nfni^m THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2007 with funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation http://www.archive.org/details/fishingwithhool THE STRIPED BASS 25 fall run is the best. It can be taken, however, nearly- all the year round, and of all sizes. The apparatus for bass fishing is a pliable rod from 12 to 18 feet in length, according to circumstances. The reel should have 200 to 300 feet of line, which may be made of flax or grass. Silk line is some- times used. The swivel sinker and float should be gaged according to your ground. The leader should be three or four feet in length, with a Limerick or Kirby hook from to 3, according to the size of the fish to be taken. Double leaders are often necessary. Use your own judgment in this respect. In boat- fishing, the float is not usually used, and the sinker should be light enough to float ofl" with the tide, but at the same time to touch bottom at all times. By this mode you will get large fish, as the large ones are generally nearest the bottom. The best place for fishing bass is the quietest place you can find, and at full neap tide. When this tide occurs early in the morning, or late in the afternoon, and if the wind is off shore and a gentle ripple on the water you may take bass very easily, and in abundance. In rivers, get in the exact channel, or over some deep cove, near an outlet of a brook, or some small stream. In the waters near New York City, the striped bass begins to bite well early in April. At this sea- son shrimp is the best bait, especially in salt water. In fresh water they will bite shad roe at this season. In June you must begin to use soft shell crabs, 26 THE STRIPED BASS. though they will usually bite at shrimp until about the first of August. The mode of fishing with crabs difi*ers a little from the other, inasmuch as the bait should now lie on the bottom, whereas in the case of shrimps it is suspended near the bottom. A sliding sinker is now used, and the float dispensed with al- together. About the first of October you again re- sort to shrimps, as the shell of the crab now begins to harden. The Killey fish is also used now, in salt water, which is, in fact, preferable to the shrimp for large fish. In fiesh water you should use the white opened soft clam. But the bass is very whimsical and dainty. In some places he will jump greedily at a clam bait, while at others he will take nothing but shrimp or crab. There is a beautiful little fish called the spearing which is fished with at certain places in salt water, with great success. In the Hudson river, the largest and finest bass are taken with set lines, as follows : Two stakes are driven in the bottom of the river at a certain distance apart, and a strong cord is stretched across. To this cord is attached short lines at convenient distances, with strong: hooks, bated with tom-cod or other small fish. In this way the very largest bass are taken in great abundance. Trolling for bass is excellent sport, and is practiced a good deal by amateurs. The tackle employed is a strong hand line, and artificial bait is used with good success. This consists of silver plated ** spoons," or bits of mother pearl worked into a proper shape, < < 11 THE BLACK BASS. 27 and other ingenious contrivances to be had at the fish- ing-tackle stores. Squid are also an excellent bait for trolling. To fasten the squid to your hook, you should use a needle and waxed linen thread. Take off the skin of the squid, and pull out the spine — then insert the needle through the opening made by the spine, and in this way fasten your hook so the point will pass through near his eye — commence sewing him onto the hook from his tail, and stitch up to his neck. This is so troublesome a process that few sportsmen use it; but very large fish are taken in this manner. The Oswego Bass, and Black Bass. There are two distinct species of the black bass, which are so near alike that it is hard to distinguish one from the other, unless they are together. The observable difference then is, that the Oswego bass has a more forked tail, is thicker at the shoulder, has coarser scales and larger mouth. This latter fish is found in great abundance in Lake Ontaiio and par- ticularly at the mouth of Oswego river, which gives him his name. He also frequents other streams which flow into Ontario. The black bass is abun- dant in Lake Erie, and a few of them have found their way into Ontario, probably by way of the canal, as it is not supposed that any one could sur- vive the fearful descent of Niagara Falls. These two fish are alike in their habits and peculiarities. A third species of black bass in Lake Huron, grows 28 THE BLACK BASS. larger than the Oswego species, which seldom ex- ceed fifteen or sixteen inches in length, but is cliubbj- shaped, being five inches broad, and two or more in thickness. The black color of this fish extends tlie whole length of the back and sides, growing lighter as it comes towards the belly, and in some cases of a yellowish and sometimes of a greenish hue. It generally feeds on small fish, which it takes in head- foremost, and it is this habit that enables the angler to hook them easily. It will bite, at certain seasons, at lobster, and muscles; and a peculiar artificial fly is also used, at times, with success. This fish begins to bite at Tonnawanda in the latter part of May, and at Oswego early in June, and at about the same time in the more western lakes. They continue to afford good sport for a couple of months, the time for fishing them being early in the morning and after four in the afternoon. In August they are spawning, and Avill not usually bite at all, and if caught are poor afi'airs. In Sep- tember and October they may be taken again, and some fine ones are caught in the latter month. The tackle used for fishing black bass is similar to that described for striped bass, viz. : a stout pliable rod, with reel, and some two hundred feet or more of flax or grass line, with a gut leader four or five feet in length, and a Limerick or Kirby hook. For bait, live minnows are the best for large fish. Fix your hook through the eyes of the minnow with ex- treme care not to touch the brain, and he will swim THE BLACK BASS. 29 almost as lively as ever. In some parts of Michigan small sun-fish are used as follows : After running the hook through the end of the nose of the small fish, conceal its point with an angle-AVorm. On being thrown into the water, other sun-fish will throng round the captive, being attracted by the worm. The bass darts suddenly among them, and while those that are free escape to shallow water, the bait is seized by the head, and the bass is thus easily hooked. After hooking your bass, it is not always that you catch him. Indeed he is the most uneasy fish imaginable to be hauled out of the water, and his vigorous and pertinacious struggles for liberty make the sport of fishing him excellent. After being hooked, the bass will often rise to the surface and leap into the air, shaking himself violently to dislodge the hook. At other times he will turn suddenly towards the angler, slacking the line, and in this way detach- ing himself from the hook by floundering about. It is, therefore, necessary to be careful to keep your line taut by means of the reel ; and with proper care and expertness in this respect you will land your fish. A large artificial fly of ^ay appearance, is also an excellent bait, and next to the live minnow. Yqu can usually get the fly at a fishing-tackle store, or if you make it yourself, tlie body should be of pea- cock feather, and scarlet wings tipped with white pigeon feathers. The scarlet is what attracts the fish, and be sure to put that on your