3B8 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[May 28, 1889. 



Success with Black Bass.— Mr. H. C. Ford, president 

 of the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, informs ns that 

 the Delaware and Susquehanna now are two of the finest 

 bass rivers in the East. This gratifying condition is the 

 result of planting 200 adult fish in each of these streams, 

 the Delaware receiving them in 1870 and the Susquehanna 

 in 1871 or 1872. The old time fisherman who lamented 

 the introduction of black bass because they might kill all 

 the chubs, is enjoying bass fishing now and using the 

 chubs for bait. It has been feared by some persons that 

 the bass would destroy many young shad; but Mr. Ford 

 has examined thousands of stomachs of black bass and 

 found only two shad; the bulk of the food has been in- 

 sects and crustaceans. The bass, Mr. Ford observed, feed 

 along shore, but the young shad descend mainly in the 

 deeper waters of the channels and escape the bass almost 

 entirely. Black bass are larger in the Delaware than in 

 the Susquehanna; a recent catch of seven fish averaging 

 over 51bs. each will give an idea of the size. The head- 

 waters of the Delaware cannot be excelled for bass 

 fishing. 



White Mountain Trout Streams.— In answer to "Kel- 

 pie's" inquiry I can inform him that there is an open trail 

 from Waterville to the Sawyer River, and down to the 

 settlements. The writer lias only been over that part 

 which lies between Mad River Notch and Waterville. 

 His trip was from North Woodstock up the east branch 

 of the Pemigiwasset, by good trail, to the Hancock branch; 

 up this toward the southeast by the stream bed (although 

 there is said to be a "spotted trail" through the woods) to 

 the forks of the Hancock, and thence by an excellent 

 path to Waterville. Near the Mad River Notch the Saw- 

 yer River trail joined our track. The beginning of it was 

 well marked, and the guide books say that it is passable. 

 The trail up the East Branch, four miles of which we tTav- 

 "eled, runs on some four or five miles further, but does not 

 reach the road through the Great Notch. The passage, 

 however, can readily be made by an experienced woods- 

 man. — Penn. ' 



Bluepish on the Jersey Coast.— Ocean Beach, N. J., 

 May 17. — On May 14 I caught six bluefish, on the 15th 

 twenty -seven, and on the 16th fifteen. Average weight 

 21bs. These were caught by me with rod and reel and 

 metal squid, in the surf at this place on the dates men- 

 tioned. They were the first on this coast this season in 

 any manner, I believe, and certainly the first by the above 

 method. Seven bass from 2| to 71bs. were also caught 

 this week. — Bio Reel. 



The Kingfishers.— This is to give notice, to all whom 

 it may please, that the Kingfishers have applied for pas- 

 sage, and have been assigned a position in these columns, 

 the date being not very far ahead. 



Posted Brooks in Berkshire.— The item in our last 

 issue relating to posted brooks in Berkshire county was 

 by a slip of the pen made to refer to Connecticut, whereas 

 it should have been to Berkshire county, Massachusetts. 



AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY. 



ON the morning of May 15 the American Fisheries Society- 

 assembled, by invitation, in the rooms of the Anglers' 

 Association of Eastern Pennsylvania at 1020 Arch street, 

 Philadelphia. Owing to the absence of the president, Mr. J. 

