SBn?T. 17, 1885.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



149 



made a very bad shot with the ladle, and instead of getting 

 the flsh had throAvn one of tlic ilies into the boat, -whore it 

 stuck in my trousers. Nevertheless 1 got the hook out and 

 saved the fish too. I'hts wa.s luck. Then I got a really tine 

 Hsli. over two pounds in -weight. All had gone well thus 

 fnr; the tlsh had behaved like gentlemen, keeping out in the 

 clear -neater, and making a fair fight. Such an opening was 

 suiely the promise of good luck for the rest of tlie day, 



as,' alas ! how little we know of what is before us, VVe 

 certainly had got a trout for dinner, but when flsh are rising 

 well who cares to give up with a whole day before him? 



1 feel that I have digressed .shamefully, find that tlie big 

 fish should have been introduced long ago; but this is even 

 yet a sore subject, and 1 suppose that is why I find it hard 

 to come to the point. I had made a cast diagonally down 

 stream, when there was a sudden rush and splash that de- 

 cidedly woke me up. I have missed lots of small trout, but 

 one seldom misses a heavy fish, I struck instinctively and 

 decidedly. The fish seemed to become at once convinced 

 that I was acting .strictly on scientific principles, and that 

 he had to play his best card immediately or lose thetiick, 

 He made a deadly rush toward the lilypads, and the reel 

 screamed. I checked him and got back a few feet before 

 his next plunge toward the lilies, out of which I kept liim 

 by free appUcation of the butt, the little seven-ounce split 

 bamboo doing its work handsomely. The chief now broke 

 through the lilypads and we were in clear water, the fish 

 goimr straight toward the lake, some thirty or forty feet 

 ahead of us. A little further on tl-iere was a st,akc to the 

 right of the channel, and our fish went for it as if lie lived 

 there and could not pass without calling. Much stress of 

 rod and tackle was necessary to get liim away from it. We 

 now got into the lake, and I implored my red brother to 

 keep me in deep water — "only this and nothing more," 

 Alas, alas! "White man is said, not without reason, to 

 be "very unsartin." I include one "Injun" in the same 

 category. The camp now came in sight, with tlie stout 

 party stUl sitting in the doorway dozing over his pipe. 

 As WG came within his range of sight, slowly drifting 

 down before the wind, my rod bent^nearly double with 

 something throbbing at the end of the line, and occasionally 

 going slowly around the boat; he sprang up into sudden 

 excitement and activity, dived into tiie house, whence 

 he emerged immediately, sat down again and leveled a large 

 opera glass at us. Oh! but I was proud. The eyes of my 

 countrymen were upon me. That fish should be sent down 

 to Kineo witli the fly and the leader that took him. I should 

 have one of the biggest flsh stories to tell. Woe is me, 

 pride goeth before a "fall. 



Our stout friend gazed at us through his binoculars as long 

 as we were in sight, but a point soon hid us from his view. 

 B.y this time the fish had given up any attempt at running 

 off the line, or even cii'cling round the canoe, but held on 

 like a bulldog. The knot fastening the leader to the line 

 was visible at the sui'face; but not another inch could I get 

 him up, and the water was so broken up into ripples by tlie 

 breeze that I could get no sight of him. Another point 

 loomed up and was passed. I kept urging the chief to keep 

 in deep water; but the traditions of his tribe and his own 

 great experience, no doubt made him deaf to my request. 

 He craftily approached the shore, moved, as he said after- 

 ward, by some wretched notion about a sandy beach being 

 a good place to kill a flsh. Suddenly my eye caught a 

 clump of lilypads, and looking up I saw that we were con- 

 siderably inside the last point passed. 



A moment afterward the nature of the strain changed, 

 There was life in it no longer. I reeled up slowly and 

 brought up a lot of brush. The upper fly with whatever it had 

 heldVas gone! I didn't faint, neithe/ did I break forth in 

 wrath and use objectionable language. Not a reproach did 

 I address to the Indian, whose .stoicism was hai'd to contem- 

 plate under the circumstances. Weardy I took off my hat 

 and wiped my forehead, feeling as if life was scarcely worth 

 consideration for the time being. Then "liope told a flatter- 

 ing tale, " and I said to myself, if not to-day, why then to- 

 morrow, but that to-morrow has not come yet. 



