426
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��station at Fort Washingion. and some of the Potomac fisblng-shore*. Col. McDoDalil, in cliarge of the 6ali- batchlng alation, displayed the apparstiis for, and explained the process of, hatching shad and herrinj; eggs at all the various Btagea. After the roe U taken from the flih and cleaned, it is put into gloss tauks, through which the water is allowed to Bow con- stantly. About forty-eight bouri are required to hatch out the eggs. A shad a day old looks like a bair with two black spots attached to the end. When two days old, the; measure about one-fourth of an Inch In length. In twelve days the whole body is distinguishable. The spawn are not, as a rule, kept at this hatching-station more than thirty-six hours; at the end of which time, just prevloiiE to hatching, Cbe eggs are placed in crates, and brought to the prin- cipal station at the armory building, near the national museoin, where the linal stages of Incubation occur. The commission has this year hatched five million shad-e^s. The herring yield has been much larger, as the catch of this fish in the Potomac has been nn- usually abundant; nor are so many eggs of the her- ring destroyed during the process of hatchiug as of shad. The commission employs eighteen men at Fort Washington, who are constantly kept busy pre- paring the spawn and eggs for transportation. The day before the party visited this station, sixty thou- sand shad-eggs were taken. After the hatching pro- cess bad been explained to the visitors, they were summoned to refreshments, wblcb had been provided in one of the frame buildings belonging to the com- mission. The principal dish was 'planked' shad. By this process four Rah are fastened to a board, and held towards a, hot fire. Whilst cooking, the Qsh are constantly basted wltli a preparation made of butter, salt, and other Ingredients. At a meeting on board the vessel, the commissioner of agriculture made some remarks on Bsh-culiure in the west, and Col. Marshall McDonald offered an address on our fishing Interests in general, and the work of the society in particular. The following officers were elected tor the present year. President, Col, Marshall McDonald, Washing- Ion. Vice-president, Dr. William M. nudaoii, Hart- ford, Conn. Treasurer, Eugene Q. Blackford, New York. Corresponding secretary, W. V. Cox, Ohiu. Keoordlng secretary, Fred. Mather, New York, Ex- ecutive committee, O. Brown Goode, Washington; P. L. May, Fremont, Neb.; Roland Redmond, New York; J. A. Henshall, Cynthlana, Ey.; Frank N. Clark, North ville, Mich.; S, G. Worth, Raleigh. N.C.; Oeorge Shepard Page, Stanley, N.J.
��INLAND NAVIGATION OF EUROPE.'
Thb lower parts of the chief rivers of the United Kingdom are mostly arms of the sea, navigable at high water by ships of the largest burden. The prin- cipal waterway, the Thames, is navigable for about 194 miles, and is united by means of a grand network of canals with the Solent, the Severn, the Mersey, the InrabyBlrC. A. HikHTLET before llic tnitllullun
���llumber, and the Trent, being tlins In direct munication not only with the English and Irish' channels, but also with every inland town of impor- tance south of the Tees. The estimated lengtb of inland waterways in the United Kingdom is 5,442 miles, which has been constructed at a cost of £10,- 145.8(«l.
Russia's principal highway is the Volga, the largest river In Eun)pe, which affords, with its tributArI«a, 7,200 miles of navigation. Bitherto no permanent works have been undertaken to improve the navi- gation of the Volga, but dredging has been resorted to In the lower part of the stream; and recently a system of scraping by Iron barrows has been employed. which has doubled the depth of water over certain shoals in a few days. Otiier Important water com- munications in Russia are the Caspian; the River Don, U80 miles in length; and the Dnieper, with a course of 1,000 miles. Of secondary rivers, the Bii,£, the Dniester, the Diina, and the Neva are all navigable. In the case of the latter short but roost important means of communication, a maritime canal 18 miles in length has recently been completed touniteCronstadt> with SL Petersburg. About OOil miles of canal hAv* been constructed in European Russia. lu most stances they have been built to connect Iba hi waters of rivers which had their outlets at upposlu extremities of the continent.
Sweden abounds with lakes; butnoneof the rivet* are navigable except those which have lieen maile m artificially, nearly all of them being obstructed by cataracts and rapids. Nevertheless, Sweden possesses remarkable facilities for internal navigation during the seven months that the country is free from lea, Intercourse being carried on by means at a series of lakes, rivers, and bays connected by more than 800 miles of canals.
Germaiiy owns parts of seven river- valleys, and ' three loi^e coaslr^treams. Of these, the Weaer to the only one which belongs wholly to Gertnanf,. white of the Danube but one-flftb part runs tbrou^ her territory. The inland navigation of Germanj Im- of the most advanced character, an Immense t being carried on by means of barges and rafta, the cose of the Elbe, the system of towing by merged cable has taken a large development. early as ISUO chain-tugs were running on SOT its course; and In 1874 this mode of traction BO increased that there were then twenty-eight running regularly between Hamburg and Ai These tugs are LIS to 150 feet iojig, H feet wide, 18 inches draught. On the upper Elbe the avfli tow Is from four to eight large barges, and, lal the Ice into consideration, there are about three ' dred towlng-days In the year. Although Germaqf' possesses a length of nearly 17,000 miles of navlglMS rivers, or more than double the combined length tt the navigable streams of the United lUngdom sad: France, it cannot be said to be rich in canals. South Germany the Regnllz and Ludwig caAi from the Main at Bamberg to the Danube, wet« only ones of importance until the annexation AUacc-Lorraine.
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