FOREST AND STREAM. 



345 



These experiments were the result of the private Enterprise 

 of the persons named, and all salmon propagated were of the 

 Salmo galea; or true salmon of the St. Lawrence and Northern 

 Europe. The private enterprise of these gentlemen was then 

 merged into the labors of the Fish Commissioners of Pennsyl- 

 vania and New Jersery, and we trust that our Commission 

 will be more liberally encouraged by appropriations than here- 

 tofore, in view of the facts that salmon culture in our rivers 

 seems to be crowned with success. 



' Salmon in 1852 ra the Susquehanna.— Editor Forest and 

 ^tkeam— I found a newspaper cutting which 1 copy for you : 

 J1S53. June.— A salmon weighing upward of two pounds 

 5 vas caught in the Susquehanna, near Danville, some days 

 Vince," 1 think that the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers 

 are better for salmon rivers, and that this fish would thrive 

 there better than in the Hudson, but the matter of fish ladders 

 over dean* ought to be attended to. I may add that sawdust 

 thrown into rivers and sinking, water-logged, to the bottom is 

 death lo salmon. I heard this stated on the small rivers, 

 Metis, Eimou.vki, R. du Loup, pes Trois Pistoles, etc., that 

 empty into the St. Lawrence from the south, in 1840, while 

 on the Northeast Boundary Survey. There are no salmon in 

 these rivers of any consequence on this account. Maybe it is 

 because they all have natural falls that the salmon cannot 

 leap. We got n few salmon in the Metis near the falls (some 

 40 feet high and near its mouth) and as many as we could use 

 for a party of thirty men, in the basin below the falls, which 

 probably were only looking in for a chance. In the Lake 

 Metis, tO miles from the St. Lawrence, we got quantities of 

 Togue or mlmo amethy&im, from 6 to 18 pounds, on the spawn- 

 ing grounds in September; 

 Yours truly, J. Carson Bbetoort. 



Geneva Lake, Wis., Nov. 22.— On last Thursday there 

 were received here 500,000 salmon trout eggs for N. K. Fair- 

 hanks. This is the third season that Mr. Fairbanks has pur- 

 sued fish propagation upon a large scale. He has derjosited 

 in Lake. Geneva nearly 9,000,000 young food fishes, as fol- 

 lows; In 1873, 17,000 Oswego bass; in 1870, 250,000 salmon 

 trout, 113,000 whitefisn, 50,000 brook trout, 1.500,000 wall- 

 eyed pike, 20,000 California salmon; iu 1877, 1,000,000 sal- 

 mon trout, 100,000 white-fish, 4,500,000 wall-eyed pike, 100, 

 000 California salmon, 108,000 brook trout. For this season 

 he has successfully hatched 200,000 California salmon, which 

 are now lively minnows an inch in length, and he will receive 

 large quantities of fish eggs within the next few weeks. Wis- 

 consin has an appropriation for this season for fish culture, 

 and the State, hatctiing-houses at Madison and Milwaukee are 

 now in successful operation under the charge of Frof. H. W\ 

 Welsh and Bart Scott, formerly of (his place. There will be 

 propagated at the two houses this season 5,000,000 each of 

 whitefish and salmon trout, besides 100,000 California salmon, 

 and considerable quantities of brook trout, etc. — Wisconsin 

 State Register, JYov, 39. 



— n+*-~, 



— The recent floods in Virginia washed a great many bass 

 out of the James River. The State Hatching House at Lex- 

 ington was much endangered, but the water did not finally 

 cover the floors to a greater depth than five inches. The hatch- 

 ing troughs are two feet above the floor. Fish Commissioner 

 Henry B. Nicholas has sent us twiu fish from the hatching 

 of the California salmon— always an interesting monstrosity, 

 but by no means rare. The fish are joined at the middle of 

 the bodies, and have one umbilical sac in common. The sal- 

 mon fry, we are glad to learn, turned out remarkably welt. 



