The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-11-25
a Phenomenon In Niagara Kiver.

Niagara river has this season offered som,
1na opportunities for the study of themain
te lance of the equilibrium of animal lif,
on both land and water. Early spring wa
marked by an unprecedented migration q
minnews from Lake Erie into the Niagar;
river. They arrived by millions, anC
| formed here and there almost solid banks
| OF moving fish. The shores of some little
creeks like those of Frcnchman's creek,
cmptying from the Canada shore into tho
niagara, wero actually srcwn with count.
less numbers of dead minnows, which had
been suffocatcd for want of oxygen in these
narrow channels. Tho advent of the min.
nows attracted in turn, as might naturally
be expected, proportionatcly sized swarm
OF their dcsroycrs, in shape of the different
species of pike, muscalongc and black bass.
lhe latter could be seen lying quietly in
solid column along the bottoms near the
shores, where the water was sufficiently
shallow and transparent to permit full
view of them. Fishermen were pcrplnxed
and in despair, since they would take bait
OF no kind, no matter how tcmptingly dis
played Their stomachs were fairly gorgcl
with mnnows, which could be captured
without any effort whatever.
Later on, when the main bulk of minnows
disappeared without being followed by their
enemies tho tables were turned, and bass
fishing never has been known to be rs fine
aa 1t was toward the latter end of the sum-
mcr. Though the river is no longer stocked
with minnows rs it was in the spring, the
present amount probably still exceeds that
Oh any previous year, and has attracted lutor
on another host of their natural enemies,
the winged toilcrs Of tho sea. Never before
has tho surface of the green Mag cxhib-
itcu such an animated display of glistening
white locks of gulls and terms a. IN the
present months. they have assembled by
thousands, andmxuriatc in immense abund-
ancc on their natural prey. Among them
arc some species never before obscrv.,
here i'll any notable quantity, or even single
specimens. We cnuncra!o the Kitiwakc
gull, besides three species of terms two of
which are dctcrminable as the black and
common tern. while the other is dubious on
account of its immature plumage. They
arc congrcgatcd IN large and separate flocks
and though occasionally lowering high over
the river, may easily he dccoycd to come
near tho surface by throwing upon it some
white punches of cotton or paper. A good
brccch-leadcr will then make considerable
havoc among them, as they generally re-
man quite long time near any spot where
one or more Of their shot comrades float up
on tho water. 1t is very easy to see how
black bass and the various species of gulls
and terms shouldbc found in such great Num-
bcrs, where there is an unusual abundance
or their natural food; but more minute
knowledge, through close observation and
examination, is needed to determine the
reasons Tor the unsurpassed spring migration
OF the minnows. The solution of the proL
lem probably hings also upon their peculiar
microscopic food, when may have been af.
feclcd by changed conditions of the ordin-
arily temperature of the water, or other
similar influences of physical nature.