Oct. 17, 1889.) 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



247 



are a few buffalo. Capt. Bellairs, superintendent of the 

 St. Louie fair grounds park, wished to say to Forest and 

 Stream that their buffalo cow dropped a healthy calf 

 this year, but the bull killed it the next night after its 

 birth'. There were three good elk in the Cincinnati gar- 

 dens, and a number of fine bears. One of these, a grizzly, 

 weighs l,2001bs. I remember a series of articles written 

 by an expert grizzly bear hunter, in which he said ho had 

 never seen a grizzly that weighed over 6001bs. I wouldn't 

 want this Cincinnati bear to sit on me at any 600lbs, esti- 

 mate. Yet he is not nearly so large as was the Chicago 

 grizzly, old Bob, who was killed in a battle-royal of 

 bears at Lincoln Park here not long ago. The grounds of 

 the Cincinnati gardens are diversified and beautiful. 

 There is a good" dining hall near the big music stand 

 where the band plays. In this room I sat and ordered a 

 very good supper. It was growing cool with the breath 

 of fall, and the windows were closed. A fire in the 

 grate cast a pleasant glow through the dusky room, and 

 lit up the face of a comely matron at an adjacent table. 

 The band blared out some cheap and vulgar air, but once, 

 in a while in some intermission of the music there pealed 

 out the more stirring trumpeting of the big elk's October 

 challenge, hoarse and wide-borne on the wind. It was 

 enough to set one thinking* This summer I fished to the 

 music of a brass band. Here was a brass band vyiug 

 with a live elk at the music of the reddening leaf. The 

 brass band is getting the better of it all over the country. 

 They have them in the Rockies, now. Perhaps Mr. 

 Hicks is right, and perhaps we must park our game if we 

 expect to save it. 



Oct. 12.— Mr. C. E. Willard, superintendent of the 

 Standard Cartridge Co., Mr. E. S. Rice, general agent of 

 the DuPont powder, and Mr. Heizer, the patentee of the 

 Standard people's loading machine, went on a family 

 picnic to Fox Lake last Friday. Mr. Willard killed 102 

 jacksnipe on his first day's shoot, and 50 on the morning 

 of the following day, uBmg No. 6 shot most of the time, 

 as he didn't go loaded for snipe. Mr. Heizer killed 42 

 snipe in a half day, and Mr. Pice got a dozen ducks up 

 the river, it, seems that the snipe are coming in with the 

 moon. Mr. Willard adds that he killed 41 chickens on 

 Sept. 15, near Woodstock, in this State. The fishing was 

 good at Fox Lake during the days he was there last week. 

 This is a sporting coitntry out here, and there don't any- 

 one want to forget it, '\Podgers" would better move out 

 here. He can have a lot of fun for might}'' little monej r 

 around here. Railroad fares, 50 miles and return, $3, 

 with big discount on 25-ride tickets. Board, $1 per day 

 up to $10 per week. Pusher and boat (including decoys, 

 etc.), $2 and $8 per day. E. Hough. 



Loading Chokebores.— Upton, Maine. — I have found 

 sti'ong choked guns (full choke) to shoot a little thicker 

 (in 10-gauge) by loading without that card wad under 

 the powder wad, and with two card wads on top of shot. 

 I can always make the strong choke barrel of my Parker 

 spread the shot wide and even, like a woodcock gun, 

 just by loading with one wad on shot. — C. B. S. 



CLUB LEASES. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The system of the Quebec Government in dealing with 

 its inland fisheries has a great deal to commend it; 

 it recognizes the common right of the people at large, to 

 all the rivers and lakes of the Province, and provides for 

 leasing exclusive rights in any of them, to individuals or 

 associations. 



