April of this year the fishermen of Seckenheim have commenced to fish for "maifische." The first were caught on the 28th of April, and the largest number on the 10th, 11th, and 12th of May, none of them, however, ready for spawning. About as many fish were caught as in 1875, but only one-third as many as in 1876, in which year the "maifische" in this district were ready for spawning between the 23d and 29th of May, and have spawned very freely in the Neckar.

From the mass of information gained this year the following points may deserve special consideration for the future:

Along the Neckar there are three fishing districts which are suitable for obtaining artificially impregnated eggs of "maifische:"

1. The district of Seckenheim where the first and the largest quantity of eggs may be obtained during spring if the temperature is not too cold. The sixteen members of the fishing association presided over by Mr. Johann Raufelder have all the necessary apparatus, and take a deep interest in the matter. In this district, therefore, the first spawning "maifische" are found, because it is tolerably warm and possesses great advantages for fishing with a seine.

2. The district of the Bergheim Mill, extending past Heidelberg as far as Ziegelhausen. Here fishing is carried on by the various fishermen living along the river; in favorable years many spawning "maifische" are caught near the Bergheim Mill and near Ziegelhausen.

3. The district of Neckarsteinach and Neckarhausen, extending up the river as far as Hirschhorn. This district is colder and has much rocky bottom, and the fish consequently spawn somewhat later in the season. There is here a fishing association of twelve members, presided over by Mr. Peter Rohrmann in Heidelberg. This year the largest number of "maifische" were caught in this district, but their eggs were not at all developed and many were spoiled.

During a favorable year artificially impregnated eggs may, therefore, be obtained in Seckenheim early in the season, a little later in Heidelberg, and still later in Neckarhausen.

As soon as the Rhine rises to its high-water mark in spring, many "maifische" come into the Neckar, because they cannot be caught in the Rhine; the same is the case in the Neckar in the three above-mentioned districts which lie one above the other.

For hatching the "maifische" eggs in the Neckar the American floating hatching-boxes are well suited; but as the current cannot well be regulated, a simple wooden screw is fastened in the front part of the floating frame, by means of which the box may be placed higher or lower according to the different currents.

As soon as the eggs have been hatched, i. e., after five days, they must be placed in well-protected boxes covered with the finest kind of gauze, or better still with a firm glass bottom and gauze-covered openings on both sides which permit the water to flow through.

Such an apparatus may be furnished by having three small boats con

nected in front and behind by strong ropes, and perhaps surrounded by a light frame-work of floating timber; between every two boats there is a frame holding two rows of the boxes mentioned above, placed at such a distance that they can easily be reached from the boats.

The large outer frame-work must in front and behind be protected by boards connected at an angle, so that the boxes are safe from strong currents and waves, wind-storms, and floating objects, such as scum, dirt, wood, grass, &c. On the outside the floating apparatus for hatching may still be fastened for four or five days.

Boats for this purpose may be rented in Mannheim for 23 cents a day; the floating timber and all the necessary wood-work can be furnished by a carpenter in Seckenheim, and nothing would remain to be done but to prepare the stationary hatching-boxes, in which the young "maifische" immediately after having left the eggs, and in fact the eggs themselves before they are hatched, are perfectly safe. This apparatus, which is absolutely necessary, which facilitates the whole process very much, and which is a strong protection for the eggs and young fish, may, after the "maifische" season has come to an end, also be used for hatching other Neckar-fish, as the perch, the pollard and others, which are hatched in 3 to 4 days, lose their umbilical bag in 4 more days, and may then be placed in any river. Such an apparatus, or several of them, which can easily be taken to pieces and stored away, should be found in every fishing district; this would be the best way of increasing the number of river fish, and the result would be seen in two or three years. The leading principle for the healthy development and increase of the river fish must, however, invariably be found in the catching of the fish during the spawning season, and in the artificial impregnation of all the eggs that can be obtained; in this way the eggs are saved from the numerous fish of prey which devour them and inflict incalculable damage to the fishing interests during the spawning season.

The young fish can easily be transported in any tin cans. We had to change cars quite a number of times during our journey, and the fish stood these changes very well, so that about 70,000 young "maifische" could be placed in the Elbe and as many in the Neisse. The best temperature for transporting "maifische" is 120-150+ Réaumur, which can easily be furnished by placing ice in the neck of the tin can; air is not required during so short a journey.

