XVJI.-THE EXPERIMENT OF TRANSPORTING TURBOT AND 

 SOLES FROM ENGLAND TO AMERICA. 



By Fi:ed Mather. 



When I left New York, October 13, 1877, for Germany, with salmon- 

 eggs, an account of which has been rendered, I also carried orders to 

 return by way of England and make the experiment of transporting 

 Turbot and Soles for stocking the waters of Massachusetts Bay. I was 

 provided with a letter to Mr. Thomas J. Moore, curator of the Museum 

 at Liverpool, who had kindly ofiered to assist in the enterprise, and 

 furnish such facilities for keeping the fish until ready as the capacity 

 of the salt-water aquaria of the Museum would permit. I had also a 

 letter from Mr. J. G. Kidder, of Boston, to Messrs. W. Cuuard & Co., 

 London, reminding them of their generous offer made two years i)re- 

 viously to Messrs. Baring Bros., of free transportation to an agent of 

 the United States Fishery Commission, together with the tanks of fish. 

 I had, through the liberality of Oelrichs «& Co., New York, the same 

 privilege, should I wish to return via Southampton and New York, but 

 as the fish were destined for the vicinity of Boston, it was deemed advis- 

 able to return by the Cunard Line from Ijiverpool. 



Arriving at Southampton on the evening of November 12, I spent 

 four days attending to some personal matters, and started for Liverpool 

 on the morning of the 17th, where I arrived at 2 p. m., and reported to 

 Mr. Moore, who, having considered his own tanks inadequate both in size 

 and circulation to support so many animals in addition to the regular 

 occupants, had arranged with the Great Aquarium at Southport for the 

 storing of the fish, and decided on this point as possibly the easiest to 

 collect from at this season. The next day being Sunday, we postponed 

 our trip to Southport, a fashionable watering-place, twenty miles north, 

 until Monday. 



November 19. — I went to the oflice of D. & C. Mclver, agents, Cunard 

 Line, Liverpool, and presented the letter from Mr. Kidder, and was re- 

 ferred to Mr. Cunard, London, who replied that he would be pleased to 

 hear when the fish were ready. Mr. Moore and self left at noon for 

 Southport, met Mr. John Long, curator of the aquarium, and saw the 

 fine store-tanks in the "naturalists' room"; they are of slate, 8 by 12 

 feet, and 3 feet deep, with a plentiful flow of water and a subdued light; 

 here new specimens are acclimated before placing in the show-tanks. 

 Mr. Long thinks that we may get what we wish, and sent for a fisher- 

 mau, Thomas Ball, to meet me in the morning. 



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