46* 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



1S78. In verification of an old proverb— "You oaunot hide 

 a i eel in a sack "-it will ho found by referring to "J. Q. 

 Woon's Natural History," vol III , page 309, that lie re- 

 peated the >-uhsiance of the above announcement sixteen 

 years ago in the following language: 



•■ I be reproduction of (he eel lis long been a subject of 

 discussion, Bojhe persons thiukir.: Ibal the young an- pro- 

 duced in a living state and others holding that they are 

 hutched irotn eggs. This question has. bow t rer, been set at 

 rest by that universal revealer, the achromatic on 

 which has show n that the masses ot oil j-lookiDg Btsbstance, 

 generally called fat, are really il . clusters of 



eggs; ui d that these Objects, minute us they may be— not so 

 large as the dot. over the letter 'i' — are quite perfect, and 

 under the microscope are seen to he genuine eggs;" 



The microscope has been recently employed with success 

 and satisfaction by certain persona to examine and identify 

 the ova of eels. It may not be generally known that about 

 200 years ago Leuwenheck, a Dutch naturalist and physiolo- 

 gist, used the microscope— as improved by himself— to ex- 

 amine the ova and spermatozoa of various species of fishes, 

 audi" him belongs the credit, no doubt, of demonstrating 

 their wonderful fecundity by actually count iug the ova, aided 

 by the niicroscopc. He found that a middling sized cod con- 

 tained fl 384,000 eggs— about the same number as Mr. Fred 

 Mather found in Mr. Blackford's six pound eel. 



In conclusion, permit me to add that I have not been eat- 

 ing carp of Ute, nor do I wish to rob any one of their well- 

 earned plumes; yet I think from the facts heroin stated, in 

 truth and candor it, must be admitted that very few, if any. 



important fact 

 were not known \ears i 

 rodile, but hi sexual; it 

 ova aDd milt having bet 

 nized by competent exr 

 of former years. There 



rertd concerning the eel that 

 finally, the eel is not hermnph- 

 »t viviparous, but oviparous, the 

 peatedly discovered and reoog- 

 enlers and eminent physiologists 

 iug and important- 



point in regard to the reproductive process of the eel to be 

 determined— viz , modus' operandi of fertilizing its eggs. I 

 fully believe that this is within the range of possibilities, and 

 that the time is near at hand when this profound and long- 

 sought secret in the generation of eels will be brought to light 

 through the experiments of fish culture and the researches of 

 modern science, The man who solves this difficult problem 

 will add a valuable item to our knowledge of the natural his- 

 tory of fishes, and will richly oeserve a gold medal. 



Philadelphia, May 20, 1879. O. A. K. 



. — .* — . 



%. TnKOcon New Hampshire Wilds with Salmon Fbt 

 —The New Hampshire fish commissioners planted 100,000 

 land locked salmon fry in the Upper Connecticut Lake last 

 week, and Com. Sam Webber sends to the Manchester Mirror 

 find Farmer an inl cresting account of the journey. It is no 

 easy matter to transport a lot of fry through the wilderness. 

 Following is the account of the trip after their arrival at 

 Culebrook ; 



Mr. E. G. Bailey, the proprietor of the Parsons House, took 

 good caie of us and the young fish which were placed under 

 the stream cf the aqueduct in his barn, and furnished us 

 with a team and driver in the morning to take us to First 

 C innecrJcJ.t Lake, twenty-five miles further, which place we 

 reached bt noon, after an intensely hot. ride. Our ice was all 

 gone, hut Landlord TlbbetB, Of the Lake House, took our 

 fish cans right into his spring house, where in a large tub h^ 

 had about a dt zeu two or three pound lake trout swimming 

 about leisurely, and one of which he soon caught and 

 for our dinner. After dinner Mr. T. furnished us with a buck- 

 board, on which the fish cans were hisbed with ropes, and a 

 guide to drive and pilot us through to Second Lake, and the 

 ■ tug of war" began. 



