480 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Jax. i, : 



term, and far more attractive in sound to those splio wish t<> 

 penetrate tbose regions iintl try their rough fare. 



The unusual high water interfered with fishing. The host. 

 pools could not be reached, or if they were, the trout seemed 

 not to care much for I lie bait we offered them. Still, we 



were no! altogether -without luck, and altera three days 



stay, pushed our way up the lakes to Upper Dam, Indian 

 Rock, and BO out by Phillips and Faimiugtou with the 

 mental decision on the part of each to have a By rod tin- 

 next, time we visited Middle Dam, and that next time .should 

 be the next season, MoKATinem. 



BLUE-BACK TROUT. 



IN the year 18-14 1 visited the Rangeley Lakes, and heard 

 from the settlers about the above-named fish. They called 

 it simply blue back — did not class them with the trout. At 

 that time, all thai was. known of this fish was that they run 

 up what was called "Tootnuker Gove" into the outlet of 

 Quimby Pond, a small block, about the tenth to the twentieth 

 of October in each year and from the Rangeley Lake. 



They -were taken in large quantities by the Kaiigeley people 

 mostly the poorer classes, Iron, ihc above Stream, with dip 

 nets, and improvised at that. Some used a large bug, or 

 sack, spread out with an ash bow and a handle; and they 

 fished for them at night altogether, and made sluices for 

 them to run up, with convenient places hi the end oi' thesl 

 to set their nets. The flsh run into ihem. and hi llu'smelhod 

 each man Would Secure several bushels of a night. They 

 were cored for keeping- in many ways, some 'by .-ailing. 

 Others by drying, and -till others by smoking; some dressed 

 them, and others, cured them whole, 



it was proverbial of certain Families that thej lived on 



blue-backs and crossbills — ibe crossbills werebin'i Ihcy also 

 dried whole, without dressing and SO provided their summer 

 food in tlie fall and winter beforehand. 



The blue-bach WW never seen in any of the other hikes 

 until after the building the ''Upper Dam," about the year 

 1858, when we hunters discovered them below the (fain, 

 where they siayed until the river was entirely frozen ftp, 

 They were never fished for with a book, but 'either flatted 

 or speared. 



I well remember getting great iy excited while spearing 

 them one night by pine torchlight at the apron of Upper 

 Dam, and slipped in, trying to save a nice one, v, liere it wa- 

 over my bead, ill icewa.ter. 



This was above the Mollychunkemuiik Lake, info which 

 lake they probably finally went. No other time of year axe 

 they now. or ever have been seen, except the late fall months, 



About this time (1858) they wen- discovered in the Kenne 

 bago River, and Rangeley stream (outlet of Rangeley Lake-, 

 above Indian Rock, but 1 Itdi-vc were never fished lor there. 



1 have fished all The lakes from Rangeley to UmbagOg, 

 winter and summer since that time (184i), I)U1 have never 

 seen a blue back in inn other plao ihau the above, nor at 

 any other time of the year. 



And I have never seen them in any river or stream coU 

 tiguous to these lakes, although I have flsbed Magaloway, 

 Pamacheae, CtrpBuptuc, Boema, Ccnebago, Rapid rivers', 

 and many smaller streams for the las) thirty -five years, and 

 1 never saw one that weighed ovei six ounces. 



Beth*!. He.. December, 1893. J, G, Rich. 



FLORIDA FISHES. 



IN the proceedings of the United States National Museum 

 for l.\vj we notice ■'Notes on Fishes Observed About 

 la, Florida, and Galveston Texas, with Descriptions 

 of New Species," by Prof , D. 8. Jordan and Onas, II. Gil 

 beri. The report covers sixty-eight pages, therefore we can 

 only extract those things which will interest our anglers. 



The tarpum, WryuMjix nt'iinlinin, (.'. and V. , is common 

 along the Gull coast, but only scaler were obtained. It 

 reaches a length of some six feel Its habit of leaping out 

 of the water, like the mullet, causes it to lie dreaded by the 

 fishermen. II is said that several persons have been killed 

 or injured when in small boats by the grand (milk leaping 

 into the boat, It seams to the writers that the specific name 

 of AtkinticUi should be adopted as the name of this species, 

 being the oldest name ever really conferred on it. instead of 

 c;n>ri>wiil '.«, t/uism.'rh ■■<. arid i/iy/iu'rii*. 



