FOREST AND STREAM. 



[March; 24, 1894. 



Mortality Among Barracudas in California. 



Barracuda put in an appearance one month earlier 

 than ever before. They came in immense quantities and 

 something happened to them. Thousands came ashore 

 dead, while the water was full of fish that seemed dazed, 

 swimming about Avith their heads out of water. Among 

 them were some halibut, yellowtails and some other fish, 

 but they were principally barracuda. All kinds of the- 

 ories have been advanced, one that fishermen had used 

 dynamite bombs, another that it was caused by volcanic 

 disturbances from the bottom, another that the fish com- 

 ing from tropical waters become chilled ; then another, 

 that the newspapers put forth much to the disadvantage 

 of fishermen and fish dealers, that it was disease, and 

 there has been a great falling off in the consumption of 

 fish in consequence. The disease theory cannot be correct, 

 for decomposition does not set in any sooner than if the 

 fish were taken from the sea in the natural way. (From 

 letter of John L. Griffin, dated Los Angeles, Cal., March 

 2, 1894, to the U. S. Fish Commission.) 



This will recall the accounts of fish mortality in the 

 Gulf of Mexico and the almost total extinction of the tile- 

 fish off the northern coast, due in all probability to sudden 

 changes of temperature. This may have caused the de- 

 struction of the barracuda above mentioned. The subject, 

 however, is one which has provoked endless speculation 

 and diverse theorizing, and will doubtless continue to 

 excite the imagination of persons who see the results of 

 causes which appear, to them, deeply mysterious. The 

 explanation of such phenomena is to be found, not by 

 guessing, but by the known methods of scientific research. 

 One good thermometer is worth more than a thousand 

 conjectures in the solution of such problems. 



Pennsylvania Association. 



A largely attended meeting of the Pennsylvania Fish 

 Protective Association was held at the rooms, 1020 Arch 

 street, Philadelphia, on Saturday evening, March 10. 

 Communications conveying intelligence of infractions of 

 the fishery laws in different localities were read and thor- 

 oughly discussed, and prompt action was taken to secure 

 the correction of same.. 



The association has been the favored recipient of Thad- 

 deus Norris's original manuscript of the "American 

 Angler," which valuable gift was highly appreciated and 

 a vote of thanks tendered to its donor, Dr. Howard Kings- 

 bury, of Philadelphia. 



Adirondack League Club. 



The annual meeting of the Adirondack League Chib 

 was held last week in this city. The following trustees 

 were elected to serve for three years: Mils W. Barie, D. 

 L. Snyder, Harry E. Howiand, Eobert C. Alexander and 

 Spencer Aldrich. The hold-over trustees are Warner Mil- 

 ler, A. G. Mills, Warren Higley, Henry S. Harper, Wm. 

 H. Boardman, Rev. Dr. S. J. Niccolls, Frederick G. Burn- 

 ham, Dr. B. G. Fernow, Alexander R. Harper and Wm. 

 G. DeWitt. At a meeting of the Board of Trustees the 

 following officers were elected: President, A. G. Mills; 

 Vice-President, Warren Higley; Treasurer, Henry S. Har- 

 per; Secretary, Robert C. Alexander. 



Scioto River "Salmon." 



Circle ville , O., March 15. — Editor Forest and Stream: 

 I have taken Forest and Stream six or seven years; I 

 get it at our news stand; and permit me to thank you for 

 publishing so readable and interesting a paper. Our local 

 fishermen have caught severai.salmon already this spring, 

 near the city, at the State dam in the Scioto River. I am 

 afraid, though, that they were not caught by legitimate 

 means. Probably caught in dip nets. I saw quite a num- 

 ber exposed for sale, from 10 to 201bs. weight. 



J. W. L. 



^inhquUwt and ^ish ^vok^tion. 



Landlocked Salmon Planting. 



