FOREST AND STREAM. 



17 



published works on BsL culture, that it would prove a 

 failure, as it had been trir-d in Europe, and they invariably 

 died I ho second year, Mr. Ashworth whs also dueled us 

 authority. For the benefit of those who have thi 



io experiment with salmon, I will say we have 

 an artificial lake which covers fifteen acres, with it depth 

 of water from seven In twenty-three feet, which is well 

 stocked with salmon (Saimo Sa'lar), some now in their flfih 

 year. Last season it single rod could, with a fly, take ouc 

 hundred pounds in a day. There is another pond which 

 I stocked three years ago, Where they have done well. 

 The salmon have been Sneaking very lively for the last 

 few days, and expect soon to have some line spoi't 



3A4USB B. Thompson. 



—The annual Convention of the American Fish Cul- 

 lurists' Association is in progress (Wednesday and Thurs- 

 day, 14lh and loth,) at the Aquarium, corner Broadway 

 and 85th street. 



Batumi jgisforg. 



Philadelphia. Zoological Society. — Wc have just re- 

 ceived the Fouiih Annual Report of the Board of Directors 

 of the Zoological Society of Philadelphia, and have care- 

 fully perused it with much pleasure aud profit. From it we 

 learn thai, the Society is financially in a most flourishing 

 condition, a state of things on which we desire to offer our 

 congratulations. 



The most important fact or scientific mterest derived 

 from the Report is, that, all the animals which die are ex- 

 amined by the Prosector of the Society, the cause of death 

 ascertained, and steps taken for the prevention of similar 

 diseases in the future. If this plan be followed up, as no 

 doubt it will be, we do not see any reason for doubling 

 that ultimately the mortality among the collection may be- 

 come merely nominal, or at least no greater than occurs 

 among the domesticated animals of this climate. 



The skeletons of the animals which die in the Gardens 

 are deposited with the Philadelphia Academy of Natural 

 Sciences, or the University of Pennsylvania, aud we iptitc 

 envy those institutions the rare and desirable specimens 

 flint they thus obtain. 



The Report contains a long list of animals added to the 

 collections during the year ending March 1st, 1876, many 

 ol the names of wliieh will be found in the current 

 numbers of Eouest and Stueam. Why is it that we oan- 

 nothave as large aud nourishing a Zoological Society in 

 this city as they have in Philadelphia? Will not some of 

 our wealthy citizens take the matter in hand? 

 «■«• 



The Butcher Bibb.— A correspondent, W. C. S., writ- 

 ing from Towanda, Pa., sends us the skin of a Butcher 

 Bird, Galium borealis, saying that the species has been un- 

 usually abundant in his vicinity this winter. He compares 

 the flight to that of the English Bulfinch, and speaks of its 

 being common in the south of England in some seasons. 

 Mr. S, notices, as do almost, all our correspondents, the 

 havoc which this species makes amoug the. English spar- 

 rows. 



Fred. H-. Keys, of Springfield, Mass., relates the follow- 

 ing incident:— 



A fact came to my notice yesterday, which brings the 

 Butcher bird (Co'.tuiio bar ea lis) out in a new light. 1 was 

 sitting in my window watching one which had been hang- 

 ing around the house for a day or two, when it suddenly 

 (tailed out of sight, and returned with an English sparrow 

 in its bill. Carrying the victim into the top of a tall tree, 

 the shrike proceeded to impale it alive, which it accom- 

 plished by tearing the bird with its bill, and then balancing 

 itself struck it, the sparrow, violently against the point of a 

 twig until it was securer/ fastened. Then the Butcher 

 bird danced around pecking at it, and kept Hying from one 

 Iree to another, returning every little while, the sparrow 

 endeavoring desperately "to free itself. 1 dou't kuow how 

 much longer the torturer would have kept up his cruel 

 sport, for 1 loaded up aud shot him. Hoping the incident 

 will be of interest to some one, I remain yours truly, 



Eked. H. Keves, 



— We have received from our correspondent G. C, E.,"of 

 Jackson, Miss., the following nole of the capture of a 

 large eagle iii Northern Mississippi. As it is spoken of as 

 a GiayE igle, Ave presume that it, was a young Haliaelus 

 leucjcephiilux. The span of its claws is said to have been 

 eight inches, and its talons measured about two inches in 

 the chord of the arc. It was killed by a Mr. Towry near 

 Smithville, Miss, "When found by Mr. Towry it had 

 killed two of his hogs, and was dining on one of them. 

