24 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[JAN. 39, 1891. 



THE BLUE-STRIPED TRIGGER FISH. 



LAST October while in New Hampshire we learned 

 from Mr. Charles Bassett, of the firm of George B. 

 Appleton & Co., Boston, Mass,, that a curious fish had 

 been taken at Wood's Holl, Mass., and forwarded by his 

 firm to the Museum of Comparative Zoology, at Cam- 

 bridge, Mass. From Mr. Bassett's dpscription we easily 

 recognized the fish to be one of the trigger fishes, a 

 species of Balisfes. The fish was exhibited by Messrs. 

 Appleton & Co., in Boston, and attracted much attention. 

 Recently we have received from Mr. R. O. Harding, 

 ^Secretary of the Massachusetts Association, a letter in- 

 closing a description of this trigger fish by Prof. Samuel 

 Garman, of the museum above mentioned. 



The blue-striped trigger fish is only an accidental 

 ■visitor as far north as Cape God. It is common in the 

 Gulf of Mexico and the West Indies. The fish is remark- 

 able for its shape and the peculiarities of its teeth and stiff 

 'dorsal spines, the first of which resembles a trigger in 

 shape and can be immovably fixed at will. There is a 

 figure in the Fishery Industries of the United States of a 

 related but less handsome species, Balistes capriscus. 

 This illustration will give the reader a good idea of the 



general form, but the blue-striped species (vetuta) has the 

 lobes of the tail fin much more produced than in the 

 capriscus, and may readily be distinguished by its colors. 

 The general color is dark brown: there is a vivid blue 

 ring on the snout and each side of the head contains two 

 parallel stripes of the same color. The dorsal and anal 

 fin, and the root of the tail fin, are also marked by a blue 

 band. The outer margin of the anal and caudal fins are 

 blue, and there is a crescent-shaped band of the same color 

 a little behind the root of the tail. The other species 

 (capriscus) has been taken as far north as Wood's Holl a 

 number of times. Its color is a uniform dull grayish- 

 brown. The small size of the mouth of the trigger fishes 

 and their large and projecting teeth would not suggest 

 their adaptability for capture by hook and line, but in 

 the spring of 1885, when the steamer Albatross was at 

 Cozumel, Lieut. Asher C. Baker, of that vessel, demon- 

 strated the fact that the species can readily be taken at 

 the su.rface by using small hooks baited with cut clam or 

 pieces of fish. In the Bermudas the common trigger fish 

 is considei-ed as a valuable food fish, but in the Gulf of 

 Mexico, according to Mr. Silas Stearns, "in regions where 

 it is not eaten it is regarded as a pest by the fishermen 

 from its habit of stealing bait from their hooks. Its 

 manner of taking the bait is rather peculiar, for instead 

 of pulling the line backward or to one side it raises it 

 upward so quietly that the fisherman does not perceive 

 the motion, and then, by careful nibbling, cleans the 

 hook without injury to itself." 



The Balistes capriscus is known as the leather jacket at 

 Pensacola, and it is considered one of the most difficult 

 fishes to land, because its sharp and powerful teeth en- 

 able it readily to cut the line or break the hook. The 

 skin of the trigger fishes is used as a substitute for sand- 

 paper in Florida, the Bahama Islands and the Bermudas. 

 Our figure is from a drawing by Mr. Harding, 



WHAT THE A. O. U. HAS DONE. 



AT the eighth annual meeting of the American Orni- 

 thologists' Union, held at Washington last Novem- 

 ber, Mr. J. A. Allen, Avho has been president since the 

 founding of the Union, delivered a retrospective address 

 touching briefly on the work done by the Linion since its 

 origin. We are now in receipt of the text of the address, 

 which has just been printed. 



Mr. Allen speaks of the organization of the Union in 

 1883, and of its being an outgrowth of the Nuttall Ornith- 

 ological Club of Cambridge, Mass., which had turned over 

 to the Union its quarterly journal, then known as the 

 Nuttall Bulletin, and what has since become the Auk. 