1 be tt am we brought from Colebrook took my companion 

 and myself to the end of the road, where wo reached the un- 

 broken forest, which stretches for miles away to the north, 

 far into Canada, and here we dismounted and took to our own 

 propellers. Lashing our valise and basket ou to the buckboard 

 with the fish cans we started in through a blazed road to the 

 lake, and such a road few four-wheeled vehicles ever got over 

 in safety. 



Now the off fore- wheel would be in black mud to the hub, 

 while the nigh hind one was high in the air on a stump or 

 stone, and in a minute the position would be reversed. Noth- 

 ing but a buckboard would ever live through it. The water 

 jetted in fountains through the strainers in the tops of our 

 cans at every jolt, aud if the fish were possessed of any pow- 

 ers of imagination they might have thought themselves newJy 

 drafted into some first-class circus and being initiated in grand 

 and lofty tumbling 1 



I would have given a handsome premium long before we 

 got "out of the woods'' to have insured the safe arrival of half 

 of our cargo. However, we found a brook or spring about 

 every half-mile aud refilled our cans and ourselves with cold 

 water, for the heat in the spruce woods was intense, and the 

 perspiration was dripping from every pore. At 5 P. M . we 

 saw daylight again, and soon emerged on the shore ol the lake 

 at Mr. Chester's comfortable camp, where we found two cold 

 Clear sprines, running into the fake over a stony bottom, 

 which afforded a capital place to empty oar cans and a first 

 rate opportunity for the youog fish to hide among the stones, 

 which they did so effectually, that in less than two minutes 

 hardly a live on- « as to be 'seen out of the whole lot. The 

 dead ones remained on the bottom, and gave us an oppor- 

 tunity to estimate our losses, which he concluded to have 

 been somewhere between one-fourth and one-sixth of the 

 whole. (>| i 



The Cobbosseecontbss Fete.— The Kennebec Association 

 for the Protection of Fish and Game held their annual Pis- 

 catorial Fete, on one of the beautiful Cobbosseecontee Lake 

 ialands, near Augusta, Me., July 4. The lake, which is niue 

 miles long and two miles wide, was stocked niue years ago 

 With black bass, and within the last three years some 30,000 

 Li eked salmon have been placed in its waters. The 

 form of celebration adopted by the Kennebec people was 

 sensible. Suck occasions as these tend to popularize 

 game associations and to enlist public interest in their work. 

 The morning was devoted to bass fishing by quite a number, 

 who arrived on the ground eaily. They had good luck and 

 fine sport. The bass were of unusually large size, several 

 weighing three and four pounds each. Nearly all the risb 

 were caught with flies and by trawling with from fifty 

 to one hundred feet of line, from boats, and in shallow 

 water. Old irout fishermen declared they never had better 



sport on llangeley or Moosehead Lakes. Daniel Whitehouse 

 was champion, catchiog 35 bass, some of them weighing. 

 font-pounds. Major Nye and Captain F.lack caught a fine 

 String of fi-'h, weighing 35 or 40 pounds, and many ethers 

 caught fine lots. Dinner was served at 1:30, to which Hon. 

 E. M. Stillwrll had contributed a 12-pound salmon. At 

 3:80 the band stopped playing, and G. W. Martin, President 

 of the Association 



ffentUmerk— In calling this Association to order, I take the 

 Occasion of expressing my pleasure at meeting so many 

 members, and in observing 'he growing interest in our an- 

 nual Piscatorial Fete, I feel it fs well to thus meet on this 

 beautiful lake, in the groves of this green island, for "the 

 groves weie God's first temples. " Like the aboriginees, who 

 once lived on the banks of our rivers, we come here to hold 

 our ceremonies at the opening of the fishing season. It is 

 an Indian custom where salmon are plenty to gather at the 

 falls and walch for the first run of fish, and then give thanks 

 by dancing and singing ; holding it as a sacrilege, an offence 

 to the Great Spirit, to kill the first fishes that pass, because 

 they believe ihey are bolder aud stronger, and will find bet- 

 ter 'spawning grounds in higher streams, aud furnish abund- 

 ance of fish' for the next year. So we, in a more rational 

 way. protect our spawning fish, and have gathered here to- 

 day to have our little " war dance," and celebrate the grand 

 work we have accomplished. 



