

are three by two feet, outside measurement; these require 
to be stronger as they have to sustain the weight of gravel; 
they are covered with cloth of four wires to the inch. 
Before putting in the screens. for the season the race is 
swept clean of sediment; then a bottom screen is put down 
and held in place by one person in the water, who puts his 
foot on it; the top screen is then lowered with its 
covering of clean gravel by means of iron hooks, this holds 
the bottom one down; its mate is then put beside it. It is 
well to have spaces cut in the ends of the upper boxes 
for the fish to pass through at the upper end of the race, 
where the water is so shallow that the top of the box is out 
of water. 
The hooks for raising the top screens are made of an 
fron rod bent in the middle to form a handle, and the ends 
spread to hook into two holes in the ends of the box. It 
will be seen from the above description that this beautiful 
invention is simply an artificial nest, invitingly covered 
with clean gravel to attract the trout to deposit their 
spawn, as we make a nest for our hens where we wish 
them to lay by putting some nice straw in a box. 
The wire cloth being on the bottom side of the lower 
sereen there is only an inch space between the coarse and 
the fine wire. The trout readily accept this bed, and their 
spawn passes through the top screen and is caught on the 
lower one, where it is protected from all harm. 
To gather the spawn requires two men, one of whom has 
on rubber boots that come to the thighs; the board cover- 
ing is removed from the top of the race and one operator 
gets into the water below the screens; the other puts a 
board across the race to stand upon; they then put the 
hooks in cach end of a box and raise it just out of water 
and give it a souse back to wash out any eggs that may re- 
main caught in the gravel; it is then deposited on the top 
of the race; the man in the water now puts his foot on the 
lower screen to prevent its bouyancy from lifting it too 
suddenly, when the other top screen is removed. 
The bottom screen is now allowed to rise so slowly as 
not to wash over any spawn that may lie upon it, which is 
collected by sweeping it with a feather from a turkey’s 
wing into a cribble made with turned up edges like a dust- 
pan with a few smail holes in the back to allow some of 
the water to pass; this cribble need not be over four inches 
wide and three deep; it must set flat and have a handle 
about six inches long at right angles to the bottom; this 
handle should be of wood, and the iron handle of the hooks 
should be wound with cord for comfort on cold days. 
Sweep up the spawn dirt and all, for it has to be washed 
afterwards, no matter how particular you gatherit. These 
sereens are then replaced and jhe next set removed. 
This is a description of the manner that I have always 
worked them as learned from my esteemed friend the in- 
ventor, 
There has been a device patented to save the labor of 
lifting the gravel, which I have seen at work, but wish to 
investigate a little more closely before giving an opinion of 
its merits. 
Mr. Stone, in his work, page 86, says:—‘‘There is some 
difference of opinion as to the question which yields the 
most eggs, the artificial or the screen method, and the re- 
sults of some experiments of Mr. F. Mather seem to be ad- 
verse to the Ainsworth plan.” This is a mistake, either of 
my meaning, or a slip of the pen, for Ihave ever advocated 
the screen system. 
The only known objection to the screens lies in the fact 
that the percentage of impregnated eggs is not so great as 
by the hand method; but this, in my opinion, is more than 
compensated for in the amount of fish that can be raised 
from the same number of eggs when the young are kept in 
confinement. I have taken spawn in both ways, and raised 
the young, andcan therefore speak by the card. I do not 
pretend to say that eggs laid on screens and impregnated in 
a natural manner, are any better than those taken by hand, 
if the latter are fully ripe; but I know, from experience, 
that ofa lot of twenty fish caught to-day,and which are ripe 
enough to allow the spawn to be taken, some would not 
have deposited it for at least three days, perhaps a longer 
time might elapse, but it can be taken three days ahead of 
time; these eggs will hatch, and seem to do well up to the 
time of the absorption of the sac; then those who, like 
Macduff, came into the world from the womb, “untimely 
ripped,” will weaken; their stomachs do not seem to be 
sufficiently developed to take the food that we offer; per- 
haps if turned loose they might find food suited to their 
weak natures and in time become lusty fish; but when we 
confine a lot of delicate young trout just beginning to feed, 
and give them strange food, none but the most robust will 
survive. Jor my part, I would prefer 20,000 spawn laidin 
the natural manner to 50,000 taken in the ordinary way by 
hand—by the ordinary way, I mean taking all eggs from 
all fish that will strip. I believe a fish will be stronger if 
the egg is left until the female lays it, than if taken two, or 
even-.one day before. ; 
I am aware that this is an unpopular idea among the 
practical fish culturists, and one that we have had sharp 
discussions over in the ‘‘American Fish Culturist’s Associa- 
tion,” where I have defended it alone, but I believe and 
practice it; and the fact of its being unpopular will not de- 
ter me from preaching it. 
