Dec. 18$$.] 
you are right "to stand up for him," for none of the 
sportsmen that I know consider him "a little off color." 
He is a worthy object of pursuit and the angler who 
lands one on light tackle may well be proud of the 
achievement, and when he has brought him to gaff or 
"beached' him should remove his hat and sav, "Steelhead, 
you have no peer in fresh water," for not even his full 
brother, the rainbow trout, over which the scientists have 
so long puzzled their brains to find a distinguishing dif- 
ference, IS more game than he. And, again, Podgers, let 
me tell you that no section in America offers you better 
sport in fresh water than your own California, when it 
permits you take the steelhead in tidewater with hook 
and line at any time. Irlave you never been surprised that 
so few of the anglers in California know anything of this 
fishing? 
The quinnat salmon is never so game and interesting a 
fish to fight as the steelhead. In my opinion, none of 
the Pacific salmon are game fish. True, many of us en- 
joy trolling for them in Monterey Bay, but they are "not 
in It" with a fresh-run steelhead. There is more "sulk" 
in the Pacific salmon than fight. No, Podgers, it does 
not detract from the sport that you so enjoyed on the Na- 
varro to find that you were taking the steelhead and not 
the salmon. I almost envy you the recollection of that 
trip, but you are welcome to all the remembrances that 
come to you from catching the Pacific salmon, for I have 
caught a few of them in different waters on the Pacific 
Coast, and I would "swap" all of them for one good 
play with the clean-cut and immaculately white steelhead. 
And one thing more, Podgers: Don't neglect that red 
ibis fly when you go for steelheads, for they are fond of it 
—especially toward evening. This past season it was a 
prime favorite on Eel River. I have used it often, and 
next to a large royal coachman it has attracted the most 
fish. And don't be afraid of using large flies for the steel- 
head;^^but as Mr. Mather would say, "That is another 
story." Steelhead. 
San Francisco, Gal., Ndv. IT. 
''In Their Midst/' 
They say that the oyster crab is far more abundant this 
season than ever before. This will not affect the con- 
sumer of oysters in the slightest, for the succulent crab 
and the hospitable moUusk are separated at an early stage 
of their respective commercial careers. The oyster crab 
is collected until enough are on hand to appeal to the epi- 
cure, and is finally served in a small dish at a large price. 
It's only in Baltimore and Washington that one sees 
now the once familiar sight of the twin-banded shrimp- 
pink little crab in the bottom of the stew. The crab lives 
under the mantle of the 05'ster, which seems to sufifer no 
inconvenience. Most animals thus afflicted would sneeze 
or do something to rid themselves ot the intruder; but 
the oyster is of an apathetic disposition, as much so as 
its distinguished substitute, the clam. The crab is not 
really a parasite of the oyster. A parasite is one which 
draws its support from the animal on which it lives; 
where the intruder simply lives with its host and derives 
its food from other sources it is known as a commensal. 
The oyster crab does not live on the juices of the oyster, 
but finds its food in the currents of water which the mol- 
lu.sk sends swirling through the folds of its mantle. 
The oyster is not the only animal that has lodgings for 
the smaller crustaceans. The whale is known to suffer 
from the commensals which find lodgment on it. There 
are several varieties of Crustacea, ranging in size from a 
dime to a nickel, which attach themselves to the eyelids 
and the corners of the lips of the largest whales, and even 
find their way into the ears of the cetaceans, The ear of 
the whale is peculiarly keen and all sound is remarkably 
magnified. It must, therefore, be exquisite torture to 
the whale when the crab walks over the ear drum with a 
noise like thunder. Observant whalemen regard this as 
the cause of the leaps and breachings of whales when no 
attack is being made on them, the idea being to get rid of 
the foreign substance from the ear very much after the 
fashion of the small boy jigging up and down on one foot 
after bathing. 
The student of zoology who is responsible for these re- 
marks as to the whale had another instance to offer of 
existences packed much like the skins of onions in con- 
centric layers. 
