PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 192 8 369 



in pound nets. More than 35,000,000 wbitefish eggs were collected, and almost 

 20,000,000 fry were distributed. The State fish car assisted during the spring 

 in distributing the station stock of wbitefish and lake trout. In collecting the 

 eggs the State employees acted as messengers, delivering the eggs to rail points, 

 and a much more expeditious delivery was efliected in this way. A shipment 

 of pike-i)erch eggs from Bay City, Mich., was received in such bad condition 

 that virtually none hatched. Twenty-five thousand steelhead eggs were 

 received in June, and the resulting fry were on hand at the close of the year. 

 Minor improvements were made to the station property, and a new storage 

 building was built. 



Put in Bay (Ohio) Station 

 (David Davies, Superintendent) 



No extensive improvements or alterations were made to the station plant. 

 Painting, replanking the wharf, constructing a septic tank, and making exten- 

 sive repairs on the steamer Sliearwater were among the most important items. 

 The propagation of wbitefish was marked by the smallest number of eggs col- 

 lected in recent years. The field stations at North Bass, Middle Bass, Put in 

 Bay, Catawba Island. Port Clinton, and Toledo were opened, but the catch of 

 fish was limited. While unfavorable weather prevailed during part of the 

 season, weather conditions as a whole were not a great handicap, and no cause 

 other than scarcity of fish can be assigned for the shortage. Wbitefish seem 

 to have left this end of the lake. The collections totaled 104,000,000 eggs, and 

 all of the resulting fish were planted as fry. The spring pike-perch work was 

 much more successful, and an abundance of fish was reported. The first eggs 

 were received on April 8 and, while unfavorable weather was encountered, 

 almost 500,000,000 eggs were obtained. As usual, the percentage of hatch 

 was low, running around 33. Yellow perch were handled also, but the fisher- 

 men did not furnish many eggs of this species. About 4,000,000 eggs were put 

 in wire baskets floating near the hatchery, and about 90 per cent of them 

 hatched. The carp work in the Port Clinton field during the spring failed 

 because eggs were secured from June 12 to June 25 only, and then only in 

 very small numbers. The fishermen did not take many fish in their nets, and 

 it is probable that high water permitted the fish to enter the creeks, where 

 they could not be reached by nets. The usual collections of adult smallmouth 

 black bass for brood stock at other stations of the bureau were made during the 

 spring. 



Cape Vincent (N. Y.) Station 

 (J. P. Snyder, Superintendent) 



The most important improvements made were the construction of a new 

 garage and the replacement of defective timbers in the dock. Work was 

 started on a large bass pond on property owned by the bureau near the station. 

 Due to the fact that the work M'as begun very late in the season and that there 

 was a shortage of funds, the work planned was not completed. A pipe line 

 was laid from the hatchery to the site of the future water supply. The 

 engines in the boat Curlew were replaced by a Diesel power plant, and extensive 

 repairs and alterations were made. 



The lake-trout work was highly successful, and the number of eggs taken 

 was virtually double that of any preceding year. The success was due partly 

 to the penning of over 400 females at Carlton Island and Stony Island until 

 their eggs ripened. The run of fish was normal, but favorable weather helped 

 the spawn takers to collect 5,700.000 eggs. Some of the eggs were of verj^ high 

 quality, and after deducting 500,000 eggs shipped away there were hatched 

 3,220,160 fry. The number of wbitefish eggs taken again dropped below the 

 previous season's figures, the total number taken amounting to about 25,500,000. 

 The collecting season was marked by a small run of fish and unfavorable 

 weather conditions. The only area in which a scarcity of fish was not apparent 

 was in Canada in the Bay of Quinte. The collection of 171.000,000 Cisco eggs 

 represented a moderately successful season, but here, too, it appeared that 

 there was a decrease in the number of fish. Most of these eggs were collected 

 in Nfw York waters. One million three hundred and twenty-five thousand 

 brook-trout eggs were received from commercial hatcheries and by exchange. 



27787—29 3 