Non-residents are not permitted to fish in any of the 

 waters of the Province without a license, and although 

 it would be more logical and consistent with protective 

 measures, to extend the same prohibition to residents, 

 the unpopularity of the measure would render it highly 

 inexpedient. Moreover the present system is an excel- 

 lent training school for the people, in the doctrine of ex- 

 clusive rights for those who are willing to pay the mar- 

 ket value of them. They learn to respect exclusive rights 

 legitimately secured, and as the area of free waters is 

 contracted from year to year, they recognize that they 

 must either secure exclusive rights for themselves, or 

 give up fishing, and are prepared to accept the situation 

 without murmur. 



At this present time the best and most accessible salmon 

 rivers are leased by wealthy individuals, clubs or associa- 

 tions of anglers, and the same is mainly true of the best 

 trout and winanish waters. The annual rental is very 

 low, and the lessees secure the privilege entirely for their 

 own enjoyment: but if prudent provision be only made 

 for keeping the waters well stocked, it will not be many 

 years before the demand for fishing privileges on the part 

 of non-clubmen will result in a very considerable modifi- 

 cation of existing conditions. There are thousands of 

 residents, and a growing number of non-residents, who 

 do not feel that they fish enough, or have their pockets 

 sufficiently well lined, to justify their belonging to a club, 

 but who nevertheless are eager to secure fishing privileges 

 during their limited summer outing to pay a fair price 

 for them. Such a widespread demand will create the 

 means for its own gratification . Club members may hold 

 it infra dig to accord fishing privileges for a considera- 

 tion, but speculators will not be slow in realizing that 

 it will be good business to lease fishing waters and throw 

 them open to the public at a moderate fee per month, or 

 week or day. Hotel keepers notably will find it to their 

 interest to secure all the fishing privileges in their neigh- 

 borhood, and railway companies will find it essential to 

 their prosperity to provide fishing privileges for as many 

 of the traveling public as wish to avail themselves of 

 them. The suggested measures have already been inau- 

 rated in Quebec; the Q. and St. John Ry. Co. have secured 

 fishing privileges along their line of route and thrown them 

 open to the public; and fishing privileges can be secured 

 for payment in the famous winanish waters of the " es- 

 cape" of Lake St. John. 



Fishing is a popuiar and healthy recreation; its votaries 

 belong to the best classes in the community, their num- 

 ber is continually increasing, and there need be no fear 

 that in Quebec at least, where fishing privileges are 

 granted on short leases only, the wealthier clubs will be 

 enabled to monopolize all the best waters, to the exclusion 

 of the less wealthy non-clubmen. What these latter can- 



not do for themselves will be dene by the organized efforts 

 of railway companies, hotel keepers, and others. The 

 one important point, about which there is any room for 

 doubt, is whether the waters will be kept sufficiently 

 well stocked to maintain their present high reputation. 

 The Quebec Government appears to be alive to the im- 

 portance of the fisheries as an element of wealth, directly 

 and indirectly, but as far as I can learn, no adequate 

 measures for the maintenance of the, supply are in con- 

 templation. Voyaoeur. 



NIPIGON, THE PARADISE OF ANGLERS. 



HAVING obtained the required permit from the Minis- 

 ter of Marine and Fisheries to angle in the Nipigon 

 River from Jidy 28 to September 1, 1 took passage "for 

 Red Rock, the 'most southerly trading post of the Old 

 Hudson's Bay Company, and came to an anchorage at 

 the head of Nipigon Bay. Having purchased my' com- 

 missary supplies at the Sault, I found no difficulty in 

 supplying myself with necessary camp equipage at Red 

 RockJ situated at the mouth of the river; and here I em- 

 ployed three Ojibwa Indians with their birch bark canoe 

 to convey me up the river. This river is but a chain of 

 small lakes connected by a succession of rapids, pouring 

 down a great volume of water from 500 to 800yds. wide, 

 leaping and seething through granite boulders, and over 

 cliffs ten, twenty and fifty feet high. The portages 

 around the rapids' were along rough trail ways, the Indians 

 carrying the canoe and baggage from point to point. At 

 5 1'. M. I had reached a point twenty-five miles up the 

 Nipigon, and here, at the foot of one of the rapids, I de- 

 termined to try my luck as an angler. My tent was soon 

 pitched and my house put in order. 



