FOREST AND STREAM. 



49 



thrift )>aa i u by hard knocks, would make an 



fish-farmer. Eternal vigilance in nriy calling, 

 only plucks the golden fruit. This great industry, it must, 

 be admitted^ is only in its infancy. As the masses become 

 belter acquainted with its object as a great public benefac- 

 tion, and enlightened men, become more interested in the 

 science, U wii 1 Occupy a higher place, as a measure con- 

 templated ami adapted to increase (he fond resources of 

 our country; its advocates will work together more har- 

 for its. fullest development. The. 

 art of propagating many more of the different species of 

 food fishe- ■■,.., ittained by a more thorough study 

 of their habits and charade, istics. Many of the ocean 

 fishes of great value for food are annually shrinking in 

 and value, and it is the office of fish culture to 

 ascertain if these cannot be increased by some mode yet to 

 be developed. The vast harvests of the sea, like the long 

 used lands of the agriculturists, are perceptibly diminish- 

 ing. Is it not the province of this wonderful art 10 attempt 

 soma mtthod of inereasiug those vast stores of human 

 ! Naudm E. Ballou, M. D. 



linoii, 



■ ♦♦*- 



Fisu C .ui.tuhe i-N Tennessee.— Mh Geo. F. Akers, one 

 Of the few really successful fish culturists in the. South, has 

 addressed a letter in reply to an inquiry from State Repre- 

 sentative W. N. Cowdeu, for information as to the adapta- 

 .' waters to Fish Culture, in which he 

 says:— 



"On the subject of fish and their culture in Tennessee, 

 ability of OUr streams and Climate to their produc- 

 tion, and the posibility of resuppiymg our streams with 

 their primitive abundance, 1 will say that the waters and 

 climate of our State are as favorable to fish culture as any 

 I knov iu the Union. Our rivers, lakes and rivulets are 

 generally clear, pure and sufficiently cool for the healthful 

 and rapid rearing of the b*t varieties of game fish. They 

 leap fiom the hills and mountains in beauty and gladness, 

 and make their way through valleys and plains, the most 

 attractive and fertile in America. 1 regret to say the most 

 of them have been despoiled of their tinny treasures, by 

 their ruthless and unnecessary slaughter by lazy sportsmen 

 and pot: hunters, who use the net, trap, seine, gun, gig, 

 spike and every conceivable destructive means of killing. 

 This is not generally for prudent and exhilarating sport— 

 or for profit; but lrom an unrelenting propeusity, which 

 seems to be natural with those who engage in it, without 

 reference to present Uses or to future supply, lu this way 

 it has come that few of our streams, especially in Middle 

 and West Tennessee, have sufficient in them, either to sup- 

 ply our tables or tu reward the exertions of the eager and 

 industrious angler. 



[ would, therefore, suggest the passage of a law securely 

 protecting the tithes in all the waters of Tennessee— the 

 appointment of a Fish Commission of three persons, and 

 the establishment of, say, three or more hatching-houses, 

 fori the artificial propagation of fish. The duties of the 

 OoHimissioners should require them to see to the faithful 

 execution of the protection laws, to distribute fish from the 

 hatching-houses to streams that are deficient, and see that it 

 is properly performed and applied." 



— The Senate of Florida has appointed a Committee on 

 Fisheries. We await its report with interest. The. waters 

 of Florida along its 1,200 mile coast line yield products 

 as valuable as its lands. 



TiiANsi-LANTiso Lobsteus— Living lobsters for some 

 years have been brought to England from Scandinavia, 

 and form a profitable branch of trade to a few vessels. 



ae Allan steamers sailing from Portland a few 



duys ago, had On board a huge tank full of living lobsters. 

 The tank was constantly supplied with water by a donkey 



i M , . bile the sluices carrn d away the overflow. The 

 only danger to the living cargo anticipated was the warm 

 water of the Gulf Stream, whose eflict was not knowu. 