Spanish mackerel were abundant in spiing and summer 

 and are one of the most important food fish. The pornpano 

 is also abundant and reaches a weight of ten or twelve 

 pounds The bluefish, PaiiiufuHum tir'lfn/ri.i; is rather com- 

 mon about i'ensacola and is valued as foodi.it is rare or un- 

 known at Galveston. The red snapper, Ltitjiin'ix liUtrlf.urti, 

 IB at present taken in far greater numbers than any oilier on 

 our Gulf coast; at Pensacols it is the most important food 

 fish, and in the New Oilcans market it is sold. in greater 

 numbers than all other species combined; it is takes mi 

 hook and line on the "snapper banks," usually from rive to 

 thirty miles off shore, and reaches a weight'of thirty-five 

 pounds. 



The fish known al different places on our const a red 

 drum, channel bass, rediish, etc., .Sn'a-im ocellala, is the 

 mosl important food fish on the Texas coast, the amount 

 taken exceeding that of all other species combined. A 

 good fish when not too large. It, reaches a weight of forty 

 pounds, the large specimens being known as bull redfish. 

 The serratures on the opercle, which are conspicuous in or- 

 dinary specimens, wholly disappear with age, the edge of 

 the bone being finally entire and whollv covered bv skin. 

 This change takes place gradually, being complete at it 

 length of about thirty inches. Colors of adults, deep brassv 

 yellow above, verging toward. orange on the sides; belly, 

 white; head, bronze, darker above; a band of deeper 

 bronze backward from eye. Young without bronze shades. 

 allot" which intensify with age; scales in the young with 

 darker shades forming undulating streaks ; these ob- 

 literating with age ; fins all pale, tinged with red- 

 dish, the pectoral most red; second dorsal and caudal 

 somewhat dusky. Mouth white, within; lining of opercle 

 black. Caudal spots (ocella) varying much in size, some- 

 times wanting; sometimes two or three or even eight or ten 

 or more in number. About, nineteen out of twenty individ- 

 ' I I-.'-. ' the normal sinuie ocella on each side. " It is yel- 

 lowish. 



Stkifed Babs rs Chesapeake Bat,— Washington, D. C, 



— As to (he strip ;\ |, r -s th j past summer, they abounded in 

 Chesapeake Bay and the rivers and inlets along its coast to 

 an extent unknown lor many years. Early in the season 

 there wen- thousands of them from five to eight inches lone-. 

 Later they were succeeded by great numbers of larger fish, 

 say , from I welye to eighteen inches long. The pike, formerly 

 numerous in those waters, disappeared some ten years atr-i' 

 and now s pike is never seen there at all. — M. G. EtLZET, MD. 



STRIPED BASS OR ROCK FISH. 



J 70S the last fifty years our slriped bass, has borne with- 

 out question the' specific name limuitm, in connection 

 with the generic name Labrax of Guvier, or, later, that of 

 lloccus, of Mitchell. It is however doubtful whether the 

 species has any claim to the name lineatus, other than that 



of tiliv years undi-dui bed possession. 



The name Una „,i UneaUt was given by Bloch about a hun- 

 dred years ago to Some fish supposed to be from the Mediter- 

 ranean Sea, and u hich. according lo Schneider, who consid- 

 ered ii a variety simply) differs from the common European 

 bass Urftbpaw fiqjtre, vuv.) in having the lower jaw longer, 

 the dorsal spines 8, and the sides with yellow lines. Blocb's 

 original description (which I have now e.t haudi (Stilus 

 summarized by Lo Cepidc: 



