Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-02-05

Grosbea.S in Augusta is announced,
Miss Alice Weston having this week
seen two while on Sewall street. This
time is unusual.
The Hungarian partridge, which
three years ago were set loose in the
town Of Eden have on every report
from the flock proved that they intend
to become permanent residents of
Maine. A year ago they had branched
out a little in their temporary habi-
tations. A man at work haying on
Rodick's island ran onto a nest. killed
the bird and broke the eggs. The size
of the covies had also where seen not
ed to have increased.
Charles L. Shand of Bar Harbor was
at the department Thursday and
speaking Of the Hungarian partridge
said that they had made a great in
crease during the last year. They had
been seen in the neighboring towns
of Lamoine and Trenton, and it SEEM
ed certain that they had come to stay,
multiply and make a fine addition to
the game birds Of Maine.
Proposed Dosfsh Legislation.
The Associated Press dispatch from
Washington to the effect that the
Maine delegation in Congress had had
a conference on the matter, with the
result that it was decided that Sena-
tor johnson should introduce the bill,
when a suitable measure had been
drafted and that all would work to-
gether to ensure its passage, was well
come news to everyone in the State
House, where the arguments in the
case have been gone over and gone
over, until dogfish had become a fix
ture on the daily menu Of converse
tion.
Chairman Charles F.. Davis of the
Commission for the determination Of
Dogfish on the Atlantic Coast, has
been somewhat active and prominent
in expounding the doctrine Of eX-
and is undoubtedly tho
best posted man on the subject on the
entire coast. Some-and the idea
even has supporters in the State House
contend that dogfish should be util-
lied as food but Mr.. Davis asserts
that the dogfish flesh is unfit for hui
man food and his idea is to encourage
fishermen to bring them in by offer
ing a bounty and grind up the fish for
fertilizer. A brief summary of Mr.
Davis well-known ideas on the sub
ject follows:
Pests of either one kind or another
annoy man everywhere, and when it
isn't grasshoppers, potato bugs, moths
or some other wild preying beasts or
insects, it is some destructive agency
along the coast. Dogfsh are the
worst They are tough skinned, pug
nacious, rapacious fish, of the shark
family. and they will eat almost any
thing that craWls or SWlmS, oIteh
tackling fish much larger.
"They drive off schools of small
fish. and this explains the slim fares
that fishing vessels often bring in
when the season should be at its
height If any of the dogs get on the
gangs, fishermen prefer to cut off line
and hook rather than haul them into
the dory and club them to death.
They are oily, strong, and decay rap
idly after being exposed to light ana
air. The stencil is extremely oifen-
SiVe. .-+t
While it cannot be hoped to eXpel
these sharks from Maine sea coast
waters, a reduction of the pests is be-
lieved possible, and a uniform law
along the New England coast would
make dogfish hunting profitable.
Farmers need fertilizer, especially
with the unusually high prices that
artificial fertilizer is bringing. and
fish grinding plant at a convenient
point along the shore would he
profitable right now.
while the limited appropriation
goes only to the extent of making an
exhaustive investigation of the condi-
lions that prevail, some recommends
ton is looked for when this is done.
and the commission is expected to eN-
plain to the next Legislature the mis-
chief that dogfish do. suggest a rem
edy and appeal to the State fathers to
legislate intelligently."
State House Chat
Councillors Cunningham, Sleeper and