it a sufficient impetus backward. The movement 
at the rod to the roar should be so arrested when it reaches from five to 
ten degrees beyoud the perpendicular that it may move slmvly backward 
until the practiced hand feels that the line has reached the point from 
which it is to be brought forward. The forward motion commences 
rather slowly, but is made brisk and sharp very soon, aud so continued 
uuill the rod is a little more than straight over head. Here, one may 
say, the cast ends, for it is only necessary to let the tin of the rod loliow 
the line by a slow and easy downward motion as it stretches out m front. 
In this cast the morion of the rod is direct, bat not straight over head 
for those who acquire the art of making it use either hand, aud it ia done 
slightly on one side—the rod entting a line about 35 degrees off perpen¬ 
dicular. 8- 
THE KRIDER ROD. 
v\ PhilaueupiijA, February 15th, 1879. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
As an old angler. 1 offer a few remarks on fly rods, and what I con¬ 
sul-r Ihe best, and the material nsed in making. It mav not only he in¬ 
teresting, but advantageous to brotheis of the gentle art. 1 shall en- 
d.c»' or to explain in a familiar manner, otherwise it would be a waste of 
time and paper, aud calculated to confuse the render. Fly rnda 1 have 
used made by som.' of the best makers, from the principal woods used 
in rod-making, such as Split und glued bamboo, lance-vrood, green heart, 
logwood, and iron wood. 1 must say fora seven or eight ounce rod, 
I have no hesitation in rccoiumeudiDg split and glued bafiihoo. For tbc 
last few seasons I have been using a seven ounce split and ghicil 
bamboo made bv John Krhlcr. Philadelphia. I have frequently lusted 
It on the principaUrouling waters with great satisfaction. The Kridol 
rod is madp in an entirely different manner to auy that I have yet seen. 
In making split bamboo rods, the great object Is in fitting up the strips 
so as to save aa much as possible of the enamel or outside shell which, ia 
really the life of this wood. The Krtder rod is made iu Lite following 
manner:—Eight or nine strips of equal size are fitted so us to get the 
enamel on ihe inside or each strip and form a centre. By fitting the 
strips in this manner the pieces can be well rounded and finished with¬ 
out the least danger of injuring or working off the enamel, ns you bnvo 
the principal part in ilia centre of the piece. 
The old style of making split bamhoo rods is in using four Strips wilb 
enamel on the outside in rounding and Hnislnng, working off the prin¬ 
cipal part or enamel. Some makers nse six strips with enamel on the 
oniside, which is much better thau fuur, ns the more strip - Used, if pro¬ 
perly fitted and well glued, Lhe better. 
My motive in writing this is simply to introduce to brother anglers the 
manciple of the centre enamel split and glaed bamboo or Kritler red 
v _ W. J. P, | 
—A Georgia paper says: There Ist’n Georgia a great dtml 
of ffun to the square inch. We opiue that there are now at, 
least three thousand Ions of it iu coulinuous eruption, car¬ 
rying destruction, to ilm whole family of fetus nalura), from 
slag to starling. It is also suspected that much of ihe ar¬ 
tillery opens at convenient times upon beef cattle, hog*, 
and sheep. Without further comment, however, wo remit 
the suggestion io the consideration of the assembled wis. 
(loin ot the Slate. 
_Tbc kangaroo has keen, introduced on several large es¬ 
tates ia France, and is now hunted iff thnt country us game. 
It readily adapts Itself to lhe climate. 
