CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 49 



IMPORTATION OF NEW VARIETIES 



Your Commissioners have it in contemplation to attempt, at the proper season 

 next year, the importation from the east of white fish from the Great Lakes, to be 

 placed in Lake Tahoe ; black bass, a superior game fish, to be placed in some lake 

 to breed and be distributed; eels, to be put in the Sacramento River; and lobsters, to 

 be deposited in some appropriate place in the bay of San Francisco. We have also 

 opened a correspondence with gentlemen in China, with the object of learning what 

 valuable food-fish can be obtained in that country, and the processes of the Chinese, 

 who are said to pursue largely the artificial hatching of fish. From the following 

 extract from one of the letters received it will be seen that the Chinese have not 

 yet learned how, artificially, to impregnate the spawn, but depend upon catching 

 the eggs for hatching after they have been naturally fecundated. Our correspondent 

 says : 



"Referring to your letter of May twenty-fifth, inquiring concerning the man- 

 ner of breeding fish, we would say that we find the Chinese, at certain periods of 

 the year, spread their cloths across the river at some distance above Canton and catch 

 the eggs which arc washed down from the smaller streams and ponds higher up. 

 These eggs have been already impregnated by the male fish at the place in which 

 they are laid, and when thus caught are placed in ponds, where after a short time 

 they hatch and are thus raised. There are no breeding ponds near Canton, and it 

 [g said in be impossible to breed fish in ponds on any large scale, as the eggs are 

 devoured by the male fish after impregnation unless he be immediately removed, 

 which is impractical where there are any number. The ponds in which the eggs are 

 placed for hatching must be running water. We would suggest the plan of sending 

 two <>r three nun. acquainted with the process of breeding, to California, where they 

 could experiment on the rivers and lakes, which very much resemble those in the 

 country where it is at presenl practiced." 



I \ i B \' rS FBOM REPORTS 



Our field is so extensive and then- is so much to be done in the way of investi- 

 gation preparatory to intelligent legislation on the subject of inland fisheries, thai 

 we deemed it advisable to employ two assistants — the first, Captain E3. Wakeman, 

 to examine and report on the fisheries of the bay of San Francisco and some of the 

 rivers that discharge their waters directly into the Pacific Ocean; the other, Mr. 

 George C. Haswell, to examine and report upon the fisheries of Lake Tahoe and the 

 Truckee River and its tributaries. The following • - from their reports will be 



found of .meat interest. Referring to the bay fisheries, Captain Wakeman says: 



"Since the date of my commission I have visited with the yacht 'George Steers,' 

 repeatedly, all the fishing grounds that are frequented by the Italian and Chinese 

 fishermen in the waters of our bay. The only Chinese fishing station that I find is 

 Located a short distance north of the 'Two Sisters.' Here, on an extensive mud flat, 

 are stakes or poles set firmly in the ground, and occupying an area of several miles 

 in extent, from which poles are kepi constantly set the nets, which are taken up at 

 each slackwater of the flood and ebb tide. From twelve (12) to fifteen (15) boats 

 are employed, having three (3) men in each boat. Shrimps are taken here and 

 cured for the Chinese market by being boiled in large vats in salt water, then spread 

 out on the cleanly swept ground and dried in the sun, being raked over frequently 

 during the day. The scales or skin become separated from the meat and looks like 

 fine sawdust. The meat and refuse is then sewn up in the best quality of bags 

 and placed on board the Chinese junk of about thirty tons and sent to San Francisco, 

 from whence it is shipped to China. Scare any class of fish are taken in these nets 

 but shrimp, and thousands of tons must find their way to China annually. Their 

 nets are similar to those used by the Italians, with this difference, viz: the middle 

 of the net, which assumes the character of a bag, is, with the Chinese, opened by 

 untying a string, and the whole catch is dropped into the boat with ease. The net 

 is then closed again with the string and put back into the water to remain until next 



