LXIV REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



exercise of great care in the transportation of the eggs over the rough 

 mountain roads from the lake to the railroad station. Only 13 per cent 

 of the 493,700 taken were lost. At Decker Lake 511,500 eggs were 

 taken, but, owiug to the fact that the fish were very closely confined in 

 retaining vats during extremely cold weather, 55 per cent of the eggs 

 and 20 i)er cent of the fry were lost. At the time the last lot of eggs 

 were taken the thermometer registered 20° below zero in the cabin where 

 operations were being conducted ; the eggs froze to the pans and the 

 fish died within a few minutes after being handled. The eggs taken at 

 Young Lake yielded 57,615 fry, or SO per cent of the number collected. 



During the winter 190,000 trout eggs were shipped to the various 

 State fish commissions, private individuals, and stations of the United 

 States Commission. The balance were hatched, and on May 1 there 

 were at the station 1,021,200 fry, 479,000 of which belonged to private 

 parties. Owing to very cold weather throughout the spring, they did 

 not commence taking food until they were about 80 days old. 



In order to make room for the eggs of the rainbow, black -spotted, and 

 yellow-finned trout, 287,000 of the fish belonging to the Conjmissiou 

 were distributed in May and June to applicants in Colorado. The losses 

 during this period amounted to less than 2A per cent, and at the close 

 of the year there were 241,465 on hand. 



Rainbow trout. — The stock on hand at the beginning of the year was 

 derived from collections made at Twin and Uneva lakes during the 

 j)revious spring, and in Sei^tember, when the fish were distributed, the 

 output amounted to 25,500. In February a consignment of 44,000 eggs 

 was received from Neosho. The loss during incubation was only 10 per 

 cent, but the fry were very weak and such large numbers of them died 

 during the sac stage that there were only 2,000 available for distribu- 

 tion in the spring. Collections of eggs were again made at Twin and 

 Uneva lakes in May and June, 54,000 being secured from both sources. 

 The spawning season opened on May 10, and the eggs commenced 

 hatching in 27 days, the eye- spots appearing in 13 days. The losses 

 during incubation amounted to 27 per cent, and at the close of the year 

 there were 25,370 fish and 8,000 eggs on hand. 



Yellow-finned trout. — When the general distribution was made in Sep- 

 tember the output of the species amounted to 7,931. Collections of 

 eggs were made during the following May at Twin Lakes, and as a 

 result there w^ere 8,480 fry on hand at the close of the year. The losses 

 during incubation amounted to 3,920. 



Bkicl-spotted trout. — The use of the State trap and hatchery at Twin 

 Lakes having been tendered the Commission by the State authorities, 

 arrangements were made to conduct operations there on a larger scale 

 than heretofore, but as it was necessary to keep a man on watch con- 

 stantly to prevent the theft of the fish and the destruction of the trap, 

 the results were not commensurate with the expense involved, though 

 they were better than in previous years. A collection of 107,000 eggs 

 was made at Freeman Lake in June, and 5,200 were secured from the 



