70 THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 



embryos alive until they had reached their full develop- 

 ment, owing to the attacks of a fungus, but he showed the 

 methods to be followed which would lead to success. 



The report of the commission was the first document of 

 the kind published in this country, and the opinion is there 

 expressed that the artificial propagation of fish is not only 

 practicable but may be made very profitable, and that our 

 fresh waters may thus be made to produce a vast amount 

 of excellent food ; that a small outlay of capital and a 

 moderate degree of skill will enable the proprietors of 

 our smaller streams and ponds to stock them with valua- 

 ble fish ; that in respect to the larger rivers and ponds a 

 combination of individuals may be necessary, with special 

 legislation adapted to each particular case. From this re- 

 port made by Capt. Atwood and his two associates has 

 resulted the Board of Commissioners on Inland Fisheries, 

 whose labors for the past twenty-three years have proved 

 the conclusions arrived at by this preliminary work, and 

 ponds, streams and rivers have been stocked with fishes 

 of several kinds, both native and foreign, by means of ar- 

 tificial propagation. 



Capt. Atwood served in both branches of the Massachu- 

 setts Legislature: in the House, 1857,1858, and in the 

 Senate, 1869, 1870, 1871, where his knowledge of the sea- 

 fisheries and an interest in the restocking of our rivers 

 with fish were of great importance to the Commonwealth. 

 During these several sessions he delivered important 

 speeches on the sea-fisheries. He lectured on these sub- 

 jects in many of the lecture courses in eastern Massachu- 

 setts, and in 1868 he gave a course of twelve lectures on 

 fishes before the Lowell Institute, which were so well re- 

 ceived that an invitation was extended to him for a second 

 course on the same subject during the following season. 



Indeed, he lived to see the subject of ocean and inland 



