500 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[May 26, lb&3, 



LITTLETON SPORTSMEN. 



"While waiting the other evening in one of the stores 

 in town I became interested in a conversation which 

 was being held among a group of four or five at the fur- 

 ther end of the room. 



"Talking of dogs reminds me," said one, "of a little 

 fellow I had some time ago. I doubt if he has had his 

 match in this whole country." 



"What one was that?" 



"Twas old Skip; he was half setter and half spaniel, 

 and a better dog I never had." 



"'Twas the one that Ben Kilburn made that record 

 with, wasn't it?" 



"Yes, the same fellow. He shot fifty-eight partridges 

 over him one day. Guess that ain't been beat by many." 



"What became of the dog, Ran?" 



"Well, he got foul of a flock of sheep, killed two or 

 three and some one shot him." 



"Too bad to lose a good hunting dog like that." 



"Yes, an' if I'd known who 'twas 'twould have gone 

 hard with the fellow." 



" 'Taint very of ten you find a dog that'll tackle sheep. 

 Some of 'em have it barn in 'em, but gen'rally if a dog is 

 taken good care of and not ill-treated he won't kill 



"Guess that's so, Ran; but did you know the town here 

 paid $68 for killed sheep, and $33 was to one man, last 



year?" 

 "No, is that so?" 



"Guess some one must have an tied up." 



"That dog of yourn was a good duck dog, wasn't he?" 



"Yes, he'd bring a duck 'cross a lake for over half a 

 mile. I've seen him do it lots of times." 



Probably no dog in this section was better known than 

 little Skip, for his reputation went even beyond the White 

 Mountain region. His owner, N. W. Ranlett. is one of 

 the oldest and most prominent hunters here. Years ago, 

 when this region was not so thickly settled, he followed 

 the trail of bear and deer for weeks at a time. 



Mr. B. W. Kilburn, who is at the head of the largest 

 stereoptic view works in the world, located in Littleton, 

 is a hunter of no small magnitude. Every fall and winter 

 he makes a trip into the woods, and his efforts are always 

 attended with success. Prominent among his feats is 

 the ascent of Mt, Washington in the winter. Few men 

 have climbed the ice slopes of this monster more times 

 than Mr. Kilburn, and more than one hardy adventure 

 has been experienced by him in snow storms and 

 darkness. 



The five veteran hunters of Littleton are probably B. 

 W. Kilburn, N. W. Ranlett, Charles Goodwin, G. S. Nurse 

 and C. H. Nurse. All have owned valuable hounds, and 

 some of them now are seen about our streets, who still 

 awaken the echo of hill and dale as fox and deer dart forth 

 in front of their keen noses. 



For the last few years these veterans have taken little 

 active part in hunting, though their interest in this line 

 has not abated. They are always ready to tell a story, 

 or hear any comment upon the experiences of ouryounger 

 nimrods. 



The other day Rev. J. B. Merrill, pastor of the Baptist 

 church here, was in the Journal office, and while looking 

 over a copy of the Forest and Stream and reading some 

 of the reports from fishermen, said he guessed he could 

 tell a story about fish that few could re-echo. "It was 

 only a few years ago," he said, "that in company with a 

 friend I was fishing at West Newfield. We had been 

 having some very good sport and were about winding up 

 our lines when I felt a strong pull. For about five 

 minutes I struggled, and then hauled out a large eel. It 

 was some time before we could cut his back with a knife, 

 but after chasing him over the ledge, we finally cornered 

 him between two rocks. After we had taken him home 

 and he was cut up and ready for the pan he weighed 

 four and one-half pounds." 



This is not an average fish story, and as it was told by 

 a Baptist minister we cannot attach anything but truth to 

 it. W. Stanhope Huston. 



Littleton, N. H., May 15. 



FISHES OF JAMAICA.* 



We have received, through the courtesy of Mr. Edward 

 M. Earle, Managing Director of the Jamaica Fisheries, 

 Limited, Bulletin No. 1 of the Institute of Jamaica, being 

 a provisional list of the fishes of the island of Jamaica, 

 This list has been compiled by Mr. T, D. A. Cockerell 

 largely from Mr. Richard Hill's list of the fishes of the 

 island published in 1853, in which were esmmerated 113 

 genera and 276 specie?; the Catalogue of the Fishes in 

 the British Museum, and a list of 100 species published 

 by Dr. Bean and Mr. Dresel, of the U. S, National Mu- 

 seum, in 1884. 