 H. Bissell. of Detroit, and the vice-president, Mr. S. G. 

 Worth, of Washington, D. C, Dr. W. M. Hudson, of the 

 Connecticut Fish Commission, and a member of the Execu- 

 tive Committee of the Fisheries Society, was nominated and 

 elected as chairman for the meeting. After a brief address 

 from Dr. Hudson, Mr. A. M. Spaugler, on behalf of the 

 Anglers' Association, welcomed the society and explained 

 the objects of the association, whose name is scarcely an 

 index of its functions. He called attention to the beauti- 

 fully preserved specimen of Kennebec, or Atlantic, salmon 

 recently caught in the Delaware and exhibited at this meet- 

 ing. The salmon is a fine sea-run fish with only a few large 

 black spots, and is intended to be discussed more intimately 

 by the members of the Fisheries Society and their hosts at 

 the field meeting at Gloucester. Dr. Hudson responded for 

 the Fisheries Society, and then business opened. At this 

 juncture Mr. Fred Mather, superintendent of the Cold 

 Spring Harbor station of the New York Fish Commission, 

 was elected recording secretary pro tcm. Next fol lowed the 

 reading of an address forwarded by the president of the 

 Society, Mr. J. H. Bissell. In this address the president 

 advised the selection of some members of the executive 

 committee from the city in which the subsequent meeting is 

 to occur. In the appointment of State fish commissioners 

 he recommends that persons and societies interested in fish- 

 culture and preservation use their influence to procure the 

 selection of men who have an intelligent knowledge of the 

 subject, and a willingness to work in behalf of their inter- 

 ests. In the organization of fish commissions, after a wise 

 selection of men, he would provide for frequent meetings for 

 consultation and concerted action; the labor should be so 

 divided as to require an equitable share from each indi- 

 vidual, and all should combine to shape legislation by in- 

 sisting on the application of sound principles and placing 

 responsibility with trustworthy agents. The wonderful in- 

 crease of whitefish resulting from artificial propagation in 

 Lake Erie was referred to; the catch of 1888 was the largest 

 lor fifteen years, and fishermen realize that this is the return 

 from intelligent work in fisbculture. The annual report of 

 the transactions was so well attended to that Mr. Bissell 

 urges the continuance of the same committee who had the 

 subject in charge in 188S. For honorary membership he 

 recommends that the Anglers' Association of Eastern Penn- 

 sylvania, because of their aggressive and valuable action in 

 all matters pertaining to fishculture and protection, be 

 elected by the Fisheries Society. At 11:40 A. M., on motion 

 of Mr. W. L. May, the Society adjourned until 2 P. M. 



At 2:85 P. M. the afternoon session was opened. Mr. E. 

 G. Blackford nominated for membership Mr. Henry Burden 

 and Mr. E. P. Doyle, of the New York Commission, and Mr. 

 Harry Miner, all of whom were elected. Dr. B. W. James 

 and Mr. Hoyt Post were admitted to membership later. On 

 motion of Mr. W. L. May the chairman appointed a com- 

 mittee consisting of Mr. May, Mr. W. A. Butler, Jr., and 

 Dr. T. H. Bean, to prepare nominations for the officers of 

 the Society during the coming year. Dr. Bean read a paper 

 on "Hybrids in Salmouidae," showing original drawings of 

 three crosses whose history is known. These are the result 

 of artificially uniting brown trout and saibling, rainbow 

 and brook trout, and lake and brook trout. In all of these 

 hybrids the coloration differs remarkably from that of both 

 parents, the shape is modified, the variable characters of the 

 parents continue to be variable in their progeny, and in cer- 

 tain important features, which were mentioned, the impres- 



sion is stronger from one parent than the other. The union 

 of a large-scaled species with a small-scaled one produces a 

 large-scaled cross in all specimens studied. Hybrids be- 

 tween members of distinct genera are sterile as a rule. In 

 the discussion which followed the reading of this paper Mr. 

 Fred Mather. Dr. Kingsburv, Mr. Henry C. Ford and Dr. 

 Hudson took part. Mr. Ford found the flesh, of the hybrid 

 between lake and brook trout better than lake but inferior 

 to brook trout. This cross appears to be more hardy than 

 either of the parent species, resembling in this respect, as 

 Dr. Hudson remarked, the mule, and the hybrid between the 

 buffalo and the common cow. 



Prof. John A. Ryder delivered a very instructive lecture 

 on the lateral line system of the shad. He described min- 

 utely the structure of the series of tubes which make up this 

 important apparatus, showed the provision for avoiding in- 

 terference with the sight of the fish, and discussed the prob- 

 able function of this system, which he considered to be 

 supplemental to the sense of hearing, reaching the conclusion 

 that it may be intended to aid the shad in determining the 

 approach of masses of matter, whether in the form of food, 

 enemies, or some other element affecting the welfare of the 

 species This system is not developed in the larval shad, and 

 consequently the embryo is deficient in its apparatus of 

 sense. The development of this contrivance takes place in 

 the post larval stage and progresses by an infolding of the 

 epidermis. Fishes are the most interesting class of animals 

 to the biologist because of the perfection in this supplemen- 

 tal apparatus of hearing. Dr. James and Dr. Kingsbury 

 asked some questions concerning details of this subject at 

 the close of Prof. Ryder's address. 



Mr. W. L. May brought up the question of a place for the 

 next meeting. Mr. Blackford and Dr. Kingsbury urged the 

 claims of Washington, while Mr. Osborne, Mr. May and 

 others preferred Put in-Bay Island, Michigan. The matter 

 was decided by ballot, and Put-in-Bay was the place fixed 

 upon. 



At 4:35 P. M. Mr. H. C. Ford moved an adjournment until 

 8 P. M., which, after much reluctance on the part of some 

 members, was finally agreed to. 



At the evening session the following gentlemen were 

 elected to membership: A. M. Spangler, R. M. Hartley, J. 

