AUGUST 26, 1880.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



67 



Editor Forest and Strenm : — I notice that the snaJre is 

 coming to the front, and perhaps the following true tale 

 may he appropriate to ti)e snaik column : A few years 

 since I was engaged in clearing a scruh-oak lot, and 

 one day while I was resting T heard in the brush just in 

 front of me a snapping of twigs : on looking to discover 

 the cause, I found a black snake, some three feet in 

 length, in the act of swallowing a striped snake ; they 

 were both twined around the twigs, the striped one hold- 

 ing on for dear hfe,' but the black was too much for him, 

 and had engorged more than one-half of his victim when 

 I flret fouiid them. I watched tliein till 1 Sijw the tip of 

 the striped snake's tail disappear down the black's 

 mouth, when, with a quick stroke of my bush-scytho, I 

 cut tlie reptile in two, when, to ni}' surprise, out ran the 

 striped snake, apparently unharmed, and made liis es- 

 cape. Webb. 



Pevihina, D, T., Attg., llth.— Editor Forest and 

 Streavi .'—In a recent issue of Forest and Stkeam, a 

 correspondent gives some items upon the capHcily of the 

 ophidian guUet, to which I will add my experience. 

 When a boy of twelve, I once killed a lait^p striped snake. 

 He bulged out so strangely, thai 1 cut him open and 

 found a huge toad nearly as liroad as inv liand, and still 

 able to Idck feebly. v\ hether or not the snake Relieved 

 in jewels in the toad's head, he evidently considered the 

 species valuable for dietetic purposes, and from the 

 shape of the npUl^-of sedentary habits, it might with 

 propriety be called a '' square meal." M. A. Bkown. 



Pleasant Plains, Aiig. IZih.— Editor Forest and 

 Strea7ii : — Noticing your article in paper of Aug. 5t.h, on 

 the cannibalistic snake, I would sav 1 killed one Tueadar. 

 Aug. 10th, imder similar eircuinsta'nces. AVhile out after 

 woodcock 1 came upon a black siird:e ov,_-r lour IVet lone 

 in the act of s Hal low iiig a lai-Re Rarfev snake, lie had 

 him lialf way dosvn, and evidently iidended making a 

 clean J ub of it. Tie lav inutioide^s uiilil I struck limi 

 with a stone, and tlien ejected the gaiter snake, which 

 was nearly used up. the neck just h.iek of the head be- 

 ing lacera'ted. The black snake then rai.sed his head to- 

 ward me in a tlireatening manner, making no etfort to 

 escape. I could detect no hisaing. It would seem from 

 this that snake will eat snake, and that the viotini is 

 Beazed by the head. Capt. Clayton. 



-Aji 0-\-change contains the following item with regard 

 to aji enormous rattlesnake recently received at the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, which i.s interesting. It is as lol 

 lows : — 



The largest rattlesnake probably, that has ever been 

 seen in Washington, arrived at the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion on .Saiurday from Florida, forwarded by Mr. .Tames 

 Bell, who is in that Stale on special duty from the Inte- 

 rior Department. The snake belongs to the Crolalux 

 adamanteiis, or diamond rattle family. It is about eisht 

 feet long, will measure twelve inches fivoijnd the body and 

 has twelve rattles and .a button on the end of its tail. It 

 came in a close- woven canvas liag, ttnd avhs at once 

 dropped into a large square wooilen liox. ^vit)l wire work 

 sides and a shding covei-. prepareil for the reception of 

 venomous reptiles. Not lia\'ing been fed for some time 

 it is particularly ferocious, and Us rattle is constantly on 

 the shake whenever anyone approaches or there is any 

 noise in the room where it is kept. This monster .snake 

 is to be killed in a da.\' oi- t svo, for the purpose of taking 

 a plaster cast of it. The manner of killing for this pur- 

 pose is by putting the serpent in a close vessel and ad- 

 mittuig a sponge saturated witli chloroform. This pre- 

 serves the lorm so that a life-like cast may be taken. 



ALf-UNOES. NO DoTjVT.— A correspondent from Wawa- 

 yanda writes tn i,s about some cre.am colored rats with 

 puik eyes which are multiplying ahonl his buildings, and 

 asks if they are alhinoes. file describes them as abun- 

 dant .and more hold than common rats, and states that 

 they do much damage, gnawing everything within reach. 

 We think there is no doubt that "they are albinoes, 

 for white rats and mice usuaily, or often, produce albi- 

 noes. 



