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shad. Instead of requiring, the clear, cold water at the head 

 of streams, they were so well suited with the eddies of the 

 Connecticut as to remain there and fulfil their work of pro- 

 creation in the deep waters of that stream. 



Notwithstanding the reckless and unrestricted slaughter 

 that is annually made upon the shad of the Connecticut by 

 gill nets and other devices, they are still quite abundant as far 

 up as the dam at Holyoke, beyond which they cannot ascend. 

 But were the obstructions in the Connecticut removed by 

 the building of suitable fishways over them, shad could again 

 be caught at Bellows Falls as in the days of yore ; provided 

 spawn or young shad were placed there. Perhaps the best 

 way would be to capture some shad just before the spawning 

 season and place them in the eddy below the falls. Some 

 are of opinion that merely the construction of suitable fish- 

 ways would be sufficient to ensure their return ; but the safer 

 way would be to introduce the live shad or spawn as pro- 

 posed above. We are of opinion that shad may be produced 

 successfully at points in the Connecticut above Bellows 

 Falls, and eveniin the streams and ponds of eastern Vermont 

 that are suited to their -natures, provided suitable fishways be 

 constructed over the falls and dams between their spawning 

 beds and the ocean. 



With these conditions complied with, we are of opinion 

 that shad may be produced abundantly in the numerous 

 ponds through which Black Eiver flows in Plymouth, Lud- 

 low, Cavendish and Springfield, and the same may be true 

 of other streams in eastern Vermont. As a general rule we 

 think shad would be best suited "w^ith deep, still water, while 

 salmon would run to the clear, cold water of our mountain 

 streams. But before we can have an abundance of shad and 

 salmon in our streams, money must be expended in the con- 

 struction of fishways, and in procuring spawn to raise the 

 first stock of fish. The Connecticut river is wholly out of 

 Vermont, the boundary line of New Hampshire being the 

 "west bank of that stream ; therefore the Legislature is only 



