50 
_ 
Oup Ase’s AnGiiIne SEoRET.—Among the many disciples 
of Izaak Walton who have resided in Hartford for the past 
twenty years, none have enjoyed such an enviable reputation 
as “Old Abe.” it has been reported that he could draw a 
pail of water out of the faucet in the house, sit by the 
kitchen stove and catch a larger string of fish than ordinary 
mortals could where there were thousands, He was a daily 
visitor to Wethersfield cove and night after night “Old Abe” 
could be seen trudging along the avenue with his fishing 
pole upon his shoulder and a well filled basket in his hand. 
All day long he would sit in one place hauling in fish, while 
the other fishermen would move from place to place without 
getting a bite and finally leave in disgust. It was whispered 
among the boys, and believed by some, that ‘‘Old Abe” had 
a secret way of making the fish bite, and one day an amateur 
in Wethersfield offered him $) to disclose it. ‘ ‘Abe’ told 
him to get about two dozen angle worms, place them in a 
bottle and put the bottle near the kitchen stove for about six 
weeks and then strain the oil, and when he went fishing to 
put a little of it on each hook. He got the worms and after 
they had lain upon the shelf for three weeks his mother-in- 
law, who was neat-sighted, was dusting the shelf and 
knocked the bottle off. It broke upon the hot stove and in 
two ininutes the canary bird was dead and the family out of. 
doers. A family of skunks left the cellar soon after and run 
in a dazed condition under the barn, It was three days be- 
fore the family could enter the house, and then a hageard, 
wild-eyed man started for Hartford with a gun on his 
shoulder and murder in his eye. We don’t know whether he 
found ‘‘Old Abe” or not, but it is certain that from that day 
to this his familiar figure has not been seen near Wethersfield 
cove.— Hartford Heening Post. 
SALMON tN Pacretc CoAsr Rryers.—The salmon run in 
the Sacramento River has decreased until it has proved dis- 
astrous to canneries and fishermen. It promises to become 
extinct, In this dilemma the fishermen threaten to violate 
the close season and defy the Jaw, The cause of the decay 
of the fisheries is attributed, first, to the sealions at the Golden 
Gate. It is said they destroy 5,300 pounds of fish daily. It 
is alleged that the throwing of trimmings into the river by 
the cannery employes is another cause of the slackening of 
ihe run, it being held that the fish avoid waters into which 
parts of the bodies of disseeted fish are cast. This may be 
a fanciful, or it may be a cogent ieason; certainly fihsermen 
have faith ia it. One admitted prime cause is the surcharg- 
ing of the waters of the riyer with mining detritus and the 
coating of the bed of the stream with hydraulic sands and 
slickens. These evils destroy the feeding grounds and ob- 
literate spawning beds. That thé fouling of the water by 
mining processes tends to repel the tish is certain, while 
overtiows, owing to the raised river bed, certainly carry 
many young fish into basins, where the falling of the waters 
leaves them to perish. The catfish is said to be destructive 
of the young fry salmon. Added to all these misfortunes is 
the discontinuance ot the McCloud fish hatching establish- 
ment, heretofore maintained by the United States Govern- 
ment, In contrast to the depletion of our fisheries is the 
overcrowding of Northern streams by salmon. The runs 
were neyerso great there as now. It is held by some that 
the salmon will return next season to the Sacramento, but 
fishermen generally are not consoled by this possibility.— 
Sacramento Union, Aug, 2. 
MARmH Catrisnes.—Salem, N. J.—Hditor Forest and 
Stream: Isend by express a specimen of a fish. At first it 
was pronounced a catiish, but when examined it was found 
that the skin was like a mackerel, that the eyes were differ- 
ently placed from those of the catfish, that the dorsal fin was 
very much elongated, that the tail was forked with long 
points, like a shark, and with a very fine and delicate run 
aft, Some of us think thisis ahybrid. One gentleman here 
says he has caught many of them in the Mullica River, 
New Jersey, where they are known by the name of catfish. 
