54 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



they are, to the growth of the fish, will doubtless jield a fair average 

 or result. The land-locked salmon — a favorite variety of fish — is also 

 bred in large numbers and distributed for the most part in lakes in the 

 States mentioned, as also in Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, and other por- 

 tions of the West. 



The economical importance of the whitefish of the Great Lakes is 

 fully recognized by the Commission, and the measures begun a few 

 years ago to multiply it have been largely expanded during the year. 



The State of Michigan has been the seat of operations in this direc- 

 tion, and the work is in charge of Frank N. Clark, at North ville, Mich. 

 To this station for several years the eggs collected in the adjacent lakes 

 have been brought, and developed to a degree — either hatched out 

 entirely or prepared for shipment to other points. During 1882 a second 

 station was established at Alpena, Mich., and about 70,000,000 of eggs 

 collected in the two establishments. These are now in process of hatch- 

 ing, and while a considerable number will be distributed to various 

 parts of the United States, by far the greater portion will be planted in 

 Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, where they cannot but ex- 

 ercise a material influence upon the supply. 



The California trout has also received the attention of the Commission. 

 The idea of multiplying it in the East was first suggested by Mr. Seth 

 Green, of the New York commission, who several years ago took a 

 number of the fish to Caledonia Spring, from California, and has since 

 been distributing them in behalf of the State. As the benefits of this 

 work were confined to the State of New York, it was thought best for the 

 Commission to extend them, and several years ago a station was estab- 

 lished on the McCloud River, a few miles from the California salmon 

 station, and sub-stations were also started in connection with the estab- 

 lishment of Mr. Clark at North ville, and at the Virginia State hatchery 

 at Wytheville. By this means of multiplication it is expected that large 

 numbers of the eggs and young fish will in time be available for dis- 

 tribution. 



The special merits of the California trout consist in its rapid growth 

 and in its ability to resist extremes of temperature which would be fatal 

 to the ordinary brook trout. 



Very little beyond experimental work was done with the codfish in 

 1882. At the suggestion of Mr. E. G. Blackford, of New York, an effort 

 was made to utilize the living spawn of cod brought into the Fulton 

 Market during the late autumn and winter; but the impurity of the 

 water of East River was such as to render it impossible to carry on the 

 work on a large and successful scale. A considerable number of eggs, 

 however, were taken and fertilized, and the fish in large part planted in 

 the Chesapeake Bay as an experiment in stocking that body of water. 

 As soon as the hatching station at Wood's HoU is completed, it is pro- 

 posed to I esume this work on a very extensive scale by catching the 

 nearly ripe fish and placing them in basins at the station until they are 



