Feb. 16, #88. J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



69 



things proof would be, demanded, proof would be forth- 

 coming, I based my confidence upon the fact that the 

 trout must be either a namaycush or a fontmalis, fox- 

 even scientists have found no other trout in the North 

 Woods' waters; and all the guides in the woods, except 

 possibly a few that have gone in from the towns ami are 

 found about the large hotels, can tell the difference. 



I little expected, however, that Mr. Morrison would be 

 loaded for bear and say, "There is the fish: examine it." 

 Just at present the Loon Lake House (F. W, Chase, pro- 

 prietor, Pj O. Loon Lake, Franklin county, N. Y.) is not 

 R6 accessible as it might be, for even the walking on snow 

 shoes is not the best," but the trout will probably remain 

 to be interviewed personally or by letter. 



In hunting up the record of big fish I have discovered 

 one other thing* and although it is a tri fle, I will mention 

 it, as it is not universally known, Because a man's win- 

 dow box or kitchen garden does not grow a certain arti- 

 cle, it is not always safe to say it does not exist, for an 

 adjoining precinct, county, State or continent may pro- 

 duce it. In fact, it might have been growing all the time 

 over the other side of the fence, just out of eye sight of the 

 owner of the kitchen garden, A. N. Cheney. 



tit.KNS FATjLS, M. Y. 



SUNAPEE LAKE. 



SOUTH SUDBURY, Mass., Jan. 28.— Editor Forest 

 and Stream; In your issue of Jan. 25 I notice an in- 



?uiry by "Swirl" in regard to the fishing in Sunapee 

 ,ake, I was there with my family last summer, and I 

 found the fishing first-class. We went in the latter part 

 of June, and came away about Aug. 1, I had heard and 

 read in Forest and Stream so much about the newly 

 discovered trout, that I caught the fever and felt that I 

 never should be happy until 1 had brought at least one of 

 them to net, The natural consequence Was that as soon 

 &B I could get away we packed up and started for the 

 lake, We went into Boston, boarded a B. & L. train for 

 Concord, then changed to the Concord & Claremont road 

 for Newbury, a town at the south end of the lake, where 

 We took the stealnboat for Blodgett's Landing, our ob- 

 jective point; and I was on the lake fishing at 8 o'clock 

 that afternoon. There are a number of good hotels on 

 the lake and the boat stops at or near most of them. The 

 h otel at Blodgett's is perhaps not first-class in all its ap- 

 pointments, but the charges are very reasonable and the 

 fare excellent: and it is near one of the best fishing 

 grounds on the lake. Boats can be had at fifty cents a 

 a day. The fishing is in from 40 to 80ft. of water, 

 although early in the season they take them trolling 

 with spoon or shiner; and I am told that sometimes at 

 that season the fish will rise to a fly. In deep-water fish- 

 ing (which is all that I had) shiners or worms are used 

 for bait. The trout I do not think are quite as gamy as 

 a Rangeley fish, but take a five-pounder in 50 or 60ft. of 

 water on a light rod and you will find some sport before 

 you boat him. The largest trout I caught weighed an 

 ounce or two over 51bs. The last day I was there I caught 

 four, the smallest weighing t|lbs., the largest 3£lbs., and 

 all of them fought for their life. Aside from the fishing 

 it is a very pleasant place, and everybody seems to want 

 you to have a good time, at least that was our experience, 

 and as I look into the fire burning on the hearth and 

 fhink of our last summers trip, I can feel the same old 

 fever creeping into my blood that comes sooner or later 

 every year. C. F. G. 



The Allegany County, N. Y., Board of Supervisors 

 have passed an ordinance prohibiting fishing in Angelica 

 and Black Creek and their outlets and tributaries, also 

 Caneadea Creek, its tributaries and outlets. This law is 

 t6 continue in force for three years. 



We have had left, with us for examination and trial a steel 

 flohine rod manufactured by the Horton Manufacturing Co., of 

 Bristol^ Conn. From handling the rod in our office Ave believe 

 that it is practical, and will fill a want in the line of fishing rods, 

 for While being light in weight and having apparently the requi- 

 site of a good casting rod, it is also very strong, and when not in 

 use can be contracted by telescoping into a very small and con- 

 venient form for carrying. We say that we believe it is practical, 

 but of course only a thorough trial when the fishing season opens 

 will suffice to fully demonstrate its strong and weak points (if it 

 has any weak points). The manufacturers state that these rods 

 in a crude form were in use all last season by expert fishermen 

 and with the best of results. 



methods of fishing, the disposition of the catch, and the 

 financial results of sponge Ashing. He also devotes con- 

 siderable space to the smack fishery at Key West, and 

 describes the species at fish caught,' how taken, etc. The 

 turtle fishery at Key West, although of comparatively less 

 importance than some of the other fisheries, employs live or 

 six sloops and schooners, of six to ten tons each, live men 

 usually constituting a crew. The turtles arc sought for in 

 the channels between the keys that are their favorite haunts. 

