48 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



haddock, and winter flounder. The aggregate output of these 

 species amounted to 2,733,337.000 fertilized eggs and fry, this num- 

 ber, as compared with that of the previous year, showing a shortage 

 of about 570,000,000. Two important spawning grounds of the 

 winter flounder — in the vicinity of Newport, R. L, and Nantucket, 

 Mass. — were not occupied. Some collections have been made in the 

 former field in the past, but in the absence of a suitable boat none 

 was undertaken last season. No egg, collections have ever been made 

 in the Nantucket field, but the information at hand would appear 

 to indicate that with proper facilities very profitable returns miglit 

 be expected, as hundreds of tons of winter flounder are annually 

 caught around Nantucket and shipped to the market. 



Despite a tendency in some quarters to the belief that the artificial 

 propagation of the deep-sea fishes is of little practical value, the 

 general trend of opinion among the more prominent fishermen is 

 favorable to a continuation of the work. Speaking generally, the 

 fishermen are dee])ly interested and in nearly all cases they are 

 zeatous in their efforts to assist the bureau in its egg collections. 

 Some 3'ears ago most of the fishermen of this region were opposed to 

 the placing of spawn takers on their boats. Now they not only permit 

 the presence of the spawn takers but assist them in many ways in the 

 conduct of their work. 



BOOTHBAY HARBOR (ME.) STATION. 

 [E. E. Hahn, Superintendent.] 



As in past years, everything possible was done during the spawning 

 season to secure eggs of various marine fishes but without success 

 except in the case of the winter flounder. No pollock were obtain- 

 able from the Gloucester field, no haddock or cod could be found 

 anywhere along the eastern Maine coast, while alewives came on to 

 the fishing grounds in very small numbers and none of them was* in 

 spawning condition. 



The usual preparations were made to take up winter-flounder 

 propagation late in February, but all efforts to secure a brood stock 

 at this time were rendered futile by heavy ice fields on the fishing 

 grounds, abundant snowfall, and freezing weather, these conditions 

 predominating up to the beginning of the third week in March. 

 On March 20 the first capture of fish was made, and four days after- 

 wards the first eggs were taken, the spawning season being fully two 

 weeks later than in any preceding year since the station was estab- 

 lished. From that time on the outlook brightened. Over 60 f^'ke 

 nets were scattered over an area extending from Casco to outer Penob- 

 scot Bay and were vigorously fished to the close of the spawning 

 period on May 10, the steamer Gamiet attending the more distant 

 nets, while those within easy reach of the station were looked after 

 by motor boats and dories. 



In the course of the season nearly 5,000 brood winter flounder 

 were captured, and as the majority were of unusually large size 

 the egg yield was good, amounting to 943,316,000. These were of 

 uniformly good quality and from them 866,800,000 fry were pro- 

 duced and distributed, the percentage of hatch being a trifle under 

 92. The fry were sent out in ordinary transportation cans and 



