70 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Feb. 19, 1885. 



to them. Many insist that it is on na,tural beds where they 

 most abound; others, with equal positiveness, say that they 

 are no more abundant here than elsewhere. As efforts are 

 continually made by cultivators to keep their own grounds 

 clear, and as no such efforts are made on the natural beds, it 

 would not be strange if they were abundant there. It is also 

 asserted that they breed on neglected grounds, of which there 

 are many hundred acres scattered among cultivated beds. 

 They also breed among inaccessible reefs and rocks, and 

 when large enough begin their depredations upon the nearest 

 beds. 



In reply to the Commissioners' question, what would you 

 recommend that the State should do toward their extermina- 

 tion? the answers were various. The principal ones were in 

 substance: 



"The State should pay a bounty on every bushel caught on 

 the natural beds." "Steamers should bo permitted to dredge 

 on the public beds where the stars abound the most, especially 

 in breeding time." "The time is not far off when the oyster- 

 men will reduce them so that they will be little trouble, 

 especially when they get the grounds all planted; but cannot 

 see clearly how the State can do anything without heavy 

 expense, which will finally come back on the oystermen again 

 ia the way of faxes/' "Let every man keep a, good look" out 

 for his own grounds; as fast as they gather work on them and 

 clean them out, and lot the State clean the natural beds, and 

 all will be well." "Enforce the law against throwing the 

 stars back into the water wnen once caught." "Let the 

 Steamers dredge for oysters on the beds and catch the stars 

 at the same time." "The oystermen should catch all they 

 can." "Let each and every man take care of his own plan- 

 tation and look out for his own interests." "Leave the w r ork 

 with the Shellfish Commissioners." "Let the Stabo pay half 

 the expense of cathing them." "Let the State employ steam 

 oyster boats, when they are not busy, and catch them when 

 they are bunched." "Let the State keep two or three 

 steamers to render aid to those who have nosteamers." "Sell 

 all the natural beds in small lots to the highest bidder, or else 

 put a high bounty on the stars." "Appoiut a special 

 committee of Inquiry and report to the Shellfish Commission 

 or to the Legislature before February 1, 1885." "Pass a law 

 compelling, under heavy penalties, all parties to catch off the 

 vermin from their unoccupied ground; steamers on the 

 natural beds w-oukl not do any good; the stars must be 

 exterminated some other way/' "Offer a bounty, make the 

 stars into a fertilizer and sell it to the farmers; It will pay a 

 part, if not ah the expense." "The State should do nothing." 



In view of these differences of opinion, it is difficult to come 

 to any satisfactory conclusion as to what, if anything, ought 

 to be done by the State. 



The Commissioners have discussed the subject in their 

 previous reports -and they have but little to add. Certainly 

 any attempt to introduce steamers on the natural beds would 

 only result in the repetition of those conflicts between the 

 oyster cultivators and the "natural growers" (as they are 

 commonly called) which were so prolonged and so bitter, and 

 which occupied so much of the time and attention of the 

 Legislature a lew years ago, to no good result. The Commis- 

 sioners believe any attempt to introduce steam would be 

 opposed sti-enuously by a large majority of respectable citizens. 



LOCHLEVEN THOUT. 



SHORTLY after the arrival of the Loehleven eggs sent to 

 Prof. Baird from Sir James Gibson Maitland, Bart., we 

 republished a note from the London Fishing Gazette, in 

 which it was claimed that the fish was identical with the 

 common brown trout of Europe, 8. fario. Although not 

 personally familiar with the iish, we expressed surprise at the 

 statement, because it was not in accord with the authorities 

 in ichthyology. As a matter of x>ubiic interest we are per- 

 mitted to publish the following letter on this subject: 



"T am very glad to hear the Lochleven eggs arrived safely. 

 The Lochleven trout can only be included 'under S. fario in 

 the sense that a bull trout (S. eriox) or the sea trout (5'. trutta) 

 arc included. Lochleven is a lake of between three and four 

 thousand acres, fully one-half of which averages a depth of 

 12 feet. The lower end and center of the lake vary from 40 

 feet to 80 feet in depth. The summer temperature is between 

 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit ; the winter probably not below 

 40 degrees; the deeper parts probably above 46 degrees. 



