BAX' ■Wh I I -? L-/2J^c^.jS!^^:y^,^.ejc>C^^ 1 /c 7y z> ^5S^T*S piCTIONARY OF THE HOLY BIBLE By laylor, Illustrated, 8vo. cloth, 15s. ' CALVIN'S COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 3 vols. 8vo. cloth, ISs. ' CAMPBELL'S (DR. GEORGE) LECTURES ON ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY, 8vo. cloth, 6s. ^^ CARPENTER'S BIBLICAL COMPANION Impl. 8vo. cloth, 10s, 6d. ' W. Tegg, 85, Queen St., Cheapside, London, E.G. 20 Hflg. CLARKE'S(DR.ADAM)MISCELLANEOUS WORKS, ; 13 vols. 12mo. dolh, £2 5s. GJ. (DM. A.) SERMONS, f A Tolji. 12 COLES GOU'S S COTTAG TOR, bj CRUDEN NEW Tl CUDWOl UNIVEB PIBDLVS With l'..r DODDRII Imji. 8vo. D WIGHT 5 voU. 18 EDWARE TIONOI ELLIS'S THINGS FARINIK Life bv K FINNEY'.' MATIC 1 THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLLS A. KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID I>*ino. clDt SE ON KPOSI- ) AND •E THE 8vo. clotli, ^POSI- •IVINE MONS, iVO. flotl), lYSTE- T: COODWi. RE- I i)Kf:.Mi:]), : feoOD'S (J. MASON, M.D.) LH'^E AND WRITINGS. My OIint!iu- Grr^nrf, LI..I).. k\>. 8vo. cloth, 'M. GURNEYS DICTIONAKY OF THE lUr.LK, 24IUO. clotli, 2.H. 6d. HAWKERS (REV. R.) DYING FILLOW MADE EASV FOR X DI. ATII-BKI), with Prefucc. bj the Kcv. K, 8huuc. ^f A.. ; . .1 isnio. I 1 .tti, u. (A. IIIKI (REV. JAMES) MEDITA'lIONS, >it • 1. . • )!i, 6vo. . W. Tegg, 85, Queen St , CJieapside, London, E.G. ^' FRANK FOUEsTKirs IIS II AND I'ISIIINC FRANK FORKSTKR'S FISH AM) FISIIIXG I \ni:i) ST A IKS, BRITISH PKOVIXCES OF NORTH AMKRICA. HENUV WILLIAM IIEiiBKRT, At^yor at "n* FWtd Sport* of t^ I'nilrd Slain ami Briluh Nofih Anwrtca.'* " Frank Forr«lrr uul bU Frinid*," »c. l.nXI). »\ : i; KM AIM* ^.i•:NTLl•:^■. ^Jublislur m vJi>rlJinanj to J!Oj\ itla{fstn. LONDON : BRADBURY AND EVANS, PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS. I ILVNCIS 8UKYKT, KSQ.. nr NATfllKr. MIHMISAII-fl, T\\]r< WOIJK, ON THK FISH AND FISIIINC <>F NnUTH AMERIfA, Is Dfiiirairt). iu>ril A-* TO AN AROKVT AM> ISTKLL10K.NT SPORTSMAN, A»i WKI.l. AS ID A TUIKD rniFNO, IIV Ills H11KM> AMI SKKVANT, IKANK FORKSTKU T>l* rCDAM*, r7:3638'll ADVEirnsKMFA r. ♦ In ntVeriiii: this Work to i\w jxililic. I li;ivo little to sav. as its character speaks for itself. l>ut to iiulicate the sources of tin* information whicli it <-ontains. nml to M;ivc cree who l)V their works, letters, or eonvei*sation have ni«tiiiii information in rel.^•^•d to the V']^]\ and Fisheries of New ]^nm>wiek and N<»va Si-otia ; and i<< .Mr I)ehIois of Port- land, for a conununication resjx'ctin^; tlu' Oreat Trout of Selwi^o liakc in Maine, which was prol)ahIy a distinct variety, tliou^h the fact cannot Ix' easilv now ascertained, the nolile fisli iK'iiiij. ahis ! extinct. X ADVERTISEMENT. To Mr. Yarrell's fine work on " British Fishes," to Hofland's "British Angler's Manual," to Richardson's " Fauna Boreah- Americana," and to Deka3^'s " Fishes of New York," I thankfully record my acknowledgments. All the wood engravings were drawn by myself on the wood, either from the fishes themselves or from original drawings in the possession of Professor Agassiz, lent to me for that purpose, with the exception of the true Salmon, which is copied from his beautiftil work on the " Fresh- Water Fishes of Europe ; " of the Arctic Charr or Masamacush and the Arctic Grayling, (which are taken from Richardson's " Fauna Boreali- Americana)" ; of the Salmon Trout, taken from Yarrell ; and of the Lake Trout and Pike Perch, taken from Dekay's " Fauna of the State of New York." With these brief remarks I submit the folloTsang pages, to the courtesy and candour of the Gentle Craft, and of the public in general, and once again subscribe myself, Their friend and servant, Frank Forester. The Cedars, Aurpist 14, 1H4!I. CONTKNT.S. INTR«>nrrTORY RKMARKS . . 1 THK G.XMK FISH OF NORTH AMKRICA .... 9 SALMONID;*:, OR THK SALMON FAMILY 33 Tiir. S.vijiox fiO The Khook Tboit . 105 Tins Orkatbst Lake Troi't 131 The SisKAWTTZ . . . .143 Thk Lake Tboit . . .149 The Saijios Troit .... . ir.4 The MA-SAMAcrsH .162 IVvt KS (jR.VVU>(i ... 169 The Amehu'ax Smei.t .175 The PArEMN 179 The White Fish 182 The (VwEiw Bvw . . .188 sir.i rid.t: . im The <'vT Ft-tM .193 CYPRINID.K .196 The CnMUoN Cari- .196 The Amerii-ax Roach . 20-1 The New York Shi.nkr 206 Tit J .Vmerica?! Bream . 208 M N..w^ . , 210 < LI I'l n».1-: . 212 The Hmiiun . . 212 The SH,\n . . 214 xii CONTENTS. PAGK ESOCIDtE . . . . . . . . . . 217 The Mascalonge ....... 220 The Great Northern Pickerel . . . . . . 224 The Common Pickerel ...... 227 The Long Island Pickerel . . . . . . 233 ANGUILLID^ ........ 237 The Eel . . . . ' . . . . 237 PERCIDiE ......... 239 The American Yellow Perch . . . , . . 239 The Striped Sea Bass ...... 242 The Yellow Pike Perch . . . . . . 246 The Black Bass of the St. Lawrence .... 249 The Growler . . . . . . . 253 The Rock Bass . . . . . . .255 The Common Pond Fish . . . . . . 257 The Lake Sheep's-Head ...... 259 The Malasheganat . . . . . . . 261 SHOAL- AVATER FISHES . . . . . . .263 PERCID.^ . . . . . . . 264 The Sea Bass . . . . . . .264 SCIENIDtE . . . . . . . . 266 The Lafayette ....... 266 The Weak Fish . . . . . . . . 268 The King Fish ....... 270 The Sllvert Cok\t:na . . . . . . . 272 The Branded Corvina . . . . . .273 The Big Drum, and the Banded Drum . . . . 275 SPARID^ ......... 277 The Sheep's-Head . . . . . . . 277 The Big Porgee ....... 280 SCOMBRIDj^ . . . . . . . . . 282 The Blue Fish ....... 282 LABRID^ . '. . . . , . . . 285 The Tautog . . . . . . . .285 DEEP-SEA FISHING . . . . . . . 287 GADID^ ......... 288 The Cod . . . . . . . 288 The American Haddock ...... 290 The American Whiting . . . . . . 291 C'uNTKNTS. xiii rAaa SALMON ns||lN(; 293 IIIK I.MI'LK.MKNTS ol' s \l.\loN llvHiM,. 3i;{ THol r |-lSlllN(i . . 332 LAKK TROUT FISIIINti ..... :{t51 s.\LMON TROUT FISHING .365 I'lCKKRHL FISIIINC; . . . 370 I'KKCII FISIIINC ........ 382 CAUI- IIS1IIN<; . . 387 STRIPKD U.\S8 FlSlllN(i .391 MLAIK UASS FISHl.NC IN I'lll-; ST. I.A W KKNCK . . 39fl KF.L FISlIINc; AND TRI.M.MKUS .406 >HOAI,-\VATKR SKA FISHINC .409 IIIK \VK.\K ll>ll in IIIK HARM, OR KINi; 1 ISII n3 rHK SKA MASS . 416 rHK TAUTOfi, OK llI.Al K I l>^ll . 418 I UK SUKKl'S-llKAD |-.!_' TIIK DRUM ... IS6 MI.UK FISH 1I.S11IN(J .... 424 hKKP-SF.A FISHINO ..... I2 W) KRKSIMirN FhJJALK SALMON (^4 SALMON SMALT ONE YKAU OI.l' To ILLIKTBATION ; 1 Vol NO FRY OF BROOK TRot i luj rilK BROOK TR(»IT DM ILLUSTIUTION I30 TUriTK I>E ORKVK . 131 xAI-Mfi AMhrrUV.xTl'S l,j SAI-MO .-ISKAWnZ III ILLlsTIUTIoN HH IMF. L\KK TROl r U'l TJIK >Fa TRoIT 11 THF. MASAMACISH ICi rilK ARCTIC URAYLINt. lO'J niK AMERICAN SMELT I'i THE WHITE H»H |».' THE (rrsEt.o HAS.-. Inn THE CAT-FI-Hll 11, rilK NEW VnKK -IllNKl. . .; THB AMERICAN BRFIAM xvi 1-lST OF ILLUSTHATIONS. PAGE AMERICAN MINNOWS . . . . . . . . 210 THE HERRING . ....... 212 THE SHAD . . . . . . ... 214 HEAD OF ESOX ESTOR . . . . . . .217 ESOX ESTOR . . . . . . . . . 220 HEAD OF ESOX LUCIOIDES . . . . . . .224 ESOX LUCIOIDES . . . . . . . . . 226 THE LONG ISLAND PICKEREL . . . . . .233 THE EEL . . . . . . . . . 237 THE YELLOW PERCH . . . . . . . .239 THE BLACK BASS . . . . . . . . . 250 THE FRESH-WATER SUN FISH . . . . . .257 THE COD . . . . . . . . . . 288 THE AMERICAN HADDOCK . . . . . . .290 THE AMERICAN WHITING . . . . . . . 291 HOOK-LINKS ......... 316 ARTIFICIAL FLIES . . . . . . . . 328 FRANK 1 oRKSTKirs FISH AND KISin\(i L\TK()i)rcT(»i:\ i:i:.mai;ks. TO DKAi. witli .'I suliject so wide as the Fish .-ukI Fisiiixc ot" an extent uf eouiitry u:reater than tlie wliole of Europe, streteluij;^ almost from the Aretie eirele to tlie Tn>])ies, from the waters of the Atlantic to those of the Pacific Ocran. niav st-ein, an\,\ aiitorv i.f ;ill. or i\rn "f "iii'-liunilretlth part, of tin- li>h poniJi.ir t<> thi'^ continent 11 1' I its adjacent seas. Such, liowever, is hv no nuans my aim or intrntion. I write for tlie sportsman. an«l it is tiierefore wiih the Sporting ?'isl» only that I pro|>ose to lUal ; as, in a rcciiit work vu the Fiehl Sports of the same re;omc jTcteiision tnwanl ontortaininu-. and pcrliaps instnict- iniX. the ^meral reader. At the same timo, neither jtrctondinu; nor hopiiiL;- to m.ikf my woik /ttr/rrf. I thoii^jiht ]>roper to exercise my own judi::ment in decidiiiLT wiiat species of sports are to be re«rnrded as Field Sports at all, what as American Firld Sports, and what as ret|nirinir drserijition. ;in;dysi--. or exjilanation. Some men consider the shootin/io\f men — consider sipiirrels, raccoons, opo.ssums, ground-hogs, and such like vermin, as iKjing Game ; I do nut. Therefore, I dealt not with any of these, nor apologise for not ilealifig with tiiem. Again. Fox-hunting on hoi*scl>ark, in a well-fenced arable, or pasture country, is the finest of all Fiehl Sports, l>evond a question. But the facts, that one pack of fox- 4 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. hounds is now kept at Montreal, that another was kept a few years since by the members of the British legation at Washington, and that a few planters, in two or three Southern States, amuse themselves occasionally and irre- gularly by fox-hunting, do not constitute fox-hunting an American Field Sport ; which it is not ; as is demonstrated by the undeniable fact, that there are not above three States out of thirty, more or less, in which the fox is pursued as anything but vermin. There are, moreover, many reasons which render it almost impossible that fox-hunting ever shall become an American Field Sport. In the Northern and Eastern States, where only, as a general rule, the country is suffi- ciently cleared of timber to allow of this pursuit in per- fection, the severity of the winter, and the jealousy of farmers in regard to trespass on their lands, and the breaking of their fences, combine to render it impracti- cable. In the Southern States, the woodland character of the country, and the frequency of swamps, bayous, and similar obstacles, destroy all its peculiar excellences, and detract infinitely from its excitement, and its scientific character. Yet once more. Had fox-hunting been, what it is not, an American Field Sport, I should still have dismissed it in a few pages. Because, being a sport thoroughly under- stood, and carried to the utmost perfection in the Old INTKnlJlCToKV KK.MAKKS. 5 \\i'iM ; a sport, so far as it is diic licrc at all. |irif"i(tlv itltiitical nil tlic l\V(» siilfs dt' tlic Allaiitic. ami a> siicli, havintj no pt-culiaritios, ainl i-ccjuiriii^ iii> luw prttrpts hcvc ; an Ucckford ami Niiiiroil- names as rainiliai" as liousehokl words to all who ean sit a horse or halloo to a hound —it would have hecn an act. it not of iin))c'rtinrnce, at ksist of total sujii-n'ro^ation, t<» fill uji the pa^es of a work on it. is simply explanatory of my intentions witii reirard to tliis work. These are to furnish what infonnation I can in relation totlie classes, nii<.(rations, habits, breeding seasons, and tTie modes of takini;, of tliose which I call and consider Sjiort- ing or Game Fishes ; to insist on the generic distinctions, and the true names and defmitions of the various sj>eeies md families ; to show briefly how the various Cimilies and I l.'LSses may Im? distinguislied one from the other, tht reby I iial>ling .<port.smanlike mo»les of operation. Bottom-tishing, ground- baiting with the float and sinker, and the like, are doubt- less all \erv well in their way ; and will i>eihap>. in many instfinces, even with ^Sporting Fishes, be fuund the most killing, «xs they are clearly the ea.siest metiiods ; while, with other varieties, they are the ..nly modes that can be a«lopte«r. still they are to tly-fi.shing. t-r spinning the minnow, what .shooting sitting is to shmHing on the wing ; and the fi>her who i.s proml of higging out nf their native 8 INTRODUCTOKY REMARKS. element twenty trout by main force, aided by a lob-worm or roe-bait, stands in the same relation to him who baskets his three or four brace with the artificial fly and single gut artistically cast, as the gunner who pot-hunts his bagful of birds, treeing his ruffed grouse, and butchering his quail in their huddles on the ground, does to the crack shot, who stops his cock in a blind brake, with the eye of faith and the finger of instinct, or cuts down his wild- fowl, skating before the wind at the rate of a mile a minute, deliberately rapid and unerring. THK (.Wll, M>ll 01 NORTH A.MIUK \ \\\ CiAMK. Kisn. wc imdcr^tnnd all those which will take \\\c imtunil or iirtiticial bjiit with -iilhcicnt l)()l(liicss uml avidity, mid wliith. when hooked, arc endowed witli suflicicnt vifjour, coura^r, and nipidity of motion, to ofler so much resistance, and •,'ivc so much ditliculty to the captor, as to render the pursuit excitiu}; and agreeable, apart from any consideration of the intrinsic value of the fish. By these (jnalities of the hooked Hsh, corrcsi)onding (pialitics of the fisherman are called forth ; and the griatcr the wariness and cunning of the fish before he takes the l)ait, conipcUing the use of the finest and most delicate tackle, the greater his lury, vehemence, and velocity after beiiiL; struck, rei|uiring the utmost nicety of manipulation, coolness of temper, and promptitude of judgment, the higher does he stand in the list of game, and the more animating is his purMiit and capture. The truth i.t, tluit in all fichl sjMjrts, the pleai»urc to be (leri\cd from them, and the rank in which liiey stand one to the otlu>r, arc all in exact proptirtion, not with the value or the numbers of 10 THE GAME FISH OF NORTH AMERICA. the victims, but with the difficulty of the capture, and the degree of skill, science, courage, or endurance, called forth in the act of taking. Were this not so, shooting small birds baited with grain about a barn-door during a snow-storm, or scooping mackerel and herring out of their schulls by buckets-full at a time, would be a higher pursuit and better sport than shooting quail and woodcock on the wing over well-broke dogs, or killing a thirty pound Salmon with the slender gut and artificial fly. And so they are better sport to the schoolboys and snobs who practise them, and who, lacking entirely the art, the energy, and the perseverance necessary to success in the true Field Sports, are perfectly content with arriving at the bad eminence of pot- gunners and ground-fishers ; and then, presuming on their paltry numerical success, affect to undervalue, as profitless, the art which they cannot attain. It is the wariness, the subtlety, and the caution of the Salmon, rendering it necessary to use materials of the slenderest and most delicate nature, and to apply them with the utmost nicety, which makes the triumph over him so far more enthralling to the real fisherman than that over the Pickerel or Mascalonge of equal weight, whose greater voracity and inferior intellect per- mits the use of a gimp foot-length, and a silken or flaxen line, instead of the fine gut tinctured to the very colour of the water, and the casting-line of almost invisible minuteness. The same is the superiority of rod and reel fishing to the use of the hand-line, whether in trolling or in deep-sea fishing; because in both these the sport is at an end, so soon as the fish is hooked; it being a mere question of brute strength Avlicther w II \T mm: (i wii: ii-ii. 11 tlie victim shall hi- roinnu nd or not, wlnii oner t'a>('(l, tlif fieiTc coura'^i', and (Irti-rnuncd obstinacy of the true Salmon, tlu' IJrook Trout, when of tine si/.c and well fed, the various kiiuls of huijer I'ike or l*iekerel, the Bass, and sonu" others, uhieli 'j^'wes such a zest to their capture, as com- pared with the sinalKr aiul (lullcr fi>h, which may l)c pulled out SIS fast as a hook can be bailed and thrown iu ; or tiie lar;rcr and more torpid tish, such as the I^ake 'front, the Carp, and the Perches, sonu' of which, after a sinjxle boriui: plini^'c, resij;ii themselves iilmost without a stru;;j;lc, and are nuistered with no resistance save that occasioiu>d by their own dead weight. I have said, above, that it is upon these rpudities of boldness and fierceness, combined with wariness in biting, and of vigour and detcnnination in resistance, apart from any intrinsic value of the fislj, or excellence of liis flesh, that his rank for ganieness must depend. It is renmrkable, however, that all those tish whicli are the most game, the boldest, the strongest, the bravist, and the most obstiiuite, are invariably the tiiust also for culinary purposes, and the most highly appreciated l)y the gournut on the board, as well as by the fisherman in the riv»r or the nu-n With very few exceptions, the (jame Fish arc those which do not confine themselves either to sidt or fresh water, throughout the year, but visit the one or the other, as their habits and tastes, hut principally the propagation of their species, direct them. These migmtor)* fish are, without any exception, the strongr^t, the Imlclc^t, nnlieacv of liand in feehng, appreeiatin-r, and huinonrini; the victim, when C()(pii'ttin<; and nihhhn^ ahonl the hait. It cannot he Ukencd tn thi- skill exeitid in castint: and mana^ini; the fly, or the spinning niiiuniu ; nuich lt>s to the phiyin;;, kiUinj;, and hasketini: the hea\iest kind of lish with the hf^htest rnnnini; tackk'. It mnst he accpiiri'd hy hahit and practice, if it he thon<,dit worth the trouhh" of accpiisition, hnt it can scarcely he tanj^ht at all hy instruction or example; ami written preci'jjts to this end woidd he alto^'cthcr wortldess, as they would he dull and unnniusim;. I shall now proceed to the ennmcration of the (ianu" lishes of the I'nited States and ISritish Provinces of North America, according: to my nndcrstandiu'; of their •;ame (pialities — rcj^ardint; them, first, under their j^rcat divisions of fresh and snlt-water fish ; then as migratory or non-mij^ratory, and deep- sea or shoal-water. And here I shall ohserve that I adopt these n- g to each of these tiro OKVERA >'F r,\MF. FI>H. 17 It will be well to observe here, that I consider all those fish which run up rivers and streams into the fresh water, for the j)urjK)se of spawning, which pass a considerable portion of tlic year, and arc principally, if not wholly, taken in such water, as fresh-water fishes; although a resort to tlic salt water is neccssarj' to the reinvngoration of their constitutions ; and it is probable, to the excellence of their flesh, and the courage and l)oldness of their tempers. To this class belong several of the finest and most important of all our fish, both as regards the table and the sport ; for to this are directly referable the Salmon, that king of the piscine world, the Sea Trout, the Striped Bass, the Shad, and the Smelt ; l>oth of which, for reasons which I shall give when I am to treat of them under their own proper heads, I admit as (Jame Fishes. Our fresh-water fishes, then, all belonging to the two classes above named, Malacopterygii, soft-finned, and Acanthopterygii , or spiny- finned, are divided into the following families : — Of the first, Abdominal Malacopteryoii, we have I. — The family of Salmoxid.e, of which the tnie sea Salmon is the tyj>e, and of which there are many varieties and sub-genera, both migrator}- and non-migratory ; the principal arc — Grnus Salino. The True Salmon (>'a/»/io Satar). The Orcatcst I>ake Trout. — Mackinaw Salmon {Salino Amethynluji I . The Northern Lake Trout. — Siskawitz Salmu c 18 THE GAME FISH OF NORTH AMERICA. The Lake Trout. — Salmon Trout {Salmo Confinis). The Sebago Trout {Salmo Sebago). The Arctic Charr {Salmo Hoodii). The Sea Trout.— White Trout, or Silver Trout {Salmo Trutta Marina). The Brook Trout {Salmo Fontinalis). Genus Osmerus. The Smelt {Osmerus Viridescens) . Genus Thymallus. The Arctic Grayling {Thymallus Signifer). Genus Coregonus. The White Fish {Coregonus Aldus). The Otsego Bass,* misnomer {Coregonus Otsego). II. — Family Silurid^, Containing many species, Cat-fish, Bull-heads, fee, unworthy of notice, except Genus Silurus. The Great Cat-fish. III. — Family Cyprinid^, Containing many varieties. The Chub, Sucker, Shiner, Boach, Dace, Bream, &c., of no account except for bait, unless it be two imported species, * This fish so closely resembles the White Fish {Coregonus Albiis), as to be con- ceived by many persons to be merely a casual variety. This, however, does not appear to be in truth the case. It is gi-eatly to be regretted, that trae and dis- tinctive names should not be attached to fishes which, having been absurdly misnamed by the ignorant early settlers, still go by those stupid misnomers — as in the present instance ; where a fish having no possible analogy to a Bass, and, indeed, belonging to a difierent class of fish, " soft-finned," is termed Bass. The analogous fish in England are known as GwjTiiad, Vendace, and PoUan. I would suggest " Otsego Lavaret" as a very suitable name for this unnamed species. (5ENKKA OF (JA.MK FISH. ID The Common Carp {('i/jiriini.s Carj/iu). Thr (loldeii Car[) {('i//trinu.s Aura(un). 1\ . — Family Clipkid i . Cenus A I OS a. The Shad* (Alosu PrtvstdhiUs). Genus CI it pea. Tlu' lli-rring I'luprit llarenyas). V. — Family Esocid.k. Genus Estor. The Mascalougc {Esox Estor). Tlie Nortlicrn Pickerel [Esox Ltisioides) . The Common Pickerel [Esox Reticitlatus). The Long Island Pickerel {Esox Fascial us). The Gar-pike {Esox ()s.teus). Beside two or three other 8i)ecies, found in the P('nnsylv;ini;m and wcstcMMi waters. This brings us to the end of our fresh-water, soft-finned fishes; or of suth. at lea.st, as are in anywise worthy to be accounted Game Fishes ; and we come to the second division, Acanthopte- ryf/ii, or spiny-finned fishes, which, though it is Baron Cuvicr's fin*t division, I have postponed to the Malaroptcri/f/ii, or soft- finned fishes, on account of the greater estimation in which they are held, especially the noble Salmon, Pike and Shad families, by both epicure and sportsman. Second, however, to those only are several of the families of * I aotiMmhat doubt thin diminction. I have drawings, mitde from life, of two v»nrtic« of .Sh*d lakra in Npw York LUjr, agrmng prociMly with A lota Finla and Alotn Otmmumij of Yarrrl- the Twaitc mi 20 THE GAME FISH OF NORTH AMERICA. the second class, and scarcely inferior even to these is the splendid genus Labrax, unquestionably next to the Salmon, the most sporting fish in all respects in the world, and in his absence facile princeps. Of the class Acanthopterygii, then, we have The Family Percid^. Genus Perca. The Yellow Perch {Perca Flavescens) . Of this there are three or four very closely allied varieties. The White Perch {Perca Pallida). The Common Perch {Perca Fluviatilis). And others of less note, very closely allied, and perhaps casual varieties. Genus Corvina. The Malageshane {Corvina Rickardsoni) . The Lake Sheep's-head {Corvina Oscula). Genus Pomotis. The Sun-fish {Pomotis vulgaris). Genus Labrax. The Striped Bass. — Rock Fish {Labrax Lineatus). Genus L/ucioperca. American Sandre — Ohio Salmon, &c. {Lucioperca Americana) . The Canadian Sandre {Lucioperca Canadensis). Genus Ginstes. The Black Bass. — OsAvego Bass {Grystes Nigricans). THE FAMILY rKUClD.K. -.'I Genus Ctntrarchnn. The Hotk Bass {Centrarchus jUlneus). iitrnus Otolit/m.s. Tin- Weak Fish {Otoiit/tiui Ref/alh). The Southern Trout [OtoHthus Carolinensis). And with these, unless the rcaiU'r ehoosc to atUl the l''el of tlie chiss Apodal Malacopti;kv(;ii, family Anuuill)d.k, the list of the fresh-water Sportinj^ Fishes of the I iiitcd States and British Provinces may he said to close. Of these fish, the True SiUmou [Sahno iiiiluj-), the Sea Trout {Salmo Trutta Marina), the lirook Trout {Sahno Foniinalb), the Arctic Charr [Salmo Iloodii), and perhaps the Sebago Lake Trout, are migratory, as is also the Arctic (i ray ling [Thymalluit Siynifer) ; all the other Lake Trout, and such of the Hiook Trout as are found in snudl streams above impracticable fidls, or in spring ponds, or lakes without outlets, arc stationary, or non-migratory ; and the consequences of their habit may be very readily disco- vered in the inferiority of their flesh, both in colour and firmness of muscle, and in their comparatively lazy gait, and want of game (jualities, vigour and endurance. Of other soft-tinned fishes, the Smelt {Osmcru.s I'indescens), the Shad [Alosa Prtestabilis), and the Herring {Clupea Harengas), arc migrator)- from salt to fresh water, and so, perhaps, is the Weak Fish, in the Southern waters, then' inisnameil Trout* ( OtoUthu9 CaroUnensit) . * Thin ftuli I h»rc norcr •ovn ; but I RTvatly doubt tluit tJic fwli cAllttl «• Trout," in the South, b identical with the Nortlicm Weak Fiaii. From I'rofvMur AgiuBiz, I undcnUnd it to bo a pcculiju* rarirty of the Wcalc Fiidi {(H>ilahut), b<>iii); ii|>otte. ^5 before lie is subduetl. I rcj;anl him :i \ery decided addition to the list of Ainerieuu Sporting Fishes. The CDnjinoii llcrriiii; can he taken very readily in the same manner, and 1 have had very eonsideral)le amnsi'inciit in killing them with a gandy peacoek-tail fly, in New York harbour, in the vieinity of Tort DianuMul, at the Narrows. With these exceptions, and tlie two \arieties of W'hiti; Fish, one of which is absurdly misnamed Otscj^o Bass, haxiuir abont as mnch relation to a Bass as it has to a Flouudir, all that I have named are admitti-d t() bi' game by all tislurmen ; ami these I have mentioned, becansc I have little or no doubt that they also, like their F^uropcan congeners, the (Iwyniad of Wales antl the Pollan of Ireland, may be occasionally taken with the artificial fly. All these fish are Coregoni, and are \ery nearly analogons to one another, forming a sort of intermediate link between the families of Salmonidie and Clnpeidte, or Salmon and Shad, al- though they are included for many satisfactory reasons among the former— the common people in Great Britain calling them fresh-water Herring, while in the I'nited States they not unfre- quently pass by the name of Shad-salmon. The flesh of all the varieties is delicate and hi^'hly lla\omcd. The desire of comparing these American Coreyoni with the British varieties, and of bringing them somewhat more into general notice, luis induced me to mention them, rather than their game nature. I now proceed to the sak-waicr tishes, both those taken in deep, and those in shoal water, of the vnriouH families above named ; and thereafter ^hall arrange them according to their hannts and habits. 26 THE GAME FISH OF XOETH AMEEICA. Of those salt-water fish of the Atlantic coasts which afford the most real sport to the angler^ and which are alone taken with the rod and reel^ all the families belong to the class of the Acanthopteryyii, or spiny-finned fishes, none of the soft-finned fishes of the abdominal division being taken in the shoal waters of the bays and estuaries ; while the deep-sea fish are all of the Sub-brachial Malacopterygii, unless we may consider as such the Sea Bass and Porgee, which are, however, as often or oftener caught in shallow water. Of salt-water fish, taken in shoal water, river mouths, and the like, Acanthopteryyii, spiny-finned, we have the family Percidje, whereof the Perch is the type. Genus Lahrax. The Striped Bass [Lahrax Lineatv^). [Mentioned above as a fresh-water fish, being frequently caught in rivers far above tide-water, as well as in the estuaries, and even in the sui'fs on the ocean borders. Genus Centropristes. The Sea Bass {Centropristes Nigricans). Scienidse. Genus Leiostomus. The Sea Chub. — Lafayette-fish [Leiostomus Obliquus). Genus Otolithus. The Weak Fish [Otolithus Regalis). The Southern Trout [Otolithus CaroUnensis). Genus Umbrina. The King Fish [Umbrina Nebulosa). TIIK FAMILY IKIKIDT. 27 (Itntis i'uyijniiin. The Drimi Kish (Po(/ointi.'< ('/iromis). Spiiridii'. (itiiiKi Sarf/u.t. The Sheep's-liead {S(iri/iis Ori.s). dtnuit P(i(jrus. The I'orgee {Payru.s Ari/i/roj/.t). Seoiubridu'. (ttiiiiji Temuodon. The Blue I'ish. — Skip-.Iuck {Tvinnodon Sallulor). Labridie. (iiiiiis Tautoyu. The Tautopr. — Hhick Kish {Taittof/a Aineriratia). These eomj)lete the list of those salt-water lUh wliieh are of any repute as atlbrdiug sport to the an one lnimlrcd in a tide, tliuuj^li of late years tliese fish have become searee in those waters, it being supposeil that their enemy, the Hhie Fish, by j)reying on their younjr, have cansed the seareity." It is searcely necessary, I presnme, to remark that no sucli teats are to he pi-rt'ormi-d ii(n\ -a-days ; and lie is a happN and an envii'tl man, who succeeds at present in i-aptnring a lew In'acc t)l" this (h'hcions (iamc I'ish. I now come to the last section ot' my work, tlie deep-sea tishes, very lew of whicli arc worthy of iTmark in conni'ction with the angler's sport, althongh they all arc of superior excel- lence as dainties. These are all soft-finned fishes, but they form a separate class of the Maluroptt-njifii, owing to a pectdiar arrangement of their tins, the bones supporting the ventrals being attached to the shoulders which support the pectorals, whence they have obtained the tcnn snb-brachial. To this class of snb-brachial Malacopltri/f/ii belong the two families of (iadUlir and PUuronertida;, Cod and Flat-fish, to one or other of which pcrtaui all the s|)ccits whirh arc taken by the ilrop-line on our coast ; a sport which is almost too dirty, as well as too laborious, to l)e in very truth a sport. Of the family (i.vnin.K, of which the Cod is the type, we have The Common Cod [Morr/iua Vulf/ariM). The Haddock {Morr/iua yKf/hJinijtj. The \Vhiting [Mcrlani/uji Ameriranus). And althongh there arc several other species of more or less estimation for the table, ju» the Torsk or Tusk {Brosinius I'lifr/arh) , the Hake [Merhirius Vulgttris), and some others, none but 30 THE GAISIE FISH OF XORTH AMEPtlCA. these are such as to require enumeration in a work of this description. Of the second family, Pleuronectid^, I shall think it enough to mention. The Halibut {Hippoglossus Vulgaris), which is the largest species of this family, as well as the best that is taken in American waters ; for the species of Turbot, Rhombus, which is found on the coasts of Massachusetts Bay, and that neighbour- hood, is greatly inferior both in size and quality to the celebrated European fish of the same name. The Flounder of New York {Pleuronectes Dentatus), which is also frequently taken, though more commonly by accident, while in pursuit of finer fish, than as the angler's prime object, is rather a delicate fish, and often bites freely. With this brief enumeration of sea-fish I shall content myself, as the description and habits of others, though curious and full of interest to the icthyologist and student of nature, belong rather to the department of science, than to the craft of the angler. I may, however, mention, not as objects but accessories of the sport, the Atherine {AtherinaMenidia), avariety of the fish known in England as the Sand Smelt, here commonly called the Spear- ling, or Sparling, and much used as a bait, for which its bright silvery colours particularly adapt it. The British variety is frequently taken with the hook ; and on the Southern coasts, where the true Smelt is unknown, it is commonly known and sold as that fish, to which it bears some degree of similarity in flavour, as well as in the cucumber smell common to both when freshlv taken from the water. F.NI> OV n.ASSIFICATIOX. 31 1 iim not aware llmt the American fish is ever eaten, thon«^h It is very abundant on the coasts ; in appearance, it so closely resembles the Kuropean species, that on a slight inspection it would be taken for it. Tiie Sand Launcc {AmmoHytes Lnnau), is also held in high estimation ais a bait for sea and h.iiui lines, owinj^ to its silvery brijihtncss. It is for tlu^ former of these litth" lish th:it the lUiu' l'i>h {Temnodun Saltator), and the Striped Bass {Lahra.i lAueatus), strike at the jiolished hone, pearl, or metal sfji/id, as it is termed, of the tisherman, when it is made to play with a rota- tory motion, glancin«? thronj^h the water, in the wake of a swift- sailing boat, or in the surf upon the outer beaches. Having; now accomplished the dry work of enumerating and classifying those of the fish of America, w hcther fresli or salt- water, which I consider worthy of the sportsman's notice, I shall proceed to describe them more or less briefly, according to the degree of interest attacliing to their habits, migrations, growth, and breeding; and thereafter to tlie best and most improved niode of taking tluin ; hot, I mean, as regards art, piscatorial science, and sport, not looking to the mere amount of slaughter, but considering in this instance the siiavitir in modo, long before the mere fori Her in re. And here I will venture to recjuest my reader, who may havi- proceeded thus far in this volume without finding very much to interest or enlighten him, not to lay by its pages in disgust ; as tliia portion, necessarily partaking much of the character of a catalogue, can hardly l>e expected to be vcr}' amusing, while I think I ran promise that he will find something to awaken his interest, whether he be a scientific naturalist or a mere sports- 32 THE GAME FISH OF NORTH AMERICA. man, before he has advanced many pages farther ; inasmuch as, thanks especially to the assistance of my good friend Professor Agassiz, and other correspondents, I believe I shall have the pleasure of laying before him something that is not only new, but curious and highly interesting, concerning the growth, the breeding, and the varieties, several of them hitherto undescribed, of the family of Salmon {Salmonida) of North America, to the consideration of which I come without farther delay. THK e chanj^es of size and coh)ur, from infancy to maturity, pass uttcrh' bcvond our ken, should have been inisconccivrd, misinterpreted, and misdcseribcd. ^Vitllin the last few years more has been done to elucidate these mysteries, and to briu}; us to an accurate knowledge of this iuterestin;; portion of the aninnd creation, tlian in nnmv previous centuries; and althou},'h much yet remains, infinitelv more, doubtless, thau has been done, still we have very reccntlv attained much certain knowledj^c rcfjardinp; several of the most interesting,' families ; we ha\e airived at results wliichj by simj)lc deduction, show us how we may hope to arrive at more, haviu" now obtained data wherefroni to advance and discover the process by which to do so. The means by which thus much has been accomplished, may be described briefly, as the takin;,' nothing; for granted, assuminj? nothiuf; on hearsay beyond facts, and on investipiting everything: carefully and painfully, not followiu}: t(M> readily preconceived opinions, nor being nusled by mere external and superficial resemblances, but being guided by comparison and experiment, as founded in a great degree on anatomy and osteology. In the examination and comjjarison of tishes, the clear d2 36 SALMONID^. understanding of a few simple facts, which it is necessaiy to observe and record, will enable any sportsman to describe any supposed new variety or species, with such accuracy as to render his description of the highest value for scientific purposes; to make it, in short, such that a naturalist shall be justified in pronouncing positively thereupon as to the genus, species, sex, and perhaps age, of the variety described or discovered. The first point to be observed is the nature of the fins, as hard-rayed and spiny^ as in the Perch, the Bass, and others which it is needless here to enumerate ; or soft-rayed and flexible, as in the Pike, the Salmon, the Carp, and many more. The second, is the jjosition of the fins ; and to elucidate this point to the unscientific reader, I here subjoin an outline with references, to render this method of examination comprehen- sible and easy of acquisition to anybody. The subject of this outline is the young of the Lake Trout {Salmo Trutta, Lin.), of the Eui'opean continent. This figure, which is taken by permission from Mr. Agassiz's fine work, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons d'Eau douce de U Europe Cen- trale, represents a young Salmon Trout, taken in the Lake of Neufchatel, at the end of summer, less than a year old. The lower figure gives the outline of the same fish, as seen from above. Other cuts of the same simple description will show the formation of the head, the gill-covers, and the dental system, from which after the fins, and the number of vertebrae, the specific distinctions are most easily ascertained. It will be seen clearly, at the slightest inspection of the beautiful little fish which has been selected as the subject of KIN Ari'i:Ni»A(ii:s. .37 tliis cut, iiiid \\lii(li IS a species of liiiko Trout froiu the coutinrnt of lluropi", that it lias t-ii^lit liiis in all, iiicludiuL; tlic tail, si \ I if U 1 1 nil ;ilr (1|nIi1;i\ id ni tin- l:it i l:il \ liw , t w II I II I II -r on \\\c furtluT sitli' ; aud scvcmi in tho vu-w of the hack taken from above ; the ciirhth, which is indicated l)y u dotted line, being on the uiuUt part of the lisli. Of these appcndaj;es, by \\liich the motion, position in the water, and dirtction of the aninial, are rej^ulnted ; the two nearest the head, one on either side, a a, are the pectorals; the two somewhat farther back, one on eitliir side, ii n, arc the ventrals ; the one on the under siih-, yet farther back, i, the anal ; the tail, n, the caudal; and the two on the rid;ie of the back, K K, the dorsal ; r is the lateral line. These arc all the denominaitions of lins possessed by any fish, although the number and size, as well a-s the structure, var\' in tlie various s|)rcies, which are thus easily distiu- ^uishid. Of these fin?*, all the cla.s*«cs of fish conceruMii; which this 38 SALMONID^. book will treat (with one exception^ the Apodal Malocopterygii, one species of which will be slightly mentioned) possess the following : — Two pectorals. One caudal. Two veutrals. One dorsal. One anal. No fish has more than two pectorals, or two ventrals ; many have several anals, and several dorsals ; none, unless deformed or monstrous, have more than one caudal. The Apodal Malacopterygii, of which I have spoken, lack the ventrals entirely; wherefore their name apodal, footless; the ventral being assumed as performing the function of feet in the quadruped, although somewhat fancifully. Now, on the texture of these fins is founded the distinction between the first two orders of fishes, as instituted by Baron Cuvier; the first order, Acanthopterygii, having the rays, by which the filamentous part of the fins is supported and extended, in part hard, spinous, and in some species, sharp and prickly ; whence the designation — " acanthos," signifying a thorn ; while the second order, Malacopterygii, have these rays invariably soft and flexible, as the term, derived from " malacos," soft, sufficiently indicates. This distinction is so easily drawn, that when once mentioned it cannot be missed or overlooked by the most superficial observer ; and as to one or other of these orders belongs every fish, without an exception, of which the sportsman takes cogni- sance — I do not of course include shell-fish— its importance is self-evident. Of the spiny-finned fishes, though there are many families. FLKXIHLE-FINNKI) FlSllKS. 39 iiiul iimny spccii's of uarli rainily, then' nrv no gri-at subordiimtf ili\isiuns. Of tlie Hfxiljlr-liimrtl fishes, on the eoiitraiy, thtre are three stroiij^ly-dctiucd divisiuus, of uhieh the hugcst is that containing 'V\ic Abdominal Malncopli-nj^fit : in all of whieh the two ventral tins, iu», arc situate on the belly, attacheil tion of the flexible-finned fishes, to whieh 1 allude mthcr to complete the subject, than that they fall reguhirlv into the anglerS* way, cousints of those designated by Haron Cuvier as the .Ipotial Malaroptfrygii ; in all of uhiili the 40 SALMONID^. ventrals are entirely wanting. To this division belong the famihes of Murmiidce, and AnguilUdeB, Congers, Eels, and their congeners. First then, having noted whether the fish we desire to know more minutely has hard or flexible fin-rays, and then, having ascertained by the position of his ventral fins, if soft-fiuned, to which division he belongs, by examining the number and posi- tion, as well as the texture, of the dorsal and anal fins, we shall speedily discover his family ; or if we have no book at hand to which we can refer, we can easily so describe liim by letter to some competent person, as Avill enable him readily to enlighten us on the subject. To show the importance of possessing even the small degree of knowledge conveyed in these last few pages, I will merely observe that if the settlers of the shores of the Otsego had been even so far advanced in the science, they had not committed the blunder of misnaming the excellent fish of their waters, the Otsego Bass ; when it is in truth one of the Salmon family — the former being a spiny, the latter a soft-finned family. A few steps more would have prevented our Southern friends from the commission of the absurdity of designating a variety of Weak Fish as Trout — two fish which have not the most remote connection ; and so on ad infinitum. All the family of Salmonida, or Salmons, have two dorsal fins, as will be obsen^ed in the outline figure on page 37 ; the hinder one of which has no rays, but is merely a fleshy or fatty appendage. Had the Otsegoites known this simple fact, they would at once have perceived that their fish not only was not a Bass, but was a Salmon. And this same degree of attainment DISTINCTION IJY FIN-KAVS. 41 would have invvtutrd the application of tlir misnoincr Tnnit to tlie AVt'ak Fish. I Imvc ol)servc(l this very day, in the luluiims of a distinjjuished weekly jounml, an oiler on the part of n e(irre! Sn.ti/in-/i(i/i(t Salmon! There heini,' notorionsly no Salmon in that or anv Southern stream, althon^ii the Hrook Trout al)ound in its upper waters, I \tiiture at once to predict that this Salmon w ill turn out to he tlie fish describc head of each particular \\>\\, in the body of the work ; but 1 will here point out that it is very well to note down the number of rays sevendly contained in tlic pectoral, ventral, anal, caudal, and dorsal fins of any fish which is suspected of being an undescribed or distinct variety ; as on this, as well as on the sliape of tliesc apiH-udages, mucli dc|RMuls in distinguishing individiuil species of the same family. I will here, in corroboration of the last remark, state in two words, that, next to the arningcnient of the gill-covers, of which more anon, the fact on which Varnl relies most strongly for distinguishing the Hull Trout (Sa/mo Krioa) fnjui tin- true 42 SALMONID^. Salmon {Salmo Salar) is this, that the caudal fin of the former is convex, while that of the latter is more or less concave, or forked, in proportion to the age of the individual fish. I shall now pass to the consideration of the gill-covers, the apparatus by means of which the fish breathes ; in other words, by which the oxygen is separated from the water, in which the animal exists, as it enters by the mouth and passes out at the aperture of the gills, conveying its influence to the blood in its passage. This apparatus being of course of the highest degree of importance to the animal, varies in form and structure accord- ing to the various exigencies of the diff'erent species to which it is attached; and it is therefore of great value to the observer in distinguishing one family, and even one species of the same family, from another. With regard to the family of which we are now treating (the Salmonidce) , beyond all question the most important and most interesting to the sportsman, as being the gamest, boldest, and strongest of all the fish with which he has to do, and to the epicure likewise, as affording the greatest varieties of the most delicious food, the remarks I am about to make have especial application. Of no other family known to the sportsman, are the species so numerous and so difiicult of definition ; and not only the truly distinct species, but the subordinate varieties, produced in the same species by difference of food, of water, of bottom- ground in the lakes or rivers haunted by each, and even by the degrees of light or shadow which affects the localities which they haunt. These varieties, often diftering by many pounds' vn,(;Ai: dicta. |;{ wi'ijjht, fuhturs in tin- bi-DJuicst sense of the \\()nl, not tints or shades of line, (inality of flesh, smd slmpe, uiv liy no nie:ins to be set down as distinct and penuauent species ; for it will he foniul that a transposition of tlicsc I'roni one place to anothc-r, and even the re-^nlar eonrsc of reprodnction, will Ijriii;^ them l)ack to the oriirinal or normal t\ pi'. W hat strikes ns, nioreovc-r, at fir>t sight, as in no small (lej^ree singnlar, is the fact, that ditlerent varieties of one species will \i'ry frecincntly ditlV r more widely from one another, and from the original type, so far as those externals which strike the mere superficial oljserver. than entirely distinct and immntahle species. This it is which so often leads eonnnon and vulgar-minded persons, who are in the habit of boasting that they believe their own eyes only, and resorting to other absurdities of that kind, and who will not take the trt)idjle of connecting causes and cfTccts, or considering logical consequences, to disregard, and even to hold in contempt, the teachings of scientific men as nure theoretical dreamers, useless coiners of hard terms, and founders of distiuctions, founded upon no difference. Such, I am sorr}* to say, is too often the habit of sportsmen ; who will fre(|ucntly give ear to the superstitious and absurd garrulity of some rustic ignoramus, who pronounces his abso- lute yea or nay upon some fact about which he is utterly igno- nint, and who has no earthly cpudification for judging on the (|ualities of the bird, lna.st, or fish in (picstion, than that of having seen it so often that he ought t(» know something about it, which he docs not ; while they turn away contemptuonslv, or listen coldly to the tenchingN of the nuin, whose arguments are 44 SALMONID.E. founded upon facts that cannot err, upon deductions drawn from differences of anatomical structure, permanent from gene- ration to generation, and liable to no modification by the change of external circumstances. This it is which renders the structure of the fins, the shape of the gills, the system of the teeth, and other matters of the same kind, which pass wholly unnoticed by the clod-hopping hunter, of all importance in distinguishing one species from another ; while the size, the weight, the colour and number of the spots, things to which he will point as decisive with all the pig-headed presumption of self-conceited ignorance, are of little, if any weight, as varying in individuals, and not transmitted, like to like, through generations. Almost all the really distinct species of the Salmonida are distinguished principally one from another by the form of the head and the structure of the gills in the first degree, and by the dental system in the second. Any permanent and unvarying difference in these, coupled to other variations of colour, form, habit, or the like, which might otherwise be deemed casual, being held sufficient to constitute a distinct species. Many discoveries have been made through these means of late years ; many varieties, which were formerly supposed to be truly distinct, having been proved to be identical; and many new species discovered — the tendency of the Avhole having been to simplify and to diminish the number of species, in the upshot, and thereby to decrease the labours of the student, and to facilitate the acquisitions of science. Much, however, yet remains to be done, as will be rendered evident by the consideration that, even in so circumscribed a DolliTPri. VAHIKTIKS. 45 territory as (Iirat Hritaiu, every water mI whicli has been I'xploretl, aud. it may hi' proMuned, ahnost every lish siiljinitted to the cxainiiiation of scientitic men, «;rcat (hmhts yet exist con- cerning; many forms, especially of this family of Salmonitltp, whether they ar»- al)>(ihitely distiiut, or merely casual varieties^ incapable of reproduction. In this country, with its boundless lakes and j,'i;_'antic rivers — all those to the northward and enstward, and all those fcediu;; the tril)utaries, or lyin^ in the vast basin, of the St. Lawrence, as well as all those on the western or racitic coast, llowinj:; down thn)M<;li the Sacramento and Columbia, or wasting' in the arid sands or wet morasses of the (Jreat Central Hasin, all teeming with varieties, perhaps distinct species of the Salmon — what a vast, what an unexplored tield for the sportsman, the naturalist ; and how doid)ly eharminj; for him who unites in one individual both capacities! Hut two distinct varieties of the .Vmcrican Lake Trout, or at the most three, arc as yet made, out — for I think it doul)tfnl whether there be any positive •grounds on which t«) establish a distinction between the Salmo Confims of Dekay, known in the Kastern States and New York as the common Lake Trout, and the Sa/ino Amef/n/stus of Mitehil, known as the Mackinaw Salmon. The fialmo Sitka- tritz of Afjassiz, discovered in the course of the past summer in Lakes Superior and Huron, is clearly a marked and permanent species. That there is yet one other distinct species, the Seha^^o I^kc Trout, 1 fully believe, hut only having heard of it by oral description, I dare not take upi inarjjiu of tlu- \\lioli' coveiiuu' forms nearly a scmicirele, wliile that (»f \o. ;}, tlu" Bull Trout, approaehes more nearly to a rcctun<;ular fij^ure. lu the forniei-, the /iir-npcrrn/iiiii, the fore- {?ill-cover, a, ditiers from the sanu' part, similarly n)arke(l, in No. ."5, it heiuf^ nuire rectilinear ; while tlu> njicrruluin, the f^ili- cover proper, », of the former slopes hiudward and backward ; the same portion, a, in No. .*5, euttiu}? in a liori/.ontal line upon the joints of the .tu/>-t,/H'rrii/inii and hitcr-opcrruhini. And in all respects both differ entirely from the arranj^ement of the same part.> in the head of the Silver Trout, exhibited in the cut last preceding, page IH. The most striking consequence of these (btrerenees is, that a straight bne, drawn baekward from the front teeth of the upper jaw, the nu)uth bc-ing closed, to the longest posterior projection of the gill-cover, will, in the three fish, nin at a totally different angle to the horizontal line of the body ; and will occupy an entirely diff'erent situation in respect to the eye; such a line in the head of the Salmon {Salmo Salar), and in the Silver Trout {Salmo iMcuxtris), passing close below the 50 SALHONIDiE. orbit of the eye; while in that of the Bull Trout {Salmo Eriox), it will run obliquely very far below it. This distinction is very easy of observation^ and is extremely important in the definition of species ; as indeed is everything connected with the form and peculiarities of the head, not forgetting its relative proportion to the entire length of the body. Of no less value is the arrangement of the teeth in the different classes, families, and species of fish ; there being, on this point, infinitely greater variety than can be imagined by persons who have given their attention only to the structure of quadrupeds. " The teeth," says Mr. Yarrel, in the introduction of his fine work on British Fishes — from which I have taken the liberty of borrowing the last cut, descriptive of the gill -covers and dental system of the Salmon, Bull Trout, and Common Trout — " of fishes are so constant, as well as permanent in their characters, as to be worthy of particular attention. In the opinion of the best icthyologists, they are second only to the fins, which in their number, situation, size and form, are admitted to be of first-rate importance, " Some fishes have teeth attached to all the bones that assist in forming the cavity of the mouth and pharynx, to the inter- maxillary, the maxillary, and palatine bones, the vomer, the tongue, the branchial arches supporting the gills, and the pharyngeal bones. Sometimes the teeth are uniform in shape on the various bones, at others differing. One or more of these bones are sometimes without teeth of any sort; and there are fishes that have no teeth whatever on any of CLASSIFICATION' BV TKKTII. .".1 them. Till- teeth nre named aeeordin^ to tlic hones upon whieh they are placed ; and are referred to, as niaxiUarx , intermaxilhuN , pahitine, vomerine, i^'c. — depending; upon their position." A nreri-nee to paj^e !'.> wdl sh()\\ thi' situation of tlie teeth in thi' Trout, with five rows on the U[)per surfaee of the mouth, and finu* rows heh)W ; the partieuhw hones upon which these rows are phieed, are also referred to. Mr. > arrel then proceeds to descant, somewhat too hirjiely for extraction in a work of this description, on the form, position, and uses of tl»e various teeth in difterent families of fishes ; hut the gist of his remarks I prefer comhininj; under the heads of the various fishes to which thevbelonj;; and I shall only add here, that in some species the teeth are arranjjed as in the .*?fl/»/joHiV/rfl.r, of the family PerrULo, to wjiieh belongs our own nohle Striped Bass, they cover the wliole tongue, besides being thickly set on the palate. Tl»e position and shape of these teeth indicate as clearly the habits, mode of feeding, and the food, of the various families to which they belong, as do the teeth of the carnivorous, mminnting, or gnawing (piadrupeds iid'orm the naturalist whether the creature, of which the jaw-bone only lies before liim, fed on animal sidjstances, on grass, on gniin, or on the bark and hard-shellc WKKJilT (>V I'lJoHT. .-,7 Tilt' tislii-nncn of that ili.stiirt, on tin- lake, assert, 1 uiulc r- staiul, positively that this is not the fast-; hut of course thtir opiuiou is utti-rly \ahieh\ss, hein^ louiuh-d on sonic such aihiii- rahh' reason as tliat the Hrook Trout ncMr ^'rows to he Jihove fi\f or six pounds; meaniut^ only that they have never seen what thi'V take to lie one over that aviia;4e. .lust in the same numner, a person nsi-d to take a ti>h only in thi' small uiouiitain brooks of Maini\ New llauipshire, or \ eriuont, iuii;iit tell you (juitc as plausibly, (piitc as positively, and (|uife as truthlully — so far as iiis miserable experience of truth goes — that tlu' Hrook Trout never jxrows to be above half a pound — nor does it in his waters. The ('onwnon Trout of En;^'land [.'Sulmo Fariu), which is so closely connected with our lirook Trout (Sulmo FonlinuUs), as to be constantly mistaken for it by casual obs(>rvirs, is con- tinually taken in the larger rivers, especially the Thames, ami in some of the Irish waters, from ten to fifteen pounds in weight. Mr. 'barrel, when prepariui; his " Hriti>h Fishes," had a minute before him of six Trout taken in the Thames, a))o\(' Oxford, by minnow-spinning, which weiLchcd togctlur liftv- four pounds, the largest weighing thirteen pounds; and one is recorded in the Transactions of the Linmean Society as having been taken on the 1st of January, \^12, in a little stream ten feet wide, branching from the Avon at the back of Castle- strcct, Salisbury, which on being taken out of the water was found to weigh twenty-five pounds. These instances, which are beyond dispute, in relation to a species so closely related to our li.«usiiihility of douht. 60 SALMONID^. THE SALMON. THE COMMON SALMON.— THE TRUE SALMON. Pink, first yeax- ; Smalt, second yeai- ; Peel or Grilse, second autumn. Sulnio Salar Auctorum, "British Fishes," vol. ii. p. 1. Dekay, vol. iv. Salmon Pinks up to six montbs old. Although this noble fish has never been made the subject, so far as I know, of any of the strange and monstrous fables which have obtained concerning many others of the inhabitants of the waters — as for instance the Pike, of which old Izaak tells us, " it is not to be doubted, but that they are bred, some by generation, and some not ; as namely, of a weed called pickerel- weed, unless learned Gessner be much mistaken ; for he says, this weed and other glutinous matter, with the help of the sun's heat, in some particular months, and some ponds adapted for it by nature, do become Pikes" — still, until within the last few years, very little has been known with certainty concerning him in his infancy, and during the earlier stages of his growth. " The Salmon,'' says Izaak Walton, " is accounted the king of fresh-water fish, and is ever bred in rivers relating to the sea, yet so high or far from it as to admit no tincture of salt or Tin: TIMK SAI.Mi'N. I'd brackishiu». llr i>< >;ih1 to hivrd or cast liis spawn, in most rivers, in the month of Au-^ust ; some say that then th(\ dii; a liolc or ;:ravr in a siifc phicc in the {jjnivrl, and tlicrt' jjhicc their e^^s or spawn, nl'ter the milter has done his natural olVire, and then hide it most ennnint,'l\", and rover it over \\ith i,'ra\el and stones ; and then' leavi> it to their Creator's protection, who, hv n gentle heat \\hieh he inlnses in that cold element, makes it brood and bc^et life in the spawn, and to become Samlets earlv in the next sprinj; lollowinj;." 'I'his pa>saue I have tpiotcd l)ecause in several respects it approaclies very nearly the trnth, as it has been proved l)v the result of a series of well-conducted experiments, to which I shall again allude. The true Salmon is ean^dit in the i-stnaries of our large northern and north-eastern rivers, on his way n[) to deposit his spawn in the la»t months of spring and the early part of the summer. It has bi'cn observed in llni(»[)e, that those ri\i'rs which flow from large lakes afford tiie earliest Salmon, the waters ha\ing l)een purified by deposition in the lakes, while those which are swollen by melting snows are later in season. It i.s also observed tliat the northern rivers are the earliest ; and it is stated by Arteoli, that in Sweden, Salmon spawn in the middle of the summer. The causes inllueneing these facts are not yet decided, nor are they easy of solution, says Sir \N'illiam Jardinc, cnpccially where the time varies much in the neigh- bouring nvers of the sanu" district. I am not aware that any ditVerenee of this kind has binn remarked in thi.s country ; and the great lack of residents on the remote Salmon rivers who will trouble themselves to observe 62 SALMONID^. and record such facts as daily occur under their eyes^ renders it very difficult to obtain such information as might assist one in coming to any conclusion. So far as I can judge, however, this difference does not occur on this part of the continent at least ; nor do I believe that the Salmon are earlier in their appearance in the St. Lawrence, which flows through the largest chain of fresh-water lakes in the world, than the St. John's, or the Penobscot, which lie farther to the south, and have no lakes of any magnitude on their waters. It must be mentioned, however, here, that all these rivers are equally swollen by melting snows; and that, being frozen solidly till late in the spring, the period of their opening naturally connects itself with the appearance of the fish. The Connecticut River, which has no large lake on its course, and is the southernmost of all the rivers which have furnished Salmon for many years past, has ceased to be a Salmon river ; or some facts might have been ascertained thi-ough observation of its waters. The Kennebec also, though formerly an unri- valled Salmon river, is becoming yearly less productive of this fine fish. I am inclined to think, however, that it is the earliest Salmon river on this side of the American continent ; with the Arctic rivers I have of course nothing to do ; and of the rivers or natural productions of California, Oregon, and the Pacific coast, we shall know nothing on which reliance can be placed, until the gold-hunting hordes ai'e replaced by a stationary and organised population. The mouth of the Kennebec is about one degree to the south- ward and westward of the Penobscot, and flows out of a large II \MITS OF Tlir. SALMON. {\:\ sheet of water, Moosfliead Lake, which ahouiuls in the eoninion Lake Trout, •jrowin*; to a very hir;;e size, tlie Salino Conjinis ot' Dekay. I presume that the triu* Sahnon no lonj^er has the power of making; his way u[) to the head-waters of this beautiful and limpid stream, in eonscqucncc of the numerous and lotty dams which bar its course ; hut of this 1 am not certain. The Sahnon enters our rivers, then, rarely before tlie middle of May, ajul is taken in tlie estuaries so late as the end of .lulv ; and durinj; the early i)art of tlic season, nearly, indeed, until the latter date, does not ascend far above tide-water, generally ^'oiufj up with the flood, and rctnrnin<; with the ebb. At this time they are taken by thousands in stake-nets, on the Penobscot and other eastern rivers, and sent thence, packed in ice, to the markets of all the larger cities of the I nited States. At the time of their first entering the fresh water, when they are in the highest possible condition, in the greatest perfection of flesh and flavoin*, and at the height of external beaiity, they are of a rich transparent bluish-black, varied with greenish reflections along the back, these colours gradually dying away as they approach and pass the lateral line, below which the belly is of the most beautiful glistening silvery whiteness. The dorsal, camlal, and pectoral fins are dusky black, the small fatty second dorsal tin bluish-black, the ventral fins white on the outer side, but Honiewhat darker within, and the anal tin silvery white, like the liclly. There are generally a few dark sjwts dispersed along the body about the lateral line; and in the female fish these are more nimicrons and ronspieuous than m the nuiles. 