Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-09-27

BE IS Fl" - : tLAls Nj
A. E. Dean and wife were in the part
.of Missisquoi Bay called Gander Bay,
when he saw peculiar,tish near the
surface Of the water, and succeeded
in capturing it with a gaff. II prov
ed to be a hard fish to kill. The only
way Mrs D. could be persuaded not to
walk home was for Mr.. D. to keep the
gaf firmly hooked and hold him from
going round the boat. The fish was
IS inches long and weighed l0pounds.
This fish is very rarely captured in
this lake.
The following excellent description
is given in Thompson's Natural His
tory Of Vermont Of the BIZ Fish:
Body long cylindrical; back slight
ly arched in a regular curve; head
flattened above and on the sides, en-
cased in a bony covering having dis
tinct striae, grooves and sutures with
the avs, which are thickly set with
teeth Of different sizes, heightened
out into a slender, hattened beak,
upper Jaw reaches beyond the lower
with nOstrils near its extremity;
tongue feshy, bil0bate: roe green;
ewes Just behind the angle Of the
mouth and near the articulation Of
the lower jaw; color above brOwniSh
leaden. sometimes with an lumber
hue darkest on the head, yellowish,
pearly white, sides spotted with black
ish towards the tail; peetoral and center
fms browniSh, dorSal, caudal and anal
yellow and rudy spotted with black;
dorsal fin commences over the p0Ste-
rior part OF the anal; the attachment
Of the caudal oblique fin rounded with
the outer rays armed with sharp,
spiny scales: body covered with thick,
strong, hard, bony scales Of rhom.
b0idal form and regularly arranged 10
oblique rows. Upon the lateral line,
which isstraight but indistinct near
the tail. there are sixty scales. Length
Of specimen before us three feet, four
inches; upper Jaw to the angle OF the
mouth, seven inches; from the angle
to the orbit. one half inch: from the
point OF the bin to the middle Of the
gin opening, twelve inches Or just one
third u the total length, measured
through the middle q the caudal fin;
ventrals midway between the point Of
the bin and extremity Of the tail;
weight six pounds.
History-This singular fish was de-
Scfibed by Samuel Champlain as an
inhabtant Of the lake bearing his
name more than 200 years age. He
called IL Chansarou, which was prob
ably the Indian name. The Indians
assured him they were often seen
eight or ten feet long, but the largest
he saw was only i've feet long and
about the thickness Of a man thlgn
IL is considered a very yoracious hsh'
and when any Of them are taken Or
seen in the water the Indians calcu-
late upon little success IN taxing
other kinds. Charlevoix tells US that
he prevs not only upon other hSn,
but upon birds also; and that he taxes
them by the following Stratagem'
Concealing himself among the weeds
growing on the marshy borders Of the
lake. he thrusts his bill out OF the
water in an upright position. The
bird. wanting rest, takes this Tor a
broken limb or dry reed, and percheS
mon il. The fish then opens DIS
month and makes such a sudden
sprine that the bird seldom escapes
him. Charlevoix also assures Us that
tie Indians regarded the teeth Of TINS
fish as a sovereign remedy ior the
headache and that pricking with u
where the pain was sharpest TOOK y
awav instantly. The scales with
which this fish is covered are so timex
and strong as 70 form a coat OF mai
which is not easily pierced with
smear. They are taken Oni! 'N>.'o -
aIIv In the seine al the present Gay
hni are said 70 be sometimes seen ID
considerable numbers lying ID the
marshy coves. It's flesh is rank ana
tough and is not used for food Inc
nsual length Of these now taken =
from two and a half TO three feet
though they are often much longel'
The snecimen from which the preoeo-
inc figures and description were mace
was taken al the mouth o. Wino ,
river Nav II, 1871. One Of the arg .,Ig.
est snecimens which have seen was
tskep Al the same place June 10, leSs; |
and Is now in my possession II = -
inches long. and when caught weigh sl, |
"a nine and one half pounds. ms
srscisS Is found in the great western
iasss and in the Ohio river, "heIe
tbis and several other species are
snovn by the name Of gar nshes'
- az chronic DiarIhoea A'e
thrt -Sls-,y Wears of >ufieTinss