PIKES AND PIKE PERCH 19 
Toward the close of the season of 1899 an experiment was made 
of carrying fry to the planting grounds in a tank on board the 
steamer. The ‘tank held 400 callons, and was therefore equal in 
capacity to forty 10-gallon cans; but it was found in practice that 
a half more fry could be carried in this w ay, with a given amount 
of water, than in cans, as there was a continual stream going in 
through hose connected with a deck pump and out through screened 
siphons, whereas with cans some must stand while the water in 
others is being changed. Moreover, it is impossible to get a maxi- 
mum number of fry in each can, so that some cans are carried with 
fewer fry than they should contain, while experience soon taught 
how many could be handled safely i in the tank. 
The fry were drawn from the fry tanks in the house direct to the 
tank on the steamer through a 1-inch rubber hose acting as a siphon, 
the suction end being held near the air supply, where ‘try collect in 
largest numbers. This required 10 to 15 minutes, while by the old 
method of dipping the fry into tubs and then distributing them into 
the kegs on board it would have taken more than an hour. This 
saving of time is very important when fry are hatching rapidly. 
Another advantage is that by passing the hose about close to the bot- 
tom of the tank nearly all the shells are removed with the fry, thus 
keeping the tanks comparatively clean. Examinations showed that 
the fry were not injured by passing through the hose, which is also 
an advantage over dipping them out with scoops. 
On arriving at the field of planting, the fry and’ water are dis- 
charged through a section of hose about 10 feet long, leading from 
the bottom of the tank. The steamer is kept at a slow speed at the 
time, and the transfer of the fry to the water is accomplished as 
gently, at least, as would be the case in emptying them from kegs. 
Considerable time, as well as much hard work, is saved by. this 
plan, and so far there appears to be no objectionable features in it. 
YELLOW PERCH 
DESCRIPTION AND RANGE 
The yellow perch (Perca flavescens) is one of the best known and 
most abundant fresh-water fishes of the Atlantic and North Central 
States. It is one of the most strikingly marked of our common 
fresh-water fishes, though, like all fishes, it is subject to wide varia- 
tion in color and markings. The general body color is golden yel- 
low, the back greenish, and the belly pale. On the sides six or 
eight dark, broad vertical bars usually extend from the back to 
below the axis of the body, but, as stated, the colors and markings 
are greatly influenced by its environment. Sometimes the yellow 
is very bright, at other times pale; the bars are prominent in cer- 
tain instances and indistinct in others. There is at times a cop- 
pery, reddish, or purple wash on the head and sides. The lower 
fins are largely red or orange, and in breeding males these colors 
frequently are brilliant. Some of the various names by which the 
fish is designated are American perch, raccoon perch, red perch, ring 
perch, and striped perch. It may attain a length of 10 to 14 inches 