 The Scandinavian traders have a different cause of fear. 



i i i Imuderstorui, it is said, the lobsters are clawless, 

 them lifeless, and all very considerably damaged 

 in different ways, whether irom fright or other causes is 

 not. known. If this Portland venture tuius out to be suc- 

 cessful there will be a new field opened tor a trade from 

 Novia Scotia, or more particularly .Newfoundland, whose 

 Coasts are literally alive with lobsters — Montreal Wit nuns. 

 ■**♦ 



The Oregon Fisheries.— There, are twenty-six canner- 

 ies on the Lowet Columbia river, and one at the Lower 

 Cascade on the same river. These canneries have a capac- 

 ity of I wenty-tive thousand cases annually each, a giaud 

 total for the tweniy-six canneries of 075,000 cases which, 

 Base oaak.es a sum total annually of |3,375,0u0. 

 To prevent extermination of the salmon provisions should 



t b< made to propagate the fish artificially, and Con- 



gress has been asked to appropriate $'^5,000 to start a sal- 

 mon nursery, and |1 0,000 thereafter annually to maintain 

 it. The annual revenue from the fisheries, when run in 

 their fullest, capacity, is about equal to the wheat crop of 

 the State. —Pacific Life. 



iatnral §istarg. 



THE AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER. 



BY MARTIN A. HOWELL, JU. 



THROUGHOUT the whole extent of our country over 

 which this interesting bird ranges, there appears to 

 be none which creates more general confusion among 

 shooters than this, the common Golden Plover, Charadrius 

 s,*of Audubon. No bird on our list seemsTtO be. 

 more generally known, for it is scattered apparently over 

 the whole face of the land — from the fur countries to the 

 Cull, and irom ocean to ocean. Though not numerous in 

 the older States of the east, probably from the greater 

 scarcity of its principal fare, t lie grasshopper, throughout 

 the unlimited tracts of prairie, plain and pasture of the 

 Western States, as far as the Kooky Mountains, it, is found 

 in countless thousands, more particularly during its pilgriui- 

 its breeding grounds In the north. 

 "lu Kansas, Nebraska, and the wide extent of plain west, 

 llii, where the grasshopper becomes a 

 : i oncer, these birds are at home. 

 Here they can be found in all their glory; here, until tfte 

 irodriw fultutfox. -Virginian: cpueB.— B». 



eye wearies with the monotony, their well-filled batallions 

 cat* be seen sweeping over the country in their joumeyirgs, 

 gathering in a harvest of the pests Which have become 

 Buch a scourge to the hardy cultivators of this )8nd of 

 promise. This locality is thus held with the same appar- 

 ent tenacity by the Golden Plover as the great mast region 

 of our heavily timbered country is held by the common 

 wild pigeon of America. 



This bird arrives in our locality about the middle of 

 April, on its northerly passage, generally at thesame time, 

 although not mingled with the Pectoral Sandpiper, the 

 most numerous of the sandpipers of the western migratory 

 tract, and is among the last to remain with us until the 

 season of incubation hurries the rear guard of the advanc- 

 ing swarm northward. On Hie arrival of their columns 

 the birds appear in their late winter plumage, ash color 

 as to the lower parts, while the upper are brownish black, 

 marked with those bright yellow or golden spots, so char- 

 acteristic of the bird, and from which comes its naftle, 

 "Golden." 



Even as the advance guard passes along, not having 

 as yet discarded their winter dress, there appear a few in 

 the same flock, who, as though forcing the season, seem 

 more inclined to throw off their garb of wilder, and 

 are to be seen in various stagesof advancement, for instead 

 of the dull ash color of the lower plumage there af pear 

 black spots of irregular shape, giving the whole a mottled 

 appearance, first, a brownish gray, then changing to grayish 

 black; finally, losing the gray entirely, the black predomi- 

 nates, until the throat cheeks, and then the whole of the 

 breast becomes a rich black color. The tardiness of many 

 in the same fleck in assuming the plumage of the season of 

 incubation, and the finding of many at the same time in the 

 Varjp'US stagesof plumage, has led observers into error as 

 to the true character of the bird, and has induced many to 

 believe, and persistently loo, that those more advanced 

 were the Black Breasted Plover, CJiaradrms heleeticus, a 

 distinct species, and a bird of greater rarity in this country. 