Eight spinous rays in the first dorsal fra ; one spine cud 

 twelve -oil rays in the second, three spines and ton Sofl 



rays in IheanaL HieOoweHaw more advanced than tjioup- 

 per: asingh orifice for each nostril ; posterior border of the 

 opercle emarginate; general i-olor-itvcry : back violet, body 

 with yelloW, longitudinal stripes, 



The figure published by Bloch resembles in a general way 

 Our striped bass, but the preopercle is represented as armed 

 with strong curved spin.--, both behind and below, as in the 



case with the European bass, 



It appears thai the Sciama Uneata was cither the American 

 striped bass, or the has- of Europe. If the former, we have 

 to suppose i hai Bloch ua- mistaken (as was frequently the 

 case, with him) in the locality whence i< received bis speci- 

 men, and that hi- a nisi had somehow drawn the armature 

 of da- priopercle from the European lish. If we suppose 

 Much iii have intended the European species, wc have the 

 habitat and armature of the preopercle correct, bui lue 

 faint silvery lines along i), ( , (series of rows of scales (as in 

 our white perch) are exaggerated into ••yellow longitudinal 

 stripes." I do not think it possible Id say certain]} which 

 species Blocli actually had, but it i- more likely to have 

 been the European than our-. Unless our species can be 

 shown to have been the original Sr/ii,,,, Uneata of Bloch. it 

 cannot fairly retain the name 1JMUtll.lt, and the oldest name 

 actually given to it should be used 



The oldest name not open to question i- thai of Purca 



tttXIttM of Bloch and Schnei.ler (Systems IcbibvoloM-ia. 



edit, po-.tin:.. ism. p. sm [f UneabttH be rejected we should 



call the striped ba-s. Rocew XHtmtttiB. I am not quite sure 

 that it is best to adopt this name, but it is my impression 

 that to "ibis complexion mu-l we come at hist." In our 

 efforls to secure fixity of nomenclature, the law of priority 

 is all important, but itsrightsmusi not l»- extended Ionium's 

 Which have no claim to them. The end to be attained by 

 our rules is defeated, if the names which we adopt ■<- oldest 

 really belong to some other species, and only confusion 

 come- of the adoption of ancient names of uncertain appli- 

 cation. I>.\\ in T. .I.iKDAK. 



INIIIAS.I I'MVEKslTV. Pee. W . 



LORENZO PROUTY. 



I T i- wiili deep Borrow thai l record the .te.-uti ,.i vir. Lorepsw 



*■ Pioni.v . for many .wars af lie- bead of the fishing tackle ilepnrt- 



tn.-m of the house of Bradford & AJithony, Boston. 



For la-ariy a se.,re of years hart I known liini unit never ill any 



other character than a courteous gentleman, a devoted angler and 



nn heiiesl man. Amid the din "t the. tins/, -town, i.r hi.- iliity.il was 

 rlTtlege to -dr..!, in- f ( a- a lev moments and i-xelmiw 

 n about babbling brooks ami seoloderi hike-: and ito- 

 id to see him no longer as of yore' is another bitterness 

 tasi increasiiis- i.ill.v. His loss will he deepjj Celt by 

 who were uuin i.. replenish their kit at his deft 

 sudden and sad "taking off - ' will lie deplored by all 



who kti.-w him. 

 Thus do l make brief pause to place an honest tribute of praise ami 



affection noon the fall of a kind friend, a boon companion in cniup 



or by Ltie waters, a pure-minded and an honest angler. The inemmy 



of such is precious! 

 Jlequiescai in puce,' In this prayer, T am sure, all brethren of the 



gentle art will join with me. o. W. B. 



« or is ml 



lish there- 



a tiled t., 

 all flsher 

 hands, an 



Lorenzo Prouty died suddenly at his residence in Chelsea, on Sat- 

 urday last, aged 13 years. 



It will be sad news indeed to the many near aud distant friend] 

 Mr. Pronty at the beginning at the new year to hear of his 

 ami gadder still when they learn that the summons came suddei 



I about to e 



standi 



of s 



MT. Plenty h.-el be, -n in the employ of Messrs. Bradford & Anthony, 

 of this city, for twenty-seven years, and was known far and near by 

 1 1 ere of ine rod and gun as a gentleman particularly adapted 

 for i n, position which he occupied at the head of the fishing tackle 

 department of the above house. Hewasatruesportsmau.il Iteeo 

 lever of nature, a companionable friend, a tender husband, a 

 devoted father and a man of the strictest integrity. 



it was expected, by his intimate friends, at least, that he would 

 have an interest in the business of Messrs. Bradford & Anthony after 

 their retirement, he having done much to build up that particular 

 branch of their business for which lie was by nature and education 

 so well Qualified; but It was not to be, and during December he left 

 them to engage in a similar business with "his friend, Mr. George B. 

 Appleton, also so long and favorably known as being connected with 

 the same house. 



