
FOREST AND STREAM. 
169 

THE MANATEE, OR SEA COW. 
Se 
EN. THOMAS JORDAN, whose knowledge of inte- 
rior Florida is perhaps as comprehensive as any white 
man’s, and possibly as that of the Seminole Indians them- 
selves, has prepared for us the annexed very interesting de- 
scription of that rare and unique creature, the manatee 
(manatus of Cuvier, who wrongly classed it as a Cetacean), 
which is the connecting link between Pachydermata and 
true Cetaceans. Splendid specimens of these are found 
near the mouth of the Santa Lucia river, in the southern 
part of Florida. The General says:—‘‘Three of these huge 
mammals I saw on Indian river in 1849-50, each weighing 
at least fifteen hundred pounds, and between fifteen and 
twenty feet in length. They constitute a most interesting 
feature of the fwuna of that magnificent region for other 
reasons than mere rarity, and their capture affords a most 
exciting sport, as may be supposed from their great size 
as well as prodigious strength in the water. With the nose, 
nostrils, and lips of the ordinary cow, there is no neck, 
however, or marked separation between the head and body. 
Their two swimming paws, with greater freedom of motion 
than those of cetaceans, are likewise used to enable the 
manatee to crawl upon the low banks of the waters which 
it inhabits. These paws have five small finger-like claws, 
and nearly between these paws are two pectoral mammes. 
These great creatures being herbivorous, browse upon 
algse, aquatic plants, and the young grass at the mouth of 
the fresh water streams; and their flesh, delicate and ten- 
der as veal, and succulent as the best beef, is excellent. 
The Florida species (Latirostris) are much larger than those 
found in the Antilles, South America, or Africa, and are 
of quite a different genus from the sea cow of northern 
Russia.” 
In another column will be found a most interesting de- 
scription trom Mr. Conklin of the manatee now in captivity 
at the Central Park. This creature 1s well worth a visit. 
ee 
FOSSILS IN COLORADO. 
eB SI8S 
N Colorado, in what is called the Bad Lands, Professor 
Cope in his paleontological researches while attached to 
the Hazain expedition, has come indeed across the grave- 
yard of long departed creatures. To the labors of Pro- 
fessor Cope we are indebted for the discovery of no less 
than one hundred species, represented by an infinite vari- 
ety of individuals. From colossal remains of the masto- 
don downto the bones of the minute rodent, all have been 
upturned. Even forms of insectiverous animals, as of the 
Talpide, the mole family. The delicacy and minuteness 
of these smaller fossils, and their wonderful preservation, 
make them objects of especial interest. Very certainly 
they were the forefathers of our squirrels, rabbits, rats and 
mice. Of larger quadrupeds the finds have been quite nu- 
merous. Specimens of the early equine races are demon- 
strated by the teeth and bones. Colorado, too, in primitive 
times, must have had the rhinoceros in quantity, no less than 
seven species having been found by Professor Cope. One 
representative specimen of the rhinoceros is a skull with 
teeth. Strange individuals of this remarkable family have 
been brought to light, notably a horned species, approach- 
ing to the elephant. They must have been taller than the 
present animal, having horns. One of the larger species 
had a large horn over each eye, and one over the nose. 
What is remarkable about this discovery is—providing future 
researches prove these particular remains to have belonged 
to the rhinoceros family—that it will show a divergence 
from the usual laws, and that we have been too much 
inclined to lessen the species development of the ruminating 
animals. Carnivori abound. There are tiger-cats, dogs, 
and a new species of the canis family, resembling the dog, 
only as large as a bear. Turtle, lizards and snakes make 
up the reptile discoveries. The scientific world is indebted 
to Professor Cope for no less than 300 species of veterbrated 
animals, of which fully 150 are entirely new, all the result 
of his researches in Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas and Idaho. 
—<0 
OYSTERS AND JOURNALISM. 
ete 
Slices we may think ourselves masters of the heavy 
puff, the brazen reclame, or the startling advertise- 
ment, they manage these kinds of things much better in 
France. A newspaper in the United States, and it might 
be a good one, seeks additional subscrlbers by offers of 
a chromo, or Miss Jones’ Poems, (Idyls of the heart. Price 
374 cents), or a washing-machine, but did our enterprising 
publishers ever think of the allurements of a fat turkey 
about Thanksgiving, or of a barrel of Newtown pippins at 
Christmas tide? 
