The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1857-05-16
Habits of Siiad.
BY ROBERT rEl.L..


IS Shad spawn Oh gravclly bottoms. They
mill never deposit tnc,r ova on a muddy OF
wovable surface, as they know well that they
liquid not adhere. Young shad on their way
" tie ocean are rarely seen on soft ground,
rfht only in tho vicinity o.! gravel bottoms and
sicky shores. have seen hundreds Of thou
Minds passing down the Hudson, in the
nionlhs of July and August. Old shad com
aicncc ascending Southern rivers in Fcbl uary
Rid March. and the Hudson and Connecticut
iArcrs in April, May and June coming direct
81 from the sea in large shoals, searching for
o5awnng grounds, aud immediately after the
Operation, swim with great rapnllty near the
lJttum, towards the oceans, and II taken, are
"lund thin and unit for the table Full Shad
bihen they leave the SEA, migrate TO spawn
utyond bracklSh water, and usually continue
TIP the stream, if the bottom is suitable until
sley are prevented by dam, or similar OBJ
ctluction, which they never attempt 10 over
spine, as salmon do. The young shad from
c>awn deposited by the April run Of spawn
tbs, when returning down the hudson, on
their way to the ocean, in August, are about
we size Of large behring's. IT our fishermen
atlrc experienced, they might meet the shoals
Sandy Hook immediately on their arrival
vaily towards the spawning ground, by
finch means ii vast number that now escape
81 spawn, would be destroyed. There is no
satisfaction, however, in cnlightcnlng tins
ulass of citizens, who are so selfish as 10 look
snly to present gain, and are unwilling to
spend half an hour at the end of each fishing
cci,son, to plant the spawn Of Il dozen shad.
iach of which would produce fifty thousand
sh urIs Ina Ii,ur :
il have cndcayored TO induce our state Leg
ls'atutc TO pass a law, making it incumbent
Upon all fishermen 50 to do: but have not
tgern successful. If this plan were pursued
Wr five years, our rivers would again TEEN
Eith this delicious fish as they always return
Sy instinct TO spawn where they were born,
some years since, in my vicinity, on the liud-
son, two thousand sha1 were taken at sin.
Gle haul Of the seine, where it is a rare &C.
sprrence to cntrap three hundred This fact
i,hows, that if the present destructive system
Il pursued, the supply will soon fail to meet
lAe demand. Two years since, artiliclally
pb,prccnated the ova of shal. Thus having
Partially filled a pail with water, took
hsmale Immediately from the river, in my left
Wand and strirucd her gently with nv right
when the ova, some fifty thousand in number,
tEcre forced into the paul. The spernalic
child Of the male was then IN TIE same way
hused TO drop in the same pail, and when
thoroughly mixed together, the color Of the
va changed from glowing red to beaIlll-
dhl straw color. They were then placed UNI
Ter fine gravel, at the inlet of one otmy breed
thg ponds, and running water was permitted
SD pass over them. At this time my micro
cEope only indicated single cell in the csS,
apntaining straw co.ored fluid. Forty days
fterwaris the microscope exposed to view
thousands ofdiiercnt SIZED cells partially fill
III with blood. Two days afterwards | pIain-
6 saw cycs.-Within Il week thereafter,
thousands Of Young Shad made their appear
mcc, with small appendages attached TO their
dodies, but could not discern with nay glass
Either mouth Or sills, but the blood vessels
ind heart were plainly Seen.
! The eyes were large, and the pectoral fins
we'll developed. At the age of thirteen days.
The anal, dorsal and caudal fins, devoid OF
tays, conld be seen without the microscope
rs well as the gils and mouth. At this pc
fiod the sack disappeared, and they attempt
td to cat: were very lively, and concealed
themselves when any person approached.
have also caused old shad to spawn in
breeding pond, and kept them healthy by an