628 REPOliT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Both of these streams at tlieir outlets iato the lake are sasceptible of 

 beiug made quite profitable fields for salmou-breeding couUl the trap- 

 weirs and pound-nets be permanently excluded ; but these are so 

 pleut}^, and the fishermen so lawless, that it would be useless to begin 

 any experiments here. 



My attention was next directed to the Big Sandy Creek and vSalmon 

 Eiver in Oswego County. The former of these ceased long ago to be a 

 salmon stream, and received but slight notice at my hands, while the 

 latter claimed my special attention, being the first river which I have 

 yet found in all my travels in which the salmon are now found. I 

 inspected the river several miles from its mouth upward, and found it 

 all the way admirably adapted to the growth of salmon. There are 

 several dams situated on the river, but so low and in such favorable 

 localities as to give easy passage to the salmon. I found, on inquiry, 

 the fact that several salmon were caught below and above the dams last 

 fall, and that several were caught below the dams early the past summer. 

 I think this, above all streams heretofore seen, to be the best calcu- 

 lated to commence the breeding- of salmon artificially. It is quite evi- 

 dent that they ascend the river above the dams, and when above have 

 a wide range and are free from the attacks of all predatory fish. An 

 establishment might be built upon some favored locality above the 

 dams where the process of artificial propagation could be begun and 

 successfully prosecuted, I noticed several streams where such an insti- 

 tution might be begun, and where as favorable results could be effected 

 as those attending the experiments of Wilmot at Newcastle, Ontario. 

 There are no trap- weirs or pound-nets, as I am informed, in the mouth 

 of the river to prevent the salmon from entering the same with safety. 

 The people in this locality are all kindly disposed to aid and assist this 

 project, and are qu'te anxious that experiments should be commenced here. 



After leaving this river, I took up next in order of inspection the 

 Oswego. Tliis river has its source in the interior lakes of Central New 

 York. It was also once a very noted salmon stream, and salmon as- 

 cended into the Cayuga and Seneca Lakes ; but the canal, which extends 

 from Oswego to Syracuse, follows nearly the whole course of this river, 

 debouching into it, thus making it unfit for a salmon stream. 



I visited several other small streams between this point and the Gen- 

 esee, at Kochester, and found them equally well-noted salmon streams, 

 as also the Genesee, as far as the falls, together with all streams 

 between that point and the Niagara. 



None of these streams visited are now inhabited by the salmon, but 

 the testimony of all with whom I had any conversation on the subject 

 confirmed the fact that they once had been salmon streams of greater 

 or less celebrity. Their testimony all went to show that the last salmon 

 that had ever inhabited these streams had been caught, and that 

 neither sawdust nor other foreign matter had aught to do in their 

 extermination. 



