FOREST AND STREAM. 



_ — 



as secure as possible, so that tbe smallest fish could not es- 

 cape. In due time my flab hatched out splendidly, and I had 

 a flue lot of them. 1 covered the pond with boards partially, 

 and took the best of rare of them. In about a month after 

 they began to feed I discovered quite a number in the second 

 pond. In the lower or third pond I saw none for nearly two 

 months and a half. In about three or four months my fish 

 were about equally divided in the three ponds, and sorted 

 better than I could have done it by hand. All the little 

 dwarfs were in upper pond, those larger in size were in the 

 second pond, and in the third pond were the largest and finest 

 fish of the lot. The ponds were nearly the same size, though 

 the third one was perhaps the smallest. I kept them in these 

 ponds for six months, ihose in third pond measured about 

 three inches long ; in the second, two and a half inches, and 

 In tbe first there was not a fish above an inch and a half long. 

 The same experiment was tried the past year with the same 

 result. It is a well-known fact that young trout will get 

 through the smallest possible hole, therefore have not some of 

 your correspondents lost their largest trout, and preserved 

 their small ones every year, and consequently think that 

 trout won't grow for them only two and a half to three and a 

 half inches long. I also claim that trout grow faster for the 

 the first year and a half than they ever do afterward. From 

 a nondescript of one-half an inch long he becomes a trout of 

 six inches in one year— after that, does he double his size as 

 many times in a year ? In the fall of '73 I bad three trout 

 from Rangeley Lake, iu Maine, placed in my ponds — two 

 males, and one female. The males weighed a little over three 

 pounds a piece, the female less. The female died in about six 

 or eight months. When she spawned, I got thirteen hun- 

 dred eggs from her. One of tbe malts died in about one year 

 with what Mr. Stone calls black ophthalmia, and although be 

 was very thin and all head when he died he weighed 3^ lbs. 

 The remaining one 1 kept for over two years and a half, and 

 he must Lave weighed nearly six pounds, according to 

 his length and breadth. He was always in perfect health, and 

 became a great pet, allowing me to rub his belly with my 

 hand with seeming delight. He was stolen from my pond 

 one night by some miserable thief. Hoping to hear from 

 some other parties^ on the growth of trout through your col- 

 umns, I will close by saying that almost every year 1 have 

 raised trout that measured seven inches and a half in length 

 at one year of age as well as an inch and a half of the same 

 age, B. B. Poktek. 



ICHTHYOLOGICAL EXTRACTS FROM 

 THE NOTE-BCOK OF A NATURALIST. 



BT J. OAESON BREVOOET. 



[We take great pleasure in heiDg permitted, through the 

 kindness of Mr. Brevoorl, to lay before our readers some ex- 

 tracts from ihst gentleman's memoranda, which extend over 

 a Dumber of years. The notice of the occurrence of fish and 

 other natural phenomena in the vicinity of JNew York, in 

 earlier years, sre of great interest, inasmuch as they indicate 

 the peculiarities of the period covered by the extracts, and the 

 •ranges wl ice have taken place since then.— Ed.] 



March 20, 1844. — Salmon just m market train the Kenne- 

 bec k, 5s. per pound. 



Eattfumptan, L. I., August 12, 1844. — Seine drawn. First 

 haul — 7^000 menhaden, small, mostly with single spot, a few 

 with many spots, and a half-dozen with large ones ; about 12 

 skip-jacks or till herring; half-dozen harvest fish (4 to 7 

 aches long), and spotted crabs. Second haul— Hog fish (Mu- 

 stek/, cards); flatfish (oblong flounder?); blue fish (Temnodon 

 *alt»tor) ; few menhaden. Third haul— 19,000 fish, all men- 

 haden j fish all of a size ; very small and almost all spotted 

 a few about 5 oz., single spot and 4 or 5 large ones ; large 

 ones all single spot ; one young blue fish 4 inches long. 



September 80, 1844.— Wind from W. S. W. still strong; 

 ■hores of pond covered with Lichia Carolina from H to 5 

 inches long, killed by cold, said to be a rare fish in DeKay; 

 could have got 200. 



