20 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



markable for their thickness at the shoulders. So distinct 

 is the figure and general configuration— especially as re- 

 gards this latter quality— that we are inclined to believe the 

 bass of Pine Pond and some other ponds to be nothing else 

 than the "Oswego Bass" of our American sportsmen over 

 the lines. However, as regards bass, the truth holds the 

 same as to trout and other fish, the feeding ground alone 

 produces remarkable changes in size, color, and general 

 condition. 



The dams on the Grand River, with one exception at Cal- 

 edonia, are now, we believe, all provided with fish slides 

 orladders. The tributaries, as Smith's and Horner's Creeks, 

 are also similarly fixed at nearly all the mills along their 

 courses, one of the most noted exceptions being Iry's mill 

 on Horner's Creek, which is about ten or twelve feet deep 

 in perpendicular height. This latter is a famous resort for 

 fish, the deep hole below the dam, about eighteen feet at 

 the deepest, being up till .lately, furnished with store of 

 these fish. Black bass spawn naturally, that is, when the 

 state of the river as to size admits, according to our present 

 law, from the 15th May to the loth June. The natural in- 

 stinct of the fish would make this limit in the Grand River 

 even later than the loth June; but we believe the short 

 close times for bass, as well as for pickerel (which is one 

 month later on the list) are as well regulated, as could be in 

 a country of such large extent as our Dominion." 



New Hampshire Fish Commissioners.— The Governor 

 and Council have appointed as Fish Commissioners Colonel 

 Samuel Webber, of Manchester, Albina H. Powers, of 

 Grantham, and Luther H. Hayes, of Milton. Col. Webber, 

 says the Mirror and Farmer, is a gentleman of great ability, 

 has a clear head, and an intimate and influential acquaint- 

 ance with the owners and managers of all the mills and 

 dams upon the Merrimack river, and is a thorough and en- 

 thusiastic sportsman, with full faith in the possibility of 

 restocking our main river with fish. He is, therefore, just 

 the man to secure the erection of passable fish ways, and to 

 bring about the hearty co-operation of all parties in inter- 

 est, so as to give us back the fishing grounds which made 

 glad the hearts of the fathers. Previous boards have done 

 much towards stocking our. lakes and ponds with bass and 

 other valuable fish, but they have accomplished little to- 

 ward making passable the great highway of the ale wife, the 

 shad, and the salmon. Col. Webber's associates are also 

 gentlemen who are well qualified for their positions, and 

 who will work heartily to bring about what needs to be and 

 can be accomplished. 



— -+•->. 



— An exchange says that "Mr. N. K. Fairbank has 

 stocked Geneva Lake recently with fish. About 20,000 

 speckled trout, 100,000 California salmon, 150,000 land- 

 locked salmon, 100,000 salmon trout, 150,000 whitefish, 

 aud about 1,000,000 pike— the offspring of his hatching 

 house— have been deposited in the lake." Were the other 

 fi6h only intended as food for the pike? 



. — ♦ — ■ 



THREE MONTHS OF FIELD NOTES. 



{Concluded from page 4.] 



One little bird puzzled me all the month of May, and 

 still is a matter of doubt- It was a small, dull-colored 

 little fellow, that never came near the ground, but from 

 the outermost branches of the tallest trees, screamed inces- 

 santly: Where d'ye get it? Where d'ye get it? The empha- 

 sis was on the "where," and the whole sentence was always 

 uttered. I did not once hear a break in the song, as is so 

 common with all our birds. My friend, the Natural His- 

 tory Editor of Forest and Stream, heard the bird too, 

 but in spite of a wonderful agility in dodging about among 

 the trees, he could not get fair sight of the restless crea- 

 ture. Since June 6th I have not heard the notes; so it 

 probably was a migrating species. A word concerning the 

 snipe's nest I lately found. It is well known to our gunners 

 that a few snipe yearly spend the summer in this State. 

