ry or, 23, 1884. 
—_ : 
— 
— <_ -"- 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
249 
_ ining him, I found he had left about three or four inches of 
: 
his tail behind him; I had pulled his tail off. His length 
was three feet two inches, and diameter one and a quarter 
inches. Roe Brrraynra. 
Nuw York, Oct. 18, 1884. 
BLACK BASS IN LAKE HOPATCONG. 
I IMAGINE that Lake Hopatcong is not wholly unknown 
£ tothe New York and New Jersey readers of Forest 
AND STREAM, for I have seen frequent references to it in 
your pages. To those who do not know cf its location I 
will say turn to the map of New Jersey, and it will be found 
on the Jine dividing Morris and Sussex counties, lying mainly 
_in the former. Last week a friend and I visited it and tried 
its bass fishing. We had vot been here before in ten years, 
and then it was noted for the abundance of pickerel, Since 
that time it has been stocked with black bass of the small- 
mouth species alone, and report said that they had increased 
and the fishing for them was now good. e wanted new 
ground in place of Greenwood Lake, where everybody goes, 
and we found it. We spent a week on the lake, which is 
larger than Greenwood, and in outline not unlike Raquette 
Lake of the Adirondacks, and we had good sport with fly 
and bait. On our arrival, Oct. 6, we took sixteen good fish 
with the fly, averaging a pound and a half each. The next 
day they would not take the fly, and we took twenty-one 
with helgramites, which are scarce here, Our largest catch 
was with the fly, on the 9th, when we took thirty-five fish, 
weighing fifty-one pounds. 
In trolling for pickerel with the spoon we captured a few 
of from one to three pounds, and also took two black bass. 
Tt seems to be the opinion that the bass have been plenty in 
this lake for some years, but that the light catches haye 
been due to the great quantity of food which made the fish 
indifferent to either fly or bait. Now that they have 
inereased in numbers and haye eaten up the food the fishing 
is better. Whether this is actually the case or not is impos- 
sible to say, but the fact remains that while we were there 
the ae was not only good, but excellent, and we will go 
to Lake Hopatcong again, Poxn-0’- Moonsuine. 
THE ICHTHYOPHAGOUS DINNER. 
oi Ree fifth annnal dinner of the famous [chthyophagous 
Club took place at the Murray Hill Hotel on Friday 
night cast, About seventy-five zuestssat down in evening dress 
and ate of the digestible and indigestible viands selected by 
this club, which spends the year in trying to discover unusual 
and horrible forms of aquatic food which prejudice prevents 
other people from eating, The more the appearance or the 
name of a marine monster excites disfust in the mind of 
others, the greater the enjoyment the club has in placing it 
on its bill of fare. At the same timeitisa gathering of the 
brightest wit in fishy circles, and the speeches and stories are 
of the freshest, as the wines are of the oldest. 
Mr, John Foord, editor of the Brooklyn Union, presided, 
and near him were seated Fish Commissioner E. G. Black- 
ford, Dr. William A. Hammond, Congressman 8. §. Cox, 
F. B. Thurber, ex-Mayor Smith Ely, Robert B. Roosevelt, 
GC, R. Miller, editor of the Times, Howard Carroll, Fred. 
Mather, Prof. W. O. Atwater, Hon, H. B. McGown, H. J. 
DeMoit, Dr. Spitzka, B. Gillam and Barnet Phillips, The 
menw, which was lustrated by a full page cartoon Jabeled 
"Our Aunual Fish Circus,” by Gillam, of Puck, and carica- 
tured the club’s committee, was scented with fish oil, and on 
the back was printed Mr, Mather’s poem, ‘* When the Ich- 
thyophagous Dines ;” it contained: 
Blue Points. 
Blixir of Razor Clams. Essence of Devil-fish. 
Petites surprises of Octopus. 
Canelons of Anchovies. Wolf-fish & la Cape Cod. 
» Cobia, larded, i la Sam Ward. 
Turban of Sea Robin & la Epicure. 
Supreme of Shark sauté 4 la Helgramite, 
Souftie of Ray, sauce Normandie. 
Croquettes of Limulus 4 la Montauk. Baked Carp ila Baird. 
Fillet of Beef a Ja Financiére. 
: Iichthyophagous Punch. 
