we have an unworked field where creative genius could 
gather its richest fruitage.” 
“Well, but—’ “Whoo! Whoo! Wihoo-a-h! said an owl con- 
cealed in the woods, and it had the last word. Startled by 
the unexpected noise, Brother Scott forgot his point, and 
the Judge, taking advantage of the lull, pushed the boat into 
the current, and the journey was resumed. It was a half 
mile from the mouth of the Fox io the mouth of the “Out- 
let,” but our trayelers were destined to encounter much difli- 
culty in that half mile. They had gone scarce a third of 
the distance when they came to a “log jam,” barring their 
further progress. Happily it was a light jam, and a little 
effort served to break the tangle and let the logs float. The 
Wawa was guided through the floating logs and forced ahead 
ofthem. But after a short run a second jam was encoun- 
tered, and a glance disclosed the fact that it was of such 
extent that it could not be broken by them, and that to haul 
over or around it would require such an expenditure of 
strength as they would reluctantly give. 
_ But the travelers were given to argument. Their respect- 
ive avocations fostered in each a disposition to ‘‘talk back,” 
and now that a log jam of such magnitude as to completely 
bar further progress by water lay ahead of them, they de- 
barked and sat down on the bank to propose, discuss and 
reject plans for getting around. After this intellectual ex- 
ercise had gone on for some time and no headway had been 
made, the Judge arose and making his way through a thicket 
of saplings and brush, down stream for thirty yards, he 
uttered aloud shout, There was the mouth of the outlet 
from the lakes, and it was.wide, deep and free from all ob- 
structions. Ina very few minutes boat and camp stuff had 
beed hauled over, and our voyagers were once more on their 
way. 
After a. short run they encamped on a dry plat of ground, 
whereon grew white cedars, white pines and hemlocks with 
scattering maples. The evening air was delightfully cool, 
the sky was clear, and it was all of 9 o’clock before the last 
vestiges of the long twilight disappeared, and they lay down 
to sleep under the gcnial influence of a smouldering fire, 
FLORIDA AGAIN--III. 
ROUT; LARge-Mottuep Bass (Mieropterus salmotdes).— 
This fish is common to all the streams, ponds and Jakes 
of Florida. His favorite haunt is near the margins of lily- 
pads, reeds, rushes and grass. During the cold months 
they are ever ready to appropriate anything in the way of 
bait. Their open countenances will engulf a frog, live min- 
now, cut bait, bob, spoon or fly. To the lover of piscatorial 
sport who has not enjoyed the pleasures of playing a game 
fish, the capture of Southern trout will prove attractive, but 
to the rodster their actions are objectionable. When hooked 
this fish will create a momentary disturbance and come to 
the landing net with his mouth wide open, like a half- 
drowned kitten. As a game fish they are unworthy of 
notice, but as they are plentiful. of large size and easily cap- 
tured, they suffice for the amusement of tyros, boys and 
girls, Somebody induced President Arthur to visit the head 
of the Kessenomee River and engage in black bass fishing, 
and we are of the opinion that he left in disgust, for his stay 
was very brief. 
