Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-04-12
Ffsh Notes.
In the St. Johns river a 1000 pound
lunfsh kas hsen taken. -.-.--.

In the St. Johns river 1000 pound
sunfsh has Been taken.
Near Havre de Grace, Major Fer
euson, Of the United States Fish
Commission, has fitted out his 6sh
battery, and it will be worked for the
purpose of securing the eggs Of the
shad for artificial propagation.
On the 10th of March the Cornish
fishermen made their early hauls of
mackerel, but fish were scarce. Eng
lish and French fish eaters insist that,
in point OF favor, mackerel caught IN
the east Atlantic are much superior
to those taken on our side.
The herring catch this year is rep
resented in fish as coming from Essr>
port to lave been about II $50, COO
fish. Large as this seems, it is 49,
100000 less than last year. But the
diminished catch was more profitable
to the fishermen, prices having been
more than doubled.
Very good shad were on the market
at Montgomery, Ala, last week, taken
from the Alabama river near that city.
Shad are being caught in the 0cmul-
gee and 0conee. The Macon Tele-
graph believes that if shad fisheries
we're intelligently carried out in the
Ocmulgee a good business could be
done.
Mr.. W. Saville Kent, from expert
ments with the holothurie, arrives at
the conclusion that they are not coral
feeders, Indeed in studying corals, it
seems as if these organisms would be
particularly free from enemies, as ma
ture would do all in her power to pre-.
serve them, in consideration Of the
important part they play in the con-
struction Of new ground.
The piscatorial discussion in the
New York assembly has its amusing
side. The argument in favor Of fish
ing on a Sunday was that it was noise
less, while shooting disturbed a neigh
borhood. 1t is one thing, however, to
enact laws and another to carry them
out. 1t is quite possible that no police
force could be massed equal to the
emergency Of arresting all those who
6shed Of Sunday.
The subject of monstrosities in fish
Matching presents curious study.
Sianese twin fish are not uncommon,
with other strange varieties. Com
pairing the embryo of fish with that in
the eggs of birds. it has been found
that the latter, when they have been
subjected to shaking, or tremors,
such as arise in transportation, mon
strosities appear when the life in
the egg is not killed. 1t is quite pos
sible that fish eggs suffer from the
same cause.
1t might do well to find out the orr
gin Of SEINE Of the fish sent by Canada
to the London fisheries exhibition,
though as the same fish, in the course
of an hour or two, might be swim
ming, first in American waters. then
in Canadian waters, the difference
after all, as to the nationality of the
specimen would not amount to much.
1t is quite certain, however, that the
dominion exhibit will be very good
one, and will reflect great credit on
those who have had the business in
charge.
Scotch and Irish salmon fishing
glves.the opportunity of estimating the
weight Of these fish. So far, in the
Tay, the largest salmon caught was Of
twenty one pounds; in the Spey, twen-
ty.one pounds; in the Shannon thirty
two pounds; in the SUR twenty-five
pounds; in the Eden, eighteen and q
half pounds; in the Dee, fifteen pounds;
in the Killarney, twenty-five pounds.
In the Tay many fish were landed Of
twenty-six pounds, and few twenty
eight. The Blackwater seems to pro-
duce the largest fish. one of thirty,
eight pounds having been caught
The waters are represented to be In
good fishing order, though it is too
early yet to compare the fishing with
that of last year.
Surgeons weighing 300 pounds and
over are not uncommon in the Sacra-
mento river. On the Atlantic side
the Acipenser is getting very scarce,
and especially in the rivers of this
State. 1t would be quite worth while
for our State Fish Commissioners to
take some measures looking toward
the artificial propagation OF the stur4
geon. The greatest consumption of
this fish is among the foreign popula>
ton, and large quantities are smoked.
For provisioning New York city alone
with sturgeon there are fishing compa
MES established in various parts Of the
Union. The expectation Of caviar
made from the roes Of the sturgeon
is largely on the increase.
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