 The latter is by far the. larger of the two, and cannot be 

 mistaken al'tercomparison. It is known teoerally by those 

 who have shot. it. as the "Beetle Head," "Bull Head Plover," 

 "Gray Lapwing" or "Swiss Plover." And yet it is not un- 

 common •() hear old uporh call the common Golden Plover, 

 —when they happen to bast one well advanced in its spring 

 plumage— a "Bull Head or Black Bellied Plover," which is 

 rather strong presumptive proof that they have never met 

 the true Black Bellied Plover face to face. Among the 

 thousands which came lo Chicago in the spring of '74, 

 when the writer was watching the market for specimens 

 of game birds, he failed to find a single specimen of the 

 true Charadrius hclveticus, though he was on the market 

 early every morning as the game came in from every point 

 of the compass by the various railroad lines which center 

 there 



The measurement of an adult bird of the O. marmoratus 

 is 10). inches from hill to tail, and the length of the bill 1-J 

 inches, while the C. helciticus measures 13 inches in the 

 adult, and the bill 1 5 1G, much heavier proportionately, 

 and the yi How or golden spots, so characteristic in thcwiar- 

 moratus, are wholly wanting in this bird. 



Though naturally timid, and usually very shy of the ap- 

 proach of man, these birds are easily reache'd, provided 

 the proper precautions are used by the hunters, who gen- 

 erally resort to the more convenient means of a wagon, 

 Irom which they carry on i wholesale slaughter into their 

 Weil-stocked ranks; and from the apparent inattention 

 which is usually paid to their enemies thus equipped, it 

 would seem that their fear of humanity is limited to man 

 iu his primitive condition only, for after volley upon vol- 

 ley has been poured into their ranks with deadly effect, 

 each shot leaving its score or more dead aad wounded, 

 l bey pass along in unbroken line only to receive another 

 cross fire iu their next circuit of flight, as they pass over a 

 favorite feeding place of newly plowed ground, or in a 

 grasshopper range. 



In the autumn, and more particularly after a protracted 

 drouth, to which the vast tracts of prairie or plain of the 

 West is subject at this season; and when the many ponds 

 and sloughs are dry, these birds, after a day spent upon the 

 newly plowed laud's, resort regularly to the sand bars of 

 the nearest stream* for the purpose of sanding, washing 

 and quenching their thirst. 



On the Kankakee, and on the upper Illinois, below the 

 Kickapoo Rapids, where the bars and shallows are frequent 

 iu dry weather, Hie writer has seen them come in thousands 

 towards the close of the day and in the early morning, 

 each flock making a bee line for its favorite sand bar, and 

 3s LbO distance Shortened their notes gave the strongest 

 proof of the pleasure anticipated in the enjoyment of a 

 wash in the clear waters of their oft frequented spots. To 

 one lying in wait for these birds the music of the ap- 

 proaching flocks is one of the episodes of a sportsman's life. 



As the llotk heaves in sight, coming from the direction 

 of the north or south prairies, a shrill whistle is usually the 

 first welcome, then the chorus of a hundred voices chimes 

 in as though rejoicing at lhe sight of the liquid element. 

 Such is their apparent extacy as they wheel around over 

 their favorite bar, and such their utter disregard of the 

 heavy booming of guns that hundreds are dropped upon 

 the water fluttering in every direction, while the column 

 wheels into Hue again right over lhe spot where its dead 

 and wounded companions lie only to Ue thinned again and 

 again, uuiil finally driven away. Ordinary precautions 

 seem forgotten or abandoned by these birds when thus ap 

 preaching a favorite watering place, and when met wilh 

 uudersuchcircumstanc.es it is conclusive evidence that 

 these birds have not been long from the breeding grounds, 

 and that most of them are young and inexperienced biros. 