SEA Trou (Cynoscein mteculatum).—This spotted beauty 
can be found in salt or brackish water in any portion of the 
State. In size, mode of biting and general habits, the sea 
trout closely resembles iis congenor, the weakfish of the 
North. They will be found in numbers at the passes, on 
oyster bars and grassy flats. They will readily take a cut 
fish bait, shrimp, prawn, piece of crab, minnow, artificial 
fly, or spoon. I find that spoons are being used in the North 
for the capture of weakfish, and I have reason to believe 
that I was one of the first to capture a weakfish on a spoon 
bait. In 1872 1 was proceeding from Barnegat Creek to the 
inlet in a boat sailed by that prince of boatmen, Joel Ridg- 
way. Going down the bay, I laughingly remarked that 1 
could capture a bluefish with a spoon, and dropped a No. 2 
Buehler spoon astern. In a few minutes 1 was rewarded 
with a bite that astonished me, and I landed a large weak- 
fish, lt was iced and forwarded to my friend W. F., of 
Beverly, N. J. He weighed it and informed me that ittipped 
the scales at eleven pounds. With a Hill’s No. 1, 14 or 2 
bass spoon fly, and a Henshall bass rod, casting near man- 
grove islands on oyster bars, or near the edge of grassy flats, 
excellent sport can be secured. ‘They cannot resist the at- 
tractions of an artificial fly, and the fly-fisher will find qguan- 
tum sujf. of amusement, They are partial to minnows, and 
the common pray minnows prove an attractive bait. Onone 
oceasion with this bait and a stout rod and reel, I landed on 
the dock at Cedar Keys 383 pounds of these fish, many of 
them weighing three, four and five pounds. Sea trout, like 
weakfish, have large and tender mouths, and Jarge hooks are 
essential. For their capture I prefer 7-0 Sproat or 8-0 Lim- 
erick hooks. Owing to their needle-like teeth, a single 
strand of gut is soon chafed and weakened, and 
I use a plaited snood. When using live bait, 
many persons pass the hook through the lips or 
under the skin near the back fin, and the minnow is liable to 
be lost without hooking the fish. For over forty yaars I 
have been using an arrangement of hook that [ have not seen 
described. Itake a suitable number of strands of gut and 
place them in water to soften. I select three of different 
lengths and plait them tightly. As I approach an end an- 
other strand is added, and after plaiting the double strands 
for half an inch, I drop the short end. When the snood is 
made of desired length, I form a loop at one end and_ secure 
it with waxen thread. To the other end I attach a No, 7-0 
Sproat hook. Two inches more or Jess above the terminal 
hook (in accordance with the length of minnows to be used) 
J attach another hook to the snood. If I use a dead minnow 
for casting, I press the end hook through the mouth and 
under the skin, and force out the point near the tail or back 
fin, The upper hook I pass through one or both lips. When 
using live bait I pass the terminal hook under the gill-coyer 
and out of the mouth of the minnow. ‘The upper hook is 
passed under the skin near the back fin. The hook passing 
through the mouth does not interfere with breathing or 
motions of the bait. In either case, the minnow is difficult 
to detach from the hooks, and the latter prove dangerous if 
meddled with. At many points along the coast, where small 
streams enter the bays and rivers, the ordinary gray min- 
nows will be found in great numbers, and can be captured in 
quantity with a cast or minnow net, In the absence of a 
minnow pail or bucket, gray minnows can be kept alive and 
kicking for many hours by placing a layer of wet grass or 
water plants in the bottom of a basket or box, next a layer 
of minnows, after a layer of grass, and a repetition until the 
receptacle is full. Tf a few holes are bored in the botfom 
and sides of the box, the box or basket can be placed in 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
water and the bait kept alive for days. If some of your 
readers will try the double-hook atrangement for black and 
striped bass, 1 fancy they will be satisfied with the result. 
To the fly-fisherman sea trout will prove attractive and fur- 
nish him with endless amusement. 
RAVALLIA; RAtALo. (Centropomus undectmalis),—Until 
yery recently this fish escaped the notice of Northern writers. 
It is found at many points on the southwest coast, and as a 
game fish has few equals. My friend, Dr. Ferber, found 
them in great quantity in a pool on Billy Bowlegs Creek, 
a tributary of Sarasota Bay. As rapidly as he could cast 
with artificial flies he would hook one or two weighing from 
one fo three pounds. Last winter, on the Hillsboro River, 
above Tampa, the Rev, Mr. Prime hooked several on artifi- 
cial flies, and was loud in their praise as game fish. After 
a few moments’ play they would cut the gut and escape. 
