918 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



With my four crates I proceeded further to Amsterdam where I ar- 

 rived 27th October, just 24 hours after receiving them in Bremerhaven. 



What I expected proved true; the contents were all spoiled through 

 heat generated in the interior. The thin pieces of white cloth where 

 the eggs lay between were so rotten that they could not be taken up, 

 but broke on being touched. A few of the eggs in some of the corners 

 were still in what seemed a sound condition ; the great mass was a white 

 rotten mess with a very offensive smell. We tried to save the best 

 and let them cool off slowly and put them afterward in water. Some 

 eclosions followed, even at the moment the eggs were uncovered, but 

 most of the apparently good eggs burst on being touched ; a few hun- 

 dred only came in the water, but those were all dead next day, except 

 two or three eclosions which died also shortly afterwards. 



It is very much to be regretted that this most liberal trial of the 

 United States Government to enrich our European rivers with some of 

 the valuable j)roducts of their waters has this time failed. For many 

 reasons it is to be hoped that the Government will repeat this trial once 

 more next year, and that they may have occasion to make use of this 

 intelligent case of Mr. Fred Mathers. I have not the least doubt that 

 if he can make use of the boxes with slides, as used by him this time 

 for a small number of eggs trusted to his care, success must follow for 

 any number, and a great boon will be bestowed on Europe for the intro- 

 duction of a new population on many of its rivers. 



Amsterdam, 28th October, 1877. 



J. NOOEDHOCH HEGT, 

 ^ Adj. Director of the Boyal Zoological Society. 



The Minister of the Netherlands to S. F. Baird. 



Netherlands Legation, 



Washington^ January 28, 1878. 



Sir : I have the honor to transmit to you the thanks of the Govern- 

 ment of the Netherlands for the valuable gift of 100,000 eggs of the 

 California salmon, made last year by you to Mr. Bottemanne, commis- 

 sioner of fisheries on the Scheldt and the waters of Iceland, and to ex- 

 press the hope that, though the hatching of these eggs in Holland has 

 not succeeded, through various causes relating, as it is believed, to the 

 packing and handling of this collection on the sea voyage, this circum- 

 stance may not prevent you from having the experiment made again 

 this year under more favorable auspices. 



I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, 



VON PESTEL, 

 Minister Resident of the Netherlands. 

 Prof. Spencer F. Bai-rd, 



Commissioner Fish and Fisheries, 



Smithsonian Institution, Washington. 



