January 21, 1893] 
THE EISHING GAZETTE 
39 
antr (J^ueries 
We <are glad to hear that Jlr. Thomas Ransome 
Sachs has been elected president of the Pisca¬ 
torial Society, of London, one of the oldest and 
most important societies of the kind in existence. 
A Fixe Sturgeox. —Our attention was called 
to a very fine sturgeon received by Mr. H. J. 
Towell, Fishmonger, Charing Cross, on Friday 
last, from the Volga; it weighed 3151b. We have 
frequently seen larger fish, but seldom have they 
been in such perfect condition as the one under 
notice. 
A Goon Openixg oe the S.a.lmon Fisiuxg on 
THE Merthly W.^ter ON THE Tay. —On Monday, 
the opening day of the fishing, Mr. Cesari caught 
two beautiful salmon on the Stentin water, 
weighing over 201b. each; again on Tuesday, on 
the Murthly water, Mr. Cesari caught five splen¬ 
did salmon, one weighing 261b., one 221b., and the 
other three over 181b. each. 
Case of Poaching by an Otter. —Last week an 
otter, doubtless driven from its hunting haunts 
on the Welland by the severity of the weather, 
which caused the river to be thickly covered with 
ice, made its way into the middle park at Burgh- 
ley. Tempted by hunger, it was probably explor¬ 
ing Lord Exeter’s famous trout-breeding ponds 
which are situate there, and which contain tame 
fish of from 101b. to 1-llb. in weight. Luckily for 
the trout, but unfortunately for the otter, the 
poor prowler was detected by Mr. Silk and his 
little terrier-spaniel, and the foraging expedition 
was promptly brought to an end. The otter was 
3ft. Sin. in length. It has been sent to Mr. 
Evans, taxidermist, of Bourn.— Lincoln Mercury. 
Incident in Roach Fishing. — On Friday, 
January 13, Mr. A. Herbert and Mr. W. Jones, 
members of the Richmond Piscatorial Society, 
fishing with John Keen in the Surley Hill water, 
met with a strange experience. Mr. Herbert had 
a bite, and immediately struck his fish, almost, 
but not quite simultaneously. Mr. Jones’s float 
disappeared, and he also struck, and was 
apparently into a fish. It, however, seemed that 
by some means their lines had become entangled, 
and they both pulled up, but, to their surprise, 
they found their lines were quite clear, but that 
both their baits had been taken by the same fish and 
each hook was fairly home side by side in its mouth. 
The fish was a roach of about ^Ib. There is no 
doubt that both baits had been’taken, as the 
position of the floats at the moment of their dis¬ 
appearance made it impossible for the second 
hook to have been accidentally struck into the 
mouth of the flsh. 
“ Jaaies Harper, the compiler of the Gardener 
fly, when gardener at Monaltrie House, Ballater, 
had two live perch in a well in the garden. 
Subsequently he added a pike of about 21b. to 
his extemporised aquarium. He fed them 
regularly for weeks, and the trio lived happily 
together. By and’bye the’busy season came on, 
and his flnny prisoners were neglected for some 
lime. On visiting the well one of the perch— 
the smaller one—had disappeared, nor could any 
trace of it be found. For some days the feeding 
was renewed, and again forgotten. When again 
remembrance of his pets revived with “lava- 
tide,” he rushed to the well and there found the 
beastly pike in the last throes of death, with the 
perch, almost as large as himself, three-quarters, 
down his gullet. He was so annoyed at the 
brute’s voracity that he knocked him on the 
head. This, he says, was his first and last 
experience as a practical pisciculturist. For 
the nonce James forgot that a pike as well as a 
gardener to live must feed.” 
The Esk and Liddle.—Important New Regu¬ 
lations. —At a meeting of the Esk and Liddle 
Fisheries Association, held at Langholm, Mr. 