As is well known, the number of fishes found in the 

 West Indies is large, and in this list are recorded a total 

 of 331 species. Many of the fishes of Jamaica are valuable 

 for food, others are remarkable for form and color, while 

 quite a number come under the category of game fishes. 

 For the angler we note that universal favorite, the striped 

 bass, the white perch, a number of groupers, some of 

 which attain to a. very large size, the brilliant hogfish, 

 bluefish, mullets, porgies or sea breams, the snook or 

 sergeant fish, the weakfishes, croakers, spots, the pom- 

 pano, the tarpum, the swordfish, the sailfish, yellow 

 mackerel, amberfish, bonito, Spanish mackerel, cero, 

 kingfish, or caballa, cobia and barracuda. The moun- 

 tain streams contain fresh-water mullets of rare excel- 

 lence for food and with all the shyness and cunning of 

 the brook trout — species well adapted to the art of the 

 fly-fisherman. The goldfish and a small pickerel have 

 been introduced into the island. 



Among the highly colored kinds are the parrot fishes, 

 the bristle-toothed fishes, the dolphin and the sculpin- 

 like fish known in Jamaica as lionfish. Some of the 

 curiosities are the sucking fish, the trunk-fishes, the sour- 

 sop or porcupine fish, the sea toad or goose fish, the fly- 

 ing gurnard and the flute-mouth. 



It will appear from the above hasty sketch that 

 Jamaica has great wealth of fishes and can offer the 

 angler and naturalist rich rewards for the time they may 

 spend within her borders. 



* Institute of Jamaica, Bulletin No. 1. A provisional list of 

 the fishes of Jamaica, compiled by T. D, A. Cockerell. Curator of 

 the Museum of the Institute, Kingston. Jamaica: Government 

 Printing Office. 1892. 



THE THRASHER. 



A thrasher shark fourteen feet Ions: recently cre- 

 ated a strong ripple of excitement at Nassawadox, Ya., 

 where it came ashore. The thrasher is a novelty in that 

 region and its immense tail, shaped like a scythe-blade, 

 captured the crowd. In Europe this animal is known as 

 the foxshark, and in New England as the swingle-tail. 

 The name fox is derived from the length and roughness 



NEW HAMPSHIRE WATERS. 



Lancaster, N. H., May 23.— The long looked for 

 "warm spell" has not reached here yet: the two or three 

 rain storms of the past two weeks have been cold and 

 have done but little to start vegetation, and it is reported 

 that 6in. of snow fell at Fabyans and Twin Mountains, 

 fifteen miles east of here, last Saturday. Pilot Range 

 Mountains, just east of our village, were as white as mid- 



THRA3HER SHARK. 



of its tail, and thrasher is said to refer to its habit of de- 

 fending itself by blows of its tail. Fishermen believe 

 that the shark kills fish by striking tbem with this flexi- 

 ble weapon. There is also a theory that the trasher at- 

 tacks whales, but this must be founded on error of obser- 

 vation or confusion of names; the thrasher which gives 

 battle to whales is probably one of the killers, a species 

 of Orca, which has strong teeth, wonderful agility and 

 ferocity and formidable size, reaching a length of 30ft. 



SCUP IN OIL FACTORIES. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I have always lived on the shores of BoBton Harbor, 

 and I have seen with regret the fishing grow poorer year 

 by vear, and I should like to know the cause. 



My own idea is that fish that are killed cannot produce 

 eggs or renew their species; but I am told that some phil- 

 osopher had said several hundreds of years ago that ' 'man 

 could make no impression on the fish supply," and that 

 the cause of the scarcity of fish was unknown. Now, I 

 think that the wholesale destruction by the weirs, or trap 

 pounds, purse seines and the menhaden oil factories must 

 have an immense effect in diminishing the fish supply. 

