Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-08
FISH EGGS AND FRY
Vast Increase in the Usefulness Of
the Fish Commission.
SUMMARY OF TIE YEARS. WORK
interesting Points in the Report Of
Commissioner Brice.
PROGRESS IN ALL DIRECTIONS

United States Fish Commissioner John ].
Brice has submitted to the President
summary of the work accomplished by the
United States commission of fish and fish,
cries since the submission of his last report
to President Cleveland, December /, 1896.
1t is all Interesting document, and shows
the wonderful advancement obtained in the
results of the work under Commissioner
Brlces direction.
The commissioner states that at the time
of his last report the cod spawning season
OH the Atlantic coast had just opened, and
operations were being conducted, as usual,
at the Gloucester and Woods Hole stations.
Massachusetts,. auxiliary stations being
established at K:ttery Point, Maine, and at
DUxbury. Mass, for the collection of eggs
from fish captured by the commercial fish
ermen. AS a result of the seasons opera
TORS. 1So,0OO.0O0 eggs were collected, from
which 9S.00O,000 fry were liberated on the
natural spawning grounds along the coast
of Massachusetts. The results secured were
40,O0O.UOO in excess of the previous year.
Attention is particularly called to the
method adopted of planting the fry on their
natural spawning grounds, instead of lib
Grating them, as heretofore, IN the imme-
,ilate vicinity of the stations, where less
favorable conditions OF food, temperature,
etc, prevailed.
At the completion of the cod work the
propagation of the fat-fish (winter found
err was undertaken at Woods Hole. Mass,
on a scale much larger than heretofore, as
evidenced by an output of over "a OOOO 900
of fry from total collection of 10000 900
eggs-69, 100000 in excess of the previous
year.
Success in Lobster ropaSati1n.
To further extend the propagation of the
lobster, the most important crustacean in
the waters of the United States, which is
now rapidly decreasing, the report states it
was arranged not only to cover the region
in the vicinity of Woods Hole and Glouces-
ter, but also to make systematic collections
from fishermen operating on the entire
coast between Rockland Me-, and Noank
Conn. The schooner Grampus was utilized
on the Maine coast for the collection OF
eggs and the liberation of fry, and the
steamer Fish Hawk was employed as a
floating hatchery at Casco bay. Agents
We're stationed at Kittery. Me-; Boston,
Plymouth and New Bedford, Mass. and at
points in Connecticut, who collected the
egg Holsters, and held them in live boxes
until called for by launches. and vessels
from the Gloucester and Woods Hole sta
items. As result of this extension of the
work, Notwithstanding the poor catch. over
12soo.oo0 eggs were secured producing
IIhooo,ooO ryan increase of 10000 600
over the number obtained the preceding
year.
During the spring and summer particular
attention was paid to the food, habits and
growth of the young lobster, and much
valuable information was obtained at
Woods Hole, where extensive experiments
We're conducted in tile holding of the fry
during the larval stages. The experiments
indicate that, under natural conditions the
young lobster is much less a cannibal than
% fntr 1te-f 1lJ1
when natural food is not available There
is every reason to doubt whether it lives
Tor the most part at the surface of the
water observations have shown the
young as often at the bottom and at the
middle depth of the aquarium as at the
surface. Reports from various sections
along the coast of Massachusetts show
that young Holsters are abundant: often
from ten to twenty from 2 to 4 inches in
length have been coun1 in n single trap
The number caught during the past season
Is unprecedented. and the abundance is
credited to the plants made by this COM
mission. There is every reason to believe
that II the work is continued on the same
scale as in the past few years this dec.in-
Ing fishery will be fully re-established.
Observation of the shad
During the winter, to test the value
for shad propagation of certain rivers
along the South Atlantic coast" says the
commissioner, prior to the establishment
of auxiliary hatcheries, as outlined in my
last report, the steamer Fish Hawk was
stationed in February and March on the
st. Johns river. Careful observations on
the movements, food and growth of the
young shad in various streams along the
Atlantic coast were made by scientific as
sistants- in March the steamer proceeded
north to Albemarle sound, where work
was undertaken at the mouth of the
ChoWan river, with such favorable results
that over 27,O00,O00 shad eggs were COL
lected- This, with the collections on the
potomac, Susquehanna and Delaware NV
ers, made an aggregate of over 2o3 900 O;O
Tor the seasons work, an increase of 3d.
oUo,OoO over the year preceding. With the
reimbursement of auxiliary stations at a
lew points along the Atlantic coast there
Is little doubt, after this years experience
tnat the work can be largely increased
Lake Fish, Salmon and Trout.
The lake fisheries have also received par
ticular attention, and although, owing to
restrictive legislation, the field for the col
lection of lake trout and whitefish eggs has
been confined TO Lakes Superior, Erie and
Ontario, a larger collection than i'm the
past Is anticipated. as arrangements have
been made. in addition to the usual meth
90, 10 pen several thousand adult white
fish In Lake Erie, with a view to stocking
the hatcheries in the upper lakes
Arrangements have also been made for
increasing the collection of the land-locked
salmon by the opening of an additional
station on Grand Lake stream, Me- Owing
to the partial failure in the catch of At
lantic salmon during the past spring, when
the brood fish were collected for the fall
work, 1t is doubtful whether the collec-
tons this years will exceed 100000
The trout stations in the various sec
tons of the country have made fair collec-
tons of eggs. and though the season is not
as yet sufficiently advanced for definitely
determining the output, there is little
doubt that all past seasons Will be exceed
ed. During the spring and fall the usual
distributions of yearl;ng bass and crappia
were made and a car load of tautog was
sent to the Pacific and planted OFF the Far
alone Islands.
Work of Auxiliary Stations.
The system of auxiliary stations inaugu-
rated on the Pacific coast last year for
increasing the output of salmon has been
further extended, so that the collections
this season will probably double the pbe-
nomenal take of last year. Operations are
now being conducted at the Baird, Battle
Creek and Fort CASTOR stations, Califor-
mia; on the Clackamas, Rogue and Salmon
rivers In Oregon, and on the Little White
Salmon river In Washington. The results