48 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Fan. 7, 1S88. 



PUTTING OUT QUAIL. 



THE Passaic County Fish and Game Protective Asso- 

 ciation, of Paterson. N. J., has resolved to abolish 

 the collection af monthly fees from each member and to 

 entitle all to membership who shall have or may in the 

 future pay the sum of $1 for admission. This step is 

 taken in the hope of inducing- a large number of farmers 

 to join and giving them the power to enforce the game 

 laws, it being believed that a stricter enforcement of the 

 laws could be obtained in this way than by the collection 

 of fees with which to carry on prosecutions. Resolutions 

 were also passed at tha meeting providing for the stock- 

 ing of the woods of Passaic county with quail and Tab- 

 bits. The severe storm of March 12 last did a great deal 

 of damage to game of all kinds, and steps will have to be 

 taken for the purpose of preventing a total extermination 

 of game. Chas. A. Shrineu, Secretary. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Local sportsmen complain about the scarcity of quail 

 during the past season, accounted for in most cases by 

 the blizzard of March 188S, whicli in the district over 

 which I generally hunt, almost exterminated them. I 

 and some brother sportsmeu made up a fund to purchase 

 a few dozen of live quail, which we ordered and received, 

 and they were put out about a week ago, and I received 

 word a day or two ago that they were getting along 

 nicely. Now, my idea in writing this is to suggest that 

 the sportsmen in parts of the country where the birds are 

 now very scarce, and I think this is the case in the track 

 of the blizzard, club together and purchase a few dozen 

 birds for re-stouking. Objection will be made that these 

 sportsmen stand the expense and others who contribute 

 nothing share the benefits. This is unavoidable, but the 

 principal point is the enforcement of the game laws, and 

 these sportsmen, having a moneyed interest in the birds 

 and being anxious to have them thrive, will keep a more 

 or less sharp lookout after them, and in protecting the 

 birds they have distributed will of necessity be compelled 

 to guard all kinds of game in their neighborhoods, and in 

 this way insure better game protection than given by the 

 constables. These birds can be purchased in any moder- 

 ate quantity, and should not co-^t above M per dozen. 

 This has been a good winter so far f n- game, and myself 

 and friends expect to make up in 1S89 for the poor shoot- 

 ing of 1888; and ic will go hard with any who try to con- 

 vert our birds into meat before the opening of the season 

 of 1889. r . Wm. A. B. 

 New York. 



GAME IN TOWN. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Let me add a few linos to the matter of game in town 

 by relating a little story told to me by Sergeant Oliver 

 Tims of Captain Thomas'Reilly's Nineteenth Precinct in 

 New York city. In August, 1881, Thomas Dempsey. 

 doorman of the station house, which is on Thirtieth 

 street between Sixth and Seventh avenues, shot a wood- 

 cock which came flying over the buildings at the rear of 

 the station. Dempsey was sitting on the bridge which 

 connects the prison with the office part of the building. 

 He was cleaning his 14-gauge "Westley Richards, and had 

 in his gun-rag box two or three cartridges. While rub- 

 bing the exterior of the barrels he saw a bird in the air a 

 great way off. He thought it was a swallow at first, but 

 upon the bird coming nearer saw that it was a woodcock. 

 Haslilv inserting one of the cartridges he waited until the 

 cock flew in range of the great windowless wall of the 

 adjacent brick building and then took quick aim and 

 pulled. The cock was badly hit, for instead of falling 

 plump it kept its wings spread and, whirling round and 

 round in its descent, fell lightly on the steps leading to 

 the tramps' room. Hurrying to the spot where it fell 

 Dempsey found it with both wings spread, its great eyes 

 wide open, its head bobbing up and dowu, and its long 

 bill gently tapping on the iron step. It was soon put out 

 of its misery and Sergeant Tims ate it for dinner the 

 next day. It was a male bird, very fat, and of fine 

 plumage. Considering the locality, Dempsey says he 

 made a great shot. Had he not waited until the cock 

 flew in ranw of the big brick wall of the building, and 

 had he not pulled before it flew past the wall, he could 

 not have at fired all, owing to the great number of build- 

 ings with windows in sight on all sides. This is an illus- 

 tration of not only game, but good sportsmanship in town 

 as well. Ciias. Barker Bradford. 



