XLVIII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



947,000 eggs were taken, being an average of 1,525 foreach female. Be- 

 tween January 12, 1882, and March 10, 1882, eggs were shipped to the 

 States which were in partnership, and, in behalf of the United States, to 

 New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Maryland, Michigan, 

 Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, and California ; in addition to these 20,000 were 

 sent to Fred. Mather for shipment to Germany. The United States' 

 share of eggs was 311,750. About 215,000 eggs were retained at the 

 hatchery, from which 213,097 young fish were hatched and planted in 

 Grand Lake. The diary of the station, as well as full particulars of 

 the work, have been reported by Mr. Atkins, and will be found in the 

 Appendix. The hatching and distribution of eggs necessarily extends 

 into the following year. This renders it desirable to anticipate dates, to 

 some extent, in this report, in order to show the completion of the work 

 inaugurated in 1881. 



j. The Shad (Alosa sapidissima). 



As has already been stated on i>age xvi, six stations were operated 

 for shad work this season, three of these conjointly with the Maryland 

 Commission, the entire yield of which was 70,035,000 young shad. Of 

 this amount 46,518,500 were deposited in the waters near the various 

 hatcheries and 23,516,500 transferred to 18 different States of the Union. 

 This yield of seventy millions was unprecedentedly large, that of 1880 

 falling a little short of thirty millions, and that of 1879 being less than 

 twenty millions. This increase in production was due, first, to the in- 

 creased efficiency of the methods and apparatus of the Commission ; 

 and, second, to the favorable fishing season both on the Potomac and 

 Susquehanna Rivers. 



On the afternoon and evening of May 27, President Garfield made a 

 trip down the Potomac on board the Lookout to witness the shad opera- 

 tions. 



The completion of a special car for the operations of the Commission 

 gave facilities, heretofore not enjoyed, for moving a large quantity of 

 shad to distant waters. On the 1st of June a car was loaded at Havre 

 de Grace with one million of shad for the waters of Georgia, but, owing 

 to the break of gauge and the impossibility of obtaining suitable trucks, 

 the fish were deposited in the James River, at Lynchburg. On the 3d 

 of June 1,500,000 fry were placed in the car and consigned to General 

 J. R. Hawley and Dr. W. M. Hudson, for deposit in Connecticut waters. 

 It reached Hartford on June 4, accompanied by General Hawley and 

 Mr. Davidson, the local superintendent, and was moved by special train 

 to Warehouse Point, 13^ miles above Hartford, where the fish were 

 successfully deposited in the Connecticut River. On the 14th of June 

 the car was again loaded, partly from the navy-yard and partly from 

 Havre de Grace, with 1,150,000 shad, consigned to the Maine commis- 

 sioners, who had secured free freight over the Boston and Maine Rail- 