 In Vol. IV. of the American Naturalist, I referred to this 

 fact in detail. The nest 1 met with on May 26th, was a 

 flat mat of dead grass, in which were three young birds, 

 I should judge about two clays old. On the 29th they were 

 strong enough to run and left the nest, skiuking in the long- 

 grass. They were constantly attended by the old birds, 

 which were very tame, and therefore were easily recognized. 



The hot weather of June kept the birds rather quiet, and 

 and I noted nothing of special interest in the woods; but 

 the waders were unusually abundant on the meadows, and 

 from the 5th to 30th I had noted few or more specimens 

 of the great blue heron; the great white heron; snowy 

 heron (Ardea candidissima); the little blue; the green; the 

 night heron, and both the bitterns. The first mentioned of 

 this list is not abundant, as compared with the smaller 

 species, but by no means rare. The little blue is quite in- 

 different to temperature, and single specimens are often 

 met with in winter, associated with the very common night 

 heron which is a winter resident now, as well as migra- 

 tory. ' The rarest of all these long legged birds, if we ex- 

 cept the great white heron, is the least bittern {Ardetta 

 exdis). I have never found more than a single pair in 

 the same neighborhood. When disturbed, unlike the 

 biff bittern, it 'gives no coarse croak as it takes wing, but 

 with an easy flight goes a short distance and drops again 

 into the long grass, where it is, I judge, most at home. It 

 does not feed on fish and frogs exclusively, but pursues 

 with wonderful agility the grasshoppers that climb the 

 blades of tall grass and stems of the reeds. Finding a nest 

 in 1873 I took a position near by, in hopes of seeing some- 

 thin «■ of the movements of the parent birds when unmo- 

 lested- but in this I was disappointed, except so far as to 

 determine that they returned to the nest (it contained 

 young birds) on foot. For the two hours that I watched 

 them they came and went continually, but not once did 

 they fly as high as the tops of the rushes. Dr. Coues has 

 mentioned a resemblance of this bittern to the rail-birds; 

 when a good opportunity offers to see them undisturbed, 

 this resemblance in their habits, and especially their move- 

 ments, is readily seen. While the larger bittern and the 



herons have each a stately walk, and perhaps cannot run, 

 this little bittern will run whenever the ground will permit; 

 and it can twist and turn in and out among the reeds and 

 rushes with all the agility of a king-rail. I have several 

 times seen these little bitterns, associated with the soras 

 {Porzana Carolina), run out from the grass to the muddy 

 banks of the ditches, and along them for several yards, and 

 then dart in again, never, the while, taking a step that 

 could be called a "walk." Nevertheless, they can step 

 along most majestically, and when, assuming for the 

 time the proper family characteristics, they fish or go 

 a-frogging, they act their part with due propriety; but they 

 seemingly prefer to be like rail-birds, and we see in them 

 that similarity to the habits of birds of another family, that 

 we see in the shrike, as it simulates the hawks. 



C. C.Abbott, M. D. 

 Prospect Hill, Trenton, N. J., July2Qt7i, 



GAME FISHES OF CONNECTICUT. 



The following named species constitute the list of the 

 game fishes found within the boundaries of Connecticut:— 

 ' Salmo fontinalis. Brook trout. Formerly very abund- 

 ant, but rapidly becoming scarce. Although the State 

 abounds in fine trout streams, very few will afford a satisfac- 

 tory day's sport on account of persistent fishing aud no effort 

 being made to restock the streams. I have seen several trout 

 taken from salt water in this vicinity, one of which was 

 captured in a pound net set for menhaden, far from any 

 fresh water. The color of these trout closely resembles 

 that of the sea trout. The back is a light greenish color 

 of metallic brilliancy, shading into white on the sides, 

 which lack the red spots and have a slight rosy tint; the 

 belly and pectoral fins are white. 



Salmo salar. Eastern salmon. Has been largely intro- 

 duced into the rivers and larger streams, but with no direct 

 results as yet. 