Nets York, March 12, 1847. — A shad was taken to-day at 

 Rockland, the first of the season ; bought by Corporation for 

 $5.00— Hudson River not yet free from ice, 



September 20, 1848.— Weak fish run in shoals, they bite for 

 a few minutes freely and then are gone, driven away by the 

 blue fish of one-half their size, which are taken immediately 

 after ; they bite at a particular time of the ebb j ours averaged 

 three-quarters of a pound apiece ; I believe them to be called 

 ■weakfish from weiche, German, and weeke, Dutch, meaning soft, 

 from their dying rapidly and becoming soft, instead of hard 

 like other flsb, and keeping but a short time. The black fish 

 are small, though a faw weigh about a pound each; t3ey are 

 ef the brown barred variety. The black bass very small, but 

 are beautifully colored. About the first of September a Pristis, 

 or sawfish, was caught at .New Utrecht ; it was about or 8 

 feet long, with a saw some 5 leet longer. Fishermen had never 

 aeen it before. 



October 9, 1848.— In market : bass, blackfish (plenty and 

 large), haddock, cod, torn-cod, one ling, flounders, turbot, no 

 halibut, white ptrch, ruady bass, yellow perch, sunfish, chub 

 or suckers, pickerel, one lrf inches long, with a dace 8 inches 

 in belly, striped mullets, black bass, smelts, bluefish, weak- 

 ish, fall herring, Alasa Matowacaca, etc. Porgies of all kinds, 

 aome very large ; no more sbeepshead. 



October 14,1848.- Pickerel now and then of 3 pounds and over; 

 ■ome much distended by fish in bellies. Pogonias fasciatus, 

 banded chum, Fait mackerel, some from Boston. Shad some- 

 time! run in schools and curry away or destroy a net ; can be 

 Men nwimming wnb great rapidity. 



Oetober2\, 1848. — Tne Centroprutes'jiigricans, or black bass, 

 plenty still, and all of nearly black color ; they are lighter 

 earlier in the season. Rhombus tricanthus, called broad shiuers, 

 are plenty and of large size. Ling are now found occasionally 

 in the fyke nets, with fro&tfish, etc Smelts are verv plenty 

 about Boston. 



September 16, 1849. — LBfayette porgies or Leioatomus obliquus 

 plenty. Leioatomm xanthumis, two in market. 



September 19, 1849. — 18 Cybium maculatum, averaging 20 

 inches apiece. Strings of small mullet. Every few days we 

 fnd a few of the southern Lafayette, Leiostomus mntfiurus, 

 mixed with the common kind. 



October, i, 1849.— Black Lass run larger, say 3 or 4 pounds ; 

 no smelts; few sbeepshead yet; weakfish pretty large; no 

 kingfish for a werk; large bass coming; small muddy bass. 

 Mtrlangut carbonarim, cod, haddock; no tom-cod; large blue 

 Ash; blackfish getting plenty. iSiackfish certainly are banded, 

 taw hundreds in a box alive, all appeared banded. Blackfish 

 fary v«y »uch in th« hu»s of tha body, but the dark shade, 



always the same; a dusky brown on aground of the same 

 lighter, or reddish brown, light orange brown, gray, white and 

 purplish. 



October 5, 1849.— Squids, plenty in marXet : large blue 

 bass; porgies averaging 10 inches; Lafayette and white 

 corvmm, among which I found t Eree specimens of a new species 

 of Vomer; 2 small yellow Caranx, mixed up with Rhombus 

 triacanlhuR. Fall mackerel from Boston; large blue fish; 

 some, large and small king fish. 



" October 24, 1849.— A few king fish ; some small drum, 6 or 

 8; large bass of 35 pounds ; weak fish; large blue fish, pick- 

 erel, j crch, suufisb, Lafayette, torn cod, and Physis amerimnus, 

 large Caranx, squids. 



October 31, 1849.— A black fish, 25 inches, 8 pounds ; head 

 of an albicore (Tunny ?) caught in a small creek on south side 

 of Long Island and brought to New York, weighing about 60 

 pounds. 



We learn that the cold has been so severe in Massachusetts 

 that in some of the ponds the fish have been frozen by thous- 

 ands, and taken in that condition ; 60,000 pounds of bass from 

 Poca pond, and 120,000 pounds from Newtown pond are said 

 to have been sent to this market. 



Forty tons of striped bass were taken at one haul in Tis- 

 bury, on Saturday last, and on Sunday eighty tons of the 

 " same sort " of delightful fish were taken at Edgartown.— 

 New York Herald, Jan. 1, 1849. 



Smelts taken in the Passaic ; made their first appearance 

 this week. — Courier and Enquirer, March 10, 1849. 



