J. PISCICULTURE AND THE FISHERIES. 405 



FISH CULTURE IX NEW HAMPSHIRE. 



The Report of the Commissioners of Fisheries of New 

 Hampshire, as presented to the Legislature in June of the 

 present year, has just been published, and contains an account 

 of the movements of Messrs. Hatch & Fletcher in reference 

 to stocking the waters of the state with food fishes. Their 

 efforts were principally directed to the introduction of black 

 bass into the ponds and lakes of the state, this being the ap- 

 plication of the means placed at their disposal which they 

 considered most likely to be productive of important results. 

 Nothing had been done, at the date of the report, in regard 

 to shad, although it was intended to place a number of fry 

 in Lake Winnipesaukee. Some 5000 young salmon, bred by 

 the Massachusetts Commissioners of Fisheries, and placed in 

 the hands of Dr. Fletcher and his associate for that purpose, 

 were transferred to the head waters of the Merrimac, and it 

 is hoped that the fish-way at Lawrence will be completed be- 

 fore these fish will have occasion to come up the river for the 

 purpose of spawning. 



The most interesting labor of the commissioners has been 

 in reference to the smelt, of which 2000 adults were placed 

 in Massabesic Lake, 1000 in Sunapee, and 2000 in Newfound 

 Lake, the object being to furnish food to the trout and pick- 

 erel, thereby, in a measure, preventing the young trout from 

 being devoured by their associates. It is also thought that 

 they will furnish excellent food for the black bass. 



Eggs of the smelt were placed two years ago in Massabesic 

 Lake, and it is said that full-grown smelt have made their 

 appearance in one of the brooks for the purpose of spawning. 

 If this is the case, it would appear that the smelt mature in 

 two years. It was found by actual experiment that the eggs 

 hatched in from ten to fourteen days after impregnation, the 

 time varying with the temperature of the water. 



The commissioners have evidently hit upon an important 

 feature in connection with breeding fish for the carnivorous 

 food fishes, as, unless some provision of this kind be made, it 

 will be impossible to breed more than a limited number in a 

 given body of water. The smelt and the alewife furnish ad- 

 mirable material for supplying food to the fishes referred to, 

 as they require no care beyond placing the mature fish in 



