Deobmbbk 16, 1880. 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



387 



though they are not to be so easily prepared for cooking. 

 Their flesh needs to be cooked longer thau the most of salt 

 water tjslies, mid is psiieuially trooil in chowders. The skip- 

 jficii or laily-fisb, n sojiain-rciocidivoi tJieSouth, is ii very coni- 

 ijioii fisii and is Bflilum uatcn because of its soft flesh aiid fine 

 Ivouesj yet it is exeelleut fried when fresh. Tilt- Creoles of 

 tJiia viciaityocc^isioDully eat them. The loadliah {Batmchv.i 

 tau), resembling somewhat the sculpin of the Korth, hasverj' 

 palatable flesh, wliieli cau be used to best advantatje in chow- 

 ders. A sea variety, recently descrilied as Baii'ocfiwi tau, 

 mibep. pardm, Goode and Bean, is considered a great delicacy 

 among the French of New Orleans. 



Gare, or bill fish {Beloni4(B), are very numerous on the 

 southern coasts of this country, yet are" not eo,tt<-ii in many 

 places. I attribute tlie prejudice against them Lo i.lieir fortii 

 and the color of tbeir bone?, which are of a greenish )me, for 

 there c*in be inj ci-iis'^ for dislike to their flesh, which is firm 

 and swecl rnid ran hi; vi^ry easily prepared for use. All whom 

 I have I-:nri\vn to ippt ilioLr edible qualitiea have spoken high- 

 ly of tlieui. 



Tlie saud-divcns, gownarde- {Triglidm), and tho yeliow-tail 

 (Elar/i/.iis p;nfuilnt.vji\ are very fair food fishes, and are in- 

 variably thrown .■i\7ay in this country as valueless. The last 

 mentioned is eaten in many places in Cuba, and at Havana 

 appears in the market uncooked, and uiion luo stre-et* cooked 

 and all ready lo lie served to customers. 



^rniiy of ibe countless number of female flsli commonly 

 call ed ill iimows jnnkri agreeable and nutritious food when 

 co'ji:ed in certain ways, and as they can be caujfht easily and 

 in large quantities would sell cheaply. The Spaniards and 

 Italians are very fond of these minnows cooked in soiips or 

 stews. Of this' class I have tested with good results two or 

 three kinds, chiefly Clkii-ontunM pf^ohiMninr. Goode and Bean; 

 silver sides or friar, C. voffrov. TV. ■,'-'',,•/-- r/;;ni)ify, Bairdand 

 Girard, and C^'^wVcxirfiTi iJc-^vV^t'/ /■<, r„ir. 



Among other uncommou dishes I have noted the use of the 

 cowtiah {OntrarMm ^widnwr/iM), as baked in its bony cov- 

 ering. Some specie* of Tr'irot}ont,i(f<B, puffers or blow-fl,sh 

 and llie sqnid. 



Tbis last is ninie commonlv used than the other, and Is 

 highly eslppincil by Mie ftRlicrm'en of the Northern and West- 

 ern Gulf co:i:.|.s as cooked in soups. There !vi-e instjmces 

 among these peojile wliere squids and shrimps are eaten raw 

 even while yet alive, but is !iy no means a common practice. 



If those of the readers of ynur valuable paper who ar.i fa- 

 vorably situated or spejid some of their time on yachting and 

 camping excursions would interest themselves in this matter 

 and test the edible qualities of some of the unsightly fi.shes 

 that they are in the habit of throwing away, I will venture 

 to predict that they will bs pleased oftener than disappointed 

 with the result. StLis Stbabss. 



it seems to me the remedy for the present trouble to be in 

 reopening the inlet at the spot where it was originally located 

 by the commissioners— the only legal location ever made. 

