FOREST AND STREAM. 



Shad, Oh!-— In our issue of Dec. 2d we announced the 

 appearance of shad in Florida waters on the week previous. 

 Almost simultaneously, or about the 25th of November, they 

 were caught in the Savannah River, and in the Neuse River, 

 . below Newbern, N..- C. This is early for shad, even in those 

 waters. This fish is a luxury, but not to be enjoyed ex- 

 clusively by our Southern friends, it seems, for Middleton 

 & Carman, of Fulton Market, and Chappell & Storer, soon 

 after received some fine shad from both sections, and sold 

 them here on our own slabs. Enterprise, money, and 

 steam will accomplish most anything. 



— A school of whales made their appearance off South- 

 hampton, Long Island, on Saturday last. 



The FrsHERiES.— A quiet week with the fishermen, as 

 the Georges and Bank fleet are mostly hauled up, and the 

 intensely cold and blowy weather has been unfavorable 

 for any very extensive operations with the shore fleet. 

 There have been 13 arrivals, 7 from the Banks and 6 from 

 Georges. The receipts of fish are veiy light, comprising 

 225,000 pounds of Bank codfish, 80, 000 pounds of Georges 

 codfish, 25,000 pounds of Bank halibut, 2,800 pounds Geor- 

 ges halibut . There is not a great stock of marketable fish 

 in the market, and business is remarkably good for the 

 season. 



Mr. David Eldridec/of Nantucket, during the last five 

 years, since the first bed of sea clams was discovered on 

 the flats, has dug eighteen thousands three hundred buck- 

 ets, which he has sold at an average of twenty-five cents 

 per bushels— in the shell, amounting to $4,575, or nearly 

 $1,000 per year. 



The whales taken on the Northern Coast the past season 

 were very large, with very heav}^ bone. One whale made 

 284 barrels of oil, and two others made 540 barrels. 



The catch of the Arctic fleet will average about 1,350 

 barrels to each vessel, and the amount of whalebone, in- 

 cluding that taken in trade, will be about 270,000 pounds. 



Prince Edward Island oysters are sent to England packed 

 in oatmeal, and by the time they reach London they are 

 plump and wholesome, commanding about sixty cents a 

 dozen. 



The Newburyport fishing fleet will make their headquar- 

 ters at Portsmouth from this date during the Winter 

 months. 



Codfish are being shipped from Halifax . to Newfound- 

 land. — Cape Ann Advertiser, Bee. Uh. 



— San Francisco has a whaling fleet of eleven vessels, 

 and the catch this season yielded 16,000 barrels of oil, 150,- 

 000 pounds of bone, and 20,000 pounds of ivory, the aggre- 

 gate valuation being $500,000. 



Aticamrjiunications from Secretaries and friends slwuld be mailed no 

 later than Monday in each week. 



HIGH WATER. FOR THE WEEK. 



Date. 



D6c. 



9 



Dec. 



10 



Dec. 

 Dec. 



11 ...,-. 



12 



Dec 



13. 



Deo 



14 , ... 



Dec. 



15.... 



Boston,. 



New York. 



H. M. 



H. M. 



7 57 



4 43 



8 57 



5 42 



9 56 



6 43 



10 55 



7 39 



11 56 



8 38 



eve. 60 



9 37 



1 47 



10 31 



Charleston. 



H. 



3 

 4 

 5 

 b 

 7 

 9 

 9 



M. 



57 

 57 

 56 

 56 

 55 

 10 

 47 



—The steam yacht Skylark, hence for St. Augustine, 

 Florida, was reported at Savannah recently. 



