REPORT OF FISH COMMISSIONERS. 
259 
tion among the fish breeders of Europe as well as in this country. 
In short, our correspondence with the commissioners of the eigh¬ 
teen states provided with commissioners, has been of an agreeable 
and profitable character, and in the interchange of annual reports 
we obtain much useful information. 
A plan for the distribution of fry will soon be matured. We shall 
deal justly with every part of the state. We have gathered all the 
information we could without incurring expense, in regard to inland 
rivers, streams and lakes.* It must be borne in mind that we have 
just entered upon our work. Until the appropriation of last win¬ 
ter, we have been powerless to answer the wants of the people. 
Numerous and urgent applications are constantly being made for 
fry. These we have not been able to meet except in a very limited 
manner. With our facilities in the matter of ponds in which the 
fry can be kept until the fish attain age and size, the question as 
to the best time in which to distribute them will be considered. 
If, from the habit of being fed, the fish, when placed beyond con¬ 
trol, fail to seek their own food, then they should be placed ^in the 
water before the entire absorption of the sack with which nature 
has furnished them. If they can be kept in ponds until they are 
large enough to escape the enemies which feed upon the young, 
and at the same time hunt their own food, a great point will be 
gained. A few thousand thus advanced in size will, if they can 
obtain their own support, much sooner replenish barren waters by 
a natural increase of their kind, aided by annual contributions from 
our ponds. 
In the distribution of the fry of the speckled trout, and which is 
confined to local streams, we have adopted the rule that in all such 
cases, the owners of the land through which such streams run must, 
in order to obtain them, give a written permit to the public to al¬ 
low the trout to be taken, subject to the fish laws of the state. This 
precaution will remove all causes of complaint on the score of par¬ 
tiality. Of this variety of fish, we hope to have large numbers for 
the season of 1877. 
Last winter, under the direction of the then Commissioners, the 
fish laws were codified and laid before the legislature for action. In 
its discussion in the senate, such a variety of conflicting local inter¬ 
ests were brought forward, that the bill was defeated. The num¬ 
ber of acts of the legislature on the subject, together with the power 
