PUBLIC DOCUMENT --No. 25. 33 



supply of eggs is positively assured, as appears most likely from 

 the California experiments, we expect to ask for another appro- 

 priation with which to establish such a hatchery. 



BLACK BASS. 



The black bass is perhaps ounce for ounce the gamiest of our 

 game fishes, and affords the fisherman great pleasure. The 

 popularity of the black bass is steadily growing, and demand 

 for them for stocking our inland waters is increasing each year. 

 Of all our game fishes they are the most prolific under natural 

 conditions, but the success of their propagation depends entirely 

 upon the impregnation of the eggs and weather conditions, par- 

 ticularly sudden changes in temperature. The present closed 

 season, good in itself, should be further extended from June 20 

 to July 1, when the great majority of the spawning fish will 

 have laid their eggs. 



At the Palmer Hatchery the number of hatchery ponds for 

 rearing and breeding bass is being increased as fast as facilities 

 and appropriations will permit. It is the general policy of the 

 Commission to stock only those ponds in which black bass are 

 already present. During the past season seven great ponds on 

 Marthas Vineyard were stocked with black bass and wall-eyed 

 pike, to the decided approval of the local sportsmen. The 

 ponds stocked were Chilmark, Great Homer's, Watcha, Edgar- 

 town Great Pond, Tashmoo Lake, Oyster Pond and Tisbury 

 Great Pond. 



TROUT. 



The work of stocking the smaller streams with brook, and 

 to a lesser extent the large streams and ponds with rainbow, 

 trout has been successfully carried on. More fingerlings than 

 ever have been distributed in all parts of the State, to the 

 intense satisfaction of the fishermen. The results in many 

 brooks selected after a preliminary survey are being followed 

 with keen interest. At the present time the Commission has 

 on file a report on practically every stream in the Common- 

 wealth as regards its physical characteristics, location and the 

 species of native fish, as well as those artificially introduced. 

 While there are good arguments in favor of distributing trout 

 fry, our aim is to put out as many fingerlings as we have fa- 



