REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XXIX 



only 26,379 healthy fry resulting from them; 10,000 were distributed in 

 New Hampshire waters and the balance were retained for rearing. 



During the summer months observations were made in air and water 

 temperatures at Caspian Lake, with the view to testing the qualitications 

 of the lake water for use in operating a trout hatchery on a large scale. 

 During November the surface temperature ranged from 45° to 33°. On 

 tlie spawning-beds (from 1 to 6 feet in depth) it registered the same, 

 whereas it varied from 45° to 38° when taken from a depth of 40 feet. 

 In December and January, witli an air temperature below zero, the 

 water from 20 to 100 feet registered 37° and 38° above zero, indicating 

 that an equable temperature of from 37° to 40° can be maintained 

 throughout the year with water taken at a depth of over 20 feet. 



A small sandpiper was killed on June 13 and in its gizzard were 

 found the vertebral columns of several small fish about li inches long. 



In November the superintendent was instructed to make an investi- 

 gation in New Hampshire respecting the advisability of establishing a 

 station for the propagation of trout at some suitable x)oint in that State. 

 This work covered a period of two weeks in December and January. 



Cape Vincent Station, New York (H. U. Dean, Superintendent). 



An appropriation of $2,500 having l)een secured for the completion 

 of the hatchery and grounds, the work of improvement was commenced 

 early in July. The building was completed, the grounds graded, a wire 

 fence constructed around the jiroperty, a walk laid from the street to 

 the hatchery, and a gas plant installed. 



Permission having been granted by the Canadian Government to col- 

 lect whitefish eggf^ in Bay Quinte, under the supervision of the fishery 

 overseers, the grounds between Belleville and Deseronto were exam- 

 ined and arrangements were made with the fishermen to operate four 

 seines in the vicinity of Massassaga Point, the fishermen agreeing to 

 pay all expenses of running the seines for the coarse fish and to allow 

 the Commission to have the whitefish. The fish were penned in crates, 

 under the supervision of one of the employees of the station. Of the 

 400 collected, only 25 per cent proved to be females, and a number of 

 these were so bruised in handling that the eggs were worthless. As it 

 was seen that very few eggs could be taken at this point, on November 

 13 four more seines were secured nearer Deseronto. Many fish were 

 caught there, but only a few were females, and these yielded no eggs, 

 though they were held in pounds for some time. Pound nets belong- 

 ing to the Commission were also operated in Chaumont Bay without 

 results, and at Three Mile Bay six or seven traps were operated and a 

 good many fish captured, but owing to heavy gales the bulk of them 

 died before the eggs could be taken. 



As a result of the season's operations only 2,300,000 eggs of very poor 

 quality were obtained from all sources, from which 750,000, fry were 

 hatched and liberated in the St. Lawrence Eiver. The total cost of the 

 work with this species for the season was $476.41. 