fly. Small frogs and craw-fish are sometimes used for bait ; and 30 THE BLACK BASS. in May, in tlie rivers, they will bite angle-worms. The bait, in all cases, should be kept in motion, as in that way it attracts the attention of the bass, and he darts at it very suddenly. Trolling for black bass is excellent sport, and six pounders are sometimes caught in this way. You may use the spoon with good success, or a few white feathers with scarlet cloth fixed up to imitate a gray insect will answer. In Lake George, trolling is the favorite sport, and the bass caught are usually from one to four and a half pounds weight. In Niagara river, near its confluence with Lake Erie, both black bass and perch are taken in the summer season in untold thousands with the hook and line, both by professional fishennan and ama- teurs. Trolling is the favorite scientific way of catching them. You take a hght, clinker-built boat of some twelve or fifeen feet long, at Buffalo or Black B/iver, enter the river a mile below, go down the current three miles to opposite the head of Grand Island, then bait and tlirow out your hooks, slowly drift down the river near the island shore, and by the time you reach Falcon wood, if it is a s'ood dav and you are an expert angler, you draw up half a dozen to twenty beautiful bottle-green victims, giving you all the play to land them securely in your boat that the most ardent Waltonian would desire. They are from two to four pounds in weight, fat as a clam, and delicious as the shad or the tautog. This is the very poetry of bass-fishing. SPOTTED BASS AND SALMON TftOtJT. 31 The Red-fish or Spotted Bass. This is a Southern fish, being caught in nearly all the inlets of the Atlantic below Baltimore, and in those of the Northern shores of the Gulf of Mexico. At these latter points he is called the red-fish, be- cause, in death, he changes to variegated reddish colors. His color, in life, is light silvery, and near the tail is usually one dark spot, which looks unnatu- ral, and as though it came there by accident. Some of them have three or four of these dark spots in a cluster. When taken as far North as Charleston, he is called the spotted bass, a name derived from these spots on the tail. In North and South Carolina, he begins to bite in March, and is then fished for all through the rest of the year, and sometimes in Jan- uary. In the Gulf of Mexico you can get red-fish the year round. He runs in shallow water, and at the extreme South is taken with a small sized cod- hook, and shrimp bait, or pieces of mullet will some- times answer. With a rod and reel, you may follow the directions given for weak-fish or striped bass, using No. 00 Limerick or Kirby hooks, and twisted gut leaders. The Mackinaw Trout, or Salmon Trout. This is a fish of excellent flavor, and some people consider it fully equal to salmon. The flesh is red- dish, and hence it is often called the salmon trout. The color is dark or dusky grey, back and sides sprinkled with spots somewhat lighter, belly light 32 THE SALMON TROUT. brown or cream color — the teeth, gums, and roof of the mouth having a bright purple tinge. It is a large fish, usually averaging from two to five feet in length, and inhabits all the great lakes in the West, as well as the smaller lakes in the Northern part of the State of New York. It is entirely different from tlie com- mon lake trout, so abundant in some of the Western lakes. Sportsmen always take the salmon trout by trol- ling, or by set lines. For the latter they use the largest sized cod-hooks and cod-lines, and for bait, bits of lake herring or white fish are all that is neces- sary. In trolling, both tackle and bait are different, the minnow being chiefly used for bait. If you use a rod it should be a stout one with a hollow butt, and an extra top, which could be replaced in case of breakage. The line should be of a length adapted to the ground — firmly made of cotton or strong flax —and your leader should be of twisted gut a yard or more in length. A No. 1 Limeiick salmon hook is generally used, with live bait, and No. 3 or 4 hook in fly fishing. A light swivel sinker is necessary when the fish run in deep water. In trolling use swivels freely to keep your line from getting tangled. When you have a bite, slack the line a little to allow the fish to gorge his bait, then begin to pull steadily, after arranging everything in a proper manner to en- able you to play your fish. A gaff is generally used for securing the fish after he is brought to the sur- face. In fly fishing the largest and most gaudy sal- THE SALMON TROUT. 33 mon flies are generally chosen, attaclied to No. 3 or No. 4 salmon hooks. Trolling for salmon trout is most excellent sport, and amateurs sometimes spend a whole month at a time in the wilds of Northern New York in pursuing it. There is a new method for fisliing the salmon trout, by using what is called a train of hooks, being a row of hooks fastened on a large round piece of gut, about an inch apart. Three or four hooks are gene- rally used, though some sportsmen use six seven. They should be hooked in different parts of bait, one in the mouth, one in the tail, and others in tough parts of the shiner. The size of the hooks used are No. 5, Limerick salmon, or No. 1 trout. The mouth hook is on a loop, so it can be moved and adapted to any length of bait. The tail hook is fastened on the end of the gut. To ensure success you should have an experienced hand to row your boat in trol- ling for this fish. The necessary tackle can gene- rally be procurred at the tackle stores, as it is a fa- vorite and delightful amusement for amateurs. ' The Black Trout. This is a fish rather coarse in flesh ; but in outward appearance it resembles the black bass of the North- ern lakes. His back is very dark, and the sides gradually grow lighter around to his belly, which is white. He has a large head and mouth, with pro- jecting under jaw. He is found only in Southern waters, and may be taken in most of the streams in 3 34 THE BLACK TROUT. the Southern states. One peculiarity of this fish, en- tii'ely di£ferent from the black bass, is that they medi- tate, at times, near the surface of the water, getting near logs or lilly-pads, so they can dive out of the way at the least alarm. In this position they are baited with success with a small fish called the homy head. The ordinary tackle used for the black trout is similar to bass tackle, viz. : a pliable rod eight or ten feet long, with a silk, grass or flax line, and reel — Kirby hook Xo. 2, or Limerick No. 1, attached to strong gut leaders. For bait, the miimow, and the Killey fish, or the roach is better when you can get it. He will not bite at all unless the water is clear. Artificial bait is often used in taking the black trout, as follows — a fancy fly made in red and white colors, either feathers or flannel, and fixed on a Limenck salmon hook No. 3 or 4. Tliis should be attached to a long line ; and with a light reed pole, the sports- man should whip it along on the water, when the fish will dart at it and get hooked. The time for fishing the black trout is from April until June, and from September down to winter weather. They spawn in July and August, and do not bite at all in those months. The Cat-fiish. This is a fresh water bottom fish found in streams and ponds all over the United States. There are several kinds of them, which vary in size from a couple of inches in length up to those monsters of THE CAT-FISH. 35 the same species which inhabit the mud banks of the Mississippi river, and the great Western lakes. The common cat-fish is of a dusky color on the back, which gradually lightens toAvards the belly, the belly itself being of a light greyish hue. The sides of