M'aiuti 12, 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



131 



The Scarcity of Striped Bass. — "Westport Harbor, 

 Mass.— Editor Forest and Stream: There lias been a great 

 deal said about the disappearance of striped bass from our 

 shores. There are yet large quantities of these fish that 

 migrate through Vineyard Sound northward annually as far 

 as the Strait of Causo, and possibly around North Cape, Cape. 

 Brenton's Island, then westerly across the Gulf of St. Law- 

 rence till they reach Shiloah Bay and vicinity, and here 

 during the summer months they flourish on the' fry of the 

 mackerel, the best, known spawning ground on the "North 

 Atlantic coast for the mackerel. A thorough investigation 

 would prove that the striped bass was unknown in these 

 waters until after the menhaden were all caught up or driven 

 from our shores. Since the diminishing of striped bass and 

 other kinds of food fish, the fishermen who have supplied 

 the markets with them have been constantly harassed by 

 parties in the Legislature working against the present method 

 of fishing. These parties will be found to be hugely inter- 

 ested in summer resorts and sporting circles, and this class 

 will neither catch fish for the public nor let any one else if 

 they can help it. If we stop the present method of taking 

 food fish fehie public could not be supplied. If my sugges- 

 tions, published in your valuable paper on Jan. 10, 1884, 

 were carried out there Would be no scarcity of food fish, and 

 with the present way of taking them, three days out of seven 

 would supply the public wants of fish. It is my opinion 

 that when every acre of available land in the United States 

 is cultivated to supply the wants of the people, the fish of 

 the ocean, if properly protected with their food, will be the 

 last to fail the public demand. — Fisherman 



Black Bass for Stocking Waters. — There is a con- 

 stant demand for black bass to place in new waters, and no 

 one seems inclined to supply it. We have two inquires this 

 week for them, and only a short time ago Mr. E. G. Black- 

 ford asked us where he could get five hundred small bass 

 about four inches long. We occasionally get letters from 

 persons who say they have them, but an" order for fifty 

 exhausts their stock. Mr. Livingston Stone sometimes offers 

 large fish for sale, but he is distant and his prices are high. 

 There is a good opening here for some one who has suitable 

 water, to stock it well and sell fish of all sizes at a reason- 

 able rate, say double the market value for adult fish, and 

 about twenty-five cents each for yearlings of three or four 

 inches. The demand has existed for the past ten years and 

 is increasing. Many persons in New York derive quite a 

 revenue from growing goldfish in small ponds, and we 

 believe that with a pond of a quarter of a mile in diameter, 

 and from fifteen to twenty feet deep a thriving trade could 

 be done with black bass, especially if they were advertised 

 iu Forest and Stream.. There is hardly a week in the 

 year that we do not tell inquirers that if they want black 

 bass alive they mnst catch them for themselves. Here is a 

 chance for some enterprising pond owner. 



Thanks for the Varnish. — Editor Forest and Stream: 

 Will you be so good as to allow me, through your columns, 

 to thank very heartily all your correspondents who have so 

 kindly responded to my questiou about varnish for fishing 

 rods. To Mr. Wells I am specially indebted, not only for 

 names of various varnishes, but also for the manner of ap- 

 plying them. From each answer I learned something. 

 These rearlv answers to my own and other inquiries prove 

 beyond a doubt the willingness of all true anglers to com- 

 municate any knowledge they may possess upon their favor- 

 ite recreation. And not ouly so, but they prove the posses- 

 sion of knowledge, which I remember one of your corres- 

 pondents was some time ago disposed to deny. I think your 

 correspondent who suggested the asking of queslions, hit 

 upon a most excellent plan for developing angling love, and 

 I trust it will be pursued. Will you allow me to compli- 

 ment you upon the very greatly'increased interest of your 

 Sea and River Fishing columns. I know of no paper* that 

 contains so much that is useful to anglers as does yours, 

 Each week it brings something new, instructive, helpful. 