The tables were ornamented with fish and boquets, frozen 
in pyramids of ice, while living hellbenders in aquaria lent a 
charm to the scene by their beautiful forms. 
After most of the courses had been served the President 
was presented with a gavel made from aserviceable bone of a 
walrus and sent in by the Jadies of Mackerelville. Several 
learned gentlemen examined the bone and it was evident 
that an osteological discussion equal to that which broke up 
the Society on the Stanislaus, might follow, but the rare 
humor of President Foord explained the matter and warded 
off the danger. Speeches filled with ichihyic lore followed 
from Dr. Hammond, Hon.'8. 8. Cox, Mr. Ely, Mr, Roose- 
velt, Howard Carroll, and others, and a letter wasread from 
David A. Welles, of Connecticut, who regretted his absence 
and asked what the club had done to deserve his continued 
good will. Inreply Mr..Foord proceeded to point out the 
good the club was subserving. It was teaching people that 
the common fish of the sea, the big fellows that would always 
exist, were good eating, Even now, said he, there were six 
fishermen lying in wait along the rivers for one lonesome, 
unfortunate salmon and eight stakenets set for a poor, be- 
lated shad. These finer fish were being rapidly exterminated. 
What would our great population live on then? Not on 
beef, said he, for private advices had been received showing 
that in fifty years cows would be declared sacred animals 
and no slaughter of them permitted. So the only recourse 
was fish. He regretted that none of the members had as yet 
been able to draw up a leviathan with a hook, 
Then a tender, gamy fish labeled ‘‘baked carp” wus 
brought in and the verdict of the club asked upon it for the 
use of the Fish Commission Bureau at Washington, Mr. 
Eugene G. Blackford explained that carp bad been placed 
in the lake at Prospect Park only two years before and had 
grown four pounds in that time. Mr. Phillips requested 
members to send him their written opinions and he would 
forward them to Prof. Baird. 
Prof. Atwater found so much food for thought in the 
menu. that he did not attempt au analysis of the constituents 
‘or nutrients in the dishes placed before him, but tasted them 
all, no doubt intending to astonish the Fishcultural Asso- 
ciation at its next meeting with a statement of the amount 
of protein in # helgramite, Messrs, Werrenrath and Stein 
gave vocal expression to their emotions in appropriate songs, 
and the dinner passed into history as one of the most bril- 
lant in the history of the club. 
Norra Vuryon, Ind,, Oct. 12.—Season opens for quail 
on 15th inst. Birds moderately plenty, Some good shots 
__ and fair dogs about here,—W, G. N. 
Arpnens, Pa,, Oct. 15.—Bass fishing has been fair here this 
summer, considering the seines, nets, weirs, etc., that are 
used agaist them, If, these could be kept out of the river 
we could have good fishing here.—PARK. 
Hishculture. 
CATCHING CODFISH WITH GILLNETS. 
is a New York paper of Oct, 11, Mr. ‘‘C, H. P.,” of Beverly? 
Mass., utters the first protest, which it has been my for- 
tune to note, against catching codfish with gillnets, and I 
would pass it unnoticed but that he takes pains while covyer- 
ing himself with a nom de plwme, to call Prof. Baird by name 
in a not very complimentary way. He says, ‘‘Prof. Baird in- 
troduced the method and it is ruining the fishing on our shore.” 
I have observed with a good deal of care the weekly reports 
from Cape Ann concerning the use of the gillnet, and I find 
that there is no trith whatever in the statement, “itis ruining 
the fishing on ourshore.” MTheshore fisheries during last winter 
aggregated over 8,000,000 pounds, and the preceding winter 
they aggregated less than 7,000,000 pounds, and I find that the 
latter amount is more than had been taken during any preyious 
winter, The nets constitute a most effective mode of fishing, 
and it is probable that ‘‘C. H. P.” does not own one, and 
having to catch his cod with hook, has undertaken to discount 
the methods of others, Not one in 5,000 of the cod in the 
ocean comes into Ipswich Bay, Probably not one in 100 of 
those which do come in is caught. One matured cod may be 
considered to produce 8,000,000 eges. What effect on the fish- 
eries will the catch of one cod out of eyery 500,000 have if each 
of the 499,999 others produce 8,000,000 of eggs annually? 
