Show TUK roias in SHAD of hie U S commissioner thereon on the of december lasta forwarded by express to hon marshall mcdonald the young shad caught in utah lake for identification beyond a peradventure the subjoined sub joined letter fram the commissioner on the subject of intermountain inter mountain shad raising will I 1 think be interesting reading to those wo are interested in this direction I 1 am of the opinion that in view of the fact of utah lako beine almost surrounded with salt marshes the drainage will produce the necessary food in quality and quantity for the healthy development of the shad the same may be said of the bear lake and bear river waters so mote it be A M MUSSER washington D C jan A M ensser esq acting fish commissioner salt lake city DEAR SIR the specimen of shad from utah lake by you reached us safely in good condition by comparion with specimens of the same size in the national museum collection the age of which was not known I 1 am inclined to think the specimen sent is from the lot planted in june last and the size which it hs attained would indicate that the con ifor growth are at least a favorable in the fresh waters tributary to great salt lake as in tho potomac eiver from which the specimens with which comparison was made were taken I 1 think the experiment is successful cess ful as far as demonstrates favorable conditions for the shad during their fresh life before we can consider the acclimation an accod slashed fact it will be necessary to remonstrate emon strate that thero is sufficient life in the salt water to maintain the fish during their occupation of the same I 1 am disposed to think it questionable whether there bo sufficient food supply in the salt water for the growth and maturity of any largo number of shad for the following reasons the great salt alake was undoubtedly once a freshwater fresh water lake and probably inhabited by a fauna and flora similar to that now exhibited in utah lake As it by degrees became salt from the drainage and evaporation only those fresh fre sh water forms existed which were able to stand the extreme alteration in environment viron ment to which sub basin baing of course there was no opportunity for the immigration of salt water life into it when it became adapted to guarantee success it will I 1 think be necessary for us to transfer from the atlantic or pacific coast the marine forms of life which constitute the food of the shad in salt water and with them the marine plants up on which they feed at least during the earlier stages of their existence this will be attempted in conjunction with the shipment of an additional lot of shad to the salt lake basin during the coming season you may rest assured that no effort will be spared to establish all the conditions necessary for the growth and multiplication of the shad in the salt kiako basin very truly yours M mcdoal McDo AU commissioner |