666 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



largely to the fixing of a very low market price in November, with the result that 

 most of the fishing boats abandoned the pollock work. The cod collections 

 resulted in a total of 232,254,000 eggs. From eggs handled in the hatchery 

 77,715,000 fry were hatched and planted, and 133,482,000 green eggs were 

 planted on the fishing grounds, the low density of the water in that area making 

 it impracticable to transfer them to the hatchery. The comparatively small 

 collection was brought about by an absence of cod on the spawning grounds all 

 season. Haddock egg collections numbered 264,954,000 — an increase over the 

 work of recent years. From eggs developed in the hatchery 33,487,000 fry were 

 produced and distributed, and 212,795,000 green haddock eggs were planted on 

 the fishing grounds. The winter flounder work extended from March 6 to April 

 23. From a brood stock of 448 fish 276,562,000 eggs were secured and 252,625,000 

 fry hatched. The adult winter flounder were captured by means of 10 double- 

 throated fyke nets set along the eastern shore of the outer harbor. In the off"- 

 shore operations 45,757,000 cod eggs and 59,582,000 haddock eggs were collected 

 and planted on the fishing grounds after being fertilized. 



With the resumption of spring trap fishing at points within reach of the sta- 

 tion's launches, attention was directed to obtaining eggs of other commercially 

 important species for incubation and to securing fish and other animal life for 

 display in the station aquarium. Daily trips were made to these traps. Mack- 

 erel eggs numbering 12,050,000 were taken and experimental work was tried 

 with eggs of the scup. The scup eggs collected were turned over to the bureau's 

 scientific division. Collections of live fish for the Shedd Memorial Aquarium 

 in Chicago, 111., and the Boston (Mass.) aquarium were made. In the station's 

 aquarium 75 species of fish were displayed in inside tanks, while an exhibit of 

 aquatic birds, sea turtles, seals, and sharks was maintained outside the building. 

 The collection was shown only during the spring, summer, and early fall, and 

 at the approach of winter all specimens were turned over to the Boston aquarium. 



WOODS HOLE (MASS.) STATION 

 [G. R. HoFFSEs, Superintendent] 



Because of the rise in water-shipping rates for small quantities of coal, a coal 

 conveyer was purchased for handling coal delivered at the station by rail. A 

 considerable saving in the coal bill was thus made possible. Another improve- 

 ment was the purchase and installation of a new boiler to replace the old one, 

 which had degenerated into an inefficient and unreliable piece of equipment. 

 Other minor repairs and replacements were made. 



In the cod spawning operations, brood fish were obtained as in the past from 

 hand-line and trap fishermen. The cod were transferred to the station and held 

 until ripe. An unusually high production of eggs per fish was realized, over 

 216,000,000 being secured from 1,173 brood fish. After spawning, all brood fish 

 on hand were turned over to the division of scientific inquiry to be tagged and 

 released. Fyke nets for winter flounder were set in Waquoit Bay during Novem- 

 ber, some six or eight weeks earlier than is customary. As an experiment, fish 

 taken at that time were held to ripen, but because of the long holding period the 

 eggs hardened in the ovaries and none could be obtained. Numbers of these 

 winter flounder were taken, as usual, from early January to late March, and 

 over a billion eggs were secured. Upward of 4,000 flounder were tagged by the 

 division of scientific inquiry after the completion of spawning operations. No 

 eff'orts were applied in offshore spawn-taking. 



ANADROMOUS SPECIES, ATLANTIC COAST 



Unsettled weather on the Potomac River and a scarcity of shad on 

 the seining grounds in Albemarle Sound caused a comparatively poor 

 collection of shad eggs. Work in collecting shad eggs and experi- 

 ments in rearing shad in flooded rice fields were undertaken at Jack- 

 sonboro, S. C, for the second successive year, and experimental 

 collections of shad eggs were made near Georgetown and Yemassee, 

 S. C, in cooperation with the State. Collections of glut herring eggs 

 at Eden ton, N. C, and of striped bass eggs at Weldon, N. C, were of 

 average proportions. Atlantic salmon work was carried on to the 

 capacity of the Craig Brook (Me.) station after 4,000,000 eggs were 

 received from the Canadian Government. 