The gentleman remarks that the ‘nets break up the schools” 
of codiish, but no proof is furnished and the declaration is 
denied. On the contrary, the meshesof the nets are sufficiently 
large to allow many cod large enough to spawn to pass 
through them and not be caught, The past spring the schools 
of cod remained on the coast until April and May, showing 
conclusively that if they were broken up they managed to get 
together again yery quickly. I am not myself interested in 
crying up or down any method of fishing, and I think it about 
time that those interested in one method should cease to de- 
ery other methods. CHaAs. W. SMILEY. 
WasHineton, D, C., Oct. 14, 
OYSTER CULTURE AT COLD SPRING.—Some people 
who have laughed at Henry C. Bunce, who has for several 
years past with a worthy persistency continued throwing 
overboard on his oyster grounds every season thousands of 
bushels of tin cans, hoop skirts, branches of trees, and other 
Tubbish of various kinds, are now surprised at the splendid set 
of oysters he has obtained on these odd receptacles. Some old 
hoop skirt frames and tin cans contain hundreds of the young 
oysters nicely started, while the boughs of trees are thoroughly 
weighted down with them, The theory of Mr. Bunce is that 
the spawn floats along about a foot or more from the bottom 
and is more readily collected by the boughs and preserved. 
In support of this theory he finds boughs at the height of a 
foot or more from the bottom coyered with the small seed 
oysters, while the shells on the bottom near and surrounding 
these boughs contain none, The boughs will in time rot down 
and the large oysters find a secure resting piace on the bot- 
tom.—The Long Islander. 
MENHADEN FISHING.—Mr. W. Z. King, Surveyor of 
Customs at Greenport, Long Island, has made his report for 
the quarter ending Sept. 30, 1884. The followimg astounding 
figures are given: Number of menhaden taken to factories 
and rendered into oil and guano, 117,000,000, number taken 
and used for manure, 5,000,000; total catch 122,000,000; gallons 
of oil manufactured, 585,000; tons of soap (dry made), 81,000; 
of edible fish marketed, 230 tons. The number of sailing ves- 
sels is 201; of steam vessel, 29; total 230, Tonnage registered, 
18,058.31, 
The Kennel. 
FIXTURES. 
BENCH SHOWS. 
Oct. 21, 22, 23 and 24.—First Annual Fall Bench Shew of the West- 
minster Kennel Olub, Madison Square Garden, New York. Entries 
elose Oct. 6. Mr. Chas. Lincoln, Supermtendent. 
Dec. 16, 17, 18 and. 19.—Third Bench Show of the Southern Massa- 
chusetts Poultry Association, Taunton, Mass. Wm. C. Davenport, 
Agsistant Secretary. 
Dee. 30, 31 and Jan, 1, 2, 1885.—Meriden Poultry Association Bench 
Show. Joshua Shute, Seéretary, Meriden, Conn. 
Jan. 1U to 14, 1885.—World’s Exposition Bench Show, New Orleans, 
La. Mr, Chas. Lincoln. Superintendent. : 
March 3, 4, 5 and 6, 1885.—Second Annual Bench Show of the Cin- 
cinnati Sportsman's Club, Cincinnati, O. Charles Lincoln, Superin- 
tendent. 
FIELD TRIALS. 
Noy. ——Third Annual Trials of the Robins Island Club, Robins 
Island, L. 1. Open’to members only. Mr. A, T. Plummer, Secretary 
Nov.417.— Sixth Annual ‘Trials of the Eastern Field Trials Club, at 
High Point, N. C. W. A. Coster, Secretary, Flatbush, L. I. 
Noy. i7.—Virst Annual Trials of the Fisher’s Island Club, Fisher’s 
Island, N. ¥. Open to members only. Mr. Max Wenzel, Secretary, 
Hoboken, N. J. 
Dec. 2—Second Annual Trials of the Pacific Coast Field Trials 
oe at Walltown Timber, Cal, N. E, White, Secretary, Sacramento, 
Jal. 
Pec, 8 —Sixth Annual Trials of the National American Kennel Club 
at Canton, Miss. D. Bryson, Seeretary, Memphis, Tenn, 
Dec, 15.—_Southern Sportsmen’s Association Trials, Canton, Miss. 
Mr. T. K, Renaud, Secretary, New Orleans, La. 
A. K. R. 
HH AMERICAN KENNEL REGISTER, for the registration of 
pedigrees, etc. (with prize lists of all shows and trials), is pub- 
lished every month, WHntries close on the ist. Should be in early, 
Entry blanks sent on receipt of stamped and addressed envelope. 