The first shad caught this season was taken on Wednesday 

 at the Narrows, by Allen Sheffield, and sold for $5. — Courier 

 and Enquirer, March 10, 1849. 



April 8, 1851. — Bass scarce. Plenty small blackfi«h. Hali- 

 but been in market some time. Msh have been very scarce 

 this winter. 



. April 19, 1851. — Caught 13 pounds of small blackfish, blue 

 bass, sand porgies, etc. No weakfish in Jamaica bay yet,at least 

 not many. No bergalls ; bluefish plenty, dogfish, toadhsh ; no 

 snipe nor ducks. Mr. Forbell says that sbeepshead began to be 

 plenty three years ago. Heard from J. J. Baker of 200 sbeeps- 

 head at one haul in South Bay ten days ago— all' from 9 to 12 

 pounds. 



Rockaicay, August 26, 1851. —Porpoises only approach land 

 when wind is off shore, showing that they swim against the 

 wind, which brings them in case of a land breeze near tbe land. 

 They fearbeing cast ashore. . One was speared j'esterday at 

 Calvin Mott's landing. They often enter the bay. 



October 2B, 1851. — Snapping mackerel {Scomber grex) abun- 

 dant. Striped bass, from 20 to 40 pounds, common. Many 

 " Southern trout " in market, from South, Said to keep better 

 than weakfish. Saw a sbeepshead in market. 



January 30, 1852.— Eels acquire a very disagreeable hydro- 

 sulphuretted taste when taken from Denton's pond, owing to 

 factories. 



May 14, 1853.— First bluefish, very meagre; kingfish; a few 

 torn ccd still in market ; lirge pike perch from lakes, etc. 

 Salmon 6 shillings, trout 5 shillings a pound ; sand snipe. 

 April 18, 1854.— Few smelt in market ; shad not plenty. 

 April 22, 1854.— Lamprey eels in market. 

 May 6, 1854. — Quantities of porgies caught in shad nets, 

 supposed to have been lost in the muddy water. Shad scarce, 

 the heavy rains and muddy water probably keep them out of 

 the river. 



May 11, 1854.— Blackfish in market; mackerel, weakfish, 

 sea bass, coming in ; large drumfish. 



May 13, 1854.— Salmon $1 per pound ; large bass and a 

 few large sea bass in market. Many large porgies. 



May 19, 1854. — Kingfish from Shrewsbury in market. First 

 bluefish in market. 

 June 5, 1854, — Sbeepshead in market. 

 June 6, 1854, — Sheepshead coming in— said to be plenty in 

 Jamaica Bay. 



Rockaicay, August 7, 1854. — Cool north wind ; boats on 

 beach hauling nets and caught a few large bluefish of 10 to 13 

 pounds ; none near beach. Thread herring, sting rays, sharks, 

 etc. Found Lichias in sea on beach. (Small mullet ? washed 

 up.) 



June 24, 1854. — Fine, clear, breezy. Caught a few weak- 

 fish at mouth Spring Creek, Jamaica Bay. 



August 22, 1654. — Mr. S. caught a sbeepshead with soft 

 crab. ^Monocanthus aurantiamis, 24 inches long, hooked 

 accidentally, brilliant, brassy, orange with black blotches 

 about occiput and ant. part of back; a balans on dorsal fin. 

 Eye with dark iris when alive and very moveable. Its jaws 

 cut grass like a pair of scissors. 



September 25, 1854. — On Saturday received 2 Monocanthus, 

 3 Saurus fastens, caught in Jamaica Bay. 



September 26, 185-1. — Pleasant, warm, wind S. Alasa mat- 

 tmcaca in market ; got Seriola, large specimen : some dozens 

 in market. Pelamys tarda, small ones, in numbers ; one 

 Batistes, one very small Caranx, all from Shrewsbury Inlet 

 and Bay. Large bluefish plenty. Merlangus carbonarius. 



September 28, 1854. — Fouud CyMum maeuiatum in market. 

 Sheepshead, Sargus ovis, fat. Large bluefish and blackfish. 



October 18, 1854. — Fresh, clear, cooL Small fall mackerel 

 plenty, very fat, large eyes, back covered with crowded, ir- 

 regular, wavy»lines— in a few specimens more regular. Many 

 Rhombus triacanihus, some covered with pale spots ; large 

 bluefish, striped bass, few weakfish, blackfish, many mullet, 

 halibut, cod, yellow perch, sunfish, lake bass, pickerel. 



