XIX 



were gathered, and for their transfer from the points below 

 Alexandria to the Navy Yard. All of these vessels were 

 simultaneously employed upon several occasions during 

 this short season — some times turning out as many as 

 2, GOO, 000 young hsh in a da}^ 



The details of these operations;', may be found in the 

 accompanying tables from which it will be seen that 

 nearly 19,000,000 lish were produced at this somewhat 

 impromptu esti^,bli shnient. Of this number over 14, 000, 000 

 were deposited in the waters of Maryland. The record 

 of this distribution will be found on page 43, combined 

 with that of the hsh produced at Havre de Grrace. 



If this extra ordinary success could have been anticipated, 

 and sutficient apparatus in working order had been provid- 

 ed from the commencement of;the season, I am quite conh- 

 dent that the total result above given would have been 

 increased to over 30,000,000. But when the records of 

 the hatching operations on the Potomac River for 1880 

 are compared with those of other years, as given in pre- 

 vious reports, it Avill be seen that the organization of the 

 work on siicli a scale would have appeared wholly un- 

 necessary. 



The Steamer "Lookout'' continued her nightly trips 

 down the river witli varying success until the end of 

 June. 



As the law jji'ohibiting the catching of tisli after the 

 1st of June is utterly ignored on the Potomac, outside of 

 the District of Colundiia, I determined to gather all the 

 spawn that could be obtained from the tisli taken, and 

 from them producing as many young tisli as possible in 

 order to keep up the future supply in tliis river. The 

 experiences of this year on the Potomac are most impor- 

 tant, not only on account of the magnitude of the work 

 and of the results accomj)lished, but as affording a clear 

 indication of tlie good results of oui* foi-mer efforts and 

 as demonstrating how readily and successfully the work 