 There are now many thousands of barrels of scup yarded 

 in the Seaconnet River, for which there is no market, as 

 the constimption does not equal the catch just now, as all 

 the scup are caught in the few days that they are running 

 to their summer feeding grounds. I should suppose that 

 if these fish were allowed to escape they would produce 

 many millions of eggs, a large proportion of which might 

 hatch. There are now about 900 barrels of scup in 

 Church's oil factory, and most of those now yarded in 

 Seaconnet River will probably find their way there in the 

 course of a few days if the storm don't destroy the yards. 

 I saw the steamer Seven Brothers unloading at the fac- 

 tory yesterday, and all the fish I could see were scup. 

 This steamer is bringing them as fast as she can make 

 the trips. A vessel named the Patience is now, at this 

 moment, unloading at the factory. The fish are sweet 

 and good. I think there will be hundreds of barrels of 

 scup in sight at the factory for several days to prove my 

 statements, if they should be doubted, or to satisfy any- 

 body that these oil factories do put other fish besides 

 menhaden into their vats. One of these porgy pirates 

 captured 900 barrels of shad in Sheepscot River last sum- 

 mer, and sold a few to the farmers at 10 cents each, and 

 threw all the rest overboard, as they had shot their 

 spawn and were very lean. William H. Reed. 



Tivfhton, R. I., May 15, 



TOLEDO NOTES. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The unhappy fisherman at the head of Lake Erie hss 

 about made up his mind that he is to have no spring bass 

 fishing this year. Ordinarily the very cream of the 

 spring fishing occurs between the 15th and 25th of May, 

 although in exceptional years it comes ten days earlier. 

 Under Canadian regulations, the bass fishing at Peleeand 

 the other islands just north of the international bound- 

 ary has for many years opened on the loth of May, and 

 we have scarcely ever failed to strike the gamy small- 

 mouth within the first two or three days. But this year 

 the season was changed so as to open on the 10th, and our 

 Dayton friends were landed on the island on the 9th, 

 consistent with their usual custom of beginning the cam- 

 paign on the first day. But with the exception of the 

 15th and. a part of the day following we have had abso- 

 lutely no bass weather since the 10th, although we have 

 had every other kind conceivable. 



Around the Bass Islands on the Ohio side it has not 

 been possible to do any fishing, even if the weather had 

 been propitious, since the Maumee River, swollen with 

 the May rains, has unloaded about their shores several 

 million tons of what the geologists call "silt," which 

 bears a striking resemblance to what is commonly known 

 as mud. These same freshets of course have put the 

 river in such a condition that it will not be low enough 

 or clear enough to work in the latter part of May or the 

 first half of June, when our spring stream fishing is ordi- 

 narily afc its best. 



In the northern part of the lower peninsula of Michi- 

 gan we count on our best bass fishing in the first half of 

 June, and there is some compensation in store for those 

 who are fortunate enough to strike Bear Lake or Crystal 

 or any of the score of good fishing waters in that terri- 

 tory during the time named. This is also a capital sea- 

 son for trout in that region, and the man who knows 

 where to go at this time will find a very agreeable variety 

 in his outing. Jay Beebe, 



Toledo, O., May 21. 



Hudson River Striped Bass. 



Kingston, N. Y,, May 18, — A striped bass weighing 

 711bs. was caught in a shad net near this city by Ira Cole 

 last night. This is said to be the largest striped bass ever 

 caught in the Hudson River. It measures 4 ft. lin. in 

 length and 37in. around the belly.— iVew York Times, 



winter. Such are the disadvantages under which the 

 angler must labor in order to secure a few trout, and very 

 few they have been thus far this season, too. I have yet 

 to hear of a good catch, though our local anglers are 

 an industrious set and have been unusually persistent 

 this spring. 



The ice is out of the Connecticut Lakes, also Diamond 

 Ponds. Both Noyes, of the Diamonds, and Bnmford, of 

 the lakes, were to send word as soon as the fish began to 

 appear, but I hear nothing. I expect ere long to be able 

 to send you a "certified" account of;the numbers'and size 

 of the fish taken at some of Coos county's famous fishing 

 resorts. 



