WALLEM ON AMERICAN FISHERIES. 105 



later a few shad were seen here and there in the neighborhood, and in 

 1874 a number were caught. They had reached a good size, weighing 

 as high as 3i pounds. This with many other experiments testified that 

 shad require three years to become adults, that the shad will return to 

 its feeding-place or where it was set free, and that the shad can thrive 

 in entirely diiferent seas from that in which it is thought to be a native.* 



With a similar herring-species, the alewife, many experiments have 

 been made also, which have testified how easy the alewife is to hatch 

 out, how quickly it grows to an edible size (three years), and how rapidly 

 it multiplies. It is estimated that every shad with spawn has 50,000 to 

 80,000 eggs; and that the "fresh-water herring" or alewife has, in pro- 

 portion to its size, four times as many eggs. This naturally great capac- 

 ity for reproducing itself is what one takes advantage of when one at- 

 tempts with hatching-apparatus to protect the young from falling a prey 

 to its natural enemies. Even a small number of herring will, provided 

 their reproduction is protected, be able to increase to a great shoal in 

 the space of a few years, and with this consideration in view it becomes 

 an entirely practical economy to liberate millions of young every year and 

 allow the fishermen to catch the adults for the fish-market. From one 

 fishing-place it is stated that they yearly set free 4,000,000 to 5,000,000 

 young shad, and that the fishing steadily hnproves, so that now they 

 catch between 300,000 and 400,000 pounds of mature shad. 



It was after a little practice in the art that they succeeded in hatching 

 out this herring-species, which now appeared so greatly increased. Be- 

 fore they had confined themselves maiidy to salmon and trout, whose 

 hatching was an ancient and well-known matter in Europe. And after 

 the successful experiments with the shad itself they did not neglect 

 these species of fish, because salmon and trout are far more valuable 

 articles, and the California salmon especially is celebrated for its agree- 

 able flavor. They applied themselves very diligently to their multipli- 

 cation and distribution to new waters. For the illustration of this work 

 I shall merel}' call to mind the operations on the Columbia Eiver, in 

 Oregon, and only add here that in 1875 11,000,000 of salmon-eggs were 

 collected at the establishment of the United States Government, which 

 were sent eastward to the waters of diflerent States ; this shipment 

 amounted to not less than 20,000 pounds, including the i-)acking. From 

 another river were sent 5,000,000 eggs, packed in boxes of 50,000 each. 

 On tills scale they prosecute the work now with unabated vigor and 

 with the mutual co-operation of the different States. 



The economical question will indeed be of great interest for Norway. 



'In a report printed in January, 1878, and whicli I have just received, it is stated 

 that it is considered certain that the "adult shad will return to the place where it 

 was set free when young." And by the fish-commissioner of California it is reported : 

 " Shad were in 1876 and in 1377 right abundant in the Sacramento River." .... 

 " There can be no doubt that the first shad which were brought from the Hudson 

 Eiver in 1871 have been out in the depths of the sea and have now returned and 

 spawned." 