— The Brooklyn Ice Boat Clubs— the Prospect Park and 

 Capitoline — were favored with ice clear and strong enough 

 last week to launch their boats on, and consequently the 

 latter club placed the Flyaway on the ice on, December 1st, 

 and Capt. Hallock enjoyed the first sail of the season. On 

 Friday, Dr. Chadwick, of the Park club, sailed his Lady 

 of the Lake on the large lake at the park before a light 

 breeze, and on Saturday Mr. Culyer's boat, the Icicle, was 

 launched, but the thaw which set in on that day stopped 

 the sport. Capt. McLoughlin and Mr. Weed, of the Capi- 

 toline Club, will launch new boats the next day the ice will 

 admit of sailing, and four new boats are to be added to the 

 Prospect Park Club fleet on the large lake. 



College Rowing Association. — The sixth annual con- 

 vention of the Rowing Association of American Colleges 

 was held at the Massasoit House, Springfield, on the 1st 

 inst. Fourteen colleges were represented, and the follow- 

 ing officers were elected for the ensuing year:— President, 

 Oliver Stevens, of Bo wdoin; Vice President, B. E. Warner, 

 of Trinity; Secretary, N. W. Cadwell, of Hamilton; Treas- 

 urer, J. H. Haynes, of Williams. Trinity was readmitted 

 into the association and given a vote in the convention, her 

 failure to be representedln the last regatta being owing to 

 the death of Mr . Cameron while the crew were in training. 

 It was decided to row the next year's race in heats in case 

 the selected course shall be too narrow for fourteen crews 

 to row abreast, the crews to be divided by lot in two equal 

 fleets, which are to row on the same day, the third Wednes- 

 day of July, both races to come off within the space of an 

 hour, and the two winning crews to compete for the cham- 

 pionship on the day following. A motion to have cox- 

 swains in future regattas was lost by a strong vote. The 

 most important business of the committee, however, the 

 selection of a location for the regatta of 1876, was finally 

 left to be decided by a special convention to be held at the 

 Fifth Avenue Hotel, in this city, on the 4th of January, 

 and appearances indicate a strong want of unanimity on 

 this point. The courses at Springfield, Saratoga, and New 

 London are to be examined by a committee, who will re- 

 port at the next convention. The English universities, 

 Oxford and Cambridge, and Trinity College, of Dublin, 

 Ireland, are invited to row against the winning crew some 

 time next Summer, soon after the university race, the race 

 to be a six oared race, without coxswains, and to be rowed 

 on the course chosen for the next regatta. The convention 

 elected Thomas Hughes, M. P., of England, as umpire, 

 and Mr. Chitty, of the London Rowing Club, to serve in 

 case Mr. Hughes will not accept. If neither will serve the 

 umpire will be chosen by the captains at their meeting next 

 Summer, The Regatta Committee for 1876 comprises B. 

 F. Rees, of Columbia; J.E. Eustis, of Wesleyan, and S.. 

 A. McCall 5 of Dartmouth. 



Massachusetts at the Centennial.— Capt. Henry W. 

 Hunt, of the Aquatic Department of Massachusetts at the 

 Centennial Exhibition, has recommended Mr. Paul Butler, 

 son of Gen. Butler, and Mr. John W, Frazer, of the Bos- 

 ton Boat Club, as the delegates on the Executive Commit- 

 tee of the International Rowing Regatta. The Eastern 

 Club, at a meeting on Friday evening, appointed a com- 

 mittee to take action in regard to a proper representation 

 at the Centennial. 



\ntionnl §z$times. 



THE CENTENNIAL NINES. 



