THE PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE SHAD. 333 



the same milk-cans in which they were to continue their journey across the 

 ocean. These cans, which in America are very generally used for trans- 

 porting milk on a large scale, are made of tin, round and about 2^ feet 

 high, have been successfully employed in transporting fish. Such a can 

 holds 10 gallons and affords ample room for 10,000 young fish, which will 

 seem quite plausible if we inform the reader that the young shad on 

 emerging from the eggs scarcely measure more than f of an inch in 

 length. The whole number of fish, 100,000, could therefore easily be dis- 

 tributed in 12 cans, which, through the kindness of Captain Neinaber,had 

 an excellent place on board the steamer where they were protected both 

 agaiust too violent movements and against the influence of the weather, 

 as fresh air could constantly be admitted by means of a door, which 

 could be closed when the temperature was too low. There was likewise 

 a sufficient quantity of fresh water, which was brought by a small steamer 

 from Oroton Eiver, and which filled two iron tanks, cemented on the 

 inside, holding 1,500 gallons of water, destined for the exclusive use of 

 the fish. The Croton water-works furnishes 60,000,000 gallons per day 

 of water for the city of New York. 



It must be said that both Messrs. Oelrichs & Co. and Captain Neinaber, 

 with a zeal worthy of the cause, willingly did everything in their power 

 to assist the fish-commissioners in their difficult task, and we express 

 the sentiments of the American gentlemen, if we herewith publicly 

 express their thanks to the above-mentioned representatives of the 

 Lloyd. 



As soon as the fish had been placed on board the Donau, which left 

 Hoboken on the 5th August, Messrs. Mather and Anderson took them 

 in charge. Their care for them consisted in the first place in filling in 

 fresh water and introducing oxygen into the stale water. In trans- 

 porting large fish this is done by means of bellows eonuected with the 

 tank, and the so-called Freiburg transportation-kegs are built on this 

 plan. Experience, however, has taught the Americans, who are well 

 acquainted with this method, that it cannot be applied to young fish, 

 and the only effectual remedy so far is the filling up of fresh water. 

 This, of course, requires incessant activity by day and by night. Messrs. 

 Mather and Anderson therefore relieved each other every six hours with 

 a seaman-like regularity, which did not even suffer any interruption by 

 slight attacks of sea-sickness. The business of filling up the water was 

 attended to with the same regularity. By means of a tin cylinder and 

 a rubber tube two gallons of water were carefully taken out every hour, 

 and during the last part of the voyage even every half-hour. This water 

 was supplied with new oxygen by pouring it continually from one vessel 

 into another, the milky foam of the water indicating that the process had 

 been finished. This water was then carefully filled in again by quarts, 

 which for two gallons required several hours. Every three hours each can 

 was up to one-third of its contents emptied by means of a siphon and 

 filled with fresh water from the tanks. Dead fish had to be removed as 