the head are greenish, and some species of them have small prickly horns. They are taken in great abun- dance, and their size varies Avith the size of the stream, or the richness of their feeding ground. In good situations in large rivers they weigh from one to four pounds. In tlie Mississippi, and the lakes of Northern New York, they grow to twenty, tliuly, fifty, and even one hundred poimds. It is an easy matter to catch cat-fish. You have only to procure tackle strong enough to draw them out of the water, using a hook according to the expected size of your game. A snigle or double gut leader is necessary, according to the strength required. Minnows, pieces of fish, shad-roe, womis, toasted cheese, insects, pieces of meat or liver, chickens offal — any of these baits will attract the cat-fish. You can fish with hand lines, or with a rod, as you may prefer. The proper hook is the Limerick salmon from No. 1 to 5, ac- cording to the size of your fish. They do not bite very vigorously, but perform a series of fine nibbles, similar to the bite of an eel. The cat-fish is an ex- cellent pan fish when properly cooked. In St. Louis the large ones are sold in market like our large sea- fish, being cut up in steaks of the size desired by the purchaser. They are plentiful always in mud bot- 36 THE HAKE OR STOCK-FISH. toms, above mill-dams, and in coves of the river. The large ones are often taken by trolling with arti- ficial squid or fly. The time for fishing cat-fish be- gins in April, and lasts until cold weather. The Hake. Tliis is an Irish salt water fish, similar in appear- ance to the torn cod. In Gal way bay, and other sea inlets of Ireland, the hake is exceedingly abundant, and is taken in great i umbers. It is also found in England, and France. Since the Irish immigration to America, the hake has followed in the wake of their masters, as it is now found in New York bay, in the waters around Boston, and off Cape Cod. Here it is called the stock-fish, and the Bostonians call them poor Johns. [Poor Pats would be more appropriate.] It is a singular fact that until within a few years this fish was never seen in America. It does not grow so large here as in Europe, though here they are from ten to eighteen inches in length. They are fished for by day or by night, and bite the most readily when the tide is running strong, either out or in. The tackle used is similar to that des- cribed for black fish, the hook being No. 4 Limerick salmon. SJirimp, clams or crabs — either of them is good bait. The general color of this fish is a reddish brown, with some golden tints — the sides being of a pink silvery lustre. It is exceedingly voracious, and affords considerable sport in fishing, though our sportsmen seldom go in pursuit of it. SALT-WATER FISHL\G. 37 The Sea Bass and Porgy. These salt water fish are caught in immense quan- tities in the vicinity of New York bay on what are called the Fishing Banks. In the summer months, which is the time for fishing them, steamboats are daily leaving New York to accommodate fishing par- ties. The tackle used is a hand line of flax or hemp twelve to eighteen fathoms long, with several hooks attached, ten to fifteen inches apart. The hooks for the porgy should be the black fish hook No. 3, and for sea bass, the Kirby pattern. No. 1. Provide your- self with a goodly number of hooks, as you are apt to lose them in various ways. You should have a lead sinker weighing three quarters of a pound or more. Clam bait is the only kind necessary, and if you salt it a little it will be tougher and stick better to the hook. You should watch your lines cautiously, and jerk them strongly at each bite to hook your fish, or you may lose your bait. The fish thus taken average from one to four and a half pounds, and it frequently happens that two or three are 4rawn out of the water together. You will thus see the neces- sity of having very strong tools, and also of wearing an old pair of leather gloves to preserve your hands from blistering while drawing up your fish. The White Bass. This is a very fine fish, somcAvhat resembling the white perch, though larger. It is found in the lakes of Northern New York, and also in some of the 38 BASS AND PERCH. more Western lakes. Its back is dark, Avith white sides and belly, and with narrow darkish stripes run- ning lengthwise on the sides. The size of this fish is from 10 to 15 inches, and it usually weighs from one to four pounds, though larger ones are sometimes taken. The striped bass tackle is used in fishing it, but it a very skittish fish, and to catch it requires a good deal of tact and caution. If you succeed in finding a good ground, however, you may have ex- cellent luck, as this fish moves in schools, and when not frightened, will bite readily at the live minnow. The season for fishing them is in May and June, and in the fall months after the middle of September. They are exceedingly lively on the hook, and afford a good deal of sport. The White or Silver Perch. This fish is very plentiful in the Harlem river. New York city, and is also taken in some of the Long Island ponds, as well as in the Hudson river, in the Schuylkill, and in many of the streams of Con- necticut. It probably frequents other soft water streams and lakes, though we are not well enough acquainted with its haunts to give any definite infor- mation. It moves in schools, and when in the mood will dart at the bait in the liveliest manner, some- times springing entirely out of the water when seeing it. The tackle to be used for this fish is about the same as that used for the yellow perch, and the bait is the small minnow, or the Killy, or shiner, though THE SILVER PERCH AND SMELT. 39 worms are sometimes used. The hooks should be Nos. 1 to 3 trout. They bite most readily early in the morning in shallow water near the shore, but are often taken at mid-day on bars near to deep water. At sundown the white perch may be found on the sunny side of the stream, or lake, and will then bite with the same eagerness as in the morning. His bite is different from that of the ordinary yellow perch, as when he gets hold of the bait he drags the float under and keeps it there. When fishing from a boat, the best Avay is to drift along down the stream, throwing your hook in every nook and corner ; and where you once get a bite, anchor your boat, and fish as long as you have luck. You may be quite as fortunate by rowing up the stream and trying the same process over again. This fish always prefers sunshine to shade. The Smelt. In the United States this fish seldom exceeds ten inches in length, and the usual size is from five to eight inches. In South America they grow to the length of two feet, are semi-transparent, and are most delicious eating. Some of them caught by American sailors at the Straits of Magellan were tliirty inches long by eight inches round the body. The smelt is exceedingly plentiful in the waters around Boston, and they are also taken in the rivers of New Jersey and the ponds of Long Island. They are of a pale green color on the back, with silvery 40 SMELT AND PERCH. sides, and a satin band rnnning along the sides. They may be called a sea fish, thongh they run up fresh water streams in the spring to spawn. They are caught in October and November, and in the winter months by breaking holes in the ice. Tlie tackle used for the smelt is a silk, or silk and hair line, with Limerick trout hooks Nos. 2 to 5, on single gut leaders. The sinker should be pretty heavy to overcome the tide. Shrimp bait is generally used, or small pieces of minnow or frog will answer. If you wish to lish them through a hole in the ice, take a piece of small brass wire a foot and a half long, })ut it through a piece of lead for a