 When approached it gave no sign of intimidation, but on 

 the contrary was disposed to fight, and made signs in that 

 direction. The same bird, or a similar one, was seen in 

 the same neighborhood two years ago. This eagle was of 

 the gray spt cies, and measured from tip to lip of wiugs 

 seven feet and four inches; three feet and eight inches 

 around the. body, and fifteen inches between the wings." 



As suggested by our correspondent the eagles of Missis- 

 sippi don't seem to intimidate "worth a cent." 



A SUPPOSED NEW FISH IN LAKE 

 CHAMPLAIN. 



The following interesting correspondence has been 

 handed to us hy the Hon. Kobert B. Roosevelt, N. Y., 

 State Fish Commissioner:— 

 EditorForbst a:\T> STREAMS— 



1 send you an account of Die BOW fish discovered in Lake 

 Champlain, aud suggest (hat it may he the Long Island 

 pickerel— the esox fa&ciatus, as we used i.o call it, arid 

 which may BtiU | 



covered a new one. It is hard to form an accurate conclu- 

 sion from a verbal description, but. the fish is clearly of the 

 pickerel specie-!, and accords in many particulars; in fact, 

 I may say in all particulars, with our handsome, tooth- 

 some, graceful, but ill-mnnered pickerel, which grows so 

 readily, and devours Ironilings SO voraciously in our pre- 

 served waters of Long Island." Manifestly it IS not a trout, 

 nor any cross or modification of a trout; it has not the 

 adipose dorsal fio, and its single dorsal is opposite the 

 anal. No cross between the pickerel and the trout families 

 is possible. Still, I do not know, how this pickerel 

 journeyed from Long Island to Lake Champlain, and 

 having nunc of my iclilhyological books at hand, I cannot 

 say whether the - was previously known in 



Lake Champlain. Very respect fully, 



Robert B. Roosevelt. 



Hon. KoBf. B. Roosevelt:— 



Deah Sm— I noticed some mouths ago a ruruor in our local press Unit 

 n oew Bib hud appeared in the waters of Lake Champlain, and they weto 

 generally usi-urned to have originated from some of the flsh which had 

 beeu introduced In to the lake by the action of the Government. Ill 

 health prevented my investigating the mutter. A day or two ago Henry 

 0. Talmadge, H. D.. brought into my rooms a email box packed 

 with fish in ico, which ho was about sending to Mr. SatU Green. 1 will 

 premise that my friend Dr. Talmadge is an ardent disciple of Isaac, and 

 is also possessed of many scientific acquirements on the subject; that 

 he is a highly eminent suryeou, while J am no fisherman, assert no sci- 

 ence iu icbtlrvqtogy, mid only regard this subject in its utilitarian aspect, 

 aud in its relation to political economy, lte iuformed me that a man 

 appeared in the streets of iho village Saturday selliug a large, sleigh load 

 of the novel and beautiful ih-h, or which Me afterwards gave me the de- 

 Length of specimen, S imhes; color, blnish silvery gray mottled with 

 dark, irregular chocolate blotches down the sides, out more distinct 

 above the medial line; the head smooth, depressed, dark brown color, 

 scaleless, ant about one quarter length of (to body; body covered with 

 minute scales; onodor.nl fin; anal tin opposite the dorsal; eyes full; 

 pupil black; iris yellow; under jaw slightly projecting; month wide; 

 palate bones and jaws studded with sharp incurved teeth ; pectoral, ven- 

 tral and anal fins or scarlet color, edged with white; tail dark chocolate 

 brown, forked. 