Salmo Gloveri and adirondackus. Land-locked salmon 

 and lake trout. Large numbers o'f these have recently 

 been placed in lakes in different parts of the State. 



Osmerus viridiscens. Smelt. This little fish is certainly 

 worthy of the angler's notice. It is very abundant on the 

 eastern third of the coast, and is taken around the wharves 

 and mouths of tidewater creeks. 



Perca jlavescens. Yellow peich. Very abundant through- 

 out the State. 



Labrax pallidus* White perch. Common in the brack- 

 ish slack-water of creeks and rivers, and frequently ascend- 

 ing into fresh water. 



Iioccus lineatus. Striped bass. Abundant in the tide- 

 water of all our creeks and rivers, and along the rocky 

 portions of the coast. 



Grysies nigricans. Black bass. Very abundant in most 

 of the lakes, ponds, aud large streams. 



Alosa praestatilis . Shad. Abundant in all of the larger 

 rivers; rare in the Housatonic, which furnishes them very 

 little spawning ground, as tidewater sets back to the dam, 

 over which there is no fish way. The fishway formerly 

 there was utterly worthless, consisting of a square wooden 

 trough through which the water rushed with such velocity 

 that fish attempting to ascend would be hurled back with 

 great force immediately on entering. 



Temnodon saltator. Bluefish. Abundant on the eastern 

 third of the coast. The young bluefish are extremely 

 abundant in the bays and mouths of rivers from the mid- 

 dle of July until late in the fall, and as they seize any kind 

 of bait with avidily great nutiiUers of them are "yanked 

 out" from around the wharves by men and boys. 



Scomber scomber. Mackerel. Sometimes abundant on 

 the eastein portion of the coast. 



Otolithus reyalis. Weakrish. This fish is here called 

 "succamang." It is common, b.ut not large. 



Robt. T. Morris. 



New Haven, Ct , August '3rd. 



*I must ask the pardon of somi anglers for inserting the names of tliis 

 and tue preceding species. 



-»♦♦- 



Notes from our Correspondents. — W. L. C. (Wor- 

 cester, Mass.) tells of a white catfish which they are keep 

 ing active and well in an aquarium. It was caught in a 

 small lake and weighs six ounces E. P. Wheeler (Rock- 

 laud, Mass.) says that several black snakes have been killed 

 in his locality which we're fifteen feet long; others seen 

 "tliought to be" ten feet long, "and there is one that is 

 known to be fourteen feet or longer; gome think it is 

 twenty feet long." 



-+.-*= 



r THE BLACK SNAKE AGAIN. 



Washington, B.C., August 5th. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: — 



In my note on the "maximum length of the black snake, 1 ' in your issue 

 of June 22d, is part of a btatement of which the essential portion has 

 has been left out, thus rendering the sentence entirely unintelligible. 

 What, I intended to state was that Dr. Hoy killed in Missouri April 21, 

 1854, an Alleghany ulack snake (Coluber obioletus) which measured eleven 

 feet in length. This fact is noted in the Smithsonian Report for 1 854, 

 and not m that of 1874, as I am made to say in the foot note to my ar- 

 ticle. The specimen which my father killed was nine feet eight inches 

 in length, and not nine feet. This gpecies is probably the -longest of all 

 our North American serpents, but is by no means the thickest, the form, 

 being very slender. It is very arboreal in its habits, and may often be 

 seen basking across the branches in the forest, probably lying in wait for 

 some unsuspecting bird or tree frog. It ascends and descends with as- 

 tonishing rapidity, and almost always takes to a tree when pursued. It 

 is usually of a very harmless and timid disposition, but one which I 

 helped to capture— a specimen about eight feet long— struggled violently, 

 and made most ferocious blows when confined against the trunk of a 

 tree with the butt of a long rifle. A curious habit of this species when 

 disturbed is to vibrate the tail rapidly, thus producing a sound when 

 striking against dead leaves very closely resembling the rattle of a rat- 

 tlesnake, the head being raised from the ground and the tongue darted 

 forth in a threatening manner. Robert Ridgwax. 



