-July 7, 1900.J 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
9 
Old Style 
Forest and Stream^ Vol, /., No. 1, Aug, 14, 1873. 
Infant Tyro— "Father, thej^ say fish bite pretty well 
now." 
Parental Boss Cobbler — "Uniph ! Umph ! You stick 
to your work and they won't bite you." 
New Style. 
Pdre$t and Stream ^ Vol XF., No, i, "^uly 7, igoo. 
Infant Tyro — "Father, they say fish bite pretty well 
now." 
Sympathetic Dad — "Good ! Sonny. Let's take a day 
off and get some." 
"What Might Have Been. 
A letter from Anglesea, N. J., this week, telling of a 
great run of fish, and promise of snipe and rail in pletity, 
reminds jne of a boyish experience while snipe shooting 
on Seven-Mile Beach, across the inlet from Anglesea. 
We started out in the Emily G. for a try at the bluefish 
at the mouth of the inlet. Mai de mer being always in 
order with me, the rest of the party was prevailed upon 
to drop me on the point of the beach near the ocean front. 
1 had my little r4-bore, with some charges of No. 4s — 
rather large for the work, but effective. x\fter walking a 
few rods a good flock of plover showed up, skating 
around in the sandhills at the rise^of the beach. I got 
up within 40 yards, and there being no other cover close 
enough to the flock I cautiously rose for a pot shot. 
Before I could pull the trigger "the whole flock got itp 
and sailed off to the vain salute of two charges of No. 4s. 
As I shot, to m_y surprise right off in the direction of my 
second barrel, about too yards, there loomed the figure 
of a man. As he caught sight of me he started toward me 
limping painfully. When he got to a point about 70 
yards from where I was standing he raised his gun and 
fired point blank in my direction. I instinctively raised 
ray arm to protect my eyes. It flashed over my mind that 
some of my No. 4s had winged him and he was going to 
pay me back- I slipped two more shells in the gun and 
waited. He limped up till he was about 50 yards distant, 
raised his gun, took deliberate aim and fired one barrel, 
then the other. I covered my face as before. Still, to my 
surprise, no shot struck me. I raised my gun part way 
to my shoulder, resolving to fire the next time he fired. 
He retoaded his gun and walked up to a point where the 
beached combed almost perpendicularly and picked up 
a yellowleg snipe that I had winged. He was slightly 
lame. He had been chasing it along the combing, and 
my imagination had done the rest. He gave me the 
£.nipe, and when I told him of his narrow escape he 
laughed heartily. 
It was a laughing matter, still there was an element of 
.seriousness in the whole thing which almost forbids the 
mentioning of it. Had he not killed the snipe at that 
last shot and had raised his gun again I surely would 
have fired, and No. 4s at 40 yards — well, well, let it go 
at that.. C. G. Blandford. 
Back of the Score.! ^ZIZ^ 
The members had been doing a lot of figuring on the 
cost of loading shells, but how to save anj'thing on the 
dealer's price or beat the combine was still on unsolved 
problem. Last Saturday the chief tnathematician came 
to the grounds with an extra cheerful smile. 
"I've got it, boys! I can load shells for 25 per cent, 
less than we have been paying." 
"Good for you! How?" from all the crowd. 
"Leave cut the powder."" Jos. 
New Ptiblications. 
Our Native Trees and How to Identify Them. A popu- 
lar study of their habits and their peculiarities. By 
Harriet L. Keeler. With 178 illustrations from 
photographs, and with 162 illustrations from draw- 
ings. New York : Charles Scribner's Sons. Price, $2. 
The field covered includes all the trees indigenous to the 
region extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky 
Mountains, and from Canada to the northern boundaries 
of the SoutheiTi States. 
The method employed with each tree is to an explana- 
tion of the meaning of its name, a description of general 
appearance of the tree, and the nature of the places 
where found, a detailed description of bark, wood, winter 
buds, leaves, flower and fruit; and then a chatty paragraph 
or page or two of its peculiarities of growth, its uses 
and whatever of poetry, romance or folk-lore may attach 
to it. In a \vord, the treatment of each individual tree is 
such as to give one an adequate knowledge of it and to 
awalvcn and stimulate an interest in it, A copy of "Our 
Native Trees" should be in the camp outfit of every outer 
who goes to the woods. 
