J. PISCICULTURE AND THE FISHERIES. 40 1 



ested in the subject of breeding and retiring fish. The oppor- 

 tunity afforded of a mutual exchange of experiences among 

 the leading professional fish-breeders of the country will 

 doubtless be productive of very useful results, as enabling 

 each to become familiar with the details of practice intro- 

 duced by his colleagues, thus preparing all to start under 

 better auspices for the future campaign. 



Papers were read on spawning races and the impregnation 

 of eggs, in which what is called the dry process of impregna- 

 tion was illustrated. 



Mr. Clift read a paper on the culture of shad, and Dr. Ed- 

 munds, of Vermont, one on the introduction of salmon into 

 American rivers, these appearing to be the principal commu- 

 nications of the session. Measures were taken to impress 

 Congress with the importance of extending national aid to 

 the fish-breeding interest by making an appropriation to start 

 one or more establishments where salmon, trout, whitefish, 

 and shad, more especially, could be raised and used in stock- 

 ing waters not at present supplied with them. In support 

 of this proposition, it was argued that most of the great 

 waters, whether of lake or river, are connected with several 

 states, and that, if the matter be left to the states themselves, 

 improper legislation by one, or failure to legislate by another, 

 might produce such contradictory results as to render almost 

 nugatory any efforts in the direction indicated ; whereas, if 

 left to the government, the action would be homogeneous and 

 uniform, being based upon the best-known methods. 



The officers of the association for the ensuing year are Rev. 

 W. Clift, president ; B. F. Bowles, treasurer ; and Livingston 

 Stone, secretary; and the counting-house of Mr. George Shep- 

 pard Page, No. 10 Warren Street, New York, was fixed upon 

 as head-quarters of the association in that city. 



IT. S. APPROPRIATION FOR THE PROPAGATION OF FISH. 



At the last session of Congress, just closed, an appropria- 

 tion of $15,000 was made for the introduction of salmon, shad, 

 and other useful food fishes into such suitable rivers of the 

 United States as are at present without them ; and the work 

 was placed under the direction of the United States Commis- 

 sioner of Fish and Fisheries, Professor Spencer F. Baird, of 

 the Smithsonian Institution. As the first suGrirestion of this 



