June 6, 1889.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



401 



SAIBLING AND BROWN TROUT HYBRID. — 3 trs. old. About % Natural Length. 



SAIBLING AND BROWN TROUT HYBRID. 



THE finest and largest series of hybrid trout which we 

 have seen belongs to the United States National 

 Museum, and is the result of crosses between the saibling 

 and the brown trout of Norway, artificially produced at 

 one of the fishcultural stations in Norway some years 

 previous to the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia in 

 1876. These hybrids were exhibited in the Norwegian 

 section at the International Exhibition, and were pre- 

 sented to the National Museum at the close of the Centen- 

 nial. The collection contains individuals ranging in age 

 from one year to six years, and includes the result of 

 crossing both ways between the two species. 



In no instance does the hybrid resemble either parent 

 in general appearance. In shape there is a compromise 

 between the two parent forms. The saibling has a forked 

 tail, while the brown trout has the tail nearly truncate 

 when expanded. In the hybrid, until five years old at 

 least, individuals all have the tail more forked than in 

 the brown trout, and less so than in the saibling. One of 

 the largest six-year-olds has the tail fin truncate, about as 

 it is in the brown trout. 



The proportions of the hybrid have already been hinted 

 at above; the height of the body equals more than the 

 length of the head, and is contained four and two-thirds 

 times in the length of the fish measured to the end of the 

 scales. The head is one-fourth of this same length and 

 contains the diameter of the eye about six times. The 

 snout is half again as long as the eye and one-half as long 

 as the upper jaw. The maxilla extends far behind the 

 eye, the length of the upper jaw being somewhat more 

 than one -half the length of the head. 



The vomerine teeth are invariably similar to thoBe of 

 the brown trout. Tn all but six individuals of this large 

 series teeth are present and well developed on the base of 

 the tongue, their absence occurring in both crosses and in 

 specimens five and six years old, although it is more 

 common in yearlings.' 



The peduncle of the tail is one- third of the length of 

 the head. The first dorsal fin is somewhat in advance of 

 the middle of the total length, its anterior two-thirds 

 being in front of the belly fins. The base of the first 

 dorsal is nearly as long as its longest ray. The anal fin 

 is very long; its longest ray is much longer than the 

 length of its base and somewhat longer than the longest 

 ray of the dorsal fin. The short and stout adipose dorsal 

 fin is placed over the end of the anal. The belly fin 

 reaches almost, or quite, to the vent when laid backward. 

 Its appendage is one-third to two fifths as long as the fin. 

 The breast fin is about tbree-fourtbs as long as the head. 

 A six year old hybrid, produced by fertilizing saibling 

 eggs with milt of the brown trout, has the breast fin of 

 the right side produced into a long tip, £in. longer tban 

 its fellow of the opposite side. There are 142 scales in the 

 lateral line,' of which 122 are tube-bearing. There are 14 

 rows of scales from the end of the anal fin obliquely up- 

 ward and backward to the lateral line; 16 rows from the 

 end of the adipose fin obliquely downward and backward 

 to the lateral line; 23 rows from the end of the dorsal ob- 

 liquely downward and backward to the lateral line. 



The branchiostegal membrane is supported by 12 rays, 

 the dorsal fin has 10 divided rays, the anal 8, the breast 

 fin 12, and the belly fin 8. The number of gill-rakers is 

 21, of which 13 are below the angle: the longest raker is 

 nearly one-half as long as the eye. There are 58 pyloric 

 cceca in one individual and 60 in another example crossed 

 the opposite way, that is, by fertilizing saibling eggs with 

 milt of brown trout, The brown trout has 42 coeca and 

 the saibling 42 to 45 in specimens examined. 



