action of the legislature of New Hampshire, seconded by that of the
neighboring state of Massachusetts, having in view primarily the
fisheries of the Merrimack and Connecticut Rivers. The course of the
Merrimack lies wholly within the states of New Hampshire and
Massachusetts; that of the Connecticut lies partly in the state of
Connecticut, and many of its tributaries are in the state of Vermont.
These two states were therefore early interested in the project, and
their action soon led to similar exertions on the part of Rhode Island
and Maine. Within the borders of the six states mentioned, collectively
known as "New England," are all of the rivers of the United States
known to have been frequented by the sea-going _Salmo salar_, with the
possible exception of certain rivers, tributary to the Saint Lawrence,
in the northern part of New York.

The governments of these states having appointed boards of
commissioners to whom was confided the task of restocking the exhausted
rivers, other states, one after another, adopted like measures, and in
1872 the United States Government established a commission to inquire
into the condition and needs of the fisheries in general, with
authority to take steps for the propagation of food fishes.

The New England commissioners turned their attention at once to the two
most important of their migratory fishes, the salmon and the shad. The
utter extermination of salmon from most of their rivers compelled them
to consider the best mode of introducing them from abroad.

Agents were sent to the rivers of Canada, where for several years they
were permitted to take salmon from their spawning beds, and some
hundreds of thousands of salmon eggs were thus obtained and hatched
with a measure of success. After a few seasons permits for such