482 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Dec. 31, 1385 



American Angler's Book," by Norris; "Fishing in Amer- 

 ican Waters," Scott; Reports of the U. S. Fish Commission, 

 1872-83. In none of these is the tomcod treated of at any 

 length. In De Kay's "Fishes of New York," 1842, both 

 species are described. If we knew jjust what points our 

 coi respondent wished to investigate, it is po8Sil)le that we 

 might enlighten him.^ 



Rainboav Trout in Makket.— These flsh are now plenty 

 in Fulton Market, where they may be bought either alive or 

 dead. The South Side Club, of Long Island, has recently 

 sent a large number of fish from one-quarter to three quarters 

 of a pound to Mr. Blackford. The demand for them is not 

 great so far, as the public has not been accustomed to buy- 

 mg trout at this time of year. The laws of New York per- 

 mit their capture and sale at this season, although many of 

 the fish look as if they would spawn in a few weeks. 



Address all communications to the Forest and iStream Publish- 

 ing Co, 



THE CONNECTICUT COMMISSION. 



WE have the twentieth repoi-t of the Fish Commissioners 

 of Connacticut to the General Assembly at its January 

 session, 1886. As the fiscal year of the State was changed by 

 the last Legislature, so that it now ends on Jime SO instead of 

 on;Novembe.r 30, as formerly, the report only embraces the 

 seven months beginning Dec. 1, 1884, aad ending with last 

 June. During that time the Commissioners have hatched 

 and planted 5,733,000 shad, and 4.50,000 young tix)ut. In ad- 

 dition to these they have hatched 100,000 salmon eggs which 

 were presented to the State by Prof. S. F. Baird, U. S. Fish 

 Commissioner, and placed the fry in the Farmington River. 

 From the same source they also received 30,000 Jlichigan 

 trout egi?s, the fry from which were planted in the streams of 

 Hartford county. 



In the Coonecticut River the catch of shad in 1885 was 

 190,300 fish, being an increase of 40.2.5.5 over the previous 

 year. In the Housatonic River the catch in 1885 was 50,689 

 fish, a decrease of 1,311 from 1884, though the number of seines 

 and gill nets had increased. In the hatching of shad the 

 Commission has abandoned floating boxes and substituted 

 the jars. Mr. Henry J. Fenton, Supt. of Hatcheries writes on 

 this subject to the Commissioners as follows: 



"GS-entlemen— I herewith submit my report of shad-hatch- 

 ing operations on the Housatonic River at Bii-mingham, Conn, 

 for the year 1885. I completed the new shad-hatching house, 

 as per orders, the loth ot May, in the dry canal of the 

 Gusatonic "Water Company, who kindly gave me the privilege 

 to erect the building there, and use of all the wat«r necessary 

 to conduct the hatching, by putting a pipe through their 

 head-gate into the pond, which made a most desirable location 

 to operate the McDonald shad-hatching jars. The jai-s 

 arrived from Washington, D. C, in good condition, in time to 

 oommence baking spawn the 18th af May. and i continued 

 taking them imtil the 16th day of June. The jars worked to 

 m^^ entire satisfaction, and with the most satisfactory results; 

 the loss of eggs being a mere trifle, scarcely two per cent.,' 

 while, by the old method, the loss was from five to fifteen 

 per cent. The number of eggs taken each day, and the fish 

 planted will be seen by the written report, all of which is 

 respectfully submitted." 



On the subject of river poUutions the report quotes from 

 the New Haven Palladium on "Poison in the Housatonic," 

 which says: "A large lot of chemicals used at the Wilkinson 

 paper mills in Shelton was emptied into the Houstonic River 

 on Thursday, and soon many fishfloated on the water. Men and 

 boj^s seemed to go crazy with excitement at seeing so many 

 fish at their mercy. Boats were procured and soon the river 

 was alive with men and boys, some in a state of nudity, 

 gathering large shad and other fish that had not fife enough 

 In them to escape their pursuere. Several hundred fish must 

 have been thus c^iught, although who would want to eat them 

 is a mystery, and spectators standing on the bridge saw many 

 float down the river, whose waters were discolored with the 

 acids far below the rink. If the water was so poisonous to the 

 large fish what must it have been to the millions of young 

 shad that has been hatched and emptied into the river the 

 past season." 



Again the same paper says: "The slaug:hter of fish took 

 place yesterday. The paper miU emptied its refuse into the 

 river and the chemicals in solution immediately filled the 

 water with dead fish. Large bass, pickerel, shad, and others 

 went floating down. Parties in boats secured large numbers. 