[While very sorry for the occasion, we are glad that Mr. 

 Ridgway has told us more of this interesting species. Ihe 

 imitation of the deadly rattlesnake, in order to inspire 

 fear in its enemies, is a fine example of the part which 

 (Mr. Darwin would argue) mimicry plays in the evolution 

 of higher and better forms by selection. It is now per- 

 haps entirely intuitive in the snake, yet in its ancestors must 

 seemingly have been acquired by obseivation and intelligent 

 imitation. "Wise as serpents," etc.— Ed.] 



CHARGES AGAINST THE CROW. 



» 



Hamburg, Penn., August 10th 

 Editor Forest and Stbjam:— 



From careful observations, your correspondent is enabled to give his 

 opinion about the interesting but (and deservedly so) much abused crow 

 family. In Berks county, Penn. , the crows, it appears, have their yearly 

 jubilees, as some sects have their feasts, meetings, etc. In the sprinl 

 they congregate together in enormous flocks, countless numbers and 

 then, after a week or so of companionship, follows a general scattering 

 for the woods and mountains. In this portion of Pennsylvania manv 

 crows remain during the winter, finding sustenance in carrion, which in 

 farming districts is more or less abundant. But in the spring, when 

 other birds are building their nests, then is the time that the insectivo- 

 rous tribe suffer most severely from these black marauders, as no sooner 

 does the crow find a nest than it pounces upon the innocent occupants 

 and be they eggs or birds they will be devoured; in many cases the nest' 

 too, will suffer. On newly planted cornfields they will also make their 

 annoying attacks perceptible, and as their shrewdness rs proverbial the 

 farmer's old gun will only tease instead of woik destruction. Ire- 

 gret to state that I cannot append one really honest, sincere, and »ood 

 plea for the thieving family, as they appear in this vicinity. I have fre- 

 quently seen tbeni near my residence on the banks of the Schuylkill 

 River pounce down upon an innocent robin sitting upon her nest, make 

 her abandon it, and then gobble up the nestful of embryo songsters 

 This sight was provoking enough, but then to see the grief -stricken 

 parents fly around the murderers of their "innocents" was a sight that 

 could not help gaining displeasure. It is to be hoped that our ornitholo- 

 gists will aid each other brotherly, and then definite conclusions may 

 properly be arrived at. Oliver D. Schock 

 . .*♦*. 



STICK IN A MOUNTAIN SHEEP. 



Deer Lodge, Montana, July 20th, 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



In your issue of June 29th an article entitled "Sticks in a Deer's 

 Body" called to my mind a very remarkable instance of a similar na- 

 ture. In 1870 Reece Anderson killed a very large mountain sheep 

 (Ovis montana). In cutting open the brisket he was astonished by his 

 tomahawk coming in contact with a stick of wood of considerable 

 size. It was evident that the animal had in jumping, or in being thrown 

 off of some cliff while fightimr, come in contact with a pointed stub of a 

 dry fir limb, which was exceedingly hard, which had entered the centre 

 of its brisket, and passed through its lungs about an inch back of tbe 

 heart. The slick was If inches in diameter, and 11 inches in long. It 

 had broken off just beneath the skiu, and the pointed end reached near- 

 ly to the backbone. The wound had healed over, leaving a slight scar 

 and was of several years' standing, for the auimal was very fat. Tbe 

 stick was inclosed in a cartilaginous case which closely fitted it, and was 

 about | of an inch in thickness, and white. Granville Stuart. 

 . "»«»• ■ 



Arrivals at the Central Park Menagerie July 22 to Aug. 13- 

 One red-winged black-bird (Ageiaitus phamiceus), presented by Mr. Rob- 

 ert J. Stone; two black iquauas (Metopoceros cornutus), presented by 

 CaDtain Williams of the steamship Alps; one mocking-bird (Mmus pol- 

 yglottut); one sea lion (Zalophus Gilliespiei); one common trumpeter 

 (Psophia crepitans), received in exchange; one fawn, born in the menag- 

 erie between Oervus Vvrgimanus and Cervus mexicanus. 



