368 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Dec. 1, 1887. 



Nothing more disturbs their dreams until the top of the 

 hill leading to Stony Brook is reached, and here the still- 

 ness becomes so oppressive as to cause them to awaken 

 with a start and sit up and rub their eyes and look around 

 them in wonderment. Everything is so quiet, not even 

 the hum of an insect is heard; all animal Life seems to 

 have forsaken the woods, until one of the horses, striking 

 a stone, loosens it and away it go;s down the hill ahead 

 of the wagon with a clatter. This seems to break the 

 spell, for one of the party says in a kind of half whisper 

 and with a long drawn sigh, "Did you ever run aeross 

 anything like this in vour life? Why "you can just hear 

 the still." 



As they go slowly down the hill, here winding around 

 the side of the mountain for half a mile or more, they see 

 spread out below them a beautiful panorama, a perfect 

 sea of treetops on all sides. The dark green of the tall 

 pine and spruce, broken here and there with the brighter 

 green of the white birch, with the tall rampikes protrud- 

 ing their long necks and gaunt arms far above the sur- 

 rounding trees Like sentinels watching over the sleeping 

 valley below, fitting companions for the death-like still- 

 ness. 



Rounding a turn in the road a sudden gurgling, rippling 

 sound strikes upon their ears as if a mountain brook were 

 rushing along over its stony bed, and such is the case. In 

 an instant everything is changed. Death-like solitude 

 gives place to life and animation, causing faces to 

 brighten and voices long silent to suddenly give tongue. 

 Here is Stony Brook at last, bubbling and boiling where 

 it crosses the road, music to the fishermen's ears, such as 

 only a mountain brook can make to men free for a time 

 from the cares of the money-making machines of the great 

 cities, and bent upon having all the enjoyment they can. 



Fording the brook the horses stop, and bending their 

 necks take long draughts of the clear cold water as it 

 rushes by their feet. But what is that darting away up 

 stream? Is it a minnow? Probably a young salmon. 

 After many years fighting with the fishery wardens, Mr. 

 Adams has at last overcome, with the sanction of the 

 Minister of Marine and Fisheries, then- fancied objection 

 that the distance was too great to transport the fry, and 

 has succeeded, with the help of Mr. Sheasgreen, the 

 present overseer of the Miramichi Salmon Hatching 

 Establishment, a very excellent one, situated a few miles 

 from Newcastle on the North West, in planting some 

 90,000 salmon fry in this brook this season many miles 

 higher than heretofore. This brook was recommended 

 by Mr. Adams for planting the young fish, as it is almost 

 entirely free from trout, the great enemies of young 

 salmoi*. 



This gentleman devotes a great deal of his time to 

 salmon fishing and propagation, and has lately rendered 

 very effective the fishery warden service upon this river. 

 Poaching has been almost, if not entirely, done away 

 with this summer, thus allowing many more fish to 

 ascend the river to be taken with the fly. Being an 

 ardent sportsman, and knowing as much about fly-fish- 

 ing on this river, if not more, than any man in the 

 Province, he hopes to show the practical results of his 

 efforts in having fry planted at this point by an increase 

 in the catch the year after next. All anglers will wish 

 him hearty success. 



Of these fry 30,000 were Kestigouche salmon, mucli 

 larger fish than Miramichi salmon. They were shipped 

 from the Restigouche Hatchery by rail to Newcastle 

 Station, thence carried by Mr. Sheasgreen to the Mira- 

 michi Hatchery, where they were allowed to rest for a few 

 days before being transf erred to Stony Brook. The other 

 60,000 were fry from Miramichi fish, and were deposited 

 at various times during the summer. 



After crossing the brook the horses have a long climb 

 up to Stony Brook hill for perhaps a mile or more. You 

 can hardly imagine you are ascending the opposite slope 

 of the same valley into which you descended a few min- 

 utes previous. It is so entirely different. The dark green 

 of the spruce foliage and the somber hue of the bark have 

 here given place to the white bark of the birch, the lighter 

 green leaves and supple branches of which sway to and 

 fro in the gentle summer zephyr, causing a rustling that 

 seems music compared with the dead stillness of the other 

 side. 



When about half way up the hill Duke comes to a 

 dead stop and will not budge an inch. It takes some time 

 to discover that this unusual conduct is caused by h im 

 having cast one of his shoes, and he seems to know, as well 

 as his driver, that he cannot breast that rocky hill without 

 them. Here's "a pretty go now." Miles from a black- 

 smith and nine miles from camp and no shoe on the horse. 

