REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. LXI 



The follo^Ying• table shows tbo air temperatures aud the amounts of 

 rain and snow, as recorded by months: 



Mouth. 



1897. 

 January . 

 February 

 March ... 



April 



May 



June 



Mean. 



32.9 

 31.3 

 51.5 

 57.5 

 62.6 

 73.8 



Min. 



Pre- 

 cipita- 

 tion. 



4.20 

 3.47 

 5.65 

 3.58 

 1.73 

 5.38 



Snow. 



2 

 Trace. 



In addition to thousands of pounds of crawfish removed from the 

 ponds, the following enemies of fish were killed: 35 snakes, 18 turtles, 

 1 egret, 12 kingfishers, 1 grebe, 10 ducks, 2 flshhawks, 7 bitterns, musk- 

 rats, (5 water-rats, and 2 water-hens. 



Sax Makcos Station, Texas (John L. Leary, Superintendent). 



Work on the ponds was sufficiently advanced to permit of the recep- 

 tion of brood fish in December. From December 12 to March 23 col- 

 lections of crappie, black bass, and rock bass were secured from the 

 surrounding streams, 200 rock bass being taken from San Marcos River, 

 and 281 large-mouth black bass from the San Maicos and the Blanco 

 River, 3 miles distant. The crappie were obtained from York Creek 

 and from the Colorado River near Austin. Several hundred of these 

 fish were seciired ; but as it was necessary to haul them over 18 miles 

 of rough road, thence 30 miles by rail, all but 199 of them perished 

 before reaching the station. The muddy state of the water also aug- 

 mented the loss. 



The black bass were placed in three ponds and commenced spawning 

 on February 10, the time when they were seen nesting in the river, 

 testing continued at intervals until June 1. Contrary to their habits 

 in the Eastern States, the large-mouth black bass in Texas deposit their 

 eggs on the clay, first sweeping away the moss and weeds with their 

 tails. To thoroughly test this matter, patches of gravel and artificial 

 nests were placed in the ponds, but in no instance were they accepted, 

 and observations disclosed the fact that all of the bass in the San 

 Marcos River deposit their eggs on clay bottom. 



As soon as the fry had attained sufficient size they were transferred 

 from the breeding to the rearing ponds by the use of dip nets and of 

 small seines made of mosquito netting. The food furnished consisted 

 of crawfish, the flesh and roe of the mullet, and beef liver finely chopped. 

 An exjieriment was made in feeding the salted roe of the cod, but it was 

 not readily taken. As they increased in size the fish were fed on such 

 minnows as could be captured in the vicinity ; the young of the mud shad 

 seemed to be the most acceptable. With the view to providing a supply 

 of live food an attempt was made to rear young carp. As only a small 

 number could be secured, however, 42 buffalo-fish were substituted, but 

 the results were not successful. Mud shad proved better adapted for 