After an early breakfast next morning, I started 

 equipped for a day's sport, accompanied by Indian Henry 

 to manage the canoe and handle the landing net. My 

 first throw was a success, as a speckled beauty caught 

 the fly on a leap of several feet about the surface of the 

 water. After a desperate fight for several minutes he 

 was safely landed, and weighed 3JJbs. The ball was now 

 fairly opened, and by noon I had killed twenty-tw T o 

 trout, several of them weighing 4lbs., and not one under 

 21bs. I now pulled ashore, and my little party fared 

 sumptuously at dinner. Again in the' afternoon I amused 

 myself in loitering along the bank near my camp, and 

 watching the trout rise to the deceptive fly, only to find 

 a resting place in Henry's net. Although I had not been 

 over half a mile from camp during the day, I was com- 

 pletely overcome by fatigue and excitement, and was 

 soon sound asleep in my tent, before which a large fire 

 was kept burning during the night, as the temperature 

 was clown to 45° Fah. 



Early next morning I resumed offensive operations. 

 The whole river seemed alive with trout, the genuine 

 Salmo sahielinus. ' Near the camp I secured my trophy 

 after a hard and prolonged struggle, a 5^-lbs. trout, whicb 

 I preserved, and have sent to the artist of the officers of 

 the Smithsonian, who returned me an admirable paint- 

 ing of it, which now adorns my office walls. Having 

 killed more fish than I wanted, I packed 115 in our frail 

 canoe, broke camp and returned, reaching Red Rock at 6 

 P. M. Next morning we bid farewell to the Nipigon, 

 having had a few days of the finest sport that was ever 

 enjoyed by An Angler. 



Washington, D. C. 



SALMON FISHING IN SCOTLAND* 



THE salmon fishing for 1888 has shown a falling off 

 from 1887, and though not successful as a whole 

 there have been at certain times during the season, and 

 at certain parts, excellent angling and good netting. 

 The shipments to Billingsgate market during the year 

 amounted to 28,859 boxes of Scotch salmon, the smallest 

 quantity sent there since 1880. The average annual ship- 

 ment for the seven years, 1881 to 1887 inclusive, was 

 28,610 boxes. The value of a box of salmon is placed at 

 £5 5s. , making the value of the shipments to Billingsgate 

 during 1888 £120,009. The estimated value of the salmon 

 fishery for the whole year is £240,018. The income de- 

 rived from the rental of the salmon fishings of the Tay. 

 the chief salmon river in Scotland, amounted to £19,655 

 during 1888. The rental for 1887 amounted to £22,142. 



An alteration of close time on the Tay has been made. 

 The fishing season on that river will be from Feb. 10 to 

 Aug. 27, with extension of time for rod-fishing until Oct. 

 81. In 1888 the season commenced on Feb. 5 and closed 

 Aug. 27. 



There is much illegal, fishing for and illicit traffic in 

 Scotch salmon. It is estimated that more than 100 tons 

 annually are sent to English and French markets through 

 this illicit traffic. 



Mr. Archibald Young, Inspector of Salmon Fisheries, 

 reports: 



"The salmon angling in Loch Tay was fairly good in 

 1888. The total number of salmon killed was 878, and 

 the total weight was 7,0061bs., giving an average weight 

 of 181bs. 8oz. per fish. The heaviest fish caught weighed 

 371bs. , the lightest 121bs. 



"Both on the Tay and the Earn the rod- fishing season 

 of 1888 was a bad one. After the nets were off the rivers 

 were too low, until a freshet in the end of September 

 brought up a good many fish, when some fair angling- 

 was had on the Stobhall water at Isla Mouth and else- 

 where; 451bs. was the weight of the heaviest fish caught 

 by the rod during the season." The Aberdeenshire Dee, 

 usually productive, was disappointing. In the autumn 

 there was some fair fishing on it. One 361b. salmon was 

 taken. "On the Forth the angling was likewise poor, 

 the rain coming too late. The largest salmon (871bs.) 

 was captured by Sergeant Tait. 



