86 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Skptbmbbe 1, 1881 



I wander from snakes to fisb, which reminds me to ask if 

 it ia not almost, time for the summer lies to begin to come in ? 

 There's a lot, of sanguine young men and tough "old sports" 

 up at the Adirondacks and in Maine, scattered around the 

 lakes there. Isn't it almost, time for them to be heard from ? 

 Won't somebody with nothing better to do about your estab- 

 lishment collect, codify, and have the Forkst and Stkkam 

 set, ou> an offish-al seaside or railroad edition of "Summer 

 L c:s by Angular Sportsmen ? " 



I would suggest also that a reward of a brass reel be offered 

 to the man who can write an account of his trout or salmon 

 fishing without alluding to the former as " speckled beau- 

 ties," or the latter as Salmo solar. It makes one unwell 

 to see those terms so everlastingly quoted. Let us call things 

 by tbeir right names, and not seek to air our science by 

 scientific terms ! Cull a catfish a catfish, and not Pucaia 

 felina, and a big bass a big bass, not a Basso profunda. Let's 

 have no I). B. nonsense, but settle squarely to " biz." 



Thanks to your Michigan friend, who says he is glad to 

 hear from me again, and is acquainted with that enterprising 

 firm of George & Swindle. If he is a sportsman he must 

 necessarily know that Ubiquitous concern. As for hearing from 

 me again, if that makes him happy, he is welcome, fori know 

 no more agreeable way of passing idle time when stranded at 

 a hotel nver Sunday («<?« present instance) than in scribbling 

 of the pastimes of fishing, shooting or yachting. And yet, 

 there are people who make hard work of writing ; aud worse 

 still, men there are, and they manage to gel through their 

 lives, that have no taste for either. For suck let us pray, and 

 sympathize with them. 



Speakiug of yachting, the Eastern clubs, Boston and along 

 shore, have had a foggy time of it for their Eastern cruising. 

 I overheard a conversation at lunch the other day : 



"Hello, Jim; thought you were down East on a cruise?" 



"Well, I was ; but out of thirteen days we only had three 

 clear ones, and gave it up." 



" Where's the yacht ? " 



" Oh, she's coming along." 



" Where did you leave her ? " 



"At Gloucester." 



" Why didn't you come back in her ? Such a lovely breeze 

 to-day. Come along a-flukiu." 



" Oh, well, I was in a hurry. Wanted to get to town. I 

 had to come up by rail." 



I watched that fellow. I saw at once what was the matter ; 

 looked streaked about the gills, and went in for pickles and 

 acids for his lunch. Got, Beasick and came aBhore. 



Speaking of writing, I want to express my personal obliga- 

 tions to your correspondent who has given us such a graphic 

 and interesting accouut of his trip from Mooseheud Lake to 

 the St. John's. I have enjoyed bis papers greatly, as doubt- 

 less have your many readers. I would rather have made the 

 trip with him than the tour of Europe. 



Well, as it is not fair to monopolize all the space of Forest 

 and Strbam with my " remarks," I will put aside my stylo- 

 graphic aud subside. Give you another dose when you have 

 worked this off. Podgers. 



It is herewith declared "off." — Ed. More. — O. Twist. 



A PABBOT ON ITS TRAVELS. 



From the Forest and Stream, A r ov. II. 1880. 



The following story comes to us well authenticated : At a oer- 

 tohi club house in Boston there was kept in the billiard room a 

 parrot which was so tame and such a favorite that it waB not con- 

 Uned to itB cage, but was allowed the liberty of the room, and was 

 oftan seen perchod upon the furniture or wandering about the 

 floor. On ouci occasion, wheu the bird was seated in one corner of 

 the room, a gentleman, a Mr. B., entered, followed by his dog, 

 whether a pointer or a Better we do not know. The dog after a few 

 moments winded the parrot, drew on it, and finally stood fast. 

 The bU'd, which had been up to this time apparently oblivious of 

 the presence of the canine, now turned its head slowly aud in tones 

 expressive- of the utmost contempt said, " Go home, you darnod 

 fool." The dog started, looked, and then, turning tail, slunk out 

 of the room. It ia said that, although up to this time the animal 

 had been a splendid hunter, he would thenceforth never point a 

 bird. 



n. 

 From the English Land and Water, July 30, 1881. 