New Yobk, Ja n. 23. 



Prtcsident-elect Harrison's Ducking.— Washington, 

 D. G. — Editor Forest and Stream: In a recent issue an 

 account was given of President-elect Harrison's hunting 

 trip last f all, and the statement was made, in substance, 

 that nothing more was known as to his love for or expe- 

 rience in that sport. Allow me to supplement it by briefly 

 recounting all that seems to be known of his inc-lulgence 

 in that line in this vicinity during the six years he was 

 Senator and resided here. One December he went, in 

 company with Commander Evans, down to a ducking 

 resort on Cnesapeake Bay, and was gone two or three 

 days. According to his own account of the trip, he suf- 

 fered somewhat from exposure to cold while lying in a 

 blind, but was moderately successful in bagging the wild- 

 fowl. After his return, an attack of rheumatism kept 

 him in bed a day or two, and perhaps warned him 

 to expose himself less next time. There is no reason to 

 doubt, judging from accounts of his acquaintances, that 

 he is a moderate lover of both hunting and fishing, but 

 has found or taken comparatively little time for either 

 pastime.— Potomac. ' 



Kentucky Quail.— Glasgow, Ky.— We have very few 

 ducks in this locality, but abundance of quail, and to each 

 covey of birds at least two pot-hunters. One of these 

 vandals agreed to furnish a game dealer not less than 

 thirty birds per day for a term of two weeks, and before 

 that time expired brought in over 500 birds. He is a dead 

 shot, and with others of his ilk has not left twenty-five 

 birdB within a circuit of ten miles. Something mtist be 

 done to stop this slaughter. "Missouri" says, "The time 

 is coming when the law will stop it." God speed the day. 

 —Mac. 



Ithaca, N. Y. s Feb. 1.— An enormous wildcat, with a 

 ferocious inclination to paint surrounding objects a lurid 

 vermilion, was recently killed a few miles north of here. 

 Two dogs were fearfully cut up by the pugilistic feline 

 before a well-directed bullet ended its career. — M. Chill, 



\ fxlowstone Park Game in Montana.— The Gover- 

 nor ot Montana has sent to his council this very sensible 

 recommendation: "My attention has been called to the 

 statute law as found in Section 270, fourth division. 

 Chapter 13 of the compiled statutes of Montana, page 

 580, with reference to the killing of buffalo or bison 

 within certain counties in said Territory. I am advised 

 that there are in the Yellowstone National Park consider- 

 able numbers of this species of animal, and with the 

 view to prevent and save them from extermination, the 

 Congress of the United States heretofore made provision 

 for their protection while on the soil of that Park, and 

 the statute of Montana referred to has been a supporting 

 help to the law of the United States, and to those intrusted 

 with its execution. It will be seen that the act of Mon- 

 tana will expire Feb. 21, 1889. The migratory character 

 of the animal is such that at certain seasons in the year 

 they stray abroad from their usual home grounds and 

 hence may be found without the pale of the United 

 States' guardian care. I recommend that the legislative 

 assembly re enact said provisions and prohibitions so as 

 to apply to the entire Territory of Montana." 



Narcoossee, Fla.— A good many deer have been shot 

 around here lately, and on account of the unusually 

 heavy rains tbey have been forced to leave the swamps 

 and seek dryer quarters on the oak ridges, consequently 

 making it much easier to get at them than is generally 

 the case, much to the delight of the market hunters. 

 Why cannot Florida have a close season for game? Quail 

 have not been as numerous as last season, the coveys being 

 neither so large or as strong. I hear from report that 

 snipe are as plentiful as ever this winter, but not having 

 been out yet I cannot vouch for it. — General. 



Toms River, New Jersey.— The outlook for quail shoot- 

 ing next fall seems to be very good in this section. 

 Sportsmen repoit large coveys of old birds quite numer- 

 ous. The winter has been very favorable for them thus 

 far.— H. W. S. 



NEW YORK LEGISLATURE. 



[Special Corrasponrlencv Forest and Stream.'] 



\ LB ANY, N. Y.— Assembly man Oronin has introduced a bill 

 lor the protection of fist! in Jamaica Bay. It provides that 

 it shall not he lawful by day or night to put, place, draw, or in 

 any manner use any purse net, ponnd, weir, or other device 

 except hook and line for the capture of menhaden or other fish in 

 Jamaica Bay, nor in any arm, bay, river, haven, creek or basin 

 thereof. 