The Association transacted its usual routine busiues3, and 

 added several members. The Secretary's annual Teport was 

 rend, showing the Association in a prosperous condition. The 

 Ctisbnoc Heights Gun Club had a spirited glass ball shoot, 

 n. A. Thorndike winning the club badge. There were 13 

 entries in the. rifle match. The piscatorial prize, a large bass, 

 was won by E. W. Moore. The rifle shooting was very fine; 

 Eus. Clement, Steve Russell, Thorndike, Fish and others 

 made good scores. 



%ntnt<il ]§i&Utr§* 



Migration of Some Warblers Through. 

 Summit, N, J., During the Last Spring. 



1. Mnioiilta mria, Black and White Creeper.— First seen 

 on lb- 23d of April. These birds breed here. 



2. ParuVi americana, Blue Yellow-backed Warbler.— First 

 seen on the olh of May, and afterward becoming very com- 

 mon. Left about the 12th of May. 



3. Hebminthopaga pinus. Blue-winged Yellow Warbler. — 

 Obtained a single specimen on the 30th of May. Breeds 



4.' Hehninthoplmga rvficapilla, Nashville Warbler.— First 

 seen about the 10l.il of May. Saw none after the 11th. 



5. Dendr&ca astiva-, ~\ ellow Warbler.— First seen about the 

 10th of May. Breeds here. 



(3. Dendiam sirens, Black-throated Green Warbler.— First 

 seen May 3, and were- common until about the 9th of May, 

 alter which lime I saw none, though these birds are said to 

 breed here. 



7. Dendraca MruUscens, Black-throated Blue Warbler.— 

 First seen Mav 2d. Tuis bird is not very plentiful in this 

 part of the country. Lett, about the Olh of May. 



8. Dendrnvri anvnata, Yellow-rump Warbler.— First seen 

 on Ibe 28d of April, afterward becoming very common. The 

 day before they left they were so numerous that one tree con- 

 tained about fifty. The next day, May 12, there was not one 

 to be seen. 



9. Dendrum hUicMumia>, Biockburnian Warbler.— Saw a 

 single specimen on the 8th of May. 



10. Dendraea striata, Black-poll Warbler.— First seen May 

 12. At the dale of writing (June 4) il is still here. 



11. Dendroxa eastanea, Bay-breasted Warbler.— Saw a 

 single bird on 4th ol May. 



12. Dendrcecama-vh.;.! Black and Yellow Warbler.— Saw 

 a single bird on the 18th of May. 



13. Dendrwa palmarum, Yellow Red-poll Warbler.— First 

 seen on the loth of April, and after that became quite com- 

 mon. They left about the 28th of the same month. 



14. Dendrasca pinus, Pine Warbler.— Saw a single bird on 

 the 4th of May. 



15 OeolMypU triehas, Maryland Yellow-throat.— First seen 

 on the 0th of Mav. Breeds here. I found a nest containing 

 five egaB on the 17th of May. 



16. Deqdrcm pennnylvanfca, Chestnut-sided Warbler.— 

 First seen on ihe 0th ot May. Left about the 12ih. I have 

 seen none since, though they are said to breed here. 



17. listeria ■nirem, Yellow-breasted Chat.— First seen about 

 the 7th of May. Breeds here. 



18. Hetophaga ruticilla, Redstart. —First seen May 7. 

 Breeds here. 



Geo. Lawrence Nichols. 



flippers, and smooth off the surface so nicely that the novice 

 is at a complete loss to determine where the nest is located. 

 The best w ay for the novice to find a nest is tt> take 

 and thrust it into the sand, all about ;he area of their opera- 

 tions until the eggs are felt. I found but one nest on this 

 trip with eggs, but this one contained 1R0 eggs, the largest 

 number I have ever found or heard of In one riest. The eggs 

 are soft-shelled, perfectly round, white and about the size of 

 a pullet's ege. They are considered quite a luxury. A pe- 

 culiarity in their cooking is that they cannot be boiled hard. 

