24H 
JFOREST AND STREAM 
V — large number of fishermen with their crews are al 
ready at their posts on the Canadian stations ready for the 
first run of salmon. 
— Shad of the finest description, some of them fully three 
inches in thickness, have been selling at Norfolk, Virginia, 
at six cents each 
—In Rochester shad are selling at 40 cents per pair, and 
the citizens think it is because Seth Green lives there. 
Perhaps it is, but wo see by the papers that they have im- 
ported a North River fisherman to sell them. 
Adirondacks. — Meacham Lake , May 20th.— The salmon 
trout fishing is much better than last year, and is early, 
The brook trout fishing is excellent. The fish are now 
taking the flies finely. We have some company here now, 
and expect others to-night. We were snowed in from Feb- 
ruary 18tli to April 6th. A. R. Fuller. 
New Jersey.— Kinsey's Ashley House— Barney at Inlet , 
May 20th . — Borne few blueflsh taken in gill nets; weakflsh 
of good size, running from three to six pounds, are also be 
ing caught; none with hook aud line. We are expecting 
our annual run of blueflsh every day. For the past seven 
years blue fish have been taken with nets for a week or ten 
days previous to their capture with the squid. B. 
— The Salisbury, Ct., Game Protective Company includes 
about eighty residents of the northwest corner of the State, 
and has already demonstrated its usefulness the present 
season by totally preventing the spearing of baas on their 
spawning beds in that section. In former years ns many 
as a dozen torches have been counted on “Twin Lakes" in 
a single night. Bass fishing in these lakes is good, and 
will be permitted after July 1st. The month of June is a 
close season. 
— An Atlanta, Georgia, correspondent, says: “The bass 
are spawning in this section, and the ‘crackers,’ (aud I 
am sorry to say, others who know better,) climb trees stand- 
ing near the shallow creeks over their spawning beds, and 
shoot them with buckshot.” This is a new kind of sport, 
combining the pleasures of a 'possum hunt, target practice, 
and still fishing. 
— The Willewemoc Club held its annual meeting in this 
city last week, nt which the following officers were elected .- 
J. 8. Van Cleif, President; Charles A. Macy, Jr., Vice 
President; C. Van Brunt, Secretary and Treasurer; J. 8. 
Van Cleif, C. Van Brunt and George W. Van Siclen, Ex- 
ecutive Committee- This association, which was incorpo- 
rated by a special act, in 1870, has control and ready access 
to some of the finest lakes aud streams in the Catskills. 
Lake Willewemoc, where the club house is located, is about 
2,500 feet above tide water, and lies about thirteen miles 
north of the Midland R. R., and is easily reached in one day 
from New York, by way of Morston. The Willewemoc 
stream lies throe and a half miles south;; the upper Beaver- 
kill the same distance north, and a little beyond the well 
known Balsam Lake and Thomas Lake, both well stocked 
with trout, and both under control of the club. Lake Wil- 
lewemoc is a quarter of a mile in length, and under the 
old name of Sand Pond, has long been noted for yielding 
large trout, and to those desiring both lake and stream fish- 
ing, and al the same time enjoy with their families the 
bracing mountain air, this club offers especial attractions. 
It will be seen by an advertisement in auolher column that 
& few shares are for sale to acceptable persons. 
The Fisheries. — T he number of fishing arrivals for the 
week ending May 20th was sixty-seven — fifty from Georges, 
sixteen from Western Banks and one from Grand Banks.' 
The Western Bankers average very good salt fares, the re- 
ceipts of cod being about 850,000 pounds. The Georgcsmen 
have brought in some 1 , 000,000 pounds cod aud 500, 000 
pounds halibut. Bank halibut have been in good supply, 
the total receipts being 280,000 pounds. 
The Southern maekercling fleet ure doing a very fair 
business in the fresh mackerel line, several fares having 
been landed in New York the past fortnight, which have 
been sold at remunerative prices. No salt fares have ar- 
rived home yet, and probably will not before the first of 
next month. The old stock of mackerel in the market is 
fast being closed off, and the new catch will come along in 
good time to supply future demunds. The first arrivals of 
6ali mackerel last year sold for $12 and $10 per barrel for 
large and medium threes, and the probability is that 
they will briug nearly, if not quite as much this season. 
