XVI.—THE EXPERIMENTS IN PROPAGATING MAIFISCHE (ALOSA VULGARIS), IN 1876 AND 1877.

BY R. ECKARDT.*

On the 26th of May, 1876, I received by Privy-Counselor Fastenau the honorable commission from Chamberlain von Behr-Schmoldow, president of the German Fishery-Association, to undertake a journey to the Rhine, in order to effect if possible in this year the increase and spread of the "maifische "t by artificial raising.

I must here mention that Mr. Christian Schieber, of Hameln, superintendent of fisheries, had made very thorough investigations of this whole matter in Wesel, from May 7 to June 9, 1875, and in Neuwied, Coblentz, Neuendorf, and Berncastel, on the Moselle, from the 13th to the 28th of May, 1876, and had ascertained that spawning "maifische" are but rarely caught in those localities. The fishermen say that the "maifische" in that neighborhood do not spawn till June, and sometimes not till July, but that this did not occur every year.

On the 8th of June I was able, after having arranged some private matters connected with my farm, to set out for Hameln, via Berlin, in order to obtain from Mr. Schieber an oral account of his observations. He very readily communicated to me all he knew, and showed me his very favorably located and practically arranged salmon-breeding establishment, as well as his interesting contrivances for catching salmon and eels, which were in full operation during the time of my visit.

The breeding establishment is fed by very pure spring-water, of 7.5+ Réaumur (4830 F.), which comes from the ground in the immediate neighborhood, is caught in two covered wells only 10-15 meters distant, and is led through underground pipes. The water does not leave any oxides

* Report of Mr. R. Eckardt-Lübbinchen, landed proprietor, on the experiments in propagating the "maifische" (Alosa vulgaris), made in 1876, at the request of the German Fishery-Association, and on the continuation and successful termination of these experiments in 1877, by artificially breeding and raising these fish, transporting them, and by stocking the rivers Elbe and Neisse with them. "Bericht des Rittergutsbesitzers R. Eckardt-Lübbinchen über die im Auftrage des Deutschen Fischerei-Vereins im Jahre 1876 angestellten Versuche zur Vermehrung der Maifische, sowie über die Fortsetzung und glückliche Ausführung dieser Versuche im Jahre 1877 durch Künstliche Befruchtung, Erbrütung und Transport wie Aussetzung in Elbe und Neisse." From Circular No. 5 of the German Fishery-Association. Berlin, July 17, 1877. Translated by H. Jacobson.

+ It has been deemed expedient to retain throughout this article the German name of the Alosa vulgaris, viz, the "maifische."

either in the wells or in the hatching-channels or in the round clay breeding-vessels, and is consequently free from mineral, chiefly metallic, substances which are easily oxidized, and although it does not come in contact with the air until it reaches the hatching-channels, it is nevertheless well suited for hatching salmon-eggs, as more than a million have been hatched in it. I cannot but mention in this connection the fact, long since proved satisfactorily to my mind, that all spring-water, and other water, too, contains a quantity of air sufficient for maintaining organic beings, but that spring-water is but rarely free from mineral, particularly easily oxidized metallic, substances and gases, and that consequently organic beings cannot live in it without sustaining some injury. If such mineral water is led into an open ditch or into a small pond, large enough, however, to bring the water which flows in for twenty four hours in contact with the air, the mineral substances are oxidized to such a degree that, unless there is any putrefying organic matter in the pond, it will become capable of sustaining animal life, and be well suited for a hatching-pond.

Salmon-fishing was still going on in Hameln; on the 9th of June, from 6 to 8 a. m., eight had been caught, and from 8 to 10 a. m. ten, with an average weight of 11 to 15 pounds apiece, and the salmon were still ascending the river. To me the leaping of the salmon endeavoring to get over the large weir, three meters in height, which spans the Weser, was a most interesting sight. Toward noon, when the sun is very bright, some salmon succeed in getting across, but by far the larger number are caught in the nets.

The salmon fisheries, which formerly were rented out by the city of Hameln for $214 annually, rent now for $3,770, a very palpable proof of the success of artificial hatching. The city pays Mr. Schieber, for his trouble in hatching one million salmon for the Weser, about $100.

I left Hameln at 1 p. m. on June the 9th, and reached Coblentz late in the evening.