The season of 1875 had no sooner ended than prepara- 

 tions were commenced for the Centennial campaign, which 

 promises to be the most brilliant year of base ball playing 

 known in the history of the game. Before the present year 

 expires, eight clubs will have prepared themselves for the 

 grand tournament of 1876. First on the Jist comes the 

 Chicago Club, which the coming season will be run for 

 the first time on the "Boston plan." Their Centennial 

 team will be White, c, Spalding, p., McVey, lb. and 

 change pitcher, Barnes, 2b., Anson, 3b., Peters, s. s., 

 Glen, 1. f., Andrus, c. f., and Addy, r. f. Next come, 

 the Hartf ords, with D. Allison, c, Cummings, p., Mills, 

 lb., Burdock, 2b., Ferguson, 3b., Carey, s. s., York, 1. f.s 

 Remsen, c. L, and Bond r. f . The Bostons, in 1876, will 

 present McGinSey, c, Borden, p., "Josephs," Murnan, 

 lb., Beals, 2b., Schafer, 3b., George Wright, s. s., Leon- 

 ard, 1. f., O'Rourke, c. f., and Manning r. f. The first 

 Southern representative professional nine to enter the 

 arena, will be the Louisville nine, which will consist of 

 Snyder, c, Devlin, p., Carline, lb., Gerhardt,2b., Hague, 

 3b., Fulmer, s. s., Ryan, 1. f., Hastings, c. f ., Bechtel, r.l, 

 and change pitcher, Chapman is the club manager. The 

 St. Louis nine for 1876, will include Clapp, c, Bradley, p., 

 Dehlman, lb., Battrie, 2b., Miller, 3b., Pearce, s. s., Cuth- 

 bert, 1. f., Pike, c. f., and Mack r. f. This is a strong 

 team, but it will need better management than it had last 

 season to succeed. 



— The local professional nine known as the Mutuals, 

 will consist of Hicks, c, Mathewes, p., Start, lb., Farrell, 

 2b., Nichols, 3b., Halliman, s. s., Booth, 1. f., Halds worth, 

 c. f., and Cassidy r. f. and change pitcher. The 

 Cincinnati Red Stockings will enter the arena in 1876 with 

 the appended team. Pierson, c, Fisher, p., Gould lb., 

 Sweasy, 2b., Clark, 3b., Kessler, s. s., Suyden, 1. f., Jones, 

 c. 1, and Field, r. f. 



—The Athletic Club have not yet selected their team, 

 but Al. ReaclWs to manage it, and the players will include 

 Coons, c, McBride, p., Fisler, lb., Sutton, 3b., and 

 Jones, s . s. 



— The Philadelphia Club, at a recent meeting, adopted 

 a resolution requiring their club officials and players to go 

 before a magistrate and take oath that they would not 

 "sell" a game, or allow a game to be "sold" or "given" 

 away. Before this was adopted, it was proposed to engage 

 Higham, Zettlin, Malone, Nelson, Radcliife, McGeveny, 

 Treacy, Craven and McMullin . Since then a new nine 

 has been selected. 



. Greco-Roman Wrestling.— The match between Andrew 

 Christol and Prof Bauer, the California champion, will be 

 decided at the Grand Opera House on Saturday evening of 

 this week, the balance of the stake money, $1,000, in all 

 having been deposited. Col. T. H. f Mostery has been 

 chosen referee, and there will be no restrictions as to grips,* 

 the winner of two falls in three taking the stakes. This 

 promises to be the best of these contests as yet witnessed 

 in this city. 



—The foot race on Saturday afternoon at Mott Haven, 

 between W. P. McNaughton, of Greenpoint, Long Island, 

 and William Harris, of Norwich, Conn., two hundred 

 yards for $250 a side, was won by McNaughton, by one 

 foot. Time— 23 1-5 seconds. 



— Recently there was a lifting match at Eureka, Nevada, 

 between two men, for a prize of $200, the winner lifting a 

 fifteen pound dumbbell at arm's length the greatest num- 

 ber of times. The loser lifted it 1,130, the winner 1,144 

 times. 



—Skating for the season of 1875 and '76 was inaugurated 

 on the Capitoline Lake, Brooklyn, on December 1st, on 

 which day a clear, glassy surface of ice three inches thick 

 cevered the lake in question. The sport was enjoyed there 

 up to Saturday afternoon, when the ice began to soften 

 away to the rise of the temperature. The Prospect Park 

 lakes, too, were covered with ice three inches thick, on 

 Friday, but no skating was allowed there as the lake is 

 nearly seven feet deep. 



