BUREAU OF FISHERIES 105 



station a^rain handled lar<]^e numbers of pike ])crch, collecting over 

 500,000.000 o<2;<5S, the majority of Avhich were incubated and distrib- 

 uted by the State. Two hatcheries in Michigan remained closed. 



GAME SPECIES 



As a whole, operations with the ^ame species yielded satisfactory 

 results. Inasmuch as some 15 species are included in this category, 

 there were fluctuations amon<T individual forms in comparison with 

 last year's production, Special effort was made to augment the out- 

 put of bass, owing to their high popularity in all parts of the country. 

 It would be possible to increase the output of trout, particularly by 

 distributing them at smaller sizes, but this would lower their stock- 

 ing value. However, the problems surrounding the rearing of trout 

 have been greatly intensified by the sharp increase in the price of 

 food for fishes which became evident toward the close of the fiscal 

 year. 



RESCUE OPERATIONS 



An increase in the amount appropriated for the administration of 

 the Bureau's activities in the Upper Mississippi River Wild Life 

 Refuge was reflected in a virtual doubling of the number of fish 

 rescued. There was handled a total of 47,286,000 fish, comprising 

 10 species. This is still below the average number which can be 

 rescued when funds are available to cover the entire territory where 

 water conditions make the salvaging of fish trapped in lan^-locked 

 areas an urgent need. Only 115,900 fish were distributed to other 

 sections, the balance being returned directly to open waters. 



AQUASIUM 



The aquarium located under the main lobby in the Department 

 of Commerce Building is maintaining its reputation as one of Wash- 

 ington's popular points of interest to visitors. The numerous organ- 

 izations which gather for conventions in Washington, as a rule, in- 

 clude the aquarium in their itinerary of sight-seeing. 



The general exhibits were maintained in much the same manner 

 as during the previous year, and the display of trout has continued 

 to be a point of particular interest. However, from time to time 

 during the year it has been the practice to introduce more novel ex- 

 hibits, one of which was the 500-pound green turtle. Another inter- 

 esting novelty was a pair of Piranha — the small man-eating fish of 

 the Amazon Basin. 



The aquarium also was of great service in preparing and forward- 

 ing foreign shipments of live fish and eggs which were made to Cuba, 

 Puerto Rico, Panama, and Venezuela. 



As usual, the display of model hatching apparatus was kept in 

 operation for the purpose of illustrating the methofls followed in 

 incubating various types of eggs. 



MARKETING INVESTIGATIONS 



Per capita consumption of -fish. — A study made during the year 

 indicates the domestic per capita consumption of fish amounted to 

 13.3 pounds in 1931. This is compared with a per capita consump- 

 tion of meats amounting to 133.2 pounds in the same year. 