Senator Sloan has introduced an amendment to the Forestry 

 Commission act of last year, including Oneida county in the for- 

 est preserve. The county was omitted bv mistake. 



Assemblyman McAdam has introduced a bill prohibiting the 

 selling of partridge and woodcock, killed in Oneida county, out- 

 side the limits of that county. 



Senator Cogiteshall has introduced his bill of last year amend- 

 ing the penal code to prevent fishing in private ponds. This is to 

 make such fishing more difficult. 



A bill by Assemblymm Maynard, of Madison, amends the law 

 of 1888 allowing a fish way to be placed in Chittenango Creek. As 

 the law read, the fish way would have been placed in Madison 

 county. Tne amendment allows it to be placed in Onondaga 

 county. The Assembly has passed the bill. 



Assemblyman Savory, of Cayuga, has a hill reappropriatlng 

 83.000 appropriated in ]886 to construct fish ways in the State dams 

 across the Oswego and Seneca rivers. 



Lake Ontario comes in for its share of attention thus early in 

 the session. Assemblyman Lane, of Jefferson, wishes to repeal 

 that clause of the law of 1888 relating to the waters of Lake On- 

 tario in the town of Ellisburgh, in his county. The law noted 

 above prohibits fishing with nets: and Mr. Lane wishes to repeal 

 it so far as Ellisburgh is concerned. 



A bill, by Savery, relating to Lake Ontario, amends the bill of 

 last year (not signed) to protect fish within one mile of the shore 

 of Lake Ontario and inlets thereof in Civuga county. The pro- 

 tection provided that flsu shall be caught only by hook and line. 

 But a judge in Watertown has held, under the existing laws, that 

 while a fish and game protector, or constable, could confiscate 

 nets, yet he could not destroy them. Therefore this bill of Mr. 

 Savery's has been altered from the bill of iast vear to conform to 

 this judge's decision. If it becomes a law confiscation will not 

 follow the seizure of the nets. 



Senator Coggeshall has introduced his bird bill which did not 

 succeed last winter. Briefly it provides shorter sea -uns for wood- 

 cock and partri ige. The bi I came from the Utica Fish andGame 

 Protective Association. The board of supervisors of that county 

 (Oneida) have passed the. same law as to woodcock and partridge 

 for the county and have also adopted a recommendai ion for a 

 similar general law for the State which is likely to come in later. 

 It is understood that supervisors of other counties have taken 

 similar actions, all going to show that there is a wide sentiment 

 through the State to shorten the season for those birds. It is said 

 that the action of the Oneida county supervisors has been backed 

 by one of the greatest niarnet hunters of the Sl ate, and that when 

 such a man as he becomes alarmed at the scarcity of woodcock 

 aud partridges every one may well be assured of the necessity of 

 the Coggeshall law, or even of shorter seasons for the protection 

 of this game. It is declared by the Coggeshall bill that the law- 

 ful season for killiug woodcock, black aid gray squirrels, shall 

 be only during September, October and November. Thev may be 

 possessed or sold for fifteen days after the close of said season. 

 In the law as it stands the open season for woodcock is September 

 to January in the counties of Ooeida and Delaware, and in other 

 parts of the State August to January. Th« opeu season for squir- 

 rel is between August, and February. It is also provided in the 

 Coggeshall bill chat no person shall kill ruffed grouse or pinuated 

 grouse except during September, October and November. They 

 may be possessed and sold for fifteen days after the close of the 

 season. According to the present law the open season is between 

 September and January. 



The bill provides that in an v action to recover penalty for sel- 

 ling, or offering for sale, any of said birds in violation of this sec- 

 tion, proof that after a careful examination thereof, iiieh bird did 

 not show any bloody and contused shot marks or injuries, indi- 

 cating that such shot marks, or injuries, had been inflicted and 

 followed by natural bleeding during life ot such bird, shall be re- 

 ceived 0BpriMi-ffie.it: evidence to establish the fact of its being 

 snared or trapped. There is a provision excepting the i.ests of 

 night hawks 1 torn the section forbidding the willful destruction 

 of nests; and it is further provided that no person shall set any 

 trap, snare or net, or bird lime or other adhesive substance, or 

 place bird food saturated with alcohol or any deleterious or stu- 

 pefying drug or substance for the purpose of capturing any game 

 bird, nor shall any person sell or expose for sale, or have m pos- 

 session the eggs of any wiid bird, except those in this section 

 above excepted. The final provision of the bill is that no person shall 

 kid, or expose for sale, or have in possession after the same has 

 been killed, any wild duck, goose or brant between the first day 

 of February and the first day of September in each year. The 

 present law reads May instead of February. 



