REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. *9 



fisb, will iu time be satisfactorily solved. The rapidity with which this 

 Is done will, of course, depend upon the extent of the appropriations 

 made by Congress, and their judicious administration. 



It may be stated in general terms that important advances have been 

 made during the past year in the methods of fish, culture and of the 

 transportation oi'fish, and that these have resulted principally from the 

 labors of those connected with the various State Fish Commissions and 

 that of the United States. The more important improvements, per- 

 haps, have been suggested by the member of the New York State hatch- 

 ing establishment under Mr. Seth Green, and by Mr. T. B. Ferguson, the 

 Maryland Commissioner of Fisheries. 



Notwithstanding the very great attention which the art of fish culture 

 has received in Europe, this country has found little occasion to adopt 

 any foreign methods or processes; indeed, the American methods have 

 been received with very great favor in Europe, and constant applications 

 have been made for descriptions, drawings, and models of the American 

 apparatus. 



Applications for eggs and young fish. — In the infancy of the operations 

 of the United States Fish Commission, the Commissioner and his assist- 

 ants were obliged for the most part to make their own selections of suit- 

 able places of deposit of the young fish. With the rapid increase in 

 the number of State commissioners much of this responsibility has been 

 removed ; the latter gentlemen, having better knowledge of the character 

 of the waters and the most suitable points for the introduction of the fish, 

 in many cases receiving the eggs from the United States establishments 

 and having them hatched out at the expense of the State or of private 

 subscriptions. 



There has also been a very rapid increase, very largely through mem- 

 bers of Congress, in the number of applications for the benefits of the 

 Commission. The ratio of the increase, and the character of the appli- 

 cations made, will be best understood by the following table, which 

 exhibits the number and character of applications for fishes from 1873 to 

 1876, inclusive. From this it will be seen that the California salmon is 

 in greatest request : 



Kumber of 

 applications. 



1873 19 



1«74 42 



1875 52 



187G 174 



Total 287 



Shad 83 



California salmon 123 



Atlantic salmou 27 



Laud-locked salmon 33 



Whitefish 9 



Eels 2 



Total 287 