K r~ 



Salmon in Catdga Lake. — Editor Farest and Stream. — 

 Three years ago last February the Game Club here let loose a 

 considerable number of salmon fry in the Inlet, some four to 

 five miles above Cayuga Lake. We have heard of a strange 

 fish being caught up the Inlet by persons drawing sucker nets, 

 but they devoured what they caught and kept mum. On 

 Sunday last, however, a fish floated up in the lake nearly done 

 to death by a lamprey eel. He was picked up, and found to 

 be a genuine Kennebec salmon, eighteen inches long, and 

 Weighing at a guess three and one-lmtf pounds. The fish was 

 sent to Monroe or Seth Green for identification. There are- 

 living here and hereabouts some oldest inhabitants who re- 

 pjember, and have caught the great salmon, that before the 

 Erie Canal and the Oswego dams used to make their way 

 from the sea to this very Inlet. Some of them have seen this 

 fish, and immediately pronounced it a true salmon. Now the 

 great question is, will these tish breed here; running up the In- 

 let to {he lake for that purpose, and falling back into the lake 

 as they do into the sea elsewhere ? Or is' this one of the fry 

 put in here three years ago ; and has it been to the sea and got 

 so far back, seeking the place of its youth ? It is considered 

 here thai the darns and the canal have long ago sealed access 

 from (he sea. H. 



Ithaca, if. T., tfov. 25, 1877. 



tttfaml 



THOSE MIGRATORY QUAIL. 



WE are at a loss to conjecture through what inadvertence 

 all that has been done by the sportsmen of Boston 

 and Rutland in introducing to our bird fauna such an inter- 

 esting addition as is the migratory quail of Europe was over- 

 looked. It is true that when the articles in question appeared 

 in Foi'.est and Stream last summer, we were absent in the 

 West, and hence our attention was not specially called to the 

 matter, as it would have been had we been in charge of the 

 office at the time. This absence must plead our excuse. The 

 error was observed almost as soon as the paper cams from the 

 press, but of course too late for correction. 



The services of Judge Everts and Mr. Hapgood, whose 

 letters we print below, are too well known m this connection 

 do need comment or praise from us, and we cannot help be- 

 lieving that although their efforts just now seem to have me 

 With a check they will ultimately be crowned with success 



Rutland, Nov. 26, tSTT. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



■t ridge of the surprise of the Rutland Fur Co, on reading an article In 

 your paper of last week, Headed "Quail at Sen. Have we a new variety 

 of quail ?" Wllh your correspondence and editorial you seem to be in 

 a prolound doubt, but to throw light upon the subject, I would suggest 

 that it Is not neceeBary to look to Jamaica or St. Croix for a solution of 

 the question you propound, but let the Foiibst and Stream refer to 

 Itself. Pee your paper of June 2S, page 341; August 2, page 447; August 

 9, pages 10, 11 and 12; August 23, page 51; September 6, page 83, and 

 November 15, page 296, all or which have reference to the importation 

 of migratory quail to this country the past season; also letters in lion 

 and Gun of January, 1S75, written to Dr. Goldsmith, then iu Europe, 

 by me, which is believed to be the hrst record ever in print in favor of 

 their importation. 



On the Sth of June la?t I received, through the kindness of Mr. Geo. 

 H. Owen, United States Consul at Messina, Sicily, from Mr. D. Bon- 

 iianno, out of an invoice of 200, 187 of the migratory quail in the best 

 condition. One hair of them were turned out the next day, 9th, and 

 theremaiuderon the 11th (ihe luth being Sunday) In most, favorable 

 Places tor breeding (*ee your paper of Aug. 2). I should judge that 

 Hie sexes were divided as follows : 80 males to 130 females. They com- 

 menced laying within five dayB of the time they were turned out, A 

 large number of nests were found, the number of eggs in each nest 

 ranging from eleven to sixteen— aa a rule thirteen or fourteen. Barring 

 accidents, which happened to two or three nests, almost every egg 

 hatched, and the young birds left In an hour after hatching. One old 

 bird was run down by a mowing machine while hatching. She took 

 hsr young out of the way, leaving one egg with a live bird in it un- 

 hatched. Five or six nests were built within fifty yards of farm- 

 house 1 , or within thirty rods of the place where they were turned cut. 

 There are more than twenty different fields where the young birds 

 have been seen ranging in numbers from twelve to fifty in a field. The 

 eggs of the birds are of the size and shape of the American quad's egg, 

 though of various shad'es of color, from the color of the turkey's egg 

 to that of a Damascus gun barrel. The male bird is very cheerful and 

 happy night and morning about dwellings and fence-yards, while the 

 female is hatching and caring for the young, 



The birds fed, almost exclusively upon grasshoppers and other in- 

 sects; were seen iu large parties, mainly young, eii joying a grand grass- 

 hopper hunt, but at the slightest motion of an intruder all would skulk 

 and could net be found. Had these btals been placed ih the Missouri 

 Valley lifty yesiB ago it is believed that the grasshopper plague would 

 -never have occurred. The young birds at tour weeks old would fly 

 with nearly tho same facility a3 the old ones. Many of the birds mi- 

 grated before September 1. A few were left, a sort of rear guard, ten 

 days later. It is believed a safe estimate that, eighty females bred and 

 migrated. Not to exceed ten birds, old and growing, are known to have 

 been killed— all by accident. 