Seuator Collins has introduced four bills of great interest to 

 those who <■•} re for fish and game matters. Ttiey may be briefly 

 described as follows: 



First— The amendment to the salmon law was necessitated by 

 the fact that hundreds of small salmon less than Bin. long were 

 taken last summer in the Adirondacks with rod and line. This 

 was reported to the State Fish Commission by the gentleman 

 sent by the U. S. Government to make a report on the river as a 

 salmon stream. He found at the headwaters of the Hudson they 

 were used as a pan fish in place of trout. There is no necessity 

 toe this, as there is plenty of other fish there for table use, and if 

 allowed to continue It will not be possible to give the people of 

 the State a fish that has before neeu unknown to its wafers. 



Second— The amendment to the shad-net law simply requires 

 that Westchester county shall not be exempt from its provisions, 

 which is, that all nets snould be out of the river over Sunday. 

 All the people along the river should be treated alike in their 

 fishing rights. As the law is now it is a dead letter, for it permits 

 nets to be used Sunday only south or Westchester, which makes a 

 barrier across the river near its moutu, and so spoili the good 



purpose of the law, which was to give shad and other fish one day 

 ln Jf L . e ?' e S, k clear Buitinj? to get un to their spawning grounds. 



Third— The bill providing for fishways in future dams that may 

 be built on public waters is no more than just to the people's in- 

 terest in the food fish of a stream. TheS'-ats inves private owners 

 valuable franchises free of charge, and thev should at least put in 

 fishways at their own expense in any new dam, as much as a 

 budge company is required to have a draw where the stream is 

 navigable. The Stales of M line and Illinois are more advanced 

 m these matters, having laws that leave it discretionary with the 

 State Fish Commission to order fishways in dams already built as 

 well as those that may be built in the future. The expense of all 

 tno construction is paid by the owner of the dam. This law was 

 recently tested m the Court of Appeals of the State of Illinois and 

 pronounced constitutional. 



Fourth— The bill tor fish ways at Mechanieville and Northumber- 

 land is one that is earnestly asked for the people along the upper 

 Hudson. The Hudson is a largo and important river for food fish, 

 strpplying not only this but adjoining States, and cnauy varieties 

 of fish require to get above tidewater to spawn or they are soon 

 exterminated. A start has been made in this direction by one 

 built in the Troy dam last summer, and when the two ahove men- 

 tioned dams are provided with fishways the fish can then ascend 

 to b ort Edward, which will be sufficient distance to show the 

 value of the fishways. The four bills above mentioned are ap- 

 proved and recommended bv the Pish Commission of this State. 

 _ Assemblyman Little, of Niagara, has introduced a bill forbid- 

 ding the shooting of quail and partridge in Niaerara county. The 

 original bill prohibited this for three years, and as tne time is 

 about np now the new bill simply extends the period for another 

 three years. ~ 



<gm m\d Oliver fishing. 



"Sam LoveVs Camps." By B. E, Robinson. Notv ready. 



FISH AND FISHING IN ALASKA.-II. 



IConlinuetlfrom page «7.] 



THE sea raven is occasionally seen, in Alaska, and Dr. 

 Steiudachner records it from the coast of Asia. It is 

 true that the Alaskan sea raven has been described in Pro- 

 ceedings Phila. Acad., 1880, page 233; but I have seen the 

 type of the supposed new species and do not consider it 

 different from- the common Atlantic form. 