sinker, and fasten your hooks at both ends. Tic on a cotton or 11a x line and then drop your hooks. You can use three or four of these lines at difterent holes, setthig them, while you are either skating or running round to keep warm. In this way you will get a iine string of smelts in a short time. Smelts will live, breed and thrive when transferred to fresh water ponds ; and by some people these fresh water smelt are considered the best eating. They live a long time out of water, and hence are good eating after being carried long distances. The Yellow Pike Perch. The color and appearance of this fish show it to be a true perch, though its form and habits are like the pike, or pickerel. Its back is of a yellowish olive, the sides lighter, but mottled with black, the PIKE AND CHUB. 41 belly white, and the head of a brownish color, mot- tled with green. This fish is taken in great abun- dance in some of the Western lakes and rivers, in- eluding the Susquehanna and its tributary streams, and in the valley of the Mohawk is called the Mo- hawk pike. He is exceedingly voracious, and with proper tackle and bait is easily caught. A bass rod and tackle is the proper one, with Limerick salmon hook Nos. 4 or 5. The bait should be a live minnow or shiner. The size of the fish varies from ten to twelve inches in length, weighing from two or three pounds to ten, twelve and even twenty pounds. In rivers they frequent the neighborhood of swift run- ning water, and in lakes they are found in deep holes, and under weeds, stumps, &c. The yellow pike is an excellent table fish, and highly prized at the West, where they are caught in great abundance. It spawns in April and May. The Chub. This fish is not very common, and being exceed- ingly timid and scary, is seldom taken except by ex- perienced anglers. He is found in the streams and ponds of Western Massachusetts, in Otsego Lake, N. Y., the Passaic river, N. J., and in some parts of Pennsylvania. He conceals himself in deep holes, under projecting ledges of rocks, roots of trees, &c., and to fish for him successfully, it is necessary to get a position near some such place as one of these. The chub has a large head, greenish back, silvery sides. 42 THE SUCKER. white belly, and fins tinged with yellowish red. His length is usually from five to nine or ten inches, though in some places he grows larger. The tools used in fishing him are the usual trout tackle and rod, baited with the common angle worm in the spring, or grasshoppers in summer. They are also taken in summer with the different artificial flies made for trout. In spring and fall they bite at worms only. In winter they are taken in lakes . and ponds by making a hole in the ice,. and baiting with cheese, for the want of worms. The Sucker. There are a great many difterent species of the sucker, and some of them will not bite or nibble at any bait whatever. He is usually a white silvery fish with dark spine, and a peculiar puckery mouth. He goes by various names in different parts of tlie country, and frequents almost every stream and lake, large or small, throughout the Union. The kind that does not bite is sometimes taken with wire slip-noose, but as that is not legitimate sport, we do not deem it necessary to particularize the manner. The regu- lar trout tackle and hooks are used in fishing the sucker everywhere, and worms are the proper bait, though he will bite at shad-roe in the spring season. There is a kind of black sucker, taken in Lake Erie, which goes by the name of the shoemaker. A red- tail sucker in some of the Western rivers is called the red-horse. A long species of sucker in the Ohio CAnP OH PERCIt. 43 river is called the carp — an excellent fish, and which affords a good deal of sport. In the Delaware river the sucker has larger scales than those caught else- where. As a general thing the sucker is not es- teemed highly as a table fish, nor is there usually much sport in fishing them. They suck in the bait, and thus nibble at the hook. They are not very lively when pulled up, and unless cooked immedi- ately their flesh grows soft. Buffalo Carp, or Perch. This is an inhabitant of the Mississippi, Missoim, and Ohio rivers, and is also found in some of the other large rivers of the West. He resembles the salt water porgy in appearance, though in reality more plump and round. He is of a smutty silvery color, and usually varies in size from ten to fifty inches in length, though in the Mississippi he grows larger. He is easily taken, and tlie tackle required is a strong flax or hemp line, with -a stout bent hook of the size Nos. 1 or 2 salmon. The sinker should be heavy enough to carry your bait to the bottom. Tlie bait used for the Buftalo carp is soft cheese. To fasten it properly to your hook, you must work it up with common cotton batting, or raw cotton. He is easily caught, and is extensively sold in the market in western river towns, being a very good table fish. Why this fish is called a perch, we are unable to trace, or to ascertain, as it has not the least resem- blance to any other individual of the perch family. 44 THE WEAK-FISH. The Weak-fish, or Wheat Fish. This is a sea-fish found only in Northern waters, chiefly those of New York and Massachusetts. The head and back is of dark brown color, with a green- ish tinge. The sides are of a faint silvery hue, Avith dusky specks, and the belly is white. Some people suppose the name (Aveak-fish) to have originated in the apathy of the iish after being hooked, but this is not so, for he frequently makes the most determined and energetic struggles to escape. It is either a per- version of wheat-^iih — which name originated in the fact that harvest time is the period to fish them, or else in the peculiar weakness of the muscles of his mouth. He is usually handsome looking, and is ex- cellent eating, but his flesh is softer than that of some of the best of our pan-fish, which is an objec- tion. The common size of this fish is twelve to fifteen inches in length, though in some instances he grows larger. His feeding ground is the same as the striped bass in salt water, and they arc often caught with the bass; but the weak-fish never goes into fresh water. An angler for bass, if not success- ful, has only to arrange his tackle, and drop his line a little deeper to catch this fish. The bait used for weak-fish is the shedder-crab and the shi-imp, and sometimes he will bite freely at a clam bait. You should fish them at evening tide, when the tide is pretty well in, two hours before sunset. A large No. 1 light Kirby hook, or a slightly curbed Limerick, are the kind used. Tackle similar LARGE LAKE PIKE. 45 to that used for bass. Weak-fisli arc taken very easily, and in great abiuidance in New York bay, and the water adjacent. Also in the inlets of New Jersey, and in those of Massachusetts. The Muskellunge, or Lake Pike. This inhabitant of the St. Lawrence, and the Northern and Western lakes, grows from one to three feet in length, according to the breadth of wa- ter that he is found in. Built like a pike, he is of a deep greenish brown color, dark back, and pale sides spotted with greenish spots. In fishing for the smaller sizes, your tackle should be shnilar to that used for pickerel ; but for large ones you want a good sized cod Ime, with a cod hook to match. He will bite greedily at various baits — a bit of fish, a slice of pork, a bundle of wonns, or chicken offal, a small fish, or a frog, &c. It requires a good deal of care, caution and physical exertion to land him. He is a beautiful game fish, and is the best eating fish, next to the salmon trout, that inhabits the lakes. The muskellunge (long-face of the French) is a noble fish. He is an enormous pike, with the lower projecting