Dixfield, Me. — Editor Forest and Stream: In a late issue 

 of your paper was an article from the pen of A. N. Cheney 

 in regard to the habits of the landlocked salmon, a query 

 whether, if the eggs were taken from fish that spawned in 

 the outlet of a lake, the progeny of those fish if placed in 

 another lake would seek its outlet to spawn. I have had the 

 stocking of a large number of lakes and ponds in Maine with 

 these fish. We had thousands of eggs from Sebago which 

 were taken from Crooked River (an inlet), also from Grand 

 Lake stream (an outlet). I have observed their habits care- 

 fully. I think that if everything is favorable they prefer the 

 inlets; but I have not the least doubt but what they select 

 what is the best ground to propagate their species, without 

 any regard to whether it be an inlet or an outlet, 

 u -Neither will they always return to the stream in which 

 they are hatched and bred. The first salmon eggs we had 

 for distribution in Maine of any amount came from Sebago 

 Lake. Some 2,000 of them I put in Weld Pond, part iu the 

 outlet and a part in a tributary. Some four years after- they 

 appeared at both places. About that time we established a 

 hatchery there, and hatched quite a large number of eggs 

 from both Sebago and Grand Lake. Flowing into this pond 

 are six large streams, all excellent trout streams and spawn- 

 ing grounds, to which they have free access for miles. On 

 one of these we had our hatching house. In all of these 

 streams we put thousands of salmon fry, yet never a single 

 salmon came into these streams to spawn. They all go into 

 the first stream they were placed in and the outlet, the larger 

 number in the stream. The pond is now one. of the best fish- 

 ing grounds in Maine for trout and salmon. Why they will 

 not come into all the brooks to spawn is a conundrum to me. 

 My judgment would be that the streams they discard would 

 be the best, being larger, with pure water, plenty of shade 

 and deep pools. The young fry will stay there till one to two 

 years old, when they go to the lake and never return. There 

 are many strange things about fish, I presume they know 

 why they do so, I don't. I can only guess. I may be right, 

 Out don't feel at all sure. Am sure I don't know it all. 



H. O. Stanley. 



Salmon Disease— Correction. 



East Poland, Me., March 16.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 In my communication on "Disease of Embryo Salmon," pub- 

 lished in your issue of March 17, 1 used the term "infectious" 

 where contagious would have more correctly expressed my 

 meaning. The sentence where, the term occurs should read: 

 "In 1890 it (the disease) attacked only eer ain lots, not appear 

 jng to be contagious, but running in families." 



C G. Atkins. 



Iowa Fish Commission. 



Fish Commissioner T. J. Griggs has sent to Governor 

 Boies his report for the years 1892 and 1893. The work of 

 rescuing and distributing fish from overflowed areas so en- 

 ergetically begun by a former commissioner, was carried on 

 by Mr. Griggs with untiring industry and excellent results. 

 Nearly a million and a quarter of crappie, black bass, pike- 

 perch, yellow perch, pickerel and catfish were deposited in 

 the waters of the State, and two and a half millions of good 

 fish were planted iu Spirit a,ud Okoboji lakes from sloughs 

 in their vicinity. Carp were sent to 127 applicants, and the 

 owners of 166 private ponds were supplied with such kinds 

 of fish as they deemed suitable. 



Iowa is richly provided with beautiful lakes and streams, 

 and many famous summer resorts owe their charms mainly 

 to their advantages for lovers of the line and reel. "Spirit 

 and Okoboji lakes with their tributaries have a shore line of 

 50 miles, Clear Lake 20 miles, Storm Lake 15 miles, Wall 

 Lake 12 miles, Twin Lakes 15 miles, Iowa Lake 8 miles, Lake 

 Park or Silver Lake 6 miles, besides many other lakes all 

 fairly well supplied with fish, and thousands of pleasure- 

 seekers visit their shores every year for fishing and recrea- 

 tion. Spirit and Okoboji lakes are, beyond question, the 

 most popular summer resorts in the Northwest." 



The law relating to fishways is found defective, because it 

 can be interpreted to mean that fishway outlets should be 

 flush with the top of the dam, which construction does not 

 afford an opportunity for fish to pass over the obstruction. 

 It is defective, too, in compelling the Commissioner to pro- 

 secute offenders before a justice of the peace, from Avhom 

 there lies no appeal to a higher court. One of the evil re- 

 sults of this law is seen in the existence of 116 dams in vari- 

 ous parts of the State, which are still unprovided with fish- 

 ways. 



Commissioner Griggs has prosecuted over 600 offenders 

 against the fish laws, and has secured 500 convictions, which 

 yielded to the credit of the school fund an amount nearly 

 equal to the appropriation for the Fish Commission. He 



T. J. GRIGGS. 



Iowa KIsh Commissioner. 



would, however, divert a portion of these fines to the com- 

 pensation of deputy fish and game wardens, and the balance 

 to the State treasury, to assist in maintaining the Fish Com- 

 mission. 



The Commissioner received about 200 letters last year 

 informing him of the slaughter of game out of season, but 

 as he had no jurisdiction over such cases, he cotild do noth- 

 ing. Spearing through the ice in winter and seining upon 

 the spawning grounds and in the approaohes to spawning 

 grounds are among the common offenses against fish protec- 

 tion. Mr. Griggs recommends that the laws be so changed 

 as to make the ownership of a seine prima facie evidence of 

 guilt, and to require the owner to furnish proof that such 

 unlawful device was not used by himself or by others while 

 in his possession to catch fish. 