 May its shadow never grow less. — M (March 7, 1885). 



American Trout tn England— Mr. Thos Andrews, of 



Guilford, writes to the London Fishing Gazette as, follows: 

 "I send you nfontinalis just to show you how we grow them 

 in my water. 'She got stranded and I had to kill her. She 

 weighs one pound six ounces and is two years old. Just see 

 the color of her flesh. Eat her and report on her flavor. The 

 fario, out of the same water, are equally good." The editor 

 of the Gazette, who, by the way, docs not think favorably of 

 fontinalis for English streams says: ' - We got the chef at the 

 George Hotel, Strand, to grill the fish for us, and we can as- 

 sure Mr. Andrews that his char was simply charming— flesh 

 a deep pink, flavor like that of a Loch Leven trout." As a 

 change from "speckled beauty" we chant the chaste and 

 "charming char." 



Messrs. Abbey & Imbrie, the well-known firm of 

 fishing tackle dealers, have removed from their old quarters 

 and are now iustalled in very cosy quarters at No. 18 Vesey 

 street, near the Astor House. The change was made neces- 

 sary by the demand for more room. One entire floor of the 

 four is devoted to the retail trade, and this has been fitted 

 up in a most tasteful and generous manner for the entertain- 

 ment of their customers-and-friends (note the hyphens). 

 There is plenty of room to swing a rod, and so by practical 

 test select just the one out of the bewildering variety on dis- 

 play. In their more convenient location and such added 

 opportunities, the firm of Abbey & Imbrie will keep up their 

 old fame and add to their present reputation. 



The Trout of Bear River.— Tour Glens Falls corres- 

 pondent, Mr. Cheney, questions'you in regard to the trout of 

 Bear River. My identification of specimens taken near the 

 Salt Lake refers them'to Sahno virgmaUs End., a variety of 

 S. darkii Rich., S. purpumtus of Gllnther and others. 

 You will see by the publication sent you to-day that I do 

 not feel quite justified in following those who consider the 

 North American freckled trout of the same species as the 

 Kamtchatkau, 8: purpuratus of Pallas.— S. W. Garman. 



At- the Second International Clay-Pigeon Tournament, held at 

 New Orleans, La., Feb. 16, the first prize and diamond badge in the in- 

 ternational! individual championship match, open to the world, was 

 won with i a Parker gun. The first prize for the best individual score 

 m both the international three-men team match and the inter- 

 state five-men team match was won with a Parker gun. In the 

 inter -state team match four of the five members of the winning team 

 snot Parker guns. The two first prizes and one second prize in the 

 \on Lengerke sweep, -Jiyds., use of both barrels, break with second 

 barrel to ruun ;,.,, were won with Parker sruns. The winner breading 

 seven straight w n h first barrel and second man six with first barrel 

 and one with second barrel, scoring 6}4 out of possible 7. The first 

 prize m the Merino Elastic Felt Gun Wad match was won with a 

 Packer gun. With less representatives, more prizes were won with 

 Parker guns than with those of auy other makers.— Adv. 



^islfcalture. 



REPORT OF THE NEBRASKA COMMISSION. 



THE report of the Fish Commissioners of Nebraska for 1884 

 is before us. The board feels highly gratified with the 

 results of the year's business. A marked and increasing in- 

 terest is manifested by the people of the State over any 

 former year since the Commission was organized in. 1879. 

 Between one and two million of pike-perch have been hatched 

 and planted. The eggs were obtained from Saginaw Bay, 

 Mich. Eastern brook trout eggs were obtained from the tJ. 

 S. P. C. and by purchase from private parties, as well as a 

 few obtained from the adult fish in the State ponds, to the 

 extent of about 150,000, and were hatched and distributed. 

 Carp were also obtained from WasJbington. The superintend- 

 ent, Mr. Martin E. O'Brien, makes a report of his operations, 

 in which he recommends a more extended cultivation of pike- 

 perch as one of the most profitable of food fishes. Letters are 

 added showing success with German carp. 



