FOREST AND STREAM, 
195 
he contrived to throw Ine into the water, and then sped cm 
as only ft horse let loose can do. Up I sprang and shook 
myself something as yoti have seen a great Newfoundland 
dog shake off the water. 
I howled, “wlioa," to the top of my voice, and then 
groaned aloud as I saw my koine rapidly disappearing 
from my sight. * 
What should T do now? The fox would be caught and I 
also w ould be caught in a queer scrape. I looked about me 
and saw close by one poor little hut, though this was al¬ 
most directly in the midst of a pine forest. I tapped upon 
the door, an old colored woman appeared, aud asked, 
“What docs massa want?” I asked for a horse and also 
anxiously inquired for the fox. “Dar am an ole mare iu 
the stable, massa; he kick some butlg'ess yer kin use 
urn,” was the Teply to the first query. 
I thanked my friend in need, and brought out the stiffesl 
jointed, boniest, and longest toothed animal I ever saw, 
and endeavored to mount her. 
She kicked furiously, but after some difficulty I got upon 
her back, but staid there a very short time. She kicked as 
if life depended upon her kicking, and I hoped she would 
kick it out and be done, but no; she at length reared upon 
her hind feet and landed me ou the soft ground. 
I now gave up the kicker iu despair, and revengefully 
gave her a kick or two in return for her liberality in that 
respect to myself. 
I concluded the chase was a fraud, and was about to 
start for home when a companion rode up, leading my 
horse by the bridle. The old woman was willing to assist 
me if she could, though her face was full of laughter at 
my adventure with Ihe kicker. 
“Do lox went downdat ar way, maasas, jus’ ‘bout a mile 
lemg," said she. 
We hurried our beasts, hoping to make up for lost time, 
and perhaps would, had not I met with another mishap. 
We were dashing along at full spoed, when I saw just 
before me a huge tree whose branches hung very low, hut 
1 thought by managing rightly 1 could ride under. 
It was crowding work, and to help myself, I was forced 
to catch hold of the bending boughs. The horse asked not, 
l“was all clear!” but sped on and left poor me hanging by 
toy hands to the tree. 
My companion was out of sight and hearing, and I felt 
jhat perhaps Absalom's fate would be mine. With a des¬ 
perate effort 1 let go and came down hard, though safe, 
upon my feet. 
When I found my way out of the wood, T soon heard 
that the fox was caught, and meekly asked if my horse 
had been caught too. No one seemed to know, but when 
1 reached home the beast was there and whinnied at sight 
of myself; perhaps he had felt somewhat conscience strick¬ 
en, I have not felt any drawings towards a foxohase since 
then, but there is no knowing what temptation might lead 
me to do, A. D. W. 
S tsl t §ttltw[e< 
—At a meeting of the Massachusetts Anglers’ Associa¬ 
tion, held at its rooms in Boston last week, a committee of 
five, consisting of Dr. Ordway, Hon. Daniel Needham, L. 
Prouty, Weston Lewis, and Walter M. Brackett was ap¬ 
pointed to wait upon the Governor and request that some 
action should be taken by which local protection during 
close lime would be more rigidly enforced. 
Suitable resolutions were passed on the death of Mr. 
John F, Mills, one of the Vice Presidents of the Associa¬ 
tion. The vacancy was filled by the election of Col. Dan¬ 
iel Needham. 
—Milton P. Pierce, of Aquadale, Wenonah, N. J., has 
Sent us an interesting letter, which we shall print next 
week, describing how the musk-rats bored through the 
dam of his bass pond and let the water off, liberating 
most of the fish. 
I The Culture op Striped Bass.— We alluded a month 
ago to the efforts being made by some gentlemen to propa¬ 
gate striped bass in Coney Island Creek, on Long Island. 
Genio C. Scott, Esq., who is supposed to know as much 
about striped bass as any other man, and we believe he 
does, contributes an article on this subject to the Spirit of 
the Times of April 29th, from which we make an extract. 