64 SALMONID.E. The accompanying cut is of a female, fresh run from the sea, and is copied, by permission, from the figure by Sonrel, in jNIr. Agassiz's great work alluded to above. The individual from which the figure is taken was caught in the neighbourhood of Havre- de- Grace, in France ; but the Sal- mon of the two continents are identical. I will here observe, en passant, that whenever it has been in my poAver to obtain specimens, either living or in spirits, I have myself drawn the figures from nature on the wood; but where, from the season of the year, or other causes, I have been unable to obtain that advantage, I have copied my illustrations from the best authorities, where I could find plates or drawings which I deemed satisfactory. In the absence of either, I have left the fish unrepresented, in preference to giving incorrect caricatures of the animal — such as disgrace too many works of natural history, and, I am sorry to say, among CHANOKS or COF.Ol'R. 05 others, the j;;rcat naturul history hitcly puhHshed hy tlir State of New York, the ilhistrations of which arc l)clow contcinpt as works of art. and, in a seientifie view, utterly useless and uneharacteristie. After tliey havi- j^aiiied the upper and shallow parts ui' the rivci-s, preparatory to the deposition of their spawn, the eolours of the Salmon are niatirially altered ; the male hccomcs marked on the eheek with oraiif^c-coloured stripes, the lower jaw ncqiiircs a peeuliar projection and turns upward at the point in a hard, hooked, eartilajjiuous excresceuce, whieh, when the mouth is closed, oceujjies a hollow h(>tween the intermaxillary boues. The body of tlie fish becomes greenish above, with the sules of nn orange hue, fading into yellowish green on the belly, and the spots assume a sanguine hue, the dorsal and caudal fins being more or less spotted. The females at this season are even darker than on their arrival in fresh water. The males are at this period termed Ked-fish in Great Britain, and the females IJlack-fish ; and they are so designated in the verj' salutary enactments which, in that country, hy protecting the fish during their season of breeding, have preserved them from extirpation ; enactments whieh, as cannot be too much regretted or too strongly reprobated, the recalcitrative and over-independent spirit of f>nr people will not tolerate, much lew obey. The time will come, «lun the population at large will deplore this foolish and discreditable spirit ; when, like him who slew the goose which laid the golden eggs, they tind th.it by their own ultra-democratic spirit, they are deprived entirely and r QQ SALMONlDiE. for ever of a great source of national pleasure, as well as national profit and wealth — for such are the fisheries of a country. During the winter the fish go through the process of spawn- ing, which is thus described by Mr. Ellis, in his "Natural History of the Salmon," as quoted by Yarrel in his " British Fishes:" " A pair of fish are seen to make a furrow, by working up the gravel with their noses, rather against the stream, as a Salmon cannot work with his head down stream, for the water then going into Jiis gills the wrong way, drowns him. When the furrow is made, the male and female retire to a little distance, one to the one side, and the other to the other side of the furrow ; they then throw themselves on their sides, again come together, and rubbing against each other, both shed their spaAvn into the furrow at the same time. This process is not completed at once; it requires from eight to twelve days for them to lay all their spawn, and when they have done they betake them to the pools, and descend to the sea, to refresh themselves." At this time they are lean, out of condition, and unfit for food. Meanwhile, the female has acquired a greyish colour on the back, with bright yellow sides. She is covered above the lateral line, including the dorsal and caudal fins, with alternate dusky and ruddy spots. Her pectoral, ventral, and anal fins, arc of a bluish-grey colour. She is now a long, lank, big- headed, flat-sided fish, as unlike as possible to the beautifully- formed glistening creature which ran up the stream in the preceding autumn. Sl'AWNlNC. (\7 She is now tcrnicil properly a Baj^git, and the- male a Kipper; and the two, generally, Kelts. Before enteriii*; the salt water, they linijer awhile in the brackish water of the tide-ways, as they did on ascending the rivers, obtainin};, it is said, thereby a release from certain para- sitical animals, generated, these by the fresh, these by the salt water, at each eliange of waters. In Great Britain, the period of the Salmon's spawning varies from November to the i-nd of Jannary. They have been care- fnlly watched during tlu> whole process, as have the eggs ai^cr their deposition, so tliat the length of time which it takes them to attain to maturity is accurately known. This time has been ascertained by Mr. Shaw, in a series of experiments, of which I shall have occasion to speak more fully hereafter, to be about 1 1 I days, when the temperature of the water is . 'M\° mi .lays, l-'i" '.•n days, l")'- Tlicsc experiments were performed in the open air, and in natural streams, liable to the ordinary influences of the atmo- sphere and weather. hr. Knox, however, as is reconhd in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, observed a pair of Salmon which completed their spawning, and covered up their ova with gravel, in the usual way, r. lleysham's catalogue. To render these facts yet more certain, in the autumn of lH;i5, Thomas I'pton, l'>s(j.. of lui^mirc Hall, near Kendal, began to enlarge a natural lake on his property, and in the spring of l^.'it), some Pinks from the Lune, a Salmon ri\(r in that vicinity, were put into it. This lake, wliich is called Lilynu're, has no connnunication with any other water, by which the fish once introduced can get out, or any fry from other waters get in. The Pinks, when put in, were certainly not above two or three ounces each in weight. Sixteen months nftenvards, a friend of' Mi-. I |)ton's being on a visit to bun, caught «ith a red |)almer-fly two 72 SALMONID^. Salmon Peel, in excellent condition, silvery bright in colour, measuring fourteen inches in length, and weighing fourteen ounces ; one was cooked and eaten, the flesh pink in colour, but not so red as those of the river, well-flavoured, and like that of a Peel. In the month of July, 1838, eleven months after, another small Salmon was caught, equal to the first in condition and colour, about two inches longer, and three ounces heavier. No doubt was entertained that these were two of the Pinks trans- ferred to the lake in the spring of 1836, the first of which had been retained sixteen months, and the latter twenty-seven months, in fresh water. Farther than this, it was found that, in the river Hodder, the Pinks in April are rather more than three inches long, and that at the same time Smalts of six and a half are also taken, with the colours altered as above, and ready to migrate. In July, the Pink measures five inches, and the Smalts have then left the river. Dr. Knox seems to have erred merely in supposing that the Pinks, the size of the little finger, were from the ova hatched in April, when they were probably from an earlier hatching of fish, which spawned at a more remote date. It seems, however, to be clearly and certainly established by these experiments, that the Smalt, or Laspring, as they are sometimes called, which descend the rivers every spring toward the middle of May, are a whole year older than the Pinks, which are taken in the same waters, at the same time, and by the same fly. With regard to the later growth of the Salmon, I am not of OKnWTll OF Till: SAl.MnN. 7.'i opinion tliiit the lake experiments prove much, it' iinytliinj^, either y/ro or con . since it is u known iuul establislicil tact, that salt-water has a recuperative influence upon the mature fish which run down the rivers exhausted by spawning', and also a certain tendency to increase the j^rowth of the youn«; tish which descend the streams, Snudts, as it now appears, in their second year, of six or seven inches len^'th, and about as many ounces weij^ht, and return I'eel or (irilse, varyinj; from two to eight pounds. It must be observed here, that Grilse is the correct name of the tish on its return from the sea in its second season, and that Petl is merely a tishmonjijer's term for a small Grilse not exceeding two pounds' weight. That the identical Smalt of six or seven ounces do return, after two or three months' absence in the sea, as (xrilse of as many pounds' weight, is proved beyond ;dl (lisj)uti>; Smalts innumerable having been taken, nuirked with nundiered tickets of zinc attached to the rays of their dorsal fins, set at liberty, and ncaptured Grilse, varying from two to eight pounds, in the autumn of the same year. The same experiment, with the labels unremoved, shows that the same Grilse, descending the stream of nnincrcased magnitmle in the spring of his third year, returns in that third autumn a fish of sixteen, and upward to twenty-five, pounds' weight. I hold, thercf«)re, that the argimicnt is conclusive, so long as it is founded on a comparison between fish in a state, which whether they be confined or at large, never visits the sea. Beyond that the analog}' ceases. It remains to be seen whether the Salmon confineli, tiuiL' has been a eontiniial duuht, and a dispute of uiany years' standing, some persons maintain- ing that it was a distinct and ri productive species of the SalmunliUc, wliii-h they tcrnu'd variously Parr, Samlet, IJrand- ling, and so forth ; others, from its never being taken of any size, Imve believed it to be an unproductive cross, or mule, between the Salmon and the Common Trout, the Sea Trout and Common Trout, &c., &c. ; and others yet again, that it was neither more nor less than a young Salmon. In proof of this, it was adduced that I'ai r had been niarkeil ami retaken as Grilse. Hut in reply, it was stated that Parr hatl also been marked and retaken as Mull Trout [Saf/zio Eriox), and Salmon Trout {Sulino Trntta) ; whence it was argued that the fish marked had been marketl carelessly and injudiciously, and were not Parr at all, but Snndts, or fry of some of the other Salmonulu'. Mr. Yarrel admits that he has seen these vertical marks in tin- young of the Salmon, Bull Trout, Parr, Conunon Trout, and Welsh Charr; but still maintains the existence of the Parr as distinct, principally on the ground that the Parrs are taken abundantly even in autumn, not exceeding live inches in length, long after the fry nf the larger migratory species have gone down to the sea. This is in the hotly of the \*<»rk, written pri\ious to the experiments made by Mr. Shaw, and this Mr. ^;lrr^l tlure 76 SALMONID^. considers to be a sufficiently obAious proof that the Parr is not the young of the Salmon, or indeed of any other of the larger Salmonidce. The reason is of course annihilated by the proved fact, that the Pinks, which remain in fresh water all the first year, are young Salmon, Parr-marked; whereas the young Salmon-fry, Smalts, formerly supposed to be the young fish of that year, all of which have gone down the river to the sea, are in truth the fish of the preceding year. Similarly is the question settled with regard to the existence of Parrs in streams of the Western Isles which are never visited by Salmon, these being, in all probability, the Brook Trout in the Parr stage of its existence. And so again the fact that there are lakes in the same islands frequented by the Salmon and Sea Trout, in which Parrs are never found — ^because the young fry, while in the Parr, or transversely-banded form, keep in the swift cold streams, and do not descend to the lakes. It now appears to be certain, or as nearly certain as any- thing can be, which is not positively proved, that every species of the Salmonida is at one period a banded-fish or Parr. This is known as an authenticated fact of the Salmon, Salmon Trout, BuU Trout, and common English Trout, as well as of the Welsh Charr, as admitted by Yarrel. Mr. Agassiz has figured the Hucho [Salmo Hucho), and the Continental Charr, which he esteems identical with the Northern Charr of England {Salmo Umbla), in the same stage — the other characteristics of the different fish being unmistakable and evident — with the transverse bars. The same distinguished YorXc; SALMON, A I'MM!. 77 naturalist has taken the {jreat Lake Trout, or .Maekinaw Sahiion {Salmo Ainetfiijstujt), and the Brook Trout {Salmo Fontinali:*), which abounds in all small streams, wherein it is bred, in this same form. There only remain to he aeeounted for some two or three species: the great Grey Trout of Britain, the Sea Trout {Sialtno T^'iitta), :uul till- Silver Trout {Sti/iiu) Ldntsfris), of continental Europe; and on this continent, the Siskawitz {Salmo Siskawit::) , and the Lake Trout {Salmo Coujinis), of Dekay, if the latter he a distinct fish from Anu't/njstiis. No cs|)ccial search has been instituted for the fry of any of these fish last named ; so tliat the non-discovery j;;ocs no way to prove their non-existence ; ou the contrary, all analogy goes to show that they will be discovered in tinu\ As it now stands, of fourteen the most strongly-marked Salnwuidfp, nine have been clearly traced to this form ; and the five missing species are either analogous, as the three European species, or closely congenerous, as the two American Lake Trout, to one species Anu-tlnjstus, which is shown to be no exception to the rule. Every migratory species of Salmo is found in this stage ; and one of the five or six non-migratory. All analogy, therefore, goes to show that these species will be found, on nscareh, not to denate from the rule of their ordei . Mr. Shaw goes farther, and argues that no such perfect fish as the Parr exists ; and that all the fish so named by diflerent ohseners arc in truth the young of different species of the Salmon family. Against this fact, Mr. VamM reclaims; and justly remarks 78 SALMONID^. that " this is not conclusive evidence of the non-existence of a distinct small fish, to which the name of Parr ought to be exclusively applied ; it rather shows the want of power among general observers to distinguish between the young of closely- allied species, three or four of which are indiscriminately called Parrs/' This is certainly true logic. The fact that all the young of all the Salmonidee are what have been called Parrs, is no proof that all Parrs are young and immature fish. This matter, though, as it now stands, cleared of all the absurd theories concerning cross-breeding between Salmon, Sea Trout, Grayling, and Common Trout, being set aside, is of easy proof. It only rests to show the male and female Parrs full of ova, ready for spawning, and the question is settled. In connection with this, it is fair to state, that Dr. Heysham, of Carlisle, in England, who is said to have devoted particular attention to this fish, which is there called Brandhng or Samlet, observes that " The old Samlets begin to deposit their spawn in December, and continue spawning the whole of that month, and perhaps some part of January. As this season of the year is not favourable for angling, few or no observations are made during these months. As soon as they have spawned they retire, like the Salmon, to the sea, where they remain till the autumn, when they again return to the rivers." After a number of farther observations concerning the young fry of the supposed Parr, their sizes, seasons, &c., he concludes by these words— "In short, we see Samlets of various sizes — we CONFI.irTINO OPINION?;. 70 sec them with milt mid roc, in :ill the various stages, and wc sec them perl'eetly empty ; all which circumstances clearly prove that they ju-e a distinct species." Clearly, indeed ; if it appear that these eireumstunces can hi- authenticated; but this I, for the present, doubt — First, because if there had been visible facts, the theory never {oiiUl have been started of their beinj,' uupri)(lucf ive mules. Second, because Sir Wiiiiaui .lardine, after examination of the I'arr of the Tweed, speaks of it as still uneertain whether it may not be the young of the Common Trout {Sa/ino Far'w); and for this reason, that though lie has found males full of milt, he never has seen females with the roe in an advanced state ; and, fiu-thcrmorc, distinctly avers, that " they have not been discovered spawning in any of the shallow streams or lesser rivulets, like the Trout." Sir William, however, still leans to the opinion that there is a distinct species, in which the transverse markings are perma- nent, whieh reproduces its own kind, and never grows to a greater size than eight or nine inches ; and this he would retain under the title given to it by Uay, of Sal/no Salniu/u.'i. Mr. Yarrel is of the same opinion; and has certainly shown decidedly that it is not a hybrid, or a species of which there are no females, as had been surmised ; since of three hundred and ninety-tive Parrs, or Samlets, examined by Dr. lleysham, one hundred and ninety-nine were males, and one hundred and ninety-six females. The great |)oint, however, is this, which is no\r, I think, j)er- fcctly clear, and which at once dispels all the mystery of the qucittioii, namely, that the young «)f all the Salmonidft — not several only, aa Sir William Jardine and Mr. Yarrel state, but 80 SALMONIDiE. all — have, in their extreme youth, transverse bluish or ohve- coloured markings ; that they have all been confounded with one another, and — if there be such a fish — with the Parr proper ; and that from this confusion, and the want of discrimination on the part of the observers, have arisen all the contradictory accounts of Salmon^ Salmon Trout, Bull Trout, and Common Trout, raised from the veritable Parr. Whether there do or do not exist a very small distinct species of Salmo in Great Britain, which retain these marks to matu- rity, is a matter of little comparative moment, though inter- esting to the naturalist. The first question was of the greatest importance, as invohdng the whole subject of reproduction of species ; inasmuch as the facts, as asserted and formerly believed, were directly analogous to this, that the eggs of a barn-door fowl, of one laying, were hatched bantams, quail, guinea-hens, pea-fowl, and any other gallinaceous fowl vou please. On this continent, assuredly, there is no distinct Parr, although undoubtedly it Avill appear hereafter, that like the young of every one of the family, like the true Salmon, and the greater Lake Trout, and the Brook Trout, the other species without exception have the Parr markings. On this topic I have dwelt somewhat at length, yet I trust not so long as to weary my readers, the great interest of the point at issue, and the almost interminable discussion which has been maintained on the subject, rendering me peculiarly anxious to adduce something new and to the point ; which, thanks to the kind assistance of my friend, Mr. Agassiz, I trust I have succeeded in doinar. AHTIFIClAl, H.\T<||IN<;. 81 I may here venture to juld tliiit tUv tlistiiiguishetl geiillemun I have just named, is incHucd to iiu-n-dulity as ro^jards the exist- ence of a distinct species of I'arr. I shall now recur to the cxjaTiincnts on the ov:i of ShIukju ; first, for the purpose of showing; how tliey may he hrou;^ht into direct practical utility, and rendered snhscrvicnt to the plcjujurc of the anjjier, as a method of stoekin^' inland waters ; and, secondly, of pointing out how easily experiments mi^ht In* made in this mode, as to the h\ hiidisation of fishes, and the rciu*ing new species of mules, or iiscertaining that they cannot be reared, by the commixture of the milt and roe of various dis- tinct species of the same family, in small tanks, fed hy rnnninj; brooklets. It has been shown above, that the impregnated spawn of any two live brcedin}» fishes of the same family may be artificially luitched and preserved in waters other than those in which the parent species are wont to live ; as even tlie Salmon in fresh water. I slmll now proceed to show that the same result may be obtained by the commixture of the milt and roe, in aerati-d water, of dead fishes recently taken. It is absolutely necessary that the w ater should be aerated, or hijjhly supplied w ith oxyj;cn. For it is for the purpose of findin|^ water in this condition, that the Salmon, the Shad, the Ihtss, the Smelt, and all those fisli which resort to fresh waters for the purpose of spawninp, run to the shallow, pure, aiul swiftly- flowing briK>ks, to which their rapidity and frecjuent falls impart purity and vitality, by mingling them with the atmospht re. In the same manner, the fish of tlie sea resort for the deposit of U2, SALMOMD^. dior o^^ to tbe weedy yh aroond thflffi. -1-7^ 'in WS. ^ ?!?* *. 2'^'" _Tj!.»»»Jk™_ 9 C t *-" ' " r XTcmt i: ' . _ J " - ii Terr s.: 3eeeanbcr, wl : _ : odledei IXll4> ARTIFICIAL HATCMINO. <^8 number of young Trout, which had a small bay; attached to the lower part of their body, containing; a part of the yolk of the egg, which was still their nourishment. In this state they were easily carried from place to phicc, in confined portions of fresh water, for some days, requiring apparently no food ; but after about a week, the nourishment in their bag being exhausted, they began to seek their food in the water, and rapidly increased in size. As I have said before, Mr. Jacobi assures us that the experiment succeeded as well with mature fish that had been killed for the purpose of procuring the roe and the milt, these having been rai\etl together in cold water immediately after they were taken out of the botlv. / have had this experiment tried tirice" continues Sir Humphrey, speaking in his own person, " and trith perfect success ; and it offers a ver\' good mode of increasing to any extent the quantity of Trout in rivers or lakes ; for the young ones arc preserved from the attacks of fishes, and other voracious animals or insects, at the time when they are most easily destroyed, and perfectly helpless. The same plan, I have no doubt, would answer equally well with Grayling, and other varieties of the Salmo genus. Rut in all experiments of this kind, the great principle is to have a constant current of fresh and aerated water running over the eggs." Now it is manifest from this, that any person resident in the near %-icinity of any lake or river, abounding in any species of this family, the Common Trout, the True Salmon, the Lake Trout, and probably the Otaego Bass {Coregonus Otsego), which is one of the same family likewise, having aUo the command of the smallest possible source of fresh running water, can raise, in the space of a few weeks or months, an indefinite number of 84 SALMONID^. young fish, of any of these varieties, which, during the first week or ten days, can be removed to any distance that can be reached in that time — and, in these days of steam velocity, what distance cannot be reached ? — in any cask, jar, or other vessel, capable of containing a few gallons of water. There would not in this manner be the smallest difficulty, and very small trouble or expense, in translating the Mackinaw Salmon and the Siskawitz Trout from Lakes Huron and Supe- rior, to the inland waters of New York, New Jersey, and Penn- sylvania, — not the smallest difficulty in introducing the true Salmon from the Penobscot or the St. John, to any lake, river, or stream in the Middle States ; and, it having been proved by the experiments of Mr. Upton in Lilymere, as recorded above, that the Salmon will live and preserve its excellence in fresh water, entirely debarred from egress to the sea, would it not be a highly interesting, and, if successful, valuable experi- ment, to attempt its introduction into the hundreds of limpid lakelets which gem the inlands and uplands of our Northern States? Again, as it is well known that all the migratory fish, like the birds of passage, return, whenever it is possible, to the streams wherein they were themselves bred, to breed, it seems to me that it would be well worth the trying whether these streams of ours here, to the southward of ISIaine, which, within a century or two, teemed with Salmon, but in which one is now never seen, might not be colonised and re-stocked with the delicious fish. There is no plausible reason why the Pinks which should be transported to the Upper Hudson, and should there remain till KKSTOCKINCJ Kivi:i;>. 85 they become Sni;ilt>, .^liuiiUl not rfturii asdrilsr to the .sei'iics of their ehiUlhoud. Kor do I see any i^ooil reasuii w liy thry should not coulinue to l)rieil, and to iVtiiumt any ri\er into whieh they .sliouUl be ho intrmlucrd. The eanse ot' thiir desertion ot" tliest' ii\irs is inexplicable. It has been attributed to steandjoiUs, Ijut that is ideal ; for tin* Tay, the Tweed, and tlu- Clyde, and half a dozen other Kn^'lish ttud Scottish rivers, whieh still aljonntl in Salmon, are harassed by more steand)oats, hourly, than are the Kcnnebcck and Penobscot now, or than were the Hudson and Connecticut at the time when the Sadmon forsook them, daily. I think it, myself, far more probable that they were poisoned, and driven fixjiu the headwaters and tributaries, in which they Mere wont to spawn, by the sawdust, especially the hendock ; and that the stock which were used to run up these estuaries having become extinct, the traditional instinct is lost, and there arc no fish left whicli know the way to our waters. If this be a true reason — and, the known instinct of the animal considered, it is as plausible a conjecture as any other — it is certain that many rivers, whose waters a few years a-jo ran turbid with sawdust, and whose every tributary resounded to the clack of the saw -mill, now agaun run as limpid ns ever, and are guiltless of saws, jis well as of the tindier to supply them. I contciul, therefore, that there is no analogy against, but much in favour of, the jMissibility of rc-stocking the southern rivers of the Middle States with Siduuju, which should return, and breed in thcui, year after year. Nor, looki.ig to the \iu»l profit directly arising from such 86 SALMONID^. fisheries^ can I doubt, particularly when regarding the action of the New York legislature in regard to a fish so compara- tively worthless as the Carp, that, could such a thing be effected as the recolonisation of our rivers with Salmon-fry, some action of the legislatures would ensue for their protection, until such time as they could be fairly naturalised. "Whether this be feasible or not, it is certain, that to every inland spring-lake, from the western line of Pennsylvania to their easternmost and northernmost limits, every variety of Brook Trout and Lake Trout can be introduced with ease, and at a tri\-ial expense ; nor these only, but the true Salmon like- wise. And I strongly believe that, when the extreme simplicity of the method, and facility of the means, become generally known, the true Salmon will be introduced, at least, into the lakes of Hamilton County, as well as into many other inland waters. In fact, running as he does now into Ontario, there is no reason why he should not be safely lodged, beyond the power of returning, above Niagara, and compelled to fill Erie, Michigan, Hui'on, and Superior with his noble race. A few years since, he found his way into Seneca and Cayuga Lakes, and if modern improvements — heavens ! how I loathe that word ! — have not excluded him, he finds his way there yet, and thence might be propagated, ad infinitum, through the whole region of the lesser lakes. The next point of great value to be attained by the use of experiments of this nature, is the ascertaining how far fish are capable of hybridisation, and possibly the creation of new and interesting varieties, besides the elucidation of sundry now mooted questions concerning the manner in which various IIVIJUIDISATION. H7 species, now distinct, hiivc nrisiMi, and wlictlicr in trntli tlicy arc distinct or no. Now, it is of conrsi" just tis lasy to conuuiiigU', in tlu' manner heretofore describril, tin- milt and roc of two distinct varieties, as of the same sjwcics ; and thi- conscci'icnci's of snch an achiiix- ture wonld cxcitf the attention of tin- \\hoh' scitMit ilic world. Anywhere in the northnn and north-eastern part of the State of New York, anywhere in the northern parts of New Ilanipslnrc, \'ermont, or Maine, it wonhl be the easiest thinir in tljc workl to procure the common Lake Trout {>:>atiuo Cu/i- (iniji), if not alive, at least witian a few hours after his cai)ture, and the connnon Brook Trout, dead or alive, in any desirable quantities. There is little if any difVerence in the spawning period of these two Salinon'uUe, so that it would require very little pains ur attention to procure the males and females under the eircinn- stnuces proper for tlie making of such an experiment, whieh might be performed precisely as I have described it above ; trying, in ditlerent instances, the males and fenndes of the two species alternately. There are thousantls and tens of thousands of little ttnnliHng transparent rills, throughout that country — scarcely a farm without a dozen such — which have numerous natural basins in their courses, each of which, with the aid of a few hours' work employed in raising a timber dam, ami applying a grate at the entrance and egress of the stream, would constitute as perfect a i»torc-i>ond for the making of such experiments as could be erected by the wealth of Crccsus ; with the atlvantage, too, of having the fish rcqutititc for the tests existing, in a state of 88 SALMONID^. nature, within a few miles^ perhaps within a few hundred yards, of the scene of action. One place already made to hand, requiring no improvement or alteration, strikes me on the instant; and one familiar, I doubt not, to very many of my readers. I mean Barhydt's Trout-ponds, near Saratoga Springs, where the Brook Trout abound, in what perfection all epicures well know, and where the Lake Trout could be obtained, with small trouble, alive, from the waters of Lake George, and recently dead, without any trouble at all. Whether the latter fish is found in Saratoga Lake or not, I cannot say ; but I should rather suppose it is ; if so, the matter would be yet further simplified. The apparatus described above, Avhich could be made at the cost of a few shillings, might be placed in the runway, between the upper and lower ponds, so as to allow that beautifully clear and sparkling source to bathe the ova constantly, until hatched ; after which the fry should be kept in confined vessels until the 3'olks of the egg were absorbed, Avhen they should be transposed to one or other of the tanks, fed by the streamlet. In the same manner, in many places, especially in Maine, near the west branch of the Penobscot, where it flows within a few miles of Moosehead Lake, the former a favourite spawning station of the true Salmon, the latter abounding in the large Lake Trout, weighing sometimes up to thirty or forty pounds, it might easily be ascertained whether a hybrid could be ob- tained between these two fishes ; and so, perhaps, in a greater degree upon the shores of the great lakes, where both these species are taken, eastward at least of Niagara. A similar trial might be made with the ova of the Salmon, MYBKlDISATIoN. JiO luul of the Common Trout ; whirli could l)c done witli {^rciitcr liicility tliiiii the other, iVom tlic fact that the two species arc constantly found naturally co-existent in the same waters. Shoulil any of these experiments rcNult in the production of hybrids, another intcrcstiu}^ (piestion would arise, as to whether the males thus produei-d should l)e aj^'ain eajtahle of ri-produeinj; their own species. Should this bi-the case, it would ;;o verv far toward the breaking up the whole theory of distinct species of this family, and provinij them to be merely aeeidental \aricties, casually produced at first, and having become, in process of generations, capable of transmitting their own peculiar type to their progeny — as is the case clearly with the various breeds of dogs, horses, cattle, and other domestic aninuds, which, so long as they are prescned unmixed, will produei- like of like, l)ut which, if interbred \\i{\\ other close-kindred races, will produce a mongrel, but not a hybrid — one, I nuaii, wlueh is capable of reproduction. Thus Shetland ponies breeding together will produce Slietland ponies; and blood-liorses of the Arab stock, blood-horses. Intermix tliese, and you shall have a cross-bred olfspring, which is not, however, a hybrid, like the produce of a horse and an ass; for it is capable of breeding again, with its own type, or with either of the parent races, or with any other pure horse. And so of liounds, setters, greyhounds, and all the varieties of domestic dogs, so long as they are interbred among them- selves ; but the moment they are associati-d with the wolf, fox, jackal, dingo, or any of the congenerous though distinct races, they will l)rccd with them, it i** true, but the progeny «ill be trulv hvbrid and barn'u. 90 salmonidj:. If, therefore, it should be proved on experiment, that the various distinct species of the Salmonida, as they are now held to be, will, when interbred, produce young capable of reproduc- tion, it would go very far to establish the fact that the distinc- tions are not distinctions, but merely varieties. I must not, however, be understood as saying that the success of experiments, and the establishment of such a result as I have supposed, would go at all to prove that such intermixture of varieties occurred, or such cross-breeds were produced in a state of nature ; far from it. We know, that in vegetables, hybrids can be, and are, readily produced by artificial means, which will not occur once in a century, perhaps never would occur at all, were the plants left to the operation of nature. Nature abhors monstrosities ; and the proverb that the " cat will follow kind" is of older wisdom than Will Shakspeare's. Man's freaks have raised mongrels between the lion and the tigress; Nature's, so far as we know, or can conjecture, never. And always in a wild state a hundred circumstances, such as different size, different habits, haunts, associations, and last, not least, fear — one species of the same family being habitually the devourer of his relatives — Avill prevent the occurrence of such admixtures between animals. It would require many and strong evidences to make me believe that the Brook Trout of ordinary dimensions would trust itself willingly within such distance of the Salmon, or Lake Trout, as would permit their ova to commingle in a single furrow. Nor, indeed, do I believe, myself, that the result of such Monastic imsi'aimks. 'jl experiments as these lust -luuucd uould be ^wrrc.v.v ,• althouj^h I f;;utljer from ;i note of Dr. Hetliuue's, to liis beautiful edition of WiUton, that he rather leans to the opinion that the various species of this family were more eapal)le of intermixture, and mort' aeeustomed to intirhrrcd, than 1 ;uu disposed to ercdit. At all events, there woulil be j^reat interest and entertain- ment in the instituting such a serii's of experiments ; and tlie result, whatever it should be, eould not fail of imi)ortance. That those whieh 1 first mentioned arc eminently practieable, is not to be doubted ; and there is strong reason for believing that this seienee was fully xuulerstood, and constantly practised, like many other good things now forgotten, or, as we flatter ourselves, recently discovered, by the monks of old. That Caqj were introduced from the continent to England, by the monks, is nejirly certain ; this, however, could be accom- plished without recourse to any artilieial modes of produein;^' or raising the young fry. There are, however, many and powerfid reasons for believing that the Orayling [Thijmallus Vcxiilifcr), the Charr {Salino Uinbla), the Gwyuiad {Corvgomis Fcra), and perhaps, also, the \ endacc {Coregonus \"iUu\ Mr. \ ancl, that a I'ike ami a Trout, put tofjethcr in a confined place, had several battles for a particular spot, hut the Trout was eventually the master. The comparative size of these tish is not mcntionctl, but of course there wjia something; approachinj^ to an e(|uality, as the Pike constantly preys on small Trout. It is ver}' certain that, although f;reat havoc is made amonj; Salmon by the seal aud the otter, there is no fresh-water fish which would venture on attacking them, not even the Pike, at his lar};ost size. The Salmon grows to a very large bulk, though tlic average run is probably from eight to sixteen pounds ; and as is the case with many kinds of tish, the middle-sized, of twelve or fourteen pounds, are generally considered the best in an epicurean point of view, and aftord, commonly speaking, nearly as much »|)ort when hooked, as the monsters of the species. "The present London season, ls,35," says Mr. Yarrel, speaking on this point, " luis been more than usually remarkable for large Salmon. I have seen ten different fish, varying from thirty-eight to forty pounds each." A notice appeared in the public pa|>crs of one that weighed fifty-five pounds. Salmon, however, of much larger size have been occasionally taken. M r. Mudie has recorded one of sixty pounds. In a note to the histor>' of the Salmon, in several editions of Walton, mention i.ea, or near the month of the estuary ; in autnmn tjicy pnsh np the rivers, divi-r^in;^ to thi-ir trihutary strenms ; in winter they inliahit the pnre fresh water, and in spring; a^ain descend to the sea." These habits of the fish arc unqncstionably more or less modihed by climate and other intlncnccs, and it is certain that in America the Salmon enter the rivers, and beijin to rnn nj) them in Jnnc ; by September they have arrived at the shallow and g^ravelly head-waters of the streams, and are |)reparin{^ to spawn ; aiul I presmnc? that as soon as that operation is hnished tlicy retnrn to the salt water to reernit, and conseqnentlv that here they do not [)ass the winter in frish water. It has been snpposcd by many observers, that the Salmon do not go very far ont to sea, but remain constantly within souiul- nv^, and not very far distant from their native streams, to which, whenever it is practicable, they retnrn ; this is, however, very fer taking the first snitahh' river, to make loiij^er delay. The female fish, it is observed, are the tir>t to enter the rivers, and the Grilse, or young fish, wliicli have not yet spawned, come in earlier than the fnll-^rown Salmon. They swim with great rapidity, shoot up the most oblicpie and glancing rai)ids with the vel(X*ity of an arrow, nntomacli of the Sulmoii is, comparatively spciikintr, small ; ami Sir Ilnmphri'V Davy asserts that, h can only obtain in the ocean, he has tuund to In- the o\a, or eg^s of various kimls of vchinodermata, and some of the crust itiva. I'rom the richness of the food on \\iiieh the true Salmon solely subsi>ts arises, at lejist to ft certain extent, the excellent (luality of the tish as an article of food. Something, however, must be aserilicd to a siMJcific distinction of the fish itself; for though he has a>eer- taimil that the Salmon Trout lives in some localities on very much till- same kind of food as the true Salmon, yit under no circumstances docs this fish t cr attain the same exipiisite tlavuur as the true Salmon. Dr. I'leming states that their fa\ourite food is the sand-eel. " I Inive myself," says Mr. Varrel, " taken the remains of the sand-launce from their stomach." It i«t known, moreover, that they are taken in Scotland by lines baited with thi> brilliant and glitlcrin); little ti.Hh , as are the clean-nui tish, fre>h from the sea, with the common earlh-Morm. Mr \ arrel mention"- J 0^ SALMONID^. an instance of one being taken in the Wye with a minnow ; and Sir Humphrey Davy states he has fished for them in the Tay with great success, with the Parr, probably their own young fry, on spinning tackle. For what they mistake the large artificial fly, by which they are so marvellously allured, taking it greedily, at a very short distance from the sea, we cannot determine. It is like nothing that has any existence in nature ; and some persons have ima- gined that the Salmon is deceived by the gay colours and the ripple of the water, and so takes them for small fish. This is not credible, however; and the most plausible suggestion is that of Sir Humphrey Davy, that the fish, on their return from salt water, where, of course, they find nothing analogous to the natural or artificial fly, are actuated " by a sort of imperfect recollection of their early food and habits ; for flies form a great part of the food of the Salmon-fry, which, for a month or two after they are hatched, feed like young Troiits, — and in March and April the spring flies are their principal nourishment. In going back to fresh water, they may perhaps have their habits of feeding recalled to them, and naturally search for their food at the surface.'^ While I am on this topic, it may not be uninteresting to quote the relation of an experiment tried with regard to the efi'ect of various kinds of food on the Trout, as it is probable that, in fish so closely allied, the facts would not vary much in relation to the Salmon. Mr. Stoddart relates this, in his "Art of Angling as practised in Scotland ;" but the experiment was made in the south of England : " Fish were placed in three separate tanks ; one TACKI.K. — IJAIT. ]().} wliirh >vas suppliril ilaily \>itli worms, aiiotlici- with live ininnow.s, iind the third with those siimll ihirk-eohnirid water-lliis, whieh lire to l)e fuuiul inuving about on the surfaee, imder banks and sheltered i)hiees. The Trout fed \\ it h worms j;rew .slowlv, and had a leiin appearanee. Those nourished on minnows, which, it was t)bser\ed, tliey (hirted at with ^reat voracity, became nuu'h hiri^er ; while such as were latteuid ui)on Hies onlv attained in a small time prtxli^^ious dimensions, weigliint,' twice as much as both the others together, although the (juautity of food swallowed by them was in no wise so great." I may here observe, that from the fact of the Salmon roe, when preserved sfniiuiHiti artcm, proving a most deaiUy and infallible bait for Salmon, — so much so, indeed, that the u^e of it in England is regarded as unsportsmanlike, and as an act of poaching, — tliere can be little doubt that the ova of fishes of all kinds contribute to their food, ami ailil probably to the richness of their Hesh. I have now gone through, I believe, all that is nujst remark- able and most interesting in relation to the natural history, the form, habits, food, and seasons of this noble fish; but thoM- who wish to study him tor themsehfs, ami read coneerniuLr him more at large than the space wliieh can lie allotted to a singU- specimen in this volume will admit, I refer to Yarn I's fine work on Hritisli Kishes ; to that delightful work, '' Salmoniu," by Sir Iliiniphrey Davy ; and to Scropc's Huperb work, entitled " Days and Nights of Snlnion Fislung," which, though I ha\(' not enjoyed an op|)ortunity of examining it, I understand to be botli the finest and the most complete treatise on this topic. In n future portion of the work I shall enter at large upon all 104 SALMONID^. the miuutiEe of rods^ tackle, bait, &c., necessary for the capture of the king of the fresh waters ; as well as upon the science of taking liim with the artificial fly, and all the appliances to that end. Until then, adieu to Salmo Salar. UlSTlNOUISHINti CIIAICACTEKS. 1U5 TlIK hlvOOK TKorT. THE CuM.MoN TROUT.— Til K TU(»ITI,KT.- The Xctc Yvii: L'/iarr — lluiUHitsoM. .Sii/n«o /wh/iiki/m— Dhh \k YouuK Krj- of Itrouk Trout. LiKK tlic wild aniinals c)t' tins cniitiiit'iit, almost without exception, the Trout ot' America is a distinct species from the tisli of llurope ; althuu|^li, as in many other instances, the general resemblance i-s so strong, and the characteristic diU'er- euees so narrow, that in the eyes of a common observer, judging from memory only, they appear to be identical. Many sportsmen, who have been in tlic liabit of killing this beautiful fish, both in this country and in luirope, are under the impression that there is no material ditl'ercnce; but such is not, in truth, the cjuse ; for a.s with the snipe, the teal, the widgeon, and many other* of the l)irds of America, the chanie- tcristic marks of di.stinetion, though easily overlooked at first, by a person unarcpuiinted with them, when onec jwinted out, • Tlii* nanir lo »|>|lii>i i \ l»r i». kn_\ i.i m. i.-ii \\]>i:> in tiu- M.it<- i> pn -. iit< l mi lh« aboTc rill. 106 SALMON ID^. cannot be readily mistaken, and, being both permanent and invariable, are quite sufficient to establish diversity of species. It is not in formation, moreover, or appearance only, but in very many of his habits, that the Brook Trout {Sahno Fontinalis) , of America, differs from his congener, the Common Trout {Salmo Fario), of Europe. Still, in general, his man- ners, his haunts, his prey, and his mode of taking it, o so closely resemble those of s the European Trout, that, as i a general rule, the instruc- tions gisen for the taking the one will be found suc- cessful as regards the other ; and the flies, baits, and ge- neral style of tackle, as well as the science of capturing, with some few exceptions, which will be noticed here- after, are nearly identical, on the two sides of the Atlantic. As in Europe, so in Ame- rica, although there are countless varieties of this most beau- tiful of fishes, almost indeed a variety for every stream, still, HAUNTS AND IIAIMTS. KiT accordinp^ to the opinions of what I (Khmm the hcst authorities, there is but one distinct spcciis. Kndless attempts have bi-en niatie in llii^hiiid to distinj^uish and tU'tine fresh species ; hut these have, in uiy judj^ment, all faiU'il. Accordiut; to Mr. Aj^assiz, wliosc opinion on this sub- ject I consider piiraniouiit to all others, the (iillaroo, or (iiz/.ard- trout, as it is sometimes erroneously called by the Irish, and some of tlie Scottish writers, is merely a casual \arii'tv of the Salmo Fariu. The distinction, which consists principally in the thickness and induration of the stoniaeh, having' arisen from feeding on shell-lish, in the first instance, in individuals, has been gradually ingrafted on generations, until, in process of time, it has become a permanent type. Although this variety is not known to exist on this continent, 1 have a very strong suspicion, from many circumstances which I have heard, on good authority, concerning the Trout of the Marshpce river, in Massachusetts, that on examination, it will i)e found to possess some of the leading peculiarities of this fish, particularly the indurated stomach. I have never had an opi)or- tunity of seeing tlie Trout of this river ; but I know that it has many peculiarities of iiabit resend)ling those of the Ciillaroo, especially that of feeding on shell-fish, a friend oi' mine having actually succeeded in taking them with small white crabs, at a time when they would look at no otlier bait. I mention this, merely by way of suggestion, as offering an interesting subject of investigation for naturalists. Sir Humphrey Davy, in his " Salmonia," rather leans to the idea that the (iillaroo is a distinct species, though he leav<',s it uncrrtnin whether it ma_\ not be a permanent variitv ; his 108 SALMONID^. principal ai'gument being this, that he has caught small fish, no longer than the finger, with a fly, " Avhich had as perfect a hard stomach as the larger ones, with the coats as thick in proportion, and the same shells within." In external appearance, the Gillaroo is said to differ from the Common Trout " very little, except that they have more red spots, and a yellow or golden-coloured belh^ and fins, and are generally a broader and thicker fish." Again, Sir Humphrey admits that, " in a clear and cool river, fish that feed much on lai'vse, and swallow the hard cases, become yellower, and the red spots increase so as to outnumber the black ones ; and these quaUties become fixed in the young fishes, and establish a pai'ticular variety." This would seem, in plain English, to describe the existence of a fish in the dii'ect process of change, from the ordinary form of the Trout to the Gillaroo, the feeding on the larvse of winged insects, in then* hard stony cases, being, as it were, a first step toward becoming shell-fish eaters, and the eff'ect being indicated in the gradual change of colour, though the causes have not been as yet sufficiently powerful to produce tlie induration of the stomach. In America, likewise, it has been attempted to draw a dis- tinction ; and Dr. Dekay, a very accomplished and able icthy- ologist, although perhaps — mth all deference be it spoken — rather too much of an in-door natui'ahst, and too much inclined to admit hearsay evidence, has designated a species as the Red- bellied Trout {Salmo Erythi'ogaster) ; which I confess I do not believe to be even a permanent variety, but merely a brilliant specimen of the common Brook Trout, in its highest season, TIIKORY <>F CDI.ol'K. 109 taken, pinltahly, from some very l)ri;;lit and Minny wat»r. In this view I am fully snstninod by I'rofessor Ajjassiz, who has made sonic very rurious experiments with rej^ard to the colours of fishes, of the Salmunidte esj)eeially ; and who has ascertained, beyond a doubt, not only that tlie Trout of dilVcrent nei;;h- IxMirini; waters arc atVecfed by the enluiu' and ([iiality (if the watiT, but that the Trout of f/ir siiint' rirrr \ary in colour nccordinjily as they haunt the shady or the sunny side of tln^ stream. Tor it is a wi-ii-known tact, that the S(ilm(i)iiilear ; fur w hen we weigh the jp-cat influence 110 SALMONID^. of light in the production of colours, and then think how much the transmission of light through different media, as, for instance, waters of different degrees of density, purity, and colour, affects the light itself, we shall find the theory far less extravagant than it strikes us at a first glance. And here, I shall quote an anecdote, related in " Salmonia," for the purpose of elucidating an entirely different point, which yet is so much to the purpose, in the present instance, that it is even more valuable in illustration of this, than of that for which it is quoted. " A manufacturer of carmine,'' thus runs the story, " who was aware of the superiority of the French colour, went to Lyons for the purpose of improving his process, and bargained with the most celebrated manufacturer in that capital for the acquisition of his secret, for which he was to pay a thousand pounds. He was shown all the processes, and saw a beautiful colour produced, yet he found not the least difference in the French mode of fabrication and that which he had constantly adopted. He appealed to the manufacturer, and insisted that he must have concealed something. The manufacturer assured him that he had not, and invited him to see the process a second time. He minutely examined the water, and the materials, which were the same as his own, and, very much surprised, said, ' I have lost my labour and my money, for the air of England does not permit us to make good carmine.' ' Stay,' says the Frenchman, ' do not deceive yourself; what kind of weather is it now ? ' 'A bright sunny day,' said the Englishman. ' And such are the days,' said the Frenchman, ' on which I make my colour. Were I to attempt to manufacture it on a dark or COLorU DKPKND.S ON' CIJMATK. Ill eloiuly ilay, my results would he the saiuc ns yours. Let me advise you, u»y frieud, to miike your eanniue ou hrij^lit sunny days.' ' I will,' says the En-^lishman, ' hut I fear 1 shall make M-ry little in London.' " Now this anecdote may he depended upon ; lor a person so distinjjuislied as a eheiiiist and natural philosopher as Sir Humphrey Davy would not have relati-d a story in regard to the ettect of light, which was contrary to truth, or which he did not directly know to he true. And if the etfcct of sunshine is so great on colour, as that tlic increase or decrease of its hrilliancy shoidd cause a totally ditFerent result to follow from the comhination of precisely the same chemical ingredients, it will readily follow that much more cfVect will he produced hy its excess in one case, or almost total exclusion in another, upon hues so changeful as those which glitter on the scales of a fish. That in a pun- limpid rajjid stream, rushing over a hright gravelly bed, through open fields, where no envious houghs intercept the sunlight, and in a dark turhid pond, the waters of which are saturated with the draining of peat-bogs, or «itli the juices of decomposed vegetable matter, and over- shadowed by thick evergreen umbrage, the light even of the most gorgeous noon will be transmitted in very different degrees, and produce \cry different effects both of colotir, heat, and radiance, any |)crson can judge, who will observe tlie sunbeams as they fall through a sheet of pure plate-gla-ss, or a thick green buH's-cye ; and that the consequences may ea*ily be as they are stated above, he will, I think, be satisfied. Now, in the first place, analogous to this, and in corroboration 113 SALMONID^. of this view of the subject, I will remark here, that one of the principal external differences between the American and the European Trout is precisely as might be expected under the A-iews taken above. The climate here being far more sunny, the atmosphere drier and more transparent, and the weather more constant and lightsome, we find that the Trout of America is a lighter-coloured, brighter, gayer, and more gorgeous creature than his European kinsman. And, farther yet, we shall find that in the purest and most limpid streams, in the lakes which to the most transparent waters add the sunniest expanse, the brightest and most beautiful Trout are taken ; while in the black bossrv waters, or in foi'est-embowered rivers, the colours of the fish are likewise dim and dusky. This is not, however, merely a matter of theory and analogy, for experiments have been actually tried on this point, and with perfect success. Mr. Agassiz assures me that he has repeatedly known very brilliant and gaily-coloured fish, taken in clear and sunshiny waters, and transferred to neighbouring pools or streams of totally different character, to begin to fade and lose the intensity of their colours, sensibly, within a very few hours, and after a few days or weeks, to be entirely undistinguishable from the native fish of the place. This accounts, at once, for the facts so often stated, and seemingly so inexplicable, of two lakes communicating with each other by a common channel, and containing two distinct varieties of Trout, one beautiful, and excellent upon the table, the other dark-coloured and ill-tasted, the two varieties never being known to intermingle, or to exchange from one to the other water. The explanation of this apparent phenomenon is, that the INFUKNCK op I.MIIIT. KooD. KTC. IIU change prodiu'i'd l)y |m>.>iii|^ troin the (huk and injit-soilcd waters of tlie one hike, to the Hinpid element ol' the otlier, in the fish, is so rapid, that they assiniihite themselves almost instantaneously, in outward appearance, to the fish into whose society they have ennjrratcd. riie lakelet, known n> Stump-pond, on the nortlit rn side ot Long Island, uliieli, as its name iniiieates, is tilled witli the butts of dead trees, and saturated with xe^ctahle matter, has been tor manv vears tamous, or I should rather say infamous, for the ugliness, want of hrilliancy, and indillercnt (piality in a culinary point of view, of its Trout, as compared with those of the hright and transparent mill-ponds and rivulets of the south side. Xo one, however, has ever thought of erecting them into a species, or of designating tliem as Salino StuinppondiciiK, seeing clearly the cause and eflect ; and lo ! now of late years, as the cause is passing away with the process of time, the etfect is also disap- pearing; as the vegetable matter is decaying, being absorbed, and swept away, and as the purifying influences of the springs are gaining upon the corrupt and stagnant (jualitiesof the i)on(l, the fishes arc likewise becoming brighter and better. In the course of a tew more yi-ars, it is probabU; that they \\ill l)e scarcely distinguishable from the finely-formed and tinely- coloured fish of Snedeeor's or Carman's streams, at Isbp and Fireplace. Doubtless other causes besides the influence of light have their clTcct both u|M)n tlie appearance and the flavour of the Trotit ; we have seen that their colour is alleeted by the shell- fish, or even the larva* of flies, on which they feed ; wchavc also j»ecn that they inerens<> in weight, size, and fatness, aeeonling I 114 SALMONIDj;. as they are nourished with worms, with small fry, or with water flies ; and no one in his senses can doubt, I imagine, that if these fish which have obtained scarlet spots, and become golden-finned and golden- bellied by feeding on shell-fish, or crustaceous-cased insects, were confined upon a regimen of dew- worms or May-flies, they would gradually relapse into their original colouring. Nor can it be supposed, I think, judging from analogy, but that the Gillaroo Trout, kept permanently in situations where it could never find either shell-fish, or any hard edible substances, would gradually lose the distinctive hardness of its stomach, as well as its characteristic colouring. The probability is, that the young fry of a finger's length, spoken of by Sir Humphrey, would lose the distinction individually; and I do not at all conceive it likely that the characteristic would survive through two generations from the largest adult. While I am writing on this point, I will cite a fact, though it belongs with greater propriety to the history of another fish, the Greatest Lake Trout {Salmo Amethystus), when describing which, it will be noticed more fully. This is simply that in the same lakes, Huron and Superior, this same fish exists in three diff'erent states of colour, so totally dissimilar, that it is sup- posed by the French inhabitants of the shores to be three distinct fishes, and is known by three distinct names, according to the situations in which it is found, and by which its colouring is evidently aff'ected. Drawings of the fish in two of these stages are now lying before me, and will be presented to my readers under the proper head ; here, it will be sufficient to state that, but for the shape \ MMKTIK.S <>F COI.oI'K. I I .') of the head and <;ill-ct>vt'rs, the form of the fms and tlic niuidxM' of the tin-rays, thinjrs not cxaniin(Ml l)y the supcrticial ol)scrv('r, tlicy wonhl pass for different fisli. These three varieties arc known as the Triiitf de Grerf, Triiite dfs Jialtures, and Truite (In iMi'fif : or, Trout of tlie nuuhly hottom, Trout of the roeky shores, and Trout of tlic open waters ; the tir>t hciui: a dull niuoncnts of the wnters them.Hclves, as from the fact that rapidlv moving anl T. 117 is taken, it is rtj^arili-ii as u monster, Jiiul is licnililed from one end of tlu' country to the other, throu«;h the public press. 