The general color is vandyke brown, the lower parts 

 lighter. The sides are profusely vermiculated with nar- 

 row, pale markings and with small blotches of the same 

 color, the vermiculations or blotches, and sometimes both, 

 extending on the head. The fins are usually pale; occa- 

 sionally the dorsal and anal have several faint, band- 

 like, brown markings, and the tail fin is inconspicuously 

 banded 



Hybrids one year old, between female saibling and 

 male brown trout, are 4m. long; between female trout 

 and male saibling they are 3f r to 4|in. Two-year-olds 

 vary from 6fin. to 8|in. Three-year olds, produced by 

 fertilizing saibling e°gs with brown trout milt, measure 

 9£in.; the opposite cross of the same age varies from lOin. 

 to lOfin. Four-year olds (saibling mother and brown trout 

 father) range from lt£ to llfin.; those cro sed the other 

 way are llin. long. Five-year-old hybrids, betwe; n male 

 saibling and female brown trout, run from 13in. to 14in. 

 in length. Six-year-olds, between male saibling and fe- 

 male brown trout, measure from 17 to 19iin.; those 

 between male brown trout and female saibling are 17 to 

 18in. 



The figure accompanying this description is from an 

 original drawing made for me by Mr. S. F. Denton; it is 

 about two -thirds of the actual size of a three-year-old. fish. 



None of the specimens examined by me show any de- 



velopment of the reproductive organs, and it is probable 

 that this hybrid, although a large and beautiful animal, 

 is uniformly sterile. T. H. Bean. 



FISHING NEAR NEW YORK. 



VI. — NFW YORK BAY. 



EVERY kind of fish that anglers can catch in the salt 

 waters of bays in these latitudes can be taken in 

 New York Bay, but unfortunately not in large numbers. 

 Striped bass are taken at Liberty Island, which is hut a 

 short row from the Battery. Weakfish, bluefish, black- 

 fish, sheepshead, plaice, sea bass and other varieties are 

 caught in and about the Narrows, and such small fry as 

 eels, tomcods and flounders may be taken almost any- 

 where in their respective seasons. For the larger and 

 most gamy fish, with the exception of the striped bass, it 

 is necessary to go some distance down the bay from the 

 city. On the Brooklyn or eastern side of the bay there 

 is little sport fishing anywhere above Bay Ridge, and 

 from this place a row of a mile or two is necessary to 

 reach remunerative fishing grounds. 



Taking the eastern shore of New York Bay first, the 

 nearest place to rent boats for a day's good fishing is 

 Fred. Wardell's, along the shore just south of the steam- 

 boat landing at Bay Ridge. One can go from foot of 

 Whitehall street to Bay Ridge by boat for 20 cents the 

 round trip, and climb over a rocky road to Wardell's 

 place. Boats leave S:10, 9:10, 10:10 A. M.; 1:10 P. M. 

 Sundays, 10:10, 11:10 A. M.; 1:10 P. M. The better way 

 to reach this resort, however, is via ferry from foot of 

 Whitehall street to Tbirty-ninth street, South Brooklyn, 

 thence a walk of two blocks to the dummy cars which 

 run to Fort Hamilton, and ride to Bay Ridge avenue, 

 from which it is six minutes' walk to the beach. Round 

 trip 30 cents, or 10 cents may be saved by getting off the 

 dummy cars at the city line and walking three blocks 

 extra to Bay Ridge avenue. Wardell has fourteen boats, 

 at $1 week days, $1.50 Sundays. Boatman, 25 cents an 

 hour extra. Wardell always keeps clams and sandworms 

 for bait, and will direct fishermen to the best grounds in 

 the vicinity. Blackfish and eels are the only fish caught 

 there now, but there will be fair weak fishing during the 

 Utter part of this month. In the fall bluefish (snappers) 

 are quite plenty, and take squid or shedder crabs with 

 avidity. Meals can be obtained in a restaurant near 

 Wardell's. 



Ten minutes' walk below Wardell's place is Henry 

 Still well's resort, at what is called Owl's Head, on the 

 shore road. Get off the dummy cars at Seventy -ninth 

 street and walk direct to the beach. Stillwell has a sloop 

 in which he takes out fishing parties, and he is generally 

 successful in securing good sport for his patrons. 