 There are many men ready and willing at once lo go to work 

 without compensation and dig out the inlet at the old loca- 

 tion, but are detcncd Ijy I'car of pmiishment under the 3d 

 section of the law sliould they so -lo. Thi8,aection provides 

 thai any person, wlio sliall open or aid in opening any inlet 

 or inlets contrary to tlif flutliority of the commissioners shall 

 be deeme'i euiltv of a mi"idcmeatior. Ir seems to me such 

 fears are gro.uiaics>^. Tlie roniuiissionors nave "locaiwl" 

 the inlet ai the western point, tlicy bavin;: fmiiiority to pro- 

 hibit openings only ''at otbcr puinlb-," all anbst'<iueDt " re- 

 locations" being without authority and void, th(-y have no 

 right or authority to proiiibir an' opening at tlie point of 

 original location. If the residents wish to save Iheir bay as 

 a shooting resort, let them some day tliia month go in a body 

 to the westerly point, the point of original location, and dig 

 oil! an inlet. .Ttistitia. 

 .. ■«■-. 



^ RANGE OF THE CATFISH. 



AS a further evidence tliiit the sta.i . " E. Sier- 



liug, of Cleveland, O'l'wbo is r. -inl and 



accvrrato in his assertions, in FoKEST ,. "..ivcm- 



ber tlrh. Vol. 15, page S87, that " t.«i: t-xntan- Northern 

 range of the catfish is, you may lie certain, about Lake 

 Erie" is not correct, I wish to present to your readers the 

 following facta: 



My boyhood days were spent on my father's farm in Niag- 

 ara County. Nfw York, on the shore of Lake Ontario. And 

 I used to frr-ijucntly speud the pleasant summer eveninsa in 

 flslung for eels and but Uieadg from the beach, .^n,. in |. ^ T 

 would' set my rod liy fastening the butt in n , r 



otherwise, leaving the l)aitedliook in the lake I'- . , ,"i 



generally had t be whole Une tied into a cIok,- :..,,,, aiumi 

 eel in intiniato proximity a.s the result. Bui ojin nmining, 

 when i reached the lake, I found my rod with the lip nearly 

 in the water, and could see what to my boyish eyes appeared 



p;ig and Qnn. 



Thk man who tMnks that he can. afford to pay tlie farmer's 

 boy more for r/iwU tlian the boy h paid by the boggage-VMstein 

 k invited to »end his address to this office. 



DISCUSSING THE GAME LAW. 



THE regular montldy lueeting of the Long Island Sports- 

 men's Association ivas lield at the lioval Arcanium 

 Room, Music Hall, Brooklyn, Dec. Ill, Prcsjifcnt Cbappell 

 in the cbair. Mr. Abel Crook reported that he liad gone be- 

 fore l;he Supervisors of Queens Couniy lo a.ddrcBS them on 

 the aub.jccl, ol! uialdng a law in Queens' C:ount_Y sjnular to the 

 one now in force in Ulster County, wliieh would proliibit the 

 killing or shipping of all wild .game for market, excepting 

 wdil fowl. This created considerable (Uscussion, a portion oi 

 the members thinking tliat ancb a law would make enemies 

 of the farmers. Judge tx.t said that a large majority of the 



fai'mers of Queens C'ormty wer 

 It was finally deciden lou!sk the 

 lo enact it. The Coney Islaiul 

 L. B. Steers, President, wl 

 elected by acclamation to tin 

 Captain Steers IhanJied I in 

 members of Uio ciub w^re luw 

 with the gun, but ibcrc wi-re a j 

 Judge Lot remarked that 

 island llod and Gun Ciu' 



p only a catfish— proba- 

 of lymrse, I cannot recol- 



ccific characteristics well 



■' I •in: ,. which made me 



n.nd there- The 



H Ash. 



OlKOl. 



THE DEATH TTIAP IN 8HINNE0OCK BAY. 



'^ Nbw Yobk, December 7, 1880. 



