May 33, 1884.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



329 



Net Fishing in Lakk Champlain.— The Montpelier 



An/us says; There is considerable agitation these days rela- 

 to net risking in Lake Champlain, caused by efforts to 

 enforce (he law forbidding it. The spring and early summer 

 is the season when the wall-eyed pike or perch-pike and the 

 bl'tek bass spawn. The great spawning grounds of the 

 whole lake for the wall-eyed pike is Missisquoi Bay, or more 

 properly the streams emptying into it. The Missisquoi 

 river being of much more importance in this respect than all 

 (lie others. The wall-eyed pike, the most palatable and most 

 important of all the food fishes in the lake, leave the deep 

 waters they frequent at other seasons, and seek the shoals of 

 the bay and its tributaries, to deposit their spawn, commenc- 

 ing to rim iu February. Then these net fishermen begin 

 their warfare upon them, the especial harm being that they 

 catch I hem in immense quantities just at the time that to do 

 so is to exterminate them. They catch them in fyke nets 

 which stretch across every avenue whereby (lie fish pass to 

 and from tbeir spawning beds j they take (hem in pound nets, 

 the arms of which reach out and guide them into these 

 prisons, and they drag the bed of the lake with seines that 

 reach almost from shore to shore, making it almost a wonder 

 that a single fish escapes, to deposit its spawn. Commenting 

 on this, the Uepuhlimn, Plattsburgh, N. Y., says; "Is il not 

 possible to devise some way to prevent this wholesale depop- 

 ulation of the lake? If there could be a, stop, or even a tem- 

 porary check, for a brief season, to this wasteful destruction 

 of ths embryo fish, the inhabitants of the Ckamplain valley 

 could have a plentiful supply, in the proper season, of the 

 delicious food, fresh from its rich pasturage, and the lovers 

 of (he sport could have abundant opportunity (o exercise 

 their skill and cocupy their leisure, with a fair prospect, and 

 even some assurance, that they would not wholly lose their 

 time in vain effort. As it is, they are not only nearly 

 altogether deprived of the grateful nourishment, and 

 of the excitement attendant upon the pursuit of it, for 

 if the over sanguine do affect the hook and line they are 

 almost certain to return with disappointed hope and sun 

 burnt energy to ruminate upon the inefficacy of the laws 

 and the rapacity of mercenary and reckless pot-hunters. " 

 The Rutland TTcrald also has something to say on the sub- 

 ject, as follows: "Fish and game protective associations 

 seem to be the same in New York that they are in Vermont, 

 they do not protect. Some of the most prominent members 

 of the Vermont Association live in Franklin county, where 

 a majority of our fish pirates lives, and skin the spawning 

 grounds of the wall-eyed, pike every spring, but these 'fish 

 and L r ame' fancy sportsmen never take any pains to enforce 

 the fish law. If it was not for the zeal of Hiram Atkins, of 

 the Montpelier Argus, no fish pirate would ever be brought 

 to justice. The Montpelier Watchman says that 'Fish War- 

 dens F. H. Atherton, of Waterbury, and John L. Turtle, of 

 Montpelier, assisted by C. E. Demerritt, of Montpelier, 

 William Deal, of Waterbury, and Constable Rockwell and 

 Mr. Fadden, of Alburgh, last week Wcdnesdify seized four 

 nets belonging to the Mitchells, of Alburtrh, who, a few 

 weeks ago drove off officers who went after their nets. Two 

 of the nets seized were new pound nets, costing $50 each 

 this spring; and two Avere gill nets. The same officers were 

 up there again on Thursday, but nobody was fishing/ 

 These facts tell the story. The officers of the law in Frank- 

 lin county suffer fish full of spawn to be swept off their 

 beds every spring with impunity, and Mr. Atkins has to call 

 upon the authorities of Washington and Chittenden counties 

 to enforce a law that the authorities of Franklin county 

 ought to have local pride and common sense enough to en- 

 force. Fish and game protective associations angle some- 

 times, eat fish dinners sometimes, but they nevor protect 

 fish." - 



The Ironclad Oath.— Philadelphia, Miss., May 2.— 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 1 send you a clipping from the 

 Neshoba Democrat, which shows one way to initiate mem- 

 bers into a fishing club. This club was organized for bream 

 fishing, and the common black crickets are the only bait 

 used in taking the fish. It will be seen that the treasurer's 

 only business is to take charge of the crickets, there being 

 no money iu the club to look after.— S. P. Nash. "Pro- 

 ceedings' of the Fishing Club at Lake Burnside, April 14, 

 1884, f o'clock P. M. All members present; also the Hon. 

