804 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Elgin, December 17, 1877. 

 My Dear Sir: The California salmon eggs came in very nice slia^e 

 and hatched with but small loss. 

 Yours, 



W. A. PRATT. 

 Livingston Stone. 



New Hope, Pa., January 16, 1878. 

 Dear Sir: The salmon have all done unusually well this year. 

 Truly yours, 



J. B. THOMPSON. 

 Livingston Stone, Esq. 



When it is remembered that in the case of the consignments to the 

 Eastern States the eggs were packed in the torrid climate of California 

 and traveled, afterward, thirty-six hours within the limits of that 

 State, during a part of which time they were often subjected to a tem- 

 perature of 120° to 130° Fahrenheit, it will be acknowledged, I think, 

 that the eggs stood the journey of 3,000 miles of rail after leaving Cali- 

 fornia wonderfully well. 



It is true that this season a large proportion of the eggs sent to 

 France and Germany, and other points in Europe, arrived in poor con- 

 dition; but this was undoubtedly the result of their not having been 

 kept cold enough after reaching the eastern slope of the United States. 

 The loss of the eggs could not with any show of reason be attributed to 

 the i)acking, for it is perfectly obvious that a method of packing which 

 will take California salmon eggs in fine order across the Equator 

 almost 8,000 miles, to New Zealand and Australia, is amply competent 

 to carry them in safety, in the cool month of October, the shorter dis- 

 tance across the Atlantic, the whole of which is included in the tem- 

 perate zone. The trouble was that at some point en route the tempera- 

 ture of the crates of eggs was allowed to rise above the limit of safety, 

 and that is destruction to salmon eggs in transit, no matter how they 

 are packed. Had the European consignment of salmon eggs been kept 

 cold enough, they would have not only arrived in good condition in 

 "Europe, but could have been sent bach to California in safety. 



I might offer a dozen proofs of this statement, but will confine myself 

 to the following extract from a New Zealand paper in reference to the 

 California salmon eggs sent to that country from the United States sta- 

 tion at the McCloud Eiver last fall, 1877: 



[From the Lyttellon Times, Christchurch, New Zealaad, November 14, 1877.] 



"Fish Culture at Opawa. — The Wellington consignment of 

 American salmon ova for Mr. Johnson arrived on Saturday last by the 

 " Rotura." 



"The splendid condition in which they have arrived reflects great 

 credit on those in America who had charge of the collecting and packing, 

 which, in several respects, is an improvement on the English method.'* 



