264 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



C0I>-FISHIi\O tVITU GII^CrVETS IN IPS^VI€H BAV, MASSACHU- 

 SETTS. 



By S- J. ITIAKTIN. 



[Letter to Prof. S. F. Baird.J 



I had a letter from Mr. Clark saying that Major Ferguson wanted to 

 know if he could get some cod spawn. I don't think we can get any 

 this winter. The reason is, that there are no hand-line fishermen. All 

 the fish are now caught with nets and trawls, which are set over night 

 and hauled in the morning. There is therefore no chance to get spawn 

 from live fish. 



The fish are scarce. The prospect in Ipswich Bay is better for net- 

 lishing than it was last month. Boat Eva May caught 7,000 pounds in 

 two nights with twenty-four nets. That is better. The boats that put 

 their nets ashore have taken them on board again. They are going to 

 try their luck again. They don't catch any fish on trawls. They find 

 nets better in the winter than trawls. 



Seventy thousand pounds of cod have been caught in nets during the 

 past fortnight. This is more than they caught inshore on all the trawls 

 ihey had set. 



Oloucestee, Mass., February 1, 1882. 



ARTIFICIAL. CUL.TURE OF MEDICINAL. liEECHES ANO OF SPECIES 



OF IIEL.IX. 



By RUDOLPH H£SS£LL. 



[Letter to Prof. S. F. Baird.] 



Beferring to your formerly expressed intention to make at the United 

 States fish i)onds a trial of breeding the Hiriido medicinalis, or medicinal 

 leech, and other species of HirudOj I beg to remind you of the matter, 

 deeming this season most favorable for the importation of a number of 

 propagative animals. It will require for the first trial not more than 200 

 to 300 or 400 individuals and I have found a little pond about 30 inches 

 by 16 inches the best size. 



I recommend for this purpose the green species, Hirudo officinalis, 

 from Southeastern Europe (Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia), and the brown 

 .species, Hirudo medicinalis, from Southwestern Europe (Italy, Spain, 

 IFrance, and some few parts of Southern Germany) . There are some other 

 •different kinds coming from Asia Minor, Egypt, Algeria, and Morocco ; 

 hwt I think the above named are the best for breeding and medical pur- 

 poses. They have more eggs in the cocoon (12 or 15 to 20) and are 

 aiot subject to many diseases, and they are hardy enough for our 

 climate. I must explain to you that the so-called marketable Hirudo 

 tiiat we find in the drug-stores is not the propagative one ; it is too small, 