REPORT OF THE CONNECTICUT COMMISSION. 



WE have the nineteenth report of the Fish Commissioners 

 of Connecticut to the January session of the General 

 Assembly, 18.85. The subject of the pollution of streams re- 

 ceives attention. The mill owners ask what they can do with 

 their refuse if they do not empty them into the streams, and 

 the Commissioners reply that "facts show that in many cases 

 their deleterious materials may be saved and utilized by the 

 farmer or the manufacturer," and a case is cited where the 

 proprietor of a woolen mill in Scotland utilized all the waste, 

 liquor from his works, which was converted into various 

 articles of commercial value. 



The work of the Commission during the past year has been 

 confined to the hatching of shad and the distribution of trout. 

 Of shad there was hatched and turned into the Farmington 

 River 686,000, and in the Housatonic 3,420,000. Brook trout to 

 the number of 600,000 were divided among one hundred and 

 fifty applicants, giving 4,000 to each. 



In the matter of a fishway on the Housatonic River at the 

 Bu-mingham dam, the report says that while the dam was in 



Erocess of erection, Mr. Foster, then the best authority on 

 shways, planned one, which was erected but was not suc- 

 cessful and was modified, and afterward swept away by a 

 flood. Afterward Mr. H. H. Buck, of Maine, prepared a plan, 

 but did not feel confident that shad woidd pass through it. In 

 the meantime Col. McDonald had invented a fishway on a new 

 plau, which he claimed would be successful for shad as well as 

 other fish. Last May one of the Commissioners met Col. 

 McDonald, who advised waiting until the completion of the 

 new fishway of his designing for the Great Falls of the Poto- 

 mac, and the result known whether shad will pass over it or 

 not. This seems to the Board to be a wise course. 



Tables of the catch of salt-water fish are given, and an ap- 

 pendix giving the fish laws of the State passed last year. 



CARELESSNESS.— The Lancaster, Wis., Fish and Game 

 Association, recently obtained 40,000 brook trout fry from the 

 State hatchery to stock the streams of Grant county. They 

 report that the fish were frozen on arrival. Whether they 

 were in charge of a messenger or not is not stated. 



the Mmneh 



FIXTURES. 



BENCH SHOWS. 



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

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



April 7 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 23.— 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 York 



May 5, H. 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, HI. 



FIELD TRIALS. 



November.— Seventh Annual Field Trials of the Eastern Field 

 Trials Club, High Point, N. C. Entries for Derby close May 1 W 

 A. Coster, Secretary. Flat bush, L. I. 



Dec. ^.-Seventh Annual Field Trials of the National Field Trials 

 Club, Grand Junction. Tenn. B. M. Stephenson, La Grange. Tenn 

 Secretary. 



A. K. R. -SPECIAL NOTICE. 



rpHE AMERICAN KENNEL REGISTER, for the registration of 

 - 1 - 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 

 inserted 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 DEBARMENT OF WM. H. PIERCE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I note in your issue of Feb. 20, a copy of a resolution passed 

 by the members of the Philadelphia Kennel Club, disqualify- 

 ing me from exhibiting at any show held under the auspices 

 of their club till Jan. 1, 1887. This action is stated to be owing 

 to my entry of Mi-, Jas. T. Walker's Reeta as one of the Glen- 

 cho Kennel at the Philadelphia Kennel Club's show held last 

 September. 



Rule 2 of the premium list of said show reads as follows: 

 "Every person who enters a dog for exhibition must be the 

 bona fide owner [or the duly authorized agent of the owner] 

 at the time of closing the entries." 



Reeta being purchased for, and an inmate and a member of 

 the Glencho Kennel, I, acting as Mr. Walker's duly authorized 

 agent, entered her as one of the Glencho Kennel at said show, 

 and her entry in then catalogue reads as follows: "No 320 

 Wm. H. Pierce, Glencho Kennel, Peekskill, N. Y. Reeta', 

 dark red, 4 years (Elcho— Fire Fly)." 