At Fort Hamilton, the terminus of the dummy car route 

 (round tr p fare, 30 cents), there are three resorts within 

 a stone's throw of each other. The one nearest New York 

 is kept by Robert H. Hegeman, who has tw r enty one boats 

 for hire at $1 a day both week days and Sundays; boat- 

 men, $2 a day extra or 50 cents an hour. Hegeman 

 keeps shrimp fresh caught every day. skimmers, clams 

 and sandworms, and he provides tackle for those who do 

 not bring their own. Paul Sieger, one of Hegeman's 

 patrons, caught a six pound blackfish on Tuesday of last 

 week off the "Wreck,"' a famous angling spot in the 

 vicinity, and the anglers have been very successful in 

 taking sea bass as well as blackfish. Weakfish will be 

 plenty in the vicinity after the middle of this month. 



P. and M. Gates keep the fishing resort just below 

 Hegeman's. They have fourteen boats for hire at $1 

 every day in the week ; boatmen $2 a day or 25 cents an 

 hour. They keep bait for sale, fiddlers, skimmers, shrimp 

 and sandworms. Fiddlers are 35 cents a hundred, shrimp 

 20 cents a half pint. Gates recommends the mussel beds 

 or a point to the southeast of Fort Lafayette as the best 

 ground in the vicinity for weakfishing. His patrons 

 have caught plenty of blackfish recently. 



Just below Gates's place the angler will find a resort 

 kept by the oldest fishermen in these parts. Adrian Still- 

 well, who has been forty years in the business of renting 

 boats to fishermen and giving them points about how to 

 fish. Mr. Stillwell is three score years and ten, but he 

 is as hearty as a man of half his age, and there isn't a 

 man along these shores whose advice is of more value to 

 the angler. Mr. Stillwell says he has found that the best 

 all-round bait for these waters is shrimp. Every kind of 

 fish will take shrimp, and take them eagerly, if the bait 

 is properly used. The old gentleman has forty-three 

 boats to let, and as he himself says, "Anybody can rent 

 'em any day for a dollar, except on the Fourth of July." 

 On the day of Independence Mr. Stillwell celebrates it by 

 charging double. He will provide a boatman, if desired, 

 at $2 a day or 50 cents an hour, and furnish bait of all 

 kinds except shedder crabs and sandworms at the pre- 

 vailing prices. On Sunday, May 19, Marcy Finney, one 

 of Mr. Stillwell's customers, caught three sea bass and 



ninety pounds of blackfish, and used only one hundred 

 fiddler crabs for bait. Mr. Stillwell favors squid for 

 weakfishing. 



To show what the fishing in these waters was some 

 years ago Mr. Stillwell points to the record he made on 

 July 17, 1856, when he caught 104 weakfish in seventy 

 minutes, just about as fast as he could bait his hooks, 

 throw them over and haul in. 



At Connolly's, Fort Hamilton, good board can be ob- 

 tained at reasonable rates. 



Taking the western shore of New York Bay we get our 

 first fishing at the vicinity of Liberty Island, where large 

 striped bass are caught both in spring and fall. "The 

 Pot ," about half a mile south of the island, is a favorite 

 place, and there is sometimes fair sport angling from the 

 shores of Liberty Island itself. To reach it take steam- 

 boat from the Barge Office, foot of Whitehall street, 

 every hour, from 9 A. M. to 5 P. M. Round trip fare, 25 

 cents. The best way to fish these waters, however, is to 

 hire a, boat at the foot of Montgomery street, Jersey City, 

 or take the Central Railroad of New Jersey from foot of 

 Liberty street, to Communipaw station (fare, round trip, 

 14 cents). A short walk from the station there are boats 

 which may be hired at $1 a day. Bait should be brought 

 from New York. Near Communipaw in the Bay there 

 are also weakfish, bluefish and blackfish. Trains either 

 way every half hour. 