For the purpose of protecting Iowa fish over boundary 

 lines he recommends the enactment of the Minnesota law 

 which provides that the possession of any bird, animal or 

 fish shall be prima facie evidence that it was the property of 

 this State, and that it was caught in this State, to disprove 

 which it shall be necessary to show by the testimony of the 

 party who actually caught the same, that it was not the 

 property of this State, or that it was caught outside of this 

 State. Whenever it shall appear that auy bird, animal or 

 fish was caught outside of this State, it shall be prima facie 

 evidence that it was the property of the State in which it 

 was caught, and that it was caught at a time, in a manner 

 and for a purpose prohibited by the laws of the State, and 

 shipped in violation of the laws thereof, to disprove which it 

 shall be necessary to show by what direct and positive evi- 

 dence that it was not the property of the State, or that it was 

 killed at a time, in a manner and for a purpose permitted by 

 the law of the State, and that it was not snipped in defiance 

 of any law. 



The appendix to the Commissioner's report contains chap- 

 ters on the fishes of Iowa extracted from Dr. Bean's work on 

 the Fishes of Pennsylvania, and concludes with the fish laws 

 of Iowa, approved April 1, 1890. 



Smelt Eggs. 



Dixfield, Me.— Editor Forest and Stream: I notice in 

 the last issue of your paper an article from Mr. A. N. Cheney 

 in regard to smelts and where their eggs can be obtained. In 

 the last two years I have gathered the eggs from the bottom 

 of the brooks in Maine, where the smelt run up to spawn 

 about the time "the ice goes out in the spring; and I have 

 transported them successfully to stock other ponds and lakes 

 in our State. Many of our ponds are well stocked with the 

 fresh-water smelt: in fact, all or nearly all that are the natural 

 habitat, of the landlocked salmon have them. 



The smelt deposit their eggs on the grass, moss, sticks and 

 stones on the bottoms of brooks. They stick to whatever 

 they touch, and can be easily gathered by thousands. I have 

 packed them in damp moss or sphagnum, and had no trouble 

 m transporting them where they would not be more than a 



day or two on the route. Of course many are poor, but I 

 should judge that 40 to 50 per cent, hatched. They should 

 be handled carefully and placed in running water in some 

 stream thet flows into the pond you wish to stock. This can 

 be done much cheaper, and I think it a surer way, than to 

 undertake to transport the live fish. The eggs could be sent 

 by express, and would need no one to accompany them. I 

 doubt if one would get any benefit from the live fish the first 

 year, as they would be very likely to get rid of their eggs 

 before reaching their destination; and one could gather ten 

 times the amount of eggs in the same time as to catch live 

 fish; also transport eggs much cheaper and iu smaller pack- 

 age. If the parties who desire them will write me, I think I 

 could procure them a box of eggs well packed and delivered 

 at express office for about 810. This would have to be done 

 about the 1st of May. I could not warrant them to reach 

 their destination in good condition, but I think the chances 

 would he that a fair percentage would be good. They hatch 

 in about two weeks after the eggs are deposited, and go to the 

 lake at once. 



The fresh-water smelt in Maine vary very much in size in 

 our different ponds. In some they never attain a length of 

 over 3 or 4in., while iu others they grow to 12 or 14in., run- 

 ning larger than they do in salt water, All our ponds that 

 contain smelts are so nearly connect ed with the sea that they 

 might have originally come from that source. I consider it 

 very necessary to have them in ponds where it is desired to 

 stock with salmon, as they are their natural food. All the 

 waters in Maine which are the original home of the salmon 

 contain the smelt. 



Henry O. Stanley, Com. of Fisheries. 



Nets in Inland Waters. 



Here is some sound reasoning from the pen of Gen. D. H. 

 Bruce, of Syracuse, who writes the "Easy Chair" column of 

 the Sunday Standard of that city. Gen. Bruce is president 

 of the State Association for the Protection of Fish and 

 Game, and has given much study to the subject of the food 

 ash supply. 