However, they differ very much from the fish which we 
know as catfish, Can you enlighten us on this point?— 
T. J. ¥. [Im spite of the malodorous condition of the fish 
when received, we recognized it as one of the sea catfishes 
LaWluriehihys marinus) which is found on our coast from 
Cape Cod to the extreme southern boundary. The name of 
“catfish” is applied to all the family Siluride in America, 
and this contains, according to Jordan, five genera and 
twenty-six species inhabiting fresh wuter, and two genera 
and three species in salt water. Therefore, there is ‘great 
difference in the appearance of the species, as well as in their 
size, The marine forms differ from those of fresh water, in 
having the anterior and posterior nostrils close together, 
neither nostril with a batbel. They have a deeply-forked 
caudal fin. The species sent is remarkable for its Jong fila- 
ments on- the dorsal and pectoral fins which reach past the 
vent. They are not rare, being often captured by fishermen, 
but not in quantities to be sent to market, as the fresh-water 
spscies ure. | 
Biuerisuine.—Newport, R. L, Aug. 9.—On Wednesday 
Jast I began trolling for bluefish off Block Island, where only 
au occasional fish had been taken so far this season. Our 
party went out at 6 A, M., and three hours later we had but 
one fish, About 10:30 the second fish was struck, and from 
that time nntil 4 P. M,, when we went in tired, they struck 
as fast as we could pull themin. Between the hours named 
our pariy of four captured 136 fish weighing from four to 
six pounds. Some boats brought in over 200 fish and all who 
were out noted the fact that they began biting at about the 
same time. We fished the next two days with about the 
same success and so did all others who were fortunate enough 
to be here when the fish struck in. <A fisherman from No 
Man’s Land told me that the bluefish were there in great 
numbers on Tuesday, showing that the great school came 
from the eastward, If this is the case then there should be 
good fishing in Plum Gut and about Fire Island by the time 
this reaches you. From allreports the fishing for bluefish 
has not been very good this season anywhere north of Cape 
May until now, As I write I can see a fleet of catboats start- 
ing for Point Judith and everything in the way of a sea boat 
is in requisition.—Poxn-o-MoonsHme, 
A Grorronous Bass.—In Prospect Park Lake, Brooklyn, 
Jast week, Robt. Carter found a large rock bass that had been 
trying to swallow a perch, but that the perch was too large 
for the bass. This fact the bass had discovered, and it was 
trying to eject the perch. The bass was choking, and in a 
short time was dead. Mr, Carter secured both fish, The 
bass weighed four pounds. The dorsal fin of the perch had 
stuck fast in the roof of the bass’s mouth, and. the perch 
could not be forced either backward or forward, 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
BAss IN THE YoOuGHIOGHENY.—Somerset, Pa., Aug. 6. 
—Millions of black bass have been killed in the Yough- 
logheny this season in the coal regions of Fayette county by 
turning into the river the sulphur water of the mines. Dead 
fish weighing from a couple of ounces to five, six and eight 
pounds were washed out on the banks of the river, This 
stream was stocked with black bass and salmon trout, the 
former about 1874, the latter in 1878, No one suspected that 
black bass of so large a size were to be found in the “Yough,” 
nntil they floated out dead from the influx of the foul water 
of the mines. Tt seems to me.and a number of other pentle- 
men who like occasionally to enjoy a day’s sport with hook 
and line, that there is work for the Fish Commissioner along 
the course of the “roaring Yough,’”—AmarTHur, 
St. Lawrence Assoorarron.—Clayton, Aug, 7.—At the 
annual meeting of the Anglers’ Association of the St. Law- 
rence River, held here, committees were appointed to call a 
meeting of New York State anglers in November, to codify 
the fishing laws and ask for amendments from the Legisla- 
ture; also to confer with the Canadian fishery officials to 
secure the enforcement of the laws in relation to net, fishing 
upon both sides of the river. The following officers were 
chosen; President, J, J. Flannagen, of Utica; First Vice- 
President, H. R. Clarke, of Jersey City, N. J.; Second Vice- 
President, Gardner M. Skinner, of Clayton, N. Y.; Seere- 
tary, W. W. Byington; Treasurer, Wm. Story, of Albany. 
