BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 363 



lost if it w;is iH)t twketi by tlic fi)lIt;(;tors of tlie station, iiupreguatetl, 

 and batched. One need only to see the bay studded with the lights of 

 the lishing boats ou a night in IMay to convince him that but for tlie Com- 

 uiission's work very few lish could come from eggs naturally deixisited. 

 But, large as was the Commission's force last year, 1 am satislied that 

 not over oue-halfof the ripe lish taken in the bay by tishermcu were 

 stripi)ed by its collectors, as they could not possibly attend to all. 



It is fairly demonstrated by this season's work that collecting from 

 gillers produces a better result than, hauling the Commission's seine. 

 Two or 3 men can secure as many ripe hsh from gillers in a day as 

 30 men would secure if employed in hauling the seine. Moreover, 

 hauling the seine by the emi)loyees of the station necessarily involves 

 the Fish Commission in the care and disposal of the fish taken, while 

 it seems to antagonize the fishermen, aud is an unnecessary cost. With 

 a good run of lish in the coming year, if the collecting force is doubled 

 and their work thoroughly vsystematized, perhaps double the number of 

 eggs secured last season can be obtained during 1887. The collection of 

 eggs in 18SG was stimulated also by giving small rewards to those 

 gathering the greatest amount of good spawn. 



Penning suad. — Out of a large number of shad full of roe, but not 

 ripe at the time of introduction, which were placed in the pool aud kept 

 for a space of time ranging from a few days to 2 weeks, not one ever 

 ]noduccd eggs that would hatch, though apparently ripe when stripped. 

 It would seem that ])Ossibly the fright at being taken in the net, or of 

 continement in the i)Ool, luevents the eggs from further development. 

 All of the lish [)laced in the pool become more or less diseased after a 

 short time, which may be due partly to the muddy bottom. This in- 

 teresting exi)eriment has hitherto met with such small success as to 

 warrant its being droi)ped hereafter. 



Hekeing. — Ilerriug were taken continually aud sometimes in such 

 (juantities as to retard the hauling of the seines. No account was ke[)t 

 of them, as they were considered valueless in most cases, and they were 

 shoveled back dead into the river or allowed to escape through the 

 large meshes before comjdetely hauling in the seine. 



KoCKiasH OR STRIPED BASS. — Experiments were made in hatching 

 the eggs of the rockfish, the greatest snccess being obtained by swing- 

 ing a cylinder with gauze ends in a sluice-way through which a current, 

 caused by the tide, coustantly flowed. It appears, however, that even 

 with very line gauze the eggs in a certain state are forced through. 

 Owing to want of time, caused by i)ressure of other matters, sutlicient 

 attention could not be devoted to these experiments, aud most of the 

 eggs taken were lost. In all, 000,000 rockfish eggs were taken, and 

 75,000 fry were shipped to Lake Ontario, nepr Oswego, N. Y.* 



Washington, D. C, Decemher 20, 1880. 



• For notice of their successful plantiug, see F. C. Bulletin for 1886, p. 137. 