On the 10th June, early in the morning, I visited Mr. Joseph Glöckner, in Neuendorf, in whose possession were most of the hatching-boxes which had been prepared for hatching "maifische."

Mr. Glöckner had ceased to catch "maifische" for this season, because there was no sale for them, and because they had been caught in such large numbers that people had gotten somewhat tired of them; the lease of his fishing district was, moreover, soon coming to an end, and he did not wish by catching very large quantities to raise the rent any higher. As I learned afterward, he was not successful, for his rent has been raised from about $21.42 to upward of $238.

Next year he was going to produce "maifische" capable of spawning; this year it was too late to do this, and if it did not get warmer they would not spawn, any way. In consequence of many violent thunder-storms the temperature had fallen to 590 F., and it was raining incessantly.

He was of opinion that in spite of all prohibitory regulations a great

deal of damage was inflicted on the Rhine and Moselle fisheries by renting out the fisheries to capitalists who understood nothing about fishing. He likewise informed me that people were allowed to use nets with narrow meshes for catching Cyprinus alburnus, from the scales of which artificial pearls are manufactured in Paris, and that this was a great trade in Cologne. But with the small Cyprinus many young salmon, "maifische," pike, perch, lampreys, barbel, pollard, mackerel, &c., &c., are caught, which being of no use to these fishermen, are destroyed. By catching so many Cyprinus the quantity of food for the finer class of fishes is diminished, and catching and destroying so many young salmon of course does incalculable harm to the salmon-raising. Mr. Glöckner thought that until these abuses were stopped the Rhine fisheries would not amount to anything.

The same opinion was expressed to me by the following superintend ents of fisheries: Georg Weber in Irlicht, Christian Wattler in Cologne, Hackenbroik and Schlömer in Dale near Deutz, all of whom urged me to do all I could for having these abuses stopped.

As no spawning "maifische" could be obtained from any of these gentlemen, I came to the conclusion that the "maifische" must spawn farther up the Rhine or its tributaries, and I therefore went to St. Goar, where there are large salmon fisheries belonging to the town, and was told by Mr. Robert Herpell, inspector, and Mr. Klein, superintendent of fisheries from St. Görshausen, that near St. Goar and as far up the Rhine as Bingerbrück the current was too strong for catching "maifische." I was likewise informed by these gentlemen that many "maifische" were caught in the Neckar above Mannheim. I therefore traveled direct to Ludwigshafen and remained there over night with the intention of making further inquiries at Heidelberg the next day.

At 8 a. m. on the 13th of June I arrived in Heidelberg in a pouring rain. I immediately went to see some of the prominent fishermen, and from them got all the information I desired; but could unfortunately not put it to any use, as the Neckar had risen 13 meter during the night, and its water was very muddy. The "maifische" do not like such water, and let themselves be driven down the stream by it, so that within a quarter of an hour about 30 "maifische" were handed to me from a stationary fishing-apparatus which had been placed out in the stream, among these 3 entirely firm "spawners," which, however, were not yet ready to spawn. From the 23d to the 29th of May the weather had been remarkably fine, and the "maifische" had spawned in the Neckar in such enormous quantities as never before, and the spawning season for the strag glers extends till near the end of June. Spawning might consequently still be observed if only the water would get clear and the weather be favorable; but from all signs the rainy season had not yet come to an end. As I had no time to wait any longer, I went home and sent Mr. Wilke, the superintendent of my fisheries, to Heidelberg to make further investigations. The weather did unfortunately not get any better; thun

derstorms accompanied by hail and rain made the Neckar a roaring torrent, and enormous quantities of "maifische" went down the stream, so that no spawner was caught. Mr. Wilke therefore returned on the 24th of June without having attained the object of his journey.

As the result of my observations for this year may form some sort of guide for next year, I will mention the following:

1. From the beginning of May the Neckar fisheries, from Mannheim to Heilbronn, should be carefully watched with a view of catching spawning "maifische."

2. Suitable hatching-places should be prepared and every arrangement made for quickly transporting fish by railroad.

3. The superintendent accompanying the fish should receive a permit from the managers of the different railroads to stay with the fish in the baggage-car all the time, and he should also have the privilege to use fast or express trains.

