Forest And stream. 



418 



THE NEW DIVISION. 



THE call for a preliminary meeting to consider the formation 

 of a new division of the A. C. A. that was lately published in 

 the Forest and Stream, brought together the following canoe- 

 ists on Dec. 9: Vice-Coin. Stanton, Knickerbocker C. C; O.J. 

 Stevens, W. P. Stephens, B. H. Nadal, N. Y. O. C; J. F. Newman, 

 R. J. Wilkin, M. V. Brokaw, R. W. Blake, Wm. Whitlock, H. 0. 

 Ward, J.Johnson, Brooklyn O. C; L. B. Palmer, J.L.Douglas, 

 J. V. Pierson, H. S. Farmer, E. C. Burling, lantke C. C; G. F. 

 Secor, H. M. Carpenter, Shattemuc C. C; W. H. Hillier, G.W. Cox, 

 W. Gau, Essex C. C; Wm. M. Carter, Trenton C. C; A. S. and E. 

 A. Pennington, Paterson C. C; F. McLees, J. T. Holden, Ruther- 

 ford C. C; H. L. Quick, M. Simpson, E. L. Hoppoek, J. H. Keeler, 

 Yonkers C. C.J C. V. Schuyler. I. V. Dorland, A. C. Molloy, David 

 H - Arlington C. C: F. W. Kitchell, Perth Amboy C. C, 



and W. M. Brownell. Of the 37 men present 22 were members of 

 the A. C. A. Mr. Whitlock was chosen temporary chairman and 

 Mr. W. P. Stephens secretary. Vice-Corn. Stanton, of the Central 

 ihvision, addressed the meeting, speaking of the desirability of a 

 new division wnich should cover the States of New Jersey and 

 l/ciiijyylvania, and made a motion to the effect that such a 

 division was desirable. 



The question was discussed by a number.after which the motion 

 was carried, as follows: It is the sense of this meeting that a new 

 division of the A. C. A. is desirable; said division to embrace the 

 eastern watershed of the Alleghanies, starting at the boundary 

 between New York and Connecticut, crossing the Hudson River 

 a S ?, pom ^ below the Highlands, thence following the eastern slope 

 of the Alleghanies, and including the south bank of the Potomac 

 River. The question of boundaries was fully discussed and the 

 above limits decided on as best conforming to the physical features 

 ot the country. The area will embrace the lower Hudson, the 

 Delaware, Susquehanna, Schuylkill, Juniata, Potomac and Chesa- 

 peake bay. A letter was read from the Washington C. C, favor- 

 ing the proposed plan. It was also moved that the chair appoint 

 a committee of eleven from the A. C. A. members in the proposed 

 division, who should draw up and send to all members in the 

 division a circular letter, outlining the plan and asking their sup- 

 Ppj't. A general meeting of canoeists, A. C. A. members and un- 

 attached, will be held in New York early in January to elect 

 officers and frame a formal application to the A. C. A. for recog- 

 nition as a division. During the evening the boundaries of the 

 new division, and many details of its organization were discussed, 

 but all final action was deferred to the general meeting in Janu- 

 ary, ihe question of a division meet was not considered. 



A NEW CANOE CLUB IN NEW YORK.— A movement is on 

 foot to establish a new canoe club in New York city, with a house 

 on the Hudson, near Manhattanville. There are now a dozen 

 canoeists in that vicinity who are interested in the scheme. 

 Others who would like to Join can send their addresses to the 

 Forest and Stream. 



BUILDING IN CANADA.. The Ontario Canoe Co. are busy 

 with some 7x3 folding boats on an order from Holland. They are 

 also building a new model canoe 14X42. 



A. C.A. MEMBERSHIP.— Central Division.— Mr. David Rice, 

 of Amsterdam, has applied for membership.— Edw.ahd W.Brown, 

 Purser, CD. ' 



^mivtrn to (^omzpandentg. 



ISIF" No Notice Taken of Anonymous Correspondents. 



E. O. D.— We know of no boats of the size mentioned for New 

 York owners. 



F. M. F.— The extreme range is secured by giving the arm an 

 elevation of from 45 to 75 degrees. 



L. G., New York.— What kind of a gun is the best for use in a 

 small country place, a sbotgun or a rifle? Ans. A shotgun. 



T. W. K., New York.— The best canoe for a small river is a Rob 

 Roy or a similar model, lift, long, 26 to 27in. wide, 9in. deep amid- 

 ships, and drawing but 4in., the weight to be under 55Ibs. A sail 

 is generally of little use in such a boat. 



