10 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[July 26, 1888. 



Once, near Indianapolis, after a heavy shower, I found in 

 furrow in a cornfield, a small pike (Esox vcrmiculatus 



I m a 



.„ pike ('Esox vcrmiculatus Le 

 Sueur), some half a mile from the creek in which he should 

 belong. The fish was swimming along in a temporary 

 brook, apparently wholly unconscious that he was not in 

 his native stream. Migratory fishes, which ascend small 

 streams to spawn, are especially likely to be transferred in 

 this way. By some such means any of the water-sheds in 

 Ohio, Indiana, or Illinois may be passed. 



It Is certain that the limits of Lake Erie and Lake Michi- 

 gan were once more extended than now. It is reasonably 

 probable that some of the territory now drained by the 

 Wabash and the Illinois was once covered by the waters of 

 Lake Michigan. The cisco (Coregomis artedi sisco Jordan) 

 of Lake Tippecanoe, Lake Geneva and the lakes of the Ocono- 

 mowoc chain is evidently a modified descendant of the so- 

 called lake herriug (Coregonus artedi Le Suer). Its origin 

 most likely dates from the time when these small deeplakes 

 of Indiana and Wisconsin were connected with Lake Michi- 

 gan. The changes in habits which the. cisco has undergone 

 are considerable. The changes in external characters are 

 but trifling. The presence of the cisco in these lakes and its 

 periodical disappearance — that is, retreat into deep water 

 when not in the breeding seasou — has given rise to much 

 nonsensical discussion as to whether any or all of these lakes 

 are still joined to Lake Michigan by subterranean channels. 

 Several of the larger fishes, properly characteristic of the 

 Great Lake region (as Lola lota maculosa, Pcrcopsis gnlta- 

 tus, Esox mashuinongy), are occasionally taken in the Ohio 

 River, where they are usually recognised' as rare stragglers. 

 The difference in physical conditions is probably the sole 

 cause of their scarcity in the Ohio basin. 



The similarity of the fishes in the different streams and 

 lakes of the Great Basin is doubtless to be attributed to the 

 general mingling of their waters which took place during 

 and after the glacial epoch. Since that period the climate 

 in that region has grown hotter and drier, until the over- 

 flow of the various lakes into the Columbia basin through 

 the Snake River has long since ceased. These lakes have 

 become isolated from each other, and many of them have 

 become salt or alkaline and therefore uninhabitable. In 

 some of these lakes certain species may now have become 

 extinct which still remain in others. In some cases, peT* 

 haps, the differences in surrounding may have caused diver- 

 gence iuto distinct species of what was once one parent stock. 

 The suckers in Lake Tahoe (Catostomvs tahoensis, in Lake 

 Tahoe; Catostomm macrocheilus and discobolus, in the 

 Columbia; Catostomvs feevndus, Catostomus aniens; 

 Chasmistcs liorus and Pantosteus generosvs, in Utah Lake) 

 and those in Utah Lake are certainly now different from 

 each other and from those in the Columbia, The trout 

 (Salrno hii/kixs, et vars. hcmlmwi and virgimilis) in the 

 same waters can be regarded as more or less tangible varie- 

 ties ouly, while the whitefishes (Corcgouvs williamsoni) 

 show no differences at all. The differences in the present 

 fauna? of Lake Tahoe and Utah Lake must be chiefly due to 

 influences which have acted since the glacial epoch, when 

 the whole Utah Basin was part of the drainage of the 

 Columbia. 