 It is the habit of the turtle to feed in these channels, moving 

 in and out with the flow of the tide. The turtles arc taken 

 in nets, similar to a gill-net, which are put out at night 

 across the "turtle sets" so as to intercept the animals as 

 they move in and out through the channels. The smaller 

 turtles, ranging from f! to lfilbs., are used to supply the local 

 demand, at about ten cents per pound, while those between 

 16 and SOOlbs. are shipped to New York, but it does not pay 

 to ship large, ones. Those sold to New York buyers bring 

 from six to eight cents per pound, while those above 2001bs., 

 like the smaller ones, are consumed at home. They are 

 worth about three cents per pound before killing, but bring 

 fifteen cents in the market. 



Other interesting papers appear in the appendices, as: The 

 Manufacture of Klipfish, translated from the Danish; Pearls 

 and Mother-of-pearl at Tahiti and the Tuamotu Archipelago, 

 by G. Bouchon-Brandely; On the Development of the Ce- 

 tacean, together with a Consideration of the Probable Ho- 

 mologies of the Flukes of Cetaceans and Sirenians, illus- 

 trated by three full-page plates and twenty-two figures, by 

 John A. Ryder; On the Development of Osseous Fishes, in- 

 cluding Marine and Fresh-water forms, by John A. Ryder, 

 illustrated by thirty full-page plates and 174 figures. Mr. 

 Sidney I. Smith makes a report on the decapod crustacae of 

 the Albatross dredgiugs off the east coast of the United 

 States, during the. summer and autumn of 1384, with twenty 

 plates, containing 112 figures. Prof. H. E. Webster and 

 James E, Benedict make a report on the chartopod an- 

 nelids from Eastport, Me., collected in 1880 by the zoolog- 

 ical expedition of Union College, with eight plates and 117 

 figures. Messrs. John Murray and A. Renard are quoted 

 from a paper read before the Royal Society at Edinburgh, on 

 the Nomenclature, Origin, and Distribution of Deep-Sea 

 Deposits. 



Prof. David Starr . I ordan contributes a catalogue of the 

 fishes known to inhabit the waters of North America, north 

 of the Tropic of Cancer, with notes on the species discovered 

 in 1883=84, with index. The final article is one on patents, 

 issued by the United States during the years 1882, 1883 and 

 1 8S i, relating to fish and the methods, products, and appli- 

 cations of the fisheries, by Robert G. Dryenforth. Assistant 

 Commissioner of Patents, U. S. Patent Office; we have given 

 an extended notice of that part of this paper which relates 

 to angling patents, in Forest and Stream, Vol. XXIX., 

 p. 310. 



The reports of the Commission keep up their high stand- 

 ard and cover so much ground in the different departments 

 of tishculture, fisheries, ichthyology, embryology and gen- 

 eral nat ural history that they are indespensable to a student 

 in any of these branches. 



MASSACHUSETTS LOBSTERS. 



A PETITION has been sent to the Massachusetts Legis- 

 lature as follows: 

 The undersigned petitioners, citizens of nearly forty cities 

 and towns in this commonwealth, and known as the Mass- 

 achusetts Fish and Game Protective Association, respect- 

 fully represent that to those who have made the subject a 

 matter of close observation and study, there is apparent an 

 undoubted and alarming approach of the destruction of thai 

 valuable food crustacean, the lobster, ou the coast of this 

 commonwealth. Persist ent a nd close fishing by a constantly 

 increasing number of fishermen has made such inroads in 

 our supply that it is decreasing very rapidly, and under the 

 present existing conditions the time is not far dintant when 

 it will be practically of no value. Prompt and decisive 

 measures should be taken at once to avert the evil by pro- 

 tecting the lobster during a portion of the year at the most 

 critical period of egg-bearing, and if this is done the fishery 

 may undoubtedly be saved tons. New Hampshire has by 

 law established an annual close season from Aug. 25 to Sept. 

