THE PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE SHAD. 335 



pertses of which, as far as the fish and their attendants are concerned, 

 were borne by the United States Fishery Commission, while the directors 

 of the North-German Lloyd afforded a free passage, in order to give also 

 some German support to an undertaking which promises to prove of 

 incalculable benefit to our country.* 



Convinced that the interest in this important matter will not decrease 

 in America, we hope to be able to meet the two experienced piscicul- 

 turists, Mather and Anderson, again next year on the Weser, and wish 

 them a final success in their endeavor to transport live young shad 

 across the ocean. 



E— SHAD HATCHING AND DISTRIBUTING OPERATIONS OF 



1875. 



1. — THE NEUSE RIVES, STATION. 



The shad work of 1875 began on the Neuse River of North Carolina 

 about the 1st day of April. A few days were spent in a reconnaissance 

 of the river, in order to find the best point for a hatching-station, and 

 the fishing was delayed a number of days by the very high stage of 

 water. Between the 9th and the 12th, the river rose 26 inches ; after 

 this date it began to fall. On the 13th of April, a camp was established 

 a few miles below Kinston. Seine hauling began on the 14th. The water 

 continued to fall until the 23d, falling in all 5 feet and li inches, an 

 average of 5.5 inches a day ; but owing to the continual rains in the region 

 of the upper waters, the fall was very irregular, and varied from f of an 

 inch to as much as 13£ inches in one day. 



On the 23d, the gauge showed a rise at 6 p. m. of J inch, and 

 the water continued to rise from 2£ to 7£ inches a day until the 27th, 

 when it had gone up 23 inches. The morning of the 28th it had 

 fallen 1£ inches, and continued to fall, in all 30£ inches, until the end of 

 the month. The fall on the 29th was 15 inches. May 1 it again 

 began to rise, and on May 5 had risen 23 inches, when it began to 

 fall, and on the 7th had again fallen 12 inches. The camp was broken 

 up on the 10th, and no records kept after the 7th. The extent of oscil- 

 lation in the twenty-nine days of observation was about 5.7 feet. The 

 variations of temperature were in the air between 32° and 80°; in the 

 water 53° and 05°. 



The fisheries were watched continually, and the examination of over 

 600 shad failed to find any ripe ones, with the exception of 14 males, 

 soon after the camp was established. No eggs were obtained. Short 

 excursions to different fisheries a few miles farther down the river were 

 attended with no better success. The camp moved from this point to 

 the Potomac. 



* This effort on Professor Baird's part was mainly prompted by his desire to make 

 a suitable return for the liberality of the German government in presenting the United 

 States Fish Commission with 250,000 impregnated eggs of the salmon of the Ehine. 



