Aug. 30, 1888.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



109 



what an important item of food fish constitutes, particularly 

 along our seaboard. * * * As Voit remarks, 'Nothing 

 certain is known regarding the digestibility of different 

 kinds of fish, although much is said concerning it. Prob- 

 ably digestibility is in part dependent upon the nature of 

 the fat "present and the manner of its distribution; thus the 

 preseuce of a difficultly fusible fat with considerable stearin 

 would tend to hinder digestibility (as in mutton): the. same 

 thing probably occurs when the contents of the sarcolemina 

 are permeated with much fat (as in the. lobster and eel).' 

 This statement at once suggests the probability of great 

 variation in the digestibility of the flesh of any one species, 

 dependent on a large number of conditions, which, in the 

 case of fish particularly, are somewhat difficult of control; 

 thus age. sex, food, period of spawning, length of time they 

 have been preserved, are a few of the many natural con- 

 ditions which would tend to modify the digestibility of the 

 flesh and render generalizations from even a large number 

 of results somewhat uucertain." 

 The outcome of their work is expressed thus: 

 "The results of the analyses show plainly that the method 

 adopted is as good as could be expected, for it must be re- 

 membered that the two results obtained from each sample 

 of flesh are not merely from duplicated analyses, but from 

 duplicated digestions as well, and in these, extendiug as 

 they do over twenty-two hours, with slight variations in 

 temperature and agitation, small differences are to be ex- 

 pected. The very great divergence noticed, however, in the 

 results obtained from different samples of the same species 

 of flesh show at once that there are Other conditions, such 

 as age, etc., which affect the digestibility of the flesh more 

 or less, so that, in order to obtain results from which to 

 draw strict generalizations, it would be necessary to experi- 

 ment with fish of different species, of like age, sex, and 

 reared under like conditions. As examples of this we have 

 the very divergent results from two samples of veal, and 

 also of 'two bluetish (88.«9 and 73.44). As direct evidence 

 that age, sex, etc., do exert a modifying influence on the di- 

 gestibility of flesh, we have three experiments on the flesh 

 of the lobster; one with a small young lobster, a second 

 with a large female, and a third with a large male of the 

 same species. The duplicate digestions gave fairly concord- 

 ant results; the average relative digestibility being for the 

 young specimen 87.81, for the large female 79.0b\ and for the 

 in ale 69.13. This shows plaiuly some modifying influence 

 in the flesh itself. In composition, so far as the solid mat- 

 ter is concerned, there was no appreciable difference in the 

 t hree samples. Bearing in mind, however, these possible 

 variations, it is very evident from our results that the 

 average digestibility of fish-flesh is far below that of beef 

 similarly cooked, f u but two instances, in the case of shad 

 and whitefish, does the digestibility of fish-flesh approach 

 that of beef, although, from the average of our experi- 

 ments, several are as easily digestible as mutton, lamb and 

 chicken. 



'•Pavy states that (ish with white flesh, such as the whit- 

 ing, etc.. are less stimulating and lighter to the stomach, or 

 more easy of digestion than fish with more or less red flesh, 

 as the salmon. Our experiments coutirm this statement, so 

 far as digestibility is concerned. Thus the average digesti- 

 bility of the salmon and trout is considerably below the 

 average of the more digestible whitefish. The difference 

 between the digestibility of the light and the dark meat of 

 the same flesh is somewhat striking, as in the case of the 

 shad, where the digestibility of the former was found to be 

 97.25, as compared with beef, while the dark flesh was 87.32. 

 A similar difference, though very much smaller, is to be 

 noticed between the light and dark meat of the chicken. 



"This difference in digestibility is in part due, without 

 doubt, to the amount of fat present, for, as Pavy states, in 

 the flesh of whitefish there is but little fat, it being accumu- 

 lated mainly in the liver of the animal, while in redfish 

 there is more or less fatty matter incorporated with the 

 muscular fibres. For a similar reason, eels, mackerel and 

 herring are, according to Pavy, less suited to a delicate 

 stomach than some of the whitefish, and our experiments 

 show that in digestibility two of them stand below the more 

 digestible whitefish; mackerel, however, from our single 

 experiment with the white portiou of the fish showed a com- 

 paratively high digestibility. In all of our experiments, how- 

 ever, with whitefish. we rejected the outer layer of dark 

 flesh,except in the case of the shad. The. varying differences i u 

 digestibility are not to be considered as due wholly to differ- 

 ences in the amount of fat in the flesh; thus the flesh of 

 fresh cod contains but little fat, and .yet it is one of the most 

 indigestible of the whitefish experimented with. This 

 agrees with Pavy's experience, 'that it is a more trying 

 article of food to' the stomtch than is generally credited.' 