To certain species of upland or mountaiu fishes, the depres- 

 sion of the Mississippi basin itself forms a barrier which 

 cannot be passed. The black-spotted trout (Salrno fario L.. 

 in Europe; Salrno lahrax Pallas, etc., in Asia; Salrno gaird- 

 nevi Richardson, in streams of the Pacific Coast. Salrno 

 myki-ss Walbaum, in Kamtschatka, Alaska, and throughout 

 the Rocky Mountain range to the Mexican boundary, and 

 the headwaters of the Kansas, Platte and Missouri),' very 

 closely related species of which abound in all waters of 

 northern Asia, Europe ; and western North America, has no- 

 where crossed the basin of the Mississippi, although one of 

 its species finds no difficulty in passing Behriug Strait. The 

 trout and whitefish of the Rocky Mountain region are all 

 species different from those of the Great Lakes or the streams 

 of the Alleghany system. To the grayling, the trout, the 

 pike, and to arctic and sub-arctic species generally. Behriug 

 Strait has evidently proved no serious obstacle to diffusion: 

 and it is not uulikely that much of the close resemblance 

 of the fresh-water fauna? of northern Europe, Asia and North 

 America is due to this fact. To attempt to decide from 

 which side the first migration came in regard to each group 

 of fishes might be interesting; but without a wider range of 

 facts than is now in our possession, such attemps would be 

 mere guesswork and without value. The interlocking of 

 the fish-fauna? of Asia and North America presents, how- 

 ever, a number of interesting problems, for numerous migra- 

 tions in both directions have doubtless taken place. 



I could go on indefinitely with the discussion of special 

 cases, each more or less interesting or suggestive in itself, 

 but the general conclusion is in all cases the same. 



The present distribution of fishes is the result of long- 

 continued action of forces still in operation. The species 

 have entered our waters in many invasions from the Old 

 World or from the sea. Each species has been subjected to 

 the various influences implied in the term natural selection, 

 and under varying conditions representatives have under- 

 gone many different modifications. 



Each of the 1500 species we now know is making every 

 year inroads on territory occupied by other species. If these 

 colonies are able to hold their own in the struggle feu pos- 

 session they will multiply in the new conditions and the 

 range, of the species will become widened. If the surround- 

 ings are different new species or varieties may be formed in 

 time and these new forms may again invade the territory 

 of the parent species. Again colony after colony of species 

 after species may be destroyed by other species or by uncon- 

 genial surroundings. 



The ultimate result of centuries on centuries of the rest- 

 lessness of individuals is seen in the facts of geographical 

 distribution. Only in the most general way can the history 

 of any species be traced. Could we know it all, it would be 

 as long and eventful a story as the history of the coloniza- 

 tion and settlement of North America by immigrants frdm 

 Europe. 



By the fishes each river in America has been a hundred 

 times discovered; its colonization a hundred times attempted, 

 In these efforts there is no co-operation. Every individual is 

 for himself, every struggle is a struggle of life and death. 

 Each fish is a cannibal, and to each species each member of 

 every other species is an alien and a savage. Now all this 

 has a practical side to it, although the practical side has 

 been as yet little developed. 



A leading feature of the work of the Fish Commissions 

 must be to help the fishes over the barriers, to assist nature 

 in the direction of colonizing streams and lakes with fishes 

 which are good to eat, to the exclusion of the kinds of which 

 mau can make no use. 



This help may be given by the introduction of vigorous 

 kinds of fishes into waters into which they had been uuable 

 to find an entrance before. The work judiciously done may 

 be of the greatest value to the people of our country. Nu- 

 merous as the food fishes of the Mississippi Valley, it must 

 be confessed that the rank of the great bulk of them is not 

 high. Our rivers ought to raise.sornething better than suck- 

 ers, paddle-fish, drum and buffaloes. To bring in better 

 fishes with suceess, it is necessary for us to know something 

 of the habits and necessities of the species in question, anil 

 also something definite as to the character of the waters 

 which are to be stocked. It is of no use to plant trout in a 

 muddy bayou, or channel-cat in mountain springs of ice- 

 water, or codfish in Lake Michigan. 



