G. GENERAL NATURAL HISTORY AND ZOOLOGY. 265 



ence to the report of the Smithsonian Institution for 1854, 

 where may be found a communication from Mr. Eoff himself 

 on this subject, giving an account of the habits of the black 

 bass, and stating that Mr. William Schriver, of Wheeling, 

 thinking the Potomac River admirably adapted to the culti- 

 vation of the bass, had, the preceding season, carried some 

 twentv or more alive in a box, in the water-tank of a loco- 

 motive from Wheeling to Cumberland, his former residence, 

 and placed them in a canal basin at that place, where he 

 hoped they would do well, and be a nucleus from which the 

 stock might soon spread. This, of course, effectually settles 

 the controversy in favor of Mr. Schriver. 



CAUSE OF DEATH OF FRESH-W^ATER FISH IX SALT "WATER. 



In a communication by M. Bert to the Academy of Sciences 

 of Paris upon the death of fishes living in fresh water when 

 immersed in sea water, he stated that these fishes are literal- 

 ly suffocated by a singular effect of desiccation, the exosmose 

 being very active, especially when their skin is clothed with 

 large scales. The phenomenon as observed in frogs is quite 

 extraordinary, these losing the greater part of their weight, 

 and becoming almost as much dried up as if they had been 

 salted alive. In regard to the action of fresh water upon 

 salt-water fish, he found that they are too heavy for this me- 

 dium, and generally remain at the bottom of the water, while 

 the fresh- water fish always swim at the top of salt water. 

 12 A 9 August 24, 1871, 339. 



PROPER FISH FOR STOCKING RIVERS. 



Of the many fresh-water fish characteristic of the continent 

 of North America, comparatively few, with the exception of 

 members of the salmon and trout family, are of sufficient eco- 

 nomical value to make it expedient to introduce them into re- 

 gions where they do not naturally occur. This transfer has 

 been made to a very disastrous extent in the case of the pike 

 (JZsox), which, although multiplying rapidly, is at the same 

 time the determined foe of all other kinds offish, and soon 

 almost exterminates them from the waters which it inhabits. 

 For this reason some states have passed laws prohibiting, un- 

 der severe penalties, except by direct permission of the Com- 

 missioners of the Fisheries, anv transfer of the species in ques- 



M 



