REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XLIX 



From June 18 to July 4 the water temperature was as follows : 



Date. 



1897 



■June 18 



19 



20 



21 



22 



23 



24 



25 



26 



Date. 



1897, 



June 27 



28 



29 



30 



July 1 



2 



3 



4 



6 p. m. 



°F. 

 77' 

 77 

 77 

 78 

 78 

 80 

 81 

 82 



The following shows the number and kind of salt and fresh water 

 fishes exhibited during the year: 



Fish Commission Lakes, Washington, D. C. (Rudolph Hessel in charge). 



During the fall months the following fish, resulting from the crop of 

 the previous spring, were distributed : Large-mouth black bass, 38,492 ; 

 small-mouth black bass, 2,688; rock bass, 5,070; shad (estimated nnm- 

 ber), 1,500,000. 



At the close of the previous fiscal year 12,270 young large-mouth 

 black bass had been transferred from the breeding-ponds to the tanks 

 and the small rearing-ponds. This work was continued during the 

 summer, a total of 48,822 large-mouth and 2,976 small-mouth bass being 

 secured. 



The losses up to the time of distribution amounted to 11,410, of which 

 1,080 were the small-mouth species. The heaviest mortality occurred 

 in June, caused by the high temperature and the muddy condition of 

 the water. Their food during the early summer consisted of chopped 

 fish (carp and tench reared at the station), and when the sui^ply was 

 exhausted, fishes purchased from the market were substituted. The 

 bass refused to take the fresh-water sjiecies, but the various salt-water 

 fishes, particularly the butter-fish and the sea trout, proved very accept- 

 F. K. 97 lY 



