182 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Sept. s, 1903;. 
inevitable accompaniment of man's progress, and a 
prime necessity of his well being. The whole question 
must necessarily be viewed from the standpoint of 
man's own interest, and it becomes a question of 
degree merely — to what extent shall nature be inter- 
fered with, and in what manner, in order to accomplish 
the most good to man, or the greatest good to the 
greatest number of men, or to the men who most 
deserve the good, by earning it. 
Let us stand afar off, as it were, and endeavor to take 
a comprehensive view of this whole question of man's 
treatment of the lower orders of nature from_ an out- 
side and disinterested standpoint, dissociating our 
minds from the idea of being ourselves part of the 
dramatis persona. What kind of a drama do we see 
being enacted on this globe of ours? 
Well, we shall see that from a time in the dun and 
distant past this earth and its waters have been occu- 
pied by countless myriads of living creatures, com- 
posing innumerable multitudes of families, genera, 
species and varieties that are visible to man's eyes 
and obvious to his senses, without stopping to consider 
the more numerous inhabitants of the invisible "microbe 
world" of existence; that these multitudinous inhabi- 
tants are and have always been in continual loil and 
struggle, each endeavoring to climb upward in the 
scale of existence at the expense of his neighbors, re- 
gardless of any interests but his own, the two great 
dominating laws everywhere in control — "the struggle 
for existence." and the "survival of the fittest." 
We then see man emerging from the struggling mass, 
and by rapid strides, relatively speaking, attainmg a 
position far above the i-est of the animated world, a 
towering height from which he looks down upon all 
other creatures and rightly assumes dominion oyer 
them, regarding them all as his servants, and demanding 
that all shall yield unquestioned allegiance to the 
"lord of creation," even to the sacrificing their lives 
for his needs or pleasures without murmuring. 
But man's immensity of intellectual height above the 
rest of mundane creatures is associated with a still 
higher quality in his mental makeup; that is, the moral 
element, However the moral spirit became implanted 
in man's nature — and there are two opposing schools 
of opinion on this point, the natural and the super- 
natural—it is a potent factor in shaping his conduct, 
and is essential to a proper regulation of his relations 
TO his fellow man. 
But is has been a habit of mind to consider that all 
"soulless" creatures were without the domain of man's 
moral obligation, whose natural and proper destiny is 
simply to serve him in any way that he may choose to 
use them, with sole reference to his own needs or 
desires. And even where the moral sentiment of 
emotional persons has so expanded itself as to take in 
the welfare of the lower creatures, and feel a solicitude 
for them, this pseudo altruism has its real basis in self 
interest, as it is the pain that is sufTered by these crea- 
tures refiecting a feeling of discomfort in our own 
minds, that is the real cause of our solicitude. Thus, a 
humane person may hire another to kill a superannuated 
pet, and think little more about the matter, whereas, 
doing the deed oneself would be shocking to our 
sensibilities. , • 1 
Mr. Thayer's "humanity's hope," then, and all ethical 
considerations connected with the subject, must have 
sole reference to the further and higher development 
of man's moral faculties, and none to the good of the 
"soulless" creatures, except as so related. 
Accepting this as the only rational basis of treatment 
of the subject of man's relations to the lower orders of 
mundane life, it follows that the only question involved 
is as to how these creatures can be so used in their 
totality as shall most conduce to the welfare of man in 
his totality. ■ • r • 
There must necessarily be some conflicts of minor 
interests between men and men, in the application of the 
above principle, giving opportunity for the play of the 
true ethical spirit between them, or, on the other hand, 
for the display of intolerance or selfishness. 
These conflicts of interests are determined by a dif- 
ference in local conditions — as whether, for example, 
robins should be divided between Southern tables and 
Northern lawns, or wholly appropriated to the one or 
the other; or whether "game" should be used solely to 
satisfy the sportsman's appetite for sport, or the 
student's appetite for study and contemplation, or 
Sbould be divided between them. 
Here is a wide field, and a difficult on«, for the exei - 
cise of a wise administration of man's common heri- 
tage in the children of the woods, fields and waters, so 
as to insure, as far as practicable, an equitable distribu- 
tion of these bounties to all who are entitled to a share 
in them. , . 