Returning from New York, where he had been with Mr, Appluton 

 for the purchase of guilds for the new establishment, under the 

 pressure of business of a different, nature from that to which lie had 

 been accustomed, he was prostrated by illness, and in a moment of 

 temporary insanity committed the act which caused his death. 



From the faet that upon returning consciousness he had no 

 know ledge of what he had done, and that his future prospects 

 were at once of the tnost liatleriug nature, it is clearly shown that, 

 he was in no way responsible for the act which has caused many a 

 heart to bleed ami tear to D ■■-.■ 



No words of sympathy, however tenderly expressed, in. words 

 which we can utter, no tears which we may shed can restore to its 

 completeness that once so happy, now so desolated home, but to 

 her who waits in sadness may come to soften the asperitj- of Ihc 

 blow, the sad yet feeble consolation that the departed loved one 

 will be mourned in many a household throughout our land. Truly. 

 ■•lent moves j„ a mysterious way 

 His wonders to perform." 



Boston, Jan. S. C, W. S. 



One of OUT most helOVed members Of society; u Irue-hiaxted fel- 

 low -man, a lover of all nature as the great Designer made it— the 

 lain,. -vat P. rest and all that was placed therein, and Hod's beautiful 

 lakes and streams urnl their inhabitants -in fact and reality the 

 ty pe of a good man and a true sportsman was Lorenzo Prouty l-'ew 

 men in th.- New England Stares were inore generally known nud 

 universally love 1 . M 



tgisJlcnlfnrc. 



AN OCTOGENARIAN ON CARP. 



MR. EDWARD STABLER thus writes to the Baltimore 

 American: 



Sandy Sprdw, .Md., 9th Month, 35, 1SH2. 

 Editor American: This is my eightv-cighili birthdnv. and 

 to while away the tedium of a slow convalescence from a re- 

 cent spell or illness 1 resort to the pen on this subject, as 

 likely to pro ce more beneficial ilian that of the gold to some 

 persons. 

 Th o the e.-u-p will pay. and pay well, without labor or capi- 



tal oip [idea, I 

 pond 



J. el. 



Mi 



fully satisfied, 

 rthe table, 



ml sp, 



Mv 



about the 



ad i 



hen 



who has an ice 



i- three years f 



f that be an ob- 



■ in taking trout 



both probably 



Maryland, Weal 



ksof the Rocky 



size of our shad 



1 saw hundreds 



•r Potomac and 



id in nivexperi- 



iv.it. and in the 



en, : n I as gamy a 



e rapid growth of 



trout or bass: are 



(ceding on animal 



. feed on their own 



small lish, and us 



bail for the trout is 



it her in tit. 1 iiave 



ill' a dozen or more 



-nine In ten 



•lies long— the lsi of April last, then of two -umniers' 



—7th— when I received them from Prof. Ikdrd. United 



•s teli commissioner, Washington city Tln-v \\>>n- 



sionallv fed the past two months, some thi-ee to four 



> a week, vvitli s,. la p~ ..,- wheat or corn bread, fruit 



'--•'"'iled potet torso) n.-;c. Wishingtosee tlm 



■til and we„-l,:;!,is ..„..„. I ,,,-,-„, l v cauphj one with a 

 less hook-a tairsauipl.-ot the lot. no do,,),.- -n.ea-unn-. 

 ar as we corneal it, Pull seventeen inches in length, five 

 :'s at the side, two and o hah inch — k and 



;hing three pounds— as lar^ce as milinaiy shad, mid not 



thora-that i 

 loiiml it difSl 

 the depredat 

 banks. M'-l 



(raps, but did not I 

 than rats, forthey 

 thelrap. and eseai 



•tie. kiimlisher. and « 

 ive shells. .1 m\ own e. 

 but. not: safe to load in I 

 fragments on stiilin... . 

