SALMON-HATCHING ESTABLISHMENT, M'CLOUD RIVER, CAL. 449 



that they will make the overland journey safely under these circum- 

 stances. If the eggs were not destroyed in any other way with those 

 conditions, they would hatch out on the road from the heat, and so per- 

 ish. I admit that sawdust would be much better than hay for the out- 

 side packing*, but we should have to haul the sawdust sixty miles in 

 order to get it at all. I propose, however, to use it next year, whatever 

 may be the expense of procuring it. 



It should be remembered that the following points must be combined 

 in any method of packing the salmon-eggs that is adopted for the over- 

 land trip : 



1. They should be compactly arranged, in order to reduce the express- 

 charges, which are enormous at best. 



2. The packages should be large and heavy, so that they cannot be 

 knocked about the express-car. 



3. The eggs and moss should be massed together in considerable quan- 

 tities, to retain the moisture in the eggs, and also to be better protected 

 from change of temperature. 



4. The method that is adopted should be one that facilitates rapidity 

 of packing, as the first boxes packed suffer while the others are being 

 made ready. 



5. General economy in regard to expense should be studied, as, with 

 such a large number of eggs, even a small additional expense per thou- 

 sand makes a large bill in the aggregate. 



C. No method that I have been made aware of combines these advan- 

 tages better than the one actually employed this season in packing the 

 California eggs. 



Many of the incidental causes of loss after the eggs left the McCloud 

 Eiver are shown in the appended report on the various consignments; 

 as also in Mr. Perrin's account, just following, of his journey across the 

 continent with various lots of salmon-eggs. 



THE OVERLAND JOURNEY OF THE EGGS. 



The very full account of my secretary, Mr. Marshall L. Perrin, of his 

 journey with some of the California salmon-eggs, makes it unnecessary 

 for me to present anything on this subject besides his report ; which I 

 give .here with pleasure : 



" Report of Marshall L. Perrin, employed by Mr. Livingston Stone for the 

 United States Fish Commission, to accompany the fourth lot of salmon- 

 eggs transported from the United States salmon-breeding establishment 

 upon the McCloud Eiver, California, to various States on the eastern 

 coast, during the season of 1874. 



"The fourth lot of salmon-eggs left McCloud Eiver camp Tuesday 

 afternoon, October 13, 1874. It consisted of seven crates, not of uni- 

 form size, but varying according to the number of eggs within, as fol- 

 lows, together with the names of the consignees, which were marked 



upon the respective crates : 

 29 f 