 What's to be done now? Just watch Bob for a minute or 

 two and find out. First go back and pick up the shoe, 

 then from some place underneath the bag of oats comes a 

 few bent horse-shoe nails, and then from some other place 

 a shingle hatchet, and Bob does a litttle blacksmithing on 

 the road, and while I am describing the operation the shoe 

 is on, and the wagon is on the move again. 



From the top of Stony Brook hill to the camp there is 

 a splendid piece of road and such good speed is made that 

 in a short time Sinclair's camp is reached. An old dilapi- 

 dated lumber camp, once the scene of a busy lumber op- 

 eration, now long since silent and rapidly falling to ruins, 

 here Reddick and Armstrong, becoming somewhat 

 cramped with the long drive, jumped out of the wagon to 

 unlimber themselves, and walk from there to the camp, 

 reaching it some time in advance of the wagon. 



A sharp turn to the left and I imagine now that I can see 

 the heads of the many shaking a silent "impossible" with 

 respect to what suddenly appears before us. First a small 

 clearing, in the center of which— dare I mention it— a 

 white tent? No; nor yet a bark shanty! Not even a 

 lean-to of boughs! But a comfortable looking cottage 

 away up here in the wilderness, miles from other habita- 

 tions. 



In a few minutes the balance of the party are safely 

 landed on the veranda, which surrounds the house on 

 three sides. As we enter the door— a greater wonder— 

 we find the walls plastered. Just think of plastered walls 

 and salmon fishing in front of the very door. But we 

 have not as yet reached the limit of our surprises, for as 

 the door of the cupboard is opened by one of the party 

 we see neatly arranged on the shelves chini dishes, 

 kmvj-s, lorbs, tible clothes, cups and saucers, and to cap 

 the whole a cruet stand, while through the open door 

 leading into the sleeping apartment we catch a glimpse 

 of comfortable looking beds, covered with mosquito can- 

 opies, under which one may, after returning from a hard 

 day s work, turn in and enjoy our well earned rest, se- 



cure from the attacks of the terrible pests of the woods, 

 and to rise again refreshed and ready for business, in- 

 stead of fighting flies all night, dropping into the troubled 

 sleep of the weary, only to dream that you are being 

 tortured by red hot needles driven into your skin and to 

 suddenly "awake and find that it is only those cussed 

 punkies getting in their fireworks. 



It being but 5 o'clock when the whole of the party have 

 their traps unloaded, some one proposes that they go up 

 to the falls and try for a salmon before supper. No 

 sooner said than done. Rods are put together hurriedly 

 and fly-books overhauled. Crawford and Ferguson, who 

 are to participate in this little bye affair, determine upon 

 a Jock -Scott and a Durham-ranger. 



The falls, some quarter of a mile, perhaps less, from the 

 camp, are soon reached, and as they approach the pool 

 at the top of the falls the question comes, "Do you see 

 any fish in the pool. Jack?" "No." But as his eyes grow 

 more accustomed to the seething water the answer 

 quickly changes, as he sees first one, two, three, four, five, 

 six, and then he makes a big jump to twenty in the same 

 breath, followed in a moment by "the pool is full of 

 them." 



Standing on the shore above 'the pool, and looking diag- 

 onally across it, they can see the fish, lying head up 

 stream and motionless, except for perhaps a slight move- 

 ment of the tail. 



Ferguson is the first to open the ball, and when he casts 

 his Durham across the pooi two or three fish make a rush 

 for it, but the gaudy lure is only an attraction at a dis- 

 tance, for on a near view they skulk quietly to the bot- 

 tom. He tries it again and again with the "same result. 

 By this time Crawford has got his rod in trim, and as the 

 Jock-Scott strikes the water there is a sudden swirl, a 

 strike, a dark streak rushing up stream, a yell from Craw- 

 ford, "I got him, 151bs. sure." (Fisherman's opinion when 

 the fish is on one end of the line and the man on the 

 other.) As the strain on the line increases there is a flash 

 in the air, and a glittering form sparkles for a moment in 

 the rays of the evening sun. Again and again he vaults, 

 showing his bright sides and white belly like burnished 

 silver. 



Away he goes, taking off yard after yaad of line, mak- 

 ing the reel whiz, until it seemed to the anxious sportsman 

 as though he was going to lose his fish, line and all. 

 Something must be done to turn him in his mad course. 

 The heavy 18ft. rod bends gracefully in checking him. 

 Still he rushes onward. When all hopes of saving him 

 is at length about gone, he begins to give way little by 

 little, and as he feels the extra strain on the line being 

 slowly reeled in, he again leaps from the water and shakes 

 his head to rid himself of the terrible double hook. But 

 he is not to succeed. Once let a double hook be struck 

 home and there it stays. Crawford realizes this; and 

 now it is but a question how long the fight is to continue 

 before he is landed. As he is led slowly back to the deep 

 water he sinks to the bottom and remains sulking and at 

 rest. That will never do, he must be kept on the move. 

