8 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



|5Tan. 23, 1890, 



FISH COMMISSIONERS OF THE UNITED 

 STATES AND CANADA. 



(No information from those marked by an *. ) 



United States— 



(Office, Sixth and B streets, S, W., Washington, D. C.) 

 Col, Marshall MacDonald, Commissioner. 

 J. W. Collins, in charge, Division of Fisheries. 

 Richard Rathbun, in charge, Division of Scientific 

 Inquiry. 



T. H. Bean, Ichthyologist and Editor. 



J. J. O'Connor, Chief Clerk. 



John Gay, Inspector of Stations. 



George H. H. Moore, Chief of Distribution. 

 Alabama— 



Col. D. R. Hundley, Madison. 



Hon. Chas. F. G. Doster, Prattville. 

 Arizona— 



T. W. Otis, Chairman, Prescott. 



John Howard, Prescott. 



C. W. Stearns, Phenix. 

 *ARKANSAS— 



H. H. Rottaken, President, Little Rock. 



W. B. Worthen, Secretary, Little Rock. 



J. W. Calloway, Little Rock. 

 California— 



Joseph Routier, President, Sacramento. 



C. M. Josslyn, San Francisco. 



J. Downey Harvev, San Francisco. 

 Colorado— 



Gordon Land, Denver. 

 Connecticut— 



Dr. Wm. M. Hudson, Chairman, Hartford. 



James A. Bill, Lyme. 



Robert B. Chalker, Saybrook. 



The Shellfish Commissioners are: Dr. Wm. M. Hud- 

 son, James A. Bill, until Aug. 26, 1890; George C. 

 Waldo, Bridgeport; Bryant A. Treat, Wallingford, 

 from Aug. 26. 1890. 

 Delaware— 



Charles H. Shubert, Odessa. 



Dr. E. G. Shortlidge, Assistant and Superintendent 

 of Hatcheries, Wilmington. 

 *Geoegia— 



J. H. Henderson, Atlanta. 



Dr. H. H. Cary, Superintendent, La Grange. 

 Illinois— 



N. K, Fairbank, President, Chicago. 



Dr. S. P. Bartlett, Secretary, Quincy. 



George Breuning, Centralia. 

 Indiana- 

 Co!. W. T. Dennis, Richmond. 

 *IoWA— 



E. D. Carlton, Spirit Lake. 



Ole Bjorenson, Superintendent. 

 Kansas— 



John M. Brumbaugh, Concordia, 

 Kentucky— 



This State is said to have no Commission now. 

 Maine— 



E. M. Stilwell, Bangor. 



Henry O. Stanley, Dixfield. 



B. W. Counce, Thomaston, Sea and Shore Fisheries. 

 *M AKTLAND — 



Dr. E. W. Humphries, Salisbury. 



G. W. Delawder, Oakland. 

 Massachusetts— 



E. A. Brackett, Winchester. 

 E. H. Lathrop, Springfield. 

 Michigan— 



Herschel Whitaker, President, Detroit. 

 Dr. J. C. Parker, Grand Rapids. 

 Hoyt Post, Detroit. 



Wm. A. Butler, Jr., Treasurer, Detroit. 

 Geo. D. Mussey, Secretary, Detroit. 

 Walter D. Marks, Superintendent, Paris. 

 Minnesota— 



Robt. Orrnsby Sweeny, President, St. Paul. 

 Niles Carpenter, Rushford. 

 William Bird, Fairmont. 



S. S. Watkins, Superintendent of Hatchery, St. Paul. 

 Missouri— 



H. M, Garlichs, Chairman. St. Joseph. 

 J. L. Smith, Jefferson City. 



H. C. West, St. Louis. 



A. P. Campbell, Secretary, St. Joseph. 



ISSfe^^' I- Superintendents. 

 ^Nebraska— 



W. L. May, President, Fremont. 

 — McBride. Lincoln. 



B. E. B. Kennedy, Omaha. 



M. E. O'Brien, Superintendent, South Bend. 

 Nevada— 



Geo. T. Mills, Carson City. 

 New Hampshire— 



Geo. W. Riddle, Manchester. 



Elliott B. Hodge, Plymouth. 



John H. Kimball, Marlborough. 

