FOREST AND STREAM. 
-JAW 
a006 
North and South Halpahtiokee rivers, in which the soli¬ 
tude is as wierd and unbroken now as when Do Soto first 
landed in Florida. Throughout the whole length of these 
rivers no settlor's axo rings on the air to disturb tho mys¬ 
terious and almost preternatural stillness that broods over 
them. 
The deer come fearlessly down to tho river brink to 
drink, the bears and panthers hold sway in the adjoining 
forests, the raccoon and lynx nightly patrol the hank, the 
fish jump playfully in the dark waters, and the great, 
harmless American sea cow rears its young in safety, 
watched only by the solemn heron and the vigilant os¬ 
prey. Few, indeed, are they who have sailed on these 
waters, and fewer still are the fearless hunters who have 
coursed these forest glades. Occasionally a shingle cut¬ 
ter sails his cabined boat up to the shore and cuts a load 
of shingles of the Florida pencil cedar. Forty years ago 
the hardy United States Surveyor traced his lines and set 
up section corners for the bears to rub against. He de¬ 
parted, and tne wilderness has hod undisputed sway evr 
since. 
But before many years shall pass away the scene will 
change. Civilization is encroaching; the restless settler is 
every year pushing farther and farther into the unknown 
wilds of Florida, and even now men aTe casting ahead to 
secure a homestead or to commence a speculation in some 
way in the lands or products of this region. Then it will 
surely happen that the peace-loving manatee will be 
driven away and they will become but a legend or old 
man’s tale. 
Indeed tho time is within the memory of those 
now living when tho manatee was known far north of 
its present habitat. Old Captain Cuger, of Titusville, re¬ 
lates that he once shot one in Dummett’s Creek, near the 
famous Dmnmett Grove, now owned by Geo. W. Schuy¬ 
ler, Esq., which is near the head of Indian River, and 
about one hundred mileB north of their present northern 
limit. 
The manatee is an amphibious, warm-blooded animal. 
In general it may be said to resemble the Phoca?, or seals, 
but unlike them" is not carnivorous. It has two small 
flippers on the shoulder, shaped much like similar or¬ 
gans in the cetaceans (the whales and porpoises). The 
tail of the manatee is very large and powerful, and is 
semi-circular in terminal outline, lying horizontally in 
the water. It is the principal organ of locomotion, with 
which they can make excellent speed through the water, 
frequently coining to the surface to blow. They can 
travel much faster than two men can row a light boat, 
but not so fast as a porpoise can swim, being much 
broader, heavier, and clumsier than the latter. A full- 
sized manatee will weigh over a ton and will measure 
some fifteen feet in length bv four inches in breadth. 
They have a very small head and very small eyes for so 
large an animal. Their mouth and nose resemble a 
cow's, and like a cow they suckle their young, the dugs 
of the female being situated at the breast like those of a 
cetacean. 
The manatee hunter aims to capture the animal alive, 
and for this purpose quite an expensive outfit is required. 
It consists first, of a large seine net about one hundred 
yards long and six or eight feet wide, made of “ spun 
yarn,’' so called, which consists of three or four rope 
yams spun into one line about the size of a clothes line, 
and very strong. The meshes are fifteen inches wide. 
The head line consists of a strong .rope, and floats made 
of wood, shaped like a double-ended boat, are placed at 
intervals along this to keep the top of the net near the 
surface of tho water. The bottom is weighted with 
small pieces of brick, or stones, just enough to cause the 
net to hang perpendicularly in the water. A large sail¬ 
boat is also required. The hunter, taking the net ill the 
boat, proceeds quietly,to the part of the river frequented 
by tno manatee and’keeps a sharp look-out for the ani¬ 
mals, which have a habit of passing up and down the 
river by certain points. If the look-out perceives a 
manatee in the river above him he knows that sooner or 
later the animal will take a cruise down the river, and he 
proceeds accordingly to stretch his net across the chan¬ 
nel. One end of the net he first makes last to a small 
bush or twig, or, if no tree is available, to a stake driven 
for the purpose into the bank. To this the shore end of 
the net is fastened by a small cord secured to the head 
line, and the stake or bush before mentioned,- care being 
taken to use a cord so small that in its struggles it will 
be easily broken by the animal, for a reason which will 
appear hereafter. ’ The boat is then rowed across the 
stream with the oilier end- of the net, and when the lat¬ 
ter is stretched to its full length, the boat is anchored 
and the net secured by a similar easily broken cord to 
the boat in such a manner that the first struggle of the 
animal will be felt by the occupants of the boat, being 
communicated by the cord to a tell-tale, or the cordis 
fastened to the body of one of the hunters, who now go 
to sleep if night has come on, or perhaps while away the 
time by a game of cards, keeping perfectly quiet. There 
are very likely several mauatee in the river, and before 
long, one attempts to pass by the boat. His progress is 
of course arrested by the net, and his struggles to force a 
passage are at once communicated by the tell-tale cord. 
