﻿LXXTIII 
  

  

  year 
  77 
  and 
  78 
  has 
  not 
  influenced 
  at 
  all 
  this 
  increase. 
  The 
  re- 
  

   sults 
  of 
  the 
  return 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  hatched 
  during 
  these 
  j^ears 
  will 
  

   be 
  felt 
  only 
  in 
  subsequent 
  years. 
  

  

  In 
  fulfilling 
  the 
  duties 
  imposed 
  upon 
  us 
  by 
  the 
  act 
  under 
  

   which 
  the 
  Fish 
  Commission 
  was 
  organized, 
  we 
  cannot 
  do 
  more 
  

   than 
  call 
  attention 
  to 
  the 
  recommendations 
  for 
  protection 
  

   which 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  in 
  our 
  previous 
  reports. 
  

  

  The 
  necessity 
  for 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  a 
  fish-way 
  to 
  enable 
  

   the 
  migrator}^ 
  fish 
  to 
  ascend 
  the 
  river 
  beyond 
  the 
  Great 
  Falls 
  

   of 
  the 
  Potomac 
  becomes 
  more 
  urgent 
  each 
  year. 
  For 
  several 
  

   years 
  we 
  have 
  placed 
  a 
  sutiicient 
  number 
  of 
  shad 
  in 
  the 
  upper 
  

   waters 
  of 
  this 
  river 
  to 
  insure 
  their 
  returning 
  in 
  sufficient 
  num- 
  

   bers 
  to 
  make 
  their 
  presence 
  felt, 
  if 
  proper 
  means 
  are 
  provided 
  

   for 
  them 
  to 
  overcome 
  this 
  barrier 
  to 
  their 
  ascent. 
  No 
  doubt 
  

   those 
  fish 
  that 
  have 
  gone 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  sea 
  over 
  the 
  falls 
  will 
  

   on 
  their 
  return 
  make 
  every 
  efibrt 
  to 
  ascend 
  them. 
  Great 
  as 
  

   is 
  the 
  importance 
  of 
  a 
  fish-way 
  at 
  this 
  point 
  to 
  the 
  inhabitants 
  

   above 
  the 
  falls, 
  it 
  is 
  of 
  almost 
  equal 
  importance 
  to 
  those 
  living 
  

   below, 
  as 
  it 
  would 
  extend 
  the 
  spawning 
  grounds 
  to 
  a 
  very 
  

   great 
  extent 
  and 
  insure 
  a 
  future 
  supply 
  to 
  the 
  important 
  fish- 
  

   eries 
  of 
  this 
  river. 
  

  

  The 
  need 
  for 
  eSicient 
  protective 
  laws 
  on 
  the 
  Potomac 
  is 
  

   greatly 
  felt, 
  and 
  we 
  would 
  earnestly 
  urge 
  upon 
  the 
  assemblies 
  

   of 
  both 
  Virginia 
  and 
  Maryland 
  to 
  pass 
  similar 
  laws 
  protect- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  river 
  and 
  giving 
  the 
  officers 
  of 
  the 
  law 
  concurrent 
  

   jurisdiction. 
  

  

  We 
  take 
  pleasure 
  in 
  repeating 
  our 
  acknowledgments 
  to 
  the 
  

   several 
  transportation 
  lines 
  for 
  continued 
  courtesies. 
  

   Respectfully 
  submitted, 
  

  

  T. 
  B. 
  FERGUSON, 
  

   THOS. 
  HUGHLETT, 
  

  

  Commissioners. 
  

  

  