November 1, 1854. — There has been an oyster panic, now 

 subsiding, owing to three or four well-known persons (Alder- 

 man White and James C. Foster) having died suddenly, their 

 death being said to have been caused by eating oysters, but on 

 inquiry they where found to have been sick some time before. 

 It was said the Virginia oysters alone were to blame. The 

 papere were full of it. 



(To be Continued.) 



ANOTHER SUPPOSED- HYBRID. 



New Westminster, British Columbia, Oct. IT, 181 T. 

 Editor Forest and stream : 



1 read lately a very able article in your paper on Hybrids, by Pro- 

 fessor Gill, and -while not attempting to question the correctness of the 

 opinion of bo high an authority on such matters, I wish to mention that 

 many well authenticated statement s are made in this country of hybrids 

 between the male marten and the female domestic cat. Such a cross 

 would he more likely to occur here, if anywhere, than in other places, 

 from the fact that many persona engaged In mining, cattle raising, etc., 

 ,iva la isolated situations, miles frequently from their nearest neighbor, 

 aud in almost all esses to protect themselvea from the ravages of the 

 brush-tailed rat and field mouse, keep a cat. These cats in thickly set- 

 tled countries would hare access to males of their own kind, and tha 

 necessity of crossing with an animal of any other kind would not exist. 

 Indeed taey would nave little or no opportunity of so doing, were they ' 



so inclined, on account of the scarcity of wild animals in their vicinity 

 while the opposite is the case in sparely settled places. 



Now the alleged cases of crossing all occurred in remote places,, 

 where the cat was a female, and from the great distance from 

 settlers could have no intercourse with a male of her own kind. Thet 

 progeny were raised, and partook of the characteristics of both parents 

 in appearance and habits, and were better ratters and mousers as a 

 rule than either oats or martens ; the latter being known to be a great 

 killer of rats and mice. 



I have not had the opportunity of seeing any of these animals myself, 

 and.nnfortunately not betngup inBcieatiiic knowledge,had I seen them, 

 might not have beenable to specify their characteristics in such terms I 

 as would enable a naturalist to decide upon them. I know, and hare I 

 conversed with dozens of persons who have seen them, and they have! 

 no hesitation In pronouncing them really to be a cross between marten I 

 and cat. Of this I am positive, that cats at-four different places, severs; I 

 hundred miles apart, not having a male cat within many niiles.pnxHioed I 

 litters of. young which partook so strongly of the look of both cat anfll 

 marten, that all who saw them were confident that they were hybrids I 

 as above stated. Now, should Prof. Gill or any other person have a I 

 desire to learn more about these strange animals I will have muchl 

 pleasure in furnishing the names of the persons who owned them, and I 

 of any amount of persons who saw them, many of whom still reside! 

 here. The matter Is of no moment to me one way or the other, but if it is j 

 of any imporf.nee in the interests of natural history to learn positively I 

 in relation to such a cross, I will be very glad to lend what assistance I 

 I can, by endeavoring to obtain such information as would enable I 

 competent authority to judge and determine whether the opinion In I 

 reference to the cross is a oorrect and proper one or not. 



Yours truly, Mowitoh. I 



[We have written to our correspondent asking him if possible I 

 to obtain cme of these supposed hybrids, and to forward its I 

 skin and skeleton to Prof. Gill, at the Smithsonian Institution. I 

 If this can be done we shall at least learn what it is, and the I 

 matter can ,be set at rest as it was in the case of the animal I 

 referred to in Prof. Gill's article on the so-called hybrid be-1 

 tween the cat and the raccoon. This last proved to be m 

 a large Angora cat. We hope that our correspondent will let I 

 us hear from him again on this topic. — Ed. ] 



BREEDING OF WILSON SNIPE. 



Meadvili.e, Pa., Nov. 17, 1877. 

 Editor Porest akd Stream : 



Scar Sir— Breeding of the Wilson snipe, In your last issue, calls upon 

 me to note that Mr. Lorandi arid I were hunting snipe near this city on 

 the lsth day of May, 1876. My dog carae to a point, I flushed and shot 

 the bird— a Wilson's snipe. It was the first birtf the dog ever retrieved, 

 and when it waa in my pocket I sent the doj into tBe same swail.whero 

 he came to a point at about tke Birne place. I thought there was to be 

 good sport that day, and walked up to flash another bird, when, to my 

 surprise, I found a nest on a tuft of grass with four warm eggs in it. 