If a story we read the other day ia to be relied on— and our au- 

 thority in an umnipeachable daily journal published in a rare old 

 city of the West country, famous for its sportsmen and port wine — 

 shooting-men who still use pointers and setters had better eschew 

 parrots. A gentleman living near the south coast had a fine 

 pointer, of which he was very fond, the dog being staunch, with a 

 good nose, reliable, and well trained. One day, however, the fam- 

 ily received an addition in the eh ape of a parrot, brought over 

 seas bv the sailor Bon of the housekeeper. "When first the dog 

 came into the housekeeper's room ho Btopped at the doorway and 

 pointed at the gay bird perched on the outside of its cage at the 

 other end of the' room. The parrot, not at all daunted by the 

 dog's professional attitude, left its place and came mincing across 

 the room, "with many a flil't and flutter," and squared itself in 

 front of the setter. The two confronted each other for a second, 

 aud then the bird remarked impressively "You're a raBeal !" The 

 dog was for a second trans fixed with horror at the unprecedented 

 phenomenon of his " game " so roundly abasing him in the human 

 tonguo. It was too much for him ; he had never " bhnked " his 

 game before, but now his tad sunk between his legs, and ho uluuk 

 away. From that day a valuable dog was spoiled, for the pointer 

 would never point a bird again, 

 m. 

 From the Sacramento, Cat, Bee, Aug, 20, 1881. 



A gentleman living near Port Jervis, N. Y., says an exchange, 

 haa a parrot which knows a good deal more than the law allows. 

 Last summer a friend of his, whoso name we withhold for obvious 

 reasons, called at his house one day. A valuable young dog, a 

 pointer, was with him. The two gentlemen sat on the porch 

 smoking, and the parrot, which is very tame, was seated in an in- 

 terstice in the trellis about the porch. The dog was lying on the 

 floor at his master's feet : and tiuully his attention was called to 

 tho bird, which was looking steadily at him. The dog sprang up, 

 drew on the bird and fastened. There hB stood, still as a statue, 

 for full three minutes, when the parrot, with a contemptuous flirt 

 of his feathers, screamed out, " Go home, you cussed fool !" The 

 do" dropped his tail and ears, wheeled around and struck a bee- 

 line over the field for home. Since then he has refused to point a 

 bird. 



BWEKFS AWAY XHB COCKLES.— Fobest and Stream comes to 



e luce the visits bl an old friend, cheering me, and sweeping the 



eciokle Burrs out ot my soul. More power to your elbow.— St. Claib. 



The friends of Mr. G. L. Gildersleeve. of Brooklyn, will 

 be pained to hear of the serious accident which bofel that 

 gentleman one afternoon last week. While attempting to 

 board a Brighton Beach train, he fell and broke his leg. At 

 last report the unfortunate member was doing well. 



Intnral §iptorg. 



GUNTHER'S LITERATURE AND MORPHOGRAPLtY 

 OF FISHES. 



a Review by Prop. Theodore Giix of Gijstbbr's " In- 

 troduction to the Study ok Fishes." 



Smithsonian Institution, I 

 Washington, Aug 17, 1881. j" 

 Editor Forest and Stream : 



In response to your favor I herewith send the review of 

 Gnnther's recent work published in the Nation of August 

 11, but, have intercalated much new matter, so that the 

 present gives a complement to the first chapter (the Litera- 

 ture), aud a tolerably thorough analysis of the second chapter 

 of the "Introduction," i, e., the "Topographical Descrip- 

 tion of the External Parts of Fishes." 1 have been especial- 

 ly led to coinpleie the review of the second chapter since I 

 have read the notice of Gnnther's work in the January num- 

 ber of the "Westminster Review." The Westminster re- 

 viewer thinks "The second chapter, called a topographical 

 description of the external parts of fishes, gives, in a manner 

 altogether masterly, not, merely an account, of the structures 

 of which it trea's, in their immense variety, but some idea of 

 their functions, with suilicient reference to individual fishes 

 to invest a technical subject with interest aud precision." 

 (Am. Ed., p. 143.) You will thus perceive that I have said 

 what I have not without knowledge of what can be alleged 

 on the other side, and in order that you may be able to refer 

 without trouble to what has been said about Dr. Gilnther's 

 work I append a brief list of notices of it. 



The following are all favorable reviews, but deal in gener- 

 alities : 



" Saturday Review," v. 50, pp. 769-771, Deo. IS, 1880. 



