164 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



cars at the Wickford Experiment Station from about June 15th to 

 July 1st, from a dozen to fifty specimens are found ranging from 2-5 

 to 4-5 inch (10 to 21 mm.) in length. In July and August specimens 

 ranging from 1 J to 5 inches are abundant near the shore. It is prob- 

 able that these specimens were from spawn hatched at the beginning 

 of the season. 



On July 13, 1907, at Railroad Wharf, Wickford, in the seine, were taken 

 fifteen specimens about If inches (ranging around 40 mm.) ; July 17, Wil- 

 low Beach, seine, specimens three inches long; July 15, 1906, Cornelius 

 Island, specimens three inches long; July 28, 1908, nineteen specimens 

 were taken in a seine, ranging from 1 1-5 to 2 3-5 inches (30 to 60 mm.), 

 averaging 47.3 mm.; August 8, 1908, five specimens, 3| inches long 

 (120 mm., 110 mm., 102 mm., 92 mm., 92 mm), were taken at Cornelius 

 Island; and specimens 2 1-5 to 3 3-5 inches (55 mm., 90 mm.), were 

 taken at the same place in a seine on the tenth of August. On the 

 twentieth of August, 1908, at Cornelius Island, seine, specimens 

 4 3-5 to 5 2-5 inches (119 mm.; 114 mm.; 119 m.; 129 mm; 136 mm.) 

 were taken. 



Metamorphosis takes place in the early part of June at Woods Hole, and 

 at the end of August they reach three inches (75 mm.) in length (Wil- , 

 liams, loc. cit.). 



In the early part of the year specimens from four to six or eight inches ar6 

 often taken in the traps and fyke nets. Probably these are fish of the 

 preceding season (one year old). 



April 16, 1906, a few young specimens about six inches long, including 

 many four inches long and upwards, were taken in a trap at Dutch 

 Island Harbor. 



The spawning fishes which are taken in fyke nets in the early spring 

 (March and April), and which are eight to twelve inches in length, are 

 probably three years old. The very large specimens which are taken 

 in deep water in beam-trawls (East Passage of Narragansett Bay) are 

 probably four years or older. 



In spring of 1910, at the Experiment Station, several hundred fry were 

 successfully reared through metamorphosis. The data regarding the 

 experiment has been furnished by W. E. Sullivan: 



" In a filter car (Mead, 1908), without paddle, were placed, on March 26, 

 a considerable number of artificially fertilized eggs. These hatched 

 April 12. On May 14 these were between 6 and 7 mm. in length. 

 May 28 the average length was 6.5 mm., and the depth 3 mm.; they 

 ranged from 5 to 8 m. in length, and from 2.5 to 4.8 in dej)th. 