 *New Jersey— 



Wm. Wright, Newark. 



Frank M. Ward, Newton. 



J. R. Elkinton, Pennsgrove. 

 New York— 



Eugene G. Blackford, President. 80 Fulton Market, 

 New York. 



Richard U. Sherman. New Hartford. 



Wm. H. Bowman, Rochester. 



Henry Burden, Troy. 



A. S. Joline, Tottenville. 



Superintendents: Fred Mather, Cold Spring Har- 

 bor; Monroe A. Green, Caledonia; James H. Marks, 

 Adirondack; E. F. Boehm, Sacandaga; E. L. Marks, 

 Fulton Chain. 

 Clerk and in charge Engineer's Department: Ed- 

 ward P. Doyle, Room 56, Fulton & Market Bank 

 Building, New York. 

 Shellfish Commissioner: Eugene G. Blackford. 

 State Oyster Protector: Joseph W. Mersereau, 80 



Fulton Market, New York. 

 Chief Game and Fish Protector: Fredrick P. Drew, 

 Albany. 

 North Carolina- 

 No Commission. 



Ohio— 



C. V. Osborn, President, Dayton. 



A. C. Williams. Secretary, Chagrin Falls. 

 John H. Law, Cincinnati. 

 John Hofer, Bellaire. 



E. D. Potter, Toledo. 



L. K. Buntain, Chief Warden, Dayton. 

 Thos. D. McNitt, Superintendent/Sandusky. 

 Oregon— 



F. C. Reed, President, Clackamas. 

 E. P. Thompson, Portland. 



R. C. Campbell, Ranier. 

 Pennsylvania— 



Henry C. Ford, President, Philadelphia. 



James V. Long, Corresponding Secretary, Pittsburg. 



Henry C. Demuth, Secretary, Lancaster. 



Walter L. Powell, Treasurer. Harrisburg. 

 S. B. Stilwell, Scranton. 

 L. Streuber Erie. 



Superintendents! J. P. Creveling, AUeutown: Wil- 

 liam Buller, Corry. 

 Rhode Island— 



Henry T. Root, Providence. 



William P. Morton, Johnston. 



J. M. K. Soutbwick, Newport. 

 *South Carolina— 



Hon. A. P. Butler, Columbia, 

 ^Tennessee— 



W. W. McDowell, Memphis. 



H. H. Sneed, Chattanooga. 



Edward D. Hicks, Nashville. 



Utah— 



A. Milton Musser, P. O. Box B, Salt Lake City. 

 Vermont— 



Hon, Herbert Brainerd, St. Albans. 



F. H. Atherton, Waterbury. 

 Virginia— 



Dr. John T. Wilkins, Jr., Bridgetown. 

 *West Virginia— 



C. S. White, President, Romney. 



F. J. Baxter, Treasurer, Sntton. 



James H. Miller, Secretary, Hintou. 

 Wisconsin— 



The Governor (ex-offlclo). 



Philo Dunning, President, Madison. 



C. L. Valentine, Secretary and Treasurer, Janesville. 



Mark Douglas, Melrose 



A. V. H. Carpenter, Milwaukee. 



Calvert Spensley, Mineral Point. 



E. S. Miner, Sturgeon Bay. 



James Nevin, Superintendent, Madison. 

 Wyoming Territory— 



Louis MiJler, Laramie. 

 Dominion of Canada— 



Hon. John Tilton, Deputy Minister of Fisheries, 

 Ottawa. 



Samuel Wilmot, Superintendent of Fishculture, 

 Ottawa. 



(Inspectors of Fisheries: J. R. Kinney, Yarmouth, 

 N. S ; R. C. Hockin, Pictou, N. S.; A C. Bertram, 

 North Sydney, N. S. ; J. H. Pratt, St. Andrews, N. B. ; 

 R. C. Chapman, Moncton, N. B.; D. Morrow, Oro : 

 mocto, N. B.; E. Hackett, Tignish, P. E. 1.; W. 

 Wakeham, Gasp6 Basin, P. Q.; Thos. Mowat, New 

 Westminster, B. C; Alex McQueen, Winnipeg, 

 Manitoba; F. C. Gilchrist, Fort Qu'Appelle, N. 

