REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XXYII 



ascribed for the large loss, though it has been attributed to confinement 

 of the trout for a considerable period before thej^ were ripe. Next 

 year a temporary auxiliary hatchery will be constructed at this point. 



At Caspian Lake, 32 miles from St. Johnsbury, the trout were col- 

 lected by means of small-meshed gill nets and dip nets, the only 

 improvement in the apparatus being the jack lights, whicli were con- 

 structed especially for the purpose. Most of the fish were caught 

 between sunset and midnight. The first were ca])tured October 29, and 

 work continued until the lake froze over, on December 2. Long after 

 the 1st of January the trout could be seen at work on their beds under 

 the ice. The total number taken in dip nets amounted to 1,457, their 

 average weight being a little over 1 pound. The season lasted one 

 month, commencing JSTovember 10, and 97 per cent of the 500,000 eggs 

 were good. For convenience and comfort while collecting the eggs a 

 boat-house was constructed over the confining jjen in the lake, with 

 platform space for the spawn-takers. The eggs were placed in a small 

 private hatchery located near the lake, and as soon as they had reached 

 the eyed stage were transferred to St. Johnsbury. The hatching of the 

 eggs taken at this point continued from January 17 to about the end 

 of April. • 



Willoughby Lake (situated 26 miles from the station, 16 by rail and 

 10 by wagon road) was examined with the view to collecting eggs of 

 the lake trout, but owing to pressure of other work the investigation 

 was delayed until November 10, when it appeared that the fish had 

 already deposited their eggs. From the extent of the spawning-grounds 

 and the abundance of fish there seems to be little doubt that a large 

 number might have been taken. Suitable facilities were found for the 

 establishment of an auxiliary field station. 



At Fairbanks Pond, 3 miles from St. Johnsbury, 31,500 eggs were 

 collected. The woik at Pico i'ond proved unprofitable, and operations 

 were discontinued after 12,000 eggs had been secured. 



All of the fish were returned to the waters from which they were 

 taken, the total loss on nearly 10,000 amounting to only 36. During 

 the winter 110,000 eggs were shipped to the applicants mentioned below, 

 and from the balance of the season's take 491,000 fry were hatched, 

 a fair proportion of which were returned to the waters from which the 

 eggs were collected : 



S.M.Pearson, Stratham, N. H 10,000 i L. J. Johuson, Brattleboro, Vt.. . 15,000 



Vermont Fish Commission 50,000 Clarence Brown, Toledo, Ohio.. . 15,000 



Adirondack League Club, N. Y. .. 25,000 1 Counecticnt Fish Commission . .. 25,000 



While there is a marked difference in the sizes of the trout eggs 

 taken from different waters, they do not always vary according to the 

 size of the fish, as was sui)posed. The sizes of eggs taken at three of the 

 field stations were in the propoi tion of 34, 41, and 42 to the square inch. 

 Those numbering 34 and 42 to the inch were taken from trout averag- 

 ing 5 to the pound, while those numbering 41 were secured from fish 

 weighing over a pound each. 



