The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-26
DISCUSSING FISH CULTURE.
sUG0EsTTNG THE MEANS FOR PROPA-
CATION AND PRESERVaTIOM

Teiinn OF q Strange Bua that Captured
Young Trout-The Discovery OF White
bait and How they were First Introduced.
At the eighth annual meeting OF the
American Fish Cultural Association yesterday.
in Fishmongers' Hail. near Fulton Forry.
after few Introductory remarks by the Chair
man. tho Hon. II. d. Roosevelt. II. ID. McGovern
read paper on Trout Culture" in which
special attention was given to young trout Of
from twelve to eighteen months OF age Not
long ago. Mr. McGovorn said, he placed several
trout in spring. When ho went to feed them
ono was missing. Again and again no went to
the spring. and at each visit n trout was miss
ing. lie watched for the cause, and, before
long saw an animal like mouse move out OF
the grass and creep down to the spring. whence,
in minute more. 1t brought out one OF the re-
naming trout. Hc captured the thief II was
a bug about throe inches long. armed with two
large prehcnsilo claws. At another time ho saw
a trout jump from the stream. turn over. and
die. On n careful examination he discovered
large red worm near the trouts heart. He put
tho fish AWAY. and. on second examination
having missed the worm. he discovered 1t
coied mp under tho skin. near the ventral fin.
Mr. Fullcr-Tho bug is the Beldsiond orandis
now in Mr.. Blackford's possession.
Seth Grcen-The bug Of which Mr. McGovern
speaks injects n poisonous fluid whom It enters
the body Of n fish, have seen II making raid
upon small fish, who acted In very odd manner.
Fred. Mather-The larvn Of tho dragon fly are
fully rs destructive as tho red worm. once
placed some Of the nrvR of tho dragon fly
among some gold ish Of hnll an inch IN length.
In a few minutes the iish wore all destroyed.
Mr.. Charles Hallock. editor OF Forest and
Stream, then road paper on C0opermiye
ing. lie said that the way 10 uniform cgislation
was perfectly clear. The two leading varieties
OF fish requiring confederation are the spccklcd
trout and the black bass, and there is nc, reason
why the laws concerning them should not DO
mnde uniform throughout the states. Among
tho laws which he recommended TO tho Iegisla-
lures Of the different States were the following:
No person shall Kill any nsh known as spccklcd trout
his state betw"en The st dav OF september and the Isl
day of April any black bass during the months Of
No trout shall be permitted to be sold between March
under penalty t25 ior each hh sold Tor
bait in Kmeriean Water" lie e' said Il that there
| has been from timo to time. as in the case of
| most other fish. dispute Rs TO where II comes
| from, how il grows, and whether or not II II n
| distinct member Of the herring family, or the
progeny OF some other fish. J. II. Cannon. a
| gentleman who was examined before the Eng:
| llsh Fishing Commission in June. 1875 said
| that the toothsome little fish was not discoy-
cred until about 1880, and that II was his grand
father who had the honor OF introducing it to
the British public ltwould appear that its pre-
eminent merits wore pot appreciated even by
|
man. and the first use To which he applied the
tiny creature was the batting OF eel pots: II was
| which II has since been known.
| AT the present time" MIR. Blackiord con-
All English ieStByoosiss al %I SSd n"tSTass lists
| that the whitebait IL neither more nor less
than the young Of the herring: fact that Is
| well established by recent experiments nj the
Brighton AQUARIUM where some live whitehall
Of one and half inches IN length. PLACED IN a
| OF nine inches In length.
In the early part Of 1875 Mr.. Charles Waite
BacEiord sSd that % should get some Sc eV Of our
fishermen TO bring in some very small ash
lS would equal @ tho The fSr'iamed Cis ed English wRitebSt
This led me to make inquiry in various quar-.
s S snd IN &pr 7S Teceyd 'nS S@
the Derby Museum some specimens OF Englisi
whitebait. After n careful examination OF thest
! was convinced that the same fish could b,
found in our own waters. Shortly aitrrward
met Mr.. J. Carson Brevoort. and KNOWING iha
he had fshed the waters OF New York BaS
while engaged in his researches into the hnbli
Of fish found on our coast, ] asked him II h'
ever came across any fish IN his nets resembling
| whitebait. He assured me that he had. nnC
that they would be found in the vicinity OF Ba,
I'm the spring Of last year | asked shrimp
| fisherman TO bring me all the small fish h,
might IND in his not, and on Aprll 10 h'
In appearance with the English whitebat. Tn,
next day he brought nhout hity specimens
| r.
who wrote me that they were the Young Of tive
| distinct species. the common nle-wite and thi
sea or tailor shHd Having determined tina
thcy were not the fry Of any Of our valuable TOO,
| fish. | took measures TO secure q supply 10
| table use. These / sent TO the Union Club
whore they were served. Tho superintendent
| informed mo that thcy tasted SO much like th
| English whitcbait that some OF the member
thought they had been imported from the othe
side. Alter receiving this verdict IA 70 thei
superiority ms u table fish, II only remained 4
Introduce them to the public. which was don
n "a al
tan Beach Hotel May 15 1873. This was tn
first whitehall dinner ever served In this coun
try A.. .-,-
as at no tine during tho season have more Ihal
sixty pounds been taken in one day. The
were sold at from 50 to 40 cents pound. Tn
great call for these dainty little fish led the FISH
ermen and some OF the denlers TO furnish tn
spenrlng. n very inferior fish, for table use
The price soon declined, and the business q
catching them was abandoned. These spearin
are a species OF anchovy. and dliier hut slight
from the famous Hnchovy otthe Mediterranean
80 priced by good livers in the form OF anchov
sauce and anchovy paste. Albert voorhees,
fisherman nt Gravesend. informs me that whe
he lifts his pound nets in which he take
going out through tho meshes, and that tn
| stomachs OF tho weakilsh are often full OF then
In his opinion they are the chief food of III
weakilsh during May and June. II he lifts hi
! nels nt nnY tlmo other than slack water II
whitehall are 10 he seen. Some apprchensio
has been felt that in taking the whitebait IN
| young Try of the shad Ii destroyed. thus neu
| trHliHing the efforts of the New York Fish Com
, | msslonors in stocking the Hudson; hut whc
whitehait are most abundant the shnd have lns
4, | begun To spawn. so think we may ait down to
: whitehall dinner without any feeling that W
i | QTo turonA lStuut with our professions as lis