116 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



REMOVAL, OF BASS FROM INDIANA TO NORTH CAROLINA BY THE 

 UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



By CHAS. W. SMILEY. 



Although the Fish Commission has not undertaken to propagate 

 game fisb, nor to stock streams with predaceous fishes, it is, neverthe- 

 less, constantly receiving applications for bass and for information upon 

 the subject. Upon the receipt of the very courteous offer of Maj. Isaac 

 Arnold, U. S. A., to donate the fish alluded to in the preceding article, 

 Professor Baird directed that a messenger be sent for them. Accord- 

 ingly Mr. Ellis left Washington July 5, reaching Indianapolis on the 

 7th. In the absence of Major Arnold, Captain Rexford arranged to 

 have a seine drawn, so that at 3 j>. m. on Saturday, the 8th, Mr. Ellis 

 started away with 5,000 small bass in five 15-gallon cans, and 300 year- 

 lings and a few two-year-old bass in five other cans of the same capacity. 

 About half the lot were black bass and the other half green bass. This 

 did not exhaust Major Arnold's supply of bass, for, as the messenger 

 reported, "there appeared to be a plenty left in the ponds.'' 



After a wagon-ride of two miles, the train was reached at 4.30 p. m. 

 ice was procured, and, the weather being very warm, plenty of fresh 

 water was required. Mr. Ellis reached Washington Sunday, July 9, at 

 9 p. m., and upon transferring the fish to the tanks of the Central hatch- 

 ing btation, found that but 6 large and 30 small fish had died in transit. 

 After remaining at the hatching station in Washington a few days, 

 during which time a considerable number of the fry made their way 

 through the wire screens and were devoured by the older bass, the lot 

 was forwarded in charge of the same messenger to Mr. W. J. Green, of 

 Fayetteville, N. C, who, on the 17th of July, wrote, "The consignment 

 of bass arrived in remarkably good condition on the 15th; I do not 

 think there were over half a dozen dead ones in the whole lot. I divided 

 them among three of my ponds well adapted for their propagation and 

 development." 



There are still eight or ten applications on file in this office for black 

 bass, but the Commission is not able to enter upon this field of fish 

 culture at present. The experience in bass propagation by Major Arnold, 

 and the transfer from Indiana to North Carolina, are placed on record 

 as an encouragement to private or State enterprise. 



CT. S. Fish Commission, Washington, D. C, October 10, 1882. 