 W. T.). 



(Officers in Charge of Fish Breeding Establishments: 

 Chas. Wilmot, Newcastle, Ont.; Win. Parker, 

 Sandwich, Ont.; L.N. Catellier, Tadoussac, Que- 

 bec; H. Davis, pro tern, Gaspe, Quebec; A. H. 

 Moore, Magog, Quebec; Alex Mowat, Restigouche. 

 Quebec; A. B. Wilmot, Bedford, N. S.; C. A. Far- 

 quharson, Sydney, N. S. ; Isaac Sheasgreen, Mira- 

 michi, N. B.; Chas. McClusky, Grand Falls, N. B.; 

 Thos. Mowat, New Westminster, B, C. 



A 



WORK OF THE COMMISSIONS. 



LABAMA is doing nothing now in aid of fishculture or 

 protection. All that has been accomplished in tfce 

 State was brought about by private subscription, aided to 

 some extent by the U. S. Government. Only one report has 

 been made.— D. R. H. 



Arizona gives her Fish Commission charge of game pro- 

 tection also. The new Commission was organized in Octo- 

 ber and will make no report until the end of the present 

 year.— T. W. O. 



California is devoted at present principally to efforts at 

 restocking the rivers with salmon and the large lakes with 

 trout. The Commission expects during the present season 

 to hatch out about 3,000,000 salmon at the State hatchery at 

 Sisson, and also about 2,000,000 trout for distribution in the 

 branches of the Sacramento River and streams in the 

 vicinity of San Francisco. During the past season a large 

 number of black bass have been planted at various places 

 in the State, but more particularly in Clear Lake, in Lake 

 county, a splendid body of water, peculiarly adapted to the 

 propagation of this fish. A hatchery was built at Tahoe 

 City, on Lake Tahoe. the past season, from which that lake 

 as well as Independence and Webber lakes will be restocked 

 with trout; 2,000,000 trout have already been distributed 

 from this hatchery.— J. R. 



Colorado is endeavoring to stock the many mountain 

 lakes that now contain no food fish. These bodies of water 

 are well adapted to the growth of both the native trout and 

 the Eastern brook trout. The latter (S. fontiualis) has 

 shown a wonderful growth in these places, exceeding I ' .j ibs, 

 in twelve months from the date of introduction. In a trifle 

 over two years some individuals of this species have ex- 

 ceeded 31bs. in weight. This is readily accounted for by the 

 fact that such waters have a superabundance of aquatic 

 insect life and also contain a species of lizard, or water dog, 

 as the people here term them. These lizards are harmless 

 and are found in all our mountain lakes; they have their 

 gills on the outside. The larger trout prey upon" them. The 

 water in these elevated lakes, many of which are above 

 timber-line, 11,000 to 12,000ft. above sea-level, is clear, cold 

 and very deep. Our native trout also do well when once 

 introduced into such waters. I notice one error that has 

 been published by some of our papers and that is in regard 

 to the yellow fin 'trout of the Twin Lakes, wherein it is 

 stated that they are found only in that particular body of 

 water. I have myself taken and spawned them in the 

 waters of Chalk Creek and, in fact, all the tributaries of the 

 Upper Arkansas, though I have not taken them in any other 

 watershed. I mention this merely to show that they do not 

 inhabit solely a lake or a single tributary of a stream, but 

 are in all of the headwaters of the same stream, as it is only 

 natural that they should be.— G. L. 



Connect icut has divorced the Fish Commission from the 

 Shellfish Commission, and the two are now separate and 

 distinct. The Legislature makes a specific appropriation 

 each year for shad hatching and for the pui-chase and dis- 

 tribution of young trout, and the money cannot be used for 

 any other purpose. The State is famous for its trout 

 streams, and many of the lakes are well stocked with black 

 bass. The country people find much pleasure in capturing 

 the pickerel, which abounds in the rivers and ponds.— W. 