The proper food of a trout for the first month or two 
after the absorption of the sae, is small insects and aquatic 
larva, which we cannot supply in quantity, therefore, we 
try liver, kidney, blood, egg, &c., and keep them crowded 
in boxes or troughs and the weak ones must go under, and 
what I claim for the screens is that there are but few of 
these, 






FOREST AND STREAM. 
In the hand operation about 90 per cent. is a good work- 
ing average of impregnation, that is, taking the season 
through, for there will sometimes be a lot lost for want of 
milt, or a batch that for some other reason falls below the 
average. In some cases there has been as high as 99} per 
cent. reached, but I think about 90 will be found to be the 
average of a whole season. My average with the screens 
has been steadily increasing from 75 when I first com- 
menced, to about 85. 
We cannot, of course, count all eggs and keep a record 
of every unimpregnated egg, but we take a vial full of 
eggs and note the percentage, then take a couple more vials 
full out of the same lot, and so average the whole batch. 
Several persons have written me about my method of man- 
aging the screens and complaining that they could get few 
or no impregnated eggs, and these have been the rules I 
have given, which may be relied on as all that I know 
about it; never dealt in secrets, but have always been wil- 
ling to impart anything that I might know that would tend 
to advance fish culture, at the same time taking care not to 
tell more; : 
Tirst, have the space between the upper and lower screen 
as small as possible, then the milt has a better chance of 
contact with the eggs. 
Second, make the upper screens in the form of boxes, 
that the current will be obstructed, and the milt will be 
held in an eddy and not swept away; in the streams the 
trout offen choose an eddy below an obstruction. 
Third, use gravel from the size of a black walnut to a 
hen’s egg, according to the size of the fish, and only one 
layer of it, no matter if you can see the wires; the fish don’t 
mind them, they will sweep the gravel all in one end of 
the box and spawn on the bare wires; this brings the male 
fish close to the eggs. 
Fine gravel is hard for them to roll on wire cloth, it 
lodges in the spaces and two inches of it would hold many 
of the eggs. I often find the gravel all in one end of a 
box and the spawn all under it, with not an egg visible 
where the wire is bare. I do not use a water pail full of 
gravel in a box of the size described; and fourth, have a 
board running the length of the race on top of the boxes, 
making two separate races, this prevents much fighting. 
All our screens were painted at first, but it fills wire cloths 
so much that it is objectionable; we now use tar from the 
gas works, thin it with spirits turpentine and apply with a 
paint brush; it is as effective in preventing rust, if not 
more so than paint; it flows nicely and is so thin that the 
wire screens are merely covered: it is better to do it before 
putting it on the frames, so that the portion covered by the 
wood, which is always the first to rust, will be coated; then 
roll the wire upon a stick and stretch it tightly upon the 
frames. 
There is an advantage to the trout breeder in using the 
screens, other than stronger fry, this is; heisin no hurry if 
the weather is bad, while if he takes his spawn by hand he 
must handle some fish every day, or two at the farthest, or 
lose many eggs; and those who have shivered by the side 
of the race-way, holding a net with numb fingers, will ac- 
knowledge that it is a very disagreeable job. 
We usually take spawn once a week, and haye let it run 
ten days for a favorable time; a week is long enough for 
eggs to lay in as much sediment as is found on the bottom 
screens; and it would be altogether too long if the embryos 
were farther advanced, or the unimpregnated eggs had 
commenced to die and grow fungous. 
