13 



tbat the long pendicg dispute as to jurisdiction be settled at 

 an early day, and that the three States interested in the fish- 

 eries of this grand river can be induced to pass concurrent 

 legislation. 



We are inclined to believe that the obstructions and fish- 

 pots, as above described, have been the most potent causes of 

 the decrease of the Black Bass in certain localities; we, at the 

 same time, are thoroughly satisfied that there is a limit to 

 their productiveness, as with all of these fishes which are de- 

 pendent on a local supply of food. This food supply would 

 be very materially increased, however, by a proper fish -way 

 over the Great Falls, which would not only enable fishes from 

 the lower Potomac to ascend and increase in the upper 

 waters, many of which would fall a prey to the Black Bass, 

 but the Bass themselves would find some of their 

 subsistence below the Falls, and feed on the brackish 

 water fishes and Crustacea which would not find their way 

 above the Falls, and in time they would be enabled to return 

 to the upper waters for the purpose of spawning and passing 

 the Summer months in the cold waters of that region. 



Even the adults of most of the Suckers, Chubs and Minnows 

 of the Potomac are small enough to be devoured by the Bass, so 

 that we can readily imagine that their foraging may be ex- 

 tended to a war of extermination, and finally, there would be 

 no adult Chubs or Suckers to reproduce their kiud. This 

 possibly, may be successfully avoided by the introduction of 

 the larger varieties of the Sucker family, such as the Bufi'alo 

 fish of the Ohio and Mississippi regions, the adults of these 

 varieties being much too large to be devoured by the Black 

 Bass, attaining many times the size of even the largest spec- 

 imens of Bass. 



CALIFORNIA SALMON— (^a/mo quinnat.) 



The first work that occupied us was the distribution of the 

 California Salmon, which had been hatched at the Druid Hill 

 Hatching House during the Fall of 1875. As the appropria- 