 Penrose Collins, Thos. B. Harper, Collins W. Walton, Ed- 

 win Hagert, H. O. Wilbur, Fred W. Brown and William S. 

 Hergesheimer, all of Philadelphia. 



As no papers were ready for the evening meeting, the time 

 was devoted to a series of talks on numerous subjects of 

 interest to fishculturists. Mr. Blackford mentioned the 

 gratifying returns from planting salmon in the upper Hud- 

 son; in 24 hours ten salmon ranging in weight from lOlbs. to 

 221bs. were caught in New York harbor within five miles of 

 the Battery. Dr. Hudson recounted the experiences of the 

 Connecticut Commission with salmon in the Connecticut 

 River, and stated the obstacles in the way of success. Mr. 

 Spangler recalled captures of salmon in the Delaware in 

 recent years, and a notable yield in 1878. Mr. Mather's work 

 in planting salmon several years ago in the headwaters of 

 the Delaware was referred to. A lively discussion of the 

 effects of sawdust and other foreign substances in streams 

 was entered into by Mr. Mather, Mr. Spangler, Mr. Osborne, 

 Dr. Kingsbury and others, with the usual and inevitable dif- 

 ference of opinion which such subjects always involve. Mr. 

 Osborne found straw pulp in the Scioto River very destruc- 

 tive to certain kinds of fish, and attributes its action to the 

 poison of fermentation. Coal oil does not seem to do any 

 especial barm except to the flavor of fish. The failure of 

 the attempt to introduce California salmon in the East was 

 talked over by Dr. Gary, Mr. G. Brown Goode and Mr. 

 Mather. The only distinguished success in acclimatizing 

 this species is in ponds of the Eastern States and Ger- 

 many. Changes in the migratory or non-migratory habits 

 with locality in the brook trout and rainbow were noted by 

 Mr. Mather and Dr. Bean. Mr. Spangler and Dr. Hudson 

 mentioned some of the serious difficulties in the way of 

 establishing shad in the Connecticut and Susquehanna, 

 caused by injurious fishing appliances and want of con- 

 certed action between States. 



At 10 P. M. the Society adjourned until 9 A, M. on Thurs- 

 day. 



On Thursday the morning session opened at ten, The 

 committee on nominations for officers, through its chair- 

 man, Mr. W. L. May, presented the following names: 

 President, E. G. Blackford, New York; Vice-President, 

 Herschei Whitaker, Detroit; Treasurer, Henry C. Ford, 

 Philadelphia; Recording Secretary, Fred W. Brown, Phila- 

 delphia; Corresponding Secretary, C. V. Osborne, Dayton. 

 Executive Committee— Dr. W. M. Hudson, Hartford, Conn.; 

 Hoyt Post, Detroit, Mich.; Philo Dunning, Madison, Wis ; 

 Dr. H. H. Gary, Atlanta, Ga.; J. V. Long, Pittsburgh, Pa.; 

 Dr. S. P. Bartlett, Quincy, 111.; Henry Burden, Troy, N. Y. 



The report was accepted and, on motion of Mr. Spangler, 

 the secretary cast the vote of the society in favor of the 

 nominees. 



Mr, May and Dr. Hudson referred to the faithful and 

 efficient work of Mr. Mather as the recording secretary from 

 the organization of the society to the present time. On 

 motion of Mr. May the dates for the next meetings were 

 fixed for May 14 and 15, 1890. 



Mr. Fred Mather read a paper on "Salmon in Hudson 

 River." After reminding the audience of the successful in- 

 troduction of shad into Pacific streams and its restoration 

 in Atlantic rivers, as also the good results from planting 

 brown trout, he entered upon details of recent captures of 

 salmon in the North River. In 1880 the possibility of mak- 

 ing the Hudson a salmon river was again brought forward 

 by Mr. Mather, and in 1882 a few salmon fry were planted 

 in Warren county as a first experiment, Later in the year 

 25,000 fry were liberated. The number was increased grad- 

 ually until in 1888 the output was 440,000, and the total to 

 this time is more than 2,000,000 fry, besides some year- 

 lings. In 1887 numerous salmon were taken in the Hudson. 

 In 1888, between New York and Troy, 134 salmon were 

 caught, 26 of them near the dam at Troy. Graveseud Bay 

 and Troy offer the best facilities for collecting eggs of the 

 salmon. There is no place below Troy cool enough to allow 

 penning of salmon. The ordinary house sewage does no 

 harm to fishes. The injury from chemicals is greatly les- 

 sened since the paper mills use wood pulp. The worst ob- 

 struction to the ascent of salmon in the Hudson is Palmer's 

 fall and dam at Jessup's Landing, where a drop of 25ft. 

 into a shallow pool shuts out the fish. This paper was dis- 

 cussed by Mr. Burden, Dr. Hudson and Mr. Spangler. 



