390 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
ture &s any man in the State, if not more so; unostentatious, 
his advise in every department of pisciculture would be 
at once safe and valuable to any person desiring to embark 
in this new enterprise. There are several minor fish farms, 
not yet developed into profitable establishments, owing to 
large expectations of their proprietors, and a lack of the 
application of good common sense in their management. 
In California' fi-h culture is taking high rank, under the 
management of the excellent Board of Commissioners, 
Messrs. Redding, Throckmorton and Farwell. Trout 
farms are springing up in those portions of the State where 
water is abundant, and adapted to the salmonidie. 
The Commission is already taking steps to obtain new 
varieties of food fish from China, that they may be en- 
grafted upon their already extensive fauna. In looking 
back across a period of nearly 4,000 years, we find that 
fish culture has aided largely in the sustenance of the hu- 
man family. In spite of the many vicissitudes and unto- 
ward contingences that constantly war against the spawn 
of fish and their hatchings, a large supply of food is ob- 
tained from the natural increase of fish. Though countless 
millions of the young are destroyed by their natural ene- 
mies, and by the s'dt of freshets, yet countless millions 
survive, and furnish us wholesome food. 
To be Continued. 
The Fish Commission ami New York Shad.— M r. R. 
B. Roosevelt of the New York Fishery Commission, has 
written a letter to the New York Tima, with regard to the 
fault which has been found in certain quarters with the 
United States Fish Commission in taking young shad from 
the Hudson River for distribution in other waters. He 
•ays:— 
"A certain number of young shad were presented to the 
United States Fish Commission in the early days of its ex- 
istence by the New York Commissioners for the purpose 
of making experiments in acclimating this fish to different 
waters. Since then others have been obtained by the same 
commission for distribution, not a large number and not to 
an extent to seriously affect the fisheries of the Hudson. 
It must be borne in mind that a very small percentage of 
the eggs of shad which are deposited in the natural method 
ever hatch. Insects, foul water, freshets, predatory fish, 
and disease sweep them off by myriads, so that probably 
scorcely more than one in 500 ever matures. Consequently, 
in determining the extent of the loss to our fisheries by the 
abstraction of a certain number of eggs, we must consider 
not how many fish were actually hatched by the artificial 
process but how many would have hatched in the ordinary 
way. This would make the positive loss really quite 
small. Scientifically manipulated the ova are practically all 
matured; left to nature 49a out of 500 die. 
The increase of the fish resources of the country is a 
matter of common interest, not to be restricted to narrow 
or sectional* views. Most of our large water courses in- 
tersect or touch more than one Stale, and their restocking 
is not a mere local question. When the New York Com- 
missioners propagated shad in the Hudson, they neces 
sarily benefited New Jersey fishermen, who claim the part 
of the river that bounds their coast. So, while the United 
States Commissioner has taken shad from the Hudson, he 
has returned salmon from Maine and California. The New 
York Commission has heretofore obtained whitefish from 
Michigan and Canada, und there has been more or less free 
interchange of fish between the Slates. Of course it is not 
to be expected that any Slate would willingly see its waters 
depleted for other localities, but that is supposing an ex- 
treme case, which has not yet arisen, and is not likely to 
arise. Personally, I believe in tbe utmost liberality iu such 
philanthropic anil humanitarian undertakings. There 
should be harmony and concert of action among all those 
who have them in charge, such as bus existed, I am 
happy to say, ameng the fish cullurists of this country. 
Tbe United States Commissioner, Prof. Spencer F. 
Baird, has in view this year the propagation of shad on the 
Connecticut on a large scale, and the cultivation of land- 
locked salmon in Maine, both of which enterprises will 
inure greatly to the benefit of the State of New York, 
which is in position to utilize these efforts, and turn them 
to the best account. Especially will the introduction of 
the land-locked salmon he advantageous, and the State 
hatching house will enable the New York Commission to 
hatch all the eggs that the Uuiltd States Commissioner can 
let them have. I write this letter as an act of justice to 
Prof. Baird, and in Older to remove any mistaken feeling 
which his piocceuiugs may have occasioned." 
FISH PROTECTION IN NORTH CARO- 
LINA. 