On one occasion, upon a bar iu the Illinois, the writer 

 shit 88 in one evening. 



It is at this season that this bird becomes so exceedingly 

 fat. Excessively would probably convey a more coneel 

 idea of its condition for after a season with the grasshop- 

 pers, and the worms picked up upon the n aw ly plowed 

 fields iu the fall, such is lhe load of fat carried by these 

 birds thai in falling from any ordinary height, upon hard 

 ground, the breasts bursts with its delicious load. And 

 Often while handling or plucking them the hands become 

 covered with oil from the bird. 



From the regularity of the visits of these birds, in form- 

 er years, to the Baud bars of the upper Illinois and Kanka- 

 kee they have been called by the resident shooters Kankakee 

 Bar Plover, in that locality. And from lhe great uuiubeis 

 which sweep over the prairies in spring and fall they have 

 fur years passed under the common name of Prairie Pigeons 

 among the grangers and those not up in birdology. 



Streator, Ml. ..January Wh, 1877. 



CATALOGUE OF THE BIRDS OF WEB- 

 STER, N. H, AND ADJOINING TOWNS. 



I5Y CHARLES F. GOODHUE. 



Continued from our last issue. 



AMPBl IIIJS— TUB TVAXWIHGB. 



Awpetis gorulvs. Bohemian waxwing. Exceedingly rare winter viol- 

 tor rrom the north. 



Ampelis c/droruna. Cedar bird. Common la summer; have not seen 

 it |fl winter. 



tAtillD.E— THE SHRIKES. 



Coliurio bon'all! . Gieat, uorthern shrike. Winter Visitor. For cour- 

 agcand ferocity, tuts bird is unequalled. I have seen tbem attack bine 

 jiivs and robins, but were unabld to master them. I once bow a shrike 

 pounce upon a flock of anow bantings and kill and earry oil one before I 

 conld stop mm 



Pl/ranga rubra. Scarlet tanager. Common enmrocr resident; breeds. 

 Pyrdngadxtiva. Summer redbird. Exceedingly rare; have seen bnt 



riuNci/ixiD.*;— the FiNcnss, sparrows, etc. 

 Pinicola Canadensis, Fine Grosbeak. An irregular winter visitor, 

 common in the winters of 187 4 and 1875; have not seen any this winter. 

 Oarpodacvs put purt.ui. Purple flnch. Common in summer; have not 



Astragalinut trlsils. Goldfinch. Common in summer; a few winter. 



Chri/somitru plum. Pine fineh. A Tew found In winter. 

 ^Sgiothns linariue. Lesser red poll linnet. Irregular winter visitor; 

 there ore thousands here sometimes; not one to be found this winter. 



Curcirosti a Americana, lied crossbill. Sometimes common; a lew 

 breed m the large woods. 



OurvirOftra liraip'm. White-winged crossbill. Probably occara ia 

 winter, bur have DOt taken it as yet. 



Ptscbiiflhanet niialif. Snow bunting. Common winter visitor, more 

 ao in some seasons than others. 



i:oc.;i(s gramiiuns. Bay-winged apvrow. Common summer resi- 

 dent. The most, common of the sparrows; breeds. 



Voturniculus passerwux Yellow-winged sparrow. Not a common 

 summer resident; may breed. 



Colurmcutw lhnslowll. tlenslow's sparrow Not common in sum- 

 mer; bre«(is. AHavs found in swampy places. The male has a song 

 like tbe syllable "see-wick," which be keeps up for an hour at a time. 



Zonotrichio leuccptiiys . White-crowned sparrow. Common spring 

 and autumn migrant. 



Zonotrichla leucophrys. White throated sparrow. Common migiant; 

 a large number stay through the summer on Kearsarge Mountain, and 

 rear their young there. 



Junto liijfmalis. Brown snowbird. Abundant migrant; found one 

 rest in Webster. Breeds ou the mountain in great abundance; have 

 found four nests on an acre of ground; the nest is usually placed under 

 an over-banging rock or in a hole, so as to have a coveiing over it. 