 One of the earliest tasks which presented itself after the 

 founding of the Union was to reconcile the difl'erences 

 which then existed in regard to the nomenclature em- 

 ployed by ornithologists. The result of the labors of its 

 committee was the publication of the octavo volume of 

 400 pages which embraces a Code of Nomenclature and 

 the Classified Check List of North American Birds, the 

 importance of which is everywhere acknowledged. The 

 work of the committee on the Status of the European 

 House Sparrow is well known. The information which 

 it gathered has been turned over to the Division of Econ- 

 omic Ornithology of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 

 The same may be said of the work of the committee on 

 the Geographical Distribution of North American Birds, 

 which almost at once outgrew the resources of the Union, 

 At the second congress of the Union a committee was 

 appointed on Protection of North American Birds. The 

 work of this committee was humanitarian and utilitarian 

 rather than scientific. It did much to enlighten public 

 opinion in respect to the extent of the destruction of birds 

 for millinery purposes and its lamentable results. On 

 this subject it published two bulletins, secured the en- 

 actment of excellent laws for the protection of birds in 

 several States and co-operated with societies for the pre- 

 vention of cruelty to animals in protecting birds. It was 

 also the origin of the Audubon Society, with its widely 

 scattered chapters, and of numberless lesser societies es- 

 pecially devoted to the protection of birds. The influence 

 it exercised, directly and indirectly through the public 

 press has been beyond estimate. Within a short time 

 after the publication of its first Bulletin, son? birds, and 

 in fact our native birds generally, nearly disappeared as 

 adjuncts of the milliners' art, and the consequent decline 

 in this country of the "feather trade" forced several of 

 the leading dealers in bird skins for millinery purposes 



into bankruptcy. There is no doubt that to the direct 

 and indirect results of this committee's energetic crusade 

 are largely due the markedly improved sentiment respect- 

 mg bn-d slaughter for millinery purposes, and its great 

 decline in this country during the last four or five years. 



The important work done by the Union's journal, the 

 Aulc, is fittmgly referred to, and then Mr. Allen passes 

 on to a consideration of the activity in ornithology in the 

 last seven years, and the work done by its iildividual 

 members. 



The LTnion has had a steady growth, and at the begin- 

 nmg of the last congress had on its rolls 49 active. 25 

 honorary, 68 corresponding and 258 associate members. 

 Active and honorary members are limited to 50 and 25 

 respectively. 



Zoological Park Appointment.— Mr. W. H. Black- 

 burne, who has long been connected with Barnum & 

 Bailey's Circus, has been appointed principal keeper of 

 the Zoological Park at Washington, D. C. Mr. Black- 

 burne has had a long experience in caring for caged 

 circus animals, but the conditions in a zoological park 

 are somewhat different, and just how well fitted he may 

 be to take charge of such a park we do not know. 



The Biological Society of Washington.— The 

 eleventh anniversary meeting of the Biological Society of 

 Washington was held in the lecture room of the Colum- 

 bian University on Saturday evening, Jan. 24, at 8:30 

 o'clock. The retiring president, Professor Lester F. Ward, 

 delivered an address entitled "Neo-Darv^-inism and Neo- 

 Lamarckism," 



i^m^ §Hg md §tttj. 



The full texts of the game laws of all the States, Terri- 

 tories and British Provinces are given in the ^ooTc of the 

 Cfame Laws. 



IN ENGLISH FIELDS AND COVERS. 



A T a recent dinner party my neighbor amused me 

 1\- with a description of an American gentleman's first 



shooting party at Sir John 's. The whole account 



indicated how little is known by some, otherwise well- 

 informed, Americans about this favorite English sport. 

 The fact that the American wore thin boots to go tramp- 

 ing through the covers, and that when a rabbit was shot 

 by one of the company he plunged into the underbrush 

 to fetch it, were signs of ignorance that the Englishman 

 laughed at, but he admired the determined manner in 

 which the Yankee proceeded to question every action 

 with the evident object of gaining information. For 

 those who are unable to enjoy a "personally conducted" 

 investigation a few words may not be out of place. 



Preserving and shooting are not matters of a moment. 

 Throughout the summer the gentleflien of the house 

 anxiously inquire into the welfare of the birds and the 

 prospects of autumnal sports. The game keeper watches 

 with practiced eye the conduct of the game, he keeps 

 the pheasants confined in wire inclosures in the breeding 

 season, employs the barnyard fowls to hatch the eggs 

 and then tenderly rears the young birds. He provides 

 proper food for all and, mayhap, lays a dainty trafl of 

 raisins to tempt birds from his neighbors' preserves. 



Game licenses are obtained (costing about $10), new 

 sporting -dogs are added to the kennels, and before the 

 first September sun has risen all is in readiness. The 

 master appears in stout tweed breeches, his great boots 

 strapped about the leg, a close-fitting cap covers his head, 

 a carti'idge bag is slung across his shoulders. 



The season opens on the first day of September, and the 

 favorite guests are invited for shooting on this occasion. 

