20 
river, below the Great Falls. In the year 1833, 25,500,000 
of shad were taken by the Potomac fisheries, as well as 
750,000,000 of fresh-water herring. In the year 1878 the 
catch of shad had dwindled down from 25,500,000 to 
224,000, or less than 1 per cent. of the yield of 1833 ; the 
catch of herring was also-reduced from 750,000,000, in 
1833, to 5,000,000 in 1878, again less than 1 per cent. of 
the yield at the first-mentioned period. In the year 1878 
upwards of 12,000,000 eggs of shad were taken in Albe- 
marle Sound and distributed to all parts of the States, 
with generally satisfactory results. Experiments made 
at Gloucester Sound showed conclusively that the sea- 
herring could be multiplied artificially on a sufficiently 
large scale for economical purposes. But the most im- 
portant success of the United States Fish Commission 
was the hatching out of several mz//ions of cod, and plant- 
ing them in the ocean adjacent to the harbour of Glouces- 
ter. Special arrangements were of course necessary, as 
the principle is diametrically opposed to that adopted in 
connection with fresh-water varieties, the eggs of the cod 
family being non-adhesive, and floating freely on the sur- 
face of the water. The same system can be applied for 
hatching out haddock, mackerel, halibut, and other species. 
He thought the British Government should be urged to 
take the necessary measures to remedy the deficient supply 
of fish round our coasts, and to establish at least one 
experimental station for the culture of sea food-fishes, 
this being a national requirement beyond the province of 
private enterprise. He confidently believed that if a vessel 
were constructed and anchored in the proper quality of 
water, an enormous propagation of sea-fish could be 
accomplished, and the supply of cod, &c., not only in- 
creased where it is at present found, but, by carrying the 