The -problem is one of too great complexity tor the 
application of categorical rules of treatment; but the 
general rule man be laid down that a just and wise 
con.sideration of the whole subject demands that we all 
recognize a diversity of interests to be served, and a 
difference of opinions existent, resulting from a dif- 
ference of environment, all of which have equally valid 
claims to recognition, excluding only_ that class of 
claimants who are disposed to appropriate more than 
their proper share of the common store. 
Returning briefly to Mr. Thayer's contribution to 
my "text." He contrasts the purpose of the sportsman 
in his efforts to preserve game with that of the natural- 
ist, the latter's object being only to "study and admire, 
while that of the former is only to "kill it!" ^ 
The inference to be drawn is that in Mr. Thayer s 
opinion it is a very noble thing to study and admire 
game, and a very ignoble performance to kill it. 
It is scarcely worth while to go into an_ ethical 
analysis of this proposition, but it may be pertinent to 
remark that while the cultivation of flowers, for ex- 
ample, with its implications, is highly commendable, 
that of edible vegetables need not be despised; and 
tJiere is ground enough for both. 
Furthermore, from even the naturalist's standpoint, it 
should be recognized that the purpose of the sportsman 
to preserve game to be killed, necessarily carries with it 
provision for a continuance of the supply; and the 
potential energy of the whole body of sportsmen in a 
combined and systematic effort to accomplish their 
ends, should be the naturalist's surest recourse for real- 
izing his cherished objects. 
But there is another class of persons wliose views are 
to be considered in a discussion of this subject, be- 
sides the naturalists and sportsmen, that is the econo- 
mists. Students of this class have devoted much time 
and labor to the economic side of bird life and bird 
destruction. Much valuable and interesting informa- 
tion has resulted from their researches in the ascertain- 
ment of the character, and the proportions of different 
kinds of food d'^voured by various birds, and its re- 
lation to human interests. 
The students have thrown a great deal of light upon 
the parts played by various birds in human affairs, and 
have dispelled many popular errors that were enter- 
tained on the subject. 
But even this very intelligent class of workers, with 
their minds intent upon one line of thought, may be 
prone to carry a single idea to too great a length. For 
example, it may be stretching a theory too far to as- 
sume that because certain birds devour a great many in- 
sects or certain others a vast number of noxious seeds, 
that therefore there can be no higher nor more useful 
function for them, though they may furnish good sport 
for the gunner or highly prized delicacies for the table. 
In some "educational sheets" recently issued by the 
Audubon Society, it was shown that insects constitute 
a large proportion of the food consumed by certain 
birds that occasionally fall before the gun and do good 
service on the table. Also that in the stomachs of two 
mourning doves were found some 23,000 minute seeds 
of some weed. It was assumed that each one of these 
seeds would have produced a weed had it not been 
devoured by the birds, and that each weed would have 
required an additional stroke of the farmer's hoe to 
rid his field of it. 
When Dr. Slop declared that he did not see how 
babies could be bom without the use of his particular 
obstetrical instruments, Uncle Toby exclaimed: "Dr. 
Slop, you ought to have seen what prodigious armies 
we had in Flanders." 
It may be assumed as a matter of common knowledge 
that in the economy of nature provision is made for 
enough seeds to feed all the seed-devouring birds in the 
world, with a large surplus left for propagating all the 
weeds that can find room to grow, and that a vast 
number must perish for lack of such room. 
As regards the insect-eating birds, it may be said that 
among the numerous varieties of such birds only a 
very few of these varieties are habitually sacrificed to 
the gun, and that only a small percentage of the total 
number of individuals in each variety is so sacrificed; 
so that there is at least ground for argument as to 
whether there are not birds enough to serve both pur- 
poses, and whether a moderate tribute levied upon a 
limited number of the many varieties of insect-eating 
birds by the gunners, to serve a laudable purpose, shall 
materially curtail the cereal, vegetable and fruit crops of 
the country, by such appropriation of a small part of 
the insect destroyers. Coahoma. 
Proprietors of fishing resorts will find it profitable to advertise 
them m Forest and Stream. 
