National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-11-20
FISH CULTURE.
REPORT OF THE UNITED STATES FISH

REPORT OF THE UNITED STATES FISH
COMMISSION.
The United States Fish Commission, at the
conclusion Of their summers work, have returned
to this city, and are now engaged in drawing up
their annual report. The following facts are
summary Of their years labOrs:
At the head Of the commission is Professor S.
+. Baird, of the Smithsonian Institution; its Sec
rotary is H. Z. Rockwell, Of this city. At the
head of the naturalIsts of the commission was
Professor A. Z. Verrill, Of Yale College, whose
principal subject Of investigation is the marine in
Yertebrates. He was assisted by Professor s. 1.
Smith and four or fiye students from the Scien-
tl6c School, OF New Haven. Wesleyan Unlver-
sity, of Middletown, Connecticut, was represented
by Professors Rice and G. Brown GOode; to the
latter was specially intrusted the archaeological
department. Professor Hyatt, Of Boston, assisted
by Professors SaltonstalI and Rathbone, repre-
scented the Boston Society of Natural History.
From Yale, beside those already mentioned,
came Professor d. E. Eaton, with two or three
assistants; from Cambridge, ID. W. B. FarloW;
these two gentlemen gave special attention to
collections Of algR or seaweed.
From Philadelphia, representing the Franklin
institute, came DR.. Joseph LeldY, studying mi
scroscopo formations, and DR.. Henry Chapman.
The artist was MIR. Blake, Of Cambridge. The
party was, therefore, composed Of over twenty
Scientists, who gave their best time and thought
all the warm months in prosecuting ''investiga-
tions with the view Of ascertaining whether any
and what d1minutlOn IN the NUMBER OF tOOl nshes
Of the coasts and lakes Of the United States has
taken place, and, II so, to what causes the same
is 5ue; also, whether any and what protective,
pIohioitory or precautionary measures should be
adopted n the premises" To carry out this pro-
gramme evidently requires a complete geological,
botanical and physical survey ofall the waters OF
the United States.
1t is due to these gentlemen to state that of the
whole twenty only two receive salaries or any
and the artist are paid by The Government out of
the appropriation; all the others give their ser
vices TO the work Of the commission, amply re-
paid by their contributions to science and by the
collections Of fauna algG, &C., that they collect
for their several Institutions.
HEADQUARTERS OF TIE COMMISSION.
The place selected for their headquarters the
present year was the pleasant little fishing viii
lage of NoGnk, in Connecticut. Situated az the
end of Long Island Sound, and looking out on
the Atlantic Ocean, midway between New Lon
don and StoningtOn, with population principally
engaged in tshing, it was we'll suited to the pur-
poses OF the commission. To aid them in their
iRbOrs the Secretary OF the Navy sent the small
steamer Blue Light, Captain Beardslee, of the
Washington navy yard in command, with picked
crew OF eight or nine men. The chief wOTK of the
steamer was TO carry the party to the scene Of
their daily labOrs, and to do the heavy work Of
dredging and TRAVELLING. BY this aid of steam, the
amount CT work dene in the season was at least
quadrupled. Including the scientific gentlemen,
their families, their assistants, the crews Of the
Blue Light, and the numerous scientists who were
often visiting them, about seventy persons were
constantly assembled at NOank, studying fishes,
SALMON FROM WESTERN WATERS.
While investigating the questions concerning
the food fishes OF the Atlantic, great attention
has been paid to the food fishes OF the lakes and
rivers. Under the direction Of Prof. Baird, Mr..
Livingston Stone has been employed on the Mac
leod river, branch Of the Sacramento, obtaining
salmon eggs, of which he secured some Elk mill
lions. The salmon OF the Macleod are very
vigorous FISH, growing rapidly, and larger than
our Eastern salmon, Weighing 20 and 80, and &C.
casionslly so pounds This species is especially
the eggs thus obtained have been distributed in
the headYaters OF the Susquehanna, Potomac,
James, Delaware; and even the mississippi.
the colder waters Of New England and Canada,
the Ova being obtained in August and September,
and the young fishes, fully hatche 4, intrusted to
their future homes in November and December.
Ofthe 100000 eggs obi aimed by Mr.. Stone,
LOCO 600 were restored to their native river, that
that source of supply might not be dTiedSup; the
other 600 COO were distributed In the Middle and
Western States; $50, 900 were sent TO Michigan,
and l50,OoO 10 Utah. HAN mlllon were placed
in the clearinghouse Of MIR. Alexander Kent Of
Baltimore, TO be distributed over Maryland and
Virginia, and another large amount to similar
Institution at Bloomsbury, N. ]. Besides these
salmon gathered from Oregon and scattered in
the warmer waters Of the country, Mr.. Charles
g. Adkins, of Bueksport, Me-, on the PenobscOt,
fishes adapted to the Streams Of New England
and northern New York, are slower in coming to
maturity than the Western tish. They are Sc
the water in the following February aHd March.
From Maine and Oregon, therefore, $50 900 sal
mon eggs have been, this year, gathered and dis
tribued In oil the rivers OF the land that run 70
But in addition to this, Prof. Baird has sue
eeeded In obtaining eggs OF the land-lOcked sal
mon Of Lake Seber,'l Maine. This species OF
salmon, though now fresh water, Is supposed TO
have run up thither from the ocean, but never TO
have returned. They are q small fish, weighing
from three to eight pounds, but very hne eating;
1s0,OoO Of these eggs have been secured and dis;
tIibuted among the rivers Of New England and
Michigan that run into lakes.
Distribution OF sHAD.
The two principal sources OF supply Of shad ova
HOlyoke. Massachusetts,, on the Connecticut and
at these two places some 900 900 or 5000 600 eggs
have been secured. Salmsn eggs are sent across
the continent Embedded IN moss; but shad are so
are impregnated, that they can only be distrtb-
uted as living fishes. Large cans are therefore
made, holding ten or twelve gallons OF water
each and in each can are deposited 5000 or 10000
shad have been distributed over New England,
New York Pennsylvania, Illinois and as far West
as Iowa. The Southern States have also re-
eeyed their quota, 80 600 having been for the rst
three years from this time (itrequires three years
TO bring the shad 10 full Maturity the shad viii
be our national fish, and viii be caught in every
stream IN the Union Some Of these shad eggs
Mississippi and Of the great lakes But the lat
ter 10 an experiment, the shad hitherto having
always found his way TO salt water. But small
shellfsh, Of the same species IS the shad feeds
upon in the bottom Of the ocean, having been
found In The depths OF the great lakes II has been
determined TO try the experiment Of both shad
and salmon for the lakes.
FOOD EIsHEs.
But II Is no experiment TO stock rivers running
10 the sea with food hshes. In 1857 the oya OF