He says:— 
’“It has been a matter of surprise with some that the 
Fishery Commissioners have neglected the culture of stri¬ 
ped bass. The subject of propagating striped bass is new. 
The population along the coast, field sportsmen, aud men 
who fish for a livelihood have seen with deep regret and 
•apprehension that striped" bass are annually becoming more 
Scarce, 
The depletion of the bass shoals is attributable to the 
vast shoals of porpoises which forage along the bays and 
inlets, from the Carolines to Maine, and to the toleration 
of fyke and gill-nets with small meshes set near the shore 
at every in point jutting out from the shores of bays, estu¬ 
aries, and spawning beds from the bays. Also, aud worst 
of all, from pound nets drawn across the channels and 
Sluice-ways, where bass wander to feed on shrimp, crabs, 
and other Crustacea. 
The striped bass differs from the salmon in selecting ids 
paths of migration. Whereas the salmon travels at night, 
and follows the channel, the bass follows the sodgy banks, 
where they may feed on shrimp, squid, minnows, aud Crus¬ 
tacea. The bass are, therefore, more easily aud cheaply 
captured by netting, with either stationary fykes or pounds 
Willi arms extending from the shore to the channel, 
Oue of the worst causes of the growing scarcity of stri¬ 
ped bass is the lawlessness of marketmeu. The marble 
counters of Fulton Fish Market are frequently laden with 
Small bass which weigh not more than a quarter of a pound 
on an average. The law should prevent the sale ol bass 
weighing less than a pound. It is questionable whether 
striped bass do not spawn twice a year. I know they 
spawn in April, and in September the Hell Gate trailers 
have frequently observed the spawners iu the act of extru¬ 
ding the ova. 
It is scarcely necessary to build tanks and liatching- 
kouses for propagating striped bass; but it is of pressing 
importance that laws should be enacted, to deal iu gravid 
ibass, and bass which are under a pound iu weight. 
For propagating striped bass nature lias done more than 
for conserving and producing au increase of most other 
fishes. All the saline ponds and tidal backsets along the 
coast may be cheaply constructed into hatching ponds of 
vast dimensions. Many of them have each but a narrow 
inlet, which feeds the pond. At Point Judith there is a 
pond of this kind, and hack from the Seconnet River in 
Rhode Island there are one hundred salt-water ponds 
thronged by striped liass to winter. The mouths o£ these 
ponds might be cheaply dammed, so as to prevent the 
egress of the bans after November, and still to permit the 
ebb and flow of the tides. By this method fish preserves 
l'or hatching purposes might be made at a very small ex¬ 
pense, and uo doubL it would prove a paying enterprise. It 
would not cost more to propagate a million fingerling stri¬ 
ped bass than it costs by the usual process to propagate one 
troui fingerling; and beside, striped bass are of rapid 
gtowtli, aud attain to weight superior to that of the salmon. 
| There is more money, more real good, with less labor and 
I expense, than there is in any other fishery enterprise which 
offers iu these days of small profits.” 
THE SPAWNING SEASON FOR BLACK 
BASS. 
A S many inquiries are beingmade concerning close sea¬ 
sons for bass, and the precise time in which these 
fish deposit their eggs, it will not be out of place lo 
insert here an extract from one of Mr. Wilrnot’s reports to 
the Government of Canada, from which practical informa¬ 
tion on this interesting subject may be obtained, The 
close season now In Canada for bass is from the 15th of 
May to the 15th of June, brought about no doubt from the 
practical experiments made by Mr. Wilmot, which are here 
related :— 
“A trial was made last season (1873) in the rearing of 
black bass, in Order to show clearly by practical experi¬ 
ments the exact season in which this fish deposits its eggs 
aud hatches out its young. Having no doubts in my mind 
as to the proper time, but hearing so many different views 
advanced by others, I considered it advisable lo invesligate 
the subject fully by close observation and a thorough 
trial. Independcutly of the knowledge to be thus oblaiu- 
ed of the habits oE this fish, I had another Object iu view 
from which, when tully demonstrated, 1 could with per¬ 
fect certainty recommend to the Government a correct 
close season for black bass throughout the country. 
