BULLETIN OF THE .UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 433 



Vol. V. \o. 2S. W:i»liiifi£ton, D. C. Sept. 30, 1 883. 



148.— SENDING CATFISH TO Kl'KOPE. 

 By CHAS. W. SIWILEY. 



The Fisb Commission, tbrough its New York agent, Mr. E.G. Black- 

 ford, responded to several European calls during the past summer. 



The catiish sent were the Amiurus ttebulosns, from the Delaware aud 

 Schuylkill Rivers.. This is a great favorite in the Philadelphia market. 

 Mr. Blackford sent them to the care of Messrs. Draper & Wood, at 

 Havre. They are a year old, and will breed within a year or two. 



Germany. — June 10, 1885, 50 live catfish were sent to the Deutsche 

 Fischerei-Verein, care of F. Basse, Geestemiiude, per steamer Ems 

 July 17, Max von dem Borne wrote from Berneuchen that 49 had safely 

 arrived, and been placed in a pond. 



France. — By steamer Amerique, of the Compagnie Generate Transat- 

 iantique, on July ISth, Mr. Blackford sent 100 catfish in six cans, con- 

 signed to Messrs. Draper & Wood, 79 Rue de Orleans, Havre, France. 

 Of these 50 were forwarded to W. Coleman Burns, of the United States 

 Mortgage Company, 25 Place Vendome, Paris, who wrote, July 7, as fol- 

 lows: "The fish arrived in excellent condition. They are intended for 

 Mr. Ridgway, formerly of Philadelphia, who now owns and occupies the 

 beautiful chateau of Riequebourg, near Compiegne. I sent the fish to 

 him in charge of an expert, and am informed by the latter, upon his re- 

 turn to Paris, that about 40 fish in a fine state of health and activity 

 reached their new home. Mr. Ridgway writes to me as follows: ' Thierry 

 arrived with the fish this morning. We have just put them into the 

 reservoir, and I hope they may continue as lively as they are now. I 

 cannot thank you enough for the immense trouble you have taken. 

 J am sorry only that you did not see them take their first bath in Rieque- 

 bourg waters.' I have this day sent Mrs. Ridgway your kind and 

 lucid directions about the management of these fish, and both she and 

 Mr. Ridgway are already well aware that it is to you and to Col. Theo- 

 dore Lyman that we owe the very great pleasure which we have thus 

 been able to procure." 



The other fifty were for the Acclimatization Society of France. The 

 secretary, Raveret-Wattel, wrote, July 29, 1885, in acknowledgment, as 

 follows : 



" We have received in perfect condition the Amiurus uebulosus that 

 you have had the kindness to send to our society with Mr. Blackford's 

 co operation. During the passage and in the first three days after theii 

 Bull. U. S. F. C. 85—28 