Mr. G. Brown Goode read an account of the '"Colors in 

 Fishes." He explained the structure of the skin and its 

 varying thickness in species whose habits differ, the dispo- 

 sition of the scales and their strength of attachment. The 

 colors are due generally to the presence of pigment cells or 

 cromatophores, but in some cases, to a physical condition of 

 the surface of the scales owing to the existence of iridocites, 

 or rainbow plates. The combination of pigment cells and 

 scale surface gives varying results. Plates of embryo fishes 

 described by Alexander Agassiz were shown by way of illus- 

 tration. Albinism is due to the absence of pigment cells; 

 golden colors are due to incipient albinism. The adaptive 

 coloration with reference to surroundings must be related 

 to a special supply of cromatophores, in all probability de- 

 rived from the food. Color is influenced by the supply of 

 blood. Whenever a mass of food withdraws the blood from 

 the surface, the fish becomes pale. Loss of color follows 

 death, but placing the fish in the sun may restore the color. 

 There is no doubt of the ability of fishes to change their 

 colors at will and almost instantly. Flounders, which meta- 

 morphose from a vertical to a horizontal position with age, 

 bringing the organs of vision on one side, lose the color of 



the blind side, as a rule. The discussion of this very in 

 teresting address was entered into by Col. McDonald, Dr 

 Kingsbury and Prof. Ryder. Col. McDonald does not be 

 lieve that blindness invariably produces blackness, for 

 there is no relation between the two in a lot of rainbow 

 trout now kept at Wytheville, Va., which have become 

 blind probably through the influence of asphalt. Prof. 

 Ryder explained the structure of pigment cells, their de- 

 velopment and arrangement, which latter varies with the 

 species and is useful in diagnosis. The pigment cells dif- 

 ferentiate in color and have the power of selecting their 

 position. Their function may be to shade the blood, thereby 

 changing the appearance of the fish and deceiving its ene- 

 mies; they are under the control of the nervous system 

 These cells have also a respiratory function. 



Mr, W. L. Powell, of Harrisburg, made some inquiries 

 ahout the fresh-water terrapins of Juniata River, the means 

 of propagating and protecting them, which were aDswerec 

 by other members. Terrapin culture is still in the same 

 place with frog culture. At 11:45 A. M. the Society adjournec 

 to meet on the U. S. Fish Commission steamer Fish Hawk, 

 at 1 P. M., for a trip to Gloucester, N. J., where the members 

 were invited as the guests of the Anglers' Association oi 

 Eastern Pennsylvania to a plank shad dinner. A meeting 

 was called in the wardroom of the steamer at 1:37 P. M. 

 Mr. Blackford presiding. On motion of Dr. Cary a vote o 

 thanks was tendered to the retiring officers. The following 

 new members were elected: E. H Frishmuth, Robert Mac- 

 kay, Jacob F. Miles, John Gay. Amos R. Little, Richard 

 Rathbun and Capt. J. W. Collins. As corresponding mem- 

 bers Prof. F. A. Smitt and Dr. Filip Trybom of Stockholm, 

 O. T. Olsen of Grimsbv, England, and Prof. A. J. Malmgren 

 of Helsingfors were elected. The report of the treasurer, 

 Mr, Blackford, was read and adopted. A resolution express- 

 ing sorrow for the death of the famous flshculturist, Seth 

 Green, was offered by Mr. Doyle and favorably acted upon. 

 Ac 2 P. M, the Society adjourned subject to the call of its 

 president. 



About 200 gentlemen assembled at Gloucester in response 

 to the invitation of the Anglers' Association, and the din- 

 ner was greatly enjoyed under the genial guidance of Mr. A. | 

 M. Spangler. After the feast several eminent men made 

 brief addresses: Dr. Hudson, Mr. Blackford, Dr. Leidv, 

 Fred Mather and Dr. Levick. 



The hauling of the great seine was disappointing because 

 of the very small catch, but the Delaware has already 

 received a tremendous share of the yield, and shad are re- 

 markably cheap. 



With the return to Philadelphia ended one of the most 

 enjoyable and prosperous meetings of the American Fish-' 

 eries Society, signalized by the addition of twenty-one new 

 members, mostly members of the Auglers' Association, giv- 

 ing point to the remark of Mr. Blackford that it is fortunate 

 the Society is departing else it might absorb the entire 

 body of the Anglers. 



