BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 455 



eentage had hatched and died, so that the package smelled " fishy." 

 They were washed and put into water at 34°, and a few of them hatched 

 withiu twenty-four hours. 



I considered it desirable to keep them at the hatchery, if possible, 

 until the ice should be out of Eagle Lake aud the steamers running to 

 Mount Desert. So I continued until April 19 the use of the coldest 

 water at command, which was below 34°. Upon that day the eggs 

 were about half hatched, and I took one 20-gallon can of young fry and 

 went to Mount Desert to make arrangements for the reception of the 

 whole number. I left the hatchery at 6 a. m. and arrived at the lake 

 at 10 p. m. I found it begiuuiug to thaw out around the shores, and 

 turned in the fish all in good order. 



From the 19th to the 2Cth of April the temperature of the water rose 

 to 37° and the rest of the eggs hatched. 



On the 20th, at 7 a. in., we started with all the fry in fourteeu tin cans, 

 and four small casks which had received two coats of shellac upon the 

 inside and were provided with perforated covers. We arrived at the 

 lake at 9 p. m. The fish in the cans were in good condition, but we 

 lost all that were put in the casks. I had no way of ascertaining defi- 

 nitely any of the losses, but up to the time of transportation they were 

 small. I judge that of the 1,000,000 which left Michigan something over 

 700,000 were turned into Eagle Lake in good condition. 



The fry taken down upon the 19th were liberated upon the north 

 side of the lake, about one-fourth of a mile westward from the outlet. 

 Those liberated upon the 26th were taken up the eastern shore in boats 

 as far as the ice permitted and scattered along shore as much as practi- 

 cable, most of them from one-half to three-fourths of a mile from the 

 outlet, aud all upon rocky bottom. 



Portland, Me., June 4, 1883. 



109.-EXPEBIENCE OF A MEXHADEIVOIL MANUFACTURER IN NOR- 

 TIB I llltl !£!, 1\E) COUNTY, VIRGINIA. 



By WIJLJLIAUI K. POLK. 



[From a letter to Prof. S. F. Baird.] 



For the past three years 1 have been engaged in fishing for menha- 

 den to make into oil and guauo or scrap. Last season I had at this 

 place seven sailing gears, and one steamer fishing in the Chesapeake 

 Bay and Atlantic Ocean. 



I had my steamer, the J. W. French, seized by the authorities of 

 Elizabeth City County, Virginia, while fishing last July in the Ches- 

 apeake, although it had a United States fishing license. It was a few 

 miles inside the capes, but several miles south of that county, aud in 

 the waters of Princess Anne County. At the trial the judge confiscated 

 steamer and nets, and I have appealed to the United States courts. 



Faieport, Va., October 12, 1882. 