Becoming disgusted with his failures, he used flies mounted 
on fine wire snoods, and succeeded in capturing several, and 
if my memory serves me they weighed over ten pounds, To 
my knowledge one was captured at Punta Rassa weighing 
thirty pounds. This noble game fish is eminently worthy of 
notice, and J trust that all fishermen who visit Florida and 
capture this fish will publish where they found them, the 
best bait adapted to their capture, state the tide, time of 
biting and any other interesting data. If each person would 
contribute his mite, a mass of definite and useful informa- 
tion wouid soon be collected, and one of the best game fishes 
in the United States placed within reach of rodsters, Many 
persons object to writing for the public press, and as a re- 
sult much valuable information is lost. If your readers who 
visit Florida and capture rayallia will furnish me with any 
data regarding them, I will collect and publish same for the 
benefit of all, : 
It is probable that the term ralalo is the name awarded 
this fish by the earlier Spaniards, but ravallia seems to be 
the one in general use, Tarpum was the name used to 
designate the Megallops trissoides by the earlier Writers, but it 
is known to-day as the tarpon, and in consequence I use the 
common name. 
ReD SNAPPER (Lutjanus blackfordiz).—These noble and 
beautiful fish can be captured at numerous points around 
the Florida coast, but escape the notice of visitors. I have 
captured numbers of the crimson beauties, but none inside 
of the eleven fathom line. They frequent rocky or clayey 
bottom at a depth of from eleven to thirty fathoms, On one 
occasion I was in a party that captured 208 within one hour, 
and at a depth of eighteen fathoms. Nine miles east of the 
sea buoy off the mouth of the St. Johns River is a snapper 
bank, and during the year parties are made up, a tug hired, 
the bank visited and royal sport enjoyed. These fish are 
bottom feeders and will take cut mullet or shark bait, When 
obtainable, I use about four ounces of fresh shark for their 
capture, On the inner banks, where the water is eleven or 
twelve fathoms in depth, these fish range from 8 to 25 pounds, 
but on the outer bank, in eigteen or twenty fathoms of water, 
they will average about 26 pounds, For their capture a 71- 
thread cotton line, a 20 to 30 ounce sinker, and hooks the 
size of 4001 cod hooks of Abbey & Imbrie’s catalogue will 
be found suitable. A smaller line will answer, but the 
fingers will suffer. They bite well during the late winter 
months, and visitors to Florida miss a piscatorial treat when 
they fail to visit the ‘‘snapper banks.”” The “banks” are 
literally covered with sea bass (Florida blackfish), porgies, 
grunts, etc. When snappers cease biting the small fry begin, 
and if a sufficient number of hooks are used, three, four and 
five can be landed at a time. On one occasion snappers 
ceased biting, and I amused myself with rod and reel and 
landed 176 sea bass and olher small fry in a short time. 
MANGROVE SNAPPER (Luijanus aurombeus).—This fish 
ranges from one to eight pounds, and is most generally found 
in deep holes, or near mangrove bushes, It takes cut bait 
ova live minnow. ‘To capture this fish it is necessary to use 
light tackle, and to cast as far as possible from the boat. 
When hooked, the fisherman must keep a tight line, or the 
fish will retreat under a snag, rock, or among the roots of 
the mangrove and the loss of tackle will result. 
Bone Fis; Lapy Fisa; Sxie Jack (Albulo conorhyn- 
chus).—This is a long, slender fish, one to three feet in length, 
and useless as a food fish, being merely & mass of bones. Ib 
is vigorous and active, and affords excellent sport. The 
instant it is hooked, it commences leaping from the water 
and rushes hither and thither. §, O. Clarke says: ‘I know 
of no species which equals it in activity, even the grilse 
makes fewer leaps, and is less rapid in its play.” They will 
take a cut bait, spoon, minnow, or fly. When feeding they 
usually go in schools, and wili be seen breaking water in 
every direction, On one occasion I was encamped on the 
northerly end of Little Gasparella Island, In an eddy inside 
of the pass hundreds had congregated, and as rapidly as I 
could cast a minnow, spoon or cut bait, it would be seized 
by these voracious fish. But to the fly-fisher, bone fish offer 
many attractions, and ] would recommend all to test the 
sport. 
