﻿272 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  In 
  tlie 
  same 
  volume 
  of 
  tlie 
  Fisliery 
  Industries 
  report 
  is 
  given 
  a 
  full 
  

   account 
  of 
  the 
  very 
  extended 
  experiments 
  wbicli 
  were 
  carried 
  on 
  by 
  Mr. 
  

   Buccich 
  at 
  tbe 
  island 
  of 
  Lesina, 
  in 
  the 
  Adriatic 
  Sea, 
  on 
  tlie 
  coast 
  of 
  

   Dalmatia. 
  This 
  report 
  contains 
  so 
  much 
  important 
  information 
  tliat 
  it 
  

   is 
  proper 
  to 
  give 
  a 
  summary 
  of 
  it 
  here: 
  

  

  After 
  Prof. 
  O. 
  Schmidt, 
  iii 
  an 
  article 
  iu 
  the 
  Wiener 
  Zeititntj, 
  and 
  in 
  his 
  work 
  on 
  the 
  

   sponges 
  of 
  the 
  Adriatic,'' 
  had 
  exjiressed 
  the 
  opinion 
  "that 
  if 
  a 
  perfectly 
  fresh 
  sponge 
  

   is 
  cut 
  into 
  sviitable 
  pieces, 
  and 
  if 
  these 
  pieces, 
  properly 
  protected, 
  are 
  again 
  placed 
  in 
  

   the 
  sea, 
  they 
  will 
  grow, 
  and 
  tinally 
  develop 
  into 
  complete 
  sponges,'' 
  the 
  government 
  

   and 
  a 
  nnmherof 
  prominent 
  merchants 
  of 
  Trieste 
  had 
  some 
  experiments 
  made 
  during 
  

   1863-1872, 
  and 
  established 
  a 
  station 
  on 
  the 
  hay 
  of 
  Socolizza, 
  at 
  the 
  northeastern 
  

   point 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  of 
  Lesina, 
  which 
  iu 
  May, 
  1867, 
  was 
  jilaced 
  under 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  

   Mr. 
  Buccich. 
  This 
  establishment 
  was 
  closed 
  in 
  November, 
  1872, 
  as 
  its 
  continuance 
  

   became 
  impossible, 
  because, 
  in 
  spite 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Buccich's 
  oral 
  and 
  written 
  remonstrances, 
  

   it 
  was 
  continually 
  disturbed 
  by 
  the 
  fishing 
  nets 
  and 
  was 
  actually 
  robbed 
  several 
  

   times. 
  A 
  species 
  of 
  worm 
  which 
  destroyed 
  the 
  woodwork 
  appeared 
  harmless 
  com- 
  

   pared 
  to 
  the 
  hostile 
  attitude 
  of 
  the 
  population, 
  which 
  showed 
  an 
  utter 
  want 
  of 
  respect 
  

   for 
  the 
  property 
  of 
  other 
  persons, 
  and 
  manifested 
  deep-rooted 
  prejudices 
  against 
  any 
  

   innovations, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  a 
  reluctance 
  to 
  break 
  with 
  old 
  habits. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  favorable 
  season 
  for 
  raising 
  sponges 
  from 
  cuttings 
  is 
  winter. 
  It 
  is 
  true 
  

   that 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  sponge 
  and 
  the 
  new 
  formations 
  on 
  the 
  cut 
  sides 
  goes 
  on 
  slower 
  

   in 
  winter 
  than 
  in 
  summer, 
  but 
  a 
  high 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  air 
  often 
  endangers 
  the 
  

   entire 
  crop, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  tendency 
  of 
  the 
  sponges 
  to 
  rot. 
  In 
  winter 
  a 
  sponge 
  

   may 
  remain 
  on 
  the 
  dry 
  land 
  for 
  several 
  hours, 
  while 
  in 
  summer»it 
  will 
  perish 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  

   minutes, 
  especially 
  if 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  injured 
  and 
  if 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  constantly 
  moistened 
  with 
  

   sea 
  water. 
  Mr. 
  Buccich 
  exposed 
  sponge 
  cuttings 
  to 
  the 
  air 
  in 
  a 
  shady 
  place 
  for 
  eight 
  

   hours 
  during 
  February, 
  when 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  air 
  was 
  48"^ 
  F., 
  and 
  still 
  they 
  

   all 
  took 
  root. 
  