There is on the New England coast, in moderately deep 

 water, a handsome fish called the red fish, Norway had- 

 dock, bream, rosefisb, red perch, etc. The family to 

 which this belongs is represented by seven species of a 

 closely allied genus, Sebastichthys. One of fhem is bril- 

 liantly red in color; a second is marked and mottled with 

 yellow, brown and orange, and its spines are high and 

 strong; another is bright orange red, and its sides show 

 five broad, black, vertical bands, making it one of the 

 handsomest fishes in the Territory, All of these species 

 are excellent for food and take the baited hook freely. 

 They are locally known as rock bass, and one of them, 

 melanops, really resembles the black bass in its general 

 appearance. The smallest species reaches about 1ft. in 

 length and the largest nearly 2ft. They seem to be limited 

 to the Gulf of Alaska and the vicinity of the Aleutian 

 Islands, and are extremely plentiful, 



The famUy of Chirid&'is one that we do hot find rep- 

 resented on the east coast of the United States, but in 

 Alaska it has many members, constituting some of the 

 best known and most highly esteemed food fishes. Most 

 of the species belong to the genus Hexagrammus, and are 

 known to anglers and fishermen as rock cods. These are 

 found in nearly all parts of the Alaskan seas, one of them 

 occurring as far north as Port Clarence and on the coast 

 of Kamtchatka. The most brilliantly colored one ranges 

 throughout the Aleutian chain to Attu and southward to 

 Monterey Bay. The male is much the more beautiful in 

 coloration, and is further distinguished by the green color 

 of its flesh and intestines, due no doubt to the nature of 

 its food. Another species, which is very common atUn- 

 alashka, is called "green fish," because of the green color 

 of its meat; the female of this fish lias smoky brown eggs. 

 These fishes have always reminded me of the tautog in 

 their variable colors and their general appearance. The 

 color of the flesh does not destroy its excellence, for it 

 disappears in cooking. None of the species are very 

 large, the largest one scarcely exceeding; 18in. In one 

 species the sexes are so differently marked that some 

 authors have supposed them to be distinct, and so de- 

 scribed them. One of the most important fishes of the 

 family is the kelp fish, Atka fish, yellow fish, striped fish 

 or Atka mackerel {Pleuragmvnnus monopterygius). One 

 of the most striking peculiarities of this fish is its taste 

 after salting, which closely resembles that of the mack- 

 erel. Its scales are small and the skin is tender and thin. 

 In the fresh state it has a different taste from the mack- 

 erel, but when preserved in brine the similarity to gait 

 mackerel is very great. Its favorite haunts are about the 

 Aleutian Islands even to the extremity of the chain, the 

 Shumagins and Kodiak. It is found in great schools at 

 certain seasons, and might be taken in purse seines. Its 

 movements are sometimes capricious, and it may disap- 

 pear from a locality for months or even years at a time. 

 As a bait for the cod there is nothing better. The species 

 seldom exceeds 18in. in length. The largest fish of the 

 Cldridm is the cultus cod, Ophiodon elongatus, which is 

 found all along the coast from Santa Barbara to southern 

 Alaska. This is a bold, hard biter, and a fine food fish. 

 In length it reaches 3ft. or more, and specimens weigh- 

 ing nearly 401bs. have been taken. The fast of the series 

 is the beshowe of the Indians, Anoplopoma fimbria, some- 

 times incorrectly styled the black cod. Our Mends on 

 the West Coast seem to have determined to perpetuate 

 the name of cod, and, to that end, they have applied it 

 right and left among fishes which have'no more relation 

 to a cod than a black bass has to a salmon. The beshowe 

 is considered a very poor fish in San Francisco, where 

 only small or moderate sized individuals are common in 

 the markets; but large fish taken in deep wat?r off Puget 

 Sound and northward are highly prized. The color of 

 these fish is very dark brown, while the young are grayish 

 silvery. As a salt fish the beshowe is mxicli liked, and 

 especially for smoking in the manner followed with the 

 halibut. Shipments have been made to Gloucester and 

 Boston for trial by this method, and the fish has gained 

 an enviable reputation, I have recently learned that 

 the Albatross took this species much further south in 

 California than it was known to occur, In Alaska we 

 have it only from the. southprn part of the Territory, 

 where it is sometimes mistaken for the common mackerel. 



The viviparous perches send a single representative 

 into southeastern Alaska, the Mieromeirus aggregatus, 

 a small fish with very little value as food. Capt. H. E. 

 Nichols found it for the first time at Port Wrangel in 

 1882. 