Eeturning to the spot where we had decided to camp, we 

 met the stout man coming cautiously along the lake shore to 

 see the big fish. Sorry to have disappointed him, but man 



Eroposes and his guide disposes. I thought bitterly of that 

 idian until dinner time, when his manner of serving up 

 trout, ])otatoes and tea, made me take a more cheerful view 

 of his ability. We are all of us good at something. Cook- 

 ing was his forte, but what he didn't know about fishing 

 might fill a big book. C. H. 



Yanking them Out. — Crossing one of the numerous 

 creeks that empty into the Hudson near New York, is a rail- 

 road bridge which is a favorite resort for fishermen. One 

 of the many users of the pole who make this bridge their 

 sporting ground is a very excital:)le fellow who, at the slight- 

 est indication of a bite, will yank his pole so as to invariably 

 entangle his line in the telegi-aph wires which are at this 

 point rather low. No amount of chaff' or advice would cure 

 him of this, although often told that he would pull the head 

 off a fish some time. One day having fastened his rod to 

 the bridge and left his line in the water, he had gone oft" to a 

 little distance to get more bait. Sitting near the rod was a 

 great practical joker, who no sooner saw his chance than he 

 quietly drew the line out of the water and hooked on a large 

 fish head. Then dropping it in he awaited developments. 

 The nervous fisherman, seeing his fioat drawn somewhat 

 nnder water, grabbed his rod and swung it over his head, as 

 usual catching his line in the wires. When he saw the fish's 

 head, he imagined he had pulled it off, and tried to get his 

 line down before any one should see him. But the boys 

 were watching him and guyed him unmercifully. He at 

 last had to break his line, lea-ving his trophy dangling in the 

 air. He was so mad that he did not come to the bridge 

 again for some time, and even then would not go near the 

 spot of his unlucky adventm-e. — N. 



Philadelphia, Sept. 10. — Complaint has been made that 

 t;be use of dynamite cartridges is being resorted to for the 

 purpose of securing fl.sh in the streams about and above Jen- 

 kintown, Pa. This is a matter which should be attended to 

 by the Eastern Penn.sylvania Anglers' Association, as the 

 parties who have resorted to this illegal method, I under- 

 stand, can be readily apprehended. Your correspondent 

 Ukewise learned from' good' authoiit}^ while at Mauch Chunk, 

 Pa,, last week, that Pine Creek and other trout streams near 

 there have been "fished" in the same way. It is hoped that 

 action will be taken against these lawbreakers. Fishing at 

 Barnegat and Tuckerton bays has been better during the 

 past week than the week previous. Weakfish are fairly 

 plentiful, but not large. — Homo. 



The Dead Elveb Reoion. — Boston, Sept. 10. — I have 

 been to the Maine Innd of trout. The size and numbers of 

 trout in Tim Pond were not exceeded in liS78, tlie first year 

 1 was there, and when the first boat was launched upon its 

 waters. The taking of trout by visiting sportsuifu depletes 

 the fish less than (5id the work of the n;i fives taking them 

 from the spawning beds before the law of protection was in 

 force. And so for the remainder of our fishing days we will 

 visit the Dead River Region, wliere so many gentlemanly 

 sportsmen wend their way tUl they number thousands. I 

 did think to send you in a very few^ "lines a record of my late 

 tramp,including a sbort account of the chain of ponds.through 

 Monmouth, Winthrop, Readfield, Mt. Vernon and Belgrade, 

 which have become a grand black bass resort, the very best 

 in Maine, if not the best in all New England. I had rare 

 sport there for ten days. — J. W. T. 



A Big Tkout.— Sault Ste. Marie, Aug. 80.— The fishing 

 here is very fair and some large trout have been taken. A 

 party of us have been in camp for a few days on Sugar 

 Island, and we killed eleven trout that weighed over three 

 pounds each, one of them acaUng 4J pounds. On coming in 

 to the Chippewa House on the 37th, we were surprised to see 

 a monster of 6^ pounds, which was killed by Mr. H, M, 

 Garlick, of Youngstown, O. It created great excitement, as 

 it is said to be the next to the largest ever killed here. There 

 is no doubt about its being a genuine brook trout, for its 

 caudal fin and red spots were distinctive marks not to be 

 mis taken . — PoKE-o'-MooNSiriNE . 