The French are devoted to oysters. Did not Louis XI 
feast lis learned professors at the Sorbonne once a year on 
oysters? There was the great soldier Turgot too, who used 
to bring his failing appetite back with a hundred oysters or 
so. Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, Helvetius, and all the 
encyciopidists, loyed oysters as well as did Thackeray. 
Even the tigers of France, the Dantons and the Robespierres, 
devoured oysters, though whether Napoleon cared for them 
much, is doubtful. Brillat Savarin, the most learned of 
gastronomes! what brilliant thoughts he has devoted to 
oysters, and Gastaldi, a martyr to his love of good things, 
was said to have swallowed forty dozen of oysters at a 
single sitting, and then to have died gloriously of an indiges- 
tion from over feeding on paté de fore gras ! 
With appetites no doubt whetted by their recent priva- 
tions, the Parisian of to-day hungers much after oysters 
Ostend oysters, are worth tive sous a piece, while Marenne 
oysters, with their green bronze color, their coppery flavor 
/ 


‘ 
the bon bouche of the gourmand, are worth twice as much. 
Within the last ten years the oyster beds of Rochelle, 
Marenne and Rochefort, and those of the Isles of Rhe and 
Oleron, were becoming exhaused. The French Vitellius, 
was coming near to the utter deprivation of his favorite 
bivalve, when Coste discovered how these French oyster 
beds could be renewed, and how oysters could be made as 
plentiful as in Ceesar’s time. 
Grand oyster companies are then very much in vogue in 
France to-day, full descriptions of which may be found in 
Louis Figuier’s pleasant work called ‘‘ The Ocean World,” 
and the profit arising from oystey culture seems to be quite 
large. There is a famous paper in Paris called the Migaro, 
remarkable not only for the brilliancy of its articles, but 
because once a week some member of the editorial staff is 
certain to have an affair of honor on his hands. The Pre- 
sident of the Migaro newspaper association has started an 
oyster eompany called ‘‘La Societé des Huitieres du 
Morbihan,” and each new subscriber to the paper is to have 
for the price of the journal, besides the Migaro, a barrel 
of oysters sent to him. 
This is an idea indeed worth imitating. Not to be too sug- 
gestive, perhaps a Sporting paper might offer to the getter- 
up of a club a trotting horse, a journal of health, a gross of 
patent medicines, and a political paper, a nomination as a 
custom house officer. 

$0 
Pit OUI Ae PRE 
[eae 
W* are glad to record any advancement in the method 
of extinguishing fires, for it is a science to a certain 
extent, and he who adds by his inventive genius only one 
more instrument of approved appliance in subduing this 
great destroyer of wealth and property is truly a public 
benefactor. In all our large cities a vast amount of valu- 
able property is naturally concentrated; all our great manu- 
facturing centres are in our cities. These varied indus- 
tries seem to demand greater protection than can be found 
in our present Fire Departments with all their improved 
appliances. True, they have done much good, they have 
fought fearlessly and well the Awe Fiend. Yet, many use- 
ful lives have been sacrificed in subduing the element of fire. 
The last two or three great fires in the city of Boston 
develop one fact: they do not check conflagrations with 
any degree of certainty, and often much damage is the re- 
sult of a too lavish use of water. Recent experiments have 
been made with the union of carbonic acid gas and water. 
This invention being in its infancy, has done something 
towards initiating a series of elaborate experiments, which 
may in the end give to the community an effective agent in 
the subjugation of fires. Carbonic acid gasis one of the 
best extinguishers of fires yet known; being composed, one 
part of carbon to two of oxygen. Years ago the effect of 
this gas was well known; no life could exist in breathing 
this atmosphere—containing from ten to fifteen per ecnt. 
of this element, death is a sure result. 
