FOREST AND STREAM 



65 



<## €»/%f 



AMERICAN FISH CULTURIST'S ASSO- 

 CIATION. 



'T'HE eighth annual meeting ol ! the Fish Cultural Associa- 

 -«- tion inet at tho Directors' room Of the Fulton Market 

 Fishmongers' Association at 11 o'clock on Thursday, the 

 President, Hon. .Rout. B. Roosevelt, in the chair; Baraet 

 Phillips, Secretary. Mr. Roosevelt, in his opening' address* 

 referred to the progress made in the cultivation of fish and 

 the spread of information acquired on the general subject of 

 ichthyology ; referred to the desirability of a uniform uomen- 

 1 1 to what has been accomplished by the U. S. Fish 

 Commissiun, the new species discovered within the past 

 and previous years, and what the State Fish Commissioners 

 have accomplished in their special capacities. His review of 

 these interesting questions showed his full comprehension of 

 the subject and his intelligent appreciation of the necessities 

 of the future. 



The minutes of the meeting of last year and the treasurer's 

 report were then read. About thirty-five new members were 

 elected. The reading of the following interesting papers fol- 

 lowed : 



A. B, Sproule — Cultivation of trout in streams and rapid 

 water. 



M. A. Clapham— Salt water food for trout. 



A, F. Clapp— Fishways. 



H. D. McGovern— Parasites. This subject elicited much 

 discussion and information, Messrs. Mather, Fuller and Green 

 participating. The meeting adjourned until the afternoon. 



lu the interval Mr. S. M. Johnson, of Boston, exhibited 

 lobster spawuers. His opinion, obtained from close observa- 

 tion, was that the spawning of lobsters was distributed 

 throughout the greater part of the year. The period which 

 an individual carries her spawn is about three months. 



Mr. F. Latasa, of 35 Broadway, exhibited some beautiful 

 specimens of silk worm gut obtained from the moth. 



Mr. Blackford suggested that some measure be devised to 

 effectually protect trout and yet not expose the innocent dealer. 

 The market men refuse shipments of fish. 



In the afternoon Mr. Hallock read his scheme for Uniform 

 Game Laws, which the association resolved went far to sim- 

 plify the present heterogeneous and complicated laws of the 

 various States. 



On motion of Mr. Blackford a committee of three was ap- 

 pointed to secure protection to innocent fish sellers as well as 

 protection to fish. Under the present confusion of many game 

 laws for different States, dealers were often liable to penalties 

 for having fish in possession out of season without knowing 

 that they were violating the law. 



Mr. Blackford also read a very interesting paper on White- 

 bail , which was followed by a paper by J. Annin on " Hard 

 antl Soft Water for Hatching Purposes ;" one by Seth Green 

 on "Food Fish," and one by L. M. Johnson on "Lobsters. 

 Their Supply, and the Necessity for Their Protection." Wed- 

 nesday was occupied by additional papers, all of which, with 

 those of Tuesday, will appear in our columns in due course of 

 time as fast as we can find space for them. 



The Association is jn a very healthy state, and growing 

 rapidly in membership and usefulness. 



The tish dinner last evening was us unique in its way as the 

 procession coming out of the dolphin's mouth at the Arian 

 ball the other night. Judging from the variety and extent of 

 the menu, how fishifled tho association must be, and what a 

 brain power in the land! 



Annual Report of the Fish Commissioners 

 of the State of "Virginia, for the Year 

 1 878. 



SOME conception of the magnitude of Virginia's revived 

 fishing interests may be gained from the estimate of 

 Col. McDonald as presented in his annual report now before 

 ns, that the annual value of the products of the James River 

 and its tributaries, above tide, would, at present prices, have 

 amounted to many times the entire annual receipt for tolls of 

 nent o€ over twelve millions of dollars in 

 the James River and Kanawha Canal. The value of the de- 

 pleted fisheries of the entire State assumes great magnitude 

 when we consider the extent of the river and tidal systems; 

 and the seeming of efficient legislation with enforcement of 

 the laws become of proportionate importance. 



The present report shows an encouraging degree of progress 

 in the work of restocking the waters. The breeding of the 

 California salmon has been continued, there being, at the 

 time Of writing, 1100,000 fry in the Lexington hatching house, 

 ready for distribution in the headwaters of the Shenandoah, 

 mock and James Rivera; 00,000 having been already 

 deposited in the last. The results of this work will be shown 

 in 1880 when its success, which there is every reason to ex- 

 pect, will be made manifest and the salmon industry assumes 

 importance. 