The Black Prince.— This fly, about which so much has 

 been said, seems to be very killing in the Rocky Mountain 

 region. Our correspondent "C3atonyx." who fishes in tliat 

 country, sends us a specimen to settle the question as to the 

 fly which should bear this name. As he was the first to 

 mention this fly in our columns as being his favorite we 

 may say that the fly sent was made with black wings, body 

 and hackle, the body was wound with silver twist and the 

 tail was red. It was made by James F. Marsters, Brooklyn, 

 and was identical with one before described. 



Grog Island Pool. — Major Lawson B. Bell, of New 

 York city, has leased for a' term of five years from Mrs. 

 Louisa Aylett, of the parish of Aahington, in the county of 

 Restigouche, Province of New Brunswick, what is known as 

 the Grog Island Pool, northern bank to shore of the Resti- 

 gouche River, in the township of Metapedia, in the county 

 of Bonaventure and Province of Quebec. 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream Publish- 

 ing Co. 



THE CHIEF CHARACTERISTICS OF NORTH 

 AMERICAN FISH FAUNA. 



[Read iDefore the American Fisheries Society .J 



BY PROF. THEODORK GILL. 



IDG not thmk tlrat I can appropriate the time which I was 

 requested to devote to a communication for your Society 

 more profitably than by in\dting your attention to some of 

 the chai'acteristic featru-es of tlie North American iish fauna. 



If we include the marine as well as the fresh-water fishes in 

 our study we would have to consider the con.stituents of four 

 primary different geogi'apliical divisions or realms, and we are 

 therefore compelled by the limits of time to restrict om-selves 

 to.the consideration of the fresh-water forms alone. America, 

 north of Mexico, forms a primary terrestrio-aquatic realm 

 which has been variously designated as the North American, 

 Nearctic and Anglogeean region or reahn. It is one of the 

 very richest of aU in tresh-water types, considerably over six 

 hundred species hvmg exclusively, or nearly so, in the rivers 

 and lakes, and these represent nearly one hundi-ed and fifty 

 genera and about tlurty-four families. It is a large exhibit 

 compared with the fauna of any of the other realms. 



If we notice the constituents of this North Amei'ican fauna, 

 we find that they may be segregated into two primary cate- 

 gories. A considerable number of thef amihes are shared with 

 European and Northern Asia, and may be designated as the 

 Arctogean, while an exceptional number of famihes are pecu- 

 liar to our continent. Those pecuhar are the Amiidse, Hyo- 

 dontidse, Percopsida?, Amblyopsida?,, Aphredoderidee, Elasso- 

 mides and Centi-archidas, and several well-marked sub-fami- 

 lies are also limited to the regions. Such are the Camposto- 

 miuce, Exoglossina3, Plagopterinse, Etheostomtnas, Haplodlno- 

 tinae and Hysterocarpiu£B. It is possible that even the 

 Lepidosteidsij" are at present pecuhar, but Dr. Sleeker has 

 named as such a species, based upon a Chinese drawing of a 

 fish supposed to have been obtained in China. Fifteen fami- 

 lies reprc sented cUiefly by marine species, but with members 

 also in the fresh water, are the Petromyzontids, Silmids, Clu- 

 peids, Dorosomids, Argentinids, Salmbnids, Cyprinodontids, 

 AnguiUids, Gasterosteids, Atherinids, Labracids, Scitenids, 

 Embiotocids, Cottids and Gadids, and among these we find the 

 famUies which are represented by the same genera in both the 

 old and new woilds. 



The fresh-water species and even the genera of most of these 

 families are, howevei', to a large extent, pecuhar to the inte- 

 rior waters ; of the others, (1) some ai'e anadi-omous, hke cer- 

 tain of the Salmonids, Clupeids and Labrocids ; (2) others in- 

 habit fresh and salt water almost indifferently, as the 

 Dorosomids, many Cyprinodontids, and most Gasterosteids, 

 and (3) one (the eel) perhaps should be considered as a salt- 

 Avater rather than a fresh-water species, inasmuch as it is 

 catadromous and appears to breed only in the sea. Con- 

 versely those fishes which resort to fresh water to spawn and 

 therein spend their early days may be considered to be fresh- 

 water forms. If all species which, to some extent, run up 

 into fresh -water were included, the list might be very greatly 

 increased, and it is by this inclusion of these species running 

 up into fresh water that the faunas of other coimtries have 

 been rmduly enlianced. 