RAINBOW TROUT IN PENNSYLVANIA. — The experi- ' 

 ment of introducing rainbow trout into Pennsylvania 

 streams has been unsatisfactory, and many thoughtful I 

 members of the anglers' associations recommended the dis- : 

 continuance of the attempt to stock waters with this spe- 

 cies. Recently, however, the friends of the rainbow have 

 been delighted with the reports of this trout in the Harris- \ 

 burg market. In some portions of the State, probably where- 

 ever the conditions were favorable. and escape was prevented, I 

 the fish has shown up well. 



Vht Mennel. 



A 



FIXTURES. 



DOG SHOWS. 



May 22 to 25.— Pacific Kennel Club Show, San Francisco, Cal. 



Sept. 10 to 13— Sixth Annual Dog Show of the London Kennel ■ 

 Club, at Lundon, Ont. C. A. Stone, Manager. 



Sept. 10 to 13.— Dog Show of the Central Canada Exhibition As- 

 sociation, at Ottawa, Can. Capt. R. C. W. MaeCu«ufir, Secretary. 



Sept. 11 to 13.— First Annual Dog Show of the Toledo Kennel 

 Club, Toledo, O. T. B. Lee, Secretary, 



Feb. 18 to 21, 1890.— Fourteenth Annual Show of the Westminster 

 Kennel Olub. New York. James Mortim. r. Superintendent. 



March 11 to 14, 1390.— Second Annual Dog Show of the Rochester 

 Kennel Olub, at Rochester, N. Y. Harry Yates, Secretary. 

 FIELD TRIALS. 



Nov. 4.— Third Annual Field Trials of the Indiana Kennel Club, I 

 P. T. Madison, Secretary, Indianapolis, Ind. 



Nov. 18.— Eleventh Annual Field Trials of the Eastern Field 

 TrialB Club, at High Point, N. C. W. A. Coster, Secretary, Sara- 

 toga Springs, N. Y. 



Dec. 2.— Inaugural Field Trials of the Central Field Trial Club, 

 at Lexington, N. C. C. H. Odeli, Secretary, Mill's Building. New 

 York, N. Y. 



Deo. 16.— Second Annual Field Trials of the Southern Field 

 Trial Club, at Aruory, Miss. T. M. Brumby, Secretary, Marietta, 

 Ga. 



SOME NOTED GREYHOUNDS. 



[Concluded from page 3l i l.~] 



VERY noted dog for working over all sorts of courses 

 was the great Barrator. The most severe and trying 

 one probably he ever ran was Mr. Patterson's black and 

 white Sweetbrier, by Baron out of Mr. Jardine's Tallwife. 

 It was close to a village, through foldyards, over high stone 

 walls, through gateways, across the road and up the road 

 as well, and ended finally up over a high hill over some 

 very deep heavy ground. "It was just the course for him," ' 

 the judge said, r 'for he is the cleverest dog in England." 

 As to his appearance it is doubtful if there ever was whelped 

 a more serious, sober, sedate looking dog than he, while his 

 head was abnormally large— "large eno' for a whole litter." 

 He was under perfect control at all times and in all places, 

 and while he would respond to his master's invitation to a 

 frolic by playing with a ball as does a kitten, or at veritable 

 leap frog with his owner, yet he would walk through a field 

 alive with hares jumping up on every side, yet never cast 

 as much as a "sheep's eye" at one of them. He considered 

 himself a "man of business" in all respects, and when the 

 time came to perform his work he convinced the hare of his 

 ultimate intentions. So well was he under control that his 

 owner used to delight in bringing him up to his well laden \ 

 table, where he would stand as indifferent to what was 

 placed near him as if he was stone blind, a trait rarely seen 

 in a greyhound, according to my own experience aud that of 

 others, gained by the purloining of many a chop, roast, 

 and even a big fat turkey. So great was Mr. Nightingale's 

 admiration of "the Acrobat," as he called Barrator, that he 

 never went to Ly tham without going to see the spot where the 

 black pressed his hare to a gate, went round and round as 

 if on a pivot, turned her back and killed her on his second 

 jump. 



The bulldog tenacity of purpose was perhaps never better 

 illustrated than when Waterloo ran his terrible course with 

 Lord Douglass's Driver, up and down over the large field at 

 Cambuslang. Driver was beaten out and out in this course, 

 and was only too glad to be picked up. Waterloo was 

 thoroughly exhausted too; he had enough strength left. - 

 however, to stumble into the next field after the hare, and 

 then he laid down, utterly unable to move a muscle. This 

 was in the fourth tie, and so exhausting was it that neither 

 dog ever recovered from the effects. He was a very pecul- 

 iarly-marked dog, and was variously entered as white 

 brindle, fawn and white, white blue and white dun. 