Readers of the Fouest and Stbeam are familiar with the 

 vapid decreaseof shad in the Potomac and Susquehanna Rivers. 

 The attention of the Commissioners has been especially de- 

 voted to replenishing this supply, and the State joined with 

 Maryland and North Carolina in the erection of an extensive 

 i otablishment at tho head of Albemarle sound. 

 The result of the operations there was the deposit in Virginia 

 •waters of 1,120,000 young shad. But the capacity of the 



Avoea breeding house was insufficient to meet the demand 

 and a second establishment was erected at Tobago Bay, 

 where l,06O,OC0 Fry were turned into the Rappahannock. An 



" I'di «1 500,000 from the Susquehanna station were placed 



in the Shenandoah and Rivanna Rivers. 

 The New River has been stocked with black bass ; many 

 dob of the St&te which have been stocked in past 

 years already yield good returns and prove an at traction for 

 anglers from distant States. Col. McDonald proposes to in- 

 troduce the red-eye perch and the Southern chub so soon as 

 the proposed central hatching house and ponds afford the 

 necessary facilities. The European carp will also receive a 

 of deserved attention, as its fecundity and merits 

 as a food fish specially commend its culture. The report 

 wisely recommends that a law be passed prohibiting from 

 sunset Friday evening until sunrise Monday morning dining 

 the fishing season all nets and other appliances for capturing 

 fish. An appropriation is asked for the construction and 

 operation of a central batching house at some point to be 

 selected by the commissioners. Virginia has not yet taken 

 efficient measures for overcoming the obstacles in her streams 

 to the free passage of fish. The adoption of the McDonald 

 fishway, which we have already described at length, is the 

 solution of this difficulty. When the dams, canals and falls 

 are equipped with these the fish will have unobstructed 

 passage to the spawning grounds of the upper waters. 



How Fresh Fish are Supplied for the Inte- 

 rior Lakes of Michigan. 



A Visit to thb State Hatohery in Detroit. 



Lovers of piscatorial pleasures can no loDger wait for the 

 slow process by which the thousand lakes and streams of our 

 fertile State are stocked with the finny tribes, and the men 

 who, when they were boys, fished in the crystal streams of 

 New England, catching the wary brook trout and spearing 

 the salmon of the Northern lakes, find but sorry sport in 

 angling for the slow and stupid "bullheads," and the small 

 specimens of fish that are indigenous to Michigan waters. 

 An improved stock is wanted. The increased demand for 

 fish in the great markets of the West can but poorly be sup- 

 plied from the East, one necessary qualification of this article 

 of food being its freshness. From all these causes there has 

 come about a wonderful demand for trout and salmon and 

 whitefish and grayling, with which to stock our own numer- 

 ous lakes and rivers— a demand which nothing but artificial 

 ssistauce could supply. 



One of the best conducted and most successful of the fish 

 hatcheries in the United States is in Michigan, with its head- 

 quarters in this city. This is under the immediate super- 

 vision of Mr. O. M. Chase, a former pupil of Seth Green, 

 and for many years a practical enthusiast on the subject. 

 An unpretentious frame one-story building on Atwater street, 

 with blue curtains, with no outward indication of the millions 

 of lives within, is the scene of operations. The room is filled 

 with a series of tanks, into and out from which the water 

 runs incessantly. In these tanks are set crates, or boxes, 

 contawingMicr upon tier of eggs in trays. The water, cold 

 as when it left the river, runs continually in at the bottom 

 and out at the top, and thus the eggs are kept cool, and are in 

 a condition as nearly as possible like that they would occupy 

 at the bottom of the river, with the additional advantage of 

 having no hungry fish to prey upon them. Each day the 

 trays are placed in a long shallow trough, and those eggs 

 which show that the embryo occupant has given up the 

 ghost are picked out by experienced hands. 



The incipient fish — whitefish alone are hatched here — is 

 not large. Five hundred and twelve of them can occupy a 

 cubic inch, without treading on each others' toes or elbowing 

 each other with their fins. Without going into elaborate 

 statistics, there are about 16 bushels of eggs at the Detroit 

 hatchery, representing 16,000,000 eggs, each one of which 

 contains the germ of a fish that may some day weigh 12 

 pounds. These eggs are obtained in November at the" Belle 

 Isle fisheries, being taken from the captured fish, which 

 spawn in that month. They are then taken directly to the 

 hatchery, and there they remain till Mareh, where the eggs 

 hatch, nothing being done except to keep them in the cool 

 running water, the defunct ones being picked out daily. 