1 have myself seen a Trout, taken in the winter throu;.. I am aware, a tale tliat many years since a Trout of eleven pounds was taken at Fireplace ; ami a rough sketch of the tish is still to be seen on the wall of the tavern bar-room. I know, however, tl»at this tish was considered at the tiini-. by all the true sportsmen who saw it, to be a Salmon, and the sketch is said to bear out that opinion, though I do not myself understand how a mere outline, not tilled up, can convey anv \«ry distinct idea of the species intended. Sutlice it, that it is not only not on record that any Tiout of seven pounds or upward i»as l)een capturi'il on this continent, hut that old tishernun will jisscrt positively, that they ncvei- grow to be above five pounds in weight ; and \ciy coolly and civilly imply to you that you are speaking falsely, when you tell them that Trout from ten to twenty pounds are no great rarities in Kngland, and that they are taken e\en of a much greater weight. The faict, on this point, is, that Trout of ten or even tiftccii pounds— I mean the common speckled Trout {Saimo Fario), analogous to our Brook Trout — are more common in some of the large riven* of ICngland, and large lakes of Ireland, than fisli of four p(>me lit" his statements, to he a writer of more rashness than r. Mitehil was perfectly ri^ht as to tin' distinct character of the American lish. and its bcin^ uttc-rly unknown, and non- existent in Kuropc ; aiul Smith is wron^ in every pos>ihle particular: the tish to which he refers it, the Sea Ihiss of Europe {Ltihra.v Lujnut of C'uvicr, I'crcu Lu/jrau- of Liiuneus), heing altoj^cthcr a ditVerent fish, thoufxh of the same family, |K'rfectly distinct hoth in habits and ap[)earance. Of the Sea Trout, Smith says :— ■ 'rin'V are found, as may he iiderri-d tVom the nami-, in the salt and brackish waters of tide rivers and inland l)ay>, in various parts of this and tlu- adjo ; us, tor in>tam'e, in LaUc Ontario, whcrt- they are tbund ahunihintly ; nor, on the other hand, do they proeeed tar up the rivers, tor the pin[iose of spawning, heinj; eontent to (h'posit their ova on the i^ravel heds of shoal watei', at the margins of their lakes, or at the niotitlis of the brooks which diseharge into them. Of the migratory species the IJrook Trout is one ; and when it is in his power, he invariai)ly descends to the sea, and returns to perpetuate his species by depositing his spawn in the clearest, coolest, and most limpid waters which he can find. There can be, 1 think, little doubt that, like the Salmon, he returns to the streams in which he has been bred. There are, doubtless, hundreds of mountain brooks through- out the country, di\ided l)y impracticable falls, natural or arti- ficial, from the sea; and, although these teem with hordes of Hroitk Tn)Ut, they never attain, in them, to any si/.e ; the mature adidts being scarcely larger than the young fry, while they are still marked with the transverse bandings of the Parr. The tlesh of this little fish never attains the rich clurry-coloured tint of the Trout, in full season, but is of a pale yellowish tlesh- colour, nnd has neither the richncHS nor the Havour of the sen- run variety. That these swarms do not visit the sea. is not because they lack the will, but because they ha\e not the |K»»er; nnd, it is possible that the habit of running seaward 122 SALMONID^. being precluded, generally after generation, the instinctive desire for it passes away in the process of time. But that the degeneracy, both in size and flavour^ is caused by the inability to recruit theii' powers in the salt-water, is rendered e\ident by the facts I have already quoted, concerning the falling off of Salmon and Salmon Trout, both in size and appearance, when intentionally confined in fresh- water lakes ; as well as by the enormous rapidity of growth manifested in the Salmon Smalts, which, having been a year and a'^half in fresh water, attaining a length of seven or eight inches, and a weight of about so many ounces, after a visit of a few months to the sea, return not only re-invigorated iu condition, but increased in bulk to seven or eight pounds' weight. This accounts very readily for the superior size of what Mr. Smith designates as a distinct species of Sea Trout, which is, in reality, only the Brook Trout on his return from the sea. The circumstances of its condition speak for themselves. Who ever saw a Salmon fresh-run from the sea, of whatever size or age, otherwise than in excellent condition, and of rare beauty? Who ever took a spent fish, of the same species, that was not ugly, lean, discoloured, and uneatable ? The silvery whiteness, and the bluish back of the Sea Trout, as described abov€, is peculiar to all fresh-run fish of this family ; and in Scotland a skilful Salmon-fisher will tell you, at a glance, how many tides a fish has been in the river, merely from seeing him leap at a fly or a minnow. All the other marks, cited by Smith as characteristics, are merely signs of condition, as the brilliancy of the colouring, the SKA TlJtilT. l~'i hi-fiultli :iiul thickm-ss of the fisli, :iii(l tlir ('(Miipiinitivc small- lu-s.s of the lieail, wliicli is proiluccd hy no altiratioii wliativcr of tliat portion of tlir l)otly, hut hy the iiicirasc and tl»\ilo|)- lucut of thi- \hh\\ itM'lf, which, at this sfa.sou and sta^'i' of the animal, is ('i|nal, in its cirrninfcronce, to one-half its len«;th. It is wi'll known and nndisputi'd in Loni; Island, that the Pouil-tish and Creek-tish, as tlu'v arc termed, j)ass to and fro between the fresh and the salt water; and althonu'h the Cri-ek- tish are oeeasionally tlure called Sea Trout, it is hy no means us iuiplyinir that they are of a ditfereut speeies, hut merely iudicatiug the water in which tlu-y are taken. The fish to whicli 1 retVrred ahove in my introductory remarks on the Salnio/iit/tp, as heinj; perhaps a distinct kind, analogous to the .Sa/z/io Trutta of Linmeus, is hy no means this Trout, but a very different animal, funntl only in the eastern and nortli-castern rivers, «hieh empty their waters into the Hay of Fnndy or the (iulf of iSt. Lawrence. This Trout is found onl\ in these rivers, and so tar as I tan Icai ii. instead of running n[) to the head waters of the streams in order to spawn, comes up only to the foot (jf the first rai)ids with the flood, and returns with the tide of eljh. l]\eii al)ont thi'o Trout I ha\e my doubt.s, though Ijefore finishing this work, I hope to have more definite information on the subject. With regard to the fish mentioned aho\e, I have no douhts whatever. It varies in nothing from the Cominon Trout but in tho""' i>!.rf i. i!l:irs \\)ii.l« i.i.i\.- that if h;iH mil to the salt water. The last-named variety, Salmo lltuho, which is al.^o cited, on 124 SALMON! D^. the authority of Smithy as a fish of New England, stands in the same category with the last-mentioned. There is no such fish on the continent of America; and, indeed, even on the European continent, where alone it is found, its limits are narrower, and its geographical range smaller, than that of any known fish. It is, in fact, found only in tributaries of the Danube, more especially in the Traun, the Saave, the Draave, and the Laybach rivers. Some writers have supposed him to be purely a fresh-water fish ; but it is believed by Davy that, in his largest state, he is an inhabitant of the Black Sea. He is said to spawn in the Muir between March and May, and in the Danube in June. He is the fiercest and most predatory of all the Salmonida, and it is useless to attempt the capture of large ones with the fly. Spinning tackle, the bleak, the minnow, and small trout, or parr, are the only modes, and the only bait which he cares to take. In shape, he resembles an ill-fed Trout, being the longest and slenderest of all the Salmonidce, the ratio of his length to his girth being as eighteen to eight, or in well-fed fish, twenty to nine. He has a silvery belly, and dark spots only on the back and sides, which, in itself, shows sufficiently that he is not the fish described by Smith under this name. Smith's fish' is described " as resembling much the Sea Trout ; but being found, on a careful examination, to be more slender, and to have a greater number of red spots. The back is dusky ; the ventral fin has a yellowish tinge; all the others are of a palish purple ; the tail is forked, and the fish measures some- times four feet through — ordinarily they are only about two, s.\i.M<» iirciio. 125 and arc caui^lit l»y tlir luK)k. Tliis 'I'rout rcrtiiiiilv ovists in the larj^r rivers and ponds in the interior, hnt deteriorate in size. They arc hronj^ht from New Ham|is|iire in the wintei-, IVo/en, for tlu' markets, and from the northern parts of Maine, whore spoeimens linve been taken as hirj^i; as any proilueed in the •rreat rivers of Knropo." This passau'e I qnote from tlie " Ami'riean AnirU-r's (ini(U\" and I do so, to (h-ehu'C that this fish is, in tlie tirst instance, not thi' Ilneho: anil, seeoiidly, to ])oint ont that no sneh li^h has ever been anthentieally pnxhieed at all. A Ilneho of the Lay- baeli, of two feet in length, by eleven inehi's' ;rirth, and three inches' thickness, was fonnd to woi-;!! fonr potmds two and a half ounces. Now, fishes increase in weiirht in the ratio of their brcadtli and depth, not of their leng:tli, a Trout of thirty-one inches wei;;hinf; seventeen pouiuls. Whctlnr any Tront or Salmon has ever been taken, of full four feet in lenjj:th, I -^'reatlv doubt. If so, its wei«rht must be enormous: the larjjest Salmon ever known, the oi-rhty-threc poinuler, which came into the possession of Mr. droves, the London fishmonger, in 1^*21, is described as ha\in;,^' l)een a short tish fur tlu* wcij^ht, and, 1 am convinced, would not have mea»nre(l four feet. Now, it remains to impiire what is this tish, which Mr. Smith desiffuatcs n-s the Ilneho ; and is there any such fish in existence, rlsowherc than in that pentlennin's imafjination ? Now, I fear, the answers to these questions must be in the negative, since, most asHurctily, then? is no scnrlet-s|»otted Trout on reconi, at nil appronchin}; to the size described by Mr. Sniith, which wc must reekon nt til. rate of from seventy to one Inindred pounds' weight. 126 SALMONIDJI. The Mackinaw Salmon {Sahno Amethystvs), which does grow to that prodigious size, and which answers to many of the par- ticulars specified, is never scarlet-spotted, nor does the Salmo Confinis of Dr. Dekay ever show a red spot. One or both these fish do exist in the lakes of Maine and New Hampshire, from Temiscouata to Winnepisiogee, and it may be that this is a mis-description of one of these. If it be not, it is either a new and nondescript fish, of the kind men- tioned as killed by the President of the Piseco Club, " with red flesh, weighing twenty -four pounds," or it is a very large speci- men of the Brook Trout, and, moreover, wonderfully exaggerated in dimensions. It is a remarkable peculiarity of the American Trout, that it is never foimd — except when, as a very rare exception, one is taken in drawing the scan — in any large rivers. I have never heard a solitary instance of a fish being taken either with the bait or the fiy, or even with the spinning tackle, in any large stream, unless quite at its head-waters, where it is not large. All the Trout which are taken, are taken in what are here called creeks, and what would, in Europe, be described as large brooks, or small rivers of the sixth or seventh class. In these the run of fish greatly exceeds the dimensions of the little inhabitants of the mountain brooks. This, in addition to other facts, at the knowledge of which we have arrived through the experiments recorded heretofore, as made in England, with regard to the growth of fishes, lead us irresistibly to the conclusion that the use of large expanses of suitable water .is necessary to the Trout, in order to their arriving at any great magnitude. AMKRIfAN T1{«»IT. 1 ? 7 It is, tlu'irtorc. »|uitt' within the riinj^o of possihility, that in tlu" hiri;*' purr inhiiul hikes, supplied by tlio limpid springs of the mountains, the Brook Trout ot'Ameriea may attain a growth analo{;ous to that of the well-fed and full-grown Trout f)f tlio Thames, the Stour, and tlie Irish lakes; a growth which the snndlncss of the streams which they do frocpiont, and their iuexplicahle avoidance of the large and navigahh* rivers, prevt-ut them from aecniiring elsewhere. I cannot say that I shall he at all surprised should it tuiMi out, on investigation, that the Brook Trout {Salino Fontinaii.s), is indeed occasionally taken up to the weight of twenty or twenty- five pounds, especially in tlie waters of Hamilton Countv ; and is now confounded, on account of its si/e, w ith tlie great worth- less Lake Trout — wortliless, wliether as a (ish of game or a table fish — of the same waters. The Brudk Tmut [troper of America is one ot' the most beautiful creatures in form, colour, and motion, that can he imagined. He is slenderly and gracefully formed, though ratlier deeper in proportion t() his length than the Salmon, and far more so than the Lake Trout. In a well-grown and well-fed fish; the length of the head to the whole body is about as one to five ; and the length of tin* whole body to the breadth, at the origin «»f the first dorsal tin, as four and a half to one. A line drawn fronj the front teeth to the jKistcrior etir\c of the gill-cover, which is nearly semicir- cular, is nearly parallel to the lateral line, and will divide the btxly into two nearly equal parts, the convexity of the back and belly being also nearly ef the pursuit, who would not prefer basketin;^ a few brace of ^ood Trout, to takiuj; a eart-l<».id of the coarser and less pnme denizens of the waters; nor, whether we consider his wariness, his timiility, his e\ti\'ine ciinninu', the impossibility uf takinj^ him in tine and mueh-tished waters, except with the slenderest and most delicate tackle ; his boldness and vigour after beint; hooked, or his excellence on the table, shall we wduder at the judgment, much less dispute it, which, next to the Salmon only, rates liim the first of fresh-water tishes. The pursuit of him leads us into the loveliest scenery of the laml ; the season at which we tish for him is the most delicious, those sweetest months of spring — when they are not, as at present, the coldest and most odious of the year — the very name and mention of which is redolent of the breath of llowcrs, the xiolet, the cowslip, and the eelandiiie, whieh plunge us into a paradise founded upon the rural imaginings of the most ex(piisite of Mnglaml's rural bards, unt'l we an- recalled from our elysium by a piercing gale from the north-east, and perhaps a pelting hailstorm, bidding us crush our wandering tancies, anart of this article, as well as the nature of his food, that I shall defer further mention of these topics, until I K 130 SALMONIDJE. come, in the second part of this volume, to the taking of him with the natural or artificial bait, which is most intimately con- nected with the consideration of his prey and his haunts, so that in that place these will be most suitably discussed. TKCI I.I Al; II AMITATS. \-M Tin; (.KI.ATI.ST l.\Ki: TIIOI'T. MA( KINAW SALMON.-- NAMAYcTSH. SAI.MoN TUol T. Silino AmrtAf/ftM- Mm ini., I)kk»v .*y»/f«o Xfiwai.rnf/, I'kvswt. Hti imki)s VarictT : Tniilc dp (ii^vr. Tins noble iiiid ;xij;antic spccii's, wliicli ('(luals, (»r even exceeds, in size, the true Sulniun [Salnto Salar), and is In- far the largest of all the lacustrine or non-migratory S(i/iiif/nit/(p, is found in all the great lakes to the northward and westward of Lake Erie, to tlic fur countries and the arctic rcirion. It is not found in any tidal rivers, and never visits the sea. The falls of Niagara present an insuperable obstacle to its descent into Lake Ontario ; but whether it exists in any of the smaller lakes of New York, or tin- eastern waters nt* New ICii^land, does not as yet appear to be fully ascertained. It has been taken l)y the companions of Dr. Richardson and Sir .lolm I'ranklin, in Winter Lake, lat. lUJ"^ N. ; but I cannot learn that it has been discovered in any of the waters which discharge themselves southward by the Mississippi or the Missouri. I doidit not at all that it exists in the waters of the (tn>at Hausin and the Columbia, and that it is one of the tish mentioned by Colonel Fremont, as taken K :: ] ^-Z SALMONID.E. in them, during his explorations. The name of Mackinaw Salmon, by which it is commonly known, is, therefore, a mis- nomer, since it is no more peculiar to the Straits of Michili- mackinac than to any other locality between the Falls of Niagara and the Arctic Ocean. The term Namaycush, which Pennant adopted, and Dr. Richardson has retained, both as its English name and its scientific distinction, is no more than its denomi- nation by the Cree Indians, who term it Nummecoos, and I confess I think it in both respects preferable to any other ; for Dr. Mitchil's scientific name Amethystus, which he gave it in consequence of a faint purplish tinge perceptible on the teeth, gums, and roof of the mouth, is founded on a peculiarity so slight — I speak on the authority of Professor Agassiz — as in many specimens to be scarcely distinguishable ; while it has no name in the English language defining it from the Siskawitz, inhabit- ing the same waters, or from the common Lake Trout [Salmo Confinis), of the New York and New England lakes. It is a remarkable fact, that at least one-half of our inland or fresh-water fishes have no correct English names, no names at all in fact, but such arbitrary and erroneous terms as were applied to them ignorantly, by the first English settlers in the districts in which they are found, and have been adhered to since for the lack not of better, but of any real names. Thus the peculiar fish of Lake Otsego, though fully ascertained to be, and scientifically distinguished as, one of the family Salmonidee, and defined as Coregonus Otsego, has, to this day, no other appellation in the vernacular than the absurd misnomer of Otsego Bass, to which species it has no relation whatsoever. The same is the case with the fish called " Trout " bv the inhabitants of syviKM iH' NuMENCLATriCK. |:;."'. Carolina and the nt'i«;libouring States, whirh is mentioned jis the " White Sahnon," hy Smith, in his history of \'ir{^iniii; and whieh is said to abonnd in the rivers of I'ennsylvania. This is, 1 donbt not, the lish alhuh-d to hy a recent writi'r in the " Spirit of tlic Times," luj the Sns(jnehana Sahnon, nnhss j)erchanec another nameh>ss fish, the Perm Lncinpcrca, is intended. The sonthcrn Trout is of the Pen-h family — nothinj; more remote from Trout — thou|^h in torm it has some resembhince to the Salmonit/if. It is tlie (injstes Sa/nioidcs of Cuvier, the Ld/jfc Salmo'ule of Laeepede, both terms indiiiitini; its family as of the IV-rch or Hass, and its simihirity to the Sahnons ; l)ut it has no ICn^Ush name at all, unless we adopt the vulgarism of ealliuj^ it a Trout, which is no less absurd than it would be to call a Pickerel, Salmon. These prevalent misnomers, and this total absence of real and rational names, are of «,'rcat disadvantage, creating e.vccssivc confusion, and puzzling all, except the scientific naturalist. It is much to be regretted, that the Indian terms have not always been retained ; for, when interpri'ti'd, tlii-y are almost in\arial)ly found to be truly distinctive; and it is greatly to be doircd tliat, on the (liscovtTV of new genera, or \arietics, this system of nomenclature may be adopted, as it has biin by Professor Agassiz, with regard to the Siskawitz, a new lacustrine Trout, discovered by him, during the past summer, in the great waters of Huron and Superior. With regard to tho.se misnamed U)ng ago, the misnomers of which have become familiar, and as it were stereotyped by the lapse of time, it is dilTicult U) say what is to he done, or how the evil is to be rcmedietl; an a boUl, powerlid, and tyraiiiiieal fi^h, with \\hiili iii» other inhahitiii;; the same \\att is eaii eompete. The (Irey Suck- ing' ("arp [Cdtd.'itoinits IItt(huniu.s)f tlic Methy, a species of fresh - wattr Linj;^ {Lota Maculosa), and the llerrinjjj-sahiiun [Coreyonus .Irtedi), form the favourite food of this voracious tish, tlie stomach of whieh is constantly cranuncd with them ahiiost to repletion ; but he will bite ravenously and ticrcely at almost anythiiifr, from a small fish, or a piece of pork, to a red raj; or a bit of l)right tin, made to play rapidly through the water. In form, he considerably resembles the Common Salmon, though he is perhaps rather deeper in proportion to liis length. His head is neat, small, and well-formed, with rather a peculiar depression above the eye, and the snout sharply (.-urved and beak-like. The head forms nearly a fourth part of the whole length of the tish ; the skull is more bony than that of the Common Salmon, the snout not cartilaginous, but formed of solid bone; the jaws are very strong, the upjier overlajjping, by about half an inch, the lower, which is strongly articulated to i\\c pre-ojH'rculnm and to \.\\c jtiyal bone. The eye is midway between the snout and the nape, and twice as far from the hiiuler edge of the gill-eo\er as t'rom the tip of the snout. Of tlic gill-covers, the //rt-operrutum is curved or vertical, or nearly so ; the gub'Opercttlum is deeper than in the other 'IVouts, and i.H jointed at its inner angle to the operculum aiul prv-oper- mluin, by a slender proccn?* concealed by these bones. Its edge 136 SALMONID^. forms fully one half of the border of the free gill-cover, and is finely grooved. The gill rays are twelve in number. The dental system of the Mackinaw Salmon is very complete, and more formidable than in any other member of the family. The intermaxillaries and labials, as well as the palatine bones, lower jaws, and tougue, are armed with very sharp and strong conical curved teeth ; those on the vomer consisting of a circu- lar cluster on the knot of that bone, and of a double roAv extend- ing at least half an inch backward. The dorsal fin is situated in the middle of the fish, and con- tains fourteen rays, the eighth ray being exactly central between the snout and the tip of the central caudal fin-ray. The second, adipose, dorsal fin, is small and obtusely formed. The caudal fin has nineteen^ the ventrals, each nine, the anal eleven, and the pectorals, each fourteen rays. The origin of the central fins is slightly posterior to the centre of the fish. Such are the principal structural distinctions of this noble fish, and I have entered into these rather at length, since by them only can he be distinguished from his lake congeners. I have already observed the great differences existing in point of colour and mai'kings between fish of the same species found in dif- ferent waters, throughout this family, and endeavoured to show the impropriety of founding specific distinctions, or even per- manent varieties, by reference to these alone, without reference to structure. In the Salmo Fontinalis, common Brook Trout, this is easy to be noticed, but in none of the Salnionidce with which I am acquainted, are the differences of colour and marking so broad and distinct, as in different individuals of this species. I have before me^ as I write, three coloured representations of (JKNKltAl, l>i:S('|{|l'TI(>N. 137 this saini' fish, two wnttT-niKmr ski'tclics, hy Mr. (iilxtt, ot' Boston, mul oiil*, h colouirtl lilhoj^rai)h, in Hr. lin li.irdson's "Fauna HorcaH-Aiiu'rioana ;" and thcsi* tint*-, 1 am certain woulil hf pronounci'tl by nini* piTsons out ot'ti-u, not accustomed to ol)scrvc -structural ditVcrcnces, three dilVerent fish. Indeed, I am int'ornu'd hy I'rofissor At^assiz, that, hy the i"ri lu-h residents on Lakes Huron ami Siiin'iim-, they arc actually hilii'vi'd to he three distinct fish, and ari' known hy tiirci' dilh'rcnt names, from the localities in which tlicy arc found, viz. : — Trout of the rocky shallows [Truitc (Us Ihitturvs), Trout of the muddy shoals [Tniitc df Greve), and Trout of the deej) open waters {Tntite (In Laiyr). The fir>t of these tisli is rei)rescntcd in the large phite, and the second in the cut, the third is tluis described in IV. Richardson's work named above: — "The head, back and >ides, have a dark jrreenish grey eohuir, which, wlicn examined closely, is resoUed into snnill roundish yellowish grey spots, on a bluish grey ground, w hich covers less space than the spots ; the latter are most evident on the sides, each of them including thri'c or fom* scales. The uncovered portion of each scale is roundish, ami its convex centre, having a greyisli hue and silvery lustre, is surrounded by a dark bt)rder of minute spots, which are deficient or less nuuu-rous on tin- yellowish grey spots, and also on the bluish white belly. The dorsal and caudal fins have the greenish grey tint of the back, and the ventrals and anals are muddy oningc ; this colour also partially tinging the pcctond**. The irides arc bright honey ycUow with blue clouds." I will merely add to this, that in the coloured lithograph, which is beautifully executed, the fish hit-s a bright, clean, 138 SALMONID^. silvery appearance, ^vitli a prevalence of bluish grey hue, and n silvery belly, precisely in accordance with a description given to me by Professor Agassiz, of the Truite du Large, for in this condition I have never myself seen the fish. In the drawings by Cabot, from which the wood-cuts to this {)aper are taken, and the correctness of which I had an oppor- tunity of verifying, by personal inspection, during a recent visit to the upper lakes, the Truite des Battures (large plate) is of a dark bluish green on the back, fading into a greenish brown about the lateral line, thence into a greenish yellow on the sides, and into bluish silver on the belly, the whole largely marked with distinct irregularly- shaped spots, light green on the dark back, yellowish on the brown green of the sides, and silver on the bluish belly, becoming larger as they descend from the back, and at last melting into the brightness of the abdomen. The dorsal and caudal fins of the same colour as the back, with irregular yellowish green spots, the latter faintly margined with dull red; the pectorals bluish grey, margined with the same colour, and the ventrals and anals broadly mar- gined with dusky vermilion. The third variety, the Truite de Greve, is generally of a muddy greenish brown, darker and greener on the back, browner on the sides, and yellowish grey on the belly. The spots in this variety are much smaller than in that last described, and far less definite both in shape and colour, so that the fish might be said to be mottled or clouded, rather than spotted. The fins are all of the same dull, dingy, olivaceous colour, similarly clouded, with the faintest possible indication of a ruddy margin on the pectorals, ventrals, and anals, but no tinge of that colour on the caudal fin. Both IIAIUTS AM) HAUNTS. 1 .V.t these variftk-s 1 liavc seni and compared within the hist moiitli, recently taken on Lake Krie, and 1 am informed tliat the eoh)nr and tlavonr oftlie fish is atVeetid, as mi«,'ht be expeeted, hy thi- sanu' eireumstanees which produce tlie (hll'erenee of ivtirnid eolourinjr, the hrij^htir lish havini; the redder flesh and the lii<;her and more delicate lla\our. In the decj) cold waters of Lake Huron, all the li>h are inti- nitelv superior, hoth in lirmness and tla\our, to those of the comparatively shallow and muddy waters of Lake Erie, so much so, that those who havi' been accustomed all thiir lives to the White-Fish (Cortt/oniis Jibuti), o( the lower lake, speak of that of Lake Huron as entirely a difl'erent tish as regards its epicurean qualities. " The flesh of the Xaniaycush," says Dr. Richardson, " is rcildish or orange-coloured, being paler wlien out of season. When in good condition, it yields much oil, and is very palling to the appetite if simply boiled, but roasting renders it a very pleasant article of diet. The Canailian voyagcurs are fond of eating it in a frozen state, after scorching it for a second or two over a i|uick tin', until tin- scales can be easily detached. I)ut not continuing the aj)plication of the heat long enough to thaw the interior. The stomach, when boiled, is a favourite mor>el with the same people." ,\lthoiigh I have seen this tish at almost every season of the year, the llcsh of none has exceeded what I shouhl call a dull, buflish flesh-colour, not approaching to what, on the most liberal construction, could be termed red or orange colour. It is in my opinion a coarse, bail fish on the table, at once rank and vapid, if such a combination can be imagined, yet it is 140 SALMONID.-E. decidedly the best of the large lacustrine Trouts, none of which in either hemisphere are either delicate or high-flavoured. I doubt not^ however, that when fresh out of the water, in the cold deep lakes of Huron and Superior, crimped and broiled or roasted, it is far better than could be supposed by one who has eaten it only after being many hours out of its native element. In no respect, however, must we regard the opinions of sportsmen, discoverers, and explorers of new regions, more cum grano, than in their appreciation of the qualities of fish, flesh, or fowl in an epicurean point of view. They are apt to be very hungry, in the first place, when they eat, and who does not know the eflFect of the Spartan sauce or the palatableness of the nlainest viands ? their tastes are moreover simplified by the absence of sauces and stimulants of any kind ; and, in a word, things which to men accustomed to the cooking of cities are tasteless and vapid, are by them naturally esteemed delicate and savoury. The habits of the Mackinaw Salmon are similar to those of most of the non-migratory Lake Trout ; they afl'ect and prefer the deep waters at most seasons of the year, and lie at a great depth beneath the surface. In the spring of the year, however, they approach the shores, and are found in the shallow waters, whither, it is supposed, they pursue the various kinds of fish on which they prey, which resort thither in search of larvae of various insects. They do not enter the rivers to spawn, but approach the shores for that purpose in autumn, depositing their ova on the gravelly shoals, and then retiring again into the depths. In Lake Huron they begin to spawn about the 10th of October, and return to the centre of the M«>1>K t>F (ATCIllNti. I H lake within three months fnnn the eommenceinent of the movement. The youn^ fry of tliis tish ha.s been exaniined by Prot'essor .\j;a.ssi/, and fonnd to possess the same hiteral bands or markin;xs whieh were formerly Ijelieved to be pcenliar to the Parr alone, but uhieh are, in all prol)ability, eomnion to evi-ry species of the family o( SuImonidiP. l>iirinir its stav, at the spawning season, in the shallow i-hanncls between the iiinnmi'rable islands, the Xaniaycnsh is speared by torchlifjht, in j^reat (jnant itics, by the Indians — a ernel and wasteful di'vastation, \\Iiicli, thou^di it eannot be wondered at in the mitntored savage, cannot be reprehemled too severely when pnietised, as it is universally, by the civilised white man, for purposes of reckless sport or illicit and dis- honourable gain. In the fur countries they are sometimes taken in the autumn with nets; but the season when it is captured in the greatest abundance is in the months of March and April, during which it is taken by th()usands on cod-liooks, baited witli small fish set in holes cut throu^'h the ice, in eight or nine fathoms water. It will not be amiss liere to state, that when the ice is fornn-d of snow partially melted and rccongcaled, so as to be oparpu", presenting an appearance like that of ground glass, neither this nor any otln r of the Trout tainily will take the bait. During the mid-summer and nud-winter months the Macki- naw Salmon is rarely seen or captured, as during those .seasons it lies in the deepest waters jn the ci/. Tills lliu' fisli, which is scfDiid (tiily in si/.c to that last ilescril)i(l, was discoveretl so recently as last suiunur, (Imini; a trip t(» tiic nijper hikes for scientific i)urpi)ses hv I'lofcssor A^assiz, to whose courtesy aiul kindness I owe the power ot" inchidinjc it in this work, as it lias not np to tliis time been described or Hgured in any book of natural history. A journal of that tour is at this moment passin*; throuj^h the I'niversitv press at Harvard, which will comprise a full account of this, and several other previously nondescript fishes, together with accurate and beautiful lithographic illustrations by SonrtI ; and to this, for fuller information, ••uid especially for accounts of several species which do lujt come within the limits of this work, I refer my readers, certain that they will drrive both pleasure aiul profit from the perusal. The Si.skawitz, in its colouring and general appearance, as regarded by an uninstructed eye, bears a very ccuisiderabie resemblance to the Mackinaw Salmon, or Nanuiycu.<*li, par- ticularly to that accidental variety of it which I have described above a.n the Truite de (iri've , and is found in the same waters with it, inoHt abundantly in I>ake Superi«»r and Lake Ilunui, but nu)rc or less commonly in all the lakes above the Falls of Niagara. In Ontario, and, as it is believed, in the snwdlir -^^^ SALMONID^. inland waters of New York and the Eastern States, it is unknown. The head, back, and sides of the Siskawitz, above the lateral line, are of dingy brownish olive, with a greener gloss on the upper parts, irregu- larly blotched and cloud- ed, rather than spotted, with lighter circular or oval patches of the same colour. Below the lateral line the colour is paler and more yellow, with clusters of the same spots fading into a dull dead white, which is the pre- vailing hue of the belly, with a very slight silvery gloss on some of the scales. The dorsal and caudal fins are of the same greenish brown with the back, and like it are irregularly patched with lighter spots. The pec- toral, ventral, and anal fins are paler, but with the same Salmo Siskawitz— Agassiz. UKNKKAI, HKSCIUPTIuN. U5 markings, and with n very taint indication of dnsky red on the margins. Altogether, the Si.skawit/. is u greener eoluured and less lustrons fish than the Namaycush, and far less distinctly spotted; still there is so iniich siniihirity, that l)y a person not nccustonu'd to look for nicir and more pciinanent structural distinctions, the two species might he wvy icadily confomidcd. In form the Siskawitz is rather shorter and stouter than the Mackinaw ti^h, and doi-s not ta[)er nearly so much at either extremity. The head particularly, which in the other is very small, neatly shaped, and depressed towards the snout, is short, thick, and very obtusely rounded, giving it a coarse and clumsy protilc, and distinguishing it decidedly from the kindred species. On the shoulders it is moderately broad, with the sides some- what compressed. The length of the head is about one-fourth of the whole length of the fish, from the snout to the tips of the caudal. The skull is strong and bony, with powerful lower jaws. The porous lines and foramina of the bones, seen on the heads of several of the otlur Trouts, are very evident, and distinctly marked in this, as are the radiating processes on the opernilum and pre-opernilinn. 'The prc-ajjcrriilitin is considerably rounded, and almost vertical; the posterior free margin of the gill-covers is nearly semicircular, much less acute posteriorly than in the Namaycush. It has n ver}' complete and formidal)le dental system, all the maxillary and palatine bones, as well a.s the lower jaws anti either side of the tongue, being armed with strong, sharp, curved tc«th, and the vomer provided ^^ith a double line extending along the wliolc length backward. The dorsal fin is L ] 4G SALMONID^. situated nearly midway the whole length of the body; the posterior dorsal is thicker and more clumsily shaped than in the preceding species. The caudal fin is deeply forked. The number of rays in the several fins I am, I regret to say, unable to supply at present. Neither in colouring nor in form, therefore, does the Siskawitz equal the Mackinaw Salmon or Namaycush ; it is in all respects a clumsier and coarser fish. Its flesh is moreover of a paler bufi^, of a less firm texture, and of very inferior quality upon the table. Its habits and haunts are almost identical with those of the other species, like which it is not migratory or anadromous, never entering the rivers either for the purpose of spawning or in pursuit of food ; although it approaches the shores, and visits the gravelly shallows of the lakes in autumn, in order to deposit its ova. It is taken by the French inhabitants and by the Indian hunters Avitli the torch and spear, occasionally with the scan, and also with the long line in deep water. It also strikes readily at a piece of glittering tin, or mother of pearl, made to revolve and glance quickly through the water. There is no doubt but that with good spinning tackle, baited with minnow, shiners, or the parr of the Brook Trout, which would probably prove the most killing of the three, or wdth the deadly spoon, the Siskawitz might be angled for with great success, and would afl'ord good sport, as it is a strong and powerful fish, growing to twenty-five pounds or upwards, although its usual weight does not exceed fifteen or sixteen pounds. HABITS AM) HAUNTS. 117 Neither tins lisli, however, nor the Nnnmycush, nor, so fur as 1 know, any other of the non-niiirratory Lake Tro.it, strikes with the same tiereene^s and a\iility, sprinniiif; ont of the water to take the hait, and hiipinj; tar and frecincntly al)ovc the snrfaee when hooked, as the Sea Sahnon, the Sahuon 'I'ront, or any of the anaihonions speeies of this hiirhly interest- in'.,' family. The motion of the ^MH-at lakiTs is for the most part confined to a heaw himi)erin^' rnsh in pnrsnit of thi- hait, ami to a stroni; di-ad pnll when endeavonrim; to cseajx; after bcinjj strnek. They will hore down desperately at first into the deep water, bnt do not tight with the swift energy, or resort to the cnnning artifices of tlic Salnio Saiar. Strong tackle, an eighteen-foot rod, and a steady hand, will not fail to secnre them, even with far less skill than is required to take a threc- poundcr Brook Tront in a (pnek rnnning river. I nn»y add here, in eontinnation of the remarks made above, nndcr the head of Trne Salmon, in reference to the yonng fry of all this family, that Professor Agas^iz has discovered the Pinks, both of this and the preceding species, in what may be called the Parr form, with dnsky lateral transverse bandings. I have not judged it necessary to give ents of these fry, as the fact may be regarded as thoronghly established, and as the other characteristics of these yonng Lake Tnmt arc so broad and distinct, that they eoidd not be easily mistaken cither for tin- xoimtr "f anv of her species or for a distinct variety. The above descriptions, as wj-ll as the representation in the wooilcut, are taken, by permission, uhiih is here gratefully acknowledged, from a ••pirited coloured sketch bv l2 148 SALMONID.'E. Mr. Elliot Cabot of Boston, who accompanied Professor Agassiz on tlie tour above mentioned, and from tlie notes of that gentleman. It is trusted that this notice, although brief, of an entirely new Salmo, will prove satisfactory both to the sportsman and to the naturalist ; and if the mention of its peculiarities may induce the gentle anglers of this country to pay a little more attention to the structural differences of fishes, so as to lead to the discovery of new species, several of which, it can hardly be doubted, remain still nondescript in the unfrequented waters of this mighty laud, some good will have been done to the great cause of science. DISTIN(JI?ISII1N(J t IIA1{A< TKKS. VJ Till, \.\k\. tiki! T. •Si/»tu ( '«ii ft II I* — I) K K A r . Thr I ukr Tp>iit. Nor li;i\iii;; Ixi-ii t-Hiihlcd this spiiii^ to obtain a specimen of this fish, whieli I wns excecclin«jly anxious to do, for the purpose of coinpnrinj: it with the Siskawit/, and Naniayeush, I take the following account froni the " New York Fauna" of Dr. Dtkay, whose description of tlie tisli is very complete. It is a verv closely cognate species with the two last de.scrii)ed, hut I helievc it t(j be clearly distinct, wliicii in tlie first instance I was disposed to doubt — *' Characteristics. — Blackish, with numerous grey spots. Body robust ; comparatively short in proportion to its depth ; eaudal fin with a sinuous margin. Length, two to four feet. " />j»rnyy/io«.— Body stout, thicker and .shorter than the Common Salmon. Length of the head to the total length, as one to four aiul a half nearly. Dorsal outline curved. Scales, .small, orbicular, and minutely striated. The lateral line dis- tinctly markj'd by a series of tubular plates, arising at the upper angle of the opercular o[)ening, slightly concave until 150 SALMONID^. it passes over the hnse of the pectoral fiu, when it proceeds straight to the tail. Head flattened between the eyes. Snout protruded, and in aged individuals with a tubercular enlargement on its extremity. Eyes large ; the antero-posterior diameter of the orbits 1"5, and their distance apart 2*5 ; nostrils contiguous, patent ; the anterior vertically oval, the posterior smaller and rounded. Under jaw shortest, and received into a cavity of the upper. The transverse membrane over the roof of the mouth exceedingly tough and thick ; the numerous curved teeth in the jaws partly concealed by a loose fleshy membrane. Tongue, long, narrow and thick, with a series of teeth along the central furrow. Many series of acute teeth along the vomer and on the palatines. "The first dorsal fin ^dth its upper margin rounded, sub- triangular, arising somewhat nearer the snout than the extremity of the caudal rays, higher than long, measuring 4-5 in height, and 4*0 along the base. It is composed of four- teen rays, the first two short, and imbedded in the flesh ; the fourth and fifth rays longest. The adipose fin 1"0 long, and placed over the end of the anal fin. Pectoral fins broad and pointed, five inches long, and arising slightly behind a line drawn from the upper posterior angle of the opercle. It is composed of fom-teen rays. The central fins, placed nearly under the centre of the dorsal fin, composed of nine rays, and furnished with a thick axillary plate. Anal fin quadrate; its extreme height 4-4, and its base 3-0 ; composed of twelve robust rays. Caudal fin nine inches in extent from tip to tip, furcate, with a sinuous margin. " Colour — from a living specimen. All the upper portion of CKAKItAL 1)KS( Itll'TloN. ] ;, 1 till" hi-nd ami IjdiIv l)liii>li hlurk. Si(li'> (tf t lie licad, base of'tlic first (loi-Nul, of tilt' I'uuilal and anal tins, witli iimiiiToiis romuK-d crowilt'il iiTL'i^ular li^lit ^pot.s. On tin- ha^c of tlu- d()l•^al and caudal, tlu* spots Jiir oblon-^ I'n'*^ jjri'ciii.sli ; cliiii hrownisli liiouzi' ; pupils blai'k ; iridos sahuuu-colour. Tips ot llu" lower tius slightly tiujjt'd with red. " Leufjth, •il-.'i ; olthf lu-ad. 1 ■>. W fiirht, lillccu pduniU. " rin-ia\s, 1). 1 III; 1'. 11: \ . "•' ; A. L' ; C. 21^. '' Tllis is thf urll-know u Lake Salmon, I^akc 'I'lout, or Salmon 'i'rout ot' the State of Ni'w \()rk. Amonir tlu" thirtceu species or \arieties of Lake Trout, or Laki- Salmon, so beautifully illus- tmted by Riehartlson, I cannot find this species described. It appears more nearly ullied by the fij^ure to Salmo I/oodii, but dilfei-s in very important particulars from this species. It occurs in most of the northern lakes of this State, and I have noticed it in Siher Lake, I'cnnsyhania, adjacent to Mroome County, which, as far as I know, is its southernnu)st limit. The figure illustrating this sjiecies was from a specimen taken at Louis Lake, Hamilton County, of unusual si/e and vigour. The average weight is eight or ten [jounds ; but 1 have heard lishcr- nu'u speak of some weighing thirty pounds, and e\en more. There is, however, such a strong propensity to exaggeration in everything in relation to aquatic aninuds, that 1 refrain from citing ca.ses derived from such sources. " They frequent the deepest part of the lake, and unlike most of their congeners, never rise to the fly. " The flesh is of course much prized in those districts where no oceanic tish is ever tasted ; but to me it appears to possess all the coarsenes^s of tlic Halibut without its flavour." 152 SALMONIDiE. This, with the exception of a few general remarks on its habits, is all that Dr. Dekay has recorded of this fish. I cannot, however, proceed, without expressing my great surprise at Dr. Dekay's opinion of its resemblance to the Salmo Hoodii, known also as the Arctic Charr, the Mingan River Salmon, and the Masamacush of the Cree Indians. This is a decided long-finned Charr, beautifully coloured, of a rich lake purple, with numerous bright golden spots, and the red belly of the proper Charr. It is, moreover, an anadroraous species, running up the swift rivers of the north, and descending to the salt water to recruit. Its flesh is bright red. It is one of the boldest fish at the bait known on this continent, leaping com- pletely out of water to seize it, and flinging itself high above the surface many times in succession on being struck. I can see nothing in which it can be compared to any of the Lake Trout, and least of all to this, which is the most worthless of all the non-migratory species. It is found, I believe, in Lake Ontario, below the Falls of Niagara, and certainly in all the New England lakes so far to the eastward as the State of Maine. In the British pro^dnces, with the exception of Lakes Mephramagog and Champlain, I do not think that it exists. From a careful comparison of the cut in Dr. Dekay's work, plate 38, fig. 123, as well from his description of its colouring, I have no hesitation in pronouncing it far more nearly con- nected with the Siskawitz of Professor Agassiz, than with any other of its congeners, although the elongated head, the shape of the fins, and especially the lobe-like formation of the caudal, clearly distinguishes it from this species. INACCntATi: ll.l.rsTKATlUNS. l.'):5 It is to 1)0 rcj^rcttcd, Ijowcvcr, tliiit in tlu; work of the inaj;iii- tiule ami importance of the "New York Fauiiu" oltlic State nf New York, the plates should be, as they are, so atrociously executed, that for mutters of scientific examiiuition they are all but useless, while as pictorial illustrations they are below couteiupt. 154 SALMONID.E. SALMON TROUT. SEA TROUT.— WHITE TROUT. ^almo r/7t«a— Yarrel. This beautiful fish, which is the Salmon Trout of the Thames, the Sea Trout of Scotland, and the White Trout of Wales, Devonshire, and Ii'eland, is found nowhere on the continent of America except on the eastern side of the Province of New Brunswick and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It must on no account be confounded, as it has been by Dr. Smith in his " Fishes of Massachusetts,^' with the Brook Trout {Salmo Fontinalis), when they run down and remain pei'- manently in salt water, as they do, more or less, along the whole south side of Long Island, but especially at Fireplace, at Waquoit Bay, on Cape Cod, and probably at many other points along the eastern coast; for the fish are totally distinct, as will be shown hereafter. " It is distinguished,'' says Yarrel, "by the gill-cover being intermediate in its form between that of the Salmon and the Bull Trout. The posterior free margin is less rounded than that of the Salmon, but more so than that of the Bull Trout. The HABITS AM» II A I NTS. 15.') line of imiini of the ujjfrnilinn with \\\v. suh-opcrrulinii aiul the; inferior nuir^iii of tl»e suh-opficulnin aic ohliciiu', forming; a eonsidenihle iinj^U' with the axis of the Ixxly of the tisli. 'I'he po-stcrior edjje of the pre-uperculum rounded, not sinuous, as in the IJuU Trout. The teetli are more sUmuKm- as well as more nunierons than in tin- Salmon or Hull Trout ; thost* on thi' vomer e\tendini; alonj; a threat part dt" the Irnijtli, and indent- ing the tonjftu" dei-ply hetwccn the two rows of teetli that are tliere plaeed, owv row aloni; eaeh side. The tail is h-ss forked at the sam(> age than that of tlu> Salmon, hut heeonu-s like it scjuare at tlu- end, aftir the third yeai-. The >i/e and surface of the tail also is mneh smalKr than that of the Salmon, from the shortness of the caudal rays. "The habits of this sj)eeies are also very like those of the Salmim, and the fenuiles arc said to run tip the rivers before tlu- males. Sir AVilliam Jardine says : ' In approaching the entrance of rivers, or in seeking out, as it were, some one they preferred, shoals of this fish may be seen coasting the shoals and headlands, leaping and s|)(U'ting in great numbers, from about one pound to three (U* four pcuinds in weight ; and in some of the smaller bays the shoal could be tnued several times circling it, and apparently feeding. They enter every river and rivulet in immense numbers, nnil when lishing for Salmon, are annoying for their (pnuitity. The food of those taken with the rod in the t-stuaries appeared vi-ry indi.seriminate; CH-'CJisionally the remains of some small fish, which were too mneh digested to Ijc discriminated ; sometimes flies, beetles, or other insects, which the wind or tide had carried out ; but the most genernl food seemed t«) be the Tulitris Ltjcusta, ut common 156 SALMONID^. saud-hopper, with ^yhich some of their stomachs were completely crammed." " The largest adult fish of this species I have ever seen," Mr. Yarrel adds, "was in the possession of Mr. Groves, the fish- monger in Bond-street. This specimen, which occurred in June, 1831, was a female, in very fine condition, and weighed seventeen pounds." Never having myself seen this fish in America, although per- fectly familiar with it in Great Britain, but ha\dng good reason for being sure that it existed in the great estuary of St. Law- rence, and in the Bays of Gaspe and Chaleurs, I wrote, so soon as I decided on the preparation of this work, to a friend, Mr. Perley, in New Brunswick, Her Majesty's emigration officer at St. John's, knowing that I might rely as well on his kindness in supplying me with any information he might possess on tlie subject, as on his skill and thoroughness as a sportsman and fly-fisher, and his science as an icthyologist. He obligingly replied to me at length, besides sending me a highly valuable report on the Eisheries of the Gulf of St. Law- rence, fully confirming my opinion of the existence of this noble and sporting fish in the pro^^ince. Without farther comment I proceed to lay his observations before my readers, premising only, that while they fully prove the identity of the New Brunswick White Trout with the Salmon Trout of Yarrel {Sabno Trutta), and distinguish it from the Brook Trout, whether English or American [Salmo Fario, or Salmo Fontinalis), they show some remarkable differences in habit from the same fish in the British Islands. " You will perceive," says Mr. Perley, " that, under official liKMAlJKS (IN TlIK WHITK THolT. l.'i? ordtTs, I Imvi- hocii compi'llcd to go into luitural history; juul that you limy see the whole, 1 send some reports printed in 1^17, iiuludin': one on the Forest Trees of New Brunswiek. I proeiired the steoiul edition of \ arn-l whiii in Loiuhjn hust year, and thi' heantiful snppU'nient eontainin^' the phites f)l' the Sahnon, from the UttK- Pair n[) to the (irilse of two years, all of whieh I have heiMi eoiiipelK-d to stud\-. "The \Vhite Trout of the (Julf of St. Lawrence is precisely similar to the Stilmo Tntttn of Yarrel. The drawiiij^ of Ndl. 1 1., p. 7 7, second eilition, is a very good representation of our White Trout. In June, when in the finest condition, they are somewhat deeper than there represented " — the cut is a fac-simile of tlic plate in Yarrel alluded to hy Mr. I'erley — " the shoulder is tlicn exceedingly thick ; tiie head, espe- cially in the female, is very small. 1 never heard of any weighing nu)re than seven pounds. I have never seen a White Trout on this side of the province, or anywiiere except within the gulf. They are of delicious flavour when newly caught, the white curds lying thick hetween the hriglit |)ink flakes; and they do not cloy like the Salmon. " Many of the Common Trout {Salmo Farin )" — Fontinalh' — "also visit the mixed water of the estuaries, and very likely go out to sea. They then aecpiire a very silvery brilliancy, and their condition becomes greatly improved ; but they cannot be mistaken, even then, for the White Trout. Thev are a longer fi.sh — their heads an- larger — the colour of the spots is more brilliant, and there an- more of them ; and the trieoloiired tins leave no room for doubt, as the fins of the White Trout are v«ry pale, and of a bluish white. When first lifted from the sea, 158 SALMONID^. the backs of the White Trout are of a bluish green, just the colour of the wave ; and the under part of the fish sparkles like molten silver." In a report of the fly-fishing of the province, which J\Ir. Perley was good enough to enclose, I find also the following pertinent remarks on this fish : " It is to be understood," he says, " that the whole Gulf of St. Lawrence abounds with White Trout, from one to seven pounds in weight. They proceed up the rivers as far as the head of the tide in each, but they never ascend into the purely fresh water. In the salt water they are caught only with the ' Prince Edward's Island fly,' so called, the body of Avhich is of scarlet with gold tinsel, or of gold tinsel only, with fom- wings from the feathers of the scarlet ibis — the ' curry-curry ' of South America. " In the estuaries of rivers where the water is only brackish they take the Irish lake-fly with gay colours ; the scarlet ibis seems the most attractive, however, in all cases. In the fresh water the Trout are quite difterent ; they are much longer, very brilliantly coloui-ed, with tricoloured fins of black, white, and scarlet, and numerous bright spots over the body. When the fish are in good condition these spots are nearly as large as a silver penny. They rarely exceed three pounds in weight, but are a very sporting fish ; they take the most of the Irish flies, but the red hackle in all its varieties is the favourite. A bril- liant hackle, over a yellow or fiery brown body, kills everywhere, all the season through. "The Sea Trout fishing, in the bays and harbom's of Prince Edward's Island, especially in June, when the fish first rush in AN UNDESCKIUKI) SI'FXIES. 15'.) from the gulf, is rrally inagniliceut ; they average from thrieto five pouiuU eaeh. I foiuul the best fishing at St. rcler's Bay, oil tl»e north side of the island, about twenty-eight miles from Charlotte's Town. 1 there killed in one morning si.xteen 'I'ront, which weighed eighty ixuinds. '• In till" buys, and along the coasts of tlic i>l.iu(l, they are taken \\'u\\ the scarlet lly, from a boat under easy sail, with a • maekei-i'l l)ree/.e,' and ofti-ntimes a hea\y 'ground swell.' The tly ski[)s from wavi' to wave; at the end of thirty yards of line, and tluMe should be at least seventy yards more on the reel. It is splendid sport ! as a strong tish will make some- times a long run, and give a good ehase down the wind." This clear, able, and sportsmanlike account of this line fish perfectly establishes the fact of its existence as a distinct species, intermediate between the true Salmon {Saimo Safar), on the one hand, and the Hrook Trout {Sa/ino FontinoHs), on the other. And it nnist on no account l)e confounde\. 1(;| American anjjior, ns tlicro i> no lioldrr or Ixftrr fisli, ami its haunts aiv of no «litlicnlt arccxs. I Icinii that an Mn^lisli yacht is already fittin}^ ont, in onkr to takt- tlic lirUl against the Sea Trout in tlie jrulf this very sununer ; and I doubt not that ere ion}? sonn- of our Nfw \ ork cliiiiurs will spread their winj,'s in emulation ol" their lirotlu-rs of the aii^lc from the eastern side of the l)road Atlantic. I can concci\e no more delij^htfid trip, no more exeitin;^ rivalry. 1(32 SALMONID.E. THE MASAMACUSH. ARCTIC CHARR.— HOOD'S CHARR. Salmo Zfoorf/i— Richardson. Masamacush. Arctic Churr. This beautiful fish is given on the authority of Dr. Richardson, by whom it appears to have been first described, although discovered by Lieutenant Hood, in Pine Island Lake, lati- tude 5i°. It is not a little remarkable tliat this fish should have so long remained unknown, as it is stated by its describer "to be common in every lake and river from Canada to the northern extremity of the continent." Whether this includes the great lakes above the Falls of Niagara, it is not stated, although the language would authorise that interpretation ; no distinct mention is made of it, however, as having been taken south of the Mingan River, which empties into the estuary of St. Lawrence somewhere about the latitude of 50°; all the other specimens described being taken in Winter Lake, or in the waters of Boothia Felix ; it is scarcely possible, however, but that it must HAMITS AND IIAIN'IS. 1 C.J be found to tlu- soutliwiirtl of this line, to justify the words of so accurate and correct a writer as Dr. Richardson. At all events, the Minj^an River is in Canada I'ropcr, in the lordship of Miniran, and is constantly visited for the purpose of Salmon fishing, hy yacht ini: parties from (Quebec, scarcely u year occurrinij but one or more vessels are fitted out tor this wihl spot, which is nearly o|>posite to the uorthiin side of thi' inhospitable, and marly if m)t absolutely uninhabitLci, Island of Antiet)sti, the sport amply repayiii}; the time and trouble. I am personally accpuiintcd with several very accomplished Salmon fishers who are at home on those waters, yet by m)nc of these have I ever heard any mention of this tish, and 1 am well satisfied that although it must, 1 presume, have been taken by them frequently, it has entirely escaped their obsenation, bcinj; probably confounded either with the Salmon, or the Salmon Tntut, although entirely distinct from either. It is remarkable as beini; the only ("hair that is found in the inhabited portions of the I'nited States or Canada, for althoiii^h Ricliardson desif^nates the Common Brook Trout {Sd/inn Fon- I'tnalts), as the Nrir York ('fuirr, 1 confess I am at a loss to perceive any j^rounds for so specitymj; it. One ot the nuuked chamcteristics of the Charr, the {greater comparative hei^^ht of the dorsal tin, which will be readily observed in the cut at the head of thi.H article, is entirely wanting in the Brook Trout, and ulthuu^h the vomerine teeth are di»po.H<'d in a cluster in that species, after the manner of the Charrs, this alone hardly appears to me a sunicient reason for altering its nomenclature. The other varieties of Charr, the Angmalook (Salmo A'i7iV/»/,v), M -1 164- SALMONID^. and the long-finned Charr {Salmo Alipes), are fonnd in the small lakes and rivers of Boothia Felix, but as that far northern peninsula is utterly beyond the reach of the most determined angler, it is useless to give them more than this mere passing notice. The Masamacush is, on the contrary, within easy reach of all who are willing to travel distances, without incurring either risk or fatigue, in pursuit of their game, and is found, moreover, in the very waters which afford the greatest variety and the highest attractions to the scientific fly-fisher, in their abundance of Salmon, Salmon Trout, and Brook Trout. It is also a bold and daring biter, voraciously seizing a bait of sucking carp, pork, deer's heart, or the belly of one of its own species affixed upon a cod-hook. " We took many at Fort Enterprise, in March, in gill-nets set under the ice," says Dr. Richardson, "in the neighbourhood of an open rapid by which the waters of Winter Lake were discharged into a river that remained frozen up until June. At that time their stomachs were filled with the larvse of insects. During the summer this fish is supposed to retire to the depths of the lakes, but it reappears in smaller numbers in the autumn, and is occasionally taken in the winter in nets, but seldom by the hook, except in the spring. The spawning season is in April or May, judging from the great development the spawn then acquires, though the spawning beds are unknown to us. The Masamacush attains a weight of eight pounds, but begins to spawn before it weighs more than two or three." Dr. Richardson does not state whether this fish will take the fly or not, but as it is not the general habit of the non-migratory M AlUTS tiF THK MASA M ACI S||. IC).', Trout ot till' Aiiu-rican lakrs, or of tlu- Hriti>.li ("li.irr, to do so, it limy, 1 think, hv prt'siiiiu'il that the Ma^aiiiaciish, w ht-rc he exists ill hiko, is to he taken by trnlliiit; in (hi'|) water with a small 'I'rout or other fish upon a hea\ ily-\\ei|^hti(l hook, with s|)inuiii>; tucklo. It is nut (listiuetly stated, and prohalily is not aseertaiiu'd, wluthir this is an anadroinous or non-nui(ratorv lisli. The Clmrrs, for the most part, are found only in the deepest parts of the lakes which they inhaljit, aiul rarely enter the streams whieh feeil or drain these hut for the purpose of spawning, when they seek out the elearest ami swiftest rivers running on gravel bottoms. The faet, however, that the Masamacush is taken in the Miiigau Kiver, a powerful body of water having direct com- muuieation with the sen, would go far to prove that he is an anadromous fish there, at least, visiting the sea, and returning to spawn ; although it is very probabh' that like many of this family, and like his own eongener, the Angmalook, he can exist inditlcrently in fresh or salt water. I doubt not that in the Mingau and similar rivirs, he could be taken with the same Irish lake-tlies, or the red ibis tly, which is so mortal to the Salmon Trout. Like all the Charrs, he is red-lleshed, and of delicious flavour. And from these facts, were it not that the Masanuieush is said not to exceed eight pounds in weiglit, I should be vastly inclined to suspect his identity w ith tlu- red-fleshed and brightly -coloured lake-fish, which is occasionally taken in the Hamilton County waters, as mciitioiied by Dr. Hethunc in his beautiful edition of Walton's Angler, at page l-J^, iu a note; and as described to 166 SALMONID^. me by Mr. Webber, the author of a series of very agreeable letters concerning the fishing of that region, which were pub- lished in the columns of the New York Courier and Inquirer during the past summer. It is very unfortunate that, so far, none of the gentlemen who have been so lucky as to take this highly-coloured and fine fish, have possessed sufficient scientific knowledge to examine and record its characteristics in such a manner as to allow us to decide upon its identity with any known species. The only thing which appears to be certain, is this : that it does not belong to any one of the three known species of the non-migratory Lake Trout. As it is said to have been taken by the President of the Piseco Club, a gentleman on whose authority perfect reliance may be placed, up to the great weight of twenty -four pounds, this must, in my opinion, be either an entirely nondescript fish, or merely a Brook Trout of gigantic dimensions. It is generally described as being square-tailed, with two rows of red spots, the ventrals and pectorals deeply tinged with vermilion, and the flesh of a bright glowing carnation, and a delicious flavour. Now, this description coincides with no described fish of North America, though nearly agreeing with that of the great Common English Trout of the Thames and of the Irish lakes and rivers. But to return to the Masamacush, as it is known to exist in the northern waters. Its body, as will be observed in the cut, is more slender than that of an}' of the Salmonida heretofore described, and the head is about a sixth of the total length. The lower jaw, when nKSCRIITION (.F Tin: MASAMaCI SII. Ili7 the mouth is closrd, projects beyond the upper one by the ilcpth of the ehin, and it appears h)n^er yet when the month is open. The teeth of the hibials, interniavilhirit'^, and lower jaw, arc very small, short, conical, acute, and slij^htly curved — on the palatine bones there is a row of lar^'cr teeth mixed with smaller ones, and on the knob of tlu' vomer, a cluster of six or seven. The tongue is anni-d with a single row on each sicU-, which meet in a curve at thi" ti[) ; then' arc also two or three scattered teeth on the centre of the tongue. The rakers and i>haryni;cal bones are armed with short teeth like vehet pili'. Of the gill-covers, the ojH'rciil'iin is very narrow, its transverse diameter being scarcely ludf its hciglit. The suh-ojjrrcnhtm exceeds tlie half of its length in height. The Masamacush of the Mingan Kiver, which is the tish in its normal form, according to Dr. Richardson, from wJiom this account is abridged, has ten gill-rays on one side, eleven on the other; dorsal tin-rays twi-lvt-, pectorals thirteen, vcntrals eight, anal ten, and caudal nineteen. The back and sides of this tish are intermediate between olive green and clove broun, bestudded \\\\\\ yi'llo\\i>h grey spots aa big as a pea. A few of these spots on the gill-covers, Helly and under jaw white; the latter dotted thinly with bluish grey. The Arctic fish is brighter in colour ; the i)ack and sides being purple, the spots distinctly yellow, and the sides, below the latcnil line, tinged with a flush of lake. IJcforc proceeding to the Grayling, which, though of this family, is not a pro|>cr Salmon, but of the subgenus Thytmilhts, I \m11 observe that the opinion \Oiich I ha/anlcd in m\ intro- 168 SALMONID^. cluctory remarks couceruing the existence of a distinct Salmon in Sebago Lake, near Portland, in Maine, known as the Sebago Trout, and which I proposed to designate as Salmo Sebago, is fully carried out by the information which I have received since writing those remarks, from a thorough sportsman, well acquainted with all the described species. He assures me that the waters of that lake did contain a Salmon closely resembling the Salmo Salar, but which has in all probability become extinct. At the date of his writing, he was about to set forth on a ^dsit to the lake, and should a fish be procurable, I shall receive it, although not in time to include it in the body of the work, at least in season to be embodied in the Appendix. TIIK AKtTIC IJKAVLINli. n;-» M\rK"s (ii; \^ |,|\(. TIIK AK( I'll (illAVl.lNt. TttjfiHullH* .SVyHi/cr- Ui< II Mii»iiN, ('i\a:K. //tteluiJ: /'uMHii — Kst^i imai .