 ase s.diii l<ulN. except 



:•• lie-i -ill i-|.ri.-i-s; I iiave 

 md to I,.. I.l water, owing to 



:.i.|ieve.„„l, ,.f tl, - 



iied inside with boards set on 

 water probabl v one hundred 

 A few were caught in steel 

 sauce. We. caught more feet 

 off the feet, leaving them in 



im a visil to Dr. HesseT, superintendent oi the Kuited States 

 carp ponds at Waslunjiton. he staled that he had been great! v 

 annoyed by the-e pe-ls; I, ul now. after .lest roving them bv 

 iiiinilr.ds probably. In- had uo trouble, Hi- mode was to suffo- 

 cate them, as iollow-s: l-'our pounds oi sulphur mixed with 

 half a pound of saltpetre finely pulverized, set on flat stones 

 or,-, piece ot sheer iron, -iv hall a pound or n j.oiind to a hole 

 ■ i- ii costs bin a few .ent -i. and placed in the holes; after 

 burning a few niinut— . closethe hols with sods The salt- 

 petr- insures the couibii-iion of tie- sulphur, which is certain 

 death to. -ill within. He supposed he had killed hundreds ul 

 the mis in this way. I triedit, and have sceu no etvj 

 tin rats in t ho-c loealil it- sin-e. There .ire i hi .-.- other draw- 

 backs in some sections tofishi uiinre. but of easy remedy— the 

 ikes. Portheseluse explos- 

 ion in a breech-loadiug ride. 

 e-loadei'. which explode into 

 Eh water is not safe to 

 isolated situations, as they 

 istriking the water, and ma\ gohajf a 

 ond. as 1 know is often the ease in shooting 

 orothcr ObJBCts inthewater. We have dc- 

 .1 turtles in thiB way. I am Batiaffed they 



in'-i'iicm-i-ii, - name. A neighbor -who has a 

 thai le haskfll d tenor a dozen at hi- pond. 

 si.iiVe.l \v«l, ■..,.„,-- carp." Th- w.-.t-r snakes. 

 ung frogs and lish. for I -have Baenthemin 



formed me thai he found them quite destruc- 

 carp in the government ponds, and he hail 

 numbers— I suppose, with the Bhotgnn. lb- 

 - that he had earn in one pond, some ten 

 is, supposed to weigh twenty-five pounds, and 

 others, supposed t.i weigh ten pounds, proba- 

 "I'liei-e are well-authenticated accounts of 

 i ponds, covering ten to two thousand acres, 

 age and attaininga weight of sixty to eighty 

 ;d for market like other products of the farm. 



snakes in their ."'ens. where I have often used them, and have 

 killed deer, antelope and buffalo with them on the plains and 

 other game in tie Rockj Mountains, but for large game 1 

 greatly prefer the -olid, hard point ball, as it has four or live 

 time;: the penitraEicn in wood ::r fceaas an the expbai / shall 



used for small gome, as jack rabbits, grouse, etc.: there is 

 little left for the cook. The explosive shell is usually fatal, 

 but not directly, as I have had deer and antelope to run a mile 

 or more on the' plains, distance a horse, and fall dead, and 

 and at bay until ahard point ball crushing through 

 the shoulders brought them down, and in every case with tie- 

 -In II exploding in the body, a general mixing up of entrails, 

 etc., and tainting the meat. 



To show the heroism of the mountain lassie or toolhardiness, 

 as some would say. I will refer to an incident occurring some 

 i wenty years ago. In my many mountain excursions, quite 

 as much'for health or more than forreereation— forin .-arty life 

 I was quite an invalid from repeated hemorrhages of the 

 lungs— 1 visited a rattlc-nake den with some companions, to 

 destroy-then] pro bono publico. While there we were joined bj 

 two mountain nymphs of "sweel sixteen" or thereabouts, audi 

 well remember that one, and, 1 believe both were barefoot; 

 but they were born and raised within a mile of the den, and 

 accustomed so to tramp, scarcely knowing what fear was. 

 They were never '-snake bit." in mountain phrase, and are 

 now notable matrons, with each a numerous progeny around 

 her. I frequently visited the dens in my spring iishing excur- 

 sions in the Alleghanies. but never alone und never without 



the protection ofthlck leathsr.or rubber I ts. Four "t mj 



acquaintances, however, were bitten— two by rattlesnakes and 

 two by .moccasins, or copperhead — (a mean thing, whether 

 in politics or serpanta, forthej givono warning before sink- 

 ing) and all on the bands : but bv the free as.- of the antidote. 

 w l.isl;y. ali recovered after much suffering. But all this is a 

 digression 1 com mv programme when taking upthepon. and I 

 return to lish. 



in in v experience, trout only do well in ponds, aud I have 

 visit ed many— in cold water near the spring heads, or in cold 



