LX 



REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



donated to the Nevada and Wyoming commissions. The balance were 

 transferred to the Dukith, Manchester, Leadville, and Northville sta- 

 tions, and with the exception of one consignment to Duluth they were 

 received in excellent condition. In shipping eggs hay was nsed for the 

 outside packing around the crates, owing to the scarcity of sphagnum 

 moss in the vicinity of the station. The rest of the season's take were 

 hatched and 27,000 fry were distributed during the month of May; 

 the remainder were retained for distribution in the fall, and at the close 

 of the year they numbered 90,725. A slight epidemic occurred among 

 them in May, but it was checked by the liberal use of salt. 



Black bass. — The output of yearling bass in the fall, amounting to 

 15,660, exceeded that of any previous year by 36 per cent. The fry were 

 reared in troughs and fed on linely grated crawfish collected from the 

 ponds at the station. The brood stock of this species was increased to 134 

 by the transfer of two consignments from Quincy — one in IS^ovember and 

 one in March — and on April 6 they were distributed in four of the ponds, 

 which had been i)rovided with gravel for nest-building. On April 20 

 evidences of nesting were observed, and the first fry appeared May 19. 

 Owing to the unusually cool weather prevailing during the spawning 

 season and to an insufficient amount of natural food in the ponds, the 

 crop of fry at the close of the year is very small. 



Rod' hass. — The rock bass were also reared in troughs and fed on 

 crawfish through the summer, and the output in the fall amounted to 

 33,390. Early in the spring artificial nests, similar to those in use at 

 Wytheville, were introduced in the rearing-ponds, but the fish refused 

 to occupy them. On April 20 they commenced nesting in the gravel, 

 within a few feet of the artificial nests, and continued until June. 



Crappie and strawberry bass. — As a result of the j)revious spring's 

 spawning 10,000 young fish were collected from the breeding-ponds 

 early in the fall. They were very small and weak, however, and, though 

 great care was exercised in handling them, the majority died, leaving 

 only 3,129 available for distribution. Experience has shown that the 

 young of this species can not be handled with the same freedom as can 

 the young of the black and rock bass. 



On the 30th of August 80 adult crappie were transferred to the sta- 

 tion from Quincy, but a number of them died during the winter, and 

 by April only 73 breeders remained. These were jilaced in the ponds 

 on April 16, and at the close of the year a number of fry were observed, 

 though no nesting or spawning had been noticed among them. 



The following table shows the maximum, minimum, and mean tem- 

 peratures to which the various species were subjected during the year: 



