this river, through donations from the United States Fish Commis- 

 sioner, and through importations by the State. These fish are now 

 increasing by natural propagation, as fish of all ages are caught in 

 the river, and in the salt water of the Bay of Monterey. A few 

 years since, when mature shad first made their appearance, they sold 

 for $1 50 per pound. They now sell for twenty and twenty-five cents 

 per pound. They are as regularly Cjuoted in the market reports as 

 any other fish common to the waters of this State. Relatively to the 

 numbers in our waters, more shad are caught in California than on 

 the Atlantic Coast. 



When the shad, after spawning, leave the eastern rivers they dis- 

 appear and rarely, if ever, are taken in the ocean. Practically, they 

 are only caught for market after entering the rivers. The shad 

 turned "into the Sacramento, when the time comes for them to leave 

 the river, resort in large numbers to the Bay of Monterey, about one 

 hundred miles south of San Francisco, where they find an abund- 

 ance of food and remain until the procreative instinct compels them 

 again to enter the river. Shad are caught at all seasons in the Bay 

 of Monterey, in the nets of the fishermen while fishing for other 

 fish. There is, therefore, no week during the year when shad cannot 

 be found on the stalls in the San Francisco market. Looking to the 

 natural increase of the fish, this is unfortunate, as it will require 

 largely increased importations to fully stock our waters. When our 

 rivers'^are fully stocked, now that the habits of this fish on our coast 

 are known, there will be no difficulty in procuring this valuable fish 

 at all seasons of the year. 



Professor Baird, of the United States Fish Commission, is having 

 constructed a railway car, to be solely used in the transporting of fish. 

 When completed, he proposes to send in it two or three million 

 young shad, whicii he believes will fully stock the Sacramento and 

 San Joaquin Rivers, and eventually all the appropriate waters of 

 this coast. We are entirely satisfied with the result of the experi- 

 ments thus far made in importing and planting shad in the waters 

 of California. 



"WHITE FISH — COEEGONUS ALBA. 



The 565,000 wliite fish, the eggs of whicli were brought from Lake 

 Michigan, and planted in different lakes and streams of this State, 

 appear to be thriving and increasing. We hear of theni_ being 

 occasionally taken. As they can only be successfully caught in nets 

 made for the purpose, and rarely are taken with the hook, the prob- 

 abilities are they will become very numerous before the fishermen 

 will make a business of their capture. They are so valuable and 

 highly esteemed fresh water fish that we shall make every effort to 

 fully stock all our accessible mountain lakes. AVe have asked the 

 Unfted States Commissioner of Fisheries for a consignment of 250,000 

 of the eggs of this fish, to be hatched at the State's hatching house 

 at San Leandro, for distribution during the present Winter. 



SCHUYLKILL CATFISH — AMIURUS ALBIDUS. 



The seventy-four catfish imported from the Raritan River, in 1874, 

 have increased and multiplied, and this increase distributed, until 

 now, we believe, there is no county in the State, from Del Norte to 

 2^ 



