388 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



are disai)pointing and wlioll}' incommensurate to the (jxpeuditnre in- 

 curred. 



Instances are rare in which substantial or even appreciable results 

 have been obtained by planting young fish just before, or at the time, the 

 absorption of the sac is complete. This is to be attributed to the fact 

 that usually the streams stocked abound in cottoids, darters, and other 

 species of predaceous fish of small size, which pursue and prey upon the 

 helpless young fish so assiduously that few if any escape capture. 



It has been determined, therefore, to retain the young fish at the sta- 

 tions and rear them till they have attained a length of from 4 to C inches, 

 and are, consequently, of such size and vigor as to dominate the waters 

 in which they are placed. The percentage of loss in rearing is, it is true, 

 very considerable, but probably not greater than would occur in open 

 waters not infested by i^redaceous fish ; and, since fish of this size are 

 comparatively exempt from natural casualty, it is probable that one 

 pair of yearling trout will contribute as much towards the stocking of 

 the waters as would a iilant of several thousand fry. 



A beginning in this new direction was made the present season. 

 Rainbow trout, from 4 to 7 inches in length, to the number of 4,664, have 

 been distributed from the ISTorthville and Wytheville Stations. The dis- 

 tribution from Xorthville was made to lakes and other protected waters 

 in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan ; that from Wy tbeville to the headwaters 

 of the Shenandoah, in Augusta County, Virginia, to the tributaries 

 of the Potomac River in Washington County, iMaryland, and to a 

 number of spring-fed cold-water ponds in Maryland, Southwest Virginia, 

 and Tennessee. 



(/) Atlantic salmon {Salmo salar). 



The eggs of this species distributed by the Commission are all fur- 

 nished by the collecting station at Bucksport, Me. The production 

 for the year aggregated 1,251,500, which were distributed as follows : 



To the commissioners of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont 751, 500 



To Cold Spring Harbor, for Delaware and Hudson Rivers 500,000 



Total 1, -251, 500 



{g) ScnooDic or landlocked salmon. 



The station at Grand Lake Stream, Maine, reported 222,000 eggs of 

 this species as available for assignment. These were distributed as fol- 

 lows : 



To tho State commissioners 130,000 



To foreign countries (In exchange) 40, 000 



Transferred to other United States stations 5'2, 000 



Total -222,000 



{h) Brown trout {Salmo fario). 



Three consignments of eggs of the brown trout {Salmo fario) were 

 received from Germany. 



