50 



We are indebted to tlie City of Baltimore and the Park 

 Commissioners for this most complete, comfortable, and per- 

 fect establishment, in which man}' millions of fish can be 

 hatched and distributed each winter, at no great exi)ense, if 

 we are provided with means to procure the eggs. 



CONCLUSIOX. 



By reference to tables recording hatching operations and 

 distribution of Shad, Salmon, &c., it will be seen, that wc 

 have hatched and turned loose into our waters four million 

 three hundred and forty thousand young Shad, in addition to 

 the four million nine hundred and seventy-five thousand five 

 hundred and fifty hatched and liberated in the Potomac. 

 under the auspices of Prof. Spencer F. Baird, at a cost to the 

 United States of over three thousand dollars (|3,000), that 

 we successfully planted one hundred and forty-four thousand 

 healthy, vigorous, California Salmon, eighty thousand Maine 

 Salmon, two thousand Salmon Trout, and transferred five 

 hundred Black Bass, most of them adults, from the Potomac 

 River to other waters of tlie State. We have in addition put 

 out, within the ptast two weeks, ninety-one thousand five 

 hundred California Salmon, and have in the Druid Hill 

 Hatching House over four hundred thousand of two months 

 old fish still for distribution, besides about three thousand of 

 a year old. There are in the hatching jars, forty-five thou- 

 sand eggs of the Salmon Trout, which are hatching every day. 



We find the same decrease in our valuable food fishes, 

 which has been felt in other parts of the country, and which 

 has been arrested in some States by artificial propagation. 

 and by judicious protection. 



That the decrease is attributable to : 



1st. Excessive fishing. 



2nd. The cutting ofi" of the migratory fishes from their 

 spawning beds. 



3rd. The disturbing of the breeding fish on their spawn- 

 ing beds. 



J:th. The destruction of spawn, by washings from culti- 

 vated fields, and natural enemies. 



5th. The destruction of young fish, by improper means 

 and modes of capture. 



