EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XXXI 



Tlrese were hatched out by Dr. Slack, at Bloomsbiirg, and planted in 

 the Miiscanetnong in the spring* of 1873. Subsequently the commis- 

 sioners of XevY Jersey and Pennsylvania introduced other lots, and it is 

 difficult to say how many of these deposits contributed to the results of 

 1878. 



The first show of salmon in the Delaware was in the autumn of 1877, 

 when a large fish was seen directly engaged in the act ot spawning at 

 the mouth of the Bushkill River, this quite probably being one of Mr. 

 I^orris's fish. It was killed by a rifle-ball in ignorance of its true char- 

 acter, and sent to me for identification. It is now j^reserved in the col- 

 lections of the IsTational Museum. 



On the 19th of January Dr. Abbott, of Trenton, reported the cap- 

 ture of a salmon 16 inches in length at Trenton, this being x)robably a 

 grilse. 



On the Gth of April Mr. E. J. Anderson, fish commissioner of New 

 Jersey, announced the taking of two salmon, one weighing 18 and the 

 other 23J pounds, in the Delaware. One of these was also sent to the 

 United States commission at Washington, where it is preserved, to- 

 gether with an excellent cast. 



Later in the year the catches in the Delaware were quite numerous, 

 thA total number, according to the fish commissioner of the State, 

 amounting to some hundreds. 



The southernmost locality in which salmon have been taken is the 

 Susquehanna, a fine one of 19 pounds having been caught in a gill-net in 

 the vicinity of Spesutie Island, just below Havre de Grace, and obtained 

 by Mr. James W. Milner, in charge of the United States shad-hatching 

 operations there, and sent to Washington. This was a fresh-run fish, in 

 perfect condition, and formed the subject of an admirable drawing and 

 plaster cast. It probably was derived from a lot of salmon i)lanted by 

 Mr. FergusoD, fish commissioner of Maryland, in one of the tributaries 

 of the Susquehanna. 



For fuller details of the occurrence of salmon in the Eastern and Mid- 

 dle States and in Maryland I refer to the appendix, where a condensed 

 statement, as prepared by Mr. C. W. Smiley from reports of State com- 

 missioners, will be found. 



While these facts show conclusively that the experiment of introduc- 

 ing the Salmo salar into the more northern rivers of tbe Atlantic States 

 by the United States has been a success, it will be readily understood 

 that the great object will be to establish a continued run to be kept up 

 by naturally spawned fish, a result which should be continually aimed 

 at. It is not to be expected that the general government or the States 

 will continue indefinitely their effort to obtain eggs and i)lant the young 

 fish, especially as the time may come when this resource will not be at 

 their command. 



Where rivers are entirely destitute of salmon, either from an ex- 

 haustion of the supply or from never having existed there, artificial 



