PEOGRESS IN BIOLOGICAL INQUIRIES, 19 3 2 147 



to 25, 1932, a total of 11,086 young of the diamondback terrapin were 

 distributed in the waters of North Carohna by the Bureau in cooper- 

 ation with the State Department of Conservation and Development. 

 ^ In recent years the propagation of the terrapin has met with increas- 

 ing success so that it has been possible to release consequential num- 

 bers of young each spring. The output of the Beaufort station hatch- 

 ery since 1928 has been as follows: 1928, 5,388; 1929, 5,855; 1930, 

 5,778; 1931, 5,500; and 1932, 11,086. Previous to liberation the shell 

 of the terrapin is marked or punctured in order that those released 

 by the hatchery may be identified later in the commercial catches. 

 Many of those distributed previously have been caught by fishermen 

 in this region which indicates that such propagation operations are 

 effective in increasing the supply of these animals. 



The destruction of young by certain diseases, particularly that 

 known as "sore tail", has been reduced to a large extent by chemical 

 treatment. By regularly sterilizing the rearing troughs with strong 

 salt brine and using therein small pieces of metallic copper the 

 mortality of young has been limited to less than 9 percent of the 

 total brood for 1931-32. The propagation of this species will be 

 conducted in the future by the Division of Fish Culture, and more 

 extensive distribution of the young terrapin will be made throughout 

 the South Atlantic region. 



APPROPRIATIONS 



During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1932, $322,500 was provided 

 for the scientific work of the Division. For the remaining half of 

 the year appropriations available for the fiscal year 1933 totaling 

 approximately $222,000 were available. These figures represent the 

 combined appropriations from various accounts, except funds spent 

 for vessel operations in connection with scientific work, which totaled 

 $14,000 additional. This represents a reduction of 31 percent over 

 the previous year in the funds appropriated for inquiry and has 

 necessitated in addition to the curtailment of all activities and 

 abandonment of some, the serious reduction of fishery investigations 

 in the North Atlantic offshore area by the decommissioning of the 

 Fisheries research steamer Albatross II. Thus, the Bureau is left 

 with no means whatever of conducting certain types of investigations 

 on the fishing grounds where the most important marine fisheries of 

 the United States are prosecuted. 



The funds were allotted in the various sections of the country as 

 follows: For fishery investigations in the North and Middle Atlantic 

 area, 21 percent; for the South Atlantic and Gulf area, 16 percent; 

 for the Great Lakes, 9 percent; for the Pacific coast and Alaska, 21 

 percent; for the Mississippi and Gulf drainage, exclusive of game fish 

 propagation studies, 6 percent; for studies on the conservation of 

 fish by means of screens and ladders, 3 percent; unallocated as to 

 geographic districts, funds for the investigation of cultivation of 

 oysters and shellfish amounted to 4 percent, and for studies in the 

 interest of fish culture and stocking of game fishes, 17 percent. 



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