“The close season hitherto prescribed has not protected 
this fish during its spawning time, aud. fishermen have been 
killing them in greater numbers wheu they were approach¬ 
ing their spawning beds and in the act of laying their eggs 
than at any oilier time. The consequence is ihat this val¬ 
uable fish is now becoming, comparatively speaking, very 
scarce. 
“During last winter I procured a number of black bass 
at the Bay of Quinte, a lew miles below the town of 
Belleville. They were obtained from fishermen who were 
then engaged in catching them through holes iu the ice 
with hook and line for tlie market, where they were ea¬ 
gerly Bought for. These were carried home iu barrels 
partly filled with water, and put into the tanks at the 
breeding-house. By far the better plan, however, was in 
the month of May following, when I got them from the 
fishermen while hauling their seines, at which time they 
kill large numbers on tbe Bay of Quinte. These were also 
taken home safely from Belleville by rail, and placed in a 
poud previously prepared for them. They did exceed¬ 
ingly well, being regularly fed and eating very greedily. 
"The poud was about twenty rods long in its windings, 
with nu average width of one and a half rods, the depth 
varying lrcm eighteen inches lo four feet, with a constant 
flow of fresh water. The fish had sufficient freedom, and 
appeared as active and healthy as in the waters of their 
native bays aud rivers. A few losses were sustained iti 
catching and carrying, but they were trilling, leaving a 
stock in the pond of nearly one hundred. 
“On the 25th of May some of the bass began to pair off, 
and to commence making nests, some being made in the 
deepest parts of the poud, others in the shallow places. 
Some were formed on gravel, others upon sunken sticks at 
the bottom of the pond. The beds were invariably hal¬ 
lowed out a little, and were made very clean by the action 
of the fish, which gave them a bright appearance. They 
were round in shape, aud varied from twelve to eighteen 
inches in diameter. Upon these tile parent fish deposited 
their eggs and milt. 
“Nest-malting terminated about the 10th of June, (some 
were later) the time elapsing from the first formation of 
these beds until the youug fry were noticeable, varied from 
twelve to sixteen days, aud a further period of five and six 
days look place before the little fish left the beds. After 
the eggs were first laid they were seen with difficulty 
through the water upon the ue3ts. The surface of the 
beds presented in a few days a very dark appearance. 
When hatched out, a perfect mass of little black animals, 
not unlike tadpoles, covered the whole bed. After five or 
si x days, as stated above, they disappeared from the nests, 
among the weeds aud other substances, where hiding pla¬ 
ces could be found. 
“It was curious to observe the extreme solicitude and 
watchfulness displayed by the parent fish from the time of 
hatching until the young bass left the beds, and the feeling 
seemed to grow stronger, until such time as the fry disap¬ 
peared among the weeds. So intent were the old fish iu 
caring for their progeny, that Urey seemed to care nothing 
for their own salety, exposing themselves continually to be 
destroyed by the simplest aud rudest kind of weapon.” 
Salmon in Connecticut.—' The fish commissioners have 
now at Westport 450,000 young salmon, ready to be pul in 
the rivers of this State early in May. They are of the Ken¬ 
nebec variety. They have also at Branford 75,000 of the 
land-locked variety; and ut Westport 25,000 of the same; 
all of which will be distributed this spring. Last Decem¬ 
ber, 300,000 of the California breed were put into the Farm¬ 
ington river; 100,000 inio the Housatonic, at New Milford; 
and 50,000 into the Slietucket. 
Of the land-lock variety, 10,000 have been put into the 
Twin lakes, in Salisbury; 10,000 in Spectacle lake, iu South 
Kent; 10,000 in Long pond, Wiusted, and 5,000 in the pond 
in Norfolk. 