Saturday a friend and myself drove out to a pond or 

 stream, which I had never visited before, and I was quite 

 surprised to find so favorable a fishing ground so near by; 

 and hour and a half drive from here. Owing to the cold 

 storm we only got a few, but they were beauties. Later 

 on, when they rise to fly, I anticipate some sport, and 

 should any of the readers of this chance to be in Lancaster 

 this spring, and have a day to spare, I would bs pleased 

 to have tbem give me a call and, if they feel so disposed, 

 assist me in "foreclosing on a mortgage" which I think I 

 have on some of those trout. Rob. 



Colebrook, N. H. — Among the curiosities that were 

 found at the hatchiner house that was erected last fall 

 east of the village of Colebrook, was a trout that had two 

 heads. It is living and doing nicely in a jar of fresh 

 water in the store of C. Colbv. Twenty thousand trout 

 fry were taken from this hatchery tbit spring and placed 

 in Diamond Pond. There are some 20,000 young palmon 

 there at present, which are to be removed to the Connec- 

 ticut Lakes a little later in the season. Halforde. 



MICHIGAN TROUT STREAMS. 



Grand Rapids, Mich., May 20.— Trouting in this State 

 has not yet opened with any degree of liberality, owing 

 to the cold weather and the swollen condition of the 

 streams from the constant rains of the past two or three 

 weeks. There is quite an array of anglers at this place 

 eagerly waiting for clear streams and bright sunny days 

 to industriously indulge in the slaughter of the tinted in- 

 nocents. I may take a hand in it myself by way of a 

 preparatory course for a raid on the big beauties of the 

 North Shore. 



The weather is now really "beastly," cold and rainy, 

 and overcoats are really necessary for outdoor comfort. 



I almost daily look over my stock of tackle to ascer- 

 tain if it is perfect in every particular, and also as a 

 gentle reminder of the sport in prospect. My invoice of 

 flies I have is all O.K., for I have them from the mini- 

 mum to the maximum and from Alpha to Omega. 



The river here is on a rampage, manifest evidence that 

 there will be no trouting till the warm days of June 

 arrive. I am quite patient with the adverse state of the 

 weather, but I assure you that I would generously pay 

 for an opportunity now to hang and kill a redcoat or two 

 of a few pounds. Alex. Starbuck. 



Sunday Fishing. 



Ulster County, New York, bids fair to lose its attrac- 

 tions to many New Yorkers who like to combine a quiet 

 Sunday in the woods with a little trout fishing. Early in 

 May two business men journeyed to Shokan, and from 

 there drove five miles to a favorite stream, where they 

 were soon overtaken and threatened with arrest for Sab- 

 bath breaking by Game Constable Van Benscoten. On 

 the following day they were arrested in earnest, taken to 

 Olive City, tried before Justice Bardin, and fined $5 each 

 with costs of prosecution. The offenders paid $15 05 and 

 left the countj, probably never to return. This will 

 doubtless reduce the inflow of summer visitors to Ulster 

 and cut off a large part of the income of its farmers. 



Pennsylvania Trout. 



Pike county trout have thus far proved a delusion 

 and a snare to anglers, owing, perhaps, to low water and 

 the cold weather. In Saw Kill Creek only a few small 

 trout have been taken: large fish are conspicuous by 

 their absence. Bushkill Creek and the streams in the 

 vicinity of Dingman's Ferry, Pa., are in the same disap- 

 pointing category, and here the general public are cast 

 down by an additional burden of trespass signs which 

 threaten dire punishment to all who lack vested rights 

 in the fugitive trout. Verily the Pike county brook 

 trout is f a3t becoming as uncertain as last year's star ball 

 player. 



Shad Caught with Grasshoppers. 



In a paper on fishes of Lake Ontario (p. 194 of Bulletin U. 

 S. Fish Com. for 1890), Dr. H. M. Smith records the capture 

 of 26 shad by Mr. H. L. Matheson, of Oswego, N. Y., at 

 Thousand Island Park, St. Lawrence River. This was in 

 August, 1881, when the fish were apparently running 

 down the stream. The bait used was grasshoppers. 

 Several shad were taken at the same time with the same 

 bait by other anglers, 