  

  The 
  best 
  localities 
  are 
  bays, 
  where 
  the 
  waves 
  are 
  nojt 
  too 
  strong, 
  but 
  where 
  the 
  

   surface 
  is 
  not 
  entirely 
  smooth 
  either, 
  with 
  a 
  rocky 
  bottom 
  covered 
  with 
  green 
  algte 
  

   and 
  exposed 
  to 
  a 
  gentle 
  current. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  well-established 
  principle 
  that 
  the 
  mouths 
  

   of 
  streams 
  and 
  rivers 
  and 
  of 
  subterranean 
  springs 
  should 
  be 
  avoided. 
  The 
  fresh 
  

   color 
  of 
  the 
  algic 
  is 
  a 
  sure 
  indication 
  that 
  the 
  choice 
  of 
  locality 
  has 
  been 
  fortunate. 
  

   Th(! 
  worst 
  enemy 
  of 
  sponge-culture 
  is 
  mud. 
  Under 
  certain 
  circumstances 
  it 
  would 
  

   be 
  well 
  to 
  close 
  the 
  entrance 
  to 
  the 
  baj' 
  to 
  vessels 
  by 
  a 
  chain. 
  

  

  The 
  sponges 
  which 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  cut 
  should 
  be 
  very 
  carefully 
  gathered 
  by 
  experienced 
  

   persons. 
  * 
  « 
  * 
  The 
  sponges 
  are 
  brought 
  up 
  either 
  with 
  their 
  base 
  — 
  and 
  this 
  is 
  

   the 
  most 
  favorable 
  way 
  — 
  or 
  they 
  must 
  be 
  torn 
  from 
  the 
  base, 
  Avhich 
  operation 
  fre- 
  

   quently 
  tends 
  to 
  injure 
  them. 
  * 
  '^ 
  * 
  In 
  gathering 
  sponges 
  for 
  cutting, 
  it 
  is 
  

   entirely 
  unnecessary 
  to 
  select 
  nice-looking 
  specimens, 
  for 
  misshaped 
  pieces 
  which 
  

   would 
  be 
  worthless 
  in 
  trade 
  are 
  just 
  as 
  good 
  for 
  this 
  i^urpose 
  as 
  beatitifully 
  rounded 
  

   ones. 
  These 
  latter 
  should 
  not 
  be 
  cut, 
  but 
  should 
  be 
  reserved 
  for 
  the 
  trade. 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Buccich 
  found 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  expedient 
  to 
  place 
  the 
  sponges, 
  as 
  they 
  were 
  

   gradually 
  gathered, 
  into 
  a 
  vessel, 
  to 
  keep 
  them 
  there 
  until 
  they 
  were 
  to 
  bo 
  cut, 
  

   because 
  they 
  were 
  injured 
  by 
  pressing 
  against 
  each 
  other 
  or 
  by 
  being 
  shaken 
  too 
  

   violently. 
  He 
  therefore 
  provisionally 
  fastens 
  them 
  with 
  wooden 
  ]iegs 
  to 
  the 
  inner 
  

   side 
  of 
  a 
  sort 
  of 
  fish 
  box, 
  which 
  is 
  held 
  iu 
  tow 
  by 
  the 
  fishing 
  boat. 
  If 
  the 
  sponges 
  

   are 
  injured, 
  the 
  injured 
  portions 
  should 
  be 
  immediately 
  removed; 
  the 
  remainder 
  

   is 
  likewise 
  fastened 
  with 
  wooden 
  pegs, 
  either 
  as 
  it 
  is. 
  or 
  subdivided 
  into 
  large 
  

   pieces. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  temperature 
  is 
  low 
  during 
  the 
  cold 
  season, 
  the 
  sponges 
  can 
  be 
  i>repared 
  

   for 
  raising 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  place 
  is 
  reached 
  where 
  the 
  process 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  carried 
  ou, 
  

  

  * 
  " 
  Die 
  Spotif/ien 
  des 
  adriatischen 
  Meeres," 
  Leipzig, 
  1862, 
  p. 
  22. 
  See 
  nlso 
  O. 
  Schmidt, 
  

   "Supplement 
  der 
  Spongicii 
  des 
  adriatischen 
  .l/cfrev," 
  Leipzig, 
  1861, 
  p. 
  21; 
  and 
  especially 
  

   Brehm. 
  " 
  Thierleben;' 
  2d 
  edition, 
  vol. 
  10, 
  Lower 
  Animals, 
  by 
  O. 
  Schmidt, 
  1878, 
  p. 
  534. 
  

  

  