Most of our information in these respects is still very 

 vague, and most attempts at the introduction of species into 

 new -water are still of the most haphazard sort. The recent 

 series of examinations of the Michigan lakes, lately under- 



taken by the Michigan State Fish Commission, ought to 

 yield some results in this connection, yet as the character of 

 the waters of the State, is essentially uniform, what is true 

 of one of the little la kes in the way of supporting fish life, 

 must be largely true of all. For this reason, desirable as an 

 extended exploration is from an economic standpoint, it can 

 be made more important to the science of ichthyology than 

 to the art of fishculture. To ichthyology, as has been said, 

 a sculpin is as valuable as a codfish, but fishculture prefers 

 the codfish. 



The results of a careful survey would give us facts regard- 

 ing the distribution of minnows, darters and snnfish, facts 

 of the greatest interest and importance in science, but of no 

 value to fishculture to which one minnow is as good as an- 

 other and both useful only as food for bass, still a thorough 

 survey in the hands of intelligent men, of the waters of any 

 region cannot fail to throw much light on the. habits and 

 needs of the various food fishes, and we shall look with much 

 interest for the final results of the work in Michigan. 



The other work of the Fish Commission is in the direction 

 of fish hatching, the protection of the young of valuable 

 kinds until they are able to take care of themselves. The 

 value of this work is most great, now fortunately beyond 

 question, and its methods are reaching a high degree of per- 

 fection. 



I need only say that my deepest interest in science lies in 

 the direction of the question of the distribution of organisms 

 and in their adaptation to their surroundings, and I should 

 be glad if 1 were able to contribute even a little to making 

 our knowledge of this subject practicably available in the 

 direction of causing two big fish to grow where one little 

 one. grew before, 



Inuiana State Univebshcy, Bloomington, Ind. 



SHAD IN THE HUDSON. 



NEW YORK, July 16— Editor Forest and Stream: In 

 your last issue you publish an article from "W. E. H." 

 on the shad in the Hudson, in which he speaks of the habits 

 and races of shad in such a positive manner that would lead 

 one to suppose that the life history of the shad, from the 

 egg to the gridiron, was perfectly known. Let us examine 

 the ease. 



"W. E H." objects to "the system of shad culture followed 

 by the New York State Fish Commission on account of their 

 confining operatious to the sluggish water of the Hudson at 

 Cafskill Creek for the setting tree of the shad fry, instead 

 of their liberation in the highly-aerated water of the Upper 

 Hudson.'' The facts are that the shad do not spawn in 

 rapid and highly aerated waters, but in eddies, usually 

 behind islands, where a gentle current keeps the eggs from 

 sinking, and these places are all below the dam at Troy, 

 where the fish naturally spawn. 



In speaking of some plantings of shad fry by the U. S. 

 Fish Commission as high up the river as Glens Falls, he 

 says; "And here again comes another question as to whether 

 this procedure has resulted in any benefit to the stocking of 

 the Hudson at all; if it has or not depends entirely upon "the 

 fact whether the young shad turned loose by the United 

 States Commissioners belonged to the Hudson River family 

 of this fish, or the Potomac, the Chesapeake or Delaware 

 rivers. If they belonged to either of the latter they would 

 affiliate with their family on their return the following year, 

 and while it might help the Potomac, Chesapeake or Dela- 

 ware rivers, it, would do but little for the Hudson." It is 

 true that it is impossible to tell just how many, if any. of 

 these fish lived to be caught in the lower river, but the state- 

 ment that fry from eggs taken on the Potomac, or other 

 rivers, would "affiliate with their family,'' needs confirma- 

 tion, or at least more knowledge than we now have. If this 

 is so. how is it that shad have been established in some 

 rivers which were barren of them, and why do not tie Penob- 

 scot salmon, planted in the Hudson, return to that river? 



We read that Col. McDonald has said that there are two 

 races of shad, one north, and the other south from Albe- 

 marle, (see report of the conference of Fish Commissioners in 

 FOREST AND Stream, May 21 >, ?,.nd it is doubtful if a Dela- 

 ware River shad can be distinguished with certainty from a 

 Hudson River fish, or, if it cannot be, by a mere shade of 

 color, or slight change of form, whether it would not assume 

 all the characteristics of the Hudson fish if reared in that 

 river. Certainly there is no structural difference. 