The text in each case is supplemented with an admirable 
half-tone illu?traMon direct from a nhotogranh of the 
leaf, or the leaf ancl fruit. This gives identification almost 
as ready and certain as if the actual pressed leaf were 
laid in the book. 
Fixtures. 
July 18, 19, 20. — Meeting of the American Fisheries Society at 
Woods Holl, Mass. 
Cruising and Fishing in Florida. 
"Come, Parson, get your traps ready and let us be off 
while the wind is favorable." The speaker had organized 
a little fishing trip for a visiting friend, and at the last 
moment had decided to take the preacher along as "mas- 
cot." The preacher was not only a very enthusiastic 
fisherman, but was really a jovial, good fellow on an out- 
ing, very handy about camp, and whose usual explana- 
tion for his lack of success in fishing had grown into a 
stereotyped phrase, "Oh, I only fish for big fish!" 
At last the hurry and scurry of getting things ready 
was over, and three men seated themselves in a boat. 
The day was one of Florida's perfect ones, the air like 
elixir, the sunshine dazzling, and the breeze just right to 
carry the little craft lightly over Tohopekeliga's spar- 
kling waters, the objective point being the fishing ground 
of the strawberry bass in Lake Cypress, about twenty-five 
miles south. Neither the preacher nor the visitor was 
accustomed to boating, and if ever two men were afraid 
of water these two were. On the broad expanse of lake, 
as the breeze freshened and the whitecaps began to play, 
with an occasional spray dashing in their faces, they grew 
very nervous. The craft was small and heavily laden, 
leaving only a few inches of freeboard, and they fre- 
quently v/ished they were on solid land. Reaching the 
canal, they recovered their equilibrium, forgot that there 
ever was a Jonah or a whale, got ready their trolls and 
were soon pulling in fish from the waters of the canal. 
When the Parson pulled in a 6-pound bass, he laid aside 
the last vestige of his ministerial garb, and the excitement 
ran high. Once, as the eye of the preacher was in- 
tent on some ducks in the canal ahead of the boat, the 
sailor quietly gave the Parson's line a severe jerk, when 
he was instantly transformed from a duck hunter to an 
energetic fisherman, as he pulled in his line with the re- 
mark, "Now I have the biggest fish in the canal." His 
intent look soon relaxed, however. All along the canal 
fish took the trolls, until at last the Northern man, who 
had done little talkng, but a great deal of fishing, hooked 
what proved to be a ii-pound beauty. As this superb fish 
broke the water 30 feet from the rear of the boat and with 
open mouth leaped into the air the Parson was for the 
moment vanquished, but soon insisted he would yet catch 
a larger one. On reaching the end of the canal the waves 
were busily lapping the near shore, vividly recalling the 
late experience in the other lake, and by a vote of 2 to 
I it was decided to camp for the night at this point. 
Soon the tent was pitched and supper ready, after which 
the Northern man went to fishing for "cats," or horned 
trout, he chose to call them. As night approached the 
great flocks of ducks and coots in the shallow bays nearby 
kept up such a quacking and splashing in the water that 
the Parson could scarcely sleep for thinking of the on- 
slaught he would make in the early morning, but, alas! 
with the coming of the dawn they were frightened away 
by the Avhite tent. 
The morning opened calm and serene, which to the 
sailor had a very discouraging outlook, as it meant an 
ash breeze with a pair of 9-foot oars, but as he seated him- 
self to his task the placid look on the faces of his friends 
was like balm to his tired arms as he bravely pulled 
toward the other shore.. Their serene countenances soon 
took on a questioning look as the lake began to show 
ripples, and a good stiff breeze sprang up from dead 
ahead. The breeze increased to a hard blow, and a 
squall was imminent. The sailor really grew alarmed, as 
he well knew the treacherous nature of this shallow. lake. 
The white faces of the two men, as they held on to the 
sides of ihe boat, appealed strongly to him, and the boat 
was turned on her starboard tack to the nearest shore. 