The man first pretended that he had taken them in the WlIderuesB 

 lakes, and that they were a cross between the pickerel and the trout, but 

 he afterwards admitted that he had taken ttt. 

 of the Au Sable river. We found on inquiry that immense numbers of 

 the flsh are thus captured along the whole circuit of the lake. The spec- 

 imens 1 examined were laden with spawn, which Dr. T thinks would 

 have matured about 1st of May. 



I'heseare undoubtedly a novel ficb to our waters, bat there is a con- 

 flict of opinion whether they are the progeny of the fish planted, or 

 whether they arc immigrants reaching us in their peculiar eccentric 

 movements which sometimes characterize some families. I have al- 

 ready Written to T'rjf. liaiidonthc subject, ami sent him the original of 

 the annexed paper. I have had in.imutc rotations with him on this 

 subject, and he has ready for his report an elaborate paper of mine on 

 the Salmon UJstory of the Champlain waters. 1 m»destiy sug- 

 gest that my friend has omitted many marked features iu these 

 fish-the absence of the large dorsal fin, and that the sides are strangely 

 mottled or streaked with vertical marks, aud the mtcusely scarlet of the 

 fins, and I doubt the presence of any scales, lie remembers that when 

 I saw them their natural rich coloring hid faded, but they were still a 

 moBt beautiful tisb. Henry N. Hewitt, Keg.,, a gentleman of cultivated 

 taste, aud Willi much science andobservalion on the subject of fish, and 

 moreover the happy possessor of a work on fishes, which formerly be- 

 longed to the library of DauielWebster, after reading Dr. Talmadge's 

 description, rather dissents from the general conclusion that these Hsb 

 belong to the trout family, and inclines to tho opinion that they are a 

 new aud delicate variety or species of the pickerel family: If 

 so they are certainly equally supeiior in every quality to 

 the coarse, northern pickerel with which we are familiar, and 

 may justly claim protection. Thoso who have eaten of these 

 fish pronounce them as revealing the peculiar delightful trout flavor. 

 In either View, Whether these fish havcb.cn produced by the fish and in- 

 troduced, or are migratory bands of a new aud valuable kind, it is impor- 

 tant lhat this vandalism should be. made to cease, and that the spoliation 

 of these waters by the atrocious gill nots should be arrested. 



Popular feeling has beeu much exasperated, aud the menaces of ar- 

 rest and persecution may, for a period, stop these practices; but such 

 effect will only be transient, and the proverb truly says: "What is every 

 body's business is nobody's." I have decided, therefore, to address you, 

 understanding, aj 1 do, tttat you are at the head of the appropriate or- 

 ganization. 



1 offer no apology for troubling you with Ihis long nai rative, for I feel 

 afraid it will enlist your interest and consideration. 



Winslow 0. Watson. 

 [We would be extremely obliged to any one who will 

 forward us a specimen of this iish. — Ed. F. &. S.] 



•+•+■ 



STRIPED BASS OF THE MISSISSIPPI 

 AND TRIBUTARIES. 



St. Louis, Mo., Feb. 3d, 1877. 

 Editok Forest and Stkeam:— 



After publishing my letter of January 13th, in which I 

 enumerate the striped or rock bass as an habitat, of Murdock 

 Lake, you ask if our correspondent is light about, ihcsttiped 

 taught iu the said lake. It has beeu many j'ears 

 1 at the East, and contiguous to points where 

 ami caught, the regular striped bass, but so far as 

 lleclion goes, those taken at Murdock, are similar 

 . respect, though not so large iu size. 1 have never 

 seen oue taken there, that would weigh over two pounds. 

 Whether these are the Simon pure or not, 1 am unable to de- 

 termine, but ihoy are a game little fish, and of splendid fla- 

 vor. Perhaps when the Ocean, and Murdock Lake varieties 

 are placed side by side, there would appear perceptible dif- 

 ferences in the two. It may be. Unit during the great flood and 

 consequent overflow of the Mississippi river some years ago, 

 thesee xplorers from (he Ocean were caught by the receding 

 waters and imprisoned in the lake, and being thus cutoff 

 from their favorite and natural element and feeding grounds 

 have become dwarfed and stunted in growth. 1 have sees 

 the Hue shad taken as high up the western waters as in the 

 vicinity of Cincinnati on the Ohio river, and also at a point, 

 ju-l below the mouth of the Ohio. Why not fiud striped 

 bass as far from home? If I succeed in capturing one at 

 Murdock this spring I will forward it to you, when just as 

 likely as not it will prove no striped bass at all. Dick. 



