The Osceola times., 1879-11-22
4 NIAGARA PHENOMENON.
An Unprecedented Migration of Minnow-
from Lake Erie.
Cutialo Commercial.


Niagara river has this season offered
some fine opportunities for the study OF
the maintenance of the equilibrium OF
animal life both on Land and water. Early
spring was marked by an unprecedented
migration of minnows from Lake Erie
into the Niagara river. They arrived
by millions and formed here and there
into almost solid banks of moving flesh.
The shores of some little creeks, like
those of Frenchman's Creek, emptying
from the Canada shore into the Niagara,
were actually strewn with countless
numbers Of dead minnows which had
been sufocated for want of oxygen in
these narrow channels. The advent o
the minnows attracted in turn, as might
naturally be expected, proportIonately
sized swarm of their destroyers, in
the shape Of the different sized species
of pike. muscalonge, and black bass
The latter would be seen lying quietly
in solid columns along the bottom near
the shore, where the water was suffi.
ciently shallow and Transparent to per-
init full view of them. Fishermen
were perplexed in despair, since they
would take bait of no kind; no matter
how temptingly displayed. Their stom.
achs were fairly gorged with minnows
which could be captured without any
effort whatever.
minnows disappeared without being fol-
lowed by their enemies, the tables were
turned, and bass fishing has never been
known to bc as fine as il was toward
the latter end of the summer. Though
the river is no longer stocked with min
nows, as il was in the spring, the present
amount probably exceeds that of any
previous year, and has attracted later OH
another host of their natural enemies,
the winged toilers of the sea. Never be-
fore has the surface of the green Mag
ara exhibited such an animated display
of glistening white fiocks of gulls and
terms as in the present months. They
have assembled by thousands, and lux
uriate in immense abundance on their
natural prey. Among them are some
species never before observed here in
any notable quantity or even single
specimens. We enumerate the kitti-
wake gull, besides three species of terms;
two Of which are determinable as the
black or common tern. while the other
|
plumage. They are congregated in large
and separate fiocks, and though occa-
sionally lowering high over the river
may easily be lecoyed to come near tho
surface by throwing upon it some white
buches of cotton or paper. A good
breech-loader will then make considera.
BILE havoc among them, as they generally
remain quite long time near any spot
where one or more of their shot com.
rades floats upon the water.
1t is very easy to see how black bass
and the various species of gulls and
terms should be found in such great
numbers where there is an abundance
of their natural food. But a more mi
mute knowledge, through close observ.
alton and examination, is needed to de
term:ne the reason for the unsurpassed
migration of the minnows. The solution
of the problem probably hinges also up
on their peculiar microscopic food, which
may have been affected by changed con
ditions of the ordinary prevailing TEN
perature or other similar influences of 3
physical nature.