 Again Pavy makes the following statement, based on his 

 experience in fish dietetics 'of all fish, the whiting may be 

 regarded as the most delicate, tender and easy of digestion. 

 The haddock is somewhat closely allied, but it is inferior in 

 digestibility,' while 'the flounder is light and easy of diges- 

 tion, but insipid.' With all these statements our results 

 agree perfectly, assuming the whitefish of our experiments 

 to be analogous to the English whiting." 



It thus appears that Messrs. Chittenden and Cummins 

 found considerable divergence in the digestibility of the 

 flesh of fish of different kinds. These they attribute in part 

 to the varying proportions of fat, the fatter fish being the 

 less digestible, and in part to other characteristics of the 

 flesh. My own impression is, that experiments on the actual 

 digestion in the alimentary canal, in which other juices as 

 well as the gastric come in play and other conditions are 

 different, would show less difference in the digestibility of 

 fish of different sorts than these investigators found in 

 their experiments in artificial digestion with gastric juice 

 alone, aud also that there would be less variation in the 

 actual quantities and nutritive material digested than the 

 statements made by the authors quoted by Messrs. Chitten- 

 den and Cummins would imply. For we must not forget 

 the distinction between the quantity digested and the ease 

 of digestion. But, of course, this is a matter to be deter- 

 mined by actual experiment and observation. 



The ways in which the experiments for testing the digesti- 

 bility of foods by men and animals are made are very ingeni- 

 ous and interesting. Physiologists use the salivary glands, 

 or stomach or intestine of a living animal, much as chemists 

 do their bottles and retorts and test-tubes. It is easy to get 

 into the way of regarding an animal as simply an organism 

 manifesting certain reactions under given conditions, and in 

 not a few European laboratories a janitor is readily induced 

 by the price of a few months' supply of beer, or a student by 

 his scientific ardor to take this same altruistic view of his 

 own physical organism. In the German laboratories, parti- 

 cularly, one finds not only the needed apparatus, but what 

 is uo less important, trained assistants and servants, so that 

 one is relieved of much of the time-consuming and disagree- 

 able detail of experimenting, which is so much of an obsta- 

 cle with us. 



[TO BE CONTINUED.] 



THE NEW YORK FISH COMMISSION, — The report of 

 the Fish Commissioners of New York, sent to the Legisla- 

 ture Jan. 24, 1888, has just been issued by the State printer. 

 Although somewhat ancient history now we will review it 

 next week. 



Lafaykwjs, Inch, Aug. 21, 1888.— U. S. Cartridge- Co., Lowell, 

 Mass.: Dear Sir— I am pleased to he able to give you a most sat- 

 isfactory account of the paper sliellB you sent me. I have used 

 Sohultze powder altogether for the last seven years, with Eley's 

 shells, and youra are the first perfect substitute I have found, aud 

 I shall take caro to recommend their use (Signed) W. Graham, 

 Champion Shot of England.— A&V. 



Dof/.s; Their Monogcinent and Treatment in Dim me. By 

 Ashmont. Price $2. Kennel Record and Account Book. 

 Frier #'<?. Training vs. Breaking. By S. T. Hammond, 

 Price <fl. First Lemons in Dog Training, totffb Points of 

 all Breeds. Price 25 cents. 



FIXTURES. 



DOG SHOWS. 



Aug. 27 to 31. -Toledo Dog Show, Toledo, O. John Farley, Sec'y 



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

 Association, at Buffalo, X. Y. Entries close Sept. 1. C. W. Rob- 

 inson, Secretary. 



Sept. 18 to 21— Dog Show of the Westmoreland County Agricul- 

 tural Society, at Greensbnrg, Pa, John S. Sell, Secretary. En- 

 tries close Sept. 15. 



