The spawning season in the various fields of this 
lake extended from September 25 to December 
6, and resulted in the collection of 10,035,000 
eggs, which stock was augmented by the transfer 
of 5,000,000 green eggs from the Manistique field, 
a subsidiary of the Northville station. 
In the fields operated from the Michigan sta¬ 
tions the spawning season of the lake trout open¬ 
ed October 21, a week later than usual, and was 
just at its height at the beginning of the close 
season on November 20, when under the State 
law it became necessary to suspend operations. 
The collections of eggs at all points numbered 
53.907>500, and had the open season been extended 
a week it is estimated that many million more 
eggs might have been secured. Approximately 
14,000,000 eggs were utilized in stocking various 
Government and State hatcheries, and 13,500,000 
fry were hatched and returned to the spawning 
grounds in Lakes Michigan and Huron. The 
whitefish spawning season in Michigan waters ex¬ 
tended over a period of two months from Octo¬ 
ber 9, the largest egg collections being obtained 
from the Detroit River fields, where fishing was 
conducted under the auspices of the State game, 
fish, and forestry warden’s department. 
The whitefish spawning season in Lake Erie, 
extending from November 12 to December 10, 
was not interfered with to any extent by storms, 
and the work accomplished was the most success¬ 
ful in the history of the Put-in-Bay station, 
350,080,000 eggs of good quality being secured 
from fields which yielded only 82,000,000 in 1912. 
The collections of pike-perch eggs for the 
Swanton, Vt., station were only about half as 
large as those of the preceding year, the com¬ 
parative failure being partially due to the scar¬ 
city of female fish on the spawning grounds. 
Male fish were there in great abundance, and later 
in the season a consignment of green females 
was transferred from the Canadian fishing 
grounds in the north end of Missisquoi Bay and 
placed in a rude inclosure which had been pro¬ 
vided for them in Lake Champlain, in the vicinity 
of the field of operations. They were held in good 
condition so long as a sufficient depth of water 
could be maintained in the inclosure, but before 
their eggs had matured in considerable numbers 
the water in the lake receded and became so warm 
that, in order to prevent the total loss of the im¬ 
pounded fish, the bulk of them were liberated be¬ 
fore they had ripened. 
With the view of being nearer the fishing 
grounds, and also in order that the Bureau might 
conduct its operations independently of the vari¬ 
ous persons controlling the river shores hereto¬ 
fore occupied, steps were taken in advance of the 
spawning season to establish a collecting and pen¬ 
ning station on Lake Champlain, at Sandy Point, 
and while the outcome of the operations was not 
as favorable as had been anticipated it is believed 
the change in location prevented what would have 
otherwise been an almost complete failure, and 
that the difficulties encountered this season may 
be largely overcome another year by providing 
more suitable impounding facilities. 
Reports as to the abundance of the Lake 
Champlain whitefish in the vicinity of the Swan- 
ton station having led to the belief that there was 
a possibility of satisfactory results in the artifi¬ 
cial propagation of this species, steps were taken 
during the fall of 1912 to impound brood fish in 
the inclosure at Sandy Point. In the three days 
immediately preceding the opening of the fishirn 
FOREST AND STREAM 
season several hundred brood fish were captured 
and penned, and throughout the open season all 
the seines within reach of the station were regu¬ 
larly visited by spawn takers, but in no instance 
was a ripe female secured. From the experience 
gained the conclusion has been reached that the 
spawning of the Lake Champlain whitefish occurs 
after the formation of ice in the lake, at a time 
when spawn-taking operations could not be suc¬ 
cessfully conducted. 
RELIEF FROM INCONGRUOUS DUTIES. 
It is recommended that the Secretary take 
under consideration the advisability of appealing 
to Congress for relief from the necessity of ad¬ 
ministering the laws and regulations affecting 
the fur-bearing animals of the Territory of 
Alaska. This subject is not even remotely re¬ 
lated to the legitimate functions of the Bureau 
of Fisheries, but comes naturally under the juris¬ 
diction of another Government bureau. The 
continued administration of this incongruous 
service with the absurdly small and inexperienced 
force allowed by Congress is not only imposing- 
on the Bureau an uncongenial duty, which it is 
not equipped to perform, but is distracting and 
diverting much attention that belongs to and is 
required by the fishing industry. 
This recommendation does not apply to the 
aquatic animals whose pursuit constitutes a 
“fishery,” but only to the strictly terrestrial 
mammals. - 
“FISH STORIES.” 
St. John’s, N. F., Feb. 6, 1914. 
Editor Forest and Stream : 
I send you herewith a couple of extracts from 
late local papers which may interest some of 
your readers. 
A venerable old angler, who had many curious 
adventures by flood and field, used to relate that 
he held the record for unique catches in the 
Island, as he once, while angling, caught a trout, 
and in the same place a few minutes later, he 
hooked and landed a muskrat, while still later 
while casting, he accidentally hooked a partridge 
that was flying overhead, thus on one day with 
his landing fly, fin, fur and feathers. 