4. The manager of this whole enterprise should be allowed to exercise his own discretion in making the necessary investigations, in engaging assistants, and in making all the required arrangements.

5. The most suitable stations for placing young "maifische" would be Fulda on the Weser, Dresden on the Elbe, and Guben on the Oder.

6. The fishing association of Seckenheim, Ilvesheim, and Fendenheim would be the best for trying the experiment of raising "maifische" in an artificial manner.

On the 8th of May, 1877, I was again commissioned by Chamberlain von Behr-Schmoldow to make experiments on the Rhine and Neckar to obtain if possible artificially-hatched spawn of "maifische," and transplant the young fish into the Elbe, Oder, or Neisse. At 5 a. m. on the 14th of May I left my home in company with Mr. Müller-Tchischdorf, superintendent of fisheries, and reached Heidelberg at 10 a. m. on the 15th.

As my investigations of the previous year had taught me that the best way to reach my object would be to place myself in direct communication with the fishing association of Seckenheim, consisting of sixteen members, who have the privilege of fishing in the Neckar with a large net from Maunheim upward as far as the mill at Bergheim, we immediately went to see these persons, traveling via Mannheim by railroad, hack, and on foot.

We found these fishermen enjoying a rest in a frame hut, where they kept their provisions and implements. We immediately informed them of the object of our visit, and placed ourselves on a friendly footing with them. I handed them my card, from which they could see that I had also something to do with fishing, and promised to pay them $3.50 for the first female "maifische" suitable for artificial hatching.

The fishermen seemed favorably inclined toward our enterprise, but were doubtful of its ultimate success. They promised, however, to do all in their power to further it, and thus we left them in order to get our hatching-boxes, vessels for transporting fish, &c., which had been left

behind at Heidelberg. It was a very comforting assurance which the fishermen made to me, that so far they had not caught any "maifische" that were ready to spawn, all the more so as I had been somewhat frightened by the assertion which Director Haackat-Hüningen had made on the 1st of May at the piscicultural congress, that this year the "maifische" would already spawn in the Rhine, which assertion has fortunately not proved true.

On the 16th of May Mr. Müller went down the Neckar in a boat, with seven hatching-boxes and two vessels for transporting fish, and took his station at Fendenheim, where he arranged everything for his experiments. Various articles, such as a file, pincers, wire, tin, a thermometer, a microscope, &c., were procured at Heidelberg and taken along by him. I went to Heilbronn, in order to gather further information regarding the ascent of the "maifische" in the Neckar, and visited Mr. Friedrich Drantz, who owns the Neckar fisheries a few miles below, and has rented them out to three fishermen, whom he has given certain regulations for protecting the fish. This gentleman informed me that in his fisheries "maifische" were only caught in very exceptional cases; that they scarcely ever go up as far as Heilbronn, where there is a stone weir, and were not found beyond that place.

On the 17th of May I again went to Seckenheim via Mannheim, gave orders to have the covers of the hatching-boxes arranged in a simpler and more practical manner, and had ten new boxes made, as dissecting a female "maifische" had convinced me that three to four boxes might be required for all these eggs, and we might consequently be short of boxes. The weather was cool all the time, and on the Neckar never higher than 130-140 R. (610-640 F.), and the air was raw, which makes the fish disinclined for spawning. If the weather got warmer, the fishermen told us, spawning fish might be caught next week.

On the 18th of May I went to Coblentz and Neuendorf, via Mayence, to visit Mr. Joseph Glöckner. He was just engaged in catching "maifische," but none of the females which he had caught were ready to spawn. I paid him the money which he had laid out for sending hatching-boxes to Basle, Hüningen, and Heidelberg, and asked him to go ou with the hatching process as soon as he caught any spawning "maifische." He took a deep interest in this matter, and told me that last year he had got artificially impregnated spawn of the perch and had hatched it in the boxes, and that on the 26th of June he had caught a very fine specimen of a female "maifische" ready for spawning, that he had immediately impregnated the spawn artificially, and had placed it in the hatching-boxes. This spawn had remained in good condition for some days, but one morning he found that it was all white and dead. I told him that this was caused by the fine mud contained in the Rhine water, which stuck to the lower part of the sieve and finally covered the eggs entirely; in future he should twice a day take off this mud with a brush from the outside of the box, for thus a new current was