\. /'oi»n>i> JllfU (.'an. Vin. Arctic UnvlUiK. TilK t'M'ffiliiij; hcaiity ami iciiiiirkaMr ^rimio (|ualitirs nl" tlii> li«»l)lr tisli lia\c iiidufttl me to ^i\c liiin a platt- iii tliisc paf^cs, to «liifli liii placf of iiati\ity liardly entitles liiiii, as In- is, I tV'Jir, to l)r toiind iiowlieie sunt liw aid (if tin- i'>l\\i\ parallel ol lutitnde, Ix tweeii Mackeii/ie's lvi\er and the \N eleuiiic. " Its liif^hly appropriatr lvs(|uiiiiaii\ title," sa\.s |)r. Kielianlson, iVoiii whose tine work on the Kanna «»t" Arctic Anurica, 1 liuve borruwi'd both the matter oi this article and the cut llbo^^, " (UMiotin^ 'wini^likc tin,' ullndo to its maj^niticcut dontnl ; nutl it was in retcrencc to the same tVatiire that I bontowcd ui>oii it the specific appcUalioii jif Sh/ni/rr, ' the tttniubird-bcanT,' iiiteiuliii^ also to adxert to the rank ol' my con)|mition, Captain Mack, then a midshipman, who took the firnt )i|)ccinicii we saw with tbi* artiticial lly." I may remark here, that the Kniopeaii (iraxlin^ has the 170 SALMONID^. similar appellation of Vexillifer, or the "banner-bearer," in allusion to tlie same feature, although the fin is greatly inferior in size to that of the fish of which I am speaking. The allusion to Captain Back, then a midshipman, is founded on the fact, that midshipmen in the British navy rank as ensigns in the army, and that French officers of the same grade are styled enseigne de vaisseau in consequence of the same analogy. Dr. Richardson proceeds to observe that " it is found only in clear waters, and seems to delight in the most rapid part of mountain streams. In the autumn of 18£0, we obtained many by angling in a rapid of the Winter River, opposite to Fort Enterprise. The sport was excellent, for this Grayling generally springs entirely out of water when first struck by the hook, and tugs strongly at the line, requiring as much dexterity to land it safely as it would to secure a Trout of six times the size." And this latter would be no small feat, since I find elsewhere that the fish grows to five or six pounds' weight, greatly exceeding his European congener, in size, as he does also in vigour and brilliancy of colouring. " The characters by which the Graylings are distinguished from the Trouts,'' continues Dr. Richardson, " in the 7'effne animal, are the smallness of the mouth, the fineness of the teeth, the great size of the dorsal fin, and the largeness of the scales. The stomach is a very thick sac ; the gill-rays are seven or eight in number." The colour of this beautiful fish is stated by the same author to be as follows : — " Back dark ; sides of a hue intermediate between lavender, purple, and bluish grey ; belly blackish grey with several irregular whitish blotches. There are several DESCHIITION hF the (iKAYLlNO. 171 (iuailran|,'ular spots of Prussian-blue, on the anterior part of the body, each tin<;inj; the margin of four ftdjoiuiu}; scales. The head is hair brown above, the cheeks and ^ill-covers the same, combined with purplish tints, and there is a l)lue mark on each side of the lower jaw. The dorsal tin lias a blackish ^rey colour, with some lighter blotches, and is crossed l)y rows of l)cautiful Herlin-bluc spots ; it is edged with light lake-red. The ventrals jire streaked with reddish and whitish lines in the direction of their rays. "The scales are covered witli a thickisli epidermis, consc- (|ucntly having little lustre. " The body is ct)mpressed, with an elliptical profile, the head, when the mouth is shut, ending acutely, but when viewed from above, or in front, the snout is obtuse. The greatest depth of the body is scarcely onc-tiflh of tiie total length, excluding the caudal, or one-seventh including it. (Jrbit large, distant half its diameter from the snout, and two diameters from the edge of the gill-cover. Nostrils midway between the orbit and the tip of the snout. Mouth not cloven as far back as the edge of the orbit. Intermaxillaries longer than in the Coret/oni, but overlapping the articuhir end of the lal)ials less than in the Trutta. Labials, thin elliptical plates, the posterior piece lanceolate, and a-s broad as the anterior one. I ndcr jaw tolerably strong and rounded at the tip. "The teeth arc small, subulate, pointed, and slightly curved, standing in a single scries on the intermaxillaries, in t\u) rows on the palatines, and in clusters of six or seven on the vomer. The tongue is smooth, but the pharyngeal bones and cartilagi- nous rakers of the branelual arches arc rough. 172 SALMONID^. " Of the gill-covers, the pre-operculum has the form of a wide moderately-curved crescent. The sub -operculum is more than half the height of the operculum, not exceeding it in length. Inter-operculum, small, and acute-angled. " The dorsal fin has twenty-three rays ; the pectorals, fifteen ; the ventrals, nine; the anal, thirteen : and the caudal, nineteen." Although this exquisitely beautiful and very game fish is not, as I have previously observed, properly speaking, a native either of the United States or the British provinces, being only found in the northern part of the unsettled regions of British America, and the waters flowing from Great Slave Lake into the Arctic Ocean ; still, so wonderfully are the facilities of travel increasing through the west and north, and so great is the enthusiasm of the Anglo-Norman race in all matters connected with sporting and sportsmanship, that it by no means appears to me impossible that, before many years have elapsed, the lovers of the angle, whether of English or American bii'tli, will be found casting the fly in the glass-clear rapids of the Winter River, and the other waters of those untamed regions, for the Arctic Grayhng, and the many beautiful species of Salmon that are to be taken there. Nor would there I beheve be much more risk or hardship attending the performance of such a sporting tour, by a strong and well-found party, than was incurred, not only without hesitation, but with alacrity and enthusiasm, by the sporting gentlemen who crossed the Mississippi, in pursuit of the elk and bufi'alo, at any time antecedent to the Black Hawk war. The excitement, the novelty, and, consequently, the charm of such an expedition, would be indescribable; and as the brief Sl'oUTINi; TOIKS. 17. 5 summer of those re«;ions is ii« l)eautifiil as it is brief, wliilc tlie sport.smua would be brouj^lit into eoutaet with an ciitirclv new race of bcnsts, birds, and fish of elui.se, I ean iniaj^iiu' nothing; that would better re|)ay the risk aud cuterprise of sueh an expedition. All the arranijenuMits of smh a tour eouhl be made with {^jrcatest ea.se at Montreal, where every facility could he atlorded to the tourists by the aj^ents of the fur companies, aiul when- the whole of the necessary means are just as well understood. aiul tlu' necessary outfit just as rasily procured, as are those for a tishinj; excursion into llamilton Count v. in Xeu York, or for a Maine Moose-hunt in Boston. The prairies of tlie West have lon<; been explored as hunting; •rrouuds, by the sportsnu'u of the old world as well as bv the hunters and trappers of the new — the forests and deserts of Southern Africa liavc afforded tlieir tropliiesof the savapjc race ; the centml wilds of Abyssinia luivc surrendered their tierce denizens ; the forests of Ceylon, and the dark jun^xles of the farthest India, have become familiar hunting' ^'rounds to the I'^nj^dish sportsmen ; ami I think it is scarcely to be doubted that before mauv years have elapsed, tlie Swedish and Xorwepan rivers beiii^ alreadv overfished, the votaries of the rod aiul reel from either side of the Atlantic will be found whij)piu^' the yet \ir;;in streams of the far north-west. I*i>litical reasons, too, will ha\e their wei;xht in briu;^inj; about such a consummation ; for the di.sturbed state of the continent is already sufficiently alarming to deter the plcasnre-seekin}; yachtJT from \i>itin}: his old liaunts in tlic soft and sunnv seas of Southern Kuro|>r, while the stormier seas of the NNCstern 174 SALMONIDJl. World offer him peace at least and hospitality^ while on these shores he will find sport, whether he affect the rifle or the rod, far superior to what he has been used to enjoy on the eastern continent. I have heard of one yacht already fitting out by an enthusiastic English sportsman, with the intent of visiting this very season the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the bays of Gaspe and Chaleurs, and the wild shores of Prince Edward's Island ; and that good sport to his utmost wish may follow the adven- turous owner, must be the prayer of every generous son of the gun or angle. Tin; SMKI.T Nt>T A S.MKl.'l \V> 'nil. \ Ml. lilt AN SMKI.T. «.*/iirriM i'lriil'.t.f-.ui l.jx mil, IIkka^, Ai..i> All.riuail .Siiidt. Tills liit;lily-j)ri/((l and delicious little fish docs not projjcrlv rail witliin tiic angler's catalogue of Sportinj; l'i>lics, inasmuch as it is quest ionaljlc, at least, whether it is ever taken \\itli the liook ; I have heard it positively asserted that it has been captured both with the fly and with its own roe, but I consider the fact doubtful, to say no more — the fish having probably been confounded with the Athcrinc or Sand- smelt, a small fish com- monly known in this country as the Sparling, and much used as a l)ait fish. This lisli, which a -rood deal resembles the true Smelt, botii in appearance and liavonr, is of ;i dilfcniit order and family, being of the ordci" .■lrti/i//iopfcri/i/ii, aiul famiU Miu/Uidiv, bites freely and readily, and has prohabiv, as I observcil, been mistaken by the unscirntific angler. My object in dwelling on this delicate little fish is, firstly, to correct a vulgar error which 1 find still prevalent with nuinv |MT»ons, that the true Smelt is itientical with the Salmon Smalt, and is, in fact, the fry «»f the Salmon at the commeneemeMf of hia second ycur. The absurdity of this is .Hutficiently evident fn)m the consichr- 176 SALMONID^. ation that the Salmon Smalt is an immature fish, which runs down the rivers he inhabits in the spring, and returns in the autumn a Grilse, as has been related above ; whereas the Smelt enters the rivers perfectly mature, and full of spawn, running up for the purpose of depositing its ova so soon as, or even before, the streams are clear from ice, and returning a spent fish in the autumn. It is a sub-genus of the genus Salmo, true, — but as distinct from it as a roebuck from an elk. My second object in devoting a page or two to this little fish, is to call the attention of scientific men to the fact that there are, in the United States, two distinct species of this fish : the Common American Smelt [Osmerus Viridescens) , — which differs from the European Smelt [Osmerus Eperlamis) in many parti- culars, — and a much smaller and more highly-scented, as well as highly-flavoured, variety, which I believe to be identical with the European fish. Some years since, before I thought of publishing on this subject, I compared this smaller fish with the Eastern Smelt [Osmerus Viridescens) of Lesueur, and, although I have unfor- tunately lost the notes which I made at that time, and forgot the specific difi'erences, except that the ventral fin in the smaller fish was considerably farther forward than in the common fish, I am certain of the fact that there were farther differences in the number of the fin-rays, apart from the extraordinary difference in size, which could not fail to strike the least observant. This smaller fish, so far as I know or have heard, is never taken but in the Passaic and Raritan Rivers; and in neither of these is the large Smelt, common alike to the Eastern and the Southern States, ever seen. I have observed and examined HAIUTS (»K TIIK SMKl.T. 1 77 many tliousaniU, by l)ushi'l hu.Nkrts-l'iill at a time, and liavc never seen n Hsli exeectliuf; seven or eijjht inches in length taken from the Passnie, the jjeneral nm not exceeding; six ; wluTcas it is notorions that the American Smelt is rarely taken less than ten or eh'ven. and thence npward to twelve and tittcen inches. Yarrel stall's of tlic lluropian Smelt, that they are occa- sionally seen ten and eleven inches lon^j^, hot that this is an nnnsnally large size. He also describes their food, diniiii; their residence in fresli water, as consisting of small ti^h. with crustaceons and testa- ceous animals. In the Tay they are s;iid tn feed principally upon the shrimp ; and I have heard it asserted hy persons of iiitegrity, that they have been can^ht with the same bait near Helleville, on the Pa.ssaic. It was my intention to have institnted a toll examination and comparison of these — which I am perfectly satisfied will prove to he two distinct species — this la.st spring : bnt, nnfortu- nately, I was necessarily absent from home dnring the very few days of this season in which they were taken in the Passaic, and lost the opportunity of doing so. The rnn of them is becoming less and less numerous every successive sca-son. and it is to be apprehended that ere hm^; they will cease to visit us at nil. I will remark here that the habit of the Knropean Sntelt in Kngland i<« very capricious in regard to the rivers which he honours with his presence. It is said that in Kngland the Smelt i.^ never taken between Dover and Land's Knd ; on the eastern side of the island it is taken from tlie Thames and s 178 SALMONID.E. Medway to the Tay, and on the western, in the Solway, and so far south only as the Mersey and the Dee. A specific description of this well-known little fish would be useless, as I am unable to furnish data of comparison between the Smelt of the Raritan and Passaic Rivers in New Jersey and the Osmerus Viridescens. Before proceeding farther, I will merely observe that I am well assured that it is generally believed that difierent species of fish cannot be taken with the hook, merely for the reason that no one has ever attempted so to take them ; at least, with any bait at which there was the slightest possibility of their rising. I know that the Shad and the Herring, contrary to all received opinion, can be taken with the fly ; and I have had great sport myself with the latter fish, off" the pier of Fort Diamond in the New York Narrows, catching them with a gaudy peacock-fly, as fast as I could throw it in and pull them out. It would by no means surprise me to find that, during the time when Smelt run up our streams, they may be taken freely, either with a very small bright fly, or with morsels of shrimp or pellets of their own roe, baited upon a number-twelve Limerick Trout-hook, and thrown like a fly, on the surface. Should such prove to be the case, they would affbrd very pretty light fishing at a time when there is no other sport for the angler. l"".i« i.F TIIK <(.!». I7'.> Till-; CAI'I.I.IN. MttUittHM VUlotUS — Ci'VIRK. Of this hciuitiriil little li>li, winch iiih:il)it> the lioithcni seas oiilv, iicviM" romiii;,' hirthfr south than the shores of Nova Scotia and New I >iuus\s iek, 1 am iiiiahle to oiler any representation to my n-aders, ne\er having; seen a specimen or en^'mvinj:. He is very nearly ailiitl to tlie Smelts, from which he difTers principally in the snuilhu-ss of his teeth. He is stntetl in Mr. I'erley's report on the risherics of the (Jnlf of St. Lawrence, to he "from fonr to seven inches in len^^h, the nnder jaw lonfjcr tlian the npper, the colour of thi" hack frrccnish, the nnder surface of the hody silvery. They usually appear ahout Miscou and in the Bay of Chaleurs early in .May; hut sometimes not until nearly the end of that month. The Cod fishery does not commence until the arrival of the Cnpelin, which continues near the shores until tlu" end of .Inly." Mr. I'erley proceeds to state that, in consc(|ueiu'e of the '■ wanton destruction of the proper food of the Cod, — llerrin;^ and CajMlin, — which art taken in immense quantities, not lor immediate eatitii:, or for eurint;, or ft»r hait, hut for manurin^r the pround," tin- Co," In* ad«ls, " made to the Canadian lc|;i!»lature hy a fisherman of (fiupr, it is .stated that this fi.Hher N i 180 SALMONID.E. man had seen five hundred barrels of Capelin taken in one tide expressly for manure ; and that he has also seen one thousand barrels of Hen-ing caught at one time and not taken away, but left to rot upon the beach." It is in this connection that I have here enumerated the Capelin ; for he cannot be taken with the hook, so far as I can learn, and therefore is not game. But for Cod fishing, whether with the deep-sea line, or the bultow, as it is called, or sea-line, it is invaluable as a bait. Whenever it can be obtained, no other should be used. It is an exceedingly excellent fish, however, for the table, possessing much of the flavour with the peculiar cucumber odour of the Smelt. This wanton and stupid destruction of all kinds of game, whether feathered, finned, or furred, really appears to be a dis- tinct characteristic of all the white inhabitants of America, wheresoever they are to be found ; and it cannot be doubted that ere long they will most bitterly regret the consequences of their rapacity and wasteful folly. In this case, the wantonness is the more remarkable, as well as disgraceful, because, as Mr. Perley well remarks, " a boun- tiful ProAddence has furnished the shores with inexhaustible quantities of kelp and sea-weed, and other valuable manures, which really enrich the soil, while it is admitted that the use of fish greatly deteriorates it. " The legislature of Canada has been strongly urged to make it a misdemeanor, punishable by fine and imprisonment, for any person to use either Herring or Capelin as manure, and such a measure would seem to be highly desirable in New Brunswick. KKSTHrn'HtN OK TlIK (Al'Kl.lN. l^l To be cttVctiM'. tlnTc should hr similar rpijulations on both .siilus of the Bay of Clmleiu-s." Doul)tless this is all \iry trui-, hut unt'tirtuiiately the Icj^is- Inture of Canada is imieh too busy in j)ii.ssin«; bills (or the nward ai' notorious niurtltTcrs and rrln-ls, and the opposition to tlu- ministry mneh tuo l)M>>y in combatiu}; them, and striving to ^et into oftiec again, to think of anythin<^ that eould benefit the |tn)\nu'i', or tend to the good of any one except themselves and their own innnediate partisans. Their own had passions, and factious partisanship, and no ex- terujil causes whatsoever, are the bane aiid curse of the C'anadas ; but, after all, I suppose, it matters mighty little whether the legislature pa>s such a law or no ; for no human being that I ever heard of in America, whether British or of the United States, ever dreamed of obeying the game law, except exactly iu so far as suited his own convenience. So I presume the doom of the Capelin, and ultimately of the Cod, may be considered sealed. 1S3 SALMONID.E. THE WHITE EISH. ATTIHAWMEG. Congonus Alius — Lesueur, Clvier. This and the succeeding fish are the last two of the Salmon family, and the only two of their own peculiar sub-genus found within the limits of the United States and British provinces, although there are several other species in the Arctic regions. In Europe they have several equivalents which are generally known as Lavarets ; of these are the well-known British species the Gwyniad, the Vendace, and the Powan, of England and Scotland, and the Pollan of Ireland, all closely connected, and yet perfectly distinct from the analogous fish of America. Here, unfortunately, these fine fish have no names at all, save the trivial designations or absurd misnomers given to them by the first rude settlers of the regions in which they are found. The fish of which we are now speaking is probably the most delicious of all the purely fresh-water varieties ; for such to all U A HITS AND MM NTS. 1 S-i iiitt'uts imil pur|)oscs it is, hm h tjible li^ll, Inr il is uol t'uuiul within thf limits of civilisaitioii, except in tlie hikes above the Falls of Niajjara, which preclude the |»t)ssil)ility of coniinuiiica- tioii with the sea. It is, ImwrMr, toiiiid in the ( 'oppcniiiiie, tlu- Mackenzie, ami otlu-r ii\eis uhith tall into the .\retic Sea, and can " prohahlv live indiiri-ientiy," as |)r. Kiihardson observes, " on fresh or salt water, like sr\iral species of Trntta and Curct/oiii, that occasioualiy w.uuk-r to the sea, althoni^h they are not strictly ainidronious." It is clai'.netl by the inhabitants of that portion of the State of New York that the finest White Fish of tlu- whole western country are taken in ('hatan(|ue Lake, a snndl mountain tarn situated some hundretl feet above Lake Kric, and formin-j; one of the sources of the Allejihany River. I doubt not the superiority of the C'hataucjue Lake White Fish to the same species taken in the shallow, muildy, and turbulent waters of Lake Krii- ; but 1 entirely disbelieve in its beinj; able to sustain comparison with that of the clear, di-ep, and eoKl waters of Lake Huron, \> here it is found of the greatest size, and in, as I understand, the ;;reatcst jHirfectiou. " It is," .says Richardson, " a ri:, loclis ; Jiiul, 1 have littU' douht, with the frjib-ciitiii^ Trout ol' the Mnrshpee ri\er in this e«)iuitr\. To the exeelh'iiee ot" the \N hite Fish, I eau liear perxjiial ti's- timony when on the tiibh", hut 1 have nevir had an op|)ortunit\ of examining it ; and I am nuU'hted for the dcvcription l)elo\v to the '"Fauna Horeali-Auierieana," of thi- autlior 1 have so often quoted. I am informed that this tish is t)ceiisionully taken \>y persons engaj^ed in trolling; for tlie liake Trout, or thro\\in^' the fiv tor the Bhick Bass {Gnjsfes Nir/rican^), nor ean I at all douht that were Ids luihits properly observed and carelully studied hv a scientific anjiler, judj^inj:; from what has been stated above in relation to his food, he mi;:ht be taken with the iiook with as much certainty as any other of the lake lish, unless, perhaps, the IJlaek Bass, and he would assuredly show pjreat sport at the end of a lonj; line, bein«; both a powerful and active fish. The avcra;;e weight of this tish appears to be three or four pounds, but, when ven.' fat, it is often taken up to seven or eight; and in particular localities it attains a much greater size, having been caught in Lake Hurou of thirteen or fonrtecMi, aiul in [jake N[nnito, it is said, of twenty. One of seven pounds, caught in Lake Huron, measured twenty- seven inches in length. In form, the .Vttihawnicg is very deep in comparison to its length ; one of the ordinary size, taken in Pine Lsland liake. measuring as five to seventeen, exclusive of the eaudal fin ; but when vcr}* fat, its di*pth is as one to three. The bo frontal 186 SALMONID^. bone^ aud formiug oue-fifth of the length, excluding the caudal. The eyes are large, and situated a little more than a diameter of the orbit from the tip of the snout, and nearly thrice as far from the edge of the gill-plate. The nostrils are placed mid-way between the orbit and the snout. The snout is blunt when seen in front, but its profile is more acute. The mouth has a small orifice, but, when shut, its angles are depressed. The jaws and tongue are furnished with a few teeth, which are too minute to be readily seen by the naked eye, and too slender to be very perceptible to the finger. The vomer and palate are quite smooth. Of the gill-covers, the pre-operculum is sharply curved, and rather broad ; its width, in the middle, equalling the height of the suh-operculum. The operculum measures one-third more vertically than it does horizontally ; while, on the contrary, the suh-operculum is twice as long as it is high. The inter -operculum is triangular. The branchial arches have each a single row of erect subulate rakers, a quarter of an inch long, and rough on their inner surfaces. The pharyngeal bones are inconspicuous and toothless. The scales are large, irregularly orbicular, and about half an inch in diameter, with a bright pearly lustre. Colour, in the shade, bluish grey on the back, lighter on the sides, and white on the belly, giving place to a nacry and iridescent pearly lustre in a full Hght. Cheeks, opercula, and irides, thickly covered with nacre. Fins : branchiostegous rays, eight ; dorsal, fifteen ; pectoral, i>Ksri{ii''rii>N Ml' TiiK AiriiiAW.MKc. Is; sixteen; vtntrul, iIcm-m ; aii.il, tit'tciii ; (Miidiil, iiiiu'tcm and seveII-s^^l•ntll^. Tlic ailipuM- tin i>r:ithtr lar^c, uud >>itu:itr(l oppositi" the UrinuiiitioM ot* the anal. I'lic landal is forked and spreads wiilciy. It is, III siiort, a \t TV liiantilnl lisli, and no Itss iiM't'iil tlian it i> lu-antilnl and dtlici()ii>. allordiii;,' tlic |iriiici|ial >iil)>'i>tciift' to st'Viral Indian liordis, and l)i'iiiir (lie main ri'liaiuT of niaiiv ot tlif tiir posts tor ci^jit or niiu- niontiis uttlic viar. flu' Mip[)lv of otiiir artic'lfs of diet heini; scanty and casual. I shall rejoice to liarn hercaitcr that it inav turn out, as 1 inori- than suspect it may, as i^reat a sourci- of pleasure to the anirh-r, as it is of [)rolit to the fur-tradi-r anil the \oyai;enr. 188 SAI.MONID.E. THE OTSEGO BASS. OTSEGO LAVARET. Coregmius Otsego — Dekay. Salmo Otstgo — Dewitt Clinton. Through the kindness of my esteemed friend,, Mr. Cooper, of CooperstowUj I have had an opportunity, during this present spring, of carefully examining and dissecting this exceedingly beautiful and interesting fish, as well as of testing its qualities on the table. It is very closely cognate to the last-mentioned species, but is unquestionably distinct ; differing in size, form, in the number of fin-rays, slightly in the gill-covers, and so far as I could dis- cover without a microscope, entirely in the dental system. Although a deep fish, it is not nearly so much so as the Atti- hawmeg ; the finest specimen which 1 inspected, measuring eighteen and a half inches in length, and ten inches in circum- ference at the origin of the dorsal fin ; the depth at the same point was a fraction under four inches, not being much less than a fifth of the whole length, including the dorsal. The gill-covers diff'ered in form, in having the posterior free margin llvniTS AM) IIAI'NTS. IHO more cnrvod, and k'ss vertical, the operculum less Iul'Ii in pro- portion to its len^jth, niul the Hub-opercnlum more so. The snout was sharper and lonj^er, and the hd)ial plates shallower in pro- portion to their len<:th. The hranchiostefjous rays were eight on one side, nine on the other ; the dorsal fin-rays, thirteen ; the pectoral, seventeen ; the ventral, eleven ; the anal, eleven ; and the caudal, twt-nty-two. I examined tlu' mouth as minutely as I I'ould without the aid of a glass, and neither hy my eye nor my finger could I detect the vestige of a tooth on the niaxillaries, interniaxillaries, tongue, palate, or vonu-r. the latter ])arts heiniz of a pearly whiteness, and as smooth as glass. The pharyngeal hones were also toothless, hut the hranchial arclies were armed with erect rakers, precisely as descrihed in the last-named species. The colours of this fish were the most beautiful, lustrous, and brilliant, that I ever witnessed — the back, of a rich iridescent blue, changing to greenish ; the sides, cheeks, and friii-eovtMs, glittering like mother-of-pearl, and the ])elly sparkliu;,' like molten silver ; the tins, of a bluish green ; the caudal xcry deeply forked; the lateral line lu'arly straight. This exquisite and beautiful fish, so far as is known, is found only in the Otsego Lake, the head waters of the Susquehana Kiver; but it wouhl be vcr}' curious to compare it with the so-called White Fish of ('hatau(juc Lake, a locale very similar to the Otsego, e(|ually cut off from commtinieation with other waters, and at about an equal elevation above tide-water. I greatly suspect that the Coregoni of these two mountain lochs would prove identical. 190 SALMONID.E. The habits of the Otsego Lavaret are but little known. It is gregarious^ however, and rushes in vast shoals, early in spring, to all the shallow waters and shores of the lake, for a few days, during which he is taken in vast numbers ; after that time he retires to the coldest depths of the lakes, and is seen no more until autumn, when he again makes his appearance for the purpose, it is supposed, of spawning, although the period at which the ova are deposited does not appear to be clearly ascer- tained, nor whether the spawning-beds are in the shoal waters of the lake, or at the mouth of its feeders. It is lamentable to think, though but too true, that through the wanton improvidence of the early settlers, who dealt with this delicious fish much as the New Brunswickers do with the Capelin, literally, I believe, feeding their hogs with them, they have already visibly declined in magnitude, as well as decreased in number. They were formerly taken, weighing up to four pounds ; but now, the half of that weight is regarded as an unusually fine fish. The specimen which I have described above weighed two pounds and three ounces, and was an uncommonly well-fed and delicious fish. With regard to their food, I can say nothing definitely; the stomachs of those which I examined contained nothing but a blackish earthy substance, which resembled decayed vegetable matter, and some small fragments of worms, or larvse of insects. I observed no thickening of the stomach, nor anything which seemed to indicate their feeding on any shell-fish or molluscse. ("KiiKnii'V < of the irame (pialifies of his order. My prineipal oljjeet, however, in iiit rodueiii^ liiin In this place was, lirst, to present the whole fainily of Ameiiean SalmonidfE to my reackM's, as complete as jjossihle ; ami secondly, to reclaim with all my mitrht ajr:iinst the absurdity of eallin*; tins fish n Hnss, of the family l\ rriihr, to which it has neither reseml)hinc(> nor kindred. Thi.s absurdity, if possible, is rendered more flagrant by thi' fact that tliere is yet another fish, as distinct from this as pos- sible, (lesi{:^nate(l as tlic Oswej^o Hass, thou«;l> it is no Mass either, but a Corviua, of tin; famdy i)( Sric/iidtP, called also the Lake Sheep's-head, which, from the similarity of title, is fre- (piently confouiuled with this Corci/fnius or Tiavaret, and als(» with the Hlack Hass of the St. Lawrence, which, for tiio third time, is not properly a Hass (Grystvs Xii/rira/isi, and which is a;xain, throu;jh the similarity of names, eontused with tlic Sea Hass {('r/ifrnjiris/cs Xii/rirdiis), who is alxi l)lunderin;4l\ called niack Hass. So that we have actually four TinIi, as differ- ent one from the other as any four thinj,'s eau be, all binndered up together in confusion worse confounded, owing to the timi- dity of naturalists lu-sitating to alter a nuHuonier originating in the ignorance of those who were naturally ignorant. Tin' scientific name and chnracteristies of this fish are wc 11 estab- lishctl, as i'oreynnuit (Jtnt'ffo, the Knglish of whicli, beintr inter- 192 SALMONIDiE. preted, is '^ the Otsego Lavaret." And now, why should not the stupid blunder of Bass be consigned to the oblivion which it deserves, and the true appellation be applied to the fish, an appellation which assigns to this the last, not least, of the American Salmonida, a local habitation and a name ? FAMILY «>K Tin: slI.tlUDi;. I'J.i ISlLUlUDJv — ♦ — Tin: f\T-risii. /luroH Pimrli>t{r. Silumii, J'liii'liiilii.t, i',rni)*>i» Ririimi)so>. f'hannrl f«t-»t«h. I'll IS siu'jtilar and hideous family of tislics is distinguislicd from the others of the same order, by the skin being either nnkcd or protected by lar<;e phites, but always destitute of true scales. The interniaxillaries are suspendi'd under the ethmoid bone, and form the border of the \ipper jaw, «hile the labials are lenj^'thened out into barbi-ls, or are dimply rudiniental ; it has, also, a seeoud adipose dorsal tin. First r;iys of the dorsal and pectoral tin spinous. This fnniily contnins twenty-five or thirty species peculiar to Americn, which are peneraily known n.s Cnt-fisli, Bull-heads, Bull-j)outs, &e. They inhabit the Inrfjer lakes and rivers espe- cially, but arc found in all tin- waters of North America. o 194 SILURID^. The commonest and the largest species both belong to the subgenus Pimelodus, and are well known as Cat-fish. The ordi- dinary kind measuring only a few inches in length, and never exceeding a few ounces' weight ; the largest reaching a hundred or even a hundred and fifty pounds, especially in the great northern lakes, and in the western rivers. The great Huron Pimelode, or, as it is often called, the Channel Cat-fish, which is the largest of the family, is thus described by Richardson. "Profile oval, tapering into the tail. Head broadly oval, forming two-ninths of the total length. Orbits small, and nearer to the snout than to the gill-openings. Nostrils situate some distance before the eye. A slender barbel, half an inch long, springs from their posterior margin. Snout obtuse. Labials ending in a tapering barbel, which is an inch and a quarter long, and reaches to the gill-opening; there are also two slender barbels, one on each side of the chin. Both jaws are armed with a brush-like band of short teeth. The palate and vomer are smooth. In this genus the sub-operculum is wanting ; the pre-operculum is attached to the operculum by bone, and can be traced by its elevated ridge. The inter-oper- culum cannot be traced through the skin. There are nine gill- rays. The gill-openings are rather narrow. The dorsal rays are — one spinous, seven soft ; second dorsal, adipose. Pectorals, one spinous, eight soft ; ventrals, eight ; anals, twenty-four ; caudals, seventeen. The skin is smooth, thick, adipose, and lubricated by a mucous secretion. The colour is a dingy greenish brown above, and dirty white below. The flesh is very rich and gelatinous, and not dissimilar either in quality or flavour to that of the Eel. In •-i'r.( US mk ivT-iKii 105 some places it is cstceiut-d u j^reat ilelicuoy. All tlic Cat-tish an- greedy biters, and will take nlinost any animal substance as a bait. After beinj; hookeil, however, although they are powerful lish, and pull hard for a while, it is y(>t a dead lu:; entirely: unlike the livi-ly and tierce nsistanee of the Trouts and Perches; and they afl'oid in truth very little real sport ti) the angler. Seven species of this \U\\ ari- (jnotiil by M. Lc Sueur as belonging to Lakes Erie, Ontario, ami their tributary waters, besides many other varieties in the soutlicrn and western waters, where it grows to a yet more enormous size. There is, however, so little diUcrencc either in the appearance or habits of this filthy, niuddoving and hideous fish, that the description of one species must serve for all. The cut at the head of this article represents the great Cat- tish, or Huron Piinclode. The {Si/iirus Glunis), Sly Silurus, or Sheat-fisli, is tlu- largest fresh-water tish of Europe, growing, it is said, to six feet in length, and attaining to three huiulred weight. Dr. Smith includes this species of Si/un/.s in the tishes of Massachusetts, and l)r. I'lint attributes it to tlu; Ohio and Mississippi, both evidently confounding it «ith the \ari(jus indigenous Pimclodcs, which it greatly resembles. It ditfcrs from the American Pimclodcs in having the anal tin extremely long, extending almost the whole distance from the extremity of the ventral to the ••ritrin of the caudal fin. 196 FAMILY OF THE CYPRINID^. CYPRINID^. THE COMMON CARP. Cyprinus Carpio — Linn^us, Cuvier. Of this family, Cyprinidx, the principal characteristics are a mouth slightly cleft ; weak, and generally toothless jaws ; pharyngeal bones strongly dentated ; one dorsal fin ; branchial rays few in number ; to which may be added large fleshy lips, and bodies covered with large scales. It comprises eighty or ninety well-known American species, not one of which is worthy of notice, as either a fish of sport or a dainty. There are in America no Carps proper, indigenous to the country — no Barbels — no Cobitis, or loaches. Leucisci, analogous to, though by no means — as stated by Dr. J. V. C. Smith, of Massachusetts — identical with the Chub, Roach, Dace, and Bleak of Europe, are found in abundance under the above names, but still more commonly as Shiners. The genus Abramis, Bream, has again several representatives in the waters of North America, but none either of this or the last subgenus can attain to dimensions which lead the angler to trouble him- self about them, unless it be as bait for other fish, as Pike and Perch, for which purpose several of these fish are better Sl'KClEb uK CAKl*. IU7 mlapted than those of any other fiimily, nnlcss it be the youn}^ fry of the Salinoniilte, while in their l*arr form. In lieu of those {ijenern, however, whieh exist in Englanil ami on the eontiuent of Europe, but entirely laek Anu*riean repre- sentatives, several prevail here whieh arc totally wanting in Kurope, as the genus Labeo, the genus Catastumun, Suckers, or Sucking Carp, many varieties of which are founil throughout the waters of the Initeil States and Canada, from north to south, and many species of Hydrarijyra, analogous to the European Minnow. Sevcnd of these laat species are of great interest to the naturalist, the ('utdsfoini, or Snekers especially, from the sni- gular formation of their mouths, which are situated far below and posterior to the tip of the snout, and furnished with crimped and pendant labials, adapted for the deglutition of vegetable substances and even of nnul ; biit to the sj)ortsman they are of no account, as they do not take the bait, and are worth little as bait themselves, while, l)y the epicure, they are justly held in utter scorn. The truth is, that nowhere under the canopy of heaven are the genus Cypr'mus worthy to be accounted Sporting Fishes, and nowhere are they eatable — not even excepting the Carp and Tench of Euroiw; — unless with the aid and appliances of a most careful cuisine, and l)y dint of stewing in claret, with condi- ments and spices, garlic and forcemeat balls, and anchovies, such as might convert a kid glove, or the sole of a reasonably tender India-rubber slioc into delicious esculents. The shyness of the Carp in biting, the great size of the T^enm and nnrbcl. and even in some waters of the Chub, 198 CYPKlNlDiE. induce bottom-fishing anglers at home to take some pleasure in their pursuit and capture, but that is invariably in such slow and sluggish waters as contain no gamer or more delicate fish ; and the duU, loggy^ watery fish themselves, and the cockney punt-fishers, who aspire to take them, are held in about equal esteem, or disesteem, by those who know what it is to throw a long line lightly, with a cast of flies, for the vigorous-speckled Trout, or to spin, or even troll, with the parr or minnow, for the savage and voracious Pike or Salmon. In America, none of the Leucisci, Chub, Roach, Dace, or Shiners, and none of the Abramis, Bream, exceed five or six inches in length, and consequently are never subjects of more serious pursuit than the holiday crooked-pin and angle-worm fishing of school-boys. They are the detestation of the Trout bottom-angler, constantly nibbling away his bait, and tantalising him with vain hopes of a bite. Of this family, therefore, so far as the true American genera are concerned, no notice need be taken in a sporting work, except as relates to two or three little fishes, to which I shall devote a few lines each, as being excellent bait for all the larger and bolder fishes. Within the last few years, however, two European varieties have been introduced, and have become entirely naturalised in some of our waters. The Gold Carp {Cyprinus Aiiratus of Lin- nseus and Cuvier), or common Gold and Silver Fish of China, in the Schuylkill, and in some streams of Massachusetts, and the Common Carp of Europe, whose title stands at the head of this paper, in the Hudson, especially in the vicinity of Newburgh. The former of these little fish is, indeed, unworthy of notice. Tin: (AIM' IN Tin: in dsun. liH) except as an omaiiunial fish, to be kci)t in garden tanks and fonntains ; bnt the other being nineh, though 1 must confess in my opinion untlrsfrvvdty, esteenied in Kuiope, and having been deemed wortliy of legishitive enactments for his protection l)y the State of New \ork, I >h;ill proceed to (h'seril)e as a species, which, within a year or two at the farthest, will come within the American angler's list of game. The mode of this fish's introduction into Aincriean waters is as follows: — Cai)tain Hobiiison, who has a tine place iiniiie- diately on the banks ot the Hudson liver, containing some line Hsli-ponds, between Newbiu"gh ami New Windsor, imported some years since a (jnantity of ("arp at considerable expense, I believe from Holland, where the species is very abundant and very tine in cpiality. His ponds were soon admirably stocked; but in process of time a heavy freshet carried away his dams and tlood-gatcs, and a very large proportion of his Carj) escaped into the Hudson, This fact being represented to the legis- hiture of the State, a penal enactment was passed, heavily mulcting any person w jio should lake any one of these Hudson KivcrCarp, at any seas()n or under any circumstances until after the expiration of five years from the passing of the net. The provisions of this bill have been striitly enforced: several |>cr8ons have been fined, and the lish is now extremely abundant. I cannot here, in relating these circumstances, control myself, but must invoke the contempt and indignation of (?verv gentle sportsman, ever)' rea.sonablc thinking man, upon the heads of that ignorant, motley, and dfstructivf assemblage, which is entitled the Senate and AsM-mbly of New ^ Ork. Tor the last fifteen years not r session lia.s pn-sscd without the strenuous iind 200 CYPRINID^. sustained attempts of the most echicated and most influential gentlemen of the State, both of the city and the agricultural counties, to induce the faineant demagogues of that assembly to take some measure to prevent the total extinction, within that very county of Orange, of some of the noblest species of game in existence, indigenous to that region, and once abundant, but already scarce, and within twenty years certain to be lost alto- gether, through the mal-practices of their destroyers, the errors of the existing game-laws, and the difiiculty of enforcing them in their present state. It is quite unnecessary to state that these efi'orts were wholly ineffectual — that it was found impossible to induce those learned Thebans to do anything to prevent American Woodcock from being shot before they are fledged, and American Brook Trout from being caught upon then' spawning beds; but that no sooner is a coarse, watery, foreign fish accidentally thrown into American waters, than it is vigorously and effectively protected, which protection was merely granted I believe to enable " a facetious member of the legislature," as he is styled by the learned Dr. Bethune in his fine edition of "Walton's Angler, to draw a witty comparison between the naturalisation of " scaly foreigners" and Irish voters. I dare say the " facetious member" was not devoid of hopes that the scaly foreigners would some day or other vote for him. It is impossible to feel anything but contempt for such unutterable blockheadism, while it is equally impossible to expect anything better, after their recent exhibitions in the legislatorial line, from such a body as the New York Houses of Assemblv. DKSCKIl'TloN (»K TIIK CAICI'. :.'Ul Siiui', however, tlic'ir wistloni lias prououuccd tliat lit'iiccfortli the Carp is tu he a game tish of America, I shall proceed to descrihe this "scaly foreijjtuT," thus naturalised with a live yeairs' exemption from liability to capture, in the waters of 1 lud^ou's ri\i'r. The lluropeau ("arp is oru* of tlu> lish wliich has hccii the lon«;cst known and esteemed, heintr mentioned hy Ari>totle and Pliny, althou^di they do not at that period ap|)ear to have attained their present celebrity. They are found in most of the lakes anil rivers of l]iu"ope. but thrive best in the more ti'mpcrate southern districts, degenerating; when thev are carrieil fartlicr north. It is said that in Russia they arc even now unkiu)wn. " Their growth," says .^^r. Varrel, " is, however, particularly cultivated in Austria and Prussia, and consid.'rable tratVic in ('ar{) prevails in various parts of the European continent, where an acre of water will let for as much vearlv rent as an acre of land, and where fresh-water fishes, as articles of food, are lield in higher estimation th.in in this country" — Mr. \ arrel means Kngland, l)ut the observation is even more applicable to tin- I nited States than to (ireat Britain. "Carp," he continues, "are said to live to a great age, even to one hundred and titty or two hundred years ; l)nt they lose their rich colour — their scales, like the productions of the cuticle in some other animals, becoming grey and white with age." The exact period of the introduction of the Carp to England is unknown, but it is mcntioucd in the " Hoke of St. Albans." ])y liady Juliana IJcnjers, printed in I UMi, and the great pro- l)ability is that it was naturalised from the continent, probably 202 CYPRINID^. from the Low Countries, or Austria, previous to the suppression of the monastic institutions. The Carp thrives best in ponds or lakes, and in such parts of rivers a8 have a slow, lazy current, and a muddy or marshy bottom. " They are very prolific," I again quote from Mr. Yarrel, " breeding much more freely in lakes and ponds than in rivers. Bloc found six hundred thousand ova in the roe of a female of nine pounds' weight, and Schneider seven hundred thousand in a fish of ten pounds' weight. They spawn toward the end of May, or the beginning of June, depending on the temperature of the water and the season ; and the ova are deposited upon weeds, among which the female is followed by two or three males, and the fecundation of a large proportion of the ova is by this provision of nature effectually secured ; but they both breed and grow much more freely in some waters than in others, without any apparent or accountable cause." The Carp, and indeed the whole family of Cyprinida, are the least voracious of all fishes, and the least addicted to animal food, the larvse of insects, worms, the softer and more gelatinous parts of aquatic plants, and even vegetable mud, furnishing them with ample subsistence. During the winter, it is believed that they eat little or nothing, and lie, lialf torpid, in the mud. They are extraordinarily tenacious of life, and can be kept alive in a cool place for many days, and even weeks, if placed in wet moss, and fed on bread steeped in milk. This peculiarity renders them very easy of transportation. They are slow of groAvth, not arriving at the weight of ten pounds before their sixth year; they arrive, however, ultimately DHSCKIITION oF TIIK CAKl'. lIU.J at a very <;rcut size, lmviii<; been taken up to eighteen pounds, at wliieli ultiniuni they are ntarly as broad as they arc h)Ji;r, nieasuriui; thirty iuelies in len;,'th by twenty-two or three in depth. " Tliey are in season for tlie tabk'," says Yarrell, once more, " from October to April, and are greatly inikdjtcd to cooks for the estimation in whieh tluy an- held. *' Tlie mouth is small ; no a[)[)arent teeth ; a l)arl)ule or eirrus at the up[)er part of each eorni-r of the mouth, with a second smaller one above it on each side; the nostrils are large, pierced at the second-thiril of the distance between the lip and the eye. Tlie eye is small : the operculum marked with striie radiating from the anterior edge ; nape and back rising suddenly. The dorsal tin-rays arc twenty-two in nundjcr ; the pectorals, seven- teen; ventral.s, nine; candals, nineteen. The first dorsal tin-ray is short and bony, the second also bony and strongly serrated posteriorly. The first anal lin-ray is also bony and serrated posteriorly. The tail forked, the longest rays as long again as those of the centre. The caudal rays of the two halves of the tail always nneiiuHl in ninnbcr in the Cyprinldw. The body covered with large scales, about twelve rows between the ventral and dorsal tins; the general colour golden olive brown, head darkest; irides golden; belly yellowish white; lateral lini- interrupted, straight. Fins, dark brown." This fish \s very well adapted for keeping in muddy stew-ponds, where he wdl Ijcainic very fat, and can be used with advantage. when no other fish is to he procured. 204 CYPKINID^. THE AMERICAN HOACH. Leuciscus Urtilus ? The American E/Oach is a pretty, lively little fish, common to most of tlie ponds and small running streams of the Middle and Northern States, and is closely analogous to the Em'opean fish of the same name, although it never approaches it in size. In England the Roach has been taken up to the weight of five pounds ; in the United States it rarely exceeds five or six inches in length, and together with its congeners, the Chub and Dace, as they are generally termed, though none of them identical with the European species, are seldom taken except by school-boys, and never put on the table except in remote country districts, where sea-fish and the better inland varieties being unknown, anything will pass muster, in this line, as dainties. The Roach is readily distinguished by his blood-red irides, and the ruddy tinge which borders his pectoral, ventral, and anal fins. His head is thick and obtuse at the snout, the labials coarse and fleshy. The eye large, and situated midway between the tip of the snout and the posterior margin of the gill- covers. The gill-covers are moderately curved, forming an irregular semicircle. The pectoral fin has its origin immediately behind the edge of the sub-operculum. The origin of the dorsal is midway between the snout and origin of the caudal fin, and the ventrals vertically imder it. The caudal fin is powerful and lunated. The dorsal rays are ten in number; the pectoral nESfRIPTION OK THK ROACH. 20.') sixteen; vcntrnl, nine; unal, ulcvtii; iiml cuudal, nineteen. 'I'lii>< little tish is {^egurious, swimming iu shoals, anil fci'iling on worms and herbs. It is ailniirahle as a bait tor Pike, and for the larjjer varieties ot' Pen li and River liass, l)ein^, I think, preferred by tluin to any other tish, as the Parr is by the Sea Salmon, and the iarj^er spceies of Lake and Sea Tnnit. The Chub ami l>aee are also {^ood i'm the ^allu• pnrijox', hut interior to the Roaeh. As sportinir 'i^^h, it would he a loss of time to describe them at length. The Ameriean Chub never exeeeds ten inehes. •200 CYPRINID^. THE NEW YORK SHINER. Stiihe Clinjsoleucos — Agassiz. Cyprinus Chrysoleucos — Mitchil. New York Shiner. This beautiful little fish is common to almost eveiy pond and stream throughout the temperate regions of North America, from the waters of New England to those of Lake Huron. It is found associating, to a certain degree, with the species last described, and still more commonly with the Sun-Fish [Pomotis Vulgaris), and the Yellow Perch [Perca Flavescens), though it undoubtedly falls a victim to the voracious appetite of the latter fish, when it grows to a large size. It loves gravelly shallows, on whicb it spawns, and is constantly to be seen sporting among the large water lilies. Like the species last named, it is an excellent bait both for Perch and Pike, and is often taken on spinning tackle by great Trouts, whether brook or lacustrine. It belongs to that group of Leucisci which have the dorsal fin far back, and in this respect greatly resembles the sub-genus Abramis, or Bream. I.I v( iMl'TluN uK THK ^IIINKK. :iU7 Its head is snuiU, smuotli, aiul dupresscil aihove. The mouth is small, ami ilfstitut*.' of ti-fth. The eyes arc lar;<(', with yellow iriiles. The body is very deep, being very nearly one-third of the lenirth, exeludinj; the eaudal fin. The branehiostej^al rays are three in niiinber; the i)ect()ral, sex tiiteen ; ventral, nine ; dorsal, nine ; anal, fourteen ; and caudal, nineteen. The upper part ot'tlic luail, hack, and sides, dark glossy green; lower sides, and belly, silvery white, with i^oldcn rellcxions. Dorsal fin, bruvMiish yellow ; ])cc-torals, reddish bufV; ventrals, ilull lake ; anal and eaudal. dull reddish brown, streaked with lake. Of this group, there are several speeies, all abundant, ami afl'ording mueh sport to sehool-boys and young ladies. To the angler, exeept as bait, they are little worth, and to deseribc one variety, as a type of the species, will be atnply snllieient. 208 CYPRINID^. AMERICAN BEEAM. A hram Is Versicolor — Agassi z. American Bream. The Bream of America, of which there are several inferior species, like the others of this family which I have enumerated, never grows to any size, and is very little accounted by the angler in general, though in some of the western waters, where they bite freely, they are sometimes angled for with the small red worm, and are accounted a delicate pan-fish. They are distinguished from the other Cypi'ini, by the great depth of their bodies, by having the dorsal set very far back, behind the extremity of the ventral, and by the great length of the dorsal fin. The tongue is smooth, as well as the jaws and palate, but the lower pharyngeal bones are set with large teeth. Like the other Cyprini, the Breams are among the least car- nivorous of fishes. This is a beautiful species. The back is dark, of a hair-brown hue, varied with many coloured changeable reflexions ; the sides, CANADIAN HKKA.M. 209 golden yellow ; and the Ixlly, silviry white ; the d()r>:d and eaudul fins, hrown ; the others, yellowish, tinned with red. The bninehial rays are three in nuniiier ; the dorsal tiu-rnys, twelve; the pectorals, twelve; tin- ventrals, seven; the anal, twenty-seven ; and the eandal nineteen. A little fish, elosely resendjlinj; this in form, is di-serihed and tiirnri'd in l>r. Richardson's " Northern Zooloj^ry," on the an- thority ot' Lieut. -Colonil Snuth, who took it at the; eonllnenec of the Iliclielicu and St. Lawrence. It is known to the Canadians as La Qiu'schv. In form, it elosely resembles this species; and in colour, the last described ; bnt it has one spiny ray in the dorsal, and one in the anal fin, and a tootlu-d tonj^ne, which wonld seem to divide it from the genns Abramis : while the size of the ainil divides it from the trnc Carps. It has, more- over, small scales, and barbels. 210 CYPRINID^. MINNOWS. Hydrargyra — Auctorum. American Minnows. The Minnow Proper of Europe [Cyprinus, Leuciscus, Phoxinvs), is unknown to the waters of North America, but as their equi- valents, and analogous to them, we have innumerable species of the Hydrargyra, or Aram-ican Minnow ; which, in general ap- pearance, habits, and haunts, are very nearly assimilated to the European fish. Its food consists of aquatic plants, small worms, and minute portions of any animal substances. It bites boldly and readily at small red worms, gentles, or the larvae of any of the Phry- ganea, knoAvn as caddis-baits, stick-baits, and the like, on the least Limerick hooks, number twelve ; and is constantly taken by boys with a worm alone tied to a fine string, which the little fish swallows so greedily that he is pulled out before he has time to disgor2:e it. HAIN'T'^ — rSKI) \S lUIT. 2T1 Under many local names this l)(>autit'nl little ('i//iriiii/.'i is found in every swifVrnnnin<; streani with u {gravelly l)ottoin,and in the shallows of every pond or lakelet throughout the country. They arc generally known as Killy-lish, and an' an excellent hait t\>r fish of almost every kind that prey on other lish. As live hait tor Pike, I'ercli, or Cat-tish, they are not to he equalled; and in s[)inninu' or tiitlling they are excellent for the noble Striped I'ass, the I'ike, the Salmon, the Lake Trout in all its varieties, and t\)r the Hrook Troiit — especially those which are found in the tide creeks, where they are less willintr than in other wntei-s to take the tly. A more particular description of so common and well-known a ti^h would take up space need- lessly, which is more re(piired for other parts of uiy subject ; and the species are, I was almost about to say, innumerable. Three of tlie commoner varieties, and those uiost useful as bait, arc represented above. 21Z FAMILY OF THE CLUPEIDyE. CLUPEID^. THE HEERING. Clupea Ilarenyas. The Herring. The Common Herring, which visits both continents^ runs into the mouths of all the northern and north-eastern rivers of North America, and is not only greatly sought for as an article of food, but really affords very excellent sport to the angler. In spring, when he enters the estuaries in full condition^ and full of spawn, he leaps freely at any gaudy-coloured fly — whether of the pea- cock feather, or, what is yet better, a four-Avinged fly of the scarlet ibis and silver pheasant, on a scarlet chenil body, not unlike the fly used in Black Bass fishing, but of a smaller size. The best way to use it is with a single b b shot attached to the gut an inch or two above the fly, so as to troll mth it, as it were, slightly sunken below the surface. I have taken them in this manner off" Fort Diamond at the Narrows, almost as fast as I could cast and draw in the flv. MKHKINC} A tJAMK FISII. 2 I .'J The appearance of this tish is so well known that a very par- ticnlar description is hardly necessary. The leiifrth of" the head to the hody is ahont as nnc to t"oin-, the dt ptli to the icuj^th ol the hody as one to live. The np|)er part ot" tjic lish is a fine hliie, with f^reen and other reflections, when viewed in different lij^hts ; the lower part ot" the side and helly sihcry white ; the cheeks and irill-covers sihcry. l)ors:d and eatidal fins dnsky ; till- fins on till' lowei- parts of tlu- hody almost \\hite. The hnM-r jaw is nuieh lon;:er than the other, with five or six small teetli extcudinj; in a line haekwards on each ^ide from the ante- rior point; fonr rows of small teeth on the eintral npper snrface of the tonj^ue, and a few snndl teeth on the central surface of the u|)per jaw. l)ranchiostegous rays are eitrht in number; pectorals, sixteen; ventrals, cij;ht ; anal, si.vti-en; doi*sal, nineteen ; and cauchii, eifjhteen. The scales are large. The aindal fin deeply forked. Se%'cml other species of Ili-rrinj,' arc common to the waters of the United States, hut this is the only one which is taken with the tly, or can be accounted as <;ame to the s[)ortsman. 