Until the beginning of the present century there was free 

 access to the sea, and probably a few centuries ago the Loch- 

 leven trout was thoroughly migratory. About fifty years 

 ago the loch was reduced to'its present size, 1,000 acres being 

 drained, the surface lowered six feet, and sluices constructed 

 at the outlet for the accommodation of mills on the River 

 Leven below. The S. levenensis is found in the River Forth, 

 in Loch Lomond, and other lakes of the west coast of Scotland 

 and also tho*e of the northwest of England. It crosses readily 

 with £. trutta (sea trout) and S. fario (common trout) ; the off- 

 spring are fertile. It hybridizes with >!?. salar. The offspring 

 of S. levenensis (female) and 8, salar (male) have hitherto been 

 sterile, those 1 have are now T in their fourth year. The off- 

 spring of S. salar (female) and S. levenensis (male) which I 

 have are as yet too young to determine sterility, but this 

 cross is much easier made and the ova more prolific than in 

 the former. 



The Lochleven trout still retains many characteristics of 

 a sea-going salmonoid, such as the parr marks, the silvery 

 smolt livery, the forked-tad grilse stage, with its small pro- 

 portion of "spawners, diminutive egg's (40,000 to a gallon) and 

 tender, delicate embryos ; and its mature state, with a square 

 tad, strongly developed hook on the under jaw of the males, 

 large eggs (27,000 to a gallon), producing strong, well-formed, 

 vigorous embryos. The practical difference between S. leven- 

 ensis and S. fario is that the former has a much larger num- 

 ber of coecal appendages and a stronger stomach, enabling it 

 to crush the Limniupereyer, on which it largely feeds. 



Day in his "Fishes of Great Britain and Ireland" only makes 

 four species of Salmo, viz. : two of Salmones and two of Salvi- 

 lini, including fontinalis, I suppose, temporarily as a species 

 under the latter, the fish not having been sufficiently long 

 established here for exhaustive study. Crossed with Salmo 

 alpinus, variety S. vnllughbii, local variety S. struanensis, the 

 progeny are fertile. 



Of the two species of Salmones one is the true salmon S. 

 salar, and 2. S. trutta; while he ranks S. levenensis as 2 A, 

 and 8. fario as 2 B. The varieties of 8. fario are numerous, 

 and if levenensis retains its rank as a sub-species, one at least 

 of these, 8. estuarius, should probably be transferred to it. I 

 inclose a synopsis of species arranged from Day, which I hope 

 will make the position of levenensis intelligible. 



SALMONID^. 



SALMO. 



Sub-genera A, 

 Deciduous vomerine teeth — Salmones. 



a. About eleven rows of scales in an oblique line from adi- 



pose dorsal fin to the lateral line. 



1. Salmo salar The salmon. 



b. Fourteen or more rows of scales in an oblique line from 



adipose dorsal fin to the lateral line. 



2. Salmo trutta The sea trout. 



VARIETIES. 



(a) Salmo albus, under which Day includes S. eriox or 



S. brachypoma, in other words, bull trout. 



(b) Salmo cambricus, commonly called the sewen. 

 % A. Salmo levenensis The Lochleven trout. 



2 B, Salmo fario The common trout. 



VARIETIES 



(a) Salmo orcadensis The Loch Steirais trout. 



[b) Salmo i erox . , , , The f erox. 



(c) Salmo cornubiensis The Cornwall trout. 



(d) Salmo nigripinnis The black-finned trout. 



(e) Salmo estuarius The Galway sea trout. 



(f) Salmo stomachicus The gillarob. 



(a) Swaledale trout. 



(h) Ciassapuill trout. 



Sub-genera B. 

 Vomerine teeth restricted to near the head of that bone— Sal- 

 vilini, 

 8. Salmo alpinus The alpine char. 



VARIETIES. 



(a) Salmo perish The Welsh char. 



(6) Salmo willughbii The Windermere char. 



(c) Salmo killinensis The Loch Killin char. 



(d) Salmo grayii The Lough Melvin char. 



(e) Salmo colii The Lough Eske char. 



4. Salmo fontinalis The American char. 



All British char he places as varieties of 3, & alpinus. Your 

 American brook trout he ranks as S. fontinalis. Talking of 

 brook trout, in Europe it would be safer to call them brown 

 trout, otherwise they are apt to be confused with 8. fon- 

 tinalis. 



I have not yet completed my investigation into the Schoo- 

 dic salmon, the specimens being too young. 



J. G. Maitland. 



Howietoun Fishery, Sterling. 



CARP VERSUS TROUT. 