Registration fee (25 cents) must accompany Bach entry. No entries 
inserted unless paid in adyance. Yearly subscription $1. Address 
‘American Kennel Register,” P. O. Box 2882, New York. Number 
of entries already printed 1644, Volume lL, bound in cloth, sent 
postpaid, $1.50. 
CONCERNING DICTATORSHIP. 
N our issue of Oct. 2, referring to a letter recently pub- 
lished by Mr. Charles H. Mason, we said: 
“Mr, Mason relates, partly by positive assertion and partly 
by indirect implication, a most remarkable story of his owu 
individual experience in this country as a judge at dog shows, 
His statement is substantially this: That having rendered 
certain favors to the editor of a sporting paper, he was, through 
the influenc@ of that editor, invited to judge at a dogshow; that 
he was warned beforehand to award prizes only to such 
exhibits as belonged to members of the editor’s ‘Ting; 
that he was asked to report upon the show, being warned 
not to criticise certain dogs; that he did so report, but that 
the truth being told about the dogs in question his report 
was Suppressed; that having by his ccntumacious behayior 
thus iueirred the displeasure of the editor, he received from 
hima threatening letter, in which the editor said, ‘If ever I 
come down on you ip an editorial there will be —— little of 
you left, and don’t you forget it; and that subsequently his 
(Mason's) record as a successful breeder and exhibitor in Great 
Britain was referred to by this journalist in a false and be- 
hittling manner. . 
“The obyious purport of the letter is to show how the dicta- 
torial individual in question sought to direct and control Mr. 
Mason’s decisions as a bench show judge. and thereby cause 
prizes to be awarded, not for merit, but to further the ends of 
the editor or the editor’s friends, There is no reason to sup- 
pose that the circumstances are not substantially as Mr. 
Mason relates them, No censure can be cast upon him for 
haying made known his experience. It is instructive, and 
rd public ought by all means to have been informed of if 
ore, 
“But when Mr, Mason proceeds to draw inferences from his 
facts he goes very wide of the mark. His conclusions are that 
his experience as a judge has been and is the experience of 
other judges. That is to say, because he himself found it im- 
possible to do his duty conscientiously in the judging ring 
without at the same time incurring the hostility of the petty 
canine ezar, he has made the mistake of assuming that other 
judges, asainst whom such subsequent enmity has not been 
displayed, must necessarily haye been humbly obedient to the 
dicta of the said ‘ring’ master. This is an erroneous con- 
clusion,” : 
We are glad to have had, in a three-column article, confirm- 
ation of our opinion from an individual who is presumably 
well informed on the subject. 
THE NATIONAL BREEDERS’ SHOW. 
fXHE National Breeders’ Show, which opened in the Indus- 
trial Art Hall, Philadelphia, Oct. 16, and closed Oct. 18. 
was in all respects such an exhibition as should have given 
satisfaction to the gentlemen who organized it, as it certainly 
did te exhibitors and spectators. Theshow had many excellent 
points, at once recognized by the visitors, The benching was 
capital, Instead of ‘the usual separate stalls, the dogs were 
placed on long benches without partitions, so that the entire 
exhibit of a class would be seen in line, and the effect was 
very pleasing. The dogs were perhaps more vociferous than 
they would have been in the separate stalls, but there was not 
the fighting which might have been expected. The toy dogs 
were in wire cages, which is by all odds the best mode of dis- , 
playing them we have yet seen. 
Another marked improvement oyer former shows was the 
early completion of the judging. This was mainly done on 
the first day; and on the-second day the catalogues were on 
hand with the awards in each class printed in the margain. 
This added immeasurably to the convenience and pleasure of 
the visitors; and it is to be hoped that the same plan may be 
adopted at other shows. 6 haye repeatedly urged that 
bench show judging ought always to be done on the first day, 
and now that the National Breeders’ Show has inaugurated 
the much needed reform, the rule will doubtless be adopted 
elsewhere, The management of the exhibition was very sat- 
isfactory, the dogs well cared for, and the three days’ exhibi- 
tion moved smoothly. 
The judging was very satisfactory indeed, and so far as we 
are able to learn, there was scarcely any grumbling, even on 
the part of those whose exhibits failed to receive mention. 