 J. H. Reagan, applicant for membership. Club proceeded 

 to business, as follows: Resolved, That the president of the 

 club propound such questions to applicants for membership 

 as he thinks proper, or such questions as may be suggested 

 by any member of the club, with a view of ascertaining 

 their competency to become members, or their usefulness if 

 elected to membership, taking into considerstion then- busi- 

 ness or avocation in life. After the adoption of this resolu- 

 tion the Hon. J. H. Reagan, being in waiting, was intro- 

 duced and prepared for admission, first by divesting him of 

 all cumbersome wearing apparel and tieing his hands behind 

 him substantially with a, fish string. After these prepara- 

 tions he was placed in the end of a small canoe and a No. 3 

 snood hook inserted up to the beard in his upper lip, to 

 which a line fourteen feet long was tied and attached to a 

 pole of equal length, and the pole given to a member, who 

 stood on the bank of the lake, in which condition the follow- 

 ing questions Avere propounded to him by the president of 

 the club: First — Are you a prohibit iODist'? Ans. — I am 

 not, but object to excessive drinking. Second — Do you 

 own a breechloading shotgun? Ans. — I do not, but expect 

 to purchase one as soon as my pecuniary ability will permit. 

 Third — Do you own a horse sufficiently strong to carry four 

 skillets, eight bed quilts, one-half bushel of shelled corn, six 

 poles, yourself, and rations sufficient to last four men three 

 days? * Ans. — I have such an animal, but his back is 

 very sore at present, but is rapidly recovering. Fourth- 

 It' you were called upon by a member of the club and 

 informed that the wind was from the south and that the age 

 of the moon indicated that the sign was in the fishes mouth, 

 would you start immediately though yoiH father was indicted 

 for murder, and the penalty death, if found guilty, and your 

 service as a lawyer needed to defend him and the day set for 

 his trial included a day that you expected to be absent fish- 

 ing? Ans. — I would obey the summons unhesitatingly. 

 Whereupon a motion was made by Bro. J. B. Parkes that he 

 be received into full membership, which motion prevailed 

 and the member was gently shoved backward into the river 

 and directed to invest himself of the clothing of Which he 

 had been divested, and returned to the club, where the new 

 member was lectured as follows: 'Bro. Reagau, you were 

 placed on the end of the boat and the hook fastened in your 

 upper lip, not for the purpose of inflicting physical pain, but 

 to teach you to be perfectly quiet in ease your comrade in 

 the same boat were to make an awkward throw and hang 

 the hook in your eye, rather than squimi and twist about 

 and thereby disturb the waters and frighten the fish. You 



were asked the other questions in reference to gun and horse 

 to ascertain whether you were sufficiently equipped to make 

 aj} efficient member, You were asked the last question to 

 see whether you were connecting yourself with the club with 

 that, degree of faith and integrity that is necessary to build 

 up and support any institution.' The club having no treas- 

 urer Bro. Reagau was put in nomination and unanimously 

 elected, and the crickets turned over to him for distribution 

 among the members. A petition for membership was re- 

 received from R. E. Holmes, Esq., and a committee ap- 

 pointed to inquire whether or not the said Holmes would be 

 likely to make a good member — which committee, after a 

 few minutes' deliberation, reported that he was wholly unfit 

 ifi every material particular, whereupon he was duly re- 

 jected. The club then proceeded to the lake, and after 

 having captured, cooked and devoured forty very fine bream 

 adjourned to meet on Thursday the 16th iust.— F. M. Wood, 

 President." 



White Perch in Frksh-Watek Ponds.— The experi- 

 ment of planting white perch Cltoceus amcrieanus) in Lake 

 George by Captain E. 8. Harris and Messrs. W, W. Lock- 

 hart and '(>. B. Lockhart, mentioned in Forest and Stream 

 pf a late date, cannot fail to meet with success if the fish de- 

 posited in these waters are large enough to take care of them- 

 selves and escape the attacks of the black bass. An instance 

 where the white perch has been taken from tide water and 

 placed in a pond, and increased to such numbers and great 

 size as to furnish capital sport, came under the writer's ob- 

 servation many years ago. Black's Pond, located near the 

 town of Swcdesboro, N. J., empties its surplus water through 

 flood gates at. its breast into Church Run, and the run into 

 Raccoon Crek, a tide-water stream running into (he Delaware 

 River. Twenty or more years back a seineful of white 

 perch, taken from the creek, were placed in the pond men- 

 tioned, and the fish became very numerous and were fre- 

 quently taken weighing three pounds, with live bait, just as 

 one would fish for bass. Your correspondent has had fully 

 as much enjoyment Avifh these large perch as with the bass, 

 with a light rod and fine tackle, and the residents of Swcdes- 

 boro well remember the catches made by the writer in boy- 

 hood, only to be equalled in number and weight by old Lev. 

