REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XXI 



enced in 1874, a shipment was determined upon during 1875, and the 

 preliminary experiments were first begun at Washington under the care 

 of Mr. Fred Mather, who made the attempt the previous year. Among 

 the apparatus devised by this gentleman was a cylinder of tin hung 

 upon gimbals, as would be necessary at sea. Within the cylinder was 

 a screen a few inches from the bottom* A current of water flowed 

 through a rubber hose into an inlet in the bottom of the cylinder, and, 

 rising through the screen, overflowed at the top. No success, however, 

 was obtained with this contrivance, and Mr. Mather proceeded to Point 

 Pleasant, Pa., to renew his experiments at the shad-hatching station 

 near that point. 



A new device, however, was finally hit upon, the suggestion of Mr. 

 Charles Bell, Mr. Mather's assistaut. Instead of a cylinder, a funnel- 

 shaped vessel was made, the bottom above the inlet being guarded by 

 a wire screen only 2 inches in diameter. The eggs were put into the fun- 

 nel, and the flow of the water up through the small end lifted them toward 

 the surface repeatedly as they fell back toward the bottom. Mr. Mather 

 reported his experiments with this arrangement as entirely satisfactory, 

 and recommended it for the Atlantic trip, as will be seen from his report 

 in the appendix. 



At Coeymans Landing experiments for a similar purpose were begun 

 about June 15, by Mr. W T elsher, who, before they were completed, associ- 

 ated with him Mr. Monroe A. Green. In these the eggs were taken soon 

 after impregnation and put into a series of flannel screens, which were 

 adjusted in a case in the same manner as a case of drawers. In the 

 upper screen was a quantity of ice, the water from which dripped upon 

 the screens below. By this process the eggs were successfully retarded 

 about seven days, and then hatched out as vigorous fishes. Mr. Welsher 

 haviug auuouuced the success of his experiment in advance of Mr. 

 Mather's completing his, he was called upon^ to take charge of the trip 

 across the ocean. 



About four hundred thousand eggs were taken and impregnated by Mr. 

 Monroe A.Green, on the night of the 10th of July. These were all se- 

 lected eggs, the lighter ones from each fish having been flowed out of the 

 impregnating pans and only the heavier superior ones retained. The 

 screens were filled, and the cases with a large quantity of broken ice 

 placed in contact with them, packed in turners' shavings. The ship- 

 ment started from New York on the steamer Mosel, Captain Neinaber, 

 the 17th of July. The purpose was to carry the eggs in the cases for 

 six or .seven days, and then remove them to tin vessels devised by Mr. 

 Green, when they were expected to hatch and the embryos to remain 

 until deposited in the Weser. This hatching-apparatus was a tin fun- 

 nel, quite similar in form to Messrs. Bell and Mather's ; but, instead of 

 the flow of water and movement of the eggs by a stream of water, air 

 was forced in from below ; the bubbles, forcing the water upward in a 

 current diverging along the outward sloping sides of the funnel, raised 



