Report on Inland FisJieries. 5 



stopped by obstructions from entering them, it will then bean unanswer- 

 able argument in favor of tishways ; if the}' arc found in abundance be- 

 tween the dams, and are apparently only waiting a chance for exit, it 

 will be another; but if we can find no sufficient number to warrant the 

 large expenditure that fishways would cost, over the very numerous, in 

 some cases, high dams, on our streams, then we shall congratulate our • 

 selves that we have not advocated what might turn out a useless expen- 

 diture of money. 



Mr. Theodore LA'man, one of the INIassachusetts Commissioners, sa3's, 

 . in his last report, that during his late tour in Europe, he visited many 

 streams, formerly noted resorts for salmon, where the}- had become al- 

 most, if not entirel}- extinct, but were now once more prolific, under a 

 judicious sj-tem of re-stocking. 



These streams, he says, are as badly off as most of our New England 

 rivers are, in impurities and obstructions. 



This encourages us to hope for the best, and in an}^ event the Com- 

 missioners feel that in success or failure in salmon, we trust the public 

 will admit we have acted wisel}' and in moderation. 



We have negotiated at a small expense for a suppl}'' of land-locked 

 salmon spawn, and as we have several ponds suited for them, we think 

 the experiment of their introduction here worth trying. 



Shad. The Pawtuxet, Pawcatuck, Warren and Barrington rivers and 

 their tributaries were the principal streams stocked with shad the past year. 



We failed to place anj' in Blackstone river in consequence of the late- 

 ness of tlie season when the hatching operations were commenced at 

 Hadlc}' Falls, where we expected to obtain our suppl}'. 



Shad had been placed in Warren river two years before, and in "Bar- 

 rington one, with ver3' encouraging results. 



Our success in shad has been excellent, as shown during the past sea- 

 son in the ample supply of our markets with fish from our own streams, 

 and in quantities to nearly equal the large demand. 



In Warren and Bristol shad were so plenty that first rate fish sold for 

 ten cents apiece, and we are informed by residents of these places that 

 the number of shad this 3-ear greatly' exceeded that for the past twent}''- 

 five years. Large numbers were caught in Greenwicli ba}' and in the 

 Pawtuxet and Pawcatuck rivers, and various other places along our bay. 



We feel under great obligations this 3'ear, as in years past, to the 

 Massachusetts and Connecticut Commissioners, and to Professor Baird, 

 United States Commissioner, and Deputy Commissioner Milner (under 

 whose immediate care shad hatching has been carried on for the past two 

 vears at Hadley Falls), for their gratuitous supplies of shad from which 