 15, Maine, also alive to the necessity of endeavoring to pre- 

 vent the destruction of the lobster fishing, has established a 

 close season extending from Aug. 1 to Sept. 15, during which 

 period it is illegal to take, kill or have in possession any 

 lobsters, and Canada also is taking measures for similar 

 action. 



In view of these facts, we respectfully' petition for legisla- 

 tive action giving us a law providing for a close season, 

 which shall protect our lobsters during a few weeks at least 

 of the egg-bearing period. 



Massachusetts Fish and Game Protective Association, 

 (By Edward A. Samuels, Pres., A. W. Robinson, Sec). 



REPORT OF THE U. S. FISH COMMISSION. 



(Concluded from Page 51.) 



AVERY interesting report on the thermometers in use by 

 the Fish Commission, is made by Dr. J. H. Kidder, 

 and illustrations are given of the various instruments used, 

 and the apparatus for testing their accuracy. In the earlier 

 operations of the Commission its thermometers were used 

 as they came from the makers, without previous comparison 

 with the standards, and instrumental errors were reported 

 from time to time, which tended to discredit some of the 

 observations, and to weaken the inferences deduced from 

 them. In the autumn of 1883 the duty of comparing all the 

 thermometers used hy the Commission was assigned to Dr. 

 Kidder, who noted their errors before issuing them, 



Capt,.J. W. Collins makes a report, illustrated with ten 

 full-page plates of vessels, fishing tackle, etc., on the dis- 

 covery and investigation of fishing grounds, made by the 

 Fish Commission steamer Albatross during a cruise along 

 the Atlantic coast and in the Gulf of Mexico, with notes oh 

 the; Gulf fisheries. An interesting account of fishing for 

 red snapper, off Cape San Bias, is given. The fish were 

 taken in twenty-seven fathoms of Water, and at first salt 

 mackerel were used as bait, but it proved to be too tender, 

 and porgie Was substituted' with better results. Some of the 

 fish taken weighed tolbs. The distribution of red snappers 

 in this region is not what might be expected, and though 

 fares of this fish may be taken on this ground, it is evident 

 that they occupy only a very limited area on it. The inves- 

 tigations made between Tampa and Key West are probably 

 the most important of any on the cruise. The region lying 

 between Tampa and the Tortugas, outside of a depth of 

 twenty fathoms, has never been resorted to by fishing 

 smacks, and it is doubtful if any one knew that red snappers 

 could be taken on the ground passed over by the Albatross. 

 That they are more generally distributed here, in depths of 

 twenty-six or twenty-seven fathoms, and far more abundant 

 than on the grounds visited by the snapper fishermen of 

 Pensacola, seems clearly established by the result of the re- 

 searches made. This fish, which was' almost unknown in 

 New York markets a dozen years ago, is now a great favorite, 

 and, as it is thought that the old grounds are more or less 

 depleted, the importance of this discovery can scarcely be 

 overestimated. Capt. Collins describes the sponge fisheries 

 of Key West, the grounds, vessels and boats, apparatus, 



THE MISSION OF THE MENHADEN. 



Editor Forest and. Stream: 



"It is not hard to surmise the menhaden's place in nature: 

 swarming our waters in countless myriads, swimming in 

 closely packed, unwieldy masses, helpless as flocks of sheep 

 near to the surface and at the mercy of every enemy, desti- 

 tute of means of defense and offense their mission is unmis- 

 takably to be eaten." 



''In estimating the importance of the menhaden to the 

 United States it should be borne in mind that its absence 

 from our waters would probably reduce all our other sea- 

 fisheries to at least one-fourth their present extent." 



These are truths that cannot be controverted with any 

 degree of success. They T fix themselves indelibly in the 

 minds of those who have given serious thought to'the rela- 

 tion the menhaden bear to our food fishes. They are recorded 

 results of profound study by the highest authority. 



Any diversion then of the menhaden from their legitimate 

 mission may well become a subject of concern to those who 

 desire the preservation of our Atlantic food fisheries from 

 exhaustion. 



From Monomoy to the capes of Delaware, in every fishing 

 village and on every fishing ground, the lament has gone 

 forth for years, that the food fishes are decreasing. This 

 cry comes from the thousands of hook and line fishermen 

 who follow fishing for a livelihood, and the size of whose 

 fare measures their ability to supply the necessities of life 

 for their families and themselves. It comes also from the 

 thousands of sojourners who repair to the coast for brief 

 seasons of recreation, recuperation or respite from their ac- 

 customed vocations. The cry is all but unanimous, and 

 wherever there is an interval there may be found the trap, 

 pound or fyke or else the smoking chimney of the menhaden 

 oil factory. It is with the last named industry this paper 

 has to deal. 



