LXXII EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. 



Lakes was held at Detroit, October 17 and 18, 1883, to confer upon a 

 better protection of the lake fisheries, uniform laws, artificial propaga- 

 tion, relation of the State commissions to the United States Commission, 

 and the fishery authorities of Canada. 



The United States Commission was represented by Mr. Frank N. 

 Clark, who reported an interesting meeting. The following resolution 

 was passed a|d transmitted to the U. S. Fish Commission: 



'■^ Resolved^ That this conference recommend and respectfully request 

 the fish commissions of the different States bordering on the Great 

 Lakes to urge upon their several senators and congressmen the advis- 

 ability of securing some action by the United States Government, 

 through the instrumentality of the U. S. Fish Commission, to induce 

 the Commission to send one of its steamers with a sufficient force of 

 scientific men to the Great Lakes, for the purpose of investigating the 

 habits of the fish natural to those waters, the method of fishing pursued 

 therein, and all other matters connected with the fishing industries." 



23. — BY THE USE OF FISHWAYS. 



FisMvay over the Great Falls.— Bjeference has been made to this work 

 in the previous report. Since then the surveys of the Great Falls have 

 been completed, and a site has been selected for the construction of a 

 suitable fishway which will enable shad, striped bass, and other food- 

 fishes to ascend to the upper portion of the Potomac. 



After careful consideration of the different varieties of construction 

 offered, a plan of fishway suggested by Colonel McDonald has been 

 adopted, and he has been instructed to have prei)ared the necessary 

 working drawings for the purpose, to be submitted to contractors for 

 estimates. Should this be within the appropriation, it will be recom- 

 mended to the Secretary of War for such further action as he may think 

 proper. 



The early history of this fishway will be found in the report for 1882. 



24.— >BY THE DISTKIBUTION OF FISH AND EGGS. 



As already explained in a previous part of the report, the method of 

 distribution of fish and eggs has been almost entirely changed from 

 service by means of messengers using the baggage cars of passenger 

 trains, to the employment of cars built or fitted by the Commission ex- 

 pressly for the purpose. A great economy of service has l^een the re- 

 sult ; and where a shij)ment of ten thousand was formerly possible, 

 millions can now be sent. The work has been mainly under the direc- 

 tion of Colonel McDonald, to whose report in the appendix reference 

 sLould be made for details. It may be stated, however, that the total 

 number of applications for fish during the year was 10,060. These were 

 mostly for carp. The actual distributions were, in brief, as follows : 



Carp. — The total number of carp distributed during the year was 

 162,000 to 7,015 applicants. These were situated in every State and 

 Territory, 292 congressional districts and 1,308 counties being repre- 