Sept. 18 to 21.— Third Annual Dog Show of the Westmoreland 

 County Agricultural Society at Greensburg, Pa. H. S. Branot, 

 President. 



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

 Club, at Syracuse, N. Y. Howard B. Rathbone, 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 Dor Show of the Virginia Field Sports Asso- 

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

 Shafer Building. Entries close Oct. 1. 



Oct. 23 to 2G.— Second Annual Show ot the St. Paul and Minne- 

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

 Room !»s Globe Building. 



Nov. li to 10.— Dog Show of the. Richmond County Poultry and 

 Pet Stock Association, in connection with Augusta National Ex- 

 position at Augusta, Ga. H. Madden, Superintendent. 



Jan. 15 to 19, 1889.— Seventh Annual Dog Show of the Southern 

 Massachusetts Poultry Association, at Mew Bedford, Mass. F. 

 W. Dean, Secretary. 



Feb. 12 to 15, 1889.— Fifth Dog Show of the New Jersey Kennel 

 Club, at Jersey City, N. J. Geo. L.Wilms, Secretary, 1+3 Monti- 

 cello avenue, Jersey City, N. J. 



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

 Kennel Club, New York. James Mortimer, Superintendent. 



Feb. 2fi to March 1, 1889.— Second Annual Show of the Renssalaer 

 Kennel Club. Troy, N. Y. Alba M. Ide. Secretary. 



March 5 to 8, 1889.— Second An mud 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. Dunlop, President. 



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

 Kennel Club, at Baltimore, Md. W. S. Diffenderffer, Secretary. 



March 26 to 29, 1889.— First Annual Dog Show of the Massachu- 

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



April 2 to 5, 18S9.— First Annual Show of the Rochester Kennel 

 Club, at Rochester. N. Yt Harry Yates, Secretary. 



April 9 to 12, 1889.— First Annual Dog Show of the Maseoutah 

 Kennel Club, at Chicago, 111. John L. Lincoln, Jr., Secretary. 



Feb. 4 to 7, 1889— First Annual Dog Show of the Columbus 

 Fanciers' Club at Columbus, O. Thos. R. Sparrow, Secretary. 



FIELD TRIALS. 



Sept. 11.— Thud 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 Bickuell, 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 Cluh, at Bakersfleld, Gal. N. P. Sheldon, Secretary, 

 330 Sansome street San Francisco, Cal. 



COURSING. 



(Jet. 15. — Third Annual Meeting of the. American Coursing Club 

 at Great Bend, Kan. F. K. Doau, Secretary, 1210 Olive street, St 

 Louis, Mo. 



A. K. R.-SPEC1AL NOTICE. 



THE 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 jjf stamped and addressed 

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

 No entries inserted unless paid in advance. Yearly subscription 

 $1.50. Address "American Kennel Register," P. O. Box 2832, New 

 York. Number of entries already printed 6512. 



DOC AND SKUNK, 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Mr. Elmore's statements as to the effect on a dog's scent- 

 ing powers after an encounter with a skunk would appear 

 to me to be entitled to more consideration than one coming 

 from a fox hunter, on the presumption that his references 

 are to beagles and not to foxhounds. Beagles are much 

 more apt to work over open ground, where their actions can 

 be observed and something more than inference be obtained 

 as to their actions. Foxhounds in nine cases out of ten 

 strike trails where unobservable, and what they do and how 

 they do it is pretty much a matter of inference. From an 

 experience of twenty years of fox hunting, I can say that 1 

 never could see any effect whatever on a foxhound's scent- 

 ing powers from an encounter with a skunk, and have re- 

 peatedly known hounds to take up trails soon after a skunk 

 job, which left them fairly reeking with "odor mephiticus. " 

 Hounds rarely strike either a fox or skunk in the open, 

 where their behavior can be observed, and I do not see how 

 it can be determined whether they are slow or quick to take 

 up a trail when they are hidden in the dense coverts that 

 either "varmint" is apt to run in. 



