REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XXXV 



cars was used during the first four mbutlis of the fiscal year in making 

 collections of marine and fresh-water fishes and transporting the same 

 to the Tennessee Centennial Exposition at Nashville, Tenn., and again 

 during the months of May and June, 1898, in transferring salt-water 

 specimens from Woods Hole, Mass., to Omaha, and fresh-water fishes 

 from Quincy, 111., and other points in the Mississippi Valley. 



Car No. 3 also made two trips from Woods Hole to San Francisco 

 with lobsters, tautogs, and blue crabs, the first in July and the last in 

 December. On tfie return trip of the car in July 350 giant crabs were 

 brought from the Pacific Coast and planted in Pagan Creek, a tributary 

 of the Chesapeake Bay. The car left San Francisco July 31 with 1,100 

 crabs, 600 females and 500 males ; 450 were packed in seaweed in the 

 refrigerator compartment under the car, 550 were placed in transporta- 

 tion tanks, in salt water with air circulation, and 100 in crates packed 

 in grass. On August 1, when the crabs were overhauled, all were dead 

 except those in tanks of aerated water ; up to this time the temf>erature 

 had been maintained at 60°; 36 were lost on August 2, 45 on the 3d, 

 58 on the 4th, and 61 on the 5th ; the temperature had risen from 60° to 

 65°, the average for the period being 62°. Of 350 crabs reaching New- 

 port, Va., 200 were females and 150 males. These were planted, with 

 the cooperation of the officials of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, in 

 Pagan Creek, Isle of Wight County, Virginia. The temperature of the 

 water in which they were liberated was 78°. 



Excellent results were attained on the last trip, in December, over 

 90 per cent of the lobsters reaching the Pacific Coast alive. On previ- 

 ous trips the number reaching the destination in good condition never 

 exceeded 50 per cent, and several times it was as low as 30 per cent. 

 This difference in results is attributed not only to the fact that the trij) 

 was made at a season when a low temperature could be maintained, but 

 also to the difference in the methods of transportation. On November 

 29 the car left Woods Hole with 150 egg-lobsters, packed 5 in a crate, 

 with seaweed. At Boston 98 egg-lobsters and 50 males were taken on 

 and placed in 50-gallon transportation tanks filled with filtered water 

 and constantly supplied with air, 30 being placed in each tank. Those 

 in the crates were taken out every day and dipped into the tanks of 

 salt water and then repacked, the seaweed being sprinkled with salt 

 water twice a day. The loss from December 1 to 5, when the car reached 

 San Francisco, was 27. The average temperature of the water en route 

 was 45°, maximum 50°, and minimum 36°. 



The methods followed in handling the fish were practically the same 

 as before, except in the case of the lobsters. 



Tlie cars traveled during the year 98,964 miles, of which 63,167 miles 

 were free; detached messengers traveled 121,160 miles, of which 33,346 

 were free. Every State and Territory in the Union was visited. No 

 accidents of any importance occurred, and the losses of fish were about 

 the same as usual, less than 2 per cent of the total number handled, 

 including the marine species, where the losses usually vary from 40 to 

 70 per cent on long trips. 



