Sept 25,1875. 
SS4 
FISH Am 
FISH IN MARKET. 
Owing to severe storms, all kinds of fish are very 
scarce, and prices consequently are high. Salmon, 50c. ; 
striped bass, 25c. ; Spanish mackerel, 40c. ; halibut, 20c. ; 
eels, 20c.; no fresh mackerel in market; hlackfish, 15c.; 
sea bass, 20c. ; flounders, 12c. : haddock, 16c. ; cod, 12c.; 
bluefish, 12c. ; weakfish, 15c. ; frog legs, 50c. per lb. ; soft 
crabs, $1 50 per doz. ; hard crabs, 40c. per doz. ; green 
turtle very scarce at 18c. per lb. ; terrapin, $12 per doz. 
DcRntG the past week several specimens of the spot- 
ted lampurgus and dolphins have been taken on the 
coast, and found their way to the Smithsonian Insti- 
tute, through the care and courtesy of Mr. Blackford, 
the well known fish dealer of Fulton Market. 
Three or four large sturgeons are taken from the 
Connecticut River opposite IVindsor Locks every sea- 
son, and the present very low water promises a capital 
chance to secure them. Frederick Douglass, while out 
spearing fish the other day, captured one weighing about 
300 pounds. 
A Fish Story. 
The Rutland Herald is responsible for the following: 
Two weeks ago to-night I slept, with a small party of 
tourists, in a tent on an island in Lake Kaweambejewa- 
gamog, in Muskoka. I give the Indian name of the lake 
as it appears upon the official government map of the 
district, though it is more commonly knowu among the 
hunters who occasionally visit it by the less impractica- 
ble name of Hollow Lake — a name given it on account 
of the numerous echoes for which it is remarkable. The 
next morning we were awakened by the splashing made 
by salmon trout, jumping for food in the water about 
us. Emerging from the tent, an exciting scene present- 
ed itself. As far as I could see up and down the lake 
the surface was agitated by the leaping fish. While the 
guides were gelling breakfast, I cut a bush, and rigged 
a short pole and line, with which I easily caught several 
minnows in the shallow water near the shore. These I 
placed in a fish basket, which I suspended in the water 
at the side of a canoe where they could be kept alive 
and safe. These preparations compleied and breakfast 
disposed of, 1 took my tackle and paddled out into the 
deep water of the lake. I first took a very strong troll- 
ing line, to which I attached a triple hook. Selecting 
the largest minnow in my basket, and attaching it very 
firmly to the hook, I let it down a hundred feet or more 
into the water.. To the end of the line remaining in my 
hand I then tied the neck of a tightly corked empty bot- 
tle. (Muskoka is a great place for empty bottles. ) This 
I then threw into the water, and leaving it to sup- 
port the line, I paddled away a short distance, still, how- 
ever, keeping it in sight. My remaining tackle consist- 
ed of an ordinary black bass pole, which is considerably 
larger and heavier than a trout rod. Upon this was a 
small silver reel and a delicate trout line, such as one 
would use to catch the small speckled beauties in the 
Chittenden streams. Baiting one of my hooks with one 
of the liveliest of the minnows, I cast it as far as possi- 
ble from the canoe, and commenced paying out the line. 
Almost instantly there was trouble and excitement in 
that part of Muskoka. A large salmon trout ventured 
to interview that minnow, and wa^ immediately seized 
with a desire to “ go home.” Away went my line to its 
utmost length — a bun ired and thirty feet — my pole was 
drawn into the water until only the end of which I had 
hold was in sight above the surface, aud the canoe, which 
was made of birch bark, and u eighed, when dry, about 40 
pounds, swung round and was drawn, slowly, of course, 
but quite perceptibly, through the water. But the fish, 
which had swallowed the hook, could not endure this 
tension long. He soon yielded a little and I quickly got 
my pole out of the water and commenced winding in 
my line. I had recovered perhaps one half its length, 
when the creature became fianlic again and started for 
parts remote. Again the reel quickly yielded the line, 
the pole was drawn below the surface, and the canoe 
was turned into a miniature canal boat, with a fish for 
the motive power. This little game of “give and take” 
continued an indefinite time. The fish, at one end of 
the line, would have things all bis own way for a while, 
and then permit the man at the other to superintend 
movements for a season. At the end of two hours I 
could not see that the creature showed any signs of ex- 
haustion. I had not yet brought it near enough to the 
surface to get a sight at it. I could only judge of its 
size by its strength and endurance. I had pretty much 
made up my mind that it would at length bite or break 
the line and escape, when I observed large bubbles 
rising to the surface. This I knew indicated that the 
fish was becoming weak. So I ventured to draw upon 
it somewhat more strongly, and scon brought it so near 
as to see it distinctly. But after this even the plucky 
fellow drew the line out to its full length and the pole 
into the water, as before. At last, however, after a con- 
test of two hours and a half, and after towing the canoe 
half a mile from the spot where it took the bait, the 
gallant creature yielded and was easily brought to the 
surface, whara it lay axhauetad, and with only a alow. 
feeble motion of its broad fins and tail. Carefully work- 
ing it alongside, I thrust my hand between his gills, for 
I had forgotten to take either gaff or landing net, and 
lifted hitn into the canoe. 