Norris mentions a loss of eggs from some fish spawning 
in the night; if-this be so, then it is another argument in 
favor of the screens. Ihave never observed anything to 
give me an idea that the brook trout ever spawns at night, 
as the salmon-trout does; still it is possible that some do, 
or Mr. Norris would not suggest it as a possible source of 
loss. There is yet another item of loss in taking spawn by 
hand, which is from some fish finding themselves continu- 
ally disturbed in the race, seeking a more favorable spot in 
the pond to deposit their spawn. Therefore, taking these 
things all together, it is doubtful if there are many more 
fecundated eggs obtained by one system than the other. 
Frep. Maturn. 

———————— i? 
—Large numbers of black bass have been taken from 
the Delaware River near Easton, Pennsylvania, within the 
last few days, chiefly in nets, weighing from one to three 
and a half pounds, and supposed to be the fish that were 
spawned in 1870. They were congregated at the mouth of 
a large spring that empties into the river, on account of the 
spring water at this season being so much warmer than the 
river water; as trout in summer gather there by reason of 
the spring water then being so much colder. Now thatthe 
time required by law for the protection of bass in the Del- 
aware has expired, it may be hoped that the capture of 
these fish in nets will be forbidden. Indeed, it is intimated 
in the Germantown Telegraph that a law will be passed by 
the Pennsylvania Legislature this winter to this end. It is 
stated that these fish can be taken in nets only atnight, or 
when the river is high and the water muddy. At other 
times they have the fashion of jumping over the cork line. 
This is a very sensible expedient, and we can only regret 
that the bass cannot see at night as well as in the day time. 
The Telegraph also notices that black bass have a wonder- 
ful tenacity of life. Itsays that some which were taken 
at ten o’clock in the morning ‘‘were carried two miles to 
town in a basket, sold and wrapped in paper, and then left 
in a warm room, and were alive at five o’clock in the after- 
noon. One man reports his were alive and kicking seven 
hours after being taken from the water, even after their en- 
trails and gills were taken out! and what is more, that man 




AY 
can be believed implicitly. The moral is, that these fish 
should be killed forthwith after being taken from the water 
from motives of humanity. Their flesh also would be im. - 
proved in this way, rather than by allowing them to die a 
lingering death of many hours in the usual way.” 
—Young salmon have also been taken this month in the 
Delaware, probably of those planted in 1872, A uscful bit 
of information may here be given to anglers who are not 
familiar with the appearance of these smolts, especially as 
so many streams have been lately stocked with salmon fry, 
which are liable to be caught by those angling for trout, 
and by them mistaken for trout. Smolt take a fly readily, 
and to a casual observer appear much like six inch trout, 
but a more careful scrutiny will show a marked difference 
in their livery, the smolt having a more metallic lustre, 
With spots of a more livid scarlet, while the minute scales 
are shed freely upon contact with the hand. The smolt is 
more slender than the trout, and the tai! 2 trifle more 
forked. Old trout have tails nearly square. All smolts 
caught by the fisherman or angler should be immediately 
returned to the water if they be not too much injured to 
live. 
—Only t short time since a Mr, Murray Hughes, of New 
Haven, Connecticut, while fishing with a net for frost fish 
near the steamboat dock, caught a young salmon about six 
inches long, and which probably hailed from the Connecti- 
cut. There can be little doubt that these instances, now 
quite frequent along the coast from the Penobscot to the 
Delaware, of young salmon being caught, are the initial 
results of the attempts to restock our rivers, and ought to 
not only encourage the Fish Commissioners, but convince 
the skeptical and obstinate who have ridiculed or directly 
opposed their efforts for so many years. In two or three 
years more we anticipate that the great and intcresting 
problem will not only be solved, but that the living testi- 
mony will be overwhelming. 
—Last August a black bass was taken near Easton which 
weighed seven pounds, and is supposed to be one of the 
originals from the Potomac. ‘ 


= 
A Qurenr Fisu.—The Revue Scientifique states that the 
aquarium of the Paris Jardin d’Acclimatation has received 
a singular acquisition—a medusa (a sort of umbrella-shaped 
polypus, that swims with a stomach, mouth, and a number 
of tentacula under water), that had no sooner got into the 
compartment allotted to it, than it got rid of all its neigh- 
bors with wonderful rapidity. On analyzing the water, it 
wes found to be impregnated with vinegar, which had 
caused the death of the inmates. The medusa in question, 
therefore, belongs to one of the rarest species in existence, 
which, owing to its faculty of secreting the acid in ques- 
tion, is called the ‘‘vinegar polypus.” The curious point 
in the case is, that the animal in the first instance emits 
alcohol, which is only afterwards acidified, owing to its 
becoming diluted in contact with nitrogenized matter. 