 Vrom three to four times a year chemicals are dumped and 

 all fish in the track are killed." 



In the matter of fishways the report says: "No further 

 action has been taken in reference to the building of fish- 

 ways. A recent letter from Col. McDonald states that the 

 work of constructing fishways over the Great Falls of the 

 Potomac is progressing, and will pi-obabl}'^ be completed this 

 year. It is hoped that this may solve the great problem of 

 passing shad through fishways, and the result will be watched 

 with the greatest interest."' 



An appendix gives several laws relating to the fisheries 

 among which we note the following: No person shah sell, 

 exchange, or offer to sell any dead brook trout less than six 

 inches in length, penalty not more than seven dollars. No 

 person shall, between suneet and sunrise, steal, or attempt to 

 steal, fish from any pond, weir, or net ; penalty not to exceed 

 $100, or iinprisonmentgnot more than sixty days, ov by both 

 fine and imnrisonment. 



POINTS WORTH CONSIDERING. 



1. Because of the compact style of its tyjjograpiiy the Fobest and 

 Stream actually contains, weekly, more reading matter pertaining to 

 ir« chosen field than is found in any similar publication in the world. 



3. In general excellence the reading columns of the Forest and 

 Stream are of a higher grade than those of any similar publication 

 the world. 



3. Taking into account the amount and the character of weekly 

 reading given, the Forest and Stream is away ahead of any similar 

 publication in the world. 



4. If a sportsman wishes a sportsman's paper, he will be better 

 suited by the Forest and Stream than by any similar publication in 

 the world. 



Homeopathy for Horses.— An article has been going the rounds 

 of the papers, which states with some particularity that a horse 

 being severely diseased and having been given up to die by two cele- 

 brated "old school" vetennary doctors, was speedily cured by being 

 put into the hands of a homeopathic veterinary, and this is cited 

 as being something of a wonder. We are at a loss to know where 

 these wise men could have lived for the last twenty years, that such 

 a fact could be news to them. It is now twenty odd years since 

 Humphreys' Homeopathic Veterinary Specifics have been m use, 

 and tens of thousands of stables are using them exclusively, with 

 just such success as is heralded in that paragraph, and the "fact is 

 well settled that horses, cattle, sheep, dogs and hogs are as readily 

 cured by the -'Velerinary Specifics" as babies and children by the 

 doctor's '•Family Specifics "' Not only are liverymen, horse railroad, 

 express and coach companies using them, but cavalry offlcei-s of 

 the United States Army have endorsed and recommended them, and 

 the man who made the miraciHous cure described above has used 

 them for many years with the marked success above related.— .4dt;. 



Immh 



Address all commmications to the Forest and Stream Fublish- 

 ing Co, 



FIXTURES. 



BENCH SHOyP^S, 



Jan. Slol3.— First annual exhibition and dog show of the Csntral 

 Indiana Poultry and Pet Stock Association, at Indianapolis. J. W. 

 Elliott, Secretary. 



Jan. 19, 20 and 21, 1886.— Annual Exhibition and Bench Show of the 

 French Creek Valley Poultry and Pet Stock Association. A. L. 

 Braden. Secretary. 



Jan. 26, 27, 38, 29 and .SO.— Fourth annual dog show of the Southern 

 Massachusetts Poultry Association, at Fall River, Mass. R. G. 

 Mosher, Secretary. 



Feb. 8, 9 and 10 — Fourth annual exhibition of the New York Fan- 

 ciers' Club, at Madison Square Garden, New York. Chas. Harker. 

 Secretary, 62 Cortlandt street. 



March 16. 17, 18 and 19. 18S6.— Western Pennsylvania Poultry Soci- 

 ety's Dog Sbow, at Pittsburgh. Pa. C. B. Elben, Secretary 



March 23, 24 and 25, 1886. -First Annual Dog Show of the New Jer- 

 sey Kennel and Field Trials Club, Newark, N. J. A. P. Vredenburgn 

 Secretary. Bergen Point, N. J. ' 



March 30 to April 2, 1886.— Third Annual Dog Show of the New 

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



AprU 6, 7, Hand 9, 1886.— Second Annual Dog Show of the New Eng- 

 land Kennel Club. Edward A. Moseley, Secretary, Boston, Mass. 



