48 COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE PROPAGATION OF MARINE FISHES. 



In view of our financial straits, the winter flounder was the only 

 fish propagated in 1911. A few minor experiments were conducted 

 in retaining and feeding certain young fishes, but no noteworthy 

 results were obtained. 



THE WINTER FLOUNDER. 



As was anticipated in last year's report, the propagation of this 

 species was carried out on a large scale in 1911. While we did not 

 accomplish all that was desired, still some headway has been made in 

 inexpensive methods of incubating the eggs in large quantities. Over 

 one hundred million eggs were hatched, with a result of about eighty 

 per cent. Of this eighty million a large number were reared through 

 the transition period. It is hoped another year to greatly improve 

 and extend this department of work. 



In obtaining the eggs, artificial fertilization has been abandoned 

 and the more natural Norwegian method of allowing the fish to spawn 

 naturally in cars has been adopted. This latter method gives much 

 the best results, sometimes yielding over 98 per cent, of good eggs, 

 while 80 per cent, is good average results from artificial fertilization. 