That shad and salmon will return to the place, where they 

 are planted and spent their early days, if all the conditions 

 are favorable to their doing so, has been, I believe, fully 

 proved. It is true, as "W. E. II." says, that fish from one 

 branch of a river can often be distinguished from its kind 

 inhabiting another branch, and that they will naturally go 

 where they belong, but will not the fry from eggs taken 

 from one branch assume all the characters of the other if 

 hatched and planted there!' All the evidence seems to 

 prove that they will. Shad Flt. 



Dogs: Their Management and Treatment in Disease. By 

 Ashmont. Price #3. Ken nel Record ami Account Book. 

 Price $3. Training vs. Breaking. By S. T. Hammond. 

 Price $1. First Lessons in Dog Training, with Points of 

 all Breeds. Price 25 cents. 



FIXTU RES. 



DOG SHOWS. 



Aug. vsZ (.0 24.— Third Annual Show of the American Fox- 

 Terrier Club, at Saratoga Springs, N. Y. (Including all terriers.) 

 Entries clo.se Aug. S& H. P. Frothinghani, Secretary, 2 Wall 

 street, New York. 



Aug. 27 to 31.— Toledo Dog Show, Toledo, O. H. E. Cook, Super- 

 intendent. 



Scot. 4 to V,— Second Annual Dog Show of the Michigan Kennel 

 Club, Detroit., Mich. H. E. Cook, Superintendent. 



Sept. 11 to 14.— First Dog Show of the Buffalo International Fair 

 Association, at Buffalo, N. Y. C. W. Robinson, Secretary. 



Sept. 18 to 21.— First Annual Dog Show of the Syracuse Kennel 

 Club, at Syracuse, N. Y. Howard B. Eathbonc, Secretary. 



Sept. 24 to 27.— Fifth Dog Show at London, Ont. C.A.Stone 

 Superintendent. 



Sept. 25 to 28.— Second Annual Dog Show of the Bristol Park 

 Agricultural Society, Bristol, Conn. Entries close Sept. 22. C. 

 F. Barnes, Secretary. 



Oct. 9 to 12.— First Dog Show of the Virginia Field Sports Asso- 

 ciation, at Richmond, Va. B. H. Grundy, Secretary, Room 26, 

 Shafer Building. Entries close Oct. 1. 



Oct. 23 to 26.— Second Annual Show of the St. Paul and Minne- 

 sota Kennel Club, at St. Paul, Minn, J. E. Stryker, Secretary, 

 Room 98 Globe Building. 



Nov. (5 to 1C. — Dog Show of the Richmond County Poultry and 

 Pet Stock Association, in connection with Augusta National Ex- 

 position at Augusta, (>a. H. Madden, Su periutenclent. 



Feb. 12 to 15, 188!/.— Fifth Dog Show of the New Jersey Kennel 

 Club, at Jersey City, N. J. Geo. L. Wilms. Secretary, 142 Monti- 

 cello avenue. Jersey City, N. J. 



Fob. 19 to 22, 1889.— Thirteenth Annual Show of the Westminster 

 Kennel Club, New York. James Mortimer, Superintendent. 



Feb. 26 to March 1, 1889.— Second Annual Show of the Renssalaer 

 Kennel Club, Troy, N. i". Alba M. Ide. Secretary. 



March 5 to 8, 188!).— Second Annual Dog Show of the Albany 

 Kennel Club, at Albany, N. Y. Geo. B. Gallup, Secretary. 



March 12 to 15, 1889.— Second Annual Show of the Fort Schuyler 

 Kennel Club, Utica, N. Y. James W. Dnnlop, President. 



March 19 to 22, 1889.— First Annual Dog Show of the Maryland 

 Kenn°.l Club, at Baltimore, Md. W. S. Diffenderffer, Secretary. 



March 23 to 29, 188!).— First Annual Dog Show of the Massachu- 

 setts Kennel Club, at Lynn, Mass. D. A. Williams, Secretary. 



