XVIII -REPORT ON SHAD-HATCHING OPERATIONS. 



A— OPERATIONS m 1872. 



Mystic Bridge, Coisin., Juhj 27, 1872. 



Sir : Having received your order to stock rivers west of the Allegha- 

 nies with shad-fry, I left New Loudon, July 1, at 2,45 p. m., accompa- 

 nied by Aaron Anderson, foreman of the Poquonuoc Fish Company. 

 Mr. E. S. Sanford, vice-president of the Adams Express Company, had 

 very kindly furnished us with a letter of introduction to his messengers 

 and agents, expressing his warm interest in the success of our enterprise, 

 and requesting them to furnish us with all needed facilities for the safe 

 transportation of the fry. This letter secured for us many favors, not 

 only from his subordinates, but from all the companies through whose 

 hands we passed. Many thanks are due to these companies and their 

 messengers for their courtesies and timely aid. 



We met Dr. William M. Hudson, of Hartford, chairman of the Con- 

 necticut fish commissioners, at Springfield, Mass., at 6 o'clock, en route 

 for Hadley Falls, where we were to take in the fry. Dr. Hudson has 

 taken the warmest interest in the project of stocking western waters 

 with shad from its conception, and has done everything in his power to 

 make it a success. The Connecticut commissioners have the use of the 

 hatching-boxes of the Massachusetts commissioners,, and their permis- 

 sion to use the shad-fishery for hatching purposes after the legal fish- 

 ing is closed. Last year over 60,000,000 of shad-spawn were hatched 

 at this place, and turned into the river. Mr. C. Smith, who has had 

 charge of the hatching-boxes for several years, informed us that the 

 shad were not only increasing in number, but in size. He had taken 

 many shad this season weighing seven pounds, and upward. The 

 seasou was a week or more later than last year, but there was every 

 indication that the parent-fish would be more numerous, and a larger 

 number of fry be turned into the river. 



Our apparatus for transporting the fish was ten eight-gallon cans, 

 furnished with handles, a large colander with very fine mesh, for the 

 purpose of changing the water without disturbing the fry, a few water- 

 I)ails, and a thermometer to gauge the temperature. 



July 2. — We were up with the dawn preparing for our fish. The fry 

 were taken directly from the hatching-boxes and put in the cans about 

 two-thirds filled with river-water. The number of fry was estimated by 

 Mr. Smith at 2,000,000. The thermometer stood at 78^, which indicated 

 a continuance of the heated term which had prevailed for several da^'S. 

 We left the Holyoke Station at 0.22 a. m. The water was about 70°. 