It may be that the habits of both coons and foxes (and for 

 that matter hounds) are different in the comparatively open 

 couutry of New England from what they are in the brush 

 and thickets of the Southwest and Middle States, which may 

 explain the difference between my observations and Mr. El- 

 more's, for certainly ninety-nine out of one hundred fox 

 hunters of my acquaintance will say that a dose of skunk 

 does not iu any way impair a hound's nose. This is not to 

 be taken as adversary to Mr. Elmore himself, but as sug- 

 gested, further explanation and more minute accounts from 

 him on a subject that puzzles most dog men. For myself, 

 I fully agree with your statement that the mystery of a dog's 

 "nose" is one of "those things that no fellow can find out.' 

 It seems like nonsense to talk of a dog's "smelling" any- 

 thing after a full dose of skunk essence; it would be like a 

 man struck by lightning admiring the hues of the sunset. 



Vulpicide. 



Fayette County, Pa., Aug. 2T. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



My dog Rover has treed a coon in less than ten minutes 

 after killing an old skunk: but it was a hot track, for he 

 barked on it, which he never did before, except after a coon 

 ban jumped the tree, when he always barks on track. He 

 has always been death on skunks. This season he has 

 already killed twelve. A few nights ago we got three coons 

 with him and four skunks, but got the coons before the 

 skunks. My other dog, Nero, is uot a skunk dog, and I find 

 he is beating him now, because I am hunting coons that are 

 out in open fields, as they are catching poultry. I have just 



returned from Blue Hill, Franklin, where coons have caught 

 a hundred hens and chickens from one farmer, and thirty 

 from another. Spent two nights there; the last night got 

 four coons, the first night one; Nero treed them. Ttoverwas 

 busy on skunks, killing four; have no trouble with him 

 usually, for skunks are mostlv iu the open fields. I notice 

 the other dog gets the coons when Rover kills skunks; and 

 I think Mr. Elmore's idea is about right in his views as pub- 

 lished in last Forest and Stkeam J. G. L. 



THE COON'S "WHICKER." 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In reading current number of Forest and Stream, I 

 I note that Mr. N. Elmore, in his communication on coons, 

 states that two opinions prevail, or to be more accurate, that 

 various opinions prevail as to the racoons emitting a cry at 

 night. It hardly seems credible that this should be the case. 



The writer was brought up among the hills of old Alle- 

 ghany county, where the cry of the coon was as familiar a 

 sound as the squa wk of the "high-hole" or the chatter of the 

 chipmunk. When a boy, at least at two different times 

 he was the part owner in young coons, and was able to fully 

 identify the cry of the little rascals, which in their half- 

 tamed state made their home under the horse barn, with the 

 "whicker" of the cunning depredator of the corn fields and 

 the apple orchards during the early evening or morning. 



It's a curious commentary on the scientific lore of the day 

 that our friend "Procyon" should have been saddled with 

 his affix of "Lotor," because of a fancied habit of washing 

 his food; while the fact of his having an exceedingly loud 

 voice, which he exercises in a very lively manner at frequent 

 intervals between sunset and sunrise, should be. a matter of 

 so much doubt. 



[ well remember the first time hearing coouys cry; how my 

 imagination led me to believe the long, wailing "whicker" 

 to be the cry of a wildcat or an "Ingun devil" on the war- 

 path. A speedy trip to grandfather's knee to beg an expia- 

 tion of the. prospective danger brought the encouraging 

 infomation that it was only a coon. As age came, a great er 

 familiarity with coons, coon dogs and coon hunts was devel- 

 oped, and the charming solo of our friend in the cornfield 

 became, an old story. 



Surely there are plenty of your subscribers who have 

 either heard the wild coon in the field, or his half-domesti- 

 eated relative on the wood-pile or under the barn. Or better 

 yet, who, having cut down some coon tree andkilled Mr. and 

 Mrs. Coon, have found safely stowed away in the hollow 

 tree half a dozen little coons, who loudly voiced their desire 

 to be let alone in a baby-like wail, which only needs the 

 development of lung power and the practice of the adult coon 

 to be at once recognized as t he voice of our friend of the corn- 

 field. 



Of course coons cry, or as we used to say up in York State, 

 "whicker." A Subscribe!:. 