Menhaden form a considerable portion of the diet of our 

 chief food fishes, and as a bait fish they stand at the head. 

 They are in constant demand by man as an aid in capturing 

 food fishes, and in constant demand by the food fishes them- 

 selves, as a means of sustenance^ To deprive either man or 

 fish of this natural and wisely-ordered means to legitimate 

 ends is to pervert a wise provision of Providence, This is 

 done by the menhaden oil men through the use of the purse 

 net and the steamer. With these appliances they disturb 

 and turn into an artificial channel the great schools of men- 

 haden that would otherwise play an important part, di- 

 rectly and indirectly, in preserving the supply of food 

 fishes. This active pursuit and wholesale capture either 

 scatters or annihilates the schools, and menhaden are now 

 a scarce article along the shores and in the inlets of the 



southern New England and the .Jersey coasts. It is in these 

 localities that their scarcity is most seriously felt by the 

 hand-line fishermen and those who angle with rod and reel 

 and to remedy which evil action should be taken by com 

 petent authority. 



The oil men defend their operations by these two state- 

 ments, among others, which no one denies; 



First— The number of menhaden captured by man is 

 infinitesimal in comparison with the numbers devoured by 

 preduceous fishes, by whales, porpoises, etc. 



Second— They do hot, as has been alleged, capture many 

 edible fishes in netting schools of menhaden; on the con- 

 trary, they claim that they do not get enough to feed their 

 gangs. 



The question is not one of comparison. The capture of 

 food fishes in their nets may be small. The proposition is 

 this: Of the numbers of menhaden that escape the pursuit 

 of their enemies in the water, the oil men secure so large a 

 percentage that they deprive their fellow men, as well as the 

 rood fishes, of their rightful share. These oil men thus 

 thrive at the expense of their unfortunate hook and line 

 brethren. It is not desirable that the important industry of 

 the oil men should be interdicted or become the object of 

 unjust discrimination. Let their operations be fostered by 

 the Government, but at the same time so limited by just 

 enactments that all men who by right are entitled to equal 

 benefit from the menhaden run, may profit by its enjoyment. 

 Any legislation with this object in view would be fair to all. 

 Opposition thereto would be unreasonable. 



Arthur Martin. 



Washington, n. C.,Feb. 11. 



PROGRESS IN ERIT1SH COLUMBIA. 



NEW WESTMINSTER, B. O, Feb. 1. -Editor Forest 

 and Stream: During the month of October, 1883, act- 

 ing under instructions frbna the Department of Marine and 

 Fisheries, I, in company with the late inspector of Fisheries, 

 Mr. Anderson, set about securing a suitable site for a sal- 

 mon hatchery. After carefully examining the different 

 points along the Fraser River, we finally decided on the 

 location on which the present hatchery was erected. Build- 

 ing operations were commenced in March, 1884, and in 

 September of that year the building was completed. 



The success which has attended our operations since has 

 justified the selection then made. All the conditions neces- 

 sary to successful propagation of salmon are found here. 

 The water which supplies the hatchery flows from a small 

 stream of pure, limpid water, the temperature of which, 

 during the hottest portion of the summer, never rises above 

 50deg. Fahrenheit, It is within easy access of New West- 

 minster, being only five miles up the Eraser, and everything 

 in the way of supplies can be readily and easily transported 

 there. The dimensions of the hatchery are as follows: 110ft. 

 long, 40ft. wide and two stories in height. The capacity is 

 10,000,000 ova. The ground floor alone is used for hatchery 

 purposes, the top flat being used as a mess house, care-taker's 

 dwelling, and for storing nets and other implements in con- 

 nection with the hatchery. The following is a statement of 

 the operations carried on during the past four years: 



1885. — This year 1,800,000 fry were hatched out and 

 deposited in the various streams and lakes adjacent and 

 tributary to the Fraser. The ova from which this number 

 of fry was obtained were secured on Harrison River, a stream 

 of considerable volume and a great resort of salmon during 

 the spawning season, where the clear water and gravelly 

 bottom offer the very conditions sought by these fish at this 

 period. Harrison River is situated about fifty miles distant 

 and north of the hatchery, and flows into the Fraser River. 

 The ova were laid in during the months of September and 

 October, 1,884, and were hatched out during February and 

 Marcfi, 1885. 