C. G., Jr., Webster, Mass.— The small fish sent were too much 

 decomposed to identify. If possible send us more. Keep them 

 m alcohol for a week and then wrap them in muslin wet with 

 alcohol, and they will keep for some time. 



J. B. M, New York.-There is nothing better than alcohol for 

 preserving specimens ot fish. II thwy are largo, out a small slit 

 in the abdomen to let the alcohol inside, but not large enough to 

 let the intestines out. Use two parts of alcohol to one of water. 



Fisherman.— Is the fish called sole the same as the plaice, if 

 not what is the difference? Ans. No, the sole is a long and nar- 

 row fish while the plaice is broader. There are other differences 

 also. There are no soles in America except a few in confinement, 

 imported by the Fish Commission, while the plaice is common to 

 American and European waters. 



G. S.. Kaolin, Pa.— Can you tell me where I can buy a few hun- 

 dred yearling brook trout for stocking a pond ? Ans. Occasionally 

 there have been advertisements in our columns of yearling trout, 

 but no one seems to have enterprise enough to keep it up and to 

 supply the demand for partly grown fish. We do not know of any 

 one, at present, who has yearling fish for sale. 



J. C. S., St. Joseph, Mich.— 1. Have you ever published the rules 

 governing the fly-casting tournament of the National Rod and 

 leel Association, if so, in what number of your paper ? 2. Where 

 and when will the next tournament be held ? Ans. 1. The pro- 

 posed rules were published in Forest and Stream of Jan. 13, 

 1887, and the amendments in the issue of March 10. 2. This will 

 not be decided until the next annual meeting, which will probably 

 be held in January next. 



H. B., White House, N. J.— 1. On Oct. 30, 1 received 20 live carp 

 from the U. S. F. C, and not having my pond completed the fish 

 were placed in a temporary pond about 4ft. wide, 20ft. long and 

 from 2 to 15in. deep, with a mud bottom. Have seen several dead 

 ones but can see no live fish. Are they alive? 2. If alive, what 

 should they be fed? 3. Would it do to construct a pond with only 

 the survivors to start with? 4. At what time do carp spawn? 

 5. What is the best time to turn out quail, fall or spring? Ans. 1. 

 We cannot say, it is possible that the water may be deficient in 

 oxygen, in coming directly from the ground. 2. Nothing in win- 

 ter, in summer they will find natural food. 3. Impossible to say 

 with the meagre information you give. 4. At two years old. 5, 

 Fall, if they are fed. 



A roe shad weighing 3Klbs. was caught in the Hudson 

 near Dobbs Ferry on Nov. 29. It was a mature roe of three or 

 four years' growth, and was caught in a seine with a lot of 

 perch and other fish. But how it got there at this season of 

 the year is a mystery. The first shad of the season in the 

 New York market begin to arrive from Florida about the 

 middle of December. Early in January they reach Savannah 

 in their annual migration northward along the Atlantic 

 coast.and about the last of January begin to arrive from North 

 Carolina. In February they reach the Delaware Breakwater. 

 They are not again met in large quantity until they reach 

 the Hudson, which they endeavor to do in time to celebrate 

 St. Patrick's Day. This year's run came late, however, the 

 first shad of the season having been caught off Keyport, N. J. 

 April 3. The shad season for New York ends with the last re- 

 ceipts from the Connecticut River, whence the best fish of the 

 season come to market. The average weight of the Florida 

 shad is 41bs., from which it increases rapidly in its northern 

 tour to Delaware Bay, where the average weight is 6% to 

 71bs. Here, in North River, the average is lowered to4%lbs. 

 by the presence of a large number of smaller and lighter 

 fish. In Connecticut River they again reach an average 

 weight of about 5^1 bs. Within the last three or four years 

 a few shad have come to market from as far east as Rock- 

 land, Maine, and the neighborhood of Boston, but the 

 demand for them ceases shortly after the local season is 

 over. Shad have been caught in the North River as early as 

 Feb. 17, but that was in consequence of an extremely open 

 winter, and this forerunner of the season was soon followed 

 by the regular run. But the Dobbs Ferry shad cannot possi- 

 bly be the forerunner of an early migration, for winter is 

 yet to come. The only plausible explanation of the mystery 

 is that, deluded by the continued warm temperature of the 

 water, the fish has turned shoreward from the Gulf Stream 

 a thousand miles northward of its proper route at this sea- 

 son.— New York Times, 