If now we consider the bearmgs of the known facts, we 

 may deduce the following conclusions: 



(1) The number of family types peculiar or almost pecuhar 

 to North America and the veiw large number of genera also 

 confined to the temperate and cold regions of the continent 

 indicate that the region specified has such characteristics as 

 to entitle it to be considered a pnmary geographical division 

 of the globe which -will appropriately bear the name of the 

 Anglogeean reahn, inasmuch as its habitable portions are occu- 

 pied by the largest portion of the Anglo-Saxon race. Several of 

 the families peculiar to this realm are almost coincident in their 

 range with its hmits, and such coincidence is especially mani- 

 fested in the case of the family of Centrarchids. 



(2) If we compare the constituency of our ichthyie faima 

 with that of the Eurasiatic realm we find several notable con- 

 trasts. The North American is distinguished by the great de- 

 velopment of Acanthopterygian types, while there are few ia 

 the Em'asiatic one. North America has as many as 180 species, 

 while nineteen are all that have been credited to Eurasia. 

 The Centrarchids and certain little fishes related to the 

 perches, which have been distingriished as Etheostommes, are 

 very characteristic for the American fauna, and are among 



the most prominent features, while those types ai*e entirely 

 wanting in Emope. The catfishes, so abundant in America, 

 and of which there are at least twenty-six species, are repre- 

 sented by only one in Europe, and even that one is of an en- 

 tirely different type. 



Another noteworthy contrast is exhibited by the Cyprinids. 

 Ihe species of Europe and Asia are almost all of large size and 

 are the most conspicuous fresh- water fishes of that region, 

 whereas the American species of the family are almost aU 

 small and even of minute size, and (if we except the Pacific 

 slope, which has features in common -with Eurasia) there are 

 not more than a couple of what can be caUed large species of 

 the family in the entire region. It is indeed to a related 

 family, the suckers or Catastomids. (entirely wanting in Europe 

 proper) that we have to look for analogue of the European 

 Cyprinids. Among them we have forms equaling in size the 

 Em-opean caip, barbel, aud others, and some quite similar in 

 superficial appearance. Summing up all the species we find 

 that Europe has been accredited with mo fresh-water fishes, 

 while the Nort,h American fauna has at least 62,5. 



The number of the genera common to North America and 

 Europe is indeed extremely few, and the idea suggested by 

 some recent authors, that the North American fauna is merely 

 a subdivision of a common Ai-ctogean, Triarctic or Holarctic 

 realm, is enthely traversed and negatived by the flsh fauna. 



It is also especially noteworthy that a number of the types 

 pecuhar to America are distinguished by the care which the 

 parents take of their young ; whereas the European forms are 

 generally indifterent to the' future jirogeny, and after spawn- 

 mg, leave the eggs to take care of themselves. In this con- 

 nection it may be recalled to the American Fisheries Society, 

 that the care of the eggs and young is accompanied by an ap- 

 parent diminution of the number of eggs, and we have a sort 

 of analogy in this respect to the relation between fishculture 

 and natiu-e. The flshcidturists a.ssume the pai-t which, in 

 natm'e, is exercised by the attentive parent, and the eggs and 

 young being provided for, stand a less danger of destruction, 

 and consequently in such, the ratio between the eggs laid and 

 fertilized and the yoimg matured is very much less than that 

 between the number of eggs of the inditferent jiarents and that 

 of other progeny matm-ed. 



BLACK BASS IN GERMANY.— In a letter to the super- 

 intendent of the hatchery at Cold Spring Harbor, N. Y., HeiT 

 von dem Bome, the well-kuown German flshcidturist, writes: 

 '* Perhaps you remember that you recommended to me the 

 introduction of the black bass, and also that I received some 

 of them when Mr. Eckardt retm-ned from America. I am 

 pleased to say that the fish have multiplied abundantly. We 

 had 1,200 in the fall of 1884, and have caught more than 3,300 

 fry this season, 



>he Menml 



Address all communications to the Forest and stream Fublish- 

 ing Co. 



FIXTURES. 



mwm SHOWS. 



Sept. 23, 33, 34 and 35.— Dog Show of the Milwaukee Exposition As- 

 sociation. John D. Olcott, Superintendent, Biilwaulcee, Wis. 



Sept. 39, 30 and Oct. 1, 3.— Thu'd Annual Dog Show of the Southern 

 Ohio Fair Association. H. Anderson. Secretary, Dayton, O. 



Sept. 39, 30 and Oct. 1.— Twelfth Dog Show of the Western Penn- 

 sylvania Poultry Society, Pittsburgh, Pa. C. B. Elben, Secretary. 