Running the boat aground, the sailor got out in the 
breakers and carried the two men ashore on his back. 
The t\\ 'o men, once more feeling the charms of safety, 
now walked around a distance of several miles to the 
fishing grounds, the sailor taking the boat across with 
sails under reef. At the mouth of a little creek a safe 
harbor was found for the boat and a grassv mound se- 
lected as a tent site. At this point the bed of the lake is 
of muck and is visited at certain seasons by thousands of 
strawberry bass, or speckled perch, a beautiful fish, and 
when taking the hook affords good sport, some of them 
being quite gamy. In weight they vary from a half pound 
to a pound and a half. This fish runs in schools and bites 
eagerly at small minnows. 
The fishing ground was already occupied by a man 
fishing for the market, which fact quickly eased the con- 
science of the Northern man, for he was now assured he 
could catch all the fish he wished without having to 
answer for the sin of ruth'essly destroying the fish. Soon 
the two boats, with a fisherman in the bow andtstern of 
each, were carefully running around, searching for where 
the fish were "bedding." When the favored spot was found 
the anchor was cast overboard, and the sport began. At 
the end of the hour the minnows we^e exhausted, and the 
party returned to camp with a good catch, which was 
turned over to the market-fisherman for shipment. In 
answer to the visitors' query regarding the bedding, the 
man said that it is the habit of these fish to bite furiously 
in one spot, while probably not. two feet away in the same 
depth and with the same kind of lake bottom not a fish 
would strike the hook. This saine characteristic of the 
fish the Northern man tested the next morning, to his 
entire satisfacf-ion. After finishing supper and enjoying 
the oipes the Parson remarked he now thought he would 
catch a big trout he had seen striking near some lily- 
pads a short distance away, and speaking of fishing re- 
minded the visitor that he. too, might catch a few "cats" 
for a change, which the sailor assured him was the best 
fish that .swims, as he would prove to him the next 
morning for breakfast. The sailor, who was host of the 
.partv. wishing to show that he had not lost all interest 
in the fishina:, baited his hook with cut bait and threw it 
into the mouth of the creek, with the pole lying on the 
bank, while he sat down to read the last issue of the 
Forest and Stream by the fading twilight. 
The Parson soon returned, disgusted, with a small trout 
in lieu of the "big one." The voice of the cat fisherman 
was soon heard calling out that something was "carrying 
away one of the poles." By means of the boat the pole 
was secured, and to the joy of the sailor he found a 20- 
pound soft-shell turtle hooked. The moon rose late and 
the night was dark and cloudy. From across the lake 
came the deep bellowing of a large alligator, and the 
suggestion that the day's sport might be completed by the 
capture of a 'gator was quickly followed by prepara- 
tions for same. Armed with gun and bullseye lantern, 
the party were soon quietly paddling around the creek. 
The presence of two small red stars on the opposite bank 
was quickly followed by a report from the shotgun and a 
floundering in the water was proof that the 'gator had 
been hit. He was quickly headed for, and while only a 
small alligator completely topped the day's outing. 
The next tnorning dawned and fishing had all the en- 
ticement that could be wished. The host insisted upon 
remaining in camp in order that he might have time to 
serve up a Delmonico dinner, while the two men, armed 
with a fresh bucket of minnows, wilh all the ardor of 
youth, started for the "strawberry beds." "The eating is 
the best part of the trip," said the sailor to himself, as he 
proceeded to take two round white muscles out of the 
'gator's tail, just back of his hind legs, smiling to him- 
self as he pictured the aesthetic Northern friend, as well 
as the preacher, dining on 'gator steak, catfish tails, turtle 
soup and broiled "strawberries." The fishermen re- 
turned well bronzed, tired of the sameness of fishing 
and with a couple hundred fish to their credit. They were 
ready for dinner, which they ate, praising the various 
dishes, all unconscious of the one Florida dish — alligator 
steak — which, on learning later its true name, threatened 
to cause a disruption of the whole. 
The fish had bitten so rapidly and constantly that but 
for the thought of returning home over the treacherous 
lakes the party would have been ready to start home that 
afternoon, but the memory of the down trip was still fresh 
and they decided to wait for the steamboat that would 
pass the island the latter part of the week, insisting they 
would walk home, a distance of about thirty miles, sooner 
than venture into the little boat on a large lake again. 
