REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. *33 



it probable that unless this could be prohibited by law it would be useless 

 to attempt artificial propagation. It is now understood that a law has 

 been passed which will give the relief; and the predominant interest 

 being in favor of protection, it is likely it will be duly exercised. 



A full report by Mr. Stone, of his work on the Clackauuis, will be 

 found iu the Appendix. 



The McCloud River Station. — The success of the operations on the 

 McCloud Eiver during the year 1877 was equal to the average of that of 

 the preceding years, although prosecuted under some especial embarrass- 

 ments. A difficulty with the squatter, who claimed prior rights, gave 

 much trouble to Mr. Stone, and made it necessary for him to secure the 

 assistance of a guard of soldiers detailed by General McDowell for the 

 purpose. This detail of a Lieutenant and four men, reached the United 

 States fishery station on the 16th of August. 



The extent of operations at the fishery was interfered wkh on account 

 of the ujiward ascent of the fish being prevented by the nets for taking 

 fish at the canning establishments near the mouth of the rivei-, and it 

 became necessarj^ to invoke the action of the California Fish Commis- 

 sioners in enforcing the State laws prohibiting such fishing after the first 

 of September. Some of these persons were tried and on conviction 

 fined to the amount of nearly a thousand dollars. This broke up the 

 illegal action ; but in the mean time the run of the fish for the seasoR 

 had nearly i^assed. 



By the utilization of all the means at his command, as already stated, 

 a fair suj^ply was secured, the first eggs being taken on the 2Sth of Au- 

 gust, and the last of the regular season on the 19th of Septend)er. The 

 experiment, tried for the first time in 187G, of chartering a refrigerator 

 car- for the purpose of sending the eggs eastward, was again made in 

 1877, with perfect success. The car left Eedding on the 2d day of Oc- 

 tober, for Sacramento, and reached Chicago on the 7th, the crates con- 

 taining the eggs being forwarded thence by express. The car contained 

 39 crates for distribution in the United States, and 12, of 25,000 each, 

 for Europe. 



On the 7th of October the eggs for New Zealand and Australia were 

 sent forward to San Francisco, and were shipped by the steamer of the 

 9th of October. 



The necessity of keeping up a supply of fish in the Sacramento Eiver 

 was met by the introduction of two millions of try, hatched at the Mc- 

 Cloud establishment! Such action, if continued for a number of years, 

 cannot fail, in addition to the natural product, to maintain the stock 

 at a fair average. It is believed, indeed, that the increased number iu 

 the present supply of fish in the Sacramento, is derived from the young 

 introduced by the United States Commission during its oi^erations for 

 several years past. Without this action the river would yield so small 

 a number as to render it practically worthless as a salmon stream. 

 In general, the total loss of eggs in transportation did not exceed 2i 