In future it will be best to place the "maifische" destined for the Elbe in the Saale near Halle, where the through train from the south arrives at 4.28 a. m. The fish destined for the Neisse would leave Halle for Guben at 8.5 a. m. by express train. If, therefore, the fish leave Mannheim at 4.40 p. m. they need not change cars till they reach Halle, so that the whole journey may be accomplished without any difficulty. If the number of fish sent should amount to several million, a special baggage-car might be engaged at Mannheim.

I clip from my diary the following table of temperatures:

During the best time 100 to 200 fish have been caught in Seckenheim every day, and in Neckarhausen 430 and 350 at a single haul. These fish find their market in Frankfort-on-the-Main, Mannheim, Strasburg, and other cities along the Rhine. Their sale, however, comes to an end with the 31st of May, for although even in June some very fine "maifische" are caught, there is a prejudice against eating them during that month.

The fishermen, unfortunately, do not take the proper care of the fish which they catch; after every haul they are piled in an open boat, covered with a little grass, so as to protect them against the rays of the sun and the air, and are then brought to market the next day. The price is not very high; early in the season 23 to 39 cents are paid for a "maifische" weighing 33-5 pounds, and soon it gets down to 20 cents and even less.

No one ever thinks of smoking these fish, because the fishing season is of such short duration, and the results vary so much in the different years, that it would scarcely pay for any one to come from a distance and erect the necessary buildings.

I was told that a Frenchman had in former times smoked the "maifische" in Heidelberg, had only paid 13 cents apiece to the fishermen, and had nevertheless become bankrupt. As long as the "maifische" are only increased in the natural way the object of fishing for them will only be to sell fresh fish; but if they are increased artificially, and conse

quently in much larger numbers, it will almost become necessary to smoke them in order to avoid a waste. All the smoking establish.ments, however, should be under strict government supervision, so that no fish are smoked which have spawned and are in a poor sickly condition, and might produce epidemics if extensively used as an article of food. Such fish and all the other refuse might be mixed with alkaloids and make a very excellent fish guano. In the above I have only briefly indicated the great importance of raising "maifische," and I only hope that we may soon succeed in raising millions of these useful fish.

XVII. THE EXPERIMENT OF TRANSPORTING TURBOT AND

SOLES FROM ENGLAND TO AMERICA.

BY FRED MATHER.

When I left New York, October 13, 1877, for Germany, with salmoneggs, an account of which has been rendered, I also carried orders to return by way of England and make the experiment of transporting Turbot and Soles for stocking the waters of Massachusetts Bay. I was provided with a letter to Mr. Thomas J. Moore, curator of the Museum at Liverpool, who had kindly offered to assist in the enterprise, and furnish such facilities for keeping the fish until ready as the capacity of the salt-water aquaria of the Museum would permit. I had also a letter from Mr. J. G. Kidder, of Boston, to Messrs. W. Cunard & Co., London, reminding them of their generous offer made two years previously to Messrs. Baring Bros., of free transportation to an agent of the United States Fishery Commission, together with the tanks of fish. I had, through the liberality of Oelrichs & Co., New York, the same privilege, should I wish to return via Southampton and New York, but as the fish were destined for the vicinity of Boston, it was deemed advisable to return by the Cunard Line from Liverpool.

Arriving at Southampton on the evening of November 12, I spent four days attending to some personal matters, and started for Liverpool on the morning of the 17th, where I arrived at 2 p. m., and reported to Mr. Moore, who, having considered his own tanks inadequate both in size and circulation to support so many animals in addition to the regular occupants, had arranged with the Great Aquarium at Southport for the storing of the fish, and decided on this point as possibly the easiest to collect from at this season. The next day being Sunday, we postponed our trip to Southport, a fashionable watering-place, twenty miles north, until Monday.

November 19.-I went to the office of D. & C. McIver, agents, Cunard Line, Liverpool, and presented the letter from Mr. Kidder, and was referred to Mr. Cunard, London, who replied that he would be pleased to hear when the fish were ready. Mr. Moore and self left at noon for Southport, met Mr. John Long, curator of the aquarium, and saw the fine store-tanks in the "naturalists' room"; they are of slate, 8 by 12 feet, and 3 feet deep, with a plentiful flow of water and a subdued light; here new specimens are acclimated before placing in the show-tanks. Mr. Long thinks that we may get what we wish, and sent for a fisherman, Thomas Ball, to meet me in the morning.