With provisions- growing short, a cold north wind blow- 
ing, surfeited for once with catching fish, the whistle of 
the Roseada was greeted with joy, and the party returned 
to live over again the pleasure and excitement of the 
trip, as they rehearsed it to friends at home, of which the 
foregoing is a faithful account. 
Minnie Moore-Willson. 
KiSSIMEE. Pla. 
The Eyes and Vision of Fishes. 
BY R. J. PHILLIPS. 
Two hundred and forty years ago Izaak Walton, in his 
"Compleat Angler," exciamied: "Is ic not an art to de- 
ceive a trout with an artificial fly? A trout that is more 
sharp-sighted than any hawk you have named, and more 
watchful and timorous than your high mettled merlin is 
bold?" Seventy years ago Cuvier C'Plistoire Naturelle 
des Poissons") wrote: "From the general structure of 
fishes' eyes, the almost complete sphericity of their lens, 
the immobility of their pupils, the difficulty of changing the 
length of axis, one cannot doubt that their vision is very 
imperfect. The images are painted confusedly on their 
retina and it is, in consequence, little probable that they 
are susceptible of having very distinct perceptions of the 
forms of objects." 
This clash of ancient opinions would not be worth 
quoting were it not that it illustrates very well the opposite 
views still held by the field observers on the one hand and 
the anatomists on the other, as to the vision possessed by 
fishes. The observers, in this case, are particularly the 
anglers, an intelligent body of men, whose proverbial 
patience has been sorely tried by the insinuation that their 
favorite game is a purblind creature, unable to detect the 
cheat in a clumsy lure. It would now be difiicult, however, 
to find any outdoor naturalist who would deny that fishes 
have accurate sight at ordinar}' distances. Dr. C. C. Abott 
("Waste Land Wanderings") claims for sunfish vision 
and watchfulness almost as acute as Walton claimed for 
trout, and the whole body of observed facts tends to 
establish the claim of sharp sight for fishes in general. 
On the other hand, later anatomists, though they have 
pushed their researches along lines not open in Cuvier's 
time, have only been able to confirm his conclusion that, in 
structure, the eyes of fishes are m3'opic, or "near-sighted." 
Plateau, who was the first to rationally experiment on 
this subject ("Sur la Vision des Poissons et des Am- 
phibies") by placing a ground-glass window in the back 
of fish eyes and focusing objects thereon, was able to 
conclude that fish are highly myopic, and can see ac- 
curately but a few inches. 
Hirshberg first measured the refraction of the eyes of a 
living fish. He used the ordinary ophthalmoscope which 
the oculist uses in measuring the human eye, and found 
two pike which he examined to be slightly myopic in the 
water and highly myopic in the air. 
Ichthyological writers, whom one might expect to um- 
pire this question, have been unable to do more than 
present unsttstained theories to account for the seeming 
contradiction of the known facts in the case. They know 
that there is in nature no development of an organ aside 
from the exercise of its function, and the eyes of fishes are 
highly developed. On the other hand, these writers are 
sufficiently allied to the anatomists to appreciate the force 
of the latter's reasoning. It is clearly a case where n^w 
facts were wanted and these have at length been supph"ed. 
Dr. Theodor Beer has published (Archiven fuer 
Physiologic. November. 18Q4) the results of his stud'es at 
the Naples Biological Station, on the eyes of living fishes, 
While they confirm the fact that fishes, contrary to all 
other vertebrates, have eyes which are naturally myonic, 
they demonstrate beyond doubt that these eyes are fur- 
nished with an apparatus, new to physiology, for over- 
coming the diffic^Uv. Thii=:. bnth partJp<; to mir ancient 
conf-roversy are shown to have been right. The p'-esent 
writer has drawn freely from Beer's commun'cation, and 
wnuld. in fact, have ni-pferred giving a translation of it 
did its leneth and technical character permit. 
The opinion that fish have poor sight is based entrrelv on 
the anatomy of the eyes in those animals. No one has 
claimed that their eyes contain, as a rule, diseased or im- 