Editor Forest and Stritiw: 



In the Forest and Stream of to-day I note "Penn's" second 

 article explaining what seemed to him a practical method of 

 trout culture. I admire his enthusiasm, m's earnest desire to 

 retain in its native waters this peerless fish, and it seems to 

 me that almost every possible plan that can be suggested was, 

 during a term of ten or twelve years, tested by myself person- 

 ally or by others under my personal direction. I have in my 

 mind's eye several places where "Penn's" identical plan has 

 been tested and for a number of years, but nothing akin to 

 success has been attained by any method whatever. In quite 

 a number of instances I have visited places where success had 

 been reported, sometimes traveling long distances. In every 

 instance I have found that the experiments had resulted in 

 total failure. One of the best trout streams I ever saw was 

 within two miles of the spot where I was born; in the Green 

 Mountain range in Massachusetts. It was a small stream 

 heading in the virgin forest, passing down a succession of little 

 falls over the rocks, and then taking a zigzag course through 

 a long meadow, both sides of the stream being lined with 

 full-growth alders. Some twenty-five years ago this meadow 

 changed hands, and the new owner, commencing at the lower 

 part, cut off the alders and straightened the stream from year 

 to year until he had transformed it according to "Penn's" 

 ideas. I visit there every year or two and have been perfectly 

 familiar with the results. Parties going there in the trouting 

 season would commence in the best "holes" in the forest and 

 then pass down the line of alders. When they emerged 

 from the alders and dropped their lines in the grass-covered 

 ditch their catches at once fell off, and ceased altogether a 

 short distance below the limit of the alders. 



I will repeat, perhaps for the fiftietn time, that the only 

 practical way to keep iip even a limited supply of trout in our 

 native trout streams is to keep them in a state of nature, and 

 then if they are subjected to a satisfactory amount of angling 

 they must be restocked annually by artificial hatching. I 

 believe tins will be found true for all coming time, as it has 

 been for many yeai s past. 



And now a word for carp. I clip from a paper now being 

 circulated by Pennsylvania farmers, proposing legislation: 



"Carp culture is becoming a 'remarkable industry in this 

 country, it is essentially a farm industry. It can be carried 

 on with great profit, upon a large majority of the farms in 

 this State, with practically no risk, with small outlay, with 

 trifling attention, and without interfering in the least with 

 any other branch of farm industry. It is believed that about 

 3,000 persons in the State have commenced the business, 

 mostly in a small way, and in the entire country 35,000 per- 

 sons have made a commencement. Wherever the business is 

 started systematically, in simple but properly constructed 

 ponds, the results are successful to a degree far surpassing 

 any other branch of farm industry hitherto attempted. The 

 simple placing of a few carp into such waters as you chance 

 to have will result in nothing practical. Most beginners are 

 doing this, and will thereby bring even systematic work, for 

 a time, into disrepute, and greatly retard its general success. 

 Carp culture is totally unlike any other branch of fishculture, 

 and special experience is required to place it promptly upon 

 proper footing; without this years of time and hundreds of 

 thousands of dollars will be wasted in this State. The loss 

 from misdirected efforts is already heavy. In order to under- 

 stand the misapprehension which exists among thoroughly 

 intelligent men regarding this industry, the reader is advised 

 to obtain from then- member of the Legislature, or local agri- 

 cultural society, a copy of the State Agricultural Report for 

 1884, just issued, and "in the middle of the book, State Agri- 

 cultural Society Report, read pages 17 to 25, and then turn 

 back to Board of Agriculture Report, page 229, and read that 

 paper. 



"According to the best of our information and belief , the 

 principal impediments in the way of universal success are a 

 want of the simple, practical knowledge for the proper con- 

 struction of ponds, upon different and ever-varying sites, to- 

 gether with some slight but absolutely necessary instructions 

 from time to time, during the first two years, as to manage- 

 ment." M. P. P. 



Philadelphia, Feb. 12, 1885. 



THE NEVADA COMMISSION.— The biennial report of the 

 Fish Commissioner of Nevada for 1883-84, is at hand. At the 

 time of appointing the C®mmissioner, the waters contained 

 only two or three native species of fish, and these were becom- 

 ing scarce. It is now nearly eight years since the first fish 

 were transplanted to Nevada waters. The McCloud River 

 salmon planted in the Owyhee and Colorado rivers, the only 

 ones that discharge into the ocean, have grown, but it is not 

 known that they have spawned. The land-locked salmon, 

 furnished by the U. S. F. C. , have been caught in the Truckee 

 and the Carson, which have given numerous good catches. 

