The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1877-09-01

o-c.AA ooSuA w 1lttSc Uecll lOIIuOu
with special reference to the de-
struction of the other kinds. Fail i.
uro in such cases is as much to be
looked for as it would be in the
case OF farmer who would expect
to rear successfully q hundred head
Of cattle on q two acre lot, or who
would attempt to keep tho poace
between pack of wolves and O
flock Of sheep which were required
to roam upon tho samo pasturage.
10 illustrate, shall reiterate ex-
perimonts given to the public be-
fore, and which subsequent observe,
tlon has confirmed. All of our fish
cat fish, except members of the
sucker family; these eat eggs.
Practically, therefore, NIL fish COM
sumo hsh-somo more, some less.
What is known here as the trout
(1Negastoma Curola,ie,asis and
G7yStes Salneoi0es) afford striking
Illustrations. The oldor ones arc
caught almost exclusively with
living fish used as bait, or by it's
artificial represon tative, the bob.
All fishormen know this, and attach
Importance to having fresh lively
m1nnows on hand for q successful
days sport. This justifes the
statement that in it's natural state
it's habitual food is fish. And
whilst it has it's preferences for
certain varieties, mono arc EXEMPT
from the attacks of it's voracious
jaws. [ have caught o four-pound
trout which had swallowed q catfish
that weighed over quarter of q
pound. the tail of which was still
visible in the cavity of the trout's
mouth, because there was not
sufficient room for it's reception in
tho stomach: and yet it bit with
spirit at silver fish on the hook.
L have taken them with their
stomachs distended with smaller
members of their own species, with
oil the varieties of the perch clan,
including the exceedingly nimble
bream, with suckers, with minnows;
III fact no fish seems beyond the
scope of it's appetite. Great as is
the destruction done by older
members of this family, YOU can
imagine that the supply which
would disappear down the capacious
throat of ten-pounder in twelve
months would be no inconsiderable
drain upon the resources Of u pond
of quarter of an acre in extent
still, strange to relate, tho depreda
tions of the young trout are even
moro disastrous. A pair of trout
OF two and half pounds each are
capable of producing 10000 in a
season; these young commence
upon smaller varieties as soon as
the umbilical egg has been alb
sorbed, and when they have attain
cd length of ono and a quarter
inches, requiring from month to
six weeks of growth, will eat sinty.
one fish each in twenty-four hours.
This 1 have witnessed again and
again. It is true that the fishes
swallowed were very small and Of
exceedingly tender age, being
scarcely more than oggs with tails
appended; still they were fish, and
if uninterrupted would have at~
''eAiiS'& "'' A"i 30 olHo u6 dly III GD6
pond Now, suppose that the
young of only one pair are Matched
in n pond Of quarter of ON acre
and that tho unusually small num-
bcr of 5000 is the result. These
5000 are capable Of deyouring
3O5,000 per day. It occurs to me
that it would be only necessary for
them to survive one day to effect
tho complete depopulation of
ordinary ponds. Having accom-
plished their work of destruction
they are themselves made tho VIC
TINS of larger fish, which are in
turn oatcn by still larger, which are
in turn attacked by man, tho veriest
butcher Of them all. The proba-
bilities are that out of the 5000
which havo wrought such diro de.
struction, not more than half dozen
roach maturity. This is the reason
that ponds of narrow compass, on
being drawn off after having stood
for two OF three years, have only a
few large fish in them, also the roa-
son that even our largest mill ponds
afford better fishing whilst they are
known as new ponds.
Take ono moro example--I have
many-the red bellied perch, (Io-
motifs Krythr00aster,) pellaps the