The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-10-11
THE ROD.
a Lack of Funds Felt by the Fish Com
mission.

A Lack of Funds Felt by the Fish Com
mission.
Fishing is reported as good in Crystal
Springs lake, which was stocked with small
mGuthed black bass ten years ago. The fish
rises readily to the fly, and movement is
on foot to induce the Spring Valley Water
Company to make rule prohibiting the
use of gorge or bait hooks.
The United States Fish Commission now
has at Cold Spring Harbor, n. Y, 10, 0J0
California salmon, which will be distributed
as yearlngs. Half of these Will be sent to
the Kattenkil, in Vermont, tributary to
the Hudson, and the remainder will be di,
tributed in q stream on Long Island. Ii Is
confidently expected that the Introduction
Of salmon of this size viii soon make an I'M
preston on our streams, just as the opera
lions in Vermont and elsewhere with year
ling rainbow trout have speedily proved sue
cessful.
Some years ago, according to the st.
Louis Republic, detachment OF soldiers IN
Africa was digging hoes for the posts OF
their tents in a very arid country. ana one
of their number unearthed fish, long,
eel-lIke fish, cooled in ball, encased in Il
mud cocoon and as dry as CHIP. The 1lsh
was kept as mummlhed curiosity; but
after O few weeks it fell into the possession
of a naturalist, who placed it in water.
the fish gave gasp, came to life, and was
soon swimming about in an apparently
natural manner 1t belonged to species
known as lung fishes which have the tacu-
ty OF living for days or months out OF water;
and during those seasons when the small
lakes in Africa are dried up, are enabled by
this provision of nature to either travel over
land to other waters, or to live In that state
until the wet season arrives.
The California Fish Commissioners are
already complaining Of the scarcity Of funds,
and it is probable that before the year is out
they will be compelled to discharge num-
Der Of employees for lack OF money with
which to pay them. This is to be regretted,
for they have been doing great deal Of
valuable work, and much Is needed yet To
be accomplished in order to protect the hSh
of the State. The greatest difficulty seems
to lie in the fact that the coast line Is SO
long tina t it IS simply impossible to guard it
at present, ana many complaints are con-
stantly coming in. In addition to this,
a great deal of trouble has been tx
perienced in dealing with the owners
Of SaW-mills along the mountain streams.
Sawdust is allowed to run into the water,
and a constant watch must be kept to pre-
vent the injury of the fish by this means
Even then it is found TO be almost impOss-
BILE TO induce The mill-men to burn the dust,
and in nearly every Instance 1t IS found nee
essary to threaten suit before n change can
be brought about. The Spring Valley " alter
Company has discovered that its main reser-
Viz is literally oyerrun with carp, and an
effort VIII be made In the near future to be
rid OF this nuisance. The Directors have
applied to the Fish Commission for a supply
of muscalorGr, which is the deadly enemy
of the carp and cleans the latter out When
ever placed together. The muScalOnge
abound in New York, and from that State
they will probably be brought TO this Coast