.It is a bad omen for their successful acclimatization that they leave 

 the coast so far north. "That Uiey go down to the sea in ships that do 

 business in great waters." Those birds will most certainly perish. 

 Would it not be better to introduce the birds far West, away from sea- 

 ooast, so that their migration would extend into Mexico? Should any 

 number ef these birds follow the coast to lower F.orida they might 

 easily fly to Cuba, Jamaica, Sau Domingo, or Yucatan, In which case 

 they would most certainly re.urn. It seems impossible that all should 

 perish off North Carolina. They seemed not ar. all inclined to suicide 

 while here. Your correspondent '"Virginian" has given an accurate de- 

 scription of our birds. The mark of dark feai hers across the throat of 

 the male is very prominent, and the sexes easily distinguished. Will 

 not other sportsmen in the South communicate with you should they 

 fall in with the birds duringthe winter? Before closing, I must, do a 

 simple act of justice to Mr. W. Hapgood, of Boston (see his letter of 

 August 9), as he, among all the men corresponded with previous to the 

 importation of the birds, endured to the end, and received his birds on 

 the same Bhip with ours, while so many who promised their co-opera- 

 tion tried to fight but fainted. Truly yours, W. Q. Evbkts. 



Boston, Nov. 2s, is77. 

 Editor Forest and Stream : 



Returning on Saturday last from an excursion of several day's quail 

 shooting at Cape Cod our attention was called to some editorial com- 

 ments upon two letters In your last issue, Nov. 2?, describing a new 

 specieB of quail. The editorial remarks are on page 30u and are headed, 



" Quail at Sea— Have We a New Variety of Quail ?" By referring to 

 Forest and Stream of Aug. 2, or to the 9th of the same month, or to 

 various notices of the "press" up and down the land, aDy one may 

 inform himself as to the introduction of the "new variety of quail" in- 

 to this country as well as of their habits and characteristics. In the 

 article of Aug. 9 the writer asks this question, in reference to the newly 

 imported European quail (Coturnix Communis): " If they migrate will 

 they strike boldly out to sea, thinking they are to cross the Mediter- 

 ranean and thus perish?" The information conveyed by your corres- 

 pondent " J. G. W." would seem to confirm the worst fearaof the writer. 

 That "J. G. W. " being one of the " new readers" of your interesting 

 journal, should not be familiar with the fact of the importation of these 

 birds, or that the matter in hand should have escaped the notice of 

 "Virginian" who describes the markings and habits of the birds re- 

 markably well, particularly that part which refers to "puzzliDg the 

 dogs," would seem to elicit no comment, but that the editor of Forest 

 and Stream, who has previously acknowledged in complimentary 

 terms the effort to Introduce European quail into this country, and who 

 usually seems to know and remember everything pertaining to sporting 

 matters, should fall to recognize these birds, is truly surprising. The 

 parties who imported these birds, have, from the yery day they were 

 planted upon our soil, had great solicitude about their propagating, 

 migrating and returning. So earnest were some of them, that they de. 

 sired notice to be given through your columns of the probable appear 

 ance of these birds at tho South, and requesting information through 

 the same, as to their habits and modes of life in winter; but not wish- 

 ing to trouble the editor, and thinking some one would be likely to ob- 

 serve and note the new comers, the request was not made. There is" 

 no positive evidence to show that the birds planted in Massachusetts 

 bred extensively ; the several broods are known to have existed, while 

 those planted in Vermont multiplied prodigiously. The reason for tnis" 

 has not yet transpired. Do they breed better in mountainous regions- 

 than in level sections aloug Ihe sea boaTd ? Or do they find congenial 

 food in the Green Mountain Bauge which utterly faileth on the Atlantic 

 coast ? Both colonies migrated about the 10th or 15th of September. 



