FOREST AND STREAM. 



169 



x 



THE MANATEE, OR SEA COW. 



GEN. THOMAS JORDAN, whose knowledge of inte- 

 rior Florida is perhaps as comprehensive as any white 

 man's, and possibly as that of the Seminole Indians them- 

 selves, has prepared for us the annexed very interesting de- 

 scription of that rare and unique creature, the manatee 

 {manatus of Cuvier, who wrongly classed it as a Cetacean), 

 which is the connecting link between Pachydermata and 

 true Cetaceans. Splendid specimens of these are found 

 near the mouth of the Santa Lucia river, in the southern 

 part of Florida, The General savs: — ''Three of these huge 

 mammals I saw on Indian river in 1849-50, each weighing 

 at least fifteen hundred pounds, and between fifteen and 

 twenty feet in length. They constitute a most interesting 

 feature of the fauna of that magnificent region for other 

 reasons than mere rarity, and their capture affords a most 

 exciting sport, as may be supposed from their great size 

 as well as prodigious strength in the water. With the nose, 

 nostrils, and lips of the ordinary cow, there is no neck, 

 however, or marked separation between the head and body. 

 Their two swimming paws, with greater freedom of motion 

 than those of cetaceans, are likewise used to enable the 

 manatee to crawl upon the low banks of the waters which 

 it inhabits. These paws have five small finger-like claws, 

 and nearly between these paws arc two pectoral maumises. 

 These great creatures being heroivorous, browse upon 

 algee, aquatic plants, and the young grass at the mouth of 

 the fresh water streams; and their flesh, delicate and ten- 

 der as veal, and succulent as the best beef, is excellent. 

 The Florida species (Latirostris) are much larger than those 

 found in the Antilles, South America, or Africa, and are 

 of v quite a different genus from the sea cow of northern 

 Russia." 



In another column will be found a most interesting de- 

 scription irom Mr. Conklin of the manatee now in captivity 

 at the Central Park. This creature is well worth a visit. 



FOSSILS IN COLORADO. 



IN Colorado, in what is called the Bad Lands, Professor 

 Cope in his paleontological researches while attached to 

 the Hazain expedition, has come indeed across the grave- 

 yard of long departed creatures. To the labors of Pro- 

 fessor Cope we are indebted for the discovery of no less 

 than one hundred species, represented by an infinite vari- 

 ety of individuals. From colossal remains of the masto- 

 don down to the bones of the minute rodent, all have been 

 upturned. Even forms of insectiverous animals, as of the 

 Talpidce, the mole family. The delicacy and minuteness 

 of these smaller fossils, and their wonderful preservation, 

 make them objects or! especial interest. Very certainly 

 they were the forefathers of our squirrels, rabbits, rats and 

 mice. Of larger quadrupeds the finds have been quite nu- 

 merous. Specimens of the early equine races are demon- 

 strated by the teeth and bones. Colorado, too, in primitive 

 times, must have had the rhinoceros in quantity, no less than 

 seven species having been found by Professor Cope. One 

 representative specimen of the rhinoceros is a skull with 

 teeth. Strange individuals of this remarkable family have 

 been brought to light, notably a horned species, approach- 

 ing to the elephant. They must have been taller than the 

 present animal, having horns. One of the larger species 

 had a large horn over each eye, and ome over the nose. 

 What is remarkable about this discovery is — providing future 

 researches prove these particular remains to have belonged 

 to the rhinoceros family — that it will show a divergence 

 from the usual laws, and that we have been too much 

 inclined to lessen the species development of the ruminating 

 animals. Carnivori abound. There are tiger-cats, dogs, 

 and a new species of the can is family, resembling the dog," 

 only as large as a bear. Turtle, lizards and snakes make 

 up the reptile discoveries. The scientific w T orld is indebted 

 to Professor Cope for no less than 300 species of veterbratcd 

 animals, of which fully 150 are entirely new, all the result 



of his researches in Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas and Idaho. 

 ~&»^>- 



OYSTERS AND JOURNALISM. 



THOUGH we may think ourselves masters of the heavy 

 puff, the brazen reclame, or the startling advertise- 

 ment, they manage these kinds of things much better in 

 France. A newspaper in the United States, and it might 

 be a good one, seeks additional subscribers by offers of 

 a chromo, or Miss Jones' Poems, (Idyls of the heart. Price 

 oT! cents), or a washing-machine, but did our enterprising 

 publishers ever think of the allurements of a fat turkey 

 about Thanksgiving, or of a barrel of Newtown pippins at 

 Christmas tide? 