"On the Spey the angling season was fairly good. The 

 largest fish (401bs.) was caught by Lord Leconfield on the 

 Gordon Castle Avater. 



"The fishing on the Nith was very poor, but some fine 

 salmon were landed from the Annan late in the season. 

 A fish of 44|lbs. was taken in the nets in August, and in 

 November one of 461bs., and another of 4llbs. were cap- 

 tured by the rod." Mr. Young also mentions the singular 

 capture of a 43lb. male salmon in the little River Urr: 



"The keeper of Mr. Thomas Gladstone was dragging a 

 pool with an artificial minnow, with the view of recover- 

 ing a lost cast of flies, when the bait was seized, and after 

 a fight of throe hours a male salmon weighing 431bs. and 



* Seventh Annual Report of the Fishery Board for Scotland, 

 188S, Part II., Salmon Fisheries, Edinburgh, 1889. 



measuring 4ft. 2in. in length was landed. But, unques- 

 tionably, the greatest angling performance in 1888 was at 

 the wonderfully productive fishing at the Grimersta, in 

 the Island of Lewis. Last year Mr. A, M. Naylor, in 

 nineteen days' fishing in the month of August, killed, to 

 his own rod, with fly, 214 salmon, weighing 1,3071ns., 

 besides 804 sea trout, weighing 161 lbs. His best days 

 were as follows: Aug. 23, 31 salmon, weighing 1831bs.: 

 Aug. 28, 54, weighing 3141bs.; Aug. 31, 45, weighing 

 2691bs. The best two days made by Mr. Naylor's two 

 companions were 36 and 46 salmon. 



"Mr. Naylor states that he has not a record of the total 

 kill of the three rods during the month of August; but he 

 gives the following summary of the take during the last 

 six consecutive days of August: No. 1 rod, 143 salmon, 

 85611 >s. ; 31 sea trout, 231bs. No. 2 rod, 106 salmon, 6801bs. ; 

 26 sea trout, 191bs. No. 3 rod, 84 salmon, 4901bs.; 14 sea 

 trout, lOlbs. 



"Mr. Naylor states that the time he took to kill the 54 

 salmon on the 28th August was nine hours, or an average 

 of ten minutes per fish. The average weight (a little 

 under 61bs.) was small, but notwithstanding he was quite 

 tired at the end of the time: although, as there were two 

 hours more of daylight, he could certainly have killed at 

 least ten more fish if he had gone on." 



AQUARIA NOTES. 



Occasional observations on the fishes in the Aquaria of the TJ. 8. 

 Fish Commission. 



FROM SALT WATER TO FRESH. 



ONE aquarium is stocked with gar-pike (Lepidosteus 

 platystomas) and mud fish (Amia calva). Very 

 strangely the gars are infested with that very common 

 fish parasite Argtdus sp. (entomostracan), usually referred 

 to as "fish louse," while the mud fish are absolutely free 

 fro i, i it. So rapidly do they propagate that it is neces- 

 sary to take the fish out of the water and free them of 

 the pests very frequently, but all attempts to exterminate 

 the lice by killing all that are found and through clean- 

 ing out the aquarium, have failed. During the past 

 summer thousands of them have infested the gars, but 

 not one has heen seen on the mud fish. The smaller gars 

 are also freer from them than the larger ones. Although 

 they may at times be seen swimming about the aquarium 

 or attached to the glass, they are undoubtedly true para- 

 sites and cause great irritation and suffering to the fish. 

 They soon die when kept in a vessel without fish. 