The following law in relation to the protection of fis! 
has just been enacted by the Legislature of North Care 
lina:— 
Sxction 1 The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact, That I 
ehaii not be lawful lor any person or persons to uee drift ueta of an 
kind, except bow n -.known as skim new. in the waters of Neus 
K.*tr. between Newoern, Craven county, ami Kinston, Lcuror couutv 
ana lu the waters of Couwmuea Creek, between Us inouiti und the Grcc 
coun'.j line. 
ban. 3. It shall not be lawful for any person or persons to nee mor 
than one seine lu the same seme hole, 
btc. 3. It shall not be luwful for any person or persons to use an 
aeiue. or drag out, or new of any k.od whatsoever eicepl bow new 
known a, ek.m neU, m ibe waters of Nuuse River and Contcnlue 
creek, as deecrlbcd in eecuon 1 of tide act, from Friday evening aiinse 
until Monday morning at eunriee from February 1st to Juue 1st. 
c»X 4. Any person or pereoue violating said acts eball be deeinei 
gudty of a mnoeme-nor, and on convieuou shall be lined not nioi 
lUau ana imprisoned not more .nan one month, und in uddmoi 
thocto shall lorlcit ail luv tuning cackle used In violating ibU act 
hue. 6 all laws and causes of taws in conflict with this act are hereb 1 
repealed. 
b*c. b. This act to take effect from and after its ratification 
Raufled Ute 17tu day of March, A. it. 1875. 
A tree copy— teste; j. j£. wear. Clerk Superior Court. 
The Preservation ok Fish in James River. —The las 
Geueial Assembly passed un act lor the preservation ol 
fisb iu James River, providing, among other things, against 
tbe pollution of the river by emptying or permitting t< 
Bow into it any ruluse or other deleterious matter. The in 
dieitneui against the eily, as drawn up by tbe grand jury 
at ouuge Ciopton’a suggestion last Monday, spteioes tbai 
tbe waters ot the river are polluted and rendered poiaouoiu 
oJXorfc* by lUe ^ l “ r ““ U 0lhcr rcMJ “ e Uu * ,u tf Iro,u the 
the Gas Works, who are responsible foi 
whatever violation of law there may be in the case, claim 
that the facts are not as set forth in the indictment. It 
has heen the custom at the Gas Works for years past to 
pump the gas tar into wells, for the purpose of selling it 
to regular buyers. It is claimed, therefore, that the refuse 
that finds it way into the river is not gas tar, and, such ns 
it is, is not injurious to any form of life.— Richmond 
Whig. 
—Dr. J. II. Richardson reports that recently while pass- 
ing from Toronto to Kingston he found the surface of the 
water covered with young shad from two to six inches 
long. This would indicate that there are unknown causes 
at work which promise) to interfere with the propagation 
of this fish iu Lake Ontario. 
turn! istartj . 
For ForeM and Stream. 
SOME WILD ANIMALS OF NEWFOUND- 
LAND. 
THE OTTER. 
I N some «f the stores in St. John's at certain seasons of 
the year large quantities of otter skins may be seen 
hanging from the ceiling. These have been purchased from 
the Mic Mac Indians and distant settlers during their peri- 
odical visits to the capital, and are all exported to England. 
Judging by the number of otter skins brought in by the 
hunters every year these animals must be abundant in 
Newfoundland. They briDg here from $5 to $7, according 
to size and quality, and during the last few years have 
been steadily rising in price, $9 and even $10 being some- 
times given for a superior skin. One of them is sufficiently 
large to make a winter cap and a pair of gauntlets. Our 
traders and settlers make two varieties of the Newfound- 
land otters. The most valuable, and that which is taken 
by the Indians, is culled the “country" otter, and princi- 
pally frequents inland brooks and rivers. It has fur of a 
beautiful, shining, dark liver brown, almost black on tbe 
back. The other variety, called the “salt water" otter, 
has fur of a rusty brown color, and is considerably larger 
than the country otter, although the skin is uot nearly so 
valuable, rarely realizing more than $3 or $4. The food of 
the otter is chiefly fish, but the creature will eat anything 
that comes in its way — the flesh of other animals or the 
young of water fowl; and it has even heen known to enter 
a beaver’s house and kill and devour the young. Its swim- 
ming powers are wonderful, and the rapidity with which 
it slides over or through the snow is al«o surprising In 
both operations ihc tail acts a most prominent part, but 
this can best be 6eeu when the animal is gliding through 
the snow. This it does by a succession of bounds, each of 
which euds iu a “slide,” often several feet in length, the 
impetus to which is given by a peculiar lateral curve of the 
thick tail, which is provided with two powerful muscles, 
one on each side. The presence of these muscles can be 
detected even in a dried skin, by two deep furrows, which 
are not obliterated by stretching and nailing the skin to a 
board. 
TnE WOLF. 
There can be no doubt that in the interior of Newfound- 
land wolves are in strong force. Cormack, the only trav- 
eler who has crossed the island, tells us that he everywhere 
met their tracks, but only in a few instances did he see any 
wolves. He is of opinion that there are two kinds of 
wolves in Newfoundland — one large, which prowls singly 
or iu couples; another small, sometimes met with in packs. 
