346 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



these boxes, of which there were always several joined in a row, ran the 

 risk of being hurt or upset, whilst they were useless in places where 

 there was not much of a current, or, still worse, where the influence of 

 tlie tide made itself felt, and where, therefore, for a certain time, there 

 was no current passing through the boxes. 



Major Ferguson has made an invention which not only obviates this 

 difficulty, but which also enables the Americans to cany on shad-cul- 

 ture on a much larger scale and with the aid of steam-power. Briefly 

 discribed, this invention is as follows: On the left and right side of a 

 vessel, or raft, a large pole runs parallel with the sides of the vessel, 

 from which are suspended a large number of buckets with gauze bottom. 

 Their number may be increased as occasion requires. The poles, and 

 with them the buckets, are moved up and down by means of a steam- 

 engine placed in the vessel, or on the raft, in such a manner that the 

 upward motion is slow and the downward motion rapid. In these 

 buckets are placed the impregnated shad eggs which are to be devel- 

 oped, and the upward and downward motion is regulated in such a man- 

 ner that the buckets do not leave the water, but are not entirely sub- 

 merged, which would endanger their contents or cause them to be lost. 

 This can also be prevented by placing a gauze covering on the top of 

 the buckets; if this is done the entire motion of the buckets may take 

 place under the water, which sometimes becomes necessary, when the. 

 temperature near the surface is too low, and thus exercises a hurtful 

 influence on the development of the eggs. 



It will be seen at once that by this apparatus (1), shad-culture can, 

 if necessary, be carried on in water where there is no current whatever, 

 and (2), that this culture can be carried on on a much larger scale than 

 could be done formerly. In 1879, or four years ago, no less than 

 16,002,000 young shad were distributed and placed in different rivers. 



It should also be observed that the American shad (Alosa sapidissima) 

 greatly excels, by its delicate flavor, our European shad (Alosa vulgaris), 

 and is by gormands justly placed on the same line as the salmon. 



After having given a short description of some of the apparatus em- 

 ployed in shad-culture, we will turn to the codfish. When, in 1S7S, cod- 

 fish-culture was first begun, it was soon observed that the peculiar char- 

 acter of the codfish eggs necessitated the invention of other apparatus; 

 for whilst mature shad or salmon eggs sink towards the bottom, cod- 

 fish-eggs are lighter than water and float, at a varying depth, near the 

 surface. The apparatus which, after much experimenting, has been 

 found to most satisfactorily answer the purpose, is also a row of buck- 

 ets connected with each other by a pole, which are kept in motion by a 

 steam-engine, but not up and down, but backwards and towards, there- 

 by giving to the buckets a swinging movement round their axis. 



The extent of this swinging movement is about 00°. In these buck- 

 ets there are four slits running lengthwise and covered with gauze; on 

 the outside of each of these slits there is a slanting valve, as also under 