auiswers Ca Correspondents. 
{We shall endeavor in this department to impart and hope to receive 
such information as ney be of service to amateur and professional sports- 
men. We wil cheerfully answer all reasonable questions that fall within 
the scope of this paper, designating localities for good huntin » Jish- 
ing, and trapping, and giving advice and instructions as to post i im. 
plements, routes, distances, seasons, expenses, remedies, traits, species 
governing rules, ete. All branches of the sportsman’s craft will recetve 
attention. Anonymous Communications not Noticed. 
etc ce eg tsa 
DB. Kine, Boston, Mass.—Write to W. Bonfield, Booneville, Oneida 
county, New York, enclosing your letter. 
R. R., New York.—Yon do not state what kind of hunting you wish 
For general shooting Warren and Elk counties, Pennsylvania. The 
expenses would be about $2 50 a day, not including the car fare. 
A. B, C.—I saw at 119 Main street, Brooklyn, on Janu ary 28th, two fine 
brook trout labelled ‘‘All the way from Maine.*? Were not these ex- 
posed for sale illegally? Ans. Yes: by the laws of both Maine and New 
York. 
W.W., New York.—What are oun cases generally lined with? Whore 
can the material be procured? What canI use so that it will adhere to 
the gun case? Ans. 1. Waterproof cloth of self color. 2. Any dry goods 
house. 3. Gum tragacanth. 
Joun C, C.—Willyou kindly answer J.C. C. in your next issue of 
your valuable paper (the best in the country for asportsman, not sporting 
man, to subscribe to) whether in playing draw poker a straight flush 
will beat four of akind or not? Ans. Write to Wilkes Spirit of the 
Times. 
W. &. ‘., Brooklyn.—Can you tell me where Rey. W. H. H. 
Murray resides? Ans. At Guilford, Conn., when not in Boston. Where 
can I get a correct list of provisions and the quantity required by two 
persons for two weeks? Ans. See “‘Sybilline Leaves’ in forrest AND 
Stream Oct.16. Where can I get a lantern suitable for jack or night 
shooting? Ans. Ask Mr. Murray; we are wholly opposed to the use of 
the jack. Wull a conical bullet go farther than a round one, with the 
same amount of powder? Ans, It will. What is the costof flies? Ans. 
From $1 to $5 per dozen. 
C. W. A,, Newark, N.J.—I have o pup, cross between a setter and 
a pointer. What do you think of the breed? Ans, They turn out wel 
sometimes but will not stand the cold weather in the late fall. We trust 
that you crossed them for some special purposes, the pointer being de- 
ficient in some instinct that the setter possessed, or vice versa. Is it right 
to feed them with meal and food from the kitchen? Ans, You do not 
state age of the puppy. If it is weaned the food you mention will an- 
swer for the next three months; afterthat period it must be fed regu - 
larly, and with proper food. See Forrst anp STREAM. What is the 
best manner to train them? Do you approve of the plan set forth by 
correspondent ‘“Homo?’? Ans. Homo is good. Purchase “Stonehengo” 
and follow out his instructions. 
WANDERER.—Can you give me any information about the sports by 
field and water in California? I get very conflicting reports. Some say 
that the salmon and trout there will not take the fly; others say they 
will. But I want toknow when, where, and what fly. Some tell me 
there is famous shooting there; others that with the exception of water 
fowl] and a few deer there is none. From some I hear that great sport 
can be had coursing hares;. others say it is no such thing; that there is 
no sport there of any kind to warrant ones going prepared forit. Now 
Iwant to know what to expect and what to prepare for. Ans. Your 
questions cover too wide arange. Californiais a vast State, some parts 
of which are wholly destitute of game and river fish, and others abound 
in numberless varieties. Salmon and trout, in some parts lack game 
qualities, in others they are active and take the fly readily. In our next 
issue we shall print a most comprehensive article on this very subject, 
giving valuable information of the best game section of the State—in- 
formation that wé have never seen in print, though often asked for by 
anglers and naturalista. 