 The Eastern brook trout have been planted in the Carson, 

 Walker, Truckee and Humboldt rivers, with what result is 

 not yet known. White bass, from Lake George, N. Y., grown 

 wonderfully in Washoe Lake, some weighing three pounds, 

 while the catfish from the Schuylkill, Pa., have bred freely, 

 and the Carson and Virginia markets have been to a great 

 degree supplied with this fish. 



Imwerfi to (^vrrespondentg. 



VW~ No Notice Taken of Anonymous Correspondents. 



F. A. E.— See answer to M. G, O. 



C.K.— Short Hills, N. J., is on the D. L. & W. Kailroad. 



D. L. D.— We can send you the map of Northern Maine, by Steele. 

 Price, $1. 



S. J. O., Ottawa, N. J.— For birds' eggs write to Southwick & Jenks, 

 Providence, R. I. 



A.J. T,— 1. Two men tie; A bets B that the third man will beat 

 them, the third man ties them. Does A win or is it a draw? S. Two 

 men tie, A wants to shoot off tie, B refuses, Must he comply? Ans 



1. A loses. 2. Without knowing the rules under which the match was 

 shot, we cannot decide. 



W. S. D., Philadelphia, Pa.— See the articles entitled "Podgers's 

 Inland Cruise," Oct. 2 and 9, 1384. 



W. B., Harrisburg, N. J.-For pheasants apply to Reiche & Bro., 

 Chatham street, New York. 



W. B. H. Clean the gun theroughly, and see that it is perfectly dry 

 before it is oiled and put away in a dry place. 



D, E,— The arm you name should be efficient at deer at close rang e, 

 but is rather small. A larger caliber would be p: ef erred for hunting 

 in an open country. 



M. G. O., Meriden, Conn.— The hook on anerling appurtenances, by 

 Mr. Henry P. Wells, is not yet issued from the press. We believe it 

 will be out in the spring. 



R. C. R., Westfleld, Mass.— You might get a live deer froniReiche 

 & Bro., Chatham street, New York; or from seme of the zoological 

 gardens, Cincinnati, or Philadelphia. 



C. C. M., Simcoe, Ontario.— We can supply the numbers contain- 

 ing Chapters VII and X of "Training vs. Breaking^' at 25 cents 

 each. Cheaper for you to buy the book at $1. 



W., Wyalusing, Pa.— Write to Dr. C. A. Neidc, New Orleans, La., 

 inclosing $2 for initiation fee and dues for current year. We know 

 of no reliable chart of the Susquehanna River. 



G. R., Henrietta, Wis.— The best work on trout cnlture is by Liv 

 ingston Stone, Charlestown, N. H.. price $2.50. We can furnish 

 "Practical Trout Culture," by J. H. Slack, price $1. 



W.— To enter dog in the A. K. R., send stamped and addressed 

 envelope to the Forest and Stream Publishing Company. 39 Park Row , 

 for a blank form, on which the details of the entry are to be written. 

 The registration fee is 50 cents. 



r Mt WLmu&l. 



FIXTURES. 



BENCH SHOWS. 



March 5, 1885.— World's Exposition Dog Show, New Orleans, La. 

 Entries close Feb. S3. L. F. Whitman, Superintendent. 



March 18, 19 and 20. 1885.— Second Annual Show of the New Haven 

 Kennel Club. E. S. Porter. Secretary, New Haven, Conn. 



April ? to 10, 1885.— First Annual Dog Show N. E. Kennel Club, 

 Music Hall, Boston. J. A. Nickerson, Secretary. 159A Tremont street. 



April 21, 22 and ?3.— Annual Dog Show of the St. Louis Gun Club. 

 W. A. Albright. Secretary. St. Louis, Mo. 



April 28, 29, 30 and May 1.— Ninth Annual Dog Show of the West- 

 minster Kennel Club at Madison Square Garden. Entries close April 

 14. James Mortimer. Superintendent, 48 Broad street, New r York. 



May 5, 6. 7 and 8, 1885.— Second Annual Dog Show of the Cincin- 

 nati Sportsman's Club. Cincinnati, O. W. A. Coster, Superintendent. 



May 13, 14 and 15.— Third Annual Dog Show of the Toronto Dog 

 Show Association. W, S. Jackson, Secretary, Toronto. Ont. 