April 2 to 5, 1889.— First Annual Show of the Rochester Kennel 

 Club, at Rochester, 1ST. Y. Harry Yates, Secretary. 



FIELD TRLALS. 



Sent. 11.— Third Annual Field Trials of the Manitoba Field 

 Trials Club. Derby entries close July 1. All-Aged entries Aug. 1. 

 Thos. Johnson, Secretary, Winnipeg, Manitoba. 



Nov. 1.— Second Annual Field Trials of the Indiana Kennel 

 Club, at Bicknell, Ind. P. T. Madison, Secretary, Indianapolis, 

 Ind-. 



Nov. 19.— Tenth Annual Field Trials of the Eastern Field Trials 

 Club, at High Point, N. C. (Members' Stake, Nov. 15.) W. A. 

 Coster, Secretary, Saratoga Springs, N. Y. 



Dec. 3.— First Annual Field Trials of the Southern Field Trial. 

 Club, at Amory, Miss. T. M. Brumby, Secretary. Chattanooga, 

 Tenn. 



Dec. 10.— Second Annual. Field Trials of the American Field 

 Trials Club, at West Point, Miss. C. W. Paris. Secretary, Cincin- 

 nati. O. 



Jan. 14, 1889.— Sixth Annual Field Trials of the Pacific Coast 

 Field Trial Club, at Bakers field. Cat. N. P. Sheldon, Secretary, 

 320 Sansome street, San Francisco, Gal. 



COURSING. 



Oct. 15.— Third Annual Meeting <tf the American Coursing Club 

 at Great Bend, Kan. F. K. Doan, Secretary, 1310 Olive street, St 

 Louis, Mo. 



A. K. R.-SPECIAL NOTICE. 

 rpHE AMERICAN KENNEL REGISTER, for the registration 

 of pedigrees, etc. (with prize lists of all shows and trials), is 

 published every month. Entries close on the 1st. Should be in 

 early. Entry blanks sent on receipt of stamped and addressed 

 envelope. Registration fee (50 cents) must accompany each entry. 

 No entries inserted unless paid in advance. Yearly subscription 

 81.50. Address "American Kennel Register," P. O. Bos 2832, New 

 York. Number of entries already printed 6435 



THE NATIONAL DOG CLUB OF AMERICA. 



Editor Forest and, Stream: 



I have observed in the various sporting papers a letter 

 Written by Dr. Perry, President of the National Dog Club, 

 which is in substance an attempt to explain away the im- 

 pression which the Buffalo International Fair Association 

 had given out through its Secretary that "a fight had ■ 

 begun" between the N. D. C. and the A. K. C. Dr. Perry 

 endeavored to impress his readers that such is not the case 

 and that the same harmony is prevailing as was indicated 

 would exist when he addressed his club upon its formation. 



The time has come when the A. K. C. should take a stand 

 against the misrepresentations which are constantly cir- 

 culating respecting its aims and methods, and also to make 

 clear to all breeders and exhibitors the fact that it has good 

 reason to believe, and does believe, and will in course of time 

 prove, that, the N. D. C. from the beginning contained among 

 its principal promotors men who had no other object than a 

 still-hunt against the A. K. C. The A. K. C. accepted Dr. 

 Perry's inaugural address forecasting good will and harmony 

 and entertained for the ST. D. C. the kindest feelings, but in 

 view of its recent adoption of rules governing dog shows, its 

 assumption of authority over dog matters,"through a con- 

 stitution which cannot fail, and is really intended, to bring 

 them in conflict with the A. K. C, the latter has now con- 

 cluded to declare that it does not consider the object of the 

 N. D. C. in any other light but antagonism and will so treat 

 it. It further prefers to have the open enmity of the N. D. C. 

 rather than the incessant secret plot/tings which are being 

 conducted against the A. K. C. through the N. D. C. by such 

 parties as Mr. James Watson, your own paper, the dis- 

 gruntled associates of the Hornellsville Club and the, em- 

 bittered individuals aud kennel clubs who ineffectually 

 resisted the enforcement of the compulsory registration rule. 