 M. H. 



Illinois is engaged chiefly in rescuing and distributing the 

 indigenous fishes from the holes and sloughs along the Mis- 

 sissippi and Illinois rivers. Last season's work was the 

 most successful in the history of the Commission. Fish 

 were obtained mostly from the Illinois River valley. As 

 the Mississippi did not overflow its banks the fish all 

 sought the Illinois River, which was very high during the 

 spawning season. Angling last season was better through- 

 out the State than for years. On Illinois River at Copperas 

 Creek, Spring Lake, at and near Havana, Pekin, Beards- 

 town and Mendosia 1 think that the catch of bass and wall- 

 eyed pike averaged better than at the more remote and 

 northern resorts. Fox Lake was better than I have ever 

 known it. One catch was recorded as having been made by 

 Charles F. Hills, of Chicago, of twelve small-mouthed black 

 bass in one morning, averaging nearly olbs.. while good 

 strings for everybody were general. I regard Illinois waters 

 to-day the peer of any State in the Union for bass fishing. 

 The growth of interest in the protection of fish is evidenced 

 by the large increase in fishing clubs in this State. — S. P. B. 



Indiana appropriates only $1,000 for fishcultural opera- 

 tions. Up to the present time carp have monopolized the 

 attention of the Commissioners. The Commissioner now in 

 office has made the preservation of indigenous fishes one of 

 his cardinal duties and also the construction of fishways at 

 the dams obstructing the streams. About fifty fishways 

 have been established. Indiana has the finest and most ex- 

 tensive bass fishing of any State in the LTnion. Angola, 

 Borne City, Cedar Beach, Warsaw, Maxinkuckee and Eug- 

 lish Lake are all popular summer resorts where bass, pike, 

 croppies and bluegills abound. A general meeting of the 

 friends of fish and game protection was held at the rooms of 

 the State Board of Agriculture, Dec. 19, in the Capital at 

 Indianapolis, the object being to devise ways and means for 

 the better protection of fish and game.— W. T. D. 



Maine trout fishing at Range! ey is well cared for, and the 

 breeding of the fish there is most satisfactory. The land- 

 locked salmon plant is a success there, and adds much to 

 the sport. Landlocked salmon are established also at 

 Webb's Pond, in Weld, and in many other lakes in the 

 State. Fish and fishculture with us are a success, and veni- 

 son is eminently appreciated. We believe we have the best 

 and most extensive trout fishing of any State in the Union. 

 Moosehead needs no mention. Arrangements are being 

 made there, as well as at Rangeley, for yearly stocking by 

 establishing hatcheries and furnishing them with spawn 

 taken from fish of the local waters. We need only intelli- 

 gent legislation and means for enforcing the laws, to pro- 

 vide the State with a surer and better revenue than from 

 gold mines, for it is a revenue divided among every class 

 and to every industry, as it is sought and earned.— E. M. S. 



Massachusetts has felt the remorseless grip of the petty 

 politicians, and lost one of her best Commissioners by resig- 

 nation. 



Michigan has enlarged its whitefish hatchery at Detroit 

 to a capacity of 160,000,000 eggs, and expects to handle that 

 number this winter. The Commission is taking also a 

 greater quantity of brook trout eggs than in former years. 

 — G. D. M. 



Nevada, during the la3t season, hatched and distributed 

 750,000 Eastern brook trout, and 50,000 Mackinaw trout. For 

 this season we have just finished a successful take from the 

 trout in a private lake in the State, about 800,000 ova of the 

 Eastern brook trout, and have moved them from the lake to 

 the hatchery, about fifteen miles distant, in cans by buck- 

 board over a mountain road with very small loss. The 

 greater portion of this hatch will be placed in the streams 

 of eastern Nevada, which have been somewhat neglected in 

 the past years. I also anticipate a shipment of 50,000 land- 

 locked salmon, for which I applied to Hon. Marshall Mc- 

 Donald some months ago, which will be placed in Lake 

 Tahoe, a paradise for anglers. 



Last season we were troubled somewhat in the State Hatch- 

 ery with what the late Seth Green called the dropsy or blue 

 swelling. I considered this to be caused by the crowded 

 troughs and roiled water. Thi* season the fault has been 

 remedied and I expect no further trouble from this source. 



In October I placed in the Truckee River, below Reno, one 

 of Col. McDonald's fishways. Owing toa delay in receiving 

 the plans and the rains coming on, water rising, etc., 1 was 

 unable to place more than one; but next summer I shall 

 place two more in the same stream. 