A special being offered for best kennel of Irish setters, I 

 asked Mr. Lincoln, the Superintendent and Manager, if I 

 could show Reeta with the others as the Glencho Kennel for 

 special. He immediately looked over the Glencho Kennel en- 

 tries, and in reply said, "Certainly." 



Now as I competed for special on the strength of Ride 2 and 

 Superintendent Lincoln's approval, I demand that the club 

 shall reconsider their action. Wm. H. Pierce 



Peekskill, March 7. 



[We publish that portion of Mr. Pierce's letter which has to 

 do with the facts of this case. A much larger portion, allud- 

 ing to the supposed motive for the club's action, we omit, as 

 being at the present time irrelevant.] 



that not the slightest concealment of her ownership was 

 practiced, and that she was not entered for the kennel special 

 until Mr. Lincoln had ruled it proper she should be. I shall 

 have more to say next week, with your permission, when I 

 hope to make it appear that in this matter the Philadelphia 

 Kennel Club are liable to discipline by A. K. C. 



Jambs T. Walker. 

 Troy, N. Y., March 9. 



T 



THE NEW HAVEN DOG SHOW. 



HE entries for the New Haveu Dog Show, to be held next 

 X week, amount to 485, just 100 more than last year. The 

 mastiff, pointer, setter and spaniel classes are very 'well repre- 

 sented. Many noted dogs will be present, and the quality in 

 all classes as well as the number, will be a great improvement 

 upon last year. Mr. Porter wishes us to request all exhibitors 

 to have their dogs at the Armory on Tuesday evening, if pos- 

 sible, in order to facilitate the benching. The secretary an- 

 nounces that all dogs sent by express must be fully prepaid or 

 they will not be received. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In the matter of the Philadelphia Kennel Club, Mr. Pierce 

 and Reeta, I desire simply at this time to say that Reeta, at 

 the time of the P. K. C. show, was an inmate of the Glencho 

 Kennels, and Mr. Pierce her owner's duly authorized agent; 



THE BOSTON DOG SHOW. 



AT a meeting of the New England Kennel Club, on Tues- 

 day evening, it was decided that Rule 8 in their premium 

 list be changed to conform exactly with that of the Now 

 Haven Kennel Club, which is as follows: 



"8. A dog to compete in the champion class must have won 

 three first prizes in classes at bench shows given under the 

 auspices of clubs, members of this Association. And a dog 

 having won three first prizes at above shows cannot compote 

 in an open class when there is a champion class for its kind, 

 but must compete in such champion class. (Every winning, 

 either in champion or open class, will be recognized as one 

 win)." 



The sensible action of the New England Club in this matter, 

 we believe, will be very favorably received by exhibitors. 



W. WADE'S AMENDE. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 

 Two years since Mr. C. H. Mason handed me a piece of 



Eaper to give to Mr. Mortimer, in the judging ring at Pitts- 

 urgh, just as Creole and Nevison were to be judged for the 

 $50 special. 



At the time, and frequently since then, I have charged that 

 this was a request to Mr. Mortimer to divide the prize. 



I have recently learned, on the most unquestionable author- 

 ity, that the contents of this note were Mi*. Mason's notes on 

 the black and tan terrier class. 



I have, therefore, been guilty of a great wrong toward Mr. 

 Mason and hasten to repair it, as far as I can, and ask Mr. 

 Mason's pardon for the great injustice 1 have done him . 



W. Wade, 

 Hulton, Pa., March 9, 1885. 



EASTERN FIELD TRIALS CLUB. 



THERE was a meeting of the Board of Governors of the 

 Eastern Field Trials Club at the St. James Hotel, New 

 York, last Tuesday evening. Pierre Lorillard and Henry B. 