Of the 450,000 now at Westport, 300,000 will be put into 
tlie Farmington river iu May, and 100,000 in the Housatonic 
and Thames rivers. Dr, Hudson informs us that the com¬ 
missioners have never had such good luck with the spawn 
of the salmon as they have this year. They have also been 
most successful in the transportation of the young fish. 
This is owing to the supervision of George Icliffe, the super¬ 
intendent of the works at Westport, who has by a new style 
of can, shaped like an inverted V, succeeded in carrying 
the yonng fry to any point in the State, without losing a 
single fish. 
The last supply of salmon was put into the Connecticut 
river in 1874, and if the experiment is successful, the fish 
will be fit to catch in 1878. If they do not appear that 
year, it is thought the experiment of re-introducing them 
into the Connecticut, will proven failure .—Hartford Times, 
THE LAWRENCE FISH-WAY. 
Manchester, N. n., April 23th, 1S70. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
My attention baa been called to an article m your paper of tho 30th 
inet. by Mr. Brackett, of tbe Mnasachaaelta Pish Commission, iu rota¬ 
tion to tbe Ush-way at Lawrence. Tbe newspapers report me as having 
said at the annual meeting of the Pish and Game League <>r New Hamp¬ 
shire, that tho fish-way at Lawrence was “mure impassable than ever be¬ 
fore,” and that “at least two-thirds of the ladder bad been carried away 
by the freshets, so that now it is totally useless." Mr. Brackett, who 
is an intelligent and worthy gentleman in every respect, so far as 1 know, 
says the report does me great injustice, and makes me responsible for 
statements which arc trot true. Be also says that on the 10th of April 
be visited tire fishway with Mr. Slorrow, and “found that no part of tbe 
fish-way bad been catried away by the freshet—not even so much as u 
plank or Limber started.” 
In common witb other gentlemen I have loug felt a deep Interest in 
our New Hampshire fisheries. The great obstacles In tbe way of re¬ 
stocking our streams have been tbe impassublc dams across tbe rivers. 
Hence our attention has heen turned to the construction of practical 
fish-ways, so as to allow 1 migrating Ueh to ascend and descend the streams 
in accordance with their natural habits. Toe dam at Lawrence is some 
twenty-five feet high, nndis the first, obstruction iu the Merrimack 
above tide flow. For several yearB past efforts have been made by tho 
Commissioners of Massachusetts to construct a fish-way that would 
meet tbe views aud wishes of tbe New Hampshire people. To ibis 
end our sister State has expended consider able sums of money from 
time to time; but still our people have not been satisfied. They saw no 
aluwives, shad, eels, or salmon in our falls, where totuierly they were 
abundant, Two years ago X examined tho fish-way at Lawrence for my¬ 
self, and become convinced that It was stmplv impossible for fish to as¬ 
cend past the dam, and so reported to tbe League. 1 urn certain that tbe 
Commissioners of Massachusetts themselves regarded the structure for 
practical purposes as a failure; for last year they made alterations, aud 
some thought “improvements" in the lower terminus of the ladder I 
heard of these alterations, and to gain a personal knowledge of wbarhad 
been done, on the 3d day of April 1 went to Lawrence to inspect the im¬ 
proved fish-way, that I might report correctly at the annual meeting of 
the League, which was to be beldthe next day. On visiting tbe dam, to 
my surprise I found the lower boxes, which were partly m Hie water, 
filled with loose stoneH, and the outlets nearly choked up_wUk the same 
material, and nine of the sixteen boxes gone t Tbe next day X reported 
the result of my inspection, and stated [ho fish-way to be “totally use¬ 
less,” as any other witness would have done. 
On reading Mr. Brackett's artiele in tbe Fobkst and Streak I at 
once decided there must be something wroug in his statement or my 
own, and went immediately to Lawrence for a raoie thorough inspection. 
