98 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



Kretschmer's model of a specially-constructed railroad car, which was 

 exhibited under No. 522, seemed impracticable and not sufficiently 

 adapted to the purpose. 



There is not the slightest doubt that the consumption of salt-water fish 

 would increase very considerably if we could succeed in bringing them 

 to the inland markets in a live condition. The prejudice of the general 

 public against dead fish, if they be ever so fresh, is so deeply rooted 

 that it would be utterly in vain to expect that it will be overcome very 

 soon. During the hot summer season there is, moreover, great danger 

 that salt-water fish will spoil during a journey of any length. 



At present fresh-water fish are generally transported in kegs or bar- 

 rels, two-thirds or three-fourths filled with water. The quantity of fish 

 to each barrel depends on their kind, the season of the year, the temper- 

 ature of the water, and the length of the journey. For short journeys 

 no special arrangement is necessary, whilst for long journeys some pre- 

 cautionary measures are absolutely required. Fish need oxygen just 

 as much as other animals, and this they find in the element in which 

 they live. Water contains (though not in very great quantities) air — a 

 mixture of oxygen and nitrogen. Consequently water contains oxygen, 

 and receives new supplies of this element from the air with which it 

 comes in contact. In water with little or no oxygen, fish will soon per- 

 ish. The demand for oxygen is, of course, greater the more fish are con- 

 tained in a comparatively small quantity of water. In rivers or in the 

 sea the number of fish is so small as compared with the quantity of water 

 that there will never be any lack of oxygen ; but if fish are to be kept 

 or transported in a limited quantity of water the introduction of air is 

 absolutely necessary. During the journey the water in the vessel, 

 which is not entirely filled, is in constant motion, and therefore presents 

 a considerable surface to the air, so that during a short journey suffi- 

 cient oxygen is in this manner introduced into the water. If the water 

 stands for any length of time it must be agitated, or air must be intro- 

 duced in some way. In shaking the vessels, however, the fish suffer, 

 and it is therefore better to introduce air into the water direct. This 

 may be done by filling with water a simple squirt or sprinkler, such as 

 gardeners use for watering flowers, and by squirting this water into the 

 vessels with some force from a short distance. The same end may be 

 obtained by lashing the water by a vertically-placed fly-wheel, fastened 

 to one part of the vessel, and separated from the other part by a per- 

 forated Avail. Sometimes vessels are provided with a tube of turned 

 iron or brass which has many small openings in the place where it rests 

 on the bottom. This tube is conuected with a pair of bellows or a rub- 

 ber bag placed outside the vessel, and through it air is introduced into 

 the water. 



3lr. Schuster, mayor of Freiburg (Baden), has, in the transporting ves- 

 sel exhibited by him, replaced this contrivance, which frequently needs 