Editor Forest and Ht/reain: 

 I have road with great interest your articles on " The 



Death Tnap in Shinnecock Bay." :jrr. Lane, referre/1 to in 

 the ar!!c!e in your paper of Norcnher 11, i= niistakcn in say- 

 ing the lai\' giving power to the cominissionnrs l;o i^H-aie lin 

 infet was passed in 1880. The la.v,- was passed in 1877 (see 

 Session Laws of 1877, chap. 303;. The following is a copy, 

 vei-batfrn, of this law, taken from the Session Lrwh of 1877 : 



[Copy.l T, .,.--. ,,„. 1S77 r:r,,r.r,.„ :-!«..■, 



An A,' 

 toapp'i' 

 ticO:;': 



SBCr.. ■•■.],....-:,,,; 



we h'-a 'wrriKl i.r 



i.'.j.-ki.iiy, Juthe 

 miBBionBrs so ap- 

 ■-r Hiioh s point fts 



hay. 

 BhaU'ha 



Ba.v, liuU to pruvout or i 

 inlet* at any othor poinr 



id B. 



,^. .ncra shall hold olfic* until l 

 Hiiuled, and Bhall be subject to 

 ard of Snperriaora. 

 r ijiiriion.s who .fhaU onnn or aid 

 i fhn Atlantic n,---:-. 



t. the 



opemug any 

 it gliinnocodc Bay, 

 1-1-- hereby appointed. 



• §3. A'n'r:' 

 iatetorn 

 ooutrtl 

 »hall 1 



Tbi> . . Jill naattei;, and 1 have lately given it 



some allcmloii, liaving recently been at Goodground and 

 witnessed the evils mentioned ii> your nrlicies. There lias 

 been no amendment to this law, and I can find no other law 

 relating to this inlet passed since that year 1877. 



The commissioners have, aa I have been informed, "re- 

 located" the inlet at a point east of the fornier locntion. This 



has given rise to dissatisfaction amon . ...ni.i,.,it<; along 



the Bay for the reason, as it is claim -■ at the 



"relocation" will not rnn more ti: ; that it 



will cortaiul)f c.lo.so in a short time n head of 



water wliicli has accumulated will have run out and a delay 

 of many niomhs will ensue before water vriU accunudate in 

 the bay sutiiL'iem tr> open another iidct. Tt i- complained 

 also thai no steps will ' ' , ' ' , , ' , , , n 



the inlet at the "relo 

 of all this will be thu 



sort. Itseemstome, ,,,.....;.u^ i,.y i.,,;. ,.,....- i...' i,- 



for all this is simple and is in tiie hands of any of the resi- 

 dents who possess public spirit enough to carry it out. 



First. This so-called "relocation" is entirely outside the 

 authority of the commiMoners. By section 1 of the law of 

 1877 it is made the duty of the c'omraissioners, within one 

 year after the passage of the act, t.o locate the inlet. This is 

 the only authority given them to locale an inlet, and it is 

 plain that after the "one ye^r" has elapsed, i. c. after June 

 1 . 1878, they have no power l^o locate an inlet. They did lo- 

 (tjte the inlet during the "one year," at the westerly point, 

 aud it was opened <lnd remained opened till i-ecently 



It Is clear that the coramisaioners having in accordance with 

 law "located" the Inlet at the westerly point, as soon as they 

 had done so w^rc " fmictns ollicio" as far as locating Ihe in- 

 let is concerned, for the law gives them power t-o locate an 

 iidet "at such a point as may to them seem best for the in- 

 terests of the people residing on or near Bhinnecock Bay." 

 They decided that the westerly point wfis such a point, and, 

 having done so, and having located an inlet, their authoritr 

 to locate came to an end. 