1 he salt bankers are arriving freely the present week, 
averaging good fures. The fish are of excellent quality and 
in good demand as fast as they can be got in readiness for 
the murket. The number of vessels in this branch of the 
fisheries is considerably larger than the fleet of last season, 
and the business bids fair to prove quite successful.— 
Cape Ann Advertiser, 21 st. 
ont branches for fifty feet; trank, two and three feet In diameter; bark, 
ash color, which Is Imported under the name of bibtra bark, a tonic. It 
was (or Is) extensively used In ship bnMag for beams, etc. Lloyd's list 
of ship building woods class It as No. 1. (For further particulars refer 
to Treasury of Botany, par; It., etc., etc.) 
Perfection in nil our implements and tackle is what we aim at, and if 
this wood can be obtained perfect, as Orvis says, it would be most de- 
sirable. QUERCUS. 
PISCATORIAL SPORT IN LAKE SAN 
ANDREAS, NEAR SAN FRANCISCO. 
San Francisco, May 20th, 1875. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
On Saturday last my nephew and myself took the southern (rain of 
cars to San Bruno, fourteen miles from this city, where there is a neat 
nnd comfortable tavern, well conducted by a man of the name of Cun- 
ningham. We reached this station at a quarter past four in the after- 
noon, and directly sealing ourselves In a wagon drawn by a pair of fast 
horses, reached our lake in about half an hour, the distance being about 
three miles, but part of tho way was up a tolerably sleep "hill . On the 
shore of the lake there Is a small cottage, inhabited by the keeper. We 
found a boat ready for us, but the westerly trade winds were blowing 
rather strong, and we were on Ihe lee shore, so we hnd some difficulty In 
rowing from it out into the lake, our object being to reach the opposite 
shore to commence fishing where the water was not so rough. Our at- 
tempt to inveigle the fish (salmon trout) was not rewarded with success 
that evening. My nephew tried with the fly, and I with halt, fishing with 
worms. The wind was quite high. 
This Is a subscription water, and tho permit to fish costs §2 50 per 
capitum. The next morning, after an early breakfast, we rode again to 
this fine sheet of clear nnd pure water, which belongs to iho Spring Val 
Icy Water Company, of this city. The wind, as usual on this const, was 
gentle till about eleven in the morning, and the sun, as is almost Invari- 
ably the case at this season, shone brightly, with an entirely clear sky . 
On reaching our water we took boat again, and trolled with a small spin- 
ning spoon bait, but with two rods out. Presently, while rowing across, 
my nephew hooked and secured a salmon trout of one pound and a half 
in weight. We continued to troll up and down a portion of the water 
from seven in the morning until after three In the afternoon. During 
that time my nephew took eight salmon trout, averaging one pound each, 
and I took seven, one of miue being taken with a worm. These fish ore 
very game, and afforded us good sport. Pan of them are termed black 
trout, and part silver trout. The lake is swarming with them. Several 
other parties captured a good many of them while we were itaere. The 
lake la one mile In length, and in breadth about three hundred yards. It 
la siirronnded by high hills, clothed in part only with low bashes, or 
ebappara). The view around is rather bleak and barren, but there Is a 
profusion of many varieties of beautiful aud brilliantly colored wild 
flowers of many hues. The only other fish In this lake angled for is a 
small chub, about the size of a California smelt. Many salmon trout 
wore taken last year by bait fishing, but this year the spinning spoon is 
by far the most killiug process. 
The cost of this trip was $7 each. There Is another lake nearer to the 
city, close by the Golden Gate Park, called Merced. This belongs to the 
Acclimatizing Society, and the permission to fish there also costs $2 50. 
This is kept planted with the same species of salmon trout as Is In Lake 
San Andreas, but they do not Seem to spawu th' re. The trolling Is good 
In this lake. About nine miles south from San Andreas is Lake Palici- 
tos, which is stocked with Calfornia brook trout. The fishing there is 
free. E. J. Hoofer. 
TROUT FISHING IN VIRGINIA. 
MR. S. C. 
CLARKE AND 
CLATURE. 