A. K. R.-SPECIAL NOTICE. 

 rpHE AMERICAN KENNEL REGISTER, for the registration of 

 pedigrees, etc. (with prize lists of aU shows and trials). Is pub- 

 lished every month. Entries close on the 1st. Should be m 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 f 1.50. Address 

 "American Kennel Register," P. O. Bo^ 8832, New York. Number 

 of entries already printed 3092. 



EVOLUTION OF THE MASTIFF'S HEAD. 

 TT^E print this week, as a special supplement to the Fobest 

 ' ' AND Stream, views of sis mastiff heads, three of the 

 type of twenty years ago and three of recent date. A com- 

 parison of the three heads on the upper line with those below 

 them win show the gi-eat change which has been brought 

 about by selection and careful breeding in these dogs. While 

 these illustrations are of especial interest to breeders of the 

 mastiff, they are scarcely less so to those who ai-e interested 

 in other breeds, for they indicate very forcibly what changes 

 can be made in a type in any given direction, and further, 

 that such changes can be brought about in a comparatively 

 short space of time. A similar series appeared a short time 

 ago in the Amer^ican Kennel Register, and we are indebted to 

 that journal for the loan of the material from which the pres- 

 ent illustrations have been made. Very happily timed is the 

 article on the mastiff from the pen of Mr. C. H. Mason, which 

 appears in another column. 



GRAPHIC'S ALLEGED FLUSH. 



TO the public and all fair-minded sportsmen who love a 

 good dog for the pleasure he can derive from his ovvner- 

 sltip, we will say, we decline to discuss through the columns 

 of Forest and Stream or any other paper any question 

 affecting dogs, field trials or bench shows with any profes- 

 sional dog dealer or handler. We, however, value the good 

 opinion of all honest men no matter what their vocation, and 

 that the latter may know the truth, make the following state- 

 ment: 



1. Neither of us saw Graphic make any flush on Friday 

 afternoon, nor did we see any birds except larks get up any- 

 where near the dog. 



2. Upon careful inquiiy made Friday night and Saturday 

 morning we could find no one else who saw any flush. 



3. We did find many who saw the whole heat Fiiday after- 

 noon and who were positive no flush was made. 



4. Mr. Heath took especial pains Friday night to ascertain 

 through proper inquiries whether a flush had been scored 

 against Gi-aphic, and was informed that the flush had been so 

 scored, and on Mr. Coster's testimony alone, the other two 

 judges not having seen it. 



.5. Not satisfied with this information and as a further pre- 

 caution, we sought out Mr. Wilson Saturday morning, and 

 saw scored on his judges' book the flush against Graphic and 

 heard the statement that he (Mr. Wilson) did not himself see 

 the flush. 



6. The notice of withdrawal was properly directed and 

 handed to Mr. Coster, the secretary of the club. 



7. No opportunity was given Mr." Heath to discuss officiaUy 

 whv said flush was so scored. 



8. " Mr. Anthony rode beside Mr. Coster as he had a right to 

 do as the representative and deputy of Mr. Heath, and at the 

 latter's request, besides which Mr. Anthony sold Graphic to 

 Mr. Heath subject to all his (Mr. Anthony's) rights in the run- 

 ning—the dog was entered in his name and consequent^ he 

 had the privflege in any event to be with the judges and follow 

 the dog. 



9. Both Mr. Coster and Mr. Anthony were over seventy-five 

 yards in the rear of the other two judges, and in fact Mr. 

 Coster did not appear to bo judging at aU, and had not Graphic 

 been brought back by his handler (after quartering out the 

 whole ground in front of Beaufort on the right) and thrown 

 across the ditch to the left, he (Mr. Coster) would have been 

 more than one hundred yards to the rear of the dogs. 



10. The statement "that Messrs. Donner and Coster owed 

 theu' appointment as judges to the unanimous voice of owners 

 and handlers who were present," is false. Neither of us were 

 consulted as to Mr. Coster's appointment as judge in the 

 pointer stake. Wc did not agree to Mr. Donner, but on the 

 mistaken idea, so far as Mr. Anthony was concerned, that he 

 was not a member of the Westminster Kennel Club. Mr. 

 Wilson, though we had no voice in his selection, was perfectly 

 sfiljist'SiCtiory 



Mitchell, our handler, though having more dogs entered 

 than any other handler, was not consulted at all. He had 

 four out of eighteen starters in the All-Aged Pointer Stake, 

 four out of thirteen in the Derby, and one in the All-Aged 

 Setter Stake. 