The French are devoted to oysters. Did not Louis XI 

 feast his learned professors at the Sorbonne once a year on 

 oysters? There was the great soldier Turgot too, who used 

 to bring his failing appetite back with a hundred oysters or 

 so. Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, Helvetius, and all the 

 encyeiopidists, loved oysters as well as did Thackeray. 

 Even the tigers of France, the Dantons and the Robespierres, 

 devoured oysters, though whether Napoleon cared for them 

 much, is doubtful. Brillat Savarin, the most learned of 

 :niomc$! what brilliant thoughts he has devoted to 

 oysters, and Gastaldi, a martyr to his love of good things, 

 was said to have swallowed forty dozen of oysters at a 

 single sitting, and then to have died gloriously of an indiges- 

 tion from over feeding on pat& defore gras ! 



With appetites no doubt whetted by their recent priva- 

 tions, the Parisian of to-day hungers much after oysters 

 Ostend oysters, are worth five sous a piece, while Marenne 

 oysters, with their green bronze color, their coppery flavor 



the bon bouche of the gourmand, are worth twice as much. 

 Within the last ten years the oyster beds of Rochelle, 

 Marenne and Rochefort, and those of the Isles of Rhe and 

 Oleron, were becoming exhaused. The French Vitellius, 

 was coming near to the utter deprivation of his favorite 

 bivalve, when Coste discovered how these French oyster 

 beds could be renewed, and how oysters could be made as 

 plentiful as in Caesar's time. 



Grand oyster companies are then very much in vogue in 

 France to-day, full descripti ms of which may be found in 

 Louis Figuier's pleasant work called " The Ocean World," 

 and the profit arising from oyster culture seems to be quite 

 large. There is a famous paper in Paris called the Figaro, 

 remarkable not only for the brilliancy of its articles, but 

 because once a week some member of the editorial staff is 

 certain to have an affair of honor on his hands. The Pre- 

 sident of the Figaro newspaper association has started an 

 oj^ster eompany called ' ' La Societe des Huitieres du 

 Morbihan," and each new r subscriber to the paper is to have 

 for the price of the journal, besides the Figaro, a barrel 

 of oysters sent to him. 



This is an ide.a indeed worth imitating. Not to be too sug- 

 gestive, perhaps a Sporting paper might offer to the getter- 

 up of a club a trotting horse, a journal of health, a gross of 

 patent medicines, and a political paper, a nomination as a 

 custom house officer. 



PUT OUT THE FIRE. 



E are glad to record any advancement in the method 

 of extinguishing fires, for it is a science to a certain 

 extent, and he who adds by his inventive genius only one 

 more instrument of approved appliance in subduing this 

 great destroyer of wealth and property is truly a public 

 benefactor. In all our large cities a vast amount of valu- 

 able property is naturally concentrated; all our great manu- 

 facturing centres are in our cities. These varied indus- 

 tries seem to demand greater protection than can be found 

 in our present Fire Departments with all their improved 

 appliances. True, they have done much good, they have 

 fought fearlessly and well the Fire Fiend. Yet, many use- 

 ful lives have been sacrificed in subduing the element of fire. 



The last two or three great fires in the city of Boston 

 develop one fact: they do not check conflagrations with 

 any degree of certainty, and often much damage is the re- 

 sult of a too lavish use of water. Recent experiments have 

 been made with the union of carbonic acid gas and w r ater. 

 This invention being in its infancy, has done something 

 towards initiating a series of elaborate experiments, which 

 may in the end give to the community an effective agent in 

 the subjugation of fires. Carbonic acid gas is one of the 

 best extinguishers of fires yet known ; being* composed, one 

 part of carbon to two of oxygen. Years ago the effect of 

 this gas was well known ; no life could exist in breathing 

 this atmosphere — containing from ten to fifteen per ecnt. 

 of this element, death is a sure result. 