1886. — Early in September, 1885, salmon commenced 

 spawning on Harrison River, and from that time till the lat- 

 ter end of October we were busy capturing and stripping the 

 fish. The number of parent fish captured was 4,568, of 

 which 2,551 were females and the remainder males. From 

 these fish 4,462,000 eggs were obtained, which yielded 2,625.- 

 000 fry. As in the previous year, the fry were hatched out 

 during the months of February and March, and deposited in 

 the different streams. 



From the reports of the various wardens on the rivers in 

 which fry was deposited last season, I am assured that the 

 fry are doing very well. 



1H8T.— This year has proved the most successful we have 

 yet experienced. Out of 7,316,000 ova laid in during the fall 

 of 1886, we obtained 4,414,000 fry, which was divided as fol- 

 lows: .3,405,000 "suckeyes" and 1,000,000 "quinuat" or spring 

 salmon. The returns for the season of" 1887-88 are not com- 

 plete as yet. I will have much pleasure in sending them to 

 you when the fry has been distributed. 



Since the hatchery has been in operation there has been 

 nearly 10,000,000 fry deposited in the various streams and 

 lakes. The fishing industry is oueof the most valuable of the 

 Province, and the importance of thus restocking its waters 

 cannot be over-estimated. 



In conclusion I may state that the Fraser River hatchery 

 is the largest of its kind in America, and the quautity of 

 salmon fry annually hatched out therefrom exceeds that of 

 any other hatchery on the continent. 



Thos. Mowat, Inspector of Fisheries, B. C. 



They go FOE the Brush— Richard Ashworth, the 

 well-known Cheyenne society light and Big Horn stockman, 

 is the proud and fortunate owner of two pure-blooded and 

 true-bred Scotch staghounds. These splendid animals Mr. 

 Ashworth personally selected from their native kennel, 

 beneath the mists of Ben Nevis during a recent visit to Scot- 

 land, and has domiciled them on his Grey Bull cattle ranch. 

 Scotch staghounds in Wyoming are a success, and these 

 great, sturdy, tawny and magnificent brutes revel in the 

 pure, bracing air sweeping down from the snow-capped 

 summits of the lofty Rockies, and daily and fleetly cover 

 miles and miles of upland prairie land. And woe to the 

 wild denizen of the prairie, the forest and the mountain, for 

 the. daily runs of Mr. Ashworth's staghounds are as 

 eminently practical as they are thoroughly enjoyed. The 

 hounds combine duty and pleasure in a most marked degree, 

 and the antelope, the deer, the wolf and the jack rabbit are 

 all promptly and joyfully captured. These dogs have 

 developed a peculiar and most amusing method in dealing 

 with the common coyote wolf. For this cowardly and 

 despicable animal to throw himself in sight is to invite 

 certain capture; but the gallant hounds disdain their base 

 quarry too much to take its' worthless life; they merely bite 

 its tail off close to the rump, or pull it out bj r the roots — as 

 the incidents of the case may be— and having* thus set their 

 mark on Mr. Coyote, let him go. The trophy of the chase so 

 obtained the hounds invariably carry home with them, and 

 to such an extent has this contemptuous depredation on the 

 coyote race been carried on, that Mr. Ashworth's ranch fairly 

 bristles with wolfish caudal appendages, and bobtail coyotes 

 are the rule on the ranges. — Lauder (Mont.) Mountaineer. 



A Dining Car Line to the Pacific Coast.— The completion of the all rail 

 line between Portland, Ore., and San Francisco gives the Pacific coast trav- 

 eler an opportunity to patronize the famous Dining Car and Yellowstone 

 Park Line, the Northern Pacific Railroad. The sportsman traveling in the 

 West, whether a lover of the rod or gun, naturally seeks this road, pene- 

 Uating as it does the lake park region ot Minnesota, and running rhrbuv. 

 the valleys of such trout streams as the Yellowstone, Gallatin, Hell Gate, 

 Clark's IVwkj.Spokane, Yakima and Green Rivers, for a distance of f ullv 

 1.500 miles, as well as lying immediately contiguous to the finest hunting 

 grounds in th&TJnifcea States, vis., The Big Horn, Snowy, Belt, Bitter Root, 

 Coeur D'Alene and Cascade Mountains. Information in regard to this 

 region can be obtained by addressing Charles S. Fee, Genera) Passenger 

 and Ticket Agent, N. P. R. R., St. Paul, Minn.— 