Sareea (Pomatomus saltatriz).—In a paper published 
in the Forest AND STREAM in, I think, 1878, 1 referred to 
the fact that on two oceasions the bluefish deserted the 
Northern coasts, and that it was probable that another exo- 
dus was near at hand. From the best information obfain- 
able, their winter habitat was north of Qape Hatteras; but 
during the winter of ’77 they first appeared at Indian River 
Tnlet, and last winter they wandered as far west as Oedar 
Keys. The migration of fish is an interesting study, and in 
this connection {i shall refer to the shad. Over thirty years 
since a new and singular fish, unknown to all the fishermen, 
was captured in the St. Johns River, It was referred to my 
friend Dr. Baldwin, of this city, for identification, and he 
pronounced it ashad. Yearly they increased in numbers until 
they sold fourfor a quarter. Within a few years the river 
has been filled with pillnets, and shad are few and far be- 
tween, Last winter bluefish took possession of Lake Worth, 
on the eastern coast, and created sad havoc among the sea 
trout, yellow-tails and grunts. As it is probable that their 
numbers will increase and their winter cruise extend, it 
would be well for fishermen to supply themselves with bone 
squids and needle-eyed O'Shaughnessy hooks. with wire 
snoods. 
Carrrsn.—Florida is cursed with four kinds of catfish, 
and to the uninitiated I would say beware of Florida cat- 
ties. In perusing papers devoted to sports of forest and 
stream I frequently notice the communications of enthusi- 
astic fishermen, who detail in glowing language their success 
in the capture of catfish, and to such 1 would say that they 
can be surfeited in this State with the capture of catties 
from one to thirty pounds. Our city market is built on 
piles, and large catties lie in wait for their food. In the 
fall of ’82 a number of gentlemen from Philadelphia visited 
this city and called upon me, The subject of fish and fish- 
~ fOor, 28, i184. 
ing was broached and I listened to a lengthy discussion re- 
garding the edible qualities of catties, I invited the geptle- 
men to accompany me to the market and introduced them to 
the w. c. Looking down at the water they saw at least one 
hundred catfish, from six to fifteen pounds, near the surface. 
J opine that since that time the early morning cry of c-a-t— 
f-i-s-h-e-e in Philadelphia is not as welcome as formerly. 
Catfish in Florida are to a ¢reat extent surface feeders, and 
will not refuse a spoon or fy. They are good fighters, and 
fly-fishermen will discover that a ten-pound catty is worthy of 
notice asa game fish. ‘The fisherman in Florida should pro- 
vide a rod of iron or a shillaly about two feet Jong, and be- 
fore he undertakes to unhook a Florida catty (more especially 
the salt-water species) he should pound every particle of life 
out of his victim. I speak feelingly and pointedly, for IL 
have suffered from their spiues. Another nuisance in Florida 
is the stingaree. They are occasionally hooked ranging 
from three.to four feet in width, and the sting, midway of 
the tail, had better be avoided. When fishing in salt water I 
always carry a cast-steel safi four feet long. At one end 7 
haye the rod bent and welded, and a handle formed to te- 
ceive four fingers. When I hook one of these varmints I 
gaff him and bring him to the side of the boat, and with a 
fifteen-inch butcher knife stab and cut my victim until I can 
release my hook in peace. Au FRESCO, 
alatuyal History. 
“KEY TO NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.” 
HE original edition of Dr. Coues’s ‘‘Key to North Amer- 
ican Birds” was published in 187%, and has for years 
been out of print. Now, twelve years later, a second edi- 
tion, revised and entirely rewritten, makes its appearance. 
This second edition is a much more important work than 
was the first. That was intended as a text-book of North 
American ornithology, a volume which might be convenient, 
il is true, as a manual of reference for the working student, 
but which was essentially a book to which the beginner 
in this seience could turn with profit. The new Key is 
literally an encyclopedia of American ornithology. and, 
except that it dees not give the biographies of the species, 
covers the whole ground of this great subject in a marvel- 
lously thorough manner, and from a standpoint far more 
advanced than that of the first edition. 