309 
Now comes a deep-sea fisherman with another 
record : 
A Fisherman’s Unique Catch. 
There are many quaint stories told of the Southern 
Shore and of the deeds and achievements of its fisher- 
folk, some more or less true; but for a real, genuine feat 
that puts all others in the background the honor is with 
Michael Scurry. Place of action, Caplin Bay; time, 
December 16th, 1913. Patrick Scurry fishes from Caplin 
Bay, and at the present time is engaged in catching sal¬ 
mon, which is a very profitable business at this season, 
when fish can be had. Yesterday morning Mr. Scurry 
rowed out to overhaul his salmon nets, and made a catch 
of fish, flesh and fowl at the one time. When he reached 
the net, the centre was entirely submerged, and he as¬ 
sured himself a good haul. After pulling in the “twine” 
he was the most surprised man in the world to find 
that meshed in the net was a twenty-pound salmon, a 
live otter, and a live loon. He disposed of the life of 
the latter quickly, but the other he left tangled in the 
net and rowed to the land, and when he told of his 
catch he was acclaimed the hero of the Southern Shore. 
There is no doubt as to the correctness of the story, 
according to Mr. E. Carew Cape Broyle, though it looks 
“fishy.” Several passengers who came by the Portia 
were present when the fisherman rowed to shore, and 
one of the number offered $12.00 for the otter, but the 
owner refused to sell. In any case the fisherman made 
a good day’s pay, the salmon itself being worth $4.00. 
The loon, however, is worthless, particularly for food 
purposes. Whenever one is used for the latter, it is 
generally boiled, and there is a peculiar custom of find¬ 
ing out when the bird is sufficiently cooked to masticate 
The custom is: The loon is put in a pot of boiling water 
and at the same time a grindstone. When the _ cook 
finds it possible to penetrate the grindstone with a 
two-pronged fork, the loon is ready for the table. 
Here’s a clipping describing a queer fish that 
came out of the sea. If there be any more like 
it I hope I won’t be there to see when they are 
landed: 
A Peculiar Fish. 
Yesterday Messrs. Wm. King and John Churchill, 
while fishing at Portugal Cove, took a very strange fish 
from their trawls. It had a head like a seal, with large 
round eyes, and a mouth not unlike that of a codfish, 
and its body, which was a deep black, was covered with 
scales. It carried two flippers, which are not unlike 
human hands, and in the sides of the fish are two open¬ 
ings resembling pockets. Its tail resembles that of a 
salmon and it has two large luminous black eyes. It is 
three and one-half _ feet long by three feet in girth, 
and some identify it with a species of fish known as 
the “Monk” fish, but others hold that it is altogether 
different. 
I know certain angling friends of mine, who, 
if they saw at the end of their lines a vision like 
the one here described—and did not die instantly 
of heart failure—would probably take to the tall 
timber, and give up fishing for the rest of their 
lives, under the impression that the “bait” used 
had caused them to “see things.” 
W. J. CARROLL. 
LO! THE MODERN INDIAN! 
By James J. Montague, in N. Y. American. 
The Indians of Washington and Idaho have taken up the tango.—-News item. 
No more the paleface trader wakes and reaches for his hair 
Beside Snoqualmie’s lonely stream, and finds it isn’t there. 
No longer when to Kitsap’s vales his family retire 
They pluck the arrows from their forms to build the evening fire. 
Among Puyallup’s craggy hills the long, blood-curdling “Yip!” 
Is modified by altered times to “One-two-three-four-dip.”. 
For Henry Horsetail, William Dog and Jacob Fear-the-Cow 
Have laid aside the tomahawk and learned the tango now. 
The signal fires still light the peaks from Skagit to Scapoose, 
The wigwams cluster ’neath the trees of fir-clad Memmaloose; 
But where the tom-tom’s rhythm rose, where squatting tribesmen clustered, 
A cracked accordion now wails the air of “Too Much Mustard.” 
And where the awful ghost dance froze the pale onlooker’s blood 
Damp moccasins beat down the grass with many a muffled thud. 
The arrow’s flight, the shrilling yell—Snohomish knows them not, 
For John Long-Rat and Arthur Wolf are learning how to trot. 
Among the cliffs of Klickitat, ’neath Cowlitz’ titan trees, 
Where once the fire water passed, they're giving tango teas. 
And Joseph Sturgeon-Bait, who led his painted braves to war, 
Rehearses hesitations on the forest’s dim-lit floor; 
While Horace Clam-Hook’s fund of scalps, one time his joy and pride, 
Have all been spent for lessons in the new Wahkiakum glide. 
Farewell to all the glories of the red man’s splendid past; 
Time’s softening hand has touched him. too—he’s civilized at last. 
