Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-30

TAKING YOUNG COD TO THE GULF REGION
HOW THE EGGS ARE HATCHED-THE CoNDI
TONS WHICH HAVE TO BE oBsERvED-How
THE LITTLE FISK ARE SHIPPED.
"Give me a wash-tub," said Col. Marshal Nc
Donald, of the fish commission, "and can hatch
out two million young cod from the eggs at an
expense of about four dollars" This remark
was made yesterday while THE STAR reporter
was inspecting the huge TASKS or jars In which
the young cod brought from Woods Holl, Mass,
for shipment to Florida, were swimming about
The little cod, which were about an eighth OF
an inch long, were very active In the sea water,
which filled the glass Jars. They did not look
much like the cod which the inlander is accus-
toned to see hanging up in the corner grocery.
At some distance from the jar each little cod
looked something like tiny string OF minute
see that there was q transparent tissue in the
form of fish, and the bead-like appearance
was caused by a series Of dark bands
opinion the two most important works now
being conducted by the fish commission are the
with the shad In the Colorado river and that
which is to be made with the cod In the gulf
region. The halfmillion young cod received
There they viii be taken aboard q revenue
steamer and carried out to sea a distance OF
twenty-five miles to the edge OF the cold deep
water basin, where they will be deposited.
WHAT COD WANT.
The Gods habitat is the cold water Of the sea.
Col. Macdonald said to = STAR reporter that
the water Of the Gulf Of Mexico, where it Is
proposed TO deposit the cod, was as cold as that
of the Gulf Of Maine. AS to food, the cod will
Recently one caught by English fishermen was
found to have in its stomach q flask of brandy.
The flask was unhroken and the brandy was In
good condition. At the Woods Holl station,
which heretofore has been largely devoted to
the purely scientific work of the fish commits
sion, experiments TO ascertain the practicable
n Cnd cation have hoop
since 1879. 1t has been deemed Of great i'm
portance to devise some means OF replenishing
cod were planted off the Massachusetts shore
in 1879. The eggs were taken from the bank
cod, which is easily distinguished by fishermen
Within the last few years cod have been taken
inshore which are different from the school cod
and are supposed TO be the cod deposited in
1879. To these cod the fishermen have given
the name Of the fish commission school,"
HOW THE COD ARE HATcHED.
Various devices have been experimental
with in Matching cod, but the success has not
been great until the present season. The habits
Of the young cod, and the limitations put upon
them by nature have been closely studied. II
was soon discovered that the vertical motion
made by stirring the water must be avoided.
= Sa1 es Is ia Se wth tSs
onic disc down. This is natures provision for
keeping the egg in about the same position. To
stir the water about violently disturbs the eggs
and violates the conditions nature has imposed.
Col. Mcdonald devised plan for providing a
gentle rising and falling movement OF the
water like the moving Of q tide. This motion
is secured by having = siphon in the Matching
tub or trough, SO arranged that when the tub Is
filled by the faucet that supplies IL up 70 GER
tain level the siphon draws the water on,
slowly reducing il TO q lower level. Then the
tub fills again to the higher level, and the pro-
cess is repeated automatically. This principle
is the one on which the Matching apparatus de-
vised by Capt. Chester, superintendent OF the
Woods Holf station, Ii based. II has been
found also that all metals must be excluded
from the trough. Experiments made with
metal screens in the tubs were found 70 be I'M
successful. When cotton screens were substi-
tuted the experiments were successful
SHIPPED IN COLD WATER
The young cod are shipped In salt sea water,
which Ii kept at a. low q temperature as pos
sible by using ice to cool the jars. The areas Of
cold water in the ocean, IL has been observed,
are movable, returning, however, so - 70
cover certain localities az stated periods. The
cod move with these areas. From observations
made at the cod fisheries IL is estimated that IL
requires i've or six years for q cod TO get its
growth. Col Mcdonald said 70 THE STAR 10
porter that the ability OF the commission 70
hatch and ship young cod was limited only BY
the din1culty OF securing eggs, but be thought
they could get enough eggs for their purpose
He was satiBned the cod could be transported
successtuily 70 any part q the e. country; and
I'm tho PAcinc.
HOLDING THEIR HEADS Or.
DR.. Ryder, in describing recent oxporiments