 Inch by inch the line is taken up until the rod is an almost 

 perfect arch, then it is carefully moved from side to side, 

 causing the fish to start again from his sulking ground. 

 Away hs goes: first up, then down and back and forth 

 across the pool, taking off line and turning so quickly 

 that the fisherman has all he can do to look after the 

 slack. Is he never going to tire? It seems not. Suddenly 

 he ceases the fight, is "caught by the current, and borne 

 toward the falls, making a feeble effort to regain his 



Eosition. But over he goes, down the pitch and into the 

 asin, where most of the fish are killed. Unless some 

 unforeseen accident happens each one going down there 

 is doomed. 



And now he is being slowly led into the shallow water; 

 but the sight of the landing net ready to slip under him 

 and of the man holding it starts hini off again. It is, 

 however, his last effort. A few moments and he turns 

 side up, and is slowly reeled ashore, the net slipped under 

 him and the first fish has been taken. Though not quite 

 up to Crawford's estimate, it will tip the scale at lOlbs. ; 

 not a bad fish. f 



Crawford is a very unselfish gentleman, so he remarks, 

 "Guess I will take a rest and let you fish, Jack," and lay- 

 ing down his rod, seated himself on a rock. In a few 

 minutes Ferguson has hooked one and goes through the 

 same performance. 



They continue in this manner until a feeling of gone- 

 ness in the vicinity of the lower button of then vests 

 causes them to think of supper, and the motion to ad- 

 journ for the evening being put and carried, they count 

 up and find that six have been killed and two or three 

 more hooked but lost; not bad work for the first evening. 



By the time supper is over it is nearly dark, and a big 

 log fire having been started in front of "the door, all hands 

 go outside for a smoke. Soon the smudge pots are started 

 in the house to drive out the flies and mosquitoes. Al- 

 though when safely housed under the canopies our 

 friends will be safe from the attacks of these pests, yet 

 they are not free from the music of the mosquito band, 

 which to me, for one, is about as bad as their bite. If 

 the fiery pests would only go to work quietly in place of 

 tuning up first and keeping you on the ragged edge of 

 not knowing from what quarter to expect the next attack, 

 it would not be so bad. It is for the purpose of getting 

 rid of this band that the smudge is pressed into service. 



Darkness steals silently upon us, and every now and 

 then a tongue of flame leaps up from the fire, illuminat- 

 ing the trees in the great shadow beyond the circle of fire 

 light. At the sight of camp-fire and surroundings, old 

 recollections are stirred up, and from out the shadowy 

 corners of memory anecdotes of former trips to "Camp 

 Adams" and other sporting resorts as well, are rolled up 

 in succession, until the fire slowly dying causes Reddick 

 to look at his watch, and say with a yawn, "Come, boys, 

 ten o'clock, time we were off to bed long ago." All 

 hands being pretty tired there is no dissenting voice, and 

 before long the camp is wrapt in slumber, and so ends 

 the first day. 



Next morning, after a good rest, all are up bright and 

 early, Reddick proposes that he and Armstrong try""Ned's 

 Pool," the upper one of four pools, all within sound of 

 breakfast. The other three are Call's Pool, Reddick's 

 Pool and the Camp Pool, the latter almost directly 

 opposite the camp, so that a person sitting on the veranda 

 has a full view of the pool and any fun going on. 



Something wrong with the fish this morning, only one 

 taken before breakfast; but this causes no uneasiness in 

 camp, as that sort of thing is often met with in salmon 

 fishing. At times all efforts to make fish rise will result 



in nothing, when suddenly and for no apparent cause, 

 their mood changes, and they spring as lively as can be 

 wished for. 



After breakfast, which they make but a matter of hasty 

 business, a 6tart is made for lower Glory Hole, about 

 two and one-half miles below, leaving the pools at the 

 falls and near the camp for the evening. 



Wading down stream they take some fine trout. At 

 the Chain of Rocks Pool, the first on the way, some ex- 

 cellent sport is had and a few beautiful fish captured, when 

 Tom's Pool, Upper Glory Hole and Lower Glory Hole, 

 Sam's, Little Mick's, Big Mick's and Black Head Rock 

 pools are visited in succession, and at all more or less 

 sport was had. 



Tired and hungry the party reached Camp Adams at 

 dinner time, after having waded about four miles against 

 the current of a rapid river, where every mile seems to 

 stretch out until it doubles its length.. Salmo. 



LAKE HERRINGS AND GULLS. 