With scarcely an exception, the decisions were well received 
by victor and vanquished. 
Jt seems probable that this show having been so successful, 
and received such generous support from the dog loviag pub- 
lic, will be only the first of a series af shows to be held in the 
future under the same management, which has in this case 
abundantly proved its competency. 
Ot the exhibits, we have already said that the number was 
above the average of those in all shows outside of New York 
in the last two years, and a careful examination of the dogs 
proved that the quality was also excellent. Setters and 
pointers were, naturally, not in very great forces, for this is 
just the time of year when dogs arein the field. In some 
other classes the display was noticeably fine, the ladies’ pets 
receiving an especial and deserved share of attention. The 
Esquimaux dogs, brought back by the Alert, were, of course, 
a great attraction. They are most wise and knowing crea- 
tures, and we found them not only very intelligent but very 
amiable as well. They appeared to appreciate the attention 
shown them. Here is an illustration: Standing near Schneiker ~ 
and talking with a, friend, we stroked the dog’s head for a 
moment and passed on. Two hours later, when the dogs were 
led into the ring, Schneiker recognized us, and, bounding the 
full length of his chain, nestled up against us as if we were old 
friends and had been through the Arctic together. 
Of the display of trophies by Mr. A. H. Moore, it may be 
said there was never a more elaborate and valuable exhibit of 
prizes at any show before, and it will be many a year before 
another such a one isseen. The reception to exhibitors given 
by the same gentleman, was also in its way gue beyond the 
usual character of such entertainments, and ought to have 
been a balm for even the “disappointed exhibitors.” 
ing are the classes in detail. 
ENGLISH SETTERS—(MR. DAVIDSON). 
The English setters were not a numerous class—only twenty 
alltold. Dick Laverack was alone in the champion class; he 
was looking well, although he was not quite up to his best, 
Liddersdale also had a walk oyer in the corresponding bitch 
class. The open dog class brought out a new dogand a good one 
in the winner, Tug, He is a fine, upstanding dog, with a good 
head, except that its color gives one at first glance a poor 
impression of its quality. eis yery good all round with the 
exception of being a bit straight in stifle. Prince Phosbus, 
winner of second, well deserved the place. Antic, who won 
third, is a well formed animal, and promises to turn out a 
good one, although his color is against him. Tom, vhe., is a 
workmanlike looking dog of the old-fashioned type. We also 
liked Black Joe, he., although he is a trifle coarse. Dick, who 
was c., isa fair-looking animal. He is a capital trick dog and 
entertained large audiences each evening. Only four showed 
up in the bitch class. The winners of first, second and third. 
are all well known to our readers and need no description 
here. Passion, who was vhe.,is one of the sweetest little 
things that we have seen in along time. She is very small 
but of beautiful form, and if nothing befals her she will easily 
beat the lot next year. 
IRISH SETTERS—(MR. DAVIDSON). 
The quality of the Irish setters was excellent all through. 
In the amie aie classes there were no entries for competition. 
In the open dog class first went to Chip, looking better than when 
at New York last epynE He has the best head of any in the 
class. Chief II., who won second, isa yery good dog except 
that he carries his tail straight in the air. Blarney, who won 
third, is a capital young dog, very good allround except that 
he might be a little deeper in chest. Kildare, vhe., is of good 
color and fairly well formed, but was badly shown. Mozo, 
vhe., 1s afair animal, but a bit coarse. Karney, whoewas c., 
is rather loosely put together, and has not a first-class head. 
Tn the bitch class first went to Mollie, who has a beautiful head 
ane color, She was shown too fat to display her good quali- 
ties to the best advantage. Second went to Peggy O’More, 
rather a pretty bitch but more of the English type than Irish. 
Lady Berkley, who was third, is not yet ten months old; she 
looks weedy and lacks in chest, but as she has many good 
points she may make a good one when matured. 
GORDON SETTERS—(MR. DAVIDSON). 
In the champion dog class the well known Argus was the 
only one to face the judge. He was looking his best and well 
deserved his prize. There were no entries in the bitch class. 
In the open dog class Royal Duke, who won first at the Kennel 
Club’s show last month, easily captured first from his onl 
competitor, Jet, who was awarded second. Jetisa faisly we 
forrped dog, but is lacking in head and his tan is too light im 
Follow- 