Nobody denies the right of clubs to exist and organize in- 

 dependently of the A. K. C, but it is neither proper nor to 

 be permitted that a club should enter the field intrusted to 

 the A. K. C. by au immense majority of the dog interests of 

 the country under false pretenses and with objects so ut- 

 terlv at variance with those avowed by its promoters. Dis- 

 cord is not what the breeders and exhibitors nor the public 

 want, yet in reality that is all the N. D. C. can hope to offer 

 its members. 



We thus warn the breeders and exhibitors of the country 

 against what they are invited to support in the National 

 Dog Club. August Belmont, Jr., Pres. A. K. C. 



New York, July 24. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The plan of forming a club to be made up wholly of breed- 

 ers was not original with me. I have good reason for believ- 

 ing that there are very few men in the country having 

 kennels of any considerable size who have not always fav- 

 ored such a club, and during the past few years more than 

 ever before felt its need, not ouly to reform certain existing 

 defects in general management, but to stimulate and give 

 fresh impulse to canine interests here, manifestly on the 

 decline. Knowing well these facts, after due consideration 

 I wrote some fifty breeders, and while asking them to join 

 in the movement I also sought their opinions on the subject. 

 Some forty joined at once." I carefully studied their com- 

 munications, and at the first meeting of the National Dog- 

 Club outlined its policy. I gave expression not only to my 

 own sentiments, but also to those of the majority of my forty 

 associate*. Ou the subject of our relations to the American 

 Kennel Club I said: 



Perhaps it is but natural for some to think that we are start- 

 ing in opposition to it. Whoever has that idea should abandon 

 it at once. Why should we not be a support to it? Both clubs 

 are working for identically the same ends. Their ways may not 

 be our ways. They may be open to criticism— wlio is not? That 

 we have the same end in view should be sufficient to guarantee 

 good fellowship. I feel sure that you will permit me to bslj to the 

 American Kennel Cluh, We are not only ready and willing, but 

 anxious to aid all your laudable efforts. We will labor with you 

 if you desire it. If you do not, then tnere will be no quarrel be- 

 tween us. In our own way we will go on with the work before us, 

 each happy in the consciousness of doing what we feel to be duty. 



Among all who were then members of our club I do not 

 now recall that there was a single one who expressed him- 

 self as positively unfriendly to the American Kennel Club. 

 A few appeared indifferent, and had no opinion to express, 

 for or against it. The great majority felt that that club had 

 done very little indeed in the interests of breeders generally, 

 that it was not only apathetic but altogether too sluggish in 

 its movements; and yet a spirit of fairness actuated my as- 

 sociates and they advocated a peaceful policy. Hence I said 

 that we were not starting in opposition to the American 

 Kennel Club, and were friendly to it. At this point I will 

 make clear my rendition of the word opposition. Perhaps 

 its selection by me was an unfortunate one, since it opens 

 the door to invidious criticism. If there is any blame at- 

 tached to its use I, alone, am the one to bear it. I am quite 

 ready to acknowledge that in a recently published courteous 

 criticism of our club, what is generally accepted as one 

 practical definition of the word has been given . And, yet, 

 there is another definition having no less wide acceptance — 

 hostility. So construe the word and again read the state- 

 ments made by me and the true meaning will appear. The 

 National Dog Club was not only not hostile to the American 

 Kennel Club, but was ready, willing, and even anxious to 

 aid, all its laudaMe efforts. 



This spirit then, actuated the founders of our club. But 

 did any one for a moment suppos 3 that it would not have an 

 individuality of its own? Could they interpret from what 

 was said by me that the National Dog Club was formed 

 to be simply the servant of other clubs — to be a mere puppet 

 and "move only when the string was pulled?" Let the 

 would-be critics glance over the names of those who make 



