272 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



38.— PROPONED EXPORTATION OF WHITE I-' 1*11 EtiCiS TO SWIT- 

 ZERLAND. 



By FRANK II. MASON, 



United States Consul at Bash, Switzerland. 



[From a letter to Prof. S. F. Baird.] 



I am in receipt of your highly esteemed favor of December 28th, and 

 beg to thank you very cordially for your very generous expression of 

 willingness to contribute some whitefish eggs toward the very timely 

 and valuable project of restocking the lakes of Switzerland. I have 

 communicated your suggestion unofficially to several leading Swiss 

 gentlemen, but the Government bas as yet no facilities for hatching the 

 eggs, and is only to a limited degree awakened or informed on this im- 

 portant subject. A gentleman of this city, Mr. Friedrich Gloser, jr., is 

 an ardent fish culturist, and has facilities for making a good use of the 

 eggs. If it is within your discretion to send 50,000 whitefish eggs to 

 this consulate, I would have them delivered to Mr. Gloser, and see that 

 they are properly used and yourself and the Government duly credited 

 therefor. I believe that it would be a very happy and judicious cour- 

 tesy to the Swiss people, and would be gratefully recognized. 



Basle, Switzerland, February 28, 1883. . 



REPLY BY PROFESSOR BAIRD. 



There will be no difficulty whatever in sending to Switzerland some 

 eggs of American fish in their season. The application, however, should 

 come officially from the Government or some of its branches, so as to 

 have a proper diplomatic and international character. The American 

 whitefish is very much the same as the marane of Switzerland, or Core- 

 gonus marane. Whether they would care to add this American variety 

 to the list, it may be well to ascertain. It is too late now to make any 

 transmissions. Applications received by September, can be filled for 

 several varieties of salmonidce. 



Washington, D. C., March 13, 1883. 



39.— FIRST APPEARANCE OF PORPOISE. 



By CHAS. W. SMILEY. 



Under date of February 28, 1S83, Mr. Henry Y. Willets, keeper of 

 Life-Saving Station No. 34, Townsend's Inlet, near Ocean View, New 

 Jersey, reported as follows : " The first school of porpoise made their 

 appearance this day at this place." 