The great ease with which this gas can be manufactured, 
would seem to awaken an interest within the minds of 
scientific and practical chemists, to see if they cannot 
place this powerful gas before the public in an operative 
form. It surely ‘‘ would pay,’’ and he who can harness his 
horses to a compact effective mine of carbonic gas, and by 
its timely application subdue a large conflagration, would 
merit all the honor his philanthropic invention would 
bestow. To generate this gas hydro-chloric acid diluted 
with three or four parts of water, with the dust of marble 
or any other carbonate only is neccessary. This gas is 
also very elastic and can be confined like the bottle-imp in 
any strong metalic vessel. 
We may be somewhxt sanguine in our anticipations of 
the success resulting from a judicious application of this 
agent; but still we think if a warehouse contained one 
or two good sized reservoirs of this gas, by closing the 
door: on the occurrence of a fire, it coul:i be at once dis- 
tributed about the building and set free with great results. 
We would like to learn from others upon this subject, for 
we t-uly believe that this carboni¢ gas as an extinguisher 
of fires, is yet to do wondérs in putting out fires. We 
fully appreciate the value of the ‘‘hand extinguishers, ” as 
they are called, an@ which will in many cases at the 
commencement ef fires within ordinary dwelling-houses, 
be sufficient to completely extinguish the fire. What we 
suggest is such’ an application of the~carbonic gas in 
quantities as shall’con.pletely and effectually conquer our 
large fires. This, we believe, will be made so effective 
in time that these little ten gallon instruments for the 
direction of a stream of gas upon a fire will be like the toys 
cf children in comparison to what we shal. yet witness. 
——————~< o— -— 
TEE GA DYSARGONAUTLS: 
Bee eB 
T was our good fortune. to be present at the match be- 
tween the Argonauts and the Neptune Club. In our 
columns under the head of Athletic Sports, can be found 
full details of this irteresting boat-race, written in the regu- 


larly approved, but' somewhat inexpansive style, used in 
describing such events. At the risk of intruding somewhat 
beyond our sphere, we must needs notice the kindly in- 
fluence the wives and sisters of the gentlemen belonging to 
the Argonauts have had on the Club. The presence of 
these ladies not only on the occasion of a race, but at all 
times, has converted the club house almost into a boudoir. 
Ladies may embroider flags for boat prizes, but such gifts, 
though excellent in their way, are rather more occasional in 
character than constant. The interest, the liking these 
ladies have taken in these sports have added immensely to 
the good feeling and high toned courtesy which exists 
. 
among the Argonauts. Woman can never be out of her 
sphere; she must always exert her softening influence, 
whether she graces the drawing room or the boat house. 
The club house of the Argonauts, at Bergen Point, with 
the La Tourette House on the Kill von Kull opposite, is 
most picturesquely situated, and on the occasion of the 
race, showed by its pretty decoration how deftly womens’ 
hands had helped to adorn it. All praise then to the lady 
Argonauts, to whose soft influences is due much of the 
prosperity, high tone and manliness the club now enjoys. 
ete 
_ Lirerary Poacurye.—Wholesale poaching upon the 
columns of Forrest AND SrreAM has become such a 
systematic practice of ceriain sporting papers published 
outside of this city, that the offence has become too 
grievous to bear any longer without a protest. Editorial 
and contributed articles are transferred bodily to their 
pages every week without credit and apparently without 
scruple. In one instance the quantity of matter thus ap- 
propriated amounted to three columns in a single issue. In 
another instance an article of especial merit entitled 
‘Elk Hunting in Nebraska,” was copied entire into a 
Canadian paper. But the unkindest cut of all was that of 
a paper out west which copied one of our editorials on the 
Penetration of Rifle Balls, and in the parallel column coolly 
announced that a paper by the name of Forrest aNnp 
STREAM was about to be issued. This was after we had 
printed our fourth number. Now, gentlemen, you who 
profess to be such nice sticklers for the observance of the 
g me laws, ought to have enough respect for the rights of 
brother sportsmen, not to poach upon their game preserves. 
There is little enough of encouragement, in times like 
these, to stock our Forest AND STREAM without having 
the products of our labor continually filched from us. 
Certainly, if they are worth taking, they are worth 
acknowledging in the usual way. We print our paper 
entirely from resources within ourselves, and do not ask to 
be handicapped in the race for success. We shall gain it 
eventually on our own merits, and without that little assist- 
ance which a courteous recognition of the articles you copy 
would perhaps afford us. We do not ask now for an 
amende honorable, but trust that you will recognize the 
justice of our strictures, and govern yourselves accordingly 
in future. 