jaw armed with needle teeth clear into the throat, ranging from five to forty pounds weight, agile as lightning, and a perfect water tiger among the smaller fishes. No more beautiful fish to look upon than he, nor one so destructive to the finny tribes, cleaves the water. The Niagara river abounds in them — or rather they are plentier in the Niagara 46 LARGE LAKE PIKE. than in any other water we wot of. They are caught here chiefly with the seine, but occasionally with the hook, in trolling ; and when you do get fairly hold of a twenty-pounder, look out ! Ten to one — unless you ai'e a thorough expert, and give him a long play, wearying him out, and foiling his prodigious efforts at escape, with your gaif-hook or dip-net at hand — he snaps your line, or breaks your hook and escapes forever ! This fish is an acrobat for feats of agility. He no sooner feels the barbed -steel in his gullet, than he commences a series of writhings and contortions that would astonish an " India-rubber man." He makes a semi-circle of himself, and then springs back to a " normal" position as suddenly as a tense bow when the string is cut. He zig-zags horizontally, darts upwards, darts downwards, spins round, turns somersaults, and finally, if all these dodges fail, launches his lithe body, with a quiver, six feet into the air, and coming down head foremost, darts olF at a right angle like a streak of lightning. If this last manoeuvre does not break the tackle, the muskellunge gives in, and suffers himself to be lifted out of the water without betraying the slightest emotion. But for all that, in dislodging the hook from his mouth, look out for the clievaux dc frise that guards the en- trance — the spikes are sharp. A sharp customer is your muskellunge, but a more delicate fish — flesh white as snow, and savory as an oyster, well boiled, and served upon the dinner-table with proper sauces —does not exist. THE BLUE FISH. 47 Trolling for Blue Fish. The blue-fish is taken exclusively in salt water, and only through the three summer months, at which time he comes in from the sea. They are generally fished by trolling, though in some places on Long Island, experienced fishermen take them with a rod on shore. The tackle is very easily prepared, and costs but little, and the fish bite readily and are caught without much trouble. A sail boat is neces- sary, and if you want good sport, you should pro- cure a guide who knows the ground where the blues delight to congregate. A large size cotton line is used, and it should be very strong, and 100 to 150 feet in length. An artificial squid made of bone, mother-of-pearl, or metal, is the tempting bait. It should be four inches long, of flat oval shape, and should have a good sized Kirby hook on the end. The size No. 0000 is about right. The hook must be so placed that its point is ou a range with the flat side of the squid. Let the boat be sailed some four or five miles an hour, and should you be able to dis- cover the exact position of the school, (they usually go in schools,) you must cross and re-cross the spot constantly, as the fish will not generally be moving about. When a fish is struck, the line should be pulled in steadily — do not jerk it, or let it slack, or you may lose your fish. On getting the fish»in hand, you can easily shake him off the hook by holding your squid with the hook uppermost. Always haul in your line when tacking the boat, or you may lose 48 THE BLUE FISH. your squid in the grass at the bottom. The grounds for blue-fish in the vicinity of New York city are in Fire Island Inlet, South Bay, opposite Babylon and Islip, Long Island, and also in Pine Neck Inlet, op- posite Quogue, at the East end of Long Island. Shrewsbury Inlet is also a good place for fishing the blue-fish. The down-east fishermen use the common pewter spoon, in trolling for blue-fish, which they call a jig. It is used in the same manner as the squid before described. In pulling in the blue-fish, you must not let your line slacken in the least, and you should lift him into the boat the moment he gets alongside. Sportsmen who neglect this precaution will lose full half their fish by their disengaging themselves from the hook. The blue-fish is singularly erratic in its habits. A century ago it was plentiful on our coast, and was held in high estimation as an article of food. During the last half of the last century and earlier years of this, it disappeared entirely. Within forty years it has returned, first appearing on the coast south of Cape Cod, near Natucket, New Bedford and Martha's Vineyard. In course of time it made its way into Massachusetts Bay, and appears to be gradually working to the northward. They have passed Cape Ann within a year or two, though not in great num- bers, and a few have been seen as far north as the Isle of Shoals, off Portsmouth. They are very plen- tiful off Montauk Point, Long Island. THE POLLOCK. 49 The blue-lisli belongs to the mackerel family. The upper part of his body is of a bluish color, whence his name ; the lower part of the sides and the belly are whitish or silvery. The Poliock. This is a salt water fish of beautiful appearance and singularly elegant shape. It is taken all along the Northern Atlantic coast, from Long Island to Newfoundland. From its agility and fine foiTQ, the Bay of Fundy fishermen often call it the "sea-sal- mon." It has a strongly-defined silvery line running doAvn the sides. Above the lateral line the color is a greenish black. The belly is white. The time for fishing it is in the spring and fall. Jeffries Ledge, which lies fifteen or sixteen miles east by north of Cape Ann, is a favorite fishing ground for pollock, and immense quantities are taken there in the fall of the year. Formerly the fish was very little prized, was hardly ever eaten fresh, and was so carelessly cured that it had a low reputation in the market. Within a quarter of a century it has come into use, and is a favorite article, particularly ^vhen salted and dried. The pollock grows to the size sometimes of thirty pounds, but the average weight of those taken in deep water is ten pounds. In shallow water, the weight varies from a pound and a half upwards. The tackle used for black-fish is the kind wanted for fish- ing pollock, the hooks and lines varying with the depth of water. 4 60 SEA PERCH. The Cunner, or Sea Perclu The cunner, or nipper (so called from their nip- ping bite) is a sea fish found all along the Atlantic coast, from Delaware Bay to Ne^vfoundland. They are caught most plentifully near rocky shores, and are supposed to feed chiefly on Crustacea. They are very annoying to the fisher for tautog or rock cod, as they swarm plentifully and take off with great readi- ness the bait intended for larger prey. They make, however, an excellent and favorite pan fish, and there are two or three old fishermen at Swampscott who devote themselves entirely to catching cunners in the cunner season, that is, from the middle of June to the middle of September, and selling them in the Boston market. They are from five inches to two feet in length, and in color no two are exactly alike. The general color is black mixed with brown, with faint transverse bars of an uncertain dusky hue. Large ones sometimes show a light orange tint throughout the whole body, with tlie head and gill- cover of a chocolate color mixed with light blue, and with blue fins. I have seen specimens thirteen inches in length, weighing a pound, so black as to be hardly distinguishable at the first glance from the tautog or black-fish, while others, equally large, were throughout of a vivid light yellow, varied with spots and bars of shades of the same color. They are fished for with the usual black-fish tackle, and clam