REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XXXVII 



of surfacing the ice, when much cut up, with a fresh coat, for the ben- 

 efit of the skating community. 



The Arsenal Station. — The pond at the arsenal was, as before, in 

 charge of Mr. Elliot Jones, chief clerk. The scale carp were planted in 

 the pond, and the few young fish obtained were duly distributed. 



It is proposed, with the consent of the military authorities, to extend 

 these ponds another year, so as to render them more available for their 

 purposes. 



The Druid Hill Parle Station. — The United States Commission con- 

 tinues to be under many obligations to the commissioners of Druid Hill 

 Park for the important facilities afforded in the way of propagating carp 

 from the parent fish, placed there on their arrival from Germany in 

 1877. New ponds were built for the accommodation of the fish, in part 

 at the expense of the United States Fish Commission. They, how- 

 ever, were not ready until the latter part of the season. Had they been 

 prepared earlier, the production would probably have been largely in- 

 creased. Distribution of about 3,000 carp was made to the citizens of 

 Maryland, that number constituting nearly all the fish found upon draw- 

 ing off the single pond, which alone it was considered expedient to lay 

 bare. 



Transfer of German Carp by Dr. Finscli. — The importance of securing 

 a fresh supply of the best varieties of German carp for distribution 

 throughout the country, induced me to attempt a renewal of the stock 

 which had been brought over by Mr. Hessel. I therefore gladly em- 

 braced an offer made by Dr. Otto Fiusch, an eminent German natural- 

 ist, to bring with him, on an intended visit to the United States, an 

 additional lot. He accordingly ordered from Mr. Eckhardt, of Liibbin- 

 chen, 100 Mirror carp, a year and a half old, and from six to eight 

 inches long. These were received in four coal-oil barrels, each containing 

 twenty-five fish. They came over on the "Lessing," of the Hamburg- 

 American packet line, leaving Hamburg on April 23, and arriving at 

 New York on May 6. The total loss of fish on the passage was 77, leav- 

 ing only 23 to be sent to Washington, where they were delivered to Mr. 

 Hessel, superintendent of the ponds. 



A detailed account of the circumstances attendant upon this trans- 

 fer of carp will be found in an article by Dr. Finsch in the appendix. 



Codfish (Gadus morrhua). 



In the report for 1878 a reference was made to the successful hatch- 

 ing of codfish at the Gloucester station. For the purpose of determiu- 

 ing the possibility of transporting cod over long distances, a small num- 

 ber of the young fish were forwarded by express from Gloucester to 

 Washington, arriving January 26 in excellent condition. These were 

 placed on exhibition in the rooms of the Committee on Appropriations 

 in both House and Senate, and were also exhibited to the President and 

 Cabinet, On the 2d of August I went with Mr. Ferguson from Province- 