Now, if they are foolish enough to leave these happy shores with all 

 the millions of acres of wheat fields behind them and put to sea steer- 

 lug in a Southeasterly direction, as represented, we may as well close 



. - - ~ -> •-- m _ •, lainea marunica (uiiu- 



Ad venture No. 1" in quail, not by "profit and loss," but " lost at sea;"-* -21, Myiarebus oberi, Lawr, 



for not one of them will ever again see land. Should they change their 

 course and steer mere to the Southward, as they would be likely to, they 

 would still be uneble to reach the Bahamas, the nearest land some Bix 

 hundred miles distant. We cannot help thinking that if these prolific 

 little breeders could bo introduced into this country and by some system 

 of planting be taught to migrate only from the Northern to the South- 

 ern part thereof, and vice versa, it would be the greatest boon to future 

 generations of sportsmen we could offer. If the account given by 

 " Virginian" is true, as we believe it is, that when flushed near the 

 coa&v they rise to an altitude of " Ave or Bix hundred feet" and then 



" strike straight out to sea," it shows that they are just upon the eve of 

 their long migrations, as the older ones— who are probably the leaders 

 ii ere— are wont to do, from I he southern shores of Europe crossing the 

 Mediterranean Sea to spend the winter months in Africa. The fact 

 that the friend of " J. G. W." saw them a hundred miles at sea off Hat- 

 teras rather confirms the statement of " Virginian," and both together 

 All with saddest disappointment, the hearts of those who have struggled 

 to Introduce them here. There are parties here now ready and willing 

 to import a thousand or more of these birds to stock the country if any 

 degree of success is probable, but if they all "strike out to sea" the 

 next: autumn and perish, aa they must, in the waves, some new plan of 

 operation must be commenced or the whole scheme abandoned. We 

 would suggest, if the birds were planted In Florida or ihe Carolinas, in 

 March or April, they would hardly think of going South at that period, 

 but would be likely to go North In May, where they would breed and 

 possibly return to the place of colonization the following autumn; or 

 again, the callow birds might be captured In nets or otherwise at the 

 end of August and kept at the North during the winter to be released in 

 the spring where, they would i-eproduce their young, which possibly 

 might not incline to leave our shoreB and perish, as have their prede- 

 cessors. The whole matter is now open before our sportsmen who are 

 more intimately interested, though every person should feel an interest 

 in the subject, as it would, if successful add somewhat to the food sup- 

 ply for the whole country. Wo are still not without hope that some 

 plan will be suggested whereby the birds may be succes-ifuiiy intro- 

 duced and bred here. We also desire from the South further informs - 

 lion of our little pets, still " hoping against hope" that some of them 

 may tarry and dwell with our Southern brethren during the winter, to 

 return and receive from ua in the spring a hearty welsome. 



W. Hapgood. 



Editor Forest and Stream t Sai.hu, Mass. 



In your issue of Nov. 22 there is an article headed, "Have We a New 

 Variety of Quail?" with two letters on the subject. Now, are not the 

 quail found off Hatteras and in North Carolina the European migratory 

 quail, some hundreds of which were put out by Judge Everts, of Ver- 

 mont, last spring, and nearly as many by different sportsmen around 

 Boston, with tho hope that they would breed, go South on the approach 

 of cold weather, return in the spring North to increase and multiply, 

 giving us a quail that would not be so likely to ba winterkilled as our 

 own native bird? It is hoped that specimens may be properly identified 1 

 There was some fear expressed that they might try to cross the 

 Atlantic, and, of course, parish ; but if they have followed the coast as 

 far as North Carolina, let U3 hops that most of them may be preserved, 

 and that the introducing ane? game bird becomes a success. A large 

 importation will probably be made this winter, if it seems at all prob- 

 able that the attempt last spring was a success. Your correspondent, 

 "Teal," shot one, November 1, at Essex, in this State, which was a 

 young cock bird, showing that tlume put out about here had bred. 

 With the hope that notice of any strange quail being found or shot may 

 be forwarded to you for insertion, I remain, very respectfully, 



STAUNCH. 



[We earnestly hope that any and all of our Southern friends 

 who may chance ta meet with these little immigrants will at 

 once communicate with us. Notices of their habits, so far as 

 it is possible to observe them, are especially to be desired, as 

 we cannot hope to be successful in our efforts to introduce 

 them to this country unless the requirements of the birds be- 

 come more fully known than they are at present. 



Judge Everts' suggestion of planting a colony of them in the 

 West, perhaps in the Mississippi or Missouri Valley, seems 

 to us a most happy one, for, if located there, is does not seem 

 possible that they could reach the sea.— Ed.] 



PROVISIONAL LIST of the Birds Pro- 

 cured and Noticed by Mr. Fred. A.. Ofoe** 

 in the Island of Dominica. 



