164 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



I began work with five assistants, only one of the number having ever 

 seen a shad egg taken before ; but after a short time, in which I explained 

 the modus operandi of shad-stripping, by going through the process with 

 a ripe shad in the presence of those who had no knowledge of (he work, 

 they became familiar with the method and lost no eggs that came in 

 their reach. 



While I was aware of the small number of fish released in comparison 

 with our necessities and the work accomplished by other States, yet, in 

 view of all the surroundings and the amount of money expended, the 

 season's work was highly gratifying*, and a reasonable hope may be en- 

 tertained that we will be able in a few years to increase the capacity 

 of this station, so that the Edisto may be abundantly stocked and ship- 

 ments made to other rivers. A few fishermen make their appearance 

 on the river the latter part of January, and by the 15th of February they 

 are all at their accustomed localities and the season is in full blast, and 

 continues till the first week in April, when the shad become scarce and 

 the gar-fish so numerous and destructive to the nets that the fishermen 

 are compelled to abandon further operations and surrender the river to 

 them. Their work of destruction is so sure and well-known that it has 

 become a custom among the fishermen to raise a white flag over their 

 camps when these fish appear — which is a signal of surrender — and in 

 a few days' time they are abandoned. I opened the hatching-house here 

 about the first of March and ordered the "McDonald automatic glass 

 hatching jar"; but, owing to delays at the manufacturer's, I did not re- 

 ceive them till late in the season, and so had to use the tin cans that 

 were on hand. 



After the receipt of the jars the percentage of eggs hatched was much 

 better, and had I begun the season with them the number of fish re- 

 leased would have been greater. We are indebted to Colonel Mc- 

 Donald, of Virginia, the inventor, for this jar, which far surpasses any 

 other apparatus for shad-hatching that fish-culturists have yet known. 



9'8.— REPORT OIV CAf^IFORIVIA TROUT DISTREBIJTIOIV M!S SOUTH 



(AROL.IIVA IIV 1SS3. 



By C. J. HUSKE, 



Superintendent of Fish and Fisheries. 



'Dn application to Professor Baird for a supply of California trout 

 eggs, he sent me 5,000 eggs from the trout hatchery on McCloud 

 Eiver, California. I had previously prepared two temi^orary hatching- 

 troughs in the department building at Columbia for their reception. 

 They came to hand on the 8th of March, and, being engaged at the shad 

 station, I was compelled to intrust them to the care of a novice, after 

 having carefully unpacked and planted them in the troughs and devot- 