 They are not as hearty as hens' engs, and a man can easily 

 eat a dozen at one meal. Now is the time for the hear hunter. 

 One hunter killed three bears in one night on the beach by 

 lying in wait for them on the top of one ot the numerous 

 Coast Survey tripods that are standing af>ng the beach. These 

 tripods are excellent places for this purpose, as they are so 

 high that a good view of the beach each way is obtained and 

 the bears cannot scent the hunter; aud last, but not lesst be is 

 out of the reach of bruin's claws, and free from the annoy- 

 ance of mosquitoes and sand flies. Ai. L Gator. 



A Strange Nesting- Place. — A curious instance of the 

 persistency of a pair of blue birds in building in an unnatu- 

 ral place has recently occurred under my notice. On the cam- 

 pus of the State University at Minneapolis stand two cannons 

 which are used evey morning in artillery drill, and from which 

 blank charges are frequently fired. A few days since a pair 

 of blue birds selected one of these guns as a nesting site. The 

 nest was accordingly built, but, of course, had to be removed 

 next morning. This was repeated for several days, the nest 

 built one day being destroyed the following morning. At 

 length one morning, the person whose duty it was to charge 

 the gun did not look to see whether the nest was there or not, 

 but rammed down the cartridge with a will. On trying to 

 fire the gun it would not go off, so the load was drawn and an 

 examination made, which disclosed a nest and the parent bird 

 jammed into a scarcely recognizable mass against the breech. 

 Perseverance is a commendable trait, but in this case, at least, 

 it resulted disastrously to the poor bird. Observer. 



SKUNK BITE. 



Fort Johnson, N. C, .April 19, 1S79. 

 Editor Forest and 8tkeam : 



1 have just noticed tn a recent number ot the Forbst and STnEiM a 

 short notice on the subject of " SkunS Bite." When a boy, fa Ohio, I 

 had, among other dogs, a Scotch and a boll terrier, and both, for some 

 reaaon beA known to themselves, Beeraed to have an Inveterate haired 

 for ihe skonk, and bo constantly botited and killed them, that, especi- 

 ally daring wet weather, trn-y became almost as offenetve aB the delec- 

 table tknnk himself. I have known both, and especially the hall, to 

 have frequently been severely bitten, but always without serious re- 

 sults, aud never then knew nor hesrd thnt the bite was dangKrauB. I 

 have since heard on the Plains and In the far West that the bite of a 

 sknnK was dangerouB, bat never saw a person who could say so from 

 his own per.-oual fcuowleige, and thus far have classed such stories 

 with thoBeof yuur moon-spoiled Dish. I do nor, however, doubt that 

 this animal m»y become rabid any more than I do that a-h may spoil, 

 moon or no moon. Bat I Imagine that the cues ol rabid skunks are 

 extremely rare, at. least east of the Mississippi fliver. On the rieBurt 

 and alkaline plains it the far West, where water and sustenance are 

 sometimes scant, such oases may be much more frequent. s?. 



How Ska Ttjrtxes Depositi: Their Eggs.— TibtitoUte, 

 e., Fla., July 8 - Just returned from a surveying- 

 trip to Crane Creek, 45 miles south of Titusvdle. Went over 

 to the beach and saw plenty of deer tracks. Three deer 

 killed by the hunters while 1 was there ; two in one day. 

