100 



REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



August 21, when they were transferred to another similar car, which,, 

 however, had a canvas lining. Here they have continued to live until 

 the date of writing (September 19, 1908). There has been no evidence 

 of mortality of any kind during the experiment, although little atten- 

 tion has been given to the feeding, and the fry have had to depend 

 upon the living pelagic food which entered with the water from the 

 chain of buckets. 



From the time of hatching to the transference of the fry to another 

 car, specimens were taken out daily and preserved. The average 

 daily measurements are here given: 



Mm. 



July 26 3 . 85 



July 27 4 . 86 



July 29 5.82 



July 31 6.21 



August 1 6.90 



August 2 7.19 



August 3 7 . 68 



Mm. 



August 4 7.90 



August 5 7.70 



August 6 7 . 76 



August 7 8 . 32 



Augusts 8.00 



August 9 7.98 



August 10 8.23 



Mm. 



August 11 8.22 



August 12 8.80 



August 13 9.20 



August 14 8.77 



August 15 9.30 



On the afternoon of July 27, a portion of the eggs which had re- 

 mained unhatched in the experiment thus described were transferred 

 to another similarly rigged rearing car (known as S 4), and these eggs 

 hatched within the next day or two. The measurements of specimens 

 taken daily from this new car compare in an interesting way with those 

 given in the previous table. Although they came from the same 

 batch of eggs, and differed only in being .slightly younger, they grew 

 more rapidly than the first lot and soon so far outstripped those in 

 the original car that the difference was noticed upon casual observa- 

 tion. 



This difference was doubtless due to the fact that the second lot had 

 more to eat because there were fewer specimens in the car, for, as we 

 have said, the fry had to depend for their food upon the pelagic fauna. 

 By towing in these cars with a small bolting cloth net the absence of 

 copepods and larval animals was conspicuous, especially when com- 

 pared with the towings taken from a neighboring control car which was 



