The New York herald., 1879-02-26
FISH FOR FOOD.
Eighth Annual Meeting of the Fish
Culturists' Association.
INTERESTING PAPERS READ.
Mr.. Eugene Blackford on Whitebait in
American Waters.


Culturists' Association was commenced yesterday
morning in the rooms of the Fulton Market Fish
Association in Fulton Market and will be continued
to-day. Mr.. Robert b. Roosevelt occupied the chair
and in opening the meeting made brief address.
He congratulated the members not only on the sue
which had rewarded their efforts in this State.
but also the increasing interest which was being
manifested all the country in the necessity OF
proper protective measures. He said the nomencla-
ture of fish q subject of great Importance. and
action should be taken for determining fixed
names. The many varieties of bass were touched
upon. and special attention. called to the fact
that what the States called pickere desig
mated as pike in Canada and there considered an
undesirable fish to cultivate.
NEW MEMBERS ELECTED.
Letters of regret at not being able to be present
were read from Commissioner Witchen, of Canada
and several other prominent piscculturists, after
which the following gentlemen were elected mem
bers:-Robert M. stuart. 154 Fifth avenue; G. +.
Fearing. 80 Broad street; g. W. sicleir, 80 Nassau
street. John L. Develin. 1855 Broadway; s. NJ john
son. Boston; H. II. Thompson. 12s East Twenty third
street; Commissioner Townsend Cox. II. T. Carey.
20 New street, W. NJ. Fiess, John H. Thompson
New Bedford; w. A. Conkling. Central Park; c. E.
Whitehead 81 Wall street; W. Robertson. rs Fulton
street; H. G. Hilmers. IS Wall street; O. A. Lewis.
Washington Market; j. A. Lowery. Union Club; Z.
NJ. Stillwell. Bangor. Me-; E. j. Anderson Trenton.
N. j.; Orrn NJ. Chase. Detroit. Mich; John @.
Roach. Brooklyn; Ct. II. Brush Norwalk Conn; G.
H. Andarase, Brooklyn; J. Reynal. "a White street
E. r. Wilbur, Fulton and Pearl Streets Seth Weeks
Cory. Pa and John B. Morgan. IS Broadway.
TROUT STREAMS
The first paper read by Mr.. A. B. Stroup Of
Florence. Westmoreland county. Pa. on "The Guilt
walton of Trout in Streams He was followed by
perience among the trout streams OF Long Island.
He chose for his subject Trout Culture" and gave
his opinion that the cause Of the great depletion
of the Long Island trout streams was a bug which,
he described it, has the power Of overpowering
young fish larger than itself. He suggested that it
be called the bear fish,. because it out Of the
water and hugs its victim to death; but in the dis
cussion which followed in which Seth Green and
showed conclnsivey that he had on former OCCASIONS
properly "classed" Mr.. McGovern's "bug."
LAWS.
The afternoon session opened by Mr. Charles
Il. Hallock. editor of the Forest and Stream who read
paper on the Game laws. as they now exist. The
reading of the paper awakened lively discussion
which resulted in the passage of the following reso
iution. offered by Mr.. Blacktord:-
Resolved That this association approves of any
and hsh and make them AS uniform possible in All the
20 this result.
A committee consisting of Mr. Eugene Blackford
Mr.. Mather and Mr.. r. b. Roosevelt, also ap-
pointed, to consult with like committee from the
Society for the Protection OF Game, to draft an
amendment to the present law relative the OF
trout which would be satisfactory to all parties
cerned.