The Adirondack Trout Season. 
Last Monday, Aug. 31, marked the close of the 
period fixed by law in which speckled trout can be 
legally taken in the waters of New York State. Various 
causes have conspired to make the fishing good this 
year, and the season as a whole, has been the best 
that has been known in central and northern New York 
in a great while. Owing to the unusual amount of rain 
that fell in the summer of 1902, the larger streams were 
swollen beyond their normal volume nearly all of the 
time, and as a result the trout fishing in these waters 
was exceedingly poor. It is true that some fine catches 
were made last summer, but most of the trout taken 
were captured in the lakes or small brooks, and not 
in the big streams. As a matter of fact the fishing last 
year in the rivers and large creeks, in the Adirondack 
region especially, was the poorest on record, and in 
view of the small number of trout taken, anglers of 
experience predicted that if conditions were favorable 
there would be excellent sport on those waters this 
year. That their conclusions were correct has been 
clearly demonstrated by the splendid fishing which has 
been enjoyed this year ever since April 16, the date 
when the season began. It will be remembered that 
very little rain fell during the latter part of April, all 
of May and the first week of June this year, and owing 
to this fact the streams were much lower than they 
commonly are in the spring. For that reason, probably, 
the trout made their appearance on the rifts remark- 
ably early and remained there much longer than they 
ordinarily do, thus affording the finest kind of sport 
for the angler. As a general thing trout fishermen ex- 
pect to obtain the best rift fishing about the first week 
in June, but this year the speckled beauties were taking 
the fly in swift water fully a month earHer,_ something 
which has rarely if ever been known before in the Adi- 
rondack region. Last summer there was very little rift 
fishing, but this year the conditions have been exactly 
right for the prolongation of this ideal pastime. After 
the drouth had lasted a number of weeks, experienced 
anglers began to think that hot weather would speed- 
ily come on and that the water in the streams would 
then warm up so that the trout would forsake the rifts 
and take refuge on the cold-beds or spring-holes. Such 
was not the case, however, as the drouth was broken 
the fore part of June and the frequent but not excessive 
rains served to keep the water at a temperature con- 
genial to the trout, while at the same time the streams 
were not swollen to such an extent as to scatter the 
fish, as they were last year. As a consequence rift 
fishing was enjoyed for a much longer period than 
usual, and when the troat finally sought the spring- 
holes they continuecl active, and ^r^ still Utll^j for that 
matter. It is a noteworthy fact, too, that the fishings 
has been good this year in the lakes, ponds and small 
brooks of the wilderness region, as well as in the riverS' 
and big creeks, and practically all of the trout waters- 
have yielded an abundance of their carmine spotted 
denizens. From the standpoint of the fly-fisherman, ■ 
as well as that of the angler who prefers bait, and the 
eclectic fisherman who uses both artificial flies and bait 
as conditions appear to warrant, there has been fine 
sport on the trout waters of northern New York 
throughout the season, and in central New York the 
fishing has been fully as good as could rea*sonably be 
expected. The assertion can also be safely made that 
a remarkably large number of big trout have been 
taken this year. 
One of the largest speckled trout that has ever been 
captured in the waters of the southern Adirondack 
region, so far as records show, was taken in South 
Lake about May 20, by Jerry Shaw, of West Utica. It 
measured 28 inches in length and weighed 8j4 pounds 
after it was dressed. Mr. Shaw caught it while fishing 
for salmon trout at a buoy, which was located off the 
point below the cottage owned by George W. Will- 
iams, of Remsen. The trout had been feeding on the 
bait which had been scattered around the buoy to at- 
tract the lakers, and had gorged himself with it. R.. 
L. Guiteau, proprietor of Hotel Brunswick, Port Ley- 
den, who chanced to be at South Lake at the time, in> 
company with G. W. Williams, is an enthusiastic ang- 
ler, and he secured the head of the big trout to take- 
home. The lower jaw of the fish measured S inches, 
from the point to the back end. 
