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SALMON IN THE HUDSON RIVER. 



BY Fred Mather. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen : 



I would preface my report on the stocking of the Hudson 

 river with sahnon by saying that it has not, at present writ- 

 ing, been published. 



When we hatch and plant any species of fish in a stream 

 that already contains them, it is impossible to prove to what 

 extent the work has been beneficial, and we can point to but 

 few instances, such as the planting of shad in the streams of 

 the Pacific coast, the introduction of carp and brown trout, 

 where the whole credit of all fishes taken, can be claimed for 

 fish culture. The stocking of the Hudson with salmon can 

 now be pointed to as the result of hatching and planting, for 

 there were no salmon in the river until 1886, four years after 

 the first planting, barring a stray fish caught at intervals of 

 years. These stray fish would have stocked the river cent- 

 uries ago if they could have reached the breeding grounds, 

 for it is the stragglers, the roving, restless fellows among 

 fishes as among men, which spy out new and attractive places 

 to settle in and " grow up with the country." A notable 

 proof of this fact is that the U. S. Fish Commission planted 

 shad in the Sacramento river, where they now abound, and 

 stragglers from the main army have been taken as high up 

 the Pacific coast as Puget Sound. 



With these facts in view I regard the successful planting 

 of the Hudson river with salmon as of especial importance to 

 fish culturists, as one of the cases in which the entire credit 

 can be clamed for artificial propagation. 



To the Commissioners of Fisheries of the State of New York. 



Gentlemen : — After investigating the catch of salmon in 

 the Hudson river, and before making my report to Colonel 

 Marshall McDonald, Commissioner of Fisheries for the 