We will add that we will match Graphic (against any dog 

 in his class hving) on the bench, whether owned in Europe or 

 America, "the acknowledged best pointer living" not ex- 

 cepted, for the championship of the world. 



Also a dog and bitch, his progeny, against any small-sized 

 dog or large-sized bitch, the progeny of any stud dog now 

 owned in the United States. 



Also a brace, his progeny, against any brace now owned in 

 the United States. These contests to take place during the 

 month of May, 1886, in the city of New York, the judging to 

 be by points according to Stonehenge, and a i-ecord of the 

 points given each dog to be made and published by the judge 

 or judges as the basis of tbe several awards. 



Also, in the field: 



1. Against Mainspring, the winner of the All-Aged Pointer 

 Stake E, F. T. C, 1885, for an all-day's race, to be run either 

 at High Point or Salisbury, N. C, at any time, as maybe 

 agreed during the second week in March, 1886. Capt. Mc- 

 Murdo to handle Mainspring and Mitchell to handle Graphic, 



2. Also against both Croxteth and Drake (respectively the 

 winners of the All-Aged Pointer Stake 1883 and 1884), the 

 races to be run all one day and dining the week prior to the 

 race with Mainspring, and with an interval of three days be- 

 tween each race. Thurtle and Mitchell to handle. 



3. Mr. B. F. Wilson, of Pittsburgh, to be the sole judge, 

 and retrieving not to be counted. 



We make this offer not in any offensive sense. Nor have 

 we singled out Mainspring as one of the contestants for any 

 other reason than he was the winner of the All- Aged Stake 

 this year, having directly or indirectly beaten evei-y dog in 

 the stake, except Graphic or Spot, the latter being the winner 

 up to his withdrawal and having won his third series. Also 

 because Mainspring is a descendant of Mike Eomp, a strain 

 claimed to be superior in the field to any other strain of point- 

 ers living. 



If Graphic or his progeny are fairly beaten in either or all 

 the contests, as they may be, we shall not be found wanting 

 either in good nature or generous praise for the owner, breeder 

 or handler of the opposing dog or dogs. 



The acceptance of any of the above challenges to be made 

 in writing to the undersigned, and du-ected to No. M New 

 street, New York city, on or before Feb. 1, 1886. 



Chas. Heath, 

 Jas. L. Anthony. 



THE ENGLISH MASTIFF. 



Editor ForeM and Stream: 



It was not without a pang of regret that I put aside the 

 December number of the American Kennel Register, which 

 contained the last of Mr. Wynn's able and instructive articles 

 on the origin and history of the Enghsh mastiff. This last 

 contribution to what may be termed canine hterature has not 

 been excelled ; in my opinion it is the best essay on the sub- 

 ject that has ever been wi'itten. Each important statement 

 IS indorsed either by documentaiy evidence or common sense 

 argument, and the author appears to have been just in his al- 

 lusions to rival breeders. True, there are one or two sharp 

 hits at certain persons whose names I need not mention; but 

 there is nothing of an oft'ensive nature in any one of the ar- 

 ticles, aU of which are ehock full of rich information. Like 

 every man whose effoi'ts, no matter in what sphere of life, 

 have been crowned with success, Mr. Wynn has made ene- 

 mies, and plenty of them; but he can afford to let minnows 

 swim aroimd him and take an occasional nibble at his coat 

 tails if doing so affords them either pleasm-e or amusement. 



The first time I met Mr. W ynn was in the judges' ring at 

 the Chesterfield show about six years ago. We had a dog 

 each in the same class and the judges, Messrs. Hodson and 

 MeUor (both parsons), were not long in sifting the wheat from 

 the chaff. When the rubbish had been cleared out 1 foimd 

 myself standing by Mr. Wjnm and his dog— Scalford King 

 was his name I think— Creole was my entry. This was about 

 the time when a great noise was being raised about level 

 teeth, and Mr. Hodson had made a big blunder in ordering out 

 of the ring all the imdershot specimens at a certain show. 