" Westminster Review," v. 115, Am. ed., pp. 142-144, Jan. 1881. 



" Annals and Magazine of Natural History" (5.) v. 7, pp. 63-61, 

 Jan. 1881. 



"The Academy," 1881, pp. 11-13, Jan. 1, 1881. 



"Nature," v. 23, pp. 213-215, Jan. 6, 1881. 



"The Athemeurn,"18Sl. pp. 97-9S, Jan. 15, 1811. 



"The Spectator," v. 54, pp. 179-481, April 9, 1881. 



"Tho Zoologist," (3), v. 5, pp. 221-226, May, 1881. 



The succeeding (the first by Prof. Cope, the balance by 

 myself) take an unfavorable view of the work and give spe- 

 cific details : 



"American Naturalist," v. 15, pp. 222-223, March, 1881. 



"The Critic," v. 1, pp. 132-133. Ylav 21, 1881. 



" The New York Tii ufh," Mav 29. issi. ( 3 columns). 



"Forest and Stream," v. IS, p. 128, June 30, 1881. (Reprinted 

 with additions from the " Critic") 



" Science," v. 7, pp. 323-326, July 9, 1881. 



"The Sea World, etc.," v. 2, No. 48, p. 7, July 13, 1881. (Re- 

 printed from "Science " in part, i. e., the lasts paragraphs.) 



"Tho Nation," v. 33, pp. 120 122, August 11, 1881. 



As you will attribute the accompanying review to my own 

 name I have been more explicit in my criticisms — more "per- 

 sonal" if you will— than I would feel authorized to be in an 

 anonymous notice. 



Tou ask, " How do you like Henshall on the nomencla- 

 ture of the Micropteri?" Much as I dislike the change, 1 am 

 fain to admit that he is right— he unquestionably is. In this 

 new disturbance we have another example of the results of 

 the neglect at Washington to procure the essentials for the 

 student. I had long endeavored to have the original edition 

 of Lacepede purchased here, but it has only been lately 

 bought, and we were obliged till then to use what now proves 

 to be a bad and misleading edition. As soon as I examined 

 the first editiou 1 saw at once that the figure of Micmpterus 

 dolomiev was not a very poor one (for the lime) of the small- 

 mouthed black bass and that the illustration of Labrm sal- 

 moid.es unmistakably illustrated the large-mouthed black bass. 

 Cuvier and Valenciennes, as we now know, confounded both 

 species, although their description of GvyUes salmuidcs was 

 apparently bused only on the small-moutbed species, while, 

 as you arc aware, they failed to recognize in the Huro 

 nigricans a relation. The error of Cuvier was corrected as 

 long back as 1848, by Agassiz, and yet Giinther, in bis late 

 work, still clings to it, notwithstanding that (1) the known 

 elements ot the American fauna, (2) the common name con- 

 nected with the fish recorded by the Frenchmen, (3) the 

 description, (4) the anomolous morpholological deviation 

 the admission of the type would involve, as well as (5) the 

 unanimous testimony "of American ichthyologists would have 

 prevented a careful man from such a blunder. This illustra- 

 tion of Gunther's negigence and slovenliness must coufirrn 

 you in the belief that his work is a very, very poor one. 



Yours truly, Thbo. Gut.. 



An Introduction to the Study of Fishes. By Albert C. E. G. Gun- 

 tber, M.A., M.D., Ph.D., F.B.S., Keeper of the Zoological De- 

 partment in the British Museum. Ediuburgh : Adam & 

 Charles Black. 1880. 8vo, xvi.-720 pp. 

 Ichlhi/olomj. (Article signed "A. O. G." in the 'Encycloptedia 

 Britau'mea,' ninth edition, vol. xii.) Edinburgh: Adam & 

 Charles Black. 1881. Pp. 630-695. 

