PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1931 667 



FORT HUMPHREYS (VA.) SUBSTATION 

 [Charles W. Burnham, Superintendent] 



The collection of shad eggs extended from April 17 to May 18 and during this 

 period 18,341,000 eggs were taken. From this stock 15,600,000 fry were hatched 

 and planted at suitable points along the Potomac River on the shad spawning 

 grounds. This work followed the collection of yellow perch adults, which lasted 

 from Februarj^ 25 to March 2. From these fish, which were held in wooden 

 crates and allowed to spawn there, 86,840,000 eggs were secured. On the com- 

 pletion of spawning the adults were returned to their native waters and the eggs 

 were incubated, the last of them hatching on April 28. Forty-six million, three 

 hundi-ed fifty thousand of the resulting fry were planted in the Potomac River 

 and in the mouths of neai--by tributary streams. The remainder of the 71,350,000 

 produced were delivered to the Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fish- 

 eries for stocking other waters, principally tributaries of the Potomac. Cool 

 weather was experienced during most of the yellow perch spawning period, 

 greatly prolonging the season. The shad spawning period was also marked by 

 unsettled weather, and though large catches of fish were made, comparatively 

 few with ripe eggs could be obtained. 



Last year's experiment of planting a lot of l)^-inch fingerling brook trout in a 

 small spring-fed pond resulted in a production of 300 7-inch fingerling fish. 

 These were distributed to applicants from the main station and the pond again 

 restocked with another lot of l}^-inch trout. 



A metal tank for holding water pumped from the river was installed on the 

 hill above the station buildings and connected with an electric motor and pump 

 arranged to operate automatically in keeping the tank filled with water. Valves 

 and hose connections for fire protection were attached to the pipe system. A 

 railway with carriers for transporting launches from the river to the boathouse 

 was constructed during the year, and numerous other improvements were made. 



EDENTON (N. C.) STATION AND SUBSTATION 

 [William S. Vincent, Superintendent] 



In connection with the commercial seining operations, conducted as heretofore 

 on the Capehart Beach at Avoca, N. C, a new seine one-third longer than that 

 operated in the past was used. Collections of both shad and glut herring eggs 

 were made by stripping the ripe fish captured in this work. Only 4,000 shad 

 were caught and 750,000 eggs secured. The poor results were due to a lack of 

 shad on the spawning grounds. There was a satisfactory take of glut herring 

 eggs, however, though from a commercial standpoint the run of herring was 

 almost ruinous. One hundred million eggs of this species were taken. These 

 were stripped directly in starch water instead of applying the starch water later, 

 in accordance with past practice, and because of this new method of overcoming 

 adhesion of the eggs the percentage of hatch was increased from 30 to 50. In 

 other words, half of the eggs secured produced fry, whereas the losses in incuba- 

 tion formerly approximated two-thirds of the collections. All shad and herring 

 fry developed were liberated on or near the spawning grounds. The collection 

 of yellow perch eggs amounted to only 1,500,000, and owing to adverse conditions 

 during the hatching period, all of them were lost. The eggs are secured from 

 adult yellow perch obtained from the commercial pound-net and fyke-net fisher- 

 men operating in the vicinity of Edenton. The fish are held in a pond until ripe, 

 when thej^ are spawned and released. Edenton station also made experimental 

 collections of eggs of the white perch, and while only a negligible quantity was 

 secured, possibilities for future expansion of the work were brought to light. 



Weldon {AL C.) substation. — This substation is the only point where eggs of the 

 striped bass {Roccus lineatus) are collected by the bureau. The State of North 

 Carolina cooperates to the extent of paying half the cost of the work and assisting 

 in the distribution of the fry. The operations during 1931 were directed by a fish 

 culturist detailed from the Edenton station. As is the case with shad, the eggs 

 are obtained from commercial fishermen. About 13,500,000 eggs were secured 

 and incubated in the city water supply, producing 9,500,000 fry. These were 

 liberated in the Tar, Neuse, and Roanoke Rivers. 