 Anders, a native of the place. The perch in this pond lost 

 the darker shade on the back that is found on tide-water 

 fish. They also seemed to be less robust and of a finer outline 

 than their relatives of the creek, and notably in color of a 

 brighter silver. We took them in the deeper parts of the 

 pond, from a boat, under the overhanging trees wherever 

 the shade was darkest, in the same manner bass Avould be 

 angled for with live bait. Since that time a freshet has 

 carried the dam away, and I understand the perch have, dis- 

 appeared, no doubt into tide water. A new dam has been 

 built and its waters stocked with black bass by a party of 

 gentlemen, of which your correspondent was one, but I have 

 not learned if the bass have thriven. There is no reason 

 why the white perch should not be placed in many of our 

 inland ponds. They are gamy and make excellent sport, 

 growing to double the size they do in tide water, fresh or 

 brackish. — Homo. 



Big Catch. — Monson, Me., May 16.— Yesterday three 

 young men from our village returned from Riddell Pond, 

 which is situated in the wilderness twelve miles west of 

 Shirley and about eighteen miles from here, with 338 spotted 

 trout, Which weighed 102 pounds. They left here Monday, 

 the 12th, fishing Tuesday and a part of Wednesday. They 

 caught in all, including what they ate in the camp, over 400 

 fish. Riddell is one. of a chain of lakes and ponds, the out 

 let of which empties into the Kennebec River. They are so 

 far from civilization and uncivilized poachers that trout 

 fishing there is now in its primitive state. — J. F. Sprague. 



Oceanic, N. J., May 20.— The fishing has commenced in 

 the North Shrewsbury River. I took the first bass (striped) 

 this morning; took four fine ones trolling. — Geo. Wit/d. 



tgisfimltnre. 



THE AMERICAN FISHCULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 



THE annual meeting of the Association was held iu the lec- 

 ture-room of the National Museum at Washington on 

 May 18, and was called to order by President Benkard, who 

 made an address of welcome to the members and reviewed 

 the events of the past year. The Secretary read the minutes 

 of the last meeting and the Treasurer gave iu his reports, both 

 of which were approved. A list of papers had been prepared, 

 but it was found impossible to follow it in the regular course, 

 because some of them had not arrived. 



Prof. Spencer F. Baird was elected an honorary member, 

 and the folloAving new members were proposed and elected: 

 Charles G. Atkins, Bucksport, Me.; Tarleton B. Bean, Wash- 

 ington, D. C. ; Prof . A. S. Biekmore, New York; Dr. H. H. 

 Carey, Atlanta, Ga. ; A. Nelson Cheney, Glens Palls, N. Y. ; 

 Frank N. Clark, Northville, Mich. ; J. W. Collius, Washington, 

 D. C ; W. V. Cox, Washing-ton, D. C. ; Hon. Thomas Donald- 

 son, Philadelphia, Fa, ; R, E. Earll, Washington, D. G ; H. W. 

 Elliott, Washington. D. C. ; W. E. Garrett, New York; A. A. 

 Haves, Washington. D. G ; Dr. J. A. Henshall, Cynthiana, 

 Kyi ; George S. Hobbs, Washington, D. C. ; E. S. Hutchinson, 

 Washington, D. C. ; A. J. Kellogg, Detroit, Mich. ; Hon. E. G. 

 Lapham. M. C, New York; W. L. May, Fremont, Neb. : Hon. 

 H. P. McGoAvn, New York; Dr. J. C. Parker, Grand Rapids, 

 Mich. ; Hon. R. G. Pike, Middletown, Conn. ; Richard Rath- 

 bun, Washington, D. C. ; Hon. Ossian Ray, M. C, New Hamp- 

 shire; Prof. J. A. Ryder, Washington, D. C; Carl W. Schuer- 

 mann, Washington, D. C. ; Col. James Stevenson, Washing- 

 ton, D. G: Joseph Wfflcox, Media. Pa- Lieut. Francis Wins- 

 low, U. S.'N. ; 8. G. Worth, Raleigh, N. C. 



At the close of the morning session the members inspected 

 some fine specimens of European trout from the ponds of the 

 NeAV York Fish Commission at Gold Spring Harbor, and then 

 went in a body to view the national carp ponds, which have 

 been greatly extended during the past year. In the after- 

 noon the papers and discussions Avere continued. In the even- 

 ing the hall was filled with people to hear the addresses of the 

 speakers who had been announced. Senator Lapham, of New 

 York, chairman of the Sub-committee on Fish and Fisheries, 

 presided and introduced the speakers. Hon. Theodore Ly- 

 man, of Massachusetts, made the opening address, and was 

 followed by the Hon. S, S. Cox, of New York. Avho humor- 

 ously illustrated any points which he thought the audience 

 might think obscure. 



