REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XXIX 



two for Marietta, Pa., were transferred to an express car of the train for 

 New York, where they arrived at 5.37 the next morning. 



The crates were found on being unpacked to be in excellent condition, 

 having sustained a loss of not more than 4 or 5 per cent. 



The half crate, which was sent to Mr. Blackford, the commissioner 

 for New York, not having been provided with an ice chamber, was found 

 to be a total loss. 



The United States Fish Commission for several years past has been 

 sending eggs of the California salmon (8. quinnat) to Germany, Hol- 

 land, and France. From some cause or other these attempts to plant 

 our salmon in European waters have met with more or less failure, 

 owing principally to the agents sent in charge being unable to secure 

 the necessary accommodations for the eggs on shipboard ; the parts of 

 the vessel assigned to their use having been generally either too warm, 

 the supply of ice limited, &c. 



Accordingly when this year (1879) it was decided to make another 

 essay at their transfer, it was proposed that the crates of eggs be placed 

 in the hands of some officer of the ship taking them, and a bonus given 

 him on showing a receipt from the consignees of the delivery of the 

 eggs in good condition. 



In pursuance of this plan, Mr. Fred Mather, the agent of the Com- 

 mission in New York, was instructed to turn over to the purser of the 

 North German Lloyd steamer Mosel, sailing on the 18th October, the 

 quota of eggs intended for Germany. The purser accepted the trust, 

 and delivered the eggs at Bremerhaven to the agent of the Deutsche 

 Fischerei-Verein, Mr. R. Eckardt, who gave a receipt therefor as having 

 been received by him in healthy condition. On x^resentation of this 

 receipt to Mr. Mather, the purser received the stipulated honorarium. 



On the 22d October the consignments intended for Holland and 

 France were placed on board the steamers Schiedam and Labrador, re- 

 spectively, and received by their pursers. Those intended for Holland 

 were taken at Eotterdam by the superintendent of fisheries of Holland, 

 Mr. C. J. Bottemaune, and those for France were handed at Havre to 

 the agent of the Society d'Acclimatation, Mr. Grisard, both of whom 

 gave receipts for the delivery of the eggs to them in perfect condition. 

 The douceurs were accordingly paid. 



By this mode of shipment the eggs received the attention they re- 

 quired — the emulation of the officers of the respective ships having been 

 excited — and were transported at a trifling cost ; the expense of a spe- 

 cial messenger, which had previously been found necessary, being thus 

 avoided. 



These three consignments were, however, all carefully packed by Mr. 

 Mather in the apparatus devised by him for the purpose in 1878, and 

 which received the unqualified indorsement and approval of the French 

 and German experts who had occasion to examine it. 



