34 



texcluded all fish, especially minnows, as they arc great ene- 

 anios to the terrapin in its earliest stages. 



The eggs remain in the sand some two months or so, until 

 liatched. For some time after they are free from the shelly 

 they show no disposition to take to the water ; at this period 

 they are very vulnerable, as they are encumbered with an 

 umbilical sac, which present a salient point of attack to small 

 fishes; they should be carefully protected from these casuali- 

 ties and provided with soft mud in which to bury themselves 

 during their hibernation. 



Even after the umbilical sac is absorbed, there must be a 

 great number destroyed when at large, by the larger fishes. 

 We found a terrapin evidently of the previous summer's brood 

 in the stomach of a catfish, taken in the Uj)per Bay last 

 iSpring. 



There a great many terrapin consumed eacli year, which 

 could very profitably be kept for two or three years in ponds, 

 as above described, and fed upon email fish during the sum- 

 mer, when the alewife, et cetera, can be taken in great abun- 

 dance in the terrapin regions. 



Destruction of small Fish by Seines. 

 We find that the destruction of small fish is immense at 

 every haul of the seines, and yet it is exceedingly difiicult to 

 devise means to avoid it, for if the meshes used were larger, 

 the herring would escape, and in landing the seines as is cus- 

 tomary in our waters, it is impossible to separate the fish and 

 save the small ones alive to be returned to the waters. There 

 are, therefore, numbers of small fish termed '^ofi'al," which 

 ■would be valuable for food if unmolested for another year, 

 accumulated in heaps on the shores to make their decaying 

 presence felt by nauseous oders, or are hauled out on the 

 land, an imperfect fertilizer. The only means which we can 

 suggest by which these fisli could be saved is the construction 

 and use of the fish ponds, such as are operated on the Detroit 

 liiver, and thus described by Professor Milner, in the Keport 

 of the United States Commissioner to whom we are indebted 

 for accompanying plate. 



The "Ponds" ■ oii' Detroit Kiver. 

 "These fisheries, known as ponds, are among the most ex- 

 tensive establishments of the lake. Large numbers of white- 



