9 



adopting measures for the construotion of fishways on the 

 Merrim,ac and its tributaries in that state. 



From the foregoing it appears that our sister states are in 

 earnest upon this subject. The interest and unity of feeling 

 manifested induces the belief that concurrent legislation and 

 united efforts on the part of all the states in interest will ac- 

 complish the desired result. 



The willingness and promptitude with which Vermont has 

 ever responded to all reasonable calls that have been made, 

 induce the belief that it is needless for us to suggest that the 

 legislature should follow the noUe examples set by the 

 legislatures of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and pro- 

 vide for the introduction of spawn into all streams suitable 

 for either shad or salmon and also to enact stringent laws for 

 the suitable protection of fish. 



It may be proper in this place to present a few facts rela- 

 tive to shad and salmon, upon which our belief in the feas- 

 ibility of the project proposed is predicated. 



Shad and salmon are gregarious and migratory. During 

 the winter months they live in salt water and grow very rap- 

 idly. In the spring they are very fat and invariably return 

 to spend the summer in their native streams. The females 

 that are filled with spawn are said to be the first to resort to 

 the fresh water. In a few weeks the males follow them. 

 It is mainly from the fact that these migratory fish always 

 return to fresh water to deposit their spawn and to the iden- 

 tical spawning beds where they were hatched, that we pred- 

 icate our belief that with suitable effort they may again 

 become abundant in the Connecticut and its tributaries. 



The Germans and French were the first to engage in arti- 

 ficial fish culture. The latter have carried it to a great 

 degree of perfection. During the present year there has been 

 holden, under the auspices of the Scientific Society of Ar- 

 cachon with the co-operation of the French Government, a 

 National Fair or exposition of fishery and water culture at 

 Arcachon. A report of this exposition will be addressed to 