Food of Svuikrfxs. -- WnuHiyanda, Aiu/. 14//*.— 

 Editor Forest mid Stream .■--Living in a locality where 

 squirrels are qnue iniiueious, I have noticed they do not 

 subsist entirely on nuts and acorns, as a great niany pieo- 

 ple suppose they do. A number of the little ground 

 squirrels liave taken up their abode in the ice house only 

 a few steps away from the dwelUuK house, and almost 

 any time these lit:ile fellows can be seen scampering 

 around the yard. A short time since, in compajiy with 

 some frienns, we were watching one of tliem jilaymg 

 around, when aU of a sudden lie jumped in the air' and 

 caught a large black beetle, and tUeu qtuetly sat down 

 on his hautiohes and pnUed off the bug's heaU and eat it, 

 and then tuiished the Ijody with an evident relish. Again 

 I noticed the same little animal pickins; blackberries off 

 a bush ami eating thi-in, seemingly enjovmg them \-ery 

 much, ily brother, driving aloug'the 'road one day, saw 

 a red squirrel descending a tree trom a robin's nest with 

 one of the eggs in its mouth, and scamper off in the 

 woods with it. Wallkill. 



Red squirrels are great robbers of birds' nests. 



Fenibina, D. T., Aug. llf/i — Editor Forest and Stream : 

 — ^In your last number I see a communication which I 

 recognize as coming from an old friend, in regard to the 

 economical habits of the gray squirrel, and would like 

 to add my coidirmation. In the fall of 187G, while stroll- 

 . ing through an orchard in Oliio, I saw a squirrel rim into 

 a pile of rails T^itli a l;u-ge nut in his moutu, Prompted 

 by curiosity I overturned the pile and found no less than 

 three pecks of butternuts suugly piled in a cavity. The 

 store was tempting, but admiration for the industry of 

 the little ■■ varmint" prevailed over cupiditj', and I re- 

 placed the rails and li^ft it undisturbed, 



M. A. Bkown. 



MocKiNO Bird in Canaba.— The Stratlrroy (Canada) 

 Age. of July 1st, notices Ihe appearance on tire grounds 

 01 Mr. L. H. .Smith, of that town, of a mocking bird. 

 This spf cies is not often fovmd so far northward, and 

 its occurence In Canada is notewoithy. 



gisJf gtiltur^. 



—Address all communications to "tor est and Stream 

 Publishing Company, Neto York.'' 



NEW YORK FISH COMMISSIOIT. 



To the PitbKc :— 



The Governor of this State declined to give his sanc- 

 tion to the usual appropriation for llni maintaintmce of 

 artificial fish culmre, the means whereby the pnhlie 

 waters of the State have been stocked w-ith the choicest 

 game and food fish to an extent tha.t hns erei'l.'d plenly 

 where before there was scarcity. Tins nnloiiked for ac- 

 tion, the reason for which has not been conini\inicated to 

 the Commissioners of Fisheries, leaves a valuable public 

 property in waters, buildings, hatching appliances and 

 stock of fish without the means of available use or even 

 of preservation. The stock lish, many thousand in num- 

 ber, requiring daily care and feeding and caiialilo of pro- 

 ducing annually .5.'000.ni)0 of fry. .are the fruit of many 

 years' careful selection and breeding, and if lost now can- 

 not be replaced witliout years of labor and many thou- 

 sands of dollars expendilure. Tlie State hatchery of Cal- 

 edonia, acquired at a cost of .^1.5.000, is. in respect to its 

 supply in quantity and quality of water, its equipment 

 in tire moat approved apijliances for breeding, its skilled 

 and experienced operators, its supply of stock fish, and in 

 the succeus which has attended all its operations, tlie most 

 complete and valuable of its kind on the west side of tue 

 Atlantic Ocean. AVIiat ha.s been done by the commis- 

 sion toward replenishing exhausted waters with ihelinest 

 game and food fish is too well known to the public. The 

 multiplication of shad in tlie Mn.lson River to the extent 

 of many million each year, so that tlie cost to consumers 

 has been largely reduced within the last ten years, alone 

 justifies all the appropriations that have been made by 

 tne State for the promotion of artificial fish culture. 



The commissioners cannot consistently with the duty 

 committed to them by the Leifistature permit this valu- 

 able property and the important interest involved in its 

 use to go to decay and destrin-tion by reason of the re- 

 fusal of the Executive to Kaneti..ii the appropriations ne- 

 cessary for its support. They tlietefore annouiu'e to the 

 public that the operations of the St.ite hatchery will, if 

 need be, and as far as shall be necessary to save the State 

 from loss, be continued under the personal responsiljility 

 of the members of the commi.ssion, after the close of the 

 fiscal ye-ar and until the Legislature shall have an oppor- 

 tunity to revieAv the action of the Governor, in the hope 

 that tlie eidightened sense of the members of the law- 

 making jjower will sustain tbein by making tlie iieeessai-y 

 appropriations at the earliest possible stage of the session : 

 or, failing to do this, will provide by law for such a dis- 

 position of the properly as wUl save the sacrifice which 

 may result from a failiire to provide the requisite current 

 support. Robert B. Rooskvki.t, President, 



RtCHAiiD a. Sherman, 

 EuciE.N'E G. Blackford, 



August inlk. Commissioners of Fisheries. 