bait. In fact they will bite at any bait used in fish- ins: sea fish. KING FISH AND EEL. 51 The King-fisli or Barb. This is a salt water fish sixteen or eigliteen inches in length, and weighing from one to two pounds. His haunts are very uncertain, and habits little known. In color he is of a bluish light brown, with a silvery gloss, and covered with spots darker than the general color. He is thick and stout about the throax, and gradually slopes towards the tail. He is found in places similar to those frequented by the bass, weak- fish, &c., and the- tackle used in fishing him is about the same, except the hook, which should be smaller, say a Limerick or Kirby salmon hook No. 4. He is probably the best sporting fish to be caught in salt water, being so lively and determined when on the hook. The summer months is the time for fishing the barb, and the bait used is the shedder crab. Do not use too large a hook, as his mouth is small. He runs deeper than either the bass or the weak-fish. The Eel. Every kind of eel is spawned in salt water, and the young ones generally begin to run up the fresh water streams as early as April, though Avhen spring is backward they do not start until May. The young eel, when he begins his journey, is about the size of a Sadler's needle, and the way he works himself up over the cascades and mill-dams is very curious. He exhausts the atmosphere under his body, then lifting his tail, which is flat, over his head, repeats the ope- ration, and raises his head another lift, and so on. In 52 THE EEL. this way they ascend waterfalls and swift streams with great ease. The ground which they select for a rendezvous is still deep water, with a soft hottom. There are two kinds of the eel wliich frequent fresh water streams and ponds. The best and handsomest has a small head, with a tapering mouth — a beautiful Avhite belly, and is pretty thick and fat inthemiddh^ in proportion to his size. This, in Connecticut river, is called the silver eel. Their flesh is light and of delicious flavor, unlike the flesh of tlie otlier kind, and when full grown are from two to three feet long. Tlie other description of eel to which we have al- luded has a large mouth, with the under jaw extend- ing beyond the upper. His head is larger, and liis tail broader and flatter, his belly of yellowish tinge, and his flesh of a bluish color, which requires a good deal of cooking to make it palatable. This kind is the most plentiful, and frequents stagnant muddy bottoms, while the " silver" species, though they like soft bottoms, yet prefer to be near running water. The eel breeds in the latter end of winter, and in no case does he deposite his spawn in ponds, lakes, or rivers. In angling for eels, you use a flax line, which should be protected near the hook with gimp or wire. The eel hook is used, of a size according to the ex- pected size of your fish. The line should be of a length suited to the depth of the water, with sinker attached, and almost any pole of convenient heft will answer. If you are fishing in fresh water, common THE EEL. 53 angle-worms are good bait, though they will bite readily at shad-roe, pieces of fish, or at frogs, entrails of chickens, &c. In salt water, clams, bits of fish, shrimp, &c., are used. They are taken in salt water without a hook, as follows : Take some white horse hairs and work them into a kind of bag, which is filled with shad-roe or soft crab. In swallowing this bait the eel will entangle the horse-hairs in his teeth, and may be landed before he can get clear of them. Bobbing for eels is done as follows : The bob is made by stringing a lot of angle-Avorms on a strong thread (stout worsted yarn or linen thread is the best) and winding the string into a ball on the end of your line, which is sunk by an appropriate sinker to the bottom. The eels will fasten themselves on this ball, and you can then carefully and slowly pull up the line, while they still retain their hold. After you get them to the top of the water, you may by a steady sudden jerk, land several at once. It requires some practice and expertness to do the thing cleverly. Some fishermen use a fine scoop net, instead of jerk- ins: out the eels in the manner described. Pot-fishing for eels is a very simple process, and is practiced by those only who get a living by fishing. A long coarsely made circular basket is used, with ends like inverted cones. Tlie basket is usually three or four and a half feet long, and seven or eight inches through. At the end of the cones, which run inward, are holes just big enough for the eel to squeeze through, and when he once gets in he is not 54 THE EEL. apt to find his way out again. The basket is well baited with the entrails of fowls, or of fish, with bits of fish, or meat, shad-roes, or almost any offal. One end comes off to admit this bait. Weights sufiicient to sink the basket close to the bottom should first be tied well inside so it will lay flat on its side, and strong cords fastened to it to enable you to lower it t'o the proper place, as well as to raise it when it is full of eels. Eel-traps like these will sometimes take several dozen at a time. Spearing eels is another mode which fishermen employ to advantage. The spears are forced down in the mud where the eels have buried themselves, and in some places eels are taken in great abun- dance in this way. You can spear from a boat, or while wading in the water where it is shallow enough The eel spear has several flat prongs, and takes the eel as described in the engraved representation be- low. These spears can be purchased at the fishing- tackle stores, or an expert blacksmith can make them. The prongs are of steel. HOW TO CATCH THE FLOUNDER. 55 The Flounder. This is an odd-looking fish, his belly being on one side and his back on the other. He is shaped some- thing like the sun-fish or pumpkin seed, and on the edges, where the belly and back of an ordinary fish would naturally be, he has continuous fins from neck to tail. The back is of a dark color, both eyes being on that side, and guaged to look upwards at an angle about one-fifth forward from perpendicular ; and his belly is usually white. The size of the flounder va- ries from five to fifteen, and sometimes to twenty-four inches in length, the breadth being about one-half the length. Their feeding ground is the soft mud of the bottom, near to bridge spiles, docks, and other bot- tom incumbrances, and they are sometimes found on bass grounds. They feed on the spawn of fishes, and on muscles and insects. The time for fishing the flounder is the spring and fall months. In the summer he may be taken, but his flesh is soft and unwholesome. He will bite at almost anything used in salt water for fish bait, and in fishing him you may use any kind of tackle. A small hook is however necessary — ^No. 8 being the usual size. Flounders are an excellent pan fish ; but they should be cooked as soon as possible after being taken. They are very plentiful on the shores of Long Island Sound, in New York Bay, and in the inlets of New Jersey. The Boston market is abun- dantly supplied with them from the numerous fishing grounds of that neighborhood. 