 The live egg is transparent ; at this stage, in December, the 

 fish being plainly visible, lying curled up in the egg, its eyes 

 being the most prominent portions, looking almost as large as 

 all the rest of the fish taken together, and being jet black. 

 The least trace of a milky-white color in the egg shows that 

 its occupant is doomed, and out it comes from the rest, the 

 faintest touch of discoloration being seen immediately by the 

 trained eyes of the "pickers." If not taken out, in a day or 

 two a fungus growth of hairs covers the "dead" egg, and it 

 fastens to those around it, killing them. Thus one left in the 

 center, of a tray of live healthy eggs, would in time, destroy 

 them all. Only a few thousand out of the 16,000,000 are 

 daily picked out, and the percentage which ultimately 

 hatches is about 90. 



This year's lot Mr. Chase considers better than ever before. 

 In February, the boating of the heart can be distinctly seen. 

 In Mareh the fish hatch, coming up by thousands through the 

 wire screen tops of the trays, and swimming over into large 

 tanks provided for the purpose. They are then about the 

 size of a cambric, needle, and five-eighths of an inch'long. 

 They eat nothing for some time, a sac of nourishment being 

 attached to each one, which is not Absorbed for some days. 

 As soon as they begin to hatch, they are placed in cans, and 

 delivered at the lakes where they arc to be "planted." They 

 .p water, and a gravel bottom. 



Animprovement in the way of an automatic "picker" has 

 been invented by Mr. Chase. It consists of a glass jar, into 

 which the eggs, to the number of 140,000, are placed. A 

 pipe descending to the bottom keeps a small stream of water 

 constantly flowing in from below, and the eggs are by the 

 current kept moving, the dead ones rising to the top and float- 

 ing off. By these jars the labor of attending to the eggs is 

 luded, and Mr. Chase is introducing more 'of them 

 each year. 



The 01 her hatchery is 'ax ' 'Pokagon, Cass County, and 

 various kinds of fish are hatched there. The time required to 

 hatch whitefish is longer than that required for most other 

 kinds, many fish spawning in the spring and their eggs 

 hatching in a few days. The great length of time the white- 

 fish eggs remain in the water of the rivers makes it possible 

 for only a small percentage to hatch, as other fish feed upon 

 the eggs. Their multiplication would be extremely slow, if 

 it wen; not, for this means of hatching them. 



Four persons can easily attend to all tho eggs, constant 

 watching and patience and long experience being, however, 

 required to bring a lot of eggs successfully through the 

 season.— Detroit Free )', 



To Statu Fish Commissioned.— The Jvirtland Society of 

 Natural Sciences, of Cleveland, Ohio.would be glad to receive 

 the reports of the fish commissioners of the various States. 

 They have already in their library all of the reports up to 1877. 



Tbnnisssek.— Fish Commissioner George F. Ackers, has 

 introduced iuto the Tennessee Legislature a bill prohibiting, 

 for a term of six years, the capture or killing of any fish in 

 waters above, navigation by any means other than angling. 

 Provisions are also made for suitable fishways. 



Miohioan.— Thirty thousand salmon fry have been deposited 

 in the River Raisin, and an equal number in the Saginaw. 



WiBOOSBDt— Madison.—! Tne following gentlemen were 

 nominated and confirmed as State Fish Commissioners for the 

 ensuing year: James V. Jones, of Winnebago County; Wm. 

 Welch, of Dai vs County; John E. Autisdalc, of Millwaukee 

 County. $8,000 was voted by the Legislature, now in session, 

 for the propagation of tish. Roveh. 



—We judge of the amount of natural food in a stream, and 

 conseciuently of its ability to sustain trout by examining the 

 bottom and the water-plants. If plenty of caddis worms, 

 snails, crustaceans and larvio are found, we know that the 

 stream will afford food according as these are more or less 

 abundant. The mud from the bottom will often show small 

 red worms which are larva? of the small fly known as Gldro- 

 nomus, and which, in the mature stale, hover over the water, 

 and at which the trout often jump. 



LIST OF THE BIRDS OF NOVA SCOTIA 

 — Land Birds. 



By J. Matthew Jones. 



