BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. - 115 



Sclfiish !sciui)les of tlio owners of weirs, iiiul the anxious doubts of tLe 

 over-eautions, had to give way before the clearly expressed wish of the 

 majority, which recognized the economical importance of all eflbrts 

 tending- to promote the fisheries. 



About forty years ago the rivers of Great Britain, formerly rich in 

 fish, had become depopulated in the same degree as the German streams 

 are now. Especially had the number of migratory fish decreased every- 

 where to an alarming extent. At that time public attention was di- 

 rected to the matter of the tisheries, especially to the construction of 

 artificial fishways for passing the weirs, whose height, in connection 

 with the strong current, prevented the fish from passing over them. 

 Numerous coast streams were in the course of years regained for the 

 salmon. The same was done with the larger rivers, such as the Severn, 

 whose tributaries, up to the headwaters in Korth Wales, have been sup- 

 plied with fishways. The example of the small Irish river Corrib may 

 serve as an illustration of the results of these efltbrts. When the fish- 

 eries in that river, in the year 1852, passed into the hands of the pres- 

 ent owner, they were almost worthless, as the migratory fish could not 

 leap over the weir near Galway. After a fish way had been constructed, 

 and numerous measures had been taken to protect the young fry set 

 out above the weir, the salmon fisheries increased very rapidly. In 1857 

 about 5,000 salmon were caught; in 1862, upwards of 15,000; and for 

 a number of years the average annual yield of these fisheries has been 

 from 40,000 to 50,000 fish. 



These brilliant results have caused people to make even those water- 

 courses accessible for the salmon from which it had hitherto been ex- 

 cluded by natural obstructions. As an example, we may mention the 

 river Ballysadare in Ireland, which up to 185C had no migratory fish, 

 on account of its falls (from 13 to 20 feet high) and its rapids. But 

 after three fishways had been constructed, and the gravelly beds of the 

 headwaters had been stocked with salmon fry, the number of fish in- 

 creased very rapidly. Thousands of the finest salmon annually reward 

 the enterprising owner. But this is outdone by an example from Nor- 

 way. A few years ago the river Sire, having two falls — one 28, the other 

 88 feet high — was by means of fishways made accessible for salmon. 

 Who can doubt, then, that it is possible to gain the rapid trout-brooks 

 of Switzerland as s|)awniug places for salmon, as the height of the fa- 

 mous falls of the Rhine near Schafiliauseu is only about GO feet? 



The few instances where German weirs have been made passable for 

 salmon can easily be counted on the fingers. There are a few success- 

 ful fishways, and a number which hardly answer the purpose. This is 

 not astonishing when we consider that the subject is somewhat new, 

 and but few of those who constructed fishways in Germany had a chance 

 personally to inspect such constructions in other countries. Actual re- 

 sults cannot be recorded, because these efforts have so fiir been discon- 

 nected and have not embraced entire river territories. At present it 