 The master has a large enough party staying in his house 

 or he asks some other "guns," who drive over from their 

 distant country homes, bringing their wives or daughters 

 with them. 



By 10:30 A. M. the sportsmen are started across the 

 fields with one or two sporting dogs — setters, retrievers 

 or terriers— at their heels, while the keeper and his assist- 

 ants follow at a respectful distance. They march on till 

 they reach the appointed turnip fleld. At the word of 

 command the dogs set to work; back and forth they go, 

 with noses close to the ground, till on finding a scent the 

 setter strikes the proper attitude, the sportsmen come up 

 just as the birds either scuttle ofl! through the furrows or 

 fly up as marks for the ready guns, several of the covey 

 fall and the rest are ofl' beyond reach. The dogs are 

 again sent on and another covey is soon up. As the party 

 pass on following the game, the keeper and his assistants 

 pick up the birds, and the netted bag with its canvas lin- 

 ing soon grows plump if sport is good. Occasionally the 

 terriers are urged into a hedge and a couple of white tufts 

 flicker by. and a brace of rabbits or hares is presently 

 gathered in by the keeper. 



The ground game, i. e., rabbits and hares, are the per- 

 quisites of the tenant in whose hedge the "pussies" are 

 shot, endless controversies arise as to the ownei'ship of 

 the different sides of a hedge, for the tenant farmer, if 

 he is of a poaching disposition, will set his guns on the 

 wrong side of the hedge, and perhaps entraps some birds 

 to whit;h he is not entitled. Meanwhile our shooting 

 party is working its way through the fields to the spot 

 appointed for lunch, which is taken picnic-fashion, al 

 fresco, or eaten under cover, if the day proves too damp 

 for an out-of-door collation. A substantial meal it must 

 be, as the men are sure to be "as hungry as hunters." 

 And ten great hampers reveal many seasonable delica- 

 cies. The ladies have joined the party here and listen to 

 the story of the day's sport, 



"What were you doing lying on your back, Harry, up 

 in that field?" 



"You would hare done the same, Jack, if a fellow 

 pointed his gun at you." 



"That reminds me, chimes in another, you know what 

 a shot Smith is, he nearly killed me the other day." 



"Exactly, I think he must have a grudge against us 

 and wants to annihilate the family." 



The month passes away and the fields are shot over 

 several times a week and then "Master" joins other shoot- 

 ing parties, sometimes taking with him his own man and 

 dog, but only on rare occasions, though I have heard of a 

 man developing great popularity at this season, because 

 he has a favorite sporting dog. Often the Master comes 

 home enraged with some poaching farmer who has shot 

 every one of a covey that were known to frequent a dis- 



tant field, and to-day when the Master went to bag them 

 he found only a heap of feathers. 



October commences, perhaps, with a bright autumnal 

 day such as are so common at that season in America, 

 but unusual here. To-day the pheasant shooting opens 

 and the Master and his friends drive off to the covers on 

 the hill, to the thick grove of larches with a scrub oak 

 undergrowth, where the shy birds hide. The party now 

 is augmented by a number of beaters, who with stout cud- 

 ets lay about them in the underbrush to frighten up the 

 irds. The gu^is divide, some going into the thicket with 

 the beaters and the others stand outside, a gunshot apart, 

 moving gradually around the covers. The birds, when 

 started, fiy up and the bright plumaged cock forms a 

 mark for the sportsman, but his mate is often spared for 

 breeding another season. 



The ladies are out to-day and go round the covers with 

 the outer guns until some take fright at the spent shot 

 that rattles around them like hail and they retreat to a 

 safer vantage ground. Sometimes a drive is instituted. 

 This sounds much more complicated when described than 

 it really is. Two parallel jmths or "drives" have been 

 cleared through the covers with by-paths connecting 

 them. The beaters with two sportsmen start at the upper 

 end of the place between the paths, while two guns are 

 placed at the ends of the first by-path; these shoot at the 

 game as it flies before the beaters. As the latter approach 

 where the guns are stationed the sportsmen move on to 

 the next by-path and whistle their signal to the beaters, 

 who continue to drive on the game. In this way the 

 covers are shot over. 



As the season advances the game grows shyer and 

 scarcer; naturally enough, you would say if you saw the 

 bags brought in and had an opportunity of entering the 

 well filled tidy larder— but sometimes the sportsmen are 

 lured away by hunting or other amusements till the lady 

 of the manor threatens to follow the old fashion of serv- 

 ing a dish of spurs when the larder is depleted. 



