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finny tribes tlie depleted rivers and ponds of the country, 

 as do the residents of the interior, but they cannot help 

 feeling an interest in the subject when presented as it was 

 on this evening. 



]Mr. McNeil stated that a quarter of a century ago, 

 two-thirds of the food, — beef, mutton, pork, etc., — con- 

 sumed in New England was produced in New England ; 

 now, the production has fallen to abtnit one-third of the 

 consumption. The fisheries have been nearly destroyed 

 on the great rivers by the erection of factories and other 

 causes, and the ponds have been in a large measure 

 dep()[)nlated of their fishes; hence the necessity of re- 

 stocking by artificial means, and the efforts of the Legis- 

 latures of the various States to encourage this purpose. 



Mr. ]MeNeil presented many interesting facts in relation 

 to artificial fish-breeding, explained the process of spawn- 

 ing, hatching, transportation and restocking, and spoke 

 most positively of the assurances of success resulting 

 from the plans no,v in progress. He described the habits 

 of fishes and spoke particularly of the lamprey eel, the 

 alewives, the shad and the salmon, the four varieties of 

 the most importance for the rivers ; explained the fish- 

 ways on the Merrimac and Connecticut, and gave an 

 account of the success that had already been achieved on 

 those rivers and (jf the hopeful promises for the future. 

 In conclusion he stated that he should be glad to answer 

 any inquiries that the audience might suggest, and several 

 questions were asked and satisfactorily answered. 



He had started from home with some eggs of the salmon, 

 but they had hatched on the way and the young fishes were 

 exbibited. 



jSIr. F. W. Putnam added some observations in regard 

 to the lamprey eel, illustrating his rcmaiks on the black- 