56 CODFISH AND SHEEPSHEAD. The Cod Fish. This salt water fish is caught is great abundance in the vicinity of Boston, Massachusetts, and on the Great Banks. It swims in immense schools, and is very easily taken. In the spring the cod will bite in the most greedy manner, and if your tackle be strong enough, you can catch enormous quantities, and of very large size. Tlie mud clam, or the moss bunker, either of them will answer for bait. Your line should be very stout, and made of cotton or hemp, 100 to 150 feet long, with the largest size black-fish hook, or a regular cod hook of small size. The sinker should weigh two or three pounds. Cod are not at all particular, and are not easily frightened. It sometimes happens that one may be lost off the hook by tearing the cartilege of his mouth. This same fish, with his mutilated muzzle, will be just as apt to bite again the next moment. They are fished for with hand lines, from boats, in all cases. The cod fish, when fresh, is excellent eating, whether boiled or fried. It is a standard dish at the hotels and eating houses in Boston and New York. The Shecpshead. This is one of the very best of salt water fish, and like many others, only visits shore in summer. The time for fishing him is from the first of June until the middle of September. The Sheepshead is a squatty shaped fish of a dull silvery color, and with dark bands running from his back to his belly. His weight THE SHEEPSHEAD. 57 is usually two or three pounds — sometimes four and a half. The form of his fiice, which is somewhat smutty, is supposed to resemble the physiognomy of a sheep, though for the life of us we never could see the resemblance. The teeth, however, do look like sheep's teeth, and this may be the more rational cause of its name. These teeth enables a fish of good size to crunch the shell of a crab with ease. They are usually found on reefs, or about large rocks, where they feed on the soft clam, and the small rock crab, which articles are used for bait in fishing the sheepshead. The tackle wanted is a stout hemp or cotton line, 100 to 150 feet long, with a black-fish hook of the largest size. The clam must be put on whole, without breaking the shell. Insert your hook through its stem, and bury it entirely in the body of the clam. He takes the whole clam in at a mouth- ful, and chews it, shell and all. If you use crabs, take the same precaution as with clams. Sometimes opened clams (soft or hard) are used, but they should be of very large size, to attract the fish's attention. He will also bite at the worm, the minnow, the chub, and the lobster. When you have struck a sheeps- head, you must be exceedingly cautious while play- ing him, or you may lose your game. He makes the most desperate efforts to get free, frequently bunting his head against a rock so as to break the hook. Of late years this fish has become scarce in the Long Island waters, and experienced fishermen are in the habit of tolling them to certain haunts by 58 THE BLACK FISH. tlirowing in soft clams. In this way thej are brought so near to shore as to be taken with a stout rod, and strong tackle, though the usual mode of fishing them is from a boat with a hand line. When using the rod, you should have a landing net, or you may lose all your fish. They generally go in schools, and if you catch one you may get a good string of them. They are considered by some people the best eating sea fish that is caught, though their meat is a little tough. If cooked properly, they do make an excel- lent dish. They should be split in slices and broiled on the gridiron. The sheepshead is caught in nearly all the rocky places round Long Island. Regular fishermen use nets and spears with good success. Spearing them by torchlight is a favorite amusement with some sportsmen. The Black Fish. This fish was called the tautog by the Indians. It is caught in the vicinity of Massachusetts and New York Bays, in Long Island Sound, and in nearly all the inlets of Rhode Island. Of late years, black fish have increased in numbers, notwithstanding the numbers caught to supply the Boston and New York markets. The upper end of Long Island is a famous place to catch them. Their feeding ground is gene- rally on rocky bottoms, and reefs, though they are caught in other places. It is a singular fact that those found close in on rocky reefs are shorter or more chubby, and of a darker color, than those that a O o THE BLACK FISH. 59 sport in the running tide. The color is a deep bluish black on the back and sides, with light belly. The usual size of the black fish varies from one to three pounds, though larger ones have been caught. Eight and ten pounders are reported to have been taken in Rhode Island. Black fish are usually caught with hand lines from a boat, though your true sportsman prefers his rod — a stiff one some twelve or fifteen feet long. A flax line of ten to tliirty yards in length, Avith slide sinker, and triple gut snells, is all that you want. You can dispense with the gut if you wish, as the fish is not timid or wary, and a plain flax leader of ten to fifteen inches in length, will answer. You can catch them with almost any kind of a hook from No. 10 down- wards. They frequent eddies made by the running tide, and there watch for shrimps or small crabs. By dropping your line back, and letting it run with the tide through an eddy, you are generally success- ful. As soon as the fish bites in earnest, pull up, starting your pull by a quick motion to fasten the hook in his mouth, which is tough and hard. The baits used are shrimp, soft crab, shedder lobster, soft clam, ordinary clam, &c. The crabs and lobsters are the best. If a thunder storm comes up while you are fishing for black fish, you may as well go home, as you will not be apt to catch any more that day. A school of porpoises will frighten them so that they will leave for the day. There is a good deal of sport in catching black fish, his bite is so 60 THE MACKEREL. earnest, and lie is so readily taken. In hand line fishing, many sportsmen have a brass ring at the end of their line, and to it they fasten two or three lead- ers, of different lengths, sometimes catching two fish at a time by this means. The black fish begins to bite early in April, and is then easily taken. As the hot weather comes on he is not very fierce for a bait, but yet he is taken all the season through, until the cold weather benumbs him, and he refuses to eat. He never runs into fresh water, but remains in his haunts the year through. It is an excellent table fish, whether sfewed or fried, though it is very difficult to dress. The Mackerel. This fish is seldom sought after by amateur an- glers,, for the reason that he does not frequent bays or inlets, but is found only in the broad ocean. He is nevertheless a game fish, and his capture affords a great deal of sport. Tlie professional fishermen describe the mackerel as the handsomest fish that swims, and the most active on the hook. The season to fish mackerel commences about the first of May. A fishing smack, which can cruise with safety " out at sea," must be procured, and an experienced fish- erman who knows the haunts of mackerel, should be engaged. The hook used is called the mackerel hook. It is about the size of No. Limerick salmon, but shaped a little different. The necessary bait is only a piece of red flannel, or red cloth. They can HUNTING THE SHARK. 61 also be taken by trolling, with a tin squid, or jig. This is an oblong piece of bnght block tin, with a hook fastened on the end of it, and a swivel on the end of your line. The tin skitters along on the sur- face, and, being mistaken by the mackerel for a shiner, he darts at it and is instantly hooked. The sport is excellent, as the fish bites so readily and so fiercely. Shark, and Devil Fishing. Shark fishing is a stupendous sport resorted to by persons who have a hankering after excitement. Parties who go on shark-fishing expeditions, engage a vessel for the purpose, together with experienced hands as assistants. The ship-chandler furnishes them with lines, while a blacksmith is engaged to make hooks, swivels, &c., of the sizes wanted. The line is a strong hemp cord made for the purpose, and hooks of various patterns are used. Almost any shaped hook will catch a shark, provided it is strong enough to hold him. When you get to your shark- ing ground, you launch your small boat, and tie your line to the stern. The hook should be fastened to it by a chain and swivel, and is baited with a good sized piece of beef or pork. You then row your boat along rapidly until you get a bite. Do not get too far from your vessel, as when you once get a bite, and hook the monster, you must bring him along side before you attempt to land him, or he may upset you in his wrath. 