The progress which American ornithology has made in the 
twelve years that have elapsed since the -publication of the 
Key is very great. These years have been importantones in 
eyery branch of science throughout the world, and the 
energy and enthusiasm of American ornithologists have kept 
them from falling behind workers in other fields, so that this 
science has kept pace with the advance of knowledve in all 
departments. It is not necessary to state in detail what pro- 
gress has been made in the study of birds within that time, 
how many valuable works published, how much seneral in- 
terest excited in the public mind in regard to this group. A 
journal wholly devoted to the science and an association for 
its promotion have been founded in America and are in suc- 
cesstul operation. Bearing in mind that the changes that 
have taken place within the time mentioned and the progress 
that has been made, we might imagine that the Key of to-day 
would be different from the Key of 1872. 
The present volume contains the material of three im- 
portant works by Dr. Coues, revised and elaborated, These 
are the original Key, the Check List and the Field Ornithol- 
ogy. This abundant matcrial has been woven together into 
a volume of about 900 pages, profusely and beautifully illus- 
trated, and abounding in information and suggestions. AJ- 
together it is the most useful bird book which we have seen, 
It consists of four paris. Of these, the first is “Wield 
Ornithology,” originally published separately, in 1874. This 
is a very complete manual of advice and direction to the 
collector. It treats of a variety of subjects, some idea of 
which may be gathered from the following section headings: 
Implements for Collecting and their Use; Dogs; Suggestions 
and Directions for Field Work; Hygiene of Collectorship; 
Registration and Labeling; Instruments, Material and Fix- 
tures for Preparing Bird Skins; How to Make a Bird Skin; 
Miscellaneous Particulars; Collection of Nests and Eggs; 
Care of a Collection, The more important of these topics 
the author treats with very great detail, while others which 
are less essential he dismisses more briefly, We know of no 
series of directions which are so clear, simple and easily un- 
derstood, so full and at the same time so atlractively given 
as those of ‘‘ Field Ornithology... While a consider- 
able part of this portion of the work is printed just as it 
originally appeared, the latter part of if has been somewhat 
expanded. 
Where all are so important it is impossible to draw dis- 
tinctions between the different parts of this work, and yet it 
can hardly be doubted that without Part IL, the Key would 
lack its most valuable part. This section is devoted to Gen- 
eral Ornithology, and is an outline of the structure and 
classification of birds. The bird is defined, the principles 
and practice of classification given, the external parts of 
the birds described and the anatomy of the group yery fully 
treated. The fullness and clearness with which, in a com- 
paratively few pages, Dr. Coues has handled this subject, is 
one of the most impressive features of the work. The artificial 
Key, from which this volume originally took its name, 1s to 
be found, somewhat changed, at the end of this second part of 
the work. As at present offered, it is a much less ambitious 
attempt to make easy the student’s work, and brings him 
down only to the families instead of attempting, as before, to 
identify by a single line or part of a line of description the 
various genera, Following the Key is a “Tabular View of 
the Groups higher than Genera adopted in this work for the 
Classification of North American Birds,” which indicates 
thirteen orders, twenty sub-orders, sixty-three families and 
seventy-seven sub-families. , 
Part IIIT. contains the Systematic Synopsis of North 
American Birds. In this are included the 878 species, with 
descriptions of each, and a general history of the different 
families and larger groups. The etymology of the systematic 
naine is given asin the new checé& list, and the species are 
numbered according to that work. Under the species heading, 
therefore, we have (1) the explanation of the scientific name, 
(2) a description of the bird, (8) the region it inhabits, and 
(4) any particulars of special interest which may be known 
about iv. re ay 
Delightful-as it would be to go into detail about this por- 
tion of the work, we must deny ourselyes the pleasure of 
this task. Those who are familiar with Dr. Coues’s happy 
style, and who know with what unfailing accuracy he seizes 
the points of interest in hig subject, ‘will understand yery 
ae 
7 =| 