"The most perfect instance known to science of the 
commensal and the parasite," he continued, "is that af- 
forded by the trepang or sea-slug of the Philippine w-aters, 
a near relative of the sea-cucumber found on the New 
England coast. When fully grown the trepang is about 18 
inches long and shaped in other dimensions very much 
after the ground plan and elevations of the leberwurst of 
delicatessen commerce. From end to end of the animal 
there runs a tube through which a current of sea water 
is continually forced past the mouth and the breathing 
organs, which are all within the trepang at intervals along 
this tube. In mo^e than three-quarters of all trepang 
which have been examined there has been found a single 
fish in this tube — a long and slender fish between 6 and 
8 inches long and no bigger around than one's little fin- 
ger, colorless and almost transparent, as befits an animal 
living always in the dark. This fish is known as the fier- 
asfer. and it is unknown except as found in these peculiar 
lodgings. If a trepang be cut open and its guest be 
shaken out into the water it seems bewildered in such 
roomy quarters and in such a blaze of light. It darts 
about aimlessly until it finds another trepang. and then 
with a sudden rush it disappears into the odd abiding- 
place which it has chosen. According to the scientific 
reckoning of such things, the fierasfer is not a parasite, 
but a commensal of the trepang. 
"But it does not end there, by any means — in fact, this 
is only the beginning of the menagerie, as the trepang 
might say, 'in our midst.' Now take the fierasfer and see 
what is to be found. It is translucent, and that makes it 
possible to examine into its works without dissection. 
Many specimens exhibit one or more dark spots in the 
gills. By a little manipulation thesf dark spots can be 
dislodged from their place and brought to light for exam- 
ination. Thev seem to be leaden pellets about the size of 
swan shot. Put one of tliese pellets in a drop of water 
and then add a particle of gurry. Immediately the shot un- 
Umbers a bunch of legs all in one spot and the work of 
FOHEST AND STREAM. 
gathering in the food is seen in full operation. The seem- 
ing shot turns out to be a hungry crab, which has chosen 
its abode in the fierasfer, and is found nowhere else. It 
also is commensal and not parasitic. First the trepang, 
then the fish that lives in the trepang, then the crab that 
lives in the fish that lives in the trepang. That begins to 
approach the 'ad infinitum' rhyme of the poem 'other fleas 
to bite 'em.' 
"Dissect any one of these bullet-shaped crabs and more 
revelations follow. Coiled under the shell in many in- 
stances will be seen a white filament. If that be carefully 
unrolled it Avill be found to be two or three feet long. 
It is a nematode worm, a parasite on the crab, which it 
eventually destroys, yet it has no power to harm cither the 
fish or the sea-skig. And last of all, this worm is also 
in many cases itself infested with another worm, a para- 
site on a parasite. When you compute all of these ani- 
mals, each living in the midst of the one next outside it, 
and then figure up the oyster with only its own shrimp- 
pink crab with tAvo light stripes, why then the oyster isn't 
so many and the trepang of the Philippines strikes one 
as the regular five-story fiat of animal life. 
Llewella Pierce Churchill, 
Steamed Squeteague. 
Providence, R. I., Nov. 22.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: 1 send you an account of the way in which some 
of us "chained-to-business" fellows had a little recreation 
the past season. 
The edible qualities of the squeteague or weakfish are 
in much dispute among the anglers of this section, some 
claiming them to be the equal of any fish that swim, 
while others will not eat them at all. We had at least one 
the past season that certainly was equal to any bluefish 
ever cooked; but the secret lay in the catching and cook- 
ing. The way we did it was this: We spent the night 
near the fishing grounds, got up just before daylight the 
next morning, threw up a handful of gravel to our neigh- 
bor's window and he soon joined us. The shrimp, rods 
and landing net were put into the skiff, and we rowed off 
to the buoy. 
The man in the stern had the first strike, but lost his 
fish; then my float disappeared with a rush, and we soon 
had five heavy squeteague in the old feed bag astern. We 
pulled up killick, rowed ashore, had breakfast and caught 
the 7:09 A. M. train for town with the heaviest fish in a 
basket. 
Arriving at the shop, the fish was turned over to the 
engineer, who on this occasion was to be the cook. He 
had prepared a pickle barrel by boring a hole in the bot- 
tom and running a 34-inch steam pipe through it, and 
connecting it with the supply pipe was ready for business. 
The man from Bristol brought up about a bushel of fresh 
rockweed, some of which was placed in the bottom of 
the barrel, and also lining the sides. In the cavity thus 
formed a peck of clams was put, a bag containing com- 
mon and sweet potatoes and green corn; then came the 
squeteague, carefully dressed, with slices of pork iftside 
and outside, all wrapped in clean toweling, with a final 
layer of rockweed on top. The cover was put' on, and at 
11:30 the engineer gave her the "pizen," as he called it, 
and when the wheels stopped whirling at noon the bake 
was opened, and there was a dinner fit for a king — a din- 
ner such as only those who are familiar with the Rhode 
Island clambake can appreciate. To them words are 
unnecessary; they have only to recall the fragrance of 
steaming clams mingled with the salty smell of fresh 
rockweed and — it is enough. 