214. CLUPEIDJ;. THE SHAD. A losa PrcvstahilU — Dek ay. The Shad. This delicious and well-known fish, which is by many per- sons esteemed the queen of all fishes on the table, has been, until very recently, regarded as one that could be taken only with the net, and therefore of no avail to the angler. It is, how- ever, now clearly proved that, like the Herring, the American Shad will take a large gaudy fly freely, and being a strong, powerful, and active fish, affords great play to the sportsman. It is undoubtedly the fact that, until within the few last years, fishing in the United States, except of Trout, having been practised rather as a means of providing the table, than as a matter of sport, it has been taken for granted that many species of fish, which are easily captured by the sean, will not take the bait or the fly ; and few species have been pursued as game except those which are not easily caught otherwise than with the hook. Fly-fishing, moreover, having been a few years ago confined to a very few individuals, and even now being comparatively limited, it was attempted only with those families SllAh A (iAMi: FISH. 215 which couhl hartlly l)i" ttthirwiM- cnpturid. Now, however, IIOU.S (irons r/itint/i (out vt-Ut, iiiul opportunities tor the practice ol this (Ichghtt'iil art are sou«;ht for so eaj^erly, that any person is rejjariled in sonic dejjree as the sportsman's hencfactor if lie introthiees to liis notice a new species wliich will :itl"uril >purt witli the artificial tly. It is, ;i> 1 have ohscrveil, iiulisitiitahly true, that on his entrance into fresh water from the salt, for the purpose of spawning;, the Shad will readily take a <;au(ly lly, the more readily the higher he rims up into the cold and hi-^hly aerated waters in the upper parts of our large rivers, where also they are taken in tlie jjreatest perfection, as for instance in tlie Delaware so far up us Milford, in Pike county, Pennsylvania. The New York Shad {.llona l*ir. Pikay of New \(>rk, having Ijcen previously confounded with the Allice Shad (»f I'^urope {Alosa Communis of Cuvier, Cln/ntt Alosn Auctorum), to which it hears a very considerahle resendjlance, alth(iu;_'h I presume that the distinction can lie fully made out. The body of this fisli is deei) and compressed, the thickness rather less than one-third of the hiiu'th. The length of the head is to that of the whole fish as one to six ; the depth to the length as one to four. The scales are very large; the tail long, slender, and deeply forked. The dorsal fin-rnys are nineteen ; the pectoral, fifteen ; ven- tral, nine ; nnnl, twcnty-six ; and caudal twenty. The greatest depth of the hody is ju.st licforc the vcntnd fin. The Shad has no distinct lateral 1 ibdominal edge is strongly serrated, csjKcially l>clund the venlndn. 21 6 CLUPEID.E. The top of the head and back are dusky blue, with brown and green reflections in particular points of view. . There is a single dugky spot behind the operculum. The irides, sides of the head and tody, are of a silvery white, with a tinge of copper- colour. The dorsal and caudal fins are dusky ; the pectoral, ventral, and anal fins, white. The flesh of the Shad is perhaps the most delicate of any existing fish ; and, though it lacks the lusciousness, as well as the glutinous fin, of the Turbot, it is preferred to that fish by many judicious epicures, notwithstanding the drawback occa- sioned by its innumerable and sharply-pointed bones. From personal experience and success^ I can assure the fly- fisher that he will find much sport in fishing for the Shad during his upward run in the spring, with a powerful Trout-rod, a long line, and such flies as he will procure in perfection at Conroy's, in Fulton-street, New York. FAMILY UF Till-: KSoClD.F.. 217 ESOCIDJv Tiii^ family, the Esocid.k, of which the tiiK' l*ike {blsoj; Lucius) of Europe is the ty[)e, is hir^ely represented in the waters of the United States and thi' I'lovinees ; six or seven distinct species having been discovered, exclusive of the formid- able Garpike [Esox Osseus), of the south-western w aters, which, instead of scales, is cased in a complete armour of rhond)oidal plates; and which is held, by Mr. Agassiz and other distin- guished naturalists, to be a connecting link between the animals of the present period, and those contemporaneous with the Saiiridii.s-y and other extinct races. The lish of this family are distinguished, generally, by the want of the second dorsal or adipose tin, by the situation of the dorsal very far backward and opposite to the anal tin, and b\ having the border (jf their upper jaw either formed solely by the intcrniaxillaries, or by having the labials destitute of teeth, if they enter at all into its eompositiun. The mouth is alwa\s large, and the teeth sharp and powerful, but the shape and pro- portional length of the jaws vary greatly in the various species, i\a do the situation ami number of the teeth, and the formation of the gill-co\ers ; and by these particulars arc the Hpocies distinguished. 218 ESOCIDiE. The principal of these various species, are — The Mascalouge {Masqueallonge, Esox Estor), of the Great Lakes. The Northern Pickerel {Esox Lucioides), of the same waters. The Common Pickerel {Esox Reticulatus) , of all the ponds and streams of the Northern and Midland States. The Long Island Pickerel {Esox Fasciatus), probably peculiar to Long Island, formerly Nassau Island, on the southern coast of New York. The White Pickerel {Esox Vittatus), of the Ohio, the Wabash, and others of the western waters, and The Black Pickerel {Esox Niger), of Pennsylvania. Of all these species, the first two form the type, all the others following the formation of the head, which is remarked in one or other of these, as regards the comparative length of the snout, the formation of the lower jaw, the dental system, and the gill- covers. So marked is this difference, that, in addition to the wood-cuts of the entire fishes, I have thought it well to give large representations of the heads of these two noble fish ; and by examining these with a little care, and comparing them with the heads of any of the smaller varieties, it will be easy to distinguish to which type any one of them belong. Thus, any person will at once perceive that the Common Pickerel, in the comparative length of the jaws, and the beak- like form and scanty dentition of the lower mandible, follows the type of the Mascalonge; while the Long Island species resembles in the short obtuse snout, and extension of the teeth to the tip of the lower jaw, the Northern Pickerel. >i'i:ririi CI. \ssiKi(ATi'>N. -219 The same timi'^ will Ix t'uuinl to \h- tlu; case with all the other subspeeie.s, altljoiif^h the ihllereiiees between them are so triMiug, ami so purely techiiieal, while their };cneral resemblance is so great, ami their hal)its >t» entirely similar, niwlcrin^ it impossible to mistake them for lish nf any other family, that 1 have lUt-med it supcrtluuus to multiply examples, ur to {;ive specitie descriptions of moie than the first lour species; con- tentiiiix myself \\ith eiiumerat ini^ the others, and indicating the localities in uhieh tliev itri" to be fonnd, which is altoirether sullicii'iit in order to prevent confusion. 220 ESOCIDJL THE ^klASCVLOXGE. Maaqme-nUomge. — Caxadia>" Fbilxch. E^jx Ettcr — Cctiek, Aga^iz. This masnificent fish, which is the finest^ largest, and most excellent food of all the Pike family, is found only in the great lakes and waters of the St. Lawrence basin, not having been discovered in any of the rivers or lakes which discharge them- selves into Hudson's Bay or the Polar Sea, nor yet, so far as I have been able to ascertain, in any of the smaller lakes of the United States which shed their waters northerly into the St. Lawrence. It is stated that "in the spring, which is its spawning season, it frequents the small rivers that fall into Lake Simcoe " — ^which discharges itself by the Severn into Lake Huron — and that "it feeds on small, gelatinous, green baUs, which grow on the sides of banks under water, and on small fishes.'* This great Pike is said, by Dr. Richardson, to attain the weight of twenty-eight pounds, but it unquestionably grows to a much larger size, though I cannot state with precision the greatest dimensions that he has been known to acquire. Dr. Dekay says that he has been known to exceed four feet in length, which, having in view the breadth and depth of this fish when in condition, would give a probable weight of sixty or eighty pounds, which I believe to apprpach his maximum. He is a bold and most voracious fish. The cut accompanying this article and the following descrip- tion are taken trom a specimen preservcNi in spirits, in the (iKNKIIAL I>i:s(lMI"n<>N'. ;>-2 1 possession of I'lolrssDi- Apissi/,, of ll.irvard liiivi rsit\ , w hit-li im-asnrcd ahoiit t«n ffct and a lialf iii liiiirtli, and \v('i«;licd t'ij;hti'»'ii pounds. 'I'lic K'n^tli of the luad to tliat of tlic uliolc hodv was as two to IMMf. Till' snout, tVoni lilt- orl)it of the vyv foruard, sin^ularlv elongated and acute. The anterior (ulgc of tlic orbit, midway between tlie ti[) of tin- snout and the posterior margin of the free gill-cover. The l)order of the upper jaw is formed of the nmxillaries alone, the edges of whieh are furnislied witli several rows of louL', powerful, aiul exceedingly sharj), awl-shaped teeth, the points curving slightly forwanl. The vonur and |)alatine bones are covered with card-like ehuni)s of spiny teeth, as are the base of the tongue, and the [diaryngeal hones. 'I'Ik' tongue itself is soft. The lower jaw is considerably longer than the upper; it is armed for something less than half its length with very powerful recurved fangs, the two largest being in front, a little posterior to the tip of the tongue. Beyond these the lower jaw is toothless, curved upwards, with sharp, horny, beak-like edges; and in these points, particularly, is it distinct from the following spct-ies. Of the gill-covers, the jiir-opn'riilum is nearly vertical, and but slightlv cur\eil ; t\\v t/prrru/iiin much hii.(her than it is l)road, and nearly four times a.s high juh the xufi-ojtrrculum, which is slightly rounded posteriorly. The branchiostegous rays are eighteen in number. The bo next species, 1 ciinnut hiit |)ansc to notice a stranj^e error of nomenclature, in Mr. Hrown's com- prehensive little volume, "The American .\n'_'lei's Manual," to which 1 have alluded before, by which he transforms the term /t.vo/, the specific name of every member of the Pike Family, as assij^ned by Linna-ns, into the Essex, which he appears to conceive a distinctive term peculiar to the .Mas- cnlonjje, whicli he calls "the Kssev or Mnscalin;,'a of our western hikes." I note this error, not from any desire to underrate a usefid and \aluable little book, but merely to ^Miard ajjninst its adoption by auL'lers in ji^cneral. 224 ESOCID.E. GREAT NORTHERN PICKEREL. Esox Lucioides — Agassi z. This great Pike, like the last, is peculiar to the basiu of the St, Lawrence, and was first clearly described and specified during the scientific tour to Lake Superior, which I have already mentioned, by Professor Agassiz, who pointed out its distinctions, both from the European Pike and the Mascalonge, to the former of which {Esox Lucius) it is by far the most closely allied, although it appears to have been confounded with both, — Lesueur, who first gave a distinct specific name to the Mas- calonge, having described it as the fish now under consideration, Esox Lucioides, and not at all as Esox Estor. The Northern Pickerel is taken up to the weight of sixteen or seventeen pounds, but rarely, I believe, exceeds that weight. It is an exceedingly handsome fish, longer and slighter, in proportion to its depth, than the Mascalonge. Its body is four-sided, the back broader and flatter than the belly ; the vertical diameter is equal to about one-seventh of the body, caudal included ; the transverse diameter is two-thirds of the vertical ; the body carries its thickness to the dorsal fins, and then tapers into the thin tail ; the sides are compressed and flattened ; the head is about one-fifth the length of the body ; the snout not nearly so long, and much more obtuse, than in the Mascalonge ; the under jaw does not exceed the upper in length nearly so much as in that fish, and is armed around all the fore part with a single row of small, slightly -hooked teeth ; r.KNKlJAI. DKSClillTloN. ii^) on the sides of the lower jjiw arc a row of larf^cr aw Isliapcd te«'tli, iinplantt'd in (he hone; tlic palate boucs, vomer, and phar\ njjeal arehes, are all armed with bands of small slmrj) teeth, like rardiuj; maehiiies, as in the former speeies ; the tonj;ue is broad, and truncated at the tip. The fjill-covcrs are nearly as they are deseribed in the Masea- lon^e, except that the ed^^e of the siih-ojifrnilinn is strai^hler and more vertical, and that the uprrcuhi are in a sli^^ht degree scaly. The gill-openings are very large : and the l)ranchiostegou.s rays are fit'leen in number, or mori- numerous by two than in the Knglish Pike, which ditlers t'rom the Northern I'ickerel moreover in the nund)er of all the fin-rays, in having the cheeks and opnTxda covered with regular .scales, as in the Esox Rffirii- latii.i, and in tlie teeth on it.s vomer and palatine l)cing dispersed into lines, rather than planted in serried patches. The Northern Pickerel has dorsal fin-rays, twenty-one ; anal, eighteen; caudal, seven above and seven below the larger lateral rays; the whole caudal divided into two unecinal lol)es, the upper of nine, the lower of eight rays ; the ventral, eleven, aiul the anal, sixteen. The hack of this beautiful fish is of a rich blackiNh green, which changes on the sides to greenish grey ; there is a bright speck on the tip of each scale, which gives a singularly light and sparkling asjK'ct to the wliole fish. The belly is of a lustrous pearly white. Tlicrc are several rows of oblong, diamond- shaped, yellowish grey spots on the sides of the head, body, and tail. The cheeks are varied with emerald green refieetions, the umler jaw and gill-rays white; the irides ptirple, with a golden 226 ESOCIDiE. band around the pupil; the dorsal and caudal fins are blackish green, marked with patchy bands of a darker oil-green; the anal greenish gray, with orange margins, and a few dark spots ; the ventrals the same, with orange tips, but without spots ; the pectorals dusky yellow. The Northern Pickerel is equal in boldness and voracity to the Mascalonge, and to the northern European Pike, from which he differs in the fin-rays, dental system, gill-covers, and very essentially in the colouring, — the Pike being banded or mottled, and having no indication whatever of the regular rhomboidal spots which mark the sides, and form a characteristic of the Northern Pickerel. He takes any sort of bait in spinning or trolling, and being readily captui'ed by set baits through the ice, forms a very essential article of food to the Indian hunter when the chase fails him. No animal food of any kind comes amiss to this fresh-water tyrant. Fish of every variety, even his own species, and the spiny Perch, the immature young of wild fowl, rats, reptiles of all sorts, — in short, every living thing that comes within his reach ministers instantly to his voracious appetite. But the baits by which he is most sportingly secured are the small bright Leucisci, or Shiners, at the end of a double swivel trace, or a live frog, which he can rarely refuse. I.DCAI. MlSNd.MKKS. 227 TIIK CUM.Mn.N I'K KKUKI.. Etox ReticuUuus — Li>.i i.i u. TiiKoi liiioiT till- luited States, excepting only the extreme western ami southern waters, this is pcrliaps the commonest of all the game fishes; from New l-^n^huul to the western limits of Pinnsylvania, nut a river, pond, or streamlet but al)()un(ls with this bohl anil rapacious tish ; anil it is i)rol)al)le that, like many other of the northern tish, he is fonnil in the waters of the hill districts of Nirj^inia, Carolina, and even of the Western States, although in such locations he is lost sight of among the tribes peculiar to those regions. With regard to the SoutluTii States especially, it is almost impossible to arrive at anything like certainty concerning the species or varieties of game fish to be found within their limits, from the universal misapplication of names, and the nnhappy tendency of sportsmen, to which 1 have already made allusion, to adopt any barbarous local misnomer, rather than to make themselves acquainted \\ith tlic true specific names, ami to learn the distinctions, so as to speak iindcrstandingly of the game which they take. It is indeed a hopeless ta>k to hunt up the real peeuliarities and true genera of fish, known in their own regions as the " Welshman," the " Pampolin," and .such other denominations, which of course arc not to Ik; found in any work of natund history, N^hile the people, who arc in the habit of taking them 228 ESOCID.E. daily, can give you no information, nor indeed data, on which to found an opinion, except that they are " very like a whale," or a Trout, as it may be. I mention this here en passant, because I am perfectly prepared to find myself violently assailed, and pronounced utterly incompetent to prepare a hook of this nature, because I have not included " that delicious fish, the pride of our southern waters, well known to the real sportsman, the noble ' Pampolin,' or the unrivalled ' Welshman,' as it may be, in my list of game fishes/' But I have made up my mind to peaceful submission, deeming it quite enough to have inves- tigated the identity of what it amuses southern gentlemen to call " Trout," and Western New Yorkers " Bass " and " Sheep's- head," without troubling my head about mere provincial bar- barisms. I believe the " Pampolin " to be of the INIackerel family, and the " Welshman," which is described as a bold biter at small fish, worms, and the like, to be a Percoid fish, analogous to Rock-Bass {Centrarchus jEneas), or perhaps a Corvina, analogous to the Malashegane, or Sheep's-head of the lakes. The Common Pickerel — to return to my subject — does not in general exceed five pounds, and in most districts this is consi- derably above his average, which does not, I think, go beyond two and a half or three pounds, but they are occasionally taken in the smaller lakes, and in some few of the more sluggish streams, of infinitely larger size, even so far, it is said, as to twelve and fifteen pounds' weight ; but such instances are rare, even if they can be relied upon as facts, — which I am some- what inclined to doubt, thinking that they have probably been mistaken for some other cognate species. WEkJlIT OF TllK COMMON I'M KKUKI-. •,':2'l 111 tlir yvdv {'^'.y'^, 1 inyst-lt" took a Picki-rcl wliicli wci^licd firteeu puuiuls three ouiiees, uiiiler Stilhviiter Ihitlge, on the Hiulsou Kiver, while tishinj; tor Bhick Bjiss {(!ri/stes Xii/ricans), with :i hirj;e j^iiiuly fly, ami landed him, after a long and severe strnggle, having only a light tly-rod, and neither gatl' nor landing-net, although I wiw tishing with a Salmon-reel and two hundred yards ot" line. I was not at that time sufliciently conversant with minute distinctions to say positively to what species this huge li^h belonged, and I unfortunately took no ni)tcs at the time. According to the best of my recollection, however, it was a longitudinally spotted fish, and if so, was probably a stray Northern Pickerel, which had found his way down the canals, from the basin of the St. Lawnnce, into that of the Hudson. And this, which would at tirst seem a highly improbable, if not impossiide hypothesis, becomes at once reasonable, when the fact is known that thne, at least, of the fish peculiar to the great lakes and to the waters of the St. Lawrence, have fouml their way into the Hudson and its tributaries since the opening of the various canals, and are now taken abumlantly within the State of New York — these are the greater Mlack Hass [(irystts \ii/rican:t) ; the (Jswego — not to be confoundeil w ith the Otsego — Bass [Corrina OaruUt) . and the Kock Bass [Criifrarrfius ^■Eneat) . Any of these 9|>ccies, in order to reach tin- Hudson, mu>t descend the cauals, and take advantage of the moment when the boats are pasHing through the locks, and the gates opened — which, when we consider the conunotion of the water, the 230 ESOCID^. splashing, hubbub, and confusion which occurs at such times, is in itself sufficiently extraordinary, and seems to go far toward proving that fish, except as regards feeling, are much less shy than is commonly believed, and toward abolishing the idea that they are driven out of their favourite rivers by craft or steam-boats. If one species, however, can succeed in passing these nume- rous obstacles, there is nothing to prevent another from doing likewise ; and it is in no respect more difficult to believe that the Northern Pickerel should so make his way to our southern waters, than that the varieties of Bass above mentioned should — as it is well established that they have done — establish themselves as an indigenous fish in the same. Erom what I have personally seen, therefore, of the Common Pickerel {Esox Reticulatus) , I am a good deal inclined to doubt the tales I have heard of its great size ; and, until I shall be satisfied, on personal examination, am unwilling to credit him with a growth exceeding six or seven pounds. This fish, as will appear from examination of the cut, follows the type of the Mascalonge, in the elongation of the snout, the curvature of the lower jaw, and the smallness, though not absolute deficiency of teeth in the fore part thereof. It is easily distinguished by its having its cheeks and gill- covers completely cased in small scales, and by the brownish lines on its flanks, occasionally intersecting each other, like the meshes of a net, whence the name Reticulatus, In form, this Pike closely resembles the others of his family. His body is quadrilateral, the back broader than the belly ; the depth is to the entire length, including the caudal, as one to DKSCKirTIoN OF THK CtJ.MMoN riCKKHKI.. J.U seven, tlif thickness is ahout two-thirds of (he (hpth ; the lenj^th of the head to the entire Icnj^th is as one to four; the posterior edj^^e of tlie orbit is midway l)etwron the tip of tlic snont and the posterior niarpn of the free j^ill-cnvcr ; the ori-^in of the ventral tin is midway between the tip of the >nout and the fork of the eimdal ; the termination of tlie ean(hd opposite to the orij^in of thi' anal ; tlie ^ill-eovers are nearly vertieal, and vi'ry slij^jitly ronnded, except the marj^in of the suh-operculmn, wliieb is xcry short as compared with the operruliim : the branehiostegous rays are nine in nnmber; dorsal tin-rays, twenty; pi-ctoral, sixteen; ventral, ten; anal, twenty; candal, eij;hteen, seven above, and seven below the great rays. The back is of an olive green with bine reflections; the sides, olive green fading into greenish yellow, with vertieal lines of dnll brown occasionally crossing one another, so as to form a sort of irregular network ; the dorsal and caudal fins are of an olive brown clouded witli green ; the pectorals and ventrals, greenish brown, margined \\itli dull yellow; the anal, dusky green ; the irides, golden yellow ; the cheeks and (iprmila, which are covered with small scales, arc olive green, with brownish marks and reflections. The snout, brown ; the lower jaw and gill-rays, white; the belly, white, marked with brown. This is the Common Pickerel of the Middle and Kastern States; and is the fish intended, when the word Pickerel is used without any epithet or definition. It is rather a favourite fish ; and has been injudiciously intro, ulii»-li is till- smallest mul most insigniticjiut vt' the f'liiuily, SI) far as its sporting' or ([jinireaii (jualities are euii- cerned, was first (listinj;uislii(l ami uaiiud hy l)r. Hekay, of New ^ ork. Its principal eliuracteristic is the ven* remarkable size of its scales, which, in most of tlie family, even in the enormous Mascalon«;e, are very minute and slcmler. In this little denizen of the running brooks and clear 'rre)ut ponds of Lonjr Island, their scales arc larger than in any other of the taniily, so a.s to make it reseml)le, in that particular, some of the Cyprinidip, rather than its own tribe. In other respects, size excepted, it difl'ers little iVom the otluT I'ikr, which t'ollow the type of the Northern Pickerel, rather than that of the Ma.land Pickerel (Esor Fasriatiis), which, ha\inix wandered into salt waters, had thus entirely changed its colours, and grown to a wciglit exceeding its natural average, in the ratio of at lea-.t three to one, probably from the snperiority and greater abund- ance of fooli, uidrly dilluscd, with sninll variation of size, shape, toriii and cuh)nr, throni^'h :dl the inhmd iVisli waters of tlic whoK- I nitcd States, ran^in^; tlinm^^'h all tlie hikes and rivers of the conntry from the eastern part of Maine to the watei-s of the ( )hio, into which it has gained access throni^'h the Ohio Canal, and wheiwe it will nndonbtcdiv ere long make its way nit«) the Mississippi. There are several subordinate varieties of this fish, which dilVir in size, colour, and sli^'htly als«t in the number i»f lin-rays, in tliflVrent waters, and these have been created into distinct sj)ccie», under the titles of the Rough Yellow Perch {Perca Cerrato-Granulata) : 240 PEECID^. the Rough-headed Yellow Perch {Perca Granulata) ; the Sharp- nosed Yellow Perch [Perca Acuta) ; the Slender Yellow Perch [Pti'ca Gracilis) ; and the "White Perch {Perca Pallida). It does not, however, appear that these distinctions are sufficiently broad or permanent to justify this arrangement ; and it is now generally held that there is but one species of true fresh-water Perch in the United States, and that the forms which have been designated under the above titles are mere accidental varieties, similar to those which have been previously noticed of the Common Trout. Originally the Yellow Perch was a northern fish, its range extending to about the fiftieth parallel, but it has lately, like several others of the same species, been much more widely difi'used through artificial channels, as, for instance, the Black Bass [Grystes Nigricans), and the Bock Bass, [Cen- trarchus JEneas), which have descended from the basin of the St. Lawrence, by the Erie and Whitehall canals, into the waters of the Upper Hudson, The Yellow Perch is a bold biter, and a tolerably good fish on the table ; it frequents the same waters with the Pickerel, from the assaults of which it is defended by the sharp spinous rays of its dorsal fin. In colour, its sides are yellow, varying in intensity from greenish to bright golden in difterent waters, and occasionally in tide waters to pale greenish white. Its back is banded with six or eight dark vertical bars. Its pectorals, ventrals, and anal are golden orange — its dorsal and caudal greenish brown. Its body is compressed, elongated, with a slightly gibbous dorsal outline. The scales are small ; the head, above the eyes and between them, smooth ; lateral line concurrent with the DKsn.'irTliiN OK TllK YKI.l.uW IT.I.m II. 211 line of the hack. Ilrad suh-tU-prcssed, ami in lar|.,'('r and oldor fi>li \\w rDstrum is jirDtliiccd, causiiiL; a hollow iit tlu' thi'iiil outline. The lirst dorsavl commences above the pectorals, the fust my much shorter than the second, the fourth, fifth, and sixth rays are the longest, and the last the shortest — it has in all thirteen rays. The second dorsal has seventeen rays, the the two first spinous. The pectorals have fifteen soft rays; llic vcntrals have one spinous and five soft rays ; the anal, two sj)inous and eight soft ; the caudal is forked, with rounded tips. The mouth i> of" nu)derate si/e ; jn'c-operciiliiin stronj^ly toothed; the upfrcttluin serrated beneath, with a s|)iue on its posterior angle. The iridcs are golden yellow — the pupils bla<-k. It varies \n weight \n thllcrcut water.s, from a few ounces to four or five pounds. It is a bold, hardy fish — is easily trans- porteil from one water to another, and appears to thrive ccpudly well on all soils. It is taken with tlu- worm or small fish, used either as a live or dead bait, and afl\>rils v(>ry fair sport, pidling strongly on the line for a few minutes, hut In- no means re(|uiring the same degree of skill to clVect its capture. It is the favourite fish of rural angU'rs, where Pii-kcrcl do not ahuund, anri is csfccmcd a •rreat delicacy where sea-fi^h lanuot l)e obtained. 242 PERCID/E. THE STRIPED SEA BASS. Roch Fish, Bay Fish — Rtchardson. Lahrax Lineatus — Cuvier. This noble fish, which, after tlie Salmon family, is unques- tionably the most sporting fish of this continent, has its geographical range from the Capes of the Delaware, in which river it is known as the Rock Fish, to the coasts of Massa- chusetts ; unless, as I think almost certain, the Bar-Fish of Richardson, which is taken in the St. Lawrence, proved to be merely an accidental variety. The Striped Bass is properly a sea fish, entering the rivers in the spring to spawn, at which time he runs as high up the courses as the depth of water will permit, and lies among the bushes where the channels are narrow. They run far up the Hudson — are taken at the foot of the Cohoes Falls of the Mohawk in great numbers, and ascend yet higher up the cold, clear waters of the Delaware. In September and October they run along the coast in large schulls, entering the inlets, and being taken in great numbers between the outer bars and the beach by the scan. In the heaviest surfs of the Atlantic, on the outer ocean beaches, they are captured of great size with a bone or metal squid. They are a bold, ravenous, and powerful fish, biting voraciously at almost every sort of bait, from soft crabs and clams, on a drop- line, to shiners or sparlings on trolling tackle. Shad-roe in rivers frequented by that fish in the spring of the year, and even the artificial fly of large size and gaudy colours, with II A HITS WD IIAI'XTS. i\:i wliieh, at the end of a lniiulrtd yards (if lino, tlicv allord <;rcat sport, beiiif; vigorous, fierce, and active, not succuinhing nntil after a long and violent conflict with their captors. In winter, when tiie wi-ather heeonies eold and stormy, tliey again cuter the estuaries of rivers, and imbed theinsclves in the nuul of tlic brackish bays and lagoons, which possess tlie advantage of being calm and undisturbed by tlie tempests wliich vex tlie open sea. They attain to a very great size, even, I believe, to seventy or eighty pounds' weight, though 1 ha\c ne\('r myself seen one of above forty-thrcf ; the smaller-sized tish, of s»'ven or eight pounds, are, howcM-r, by far the most delicate, and I think those not exceeding fifteen pounds give tlu' best sport to tlie angler. In eohtnr, the Striped Bass is bluish brown above, silvery on the sides and beneath. .Mong each side arc froni seven to nine equidistant dark parallel stripes, the upper scries terminating at the base of the caiulal, and the lower above the anal tin. TIjcsc lines are occasionally indistinct, sometinu-s interrupted, and more rarely each alternately a continuous stripe, and a row of abbreviated lines or dots; this appears to be the form which Dr. Kichard.son has designated as the Har-Kish of tlu; St. Lawrence. Tlie body is cylindrical and tapering ; licad and Ixidy eoven-d with large adhesive scales. Latenil line obvious, running through the fourth stripe, and nearly straight. Head bluntly l)ointed ; eyes large; nostrils double; gill-openings large; lower jaw the longest ; teetli numerous on the maxillaric^, palatine bone and tongue; oj>ernihim anned with two spines on its lower margin, the prroperruhim finely dentate«l. \K-1 244 PERCIDyE. The first dorsal consists of nine spinous rays, of which the first and the last are shortest. A simple ray occurs between this and the second dorsal, which consists of twelve branched rays. The pectoral fins have sixteen rays; the ventrals, one spinous and five soft rays ; the anal, three spinous and eleven soft ; the caudal, which is broadh' lunate in shape, has seven- teen branded rays. The pupils are black, the irides silvery. Altogether it is one of the most beautiful, as well as the most excellent and sporting of American Game Fish, the flesh being very firm, white, and well-flavoured. There are two other species of Bass, the Labrax Rufus, and Labrax Pallidus, or Ruddy, and little White Bass, which are better known, both to anglers and epicures, as the River Perch of New York, and White Perch. They are both taken in the brackish waters of tide rivers, and aff'ord fair sport to the angler, as well as being a very delicate pan-fish. Dr. Dekay also enumerates another fish of this genus, as the small Black Bass {Labrax Nigricans), which he describes as being found in various ponds of Queen's and Suffolk counties. Long Island, rarely attaining to two pounds in weight, being esteemed veiy good eating, and rising freely to the fly. I have never myself seen this fish, but have great doubts whether it is more than a casual variety of the Black Bass of the St. Lawrence, the Centrarchus Fasciatus of Dekay, the Huro Nigricans of Cuvier and Richardson, and more properly the Grystes Nigricans of Agassiz; for although this is improperly VAIMETFE^ OF TMK RASS. :3l.» distinguislu'd into two tisht-s by Dr. l)ik:iy, it is in t'lu-t but our. 1 liiuc never licaril, it is trnc, of tlie existence of the St. Lawrence Hnss in the waters of the State of New York south of Chaniphiin, prior to the opening; of the canals, l)Mt there is no doubt that, like the I'ereli, it nii<;ht easily be transported from one to another locality by artitieial means. There is yet another variety, the \Vhite J^ake Hass {L; iricli-s mottled \\itli Mack, aiui yellowish. Mcmbraiu' ul' the spiuoiiv (loisal tin traiis|)areiit, with Ji few (lark dashes; the upper part of the n»euil)raue tipped with l)laek. Soft dorsal tin li^^ht yi-llowish, spotted with hrown iu irregular louj^itudiual hars. \ eutral fius trauspan-iit \(l- lowish ; pectoral tins yellowish olive, with brownish hars. Anal tin transparent yellow i>li, with a hioad whitish margin; eauilal fin with iireLTuiar dusky hars. '' The hody is elongated, eyliiulrieal, and tapering. Scales of moderate size ; lateral line straight fiom the upper edge of the gill-covers to tlu- tail. I'rt'-u/jtrcit/um serrated with a series of ilistant sj)ines. Opirclc with one slender flat terrinal spine, beyond whieh is a pointed membrane, liniitrliidl rays, seven. Mouth w ide, extensible ; the lower jaw s received into the upper. A series of acute recurved teeth in both jaws, and on tlu* vonur and palatines. Two very long and conspicuous tcelh, resem- bling canines, in front of eaeli jaw ; those of the lower received into cavities above. Teeth on the vonu'r minute. Tongue smooth, pointed, free. The first dorsal fin is eouiposed of thirteen or fourteen long sK-nder spinous rays; the seconil dorsal has one short, simple, subspinous ray, and twenty-one soft ravs ; the pectorals ha\e fourtei'u soft rays; the \entrals cue stout spine and fi\e branched rays; the anal oiu- -piiu- anil fourteen niys; the caudal is deeply furcate, and has seventeen ilistinct, beside many accessory, rays." This fish is a true IVrch, though its form, clongate .\i, »-.,-. un - Ci vicR. Ceittraic/ius Fiuciattui — Dckay. lirytUs Niyricam — AUASSU. This is one of tlir liiust til" the Ainericjui tVi'sli-wjitcr fi.>>lir.s; it is surpassed l)y iioir* in boldness of l)itiu|j:, in tierce and violent resistance when hooked, and l)y a very few only in excel- lence upon the l)oard. Peculiar orijjinally to the basin of the St. Lawrence, in wliicli it abounds from the Falls of Niagara downward, if not throuj^h its whole course, it has made its way into the waters of the I ppcr Hudson, through the canals. It is said by Dr. Dekay to be found generally in the small lakes of the state of New York, but I conclude that this must be limited to those which communicate with the great lakes or the St. Lawrence. It is takeu abundantly in Lake Champlain, but it is in the swift glancing waters of the St. Lawrence, among the excpiisite scenery of the Thousand Islands, that it affords the greatest sport to the angler. It bites mveuously at a small ti>li or >[)inning-tackle, or at the deadly and murderous spoon, an instrument so certainly destructive that the use of it is pro|K.rly discouraged by all true anglers as poaching and unsportsnnmlike. The tinest sjKirt can be had, however, with a long light Sal- mon-line, treble-twjstcd gut, to defy its numerous ami exceed- ingly acute tectli, and a large fly, with a body of scarlet clund and four w ings, two of tlic silver pheasant and two of the scarlet 250 PERCID^. ibis. As the Black Bass attains to the weight of six or eight pounds^ and is excelled in vigour, speed, and agility only hy the DKSC'KUTIUN UK THK MI.Ai K liASS. 2') I Brook Trout, tlu- Salmoii 'riMnt.uiul tin- true Salmon, tlic sport which he atlunU « licii thii> hooked ran he \(iv n-adilv inmj;;incil ; nor can he hi; hroii^ht io thr l)a.skct hy ain\ thinj^ short of the l)t'st tackh', and thi- nio>t ihdieatf and masterly nianipnlation. In colour, this lish is nt' a dusky l)luish hlack, sometimes with l)ronze rctlections, the undir parts l)Iuish white, the cheeks and {^ill-covers nacrous, ot" a bluish c-olour. The l)ody is ciunpressed. Hack arched and j^'ihbons. I'rotile desccndint; ohliipiely to the rostrum, uhieii is modn-ately pro- longed. Scales larjje, truncated. Scales on the opcrriilmn large ; a single series on \\\l' snli-Dpcrciiluni, much smaller on the pre-operculnin, JLscending hi;zh up on the membrane of the soft dorsid and caudal tins. Eyes large ; nostrils double. Opviculuin pointed, with a loose membrane. The lower jaw is somewhat longest. The jaws are smooth anil sealeless. Both jaws are armed with a broad patch of minute conic acute recurved teeth. .\n oblong patch of rasp-like teeth on the vomer, and a banil of the same kind on the palatines. Hranchial arches minutely toothed. I'haryngeal teeth in rounded patches. The dorsal tin is composed of nine stout spines; the second dorsal of one spine and fourteen soft rays. The pectorals have eighteen soft rays ; the vcntrals, one spine and five soft rays ; the anals, three spines and twelve soft rays ; and the caudal, sixteen »oft rays. It is somewhat dt.ui)tful to me whether the fish known in the waters of Lake Krie, and those generally above the Kails, as the Oswego Wnss, is not di.stinct from this fish, though it is also occasionallv called Black Ba-w. There is very e\identlv 252 PEECID^. some confusion about the matter, as I am well assured that another fish of the same family, the Corvina Oscula, is at times confounded with it, and called by the same name, though in truth it but slightly resembles it. Another fish of the same family is the Growler. (JKNKIJAL DHSCUU'TlDN. Zb'.l Tin: (iKowi.KK. (frtjttt* Satmonitltt — Auctori m. Tiik Wiiitk Salmon— Smith's ilistor}' of Virjpniji. Tiik Thout — C'aruliiin Proviiu'iAlisiiK This fish, in f;;cneral t'onii, clusily corrcsiiDnds with that last (IrsiTihiil. It lias the same jxibhous hack, with the lateral line foUowinj;; tlie (loi*sal curve, ami the same protruded lower jaw. Its teeth are luinutely in hroad hands or patches. The oprr- nilitm has two moderate points. Its colour is deep greenish brow n, w ith a l)luish black spot on the jjoint of the operruUtm. When yonnjr it has twenty-five or thirty lon^'itudinal brownish bands, which bceoine cd'accd by age. The first dorsal fin has ten spines; the seeoud, thirteen or fourteen sort rays ; the pectorals, sixteen soft rays ; the vcntrals, one spine and five soft rays ; tlu- anal three spines and eleven or twelve soft rays; the caudal tin, which is sligjitly lunate, has seventeen soft rays. There may, perhaps, be two distinct varieties of this fish. It ha.H been taken in the waters of western New \ork, in the Wabash in Indiana, and abundantly in Carolina, \«here it attains to the length of two feet, and is considered an excellent fi.nh, passing, a.s well as another fish of tlie same family, the C'an)lina Wiak Fish {Otolithus ('tiroUnen»ijt), under the misnomer of Trout. I am inclined to believe that this fish is also known n.H the Welchman in the iidand waters of North Carolina. Before passing on to the next .H|)ccies I will observj- that 1 254 PERCIDJ3. consider the proper classical uame of the Black Bass of the St. Lawrence, decidedly to be Grystes — the genus Huro not having been by any means satisfactorily defined, while that of Centrarchus is distinguished by having many spinous rays to the ventral fin ; while the genus Grijstes has but three, Perca two, and Lucioperca only one — this afi'ording a broad and clear distinction. DKNKWAL UKSCKllTluN. Til i: U()( K HASS. ! Itr.SIl W ATKll MASS. CcHtrarchus ^finnu — Cuvier. Timn is jinother ilrlicatc and i^aiiu' lisli, wliicli, originally peculiar to the ha.siii of tlir St. Lawrence, has made its way through the canals into the ui>[»(i' waters ot" the Hudson and the anastomosing stream^. It is abundant in the great lakes, and Lake Chaniplaiu. It, like the lilack Bass, is a bold biter, taking a small fish dead or alive very freely, but preferring to all other baits the Cray-fish {As(ani.pots below the lateral line. The tins l)lui>h green. The body is compressed, short ami broad. The dorsal outline gibbous; tlie lateral line following the curve of the back. Head large, with a concave outline. (Jill-covers scaly; the operculum with rudiments of a double angle on tlu^ posterior margin ; lower jaw somewhat the longest. Teeth small, conical, recur>ed, on the mavillariis interin:i\illaries, vomer, palatines, antl pharyngeals. The d(»rsal fin has eleven spinous and twelve soft rays; the pectorals, fourteen mys ; the ventrals, one weak spine and five 256 PERCID^. branched rays ; the anal, six spinous and eleven soft rays ; the caudal with rounded tips has seventeen rays. The Rock Bass is excellent eating, and gives good sport to the angler, though it never attains to the size of the Black Bass, rarely exceeding a pound or a pound and a half, and conse- quently being far less difficult to take. This fish, as well as the Black Bass and others of the family, might be transplanted with great ease into inland waters ; and as they are hardy, and defended from all enemies by their sharp and spiny fins, would be sure to thrive, and would prove delicious additions to our lacustrine species of fishes. <.kni:i:al bi:stiMiTi(»x. 11. ( ()M\|(>\ I'OM) I isi FUKSU-WATKll SI N ||>|| I'nmotu Vulijitrit — Ci v i kr. FiT»h-watrr Sun Ku.ii. Tnix hc.iutirul little tish has {^aincd its proNincial name from the extreme hrilliaiicv uf its colours when disporting itself in the sunshine. The nunuTous spots on its body have procured tor it the absurd nanu' of Pi/ni/jkiii-Mrctf in inany States, and in Massachusetts it is known as lirciini. It is valueless as an article of food, and equally so as a bait fish, its acute spines deterring any fish from seizing it. It is, however, a constant object of pursuit to boy and lady anglers. It has vcPk' many varieties, and a wide geographical range, being found from Lake Huron, tlirougli all the Kastern States, and along the Atlantic coast so far south as Carolina. lU colour is greenish olive above, with irregular points of r«'d and broader yellow or reddish brown spofN disposed in very irregular Iin«'-«. Ranges of brighter spots on the l)liiisli 358 PERCID^. operculum, and on the hinder prolongation of the operculum a black spot with a bright scarlet margin. Its body is much compressed, very broad, oval. Scales large and even. Forehead sloping to the snout. Lateral line con- current with the back. Eyes large, cij'cular near the facial outline. Nostrils double ; mouth small, with very minute thick- set teeth on the maxillaries, palatines and vomer. Its dorsal fin has ten spinous, and twelve soft rays ; pectorals, twelve soft; ventrals, one spine and five soft rays; anal, three spinous and five soft; caudal, seventeen soft rays. There is another well-defined species, the Black-eared Pond- fish {Pomotis Appendix), which is distinguished by a large lobe- like black prolongation of the upper posterior angle of the ope7'Culum. (iKNKltAl. DKSCKirTloN. 059 TIIK I.AKi; SIIKKI'S.IIKAI) Corvina Otcul II — Cimiu. This is a very (.•oiumoii ti^li in Lukr llviv, and also below the Falls of Xiaj;ara, where it is readily taken with the hook, though it is in very small repute t\)r its eilihle ipialities, bein;^ eouiniouly reported to be dry, lean, and tasteless. It is in faet very rarely eaten. Its colour is blnisli <;rey on the back, darker on the abdomen and the snout. Abdomen and ehin irieyisli whitt-. In sluipe it considerably resend)les the preceding genera, (injutfs and Centrarclnis, having a gibbons dorsal outline, and arched profile, the lateral line being also, as in these, concurrent with the curve of the back. The eyes arc large, round and prominent, situated close to the facial outline. The teeth in the jaws arc small, conic, and sharp, but the jjalatc and pliaryn- geal.s arc paved with large rounded solid teeth, \\tll a(la[)ti(l for crushing its hard and shelly prey, such as the fresh-water clams and nniscles, cyclas and [laludina, which constitute its principal subsistence. The dorsal fin has nine spinous rays; the second dorsal, one spinous and twenty -eight soft rays ; the pectonils, nineteen soft rnys; the ventrals, one spinous and five soft; the anal, two spinotn and eight soft; the caudal, seventeen rays. Its air- bladder is very large and simple. This fish, if I am not greatly in error, is >< ry fretjucntly 260 PERCID^. confounded on the lakes in the vicinity of Buffalo with the Grystes Nigricans, under the name of OsAvego Bass, and in fact, though of a different family [Scienida), does bear something of general resemblance to that species. It is also found in many of the small inland lakes throughout the country. UENEKAI- nKSCKirTloN. iG\ rm: malasiikcan w. CVwTi'iMi Rkhariltoui — CtiriRR. Tills, liUf the spccit-'s l;i>t iiaiiird, is iui iiili;il)it;iut of llic uplJiT l;ik.rs, thuuj^li it is not I'uiuul below Lake liiic. hi Lake Hiiri)ii it is known as the S/icrp's-head, aud iu the viciuity of Hutlnlo as the liliick S/tcep's-hrad. It atlurcls virv >HH)d sport to tho aii|^h'r, aud, unlike* its eon- •jeuer last described, is highly i)ri/.e(l as one of the most delicious of the lake fishes. Its colour is grecnisli prey, l)ande(l with dusky or blackish bars over the back, its sides arc silvery, its belly yellowish. Li form it closely resembles the Corvinu Oscula, but its forehead descends in a more vertical angle to the mouth. The under jaw- is somewhat the longer. The mouth is cleft back as far as to the middle of the eye, which is large aud round. The teeth arc very numerous and verj' small. The operculum has two lobes l)ilund. The first dorsal tin has nine spinous rays; the seeond, one spine and eighteen soft rays ; the pectorals have fifteen soft rays; the ventrals, one spine and seven soft rays ; the anal, one spine and seven soft rays; the caudal, seventeen soft branched rays. There is yet another species of this family, the Cort'ina Grisea, known familiarly as the White Perch of the Ohio, which is found iu the waten* of that noble river, l)ut it is of little importance either to the angler or the epicure, and merits not a more particular description. 262 PERCID^. With this fish ends the list of those fresh-water fishes of the United States and British Provinces^ which by the most liberal courtesy may be called game or sporting fishes. Hence I proceed to the shoal-water sea-fishes of the same division, Acanthoptergyii, and thence^ and lastly, to the deep-sea fish of the order Sub-bracMal Malacopterygii. SALT-WAT Kit (iAMK FISH. 203 sii().\i,-\vati:k I'isiiKs. II \viN(i now fumr tt» the conclusion of tli;it, hy tar tlic most uiiportiuit, portion ot" my suhji'ct wliicli rclati-s to the trcsli- wutcr tishcst, including; tlio>c anadronious of nii;_'ratoiy species which, although they make their ahoile during a part of the year at least in salt water, arc taken in sporting style in risers and estuaries only, I shall proceed to devote a few pages only to these sca-fisli ; all of the division Acniit/tojtfmjf/ii, and all of five fauiilies, PercidtP, Hic'u'nldiP, SparidtP, Scomhildd', and IjihruUe, which are taki n in shoal waters at the mouths of large rivers, in hays and estuariis, and which not only afford much sport to the angler at particular seasons of the ycai-, but furnish a delicious article of food. These arc the bea Bass, or IMack Sea Mass {('vntnipristi-s Si(/ncans) . The Lafayette {Ltiostonnt.s Ohliqiim). 1 he Weak Fish {Otolit/iiis Rcy(dis). The King Fish [Umbrina Svbulosa). The Silvery Corvinn {Conimi .Irr/i/ro/i'iica). riu Uranded Corvinn {('orvhia Ortllata). The Big Drum {Poyoniaa Chrumul). The Shccp's-licad {Suryua Ovu). The Porgce (Pagnig Argyrop.o . Tlic Blur Fish (Tnnnndon Sallator\, The Taulog — Black Fish (Tanlot/ti Aimnrana). 264 FAMILY OF THE PERCID.E. PERCID^. THE SEA BASS. BLACK SEA BASS. Centropristes Nigricans — Cuvier. This is an excellent fisL^ aud a very general favourite on the table. It is with us a summer fish of passage, in the Northern States I mean, appearing on the coasts of New York during the months of May, June, and July, in which it is frequent in the markets, and readily taken with the baited hook. Its geographical range is very wide, extending from the coasts of Florida to Cape Cod, on the shores of Massachusetts ; abun- dant in the viciiiity of Martha's Vineyard, it is rare in Boston Bay. Properly a southern species, though it visits the waters of the Eastern States in summer, it invariably returns to the eastward in autumn. With the wonted stupid perversity of their order, the fisher- men of our coasts have confounded it, by means of absurd misnomers, with two entirely different species, the Blue Fish {Temnodon Saltator), and the Black Fish or Tautog {Tautoga Americana), calling it commonly by both these appellations. The colour of the Sea Bass is a general blue-black, sometimes liKNHKAl. l>Ksi"KirTli>N. :»(•.:» iiioiT itr less slijrlitly Iji*oii/ai1, the eilges ot (.very scale :iic imuli (larkir lliiiii tin- piovniliiijr culuiir, wliieh i:ives tin- eli:iriietir i)t' :i lilaek iut-«urk uii a Wluisli j^rumul to the whole surfaee of the ti>li. Tlie fins, except iiifr t hi" pectoral, are pah' hhie ; the dorsal anil anal more and less distinctly spotted with a (hirkks(kii'TIi>n. 267 The first dorsal tin has nine spinons rays, and is trianiriilar in shai)r, its tbnrth and tit'th rays hcinj^ thr larj^rst ; tin* st-cond dorsal 1ms one spine and thirty soft rays; the pectorals, twenty — the ventrals, fifteen soft rays ; the anal has two spines and twelve si)ft rays; the eandal has nineteen l)ranehcd and artienlated rays. There is a viu-iety of this tish [Leiostomxin Xanthunis) pecnliar to South Carolina, whieh has no spots or bands, hut has all the fins, and more especially the caudal, yellow. j^ni'liML'^ yCxfrw -toaBt! -it^CTTf ar Sim #mf -ftrt^; liai, aes^^r ijesL'^Rsrr ^Hs- iiflliffiHCjr riff :fl& ryirenrifri - wrtKfli TR^EL inii(ic-?ff ifesL TI25H25 ffiwr.ror tciiiBL,iitw'S!vsL i iiaiiaeiieii. i" " '"t • — ™- •■ - - -- —rgft. ai]att^ iir iis SBBa£... ftega I3^aji oBtt J'. -(=. :i^"ii:^ >• -^ iitia- dfeaiSIhr eajemnr, t^ : -■ _ ^- -.-: ■_:.„... - .' _ -yjet flfl. tSe liluiai. miit;.-^axjffir ani^er, aarf -wSjeat (paas . ■ - ' 3i£ "due (SRNKKAI. l>K,sCUIITIoN. Oftft «)f tlic Tn»ut, whence prohnMy its soutlirni ininiionur. Win ii it huH boon tnkrn tlircv or four hour* it In'oomc^ flntvijl, insipid, and in fiirt utterly wurthlesa. Its colour in liluioh grey mImitc, with trri'|;ulur liiu'!i of tmnii- ver«e s|M)t!i on tlu* hnck and sides ; the head m jjreenish blue, the indes arc yeUow, the ^jill-covers anvc the eye*, the scales niodrrate-sixcd, oval, coverir.jf the head and jfilUeovers ; the lateral line is slightly-curved ; the eyes larjje ; niaxdlahm, intennaxillanes, and pharyngeals minutelv t(M>the, like :tll tlic fishes last described, is rather a pMieral favourite aniouj; sportsnuu and i'|)icures, thouf^h I confess my own opinion to l)e that he is j;enerally overrated in both capaci- ties. As a game tish he is a dead, logg^', heavy puller on the hook, offering little resistance beyond the vis itiert'ue and dead weight, and on the table his excellence depends mainly on the cook. Tlie colour of the Bhick Fish is indicated by his name, but varies considerably frnui deep (lull black to glossy blue black with mctallii- reflections, and occa-sionally to (hi^ky bniwii. His body is elongated and compressed, the outlines of the back arched fonvard of the dorsal to the snout, straight poste- riorly. The lateral \\\\v concurrent with the back. The eyes arc mther .Hmall, the scales small, extending over the gill-covers, which arc very large and rounded. The lips arc very thick and fli-shy, the teeth stout The branchiostegous ravs are five in number. 286 LABRIDiE. The dorsal fin has seventeen low spinous rays, and ten soft rays ; the pectorals, seventeen soft; the ventrals, one spinous, five soft ; the anal, three spinous and eight soft ; the caudal, fourteen soft branched rays. The Tautog ranges only from the capes of the Cheasapeake to Massachusetts Bay. He is readily taken with the hook baited Avith crabs, clams, or other small shell-fish, from April untU late in the autumn, especially in the vicinity of rocks, reefs, hulls of sunken wrecks, or old deserted docks, where he finds food in abundance. It is well to bait the ground largely for several days in advance of fishing for him. (JAMK FISH UF TllK SLA. 287 DEEP-SEA FISHING. I iiAKPi.Y lu>ltl myself jiiNtitii'd in enumerating the Cod, llmlduck, Whitiuj;, Halibut, and I'louiuk'r among Game Fishes, l)iit as it is probable that some of my readers do regard them as such, and pursue theui for the pleasure of the capture, indepen- dent of profit, I shall proceed to describe- the first three briefly, and shall devote a few pages in another portion of this work to a consideration of tlie modes and methods of their capture. The huge Halibut {Hippof/Zosxua Vuf(/arLi}, and the Flounder \^Phuronectes Deiitatus), I shall content myself with naming, as I cannot bring myself to regard them as fit for any but culinary purposes. In like manner tlie Hake, the Cusk, the Pollock, and many otliers of the Cod family, I shall pass in silence as objects only of casual pursuit, except to the professionjd fisher- man, who plies his daily toil to earn his daily l)read. 288 FAMILY OF THE GADID^E. GADID^. THE COD. Morvhua Vulgans. This is the common Cod of Newfoundland, well-known as an article of food the wide world over. There is an American variety, Morrhua Americana, which is shghtly though perma- nently distinct. The fishes of this class are distinguished from the other soft- rayed fishes by having the ventrals situate nearly vertical under the pectorals, and ha\ing two or three dorsal and anal fins. The colom' of this well-known species, which attains to a A ast weight, sometimes seventy or eighty pounds, varies much in individuals. It is generally greenish brown, fading into ash- rolour M lien the fish is dead, with many reddish yellow spots. GENERA!. DESCRIPTION. 289 The belly silvery opaque white, the fins pale green, the lateral line dead white. Tlie body is long and cylindrical, the head sloping in an arched line, the eyes large, the scales small and adhesive. It has a cirrus or barbel at the extremity of the lower jaw. It has four rows of teeth on the upper, and one on the lower jaw. It has three dorsal fins, respectively of fifteen, twenty-two, and nineteen rays; pectorals, nineteen rays; vcntrals, six rays. Two anal fins respectively of twenty-two and nineteen rays; caudal, forty rays. It is a bold and voracious fish, ranging from New York northwardly along all the coasts of America. 290 GADID^. THE AJUERICAX HADDOCK. Morrhua jEglefinis — Cuvier. The American Haddock. The distinctive colouring of tliis fish is blackish brown above^ and silvery grey below the lateral line, which is jet black. The back and sides are varied by purplish and golden gleams ; there is a large dark vertical patch posterior to the pectorals^ crossing the lateral line. The fins are dusky blue. The body of the Haddock is stout anteriorly, and tapering backward. The head lai'ge and arched. The eyes are large. The lower jaw is the shortest ; the teeth small, in a single row on each jaw ; a single small barbel on the chin. It has three dorsals, the first and third triangular, the second longest, respectively of fifteen, twenty-two, and twenty rays. The pectorals have twenty-one ; the ventrals, sixteen ; the two anals, respectively, twenty-five and twenty-one ; and the caudal, thirty-four rays. The range of the Haddock is similar to that of the Cod ; it is very abundant, and is about equal in estimation as an article of food with its congeners. (iKNKIfAL DESCKllTloN. •.'-.•I TIM. \\ll.l;l( \\ \\ 111 I l\( Mtrlan;fM Amcniitniiji. The American Whiilng. This is, comparatively speaking, a rare and little-known lisji, that which is commonly called llli'ttin;/ hein;.; in rc.ility :i Ilukc [Mfrhiciuit). It ranj^es oidy from Massachusetts northward. It is easily distinguished hy its long, tapering, cylindrical Ijudy, and its high, triangular, wing-like dorsals. Its colour is, above the lateral line, a bright nacrous bluish grey, and below a silvery white, with tins nearly of the sanu' colour. The head of the ^^hiting is acutely pruli>n:_'((l ; th(* eyes large and [)nimincnt ; the gill-cu\»'rs rounded ; tlic teeth Nliarp and small. The three dorsals have respectively tliirtccti, twenty, aiul twenty rays; the pectorals, nineteen; the vcntrals, .six; the anals, respectivj-Iy twenty-four and twenty-one ; and the caudal, thirty-two. The \Vliiting is a delicate fish. It is taken in the sanu- mnnner and in the .«uimc waters with the Cod and IladdcMk 292 GADID^. andj like them^ has little or no game habits. My chief reason for inserting him in this work is^ that his existence in American waters has been doubted and denied. With him ends the list of the fishes of America which come within the scope of my work, and now away to the waters and the woods, and all the calm and sweet accessories of the gentle angler's craft. SALMON I.OCAI.ITIKS. £93 SALMON FISHING. Ok all till' piscatory sports, this is the first and tiiicst ; and althuugh it cannot now he pursued hy the American angler except at the expense of some not inconsidcrahic time and trouhlc, still there is no land on eartli in uhieh it exists in such perfection as in this. Time was, wlu-n e\ery river eastward of the Capes of the Delaware swarmed with this noble tish, hut, year afti-r year, like the Red Indian, they ha\i' passed farther and farther from the sphere of the encroaching white man's boasted ci\ ilisation, and perhaps will also ere long be lost from the natural world of this era. The Kennebec is now the ejistern limit of the Salmon's range, and in that bright and limpid river he is yearly waxing Iiss and less fre degenerate children of old Spain, throuj^h- out the Mritish possessions, ami even in those far northern shores \\hiih the Russian hohls upon this western continent, the estuaries and courses of those waters which pour into the Paeitic can boast not oidy the- true Sahnon, but many fine, distinct varieties. Many years will not probably elapse, taking into consideration the incessant stream of immigration which is almost overflowing Northern California, and remendjcring the restless, enterprising energy of the Anglo-American race, before railroads, even to the Pacific, across the western prairie.«», and through the gorges of the Rocky .Mountains, will open this new world to the adventurous angler, and the dwellers of the Atlantic cities \\ill make thiir trips to the Salmon rivers of the Pacific with less trouble, and in less time, than it took their sturdy Hutch forefathers to visit .\ll)any, now reached with ease in a few hours. For the present, however, it is needless to discourse of these western waters, since time must pass before any species of ganie will be pursm-d for sport on the shores of the I'acifir, or killed except to alford subsistence to a population occupied wholly in the greedy race for riches. To tlic fisherman, therefore, tin* Eastern States and the north-ea.-^tern British provinces alTord the only accc*sil)le Salmon fishing ; and I should strongly urge 298 SALMON FISHING. it upon those who are enthusiastic about this fine sport, not to waste time even in the Kennebec or the Penobscot, but to pack up their traps at any time between May and September, and set forth at once for the city of St. John's, in New Brunswick. This toAvn, which might be styled not inaptly the paradise of American fly-fishers, may be reached with ease in a few days via Boston, whence, if I am not mistaken, a stout and well- found steamer, the Admiral, takes her departure every Wednes- day for New Brunswick. In St. John's every requisite for the prosecution of the sport can be obtained, every information concerning the vast waters, and every facility for the procure- ment of guides, boats, and the like will be gladly furnished, and every thing that hospitality can efi'ect will be lavishly offered to the gentle angler. I venture here to mention the name of an enthusiastic and thorough fisherman, Mr. Perley, her Majesty's emigration officer in the city of St. John, as one certain to do whatever in his power lies to forward the views and promote the pleasure of any who shall \isit his part of the world, led by the love of the gentle science ; and I take the same opportunity of thanking him for the very valuable information he has afforded me con- cerning the fisheries and fishing of the pro\dnce, and of bespeaking his friendship and attention for any of my readers who shall be induced by the perusal of these pages to wet a line in the rapids of the St. John, the Obscache, the Chemenpeek, or the Richibucto. Before proceeding to describe the mere technical portions of Salmon fishing, and the implements necessary for the prosecu- tion of the sport, I shall take the liberty of quoting from myself JASl'KK ST. AlUYN. 