In the Truckee the Piute Indians, in years past, were in 

 the habit of spearing and selling to dealers and others large 

 numbers of lake trout that were ascending the stream on 

 their way to the spawning beds. Last year this was com- 

 paratively stopped by waruing the Indians, telling them 

 that it was illegal, and by four arrests and convictions. I 

 was assisted in this matter by District Attorney Allen, of 

 Washoe, and by Constable Upson of the same place. This 

 year the citizens are taking an active interest in the preser- 

 vation of the trout, and I hope to see illegal fishing cease 

 entirely. 



The rainbow trout (Salmo irideus) is a native of our 

 streams and grows to a large size. I have frequently caught 

 individuals weighing from 3% to 4Wlbs., and other angiers 

 have taken still larger ones. It is very gamy, and excellent 

 tackle is required to stand its wild rushes. It is considered 

 the choice table fish, outranking the Eastern transplanted 

 and the lake trout. I should like to propagate it, believing it 

 to bo the best fish for these waters: but owing to its spawn- 

 ing in the spring months, when the snows are melting and 

 the waters are high, it would not be feasible. 



I should like to start a controversy as to the best time to 

 transplant the fry, the best appliances, cans, etc., to use in 

 transportation, and all other questions pertaining to the 

 subject. 



I have been a constant reader of Forest and Stream for 

 the past seven years, and shall be pleased at any time to 

 give it a few notes on Nevada fishing and the prospects of 

 the Nevada Commission.— G. T. M. 



New York will operate a hatchery on Chautauqua Lake for 

 muskellunge, and M. B. Hill's hatchery on the St. Law- 

 rence River for whitefish and siscoes. The Commission pro- 

 poses to hatch more fish than ever before aud distribute 

 them in a better manner. Examination of all the streams 

 of the State is being made with this end in view. — E. P. D. 



North Carolina appointed commissioners in 1887 to de- 

 termine and locate the "natural oyster beds" of the State. 

 All the bottoms of the sounds embraced in the act, and not 

 included in the limits of the "natural oyster beds" or "pub- 

 lic grounds," as they were called in the act, were made 

 subject to the entry by residents of North Carolina. Non- 

 residents were likewise permitted to enter lands lying more 

 than two miles from the shore. After the Commissioners 

 had performed the duty of locating the public grounds the 

 office was abolished, and there are now no shellfish commis- 

 sioners in North Carolina.— W. J. G. 



07iio has lately purchased land at Chagrin Falls to 

 establish large hatching ponds for bleeding fishes to stock 

 the inland waters of the State. Among the fishes to be 

 reared are small-mouthed black bass, croppie, marbled 

 catfish and muskellunge. Small-mouthed black bass can 

 be successfully propagated in ponds, as we have demon- 

 strated here during the past two or three years, and we 

 shall now continue it on a larger scale. There are two 

 branches of the Chagrin River, on both of which are high 

 falls, above which there never was a small-mouthed black 

 bass until put there about five years ago by Mr. S. J. Stran- 

 ahan and the writer. In one branch we placed young bass 

 from Lake Erie and have never seen one siDce. They un- 

 doubtedly went for the lake as fast as they could get there. 

 In the other branch we placed bass taken from a stream , 

 and last June the writer counted seventeen nests on one 

 side of the stream in not over eight rods of the stream. In 

 one pool have been caught last fall over 300 of them with 

 hook and line, weighing from % to l^lbs. each. We have 

 125 of the largest of these ready to place in our new hatching 

 ponds.— A. C. W. 



Pennsylvania united with the New York Commission in 

 establishing three Rogers's fishways in the dam at Lacka- 

 waxen, near the headwaters of the Delaware River, the 

 Legislature of each of the States appropriating §1,500 for the 

 purpose. The eastern station at Allentown has been en- 

 larged at an expense of S2,500, and is now one of the moat 

 approved and best equipped establishments of its kind. The 

 distribution of several millions of wall-eyed pike by means 

 of one of the cars of the U- S. Fish Commission in the im- 

 portant rivers of the State has been recorded in Forest and 

 Stream. The western station, at Corry, has obtained a good 

 stock of eggs of brook trout, lake trout and hybrids, and so 

 has the station at Allentown. The Loch Leven trout eggs, 

 obtained from theU. S. Fish Commission have been success- 

 fully hatched and the fry planted in cold mountain waters. 