 Livingston, New York, were elected members. The committee 

 on revision of the running rules made a partial report, which 

 was adopted. Rule 24 was changed and the maximum points 

 of merit were changed to read: Pointing, including nose, 25, 

 staunchness 10, and style in pointing 5, total 40. Pace 8, 

 range 12, quartering 5, and style 5 ; total 30. Obedience 10, re- 

 trieving 10, and backing 10, making a total of 100. Other 

 changes were discussed which the commilte will act upon and 

 report at the next meeting. Among the proposed changes is 

 that of the rule governing a bye, and it will probably be 

 changed to conform with that of the National. It was voted 

 that do?s to be eligible for the Derby of 1SS6 must be whelped 

 on or after May 1, 1885. 



THE SIZE OF BEAGLES. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I have read the articles in your paper in regard to the size 

 of beagles with considerable interest. Inasmuch as game 

 birds are fast disappearing from covers that used to contain 

 them, I have been compelled with others to fall back upon 

 rabbit chasing for outdoor sport. I have used hounds of the 

 beagle variety for a number of years, and have found those 

 about fourteen or fifteen inches in height, weighing about 

 thirty pounds, the best. The small dogs are of little value for 

 reasons already stated in your valuable paper. 



Too many of these dogs are timid and gunshy. They lack 

 courage and intelligence. 



A very queer mixture of hound, perhaps, to a breeder, was 

 a strain of a cross between a beagle and a dachshund. And 

 yet they were the best dogs I ever saw, and had all the good 

 hunting qualifications any one could ask. 



Three or four of these dogs ran together for a number of 

 years, and the music of that pack and then sure, steady and 

 good work, gave one who appreciates such things an lintold 

 amount of pleasure. They were tri-colored, mostly white, 

 with tan and some with black and tan spots on. 



Attention to the breeding of these dogs woidd give, it seems 

 to me, a more even size and hunting qualities. And as they 

 will be used more and more in the future, care ought to be 

 taken toward securing perfection all around. 



Geokge R. Peck. 

 Acburn, N. Y. 



ENGLISH KENNEL NOTES. 



XXV7. 



I HEAR that the Hanley Dog Show, in point of numbers, 

 is not likely to be the success that the committee had a 

 right to expect for their generous schedule of prizes. I hope 

 my information may not be confirmed, as I can see from the 

 printing and advertising, the show is likely to have a large ac- 

 count to meet for expenses. 



The Warwick authorities have just issued their schedule, 

 and it bears the impression of success on every page. This 

 show is now a good third to the Kennel Club and Birmingham 

 in the race for position. I shall not be surprised to see War- 

 wick close with a thousand entries. 



Among the judges I am astonished to see the name of Mr. 

 F. Gresham— not for St. Bernards, about which everybody 

 admits he knows more than others require to, but for Scotch 

 terriers, Airedales, Bedlingtons, Skyes, Dalmatians and Blen- 

 heim spaniels! "How did he do it?" is the inquiry on all 

 sides. The exhibitors of these varieties, whose indignation has 

 been aroused by the news, have a right to inquire how he con- 

 trived to secure the appointment, by what back-stairs, 

 kitchen influence he has managed to saddle a respectable com- 

 mittee with his compromising services? Was it for this he 

 cajoled the proprietors of the Live Stock Journal into giving 

 free subscriptions as prizes, an ignoble generosity, forsooth! 

 This is a trumpery form of bribery im worthy of Mr. 

 Gresham's abilities. With regard to his knowledge of the 

 breeds he, for the sake of advertisement, has undertaken to 

 judge, it is positively nil. The only connection that I can 

 imagine between these varieties and Mr. Gresham. would 

 take the form of those illicit and irregular favors that not in- 

 frequently pass betwixt some exhibitors and some reporters. 

 There is already a protest against the appointment in the 

 Shooting Times from an Airedale and Bedlington man, who 

 accuses Mr. Gresham of making a "fiasco at Paisley." I 

 would forward what I have said on this subject to the Shoot- 

 ing Times direct, but I hesitate to burden the editor with the 

 batch of impertinent inquiries that would follow the publica- 