2l>0 H chai)trr of n novelette now in conrse of pn1)licati()ii in (Jrahani's e.vctlknt niaj^aziiie, entitled Jasper St. Aubyn. I do this not e-joti.stically, nor altojjether to save time and troubli-, init rather heeanse it contains as correct an account of the mode to he pursued in easting for tlic Sahuon, hooking;, phiyin{^, aiul killing him in an Iln^'lish river, as 1 am eapahh- of writ inj^; and because the variety of the narrative style may possibly prove a relief to the reader, after the drier routine of more didactic writ in-;. It is scarcely, perhaps, necessary to add that the mode of tishinf whieh singular fact, and other nnitters connected with whieh, 1 shall say more hereafter. Nor, I presume, need 1 apologise to my reader for the slight anachronism which has attributed to an ideal personage sup- posed to live in the age of the Second James all the modern improvements and advantages possessed by the anglers of the present day, and all tlu- skill and science whieh were et-itaiiily not to be found at that time in any Srilmon-risher, not except- ing even good (juaiut Father Izaak, whose maxims on Salmon- tishing, and indeed on tly-fishing in general, savour far more of nnticpiity than of utility. " It was JUS fair a morning of July as ever ilawned in the blue summer sky ; the sun ns yet had risen but n little way above the waves of fresh green foliage which formed the liorizon of the woodland scenery surrounding Widecomb Manor; and his heat, which promised ere mid-day to become excessive, »as aOO SALMON FISHING. tempered now by the exhalations of the copious night-dews, and by the cool breath of the western breeze, which came down through the leafy gorges, in long, soft swells from the open moorlands. " All nature was alive and joyous ; the air was vocal with the piping melody of the blackbirds and thrushes, carolling in every brake and bosky dingle ; the smooth, green lawn before the windows of the old Hall was peopled with whole tribes of fat, lazy hares, limping about the dewy herbage, fearless, as it would seem, of man's aggression ; and to complete the picture, above a score of splendid peacocks were strutting to and fro on the paved terraces, or perched upon the carved stone balustrades, displaying their gorgeous plumage to the early sunshine. " The shadowy mists of the first morning twilight had not been dispersed from the lower regions, and were suspended still in the middle air in broad fleecy masses, though melting rapidly away in the increasing warmth and brightness of the day. " And still a faint blue line hovered over the bed of the long rocky gorge, which divided the chase from the open country, floating about it like the steam of a seething cauldron, and rising here and there into tall smoke-Hke columns, probably where some steeper cataract of the mountain-stream sent its foam skyward. "So early, indeed, was the hour, that had my tale been recited of these degenerate days, there would have been no gentle eyes awake to look upon the loveliness of new-awakened nature. " In the good days of old, however, when daylight was still .'ASl'KK ST. Alin-N. .{01 ilcrmed to be the tittinj; time for lal)()ur and for pastime, and nij^lit tlie appointed time for natural and healtlifnl sleep, the dawn was wont to hrij;hten beheld by other eyes than those of elowns anil milkmaids, and the u'ay son^s of the matntinal birds were listened to by ears that could appreciate their untaujcht melodies. " And now, just as tin- stable eloek was strikin-; fmr, the i;reat oaken door of the old Hall was ihiown open with a vijjorons swinir that made it rattle on its hinges, and Jasper St. Anbyn came bounding' out into the fresh morning air, with n foot iiiJ chtstie as that of the mountain roe, sinj^inj; a snatch uf soiue ((uaint old ballad. " He was dressed simply in a close-fitting jacket and tight hose of dark-green cloth, without any lace or cnd)roidery, light boots of untanned leather, and a broad-leafed hat, with a single eagle's feather thrust carelessly through the band, lie wore neither cloak nor sword, thougli it was a period at which gentlemen rarely went abroad without these, their distinctive attributes; but in the broad black belt which girt his roundi'd waist he carried a stout wood-knife with a buckhorn hilt ; and over his shoulder there swunjx from a leathern thong a large wicker Hshing-basket. " Nothing, indee than a high-born and high-bred gentleman. " His fine intellectual face, his bearing en'ct before heaven, the gmccful ease of his every motion, a-* he hurried down tli< 302 SALMON FISHING. flagged steps of the terrace, and planted his light foot on the dewy greensward, all betokened gentle birth and gentle associations. ''But he thought nothing of himself, nor cared for his advantages, acquired or natural. The long and heavy salmon- rod which he carried in his right hand, in three pieces as yet unconnected, did not more clearly indicate his purpose than the quick marking glance which he cast towards the half- veiled sun and hazy sky, scanning the signs of the weather. " ' It will do, it will do,' he said to himself, thinking as it were aloud, ' for three or four hours at least ; the sun will not shake ofl:' those vapours before eight o'clock at the earliest, and if he do come out then hot and strong, I do not know but the water is dark enough after the late rains to serve my turn a while longer. It will blow up, too, I think, from the westward, and there will be a brisk curl on the pools. But come, I must be moving, if I would reach Darringford to breakfast.' " And as he spoke he strode out rapidly across the park toward the deep chasm of the stream, crushing a thousand aromatic perfumes from the dewy wild-flowers with his heedless foot, and thinking little of the beauties of nature, as he hastened to the scene of his loved exercise. " It was not long, accordingly, before he reached the brink of the steep rocky bank above the stream, which he proposed to fish that morning, and paused to select the best place for descending to the water's edge. " It was, indeed, a striking and romantic scene as ever met the eye of painter or of poet. On the farther side of the gorge, scarcely a hundred yards distant, the dark limestone rocks rose .lASPKU ST. Anns. .-io:; sliccr ami precipitous tVoin tlu- very brink of the stream, rifted and broken into anjjnlar blocks and tall colunuiar masses, from the clefts of wliicli, wlierever tlu y coidd find soil cnotii;li to support their scamty {growth, a few stunted oaks slu)t out almost horizontally with their gnarled arms and dark-green foliage, and here and there the silvery bark and <|uivcriiig tresses of the bireli relieved tlu* monotony of colour by their gay briglitness. Above, the clifts were crowned \^itb the beautiful purple heather, now in its vi'ry glow of sunuuer bloom, about wliicii were bu/zing myriads of wild bees, sipping their nectar from its cups of amethyst. " The hither side, though rough and steep and broken, was not in the place where Jasper stood precipitous; indied it seemed as if at some distant period a sort of landslip had occurred, by which the summit of the rocky wail bad been broken into massive fragments, and hurled down in an inclined plane into the bed of the stream, on which it had encroached with its shattered bh)cks and rounded boulders. "Time, however, bad covered all this abrupt and broken slope with a beautiful growth of oak and ha/.i-l coppice, among which, only at distant intervals, coidd the dun wiather-beaten Hanks of the great stones be discovered. " At tljc hn.sc of this descent, a lunulri'd and fdty feet perhaps below tljc stand of the young sportsman, Mowed tlie dark arrowy stream — a wild and perilous water. As clear as crystal, yet as dark as the brown cairn-gorm, it came pouring down among the broken rocks with a rapidity and force which showed what must be its fury when swollen by a storm among the mountains, here breaking into wreaths of rippling foam where some uns( ( n 804 SALMON FISHING. ledge chafed its current, there roaring and surging white as Decembei*'s snow among the great round-headed rocks, and there again wheehng in sullen eddies, dark and deceitful, round and round some deep rock-rimmed basin. " Here and there, indeed, it spread out into wide, shallow, rippling rapids, filling the whole bottom of the ravine from side to side, but more generally it did not occupy above a fourth part of the space below, leaving sometimes on this margin, sometimes on that, broad pebbly banks, or slaty ledges, affording an easy footing and a clear path to the angler in its troubled waters. "After a rapid glance over the well-known scene, Jasper plunged into the coppice, and following a faint track worn by the feet of the wild-deer in the first instance, and widened by liis own bolder tread, soon reached the bottom of the chasm, though not until he had flushed from the dense oak covert two noble black cocks with their superb forked tails, and glossy purple-lustred plumage, which soared away, crowing their bold defiance, over the heathery moorlands. " Once at the water's edge, the young man's tackle was speedily made ready, and in a few minutes his long line went whistling through the air, as he wielded the pow^erful two- handed rod, as easily as if it had been a stripling's reed, and the large gaudy peacock-fly alighted on the wheeling eddies, at the tail of a long arrowy shoot, as gently as if it had settled from too long a flight. Delicately, deftly, it was made to dance and skim the clear, brown surface, until it had crossed the pool and neared the hither bank ; then again, obedient to the pliant wrist, it arose on glittering wing, circled half round the angler's JASPKH ST. AUnVN. 305 head, and was scut titU'fii yards aloof, strai<;lit as a wild bco's Hif^ht, into a littji* niiniic whirlpool, scarce larj^cr than the hat of the skilful fisherman, which spun round and round just to Iccwnrd of a jjrey ledge of limestone. Scarce had it reached its mark before the water broke all around it, and the gay deceit vanished, the heavy swirl of the surface, as the break was closing, indicating the great si/.e of the li-«li which had risen. Just as the swirl was subsiding, and the forked tail of the monarch of the stream was half seen as ]iv descended, that indescribable but well-known turn of the angler's wrist, fixed tlie barbed hook, and taught the scaly victim the nature of the prey he had gorged so heedlessly. " With a wild bound he threw himself three feet out of the water, showing his silver sides, with the sea-lice yet clinging to his scales, a fresh sea-run fish of fifteen, ay, eighteen pounds, and perhaps over. " On his broad back he strikes the water, but not as he meant the tightened line; for as he leaped, the practised hand had lowered the rod's tip, th.it it fell in a loose bight below him. Again ! again ! again ! and yet a fourth tinu' he bounded into the air with desperate and vigorous soubresaults, like an unbro- ken steed that would dismount his rider, lashing the edilics of the dark stream into bright bubbling strcak.s, and nuiking the heart of his captor beat high with anticipation of the desperate struggle that should follow, before the monster would lie panting and exhausted on the yellow sand or moist greensward. ''Away! with the rush of an eagle through the air, he is gone like an arrow down the nipids — how the reel rings, and the line whistles from the swift working wheel ; he is too swift, X 306 SALMON FISHING. too headstrong to be checked as vet; tenfold the strength of that slender tackle might not control him in his first fiery rush. " But Jasper, although young in years, Tvas old in the art, and skilful as the craftiest of the gentle craftsmen. He gives him the butt of his rod steadily, trying the strength of his tackle -n-ith a delicate and gentle finger, giving him line at every rush, yet firmly, cautiously, feeling his mouth all the while, and moderating his speed even while he yields to his fury. " Meanwhile, with the eye of intuition and the nerve of iron, he bounds along the difficult shore, he leaps from rock to rock alighting on their slippery tops with the firm agility of the rope-dancer, he splashes knee deep through the slippery shal- lows, keeping his line ever taut, inclining his rod over his shoulder, bearing on his fish ever with a killing pull, steering him clear of every rock or stump against which he would fain smash the tackle, and landing him at length in a fine open roomy pool, at the foot of a long stretch of white and foamy rapids, down which he has just piloted him vnili the eye of faith, and the foot of instinct. " And now the great Salmon has turned sulky ; like a piece of lead he has sunk to the bottom of the deep black pool, and lies on the gravel bottom in the sullenness of despair. " Jasper stooped, gathered up in his left hand a heavy pebble, and pitched it into the pool, as nearly as he could guess to the whereabout of his game— another— and another! Aha! that last has roused him. Again he throws himself clear out of water, and again foiled in his attempt to smash the tackle, dashes away down stream impetuous. JASPER ST. ACHYN. :^07 " Hut his strenj;tl» is (leparting — the vijjour of his rush is hrokoii. Thr anj,'U'r ^'ives him the hutt uhumhiutly, strains on him uith a heavier pull, yet ever yii Ids a littkr as he exerts his failing powers; see, his broad, silver side has thriec turned up, even to tlic surfaee, and thou^'h eaeh time he has recovered himself, eaeh time it has bien with a heavier and more sickly motion. " Hrave fellow ! his last raee is run, his last sprini; sprunt; — no more shall he disport himself in the hritrht reaches of the Tamar ; no more shall the Naiads wreathe his clear silver scales with river-greens and flowery rushes. "The crml iratf is in his side — his cold hlood stains the eddies for a moment- —he flaps out his dt^ath-paug on the hard limestone. " ' Who-wiioop ! a nineteen pounder ! ' " .Meantime the morning had worn onward, and ere the great tish was brought to the l)asket, the sun had soared dear above the mist-wreaths, and had risen so high into the summer heaven that his slant rays poured down into the gorge of the stream, and lighted up the clear depths with a lustre so trans- parent that every pebble at the bottom might have been discerned, with the large tish hen- and there floating mid depth, with their heads up stream, their gills working with a (piiek motion, and their broad tails vibrating at short intervals slowly but powerfully, as they lay motionless in opposition to tlie vcrv strongest of the swift current. "The breeze had died avray, there was no iml ni.i.n the water, and the heat was oppressive. " I'nder such cirenmstanccs, to whip the stream was little X 'J 308 SALMON FISHING. better than mere loss of time, yet as lie hurried with a fleet foot down the gorge, perhaps with some ulterior object, beyond the mere love of sport, Jasper at times cast his fly across the stream, and drew it neatly, and, as he thought, irresistibly, right over the recusant fish; but though once or twice a large lazy Salmon would sail up slowly from the depths, and almost touch the fly with his nose, he either sunk down slowly in disgust, without breaking the water, or flapped his broad tail over the shining fraud as if to mark his contempt. " It had now got to be near noon, for, in the ardour of his success, the angler had forgotten all about his intended break- fast; and, his first fish captured, had contented himself with a slender meal furnished from out his fishing-basket and his leathern bottle. " Jasper had traversed by this time some ten miles in length, following the sinuosities of the stream, and had reached a favourite pool at the head of a long, straight, narrow trench, cut by the waters themselves in the course of time, through the hard schistous rock which walls the torrent on each hand, not leaving the slightest ledge or margin between the rapids and the precipice. " Through this wild gorge of some fifty yards in length, the river shoots like an arrow over a steep inclined plane of lime- stone rock, the surface of which is polished by the action of the water, till it is as slippery as ice, and at the extremity leaps down a sheer descent of some twelve feet into a large, wide basin, surrounded by softly swelling banks of greensward, and a fair amphitheatre of woodland. JASrKK aT. AUbYN. •"^"•^ " At the in»[ier ciitl this pool is so deep as to be vul^'jirly ilccmcil uufjitliomuble; hrlow, however, it expands yet widiM- into a shallow ripphn<; ford, where it is erossed hy the hi|^h- roail, down stream of whieh a<;ain there is another h)nj^, sharp rapid, and another fall, ovt-r the last steps of the hills; after whieh the natnre of the stream becomes chauf^ed, and it ninrnmrs -xcntiy onward tlnonj^h a green pastoral etmntry, unripplrd and nnintrrrnpted. " J list in tlu- inner angle of the high-road, on the right hand of the stream, there stood an old-fashioned, low-hruwi-d, thatcli- eovercd, stoue cottage, with a rnile portieo of rnstic wooilwork (jvi-rrnn with jasmine and virgin-bower, and a pretty tlower- garden sloping down in successive terraces to the edge of the bjisin. Beside this, there was no other house in sight, unless it were part of the roof of a mill which stood in the low ground on the brink of the second fall, surroundeil with a mass of willows. But the tall steeple of a country church, raising itself heavenward above the brow of the hill, seemed to show that, although concealed by the undulations of the ground, a village was hard at hand. "The morning had changed a second time, a hazy lilui had crept up to the zenith, and the sun uas now roxtred with a pale golden veil, ami a slight eurrcnt of air down the gorge rutUed the water. " It was a capital pool, famous for being the temporary haunt of the very finest fish, whieh were wont to lie there awhile, jus if to recruit themselves after the exertions of leaping the two falls and stemming the double rapid, before attempting to ascend the stream fartlur. 310 SALMON FISHING. " Few, however, even of the best and boldest fishermen, cared to wet a line in its waters, in consequence of the supposed impossibility of following a heavy fish through the gorge below, or checking him at the brink of the fall. It is true, that, throughout the length of the pass, the current was broken by bare, slippery rocks peering above the waters, at intervals, which might be cleared by an active cragsman; and it had been in fact reconuoitered by Jasper and others in cool blood, but the result of the examination was that it was deemed impassable. " Thinking, however, little of striking a large fish, and perhaps desiring to waste a little time before scaling the banks and emerging on the high-road, Jasper threw a favourite fiy of peacock^s herl and gold tinsel lightly across the water ; and, almost before he had time to think, had hooked a monstrous fish, which, at the very first leap, he set down as weighing at least thirty pounds. " Thereupon followed a splendid display of piscatory skill. Well knowing that his fish must be lost if he once should suc- ceed in getting his head down the rapid, Jasper exerted every nerve, and exhausted every art to humour, to meet, to restrain, to check him. Four times the fish rushed for the pass, and four times Jasper met him so stoutly with the butt, trying his tackle to the very utmost, that he succeeded in forcing him from the perilous spot. Round and round the pool he had piloted him, and had taken post at length, hoping that the worst was already over, close to the opening of the rocky chasm. " And now i)crhaps waxing too confident, he checked his fish too sharply. Stung into fury, the monster sprang five times in JASPKK ST. ALBYN. 31 1 succession iutu the mr, lushing the water with liis angrv tail^ and then rushed like an arrow down the ehasni. " He wa-s ^oue — but Jasper's hlood was up, and thinking of nothing but his sport, he dashed torwjird, and embarked, with a fearless foot, in the terrible descent. " Lfup after leap lie took with beautiful precision, ali^htiufj tirui and iTeet on the centre of each slippery l)h)ck, and bound- ing thence to the next with uucrrini; instinct, j^uidiui;- bis fish the whili' with ciuisuiuinatc skill tbrou<;h the intricacies of the pass. "There were now but three more leaps to be taken before he would reach the flat table-rock above the fall, which once attained, he would have tirni foot-hold and a fair field ; already he rejoiced, triumphant in the success of his bold attainment, and confident in victory, when a shrill fenude shriek reached his cars from the pretty flower-garden ; eau};ht by the sound, he diverted his eyes, just as he leaped, toward the place whence it came; his foot slipped, and the ne\t instant he was Hat on his back in the swift stream, where it shot the most furiously over the ghussy roek. lie stru;,'|::led manfully, but in ^ain. The smooth, slippery surface afforded no purchase to his griping fingers, no hold tn his labouring feet. One fearful, agonising contliet with the wild waters, and he was swept helplessly over the edge of the fall, his head, as he glanced down foot foremost, striking the rocky brink with fearful violence. " He was plunged into the deep pool, and whirleil round and round by the dark eddies long bcforc he rose, but still, though stunned and half-disabled, he strove terribly to support himself, but it was all in \ain. 312 SALMON FISHING. " Again he sunk and rose once more^ and as he rose that wild shriek again reached his ears, and his last glance fell upon a female form wringing her hands in despair on the bank, and a voung man rushing down in wild haste from the cottage on the hill. " He felt that aid was at hand, and struck out again for life — for dear life ! " But the water seemed to fail beneath him. " A slight flash sprang across his eyes, his brain reeled, and all was blackness. " He sunk to the bottom, spurned it with his feet, and rose once more, but not to the surface. " His quivering blue hands emerged alone above the relentless waters, grasped for a little moment at empty space, and then disappeared. " The circling ripples closed over him, and subsided into stillness. " He felt, knew, suffered nothing more. " His young, warm heart was cold and lifeless — his soul had lost its consciousness — the vital spark had faded into darkness — perhaps was quenched for ever.^' TlIK AKT OP TYIN(i FLIKS. M'.i TIIK IMl'I.KMKXTS ol' SAi.MDX FTSI11N(;. I'lMK. was when tviTV aiij^lfr was rc(|uirc(l to iiiakc liis own iiistnmiiMits, t'iH)iii tin- rod itself to the artilicial lly, but now, so gcucral has ht'comc the \o\r ot" this cahii and ;,'iMitle pursuit, and so multiplied uud suhdivi(h(l arc all trades and professions, that then' are few cities in tiie eivilisid world, of any magni- tude, in whieh it is not easy, at any moment, to proenre any- thing tliat is rc(iuisite for this pursuit. Of consequence, the necessity for skill in nianul'acturc of implements lias passed away, and, eonipaiativcly spcakin^^, hut few anglers think it necessary any longer to he familiar t'ven with the method »)f tying their own Hies, the tackle-shops lur- nisliing every possible varii-ty, more neatly executed, it is pro- bable, and conscipiently more killing, than any eouhl be of private manufacture. Still, to tic n neat and taking tly is a very useful accomplish- ment to the enthusiiustic tisherman, especially when he is in wild and remote districts, as frequently must be the case; and at times some rare natural lly will be seen on the water, which it may bo found e\|K>(lient to imitate without delay. The art of tying Hies is attained with greater readiness, and, m fact, IS far leas ditlicult, than is gent, rally tli(»nglit, or than 314 IMPLEMENTS OF SALMON FISHING. would be imagined from the beautiful delicacy of the manufac- ture in its perfection. Most worlds on practical angling contain long and elaborate directions how to hold, and how to tie the feathers on the hook, but all these are, iu my opinion, utterly valueless and futile ; nor do I believe that any person has ever learned either to tie a fly, or to cast it when tied, from the perusal of any printed explanation; any more than the young sportsman has ever acquired the knack of shooting on the wing except by practice and experience. The best way to acquire the art of tying flies is to observe carefully the manipulation of some skilful operator, and to obtain from him, during the performance of the v.ork, oral instructions on the subject. From any good tackle-maker, a few lessons can be obtained at a very small expense, and these will, in a very short space of time, render the novice au fait to the trick. The first thing to be considered in the angler's equipment is the rod, and it is here well to observe that, for almost every sort of fishing, some different and peculiar rod is essential. That Avhich is commonly called a general fishing-rod, is, in fact, an abomination, and is useful only to the bait-fisher, and even for him is an awkward and ineff'ective instrument, it being impos- sible so to regulate the arrangement of the lower joints as to produce that regular and equable degree of pliancy needful alike with a stiff baiting or with a pliant fly-top. For the Salmon, the rod should not be of more than eighteen or less than sixteen feet ; the longer is apt to be a little cum- brous, and deftly to wield a double-handed Salmon-rod, during a whole summer-day, requires no small practice of the muscles. SALMoN-l{(tl)S. .'il.') The best wood lor tlu* Ijutt, wliicli should \)v very stout :iiid solid, is well-sensoneil maple, which is l)oth lii^ht and strong; the seconil joint of a-sh, the third of hickory, and the fourth or top joint of ecpial parts of hmee-wood, bamboo, and whak'bone, neatly spliced together. -Many experienced anglers prefer to have their Salmon-rods nianufacturi'd without nietai joints, hut with neatlv-eut ami accurately fitting scan's, which arc adjusted and tlruily spliced together with strong \\a\cd-rud when at the rivcr-sidc. The supposed advantage of this method is the greater cer- tainty of the rod's holding together during a severe struggle in the course of which a joint will sometimes be disengaged from the socket ; and a greater ciiuability of pliancy throughout the whole length, from the butt to the end, which is supposed to be iu some degree impaired by the metallic ferules into which the heads of the feruled joints arc inserted. In the present imjJroNcd state of the manufacture of all sport- ing articles, I must however admit tliat these objections are, in my opinion, very fanciful, and that tlic trouble of splicing and unsplicing greatly exceeds the benefit derived from the practice. Nothing can be more benutifidly regular and eipial through- out their whole length, than the springy bend nf the best Knglisli, Irish, Se(»tch, and American Salmon-rods ; and I may here record it as my deliberate opinion, that the best roorior, ns a Hy-rod-maker, to either Chevalier or Martin Kelly, of univcmul reputation. The reel should be very large, capable of containing three 316 IMPLEMENTS OF SALMON FISHING. liundred yards of twisted line, composed of hair and silk inter- mingled, and tapering gradually from the reel-end to the point, where it should be neatly looped to a bottom of the best and stoutest Spanish silk-worm gut, as thick, if possible, as the -jV of an inch, to which the hook-links of the flies should be fastened by a knot of the following part. The hook-links for Salmon fishinsr should be of treblv-twisted s:ut : of the flies we will speak auou. It is very desirable that the gut should be dyed, in order to deaden its silvery ghtter, which is too conspicuous in the water, and ofter scares the fish. The best preparation for this purpose is dark green tea, which brings it nearly to the colour of water Avhen sHghtly discoloured by rain, at which time the fish are most apt to bite freely. Too much attention cannot be paid by the angler to the quality and condition of his gut-lengths, or to the proper adjustment of the knots and loops by which it is fastened. These can scarcely, indeed, be too narrowly or jealously scruti- nised, as gut is a material which is easily frayed and cut by its own friction, and the slightest imperfection will often cause the loss of a very heavy fish. TIIF. \IV.VA.. — FI-Y-II«M)KS. ;n 7 Tlic fjrrJit I)i'aiity of j;ut is to be CDrroctly round and pcrlcctly ciiual in thickness, wliich enables it to stand a strain which if it were unc(|ual wouUl cause it to pve way. The rt'cl >houId be of' brass, whicli I prefer to (Icrnian silver, bushed and rivt'ttitl \\ith sticl. It >hould liavc a balance liandlr, and a click, which is of «;reat use, as privi-ntinj^ more of the line than is rccjuircd from running oil" it whih' in the act of casting, before a fish is struck ; but a catch or stop mu>t on no account be used, as it will fVc([ucutly stop the liiu' at the very moment when it should run the fastest. I had almost forgotten to add, that the simple reel is va-stly preferred by all truly scientific anglers to the multiplier, which in fact is now almost exploded. The fly-hooks should unqucstionahly be of the Limerick bend, and even for spinning with the parr, or fi>hing \\ith the worm or the deadly roc-bait, all of which are very killing to tin; Salmon, the same form is the preferable. The great size and weight of the Salmon renders the use of the landing-net impossible, anting, and neatness in delivering the fly. In SiUmon Ashing with the double-handed rod, all these things are somewhat more ditlii'ult than with the light twelve- foot Trout-rod, and more practice is requisite before perfection can be gained ; yet the mode is identical, ami the instructions which alone can be given are alike few and simple. The first thing to be observed is, that the rod must not be firmly grasped, but lield with a loose and delicate play of the thumb and fingers, as a cue shoidd in billiard playing, or a foil in fencing. Secondly, that in throwing out the fly. nothing like a jerk or snap should be |)orfonned, such as is done with a four- horse whip in flanking a leader. It is very diflicult to explain, except by comparison, what this movement is; l)ut it may perhaps be described as by a sudden checking of the propelling 320 IMPLEMENTS OF SALMON FISHING. power^ or as almost a retroversion of it at the moment of its greatest impetus, somewhat such as that which is termed spinning, or Englishing, a ball at billiards. The rod being held lightly in the fingers, the butt of it must be so moved in front of the person, with all the muscles of the arm relaxed, the elbow and the wrist free and pliant, that the tip shall describe a complete circle above and something behind the head, and it will be not amiss for the tyro to practise this motion without attempting to cast as yet any line. Secondly, it must be remembered, when the line and fly is brought into play, that by the circular motion of the tip, the whole line, with its cast of flies, must be made to stream out at full length, and to describe a semicircle, so that at the instant previous to propulsion, if we desire to throw directly forward, the flies shall be at the whole length of the extended line, exactly behind us ; when they must be thrown out by a direct and even motion, without any jerk, and yet must be in some sort checked rather by a gradual holding up or cessation of the impelling force, than by any sudden stop or retrogression. The mode of casting which I have endeavoured to describe for a forward throw, must be used in all cases ; if to the right, the line must stream out, and the flies be extended at full length to the extreme left, and vice versa; and this is the method by wliich accuracy and precision in casting can be acquired, and by perseverance in which, with experience, the fisherman will ultimately succeed in throwing his stretcher, or last fly, with certainty into a smaller circumference than that of his own hat. Tliis it is which we call precision. PASTING TlIK FI.V. M\ l\\ ncatuess, \\«- uitciul the knack of so (Iclivrrin*^ \\\c line tliat each one of tlie oust of llies shall .ilij^lit upon liu- surface of the water singly and severally, and as li<,'litly a^ tlie tliistle- t the \\ hole line loosely, it >\ill fall in a l)afr'_'V bi^ht upon the watcM-, probably strikin*; the surface in advance of the tlics, and certainly niakin;,' a splash and scaring; awav the fish wliicii we desire to allure. If we check it too suddenly, or jerk it back at all, we >hall snap off all our flies with !» loud crack, and .so remain disarmed and useless for the nonce. Ill practising, the novice should use but a short lin(>, five or six yards at the utmost, and a sinj;le fly — and when he can throw that with certainty into a space of a few feet in circum- ference, he may {gradually let ont his line till he has reached fifteen yards, which I rcijard as the e.\treme length that can be numaged with certainty, ncatnes.s, and jirecision, and add to the stretcher his first and seeonil droj)pcrs, nutre than which are wholly useless. Having said thu.s mnch of the mode of casting the flies, we will suppose our angler clad in the plainest and least obtrusive colours, at the maigin of the stream, if it be such as he can commanil with his double-handed rod, or wading it if Y 322 IMPLEMENTS OF SALMON FISHING. not too deep, or in his boat if it be too broad to be cast over successfully. First he shall go down stream ; for the motion of the water will so keep his line taut, the benefit of which hereafter ; and he will also have fewer casts to make^ and find less trouble in giving a natural and easy movement to the artificial insect which he must keep ever floating on the surface. Furthermore, the fish are wont to lie, especially in swift waters, with their heads up stream, and will therefore perhaps take the fly most readily when cast down, and drawn gently over them. Secondly, he must on no account fish with the sun behind his back, for, if he do, the shadow of his body, with his arms thrashing the air, and the counterfeit presentment of his long rod vibrating aloft, will be thrown on the bright surface of the waters in such a manner as will undoubtedly alarm the fish ; which, however much doubt there may exist as to their powers of auscultation, no one will deny to be capable of quick vision. Thirdly, he shall not so draw his fly along the surface as to give it the appearance or reality of floating up stream, for flies do not in nature float up stream ; nor do the Trout or Salmon, although they may never have studied logic, and are probably incapable of deducing consequences from causes, lack the ability to discern what is, from what is not natural. Across the stream he may bring it gently and coquettishly home, with a slow whirling rotatory motion, letting it swim down in the swifter whirls of the stream, and float round and round in the eddies, with this special observance, that he shall, in so far as he can, keep it ever at the end of a tight line, for WIIKUK To CAST. 'M'\ SO only will the fish hook itself, without nny inovoment of the hand nil the auj^ler's part — lui cud most (irsirnhlc to ofl'crt. liutli Salmon and Trout lie in wait for tluir priy, f«ir thf^ most part, rather than swim in pursuit of it in scliuils or ro?M- pnnios. They arc ol'tm. I would say irr-ncralh', found in pairs, and tluM'i'forc after Killin;^ one in any favotM'ahlo pool or eddv, it will he w»-ll not too soon to desert the spot, even althou«;h it may have heen disturbed hy the l)n^tlr niid liiirh nf the lirst enpture. The tail of switt rapids, wlu're some larf^e stone hreaks the force of the eurrent, and causes a lull, or, as one would sav of wind, a lee, will always he tound a likely spot wlu rein to east ; and in pools, between two rapids or cascades, the head and the foot, immediately above the oiu' and Ix-Iom the other descent, will generally each hold a tisli. Still clear deep reaches \\ill aj^ain be found to ccuitain uuinv times the larfTcr, and otten the larfjest fishes, especially of IJrook Trout; and tiiese places reqiiire the neatest and the finest fishin*;, for two very suflieient reasons; first, that the transparency of the water enal)les the fish clearly to discern the nnjjlcr, iinless he stand well back from the nuir<:in of the bank ; and, secondly, that its stillness allows all the imjH'rfections of the artificial fly, anhall he l)uiii'(l sciMiicly and (|iiickly, or ere the tish has time to diseovcr that the gaudy hait is an uureal mockery, without sul)stanee or >>avoiii-, consists in knowing wliat is not, rather than what i.s to he done. \ iry certain it is that the t\y must not l)e jerked or twitched away (|uickly, as is (h)ne hy nini-ty-nine huiuhcdths of novices, who thereby, instead of tixing the hait in, fUrt it out of tlie mouth of the Sahaon, and [irohahly prii-k him in ihjin}^ so; reiulerini: him therthy shy of again looking at thi- hait, and teaching him a lesson, \\ hiih Ik- may not forget in many davs. At two luonieut.s only, of the ordinary east of a tlv, is tin- (ish nearly sure to hook himself — that is, when it first alights on the surface of the stream, and wlu-n it is in the very act of being withdrawn from it, for the purpose of making a fresh throw — for at these two moments only is it necessary at the end of a taut extended line. When a fish strikes boldly at either of these two points of time, it is very sure to hook itself without any exer- tion of the angler; but if the line is in the slightest degree curAcd or baggy, unless there is a certain almost indescribable movement of the wrist, the fly will often be rejected, owing t») the discovery of its (juality, and the li>h will so escape scot-free. This striking 1 have seen variously described, but ne\er, in my opinion, comprehensibly. I consider that the great thing in fly-fishing is to keep the line always iis stniight ns possible, never jUlowing any jwrtion of it to flout on the water, and to have the fly never submerged, nor yet skipi>ing, but trailed evenly along the ripples, as if it were naturally floating down, at the end of a straight extended line. Hy thi.s method the chances of striking your Salmon^ without any cflbrt on your own part, a26 IMPLEMENTS OF SALMON FISHING. will be liugely increased. If, however^ it be found necessary to strike^ this must not be done by a jerk or backward whip move- ment of the rod, but by the slightest possible turn of the wrist inward and downward ; what that turn is, every angler knows, but it certainly cannot be described in writing, nor can it be, I think, very easily demonstrated — so exceedingly slight it is — by example. jNIore fish are, in my opinion, lost by clumsiness, and espe- cially by over- violence at this moment, than at any other time ; the utmost caution, therefore, and delicacy of manipulation are indispensable; and at first, until he has killed some fish and obtained some practical experience in the art, I confidently advise the novice to beware of striking; to allow the fish, if possible, to hook himself, and rather to lose him from his not doing so, than from his own act by whipping the half-swallowed fly out of his imperilled jaws. If strike he must, let him do it with the least possible force or exertion. When first a large and lively fish feels the hook, he will not unfrequently, if checked suddenly, throw himself clear out of the water to the height of several feet, and so endeavour to cast himself across the tightened line, which, if he succeed in doing, he shall break it surely, and escape. The counter-movement to this dodge, which is often repeated many times in rapid succes- sion, is to sink the top of the rod quickly, so as to slacken the line, and suffer the fish to strike it only when lying in a bight on the water ; but care must again be taken here to reel it in again quickly, lest it may become entangled by the fish rushing suddenly in towards the angler. Beyond this there is not much to say on the score of playing l-LAVI.Nii A ll"M»KKl) FISM. '.VZl a hooked tisli ; tlie f;reat cud and ulijcct is to ki-rp him, witli a.s heavy a strain as yun can ventnre to sup[)t)rt ujiun his niuutli, witli his luad down stream ; for in that position the water enters his gills the wrong way, so tliat the vital principle of the oxygen cannot he separated from it l)y tiic brijurliial a[)paratus, and the ti>h naturiUly dies hy sullbcation, or l)y something analogous to drowning. To ellect this, very nuich delicacy and nicety of touch art; re- quisite ; the rushes of the lish are sometimes of fearful impetus and velocity and sustained for such a length of time as to take nearly all the line oft' the reel, and to compel the angler to run at full spccil, up or down the bank, as it may be, in order to avoid siuaishing his tackle. It is well here to observe, that it is in all cases the best plan to follow your tish as early in the game and as rapidly as you can, rather than to let oft' too much line, as you thereby keep so much in hand for an emergency. Tljc great principle is to make the fish pull as hard as possible without ceding line, and never to give hini an inch that he does not exact from you by force ; the knowledge of the exact amount of resistance which you may oiler, and of the \\lieu exactly and how much you must yield, is the grand proof of the Salmon- fisher's science. If he run for a rock, against whicli to smash your tackle, or for a cascade or cataract, over which you cannot pilot him witli a hope of success, you must resist him to the last ; which is done by advancing the butt, firmly grasped, toward him, and bearing your rod backward over your right shoulder, thereby compelling him to strain out the line, the velocity of which you mu«t regulate with the ball of your thumb, inch by :i28 IMPLEMENTS OF SALMON FISHING. iiicli from the reel, against the whole reluctance and spring of the elastic rod. When the fish runs in, the rod must be held nearly erect, and the line reeled in as quickly as possible. If the fish turn sulky, as he will sometimes, and plunge down to the bottom, lying there like a stone or a lump of lead, he must be aroused and forced to run again by a pebble cast in as closely as may be to the spot where he lies, and then his run must be alter- nately humovired and controlled, like the whims of a pretty woman, until his resistance is overpowered, and, like her, he yields him to your will. The fly is, as I have before observed, by far the most effective and killing bait for the Salmon, although it is very doubtful for what the animal mistakes it, since it has no resemblance in nature. The best are, in my opinion, combinations of peacock's herl and jay's wing, with body of pink, blue or green silk twined with gold or silver tinsel ; there are, however, many other gay and gaudy feathers which are nearly equally killing, BAIT. Wii) and every fisluinum 1ms his own favourites. The aceonipanyiiif; eut eontains at No. 1, reprtsentations of several varieties of Sahnon-tlies, and at No. 2 of Lake-tlies for great Trout, whieh 1 kiiDw to be killing, as 1 know them to be beautiful — and whieh uiiv prepared espeeially for this work, to my order, by Mr. Coiiroy of Fulton-street, New York, of whom I have already spoken as, in my opinion, the best rod and taekle maker in America, if not perhaps in the world. The Salmon, especially when (piite fresh-run from the sea. will take tlu- worm at times greedily ; for whieh mode he must be tislud for with a stiller rod, similar to that usi-d for Hass angling, \uth a (juill-Hoat, and enough of slot on the gut to carry the bait di)wn close to the bottom. The best worms are the hu'ge lufj or f/fi/'-worms, and they should be cleansed or scoured by keeping them for several days previous to using them in a pot fidl of moistened moss. Two worms should be used, and they should be baited thus : Knter the barb of a large sized No. U, or No. 1 Limerick Salmon-hook at the lu'ad of your first worm, imd bring it out at the middle; run the worm (juite up on the gut above the arming of the hook ; again enter the barb at the middle of the second worm, and bring it up very nearly to the head. l)raw down tljc first worm to meet the second, and the bait will mo\e on the bottom with a natural motion. Paste compo.Hcd of roc of the Salmon, taken out when freshly killed, waslied carefully, and cleansed of all the impurities, the blood and filamentous matter, thoroughly dried in the air, salted with two ounces of rock-salt, and a (juarter of an ounce of saltpetre to n pound of Hpawn, K Tltol'T hMSIIINC. :\:\:\ water; ulicnci- tlu-ir i-oIdui-s arc li-ss brilliant, and their tlcsli inferior in tiavitnr. In the Staite of New \i»rk they are of luirivalled excclienee, anil arc found in vast nnnd)crs, especially in the streams of the south side of Lonej Island, in the lakes and rivers of the north- eastern conntit-s which di-hont-h into the l):isiii of the St. Law- rence, and in all the streams of the sonth-western tier of counties wliich find their way southwardly into the Delaware, the Sus- quchana, and the Alleghany. All the waters of Nortlu'rn and West(>rn Penn>\ Ivania are likewise admirably stocked with this delicious and j,'anu* fish, nor has any one need to seek better sport than he can find at Carman's or Snedecor's on Lonj; Island. In the Marshpee river, on ("ape Cod, fanu)us as being the favourite fishing-ground of that good sportsnnm and great statcsnuin, Daniel Webster; in the Callikoon and Bcaverkill on the east, and the fine Penn- .sylvanian streams on the west of the Delaware; in the net -work of lakes and rivers which renders I lainilton County in New V»>rk the angler's earthly paradise, or in the swift Canadian streams which >well the St. Lawrence, from the .Michigan west- ward to the Sault St. Marie, and upward to the head of Lake Superior, sport is certain. The implements of the Trout-fisher are sinular except in size and power, to those used in the capture of the Salmon ; but Jts less strength is necessary to subdue, so is, perhaps, even greater delicacy retjui.sitc to ensnare hinj. The Trout-rocl should be twelve feet long, and as pliant, almost, as a coaichwhip, etpudly bending from the butt to the tip. It should be comj)0!wd of hickor}*, lanccwooo well known to all anj;lers, ami to i\ll taekle-makers, hy their names, that they eaii he reaulily ami uiimistakeahly ordered hy letter, ami olitaiurd at. any distanee, tVon» any of the lar;xe eities. In pro-^ress (jf this >ul)ji'et, I take the lihrily of (lUotiiij,', from l>r. Ihtluim's very heautiful edition of Walton's Angler, the tollowin^ paper, ^\ hii'h «as drawn up ami eontrihutcd to that work hy my.selt", on the Trout-hshing of Loii}^ Island, at the request of the aeeomplislu-d author. It eoutains everything that 1 know or could collect at that time on this hranch of the suhjcct ; and as I rest well aissured that my horrowiu;; it will in nowise injure or interfere with thait heautilul and admirahle work, while I feel that it would he useless and ahsurd to rc-word the same ideas and opinions, and so reiidrr it pseudo-original, I do not hesitate to extract it entire: — " 'I'lu- principal distinctions that strike the careful ohservcr hctween the Trout of Long Island, or, indeed, I might say North America iu general, and thost- of tlu' British Isles, is, first, th«- great uniformity of size on the part of the former, which rarely exceed two or three |K)und» in weight, and never, so far as 1 liave Ihhmi ahle to ascertain, fivt- or six ; and, secondly, the fact that in the Inited States, Trout are never taken iu the hirgi* rivers, or, if ever, so rarely as to prove the rule hy the womhr arising from the exception. " On Long Island there are some half dozen instances on z 338 TROUT FISHING, record, within three times as many years, of fish, varying in weight from four to six pounds, taken with the rod and line. Two of these instances occur to me, as connected with circum- stances which may render the relation acceptable, as of anecdotes very unusual, and almost, but that they are proved beyond the possibility of doubt, incredible. " Both these instances occurred at Stump Pond, on the north side ; one in the pond itself, the other in the mill-pond, at the outlet. " A gentleman from New York, thus runs the first story, who had never thrown a line, or taken a Trout in his life, and who had come out lately equipped with a complete outfit of Conroy's best and strongest tackle, all spick-and-span new, and poifit device, on throwing his hook, baited with a common lob-worm, into the water, was greeted with an immediate bite and bob of the float, which incontinently disappeared beneath the surface, carried away by the hard pull of a heavy fish. The novice, ignorant of all the soft and shrewd seductions of the angler's art, hauled in his prize, main force, and actually, without the aid of gafi" or landing-net, brought to basket a five- pounder ! " The fact is remarkable ; the example decidedly unworthy of imitation ! " The other instance to which I have referred is, in all respects, except the size of the fish, the very opposite of the former ; as, in it, the success of the fortunate fisherman is due as much to superior science in his craft, as his, in the former, is attributable to blind and unmerited good luck. "The hero of this anecdote is a gentleman, known by the I.M\(i isi.vM) TIJ'HT l'l-lllN noin-de-t/iifn'f of Cominodort' Linibrirk, a I'liaractcr in wliicli lie liiis lijiurctl nmuy a day in the (.-olinnns of the " Spirit of the Times," and who is universally allowed to be one of the best anil most experienced, as well as the oldest fisherman of that city. "After havinj; fished all the niorniu};, with \arious sueeess, in the pond, he ascertained, it seems, that \n the pool below the mill there was a li>h of extraordinary size, whieh Lad lieiii observed repeatedly, and tished for constantly, at all hours of the day and evcuin;.'. with evi'ry diflerent variety of bait, to no purpose, llearinj; this, he betook himself to the miller, and there having verified the information which he had received, and Imving satisfied himself that neither fly ni>r minnow, gentle nor red-worm, would attract the great Trout, he pro- cured, horrtsco reffrens, a mou.te from the miller's trap, and proceeding to troll therewith, took, at the first cast of that inordinate dainty, a fish tl^d wciirhed four pounds and three- (juarters ! ■' Another fish or two of the like dimensions havi* been taken in Liff. Snedecor's and in Carman's streams ; and it is on ret-ord that, at Fireplace, many years since, a Trout was taken of eleven pounds. A rough drawing of this fish is still to be Keen on the wall of the tavern bar-room, but it has every appearance of being the sketch of a Sailmon ; and I am iidormed by a thorough sp rivers fallinj; into tlie bays of Ciaspe ami Chaleurs ; l)ut alth()u;^'h oecasionally con- founded with the Trout proper, this is in truth a totally dill'erent fish, and one, so far as I know, which is never taken in anv of the waters of the I'nitcd States. ** In ap[)i'araiUH', the Hrook Trout of America and (Jrcat Britain are to luy eye almost identical ; both prcsentin;.r, in well- fed and wi'll-conditioned fish, the same smalluess of head, (le|)th of belly, and breadth of back ; the same silvery lustre of the scales, the same brij^^ht crimson spots. The tlesh of the Ameri- can fish, when in i)rimc order, and taken in the best waters, is, I must confess, of a hiiiir stations, but for the convenience of reviewing the country, and scannin;; the waters, in rej;ular succession as we pass castwaird, I will suppose that, as in the pleasant days of old, we are rol- ling along iu our light wagon, over the level roads, on a mild afternoon in the latter days of March, or the first of .\pril. " We have started from Williamsbnrgh or Brooklyn, after an early dinner ; pa-ssed through Jamaica; rolled over the plains towards llemiMtead ; and, paA.sing through it without stoppa;:e, have turned suddenly t«> the right towards the bays, beyond which lies the Ijcach, with the incc»»ant surge of the Atlantic ,342 TROUT FISHING. moauing in tlie deep monotony of its calm^ or thundering in the hoarse fury of its storm, against its pebbly barrier. "Now we are in the land of Trout streams, baymen, and wild fowl, '' The rippling dash of falling waters catches our ear, at every half-mile as we roll along, and every here and there, the raised bank on our left hand with its line of stunted willows bent landward by the strong sea-breeze, the sluice-gate, and the little bridge, with the clear stream rushing seaward under it, tell us that we are passing a Trout pond, " On the right hand, the salt meadows stretch away, a wide, waste, desolate expanse, to the bays, which glitter afar off under the declining sun, whence you hear at times the bellowing roar of a hea^y gun, telling of decimated flocks of brant and broadbill. " Now we pass by a larger pond than any we have yet se.en, with a mill at its outlet, and in a mile farther, pull up at the door of Jem Smith's tavern. " And there we will halt to-night, although it be a better station for fowling than fishing, for we are sure of neat though homely accommodation, and of a kindly welcome ; and here it is that the first essay is to be made of Long Island waters. " On this stream there are two ponds, both of which were formerly private property, and closed against all persons except those who were furnished with a permit ; they are now open to all persons indiscriminately, and I believe without restriction as to the number that may be taken by each individual, or by a party. The consequence of this is, that these ponds have I,t>N(; ISLAND TKOUT KISIIIM;. 'M'.\ ilt'tcrioiiiteil very riipidly, and that, altliuiifxli wt-ll-slockrcl witli small tisli 1)1" fair tlavoiir ami nuality, Tiuiit are rari'ly tukLii ul such a si/.e as to riMuuiu'ratc the I'M'rtions of a good iishcnnan. Haifa [)i)uiiil may be taken as n r/uod avern«»e of the fisli killed here, liia i-reek below, w here the tide makes, there are, of course, tish, but 1 iievi'r have heard of much work beiiit; done ill it ; and in truth, e\ee[)t that this is the first southern pond of any note, 1 would hardly advise the angler to pause here. " About a mile ami a half further eastward is a large pond, and a fine house, both recently constructed at a great expense by Judge Jones — the former exclusively designed as a Hsh-pond. The place has, however, passed out of his hands, ami the house is kept as a hotel by one of the Snedecors. The pond has hitherto been private, but is now open, though with a limita- tion. It is well stocked with fish of a fair size. \Vhcn I was last there, a fornight since, a gentleman had taken eight lish, weighing as many pounds, \\ith the lly that morning. Tin- largest did not exceed a pound and a half, l)iit they were hand- some, clean, well-fed fish, and, as the day was anything but propitious, easterly winds, and very raw and ei»ld, I considered it fair sport. He had not been tishing above a couple of hours. I understand, however, that there are many Pike in this pond, and in the stream that supplies it ; and I mueh fear that this must ultimately prove destructive to all the fish in the water, although those resident on the spot a.ssert that the Pike never grows in that region to above half a pound, and nux-ly to that weight, and that little, if any, detriment is observed to arise from hi.s presence. '* This, however, I cannot believe, for the growth of the Pike 344 TROUT FISHING. is usually almost as rapid as his voracity is excessive; and I am aware of many instances^ both in the United States and in England^ where ponds and streams, excellently stocked with Trout, have been utterly devastated and rendered worthless by the introduction of this shark of the fresh waters. " The house is well kept, as is almost invariably the case on Long Island ; and I have no doubt that the angler may pass some days here with pleasure. " Some miles beyond this, still keeping the southside road, we come to Babylon, where there is an excellent house, under the management of Mr. Concklin, of whom all accommodation may be obtained, both as regards fowl-shooting in the bays and Trout-fishing in the neighbourhood. There are several ponds and streams more or less well-stocked in this vicinity, but none of any particular note, either for the size or flavour of the fish. " Such, however, is not the case with the next station at which we arrive, Lifl". Snedecor's — in whose pond the fish run to a larger size than in any Avater we have yet noted. The Trout here, both in the pond and in the stream below, are noted for their great beauty, both of form and colour ; and although there is some debate among connoisseurs as to the comparative flavour of Snedecor's fish and those taken at Carman's, eighteen miles further east, the judgment of the best sportsmen inclines to the former. " The pond is of the same character with those which I have described heretofore, and can be fished only from boats. It is open to all anglers, but the number of fish to be basketed by each person in one day is limited to a dozen. In the stream Ll»N<. Kl.Wh TIMI T ri>;iiiN«.i. .-U.'i tlicrc is no limit, imr iiulittl ciui tluii' be, as the tide-waters cannot hv prcscrvi'il, or tlu- I'vvv ri:;lit ni' fishint; tlit'ni |)ruliil)itc(l. The Tront here are not only very minierous and of tlie first (|nality of cxcellenee — their llesh bcin;; redder th;ui that of the Salmon — hut very larj^e; the avera;^e prohahly exeeids a |)(ttiiid, and fish of two and two and a half [xmnds' weit,'lit are taken so frcijuently as to he no rarity. "The outlet of this pond, after runniiiu' a few luindri'd vards, opens upon the sail meadows, where there is no ohstaeie wliat- evi'r to throwini: a lonij line. It is broader and lonu't'r than any stream we have hitherto eneoiuitered, and is ineomparahlv the best, etMitainiuLC hsh i-ven larirer than those of the pond above, and, in my opinion, of a finer flavoiu*. I believe it, indeed, to be an indis|)utable fact, that Trout, w hieh have aeeess to salt water, are invariably more highly coloured and flavoured than those which are confined to frcsli streams by natiwal or artificial obstacles. "There is no distinction, of which 1 am aware, in favour of pond or stream, for the use of the Hy. the fish takint; it readily in cither, althon^;h as a general rule they \\ill rise to it earlier in the fresh, than ni the tide-\>ater. " At some distance* down this stream there is a ranj;e of willowM on the bank, nearly opposite to a place owned by Mrs. Ludlow ; and under tin* trees are some holes famous for bcin}» the rcsort.s of the Iar|;cst fish, which affect here the deepest water and the principal channel. Here, as in the pond, fish of two and a half pounds are no rarity, and, in fact, such are taken here more fre<|uently than above. I should say that one would nirelv hook a Trout in this stream under one 34.6 TROUT FISHING. and a half pounds ; and the true angler well knows that a well- conditioned fresh-run fish, from this size to a pound larger, on the finest and most delicate tackle, will give him nothing of which to complain in the way of exercise or excitement. " At a short distance from Snedecor's is another stream, known as Green's Creek, which contains a peculiar and distinct variety of Trout, which is called in that district the Silver Trout. I have not seen this fish, but learn from good sportsmen that it is of a much lighter and more pearly hue than the common Trout, the bright and silvery lustre of the scales prevailing over the back and shoulders. It is crimson spotted, but the fins are less strongly yellow, and it is perhaps a slenderer fish in form. The flesh is said to be firm and well-flavoured. The Silver Trout is rarely taken much over or much under a pound in weight, and rises to the fly or takes the bait indiscriminately. This stream has, I know not wherefore, of late years lost much of its celebrity, and is rarely visited by the best sportsmen. At Patchogue, yet a few miles further, there is a very large pond, which was formerly perhaps the most famous on the island, both for the abundance and the size of the fish which it contained. They have, however, become latterly so scarce, that few persons from a distance think it worth while to pause there, but proceed at once to Sam Carman's, at Fireplace, eighteen miles eastward from Lifl". Snedecor's; these two being in fact the par excellence fishing grounds of the Island, and the difi'er- ence between the two rather a matter of individual prejudice and fancy, than of any real or well-grounded opinion. " The character of the fishing at Fireplace is nearly similar to that at Islip ; the stream flowing from the pond is larger, and U>SC, ISLAND TKOlT FlSlllNi;. 'Ml fontiiiiis imicli lar<;t'i- ti>li, tin- u\os\ hf.