62 CARE OF TOOLS. Catching the devil-fish is a favorite amusement of the South Carolinians. These monsters frequent the sounds and inlets thereabout in schools, and are killed in various ways — by harpooning, shooting, &c. The sizes of the fish thus taken are from twenty to thirty feet long. After being struck with a harpoon, the devil-fish will sometimes run many miles, towing a boat full of men after him. The sport of taking them is very exciting. Take Care of Your Tools. The American Angler'' s Guide gives the following precautions relative to the care of rods and lines ; When the fishing season is over, your rod should not be thrown carelessly by, but be cleaned, nicely oiled, and put away in a cool place, in readiness for the next campaign. The best of wood that a rod can be composed of, even though it be kiln-dried, if exposed a length of time in a dry atmosphere will shrink some, causing the ferules and guides to become loose. A moist atmosphere is preferable to a dry one. When rods that have not the ends covered where the joints are put together, become by a day's service swelled and dificult to separate, hold the ferule over a candle or lighted paper until it becomes sufiiciently hot to dry out the moisture, and the parts can be easily separated. To prevent this annoyance, occa- sionally oil the wooden part that is let into the socket. Lines. — Many adepts in the art are careless and neglectful of their lines, often leaving them (when FASTENING ON HOOKS. 63 soaked with water) on their rods, in which wet state, if they long continue, they are apt to mildew and rot. Every line, immediately after heing used, should be run off from the reel and laid out freely, or stretch- ed on pegs to dry. Should they have been lying by for any length of time, they should be thoroughly examined and tried in every part before using. Lines will chafe and fray out by constant wear, and many large fish are often lost by carelessness in these small but important matters. To TIE A Hook to a Gut or Line. — Prepare, by waxing with shoemaker^s wax, a piece of strong silk or thread ; take your hook in your left hand between your thumb and forefinger, about as high up as the point of the barb or a little higher, as you may fancy; place the end of your silk under your thumb, take three or four random but firm turns around the shank of the hook until you reach the end (for the purpose of preventing the gut being cut by the hook, and moreover that your gut may stick firmly without the possibility of coming off;) now lay your gut or line (the inside of the hook, up) on to this winding, holding it with the end of the thumb, and commence whip- ping it around firmly and closely, occasionally press- ing the turns to keep them even; continue this ope- ration until you get within three or four turns of the finishing point ; in order to fasten firmly — give three loose turns, then insert the end of your silk under them, and drawing it through, you have a secure fastening, called the hidden knot. Another method 64 MENDING A BROKEN JOINT. of fiuisliiiig when you have arrived at the fastening point, is to make two or three half hitch knots; this is done by passing the end under one turn of the silk, making a loop, and drawing it down. The hidden knot is the better and most secure mode. To REPAIR A Broken Joint. — Should you be so unfortunate as to break a top or joint, which misfor- tune, brother angler, has happened to many a very careful and scientific sportsman before you — proceed in this manner. Take your two broken parts, and with your knife, or a plane if you can get one, smooth down each part in an oblique direction, fitting them closely together, and rubbing some shoemaker's wax on to the parts to make them stick ; now take a long length of waxed thread or silk and wind it around, similar to the commencement of hook- tying, merely to keep the parts together, continuing it a little be- yond the extreme end of the fracture ; then carefully and firmly whip it evenly around until you pass the other end of the fracture; here halt, and wind the three last tunis on the forefinger of the left hand, extended for that purpose ; now pass the end of the silk or thread under the Avindings, carefully drawing- out your finger, and pull it through, and you have the hidden or inverted knot, as before described. Be careful in finishing, see that your thread does not get loose, and your whippings are firm and even. In all cases of winding, see that your silk is well waxed. THE END. 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Being tlie great Ricord's Essay on tlie REPRODUC- TIVE SYSTE TI. >*!io\ving: tlie advantages, inorally and Phy.^ically, of f;:iiSjfiiny fulfilling tlie Marriage Vow, and ll:c Frightful Re- sults of Etidulging in Secret IPernicious HCabits^ &c. BEAUTIFUL COLORED ILLUSTRATIONS! Hfeailpmtlis Kaimlf Eevealeill- IHE VEIL REXT ASUNDEli ! ! KA TUllE A S SHE IS ! ! ! A Complete, Thorough, Exhaustive Inquiry into the Mj/steries of Human Propagation, exploding the Fallacies of the Faculty in the early Ages when AmsTOTLE was an Oracle on the Principles and Orifjuiof Life., and giving the new and TRUE theories as to the Structure, Purposes and Intent of the Generative System of both sexes. It is the result of the Anatomical and Pathological inquir- ies of the Great Authors on the Most Important Human Or- gan^ — as laid down by all the modern Philosophers from Hunter to Gardner. PRICE FIFTY CE]\TS. « Sent by mail, post paid, on receipt of price. Address, THOMAS O'KANE, 130 Nassau Street, New York. A NEW SYSTEM OF INSTRUCTION IN THE By SAMUEL T. WHEELWRIGHT. Containing a simple and accurate explanation of all the graceful motions as practiced by G-ymnasts, Pugilists, etc. II^IiUSTRATEB WITH TEN BAC K VIE^V PI.ATES. In this work the author commencefi by explaining Ave motions with the single club, to be learned thoroughly with each hand, and then show- ing that all the double motions are merely a combination of these— illus- trating them with plates in which the figure executing the motions is represented standing with his back to the reader, enabling the learner while holding the engraving before him to follow the course of the club, with his own club, without reversing the motion, which would be neces- eary if the figure faced the reader, making this the simplest work in existence. Those that have undertaken to learn from other works and those that have a knowledge of club swinging will appreciate the value of this. PRICE Ol^E DOLLAR. Sent by mail on receipt of price. THOMAS O'KA^N^E, PUBLISHER, 130 Nassau Street, Wew York. The Book of Beverages. HOW TO MAKE MORE THAN da® MTOML€apa€ SUMMER & WINTER DRINKS, f liolesflffle, RefresMfli, Coolli M Mritioris. AT A COST OF FROM tfflt C©at to Tern ieats P©r ®all®ii Embracing the most approved Recipes for making sum 1111^ li,Sf ®111¥, Orange and Lsmonade Syrups, &c., Shows also how to mix all kinds of PIIKGHSS, SIBSES, OSBSIMS, &Ge, 4S. Price Twenty-five Cents. Address orders to THOMAS O'KANE, Publisher, wo yASSAU STBSMT, Xcw Tork. NOW READY. f 11 SllAf liM41Cl ENTITLED uii niKi wwwm m mwM, By 77atts Phillips (Fairfax Balfour), Author of *' The Med Marsh Farmf'* '* Three Women,'* *' Perdita ; or Fair and False,-' *' For a Wotnan's Sakef^* 4&C.,