BY far the most interesting paper read that by
Mr.. Eugene Blackford "Whitebait in American
Waters" Mr.. Blackford said:--
''Mr. J. II. Cannon. gentleman who was examined
before the English Fishery Commission in June, 1875
stated that the toothsome little fish not discov-
cred until about 17so. and that it his grand
Thar -hn had iv,tv,
British public. 1t would appear that its pre-eminent
merits were not at first appreciated by its dis
:overer. Old Mr. Cannon was fisherman and the
hrst to which he applied the tiny creature was
The batting of eelpots 1t was in this way that it
known. In the Natural History of British Fishes.
by Z. Donovan, published in 1909 is a plate giving
beautiful picture of the English whitebait. and in
the text Mr. Donovan expresses the opinion that they
are the young OF shad In 1928 Professor Yarrel in
paper published in the Zoologcat Journal entitled
On the Supposed Identity OF whitehall and Shad,'
discusses the subject great length and gives as
his unqualified opinion that is distinct species of
The herring family, names 1t ciupea dlba and claims
10 l.sve examined specimens in which he found roe
and that he believed they deposited their spawn dur
ing the winter Yarrel states the fishing commences
at the end OF March and continues until September,
and that no other fry of any value swim with the
whitebat. Gunther in his catalogue of British fishes
Btates:-As regards the whitebait this a purely
nominal species, introduced into science by Yarrel
and valencennes in Difference to the opinion of fish.
ermen and gourmands.' ALI the examples OF white
bait he examined were young herrngs from one aud
ahalf to three inches in length.
settled
fact by all English icthyologsts and naturasts that
the white neither less than young
fry Of the herring family, which is fully assured
from recent experiments at the aquarium in Brighton
England. where some live whitebait about one and q
half inches long were placed in of the tanks and
In few months developed into herring about nine
inches length. Much Of the discussion in England
over this fish arose from Investigations having
founded different species of the ciopea genus.
AMERICAN WATERS.
Excepting the results of the Investigations of our
English cousins in mind let us now take up the his
n wi pbuif i'm Amar
part of the 1876 Mr. Charles Waite of this city,
suggested to Inc that should get some of fisher
long. they. would, in his opinion equal the
famed whitebait OF England. This led me to make
inquiry III various quarters to the character APP
pearance and habits of this fish, and in April 1870,
received from Liverpool through the Kindness and
courtesy OF Professor L. j. Moore of the Derby
Museum, some specimens OF English whitebait.
After examining these was convinced the fish
could be found ia our waters. Shortly after met
Mr. j. carson Brevoort and knowing that he had
hshed the waters OF New York Bay very extensively
while engaged in his researches into the habits OF
fish found on coast, l asked him IL he
ever found any fish in his nets resemble ng
whitebatY He assured me that he had, and
Bay Ridge. In the spring 1873 requested shrimp
fisherman TO bring all tho small fsh he might
hnd in his net when fishing for shrimp and on April
IL he brought me three small fish that identical
In appearance with the English whtebait The next
day he brought about fifty specimens. Some Of
these sent to Professor f. Baird, who. after
lnation. wrote me that they the young OF two
distinct species-one the pooobus pseudo hareagts,
ihc common alewlfe or gaspercau; the other, the
pon,ooJus mediocyis, sea or Taylor shad.' Having
determined that they not the fry of any OF
valuable food fish took ures to procure q sup
ply for table use. obtaining which, | sent them to
the Union Club where they served, aud the
superintendent. NJ. Chisholm. informed me they
tasted so much like the English whiebait that
OF the members supposed that they had been i'm
ported from the other side.
IN GREAT DEMAND.
After receiving this verdict their superiority
table fish II only remained Introduce them TO
she public. did so in May. 1873. The demand ut
once exceeded the supply, AS at time during the
,cason was over sixty pounds taken in day. They
we're sold at nifty to soventy-five cents per pound.
The great call for these dainty little fish led the fish
erincn and some OF the dealers supply the demand
with small fish that Is found In harbor in large
numbers called by the fishermen 'spearing" very
Inferior fish for table use which fact epicurcs soon
discovered, and the price soon declined low to
make the catching OF them Improbable. These
'pcaring are species of anchovy, engrduts udtus,
and differ but slightly from the famous anchovy of
she Mediterranean, engrautis encrasichotus which is