el Oia 
FISH CULTURE IN CHINA AND JAPAN. 
ag 
By kindness of George Shepard Page, Esq., President of the 
American Fish Culturist’s Association, we are enabled to 
publish the following interesting and valuable correspon- 
dence relating to the subject of fish culture in China and 
Japan :— 
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, | 
WASHINGTON, September 23, 1873. { 
George Shepard Page, Esq.: 
Stmr—Referring to your letter under date of 1st of July, 1872, requesting 
information relative to the methods in use in China and Japan for the 
artificial propagation of fish, I have now to enclose for your information 
a copy of despatch No. 631, dated July 30th, 1873, from the Vice Consul 
General of the United States at Shanghai, China, which contains all the 
information which he has been able to obtain bearing upon the subject 
of your inquiries. Tam, sir, your obedient servant, 
i W. Hunter, Acting Secretary. 
[Copy. No. 631.] 
UNITED States CoNSULATE GENERAL, 
SuHanauat, July 30, 1873. ; 
Hon. J. C. B. Davis, Assistant Secretary of State, Washington: 
Sir—Reverting to your instruction No. 316 and to despatch No. 576 
which Ihad the honor to address to you in acknowledgement, I now re- 
gret to say that any efforts to meet the inquiries made by Mr, George 
Shepard Page concerning the culture and rearing of fish in China have 
proved of little success. Had I been able to visit during the spring 
months the parts of thisand adjoining provinces where, report says, the 
culture of fishis to some extent carried on, I would have been able to 
make from personal inspection areport more satisfactory than I now can 
offer. 
My numerous applications for information have not succeeded in elic- 
iting anything of value. The fact of making requests of natives for de- 
tails of fish culturgis met at the outset with suspicion by those possess- 
ing information and the heresy of those who feign some knowledge 
thereof is neither accurate or trustworthy. The authors of appropriate 
Chinese books assert that the art of fish culture obtains, but I am unable 
to find a single one offer particulars as to time or place, or any details 
whatever. Some intelligent natives of this port say that fish breeding is 
carried on to a small extent in this province by the use of earthern jars, 
in which the spawn is placed and shaded by a peculiar weed, which also 
fnrnishes a food for the young fry, but beyond the recital of the fact 
their ideas are confused. I have not been able to obtain the botanical 
name of the weed. 
Spawn is carried in various ways from the coast waters to the interior. 
On the Yangtze river near Nanking, there exists in the appropriate sea- 
son a large natural spawning ground, and about the middle of May the 
fishermen fence off with bamboos and mats a portion of the shallow part 
thereof. Passing boats, for a consideration, obtain the water within 
these bounds, which is impregnated with spawn, By means of earthern 
jars it is carried into the interior and deposited in artificial lakes, and in 
canals which are without the influence of live water. In some cases eggs 
are “blown” and re-filled with spawn. They are then placed under 
hens with other eggs hatching. When the incubation is perfect the spawn 
eggs are placed in water heated by the sun and in a short time the fish 
develop. 
Tam without information as to the extent of fish culture or its cost. 
Iam not aware that the fish found in China have ever been classified; 
but a description of the varieties seems to have been given by Dr. John 
Richardson in 1845, as appeared in the report of the British Association 
for the advance of science. I have not the paper at hand; the distinction 
given in Chinese is very inaccurate. Shad of fine quality abound north of 
the tropical line. Cod and mackerel are caughtin large quantities in the 
Yellow sea and Gulf of Pechili, and trout are said to be found in moun- 
tain streams in the interior and Formosa. The apparatus used in any 
process is of the most primitive sort. The fish wiers in the canals of 
this province are made of reeds and bamboos, united by strong ligaments 
and serve only as a means to drive the fish into the nets. I much regret, 
that after so long a delay Iam unable to meet more intelligently the re- 
quest for formation made by Mr. Page. Iam, sir, your obedient 
servant, O. B. Braprorp, Vice Consul General. 
Se oo 
—Here is the epitaph of a hunter:— 
Here lies John Mills, who over hills 
Pursued the hounds with hollo; 
The leap, though high, from earth to sky, 
The huntsman we must follow. 