The November days are so short that little shooting 

 can be accomplished, but the wild pigeons afford a vari- 

 ety in the sport, for after a day's work, when few par- 

 tridges have been secured toward sunset, which is very 

 near 3:30 P. M., you may see the guns wending their way 

 toward a group of trees, in which it is rumored the 

 pigeons roost. Sometimes they have luck enough to bring 

 in a brace, but the birds are shy, though often on a Sunday 

 they wiU perch boldly near the house, for they seem to 

 know that is a "close" day for them. These birds are a 

 very acceptable addition to the larder, for when well 

 cooked and highly seasoned they form a most palatable 

 dish, even preferred by some people to other game. 



Toward Christmas the cry of the wild duck is heard, 

 and a sharp watch is kept near the ponds on which they 

 alight; they sometimes pause a couple of days in their 

 flight or in favored localities they will spend the winter. 



Shooting continues all winter until the close time for 

 most game begins, on Feb. 2; but even then the spring 

 affords rook shooting; this usually is in season toward 

 Easter, when the young birds are about a month old. 

 Not only are the old birds too "smart" in hiding behind 

 the boughs of the trees, high up in which they have built 

 their clumsy nests, but they are far too tough to be eaten. 

 There is not the same prejudice against them that we 

 have for crows, for the rooks are granivorous birds. I 

 had, however, imagined rook pie to be a very untempt- 

 ing dish, but when urged to eat some by those who liked 

 it I was surprised to find the meat very dehcate, not un- 

 like that of pigeons. Only the breast is used in the pie, 

 and the skinning and j^reparation is a diflficult process. 



There are some matters of etiquette connected with 

 shooting that should be mentioned. For instance, when 

 one is invited to join a shooting party none of the game 

 that falls before his steady aim becomes his, but belongs 

 to the owner of the place, but occasionally the "master" 

 may present a brace of birds to some lady of the party 

 whose larder he may suspect is not already well stocked. 

 Sometimes the clergyman of the parish does not care for 

 the shooting on his glebe and gives it to the "squire," who, 

 as a rule, keeps the minister's table supplied with game. 

 Each guest at a shooting party is expected to tip the 

 keeper and his assistants. Often a gold piece is slipped 

 into the keeper's hand. If he has had his horse put up 

 in the stable a coin is given to the groom. So through- 

 out it all shooting is an expensive amusement; with the 

 cost of guns, cartridges, licenses and fees, a pretty heavy 

 drain is made upon the purse, even where one has the 

 shooting with his house and does not have to hire from a 

 neighbor; even when he has his own preserves he may 

 have to buy the privilege of shooting over some little 

 farm that divides his fields. Still there is little complaint 

 on the score of expense, as the English are so keen for 

 this amusement, and an American soon learns the ropes 

 and enjojs the sport thoroughly if he gets a chance. 



Frances B. James. 



WILDFOWL IN OREGON.-II. 



NOW the boys must choke down their indignation and 

 deal gently with me while I pay my respects to the 

 great blue heron. Not that he is a game bird in any 

 accepted sense of the term, but a duck lake or slough in 

 this country (or, in fact, almost any other) without this 

 quiet, dignified form stuck at respectable intervals here 

 and there would be like the play of Hamlet with Hamlet 

 left out. Not being an ornithologist myself, I will call 

 your attention to Webster's descriptio^i of a heron, to wit: 

 "A wading bird with long legs and neck." I guess Mr. 

 Webster is correct. That's about all there is of him, and 

 the grotesque figure at the bar fills the bill. 



Herons, we are told, are distributed over nearly the 

 whole of the civilized world, but in this particular part of 

 creation they are known to the hunters by a less eupho- 

 nious appellation. These solitary sentinels are created, of 

 course, for some good purpose, but the average hunter 

 has not yet discovered what that purpose is. Certainly 

 not for food. Possibly for taxidermists to experiment on. 

 The pot-hunter can tell you one thing for which they are 

 most excellent — warning ducks of impending danger. 

 How many boys there are that can tell you of lost oppor- 

 tunities on ducks, coupled with an expletive for the bene- 

 fit of these long-necked, keen-eyed monuments. Many a 

 "kid" and even mature pot-hunter has crawled through 

 mud and saw-grass hundreds of yards to get a raking shot 

 at a half discovered flock of mallard, teal or woodduck 

 feeding in some secluded nook out of the wind, only to be 

 greeted at the supreme moment by that infernal, blood- 

 curdling, agonizing yell that can be compared to nothing 

 else that ever greeted the human ear. Those who have 



