212 AMERICAN FISH CULTURE. 



tributaries, down to the Great Falls, are now well stocked 

 with them. They have multiplied exceedingly, and are 

 said to grow to from six to eight pounds. M. desires me 

 to tell you this. By this act of young Mr. Stabler, a region 

 some 180 miles in length has been abundantly stocked with 

 a large fish, good for food and sport." 



Mr. Charles H. Wight, of Baltimore, who wrote me 

 about three years ago in reference to stocking the Mono- 

 cacy and Gunpowder rivers, in Maryland, with this fish, 

 gave me the following score of catches on the Potomac in 

 the summer of 1865 : 



2 rods. 8 hours' fishing, 1251bs. Largest fish 4f Ibs. 



3 " 9 " " 3261bs. " " 51bs. lOoz. 

 I infer, from Mr. Wight's letter, that they were taken 



with artificial flies in the neighborhood of Williamsport, 

 above Harper's Ferry. It is said that this fish does not go 

 below the Great Falls of the Potomac, which are about 

 twenty-five miles above Washington. On the Gulf coast 

 it is sometimes taken on the same feeding-grounds at the 

 mouths of rivers, in company with the sheep's-head, at- 

 tracted doubtless by the abundant supply of Crustacea 

 found there. 



The different levels made by damming the Schuylkill 

 from Reading down to Fairmount could be stocked with 

 this valuable fish as easily, and in the same manner, as the 

 Potomac was by Mr. Stabler. The Schuylkill is now des- 

 titute of any valuable species, except cat-fish ; and our city 

 authorities could have them transported from Pittsburgh 

 or the Monongahela to the river bordering on Fairmount 



