to Omaha on the through train, while I crossed the river on the dummy train to make arrange- 

 ments for our passes to San Francisco, and also get a requisition for ice at the stations between 

 Omaha and Ogden. While waiting for the train to come along, Mr. Marks gave the fish a 

 change of water from an artesian well. The water was clear and cold, appearing to be of the 

 best quality. The fish soon showed signs of distress, and, with all the aeration he could give 

 the water, ten of them died, and others were occasionally turning on their sides. Some said 

 the water was alkaline : others said the water had been analyzed and no alkali was found. 

 Artesian water is almost destitute of air. I have known carp, after being in it a few minutes, 

 to lie as if dead at the bottom of the can, and after an energetic aeration of the water would 

 become lively again. As soon as the train got over to Omaha, a change of Missouri River water 

 was given them, and with continual aeration they soon showed signs of improvement. In 

 Omaha twenty-five fish were thrown out dead, and during the next eighteen hours thirty- 

 three more died, making the loss of bass, from the time of first putting them into the cans, 

 about one hundred and forty. While at Omaha, I felt that we would be fortunate if we could 

 keep any of the fish alive during the remaining five days of the journey, as, on putting the 

 arm down into the roily water, the fish seemed to be either on their sides at the bottom of the 

 cans or so sick that they would make no effort to escape from the hand. During the remainder 

 of the journey of about three and one half days no more fish were lost; and, although this 

 was the most dangerous part of the trip, on account of the alkaline water at most of the 

 stations, the fish kept in splendid condition all the way through. 



I desire here to exjjress my deep sense of obligation to the General Manager of the Union 

 Pacific Railroad at Omaha for his very generous act in furnishing free transportation for the fish 

 over his road, and also for other personal favors extended. The success of our undertaking 

 was largely due to the uniform courtesy of the railroad officials along the entire route. 



The striped bass, a little over three hundred in number, were placed in brackish water at 

 61° Fahrenheit, at Array Point, in Suisun Bay. Mr. B. B. Redding met us at that place and 

 assisted in depositing them into the water. 



The water in the Shrewsbury River is brackish, indicating on the salinometer four degrees 

 density. Taking this brackish water with us on the start, Turk Island salt was added to fresh water 

 until about four degrees density, when we renewed the water in the cans. During the first night 

 the salinometer was accidentally broken, and afterwards we had to salt the water to our taste. 

 By some misunderstanding the quantity of salt taken from R^d Bank was not what had been 

 intendad, and the supply getting short the water gradually became fresh again. In this con- 

 dition the fish remained' twenty days or more. But they seemed to do equally well in either 

 fresh or brackish water. Mr. Marks took great interest in making the enterprise a success, 

 working very faithfully, and cheerfully submitting to the inconvenience of obtaining sleep by 

 short naps across the trunks in the baggage-car, so that we could relieve each other every two 

 hours, and thus give the bass that almost constant attention they required. For aerating the water, 

 which was done every fifteen to twenty minutes, we used an implement contrived by Mr. Munroe 

 Green, of Mumford,'New York. This was a cylinder about eighteen inches in length and six 

 in diameter, having the bottom perforated with fine holes, and the top with a lid, and a handle 

 to manipulate it. By letting it fill as it was slowly pushed nearly to the bottom, and then quickly 

 pulling it to the top of the can, it gave it a fine shower of about one and a half gallons of almost 

 perfectly aerated water. By having ice inside this aerator during the operation, we found it 

 admirably adapted for quickly cooling the water. This is just the thing where small fish are 

 being carried, thus avoiding the danger of crushing them by having loose ice in the can. This 

 aerator gave better satisfaction than any other ever used by me. 



Very respectfully, 



J. G. WOODBURY. 



CARP. 



There has sprung up throughout the State an active interest in the 

 cultivation of the carp, and the Commission has done everything in 

 its power to meet the.wishes of those embarking in the business. We 

 are most opportunely aided just at this time by the generous expend- 

 iture and active efforts of the United States Fish Commissioner in 

 sending to this coast a special car with a full corps of experts in charge 

 of a large shipment of carp for distribution on this coast, and it grat- 

 ifies us to be able to say that the arrangements for supplying persons 

 desirous of cultivating and propagating this Valuable fish are now in 

 successful operation. The cultivation and propagation of this useful 

 fish seem as yet scarcely understood by many who are disposed to 

 embark in it. The carp is, in fact, to a great extent, a domesticated 

 fish. It requires care and attention, and a proper preparation of con- 

 ditions artificially. In fact, we are yet to be educated to the success- 

 ful and cheap mode of propagating them. This will all come with 