Unsuccessful in his first attempt to efiect a passage, the 
manatee increases his efforts, and the result is that the 
slender cords holding tne net to the shore and the boat 
are broken and the net with the manatee entangled drills 
away with the current. The frantic efforts of the animal 
only serve to closer enwind him in the meshes of the 
net which doubles and wraps itself around him closer 
and’ closer It is now that the objects of the light sink¬ 
ers and slender holding cords are apparent. The manatee 
is a warm-blooded animal and must come to the surface 
for air every few minutes. If the sinkerB are too heavy, 
or if the net is immoveable in the water, he is unable to 
do this and is drowned. The large floats serve now to 
show the hunters tho location of their prey, and they 
bear down upon it and tow it, with the confined animal, 
into shoal water. Here a large box or tank is ready. 
The net is unwound, ropes are placed around the animal, 
and bv the united efforts of the hunters, he is transferred 
to the box. The box is then towed to the “ crawl.” whioh 
is an enclosure formed by driving stakes close together 
in the water with their tops projecting several feet 
above, and is generally near the home ol the hunters. 
The box is floated into the crawl and the animal let out. 
He is there kept and fed daily until an opportunity ocoura 
for shiDment. This is made m the same large box, winch 
is water“^ht and about half filled with water. Such is 
the method employed by the Indian Biver hunters for 
catching tho manatee alive. It is, however, often shot 
with a rifle, from the shore or a boat, when feeding or 
coming to the surface to breathe, hut the hunter must he 
very quick and expert with his weapon, as they show 
only one-third of the head, and that only for a second. 
The profits of manatee hunting are large. Tho skele¬ 
ton, if properly cleaned, will readily bring a hundred 
dollars, and the skin a like sum if taken off whole, being 
in demand by scientists for museums all over the world. 
The skinning of a manatee is a laborious task, as they 
are generally very fat and the skill is fully an inch thick. 
In color they are a dirty dark brown, and the skin is 
sprinkled with a few hairs about an inch apart. The 
mouth is provided with a few long stiff hairs or whiskers. 
The ribs of the manatee are solid ivory. The flesh is said 
to he very tender and nice by those who have tasted it. 
They are perfectly harmless and inoffensive, allowing 
themselves to he handled in their tanks by any one. Their 
c.hiof weapon of defense appears to be then- powerful tail, 
with which they can strike a tremendous blow. There 
are many facts in regard to the manatee yet undeter¬ 
mined by naturalists; among them, the age to which they 
live, their breeding season (which is believed to be in the 
spring), care of their young, period of gestation, etc. 
Spoilsmen wishing to engage in the novel and exciting 
sport of their capture or shooting, or naturalists desiring 
to study them in their native haunts, can do bo by writing 
to Capt. C. B. Catlin, of Titusville, who will post them aB 
to the season and outfit, and take them in one of his 
staunch yachts to their haunts. Titusville is reached by 
two lines of steamers per week from Jacksonville, via the 
St. John’s and Indian River R. R., and where two good 
hotels will he found. J. Francis LeBaron, C. E. 
P. S. As I write I hear that Mr. August Parks has just 
captured another mauatee nine fe£t long. 
Jfjrfl (fjiltnn. 
FISH CULTURE AND PROTECTION IN TENNESSEE. 
^ Nashville, Jan. 14th. 
Editor Forest and Stream :— 
Since the arrival of the five hundred carp sent to this 
State by the United States Fish Commission, an astonish¬ 
ing interest has begun to manifest itself in fish culture. 
Col. George F. Akers, our energetic State Fish Commis¬ 
sioner, is daily in receipt of letters from all quarters, ask¬ 
ing for seme of the fry, and making inquiries with re¬ 
gard to tlie breeding of fishes as a science. Our Legisla- 
lature at its last regular session voted down a bill which 
was introduced for the protection of fish in our many 
streams, but from the character of letters Col. Akers 
receives, were the same -bill to be presented again, the 
different representatives would bo forced by public 
opinion to adopt it. Some few counties have local pro¬ 
tection laws prohibiting only the seines, traps and gigs; 
yet the increase in fish has been so great that general 
laws of protection would now be hailed with delight. In 
the Harpeth River bass are becoming once more quite 
abundant, and although permitting unrestrained augting 
in its legitimate form, in a few years ours would be as 
fine fishing streams as any in the United States. 
