26 Report of ihe American 



introducing the best varieties of foreign fish, sucli as might be espe- 

 cially suitable for certain waters to which our domestic species are 

 not so well adapted, thus acting on the same principle as that by 

 which the Agricultural Department takes measures to procure new 

 and desirable kinds of foreign seeds and plants, and disseminates 

 them throughout the United States. A committee was elected to 

 carry out the wishes of the association, and Congress finally made an 

 appropriation of $15,000 for this purpose, the disbursal of which was 

 placed in my charge as Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries. As the 

 American Fish Culturists' Association had been so closely connected 

 with the measures for obtaining the desired appropriation, I felt it my 

 duty to ask their advice as to the initiatory steps to be taken in the 

 enterprise, and at my request a special meeting was held in Boston 

 in the begiiming of June, at which the question was brought up as 

 to the species of fish that should first be taken into consideration, 

 and the measures most suitable for securing their multiplication. It 

 was advised that shad, salmon and white-fish be the kinds first 

 attended to, and, after a very full and free interchange of views, and 

 receiving many valuable suggestions, I proceeded to Eastport, in 

 Maine, which served as my head-quarters until October, both for the 

 inquiry into the decrease of the food fishes of the United States, and 

 the question of their multiplication. The appropriation was not 

 made until early in June, and was not available until the 1st of July, 

 and there was, consequently, little time for doing much during the 

 year in respect to the introduction of shad. I was so fortunate, how- 

 ever, as to engage the services of Mr. Seth Green, of Rochester, and 

 Mr. Wm. Clift, of Mystic Bridge, Conn., both experienced fish cul- 

 turists. Mr. Green, by permission of the Fish Commissioners of New 

 York, obtained a large number of young shad from the State estab- 

 lishment near Albany (some hundred thousand), and carrying them 

 west, placed a portion in the Alleghany river, at Salamanca, and 

 another portion in the upper Mississippi, at St. Paul. A much 

 larger number would have been used but for the fact that the season 

 on the Hudson lasted only a few days after it was possible to author- 

 ize Mr. Green to undertake the work. The season for hatching 

 shad in the Connecticut river being rather later than in the Hudson, 

 Mr. Clift was able to obtain a large supply, through the kindness of 

 the Connecticut Commissioners, and accordingly proceeded with 

 several millions to the west. Of these a portion were planted in the 

 Alleghany river, and another portion in the White river, at Indiana- 