I should be inclined to think that on this point Cormack is 
mistaken, and that the only species of wolf here is the 
American wolf, (Canis occidentali*, Richardson.) It is diffi- 
cult, however, to find two skins of this species, even in the 
same litter of whelps, marked exactly alike, so great is the 
variation in the shades or degrees of coloring, from pure 
black to almost clear white. Few Winters are passed with- 
out some wolves being trapped along the shores. They 
often prowl near the houses of the settlers, or pass them in 
the chase. Their cunning in capturing deer is sometimes 
surprising. During the Winter season the deer feed in the 
marshes, which are generally surrounded by belts of coni- 
feus. The ravenous wolves secrete themselves in the deer 
paths and lie in wait until one or more wolves get round to 
windward of the deer and drive them through the paths, 
when some of them fall an easv prey to the secreted 
wolves. The only instance on record of their attacking a 
human being is related by an Indian named John Joe, who 
staled that in April, 1866, when standing by the aide of a 
small lake— one of the many formed by the River Exploits 
—he saw an old wolf coming toward him across the ice, 
and presently five or six more showed themselves. The 
Indian rau for the "tilt" where his gun was, but the wolves 
gained on him, and would have killed him lmd he not 
climbed a tree out of their reach. After remaining nearly 
an hour under the tree they took their departure. It is 
rarely that wolves show such courage us in this instunce, 
and they are generally well aware of the presence of fire- 
arms. The flesh of the caribou, which is usually of excel- 
lent quality when the animui is shot without chasing, is 
scarcely palatable when killed by wolves, or even when 
chased by cudocs for some distance and shot, having a 
frothy and flabby appearance, which isdisugreeuble to both 
touch aud taste. 
THE FOX. 
There are two species of fox iu Newfoundland— the com- 
mon red fox, which lias many varieties, and the blue or 
Arctic fox. Of the former there arc the cross fox, silver 
fox, and the black fox varieties, ull belonging to the same 
species, bettler* dcclure that they often find iu the same 
litter all these different kinds — the bluck, the silver the 
“patch" or cross fox. und the yellow. The mom vulu'able 
is the black fox’s skin, which Is sold from £13 to £15- u 
silver hiings from £8 to £1U; a cross £3, und u yellow $3 
The “patch" or “cross" lox is the smallest of these varie- 
ties. 1 he Arctic or blue fox ( V layopu *, Linn,) is tolerably 
common throughout the island, aud ib much more easily 
taken tlian the lorrner, as it invariably searches out und fre- 
quents human habitations. Thu other is shy and wiu,.| 
fill, and will rarely go near a lmited trap till driven i t’ 
hunger. The white skin of the Arctic fox, however 
fetches only $1. Since seal skins have been introduced 
into the fashionable world the price of black and silver fox 
skius has fallen considerably. 
THE MARTEN. 
Martens, or American sables, are still common in various 
parts of the island, but from the increasing value of f llr 
they are annually becoming scarcer It is a hold, rapa- 
cious animal, and in its habits reminds one of the polecat 
Marten eats, as they are called in Newfoundland, are easily 
caught in iron traps placed in “cat houses" or in “dead- 
falls." Some naturalists identify this species with the Eu- 
ropean M. eibellinn, but this is a doubtful point. Little r ,.. 
Itance can he placed on the colors of the martime, as a very 
appreciable difference exists iu Ibis particular, even in 
Newfoundland and the Labrador, t lie former being much 
lighter throughout, but especially about the head and ears. 
So percept ibfe is the distinction that a trader readily sepa- 
rates the Newfoundland skins from those obtained on the 
main land. 
AMERICAN BLACK BEAR. 
In his “Journey Across Newfoundland," which has 
been reprinted in Forest and Stream, Cormack mentions 
that in the centra of the island he crossed extensive dis- 
tricts remarkable for the abundance of berries, and that 
these are the favorite haunts of the bluck bears, who feed 
upon them. He tells us that the paths or beats of these 
animals throughout their feeding grounds are stamped 
with marks of antiquity seemingly coeval with the coun- 
try. lie shot one which weighed 850 pounds, the fat 
around its body being four inches in some parts. The flesh 
of the bear is much esteemed by the Indians, The pickled 
hams are undoubtedly good eating, but require great cure 
in preserving, as the fatty parts are apt to turn rancid. 
