SALMON HATCHING ON m'cLOUD RIVER, CALIFORNIA, 1878.757 



loss, as I had contemplated sending a number of tLe eggs to our estab- 

 lishment on the Saguenay Eiver, 300 miles below Quebec, from which 

 place I distributed some thousands of the California fry, two years ago. 



I am very fearful now that my exi)ectations in reference to the Cali- 

 fornia egg enterprise will be wholly frustrated. 



The first lot of eggs I got from you x^revious to last fall came to hand 

 in the best possible shajje, not more than 2 i)er cent, or 3 per cent, being- 

 lost till time of hatching out. How matters have turned out wrong 

 since I cannot tell. T may, however, state my belief that last year's 

 loss was undoubtedly from overheating on the road, as the moss and 

 eggs were steaming hot when they were opened. This year's shipment 

 did not show that state of things on arrival here. Yet the overheating 

 may have taken place before reaching Chicago, and the replenishment 

 of ice may have cooled them oft", but the stroke of death did not culmi- 

 nate till the Oldening out and exposure to the air and water here. 



The risnERiEs, Newcastle, Ont., 



November 9, 1878. 

 Livingston Stone, Esq., 



Assistant United States Commissioner of Fisheries, &c., 



Charleston, N. H. : 



Dear Mr. Stone : I received your favor of 4th instant, in reference 

 to the California eggs which you were kind enough to forward (from 

 your establishment on the McCloud Eiver) ^to me in October last, and I 

 can assure you that no one can feel more disappointed than I do at the 

 loss of them, for I had set my mind upon going largely into the rearing 

 of these Pacific salmon. However, the misfortune occurred in losing 

 them all save about 1,000, and the question now to be solved is, how did 

 the calamity happen? What was the cause of it? 



You ask me certain questions concerning the death of the eggs. These 

 I will answer seriatim, and if, from the replies I give you, you can form 

 any correct idea why the loss should have occurred, no one will be more 

 j)leased than myself, as it will not only "solve the mystery, but will also 

 probably give a clew whereby similar disasters may be jDreveuted in the 

 future in connection with getting Calilbrnia ova from you. 



I wrote Professor Baird on the 9th October, giving him particulars 

 of the loss, &c. In all probability he lias sent you the letter or a copy 

 of it. I will, however, recapitulate a portion of it by saying, "that I 

 got a letter from you in September saving that half a milhon of eggs 

 would be shipped to me on or about 2Sth September," and that, when 

 they arrived at Chicago, the express agent there would notify me by 

 telegram when they would be exjiressed from that place. I also got a 

 postal card from you, dated 25th September, that 5 per cent, more than 

 the original number would be shij^iied. To make- matters short in this 

 letter, I have concluded to send you a copy of that portion of the letter 



