FOREST AND STREAM. 



407 



are three by two feet, outside measurement; these require 

 to be stronger as they have to sustain the weight of gravel; 

 thev are covered with cloth of four wires to the inch. 



Before putting in the screens for the season the race is 

 swept clean of sediment; then a bottom screen is put down 

 and held in place by one person in the water, who puts his 

 foot on it; the top screen is then lowered with its 

 covering of clean gravel by means of iron hooks, this holds 

 the bottom one down; its mate is then put beside it. It is 

 well to have spaces cut in the ends of the upper boxes 

 for the fish to pass through at the upper end of the race, 

 where the water is ^o shallow that tlid top of the box is out 

 6 i water. 



The hooks for raising the top screens are made of an 

 iron rod bent in the middle to form a handle, and the ends 

 spread to hook into two holes in the ends of the box. It 

 will be seen from the above description that this beautiful 

 invention is simply an artificial nest, invitingly covered 

 with clean gravel to attract the trout to deposit their 

 spawn, as we make a nest for our hens where we wish 

 them to lay by putting some nice straw in a box. 



The wire cloth being on the bottom side of the lower 

 screen there is only an inch space between the coarse and 

 the fine wire. The trout readily accept this bed, and their 

 spawn passes through the top screen and is caught* on the 

 lower one. where it is protected from all harm. 



To gather the spawn requires two men, one of whom has 

 oa rubber boots that come to the thighs; the board cover- 

 ing is removed from the top of the race and one operator 

 gets into the water below the screens; the other puts a 

 board across the race to stand upon; they then put the 

 hooks in each end of a box and raise it just out of water 

 and give it a souse back to wash out any eggs that may re- 

 main caught in the gravel; it is then deposited on the top 

 of the race; the man In the water now puts his foot on the 

 lower screen to prevent its bouyancy from lifting it too 

 suddenly, when the other top screen is removed. 



The bottom screen is now allowed to rise so slowly as 

 not to wash over any spawn that may lie upon it, which is 

 collected by sweeping it with a feather from a turkey's 

 wing into a cribble made with turned up edges like a dust- 

 pan with a few small holes in. the back to allow some of 

 the water to pass; this cribble need not be over four inches 

 wide and three deep; it must set flat and have a handle 

 about six inches long at right angles to the bottom; this 

 handle should be of wood, and the iron handle of the hooks 

 should b3 wound with cord for comfort on cold days. 

 Sweep up the spawn dirt and all, for it has to be washed 

 afterwards, no matter how particular you gather it. These 

 screens are then replaced and %he next set removed. 



This is a description of the manner that I have always 

 worked them as learned from my esteemed friend the in- 

 ventor. 



There has been a device patented to save the labor of 

 lifting the gravel, which I have seen at work, but wish to 

 investigate a little more closely before giving an opinion of 

 its merits. 



Mr. Stone, in his work, page 36, says:— "There is some 

 difference of opinion as to the question which yields the 

 most eggs, the artificial or the screen method, and the re- 

 sults of some experiments of Mr. F. Mather seem to be ad- 

 verse to the Ainsworth plan." This is a mistake, either of 

 my meaning, or a slip of the pen, for I have ever advocated 

 the screen system. 



The only known objection to the screens lies in the fact 

 that the percentage of impregnated eggs is not so great as 

 by the hand method; but this, in my opinion, is more than 

 compensated for in the amount of fish that can be raised 

 from the same number of eggs when, the young are kept in 

 confinement. I have taken spawn in both ways, and raised 

 the young, andean therefore speak by the card. I do not 

 pretend to say that eggs laid on screens and impregnated in 

 a natural manner, are any better than those taken by hand, 

 if the latter are fully ripe; but I know, from experience, 

 that of a lot of twenty fish caught to-day, and which are ripe 

 enough to allow the spawn to be taken, some would not 

 have deposited it for at least three days, perhaps a longer 

 time might elapse, but it can be taken three days ahead of 

 time; these eggs will hatch, and seem to do well up to the 

 time of the absorption of the sac; then those who, like 

 Macduff, came into the world from the womb, "untimely 

 ripped," will weaken; their stomachs do not seem to be 

 sufficiently developed to take the food that we offer; per- 

 haps if turned loose they might find food suited to their 

 weak natures and in time become lusty fish; but when we 

 eonfine a lot of delicate young trout just beginning to feed, 

 and give them strange food, none but the most robust will 

 survive. For my part, I would prefer 20,000 spawn laid in 

 the natural manner to 50,000 taken in the ordinary way by 

 hand— by the ordinary way, I mean taking all eggs from 

 all fish that will strip. I believe a fish will be stronger if 

 the egg is left until the female lays it, than if taken two, or 

 even one day before. 