C CENTRAL LAKE, Mich., Nov. 18.— Editor Forest and 

 ) Stream: I send you to-day by express, prepaid, a 

 glass jar containing five specimens of the so-called "her- 

 rings" of Central Lake. I shall feel obliged if you will 

 identify them, and if by a remote possibility they should 

 prove to be of a new species or variety, divide with the 

 Smithsonian. 



I was unable personally to attend to the selection of 

 these specimens, out they appear to be in good order, and 

 to represent both sexes. They are placed in a mixture of 

 about one-quarter water and three-quarters wood alcohol 

 —the only spirit at hand. 



As I had anticipated from the movements of the birds, 

 the herrings came into our river earlier than usual by 

 about a week. I was told that they were first seen on the 

 third of November, and it maybe remarked that our crops 

 this year ripened for the most part several days earlier 

 than usual. 



There certainly seems something peculiar about the 

 movements of these fishes, for I cannot learn that they are 

 to be observed in any of the waters into which those of 

 Central Lake find their way: and I doubt if any of them 

 cotdd ascend from Grass Lake into the upper Intermedi- 

 ate, on account of the imperfect fish ladder at the Bellaire 

 dam. 



Supposing this to be the case, in what way do the gulls 

 inform themselves of the fact that the herrings are gath- 

 ering in order to ascend the rivers and deposit their 

 spawn? Certainly, I do not. as I recently stated in your 

 columns, remember to have seen a gull on Central Lake 

 except when the herrings were on their annual expedi- 

 tion. 



It is my intention to take measures next fall to ascertain 

 definitely how far the movements of these fishes extend 

 in the waters of this region. Kelpie. 



[The specimens are of the so-called "lake herring," 

 "cisco," or "Michigan herring," Coregonus artedi, of 

 which there is a modified variety, according to Jordan, 

 and named by him Argyrosomus sisco, in the sma'l lakes 

 of Indiana and Wisconsin. We will be glad to have fur- 

 ther observations made on the movements of the gulls 

 and this fish.] 



They tell me they've been "snatching" 



In the well-known Willow Pool; 

 But to prevent that artifice 



There is a tip-top rule. 

 Some very famous anglers 



Have been up before the "beak" 

 For clutcning at yon salmon 



With a new invented "cleek." 



—London Fishing Gazette, Nov. 1.9. 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream Pub. Co. 



THE CHEMICAL CHANGES IN OYSTERS BY 

 FLOATING. 



BY rROF. W. O. ATWATKlt. 



[Read before the American Fisheries Society.] 



IT is a common practice of oyster dealers, instead of selling 

 the oysters in the condition in which they are taken 

 from the beds in salt water, to first place them for a time, 

 forty-eight hours, more or less, in fresh or brackish water, 

 in order, as the oystermen say, to "fatten" thenij the opera- 

 tion being called "floating" or "laying out." By this pro- 

 cess the body of the oyster acquires such a plumpness and 

 rotundity, and its bulk and weight are so increased as to 

 materially increase its selling value. 



The belief is common among oystermen that this "fatten- 

 ing" is due to an actual gain of flesh and fat, and that the 

 nutritive value of the oyster is increased. 



A moment's consideration of the chemistry and physiology 

 of the subject will make it clear, not only that such an in- 

 crease of tissue-substance in so short a time and with such 

 scanty food-supply is out of the question, but that the 

 increase of volume and weight of the bodies of the oysters 

 is just what would be expected from the osmose or dialysis 

 which would naturally take place between the contents of 

 the bodies of the oysters as taken from salt water, and the 

 fresh or brackish water in which they are floated. 



If we fill a bladder with salt water and then put it into 

 fresh water, the salt water will gradually work its way<out 

 through the pores of the bladder, and, at the same time, the 

 fresher water will enter the bladder; and further, the fresh 

 water will go in much more rapidly than the salt water goes 

 out. The result will be that the amount of water in the 

 bladder will be increased. It will swell by taking up more 

 water than it loses, while at the same time it loses a portion 

 of the salt. 



It does this in obedience to a physical law, to which the 

 terms osmose and dialysis are applied. In accordance with 

 this law, if a membraneous sac holding salts in solution is 

 immersed in a more dilute solution or impure water, the 

 more concentrated solution will pass out and at the same 

 time the water or more dilute solution will pass in and more 

 rapidly. The escape of the concentrated and entrance of the 

 dilute solution will be, in general, the more rapid the greater 

 the difference in concentration and the higher the tempera- 

 ture of the two solutions. After the osmose has proceeded 

 for a time, the two solutions will become equally diluted. 

 When this eqtiilibrium between the two is reached the os- 

 mose will stop. If the sac which has become distended is 

 elastic, it will, after osmose has ceased, tend to come back to 

 its normal size, the extra quantity of solution which it has 

 received being driven out again. 