— « — 



—From the new catalogue of Yale Callege it appears 

 that its officers and students number all told 1,250. Of 

 students, there are in the undergraduate classical depart- 

 ment 582, distributed as follows: Seniors, l5o; Juniors, 

 122; Sophomores, 155; Freshmen, 180. The latter is the 

 largest class ever entered at Yale. Then comes the Scien- 

 tifics of the Sheffield School, distributed into three classes, 

 viz.: Seniors, 52; Juniors, 63; Freshmen, 72. The rest are 

 graduate students, special students and 217 in the profes- 

 sional colleges of Theology, Law and Medicine. 



College Athletics. — In pursuance with 'a call issued 

 by G- W. Greene, of Harvard, and G. C. Webb, of Yale, 

 a number of delegates representing various college athletic 

 associations, met at the Massasoit House, Springfield on 

 the 4th inst., for the purpose of forming an intercollegiate 

 athletic association. The convention was organized by the 

 election of Mr. Greene, of Harvard, as Chairman, and Mr. 

 Marquand, of Princeton, as Secretary pro tern. Ten colleges 

 were represented, as follows: Amherst, Columbia, Cornell, 

 Harvard, Princeton, Union, Williams, Wesleyan, and Yale! 

 It was unanimously voted that an association be formed 

 which should have entire control of the athletic sports to be 

 held in connection with the intercollegiate regatta, Messrs. 

 Wallace, Plait, and Hammond, were appointed a Commit- 

 tee on Permanent Organization and after consultation they 

 reported, with same slight exceptions, in favor of the con- 

 stitution which hud been prepared by Mr. \V;ebb. r of Yale, 



the same being adopted by the convention. The name of 

 the association is "An Athletic Association of American 

 Colleges," and its object, as expressed in the constitution 

 is "the promotion of athletic sports among the members 

 and its respective colleges by meetings and friendly con- 

 tests." There is to be an annual field meeting held at the 

 time of the annual college regatta, under the direction of 

 the Committee on Athletic Sports. All races shall be de- 

 cided by judges, one from each college represented. All 

 disputed questions are to be referred to an umpire who 

 is to be chosen at the annual convention, and whose de- 

 cisions are to be final. . Prizes are to be given by the asso- 

 ciation in all of the contests, but no objection will be made 

 to receiving prizes from outside parties. Another conven- 

 tion is to be held at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in this city on 

 January 5th. 



Rules For Foot Ball.— We have been asked to prio t 

 he rules for foot batl, as observed in the games played in 

 our American colleges. The rules vary very considerably 

 with different colleges; but the following, being those 

 adopted by the delegates from Harvard and Yale, appoint- 

 ed to select and arrange them, may be taken as the stand- 

 ard. They are the Rugby Rules somewhat modified:— 

 concessionary rules. 



I. The grounds shall not be more than 400 feet nor less 

 than 300 feet long, and one-half the length in width. 



II. The goal posts shall be 20 feet apart. 



III. The number for match games shall not exceed 15 

 nor be less than 11. 



IV. Time of game shall be left to the discretion of the 

 captains, but shall in no case exceed two hours, and that 

 side shall be declared victor which, at the end of the allot- 

 ted time, shall have secured the majority of goals. To se- 

 cure a goal the ball must pass between t he goal posts and 

 over a cross line ten feet high. 



V. After a goal has been won sides shall be changed and 

 the losing side shall kick off. In the event of no goal 

 being won at the lapse of half an hour, ends shall be 

 changed. 



VI. The ball may be caught on the bounce or fly, and 

 carried; the player, so carrying the ball, may be tackled or 

 shouldered, but not hacked, throttled, or pummelled. No 

 player may be held unless he be in actual possession of 

 the ball. No. batting with the hands is allowed. 



VII. When the ball passes out of bounds the player first 

 touching it shall advance to the point where the ball went 

 out and throw it in at right angles to the line. 