I am aware that this is an uupopular idea among the 

 practical fish culturists, and one that we have had sharp 

 discussions over in the "American Fish Culturist's Associa- 

 tion," where I have defended it alone, but I believe and 

 practice it; and the fact of its being unpopular will not de- 

 ter me from preaching it. 



The proper food of a trout for the first month or two 

 after the absorption of the sac, is small insects and aquatic 

 larva, which we cannot supply in quantity, therefore, we 

 try liver, kidney, blood, egg, *&c, and keep them crowded 

 in boxes or troughs and the weak ones must go under, and 

 what I claim for the screens is thai thero are but few of 

 these. 



In the hand operation about 90 per cent, is a good work- 

 ing average of impregnation, that is, taking the season 

 through, for there will sometimes be a lot lost for want of 

 milt, or a batch that for some other reason falls below the 

 average. In some cases there has been as high as 99£ P^ 

 cent, reached, but T think about 90 will be found to be the 

 average of a whole season. My average with the screens 

 has been steadily increasing from To when I first com- 

 m enced, to about 85. 



We cannot, of course, count all eggs and keep a record 

 of every unimpregnated egg, but we take a vial full of 

 eggs and note the percentage, then take a couple more vials 

 full out of the same lot, and so average the whole batch. 

 Several persons have written me about my method of man- 

 aging the screens and complaining that they could get few 

 or no impregnated eggs, and these have been the rules I 

 have given, which may be relied on as all that I know 

 about it; never dealt in secrets, but have always been wil- 

 ling to impart anything that I might know that would tend 

 to advance fish culture, at the same time taking care not to 

 tell more: 



First, have the tpace between the upper and lower screen 

 as small as possible, then the milt has a betler chance of 

 contact with the eggs. 



Second, make the upper screens in the form of boxes, 

 that the current will be obstructed, and the milt will be 

 held in an eddy and not. swept away; in the streams the 

 trout often choose an eddy below an obstruction. 



Third, use gravel from the size of a black walnut to a 

 hen's egg, according to the size of the fish, and only one 

 layer of it, no matter if you can see the wires; the fish don't 

 mind them, they will sweep the gravel all in one end of 

 the box and spawn on the bare wires; this brings the male 

 fish close to the eggs. 



Fine gravel is hard for them to roll on wire cloth, it 

 lodges in the spaces and two inches of it would hold many 

 of the eggs. I often find the gravel all in one end of a 

 box and the spawn all under it, with not an v.gg visible 

 where the wire is bare. I do not use a water pail full of 

 gravel in a box of the size described; and fourth, have a 

 board running the length of the race on top of the boxes* 

 making two separate races, this prevents much fighting. 

 All our screens were painted at first, but it fills wire cloths 

 so much that it is objectionable; we now use tar from the 

 gas works, thin it witli spirits turpentine and apply with a 

 paintbrush; it is as effective in preventing rust, if not 

 more so than paint; it flows nicely and is so thin that the 

 wire screens are merely covered; it is belter to do it before 

 putting it on the frames, so that the portion covered by the 

 wood, which is always the first to rust, will be coated; then 

 roll the wire upon a stick and stretch it tightly upon the 

 frames. 



There is an ads r antage to the trout breeder in using the 

 screen;-', other than stronger fry, this is; he is in no hurry if 

 the weather is bad, while if he takes his spawn by hand he 

 must handle some fish every day, or two at the farthest, or 

 lose many eggs; and those who have shivered by the side 

 of the race-way, holding a net with numb fingers, will ac- 

 knowledge that it is a very disagreeable job. 



We usually take spawn once a week, and have let ii run 

 ten clays for a favorable time; a week is long enough for 

 eggs to lay in as much sediment as is found on the bottom 

 screens; and it would be altogether too long if the embryos 

 were farther advanced, or the unimpregnated eggs had 

 commenced to die and grow fungous. 