Moosrnbabd Lake —The new hotel at Mt, Kineo was 
recently opencd, 1t is a modern structure throughout and is 
a wonder and surprise to every one who sees it there in that 
great wilderness. The Bangor & Piscataquis Railroad Com- 
pany haye completed their line to the shores of Moosehead 
Lake, so that now the traveler leaving Boston can go wholly 
by rail to the lake, and a steamboat ride of twenty miles 
carries him to the hotel. 
BiLoErtsH AY Brock IsuANp.—Bluefish struck in here 
Wednesday, und in ashort time some very good catches 
were made, The fish are of unusually large size, as if to 
atone for their long absence from our grounds. Mackerel 
have been yery numerous heré, but ave fast disappearing 
before their larger foes.—A. W. Brown (Aug, 6), 
CornsTaLK Fisnine.—They have a variation of the ‘jug- 
ging” deyice in Maryland. Fishing lines about five feet long 
ure attached fo pieces of last year’s cornstalks two feet in 
length, the hooks are baited and the lines dangle from the 
floating stalks. The device is much favored by codfisher- 
men anid those who are after ecls, 
THE Osweeo Bass.—Lditor Horest wid Stream: I have 
been asked to write an article on the ‘‘Oswego” bass, for 
your journal, In compliance with that request I send you 
the following monograph: There is no such fish as an 
“Oswego” bass.—FreD Mater (Cold Spring Harbor, 
N. ¥., Aug, 11, 
Lishculture. 
RESULTS OF FISHCULTURE. 
HEH following statements and tables, prepared by Mr, 
Charles W. Smiley, of the U. 8. Fish Commission, show 
the influence of artificial propagation wpon production as 
illustrated by the salmon work on the Sacremento River, Cal- 
ifornia, Mr. Smiley writes: . 
it is understood that about four years are required for sal- 
i1on to mature, I have therefore placed the yield of 1877 op- 
posite the planting of 1875, and so on. For four successive 
years the yield has been nearly double the yield of the years 
preceding the artificial propagation, which commenced in 
1873, This appears to have resulted from annually planting 
about 2,000,000 fry. The planting of 500,000 fry in 1873 and in 
1874 appears to haye increased the yield by about a million 
pounds each year. No record of the production in Sacra- 
mento River prior to 1875 is obtainable, but it is known to 
haye been less than six million pounds. 
Young salmon hatched from eggs 
faken by the U. 8, Fish Commis- 
sion and réleased in the McCloud||Annual yield of the Sacramento 
River, a tributary of the Sacra-|| River in salmon to the canner- 
mento, in California. ies. 
Year. Month. No. Year ending— Pounds. 
Bi Pein aie erent Noue, Auge 1, 1875. .0......... 5,098,781 
gy ee eek ites eae None PATI Sid 167 Geel pee eel 5,311,428 
1878. Sept. -,---.... ..] 600,000 |) Aug. 1) 1877... 0.02... 6,498,563 
1874,. Sept.... <--...... 500,000 || Aug, 1, 1878............ 5,520,763 
1875. .|Sept.-Oct.._......| 850,000 || Ang. 1, 1879.......=.... #4 432 950) 
1876. .|Sept.-Oct..,.. e+] 3,000,000 || Ane, 1, 1880............ 10,837,400 
1877. -;Oct .->| 25200,000 |) Ang. dy I88l eck 9,600,000 
1878... .| 2,000,000 || Arig, 1, 1882.....2...... 9,605,280 
1879... 2,000,000 || Oct, 16, 1888,.......... 9,585,672 
1880. . 2,000,000 |) 
1881. . 2,250,000 
1882... 4,037,000 
18,337,000 67,485,137 
1} 
* The salmon were as numerous in the river this year as in any pre- 
vious years, but the small number taken was due toa feud between 
the fishermen and the canners as to the price to be paid for the fish, 
For three weeks in the height of the season no fish were taken, ex- 
cept for daily consumption in San Francisco and other markets. 
Pounds. 