Last week Col. Akers and two friends had a day oh 
South Harpeth, and caught eleven fine bass, weighing from 
one to four and a half pounds. They would have taken 
a great many more hut for the scarcity of minnows. The 
steel back is the bass’ favorite bait, and with the few of 
them that the party had all the fish were caught. One of 
the gentlemen hooked a very large fish, which he says 
(of course) must have been at least a six-pounder. Large 
numbers of a beautiful species of perch are now being 
brought to our market from Reelfoot Lake. They are a 
beautiful dark green, with white bellies, and fins of a 
deep orange color. The flesh is very white and firm, and 
they are a delicious morsel. 
A great many channel catfish are taken on set lines in 
the Cumberland River. They are very good for food, 
a.nd are particularly esteemed by our colored population. 
In the part of the "city where are located the cotton mer¬ 
chants "several eating stands for the benefit of these sable 
citizens are found, from which these fish and steaks from 
the buffalo are sold. About mid-day one of these stands 
offers a picturesque sight that would adoru one or more 
pages of some ol our illustrated papers. It is a pleasure 
to look in the face of a sleek, black darkey, whose whole 
countenance represents one mass of smiles and content¬ 
ment, as he munches away at a pound cut of one of those 
fatty fish, and a huge " hunk” of com bread in the other 
hand. No signs of ‘ ‘ exodus” about him. 
The cai-p which were placed in the pond at the Asylum 
are doiug famously. Their growth has been astonishing. 
When brought here they were as small as minnows get 
to be, and already some of them are over two inches in 
length. It ib a pity that our State Legislature does not 
pass protective laws, and appropriate a certain stun an¬ 
nually to the development of fish culture, and also to ex¬ 
tend it to our game. Tins State could thus be made in a 
few years so famous as a hunting and fishing ground 
that the influx of visitors wouki pay the cost of it. Elk, 
Duck, Harpeth and Stone Rivers — all wit hin easy dis¬ 
tance of Nashville ( to say nothing of the Cumberland)— 
offer such fields for canoeing expeditions as no other 
streams in the Middle States do—passing, as they do, 
through large sections of country where yet a virgin 
forest stands, in which game of all kinds,from the “Bob 
White” to the bear, can be found, and yet having access 
to the mails and telegra ph at a short distance away. The 
introduction of the few carp has been the means of 
getting a pretty general expression of the people, and 
with a few more evidences of encouragement by the head 
of the department, will win over to the cause the most ob¬ 
durate opposers to protection. J. D, H, 
Now out off the water at the inlet of the pond ,- then, 
thiB liquor into the pond and agitate the water tvi> J _,. a ' 
scoop or paddle. When the water has attained a bra \ 
iah taste the dose is sufficient. Leave the water at inR v , 
Mode of Treating Fish with Fungus. —Council 
Bluffs, Iowa, Jan. Slsf.—The manner of treating fish with 
fungus referred to in Forest and Stream of Jau, 8th, is 
as follows If you have small ponds (such as those used 
by the author), 15x30 feet, with water at outlet three 
feet, and at inlet two feet in depth, take a dry water 
bucket: in this pour seven pounds of crude salicylic 
acid and equal weight of soda borax. Mix the two pow¬ 
ders well together while dry, then add a little water suf¬ 
ficient to make a paste ; stir well, then add more water, 
and stir wall again until you have a bucket full of liquor. 
out off for abou t fifteen or twenty minutes, unless the fish 
should before show signs of coming to the surface. Then t 
lot the water in the pond again. The next day follow 
this treatment with a heavy salting. In doing this, cut 
off the water as above stated, and salt the pond grad¬ 
ually, until it is finally quite brackish, when after about 1 
ten or fifteen minutes let the water in at the inlet. Where 
parties have large pondB they can applyfhe same treat¬ 
ment by constructing a small tank for that purpose, with 
inlet and outlet in whioh to place the fish during treat¬ 
ment. The same treatment can he used on small fish 
in the nurseries and hatching houses. 
W. A. Munster, 
J and jjweq Jftilmu]. 
FISH IN SEASON IN JANUARY. 
SOUTHERN WATERS. 
Pompano, Truchinotua earolfnvs. | Grouper. Eptnephelpua nigrtttta. 
Drum (two species). Family I Trout, (bfaeic bass), Centrorj/rta- 
Sciamidm. t is atrrarhts. 
Kingtish, Mcnttcirrua nehulosua. Striped Hass, or Rockfish, Roc- 
Sea Bass, Seianom oeetlalus. cits linmt/us. 
Sheepshead, Arcnosarow proha- Tailorlisb, Pomnlormts sdUatrl.r.. 
toeephalue. Blade Bass, Micropterus wlnxiU 
Supper, Lutfanua blackfordU. | das; 
Fishing Resorts.— Attention is Invited to tlie notice at the head 
of Game Baa and Gun columns. 