 Iheir tracks are very numerous on the beach side of Indian 

 River. The sea-turtle, principally logger-Beads and green 

 turtle {Thakisfoclidyt aiouna and Chdonia mydo>), are now 

 laying their eggs on the beach in great numbers. Found ten 

 ne'slsln walking a quarter of a mile on the beach, just above 

 high water Nearly ail the matB had been robbed by the 

 bears f Umi* nmcfh-auvs), who patrol the beach nightly lor 

 this purpose. The tracks of these fellows are very numerous 

 in the sand. The numerous deep holes, about the size of 

 half a barrel, and the manv hundreds of empty shells scatter- 

 ed about atiest to the tboroughneea of their work and their 

 unfailing instinct in finding the nests. The turtles leave a 

 plain path in the sand where they crawl up from the water 

 and return but the exact point where the nest is made often 

 puzzles the experienced hunter, as they paw up the saud for 

 five or six feet about the nest, and often make false demon- 

 strations as if for the purpose of misleading the hunter. 



A\ ben they have decided upon a place lor their nest they 

 excavate with Iheir flippers a hole, m the sand a foot to eigh- 

 teen inches in diameter, and two feet to two and a half feet 

 deep, in which they deposit their eggs, closely packed one 

 over the other. The eggs, from 90 to 100 in number, hb the 

 hole to within a foot or a foot and a half of the surface. They 

 then cover them over with sand, packing it hard with their 



JPtl? Uftffff/. 



ROCHESTER DOG SHOW. 



OWIKG to the short time for organizing this show, the 

 entries were very small — 112 in all— and most of them 

 for exhibition only, which, we suppose, means free entries. 

 The time for holding the show undoubtedly kept many from 

 sending their dogs, but the building it was held in was ad- 

 mirably adapted for the purpose ; indeed, we have never seen 

 one better suited. The dogs were all placed in large, roomy 

 coops covered with wire, which could bo easily opened. The 

 Judge, Mr. A. B. Lamberton, assisted by Mr. Williams, of 

 Dansville, conscientiously discharged his duties, and, take it 

 all through, very satisfactorily. 



The English setter classes were a fair good class. In the 

 dog class Mr. Maedona easily won with Eanger Rival ; his 

 Dash III. (Decimal) did not arrive in time to be judged. Mr. 

 Francis' Boy, a very handsome black, white and tan dog, got 

 second, and deservedly bo. Bip, owned by Isaac H. Andrews, 

 of Spenceport, was V. H. 0., and right well he merited it. 

 In the class for bitches were some good ones. Mr. A. 3. 

 Francis took first with his Whirlwind (Rob Roy-Juno), a 

 handsome bitch, but a little under size. Mr. Asa L. Sher- 

 wood's Grace took second. We fancied his fine setter bitch 

 Moll for this place, but she was out of coat and condition. 

 Mr. Weighell's Fan, V. H. C, has the making of a good one 

 in her. 



The puppy class was very good. Mr. Francis' Tony should 

 most certainly have had first instead of Net. In red or red 

 and white setters, Mr. Whimey'H Sport, Syracuse first piize 

 winner, took first, hut had Mr. Macdona's Rover II. arrived 

 in time the tables would have been turned. Mr. Weighell's 

 second prize dog, Jerr, shows his age v o much to commend 

 him. In the Irish setter bitches Mr. Weighed took first and 

 second with Breeze and Bird, two very good ones. In the 

 puppy class Mr. Weighell again took first. 



The Gordon dog class was only very moderate : not at all 

 up to the high standard that we have seen at New York, Bos- 

 ton and Philadelphia. In the Gordon bitch class only one 

 entry, but a rare good one, exhibited by Asa L. Sherwood 

 Puppy class very fair. First should certainly have gone to 

 Don, owned by Mr. Tan Velyer, of Oneida, but we fancy 

 the judges thought he was over twelve months, and he cer. 

 tamly looked to be so. Pointer dogs extra good, including 

 Mr. Macdrna's Croxteth, a second prize winner at Haoover ; 

 Prince, a first prize winner at Albion j Don, another Syra- 

 cuse first prize winner, owned by G. W. Dakin; Bob, who 

 took first at the last N. Y. Show, owned by Isaac Weighell— 

 all four good, besides other good ones, particularly the young 

 dog Sensation IL The judges were a long time in deciding, 

 but finallyagreed to split the prizes, equal first going to Crox- 

 teth and Don, and equal second to Bob and Wink. The lat- 