1 then turned my attention to the bottle, and soon dis- 
covered it, though at a considerable distance from the 
spot where I had left it. I found it going through an 
amusing series of gymnastic movements. First it ap- 
peared to nod at me several times in succession, as though 
congratulating me on my recent triumph. Then the 
head of the bottle would suddenly disappear and the 
larger end pop up — a feat not unlike that sometimes per- 
formed by small boys when in swimming. Then it 
would wholly disappear for a moment, but presently 
shoot up again lively as ever. Of course I knew what 
all this performance meant and ‘‘went for” the bottle 
as fast as possible. I knew the hook and line would 
hold anything short of a whale, so I pulled the fish into 
the canoe as quickly as his large size and great strength 
would permit. The one caught on the trout line weighed 
twelve and a half pounds, while the one which, like 
blaster Pip, was brought up on the bottle, quickly turned 
the scales at fourteen. 
ABOUT OTTERS. 
BY S J. HURLEY. 
Next to the dog, my favorite companions are the 
otter and cormorant. No doubt it takes a long time to 
bring under complete control either one or the other of 
the “fishmongers,” because in their wild state both are 
awfully ferocious; but once you have succeeded in tam- 
ing them — no easy task, believe me — they make the 
nicest and most amusing of pets imaginable, especially 
if one happens to reside near a river or lake containing 
fish. Now it is my good fortune to dwell on the banks 
of the lordly Shannon, and within a rifle shot of Lough 
Derg — 
That sacred lake, withdrawn among the hills. 
Its depth of wat.rs flanked as with a wall. 
Built by the giant race before the flood— 
where from my boyhood, in my shooting and fishing 
rambles, I have had frequent opportunities of observing 
the habits of both cormorant and otter. Let me see, I 
think it was about six years ago that I got my first otter, 
and if, at the time any person had given me a present of 
a hunter, I could not have felt more proud than I did in 
the possession of my pretty protege. The little thing 
was very young when I got it, its eyes being barely open, 
and for a fortnight or more I was obliged to spoon-feed 
it. This to me was a labor of love. At two months it 
used to follow me about and play with the cat and a 
young Irish terrier, by name Jack, which I happened to 
have at the time. Indeed, a more interesting trio than 
the otter, cat and dog no one need wish to see. 
A couple of months later on aud Belle — for that was 
the name which I had given to the otter — would follow 
me any distance down the river. On aU such occasions 
I would also be accompanied by Jack and one of my 
Irish water spaniels. Whether on the land or in the 
water the sportiveness of the three was in the highest 
degree interesting. Of course, in the water Belle was 
more at home, and she used to amuse herself by diving 
under her companions, and giving them an occasional 
nip of her ivory on the tail or paw, and then hook it off 
down the stream. Sometimes she would even get astride 
of the spaniel, and I think no one ever beheld a sight 
more ludicrous than the demure old bitch, with the 
tresses of her top-knot falling down about her eyes, 
swimming asnore with her artful young rider. Then, 
when all would land, and shake and roll themselves in 
the grass, they would take to playing at high romp. 
Belle was quite a puzzle to the country people. One 
morning I was sallying out as usual with my three fa- 
vorites to heel, when two of our frieze-coated gentry 
who were coming along the road, halted right in front 
of me, and with their mouths opened to the utmost, they 
looked in bewilderment at Belle. Quoth one to the 
other; “ Mick, you divil, look at the big rot (rat) foilin’ 
the gintleman.” “Arrah, whisht with your rot!” re 
turned Mick; “ shure that’s not a rot but a wather hin.” 
I scarcely need say that Belle was an accomplished 
angler. When she had attained her eighth month no 
pool was too deep or rapid too strong for her; in she 
would go to either, and bring out her fish, and give it 
up to me. About dusk was her favorite fishing time- 
But on a bright day, when you could see her every 
movement in the water, it was rare fun indeed, when- 
ever she dropf>ed on a school of roach or perch, to wit- 
ness the commotion her presence caused in their ranks. 