\V 



bass beii 



since 1 li 



my re 



jAcKsoNrouT, A'k., January 30th, 1877. 



Horror. Foukst akd Stukam:— 



You ask in. a recent number, if it is possible, that striped 

 bass are caught in Moredock Lake. In the lakes of this 

 region there is a fish described by Norris as "broken 

 stripes" oi broken striped bass, which usually we ; ghs from 

 one-quarter to one-half pound. There is in'White river a 

 striped bass, a geuuine game fish, weighing from one-half 

 to three pounds This fish is caught with mis 



spinmng'bait; is a "good pan fish, and only resembles the 

 striped bass or rotkitish of eastern waters in external ap- 

 pearance. These iish, together with the black bass, aie 

 now biting like dogs. Yj,-,,j,. 



< i» 



THE.BASKING SHARK IN THE PACIFIC. 



Syracuse, N. Y., January 18th, 1877. 

 Editok Forest „.bd Stream : — 



The "Basking Shark," mentioned in your issue of Janu- 

 ary 1 llli, I judge from the general description to bo identi- 

 cal Willi the "Bone Shark" of the Pacific in the whale- 

 men's nomenclature. I have seen the fish in Ibe South 

 Seas and ou the coast of Africa. Whale ships do not 

 pursue it as a matter of real business, but merely take it 

 in, if it comes along in thecourseof a "dry season," just as 

 Ihey would a fin back or sulphur-bottom; although either 

 one might run away with a whole rope-walk of their line. 

 It- should hardly be termed a "shark," being a big, shape- 

 less nondescript, without apparent carnivorous propensi- 

 ties. The "liver" (so called) constitutes the greater .-hare 

 of its bulk. "Beach. Combers," who can beg or borrow, 

 or even worse, steal a brace of whale boats with the ac- 

 companying "kit," will run out for a two or three day's 

 cruise, and pay expenses from proceeds of a few of these 

 sea monsters. 



The Bone Shark of the Pacific is usually harpooned on 

 soundings at the surface of the water, from which fact, I 

 presume, it is given the name of "Basking Shark." In 

 1861, Dr. Willis B.sley, of Baltimore, then United States 

 Commissioner and myself, while sailing iu an open boat 

 from Tiimbez to Guayaquil, in the South Pacific, were 

 nearly swamped iu a comparatively still sea, by running 

 on the back of one of these fish, which happened to come 

 to the surface in advance of our boat. Fortunately for us, 

 it did not kick or splurge— merely settled away gradually 

 into the blue depths. I have seen them frequently sunning 

 or basking on the sea, but never saw or heard of then- 

 being assaulted by any other marine monster. From this, 

 I credit it with some latent means of defense, as, barring 

 size alone, I think it the most inoffensive looking thing 

 that swims in saltwater. In 1859 I saw some forty barrels 

 of Bone Shark oil shipped lo Callno, Peru, all taken in a 

 week by a small coasting schooner. In this case the Iish 

 were harpooned, towed ashore, and "tried out" on terra 

 flrma. Only a few i an over two or three barrels each. 

 The quality of oil is not equal to the average of whale, 

 but rules iu price about as black fish or hump back oil. 

 Aside from the head, tho bone is about all in the back and 

 fins. It has no solid ribs nor underpinning. 



From Mr. Harvey's communication, 1 see that the devil 

 Iish aud great "squid," as well as Basking Shark, are 

 found off Newfoundland. I have seen tbein all in the 

 warm waters of southern latitudes, but have never previ- 

 ously known they were found so far north. Can naturalists 

 say if their ocean house is so wide, or, if they are only mi- 

 gratory, like the sperm whale at different seasons, for food 

 or breeding purposes. E. R. Wilson. 



The Basking Shark is found throughout the Arctic tem- 

 perate and tropical regions of the ocean, aud the same is 

 Irae of the Tenlhidm or Squid family.— Ed. 



