Centennial Meeting. 31 



Prof. Lyman of Massachusetts said : 



Mr. Chairman : I do not know that I have any report to 

 make that would be of special interest. I may say that it has 

 given me great pleasure to see such an extraordinary collection 

 as the one which has been reported upon by our worthy Secre- 

 tary, Mr. Phillips. So far as the comparatively small State of 

 Massachusetts is concerned, I would say that we are now, as we 

 have been for many years, trying to get a fish-way that will carry 

 shad over a big dam. We have had a partial success, and hope 

 to be more completely successful. I mention this more particu- 

 larly for the purpose of calling the attention of gentlemen here 

 present to this subject, in the hope that when they go to their 

 homes in widely-separated parts of the country, they may be led 

 to reflect upon it, particularly those of them who live near shad- 

 streams, and may aid in throwing new light upon the most effec- 

 tive way of getting shad over a high dam. The difficulty of 

 course — and it is a very great one — lies in the fact that the shad 

 usually inhabit streams somewhat wide and somewhat deep. In 

 saying " somewhat," I mean to speak of streams occupied by 

 them as compared with streams occupied by the salmon and 

 other fish. The consequence is they are very loth to enter into 

 a shallow or narrow stream of water; and to induce them to 

 enter resort must be had, I think, to an arrangement similar to 

 that of a weir, by which they may be led from the main body of 

 a stream into a place that grows gradually more narrow, until at 

 last their noses strike against the descending stream from the 

 fish-way itself. So far as I know, the fact has appeared that 

 when thev are once in the fish-way there is no trouble about 

 their going over. They have gone over in considerable quan- 

 tities at Holyoke, and also to a certain number at Lawrence, but 

 the trouble is to get them into the bottom of the fish-way. 