-mtitul, hotli in sli:i])c ami bri^litiu'ss ut colour, ot any (»ii the Inland. In this .stream, two pounds is a \try conunou size; perhaps, tish arc as freijuently taken of this wei-^ht as uu(hr it, and ujjwards to tour ])oun(ls. Their tlesli is very hij;hly coloured, and their llavour, as 1 have observed before, second to none. Indeed, it is but a few years Carman's tish were estimated l)y old sportsmen the on/if fish worth eatin:; ; of late, however, fashion — w Inch ndcs in i^astro- nomic tastes, as otlierwise — lias veereil a little in favour of tlu' Islip '['rout, and it remains at present a debateable point between the two. Tlie course of Carman's stream lies chiefly throuj^h open salt meadows, and the banks are entin-ly di'st it ute of covert, so that very careful and delicate tishinj? is necessary in order to fill a basket. Even with j;round l)ait it is desirable to keep completely out of sijj^ht, walkin«;; as far from the l)ank as pos- sible, and to avoid jarrinj; the water, so wary and shy arc the larj'cr fish. It is also advisable to fish d(»\\n wind. Trollinir is very successful in this water, the same precautions bciu}; taken, and the bait-tisb being dropped as lif,'htly on the surface, as if it were a fly, so as to create neither splash nor sound. The pond above is likewise desenedly celebrated, the fish avernr/inf/ at least a pound in wei;;ht, and e(iual in all respects to anv pond Trout in this or any other region. The tly-fishiu}? here in sK'ason is probably the best on Lonj; Island, althon^'h of late, here, as everywhere else, Trout arc becoming comparatively few in number; mo that it luus bet'n found necessary to impose a limit to sjwrtsmcn. " Not many years ago, a celebrated En-jlish slujt and angler, who has since left this country, and who, I believe, was among 348 TROUT FISHING. the first, if not the very first, to use the fly ou Long Island waters, took between forty and fifty good fish in this pond before dinner, and in the afternoon basketed above a dozen of yet larger size in the stream below. " This feat, the like of which will not, I fear, be soon heard of again, was performed with a fly, the body of which was com- posed of hare^s-ear fur, and the hackle of a woodcock's wings, — a very killing fly, be it observed, for all waters, especially early in the season. " On the same stream with Carman's pond, and at but a short distance above it, is another called Middle Island Pond, with a saw and flour-mill at the outlet, which contains a great number of fish, of very large and very uniform size, running from one and a half to two pounds weight. It is remarkable, however, that the Trout in the lower pond being esteemed the best, those in the upper should be the worst of any taken on the south side of the island. Such, notwithstanding, is the case ; they are long, shallow, ill-fed fish, dingy-coloured, and woody -flavoured. They are not, however, black -mouthed, as are the fish of a pond which I shall have occasion to mention hereafter. " I remember that a fact of the same sort is recorded of two lakes, I think in the noi'th of Ireland, connected by a short stream running through a bog meadow. In the upper of these lakes the fish, as here, are worthless, — in the lower superlative ; and they are never known to intermingle. How this should be, cannot well be explained ; for, granting that the excellence of the fish arises from the soil and food, and that the inferior fish improves on coming to the superior water, still there must be a transition state. l.oN(; ISLAND TKnIT KISllINt;. :\\:) ''^^'itll tliis pond 1 >liall cIksc my notirc of tlu- south side waters, mcrrly iul(liiif» that at Moiitchi's, and ytt t'lirthcr east, there arc many streams and lakelets ahoundin-; in lish, thontrh interior to tliose of the waters 1 liave enumerati-d, both in size and (jnality ; and these ari', I hcliivc, all oiuii without limit to all persons wiio desire to ti>li tluni. " It may l)i' worth while here to mention, for the henefit of straufijcrs, that tlie liouscs kept by Snedeeor and Carman are l)\ no means eountry ta\»'rns, at whieh nothing ean he obtained, as is often the case in the interitir, but hard salt ham and touirh hens just shiujihtered. Hciuj; frc(iuentc(l by ji^entlemcn entirely, they arc admirable hotels in every respect. ■'1 uill now turji for a monu-nt to the north side, on wliieh there are also many streams containing Trout, but none, with a sin«;lc exception, whieh can show size or numbers aj^ainst the southern waters. That exception is Stump Pond, near Smith- town, now rented to a company of «^entlcmen, and of course shut to the pul)lic in fjcneral. The Hsli in this larjje sheet of water are very numerous, and very lar^'e, but are for the most part ill-shaped, ill-conditioned, and inferior in lla\our, — lon<;, lank tish, with \('ry larj^e black mouths. I have been informed that in latter years the lish in this water ha\e bi-en j^radually improving:, but of this I cannot speak from personal experience; it is, however, notorious, that occasionally Trout of vi-ry tini' quality, both in npjK'amncc ami flavour, have been cauj;ht here ; which is sonicwijat remarkable, inasmuch i\s the same feeding grounds nirely produce two ditVcrent (|ualities of ti»h. " With regard to weather, a darkish daiy, with a moderateK brisk breeze, sutlicicut tu luakc a strung ripple on the water, is 350 TROUT FISHING. the most favourable. It is somewhat singular that^ in spite of the generally received opinion that southerly or south-westei'ly weather is the only weather for Trout-fishing, few old Long Island anglers are to be found who cannot state that they have taken as many, some say more, fish during the prevalence of easterly winds, as in any weather. A friend of mine, on whose authority I can perfectly rely, and to whom I gladly record my indebtedness for many facts stated in this paper, assures me that he has never known Trout to take the fly more freely than during a north-easterly snow-storm. Still, I must consider these as exceptions to the general rule ; and I at least would select, if I had my choice, ' a southerly wind and a cloudy sky,' — always barring thunder, — and no objection to a slight sprinkling of warm rain. " There is another peculiarity to observe in the Long Island waters — and, as far as I know, in them only — that Trout bite decidedly better and more freely, when the water is very fine and clear, than when it is in flood and turbid. Indeed, if there be a good ripple on the surface, the water can hardly be too transparent. " It has been suggested to me, that this may be accounted for by the fact that in flood the waters are so well filled with natural bait, that the fish become gorged and* lazy. I cannot say, however, that this is perfectly satisfactory to me; as the same must be the case, more or less, in all waters ; whereas it is unquestionably the case, wherever I have fished, except on Long Island, that Trout are more easily taken in turbid than in fine water. "As connected with the foregoing remarks, I will here add, F,OX(; ISLAND TH<»IT FISHINi;. :ir,l that, as a general ruli', i\\c minnow, with spinninj^ or troUinj; tackle, is found to hi- more killinj; than j^round l)ait in tlir ponds, and vice rfi\sii, in thr tidi- streams — pruhahly tVoni tlic mere faet that the minnow is the rart-r in the one water, the red-worm in the other, and that each hy its rarity becomes the greater dainty." lUyond this I ha\c nothin;; t(» add, with ri'spect to Troiit- fishinjr, with the exception of a fi-w vi-ry <;i'iicral ohscrNations on the most likrly times, seasons, and places in wiiicli to tish for the Trout, since the mode of takin;; tlicm with the fiv is in all respects the same as that already ^i\('n uiuhr the head of Salmon-fishing, the modes of cisting for, striking and playing these kindred fishes being in all respects identical. In tlie first place, 1 am clearly of o|)inion that for xcry early fishing in March and April there is no place on this continent at all comj)arable to Long Island, where all along the south shore they can he taken in numbers almost innumcrahh-, in every pond, stream, and salt creek, until the end of July, when they cease to bite freely. It is worthy of observation that very early in the season the bait is more killing than the fly, ))ut that from May to the end of the season the fly- fisher will till his creel when the baittisher will go empty- handed home. In the salt creeks the tish takes the tly far less willingly than the bait ; and in Carman's Creek, which is yen.' decidedly the beat Trout river on I.iong Island, it is saitl there is but one example of a fish being killed with the fly. by an old friend of my own, Mr. Luxford, fornu'rly of II. M.'^ Iui\al Dragoons, in whose eye, should this meet it, thcs** words n»ay awaken not 352 TEOUT FISHING. unpleasant reminiscences of his visit to the United States, and of his many, many sporting rambles with Frank Forrester. In Carman's River the largest fish in America are, I think it will be allowed, mostly caught, running often quite iip to five pounds weight, and I fully believe that if it were fished patiently and resolutely, especially at the grey twilight, or in the shim- mering moonshine quite down to the bay, through the salt meadows, with a small Trout on good spinning-tackle, with three swivels, or with a very large gaudy fly, sunk, by means of a shot, to several inches below the surface, fish might be taken of seven or eight pounds weight. After Long Island fishing is neai'ly at an end, commences, and continues quite until Sep- tember, that in the crystal streams of the Southern New York counties, in the Pennsylvanian streams, and, even later, in the waters of the Adirondack Highlands. The Juniata, the Wyoming, the Upper Delaware, the Upper Alleghany, and the Upper Susquehana swarm with fish, as well as all their tributaries. The former rivers, and many other equally fine streams in the Alleghany and Blue Hidges, are within easy striking distance of Philadelphia ; all the waters of the Delaware and Susquehana rivers can be reached in a day from New York, by the Morris and Erie Railroad ; nor is there any lovelier or more romantic region, nor any waters dearer to the angler, than those which are now opened to the world by that noble avenue which is already complete so far as to Oswego, and which will soon link with its iron chain, Erie, and all the Upper Lakes to the Atlantic sea-board. Hamilton County and its splendid fishing-grounds may be reached in many ways from New York, via Albany. From MAI" NTS OF Tin: UHOnK TUUlT. 1553 Caldwell's on Lake (ieor-^e, from Lake Clmmplain by the Saranae, from Schenectady l)y the fish-honsc, and from the St. Lawrence, it is accessible to the Canadians by the Hl.irk River or the Racket. These waters abound in the Brook Trout, and the (Ireat Lake Trout, whereof a word more hereafter, thont:h he very little merits a word ; and ^ood aeeoinniodation <':in now be obtained in many phuis throuj^h that of late inhospitable rej^ion ; but much of the |tli'a.suit' of a tri[) thither is dotroM'd l)y tlir swarms of mo8(iuitocs, and yet worse, of venomous .icupuncturin^j; black and saiul-llics, which phlebotomise almost beyond ciuhir- anee the hapless unacclimated stranp;er who ventures into their demesnes, between May and the latter days of August. Beyond this, I will only add, that the haunts of the I'rook Trout closely resend)le those of the Salmon ; that they lie lurkin*; for their passin;^ prey iinder great stones, at the liead or tail of swift-glancing rapids, in the small deep pools between, beneath the roots of great trees which protrude from banks over swirls and whirl|)ools, in hohs, under weirs and shiiees, ami in no placi; more fre(piently than at tlu' tail of null-races. The best and heaviest fish do not Ix gin to I'wd until twilight, after which, for about three hours, they are exceedingly vora- cious, reposing again after that, until daybreak is at hand, uhen they ngjiiu feed for an hour or two, lying (pnte still, and often- times refusing the most tempting baits during the whole of the day-time. I have been told lately, and see no reason for doubt nig the accumcy of the information, that great s|K)rt nuiy be had by baiting any wcU-asccrt«incU haunt in a ntrcam with the Common A A 354 TROUT FISHI^T^ cray-fish, his shell being cracked to pieces for several days in succession, previous to fishing it with a fly. From the Brook Trout I pass on to his degenerate relations, the various kinds of Lake Trout, Mackinaw Salmon, Siskawitz, and, as it is called erroneously, Salmon Trout of the Lakes. Before closing this article, I have judged it well to quote a few remarks on Trout-fishing, from that admirable work, Hofland's "Angler's Manual," inasmuch as they are in the highest degree appropriate to the Trout-fishing of America generally, while the observation on bush-fishing, dipping or daping, will be found of great advantage to the angler for small Trout in the beautiful tumbling mountain-streams far inland, in our northern and north-eastern States. "THE ARTIFICIAL FLY. " Fly-fishing is certainly the most gentlemanly and pleasant kind of angling, and it has many advantages over every other mode of fishing. In the first place, your apparatus is light and portable ; for a slight rod, twelve feet long, — or, if wanted for a narrow and wooded stream, one of ten feet only would be more convenient, — a reel containing thirty yards of line, a book of artificial flies, and a landing-net, and you are fully equipped for the sport. In the second place, it is the most cleanly and the least cruel mode of angling, as you are not obliged to soil your hands by ground bait, or live baits, nor to torture a lining fish, or insect, on your hook. Another charm in fly-fishing is, that you are never fixed to one spot, but continue to rove along the banks of the stream, enjoying, in your devious path, all the varieties of its scenery ; the exercise induced is constant, and AKTIhMCI Al, FI.IKS. 355 not too vioU-nt, and is i>(|imlly coiulucivc to hcaltli nnd pli-asurr. 1 have alrnuly said tlint a onc-handcd rod sliould he. ten or twelve feet long, and a two-liandcd rod from sixteen to ei},'hteen feet; to either of which must he attached a reel containing thirty yju'da of twisted silk and hair line, tapering from a modcrnte thickness to a few hairs, at the end of which you are, by a loop, to attach the bottom tackle. This should he made of round, even gut, and three- yards long; some persons prefer four yards ; but 1 think too great a length of gut increases the dillieidty in casting the line. Those bottom tackles may be purchased at the shops in two, three, or four-yard lengths. These lines shouhl also taper gradually, the gut lieing nnich stronger at the end which is to be attached to the line on the reel, than at the end to which the stretcher-tly is to be ti.xed. \Vhen you fish with oidy two flies, the second — or drop-fly — should be at a distance of thirty-six or fcu'ty inches from the bottom, or stretcher-fly ; but, if you use three flics, the first drop should be only thirty-four inches from the stretcher, and the second drop thirty inches from the first. These drop-flics arc attached to the line by loo[)-<. and should not be more than three inches long; and, by ha\ing the gut rather stronger than for the end-lly, tlicy \\\\\ stand nearly at a right angle from the line. 1 recommend the beginner to comnu-nct- with one fly only ; bu^ at most, he must not u.se more than two; and, as for his mode of casting, or throwing his fly, now his tackle is pre- pared, I fear little useful instruction can be given, as skill and dexterity, in this |)oint, must dei)cn(l upon prncticc. 1 may, however, advise him not to attempt to cast a long line at first, but to tn- his strength, and gain facility by degrees. He must 856 TROUT FISHING. make up his mind to hear many a cracky like a coachman's whip, and find the consequent loss of his flies, before he can direct his stretcher to a given point, and let it fall on the water lightly as a gossamer. When I come to speak of the different Trout streams in the neighbourhood of London, and elsewhere, I shall recommend the flies to be used for the place and season ; in the meantime, I shall attempt to describe the haunts of the Trout. " He is fond of swift, clear streams, running over chalky, limestone, or gravelly bottoms ; but he is more frequently in the eddies, by the side of the stream, than in the midst of it. A mill-tail is a favourite haunt of the Trout ; for he finds pro- tection under the apron, which is generally hollow, and has the advantage of being in the eddy, by the side of the mill-race, awaiting his food. He delights also in cascades, tumbling bays, and weirs. The larger Trout generally have their hold under roots of overhanging trees, and beneath hollow banks, in the deepest parts of the river. The junction of little rapids, formed by water passing round an obstruction, in the midst of the general current, is a likely point at which to raise a Trout ; also at the roots of trees, or in other places where the froth of the stream collects. All such places are favourable for sport, as insects follow the same course as the bubbles, and are there sought by the fish. After sunset, in summer, the large fish leave their haunts, and may be found on the scowers, and at the tails of streams ; and during this time, so long as the angler can see his fly on the water, he may expect sport. Unfortu- nately, when the deepening shades of twilight diive the sports- man home, he is succeeded, on dark nights, by the poacher, HINTS To YUUNCJ ANULKItS. .157 with liis ui^lit-liiifs ; imd T am sorry to siiy tluit tin- iiortli- country nnj^lcr gives too tuithtiil a ijictun- of thi^ iii^'lit-lisliin^', which hi" himself practised. " Aiul now, liaviiig tohl the young angh-r wliere to search for tish, I must strongly impress upon him the necessity of keeping out of sight of the fish, for, if once seen, not any kind oi' l)ait he can otlcr will tein|>t a 'rrt)Ut to take it ; therefore, approach the stream \\ith caution, keeping as far fioni it as possihlc : first, lish the side nearest to \ on, ami then cast your line so as to i!ro[) just undir the hank on t hi- op[)ositt' side of the stream, drawing it, hy gentle smitches, towards you, always continuing careful to show yourself as little as possihlc. " Some persons recommend fishing up stream, and throwing tlie lly hcfore them; others walk down the river, anil east the rty before them. For my own part, — after much experience, — wheucver I can do so with couvenience, I cast my lly a little abu\e me, and across the stream, drawing it gently towards me. If the wind should be against you, you will be constrained to stand close to the watei*^s edge, and make your cast close to the bank on which you stand, either up or down the stream, as the wind may serve. A\oid, if possible, fishing with the sun hi-hiiid you, as the moving shadow of yourself and rod will alarm the fisli. The finer the tackle, — particularly the bottom taikle, — and the lighter the fly falls on the water, the greater will be yoiir sport ; indeed, some anglers use only a single hair for their buttuiu tackle ; but when the water you fish is weedy, or much wooded, a single hair is very diflicult to manage ; but in ponds, or streams, free from impcdimentH, it may be used by a skilful hand with great advantage. The winds nn>st favourable to the 358 TROUT FISHING. angler are south, south-east, south-west, and north-west ; but in March and April this latter wind is generally too cold. A fresh breeze is favourable, especially for lake-fishing, mill-dams, or the still deeps of rivers ; as the ripple on the water, caused by the breeze, has the same effect as a rapid stream, in pre- venting the sharp -sighted Trout from discovering the deception of the artificial fly. " In lake-fishing you can hardly have too much wind, if you can manage your boat comfortably, and keep your fly on the water. There are very few lakes, with which I am acquainted, where good sport can be had from the shore ; to ensure success, a boat is indispensable ; and if you can procure a boatman well acquainted with the water, and the management of his boat, the battle is half won. After sunset the fish seek the shallow water, and a lake may then be fished from the shore. I have found, from long experience in lake-fishing, that it is better to cast your line towards the shore, rather than from the shore, or up or down the lake. The boat should be maintained, as far as possible, at a proper distance from the shore — that is, so that your flies may fall where the water begins to deepen from the shore. The boat should be allowed to drift with the wind, and the oars used as seldom as possible, and merely to keep it in a proper position and distance from the shore. The flies used in lake-fishing are larger than those for rivers; and I have frequently observed that the winged flies answer better than palmers. Perhaps the cause of this may be, that many rivers and small Trout streams are bordered with trees, which overhang them, and from which drop the insects that the palmers imitate ; whereas the shores of the lake are generally nusn-FisiiiNu, KTf. 359 rocky, or stony, aiid mostly denuded ol" trees, and eouac- quently ilo not produce tliis kind ul' food for tlieir finny inhahitunt.s." " BUSH-FISHING, DUM'INC, (»Il DAl'ING. "One great recommendation t(t hush-fishing is, tliat it can bo practised with success in tlu' months of June, July, and August, when the river is low, and the sunshine bright, and in the middle of the day ; at a time and season when no other circumstance wouUl stir a fish, the largest Trout arc taken by this method. The angler must be provided with a fourtecn-feet rod, with a stiff top, and strong running tackle; he will seldom have to use more than a yard of line, the bottom of which should be of strong silkworm gut. 1 recommcud strong tackle, because, in confined situations, overhung with wood, you will not have room to play your li>li, l)ut must hold him tight, and de{)cnd ou the strength of the tackle. "The size of your hook must depend on the size of your fly, from No. 7 to '.' for snudl flics and grubs, ami, for beetles, No, 1 or "). For bush-fishing, you should be provided with well-scoured brandlings and red worm, cad-baits, clock-baits, earth-grubs, beetles, gnisshoppcrs, and a horn of flies, or, at least, as many of the above as you can procure. A small green grub, or caterpillar, which may be got in June and July, by shaking, over a sheet or tablecloth, the boughs of an oak-tree, is a most killing bait for this kind of fishing. " Great caution is nectrssary in using your roc approached warily, a.s the large Trout often lie near 360 TROUT FISHING, the surface, and, if you are once seen, they will fly from you. If the water should be deep, dark, and overhung with thick foliage, so that you can scarcely find an open space for your bait, your line must be shortened to half a yard, and sometimes less. " If your flies are small, use two of them at once, as they frequently fall into the water in couples ; when daping with the fly, if you see your fish, drop the fly gently on to the water, about a foot before him, and if you are not seen, he will eagerly take it. When your fish is struck, do not allow him to get down his head, for fear of roots and weeds, but keep him to the top of the water, where his fins and strength will be of little use to him; and in this situation, with good tackle, you may soon exhaust him, and make him your own by a landing-net, the handle of which should be two yards long; or he may be landed by a hook or gaflF, with a long handle ; and this, in some situa- tions, amidst close, thorny brambles, will be found more useful than a landing-net, which is liable to be caught in the bushes. "When you use the worm, the caddis, or any other grub, you will require a single shot, No. 6, to sink your bait, for it cannot sink too slowly, or cause too little disturbance in the water.^' U.MTS FOK THK l,AKK TIKtl'T. W LAKI-: TKOUT FLsHLXG. Thkse great, ])a(l, coarse luul unsporting fisli, of all tin- thrco varieties, arc very nearly similar in their habits, '}'"& *'^'' ^''•' most part in the deepest i)arts of the ^reat lakes, seeking their fooil in the depths, and very rarely risiii"; to the siu'faee, either for tbod or play. Of these the {^reat Mackinaw Salmon is pcr- liaps the liveliest, and the Common Lake Trout {Su/mu Conjinit, of Dekay), tlie heaviest and most worthless. They will scarce ever rise to a lly, and can rarely he taken even with a spinning minnow; with a live bait, however, or a peacock-fly, submerged to a considerable depth, witlj a bullet at the end of two hundred yards of line, played from a still' rod at the stern of a light skilf or canoe moved rapidly through the water by sails or oars, tliey can be eatight with considerable certainty. Win ii holying any invention, however slaughtering; and poacher- like, to so base and caitiff a tish as the Lake Salmon. Of Hack's (Jrayling it is almost unnecessary here to speak, so far north an- his customary haunts, and s(j viry (iiHieidt and expensive is it to reach the di>triets in which oidy he exists. This is the more to be regretted for that he is one (»f the linest, if not the very finest, of all the Sporting Fishes of America, lie is the boldest of biters at a fly, taking all those flies which are most preferred by the Brook Trout, leaping many times out of the water in his efforts to extricate himself from the hook, nor ever succuml>ing to his captor's will without a desperate resist- ance and a severe conflict. His flesh is no less delicious, and his excellence at the board in no wise inferior to his spirit, or the beauty of his colouring. Of till- Attihawnu'u' or White Fish of the great lakes, of the Otsego Bass, or as I should desire to have it hereafter called, the Otsego Lavaret, and of the little Smelt, which arc all mcm- l)crs of this same noble family, it needs not to make farther mention. They all have been occasionally taken with the fly, and will all undoubtedly be oftentimes again so captured, but the certainty of their rising is by no means suflicient to warrant the fisherman in wiisting much time in their pursuit. I n>ay here, Ijcforc finishing this head of my subject, obscrxe 364 LAKE TROUT FISHING. that in fact there is scarcely any fish, which will not apparently, from some whim or other, take the fly on the surface. I have myself so caught the Striped Bass, the Shad, the Herring, and the Northern Pickerel, with the Salmon-fly. All the family of the small Cyprinidce, as the Roach, Dace, Bream, and Chub, will at times bite freely. In the Black River a species of this family rises very freely, and gives good sport. It is there called the Chub, and is, I believe, identical with another of the same division, known as the Wind Fish, in some of the streams of Duchess County, in the State of New York ; and a thoroughly good fisherman of the city informed me yesterday that he had even caught Suckers with a Trout- fly, a fact which, but for the very great respectability of the source whence I derived the information, I should hardly have been inclined to credit. None of these unimportant little fish, however, give sport enough, or are sufliciently good on the table, to make them worthy the pursuit of other than boys, snobs, and the ladies, who must pardon me for the company into which I have intro- duced them, certainly not according to then* merits, or my estimation of them. los.Hiblc to the fish, by long rnpid.s, or impassable cataracts, and that, perceiving the impossibility of arri\ing at the place of their pro|)cr antl natural destination, the fish them- selves cease to attempt it, and merely run up from the brackish 366 SALMON TROUT FISHING. into the fresh water^ in order to enjoy those alternations of tem- peratnre and food^ in which all this family would appear espe- cially to rejoice. In the Scottish and Enghsh waters, the Salmon Trout, like the true Salmon, ascend quite to the head waters of the streams which they frequent, and deposit their ova precisely in the same manner as the other of their congeners. Here, it is evident, from Mr. Perley's reports to the British Parliament on the Fisheries of the Pro\ince, that they do nothing of the kind. In the St. Lawrence, I have never heard of their being taken above Montreal, and rarely above Quebec, although there is no obstruction of any sort to hinder their running quite up to the mouth of Niagara, as is the case with the true Salmon. One thing, however, it may be observed in this connexion, is very evident — that we know, comparatively speaking, almost nothing of the nature of fishes' instincts. That they possess exceedingly tenacious memories, I cannot in the least doubt ; and I have more almost than strong suspi- cion that these memories become hereditary, and are so trans- mitted from generation to generation. In no other way can we account for that extraordinary instinct which leads back the young bii'd to the nest in which it was hatched, the Grilse to the river in Avhich it had its bii'th — since the young birds are deserted by their parents at a period long antecedent to their return from their migration, and the fish never have the protection of their progenitors. Nor in any other way can we explain the fact that the true Salmon never enter the Niagara River, although they run quite up to its mouth ; even if we admit that its waters are entirelv WON'nKRFn. INSTINCT IN I'ISII. ;}G7 unfitted for the purposes of the fish, juul tlmt it contains no shoals suiti'd tor spawning; j;rounds ; for, otherwise, we should expect that every iudiviilual tish would visit it at least once, in «)rder to <»et a taste of its ([uality, and then, fiudin;; it unsuit- ahle, desert it ; whereas it is not on record that any lish has ever heen taken of this species within its eniljouchiire. It may he that this wonderful power is an esj)ic'ial ^itt oi" Providence, preventing tlie tish from wastin<^ too nuich tinu' in seekini; ovit a haunt, and so losing the season for the propaga- tion of its species, hy conducting it, tndy as the needle to the nuignetic pole, to the stream in which it was hrcd. He this, however, as it may, certain it is that in all the rivers which flow eastwardly from the provinces into the Northern Atlantic, with every flood-tide a horde of these beautiful fishes run up until they strike the junction of the salt and fresh water, usually at the foot (»f a fall or ra[)id, and there remain disporting themselvi-s in the bright eddies, and throwing them- selves quite out of their native element, in pursuit of their scaly prey. In these places they will take very greedily any of the Scottisli or Irish gaudy lake flies, leaping out of the water to take and seize them, and rising so voraciously aiul rapidly, thai it is found im- possible to fish with above one, or at the most, two flies ; as it is not at all an unusual thing, if fishing with three, to hook at the same moment three several fishes. In the Obscnche, several yeani since, Mr. Pcrley, who visited those waters in his official capacity, accompanied by Captain Egcrton, of II. M. 1.1(1 Light Infantry, killed thni- hnnilrcd ol these fine fish at the junction of the fresh and salt water, at the 368 SALMON" TROUT FISHING. foot of a long glancing rapid^ in a single tide ; and the former gentleman writes me word, that one morning in last season he killed, in an hour or two, eight fish, which weighed forty pounds. This must be regarded, however, as an unusual run of luck ; for the average size of the Salmon Trout does not appear to exceed four pounds, although they are taken up to seven and eight. In the fresh water, within the rivers, they are taken exactly as the Salmon or Brook Trout, with a double or single-handed rod indifferently, and with any of the baits or flies which arc killing to the others of the family; but best of all, with a scarlet ibis fly, with a gold tinsel body, which it prefers, even in bright water, to the best peacock herl and gay feather lake-flies. Although a fine game fish, a strong fighter, and hard dier, the Salmon Trout often comes in for a share of the Salmon Fisher's maledictions, jumping incessantly at the deceits intended to fascinate a larger and more potent ^-ictim, and, in fact, for insisting on being taken in lieu of its great congener. In the sea bays, quite out of sight of land, while roving along the coasts, in search probably of its favourite estuary, the Salmon Trout is caught nearly as we catch Mackerel or Blue Fish, by troUing with the ibis fly, above described, at the end of thirty or forty yards of line, from the stern of a sailing-boat, under all canvas, in a stiff Mackerel breeze. For this sport it is necessary to use a reel, with not less than a hundred yards of line — as the largest fish are taken by this method, and make a very violent resistance before they can be brought home. KXCITE.MKNT oF TllK >I'<)|;T. ;i(l'.) The fly is ki'[)t ski|)[)iiij^ fri)in \\n\c to wave, as tlu* boat lavccrs, or beats to wiiuhvanl, and the fish throwing itself out of the sea to secure it \\'\\h its beautiful l)ri;,'ht sides flasluug like virj^in silver in the sunlight, and when struek, constantly dashing away with the wliole of the line from the whizzing reel, and giving a King run down wind, tlicrc is perhaps no sport in existence more full of plejusant excitement and adventure. Nor when taken is the prisoner unworthy of the pains it has cost to kill him ; for although smaller, he is in all other respects nearly of etpial excellence with the true Salmon, and occupies a place second to him alone, with the judicious epicure. Right well woidd it repay some of our gallant yachters to turn the heads of their tight crafts easterly, and bi'ar away, as the old song has it, with a wet slieet and a flowing sail, for tlie rock-bound shores of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, for once there, right hospitable would they find their welcome, and their sport right royal. n II 370 MODES OF TAKING PICKEREL. PICKEREL FISHING. From the gigantic Mascalouge and its nearly equal congener, the Great Northern Pickerel, to the small barred variety, which is found only in the waters of Long Island, the whole of this fierce and ferocious family affords great sport to the fresh-water angler ; and where the Trout and Salmon do not obtain, they are considered as the kings of the waters. There are many modes of fishing for them, and the baits which they will take are almost innumerable, comprehending in their range almost the whole animal creation, fish, flesh, fowl, and reptile. When of great size they are excessively destructive — not to other fish only, of which they are the tyrants, but to frogs, water-rats, and even the young of wild-fowl. They are taken either with trimmers, that is to say, small floating buoys with a rude reel attached, and a dependent live bait, with long set-lines ; or again, by roving with the live, or trolling with the dead bait. In the former mode, it is the better way to use two moderate-sized hooks, one passed through the hp, and the other through the dorsal fin of the bait, which should be sunk about two feet below the surface, with a large float on the Hue, and sufi'ered to swim about at his pleasure. TKoLMNi;. 371 Hv this method, howrvor, hiij,'r Pinh jut (tthii taken instead ot' the proper tish, and t rolling; with the gorge-hook, or lishin;; with the snap-hook, is by tar better sport — especially the former — more ii'gitinnite, \unrc exeiting, and last, not h-ast, more killing. Of these methods, Mr. liotland, in Ins • Mriti.sh Angler's Manual," thus discourses — and although he is speaking of the English Pike {Esor Lucius), not of the Mascalongc or Piekerel, as tlie fishes are of the same family, and the modes to he i)nr- sned in eaptnring them in all respects identical, 1 have not hesitated to extract liis able and well- written description. I must premise, however, that where he speaks of dace, bleak or giidgeou for bait, we must substitute tlic roach, the minnow, the small bream, the New York shiner, or, wliieh is deciiledly the best and most killing of all, the young fry, or |)arr, of the Hrook Trout. Like Mr. Holland, 1 inlinitely prefer trolling with the gorge- hook to fishing eitlier with the common snap, or with what is here called the sockdollager-liook ; which last 1 regard as a great and dangerous humbug. The rod for I'ike trolling is well described below by Mr. Hotland, but one of Conroy^s best general rods with spare tops — wliich is, in fact, the best for evenk'thing except (ly-fishing — such a.s is used for Ha-ss or Weak Fish, though with rather a stronger or stiftcr top, will be found all-suftieieut. In my opinion, a large click-reel, such as we use for Salmon, and a stout silken line of a hundred yards or better, will be found preferable to the contrivances of which Mr. IIoHand discourses. In casting the bait, the butt of the nxl should be set against H li 2 372 PICKEREL FISHIKG. the right hip, with the point inclined to the left; the bait should hang at the end of some ten or fifteen yards of line, and as many more should be drawn off the reel and held loosely in the left hand, the right hand grasping the butt about a yard above its extremity. The body should then be turned slowly to the left, and brought round again, with a quick jerk, to its original position ; the rod, as described before, will follow the same motion, and deliver its bait with great velocity and accuracy, the left hand pla\dng out the line and checking its motion gently, so as to drop the bait upon the surface almost without creating a ripple, certainly without a splash. A little practice will soon enable the merest tyro to deliver a dead bait on a leaded gorge into the circumference of his hat at twenty-five or thirty yards; and let him remember, that the longer his casts, the better and more like to kill. The bait, after being cast, should be drawn gently and gradually home, the left hand constantly giving out and retracting the line ; which, with the aid of one or two swivels above the gimp arming of the gorge-hook, will cause the fish to spin and glance beautifully in the water, and will render it a most attractive bait. Hofland's instructions for striking and playing this fine fish cannot be surpassed ; and paying due attention to the above, and giving heed to his instructions, the young angler will hardly fail of sport in any of the inland lakes or rivers of this country from Maine to Lake Superior and La Belle Riviere, as the French designate the Ohio, and from tlie Atlantic coasts to the Arctic Circle. BAITS. 373 " 1 must lit're inform tin- mt\icr in trollin^:, that little .sport can 1)1' expecteil without a tt)lfral)ly clrar watrr. '* Xobbs, the fatlier of thr art of trolliiiir. s[)i'aks of April anil Mayas the host months; l)ut, with tiur dcfcrcnre to so grrat an authority, I should say Soptembrr, Octohir, and NoveuibcT, arc the best months, as tin- lish are thru in prinjc season, and arc \\orth takinir, whcn-as in April and May they have not rccovcrcil from s|)a\\nin^', and although tlicy may feed frcdy, they will be lank and thin, and in bad condition. " Early in March the Pike are often taken lull of sj)a\\n, but at tins season tluy will seldom gorge the liait, and are gcnendly taken by the snap. In tin- autumn, rivers and ponds begin to lose tlicir weeds, which, in sprin;4 and sununcr, are so trouble- some to the troUcr, and the fish then take to the deep holes, aiid their haunts are more easily found. The troller cannot be too early or too late at his sport, for during the middle of the day the lish seldom feed, unless it be cloudy anil the breeze fresh., "The best baits for Jack ami Pike are roach, dace, bleak, gudgeon, minnow, small chub, and trout, or the skegger or brandling; when none of these can be procured, a small perch, by cutting away the back tin, may be used. Indeed, in the lakes of Derwcntwater and Bassenthwaite, and various places where other tish are scarce, and the small Biuss or Perch plen- tiful, it is the bait in general use. It is of the utmost couse- queucc that the bait* should be perfectly fresh and sweet ; although a Pike might run at a stale bait, he will rarely pouch it, even at the snap: your l)aita cannot be too bright or fresli. " Man\ writers hiiNc recommended Inrds, mice, frogs, ice, as 374 PICKEREL FISHING. baits, but Avhere small fish can be procured, no other will be wanted : of all the baits mentioned, I prefer a moderate-sized gudgeon, more especially for the gorge-hook, as the sweetness of the fish makes the Pike more eager to pouch it. " On a dark day, and when the water is not very clear, T should prefer a clean, bright, small roach, dace, or bleak, parti- cularly when fishing at the snap. When your fish are not kept alive in a bait-can, they should be carried in a tin box, and laid in a little fine bran, or pollard, and carefully washed before you bait with them. "TROLLING TACKLE. " The rod should be of strong bamboo cane, and from ten to twelve feet long, with a tolerably stiff top of whalebone or hickory ; the rings should be five in number and not less than three-eighths of an inch in diameter in the opening, that the line may run freely. " A strong winch will be required, which must hold at least forty yards of line, that is not subject to kink. Mr. Jesse recommends a trolling-line sold by Mr. Barth, of Cockspur- street, and I have seen a very good sort of line for this purpose, manufactured by Mr. Bazin, Duncan-place, Hackney. Some trollers prefer a rod twenty feet long, in Avhich case your cast on the water is made in the same manner as in spinning the minnow for Trout, but with a longer line; and the lighter your bait falls upon the water the greater your success. Mr. Jesse strongly recommends the use of a wooden reel, one of about four inches and a half across, having the rim grooved for the reception of the line. TiiK (;oi:(ii:-iit>(iK. ;i75 " 'These reels turn round with jjreat rapidity wlien the east is made, Icttiii:^ out a suflieient len{:jth of line, and are wound up a^ain hy turning them with the fore-linger. They are mueh to he preferred to the eonnnon hrass reel, especially in finhinj; from a l)oat ; they a\»)id the noi>(' and much of the trouble of winding up, and till- lini' ni'\fi- kinks.' "A reel similar to this is used t)y salmon-Ushers in Sc-otland, and is tiiere eallfd a pirn. It \\ill ntniirc nnicli practice to enable the novice to cast a long linr wluii the river is widi-, but in small streams he will find little ilillieidty. Some anglers prefer fishing with the gorge-hooks, others with snap-hooks; hut my own experience induces me to prefer the former as the best general mode of trolling; and this kind of fisiiing 1 shall first describe. «T1IE GORGE-HOOK " Is either a double or single hook, fixed on twisted brass wire, and loaded on the shank with lead, to which is attached a piece of gimp, eight or ten inches long, at the cud of which is a small loop. To bait this hook you must have a brass needle, about seven inches long; put the loop of the gimp on the eye, or small curve, of the needle; then put the point of the needle in at the mouth of the fish, and bring it out at his tail ; bring the gimp and wire along with it, the lead being fixed in the belly of the bait-fish, and the liook or h(M)ks lying close to the outside of his mouth; then turn the points of the hooks towards his eyes, if a double hook, but if a single one, directly in a line with his belly ; next tie the fish's tail to the arming wire very neatly, with strong thread. To tin- hue nn your reel yon must attaeh a 37G PICKEKEL FISHING. gimp-trace, twenty-four inches long, having a swivel at each end, and one in tlie middle. The spring swivel, at the end of your line, is to be hooked on the loop of your baited trace, and you are ready for sport. "When you are thus prepared, drop in your bait lightly before you, then cast it on each side, and let the third throw be across the river, or as far as you can reach — still letting the bait fall lightly on the water. In each case let your bait fall nearly to the bottom ; then draw it up gently towards you, and again let it sink and rise till you draw it out of the water for another cast. " I have before named the favourite haunts of the Pike, but Avhen you are in a good water you should carefully fish every part of it, for you may often have a run where you least expect it : — weeds are a great annoyance to the troller, and he will often bruise his bait, and injure his tackle, unless he is very cautious. At every new cast be careful to examine the bait, and clear it from leaves and weeds, as the Pike is very dainty, and will not touch a soiled bait. " The farther you throw your bait, if the water be broad — provided always that it falls lightly — the greater your chance of success, so that you are not interrupted by w^eeds, roots of trees, &c.; and if the water should be very weedy, you will be com- pelled to drop your bait into deep clear openings. "When you feel, a run, let your line be perfectly free, and allow the fish to make for his haunt without check ; and when he stops give out a little slack line. By your watch, give him ten minutes to pouch the bait before you strike, which you may then do, by first gently drawing in your slack line, and then A.\t;LlN(; AT TllK S.NAl". 'Ml strikinf; {^nitly ; Imt sljoulil your tisli move soon alter lie lias been to his haunt, ^'ivr him line, and he will stop a>^aiii ; hut after this, if he move a second time before tlu> ten minutes are expired, strike, and you will most likely sieuri- hiui ; but if lie lias only been playinj; with the bait, you will have lo>t him. " \N hen 1 have been so served once or twice, I generally resort to my snap-taekle. " If you have fairly hooked your fish, he cannot easily break away, and as your tackle is stroni;, unless lie is very larj^e, you need not jjivc out much lini-, but lujld him fast and eh-ar of the weeds ; givinj; him but a short struggle for his life. The gaff is better than a net for landing a larije I'ike, lor he is dangerous to handle, and his bite is mueh to be dreaded. " ^Vhen you are without either gaff or landing-net, seize the tish by putting your finger and thumb into his eyes. Half-a- dozen gorge-hooks may be carried in a tin box, with a little luan, ready baited, which will generally serve for a morning's sport. ".V.NT.LING .\T THE SN.\P. "I sliall first describe the old-fashiom-d mode, although it is now rart ly pnictised. " The spring-snap was formerly much in use, and may be purchased at any of the tackle sliops. It consists of three hooks, the upper one small, and the two lower hooks large. The spring confines the lower hooks, but the spring gives way, and the hook.H spread out when the fish is struck, and hold him securely. " It is baited by introducing the point of the small hook 378 PICKEEEL FISHING. under the skin of the bait, on the side, and bringing it out at the back fin. Mr. Salter gives the following directions for the double hook-snap, which may be used either with a dead or live bait : " ' This snap-hook is a double hook, or two single hooks, No. 6, tied back to back, on gimp ; to bait this snap, use the baiting-needle, having first placed the loop of the gimp to which the hooks are tied in the eye of the needle. Enter the point of the needle just above the gills of the fish, near the back, avoiding to pierce the flesh as much as possible, as it is only intended that the gimp should lie just behind the skin. Bring the needle and the loop of the gimp out near the tail, and draw till the hooks lie close to the part your needle entered, and are some^vhat hid by the gills. The bait will live a long time after being thus hooked, and may be used in fishing with a float, by putting three swan shots on the gimp to keep it down : — always prefer a gudgeon for this baiting. I call this a snap, because, when fishing this way for Jack, I strike imme- diately I perceive a run, and have met great success this way of snap-fishing. This snap may be baited with dead fish, and trolled with.' " Although I have quoted this mode of keeping a bait ' a long time alive on the hook,' I by no means recommend the practice to my young brothers of the angle, for I have long confined myself to the use of the dead bait ; and with the gorge-hook, and the snap used in the manner I am about to describe, the Pike-fisher will never want sport in a M^ell-stored water. " I have before said, that by spinning the minnow with the same kind of tackle as that used in spinning the bleak for TIIK IJKST WATKUS. ;i7«) TImmcs Trout, I Imvc tjiken many Jack, Pcrcli, and Trout; hut 1 have also tVcciucntly lost my tackle, by the gut hciuj; hitteu through hy the sharp teeth of tlie Pike. To remedy this evil, gimp may be employed instead of gut ; indeed, the snap- taeklc now generally sold at the shops is of this description, but with larger hooks than 1 use, and coarser gimp. '' The angler must now make his casts in the manner recom- mended in trolling with the gorge-hook, letting the iiait j)artly sink, and then drawing it towards liiin by gentle touches, by uhieh means the bait will >pin freely, and look bright and glittering in tli(> water. When you feel or sie a bite, let the tisli turn, aiul then strike gently, but still with sufficient tpiickness and force to make your hooks hold ; and now, with patience and perseverance added to these instructions, a com- plete disregard of cold and wind, and a determination never to lose his temper at tritliug disappointments, the tyro may soon become a master." The best waters for Pickerel of all kinds are deep, slow, sullen, shadowy streams, uith dark, creeping waters, and shores fringed witii Piekcnl-wi-cd, water-lilies, and marsh gra.ss ; and the best places in which to cast for them are the edges and openings of the floating weed-patches, under tin- cuvir of which they arc wont to lie expecting their prey. When the fish has taken the bait, the great thing is to give him time enough to gorge it, and not to mar all by impatience in striking before it is time. Once ho«jked, a steady hand, and cool temiKT, will soon ensure his capture ; for though he is strong and fierce, his boldness and incautious way of biting |>crmit.H the use of very strong tackle; and though ht fights 380 PICKEREL FISHING. liard for a while^ lie has neither the arrowy rush uor the innu- merable artful resources of the true Salmon. Pickerel fishing with trimmers on large lakes, as described under the head of Eel fishing, is by no means bad sport ; and if several large fish chance, as is very often the case, to be hooked at once, the sinking and reappearance of the gaily-painted buoys, and their rapid motion through the water as the terrified fish rush away with them, offer an amusing spectacle, while the rapid chase with swiftly-rowed boats is full of gay excitement. For this sport all the limped ponds and lakelets of this abundantly-watered land are most admirably adapted, from the farthest regions of New England through all the Eastern States to the fine inland lakes of Northern Pennsylvania. But to enjoy this sport, or that of trolling, in perfection, the angler should visit the Great Lakes and the streams of the great basin of St. Lawrence, and that stupendous river itself; in which, from the Thousand Islands, among which swarm both the Mas- calonge and the Great Northern Pickerel, up to the farthest tributaries of Lake Superior, he will find sport, how gluttonous soever he may be of killing, which will not disappoint his wildest wishes. In the same manner as the Pike is the Pike Perch or Sandre {Lucioperca Americana), erroneously called the Ohio Salmon, and other absurd provincial nicknames, which is a very fine and delicate fish, as well as a very sporting one, to be taken. In the western waters he is the most abundant, and his favourite haunts are the tails of mill-races and whirling eddies under shady banks. srUK MKTHol) HK TAKINt;. ;iSl lliiii shall you surt'ly take hy trolling with the Nliiiicr, or bottoiu-tishiiit; with thr iVesh-watrr cray-fisli : nor will yim (k'^pise him takin and sinokiiij; on your hoard. The Hhic-k l\:\s^, and the llork Hass, and tlii' lar^a- Yellow Percli, may also he taken hy trollinj; ; hnt there are for these tish other and nmre appropnati' methods^ ot" wliieh I .shall treat under tluir jjrojur heads. 382 LOCALITIES OF THE PERCH. PEUCH FISHING. In every pond and river of America is this fish found, and none of the smaller and less vigorous biters are greater favourites with the angler. There is, in my opinion, but one distinct species of the Yellow Perch in America, although there are several strongly marked, but I think casual varieties. In the salt-water bays, however, and the estuaries of tide rivers, there are two small and distinct species of the Bass, the little "White Bass [Labrax Pallidus), and the Ruddy Bass [Labrax Rufus), both of which are constantly confounded with the Perch, to which they bear a strong resem- blance, being members of one and the same familj^, and are called by the New York fishermen Sea Perch, White Perch, and Salt-water Perch. These brave and hardy little fish run from a few ounces up to a quarter, and occasionally half a pound weight, which may be considered their maximum. They swim in large shoals, near the surface of the water, and are a most delicious fish. The Yellow Perch is found occasionally in company with them, although he rather affects fresher water, and I have thought that when taken in tide-streams he wears a greener garb than his ordinary dress. HA ITS. 3S8 The minnow, tlic red worm, nm\ at times small shriin|) will take all these varieties in the salt water; and from the verv earliest dawn of spring to the setting in of severe eold weather, it is rare but the angler ran liiid some sjiDrt with these (piick and lively biters. In almost every lakelet and pond, from the sea-board to Lake Huron, the Perch abounds, swinnuing in eompanv with tjie Sun Fish {Pomotis Vuh/ari.t), and the New York Shiner {Sfi///r Chriso/ineu.H); tliey run from half a pound up to three, four, and occasionally even five pounds' weight. Saratoga Lake, the Greenwood Lake, in Orange Coimty, New- York, Ilopathong, in Sussex County, New Jersey, Cayuga Lake, and the Nortliern lakes, Huron more especially, contain these fish of the largest size, and in the greatest perfection, but everv where they may be caught almost at any time. In pond fishing, the common ground-worm, or a spotted line with a quill-float, is perhaps the commonest bait ; in America pajitcs are but little used as bait, nor ni truth have I any great faith in them, although they are recommended by many good anglers. Of late years, however, I think they have lost repute. In the days of old Naak they were esteemed almost sovereign. The minnow, shiner, or small trout is, m this country, by all odds, the most taking bait. It should be allixed to the line bv one or two small hooks, t;ither through the lip or inider the dorsal fin as lightly tm |H).saible, and being sunk with a shotted gat to within a foot or so of the bottom, should be allowed to swim about at his own will. I do not approve of the frog for Ferch fishing, although when 384 PERCH FISHING. in the humoiu' they will take this, or indeed almost any fish or reptile bait. The following is Hofland^s advice as to the mode of fishing for him ; and although the English and American species are distinct, their habits are identical, and the rules laid down below cannot be improved upon. The general rod will do well for taking Perch, but a heavy one is not required. A reel and silk or grass-line with a gut bottom, or gimp, if Pike haunt the same waters, as is apt to be the case, will produce the desired effect. The same tackle and mode of fishing will capture, at times, the Pickerel, the Pike Perch, the Rock Bass, and even the Trout, and it is therefore well, in Perch fishing, always to be provided with the tackle necessary to secure larger fish than those which you actually expect to take, and to be prepared and on the look- out that you be not surprised unawares. " The Perch loves to lie by the side of the stream, and under deep banks, or near beds of the water-lily, the eddies at mill •■ tails, and tumbling bays, near the old piles of wooden bridges, or old kemp sheetings the best baits for a Perch are, the min- now, the gudgeon, the red-worm, and the brandling. "A minnow may be used by fixing a No. 9 hook under the back fin, or by passing it through his lips, with a cork-float, carrying shot according to the depth of the water. You should fish within a few inches of the bottom, and when a fish bites, a little time should be given before you strike, as the Perch is tender-mouthed, and, if not well hooked, is apt to break his hold. The paternoster is much used for minnow fishing ; it may be had at all the tackle shops ; it is sunk by a small bullet, and has three hooks at different distances, which may be baited TACK I, K. .'JSr» iu the manner above ilescribed ; hut my favourite mode of INrch Ashing is, by spinning the deail minnow, whieh gives me a chance, at the same time, of taking Jack and Trout. "The gudgeon or the bleak may of course be used in tbe same manner when hirgc I'crcb arc c\|)tcti(l. "In worm-tishing. the braudUng and the red-worm are tbe best; a No. "^ or '.> book may l)i' employed, and llu- Moat must be suitable for the water. Some anglers [jrefer roving for I'ereli in tlu" following manner : " Use a reel on your rod, and have bottom-tackle of three yards of gut, \>itb a book No. ^ or '.', with one i)r two shot- corns to sink the bait, which should be one or two well-scoured red-worms, and you nnist then cast your line across the stream, letting it sink, and drawing it towards you alternately, till you feel a bite, then allow a few seconds before you strike. You nniy also drop this bait into still, deep holes, as in Trout fishing ; iiuleed, a practical angler — especially an old Trout fisher — will prefer this mode of worm-fishing to the use of the fioat." After these apposite instructions tlicrc is little more to be said ; but I cannot refrain from (|U(jtiug a few lines in relation to the habits of the Yellow I'crch in tbe West, from tbe pen of an admirable writer, who has contributed very largely to our stock of information conceniing tbe fishes of tlu- great lak(^ and western riven* of New York, by bis admirable articles formerly published in the ButTalo Commercial Advertiser. I shall have occasion to quote from liim again, in relation to the Black Hass, tbe Oswego Bass, and the liake Sheep's-head, conceniing which he ha.s furnished us with tlic best information that we pos«K*sa : 386 PERCH FISHING. " In the spring, as soon as the ice has left the streams, the Perch begins running up our streams to spawn. He is ^then caught in them in great plenty. About the middle of May, however, he seems to prefer the Niagara's clear current, and almost entirely deserts the Tonawanda, and other amber waters. You will then find him in the eddies, on the edge of swift ripples, and often in the swift waters, watching for the minnow. As the water-weeds increase in height, he ensconces himself among them, and, in mid-summer, comes out to seek his prey only in the morning and towards night. He seems to delight especially in a grassy bottom ; and when the black frost has cut down the tall water-weeds, and the more delicate herbage that never attains the surface is withered, he disappears until spring, probably secluding himself in the depths of the river. " The back fin of the Perch is large, and armed with strong spines. He is bold and ravenous. He will not give way to the Pike or to the Black Bass ; and though he may sometimes be eaten by them, his comrades will retaliate upon the young of his destroyers. " The proper bait for the Perch is the minnow. He will take that all seasons. In mid-summer, however, he prefers the worm, at which he generally bites freely. He is often taken with the grub, or with small pieces of fish of any kind." I may here observe that the Perch, like his congeners, the various tribes of Bass, will occasionally take the fly, though not so boldly or freely as to justify its use largely. LOCAI.ITIKS OF THE CWiV. 387 ("AIM* risilING. Tins, I confess, I rcfijurd us wry iiiiserablo sport ; lor tlioufjli the fish is shy and wary, the dilliculty in takiiiir liiiii arises only from his timidity and nnwilliniiucss to hite, and he is as h\zy when hooked us he is sU)\v to biti". His proper haunts are deep, staj^uant, slow-fh)\vin}; streams, or ponds with muddy bottoms; and he lies under weeds, and among the stcujs and Mat leaves of water-lilies, tlafrs, and marsh-}; rasses. Not indigenous to this country, he has been naturalised in the waters of the Hudson, where he is, for the present, protected by severe legislative enactments. He will doubtless, ere long, become very plentiful ; and as he is a rich tish when cooked secundum artvin, and by many esteemed a great delicacy, lie is likely enou^'h to beeume a favourite with the angler. Ilotland thus describes the method of baiting the ground and tiMhing for Carp in England, and his directions are the best I have seen ; they may be followed with implicit confidence : '* In rivers, the Carp prefer those parts where the current is not too strong, and where the bottom is marly, or muddy ; and in lakes or ponds arc to he found near beds of water-lilies, and I- c i 388 CARP FISHING. other aquatic plants. Old Carp are very crafty and wary, and will not easily be taken by the angler; but young ones, when a pond is well stocked, may be easily taken in gi-eat quantities. "Notwithstanding these instances of familiarity, it is by no means easy to make a large Carp familiar with your bait : to do this, the greatest nicety and caution must be observed ; but if the young angler, who has been often foiled in his attempts, will patiently and implicitly follow my instructions, he will become a match for this cunning fish. " Use a strong rod with running-tackle, and have a bottom of three yards of fineish gut, and a hook No. 9 or 10 ; use a very light quill-float, that will carry two small shot, and bait with a well-scoured red worm. '* Now plumb the depth with the greatest nicety, and let your bait just touch, or all but touch, the bottom ; but you are not yet prepared -, for a forked stick must be fixed into the bank, on which you must let your rod rest, so that the float will fall over the exact spot you have plumbed. Now throw in a sufii- cient quantity of ground-bait, of bread and bran worked into a paste, and made into little balls ; or, in want of these, throw in the garbage of chickens or ducks ; and all this is to be done on the evening of the day before you intend to fish. " The next morning, if in summer, be at the pond-side where you have baited and plumbed your depth, by four o'clock at least, and, taking your rod and line, which is already fixed to the exact depth, bait with a small, bright, red worm; then approach the Avater cautiously, keeping out of sight as much as possible, and drop your bait exactly over the spot you plumbed BAITS. 