 His wayward nephew, Vero Shaw, who always cai-ried about 

 with him a cartload of stupid ideas and very few good ones 

 that were not borrowed, followed suit and was promoting 

 his views in the usual ipse dixit fashion when Messrs. Han- 

 bm-y and Wynn shouldered the not very gigantic task of 

 coohng him oft'. Shaw aUudes to this matter in his ' 'Book of the 

 Dog" as follows: "Mr. Hodson, who had most properlj'timied 

 oufof the ring all the cow-hocked and imdershot specimens, 

 remarked that he was convinced good mastiff's were to be had 

 without these defects, and he was determined not to be a. 

 party to the awarding of prizes to dogs so malfonned. Sub- 

 sequent events have proved the soundness of his decision." It 

 is scarcely necessary to say that subsequent events have 

 proved nothing of the sort. "Stonehenge," in his last volume, 

 says: "A shght projection of the lower teeth maybe over- 

 looked, and good judges continue in awarding prizes to under- 

 shot specimens." Shaw's motto was humanum est errare, and 

 he was a wretched judge of dogs. I once saw a dog that was 

 led into the ring by an attendant ordered out by Shaw for 

 being "worthless." The owner of this dog and myself put up 

 a joke for Shaw, and sent the dog into the ring again, with 

 another man at the end of the chain. To out a long story 

 short, he gave the dog the prize, and, to make matters worse, 

 told the owner it was a very good specimen. This took place 

 ^at the Darlington show. Almost precisely the same thing has 

 been done here by an individual who stiU behevcs himself to 

 be a judge. But more of this anon. 



Creole, as mastift" men know, had a level set of teeth, and 

 that is one reason why 1 felt sm-e she would beat Mr. Wynn's 

 dog, who was undershot. Mr. Hodson stepped over to where 

 Creole was and examined her mouth, then it was King's turn. 

 Mr, Wynn bared the dog's teeth, and in the coolest manner 

 possible looked straight into Mr. Hodson's face and said, "He 

 isn't sufficiently imderhung for my fancy." That was a facer 

 for the judge who would "not be a party to the awarding of 

 prizes to dogs so malformed," and it was one for me when I 

 saw the blue ribbon handed to Mr. Wynn. A protest would 

 have been in order, but profound respect for the black cloth 

 controlled me and nothing was said. Mr. Wynn had been 

 previouslj^ represented to me as a great ' 'kicker" — a selfish chap 

 that could not see anything good about anybody's dogs but his 

 own. My informant was evidently mistaken, as I met Mr. Wynn 

 twice after the Chesterfield show, and beat him on each occa- 

 sion. If he "kicked," I never felt the blows, but there remain 

 pleasant recollections of a charming conversation that was 

 not ended until we saw before us visions of very strange 

 things. Some of these loomed up from Devonshire, and I dis- 

 tincuy remember a Lyme Hall mastiff, the sire and dam of 

 which had been seen goiug into the ark; huge bundles of 

 photographs taken on Mount Ararat; an ancient leather bag 

 made from the hide of Balaam's ass ; an inunense pair of gig 

 lamps, stronger in magnifying quaUties than any I had ever 

 seen, and— a hat. I shall never forget this last-named rehc of 

 antediluvian days. It was the only real hat I had ever seen, 

 and I have never seen one since. Many futile attempts have 

 been made by mastiff men to ascertain the dimensions of that 

 bat; they remain unknown to all but the maker and owner. 

 We know that it was large enough to cover, and that it did 

 cover, a whole kingdom ; but we know no more. Can Mr. 

 Watson, who was in England not long ago, or Mr. Wade, who 

 has had a steamship full of correspondence with mastiff breed 

 ers, give the history of that hat? I doubt it. 



Perhaps now that Mr. Wynn has completed his unequalled 

 essay on the historj- of the mastiff, he will describe the success- 

 ful stud and exhibition dogs of the present day. Such a con- 

 tribution, emanating from such a source, would be not only 

 interesting to aU mastiff breeders in this country, but would 

 be very instructive and invaluable for reference. 



The American Kennel Register of November turned out an 

 excellent illustration of mastiff heads, but being crowded 

 with entries of newly registered dogs, there was left no avail- 

 able space for an article. This is to be regretted, the more so 

 because the editor is a popidar judge and an excellent critic. 

 In the absence of editorial comment I feel tempted to have 

 my say about one or two of these heads, which appear to 

 have been very carefully selected with a view of showing the 

 marked improvement that has taken place within the last 

 twenty years. 



The entente eordiale existing between myself and many of 

 the readers of your kennel columns is sufficient guarantee 

 that my motive will not be misconstrued. All of us have not 

 "iiad equal facilities for gaining ioformation, and certainly 

 Americans have had hmited oi5,)ortunities of adding to their 

 knowledge of non-sporting dogs. But no matter how scanty 

 our experience, we should strive to help one another, and we 

 can do so to some extent by friendly discussions in the better 

 class of papers., and by frowning down all that is unsports- 

 manlike and unmanly. Mastifl: interests have suffered se- 



