The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1876-09-27

81
layed and Matched. Here the young Of both
the rock-fish and the black-bass find their
first supplies of food.
What | have said IN regard to the club De.
scending the streams upon attaining littis
size, is true, to some extent OF almost all ape
cies. We find but few suckers that win meas.
ure ~ inches in length in our small ponds
now. But II VIC examine the deeper waters
of the lower Neshanic and those Of the Rar.
itan, we find an abundance Of them there that
will much exceed this measure. And yet these
large fishes were never Matched where they
now are, nor will they be content to spawn
there the coming Spring. During the follow
ing February and March these fine fellows
will be hunting their way up the several BRAN
ches of these streams, to those grounds upon
which they themselves were Matched. Here,
while the streams are yet swollen with the
Spring rains, and every rib IL raised to the
size of rivulet and every rivulet has become
river, they will deposit their eggs and
that Immediately ; and with much precipita-
tion. will,-if they escape the fisherman's
net,-return to the lower waters of this river.
Let no one think that because We exhibit in
our tables no sucker that measures twelve in
ches, that we are never favored with the larg-
er members of this specie. In our collection
of the fishes of the Neshanic we have speci-
mems of the sucker that exceed anything that
/ have ever saw that had been taken from
any other rivulet or river above tide-water. -
Nor are specimens ranging from 10 to Is In
ches rare in our rivulet, during the months
of March and April. But whoever neglects
to fish during these months, must not expect
to get the larger members of the catostomus
bostonieusis. They visit our rivulet when
the water is high, and the weather cool,--do
their GRAND and return betimes.
l have often been surprised by the great
difference in the size of the redflns from the
lower and deeper waters of the Neshanic, and
of those from the upper and shallower waters
of the same rivulet. Nor is the difference in
size more marked in this specie than in the
roach.
However, depth of water alone is not suf-
fcient to insure the stay of the larger and
older members of the finny tribe. Along
with depth, there must be breadth and length
of pond, and banks with genial shades, and
smooth bottom and Astounding in molusks,
insects, worms, and the various aquatic plants.
The projecting roots of old trees give pecu-
liar value to a pond j; and floating timber,
tops of trees, and heaps of brush are not
without their value. Areas Of can-docks af-
ford some species favorite resorts. Some de-
light in the shades of pendent shrubs, aud
some again frequent the banks--thick-
ly grown with grass and weeds.
The more of these conditions enter into the
composition of pond the better is it suited
to develop the fishes of the Neshanic.
Reference to the tables will show that while
the more valuable species have been increased
by the use of our fine mesh-nets, the redfin
and the dace, have decreased in no less SUR
prising ratio. Upon the 10th of September,
1875, of the fishes caught .053 were dace,
while of those caught on the I'd of September,
1876, but .031 were of this specie. OF the
catch upon the 10th of September, 1876, .061
where redfns while, upon the I'd Of
September, 1875, there were but .02S Of this
specie.
This shows but family how much the stat
us Of the finny fauna of our rivulet is in the
hands of those who are accustomed to fish it.
We see that hitherto, the tendency was to in
crease the valueless species. In the future,
let those who respect and desire the increase
of more valuable species, act with discre-
ton. g. W. LARSON.
Laboratory at Ringoes, N. j.,
September 10Th, 1876.