The average yield during the past three years was. . 9,596,984 
The average yield in 1875 and 1576, before any fruits 
of fishculture could haye appeared, was........... 5,205,102 
Making a gain per annum due to fishculture of..,.... 4,391,882 
The fish are worth 50 cents apiece as they come from the 
water, their average weight being 7 pounds each, 
Value of the 4,391,852 pounds due to fishculture... $313,706 00 
Cost of hatching and planting 2,500,000 fry......_. 8,600 00 
were as follows: 
Pay 4 Amount |Hggs pro- 
Fiscal year, expended.| duced, 
187778 ’ $7,853.96! 7,033,000 
ieee" 12,730.54) 10,310,000 
1879-80 12,875.55) 6 650,000 
1880-81 13,587.20) 5,800,000 
1881-"82 6,653.51) 7,500,000 
Total,...... 15 -S6-Lee SERV eee est (one ats .-| $53,700.76) 37,293,000 
Average cost per million eggs, $1,440, 
[Aue. 14, 1884. 
Seas SS ee eee 
a a a 
This expenditure was much greater than necessary merely 
to increase the supply of fishin the river, Of the 57,295,000 
eggs obtained during these five years but 11,000,000 were nsed 
to produce what young were returned to the river. The other 
20,293,000 eggs were sent to the Wastern States and to foreign 
countries. Additionally, the experience of the past will enable 
the Commissioners to exercise greater economy. One of the 
California Commissioners stated to a committee of the Legisla- 
ture that ‘a million of salmon could be artificially hatched 
and placed in the river for less than $800, and if it were desir- 
able, and the Legislature made suflicient appropriation, the 
Commissioners could fill the river so full of salmon that it 
would be difficult for a steamboat to pass through them.” 
Considering the fact that food does not have to be furnished, ~ 
these fish, coming from their ocean feeding grounds to the 
rivers, as they do, merely to spawn, his statement may be 
within the bounds of reason. 
Writing under date of Jan. 6, 1882, Mr, B. B, Redding, of 
San Franciseo, Cal,, said: “Since we commenced putting 
young salmon into the Sacramento, Pitt and McCloud rivers 
the number of canneries with money invested has more than 
trebled, and more persons are investing money in new can- 
neries, Requests are coming from other parts of the State to 
haye salmon hatched. Fishhatching, for the purpose of sup- 
plying food, has at length become popular,” 
CHARLES W. SMILEY. 
U.S. F. €., Wasnine'tron, D. C., April 15, 1884. 
ON THE FORCES WHICH DETERMINE THE 
SURVIVAL OF FISH EMBRYOS. 
[A paper read before the American Fishcultural Association. | 
BY JOHN A, RYDER. 
i\\ R, PRESIDENT; Unfortunately the programme an- 
nounees the title of my communication in a form 
somewhat different from the one actually chosen for my 
paper, although in reality there is no great difference between 
the two. I propose to-day to discuss some of the causes which 
limit the suryrval of fish embryos. It is well known to fish- 
culturists and naturalists that there is a great amount of vari- 
ation in the number of ova produced by different species of 
fishes, This great variation is significant and can be accounted 
for on no other ground than this: that it must be supposed that 
there is a great over-production of eggs in order to make up 
for the losses in the struggle for existence, as indicated in the 
first place by Malthus and afterward elaborately worked out’ 
by Mr. Darwin. This disparity in the number of germs pro- 
duced by different species is so great. as to astound us at first. 
There are species, for instance, in which the number of germs 
produced by the female fish would not exceed twenty. There _ 
are some, indeed, that produce only five or six. Again, there 
are species which produce as many as 10,000,000. Now, how is 
this difference to be explained. Jt is a singular fact that the 
greatest number of eggs appears to be produced by those fishes 
which take the least cave of their progeny, yiz., those species 
which discharge their eggs into the ppensea and commit them 
to the merey of the winds and waves, such as the codfish and 
flounders and many of the Clupeoids. Whereas the reyerse 
seems to be true, in the case of those fish which studiously 
take care of their eggs, or incubate them inside of their ovar- 
jes—as for example in the HMmbiotocoid fishes of the west 
coast—or as in another case (Gambusia) within the ovarian 
follicle, modified into a placi-placental structure; or, as in the 
case of the catfish, where the male hovers over the adherent 
mass of ova and forces the water through them, or yet again 
where the eggs are retained in a pouch underneath the abdo- 
men, as in the pipe-tishes, or are ae in a similar pouch under 
the tail, as in the male sea-horse (Hippocampus). It seems as 
if the number of eggs was diminished just in proportion to the 
amount of care taken—usually by the male—of the embryos. 