A large drawing board covered with wrapping paper 
se-rved as a table, and was supported by a frame on the 
boiler-room floor. The silence of the feast was broken 
by the merry tinkle of many clam shells as they fell on the 
hard cement, dropped from six pairs of hands. 
The fish was completely devoured, all pronouncing it 
one ot the finest they had ever eaten, and thus testifying 
to the skill of our chef. We finished with a dead ripe 
watermelon and 'tis lucky that we were not finished also. 
S. S. B. 
Rhode Island Frost Fish. 
Providence, R. I., Nov. 25. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
Game this season is scarce about Wickford, only a few 
quail having been obtained, with now and then a par- 
tridge, and the sportsmen to get a good day's shooting 
are compelled to seek it in the coverts of South Kings- 
town and Exeter, where, while not abundant, birds are 
more plentiful. 
From the river it looks as if the shores of Narragan- 
sett Bay on both sides below Field's Point are thronged 
with lightning bugs every night. Lights bob back and 
forth in profusion, winding in and out, on the Pawtuxet 
side and on the Riverside shore as' W'ell. The display is 
interesting, as well as confusing to one ignorant of its 
meaning. It is simply the annual fall rush for frost fish, 
which the piscatorial expert knoAVS only as whiting. 
The frost fish is a small fish of the smelt family, al- 
though less in size and even inferior in intelligence. Dur- 
ing the day they remain out in the river, but at night they 
chase the schools of minnoAvs and small fry in, driving 
them inshore in the shallow Avater, Avhere they may be 
easily caught. In the pursuit of the smaller fish the frost 
fish find their OAvn undoing, for they run in so close on . 
sandy shores that a man Avalking in the Avater 6 feet or so 
from its edge can easily get betAveen them and the land, 
and kick them ashore or haul them in with rakes and 
small nets. 
The fish are good eating, although the number con- 
sumed by a hungry man in a meal is something large. A 
sandy shore is the best place to catch them, for the Avalk- 
ing is easier than in mud, and Bush Pasture Point, Edge- 
Avood. opposite the residence of ex-Mayor HayAvard, and 
Still House CoA-e, -at the foot of Ocean street, PaAVtuxet, 
are both thronged Avith the fishermen everj' night. 
Large numbers of these fish are Ix-ing taken each night, 
the average catch being about one hundred to each per- 
son. They will average about four to sixteen fish to the 
pound. W. H. M. 
The Forest akd Stream is put to press each week on Tuesday. 
Correspondeaoe imended for publication should reach us at the 
Uteit by Moaday wad si muck earlier aa practicable^ 
4B1 
Transporting Rainbow Trout at High 
Temperature. 
C.'\PE Vincent, N. Y., Nov. 18. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: Permit me to hand you the inclosed translation 
of a contribution of Herr Jaffe to the Allgcmeine 
Fischerei-Bcitung. I think it is worthy of publication on 
account of establishing the fact that rainbow trout can be 
carried at such a high temperature. 
Livingston Stone. 
As announced in the January number of one of the 
French fishing journals, live rainbow trout were safely 
tran.sported upon one of the steamers of the Messageries 
Maritimes line, from Bordeaux to South America, between 
the 5th and 25th of December of the previous year. They 
Avere carried in a zinc can, such as is commonly used for 
transporting live fish, which held from fifty to sixty liters 
and was provided Avith means for introducing sufficient 
air. 
The transportation was really undertaken from Paris 
with yearlings of seven or eight centimeters in length, and 
fifty in number; but of these twenty-two died on the 
train on the way to Bordeaux. Of the survivors, nine 
stood the long journey by sea, and were placed in a small 
river at Eusada, in the vicinity of Buenos Ayres. Mr 
Moussion, the owner of the river, and under whose 
auspices the immigration had been effected, wished to try 
the experiment of introducing into that country this valu- 
able member of the salmon species. 
The interesting fact connected with the transportation, 
however, is the proof that rainbow trout can endure for 
several days a very high temperature, for on the equator, 
as-Avell as at the latitude of Rio Janeiro and on the "Tropic 
of Capricorn the Avater in the can, in spite of additions o£ 
ice, stood at 25 degrees Reaumur (88 degrees Fahren- 
heit), showing that the rainbow trout can stand such ai 
high temperature as that noted for someAvhat over a. 
week, S. Jafee, Sandfort, Germany. 