"The subject of increasing and cheapening fish food is con- 

 stantly awakening new interest throughout the State, the 

 public having become convinced of its importance. Men 

 who are leading in such direction are beginning to be looked 

 upon as philanthropists rather than enthusiastic sportsmen 

 with selfish purposes to attain. Nothingis more certain than 

 unless protection is given to the waters of the State they will 

 very soon become barren of fish food. No convincing argu- 

 ment can be made, it would seem, in favor of opening the in- 

 land waters to a few men making it their vocation to supply 

 Eastern markets to the exclusion of thousands of people who 

 would enjoy the recreation of a day now and then in a legiti- 

 mate way of taking fish. If it shall be said that net fisher- 

 men should be allowed to supply our inland markets the 

 answer is, that inland markets would be neglected for the 

 better Eastern markets. At Brewerton alone the shipments 

 during forty-three months, scattered over the five years— 

 1874, '75, '76, '76, '78— amounted to S.359 barrels, or l,757",8491bs. 

 Nobody can now tell the quantity shipped during the same 

 period from Cleveland, Bernhardt Bay, Constantia, Lake- 

 port, Bridgeport, South Bay and other places. It is a well 

 known fact that the grand swoop which was made, almost 

 wholly removed fish from the lake. There was profit iu it to 

 a few fishermen, but what benefit did the people at large re- 

 ceive? This record would be repeated everywhere if nets 

 were again to be allowed in the fresh waters of the State. 

 The public is beginning to understand this fact and to give 

 proper support to protective work. The need of it is mani- 

 fest to every thinking, intelligent person, and somebody 

 must perform it if fish food is to be saved to the people." 



Where to Find Game. 



Where to find game is oftentimes a perplexing question. The sports- 

 man who strikes a good spot generally keeps the information as close 

 as possible, in order to eDjoy exclusive privileges. 



Along the line of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in Virginia and 

 West Virginia, such places are numerous, and it is remarkable how 

 little they are kaown. The mountain streams abound in gamy fish. 

 The South Branch of the Potomac is considered the best black bass 

 fishing stream in America, the Cheat, Youghiogheny, Potomac and 

 JVlonongahela Rivers are all excellent fishing streams. The hills and 

 valleys adjacent are fairly alive with game— partridge, wild turkey, 

 grouse, pheasant, wild pigeon, quail, rabbit and squirrel are plentiful, 

 and in the back country thirty or forty miles from the railroad, deer 

 and bear can be found. 



Good hotels are convenient, and horses and guides can be secured at 

 reasonable rates. 



For circular showing fishing and gunning resorts reached by the 

 B. & O. R. R. address Chas. O. Scull, GenU Pass. Agent, B. &. O. R. R. 

 Baltimore, Md.— Adv. 



All those who love a dog because it is a dog, 

 and not merely a medium tor the accumulation of 

 dollars and cents, are invited by the editor to con- 

 sider this department as one in which they can 

 discuss amicably any subject that Is of interest 

 to the canins fancy, without fear of their commu- 

 nications being subjected to personal comment 

 or ridicule. 



FIXTURES. 



'.DOG SHOWS. . 



March 27-30.— Philadelphia Kennel Club, at Philadelphia, Pa., Dr. 

 D. B. Darby, Secy. Entries close Mat ch 1G. 



April 17 to 20.— New England Kennel Club, at Boston, Mass. D. E. 

 rjoveland, Sec'y. Entries close March 31. 



April 18 to 21. —Southern California Kennel Club, at Los Angeles, 

 Cal. C. A. Sumner, Sec'y. 



May 1 to 4.— Special show of St. Bernard, Collie, Spaniel and Fox- 

 Terrier clubs, in connection with the Hempstead Farm show, Madison 

 Square Garden. 



Sept. 10 to 14.— Toronto Industrial Exhibition Association, at 

 Toronto. C. A. Stone, Sec'y. 



FIELD TRIALS. 



Sept. 5.— Manitoba Field Trials Club, at Morris, Man. R. J. Gallaug 

 her, Winnipeg, Sec'y. 



Nov. 6.— International Field Trials, at Chatham, Ont. W, B Well*. 

 Sec'y. 



POINTS AND FLUSHES'. 



\By a Staff Correspondents 



Capt, C. M. McMURDO writes me as follows: "Mr. Brails- 

 ford is to send me out Dogwood shortly. I have not his 

 breeding yet, but know the dog well, as he was with Mr. 

 Johnson's dogs last fall, in Manitoba, inchargeof S.Hallam. 

 We worked our dogs a great deal together, owing to the 

 kindness of Mr. Johnson in giving us kennel room, etc. You 

 will remember that he was first in the Derby at Morris, Man., 

 last year, where he showed himself to be a very high-class 

 dog. Mr. Davidson (who was one of the judges) writes me 

 that he did better afterward at Chatham, though he lacked 

 experience on quail." 



With Capt. McMurdo's continued interest in the pointer, 

 progressive improvement in that breed is certain. 



B. WATEKS. 



909 Security Building, Chicago. 