Editor Forrxt and Stream: 



Coons do halloa. There are those, whose, judgment 

 about coons is entitled to much weight, who say they 

 do not. This is how I know: Last December I caught three 

 old ones, one female and two males: tried to keep them 

 and study their habits, but they made so much noise, fight- 

 ing, talking and pulling the large wire cage, that we could 

 not sleep nights, so disposed of the two males, keeping the 

 female. They certainly did holloa and enough to break up 

 a camp meeting too. Tried all ways to make them hiber- 

 nate; at this time we were having some of our coldest 

 weather in January. In Cambridge, Mass., where I had 

 them, the thermometer went below zero several nights, and 

 we had the windows in the attic open, but it was not cold 

 enough to make them stay in the warm box fixed specially 

 for them. In feeding them, Ifound they did not care formeat 

 if they could get nuts; fed them on peanuts and English 

 walnuts. The three weighed 48J^lbs. when caught. 



I believe coons breed every year, but I don't think they 

 breed until two years old, for I have killed females in the 

 middle of August, this year, that weighed nibs., that had 

 uever bred, and that is too large for this year's litter. 

 Caught three young ones July T, that together weighed less 

 than 61bs.; have them alive, now, aud they don't weigh over 

 41 bs. each now. 



Have never heard of any coons being bred iu captivity, 

 but have known of its being tried. J. G. L. 



ROB ROY KENNELS SALE. 



DETROIT, Mich., Aug. 17.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 The drawing of the dogs of the Rob Roy Kennels took 

 place at Dr. Saunders's office," 230 Woodward avenue, Detroit , 

 at S o'clock P. M., August 15. Duplicate so fall tickets sold 

 were placed in a closed basket; aud six tickets, each con- 

 taining the name of one of the dogs, were placed in another 

 hasket. 



The two baskets were held, and constantly shaken, by 

 two members of the committee, while a third member, blind- 

 folded, would draw a ticket from each basket and hand 

 them to the fourth member of the committee, who annouced 

 the number of ticket drawn and the name of the dog on the 

 other ticket, and then handed both tickets to the clerk for 

 record. The number then drawn was put back into the 

 basket for a chance at the remaining dogs, and the drawing 

 thus continued until the last dog was drawn. One hundred 

 and five tickets were sold, aud only duplicates of these were 

 placed in the basket. 



Ticket No. 36 drew May Queen, held by M. M. McMillan, 

 Mahanov City, Pa. 



No. 237 drew Dryad, held by R. J. Gaines, Greenfield, 

 Iowa. 



No. 125 drew Dashing Berwyn, held by F. Kinsinger, 98 

 Park avenue, Walnut Hill, Cincinnati. 



No. 49 drew King Craft, held by E. O. Damon, Northamp- 

 ton, Mass. 



No. 103 drew Kelpie, held by L. P. Edgerton, Meriden, 

 Conn. 



No. 40 drew- Doncaster, held by J. E. Patterson, 27 Garfield 

 avenue, Detroit, Mich. 



I wish to publicly thank the brother sportsmen who so 

 kindly came to my assistance in disposing of the Rob Roy 

 Kennels. H. E. Cook. 



Detroit, Mich., Aug. 17.— We, the committee that had 

 charge of the drawing of the Rob Roy Kennels, hereby cer- 

 tify that we were disinterested and unprejudiced in the mat- 

 ter; that we did not know where any of the numbers were 

 held, and that the drawing was done with great care and 

 perfect fairness, everv number taken having an equal chance 

 for each dog.— Dr. M. V. B. Saunders, Geo. N. Herring, 

 C. G, Mechem, Wood Campbell, Committee. 



BUFFALO DOG SHOW. 



BUFFALO, Aug. 24. — Editor Forest and Stream: We 

 have made these extra classes, as follows: The class 

 for cocker spaniels "any other color" is divided by sex; 

 the spaniel puppy class is divided by color, a class for 

 liver or black, and one for any other color, and a class is 

 made for ruby or Prince Charles spaniels. The special 

 announced for the best pair of black greyhounds should 

 read black, or black with white markings. The Wacouta 

 Kennel gives $5 for the best American bred mastiff; 

 donor does uot compete. A pug fancier gives #25 for the 

 best pair of pugs under one year, bred and owned by exhib- 

 itor. Please state that Mr. H. W. Huntington is the donor 

 of the specials, a gold lined silver match sate and a picture 

 of the Waterloo winner, Princess Dagmar. Entries will 

 close Sept. 1. J. Otis Fellows. Supt. 