VIII. Every player is on-side, but is put off-side if he 

 enters a scrimmage, upon his opponent's side, or, being in 

 a scrimmage, gets in front of the ball, or when the ball has 1 

 been kicked, touched, or is being run with by any of his 

 own side behind him (that is, between himself and his 

 goal line). Every player when off-side is out of the game, 

 and shali not touch the ball in any case whatever, or in 

 any way obstruct or interrupt any player until he is on- 

 side. 



IX. A player being off-side is put on-side when the ball 

 has been lacked by, or has touched the dress or person of 

 any one of the opposite side, or when one of his own side 

 has run in front of him, either with the ball or having 

 kicked it when behind him . 



X- In kick-offs, the winner of the toss shall have the 

 choice of side or kick-off. The ball must be fairly kicked 

 —not babied, from a point— (to be decided by the cap- 

 tains.) 



XI. Until the ball is kicked off no player shall be in ad- 

 vance of a line parallel to the line of his goal and distant 

 from it (to be decided by the captains). 



XII. Two judges and a referee shall be determined upon 

 by the two captains of the contesting sides. 



XII. In match games a No. 6 ball shall be used, fur- 

 nished by the challenging side and becoming the property 

 of the victors. 



XIV. The ball cannot be taken from off the ground, ex- 

 cept for a kick, and it must be kicked from the poiut 

 where it was taken from the ground. 



XV. No hacking, throttling, tripping up or striking 

 shall be allowed under any circumstances. No one shall 

 be allowed to wear projecting nails, metal plates, or gutta- 

 percha on any part of his shoes. 



XVI. In case of foul the referee shall throw the ball per- 

 pendicularly into the air to a height of at least 12 feet from 

 the place where the foul occurred, and the ball shall not 

 be in play until it has touched the ground. On continued 

 transgression of these rules by any player, the side to 

 which he belong shall lose him. 



Obituary. — We are called upon to chronicle the death of 

 Mr. Christopher O'Connor, which occurred Friday, De- 

 cember 3d. No person in the billiard world was better 

 known than Chris O'Connor, as was also his famous estab- 

 lishment, Nos. 60 and 62 East Fourteenth street, this city. 

 One great secret of Mr, O'Connor's success was that for 

 one of his liberal instincts and profound love of sport he 

 was remarkably attentive to business, foregoing many a 

 personal gratification in order to insure the comfort of _ his 

 patrons. He was charitable to a fault, beloved by his inti- 

 mate friends, and those with whom he mav have differed 

 at times on matters appertaining to billiards will now 

 look in vain for some one who can fill his place. Particu- 

 larly will American players miss him, as he was always 

 over- zealous in their interest and that of American bil- 

 liards. Mr. O'Connor leaves a wife but no children. It is 

 proposed to inaugurate a tournament shortly for the benefit 

 of his family, and Mr. Sheridan Shook has kindly offered 

 the use of the Hippodrome for that purpose, or any other 

 that may be deemed advisable to further the same object. 



All Sorts.— Gamier has challenged Cyrille Dion for 

 that medal. Report says that Maurice Daly has a challenge 

 in, which is two days older, and Cyrille Dion will forfeit, in 

 which event the former wins a second time without a strug- 

 gle that mysterious piece of gold. . . .Charles E. Bladen, 

 who was in 1865 superintendent of the St. Nicholas billiard 

 room, was elected last week President of the Press Club 



in Centre street Dan Strauss, of University place, has a 



boy of tender years who is wielding the ash in an astonish- 

 ing way. H. W. Collender made the young expert the 

 present of a 4 by 8 table. .. .MacWarble goes this 

 week to Charleston by steamer in company with three 



Collender tables for the Charleston Hotel Simon Burns 



proposes taking a sea voyage this week,- his destina- 

 tion being Galveston For $100 a side at Terre Haute,^ 



Ind. , Grades Frost, ol that place,- beat R. Lowther, of 



/ 



