The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-09-19

over six thousand rats in one month. In
one night he destroyed nearly three thous-
and. These rat figures are something ap
palling. They certainly far exceed any
American experience, and it is to be earn
estly hoped that they always may.
What we Gain by Protection and Preser-
ratiOn.
The american Sportsman makes the fol
lowing summary of Seth Green's last re-
port on the fisheries of the State of New
York:
This valuable document is accompanied
by several illustrations giving clear and
comprehensive view of the interior and ex-
terror of the State Matching house at Gale
donia, also a view of the troughs in addi.
ton representation is given of the pro-
cess of stocking barren waters. The re,
port, besides giving a clear and concise
account of the extended operations of the
Fish Commissioners during the year, en-
braces in an appendix an important paper
by Mr.. Seth Green on " Frog Culture"
From the main body of the report we
gather the following: The shad Matching
operations of the year surpassed the antic-
ipation of the commission. More than five
million shad were successfully Matched dur
ing 1878, and the majority placed in the
Hudson from May 90 to June 80, the ma
tured shad caught numbered 1,G43, from
which 5, 745, 900 spawns we're taken. The
loss in Matching was but 10 per cent The
Commissioners again complain of the con-
tinued use of nets on the Hudson, day in
and day out, and urge that law be pass
ed prohibiting this method of fishing from
Saturday night until Monday morning.
They note with qualification the increase
in the supply of shad in this river within
the last two years, attributing this as one
of the favorable results of the changes
effected by the board in the fishing laws
three years ago, whereby larger percent
age of mature fish were allowed to reach
the spawning beds and the early extinction
question as to whether or not from their
migratory habits, shad would thrive in
fresh water without taking to the sea, as
their habit is in winter, has been settled
conclusively by the experiment of the year.
An idea of the magnitude of operations as
the basis of these experiments may be
found from the Commissioners statement,
that during June 1878, upwards of COO, 900
young shad were deposited. in numbers
ranging from fifty to eighty thousand in
various lakes and rivers, including Califor-
mia waters. The Commissioners are salts
fiedthat the shad operations for the year
have been most encouraging, and in con-
Guiding their report state that "were pro-
per legislative enactments passed for the
protection Of the mature fish the shad
Matching operations would, without doubt
realize the fondest hopes of the most ear
nest supporters of fish culture"
HABITS OF suAD.
The second important subject treated in
the report in question is that of the habits
of shad. Investigation in Europe as well
as in this country fails to confirm the
theory that shoals of shad and other mi
gratory fish traverse the ocean in certain
circuits, sending off divisions at all conve-
nient spots and utilizing for spawning the
various rivers adapted to their wants, and
this long established supposition is being
abandoned. On this point the report pro-
ceeds: cit was found that fishing in GER
tain streams diminished the yield of these
streams without affecting others which
were better preserved or more neglected,
which would not have been the case had
the supply come from one central source,
from which all rivers were indiscriminately
furnished; under such circumstances to de-
plete one would only lead to a general
diminution." The contrary, however, is
established by the fact that while the Iud-
son and Connecticut were almost exhaust
as ever with shad. The conclusion is
reached that it is only those streams from
which man takes more than his proper
share that are being depopulated.
After referring to organic matter trans
ported by heavy rains and deposited in un-
impregnated eggs as fatal cause of inju-
ry to the spawn, we extract an interesting
paragraph relative to spawning. For this
purpose, says the report, " shad seek those
portions of the river where there is rocky
or pebbly bottom; when emitting the
spawn and milt peculiar tluttering noise
may be heard on still night. The spawn
is impregnated as it exudes when it grad
ually sinks to the bottom. Spawning
= commences at dusk and lasts until
midnight"
ARTIFICIAL CULTIVATION.
The report gives in detail the modus OPP
erandi of securing the spawn and milt and
impregnating the eggs, the ova being press
ed from the female into pan with little
water kept in gentle motion; to obtain the
milt, the males are treated in the same
manner. The stripped bring about the
same market prices as the unstripped shad.
After keeping the pan in gentle motion
for about fifteen minutes the water is
changed and the gentle motion and the
changing are alternated until the eggs
seem to lose their opacity and swell to
more than double their impregnated size,
when they are placed in the Matching boxes,
drawing of which with full description
is embraced in the text Of the report
This portion of the document is extremely
interesting, and we regret we have not the
space to devote to it's further considera-
ton. The eggs are Matched in from three
to five days and the fry are Immediately
set free; at first they head up stream, but
gradually fall back with the current to the
ocean. The report states that full grown
female shad will spawn upwards of one
hundred thousand eggs, of which ninety
to ninety five per cent may be successfully
Matched, by judicious handling, 10y the ar
tificial method.
After some interesting and valuable in