■♦«♦- 



Toa Canada Goosk.— Referring to the wild goose, or 

 Canada goose, a valued Cauadian correspondent writes 

 us as follows:— 



"My uncle, the late Lord Coventry, had a flock of them 

 at Croome of over 400 for years, and there are some there 

 now. They bred regularly, hut I never saw any crossed 

 with the tame there, although I have iu this country. Their 

 flesh became worthless, owing to the artificial river hav- 

 ing very little current, and foul weeds being ploutiful; at 

 least 1 suppose that to have been the cause. They wet e 

 quae tame." 



■ --,.«. . 



Animals Received at Centbal Paiik Menagerie Welk Ending Ffb. 

 10m.— Sue blue and yellow macaw, Ara ararevma; one snowy owl, 

 Nijctea nivea, presented by Mr. Anthony Butler, Jr. Captured on stat- 

 eu Island; one suowy owl, Xyctea, 7uvea; presented by Mr. M. V. Cnf- 

 frey, captured iu New Jersey; four Wagler'e purrak'iets, Conurus Wag- 

 leri, purchased; one yellow fronted arnazou, uhrysotis ochvecephala. 

 purchased; one red-vented parrot, 1'ionus nuuttruw, two wild pigeons, 

 Ectopia tesmigraiovla, received in exchange; oue fox colored sparrow, 

 Pasterella iliaca, presented by Itush C*. Hawkins, Ekq.. N. Y. City; one 

 horned owl, Bubo virginiana, presented by Mr. Patrick O'Connor, N. 

 Y. City. W. A. Conklin, Director. 



Arrivals at the Piiu.Ansi.rHiA Zoological Ctaiuiens Feb. (1th.— 

 Fifteen Triton niyer and nine Su'amandra ftifi mnrer.cnptured by keeper; 

 oue weeper capuchin, {Ctbuf capucimis,, presented by C. P. Lunnell, 

 Georgetown, Del.; three white-haired porcupines {Wtiihyzon donate); 

 four Mentbrancltus maoita/ue, five blue jays (Cyjnurus crUtalw.) ; 

 one sparrow hawk, (Futro epi.overiiu); one Cooper's hawk, (Aa-ipUer 

 Coopern), purchased ; oue fowl (cross b tween red-shouldered 

 turkey and uuinea), presented by Hon. S. B. Conovcr, of Florida; one 

 buzzard, (Bul.ro Uneatut) presented; one screech owl, {Scops asio) 

 presented by ,1. Q-. Hand, Philadelphia ; oue great horned 

 oivl (Bubo viri/inanut). presented bv II. S. Thompson, Indiana, Fa.; one 

 common rabbit, (leput curriculum presented by J. It. Barry, Philadel- 

 phia. AltTlltUl K. BKOWN.Supt. 



Hunting in Bermuda.— We have never heard that there 

 were foxes in Bermuda, and yet there is a Hunt, Judging 

 from the report of a ruu which we find in the lioyal Ga- 

 zette it must be something in the nature of a paper chase 

 with a member of the Hunt as fox. Colonial life would 

 be intolerable to Englishmen were it not for such resources 

 as the above, together with "fives" and cricket, and a 

 little shooting in the season. The advantages which pa- 

 per chasing enjoys, however, is, lhat the ladies of the col- 

 •ny can in a measure participate. The meet is advertised, 

 and the Hue frequently bo planned that by following iu 

 their pony wagons they can see most of the run and be in 

 at the finish. The following paragraph shows how the 

 thing is managed:— 



"To add to so pleasant a run Col. Bennett and the offi- 

 cers af the 46th extended a welcome hospitality to those 

 who had assembled to witness the finish, aud provided an 

 agreeable surprise for their guests by suggesting the idea 

 that advantage might be taken of the baud beinir present 

 to join them in a dance or two. Amusement may be scarce 

 in Bermuda, but few countries can boast of such a combi- 

 nation as a capital ruu and au impromptu dance at the 

 end of it. If this is not the height of enjoyment we should 

 be sorry to have to cater far those who disagree with us it) 

 this opinion," 