HIS NOMEN- 
MATERIAL FOR FLY RODS. 
Lynchburg, Va., May 1-lth, 1875. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
In your Daper of April 29th your correspondent, "Monmonth," states 
It as a well established though curious fact that east of the Blue Ridge 
Mountains in Virginia, and further south the speckled trout are not to he 
found. Indeed, he avers that they have never been found here, and al- 
though— on one occasion, at least— carefully introduced into these waters 
they speedily perished. He asks, "Who shall explain this?" 
It needs no explanation. Your correspondent was simply misinformed 
as to the facts. Speckled trout (true Ultimo fontmalis) have always been 
quite ubundant in almost every stream flowiug through or having its 
source on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Trout are 
still caught In these streams, though In diminished numbers, as far down 
and below the mountains ns the temperature and clearness of the water 
admit. • The present season quite a number of fine trout have been 
caught in the James River, some thirty miles below this city, ns well as 
above. Many of the tributaries of the James, which rise ou tho eastern 
slopes and spurs of the Blue Ridge, have long been noted for their excel- 
lence as trout streams, and if they were properly protected and cared for 
would soon rival the choicest streams iu tho Adironducks. I could name 
half a dozen streams within a half day's horseback ride of Lynchburg 
whore ns good sport may be had as in perhaps nine out of ten of the 
most famous tront streams of New York or New England. The trout of 
these waters, as caught by our sportsmen, range from a quarter of a 
pound to one pound aud a half. The streams are generally a succession 
of cascades or rapids, and large, deep pools, and the banks sufficiently 
free from brush to afford a free uso of the artificial fly. 
W. B. Robertson. 
n fund jfjistarg. 
_ o Boston, May 6th, 1875. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
Is there to be had of any Importers or dealers In useful or fancy woods 
in New York or elsewhere the wood called the greenheart, suitable for 
the making of rods? You probably arc well aware of tho quality of this 
wood (wheD It cau be obtained) as a perfect article for rode, retaining, os 
Jt docs In every particular, its elasticity under ail circumstances, for it 
never sets or changes during use by being water-soaked, and is recom- 
mended by all English, Irish, or 8cotch manufacturers of rods. It is 
certainly a valuable wood for tho purpose, though our makers use it but 
little, owing probably to the difficulty lu obtaining It perfect. Francis 
Francis, an English author, speaks of it most particularly in hie w ork on 
anglieg, haviug used a greenheart tip to a bamboo rod for salmon aud 
trout fishing for nearly twenty years, remaining still most reliable. 
Wo speak of this as a matter of importance, for we have received this 
wood several times in logs, and when sawed up It has not proved of good 
quality, nnd It has been more or less riddled with holes by borers, aud 
the elasticity, from some cause, gone, so that it would break with any 
■uddeu strike, and thus be rendered useless. Wc think if the greenheart 
wood could be obtained perfect from Us location It would be a valuable 
addition to the rod manufacturer's stock of woods. 
In regard to the botany of the greenheart tree (Xcctandra rodae i). It 
abounds in Dcmsrara, Peru, Guinea, and the West India Islands. The 
greenheart, or bibiri tree of British Guiuea, Is named Xeclandra rodeai 
by Sir R. Schombark, though some botanists consider it a variety of Xeo- 
tundra Uucanlha, a large tree sixty to seventy fest high, frequently with- j —Philu. Dispatch 
— The Trustees of the American Museum of Natural 
History gave an interesting reception at the museum in 
Central Park, on Tuesday last. The rain interfered some- 
what as far as attendance was concerned, but the late addi- 
tions to tho collection were viewed with much interest. 
Among them arc the gigantic moas, cuts and descriptions of 
which have already appeared in this paper. Also 1,100 fine 
skins of birds of North Amorica, the Hays collection of 
heads of moose, buffalo, caribou, etc. Mummies from 
Columbia River, aud the original plates from which were 
printed Audubon’s Birds of America. 
—Mr. Geo. A. Boardman, of Calais, has had presented 
to him a deer’s hoof without the cleft, which is something 
of a curiosity, though how unusual, we are not informed. 