Oct, 6, 7, 8 and 9.— Second Annual Dog Show of the Philadelphia 

 Kennel Club, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania State Agricultural 

 Society. B. Comfort. Secretary, Philadelphia, Pa. 



Oct. 6, 7, 8 and 9.— Fourth ^Vnnual Dog Show of the Danbury Agri- 

 cultural Society. S. E, Hawley, Secretary, Danbury, Conn. 



Oct. 7, 8 and 9.— Dog Show of the Vork County AgriciUtural Soci- 

 ety. Entries close Sept. 38. A. C. Krueger, Superintendent, Wrights- 

 -ville. Pa. 



Oct. 8 and 9.— Second Annual Dog Show of the Stafford Agricul- 

 tural Society. R. S. Hicks, Secretary, Stafford Springs, Conn. 



FIELD TRIALS. 



Nov. 9.— Second Annual Field Trials of the Fisher's Island Club, for 

 members only. Max Wenzel. Secretary, Hobokeu, N. J. 



Nov. 9.— First Annual Trials of the Western Field Trials Associa- 

 tion, at Abilene, Kan. Entries close Oct, 15. A. A. Whipple, Secre- 

 tary, Kansas City, Mo. 



Nov. 16, 1885.— Seventh Annual Field Trials of the Eastern Field 

 Ti'ials Club, High Point, N. 0. Entries for Derby close Miay 1, W. 

 A. Coster. Secretary, Flatbush, L. I. 



November.— Fom-th Annual Trials of the Robins Island Club, Rohins 

 Island, L. I., for members only. Wm. H. Force, Secretary. 



Dec. 7,— Seventh Annual Field Trials of the National Field Trials 

 Club, Grand Junction, Tenn. Entries for Derby close April 1, B. M. 

 Stephenson, La Grange, Tenn., Secretary. 



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 

 inserted unless paid in advance. Yearly subscription gl.ijO. Address 

 "American Kennel Register," P. O. Box 3833, New York, Number 

 of entries already printed 2 '704. 



JUDGES AND REPORTERS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Apropos of the coming dog shows; now that tlie "all round" 

 judge, however excellent, has had his day, why may not the 

 "all round" reporter retire into the background also, and let 

 each special judge speak for himself over his own signatirre, 

 after making his decisions? Then the many who are unable 

 to attend and see tor themselves may perhaps acquire some 

 information about the dogs, at present withheld. The reporters 

 have never failed to give us spicy readmg, interesting and 

 amusing, disclosing them varying moods. Now then- pens are 

 clipped in honey to laud the astuteness of A. in besto-wing blue 

 ribbons upon certain dogs, and anon plunged into bitterest 

 gaU to blame blundering B. for Ms stupid failure to decorate 

 others of their canine friends. Meanwhile we who are ti-ying 

 to learn somethuig about the dogs of various breeds are left 

 perishing in our ignorance. One critic tells us — by way of 

 consolation pex'haps— that only the good dogs are noticed at 

 all, yet how he ridicules them ! We read, for example, that 

 the winner "is not clean enough, leggy, faulty at both ends," 

 or that the first prize animal in Class 1,000 is "faulty all over," 

 or "faulty in head, ears, body, legs, tail," etc., until, utterly 

 bewildered and weary we begin to wonder how much worse 

 those poor creatures could be who received no awards and 

 were spared all criticism. 



If judges are authority on the classes assigned them, can 

 they not be allowed or persuaded to speak for themselves? Or 

 if they are really incompetent will not their statements as well 

 as their awards convict them? The wise "LUhbulero" to the 

 contrary notwithstanding, the English Kennel Gazette reports 

 after any of the leadmg Enghsh shows are instructive and 

 exceedingly interesting, though quite free from personahties. 

 They give us something about the good points of the winners 

 as well as their faults, and moreover we know just who is 

 responsible for each account— a matter of consolation some- 

 times. 



An artist, puzzled by the conflicting statements of reporter 

 and the remarkable fact (?) in natural liistory that dogs change 

 in quality and proportion with them owners' nftmes, suggested 

 that large paintings of typical dogs of aU breeds be made and 

 placed in. conspicuous positions at the shows, where all could 

 see and study them, and judge and compare for themselves 

 -w'ithout following judges or heeding reporters' notebooks. 



Constant Reader. 



