Inland Fisheries. 5 



Spencer F. Baird, was to discuss the distribution of the salmon 

 ova presented by the Prussian government to the United States, 

 and also the distribution of salmon ova procured in Maine. The 

 Commissioners regret to report that the salmon spawn from Europe 

 will be nearly if not a total loss, caused by unusual delays and 

 unusual warm weather they were exposed to before being shipped. 

 But the Hon. Spencer F. Baird has kiudly informed your Com- 

 missioners that 10,000 salmcm spawn were awaiting their orders 

 in Maine. 



SHAD. 



The Commissioners decided to try the experiment of placing 

 some shad in the three largest rivers in this State, viz. : the Black- 

 stone, Pawtuxet and Pawcatuck. They wrote to the Fish Com- 

 missioners of Massachusetts and requested a permit to procure 

 shad spawn at Hadley Falls, and were requested to apply to the 

 Fish Commissioners of Connecticut, who were at that time pro 

 curing large numbers of spawn at Hadley Falls. On applying to 

 Mr. William M. Hudson, he very kindly offered us all we wanted: 

 of young fish, free of cost, excepting a small sura paid to Mr. 

 Smith, who had charge of the hatching boxes. Not a single tish 

 was lost in the transportation, which was wholly due to the good 

 care given them by Mr. Robert Holmes, who had charge of the 

 fish, and the facilities extended b}' the Providence & Worcester 

 and Providence and Stoniugton railroads in permitting the trans- 

 portation of these fish in their express trains. The success in not 

 losing a single fish would have been very doubtful without these 

 facilities, as a large number of the fish were necessarily confined 

 in a small compass. 



BLACK BASS. 



But a small number of these -valuable fish were placed in ponds 

 of this State during the past year, owing to a large number 

 having been stolen from the parties your Commissioners engaged 

 the fish of. Little time will be lost, as most of the ponds were 

 intended to be stocked in the falL These fish would not have- 