 We returned to the nest twice, and both times found the eggs cold, so 

 at 4 r. m. I took nest and eggs home with me, We compared the eggs 

 with the plates in "Samuels,'.' and found them identically the same 

 with the representation there of a Wilson's snipe egg. I now have nest 

 and eggs labelled, "Taken on the marsh, May 13, 1875, Just one year 

 later than the nest taken in Portland, Connecticut. " 



Tours truly, .Edgar HuiDEKorEB. 



THE TAME SQUIRRELS OF MEMPHIS. 



MKitrnij^ Tenn., Nov. 12, 1S77. 

 Editor Pcrest and Stream : 



In winging my way to the orange groves of Florida, I decided to strike 

 the Missiisippi at Memphis, and then floatdown to New Orleans on one 

 of the palace steamers which pass here from St. Louis, 



While awaiting the "Vicksburg," your correspondent is well cared 

 for a» the Peabody Hotel, which is nndL-r | he able management of C. B. 

 Galloway. His "Hunter/ 1 over In the "Arkausas Bottom?," furnishes 

 fresh game, which the accomplished steward, Mellville, prepares in 

 good style, so that we have quail, prairie chicken, duck, bear and veni- 

 son, which all taste gamey. 



To-day I sought ont and introduced myself to one of your admirers- 

 Major Nicholson— the agent for " Dnnn'a Mercantile Reporter." He 

 is a crack shot, and a perfect Nlmrod. He entertained me a few 

 moments, telling of turkey, bear and deer. 



BntI set out to tell you of the park here, and »he tqulrrels occupying 

 it. About twenty-five years ago Mayer Richard H. Baugh and Alder- 

 man J. P. Finney, with other citizens, donate! a square of ton acres 

 for park purposes, right in the heart of the city. It had a few oaks aud 

 other tjiees; maple, sycamore, elm and mulberry, with many magnolias 

 have been set out. 



Mr. Keeting, the forester, Is paid $75 per month to keep things In 

 shape. A flne fountain in the centre continually spouts forth water. 



When my wife and I started through the park we were booh beset 

 with squirrels (gray). They came scampering from all dlreotiona, 

 leaped upon us, expecting some nuts. When we reached the fountain 

 we seated ourselvei to watch these "bunnies," Many little children 

 andgrown persons were there feeding these nimble fellows. They 

 will climb upon one's knee or shoulder, and sit there eating nuts as un- 

 concerned as a pet monkey. When fally satisfied they will bury their 

 surplus nuts, so that you see them constantly hiding and digging up 

 their food. Some of them took a position a la ianjfacoo— bolt upright— 

 with the tail lining their backs, then would settle their arms down upon 

 their little bellies, and seemed so comfortable. In this position they 

 would sit for more than a minnte, with eyes half closed, aud panting or 

 breathing heavily, then would suddeuly bound away as though stricken 

 with a severe attack of colic ! 



I learned from Mr. Keeting that squirrels have been in the park 

 for over twenty years. The City Council appropriates $6 per month for 

 their maintenance, and makes it an offence to permit a dug within tha 

 InctoBur*. 



Mr. Keeting says that they number abont one hundred, and though 

 they breed twice a year— in March and August— yet bo many of them 

 stray away along on the shade trees, that a great number are killed by 

 dogs and oaught oy boys when the "bunnies" get too far from the park. 

 Mr. K. says early In the morning they often go two squares away and 

 Meal nuts and fruit from the Italian stands. His regular time for feed- 

 ing them is at 8 o'clock in the morning, when he calls them by ringing 

 an ordinary hand bell. This morning my wife and I witnessed this 

 amusing breakfast. At the first sound of the bell "bunnle" bounced up I 

 a root or teee, and gave a chuckle, signifying hla joy with several Jerks I 

 of his tail, then he aame Bklmming aud tripping delicately to. the little I 

 house. Mr. K. says they prefer filberts, aud these he threw out to I 

 them as if throwing shelled corn to ehickens. He says they never bred j 

 black er white; and although these off colors have beeu Introduced I 

 here, yet they have no progeny of their color. He thinks the gray I 

 squirrel lives to be some seven years of age. They sometimes drop I 

 down dead fr«m the' topmost limbs. They injure the hurl* of- most of I 

 the tnei, and play destruction with the magnolia hleuomj, joef I 