The great ease with which this gas can be manufactured, 

 would seem to awaken an interest within the minds of 

 scientific and practical chemists, to see if they cannot 

 place this powerful gas before the public in an operative 

 form. It surely " would pay," and he who can harness his 

 horses to a compact effective mine of carbonic gas, and by 

 its timely application subdue a large conflagration, would 

 merit all the honor his philanthropic invention would 

 bestow. To generate this gas hydro-chloric acid diluted 

 with three or four parts of water, with the dust of marble 

 or any other carbonate only is neccessary. This gas is 

 also very elastic and can be confined like the bottle-imp in 

 any strong metalic vessel. 



We may be somewhat sanguine in our anticipations of 

 the success resulting from a judicious application of this 

 agent; but still we think if a warehouse contained one 

 or two good sized reservoirs of this gas, by closing the 

 door? on the occurrence of a fire, it could be at once dis- 

 tributed about the building and set free with great results. 

 We would like to learn from others upon this subject, for 

 we t -uly believe that this carbonic gas as an extinguisher 

 of fires, is yet to do wonders in putting out fires. We 

 fully appreciate the value of the "hand extinguishers, " as 

 they are called, and which will in many cases at the 

 commencement of fires within ordinary dwelling-houses, 

 be sufficient to completely extinguish the fire. What we 

 suggest is such an application of the carbonic gas in 

 quantities as shall completely and effectually conquer our 

 large fires. This, we believe, will be made so effective 

 in time that these little ten gallon instruments for the 

 direction of a stream of gas upon a fire will be like the toys 

 of children in comparison to what we shah yet witness. 



-*~~«* 



THE LADY ARGONAUTS. > 



IT was our good fortune to be present at the match be- 

 tween the Argonaut, and 1 he Neptune Club. In our 

 columns under the head of Athletic Sports, can be found 

 full details of this interesting boat-race, written in the regu- 

 larly approved, but somewhat inexpansive style, usedin 

 describing such events. At the risk of intruding somewhat 

 beyond our sphere, we must needs notice the kindly in- 

 fluence the wives and sisters of the gentlemen belonging to 

 the Argonauts have had on the Club. The presence of 

 these ladies not only on the occasion of a race, but at all 

 times, has converted the club house almost into a boudoir. 

 Ladies may embroider flags for boat prizes, but such gifts, 

 though excellent in their way, are rather more occasional in 

 character than constant. The interest, the liking these 

 ladies have taken in these sports have added immensely to 



thft good f^lino- nnH Wh +^ a A ^^ -^ ^ . 



among the Argonauts. Woman can never be out of her 

 sphere; she must always exert her softening influence, 

 whether she - graces the drawing room or the boat house. 

 The club house of the Argonauts, at Bergen Point, with 

 the La Tourette House on the Kill von Kull opposite, is 

 most picturesquely situated, and on the occasion of the 

 race, showed by its pretty decoration how deftly womens' 

 hands had helped to adorn it. All praise then to the lady 

 Argonauts, to whose soft influences is due much of the 

 prosperity, high tone and manliness the club now enjoys. 

 -**^- 



Literary Poaching. — Wholesale poaching upon the 

 columns of Forest and Stream has become such a 

 systematic practice of certain sporting papers published 

 outside of this city, that the offence has become too 

 grievous to bear any longer without a protest. Editorial 

 and contributed articles are transferred bodily to their 

 pages every week without credit and apparently without 

 scruple. In one instance the quantity of matter thus ap- 

 propriated amounted to three columns in a single issue. In 

 another instance an article of especial merit entitled 

 "Elk Hunting in Nebraska," was copied entire into a 

 Canadian paper. But the unkindest cut of all was that of 

 a paper out west which copied one of our editorials on the 

 Penetration of Rifle Balls, and in the parallel column coolly 

 announced that a paper by the name of Forest and 

 Stream was about to be issued. This was after we had 

 printed our fourth number. Now, gentlemen, you who 

 profess to be such »ice sticklers for the observance of the 

 g me laws, ought to have enough respect for the rights of 

 brother sportsmen, not to poach upon their game preserves. 

 There is little enough of encouragement, in times like 

 these, to stock our Forest and Stream without having 

 the products of our labor continually filched from us. 

 Certainly, if they are worth taking, they are worth 

 acknowledging in the usual way. We print our paper 

 entirely from resources within ourselves, and do not ask to 

 be handicapped in the race for success. We shall gain it 

 eventually on our owu merits, and without that little assist- 

 ance which a courteous recognition of the articles you copy 

 would perhaps afford us. We do not ask now for an 

 amende honorable, but trust that you will recognize the 

 justice of our strictures, and govern yourselves accordingly 

 in future. 



vX -*~*. 



