302 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FJSH COMMISSION. 



The catch for the Delaware in 18SG shows a considerable falling off, 

 while the southern catch and that in the Hudson Eiver show an in- 

 crease. The gains in the different sections depend much upon the 

 weather. Elizabeth City, N. C, and vicinity, had an exceedingly good 

 catch, while considerable amounts were taken in South Carolina and 

 Florida. 



Philadelphia, Pa., July 29, 1886. 



95.— OISTRIBUTIOiV OF iiillAO FRV DURIIVC 1SS6. 



By m. MCDONAI.D. 



The total distribution of shad fry for the season of 1886 amounts to 

 over 90,000,000. As the entire number of shad taken for market is 

 something less than 6,000,000, it will be seen that for every shad taken 

 from the waters this season for market, there have been aTtificially 

 hatched and returned to the waters fifteen young shad. Assuming 

 that the entire cost of i^roduction and distribution has been $20,000 

 (and it will not exceed this), the young fish have been produced and dis- 

 tributed over the entire United States at a rate of about 8215 for a mil- 

 lion, or about forty-six fry for a cent. 



Another interesting fact to note is that for the entire time up to and 

 including 1882 there were produced 200,000,000 young shad ; while for 

 1886 alone the total was over 90,000,000. This indicates that we are 

 certainly getting to a point where the work may be regarded as profit- 

 able from a commercial standpoint. 



The following is a summary of the shad distributed during the season 

 of 1886, arranged by river basins : 



Tributaries of Narragausett Bay 2, 534, 000 



Tributaries of Long Island Sound 749, 000 



Hudson Eiver 2,312,000 



Delaware Eiver 21,618,000 



Tributaries of Chesapeake Bay 52,560, 000 



Tributaries of Albemarle Sound ^ 1,990.000 



Streams draining into the Atlantic south of Albemarle Sound 4, 183, 000 



Mississippi Eiver and minor tributaries of Gulf of Mexico 4, 758, 000 



Colorado Eiver, Gulf of California 850, 000 



Columbia Eiver Basin 850, 000 



\ 



Total 92,404,000 



Washington, D. C, July 21, 1886. 