Second. .\s it was almost the unanimous opinion of the 

 resideuft near the Bay with whom I conversed that this 

 westerly point wa-s the only proper point for an inlet, the 

 only point where one would remain open any length of time 



to be a whale, but. which provor; 

 bly AiHmru.i iiirrrh-.m-, : altlioui;-ii, 

 loct, if I had known rlien. thp ?; 

 enough to Iiecertain. It weigln i n 

 high hook among the boys ;n : 

 flirsb was -white, solid, flaky, n 



Both the hook and line wev'^ 

 of which would have held hjn. 

 for tiie dmli.'ity of the rod, ^vh: 

 it must, and take when it conl-L 

 fact that the rod should alwajs l<ill 



Qnmd Itapids, Mirh. 



v^ 



In a recent issue of yom- papei-. Dr. Sterling .says : ' ' The 

 exti-eme Northern Umit of the catfish is, you may be certain, 

 about Lake Erie." During the past .summer I took a number 

 of them in Lake Rosseau, OnlH.rio, and in the Magnetawan 

 River. Both these localities are considerably north of Lake 

 Erie. " C. B. 



Drcmiber 7, 1880. 



Is rr THK Polk Fr-otraDER ?— The Belfast, Me., Journal 

 mentions a strange fish which should be sent to Prof. Baird 

 for identification. It says : " Mr. OoUius has at his 6=h mar- 

 ket in this city, a specimen of flounder entirely dirfHrent from 

 what are usually caplured in onr waters. For two j eais, late 

 in the fall, this flounder has made its appearance in our har- 

 bor and lakeii ihe iiook qintc readily. 'Mr. Collins says that 

 they arp. tlie rtp«p gea or Arctic iiouiio.: r. The fish run very 

 large, weighiu,g ou an average one pound each. Another dif- 

 ference is that the deep sea flounder isnowflllcd vithsuawn, 

 while the inshore variety do not spawn until .iprin;.' The 

 deep sea flounder is caught off the coast in traps, or dyers, as 

 the fishermen call them. These traps are made something 

 like a lobster trap in which flsh food is jilaccd to tempt them 

 inside. 'When once within the pound of the trap tlie flsh is 

 secured aud is hanled in by the lishermeu. They arc a very 

 excellent pan flsh." 



LnwASTiB BLAOKPOBDiL^In Speaking of the immense 

 numliers of J,his flsh which have within a few years occupied 

 a prominent place in our sea-board markets the New Orleans 

 Dmaoorai, says : 



By a visit to our principal markets yesterday we learned 

 that during the past week there was au" enormous importation 

 mto this city of that highly-prized iuxm-y and valuable 

 article of food, the riid-snapper. The supply of this flsh 

 along the whole coa."l is inexhaustible. The red-snapper 

 grounds are estimated to extend 900 mUes. It is only a ques- 

 tion of laloor what amount can be caught. They are found 

 in countless myriads at all seasons, in a cej-tin depth of 

 water, say from fifty to eighty feet. They are caught with 

 lines having a mnuber of books, which are eagerly seized by 

 the fish. It ia pretty hard work- to draw up tliese lines with 

 such a umnher of these heavy flsli attached to lliem. Wind- 

 lasses are frequentlj- used to draw tboni up. In a very few 

 hours Ihe \v(;]ls of I iif r-mack" are tilled with them. To pre- 

 vent their lioaliu,.:, and keep lUnni alive until the port is 

 re:icl\f'd, ii ia nHi'.^.ssary ro redu'vi (heir bidk by compressing 

 ihe large ar<a-ss of air aocuund,aled in their long passage 

 from a gnat d¥|.iti> of water in which they are brought to the 

 surranf". Tlii-- i«doiic by a small incision just below the gills, 

 whi -h • a vent through which tiie air escapees until 



the n^ n. its natural size, so that it sinks and 



kpfi . i :y. It was thron.gb this simijle suages- 



tion ; niapper became a great commercial "fish. 



Previously it was found diiticiilt to bring them to market 

 fresh. Now they can be caught in far greater abundance 

 than anr ot l\nr trsh. There is a large fle«t and a lai'ge nmn- 

 ber oi ■ '1 in tbisflshery. As the value andclieap- 



o]ier begins lo l)e generally appreciated 

 I this industry will be gi-eatly increased. 