The Wednesday morning session was mainly devoted to the 

 oyster, Dr. Hudson, Prof. Goode and Lieut. James Winslow, 

 U. S. N., reading papers on the subject of oyster culture, and 

 Prof. Ryder taking part in the discussions. Col. McDonald 

 followed with an equally important paper on the natural 

 causes influencing the movements of fish, which was regarded 

 by flshculturists as the most valuable paper read during the 

 \vhole session. 

 The first paper of the afternoon was a thorough and care- 



fully written article upon "The Chemical Composition and 

 Nutritive Value of our American Food Fishes and Inverte- 

 brates," by Prof. W. O. AtWater, This paper was the out- 

 come of some investigations undertaken at the suggestion of 

 Prof. 8. F Baird, United States Fish Commissioner" and pro- 

 moted by the contributions of certain of the members of the 

 Association. Prof. Atwater said that a housewife of the mid- 

 dle or lower classes would, for economy's sake, choose the 

 cheaper of two pieces of dress pattern in choosing clothes for 

 her children, but Was often forced to pay an exorbitant price 

 for nutritious food because she was not aware that there were 

 other kinds of food which were just as nutritious and very 

 much eheaper. He hoped that this series of investigations 

 might be the means of changing this condition of affairs to 

 some considerable extent. On account of the length of the 

 paper of Prof. Atwater, only one other paper was read, that 

 on "Some of the. Causes which Limit the Survival of Fish 

 Embryos," by Prof. J. A. Ryder, 



An election of officers was then in order, and the following 

 were elected: President, Hon. Theodore Lyman, M, C, of 

 Mass. ; Vice-President, Col. Marshall McDonald, of Va. ; Treas- 

 urer, Eugene G. Blackford, of N. Y. ; Corresponding Secre- 

 tary, R. Edward Earll, of HI.; Recording Secretary, Fred 

 Mather, of N. Y. Executive Committee: James Benkard, 

 N. Y. ; Geo. Shephard Page, N. Y. ; Barnet Phillips, NY; G 

 BroAvn Goode, Conn. ; Dr. W. M. Hudson, Comi. ; C. G. Atkins, 

 Me.jS. G.Worth, N, C. 



Afterward the members visited the hatching station in the 

 Armory building and saw the operation of the McDonald fish- 

 way and the hatching. On Wednesday evening a large number 

 of guests, including Senators, Representatives, citizeus of 

 Washington, members of the Association and them wives and 

 friends were present by special invitation of Prof. Baird, at a 

 preliminary exhibition of the fisheries section of the United 

 States National Museum. The exhibit was nearly the same 

 as that made by the United States at the London Fisheries 

 Exhibition last season. 



On Thursday morning Messrs. Rathbun and Worth read in- 

 teresting papers. 



The meeting adjourned to visit as a body the President at 

 the White House. The members were received very cordially 

 by President Arthur, recalling very strongly the sympathy he 

 has always felt and shown for fish as well lis fishermen. 



After returning from the White House the Fish Commission- 

 ers of the various States met at 12 M. at the National Museum 

 in consultation with the United States Commissioner of Fish 

 and Fisheries, Prof. S. F. Baird. Discussions followed in re- 

 lation to the propagation of the shad, cod, whitefish, and 

 especially the need of some aid, State or national, or both, in 

 developing the oyster resources of the country. At 1 o'clock 

 the members assembled at Lower Cedar Wharf, on board the 

 United States Fish Commission steamer, the Fish Hawk, 

 Lieut. W T ood, United States Navy, commanding, and the ves- 

 sel was soon under way for some of the fishing stations down 

 the Potomac. On its return trip, and during the home journey, 

 the Association held a special session in the cabin. It was for 

 the purpose of receiving the report of the Oyster Committee, 

 which had been appointed at the previous day's session. The 

 committee reported resolutions recommending the adoption 

 of the principle of individual ownership of oyster ground. And 

 it was likeAvise the opinion of the committee that an investi- 

 gation of all the conditions affecting the life of the oyster 

 was eminently desirable, and should be immediately under- 

 taken. The resolutions were adopted, and it can hardly be 

 doubted that the latter part of the first resolution, that advis- 

 ing an investigation, etc., is eminently desirable, and Avorthy 

 of legislative action. 