Fisa in Market—Ret ait. PiiiCE8i*-Bass, 25c.; smelts, 8 to 
18o.; Bmelts, green, 15c.; blueflsh,12ic.; salmon, frozen, 35c.; mack¬ 
erel, large, 25c.; shad, Southern, oach 60o.; green turtle, 15c,; ter¬ 
rapin,$12 to $30 pcrd 02 on; frost flsh, Oc.-, halibut, I8c.; haddock, 8c.; 
codfish, heads off, 7c.; heads on, 6c.; blackfish, large, 15c.; Boun¬ 
ders, large, 10c.: sea bass, 18c.; eels, large, dressed, 18c.; lobsters, 
live, 10o.; boiled, 12c.; scollops, per gallon, $1.50; soft clums, pet 
]00,30 to 75c.; large, 60c.; whltefish, 18c.; pickerel, Me.; salmon trout, 
18c.; black bass, 18c.; hard crabs, per dozen, 40c.; soft crabs, per 
dozen, $1; red snappers, 15o,; sheepshead, 25c.; terrapin, prawns, 
per gal., $1; smoked haddock, 10c.; smoked salmon, 18c.; dry 
cod, So. 
—We saw the other day at the well known restaurant 
of John Sutherland, in Liberty street, this city, a hand¬ 
some bit of high art in fish. It was a magnificent red 
Bnapper which had been frozen in the center of a large 
cake of clear artificial ice, and so forwarded in state 
from Florida direct to Mr, Sutherland’s counter, The 
fish was Viewed by hundreds of interested epicures ; and 
finally, when the ice melted, they served him up hot. 
Oregon. — Corvallis, Dec. 26 th— Our trout fishing here 
in September cannot be excelled, I think, elsewhere in 
the United States. W. B, 
^ Fine Black Bass Fishing.— Fulton, N. Y. Jan. 19/A.. 
—I am always glad to entertain and show strangers 
where to go, and love to go with them. Our fishing 
facilities are easy to get to and cheap. You do not 
have to go roaming over mountains, through brush 
and brier, but good clean banks and beautiful rapids, 
falls and dams for twenty-five miles, and you can 
wade the rapids below any of the falls or dams. In 
this twenty-five miles there is the finest bass fishing in 
the world." There are seven dams and two beautiful falls. 
These are all on the Oswego River, which is the outlet 
for the following bodies of water -.—Owasco, Canandai¬ 
gua, Cayuga. Cazenovia, Seneca, Onondaga and Oneida 
Lakes, winch, flowing through the Oneida and Seneca 
Rivers, form the Oswego, malting it one of the finest 
fishing points in the world. For fly-fishing, still-fishing, 
or trolling, there are beautiful wood-lands along the 
banks of the river suitable for parties wishing to camp 
out. There are also beautiful towns or villages every 
torn-or five miles, making it convenient for parties to 
get good accommodations; first comes New Bridge, then 
Phoenix, Lock No. 1, Oswego Falls, Fulton, Mnetto, 
Seneca Hill and Oswego City, with good hotels at all 
those places. We fish for black bass and glaBS-eyed pike 
from the first of June until the last of September. July, 
August and September are the best months. 
F. J. Van Valkenburg. 
Trout Streams in Montana. —Fort Custer,Montana 
Ter,. Jan. 2d.—I read, in your issue of Dec. 11th, an avtij 
ole entitled * 1 The Trout of the Past.” I suppose the days 
of the trout are not so good in the States as they were m 
the davs of yore; but while hunting through different 
parts of Montana I have found mountain trout by the 
thousands. I give a few localities for the benefit of any 
who may wish to come to our land of game and fish. 
Tongue River is formed by three mountain, streams 
known as Goose Creek, North Middle, and South. I 
spent five days hunting and fishing on the middle stream, 
and I never caught so many trout in the same length of 
time in my fife, They would take the hook when held 
full six inches above the water. We used a small green 
grasshopper as the bait. The first evening we struck 
camp about one hour by the sun. Four in our party 
Wiled two black-tailed deer and caught 137 trout. We 
then came to the head waters of the Little Horn River 
where we found an abundance of trout. From there we 
traveled north along the Big Horn Range. We found 
trout by the thousands in Rotten Grass, Soap Creek, 
Black Cafion, Pryor’s Fork, Clark’s Fork of the Yellow¬ 
stone River. The Yellowstone has trout enough to keep 
a regiment of anglers for the next century. Above tho 
first canon up Jo the National PaTk, Henry’s Lake and 
the YeLlowstone Lake abound in trout; and the traveller 
who visits this Park and says he does not get the worth 
of his money need look no farther. He may also see 
here the large geysers that throw a large volume of water 
over 150 feet high every sixty minutes, and boiling 
springs and cold springs, the Devil’s Paint Pot, Specimen 
Mountain, Sulphur Mountain and a thousand other won¬ 
ders. Twenty-five-yard Creek, which heads m the Crazy 
Mountains, also abounds in trout. I never have been 
north of the Crazy Mountains and cannot speak in re 