 When the announcement was made several years ago that 

 Dr. Giinther was engaged on a manual of ichthyology, many 

 looked forward with eager expectancy for its appearance ; 

 but a few who knew Dr. Giinther well from his previous 

 works, entorlaincd considerable misgivings lest he should be 

 unable to divest himself of prejudices and opinions once as- 

 sumed. The " Introduction to the Study of Fishes " is des- 

 tined to equally disappoint the former and justify the 

 forebodings of the latter. Dr. Giinther has in lim s past done 

 good service to ichthyology, aud his given us the only tolerably 

 complete "Species Piscium," in the form of a "Catalogue of 

 the Fishes in the British Museum." This work was issued 

 in eight volumes, from 1859 to 1870, and r. fleeted mod- 

 erately well the state of science at that period. The. author, 

 however, has been unable to any considerable degree to dis- 

 card what he has once accepted and to bring himself into 

 relations with the science of the present, but adheres tena- 

 ciously to Beliefs formed in a much less advanced state of 

 knowledge, and in spite of conclusive evidence against their 

 tenability. This mental attitude is prominently manifested 

 in his 33w work as well as i;t his articb iu the Easyeto- 

 prc-dia Britanuica." The "Introduction" is really a comple- 

 ment to the " Catalogue" divided iuto two parts— viz., (1) a 

 treatise on the principles of ichthyology, and (2) a nomen- 

 clature of the genera, with definitions of all the in- 

 cluding groups admitted by him. The article, "Ich- 

 thyology," in the Encyclopedia Britauuica, is in great 

 part essentially the same, the first or General Part 

 of the introduction being reproduced in full j the second 

 part is condensed, and only the definitions and remarks on 



the families and higher groups arc incorporated therein, the 

 genera being simply enumerated by name. The criticisrnBl 

 herein arc therefore equally applicable to both. 



The curiosity with which the experienced ichthyologist! 

 will take, up the treatise must be soon subordinated to aston-j 

 ishment as he proceeds in the examination of it, for it I 

 scarcely possible that any one should be prepared for the nu- 

 merous errors of one kind or another that are constantly | 

 cropping out on almost every page. It is difficult to believed 

 that one who has written so much on fishes as the author haM 

 should make so many lapses. The errors commence on the! 

 first page and flow in an almost uninterrupted, but varying > 

 stream to the end of the work. Those chapters to whielil 

 fault might seem to be the least incident are the oues devoted 

 to the history of the subject and the externa! modifications! 

 of the animals under investigation. We can only afford 4? 

 passing glance at the former, but the latter will be of suffl-'l 

 cient interest and importance to deserve a detailed examina- 

 tion. 



The first chapter has the caption of " History and Litera- 

 ture." In the opening paragraph it is alleged that " Aristom 

 had a perfect knowledge of the general structure of fishes," 

 and in illustration of the thesis Aristotle is quoted aa staiioL', 

 among other things, that " all scaly fishes are ovfparous, hiit^ 

 the cartilaginous fishes (with the exception of the sea-devil 

 [Lophius pisciitoHus], which Aristotle places along witb] 

 them) are viviparous,' and that "kidneys and urinary bind- 

 derare absent" (p. 2). An unsophisticated reader would 

 naturally suppose that inasmuch as Aristotle's knowledge! 

 was said to be " perfect," his statements particularized were 

 thereby vouched for as being true. Nevertheless, in subse-1 

 queut chapters we fiud statements contradicting them in thei 

 most explicit manner. 



Thus, as to the generation of fishes we are told, further on 

 that certain "scaly fishes" are "viviparous" (p. 159), and] 

 that of the cartilaginous " the majority of the Rays are ovip_| 

 arous " (p. 336). 



(The contradictiug statement itself is quite erroneous, for] 

 of the 150 Rays, in round numbers, about three-fourths ar&i 

 viviparous and very little more than a fourth a small mi- 

 nority are oviparous.) 



Again, as to the kidneys, they are not only admitted to bd 

 present but a special chapter ("Chapter XL, Urinary! 

 Organs ") is devoted to the description of those organs and' 

 their appendages. 



The remainder of the chapter iu continuation of the Hisi' 

 tory of Ichthyology is as unsatisfactory and irrelative ad! 

 could well be. There are almost no indications as to the 

 salient features of the progress of the science nor aa to the, 1 

 relations of special discoveries to the perfection of the svs-h 

 tern. The discovery of Geratodus is indeed particularized in?! 

 connection with the classification (pp. 25-2(1), but with hlJl 

 credible effrontery that which belonged to another (Krefft) 

 has been claimed by the author of the work as original withu 1 

 himself. In fact the element of judicial exposition is entirely" 1 

 wanting. It would take too much time and space to traverser 

 the chapter in detail. 