Norris mentions a loss of eggs from some fish spawning 

 in the night; if this be so, then it is another argument in 

 favor of the screens. I have never observed anything to 

 give me an idea that the brook trout ever spawns at night, 

 as the salmon-trout does; still it is possible that some do, 

 or Mr. Norris would not suggest it as a possible source of 

 loss. There is yet another item of loss in taking spawn by 

 hand, which is from some fish finding themselves continu- 

 ally disturbed in the race, seeking a more favorable spot in 

 the pond to deposit their spawn. Therefore, taking these 

 things all together, it is doubtful if there are many more 

 fecundated eggs obtained by one system than the other. 



Fred. Mathetj. 

 — .=*.»♦—- — — 



Large numbers of black bass have been taken from 



the Delaware River near Easton, Pennsylvania, within the 

 last few days, chiefly in nets, weighing from one to three 

 and a half pounds, and supposed to be the fish that were 

 spawned in 1870. They were congregated at the mouth of 

 a large spring that empties into the river, on account of the 

 spring water at this season being so much warmer than the 

 river water; as trout in summer gather there by reason of 

 the spring water then being so much colder. Now that the 

 time required by law for the protection of bass in the Bel- 

 aware has expired, it may be hoped that the capture of 

 these fish in nets will be forbidden. Indeed, it is intimated 

 in the Germantown Telegraph that a law will be passed by 

 the Pennsylvania Legislature this winter to this end. It is 

 stated that these fish can be taken in nets only at night, or 

 when the river is high and the water muddy. At other 

 times they have the fashion of jumping over the cork line. 

 This is a very sensible expedient, and we can only regret 

 that the bass cannot see at night as well as in the day time. 

 The Telegraph also notices that black bass have a wonder- 

 ful tenacity of life. It says that some which were taken 

 at ten o'clock in the morning "were carried two miles to 

 towu in a basket, sold and wrapped in paper, and then left 

 in a warmcoom, and were alive at five o'clock in the after- 

 noon. One man reports his were alive and kicking seven 

 hours after being taken from the water, eveu after their en- 

 trail* and o-ills wore taken xmt! and what is more, that man 



can be believed implicitly. The moral is, that these fish 

 should be killed forthwith after being taken from the water 

 from motives of humanity. Their flesh also would be im- 

 proved in this way, rather than by allowing them to die o 

 lingering death of many hours in the usual way." 



—Young salmon have also been taken this mouth in the 

 Delaware, probably of those planted in 1872. A useful bit 

 of information may here be given to anglers who are not 

 familiar with the appearance of these smolts, especially as 

 so many streams have been lately stocked with salmon fry, 

 which are liable to be caught by those angling for trout, 

 and by them mistaken for trout. Smolt take a fly readily, 

 and to a casual observer appear much like six inch trout, 

 but a more careful scrutiny will show a marked differenco 

 in their livery, the smolt having a more metallic lustre, 

 with spots of a more livid scarlet, while the minute scales 

 are shed freely upon contact with the hand. The smolt is 

 more slender than the trout, and the tail a trifle more 

 forked. Old trout have tails nearly square. All smolts 

 caught by the fisherman or angler should be immediately 

 returned to the water if they be not too much injured to 

 live. 



—Only a short time since a Mr. Murray Hughes, of Now 

 Haven, Connecticut, while fishing with a net for frost fish 

 near the steamboat dock, caught a young salmon about six 

 inches long, and which probably hailed from the Connecti- 

 cut. There can bo little doubt that these instances, now 

 quite frequent along the coast from the Penobscot to the 

 Delaware, of young salmon being caught, are the initial 

 results of the attempts to restock our rivers, and ought to 

 not only encourage the Fish Commissioners, but convince 

 the skeptical and obstinate who have ridiculed or directly 

 opposed their efforts for so many years. In two or three 

 years more we anticipate that the great and interesting 

 problem will not only be solved, but that the living testi- 

 mony will be overwhelming. 



— Last August a black bass was take a near Easton which 

 weighed seven pounds, and is supposed to be one of the 



originals from the Potomac. 



» 



A Queer Fisit.— The Revue Scieiitiiique states that the. 

 aquarium of the Paris Jardin d'Acclimatation lias received 

 a singular acquisition — a medusa (a sort of umbrella-shaped 

 polypus, that swims with a stomach, mouth, and a number 

 of tentacula under water), that had no sooner got into the 

 compartment allotted to it, than it got rid of all its neigh- 

 bors with wonderful rapidity. On analyzing the water, it 

 was found to be impregnated with vinegar, which had 

 caused the death of the inmates. The medusa in question, 

 therefore, belongs to one of the rarest species in existence, 

 which, owing to its faculty of secreting the acid in ques- 

 tion, is called the "vinegar polypus." The curious point 

 in the case is, that the animal in the first instance emits 

 alcohol, which is only afterwards acidified, owing to its 

 becoming diluted in contact with nitrogenized matter. 



i j r>ut! 