This, of course, indicates that in the case of eggs which are 
not protected in the way mentioned, millions of surplus ova 
are destroyed in the struggle for existence, whereas with 
the species which protect their ova, the strugele for existence 
at the commencement of development must be much less 
severe, : 
There are other points to be noticed, Some species haye 
very small ova. Such are usually hatched in a condition in 
which the little fish is much feebler than in those cases in 
which the oya are large, and in which the young fish leaye 
the egg in a much more vigorous condition, in a condition, in 
short, in which they are able to contend with the environ- 
ment more effectually. That is an important fact to be con- 
sidered. Again, there are some species which leave the egg 
with the throat perforated, and other forms which do not, 
In the case of the shad, for instance, the young fish cannot 
swallow at the time of hatching, but in other forms the young 
can swallow as soon as they leave the egg membrane. There 
are still other causes which would affect the percentage of sur- 
vivals, such as changes in their habitat produced by man, or 
the pollution of a river by substances which sink into its 
ooze, and so vitiate the water and thus render incubation on 
the bottom impossible. 
There are also forms in which there are protective contri- 
vances developed on the eggs themselves. We areall familiar 
with gelatinous strings that we find in stagnant ponds and 
which inclose the eggs of the toad, for example. ost of the 
various forms of frogs have a different kind of spawn, adher- 
ing together in masses instead of in strings. Certain fish-oya, 
again, have long thread-like appendages, by which they are 
suspended on weeds and grass, so that the currents of sea- 
water can pass backward and forward among them, aerating 
them and preventing them from being smothered, Thisigthe 
case with a number of marine, and some few fresh-water, 
forms of fishes. There are cases where mimicry doubtless 
plays a part in preventing the capture of young fish, as in the 
case of the young of the stickle-back, where the young fish 
seem to undergo a sudden change of coloration, rendering 
them much more difficult of detection in the water, <A cer- 
tain writer, speaking of stickle-backs, asserts that the male 
will actually catch and return the young fish to the nest, 
during the first day or two after hatching. This change of 
coloration may possibly be dependent upon the action of light, 
Regarding the survival of fish embryos, the specitie gravity 
of the eggs of different species, is another point to be con- 
sidered, Thus, the eggs of the cod, mackerel and crab-eater, 
are buoyant and tend to come to the surface of the 
water, Others as persistently smk. In other fish ova 
the oil drops are so arranged as to persistently turn 
the germinal disc to the top, as is the case with the 
salmonoids; this relation is reversed in the case of floating 
eggs, in which the vitellus is on the top and the germinal dise 
underneath, Judging from the attemps made to rear and 
multiply certain feral mammalia, we know that confinement 
tends to produce sterility. I believe that under such condi- 
tions certain changes are effected in the ovaries of fishes in 
their efforts to free themselves from the bondage imposed by 
man, and that the physiological organization of the eggs is 
destroyed. The distribution of food—especially articulate 
food—is also an element to be considered with respect to the 
survival of young embryos. In various regions of the globe 
certain living aquatic food seems to swarm at particalar 
times and in fixed localities. I know this to beso from my 
own obseryations in the vicinity of Philadelphia, and espe-~ 
cially in the swamps and low grounds of New Jersey. Ibis 
impossible to predicate from outward appearances what par- 
ticular forms of articulates will be encountered until you are 
on the ground and make a careful exammation, and there is, 
no doubt in my mind that the absence from streams of certain 
small forms of articulates, such as Daphnids and Copepoda, 
have a great deal to do with the survival of the young fish. As 
this nd of food is absent or abundantly present, so will the 
oung fishes perish or survive. — b ; 
m There is another cause to which may be attributed the dex 
- Lae “ede 
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