Carthew-Yorstoun, representing the Duke of 
Buccleuch, presiding, the question of the fishing 
regulations in the whole of the waters of the 
Association was under consideration, it being 
reported that there had been much unfair salmon 
fishing, and that in consequence legitimate 
sportsmen belonging to both sides of the Border 
found that the fish would not rise, although there 
were thousands of salmon in the rivers. In order 
to check evil practices it was resolved that no 
bait fishing be permitted before June 1 nor after 
September 1. Under the old rules bait fishing 
was permitted from March 15 to October 1. It 
was also resolved that no party purchasing a fish¬ 
ing ticket be allowed to employ as guide or 
attendant at the water side any person who has 
been convicted of illegal fishing during the past 
five years, and a list of such persons is to be 
printed on the tickets for the information of 
anglers. It was further determined to employ 
additional watchers for the whole waters for 
certain purposes during the season. lu regard 
to fishing for yellow or burn trout it was resolved 
that for the present year all such trout of a less 
length than six inches must be returned to the 
Avater with as little injury as possible under 
penalty of forfeiture of the fishing ticket. It was 
decided t’nat the River Esk be opened for fly fish¬ 
ing on February 15 below Canonbie glebe land, 
and that the rest of the waters of the Association 
be opened on March 15. It was resolved to 
petition the Board of Trade against the confir¬ 
mation of a bye-law made by the Eden Fishery 
Board altering the close season for salmon in the 
Solway. It was resolved that the price of fishing 
tickets remain the same as last year. Reports 
showed that there was a good deal of salmon 
disease in the rivers.— Carlisle Lxpress, Jan. 1-1, 
1893. 
Cai’TURE of a Royal Sturgeon. On Tuesday 
morning a fine specimen of the royal sturgeon 
was brought into Aberdeen by the steam trawler 
Sunray, which had been got in the trawl net 
the day previous. It measured 72-ft. in length, 
was in excellent condition, and sold in the fish 
market for £4 2s. to Messrs. R. and W. Walker, 
fish merchants for the London market. These 
rare fish are occasicHially got in the stake nets, 
but this is the first instance reported of one 
having been got in the trawl; and the capture is 
all the more noteworthy now since trawling 
operations are carried on a long distance from 
the coast. 
De.atii of Sir Alexander Jardinb. —We notice 
the death of Sir Alexander Jardine, Bart., of 
Applegirth, Dumfries-shire, who departed this 
life on the 24th inst., aged sixty-three jears. The 
baronetcy was created in 1672. He became the 
eighth in succession to the title on the decease of 
his father. Sir William Jardine, in 1874. Sir 
William was a naturalist of great repute, and 
the author of works on Mammalia, Ornithology, 
Entomology, Ichthyology, &c. His best known, 
the “ British Salmonidas,” published in 1840, is 
still an authentic work of reference. A new 
edition of it has recently been brought out by 
Mr. Bernard Quaritch, of No. 15, Piccadilly, the 
excellent illustrations being coloured “ to the 
life ” under the supervision of Mr. Alfred Jardine. 
Anti-Snatching Regulations in the Border 
Esk. —The correspondents of the Fishing Gazette, 
who were visited with abuse for their revelations 
concerning the doings of local anglers in the 
Border Esk have been amply justified by events. 
Not only have a batch of salmon snatchers been 
convicted, but the Esk and Liddle Fisheries Asso¬ 
ciation has made regulations to meet the scandal. 
Mr. Carthew-Yorstoun, representing the Duke 
of Buccleuch, presided over the meeting which 
was held at Langholm. It was reported that 
there had been much unfair salmon fishing, and 
that, in consequence, legitimate sportsmen belong¬ 
ing to both sides of the Border found that the fish 
would not rise, although there were thousands of 
salmon in the rivers. It was resolved that bait¬ 
fishing, which has hitherto been practised from 
March 15 to Oct. 1, should only be permitted 
between June 1 and Sept. 1. No one purchasing 
a fishing ticket is to employ a guide or attendant 
who has been convicted of illegal fishing during 
the past five years, and it was decided to employ 
additional watchers. All trout less than six 
inches in length are to be returned to the water 
under penalty of forfeiture of ticket. Below 
Canonbie glebe land the season will open on 
Feb. 15, and on March 15 in all the rest of the 
waters. The price of tickets is unaltered. 