PRESUMING that tho subject of the geographical distri- 

 bution of birds over the North American continent is 

 considered interesting at the present time, I am induced to 

 oiler this list of the birds of Nova Scotia for insertion in 



FOREST AND STBEAM. 



Our maritime province, as the atlas will show, stands bold- 

 ly out into the North Atlantic, on the extreme north-east of 

 the continent, and is only joined by a very narrow isthmus 

 to it, being bounded on every side— save that of the connect- 

 ing link— by the waters of the briny deep. It lies in the 

 track of those aquatic migrants which pass annually from 

 the northern breeding haunts in Newfoundland and the dist- 

 ant Labrador, to their winter resorts amidst the savannahs 

 and swamps of Guiana and Cayenne, via Bermuda, and the 

 West India Islands. These make Nova Scotia their transient 

 resting-place, and allbrd our sportsmen, during tne monins or 

 September and October, pastime in every marsh and ou every 

 part of our coast. But, as appears to be the case on the 

 shores of the Northeastern States, these migrants are becom- 

 ing less numerous every year, and the " migratory hosts," 

 which even satiated the murderous propensities of Our sport- 

 ing forefathers, are things of the past. The fat and tasty 

 wild pigeon with which Nova Scotia housewives used former- 

 ly to make the most toothsome of pasties is now quite a rarity; 

 and even the golden plover, which within the last fifteen . 

 years came each August, and for a fortnight or more literally 

 swarmed on every open common throughout the land, is now 

 represented by' a few flocks of stragglers. And so it is with 

 the many species of sea-duck, not a tithe, of which, compared 

 with the numbers that visited us even ten years ago, frequent 

 our bays and harbors during the winter months. 



Can any kind reader of Fokkst and Stream throw light 

 upon this extraordinary change in tho habits of North Amer- 

 ican migratory birds, or give a clue to the new route by which 

 they proceed to the more temperate regions of the south ? 



In the preparation of this list I have received the kind 

 assistance of Dr. Bernard Gilpin, late President of the Nova 

 Scotia Institute of Natural- Sciences ; also of Mr. Andrew 

 Downs, the veteran ornithologist of Nova Scotia, whose love 

 for the feathered denizens of his adopted country is always 

 pleasingly manifested toward any one seeking information on 

 this the chosen study of his lifetime. To Mr. Thomas Egan, 

 taxidermist, of this city, I am also indebted for valuable in- 

 formation in respect of some rare species which have passed 

 through his hands. 



1. Turdus migratorius, L., Migratory Thrush, Robin. — 

 This bird, which is extremely common everywhere through- 

 out the Province from April to October, does not wholly for- 

 sake it in winter, a few remaining and occasionally to be seen 

 about the settlements at that season. In forward springs, 

 when the weather is mild, flocks of robins are observed about 

 Halifax ss early as the first week in March ; but sometimes 

 one or more snow storms occur about the close of the month, 

 accompanied by great reduction of temperature, when num- 

 bers of these birds are found dead. In the winter of 1S61-5, 

 which was unusually mild, numbers remained in the province, 

 and as early as February were heard singing, and on March i 

 hundreds of these birds were congregated together in the 

 swamp thickets, singing loudly, as in May or June. In ordi- 

 nary seasons, however, they generally appear on our fields 

 during the last days of Mareh, when the genial warmth of 

 the sun's rays lays bare patches of green, about which they 

 hop and search for the earliest insect and still more welcome 

 earthworm. They usually begin to sing about the first week 

 in April, and every one knows how pleasant it is after a long 

 and tedious winter to bear their well-known notes. Toward 

 evening on some warm day, as the sun declii;e3 in the west 

 and gilds the summit of each lofty tree, these harbingers of 

 f ruitl til summer time, elevated ou the topmost sprays, pour 

 forth their welcome lays, gladdening the hearts of old and 

 young. Their breeding time usually commences about tha 

 second week in May, and they almost always choose the cleft 

 of a tree or branch, where they build their substantial nests 

 of small twigs and grass, lined with mud. These birds appear 

 to dislike cold, damp weather, and present a forlorn appear- 

 ance indeed ou a foggy, drizzling morning in spring. At 

 such times they may Lie observed in tloeks together, perched 

 upon the upper branches of the leafless maple trees in a 

 crouched position and with plumage ruffled out, giving vent 

 to an occasional attempt at song. 



2. T. pallasii, Cab., Hermit Thrush. — Very common on our 