These are good words and bravely spoken. The com- 

 missioners stand in the gap and will not allow the re- 

 sults of the work which has been done in past years to go 

 to waste. Many men would throw up the whole affair 

 in disgust at the false economy which saves at the spigot 

 and wastes at the bung, but the New York Commission 

 is made of better stuffc They know that the people of 

 the State are with them, and are aware that their work 

 is for the general good, but it is well for the people at 

 large to know that these men who give their time to this 

 matter and occasionally receive abuse from short-sighted 

 people, serve without the slightest pecitniary recompense, 

 seeking their reward solely in the consciousness of having 

 done good deeds, and in the knowledge that their work 

 is appreciated by all who have piaid the .slightest atten- 

 tion to political economy. It is needless at this late 

 day to enter into any explanation of the character of 

 their work or its benefits. 



The local press throughout the State is commenting on 

 the loss tliat is entailed by tlie Governor's veto, and the 

 great New York dailies also come out strong upon it. 

 After speakingof the good work of the commission the 

 Herald says :— 



Unfortunately the State Exeoulive, amid his manifold 

 duties, has not had his attention directed to these facts, 

 and in a spirit of economy, which would be highly laud- 

 able were it more intelligent, he ha^ refused to sanction 

 the annual appropriation for artificial fisli enlture. The 

 natural efi'ect of this \eto would be tiie inime.liate ruin 

 of a valuable and flourishinK establish iiieiit which could 

 not lie replaced for years. From suek a misfortune, how- 

 ever, the'state will be temporarily saved by the public 

 spirited and patriotic conduct of tlie commissiouers 

 —Messrs. Roosevelt, Sherman and Blackford— in con- 

 tinuing the oper.dions of the State hatchery up.ai their 

 personal respoubibility until the next Legislature can re- 

 view the action of the Governor. There cannot, of course, 

 be any doubt of the action of that body. 



In this connection it may be proper to say that a pri- 

 vate citizen has ottered to give five hundred dollars for 

 tJie use of the commission, if needed, and it is to be hoped 

 that his example will be follosved. Surely ihe money 

 will be well invested for the future benefit of the people. 



A Good Crop of Salmon Eoas Pkomised, — United 

 States Fish-ery. Baird. tihaslaCuiintii, Cal. Aug.Htli.— 

 We went into camp this year the last week in June, 

 since which time %ye have all been quite busy with the 

 usual work of making preparation.-, for taking the sal- 

 mon eggs. Our intentions are to la!-;e r-ix million of eggs 

 this year, a considerably smaller aiuounc than were pro- 

 cured last season . Three million of tliese ai-e to be dis- 

 tributed in the East, and two nidlion are for the State of 

 California, leaving a margin of a mihion. Of tliose for 

 this Slate, one million will be hatched here at the fishery. 

 and the young salmon will be placed in the McCioud 



River. The other niilliou will bo carried to Pit River, 

 hatched there, and the young tish deposited in tliatriver. 

 Hitherto, high falls hav-e prevented tlie salmon from a.s- 

 cending to the head waters of this stream for the pur- 

 pose of spawning, but the last Stale Le.tcislature appro- 

 priated three thousand dolkivs to remove this ob- 

 struction, a.nd this will open three hundred miles of 

 spawning ground which was 'previously useless. .-Vt pre- 

 sent everything is in readiness for the "spawning season. 

 The bridge of racks is in place to prevent the Kalmoii 

 going up the river, the hatching houses, etc.. are in order. 

 This has been accomplished in a very thorough manner 

 under the genial and efficient supei'vision of Mr. Liv- 

 ingston Stone, with the as.sistance of his practical and re- 

 liable foreman, Mr. J. .4. Richardson. 



There is an unusually large run of salmon this year, and 

 it would be a very easy matter to take several million 

 of eggs were it required. Several parties from San Fian- 

 cisco and other parts of the .State have reeiuited them- 

 selves in this vicinity with the pure waters and air of 

 the McCloud and the sport of hunting and fishin.g. They 

 evidently enjoyed themselves, as they were reluctant to 

 leave, and promised a like "outing" next year. The 

 month of September will be a busy one for us, a Itirge 

 force of white men and Indians will be employed, aud 

 we have every re.ason to expect a prosperous season. 

 Geo. B. Williams, Je. 



I SHAD HATCHING ANT) SHAD LAWS. 