— ♦ 



[ We shall endeavor in this department to impart and hope to receive 

 euch information as may be of service to amateur and professional snort s- 

 men, We will cheerfully answer all reasonable questions that fall within 

 the scope of this paper, designating localities for good hunting, fish- 

 ing, and trapping, and giving advice and instructions as to outfits, im 

 ptemmts, routes, distances, seasons, expenses, remedies, traits, species 

 'governing rules, etc. All branches of the sportsman's craft will receive 

 attention. Anonymous Communications not Noticed. 



B. King, Boston, Mass.— Write to W. Bon field, Booneville, Oneida 

 county, New York, enclosing your letter. 



It, It., New York.— You do not slate what kind of hunting yon wish 

 For general shooting Warren and Elk counties, Pennsylvania. The 

 expenses would be about $2 50 a day, not including the car fare. 



A. B. C— I saw at 119 Main street, Brooklyn, on January 28th, two fine 

 brook trout labelled "All the way from Maine." Were not these ex- 

 posed for sale illegally? Ana. Yes; by the laws of both Maine and New 

 York. 



W. V\'., New York. —What are gun cases generally lined with? Where 

 can the material be procured? What can I use so that it will adhere to 

 the gun case? Ans. 1. Waterproof cloth" of self color. 2. Any dry goods 

 house. 3. Gum tragacanth. 



John' C. C. — Will you kindly answer J. C. C. In your next issue of 

 your valuable paper (the best in the country for a sportsman, not sporting 

 man, to subscribe to) whether in playing draw poker a straight flush 

 will beat four of a kind or not? Ans. Write to Wilkes SpiTUof the 

 Times. 



W. E. T.j Brooklyn.— O.n you tell me where Rev, W. H. H. 

 Murray resides? Ans. At Guilford, Conn., when not in Boston. Where 

 can I get a correct list of provisions and the quantity required by two 

 persons for two weeks? Ans. See "Sybiltine Leaves" in Forest and 

 Stream Oct. 16. Where can I get a lantern suitable for jack or night 

 shooting? Ans. Ask Mr. Murray; we are wholly opposed to the use of 

 the jack. Will a conical bullet go farther than a round one, with tho 

 same amount of powder? Ans. It will. What is the cost of flies? Ans. 

 From $1 to $5 per dozen. 



C. W. A,, Newark, N, J.— [have a pup, cross between a setter and 

 a pointer. What do yon think of the breed? Ans. They turn out wol 

 sometimes but will not stand the cold weather in the late fall. We trust 

 that you crossed them for some special purposes, the pointer being de- 

 ficient in some instinct that the setter possessed, or vice versa. Is it right 

 to feed them with meal and food from the kitchen? Ans. You do not 

 state age of the puppy. If it is weaned the food you mention will an- 

 swer for the next three months; after that period it must be fed regu- 

 larly, aud with proper food. See Forest and Stream. What is the 

 best manner to train them? Do you approve of the plan set forth by 

 correspondent "Homo?" Ans. Homo is good. Purchase "Stonehenge" 

 and follow out his instructions. 



Wanderer.— Can you give me any information about the sports by 

 field and water in California? I get very conflicting reports. Some say 

 that the salmon and trout there will not take the fly; others say ther 

 will. But I want to know when, where, and what fly. Some tell me 

 there is famous shooting there; others that with the exception of water 

 fowl and a few deer there is none. From some I hear that great sport 

 can be had coursing hares; others say it is no such thing; that there is 

 no sport there of any kind to warrant ones going prepared for it. Now 

 I want to know what to expect and what to prepare for. Ans. Your 

 questions cover too wide a range. California ja a vast State, some parts 

 of which are wholly destitute of game and river fish, and others abound 

 in numberless varieties. Salmon and trout, in some parts lack game 

 qualities, in others theysare active and take the fiy readily. In our next 

 issue we shall print a most comprehensive article on this very subject, 

 giving valuable information of the best game section of the Stato—in- 

 formation that we have never se^u in print, though often asked for by- 

 anglers and naturalists. 