FISH CULTURE IN CHINA AND JAPAN. 

 ■ ♦ 



By kindness of George Shepard Page, Esq., President of the 

 American Fish Culturist's Association, we are enabled to 

 publish the following interesting and valuable correspon- 

 dence relating to the subject of fish culture in China and 

 Japan : — 



Department of State, i 

 Washington, September 23, 1873. j 

 George Shepard Page, Esq.: 



Sir— Referring to your letter under date of 1st of July, 1872, requesting 

 information relative to the methods in use in China and Japan for the 

 artificial propagation of fish, I have now to enclose for your information 

 a copy of despatch No. 631, dated July 30th, 1873, from the Vice Consul 

 General of the United States at Shanghai, China, which contains all the 

 information which he has been able to obtain bearing upon the subject, 

 of your inquiries. I am, sir, your obedient servant, 



W. Hunter, Acting Secretary. 

 [Copy. No. 631.] 



United States Consulate General, | 

 Shanghai, July 30, 1873. f 

 Hon. J. C. B. Davis, Assistant Secretary of State, Washington; 



Sir— Reverting to your instruction No. 316 and to despatch No. 576 

 which I had the honor to address to you in acknowledgement, I now re- 

 gret to say that any efforts to meet the inquiries made by Mr. George 

 Shepard Page concerning the culture and rearing of fish in China have 

 proved of little success. Had I been able to visit during the spring 

 months the parts of this and adjoining provinces where, report says, the 

 culture of fish is to some extent carried on, I would have been able to 

 make from personal inspection a report more satisfactory than I now can 

 offer. 



My numerous applications for information have not succeeded in elic- 

 iting anything of value. The fact of making requests of natives for de- 

 tails of fish culture is met at the outset with suspicion by those possess- 

 ing information and the heresy of those who feign some knowledge 

 thereof is neither accurate or trustworthy. The authors of appropriate 

 Chinese books assert that the art of fish culture obtains, but I am unable 

 to find a single one offer particulars as to time or place, or any details 

 whatever. Some intelligent natives of this port say that fish breeding is 

 carried on to a small extent in this province by the use of earthern jars, 

 in which the spawn is placed and shaded by a peculiar weed, which also 

 furnishes a food for the young fry, but beyond the recital of the fact 

 their ideas are confused. I have not been able to obtain the botanical 

 name of the weed. 



Spawn is carried in various ways from the coast waters to the interior. 

 On the Yangtze river near Nanking, there exists in the appropriate sea- 

 son a large natural spawning ground, and about the middle of May the 

 fishermen fence off with bamboos and mats a portion of the shallow part 

 thereof. Passing boats, for a consideration, obtain the water within 

 these bounds, which is impregnated with spawn. By means of earthern 

 jars it is carried into the interior and deposited in artificial lakes, and in 

 canals which are without the influence of live water. In some cases eggs 

 are "blown" and re-filled with spawn. They are then placed under 

 hens with other eggs hatching. When the incubation is perfect the spawn 

 eggs are placed in water heated by the sun and in a short time the fish 

 develop. 



I am without information as to the extent of fish culture or its cost. 

 I am not aware that the fish found in China have ever been classified- 

 hut a description of the varieties seems to have been given by Dr. John 

 Richardson in 1845, as appeared in the report of the British Association 

 for the advance of science. I have not the paper at hand; the distinction 

 given in Chinese is very inaccurate. Shad of fine quality abound north of 

 the tropical line. Cod and mackerel are caught in large quantities in the 

 Yellow sea and Gulf of Pechili, and trout are said to be found in moun- 

 tain streams in the interior and Formosa. The apparatus used in any 

 process is of the most primitive sort. The fish wiers in the canals of 

 this province are made of reeds and bamboos, united by strong ligaments 

 and serve only as a means to drive the fish into the nets. I much regret 

 that after so long a delay I am unable to meet more intelligently the" re- 

 quest for information made by Mr. Page. lam, sir, your obedient 

 servant, O. B. Bradford, Vice Consul General 

 -*.^. 



— Here is the epitaph of a hunter: — 



Here lies John Mills, who over hills 



Pursued the hounds with hollo; 

 The leap, though high, from earth to sky. 