There is some doubt as to the period of gestation, but from 
many facts which have come to light it is pretty evident 
that they copulate in the Fall, and bring forth in the snug 
Winter caves; for on their uppenrancc in the Spring they 
are generally accompanied by two, rarely three, young 
ones. Usually the black bear is a solitary animal, although 
five or six are occasionally seen together. It may he re- 
garded as omnivorous iu its habits. It is often seen on the 
sea shore in Spring, feeding on any animal matter which 
may be cast up by the waves, such as putrid pieces of 
whales, fish, lobsters, etc. Later in the Summer the vari- 
ous berries, such as those of the mountain ash, for which 
it readily climbs, cranberries, and blueberries are its prin- 
cipal food. It rartly attacks cattle unless urged by hun- 
ger, hut of molasses it is known to be extraordinarily 
fond. It is at once the most harmless species of bear, anil 
the most easily destroyed. An ounce of shot not smnller 
than No. 6 is sufficient to kill the largest of the species if 
fired into the intestines behind the ribs at a distance not 
exceeding twenty yards. There is little danger in approach 
ing these animals, even when wounded. The sense of sight 
appears to be imperfectly developed iu the black hear, hut 
those of smell and hearing are sufficiently keen to make up 
the deficiency. In stalking the bear it is necessary to keep 
well to leeward, aud to approach as noiselessly ns possible. 
At one lime the polar bear was common in Newfound 
land, but is now seen only occasionally on the ice around 
the coast, and will probably soon be ox'linct. The extensive 
seal fishery in steamers and schooners around the const 
seems to have driven off tbe polar bears to more northern 
regiofis, Rarely bus this hear been known to act on the 
offensive, but when attacked and unable to escape it will 
fight in a most determined manner. Its tenacity of life is 
said to bo remarkable. A bullet has been known to pass 
transversely through its body without touching a vital part 
or producing fatal results. 
MUSKRATS. 
This animal has been called, und not without reason, 
"the beaver in miniatuie.” Iu economy, habits, and ap- 
pearance the two animals have a considerable resemblance 
'I he food of the muskrat consists of the stems nnd roots of 
aquatic plants, bark, fresh water dams, and other inol’.usks 
The femules bring forth six to nine at a birth during the 
Summer, and breed only once u year. The skins arc worth 
twenty cents, and in Spring their musk-like odor is very 
powerful. The houses of the muskrats, or musquash, arc 
built of mud and rushes, and are frequently of consider- 
able magnitude, but are tenanted only during the Winter. 
They are not built on the ice, but on the mud at the hot- 
tom of the shallow water, aud are raised some two feel 
above the surface, so that the water at the bottom remains 
unfrozen by the animals continually breaking it to go off 
in search of food under the ice. The houses are also pro- 
vided with a kind of second floor above the water level, on 
which the muskrats lie on a bed of soft dry gross. 
hares. 
The polar hare is the only species found in Newfound 
land, and it is pretty common in most parts of the bland. 
It is of great size, the ordinary specimens weighing nine or 
ten pounds. The flesh is not so palatable ns that of the 
English hare, in consequence of its feeding in Winter on 
the tender shoots of birch. Nova Scotia hares have lately 
been introduced, and are multiplying with great rapidity 
Already they constitute uti important nddiliou to the Win 
ter fare of the working classes. They are not half the size 
of the polar hare, and their flesh is not so good. In St. 
John’s they are sold in Winter for six pence each. 
THE ST ORM Y PETREL. 
„ SriucusB, N. Y., July JMtli, 1875. 
Editor Foiirst and Stiikam:— 
In your Issue of July 2nd I notice nn Inquiry regarding the habitat of 
the "stormy petrol," or "Mother Carey's chicken." Tin* bird, *o fn- 
inlllur to every cruft "off Roundings," I have never scon nesting except 
on “Rock Ucduntln", or "Itock of Thunder, " hm whalemen style It, 1111 
offshoot of the Ualllpagos Islund*, In the South 1’uclilc . They set into 
nest there something like the swullow, along the edges ol the cliff, on 
the hare rock, in counties* swarms. Millions of other sea fowl, Includ- 
ing the black albatross, share the same abiding place The rock Itself 
Is an Inaccessible lower, rising straight from the ocean, with deep water 
dose to the hose, from which i have assisted In taking many a boat load 
of lino and esculent Hull. jj R. Wilson , 
— »♦ » 
Scurvy Lkob. — T he following is a good cure for scurvy 
legs among fowl: — Take sulphur, two ounces; charcoal, 
pulverized, one-fourth ounce; truin oil, enough to paste; 
apply with the hand, by rubbing well iu. Allow it to re- 
main three days; thou wash off iu mild weather, with 
good soapsuds, and repeat tho dressing us often as it il 
necessary. 