 .t-.,->i- .,,ifi r-i.-,;.,. o-i" •■inrtation. we be- 

 1 in its propor- 

 ries of Massa- 

 in the Gulf is 



1 la^n a- .ji' just such a law. 



per\ isors ol' Queeu.s County 



ida-i'l ilimiClub, Capt. W. 



ajUers, wa.s thau 



1 said that the 



■ c '-. ,.r,;,i, ,,,Lh tiie rod than 

 Utvi ij;..i(j(i .shots . among them, 

 the President of the Coney 

 ome on the rod he might have 

 a chance to meet Seth Green and give him a proper "steer." 

 Capiiiin Steers was then elected a member of the committee 

 on tisli and game. 



It was decided that the presiden.t suouid call a special 

 meeting of the executive committee lai aj.i'ojr.t ...uij-cuunnit- 

 teea. Mr. Crook made a motion, that uus carried, to the 

 effect that the asswiation should apply lo [ha Lcgi:,latm-e 

 for a charter of coix>ration, which ^vo^dd give llicm the power 

 to elect constablet,, to einploy detectives, to purchaae game 

 and flsh for ijreeding pm-posc^, lo punish tresp.assing, to 

 furnish lic<'nwfi I o shoot, and constitutiug each member of 

 liie a,s3(Xaation a game constable. 

 Tiie prize eonirnillne repoioal progress, and were granted 

 iiiL-smn to increase thrai- iiiijjih.er if they saw fit. Mr. 

 n"l s Pike was then requi^sted co u<idr(-ss the meeting. 

 ■ ['ike read the following papnr: 

 ilimbfi-.t of the L-iiiij f.-i.i/id Aii<ocini'>')K~Poi- the past 

 year I have e.xerted myself as niucli as jiossilile in gaining in- 

 formation from conineteiil persons relative lo raVr existing 

 game laws. From my own observations also I am convinced 

 that alterations and additions .should be made to them to pre- 

 vent the wiiolesale destruction now going on, not only of our 

 game, but of our song birda, which at the rate it is now pro- 

 gressing mast end in thfir extirndnation. Below I append 

 the changes I would rerommend in our game laws. 



"Relative to the shooiing ot wild ducks and geese. — The 

 use of floating batteries, luachmcs or other devices whereby 

 the guun.T is concealed, or siiootiug therefrom; use of do- 

 coys or constrnctinn of bow houses at dislanre from the 

 shore of niore than twenty rods should be a misdemeanor of 

 Long Lslnml. Si.iliug far thnni, iw slKjoting from sailing or 

 steam vesstlsov siriiranrHp attached t^i ihc" sami.', should lio 

 made rai-deineanoiH with added penal! ies ; liroughout the 

 Stale. 



"The reason for which I recommend batiiry .shooting to 

 be discontinued is this: There are many iimsons in the 

 Great South, Peconic and Shmnecork Bays who <im\ fia- a 

 liviuff, and siiin incessantly from dayught till dm '. nil I'fi.-^n 

 fariDto Ihe night through the wliole season, ". ■, i. i- ,-..11 

 known to Bportsinen that if ducks and gcesf ■■ ■• /m- mu iy 

 disturbed iit night or eaily morning while on ili.-ir fr-.:oini; 

 CTOimds they will eventually desert the phaaa Tinj, laic 

 Governor Dix once told me tiiat it was his opinirai thai iiat- 

 tery shooting was quite destroying tlic sport, as ducks weie 

 yearly becoming scarcer and leaving their accnai i 'miai liaunls. 

 The law as it now stands for killing these liinis t.irr-.vcan sini- 

 set and daylight, with or without a lantern, is ail ri^rhl. 



