RECENT REPORTS OF FISHERY AUTHORITIES, 209 



In the American Commissioner's Eeport (p. 72), we find a section 

 devoted to the description of "Some Results of Acclimatisation." The 

 most important of these results is the successful introduction of the 

 Atlantic shad {Clupca sapidissima) to the waters of the Pacific coast of 

 North America. The supply of shad on that coast, we are told, continues 

 to increase, and is now so great that the retail price of the fish there is 

 actually less than on the Atlantic coast. The shad has within a 

 few years not merely been successfully introduced, but has permanently 

 established itself, and become one of the cheapest fish of the region. It 

 must be noticed, however, that this is not, properly speaking, a success 

 to be placed to the credit of the system of artificial propagation. It is 

 true that the introduction was effected by the transportation of artifi- 

 cially hatched fry from hatcheries on the Atlantic seaboard, and 

 their liberation in Pacific waters. But the abundance of the fish in 

 the Pacific States is due to its own natural multiplication in its new 

 habitat, not to its continued artificial propagation there, and the 

 same success might possibly have been obtained if a sufficient number 

 of adult fish had been placed alive, and in healthy condition, in the 

 rivers of the Pacific slope. The transportation of the minute fry may 

 have been easier than that of the adult fish ; perhaps, indeed, the latter 

 operation would not have been possible at all. But even if this were so, 

 the artificial hatching of the fry, in the first instance, was only a detail 

 in the process of transportation and introduction, and artificial propaga- 

 tion has not been carried on subsequently in the new habitat, and 

 therefore has had nothing to do with the subsequent increase in the 

 supply, any more than artificial breeding has had to do with the trouble- 

 some multiplication of European rabbits in Australia. 



The introduction of shad fry to the rivers of the Pacific States was 

 first attempted in 1871, 24 years ago, when 12,000 of them were 

 liberated in the Sacramento Eiver. From that year until 1886 

 609,000 fry were liberated in the Sacramento, 600,000 in the 

 Williamette Paver, 300,000 in the Columbia Kiver, and 10,000 in 

 Snake Piver. Nothing is said of any planting of fry after the year 

 1886. The catch of the fish in 1892 was estimated at 700,000 lbs., 

 having a value to the fishermen of £4000. But, probably in con- 

 sequence of thinness of the population, the demand for shad in the 

 west seems very slight, the price in 1892 being 4 cents, or 2d. a lb., and 

 the fish being only incidentally taken in nets operated for salmon, 

 or other fish. This fact has, doubtless, an important bearing on the 

 increase in the abundance of the shad. The remarks I have made show 

 how completely illogical, in my opinion, is the argument contained in the 

 following sentence, quoted from the Peport under review : "If these 

 far-reaching and no doubt permanent results attend the planting on few 