June 2, 3. 4 and 5.— First Annual Dog Show of the Illinois Kennel 

 Club. John H. Naylor, Secretary, 3,182 Archer avenue, Chicago, 111, 



A. K. R. -SPECIAL NOTICE. 



rpHE AMERICAN KENNEL REGISTER, for the registration of 

 •*- pedigrees, etc. (with prize lists of all shows and trials), is pub 

 lished every month. Entries close on the 1st. Should be in early. 

 Entry blanks sent on receipt of stamped and addressed envelope. 

 Registration fee (50 cents) must accompany each entry. No entries 

 iuserted unless paid in advance. Yearly subscription $1.50. Address 

 'American Kennel Register," P. O. Box 2832, New York. Number 

 of entries already printed 2113. 



THE FOX-TERRIER CLUB. 



E lit or Forest and Stream: 



I send you inclosed a report of what was effected at the 

 meeting on the 10th inst., for the purpose of forming or taking 

 steps toward the organization of an American Fox-terrier 

 Club. The me- ting was called for 8 o'clock, but was first post- 

 poned till 8 :30 o'clock, and then till 10 o'clock, on account of a 

 meeting of the Eastern Field Trials Association (?) at which a 

 number of gentlemen present were equally desirous of attend- 

 ing. 



At a few minutes before 10 o'clock the meeting was called 

 to order. Fourteen gentlemen were present. These gentle- 

 men organized themselves into a temporary organization for 

 the purpose of forming an American Fox-terrier Club. Mr. 

 Edward Kelly was appointed temporary chairman, and Mr. 

 A. E. Godeffroy temporary secretary. 



On a motion of Mr. Hitchcock that a committee be ap- 

 pointed to draft by-laws and a constitution, and to prepare 

 suggestions for a standard to be adopted by the club, also to 

 obtain from England as soon as possible a copy of the by-laws, 

 constitution and standard of the English Fox-terrier Club, all 

 of which to be submitted at the next meeting. 



The chair appointed the following committee: L. Ruther- 

 furd, J. E. 1. Grainger and E. Kelly (ex,- officio). The meeting 

 then adjourned subject to the call of the chair. 



About thirty gentlemen h tve designated their willingness 

 to join a definite organization. 



It is intended to have the club fully organized for the New 

 Haven show, or at least for the New York, to give valuable 

 prizes for dogs belonging to members, and to push this specific 

 breed of dogs to a more uniform standard of perfection. 



A. E. Godeffroy, Secretary pro term 



New York, Feb. 16. 



SIZE OF BEAGLE8. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



According to promise, I will give my opinion on the proper 

 size of beagles for work. These ideas are not theoretical nor 

 whimsical, but are practical and formed by close observa- 

 tions. 



After much thought and experience, I have come to the 

 conclusion that 14 inches is the proper size of beagles for 

 work. The bitches should not be under 13 inches and the dogs 

 not over 15 inches: for when you get above that height, just 

 as well call them foxhounds at once. 1 have tried the 10-inch 

 beagle, and after several years of great trouble and disap- 

 pointment, have become thoroughly disgusted with them, and 

 can say from experience they are no good. 



Now, don't understand me to say that a beagle under 13 

 inches is worth nothing, for there are exceptions to all rules. 

 I speak of them as a class. They may answer all purposes 

 for the park hunting of England, but when they come to 

 beating their way through weeds, brush, briers, and in 

 swamps, they haven't the vitality to stand it; they may get 

 through all right one day, but the next morning you will find 

 them looking hollow, their feet will be sore, and tbey will be 

 out of time altogether. But the 14-inch beagle will follow the 

 rabbits through thickets, swamps, briers and brush, and be 

 as fresh at night apparently as when starting in the morniDg. 



He should have a good, strong neck and shoulders, good 

 breast, but not too broad, short, strong back, well arched at 

 loins, hindquarters reasonably far under him, good feet, not 

 so small that he wil get foot-sore, and my word for it, he will 

 make a dog for six days in a week hunting. 



A prominent breeder wrote me a few days ago that some 

 breeders who advocated the ten-inch beagles are changing. A 

 little more time and the most of them will change to the 

 fourteen-inch ones. These little ones may do well for pets, 

 and not very w<ul for that, for when you get a case of dis- 

 temper or mange they haven't the constitution to pull through 

 and you have a dead dog, or, what is worse, a loathsome 

 nuisance. What we Americans want is a dog large and 

 strong enough to stand hard work, for when we get a day or 

 two off we can't afford to have a dog to run himself out and 

 take his place at our heels. Another disadvantage is their 

 wee* tongue, My chief pleasure js to listen to $& cry of tfce 



