PROPAGATION AND DISTIUBVTION OF FOOD FISHES, 193 3 479 



was approximately $0,182 per tliousand and the number of fish 

 handled was in excess of 72,000,000, an increase of approximately 

 20,500,000 over the previous year. A considerable production of 

 bass and miscellaneous fish was secured from controlled ponds, partly 

 artificial in nature, located at various points within the refufje. Trout 

 culture was centered at the La Crosse station with excellent results. 

 There was a reduction in the losses caused by diseases and turbid water 

 conditions. The trout produced here were distributed in Wisconsin, 

 and Minnesota, particularly to 43 cooperative nurseries operated in 

 conjunction with sportsmen's clubs. Within the refuge also were 

 made collections of specimen fish for the Bureau's aquarium and for 

 other public aquaria in the Middle West. The detailed analysis of 

 the activities of the various substations coming under the La Crosse 

 territory appears in the tabular part of this report. It should be 

 added, however, that one new establishment at Lake Mills, Wis., 

 was placed in operation during the year. The construction included 

 a dwelling, hatchery building, and garage; the hatchery building 

 including a small display aquarium. Three ponds were constructed 

 and the work was started upon several other ponds which could not 

 be completed on account of lack of funds. A limited number of trout 

 were shipped to this station during the winter months and reared to 

 fingerling size. No production of bass or pond fish was achieved since 

 the brood stock were only introduced during the spring months, and 

 the resulting hatch had not been collected at the close of the fiscal 

 year. 



AQUARIUM 



The aquarium situated beneath the main lobby of the Department 

 of Commerce Building has continued to be a feature of increasing 

 attractiveness to the public. The display was maintained at approxi- 

 mately 1,000 specimens of 57 different species during the year. There 

 were the usual number of replacements and some additions in the 

 way of rarer and more unusual forms including the Alaska blackfish 

 and Sunapee golden trout as well as the red breasted bream. Hatch- 

 ing equipment showing the incubation of both heavy and semi- 

 bouyant eggs was displayed permitting the hatching of eggs of trout, 

 salmon, shad, whitefish, pike-perch, and yellow perch. There was 

 also a display of a model fish ladder. In addition to the fish there 

 were shown some 10 species of aquatic reptiles, Crustacea, etc. One 

 of the features which has attracted considerable interest is the 6 

 tanks devoted to the showing of tropical aquarium fishes such as are 

 suitable for the home aquarium. In this connection several meetings 

 of the newly formed Washington Aquarium Society were held in the 

 aquarium lobby. A source of particular gratification is the larger 

 attendance by classes of school children, indicating that the aquarium 

 facilities are being more widely utilized for educati<uial purposes. 



FISH CULTURAL NOTES 

 PRESERVATIO.N" OF SCHIM IN HATCHING BOXES 



In last year's report mention was made of the use of nickel mesh 

 hardware cloth in hatching boxes at the Woods Hole station. Fur- 

 ther information was obtained during the year indicating the possi- 

 bility of extending the life of the scrim as ordinarily used in the 



