PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 19 2 8 373 



Woods Hole (Mass.) Station 

 (G. R. HOFFSES, Suprintendent) 



In addition to its regular work witli cod and winter flounder, the station 

 again undertook the propagation of mackerel during the spring. Sheathing 

 and painting of walls, rearrangement of the chemxal laboratory for more 

 efficient utilization of the space, and the partitioning of two more laboratory 

 rooms were done during the year. A rusted steel beam in the foundation of 

 the building was replaced with a wooden one. Additional toilet facil.ties were 

 installed in the residence building. All roofs were thoroughly overhauled, and 

 the gas line was extended into the buildings. Bituminous coal was u.sed sat- 

 isfactorily in firing all of the boilers instead of the expensive hard coal here- 

 tofore used. A new engine was installed in launch No. 30. 



A stock of brood cod was secured from traps at Newport, R. I., and from 

 local hand-line fishermen. Fish to the number of 3,456, virtually the capacity of 

 the retaining pool, were obtained. A boat equipped with a well was chartered 

 for transferring the fish from Newport, and the losses hitherto experienced 

 were largely eliminated by simply reducing the speed of the vessel to about 

 twice the normal running time. Over 230,000,000 eggs were taken, which proved 

 to be of average quality. Egg collections were slightly smaller than those of 

 last year, though a larger number of fish was on hand. In January the first 

 fyke nets were set at Waquoit, Mass., to catch winter fiounder. Operations 

 with this species in Rhode Island waters were discontinued because changing 

 conditions have rendered it difficult and unprofitable to work in this field. A 

 stock of 3,979 flounders was secured, and from January 25 to March 15 over 

 695,000,000 eggs were taken from them. Hardening of the eggs was again the 

 cause of considerable mortality. An attempt was made to fertilize the eggs by 

 the incision method, but with little success. The flounder eggs as well as the 

 cod eggs showed a slightly higher mortality under a closed-circulation water 

 supply than when the open system was employed. Eggs of the mackerel were 

 obtained from near-by traps, which were visited regularly for the purpose of 

 securing specimens. Over 6,000,000 eggs were secured and incubated. Obser- 

 vations on alewives and white perch in near-by waters were made with the 

 object of obtaining data as to the practicability of propagating these forms. 

 The findings indicate that the probable results would not be commensurate with 

 the effort involved. The usual exhibit of live fish was maintained during the 

 summer and attracted considerable attention. 



ANADROMOUS SPECIES, ATLANTIC COAST 



An unusually heavy run of shad in the Potomac River and a much 

 larger number of eggs taken at the Edenton (N. C.) station made it 

 possible to increase the number of fish hatched b}^ 100 per cent over 

 last year. The hatching of striped bass on the Roanoke River at 

 Weldon, N. C, was carried on by the Edenton station. Propagation 

 of the Atlantic salmon in Maine was made possible by a continuance 

 of the practice of obtaining the eggs from the Canadian Government 

 on an exchange basis. 



Bryan's Point (Md.) Substation 

 (L. G. Hauron, Superintendent) 



The largest catch of shad for a number of years in the Potomac River was 

 reflected in a very successful season at the bureau's most imiwrtant shad station. 

 The station was opened in March, as usual, and a sufficient stock of adult 

 yellow perch was secured from fishermen to produce over 138,000,000 fry for 

 distribution in Potomac waters. The run of shad was somewhat late in starting, 

 but fish were very abundant when the run became establishefl. Over 43.000,000 

 eggs were obtained by the close of the season late in May, which yielded nearly 

 41,000,000 healthy fry. This output was virtually 100 per cent greater than that 

 of the previous year. 



At the close of fish-cultural operations the work of dismantling the station 

 was begun preparatory to transferring it to a new site at Fort Humphreys, Va., 