As a domesticated pet Belle was very gentle. She used 
to go at large through my house, would coil herself at 
the foot of my bed at night, jump into my lap and take i 
out of my mouth a morsel of fish or meat, as the case I 
might be; in a word, she was perfection. Alas, poor 
Belle! she died when about ten years old of an ab- 
scess in the throat. During the three or four years sub- 
sequent to her death I was fortunate enough to procure 
at different periods two other baby otters; one of these 
died a few days after I got it, and the other in about a 
month. The latter, I almost think, succumbed to the 
heat of the sun, which, at the time I am writing of, had 
been intense. The next otter I got was an 
adult, and a female. She was a great beauty, but had 
never been accustomed to go at large. To her former 
master she was greatly attached ; hut it was a considera- 
ble time before she would suffer me even to stroke her on 
the back. However, by kindness, patience, and perse- 
verance, I quite gained her affections, and in less than 
two months from the date I got her she would follow 
me anywhere. Not only that, but she would take from 
the fingers of my youngest child a bit of meat or fish. 
So tame, in fact, did she become, that she used to follow 
me in the night time down to a part of the river (Shan- 
non) banks where the wild otters “most do congregate.” 
I had a motive in these “starry rambles,” and have 
reason to know that Miss Kirby — for that was the otter’s 
name — would in the course of a little time have pre- 
sented me with a family of young otters. But this was 
not to be; for, unfortunately, she took the distemper 
from some young Irish blood red setter puppies that I 
bad at the time, and died! What will Dr. Frank Buck- 
land and other naturalists say to that fact* I mean of 
an otter taking the distemper from dogs. Had poor 
Miss Kirby lived and produced a litter of young ones, 
they would certainly have been a bonfiie sight. AV ell, 
I have had another otter this year. I obtained her in 
January last, a mere wht Ip of about a month old. At 
the end of four months she was thoroughly tame. Any 
of my other otters would not allow any person to touch 
them save myself. Not so. Loo; every member of my 
family, as well as the greatest stranger, could handle 
her with impunity. And maybe she wasn’t an adept in 
the “gentle art!” Gentle, did I say? Don’t mention 
it ! Once Loo tackled her fish she pitched gentility or 
gentleness to the devil. Scores of times have I eaten 
fi»h of her killing. I used frequently to take her out 
in a boat to fish, and no matter from what adverse point 
the wind might blow or how black the clouds, she was 
always sure to make a bag. At a given signal from me 
she would glide from the gunwale of the boat into the 
stream, and if she caught anything she would bring it 
back to the boat, up the side of which she would scram- 
ble with the agility of a cat. It is not every day that 
one hears of a “retrieving otter.” Such, however, was 
Loo. Throw what I would into the water, and she would 
retrieve it better than any water spaniel. I have often 
thrown a florin into the river, when she would bring it 
out and “deliver to hand.” In fact, it would fill a col- 
umn of the Rod .uxd Gcs to tell one-half the feats that 
pretty Loo used to perform. 
Having written thus much about otters, in my next 
paper I shall have something to say concerning my tame 
Cormorants — “Diver” and “Captain.” 
Ix ISTO the ancnal dog censns of Randolph township, X. J., 
showed 390 canines. The preeent ‘ censns" just finished foots np 
Che tot :il namber at 53S, an increase of 148, or abont 63 per cent. 
These figures, of course, tall far short of the real namber, in illue - 
traiion of which we instance one individual near Port Oram who 
has seven, but is taxed for bat one. We look npon this matttr of 
ownership in useless dug-skin as something that should be legis- 
lated upon, and to the extent, too, of the annihilation of the ani- 
mal, or a law that would mafee a dog as much of a cur osity on oar 
roads as the hog has become. The sheep on atboasand hills in 
Morris county would become numberless; every man conld pay his 
debts and have fresh mutton at cheaper rates, and our mill streams 
would flow through countless woolen mills, and the people Ire en- 
riched ten-fold. 3u- no; for the contemptible satisfaction of an 
ownersh p in a worthless cur we must forego an interest worth hun- 
drens of thousands of dollars to the community. We will ebam' 
pion the election of any man, be he Democrat or Republican, who 
will fight the dog nuisance to the death. — .V. J. Exchange. 
Sagacitt or ak EiiPHAXT. — “Tell my grandchildren,” wrote 
Bishop Wilson, •- that an elephant here had a disesse in his eyes. 
For three days he had been completely blind. His owner, ax engi- 
neer officer, asked my dear Dr. Webb if he could do snyih ng to re- 
lieve the poor animaL The doctor said he would try the nitrate of 
silver, which was a remedy commonly applied to similar diseases in 
the human eye. The large animal was ordered tp lie down, and at 
first, on the application of the remedy, raised a most extraordinary 
roar at the acute pain which it occasioned. The effect, however, 
was wonderful. The eje was in a manner restored, and the animal 
could partially see. The next day. when he was brought and heard 
the doctor's voice, he lay dow n of himself, placed his enormous bead 
on one side, curled up hie trunk, drew in hie breath Just like a man 
abont to endure an operation, gave a sigh of relief when it was over, 
I and then, by trunk and gesture, evidently wished to express his 
I gratitude. What aagacltyl what a lesson to ns of patience!” 