We need on'y instance that although the majority of thei 

 best systematists of the world, and all the recognized ich-l 

 thyological authorities of the United States, consider ihe| 

 "fishes" to be divisible among several classes, there is no ; 

 hint in the chapter that there has ever been a difference of* 

 opinionasto the limits of theclass of Pisces except, in the state*' 

 ment that "iiccording to the views generally adopted at pres-< 

 enf all those vertebrated animals are referred to the class of V 

 fishes which, living in water, breathe air dissolved in water • 

 by means of gills or branchia? " (p. 1) 



The titles of some works more important than some speci- 

 fied by Mr. Giiuther as descriptive of the "Faume"of- 

 special countries may supplement his bibliography of " Re. 

 cent Woiks," and indicate how defective even this is. In. 

 the mode of quotation the titles conform to the Guntberian I 

 style and are incomplete. 



A. (ireat Britain.— Add to (1) Par lull, (2) Yarrell audi 

 (3) Couch, the following of which the latter is more important 

 than any of them, viz : 



4. W. Houghton. — " British Fresh-water Fishes." (Lond.1l 

 [1879-80], xxvi., 204 pp., about 40 pi.) 



5. F. Dny.— A The Fishes of Great Britain and Ireland, " etc. ■ 

 (Lond., 1880, et sen., 8vo.— The first part appeared in 1880,1 

 the second in 1881, and the remainder, in the words of Gun-' 

 ther apropos of the "Voyage of H. M. S. Challenger, Fishes,' 

 by A. Ounther," is " in course of publication.") 



B. Denmark and Scandinavia. — Add to (1) Kroyer, (2)1 

 Nilssen and (3) Frieiooch Ekstnm, the following more recent" 

 and important works •. 



4. H. Widegren.,— "Desvenska fiskarternas natural his- 

 toria." (Stockholm, 1870, 8vo.) 



5. li. Collett.— "Korges Fiske, rned Bemajrkuinger om 

 deres Udbredelse." (Ohristiania, 1875. 8vo., title, 240 pp., 2 

 pi., 1 map.) See also Supplement, 1879. 



6. ff. Wintiherf — " Prodromus Ichthyologie Danicte Ma- 

 rina;." (Iu Naturhist. Tidsskr., (3) 1879, pp. 1-90.) 



C. Russia.— Add to (\)Nordmann the following equally or 

 more indispensable works : 



2. K. Kessier,—" The Fishes of the Government of St." 

 Petersburg" — Russian. (St. Petersburg.) 



3. K. Kessle-r — " Zur Ichthyologie des Sudwestlichem 

 Russlands." (In Bull. Soc. Imp. Nat. Moscow, 1850-57.) 



4. A'. Kesskr. — " Ichthyological Fauna of Turkestan"— 

 Russian. (In N. Msm. Soc. Lup. Nat. Moscow, v. 10, 1872.) 



5. K. Kesskr. — " Fishes of the Black aud Caspian Seas." 

 (St. Petersburg, 1874.) 



6. K. Kessler. — " Beiirage zur Ichthyologie von Central 

 Aisen." (In Bull. Acad. St. Petersburg, v. 25, pp. 282-310, 

 1879.) 



7. G. Seidlits.—" Fauna Baltica, Die Fische (Pisces) der 

 Ostseeprovlnzeu Russl«nds." (Dorpat, 1877, 8vo.) 



D. Germany— [Including the Netherlands, Belgium and 

 Switzerland]. Add to (1) Heckei and Kver, and (2) Sieimld, 

 which are confined to the fresh water fishes, the following, 

 of which two also include the salt water fishes : 



8. //. SehUgel. — "De Dieren von Nederland.— Gewervelde 

 Dieren.— Visschen ) (Haarlem, 186™, 8vo. 



4 P. J. Van Heneden.—' 1 Les Poissons des Cotes de Bel- 

 gique, leurs parasites et leurs commensaux." (la Mejm 

 Acad. Belg. v. 38, 1870, 100 pp., 8 pi. 



5. G Lunsl. — " Histoire Nuturelle des Poissons du Passin 

 du Ll'uiuh." (Geneve, Bale, Lyon, 1874, fol. — , 209 pp., 20 pi. 



E. Italy and Mediterranean. — Add to the "incomplete"^ 

 works of (1) Bonaparte and (2) Costa the following complete 

 one: 



G. Cavestrinni.—" Prospetto critica dei Pesci d'acqua doWJ. 