Dee Salmon Fishing Case in the Court of 
Session. —What is known as the Ardoe fishing 
case, in which the boundaries of adjoining 
fishings on the south side of the Dee, between 
Mr. Ogston, Ardoe, and Lord Provost Stewart, 
Nether Banchory, are in dispute as to their 
marches for a distance of between 200 and 300 
yards, including one salmon pool, was debated by 
counsel before Lord Wellwood in the Court of 
Session on I’uesday and Wednesday this week. 
Evidence, extending over the better part of three 
days, was led some weeks ago, when over sixty 
witnesses were examined. The whole matter was 
fully gone over before Lord Wellwood, who has 
reserved judgment. The value of the proprietary 
right in dispute is not more than £50, yet ten 
times this sum has already been spent upon it. 
We have received several complaints lately 
that the Fishing Gazette is not procurable on 
Saturday at certain newsagents. As our recently 
improved publishing arrangements enable the 
trade to supply their customers on the morning 
of the date of publication, we shall be glad to 
hear from any of our readers who may have been 
inconvenienced in this way. 
INTERESTING COLLECTION OF BIG 
GAME TROPHIES, ETC., IN 
PICCADILLY. 
By the courtesy of Mr. Rowland Ward, F.Z.S., 
the eminent naturalist of 166, Piccadilly, we have 
had the opportunity of inspecting a very fine 
display of natural history trophies and other 
curios, collected by those celebrated travellers 
and hunters. Captain F. D. Lugard and Mr. F. C. 
Selous, during their travels in Uganda, Mashuna- 
land, oil the shores of Lakes Albert Edward, Lake 
Albert, &c. 
Our space is far too limited to give a detailed 
description of the very many interesting objects 
pointed out to us, but we were particularly 
struck by the extraordinary fidelity to nature 
Mr. Ward has given to the subjects he has had 
to deal with. Among the many specimens of big 
game shot by these intrepid hunters is a mag¬ 
nificent Cape buffalo {bos cajfer). This animal is 
exceedingly vicious, and is the most dangerous 
quarry the hunter meets with in South Africa. 
Included in the collection are some fine speci¬ 
mens of Jackson’s hartebeeste (bubalis jacksoni ); 
Coke’s hartebeeste {bubalis cokei), shot at Ukamba; 
Jackson’s wildebeeste {connochwtes jacksoni), 
pallah antelopes {sepyceros melampus), kob ante¬ 
lopes {cobus kob), very rare, shot on the south¬ 
west shore of Albert Lake, reedbuck. Grant’s 
and Thomson’s gazelles, &c. In addition to his 
big game trophies, of which the above list is only 
a very small selection. Captain Lugard has 
secured some exceedingly interesting curios from 
this gradually developing region. We particu¬ 
larly noticed a peculiar shaped drum, which we 
understand is one of the two royal drums made 
for King Suna, and handed down for generations 
from king to king. When the Mahomedans 
fought the Christians and defeated them, the 
drum fell into the hands of the latter. Captain 
Lugard repatriated the Mahomedans under King 
Umbogo, and he (the king) handed it to the 
captain, stating that it was an emblem of royalty 
to which he had no longer any right. It was 
then handed to King Hwanso, who returned it as 
a present to the captain. With the same history 
attached is a royal fighting shield, a remarkable 
piece of workmanship, in alternate bars of brass 
and copper. There are many other interesting 
objects too numerous to mention. 
Mr. F. C. Selous, aiithor of “ A Hunter’s 
Wanderings in South Africa,” and whose ex¬ 
hibits in the British Museum are so well known, 
has also sent many trophies of his recent travels 
in Mashunaland ; among them are some fine 
specimens of the Tsessbe {bubalis lunatus), roan 
antelopes {hippotragns lencophosus), Burchell’s 
zebra {equvs htirchelli), wart hog {phacochserus 
afrieanus), lions, and the largest koodoo (Comin’s) 
ever killed. 
Mr. Ward informs us that he will have these 
trophies in his possession for some days, and as 
he very kindly offers to show them to anyone 
nterested, we strongly recommend a visit. 