889 owv iiij^ht ; tl;'ii rest [)!irt of yniir rod on tlu' forked stick, iiud the bottom oi' it on the i^ronnd. " Vou mnst now ictiri' :i few paces, keeping entirely ont of sight, bnt still near enough , to observe your lloat ; when you perceive a bite, give a little time ; indeed, it is better to wait till you see the float begin to move oil", Ijctbre you striki", which you may tlien do smai'tly ; and, as the Carp is a leather-mouthed fish, il' you n\:inage him well, there is no fear of losing him, unless the pond is very weedy. He careful to have your line free, that, if a large tish, he may run out sonu- of your line before you attempt to turn him ; as he is a \eiv strong fish, and your tackle rather light, you must give him careful play before you laiid him. "The extreme shyness of the large Carp make all this some- what tedious process necessary to insure success ; but 1 can safely assert, that I scarcely ever took this trouble in vain. A arious baits are recommended for Carp, — such as green peas parboiled, pastes of all descriptions, gentles, caterpillars, &c. ; but I have found the red worm the best, and next to this, the gentle, and plain bread-paste. Those who {)rcfer a sweet paste may di[) the bread in honey. I'asti- and gentle will answer better in autumn than spring. April ami May are, in my opi- nion, the best months for Carp fishing; and very early in the nioniing, or late in the evening, is the hot time ft)r pursuing your sport." The above mode of baiting bottom-grounds, and of fishing with the worm, in all its particulars, may be pursued with per- fect success in all ponds and slow-running streams, for all the many species of the Carp family, which are, for the most part. 390 CARP FISHING. the least carnivorous of fislies, and consequently the most diffi- cult to allure^ as the Bream, Roach, Dace, Chub, and Shiner, as they are proviucially termed, though by no means identical with the European fishes of the. same names. The Suckers {Catastomi), a sub-genus of the same family, will hardly take any bait whatsoever. AYliile fishing, as above described, both small river Perch and Eels of all sizes are likely to be hooked, as the baited bottom- ground allures all those species which seek their food at the bottom to its vicinitv. I,«"( .\|,1T1E.S UK THE STKirKl" liASS. 391 STKll'KD liA.^s I'l.^IllNC. \\ 1 1 II tlu- sole exception of Salinun tishiii«;^, this is the finest of the scabourd varieties of piscatorial sport. The Striped Bass is the boldest, bravest, strongest, and most active lish th;it visits the waters of the .Miillaiid States, iuul is, as I have before ob- sencd, to be snrpassed only by the Salmon. Everywhere, from the capes of the Chesapeake to the St. Law- rence, they rnn np the rivers to spawn in the early spring, and shelter themselves in the shallow lagoons within the outer bars during the winter. Everj'where they arc fished for eagerly, and esteemed alike a prize by the angler and the epicure. In every nianiicr they are fished for with success, iiiul with almost ever}- bait. The fly will take them brilliantly, and at the enith a strong hanil-linc and a large hook baited with that hideous piscine reptile, or insect rather, the real scjuid, or with the artificial squid of tin or pewter. A good deal of skill is re- ([uircd for this mode of fishing, but yet more strength than skill, and it is a very wearisome pursuit. Still more fatiguing is the exercise of squidding for them with the artificial bait in the ocean surfs of the outer beaches, in which the toil of tlirowini; out and drairging in the s(|uiil becomes a real labour. Neither of these mcthoils, anymore than taking them on set- lines baited witli spearling or tom-cod, as is very successfully practised in the Hudson, do I regard as legitimate or honest fishing ; and they arc resorted to rather by the professional fisherman than by the amateur for sport. Nor can I say that 1 look with nuuh sympathy on those who 394 STRIPED BASS FISHING. fish for them as is the usual practice at Macomb^s Dam, King's Bridge, or Belleville Bridge on the Passaic, and similar places, with floats and sinkers and the bottom baits ; though I confess that the size and vigour of the fish, when hooked, render this the finest of all the kinds of bait-fishing. The rule is, to fish as near the bottom as possible, with a sinker light enough to move with the tide. The hook should be large, and I believe the Kirby form is generally preferred to the Limerick. Some anglers recommend the use of double, others of single gut ; and some fish with, others without the float ; both plans have their own advantages, and probably there is little difference in reality between the two. In rivers frequented by Shad, the Shad-roe, either fresh, or preserved and potted, as described above in reference to Salmon, is the most killing bait that can be used in the Spring-time, and is especially the favourite bait of the Passaic anglers at the Belleville Bridge and the reefs near Acquackanonck. I have no doubt of its success in the Upper Delaware so high as Milford, where the Bass, there called Rock Fish, is taken of rare excellence. In tide-ways it is obviously useless, since the Shad never spawn in such places, and as animals in a state of nature feed naturally, the Bass never looks for, nor will take, such a bait, except in spots where it abounds naturally. The Bass may be fished for with success from early in April, sometimes even in March, until late in October and September. On his first appearance, and up to the latter part of June, the shrimp is the best bait; and it should be used with a float, suspended at ten or eleven inches distant from the bottom. From June, thoughout the summer, the shedder crab attracts TACKLE. ;5ry kind and attentive to liis f^ucst.s, and tnniishcs baits, {juiiU's, \'c. " III trolling for the Hlaek Mass in Lake Cieovjjo, you will fre(|uently strike those ot" one-halt" to three-lonrths ot' a pound wcif^ht, even with the very hirge lly whieh I have ticscrihcd. There is so j;reat a ditVerenee, hoth in shape and colour, between the tish of tliis size and those of two cm- more pounds' weight, that a stranger would never take them to he of the same species. These small lish are very similar in shape to tlie Blue Fish of the salt water, while those of tlu- larger size spread in widtli as they increase in size, so that a fisli of two and a half to three pounds, is of a shape between a Hlaek Fish, or Taiitog, and the famous Sheep's-head. Li colour they diU'er also greatly; the small Hass being of a light dull greenisji colour, while the larger grow darker as they increase in size, the largest being nearly black on the back, and of a very dark brownish green on the sides. The younger gentry, above described, are not to be despised on account of their size, for when taken with a light Trout-rod, they will be found to be a fine vigorous fish ; and when in their temerity they seize the large fly, on feeling the hook, they will, true to their luiture, make the Icaj), in imitation of their sires, thus showing them- selves to be game fish. I have known them to leap thri'e times while reeling in the long tndling line, whereas the larger gentry rarely leap more than once." In addition to this I will only add — for all that is said here is correct and clear — that in the St. Lawrence, among the Thousand Islands, this admirable (ish is taken in um ipialh d numbers, and of unrivalled e\eellctu-e That in the Hlaek 402 BLACK BASS FISHING. River they are likewise very abundant, and rise in it very freely to any gaudy fly. A friend of my own has killed many of this fine Bass with a large red hackle, with a gold tinsel body, and also with a green-tailed grannam. The best fly, however, is decidedly one manufactured by Conroy, after the colours of that described in the above quotation, with a scarlet chenil body, under wings of the red ibis, and upper wings of silver pheasant ; this will be found unfailing. A singular fact, which obviously, though oddly enough, escaped the observation of my friend at Buff'alo, is that at the first appearance of the Black Bass at the mouth of the Niagara, say in the latter part of May, the fish all lie around a reef on the Fort Niagara on the American side of the river, not one being ever, at that period, taken on the Canadian reef opposite. After about six weeks' residence, however, they change sides, and cross over, deserting the American shore altogether, and being taken only on the Canadian side. The New York shiner is there esteemed the best bait, and with it, in last May, an officer and three men in H.M. service, caught in a few hours enough of these fish to load two strong men to their heart's content. The small Rock Bass of the lakes is taken off the wharfs and docks on all the same waters, from Kingston to Lake Superior, with the minnow or small shiner, though rarely with the fly. It is a good fish, but rarely exceeds a pound in weight. From the same writer I here quote a few lines concerning the Lake Sheep's-head {Corvina Oscula), to which I have alluded before, but which must not be confounded with the Malashe- ganay, or the Black Sheep's-head {Corvina Richardsoni), a con- Tin: SIIKKI'S-IIKAI). 403 generous fish, tukcii nearly in the Minu* waters, and with the same hait— any, to wit, of the tVe.sh-water niolhiseas, ami, above all, with the cray-tish — uhich is as e.veellcnt as this other is nl)onunal)le on tlic table : " This is a villain in ^'iiieral estinuition — the pest of the fisher fur Hass — a fish that putteth tin- eouk, who would render him aeceptable at tabli>, in a (|uan(lary — from whieh, I nm sorry to say, 1 cannot relie\e her, though she be at her wits' end. " He is genenilly brown, grey, or reddish above, and of a dead, impure whiti> below. His head is large, and his bodv is flattened laterally, though the frying-pan rejeeteth him. His ordinary weight is two or three pounds, thoii^di he sometimes weiglis five and even six. Ills food, his haunts, his habits, are similar to those of the Hlaek Hass, w hom he ever aceompanieth, a»s though he were intended by nature iw a foil to set olf the merits of that jewel of the flood. He is despised, yea, detested, by the choleric angler, who pulls him out, and then dasheth him upon the stones. *' The Sheep's-head of the sea is a lusty, crafty fish, bepraised alike by the fisherman and the epicure. At the turn of the tide he takes the whole soft clam on your hook at a mouthful, and chews it, shell and all, and [lulls like a Salmon as you draw him in ; and his radiant, deep and broad-barred sides — as he flaps about on the sands of that low i.nlet in the great south bay of Long Island, to whieh you havi- just hauled him — how bril- liantly they show, and make you think of the dying Dolphin, and of old Arion ! And when he reposes at the head of tiic tabic — fit place for him — beautiful, though boih d, how heartfelt n n 2 404- BLACK BASS FISHING. IS on the homage he receives from all around ! Truly, it is libel him to call by the same name this Pariah of the lakes. " And yet our fish is vigorous, and not altogether destitute of beauty, to the eye at least of those who know him not. Is it not chronicled, that at Black-Rock, a strange angler once bartered away two noble Bass for two large Sheep's-heads, which, for the nonce, were called White Bass ? ' The freckled toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head ' — and our fish, in his clumsy cranium, wears two small loose bones, serrate and white and polished, which must have some use to him, some wondrous adaptation to his mode of life, which, when unfolded, will prove that he is not unregarded by Him who has made the great whales and the fishes of the sea. " His mouth is paved with large, flat, rough bones, or teeth, like those of the sea fishes that root up and devour the hardest testacese; and I have little doubt but that the naturalist who watches him narrowly, will one of these days detect him crushing and consuming the Uni and Anadontas — the fresh clams of our muddy flats and sandy bars. " He bites at the worm, the minnow, the chub, the lobster, and makes good play with the line, though he gives in more quickly than the Bass. An experienced angler can generally distinguish his bite and his resistance — but the most knowing ones are sometimes taken in, and think him Bass until he is fairly brought to view. " When you have caught him, let any one who will accept him have him ; and take to thyself no merit for the gift. His meat is more hke leather than fish or flesh. It is a common saying that the more you cook him the tougher he becomes ; CooKKlJY. |m:, ami I am not awarr that lie is c\rr cati'ii raw. Hut some [)i'i»pk> do rat him, ami [trotrss to liki" him ; thi'v must liiivc stu[)cmlous powiTs t)f mastii'atidii aiul (li;;i'stii)ii. 1 have been told that, roiustcd whole in the ashes, just as he eoiues from the water, he is savoury and ti-nder— .vll()AI.-\VATl':ii SKA l-lsllLXCi. Tims spurt, which is pursued with gr^-at eagerness Ijy many of our eity anglera, lias for its scene the various channels, bays, shoals, reefs ami mud-llats of our harbours, the great land- locked lagoons along our coasts, and many places in the Kast lliver, and Long Island, as well as in the estuaries of all the larger ri\ers from the capes of the Chesapeake to Massachusetts Bay. It is pur>Ufd in boat^, \> liieii arr rowed from spot to spot, and anchored over the various reefs and shoals, or in the \icinity ot sunken reefs, about which these tish are sup[)«»sed to abound, according to the state ami \ariatiou of the tides. The Hsh usually taken are the Siiueteacjue or Weak I'lsh, the Barl) or King Fish, the Tautog or IJlack Fish, tin Striped Bass, tin Sea Bass occasionally, the Sheep's-head, the Big I'orgee, and sometimes the Drum. For the Sea Bass, however, and the I'orgee, longer exeuiMons are geuemlly neccs}«ary, as the best fishing for these is lui the outer »ea-bnnks, in the Atlantic, whither steamers and sliMips occasionally prm'eey hook will prohahly he tound, on the wh(de, the most sueci-sslnl ; ami the most killing baits are shrimj), she(hlcr-cral)s, or clams. The W i ak lish occn- sionally runs up to eight or niiu* pounds' weight, hut the general nvernge dors not probably exceed two. When (piiti- fresh out of the water, thi- S(pietea(|ue is a \ery tolerable fish, not a little reseml)liug the Trout in flavour, but it very soon 4ia THE WEAK FISH. becomes soft and flaccid. It is by no means so game or so good a fisli, when taken^ as the Striped Bass or the King Fish, yet it is not without many votaries who pursue it with ardour. Immediately around the Battery, and even from the Castle Garden bridge, good sport is frequently had with this fish, as also on the flats off" Communipaw, in Buttermilk Channel, ofl" the Owl's-Head, as well as at Bergen Point, Elizabethtown Point, and many other places, both in the Kills, and in Newark Bay. It is said that the afternoon tides are the most favourable for taking the Squeteaque, until a short time before sunset, but that so soon as the peculiar drumming or croaking sound, which is ascribed to this fish, is heard, it is useless to fish longer, as he then ceases to bite. t;KNKK.\l. (tUSKKX ATloNS. | | :{ TiiH i;aim'>. oii KiX(; fish. Tills is, in all respects, si better and liner fish, both tor the eajjlDr or the epienre, than the hist. He is with ns, at New \ ork, a summer lish of pjissnpc, and is, it is nmch to be lamented, heeoniin*; yearly more and more rare. In Mr. Brown's " American Angler's (luide," it is stated that, " As :i j;amc fisli, he is considered ns giving more real sport than the Trout, Hass, or Salmon. Ilis name and whereabouts has only to l)c wliispcrcd to tlic New York angler, and he is olV after sport that he has perlia{)s antieii)atcd for years." Now, to tliis I must record my positive dissent ; for tliough it may be, and is, very true that tlu- King Fish is a great favourite with the New ^'ork angler, that he is a game fisli, biting briskly in those seasons when he is tound abnndantlv in these waters, and ofTcring resistance both longer and stronger than any other small salt-water fish — still no one — except those jolly old cwlgcrs who consider patience demonstrated by sitting still in an anchored boat, and comfort evidenced by the conso- lation of the inner-man with beef sandwiches and cold l)randv- and-water — would dream of considering it belter sport to sit for Imnrs, between Black Ti»m and the Jersey shore, with no hope 414 THE BAEB, OR KING FISH, save that of hooking a little fish, which rarely exceeds two pounds in weight, with a bottom bait and strong ground tackle, than to hook a twenty-pound Salmon with a fly on the surface, and to play him for an hour before he can be gaffed. The one sport requires luck and patience, — the other skill, hardihood, endurance, courage, long experience, quick eye, stout heart, fleet foot, and ready hand. How, then, shall these sports be compared ? I do not desire, however, to discredit the King Fish ; nor does he in anywise deserve it, as, both for durante vita and post-mortem excellence, he deserves all honour. He is to be caught most easily with the rod and tackle before described, under the head of the Squeteaque, or Weak Fish, except that a smaller hook should be used, the mouth of the King Fish being small. The best bait is the shedder-crab. In the former portion of this work, devoted to the consideration of the natural history of fishes, I have quoted an anecdote, pub- lished in the New York Commercial Advertiser, of July 6, 1827, recording the capture oifour hundred and twenty -two King Fish, by a boy and a man, in the space of six hours, in Jamaica bay, off Rockaway ; and I find it stated in the " American Angler's Guide," that twenty or thirty are often taken in a single tide. The first feat is unsurpassed, and probably never will be equalled; the second is of most rare occurrence, so much so that now-a-days the angler justly holds himself favoured by the marine deities, who kills his half-dozen King Fish in a day. All this, however, may be changed at any moment ; for the comings and goings of all migratory animals are more or less — and those of migratory fishes most — irregular. L(>(.'AI,mKS. 11') Their \i.sits arc like those ot' auf^els, lew and far hctwei-n. The Kiiii; KInIi, the Lufuyette, tiie Hlue Fish, nay, even thusc sealy eustoiucrs, the Prawn and tlie Lohster, will swarm tliis year, disappear entirely the next, and after an nhsenee, longer, |)erhaps, than Jaeoh's donhle eonrtsliij), will again gladden the hearts of their lovers hy retnrning in nund)rrs innnnierahle. In New York luirbour, tlie flats from Hergcn I'uint to Jersey City, within the fortified islands, and tlu> big rock called Jilaek Tom, and t)ppt»site Coininunipaw, are the hest waters for the King Fish. Hn*: in the Passaic Hay, and oil" llli/aljethtown I'oint, and also in the lagoons of Jiong Island, tluy are taken often in great nnnibers. Mav they soon return to ns as thickly as of yore, and remain as loni: as it suiteth them ! Tliev shall he welecune. 416 SEA BASS FISHING. THE SEA BASS. The Sea Bass is another gentleman among his finny com- rades, and he is sometimes taken by the rod- fisher while angling for the Squeteaqne, or King Fish. He is, however, difficult so to kill, and is comparatively rare in the inner waters. On the sea-banks without Sandy Hook, in the lower bay, and in the Sound, he is very abundant, and afi"ords great sport to those who are satisfied with quick biting and continual hauling in. Both for the Bass and the Big Porgee, stout hempen or flaxen drop-lines are the most successful, varying from ten to twenty-five fathoms in length, fitted with a single sinker of a pound weight, and three or four hooks on separate snoods, eighteen inches asunder, of various sizes, for various species of fish. For Porgees, the No. 3 round Black Fish hook is preferred ; for Sea Bass, Nos. 1 or 2 Kirby. The only bait is the clam, and it is desirable to salt him for a day, which, hardening the flesh, renders it more difiicult for the fish to abstract him. No skill is required for this mode of fishing, except that of keeping one's wits about him, striking very sharply the instant WKNKKAL ollSKHVATIuN**. 4.I7 he feels n bite, ami Iiiiuliii:^ in rapidly uitli a taut line; for, if a sliick occurs, the fish will often tliscnj^age themselves. Many pcopli' arc M'ry fund uf this sport, hut I hold it, after all, but heavy work, not the less so for being considerably labo- rious, and for the fact that hauling in the small, cutting line, hand over hand, and the salt water, arc apt to make the fingers exceeding sore, if gloveless ; and to use gloves in angling, would be something like douuing the upper Benjamin with fox- hounds. B K 418 LOCALITIES. THE TAUTOG, OR BLACK FISH. Of him Dr. Mitcliil, not unsagely nor unpleasantly, dicourseth after this fashion. The facts of natural history, as herein recorded, are worthy of all confidence; nor are the maxims worthless to the angler : — " The Black Fish abounds in the vicinity of Long Island, and is a stationary inhabitant of the salt water. He never visits the rivers, like Salmon or Sturgeon ; nor, on the other hand, deserts his dwelling-place as they do. He is fond of rocks, reefs, and rough bottoms. He is taken through the whole course of Long Island Sound, Fisher's Island Sound, and in the neighbourhood of Rhode Island. The Tautog was not originally known in Massachusetts Bay ; but within a few years he has been carried beyond Cape Cod, and has multiplied so abundantly, that the Boston market has now a full supply, without the necessity of importing from Newport and Provi- dence. The Black Fish, however, does not confine himself to rough bottoms ; for he is also caught in the southern bays of Long Island, and on the banks of the ocean off" Sandy Hook. He is considered, by the New Yorkers, as a very fine fish for the table. He grows to the weight of ten or twelve pounds, and even more ; but is a fish of a good size, that equals two or three. BAITS. mi " lie may l)C krpt lor ji loii;; tiiiii' in ponds or cars; and trd, and cvrn tattrd tlit'rr. Wluii tlir cold of wintor bcnnmhs liiin, he rt'fnscs to t-nt any nioro, and a nicnihranc is observed to lonn over the vent, ami close it. lie l)e«;ins to rejjain appetite with the rctnru of warmth in tlic sprin;;. The hlossom- in": of the dofjwood {cornus fhn'lda), early in April, is nmlerstood to denote the time of baiting; JJlack I'i>h. As soon as these flowers unfold, the tisliermen proceed with their hooks and lines to the favourite places. If there is no dofjwood, a judgement is derived from the vejjetation of the chestnut tree {rastouea resca). The season of baitinj; is reckoned very favourable nntil the incrcasiu;: warmth of the season brin;^s food enough to fill their stomachs, and they thereupon aflbrd less pastime to the sportsman, and less profit to the professor. The people express this sentiment in these coarse rhymes: — ■■ ' Whoii choittnut leaver ore t» lii^ on thuinli nail Thrn Kite Rlark Fmh witli<>\it fail ; Hut wlioii chi-nUiut It-avos niv as long as a ?>|mii, TluMi ratoli HIark Fiali if vmi can." "The common l)ait for Hlaek I'ish is the soli clam [tni/a). The soldier-cral), or fiddler [ocypodu), will frecjuently ten>pt him when he refuses to taste the other. And he snaps very readily at tin* lar^e finny worm of the salt-wafer beaches (nereia), when used on a hook for hiui. " Some persons, who live contifjjuous to the shores where are situated the nxjks frcciucnted by Tautoj;, invite the fish there by baitiufj. Hy this is meant the throwing overboard broken clams or crabs, to induce the Black Tisli to r«Muw tlu'ir visits, and fine sport is prm'ured. Y. y. 'Z 420 THE TAUTOG, OR BLACK FISH. ''Rocky shores and bottoms are the haunts of Black Fish. Long experience is required to find all these places of resort. Nice observations ou the landmarks, in diflFerent directions, are requisite to enable a fishing party to anchor on the proper spot. When, for example, a certain rock and tree range one way, with g, barn window appearing over a headland the other way, the boat being at the point where tAvo such lines intersect each other, is exactly over some famous rendezvous. To instire success on such expectation, it is proper to have a pilot along, well versed in all tLe local and minute knowledge. According to the number and distance of the rocks and reefs visited, will be the time consumed, from the duration of a few hours to a long summer^s day. An opinion prevails, that the Black Fish can hear very Avell ; and, for fear of scaring them away, the greatest stillness is observed. He is a strong fish, and pulls well for one of his weight and size. " At some places Black Fish bite best upon the flood ; in others, they are voracious during the ebb. Thunder accom- panying a shower, is an indication that no more of them can be caught. The appearance of a porpoise infallibly puts an end to sport. Curious stories are told of fish in the wells and ponds, floating in their native element, having been found dead, after sharp and repeated flashes of lightning. Dull weather, with an easterly vnnd, is generally the omen of ill luck. The exploits performed in fishing for Tautog are recounted, occasionally, with remarkable glee ; and they afi^ord a never-failing theme of entertainment to those who are engaged in that sort of adven- ture. Though the hand-line is generally used, the rod is sometimes employed to great advantage. The Black Fish is IMl'I.KMKNTS. 121 rcnijukuble for rctainin*; life a \ou'^ time after lie is taken out of water. He sometimes swims over even j^rouiul, and is eau«;ht in seans.'' A stout trolling-roil, with a strong flaxen line, and a reel, are the best implements. The hooks should i)e those known universally as the lUaek Fish hook, of various sizes, aceording to tlic angler's taste, ranging from three to ten. These should he armed — two being used, whieh is the proper number — on hook links of trebly-twisted gut, respectively, of twelve and fifteen inehes, whieh links should be securely fastened to a small brass ring. The ring is to be hooped to the end of the line to whicli the sinker is appended. This is the best arrangement of the hooks for all salt-water shoal bait-fisliing. The Black Fish is entirely a bottom fish, and is caught evcry- «herc within his geographical range, in whirls and eddies, in the close vicinity of rocks and reefs. Robin's Reef, at the entrance of the Kills, is a favourite feeding ground ; and some years since I had rare sport daily for many weeks, about the hull of the wrecked packet-ship, Henri Quatre, below the Narrows. The rocks off the well-known watering house, the Sachem's Head, on the Sound, and many other rocks in the Bays and Sound of L<»ng Island, are of ccpial reputation. He must be struck >harply, and pulled up «ithont a moment's quarter. He is better in the pan than on the hook, and better rKK. aimm:m)IX a. Tin; ANdLER'S AlM'AKAirs. From UoflonU'it " BriiUh Anglcr'i Manual." It is impossible to become a successful niigler, without such a complete and well-arranged assortment of tackle as will enable you to be prepared for all times, seasons, and circumstances ; and a true brother of the craft will find nuich to anmse him in the exercise of his ingenuity in making and repairing lines, flics, Jcc, and in the orderly disposition of the materials of his art — of which the following is a list : Uoils for Salmon fishing, trolling, spinning the minnow and bleak, fly-fishing and angling at the bottom. Lines of hair, silkworm gut, Indian weed, plaited silk and hair, ami patent line fur trolling. Winches or reels for running-tackle. Hooks for trollintf, on wire or gimp, for the gorge, the snap, ic. Bleak and minnow tuckle, and baiting needles, of various sizes. Hooks tied on gut, from No. 1 to No. 12. Hooks tied on hair, from No. 10 to No. 13. Loose hooks of all sizes. ratemostcrs for Perch fishing. Shoemakers' wax and sewing-silk. Floats of rarious sizes, and caj)» for float*!. Split shots and plummets fur taking the di'pths uf the water. Disgorgcr, clearing ring, and drag. Landing-net, a gatT, and kettle for lire bait. Gentle-box, and bags for worms. 430 APPENDIX. A fishing-basket, creel, or game pouch. A pair of pliers, a pair of scissors, and a penkTiife. A book of artificial flies. A book of general tackle. RODS. Choice rods are of the utmost consequence to the angler's success, and various instructions have been given by difi"erent authors for select- ing proper kinds of wood for the purpose, and the method of making them ; but as excellent rods of every description are now to be purchased in almost every part of the United Kingdom, I shall recommend such as will be generally useful, and may be procured without difficulty at any of the fishing-tackle shops in London. In choosing a rod, be careful to examine if the joints fit securely, if it be perfectly straight when put together, and if it spring equally in all its parts, from the butt to the top, when bent. That which is commonly termed a "general rod" will be found most useful to the traveller who has not an opportunity of carrying more than one with him at a time, it being so contrived that it may be used either for fly-fishing, trolling, or bottom fishing, as the butt of the rod is bored, and contains several spare tops, i. e., one for the fly, one for spinning the minnow, one for the float, and another for trolling — the whole being conveniently packed up In a canvas bag. Although this kind of rod will be found highly serviceable on many occasions, I would by no means I'ecommend the use of it when you have an opportunity of employing separate and appropriate rods for the difi"erent kinds of angling. The rods used exclusively for fly- fishing should be as light as possible, consistent with strength, and if for throwing with one hand, not more than from twelve to fourteen feet long, and If with both hands not more than from sixteen to eighteen feet. Indeed, a rod shorter than either of tliese would be found very convenient in a narrow, closely-wooded stream, where It Is frequently necessary to force your fly with a short line under overhanging bushes. I am acquainted with some excellent anglers In the north of England, who cannot be persuaded to use any other fly-rod than one composed of two pieces only, and sliced in the middle ; but this is incon- itons. MNKrt. i;U venii'ut ti> canv. and tlio jointoti rods nro now brought to such |>ort'fetit>ii, tlmt I fool n-ssurotl tln-y will answer every purpose of tlie splioi-il!«, besitles hfiiii; tnucli more portalili*. Tlio Irish Hy-ro«lH uro scrt'woil toj^othtT at eacli joint, and are much more olasitic tliaii the l'ni;lish nxls. THi: TltoLl.lNC Kol) Should bo very strong, and not less than twelve or more than sixteen feet in length, with largo rings u|)on it, that the line may run freely. The rod for spinning a minnow or bleak should bo of bamboo cane, and from eighteen to twenty feet long, with a tolerable stiff top ; the rings should bo placed at a moderate distance from each other, and be of the middle size. The harheil r<»r poiul-fishini^ niul for i;oiitl<' strcains, as the lino is confined nt each oml of tho flimt l»y n cap. which cimhios y«ni to strikf at a fish with i^rcatcr precision than with n phiggeil float, whiili ]t.i> a wire riii',' at tli.' hottuin for the line to run through. In shotting tho lino. I prefer a nniuber of small shot to a few largo ones, OS they make less disturbance in the water. Your line must be shotted till not more than the cap of your float is seen above the water, unless it should be very rough from wiml or a rapid current, in whicli case something more of the float must swim above water. Tlie porcupine quill is a favourite float with some anglers, but for a moderate stream I prefer a swan s ipiill. Tin; l.VNDlNiiNKT AND (iAI T. The landing-net may be purchased so contrived as to unscrew from a socket in the handle — which should be four or five feet long —aiul a gaff" or hook for landing .Salmon, Pike, or large Trout, may also be bought to screw into the same socket, and both the net and gatf may be carried in your basket or creel till you reach the river side. V K APPENDIX B. THE FLY-FISHER'S APPARATUS. From Hofland'g " British Anglers' Manual." A COMPLETE fly-fisher will make his own flies, and will find much amusement in the practice of this delicate art. It -will he necessary that he should provide himself with the following materials, to enable him to imitate the flies described hereafter. HOOKS. London, Kirby-sneck, and Limerick hooks, of all sizes. Of these, the Limerick hook is in the greatest general estimation ; but in the north of England, the Kirby-sneck hook is preferred for small hackle flies. FEATHERS. Cocks' and hens' hackles, of all colours ; those chiefly in use are red, ginger, coch-a-bondu, black, dun, olive, grizzle, and white ; the latter for dying yellow, os-wnx. A pair of pliers, a pair of tiiie-pointoil scissors, a siimll hniul-slide vice, and a fine-pointed strong dubbing needle. Silkworm gut, from the finest to the strongest, nnd Salmon gut, singlo and twisted. Lengths of tlu« white niul sorrel hairs of htallions' tniln. APPENDIX C. HOW TO COOK FISH.— THE SALMON. Mejudice, the king of fishes, is the best plain boiled. His richness is sufficient, his flavour so excellent, that, so far from being improved, his natural qualities are destroyed and overpowered by anything of artificial condiment. MY OWN RECEIPT FOR BOILIXG SALMON. If you are ever so lucky as to catch a Salmon, where incontinently you can proceed to cook him, that is to say, in the wilderness, within ten yards of the door of your shantee, with the fire burning and the pot boiling — good ! Stun him at once by a heavy blow on the head ; crimp him by a succession of cuts on each side, through the muscle, quite down to the back-bone, with a very sharp knife, in slashes parallel to the gill-cover. Then place him for ten minutes in a cold spring, or under the jet of a water-fall. In the meantime, keep your pot boiling, nay, but screech- ing with intense heat, filled with brine strong enough to bear an egg. Therein immerse him, having cut out the gills, opened the belly, and washed the inside, and boil him at the rate of seven minutes and a half to the pound ; dish him, and, serving him with no sauce save a tureenful of the water in which he has been boiled, proceed to eat him, with no other condiment than a little salt and the slightest squeeze of a lemon. I do not object to cucumber sliced very fine, with a dressing of oil, l>li:K(TIt»NS KiiK (ixtKINC. 437 three tablespoons to oue of vinegar, suit, ami black pepper (j»a>i^e had. 438 APPENDIX. SALMON A LA BEYROUT. Broil two slices of Salmon, in oiled paper, over a moderate fire ; when they are done, peel the skin from the edge, and lay them on a dish without a napkin ; have ready the following saxice : Put one table- spoonful of chopped onions in a stew-pan, with one ditto of Chili vinegar, one of common vinegar, two ditto of plaitiry sauce, two ditto of mush- roon catsup, and twenty tablespoonfuls of melted butter ; let it reduce till it adheres to the back of the spoon, then add two tablespoonfuls of essence of anchovy, and a small quantity of sugar, pour it over the fish, and serve it hot. HOW TO COOK TROUT. MY OWN METHOD. This is the method of the woods, and in tlie woods I learnt it ; but having learned, I practise it at home, considering it one of the most delicious morceaux, when thus cooked, in the world. It must be cooked, however, in the open air, by a wood fire kindled on the ground, or by a charcoal fire in a small Boston furnace. Clean and scale your fish, open, clean and wash him internally ; take for a one-pound fish two small skewers of red cedar-wood, upon each thread a piece of fat salt pork half-an-inch square ; with these fasten the belly of the fish asunder, annex him by the tail to a twig of pliant ■wood, which sufiier to bend over the fire so as to bring the fish opposite the blaze, place a large biscuit or a slice of thin dry toast under the drip of the gravy, cook quickly — for a two-pound fish, ten minutes will suffice — dish with the hiscuit under him, and eat with salt and lemon juice, or if you please, with shrimp or lobster sauce, or a dish of Wor- cestershii-e or Harvey sauce, though I think these, for my own cheek, bad taste. TROUT AU NATUREL. A large Sea Trout or Salmon Trout is to be cleansed, cooked and eaten precisely as the Salmon in my first receipt. I conceive, myself. DIKHCTlnNS FuK 0>(»KIN«i. \:VJ that any piquant or rich sauce overpowers the flavour of tho Hsli, and »lu>ulut in with him sweet marjoram, savory, thyme, or fennel, with a gooil handful of salt; let theui boil nearly half an liour. For the sauce, take sweet butter, anchovies, horseradish, claret wine, of each a good (|uantity ; a little of the blood, shalot, or garlic, and some lemon sliced ; beat them well together, and servo him up. soYEJi's UEcEirr you i'IKe kua.steu. This tiah in France is found daily upon the tables of the tirst epicures, but tho quality of the tish there appears much more delicate than here. IJut perhaps tho reosou of its being more in voi^ue there is, that other ti.Hh are more scarce ; not being so much in use here (that is, in London), but in the country, where gentlemen have sport in catching them, they are much more thought of, and to them, perhaps, the follow- ing receipts may be the nio.st valuable. To dress it plain it is usually baked, as follows : Having well cleaned the ti<«h, stuff it, and ^cw tho belly up with packthread : butter a sautc-pan, put the tish inio it and place it in tho oven for an hour or more, according to tho size of it ; when done, dish it without a napkin, and pNS FiiK .ro«»KIN<;. t 11 riKK .\ LA IIOLLANUAISK. Hoil the fish in suit ami wntiT, in the snmo manner as L'od-ti>h; iliain it well, di»h it withuut a na|ikin, punr a sauce Ilullandaise over it. sMM.i. I'iKK A i.A Mr.rsiKiu:. I'l imp a .xuiall I'ike — it niu>t not weigh more tlian two pounds, hut smaller if vou can get it— and proceed exactly as for Sole ii la nieuni«Tf, but allow it more time. riKK WITH CAl-Kll .SALt E. Boil the fish as before, and have ready caper sauce made as follows : I'ut fifteen tablespooufuls of melted butter in a stew-pan, and when it boils add a (piarter of a i>ound of fresh butter ; when it melts, add two tablespoonfuls of liaison; let it remain on the fire to thicken, but do not let it boil ; moisten with a little milk if required, then add two table- spoonfuls of capers, and pour over the fish. riKK A LA MAITHK DHoTKL. Hoil the fish as usual, and dish it without a napkin ; then put twelve tablespiKjnfuls of melted butter in a slew-pan ; and when it is ujxin the point of boiling, add a quarter of a pound of Maitre d 'Hotel butter, and when it melts pour over and round the fish ; serve very hot. I'IKK .\ LA KiiYITIKNM:. Cut two onions, two turnips, one carrot, ouc head of celery, and ono luck into slices : put them into a largo stew-pan with some (Mirsley. thyme, bay leave.**, and a pint of |Mjrt wine ; then havi- your fish ready trussed, with its tail in it.n mouth ; put it into the stew-pan, with the vegetables ; add three pints of broth, and set it on a slow fire to .ntcw, with some live charcoal upon the lid ; try when done by running the knife close in to the bock l>one ; if the meat detaches easily, it is done ; take it out, and place on a baking sheet ; dry it with a cloth, then egg and bread crumb it ; put it in the oven, and salamander it a light brown ; then put twenty tablespoonfuls of white sauce in a ^tew-pan. 442 APPENDIX. with eight of milk, and reduce it five minutes ; then add four gherkins, the whites of four hard-boiled eggs, and two ruffles, cut in very small dice ; finish with two tablespoonfuls of essence of anchovies, the juice of half a lemon, and four pats of butter ; dress the fish without a napkin, and sauce over. FILLETS OF PIKE EN MATELOTE. If for a dinner for twelve, fillet four small Pike ; egg and bread- crumb, and fry in oil ; dish them round on a border of mashed potatoes (previously cutting each fillet in halves), and serve sauce matelote in the centre. FILLETS OF PIKE A LA MEUXIERE. FiUet four Pike as above, cut each fillet in halves, rub some chopped shalot into them, dip them in flour, broil them ; when done, sauce as for Sole a la meuniere. Observe, if you happen to live in the counti-y, where Pike is plentiful, you may dish the fillets in as many ways as Soles, or any other fish ; but I have omitted giving them here, thinking it useless to fill a useful book with so many repetitions ; we have several ways of dressing Pike to be eaten cold in France, which I have also omitted, as they would be quite useless in this country. HOW TO COOK PERCH. The best mode of cooking a Perch, under a pound weight, is by broiling it. Small Perch will serve to make water-souchy thus : Scale, gut, and. wash your Perch ; put salt in your water ; when it boils put in the fish, with an onion cut in slices, and separate it into rings ; a handful of parsley, picked and washed clean ; put in as much milk as will turn the water white ; when your fish are done enough, put them in a soup dish, and pour a little of the water over them, with the parsley and the onions ; then serve them up with parsley and butter in a boat. Large Perch may be crimped and boiled in the same way. DIKKi'TlONS KOK fnoKIMi. 1 I :'. MOYLu'h HECEIIT Ki>ll 1-KiU'il .\ l.A llDLUANUAlyE. Iliive thrco miildling-sizoil tishe:) ready pn-poroil for cookinp ; then put two ounces of butter, two onions (in slices), one carrot (cut small), 8OIU0 parsley, two bay-leaves, »lx cloves, ami two blades of mace in a 8tew-pan ; pass it tivc minutes over a brisk fire, then add a «|uart of water, two glasses of vinegar, one ounce of salt, ami a little pfpper ; boil altogether a quarter of an hour, and pass it through a sieve into a small fish-kettle : then lay the ti.shes into it, and let them .stew twenty or thirty minutes over a moderate fire ; dress them on a dish without a napkin, and pour sauce lloUandaise over them. I'KUeil .\ L.\ MAITUE d'jIOTKL. Prepare and cook your ri.>ih as above ; then put twenty tablcspoonfuls of melted butter in a stew-pan, and when it is upon the point of boiling, add a tjuarter of a pound of Maitre d'llotel butter, and pour the sauce over the fish, whieli dress <>u i\ di-h wltlicnU u ii;i[>kiM. >M Al.l. n.M lll.H IN >\\1I.H ■'i>l(lli;i. Cut four small fishes in halves, having previously taken otf all the scales, and proceed precisely as for Flounders en water souchet. .-nMAI.L rEUCIIF.S KIIITS AU IIEIHIU:. Scale and well dry six Terches, and make incisions hero ond there on each side of them ; then put a (quarter of a pound of butter into a saute- pan, season your fishes with pepper and salt, put them in the saute-pan and fry thenj gently, turning them carefully ; when done, dress them on a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve without sauee. In my opinion, they are much belter cooked in this way than boiled or stewed ; large fish may al.-*o l>e done this way. but they reijuire more butter, and must cook rcrj slowly. now TO COOK CAIir. IZAAK WALTOic's RBCBIIT. But first, I will toll you liow to make this Caqi, that is so curious to be caught, so curiou.<« a dinh of meat as »hall make him worth all your I.. »....,. „,„! pnticncc. Ami though it is not without .•>ome trouble and 444 APPENDIX. charges, yet it will recompense both. Take a Carp — alive if possible ; scour him, and rub him clean Avith Avater and salt, but scale him not ; then open him, and put him with his blood and liver, which you must save when you open him, into a small pot or kettle ; then take sweet marjoram, thyme, or parsley, of each a handful ; a sprig of rosemary, and mother-of-savory ; bind them into two or three small bundles, and put them to your Carp, with four or five Avhole onions, twenty pickled oysters, and three anchovies. Then pour upon your Carp as much claret Asine as will only cover him ; and season your claret well with salt, cloves, and mace, and the rind of oranges and lemons. That done, cover your pot, and set it on a quick fire till it be sufficiently boiled. Then take out the Carp, and lay it with the broth into the dish, and pour upon it a quarter of a pound of the best fresh butter, melted and beaten with a half-a-dozen spoonfuls of the broth, the yolks of two or three eggs, and some of the herbs shred ; garnish your dish with lemons, and so serve it up, and much good to you. soyer's receipt for carp ex matelote. Have your fish ready cleaned, and make four or five incisions on each side ; then put two sliced onions, three sprigs of thyme and parsley, and half-a-pint of port wine in a stew-pan, or small fish-kettle : season the fish with pepper and salt, lay it in a stew-pan, add four pints of broth, and place it on a slow fire to stew for an hour (which will be sufficient for a fish of five pounds' weight), or more, in proportion to the size ; when done, dress it on a dish, without a napkin ; drain it Avell, and serve a matelote sauce over it ; only use some of the stock from the fish (having previously taken off" all the fat) instead of plain brotli, as directed in that article. CARP A LA GEXOISE. Prepare your fish as above, and lay it in your fish-kettle, with two ounces of salt, half a bottle of port Avine, two onions, two turnips, one leek, one carrot (cut in sHces), three bay-lea\-es, six cloves, two blades of mace, and a sprig of parsley, cover the fish Avith white broth ; stcAV it as before, dress it without a napkin, prepare a sauce Genoise and pour over it. I>I|{K r.\n\- \ I. A MAlt<^i ISK. I'ouk tbe tish ah above, ntul wIumi iloiif, dross it on a dinli witliout n napkin, and have ready the folluwinij sauce : Put twenty tahlcspoonfuls of white sauee in a stow-pan, reduce it over a fire until rather thick, then a«Kl a gill of whipt cream, two tablespoonfuls of capers, and two of chopped gherkins; jiour over the tl.sh, then sprinkle two tablespoonfuU of chopped beet-root over it. and serve. lAUr WITH •ArEK SAITK. Cook the fish os above, and dross it without a napkin ; then put twenty- five tablespoonfuls of melted l>utter into a stew-pan, and when nearly boiling add a quarter of a pound of fresh butter ; stir it till the butter molts, then add four tablespoonfuls «>f oaporp, ami pour ovit. This sauce must be rather thick. Open the fish down the back with a sharp knife from the head to the tail, cutting otf half the head, so that the fish is quite flat ; break the back-bone in three places, but allow the roc to remain ; then dip the fish in flour, and fry it in hot lard ; dress it on a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve plain melted butter, well seasoned, in a boat. HOW To t(M)K KFJ.S. r.r.tji Kill En. Cut the Eels in pieces about three inches long, dip them in flour, egg and bread-crumb, and fry them in very hot lurd. dress them on a napkin, garnish with parsh v. anil h4tvi' shrimp sauce in a boat. » I l.H A I \ T MIT Mir. t.'ut the Kcls and fry as above, have ready some Tarturc sauce upun A cold dish, lay tbo EvU upon it and Acnro imnicdiatclj ; should the EcU be large, thej must bo throc-{>Art« stewed l»eforc they are fried ; dry them npon a cloth previous to bread-crumbing them. 446 APPENDIX. SPITCHCOCKED EELS. Take the bones out of the Eels by opening them from head to tail, and cut them in pieces about four inches long, throw them into some flour, then liave ready upon a dish about a couple of handfuls of bread- crumbs, a tablespoonful" of chopped parsley, a little dried thyme, and a little cayenne pepper, then egg each piece of Eel and bread-crumb them with it, fry them in very hot lard, dish them on a napkin, and serve shrimp sauce in a boat. STEWED EELS. Cut the Eels in pieces as before, and tie each piece round with pack- thread, then put them into a stew-pan with an onion, a tablespoonfirf of white wine, three cloves, three whole allspice, a bunch of parsley, thyme, and bay-leaf, and a little white broth, sufficient to cover them ; place them over a moderate fire, and let them stew gently for half an hour or more, if required (according to the size of the Eel), take them out, drain them on a napkin, dish them without a napkin, and have ready the following sauce : Put a teaspoonful of chopped onions into a stew-pan with four tablespoonfuls of white wine, and eight ditto of brown sauce, let boil it gently for a quarter of an hour, keeping it stirred, then add a teaspoonful of essence of anchovies and a little sugar, and pour over your Eels. EELS EN MATELOTE. Stew the Eels as above, dress them without a napkin, and pour a sauce matelote over them. They may also be served with a sauce a la Beyrout. HOW TO COOK SHAD. BrvOILET) SHAD. Scale, clean, cut oif the head and fins, split down the back, broil quickly over a charcoal fire ; boil the roe separately in the same manner ; serve on a hot dish, garnished with the roe and dried parsley. Eat with drawn butter, anchovj', or shrimp sauce. i'ii;i:i Ti'iN> K'm: < mukiN'O. 147 TO noiL sii \n. Scale. o|><>n, cK'nii, ami wjisli your fislj ; Itoil him i|iiii'kly. wrapped in a napkin, in boilinn; water : serve U|Min a napkin, garniHlieil witli fri*^ii parsley ; eat with ca|>er sauee. 8EA-SIIOUK HBCEIIT FOR UOASTKP SHAl), Split your fish down the back after ho is cleaned and wa«lietl, nail the halves on shinc^les or short board ; stick them erect in the .«and round a large fire ; as soon as they are well browned, serve on what- ever you have got ; eat with cold ImttiT, Mack pepper, salt, and a gootl appetite. This is a delicious wav of cooking this fine fish. HOW Ti) ((^tiK TAUTOn. Clean, score, and boil your Rlack Fish quickly ; lay it in a stew-pan. with a bottle of port wine, two sliced onions, six or seven cloves, and a few pepper-corns ; add an shalot and some cayenne ; pour in a quart of weak veal broth, stew irently for an hour. Hitw Tit COOK .<(^iri; ri;Av,'ri:. Boil when cleaned, and serve with shrimp sauce, precisely as Salmon or Trout. 1|(»\\ Tn COOK SKA HASS. noiLKP. Boil plain, as above : serro with shrimp sauce, ca|>er sauce, or parsley and butter. IiROILRn. Broil quickly over a charcoal fire ; senie with matelote sauce, a- 448 APPENDIX. SAUCE MATELOTE. Peel about twenty button onions, then put a teaspoonful of powdered sugar in a stew-pan, place it over a sharp fire, and when melted and getting brown, add a piece of butter the size of two walnuts, and your onions, pass them over the fire until rather brown ; then add a glass of sherry, let it boil, then add a pint of brown sauce and ten spoonfuls of consomme, simmer at the corner of the fire until the onions are quite tender, skim it well ; then add twenty small quenelles, ten heads of mushrooms, and a teaspoonful of essence of anchovies, one of catsup, one of Harvey sauce, and a little cayenne pepper. Serve where directed. HOW TO COOK KING-FISH. Boil over a quick fii-e, serve plain, eat with anchovy or shrimp sauce. Fry in olive oil, serve plain, eat Avith salt and red pepper. HOW TO COOK SHEEP'S-HEAD. Rub it over with salt and lemon before putting it in the water. To every six quarts of water add one pound of salt. Boil a ten-pound fish about twenty minutes. Serve on a napkin, garnish with parsley, eat with shrimp or lobster sauce. HOW TO COOK HALIBUT. soyer's receipt for halibut to boil. A Halibut must be well rubbed over with salt and lemon before it is put in the water ; have ready a large Halibut-kettle half full of cold water, and to every six quarts of water, put one pound of salt, lay the fish in and place it over a moderate fire : a Halibut of eight pounds may be allowed to simmer twenty minutes or rather more ; thus it will be about three-quarters of an hour altogether in the water ; when it begins to crack very slightly, lift it up with the drainer, and cover a DIUKCTlONs Fo|{ (OoKINiJ. I |-.i elcnn white nnpkin over it ; if you intend serving the snuee over vour fish, tli.sh it up without a napkin ; if not, tlish it upon n nnpkin nml Imve rea«lj some j;ooound of fresh butter, rub it through a hair sieve with a wooden spoon upon a plate ; have ready a pint of good melted butter nearly boiling, into which put the red butter, and season with a teaspoonful of essence of anchovy, a little Harvey «auce, cayenne pepper, and salt, then cut up the flesh of the lobster in dice and put in the lauce ; serve it in a liont very hot. llALinrT \ LA ilOLLANDAlHR. Cook the Halibut a* before, and dish without a napkin ; then put the yolks of four eggs in a «tew.pan with half-a-pound of fresh butter, the juice of a lemon, half a teaspoonful of nalt, and a quarter of one of white pepper : wt it orcr a Mow fire, stirring it the whole time quickly: when the butter is half melteuonrul:i of cssfiicu of anchovies, two dozen of ovstern (blanclieili, two ilozen of bniuil niuslirooin:), two dozen tiueuclles, six !«l>oonfuls of uiilk, a teaspoonful of .sugar, reduce it till about the thick- ness of bevhafuel sauce, tluri add ei^ht tables|)o<>nfuls of cream and the juice of a luiuou, |)our over the Halibut : have ready twenty corAtons of bread cut triangularly from the crust of a French roll, and fried in butter ; jdacc them round the dish and jmss the salamander over it ami serve. HALUllT EN MATKLOTK VlKKliK. Hoil a Halibut aa before, dish it up without a napkin, and have ready the following sauce : Chop two onions very fine and put them in a stew- pan with four glasses of sherry, a sole cut in four pieces, two cloves, one blade of mace, a little grated nutmeg, tome parsley, and one bay-leaf; boil altogether five minutes, then add a quart of white sauce, boil twenty minutes, stirring all the time, then put a tammie over a cican stew-pan. and colander over the tammie, pass the sauce, take tl>e meot off the sole and rub it through tlie tammie with two .spoons into the sauce, nd»l half a pint of broth, boil it again until it is rather thick, season with a tea.sjHjnnful of salt, one of sugar, the juice of a lemon, and fini.^h with half-a-piut of cream whipt. mix it cjuickly and pour over the fish ; garnish with white-bait and fried oysters (that have been egged ami bread-crumbed), or if there i? no white-bait, smelts will do. HALIBUT X LA UKLIGIKl'MK. Drc&s the Halibut as before, and cover with Hollandaise sauce ; chop son»e Taragon chervil, and one French truHle, which sprinkle over it ; naniisb with hard-boiled eggs cut in four length wine and laid round. llALIJIirr X LA CHKME (ghatlxk). I'ut u quarter of a [M^und of Hour in a stew-pan, miji it gently with a quart of milk, be careful that it is not lumpy, then add two phalot.s. a bunch of parsley, one bay-leaf, and a eprig of thyme tied together, ft>r if put in loose it would spoil the colour of your »aucu (which should be quite white), then add a little grated nutmeg, a tca»po«mful of salt and a i|uartcr ditto of |>cpp«.'r. place it over a sharp tire and stir it the whole 45£ APPEI^DIX. time, boil it till it forms rather a thickisli paste, then take it off the fire and add half-a-pound of fresh butter and the yolks of two eggs, mix them well into the sauce and pass it through a tammie, then having the remains of a Halibut left from a previous dinner, you lay some of the sauce on the bottom of a dish, then a layer of the Halibut, without any bone, season it lightly with pepper and salt, then put another layer of sauce, then fish and sauce again until it is all used, finishing with sauce; sprinkle the top lightly with bread-crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese; put it in a moderate oven half-an-hour, give it a light brown colour with the salamander, and serve it in the dish it is baked in. HALIBUT A LA POISSONIERE. Boil a Halibut as before, and take it up when only one-third cooked, then put in a large saute-pau or baking-sheet forty button onions peeled and cut in rings, two ounces of butter, two glasses of port wine, the peel of half a lemon, and four spoonfuls of chopped mushrooms, then lay in the Hahbut, and cover with a quart of brown sauce, set it in a slow oven for an hour, then take it out and place it carefidly on a dish, place the fish again in the oven to keep it hot, then take the lemon-peel out of the sauce and pour the sauce into a stew-pan, reduce it till rather thick, then add twenty muscles (blanched), twenty heads of mushi'ooms, and about thirty fine prawns ; when ready to sei-ve add one ounce of anchovy butter, a tablespoonful of sugar, and a little cayenne pepper, stir it in quickly, but do not let it boil ; pour the sauce over the fish, and serve very hot. HALIBUT A LA CREME d'aNCHOIS. Boil the Halibut and dish it without a napkin, then pour the following- sauce over it and serve immediately : Put a quart of melted butter into a stew-pan, place it on the fire, and when nearly boiling add six ounces of anchovy butter, and four spoonfuls of wdiipt cream, mix it quickly, but do not let it boil ; when poured over the fish sprinkle some chopped capers and gherkins over it. SMALL HALIBUT A LA MEUNIERE. Crimp the Halibut by making incisions with a sharp knife, about an inch apart, in the belly part of the fish, then rub two tablespoonfuls of DIKEITIUNS FOU CooKIN'U. \'t''> L-liunped oiiious uml four of salt iiitu the iiici.sionrf. pour a little salatl oil uvrr it, auil dip it iu tlour, then put it on a gridiron a goml distance from the tire — the helly downwards — let it remain twent_^ minutes, then turn it by phiciuij another gridiron over it, and turning the tish over on to it, place it over the fire for about twenty-tivc minutes, or longer if reijuired; when done place it upon a dish and have ready the following sauce: I'ut six ounces of butter in a stew-pan, with ten spoonfuls of melted butter, place it over the fire, moving the stew-pan round when very In it, but not quite in oil, add a liaison of two yolks of eggs, a little pepiK'r, salt, and the juice of a lemon, mix it «[uickly, and pour over the fisli ; M>rve directly and very hot. The fish must be kept as white as pos- -ilile. For the above purj)ose the Halibut should not exceed eight pounds in weight. IIALIKIT A L.V i.HATlS rilOVENlj'ALE. This dish is made from fish left from a previous dinner. I'ul two table- s-poonfuls of chopped onions, and two of chopped mushrooms into a slew- pan with two tablespoonfuls of salad oil ; place it over a moderate fire live minutes, stirring it with a wooden 8j)Oon ; then add three pints of brown sauce, and reduce it one-third, then add a clove of scraped garlic, a teaspoonful of Harvey sauce, one of essence of anchovy, a little sugar, a little cayenne, and two yolks of eggs, pour a little sauce on the dish vou servo it on, then a layer of fish lightly seasoned with pepper and salt, then more sauce and fish again, finishing with sauce ; sprinkle bread- crumbs over it and place it in a moderate oven half-an-hour, or till it is verv hot through, brown it lightly with the salamander and serve very hot. The garlic may be omitted if objected to, but it would lose the flavour from which it is named. HOW TO »'nOK WHITl.N'GS. Hurr.K S RECEIIT roll WIIlTI.SliS, TO KKT THEM Everv person knuw. tliom iijjaiii on tlio fin- ; wlion tldiio, ili^li tlum roiuiil un a ilisli. aiul pour sdiiu- sauco Ilollaiulaisc ovor thcin. FILLKTS OF WinTINf a very light hrown colour ; dish it on a napkin, garnish witii friid parsley, and serve shrimp sauee in a hoat. nil: KM). 14 DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED K L L PA r^uMMLmimmm THE jelow, or on the date to which renewed. at uyq Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. JAN 2 3 1963 [. TvHTCr ^ \M.5'^^ ^1* iAR6 ]9S8 JUN 15 1971 JUN 1 5 1971 7 0Cr^iS7* Scuita Cruf -Hf^^V [SATAIL lTIANS, ^TICA : >tli, 4s. 6d. LD 21-40m-5,'65 (F-i308sl0)476 f OKKS, General Library -royal 8vo. University of California Berkeley PA iiin^iv, juuvv Hi, iilVi^ ABU, VVHI TY, AND LOW- MAN, ON THE OLD AND NEW TESTAIMENTS, 4 vols. imp. Svo. cloth, £3 3s. PEARSON'S (DR. 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