liv REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



hatched in the United States from the beginning of the enterprise to 

 the end of the season of 1873. 



The hatching of shad in the Connecticut Eiver has been regularly 

 prosecuted for several years past, although principally by the State of 

 Connecticut. The only stream in which the work has been conducted 

 continuously by Massachusetts is the Merrimack, in which several mil- 

 lions have been introdnced each year since 1809, some of the fry taken 

 here being transferred to adjacent waters. 



In 1870 Kew York began her operations, and, as a first effort, intro 

 duced about 2,500,000 young fish into the Hudson, increasing the 

 number every year since. It was found difficult to obtain a sufficient 

 number of spawning fish as high up the river as Castleton, the station 

 of the New York State shad-hatching camp ; otherwise a greater 

 approximation would have been made to the amount of work done on 

 the Connecticut. 



JSTotbing, I believe, has been done by New Hampshire in the way of 

 increasing shad in her waters except by the transfer of several thousand 

 eggs. But little has been accomplished by Maine. 



In 1867 a fish-way was inserted in the Columbia dam on the Susque- 

 hanna, in Pennsylvania, to permit the upward passage of the fish, but 

 no steps were actually taken to propagate shad until 1873, when the 

 new commissioners established a camp at Newport, on the Juniata 

 Eiver, and succeeded in hatching out a considerable number. 



As stated in the introductory portion of my report, the subject of 

 national aid in increasing the abundance of shad and other useful food- 

 fishes was first started in February, 1872, by a communication pre. 

 sented to the American Fish-Culturists' Association, at its meeting in 

 Albany, by Mr. George Shepard Page. 



The shad was, of course, a prime object in this application, and. Con- 

 gress having responded to the appeal, the steps were taken which have 

 already been detailed in a general way. As far as the shad were con- 

 cerned, it was not considered necessary, or even proper, to make any 

 effort in rivers belonging exclusively to one State, as it was considered 

 the duty of such State to provide for its own food-resources. The prime 

 object was to introduce the fish into the waters of the Mississippi Val- 

 ley and into those of the Pacific coast, as also into the great lakes, since 

 these waters are by their nature the common property of the Union, and, 

 as already explained, where any^eifort on the part of a uingle State would, 

 in all probability, inure to the benefit of those not resident within her 

 borders; and it was not to be expected that any joint action would be 

 brought about by which the result would be accomplished. Young fish 

 introduced into the waters of the Upper Mississip[)i in Minnesota, or of 

 the Ohio in Pennsylvania, ^yould, in their return from the sea, traverse 

 a large number of States, and, of course, be liable to be captured at 

 any point before reaching their spawning-ground. 



It was uncertain whether shad could be multiplied in the waters 



