22 



By the conditions of the joint resolution under which we 

 received our appointment no allusion was made to the intro- 

 duction of fish into Lake Champlain and the rivers upon the 

 west side of the Green Mountains. But we feel unwilling- 

 to dismiss this subject without alluding to the desirableness 

 of restocking Lake Champlain and the streams entering it 

 with sea-fish. At the last session of the Vermont Legisla- 

 ture a law was passed prohibiting the catching of shad or 

 white-fish from Lake Champlain during the months of Sept- 

 ember, October and November, to take efiTect after the state 

 of New York and the Canadian Government had passed a 

 similar act. The Provincial legislature of Canada have 

 passed a similar law, but the legislature of New York have 

 failed to do so, and therefore the law is anulllity. 



The shad or white-fish (^coregonus alhus) of Lake Cham- 

 plain is unlike the shad of the Connecticut, and does not in- 

 crease in size or numbers as rapidly as the latter. "Were 

 Canada and New York to enact suitable laws for the in- 

 troduction and preservation of sea-fish in Lake Champlain 

 and the St. Lawrence river, we are of opinion that Lake 

 Champlain would become one of the best locations for shad 

 fisheries in the United States, provided the spawn of the shad 

 (alosa prosstabilis) were introduced therein and suitably 

 protected. 



In relation to the introduction of "black bass, land-locked 

 salmon and other varieties," into the waters of the State, we 

 will say that we have not done so for the reason that it would 

 be useless to make the attempt Unless there were laws to 

 suitably protect them. 



Our streams are well suited to the habits of the common 

 brook trout, and before we would recommend the introduc- 

 tion of other varieties we would ask that suitable protection 

 be extended to them. If properly protected by legislative 

 enactments, and a little. efibrt is made to preserve and increase 

 the number of young fry, our brooks and rivers would soon 