" Ciu-lews, godwits, willets, sandpipers, sniim and all l.iirds 

 commonly Icnown imder the name of snipe, — A -rrinu^nnt law 

 should he passed proluhiting the shooting of ilinsn birds ex- 

 cept between the 1st of Autcuf^t imd the Is: of Januarv. 

 Spring shooting should cn-tainly he forbidden. 



"Quail. — Alaw should be passed preventing the shooting of 

 quaU on Long Island for the next three yeans. They have 

 become so scarce of late years that there are comparatively 

 few left. I am informed by sportsmen tliat trapping, robbing 

 of neslB and shooting rait iif .-.easou are rapidly exterminating 



ness 



throuL. 



WitUL,.,.,.., 



lieve thai in 

 tions and exK 

 cbnsetts. Theabmi-i 



equal, if not superior, |o ibril of !h^ cod off the coast of Now- 

 foimdland. It is a far i)etter flsh than either, aud involves 

 less labor and expense in fllling the demand and in trans- 

 porting It fresh to any of the inferior towns. 



The Mabketmbn sj-e now recflivins large quantities of 

 game, both large and small. The largest portion is received 

 from the following States : Kentuclcy, Massatdiusetts, Vir- 

 ginia, Maryland, New York, Iowa, Nebni.ska, Missouri and 

 liie Red River region. 



them. In my rumfjifc 

 dozen in a week, v ^ 

 ^>uld heai' them cal 1 i l 



"RuSed grouse or 

 preventing these bh 

 Formerly they wer' 

 they arc so st.sirco In 

 is not soon p«ssn,l our pa: 



■ Woodcock. — The lim 

 changed. It ought not to 

 ber. I vvonld like to leave i 

 that sportsmei 

 quail liv uiista 

 Octoh..' -■-■■ 

 their I 



their 

 sportsi 



udldo not meet half 'a 

 ' a the breeding season I 



i I. c lion. 



vould reccommend a law 

 'ing shot for three years. 

 ! on Long Island. Now 

 ■ivwhere, and if this law 

 ■_ei wil! soon bo extinct, 

 ir shootinu this bh'd should be 

 molested until the 1st of Octo- 

 l umi! the 1st of November Cso 

 aoiild have no c.-iciisc for slrooting veamg 

 . If woodcock .are shot before the "ist of 

 •■• poor condition, and have not acnuired 

 ^ome Ih.at .1 Bv.v shot m An^iusr (lid not 

 -••re ihin in iicsh and th.' oriinaries of 

 ■ 1 fully e.xpanded j and I think Uial uvcry 

 jrec ihat the change is a good one. 

 Kails.— Clapper, sora, Virginia and lesser rails.— There is 

 no law relative to the protection of these birds, and I would 

 recommend there being one prohibiting the killing of thoui 

 for the next three years under a penalty of tJtlO for first of- 

 fence, and for second imprisonment in the county .jail for 

 thre« months. Rails, rm.-e qo viurnerouB about our niarsbes, 

 creeks and rivers, in nrl there shoifld be no de- 



lay in passing this i-. I lilfi are very pi'olific lay- 



ing from sixteen to r i , r r a time, there is a regular 



system of robbing the ne.-ts by persons living in the viLonilv 

 of the ma.rshe8. 



"Eagles, night hawks, martins, whip-poor.wiUs, swallows, 

 woodpeckers, mea.rlow Inrks, thrushes (Titrdii.^ wn/ra/oriiu, 

 robin, excepted), warVders, and all the native song iiirds.— I 

 would have ihr |v,^,ial!y tor killing any of the.sc lards .f fO for 

 the first offen.sc and for Ihe second imprisonment lor not less 

 than twenty days nor more than three months in the county 

 jail, and forfeiture of gun. One gi-cal cause of this whole- 

 sale destruction is the small boy, allowed to carry firearms, 

 who shoots at overytliing that flies. Ijaat smnmer I saw in 



