160 BULLETIN OP THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION 



as this was unsuccessful, on account of the warm weather and the heat 

 radiated from the boiler, I had the pumping continued, with short in- 

 tervals, from a. in. to 10 p. m., and during the last week through the 

 night also. In this way the water in the reservoir, as well as in the 

 apparatus, was kept cooler, because it was not exposed so long to the 

 warm air. 



Now there was an improvement. On the 7th of August the first fully 

 hatched youug lobsters made their appearance in the boxes, and from 

 that time until August 21, when the work ceased, some hatched out, as 

 a rule, every day. The young were lively and disported themselves 

 freely iu the water, but seldom lived longer than a few days. I do not 

 know what was the cause of this, but I believe it was want of food, since 

 the water was filtered before it was introduced into the apparatus. 



Flodevio Hatching Establishment, 



September 4, 1884. 



Postscript. — After my report of operations of the hatching estab- 

 lishment during the present year was delivered, I had an opportunity 

 of informing myself more fully about a circumstance which is intimately 

 connected with the same, and which I cannot omit to mention, since it 

 furnishes rather satisfactory proof that the results of hatching are al- 

 ready beginning to appear. 



On the 9th of September the fishermen living here set a so-called 

 mat-net (fine-meshed net) to catch young herring for bait. When this 

 was hauled I examined the catch, to discover if possible young cod of 

 the year, and found therein, to my great delight, a score of these fish, 

 measuring 2£ to 4 inches in length. Afterwards I examined the bot- 

 tom alongshore with a water telescope, and saw plenty of young cod 

 of the above-named size, a phenomenon which I had not observed be- 

 fore, although I have lived in the place eighteen years. Iu order to 

 increase my knowledge of the matter, I inquired of the fishermen to what 

 extent they had previously observed young cod in the catch of the mat- 

 nets, but obtained the uniform answer that this was the first occurrence 

 of the kind to their knowledge. A very old fisherman stated, however, 

 that he had often seen such young cod " in the olden days," which is 

 not surprising, because the number of cod along the coast at that time 

 was considerable. 



The young flounders, which were seen in large numbers previously 

 during the summer, have within the last four to six weeks entirely dis- 

 appeared. Probably they now frequent the bottom in sand areas, where 

 it is difficult to discover them. I shall, however, direct attention to 

 them also after the autumn, in order to obtaiu, if possible, more definite 

 information concerning their development and their habits during the 

 first year of their existence. 



Flodevig, September 15, 1884. 