Another record breaking brook trout was captured 
last spring in the Unadilla River at New Berlin, its 
weight being 6^ pounds. These are remarkably large 
speckled beauties, and it is very rare indeed that such 
specimens are taken in New York State waters. It is 
on record, however, that an Adirondack guide, while 
trapping on Loon Lake, in the fall of 1896, found a 
speckled trout which had died and drifted ashore, that 
weighed 8 pounds. On July 10, 1888, A. Ames Howlett, 
of Syracuse, while fishing on the inlet of Cranberry 
Lake, in company with Chester S. Lord and J. Earl 
Knox, of New York City, caught the largest brook 
trout of which there was any record in that part of the 
wilderness. It was 215^ inches long, 6 inches deep, 3^4 
inches thick and weighed 5 pounds 14 ounces. On July 
7, 1887, Mr. Mills, who was then keeper of the State 
dam at Cranberry Lake, captured a speckled trout in 
the Oswegatchie River which tipped the scales at 5 
pounds 13 ounces. It is said that Walter Aiken, a resi- 
dent of Franklin Falls, N. H., caught a speckled trout 
in Graves Pond in 1884 that weighed 6 pounds and 2 
ounces. There is excellent authority also for the state- 
ment that in October, 1901, seven brook trout, Aveigh- 
ing in the aggregate 42 pounds, were exhibited in the 
village of Morehouseville, Hamilton county. Reports 
have also been heard of a trout weighing over 11 
pounds being taken from a small pond in Essex county, 
without regard to the ethics of fair angling, and of an- 
other weighing 13 pounds and 3 ounces that was taken 
from the inlet stream of the same pond during the 
spawning season some years ago. It is such an ex- 
tremely rare occurrence for a speckled trout weighing 
over S pounds to be taken from the waters of New 
York State, that it would be interesting if all the read- 
ers of Forest and Stream, who have any knowledge 
of such lucky captures, would write what they know 
about it for publication in these columns. 
W. E. WOLCOTT. 
Utica, N. Y., Aug 24. 
The Sleep of Fishes, 
Sandy Griswold, in the number for August 22, men- 
tions a correspondent who has asked him if fish sleep, 
and he says in reply that they do; he has often seen 
them asleep. So have the rest of us who have had an 
opportunity to watch them and the curiosity to do it. 
All fish, birds and animals must sleep part of the time, 
of course. Among the birds and animals, except a few 
of the nocturnal ones, they select the night to do their 
sleeping in; but in case of the fish I do not suppose 
it makes any difference to them when they sleep; they 
can go to sleep whenever they feel like it, always, pro- 
viding, that none of their enemies are in the neigh- 
borhood. 
Some of us have seen the whale lying asleep on top 
of the water, and if we used care when we approached 
him he continued asleep until the harpoon was thrown 
into him. 
Early this summer I was across in Misery Bay one 
afternoon; it is a small bay about one mile wide, that 
opens into the harbor here; a boat house stands in 
6 or 7 feet of water on the far side of the bay, and 
landing here I made my boat fast to the platform, then 
went to take my oars off the pins, and when doing it 
happened to look down into the water, and saw that 
I had a good view of the bottom, the water being clear 
and the sky bright overhead. Several good-sized black 
bass lay on the bottom just below me. I had seen 
larger ones than these, but not in this bay. No fish in 
these waters except the carp and muscalunge get a 
chance to grow very large or_ die of old age before 
some man or boy pulls them out of it. 
Without tnaking any noise to waken the fish, I lay 
with my head ' over the side of the boat watching 
them as they lay on the gravelly bottom, not making 
the least movement except a slight one with their gills, 
while a number of small bass swam around and over 
them without seeming to disturb the sleeping fish at 
all. 
After- 1 had watched them a while I moved off quiet- 
ly, not wanting to waken them, and met two boys in a 
boat,, who wanted a good place to fish, they told me. 
I might have sent them to a good place, the one I 
had just left, but did not want these fish caught just 
now, so I sent the boys across to the wreck of the 
Niagara, a few hundred yards away, and told them to 
fish there. The Niagara wa« Commodore Perry's flag- 
ship in the battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812, and 
when wanted no longer was brought here and let sink 
in 10 fe'et of water where, what is left of it, still lies. 
A, gentleman, l^cre iii Eric ha.5 at his ovvn . c^^peos^ 