Ua monlicvta. Tree sparrow. Common in winter; more so in 

 spring and fall. 



S/ihdia lOcialis. Chipping sparrow. Abundant summer resident; 

 breeds. 



Sptzelta pusilla. 1'ield sparrow. Common in summer; breeds, nest- 

 ing in low bushes sometimes on the ground, but not often. 



Jfelospizit nulodia. Song sparrow. Common summer resident, ccm< s 

 earlier and slays later than any of die summer sparrows. 



Metospiza p.itiotrU. Swamp sparrow. Common in summer; rre- 

 quent busy swamps where it breeds. 



MtJ.oipiza Lincolnii. Lincolns sparrow. Very rare, have taken it but 

 twice in the springs, of !STJ aud 1875, have seen one or two others. 



Pastere'la iliaca. Fox-colored sparrow. Common in migration. 



QturacaLudoiiciana. Rose-breasted grosbeak. Not common here 

 but is on the mountain; probably breeds. 



Ci/ano'piza cyanea. indigo b:rd. Common summer resident; breeds. 



I'ipilv enjthrophtkalmus. Townee bunting. 

 Breeds, nesiing or. the ground. 



+ 



IDENTITY OF BLACK BASS. 



Editok Forest and Stream.— 



In a former letter on the black bass question, I said I 

 had never seen in either the Lake George or Hudson river 

 bass, the double curve at the terminus of the lateral line, 

 which mark is said to be a distinguishing mark of the black 

 bass proper. I inclose a picture of a bass caught last De- 

 cember, in Ballslon Lake, bv Mr. J. W. Gaflney, of Sara- 

 toga Springs. You will see that the double curve is well 

 defined. Both Mr. G. and Mr. John McBride Davidson, 

 assure me that the Hallston Lake bass are simon pure, 

 black bass. Will "Dexter" please state if the double 

 curve is present in the .Mohawk river bass? I hope, during 

 the coming summer, to .send you samples of bass from 

 different waters about here, that their identity may be es- 

 tablished. Light is certainly needed upon this subject. 

 Yours truly, Glens Falls. 



EYELESS FISH. 



k ' — ' — " 



Pottsville, Pa., Feb. 19tU. 

 Editor Fokest and Stream:— 



The other day a parly had on exhibition a lot of eyelesa 

 fisb consisting of shiners, pickerel and others. We have 

 heard and read of eyeless fish, but have never before gazed 

 upou such a phenomenon, which caused ua to pause and 

 to seriously contemplate the scene. We neglected to ques- 

 tion from whence tbey came, but suppose they must have 

 been discovered in a subterranean pond beneath some 

 swamp; if true, Mammoth Cave no longer has a monopoly 

 for eyeless fish. Dom Pedho. 



The Butcher Bird Once More.— Among the many in- 

 teresting notes called forth by our recent remarks on this 

 species, is the following account from ourLongwood, Fla., 

 correspondent "F. L. R." Speaking of the southern spe- 

 cies of shrike {Coliurio ludovkianus), he says:— 



"It is known throughout the south as Butcher Bird, or 

 French Mocking Bird; the first from its babit of impaling 

 its food on thorns, eic, and tbe second name from its 

 notes, which are, during the spring and summer, very 

 sweet, but limited in their range. 1 have frequently seen 

 in Texas lhe thorns of the mesquite (AlgorMa glaTidulOKl 

 and the locust (G. triacanthilt) filled with a great variety 

 of insects and small animals, such as field mice, or young 

 snakes and lizards. On one occasion I was removing an 

 old house, and three of these birds took positions at con- 

 venient distances, rrom which they descended on every 

 moving thing that showed itself, frequently coming almost 

 under my feet in quest of a mouse or roach, with which 

 they decorated a small locust that grew near at hand. They 

 are very numerous here, and very tame also, seeming to 

 have little or no fear of a human being. I have frequently 

 drtveu them out of my back porch, wbere they were help. 