This was on the 24th of April, fourteen days al ter Mr. Brackett said 
he was there and “found that uo part of the fish-way had been carried 
away. ” Ou the bank of the river were two men, who Informed me that 
they commenced that morning lo put back the nine boxes that had been 
carried away—not ‘‘by freshets," as I very naturally supposed—but by 
human hands, to prevent the water and ice from doing it. Before this 
writing i presume the fish-way has been thoroughly repaired, and is in 
as good condition as ut the close of the season. Bat whether tho fish¬ 
way is iu perfect order, or in ruins, it matters little to our people as long 
as the fish do not ascend it. As a contrivance Tor I’m mailing a b uy' 
through which salmon or other migratory fish may find even a difficult 
passage to the Ueadwaters of the Merrimack, I must regard it as a com¬ 
plete failure, until presented with more satisfactory evidence than baa 
yet come under my observation. 1 have no idea that a fish or any kind 
over ascended the ladders into the river above the dam, nor will there be 
oneto accomplish so wonderful a feat until the structure is remodelled 
and built ou a larger scale. JosERii Kidder. 
INLAND FISHES DO MIGRATE. 
t) Cincinnati, Ohio, April 22d, 1876. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
Mr. Kllppart, tu concluding iris letter of March 20th, says “he is very 
desirous of having his acts as Fish Commissioner promotlve of tho best 
interests of the State.” This is a gratifying assurance to me, aud being 
a stranger Ur Mr. Kllppart, I accept it as givuu. Doubtless, ulso, it will 
prove equally gratifying to many who are notstraugers lo him, but who, 
from his course latoly, have been driven to doubt on the subject. Mr. 
Kllppart confesses himself to be in need of information upon some ele- 
mentury points, aud asks for instruction through your columns. If he 
hud with sincerity sought auch information before he supported au ob- 
uoxoua bill in the Legislature, which was j rally defeated despite hia 
advocacy, it would havo been given to him as freely as it was to others 
who sought it, and then, indeed, he could hare made hts acts promotive 
of the best interests of the State. 
In regard lo his letter, 1 fear we cannot proceed very far in the discus- 
mission he invites, until certain fact s are more definitely settled. He as¬ 
serts first, and as the basis of his article, that [Ire inland fish of i ho wa¬ 
ters uarnud by him arc takeo in those waters duriug every month In the 
year. If by this he means simply to say that a Tew specimens of the 
varieties named have been taken, I Uo not deny it. They are the re¬ 
siduum of the main body who havo gone. They arc iho exception to the 
role and prove it. But if his assertion goes to tho extent of saying that 
all of the fish named whicli frequent these waters remain there iu a body, 
that none migrate, but that they are taken as freely aud in like numbers 
during every month of the year, then 1 must withhold my ushuiU to the 
proposition, aud call upoo him for his proof, und at thepuiset we dissent 
widely on'-Hlis questi ni of iuct, andean go no further upon it (it present. 
But In the absence of his proof, aud iu urdorthat Mr, Kuppai l muy have 
tiro benefit of the learning, experience, uud knowledge of oue whom I 
urn sure he will recognize instantly as being higher authority lhau he is, 
aud certainly higher than 1 am, 1 will give him the stuiemeut of Frol. S, 
F. Baird, U. 9. Fish Commiastouer, ou i lie point:— 
"No principle is heller established than that the maintenance of tbe 
fish supply in any water requires free aud unchecked access rroiu its 
source to ks mouth. Nearly all fish have a certain form of migration, 
occupying different quarters in the winter from those of the sirring and 
summer. 
-'ft is not merely with reference to salmon and shad that fishways are 
desirable, but uli fish iau stream have more or loss of mfgratiou between 
the winter and summer season; just as certain species ascend from the 
sea to the headwaters, so others that winter in the lower aud ueeper wa¬ 
ters of a river move upward ut tbe spawning season, in seatoh of cooler 
temperature and better spawning erouuds, or foi some other reus»n. A 
dum will prevent this action, and concentrate the fish lower down. 
"if, before the dam is sreoLed, there be a supply ol the young fishes 
above it, they will be certain to descend after they have attained a prop¬ 
er degree ol maturity, and Iu this way the fish that Were In the water 
