XL 



REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



dying, and as their general condition before being placed in the jars 

 was good, the loss was attributed to the water. An examination by 

 the chemist failed to show any deleterious substances, but to avoid 

 further losses the vessel was removed to Avoca, on Salmon Creek, 

 where it remained to the close of the season. This location proved 

 excellent, as it was within reach of the seines owned by Dr. Capehart 

 and Mr. Ham])ton. The ship's launches and five spawning boats wei'e 

 in constant use, and by April 27 the collection from all sources amounted 

 to 27,901,000; 22,540,000 of these were secured from the seines at Avoca 

 and 3,965,000 from Mr. Hampton's seines on the Eoanoke Eiver ; the bal- 

 ance were obtained from pound nets. As the result of the season's 

 work 10,911,000 fry were hatched and planted in the Albemarle and its 

 tributaries, under the direction of Dr. Kendall, who had been detailed 

 to observe their habits after liberation. The temperature of the water 

 during the season varied from 59° to 63°. 



On April 27 the vessel i)roceeded to Delaware Bay, the 5,473,000 

 impregnated eggs still on hand having been turned over to Dr. Ken- 

 dall, to be hatched in floating boxes anchored in the Salmon Eiver. 

 Owing to the very poor circulation of the water here the loss on these 

 eggs was very heavy; the 750,000 fry resulting from them were liberated 

 in the Chowan Eiver. The vessel arrived in the Delaware on May 1, 

 and remained at Howell Cove until May 28, when it removed to an 

 anchorage otf Gloucester. For the first time in the history of the shad 

 work on this river the efforts to collect eggs from the fisheries above 

 the city of Philadelphia met with success. Collections commenced 

 at once and continued without interruption until June 11, during which 

 time 06,708,000 eggs were obtained and 42,130,000 fry hatched. Over 

 a third of the eggs were collected in Howell Cove; the balance were 

 obtained from gill-net fishermen and from seines above Philadelphia. 



The following table shows the daily collection, number of ripe fish 

 used, fry hatched, and average temperature of air and water : 



Date. 



May 



Female No. of 

 lisli eggs ob- 

 used. tained. 



2 

 Sunday 



24 

 90 

 61 

 68 

 51 

 4 



Sunday 

 34 

 82 

 40 

 48 

 46 

 14 



Sunday 

 121 

 87 

 87 

 93 

 45 

 7 



94, 000 



1,214.000 

 3, 453. 000 

 2, 927, 000 

 2, 964, 000 

 2, 206, 000 

 199, 000 



No. of fry 

 hatched. 



Average 



temperature 



each day. 



1,211,000 

 3, 369, 000 



1, 550, 000 



2, 761, 000 

 1, 942, 000 



715, 000 



5, 930, 000 

 4, 297, 000 

 3, 422, 000 

 3,611,000 

 2, 169, 000 

 294, 000 



50, 000 

 500, 000 

 956, 000 



1, 994, 000 

 2, 800, 000 



2, 337, 000 

 273, 000 



1, 500, 000 

 1, 851, 000 

 1, 990, 000 

 1, 076, 000 

 1, 122, 000 

 670, 000 

 1, 000, 000 



3, 597, 000 



Air. Water, 



o Y. 



64 ' 



64 



55 



58 



63 



68 



63 



60 



62 



68 



66.5 



71 



66.5 



67.5 



64 



62 



64.5 



65 



69 



68.5 



63 



64 



o p_ 



59.5 



59 



60.5 



60 



61 



61 



60 



60 



62.5 



63.5 



64.5 



65 



66 



66.5 



65 



6J 



64.5 



64.5 



65 



65 



65 



65 



Date. 



May 23 



24 



25 



26 



27 



28 



29 



30 



31 



June 1 



2 



3 



4 



5 



6 



7 



Female 

 flsh 

 used. 



No. of XT i. f 

 po-o-cni. h^o. of fry 

 eggs OD- i,ofpi,pfi 

 tained ^''-'^ouea. 



Sunday 



74 

 58 

 45 

 63 

 39 

 3 

 Sunday 

 54 

 30 

 23 

 46 

 19 



Average 



temperature 



each day. 



Air. I Water. 



Sunday 

 10 



2, 982, 000 : 

 2, 325, OOO; 

 2, 302, 000, 

 3,110,000 



1, 901, 000 

 142, 000 



2, 767, 000 

 1, 125, 000 



1, 025, 000 



2, 054, 000 

 954, 000 



513, 000 



255, 000 

 378, 000 

 547, 000 



3, 376, 000 

 2, 179, OOO 



1,000,000 

 1, 155, 000 



1, 690, 000 



2, 000, 000 

 2,494,000 

 1, 726, OOO' 



i,'50O, OOO! 

 1, 409, 000 



649, 000 1 

 1, 191, 000 



574, 000 



380, 000 



o p 



63 



62,5 



60 



00 



62 



65 



Gl 



64 



66 



63, 



61 



72.5 



72 



69 



68 



60.5 



59 



61 



67.5 



70 



1, 51 1 '66, 708, 000 43, 045, OOOj 



°F. 

 65,5 

 66 

 67 

 65 

 65.5 

 65 

 66 

 66 

 66. 5 