The following gentlemen were elected to be con*esponding 

 members of the Association: 



Capt. N. Juel, Norwegian Royal Navy, President of the 

 Society for the Development of Norwegian Fisheries, Bergen ; 

 S. Landmark, Inspector of Norwegian Fresh- water Fisheries, 

 Bergen; Dr. S. A. Buch, Chrisciania, Norway, Government 

 Inspector of Fisheries; Prof. O. G. Sars, Cliristiania, Norway, 

 Government Inspector of Fisheries; Dr. Oscar Lundberg, 

 Stockholm, Sweden, Inspector of Fisheries; Baron N. de Sol- 

 sky, Director of the Imperial Agricultural Museum^ St. Peters- 

 burg, Russsia: Prof. B. Beneke, Commissioner ot Fisheries, 



jrieSllient iUUUUiii rifeiienes .-lssuuiinuu ui uioiu ijjiwuii, uu 



James Gibson, Maitland, Bart., Stirling, Scotland; R. B. Mar- 

 ston, Esq., Editor of the Fishing Gazette, London; Dr. Francis 

 Day, F. L. S., late Inspector General of Fisheries for India; 

 Thomas Brady, Esq., Dublin Castle, Inspector of Fisheries for 

 Ireland; Archibald Young, Esq., Edinburgh , H. M. Inspector 

 of Salmon Fisheries for Scotland; Arthur Fedderson, Viborg, 

 Denmark- Prof. A. A. W. Hubrecht, Member of the Dutch 

 Fisheries Commission and Director of the Netherlands Zoo- 

 logical Station; M. Raveret Wattel, Secretary of the Societe" 

 d'Acclhnatation, Paris; Don Francisco Garcia Sola, Secretary 

 of the Spanish Fisheries Society, Madrid; Prof. E. H. Giglioli, 

 Florence, Italv; M. A. Apostolides, Athens, Greece; William 

 Maclean, Sydney, President of the Fisheries Commission of 

 New South" Wales. 



After a long discussion in which Messrs. Mather, Stone, 

 Roosevelt, Endicott, and others strongly objected, the name 

 of the American Fishcultural Association Avas changed to The 

 American Fisheries Society, and the meeting adjourned. 



The papers read, and the discussions, will be given in full in 

 our columns. 



A s 



MAINE SALMON HATCHING. 



S ILLUSTRATING the noble work being done by the 



, Maine Commissioners of Fisheries and Game in stocking 



the Avaters of that State this year, it may be stated that they 

 have, already hatched 1,400,0(10 salmon fry. The little fish are 

 in fine condition and will be turned loose to thrive for them- 

 selves by the time these words are comprehended by the 

 reader. 'Messrs. Stillwell and Stanley have 700,000 sea salmon 

 and 55,000 landlocked at Enfield for the Penobscot, 300,000 sea 

 salmon at Norway for the upper Sebago waters, 200,000 sea 

 salmon and 55.000~ landlocked salmon at Weld for Webb's pond 

 and adjacent waters, 40,000 sea sahnon at DennysAdlle, 50,000 

 landlocked at Rangeley for the Androscoggin waters. The rea- 

 son of the great quantity of sea salmon for the Penobscot is 

 that Prof. Baird of the U. S. Fish Commission, has kindly 

 donated a surplus of eggs in the hands of the Government 

 Commission, to the Maine Commissioners, with the understand- 

 ing that they go into Penobscot waters, their natural home. 



it is suggested that Prof. Baird has not much faith in the 

 putting- of sea salmon fry into inland lakes, that they may 

 become landlocked, while the Maine Commissioners are quite 

 confident of its success. The Maine Commissioners are certain 

 that sea salmon fry put into inland lakes, haA r e* grown up to 

 large fish, but to what extent they are not certain, by reason 

 of subsequent putting of the fry of landlocked salmon into 

 the waters where proofs might have been abundant. But the 

 most marked success of the restocking of inland lakes and 

 ponds these Commissioners have seen is the case of Webb's 

 Pond, in the town of Weld. In 1875 and 187(5 a few thousand 

 landlocked salmon eggs were put into this pond, where never 

 before a salmon had been known. Within a year or two foirr 

 and five pound, salmon have been taken there and larger ones 

 seen. Cast year sportsmen fished there with great success, 

 and probably the same thing will be done this year. 



Special. 



Boston, Mass., May 18. 



THE MARYLAND COMMISSION.— The Governor of Mary- 

 land has appointed Dr. E. W. Humphreys, of Salisbury, to 

 be a Commissioner of Fisheries for the Eastern Shore in 

 place of Thomas Hughlett. 