The Conductor's Fish Story, 
There were but few passengers on the early trip. As 
the conductor saw by my rod that I was going a-fishing, 
he sat doAvn and chatted. He said: "I'm not much' of a 
fisherman myself, though people doAvn our Avay say I'm 
the best fisherman in the town. They say that Avhen l^ank 
goes out he always fills his creel. Now I don't .say that of 
myself, for I know that I'm not much of a fisherman, 
though I Avill say that I always manage to get fish." 
(With a wink and knowing nod.) "Now, my Avay of 
fishing is this: Fir.st I put on me bait fish; then I have 
me six flies" (holding tip six fingers). "I have mc two 
brown hackles" (two fingers up) ; "I have me two Scth 
Greens, and me two — well, any kind of flies — not so par- 
ticular so long as I have me tAvo broAvn hackles and mc 
two Seth Grens. Then I let me bait fish go down stream 
So feet, 100 feet, 150 feet, 200 feet, 250 feet, 300 feet, or 
even 350 feet, and then Avhen I get a fish on me bait fish 
I comb me flies through the Avater and I catch other 
fish, see? Sometimes I catch 'em in the head. fin. tail — 
anywhere — that's the Avay I get 'em. I fill me creel every 
time. But then " (Avith a prolonged wink and an elevation 
of one corner of the mouth), "I don't go every day. I go 
when I know the conditions is good, see? I study the 
weather and I know just when to hit it. 
"Then I have another way I fish. Along in June I go 
down to the stream just about dusk and I use a Avhite 
miller — just one, but a big one — that big" (measuring 2!^ 
inches), "and in one hour I fill me creel. You see, Avhen I 
fish, I fish, see? Now there's a lot of these felloAvs that 
say a fly aint no good, but I know better. I can do more 
with me six flies and me one bait fish than any man I know 
can Avith a tub full of worms or any other bait. But then 
a man wants to know how to use 'em, see? Flies is all 
right; give me flies every time." Beaver Kill. 
New Jersev ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
'*Jess: Bits of Wayside Gospel.^ 
Under this title is published by the Macmillan Com- 
pany a volume by Rev. Jenkin Lloyd Jones, containing a 
number of chapters Avhich first came to the public as 
sermons in Chicago, and Avhich now are offered to a Avidcr 
public. They are such sermons as one could wish the 
world had more of. Not sermons about doctrine nor of 
the conflict of science and religion, but sermons about the 
very commonest things of our everyday life. 
Jess, Avho gives the title to the book, was Mr. Jones' 
saddle mare, and he writes of her Avith a feeling th;-*^ qt 
once brings the reader into sympathy with him. 
And Avhat he tells about her is after all only a sermon on 
kindness and raercj' to those OA'er Avhom we are set. It 
is well told and worth reading. 
So Avith his chapter on the "Religion of the Bird's 
Nest," Avhere he says that "A good field glass is a double- 
barreled gun that brings doAAm the birds Avithout injuring 
them." Then folloAVS his sermon about the birds and 
their Avays. and the good that they do, and Avhat they fed. 
and hoAv civilized man has come in to OA'erthrow the 
balance of nature and to tear down that Avhich it took 
millions of years to build un. 
Mr. Jones' book was Avorth publishing, and it is certai^lv 
Avell AVorth reading.. Books that have so much breadth 
and so much sweetness as this, cannot fail to do good. 
A5 A CHRISTMAS GIFT. 
The Forest and Stream — in a year's subscription — is 
an appropriate and sure to be appreciated gift for a father, 
husband, son, brother, cousin, uncle, nephew, or one's pas- 
tor, lawyer, pupil, teacher or friend, The giAang avIII be for 
fifty-tAA'O weeks. And Avith the paper may Avell go, for this 
year's Christmas., one of the large engravings "Alert" 
(moose), "The Challenge" (elk), "What's That?" (ante- 
lope), "Listen" (blacktail deer), "Close Quarters" (Afr. 
Osthaus' painting of Ripsey on point). These are on 
plates I2j^ X 19 inches, on paper 22 x 28 ("What's That'" 
is slightly smaller). Price of engravings $3 each, or by a 
special rate the Forest and Stream for one year and any 
one of the engravings .will be sent for $5.50. 