American Reptiles.— Prof. Cope, of this city, has pre- 
pared for the Smithsonian Institute a list of the reptiles 
which have hitherto been discovered in America north of 
Mexico Of 337 species admitted by him, 125 arc snakes 
82 lizards, 41 turtles, and 2 crocodilians; 23 of the snakes 
are poisonous, 17 being rattlesnakes, copperheads and 
water moccasins, and 3 coral snakes— the last are related 
to the viper of England, and are beautifully annulated with 
red or scarlet, yellow and black. Of the non-venomous 
snakes 103 belong to forms that are generally familiar 
while two are sluggish and worm-like creatures, which 
have, hence been called "Scolecopliidans,’’ or worm-shakes. 
Smithsonian Institution, May 8th, 1875. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
It Is grallfylug to find that Mr. 8. C. Clarke (Forest and Stream May 
6th) has conceded the coirectness of all the positions assumed by my- 
self, and that his descriptive uotes ou the nurse confirm the Idea nog. 
gested In a former communication, viz.: that the fish so called by the 
Floridians (as In the West Indies and Bermuda) is a Qinglymosto/ra. I 
should, therefore, have made no further allusion to the subject had It 
not been for a question Mr. Clarke has proposed for me. As 1 am of a 
very accommodating disposition, and always like to Impart information 
when asked and when I cau, I take pleasure In lesponding to Mr. 
Clarke's question, which wus, “ Did it ever occur to Mr. Gill that, some 
of the modem naturalists are addiug to this confusion- by constant 
changes in nomenclature?" I can reply that it has several times or- 
curred to me that amateur and Imperfectly educated naturalists have 
very much increased the confusion of nomenclature, and among such 
are several of the naturalists to whom allusion Is made In Mr. Clarke's 
letter. But even the confusion which such men have lutroduced Is not at al 1 
comparable with that which originates from the diversity of application 
of popular names. In order to prove this let me stule the conditions of 
the questions involved. The great confnsion In the use of popular names 
results from the entire causelessness and vagueness of their application. 
Thus, to refer only to names used by Mr. Clarke, the word nurse is ap- 
plied to animals more different than a horse and a rhinoceros arc from 
each other; the word crevahe is used tor fishes that ure extremely dissimi- 
lar in appearunce, aud some words, e. g. black fish, trout, salmon, etc., 
ure severally applied to fishes far more different than a man Is from a 
monkey, and even moro than they are from a dog. Nay, to such an ex- 
tent does this confusion go that the same name Is applied to the porpoise, 
(t. t. a mammal), and (o a number of different kluds of fishes that are 
extremely unlike each other. Every sportsman who has traveled much, 
as well as every naturalist, will be able to recall hosts of examples. I 
therefore need not allude to more. 
Now, as to the scientific nomenclature, It is quitcjtrue that iu a num- 
ber of cases several names have been given to the same spejlee, but 
those names, on the other hand, are not applied to different species, ex- 
cept through errors of Identification, such as Mr. Clarke has committed 
in several of his communications. It is owing to such mistakes that the 
synonym of various species has accumulated. In future eynonymical 
lists, e.g., under the name Qlngtymostoma cirratum lhcre must be in- 
serted as a synonym Somniasvs breviptniia (Clarke,) Forestand Stream 
May 28, 1874, aud January 28, 1875. This will be very much like refer- 
ring to the synonym of Canis familiarly, Homo sapiens, l . e., recording 
an identification of a man with a dog! Such Is the character of mistakes 
one may be led Into by trusting to popular names. There la another ex- 
planation to be found in the fact that natural history nomenclature is an 
expression of our ideas and advance in the knowledge of animals, and 
that each name is a formula indicative of certain facts of structure; 
therefore it could only be expected by one who had little or no knowl- 
edge of the subject that the nomenclature should be stuble, inasmuch us 
such stability would indicate omniscience with respect to the subject, 
and consequently would once for all forestall investigation. 