BY GEO. K. LAWRENCE. 



ABOUT a year ago an agreement was made by the officers 

 of the Smithsonian Institution with Mr. P. A. Ober 

 (the well-known correspondent of Eoekst and Steeam), to 

 make explorations in some of the Lesser Antilles, thereby 

 to obtain a better knowledge of their atural history than we 

 have heretofore possessed. It was arranged that I should ex- 

 amine the birds, and prepare a catalogue of the species found 

 in each island, to be published when its investigation was 

 completed. 



Mr. Ober commenced with Dominica, and has sent three 

 collections from there, comprising, apparently, with a few ex- 

 ceptions, all the land birds he heard of that inhabited the 

 island. Some of the sea birds, not easily' obtainable, were ob- 

 served sufficiently to be surely known. I am now preparing 

 the catalogue of the birds of that island, to be°accompanied 

 with the notes and observations of Mr. Ober ; [ but as its pub- 

 lication possibly mzy be delayed, it lias been thought advisa- 

 ble to put on record in Forest and Stream the result of Mr. 

 Ober's explorations : 



S3. "Parrot." This species is well 

 known, but Mr. Ober was 

 unable to procure.it.' 

 34. Strlx flammea var. nigresoena, 



1. Margarops hermimeri(Lafr.) 

 ■2. Do deDsirostrls (Vieill.) 



3. Do montanus (Vieill.) 



4. Clnclocerthia runcauda, 



Gould Lawr. 



5. "Thrush?" Heard of but not "5. Pandion hansetns (Lini-,) 



obtained, 

 f). Myiadestesgenlbarbls, Sw. 

 -7. Thrycthorus ruiescena, Lawr. 



8. Slums najvius (Bodd.) 



9. Dendraica virens (Urn,) 

 ill. Bendrieca petechia (Linn) 

 ■11. Do plumbsa, Lawr, 

 12. Setophaga ruticilla (L.nn.) 



atj. Buteo penusyivamcui (vv'ils.) 

 37. Tinnunc-uius Bparverlus var. 



aotillarum (Got.) 

 8S. Fregata aquUa ^iun ) 

 3a Pfisetnou 1H virus ins Brandt. 



40. Peiecanus iuscus (Lion.) 



41. Ardta eiiudidissitnu (Gm.) 



42. Do. eicrulea, Lion. 



13. Vireojylvia calidris var. do- 4a. Butorldes vircacens (oinn.) 



miniciina, Lawr. 



14. Progne douiluicensls (Gm.) 



15. Cerihlola riouiluiea.ua, Taylor. 



16. Bnpliouia flavifrons (dpacm.) 



17. Saltator qaadelouponsis, Lair. 

 IS. I oxigilla noctls (Lluu.) 



19. Phouipara bicolor (Linn.) 

 lainea martinica (Linn.) 



•~'i. EUcicus Dlaucoi, Gund. 



23. Tyrannus rostratos, Scl. 



24. Eulauipis Jugularis (Linn.) 



25. Do. holosericeus (Linn.) 



26. Thilurauia wagleri (Less.) 



27. Orthorhvnehus esilie (Gm.) 

 2S. Cha;tura"polinra(Tcmni.) 



29. "Swift." Larger than the pre- 



ceding Bpeci«B, not obtained. 



30. Ceryle aicyon (Lian.) 



31. Ooccyzus minor (Gm.) 



32. Cbrysotls augusta (Vlg.) 



44 Coiumbo corecsi.4, Gm. 



45. Zenaida martiuica, Bp. 



W. Ciiauisepelia pa^serinu. (Linn.) 



47, Geotrygun inontaua (Liun.) 



4j. Ohar-idrluivirgmicus, Burkh. 



i9. S rapsi&B iuterpres (uon ) 



00. •' sandpiper." Specimen no: 



yet '.o hand. 

 51. TridgpMea uiacularitis (Linn. 

 82. "Tern." Seen by Mr. Ober, and 



thought CO be Anon* si.oiiUuu. 

 63. Starua amillarum (Less.) 



54. Do. luligiaosa (Gin.) 



55. Bj. afifflstheta, acop. 



66. "Diabloiiu." A 'spofecieB 

 Petrel, which burrows on the 

 top of high mountains lor ri 

 nest. Atonetlrue abundant, 

 now rare. Blr.Ober has made 

 arrange Diem a by which he 

 hoyes to obtain this and the 

 otnsr species he failed to get. 