The power of endurance and tenacity of life of a fish is 

 well illustrated by the rather sad story of a captive 

 sheepshead which has just died in one of the aquaria. It 

 was caught off Point Lookout in Chesapeake Bay, on 

 Sept. 19. Several thicknesses of seine twine were passed 

 into its mouth and out through the gill opening and tied 

 tightly. In company with two large tatitog or black fish 

 it was towed after a sailing canoe, probably ten miles, 

 including tacks, to where they entered the live-box of 

 the Blue Wing. This is the method of handling these 

 fish in that locality; they are tied to stakes until ready 

 for shipment to market. The shore water at that point 

 is not very salt, being only 1.009. This sheepshead was 

 just eight days on its journey to the aquaria in Washing- 

 ton, during which time and for four days additional it 

 ate nothing, and was kept a portion of the time in water 

 almost fresh, being 1.003 to 1.005. The transfer to 

 water at 1.024 was made as gradually as possible under 

 the circumstances and evidently had no injurious effect 

 whatever, as the tautog are thriving and feeding in the 

 same tank. After death it was found that the cords used 

 in towing the fish had lacerated the gills and the inner 

 surface of the opercle, the surrounding tissues also being 

 highly inflamed. 



I have found that when fresh water is introduced into 

 a salt-water aquarium it will remain on the surface 

 unless the whole is thoroughly stirred or mingled. It is 

 probable that the fresh water of rivers is not thoroughly 

 mingled with the water of bays, but flows off on the sur- 

 face, and that at considerable depths it may be very 

 nearly as salt as that near shore outside, say 1.024, or at 

 least 1.020. 



The sheepshead and tautog are bottom fishes, and ex- 

 tremely local, requiring hard or rocky bottom (ledges). 

 It occurs to me, in view of the extreme changes of 

 salinity encountered by these fishes in this transition 

 without apparent effect that it opens an interesting field 

 for experiment. It is probable that the conditions of en- 

 vironment of most animals, and of fishes especially, are 

 accidents rather than necessities of existence. I feel con- 

 fident that it would be possible to transfer successfully 

 many salt-water fishes to water wholly fresh, by slow 

 degrees, if conditions were found otherwise similar to 

 their native ones. What a noble fish the sheepshead 

 would be for the Great Lakes. 



Some experiments of this nature will be made during 

 the coming winter and the results noted in FOREST AND 

 Stream. It is well known that the brook trout goes to 

 the sea from streams contiguous to the coast, where it un- 

 dergoes considerable change of appearance and is known 

 as the silver trout. 



WHO HAS EATEN TOAD FISH? 



The toad fish (Batrachus tan) is to most persons a slimy, 

 repulsive object. To the naturalist it is beautiful rather 

 than ugly. It is perfectly harmless to man, and when 

 caught on a hook may he taken freely in the hands to 

 disengage it, although fishermen and others will inform 

 one that it will sting. At St, Jeromes, Md., where they 

 are very abundant (and where there is also an abund- 

 ance and variety of fine food fishes), they are eaten and 

 pronounced excellent, although in other localities they 

 are generally despised as utterly worthless. I intended 

 trying them, but circumstances prevented. I will em- 

 brace the first opportunity to test their merits and report 

 to the epicurian readers of Forest and Stream. 



Wm. P. Seal. 



Forest and Stream, Bos 2,882, N. Y. city, has descriptive illus- 

 trated circulars of W. B. Leffm^well's book, " Wild Fowl Shoot- 

 ing," which will be mailed free on request. The hook is pro- 

 nounced by "Nanit," "Gloan," "-Dick Swiveller," "Sybillene" and 

 other competent authorities to be the best treatise on the subject 

 extant. 



Names and Portraits ojt Birds, by Gurdon Trumbull. A 

 book particularly interesting to gunners, for by its use they can 

 identify without question all the American game birds whicb 

 tney may kill. Cloth, 220 pages, price S2.50. For sale by Forest 

 ajsd Stream. 



Seines, Nets of every description. American Net & Twine Co., 

 Mfrs., 34 Commercial st. Boston, or 199 Fulton st„ N. Y.—Adv. 