W. A. Conklin, Director. 



\m and Biver Mi 



FISH IN SEASON IN AUGUST. 



PHESH WATER. SALT WATER. 



Trout, Salmo fontiuulis. Sea Bass, ScUznops ocellatus. 



Salmon, Salmo solar. Sheepshead, Archosargus probaio- 



Salmon Trout, Salmo conUnis. cepkalus. 



Land-locked Salmon, Salmo Gloveri. Striped Bass, Rocous lineatus. 

 Grayling, Thy mallus tricolor. While Perch, JHoi one americana. 



Black Bass, Micropterus salmoides; Weakfibk. Cynvscion regulis. 



M. nigricans. Bluelish, Pomatomus saltatrix. 



Mascalonge, Ehox nobilior. Spanish Mackerel, Cybium maeuk- 



Pike or Pickerel, Esoxlucivs. turn. 



Yellow Perch, lerca Jlavescens. Cero. Cybium regale. 



Bonito, Sarda petamys. 

 Kingfisb, Me/dicirrus nebulosus. 



For list of seasonable trout flies for August see our issue of July 27tb, 



FiSBf in Market. — The hot weather renders fish scarce, 

 and prices continue to rule higher than they should at this 

 season. In the great South Bay fishermen have taken up 

 their pound nets, the catches not being sufficient to pay for 

 working them. We quote: Striped bass, 20 to 25 cents 

 per pound, according to size; bluefish, 10 cents; salmon, 

 frozen, 50 cents, green, 80 cents; mackerel, 15 to 20 cents 

 each; weakfish. 15 cents per pound; white perch, 15 cents; 

 Spanish mackerel, 25 cents; green turtle, 12 cents; terrapin, 

 $12 per dozen; halibut, 18 cents per pound; haddock, 8 

 cents; king-fish, 25 cents; codfish, 10 cents; blackrish, 10 

 to 15 cents; flounders 8 to 10 cents; porgies, 12 cents, sea 

 bass, 18 cents; eels~, 18 cents; lousters, 10 cents; sheeps- 

 head, 20 cents; brook trout, $1; pompano, 20 cents; soft 

 clams, 80 to GO cents per hundred; hard shell crabs, $30 

 hundred ; soft crabs, $1 per dozen. 



Business has been so light of late in the Brooklyn Til J 

 Office, that one worthy brother of the angle, Collect 

 William A. Furey, has had plenty of time to go to PecoB 

 Bay after fish, a pastime which he much enjoys. Ttf* 

 weeks ago he got among a quality of large weakf» 

 known as "tide-runners," taking many that weighed I 

 pounds each. We would have mentioned the fact in <>■ 

 last week's edition, but our friend's catch was so large tbaj 

 we could not get it all in that issue. What glorious spo4 

 he must have had in handling a 14-pound weakfish, wij 

 rod and reel and fine tacle, and Mr. Furey will not tail 

 them in any other way, unless he gets so hungry that m 

 can't wait for his fish to play himself ont. Then you ougl 

 to see him go in and collect, with no charge for arrears 

 The way he gathers him in would astonish the clerks i 

 the Tax Office. Next trip he proposes to invite iheli 

 Men's Club to a chowder-gorge down at Pecouic. 



Mr. Fred. Massey, Chief Engineer of the Brooklyn fit 

 Department, is fly-fishing for black bass, at Alexandn 

 Bay, which we know to be very plentiful in those waters 

 When the flies don't take, he uses No. 1 grasshoppers, U& 

 ported from Minnesota. These measure two and a kau 

 inches in length, and five-eighths of an inch across tlrt 

 shoulders. When he proposes to fish, he places one of thj 

 grasshoppers into a miniature plunge trap, like those u8#»j 