Mr. Clarke regrets the decay of the “old school" of naturalists, and by 
Implication the ascendancy of "the new school, which may be called the 
Smithsonian." This may be a question of taste, to some extent, but it 
Is not a question of taste as to the illustrations he gives. The “old 
school” naturalists referred to by him divided the two species of black 
bass into about half a dozen, more or less, and did not define them so as 
*o be recognizable— t. g., the black bass is named by one nnd tho same 
author, Orystes salmoidts aud Centrarchvs fasclalus, aud yet these 
names are applicable to tho same species I Mr. Clarke 
says "It used to be thought proper to allow the name 
given to a species by its first describer to Btand, but the 
Northern pickerel, first described by Agassiz as Esar borens, has been in 
some mysterious way renamed E. ludoldes." The mystery in this case 
arises rather from the fact that Mr. Clarke should make a very rash state- 
ment without knowing anything ubout the matter. Half u dozen errors 
are involved in this and the following paragraph, but it will suffice to 
state that both of the names mentioned were given by Prof. Agassiz him- 
ee(f, and were applied to what he at least considered very distinct species .' 
Mr. Clarke, however, is quite right in supposing that it used to be thought 
proper to accopt priority in nomenclature, but this lias always been sub- 
ject to certain conditions. Aud with regurd to the names cited, observ- 
ance of this very law of priority has necessitated the restoration of the 
name Mlcropterus to the black bass, and this view has been adopted by 
Prof. Agassiz's own " school," as he will find by reference to the "an- 
nual report of the Trustees of the Museum of Comparative Zoology," 
page 20, just published, where the name ilicroplerus nigricans is adopted 
for the large-mouthed black bass. 
The “Smithsonian school" of nomenclature, as It Is in some degree 
appropriately called by Mr. Clarke, for tho vertebrates, has been gen- 
erally followed throughout the country, (and, therefore, has good claims 
to be called the "American school,”) and when Mr. Clurke more fully un- 
derstands these matters he will doubtless see the propriety of becoming 
a disciple Iilmsi If. Several other misconceptions and errors than those 
noticed are apparent in Mr. Clarke’s communication, but ns this article 
has already extended to an undue length, further notice thereof for the 
present, at least, will doubtless be excused. Let ine add a few words in 
conclusion. Most of the readers of the Forest and Stream are men 
of culture and education, and if they would set the example of calling 
the various animals they are familiar with by their proper mimes, much 
of the difficulty which now exists in one sportsman understanding what 
another means would be done away with. Many, I presume, would be 
disposed to decline to do so. because they might be accused of pedantsy, 
and doubtless they would by some, but they will do well to bear in mind 
the truth that the pride of lgnorauce is of all the greatest, and It is ques- 
tionable whether it is worth while to attempt to conciliate It. If sports- 
men would only use truly specific names— English or scientiflc-lt mat- 
ters not, controversies like the current one with such an estimable gen- 
tleman as Mr. Clarke would be Impossible, for the present has origi- 
nated entirely from misapprehensions engendered by the local applica- 
tion of certain names. Tubo. Giu.. 
THE BANDED PROTEUS. 
May 21st, i875. 
Editou Forest and Stream:— 
I promised a few days since to tell you of the new fish (?) onr fisher- 
men are taking— the banded proteus, {Menobraucu* La'erls of De Kay,> 
of which De Kay says In Natural History of New York Zoology, Pun 
III., page 87, that It la common in Lakes Eric, Seneca, Champlain, and 
George, and that "It has been found in the Erie Canal, and will doubtless 
ere long reach the Hudson River." It is well on Its way if it has not 
already reached the Hudson. For a few years past It has occasionally 
been taken In the Mohawk River in the neighborhood of Little Falls, 
N Y.; this year it is very common. One man is reported to have taken 
forty at one time in a net. They range from twelve to twenty-four 
inches, and one old fisherman reports "three pounders.” They are 
caught both with a hook and i fyke nets set for suckers, a d ure re- 
ported to be full of small fish. Many fear they will destroy our game 
fish, and want to learn some way to get rid of them. De Kay thinks 
they are good to eat, bnt we prefir some other way, as our anglers "don't 
honker after" them. Do they do any harm, and if so. is there any 
remcdyy Ferbis. 
Whale, Ho! Seven whales were in sight at one time 
Ham P to “ 00 last Friday, exciting the whalemen 
of that place to an indescribable pitch. After a long chase, 
however, the boats returned without having been “fast.” 