The next point at which to stop on the western Bay 

 shore is Greenville, same route, round trip fare, 17 cents. 

 Walk over to the Idle Hour Hotel, on the banks of the 

 canal. W. H. Durkin, the hotel proprietor, has twelve 

 boats for hue at 50 cents a day; Sundays, $1. Boatman, 

 $2 a day extra. Durkin also has three jib and mainsail 

 centerboard skiffs for those who like to sail. Just now 

 fishermen are catching sea bass and blackfish in the 

 vicinity, but the catches are small in numbers. There is 

 good crabbing in front of the hotel in summer and fall. 

 The Idle Hour clambakes, served at 75 cents a head, are 

 famous. Fifty guests can be accommodated at the hotel, 

 and meals obtained at half a dollar. Bait (clams and 

 sandworms) is always kept , on hand. One of Durkin's 

 customers caught a sea bass weighing 121bs. off Robbin's 

 Reef Light two weeks ago. This is on the authority of 

 Mr. Durkin. 



There are no boats now to be hired at Pamrapo, the 

 next station along this route. At Bayonne, however, 

 Alexander Ledoux has twenty-four boats to let right op- 

 posite the station. He charges $1 a day, and does not 

 keep bait, so fishermen must bring their own. It is an 

 easy row from here to Robbin's Reef Light fishing grounds, 

 where blackfish, weakfish and an occasional striped bass 

 may be caught now. Fish to the northward of the Light 

 above the nets set by market fishermen. Ledrux will be 

 found a reliable man, who doesn't exaggerate the size or 

 numbers of fish caught near his place. Round trip fare 

 20 cents. 



Some of the resorts in New York Bay can be reached to 

 advantage from Staten Island. The Staten Island Rapid 

 Transit Railroad on both north and east shores of the 

 Island runs through all the shore towns. The round trip 

 fare is 20 cents to any point, via boat from foot of White- 

 hall street to St. George, thence care. At Clifton there 

 are several boatmen who make a business of taking fish- 

 ermen out to the fishing grounds near the "Monument" 

 in the Lower Bay. John Fence ol Clifton has an open 

 sloop carrying ten or twelve persons at $1 each. He will 

 not take out a party of less than five. Other owners of 

 sailboats here that carry anglers to the Lower Bay are 

 Dan Mullan and Harry Nolan. John Sanford has eight 

 or ten boats for hire at $1 a day, and a propeller carrying 

 twenty-five people which he charters to fishing parties to 

 go to the Monument or to the Fishing Banks. Fence 

 keeps all kinds of bait, but I am not sure that the others 

 do. The best fishing grounds, besides those at the Monu- 

 ment, are on the mussel beds in the Swash Channel, and 

 at the "Wreck." They are catching sea bass at these 

 places now averaging over a pound in weight. 



H. Hanson, at Clifton, has a catboat in which he takes 

 out parties at the same rate as charged by Fence. 



Adam Hemmes, 16 New York avenue, Clifton, has an 

 open catboat 25x10.3, the Adele, in which he will take 

 out a party of ten or under for $6 a day, Sundays $8, this 

 price including bait, which he supplies. Adam generally 

 fishes the Sandy Hook wrecks, and has the reputation of 

 always bringing in fish. 



Edward Hemmes, 46 New York avenue, Clifton, takes 

 out fishermen in his 30ft. cabin centerboard sloop at the 

 same rate as charged by Adam Hemmes above. He also 

 fishes the Sandy Hook wrecks and goes out to the banks. 

 His parties have recently made good catches of sea bass 

 and blackfish. 



Michael Lynam, Clifton, has four or five boats to let. 

 When I asked him what his charges were he said that 

 he charged a well-dressed dude $3 a day, and a poorly- 

 dressed honest man 50 cents a day. Those contemplating 