Editor Forest and Stream : — 



I notice, in your issue of .\ug. 5th, in the article upon 

 the work of tlie Conx>ecticut Pish Commission, sn ac- 

 count of their failure in the attempt to hatch shad at 

 and near the mouth of the Connecticut River, It would 

 seem that the attempt was made bj^ the desite of the 

 committee on fisheries of the last Legislature, and 

 against the better judgment of Dr. Hudson, one of the 

 commissioners. It seems to me that a committee of men 

 of sufficient judgment to be intrusted with the duties of 

 legislators would not, in the management of their pri- 

 vate business, attempt such an undi-rtakinc without in- 

 forming themselves .as to its feaslbiliry. They would 

 naturally seek the advice of fish culitiiists. Any intel- 

 ligent authority would be likely fo say that anadromous 

 fishes would not probatily ripen their spawn and milt, to 

 an extent that would insure fertilization, while remain- 

 ing in salt water. The intelligent aud natural conclusion 

 would be that the fish would not be in a condition for 

 fertibzation before reaching their natural spawning 

 ground. Repeated experiments by intelligent and ex- 

 perienced fish culturists show that a large percentage of 

 the fishes are unripe upon their arrival at their natural 

 spawning grounds. The student of nature would argue 

 that the fishes would naturally reach their spawning 

 grounds in time to select and prepare their beds before 

 the arrival of the time for performing the final functions 

 of nature. 



The foregoing expresses my individual opinion as en- 

 tertained for several years past. A few years ago, so in- 

 telligent a trio as the'New .Jersey State Fish Commission 

 wore supposed to be, made the atteuiiit to hatch shad in 

 the Delaware River at Pennsgrove. N. J . a consiibrahle 

 distance from the mouth of the river, hut more than a 

 hundred miles below their natural spawning yrouuds. I 

 at once predicted a total failure of the undi-rtakins- Fi r 

 tjuietly expressing my opinion upon this and some other 

 absurdities of the commission, I incurred their active 

 h(.istiUty. but mv predictions proved true nevertheless. 

 Nota.siiad was 'hatched, hut the State ha.l to pay for 

 the foolish experiment. My opinion upon this sniiject 

 was quite substantially fortified while ma!- ing some in- 

 vestijtations at South Hadley Falls a few -(veel;s ago. It 

 is well known that one of the earliest succe.ssfnl atteinps 

 to hatch shad artificially was at that point. That qui' e 

 successftil and best advertised fish culturist, Mr. Seth 

 Green, was employed, I believe, by both national ai d 

 State authority to make the experiment. After exhaust- 

 ing his fund of experience and other knowled.gc in cor- 

 neotion with the experiment, Mr. Green madeafailnie 

 in the attempt, and packed his boxes, intending to i eturn 

 home next day. In the meantime an old shad fisherman, 

 well known at the falls, besought Mr. Green to let him 

 make a trial, The boxes were tinpacked and the fisher 

 man placed them in a tributary of the river, c(miposed 

 of sprintc water, and the experiment was an immediate 

 success, I hi-lieve Mr. Green received the cretiit. The 

 locally accepted reasons for Mr. Green's failure and tl 6 

 fisherman's success were, that Mr. (treen's experimeit 

 was made hi the warm water of the rivi^-. which was 

 very low at the time, while the tisherm-m's expc-riment 

 was made in the cooler water of the tnlmtaiy. With 

 these reasons the matter rested. I have taken the liberty 

 of pursuing the subject a little farther, and trust your 

 readers will pardon any seeming egotism in my sUte- 

 ment of conclusions : First, it is well known at the fhlla 

 that no shad ever pass over the expensive lishwtiy 

 erected at Holyoke Dam. The result is that the shao are 

 stopped lon.g befoie reaching their natural spawning 

 grounds, antl are, consequently, not in a condition for 

 certain fertilization upon their "arrival at the Falls. This 

 fact would have operated against Mr. Green's attempt. 

 The fisherman, making his attempt later. must certainl.v 

 have found his spawners in a riper condition, yet it is n> t 

 probable that his attempt would have been a success had 

 ho tried it in^ the warm river wafer. His success niu-,t 

 be attributed to the apprnximatelv natural conditions at- 

 tendant upon the experiment, namely, tlie ripe contlition 

 of the spawners and the cooler condition of the water 

 used, both assimilating the natural condition of things 

 as they would have existed had the shad been permitted 

 to reach the headwaters or upper tributaries of the river, 

 their natural spawning grounds. 



A deduction which may be drawn from these premises 

 is, that the close-time laws regulatmg the seining of shad 

 are erroneous. The prevailing laws fix a given lime as a 

 close time, which is uniform for the entire river, as, for 

 instance, from midnight on Saturday till midnight the 

 following Sunday. Now, it has been long known that 

 shad occupy several days in reaching from the mouth to 

 the headwaters of such rivers as the Connecticut, the 

 Hudson, the Delaware, etc. It must be obvious, tlien, 

 that the present close-time laws permit the shmi to pass 

 the iovver seines only to be taken in thi>se a few uiiles 

 above. IE this inierence is correct, then it follows that 

 close time should be ananged progxegsively. A series of 



