50 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



The spawning season opened November 11, fully half a month 

 before pending repairs to the steam plant could be com})leted. and 

 during this period the 3?>,OG(),000 eggs taken had to be fertilized and 

 returned to the Sipawning grounds. In all, 418,9.'>0,()()() eggs were 

 secured, the last collection being made on February 4, and from the 

 379.000,000 incubated 275,410,000 fry were hatchexl and released in 

 suitable coastal waters. 



Despite the fact that fishing operations were seriously curtailed 

 by the severe weather prevailing during the winter and early spring, 

 the collection of cod eggs was the largest ever made for the (xlou- 

 cester station. Though small, the daily receipts throughout De- 

 cember. January, and February were fairly uniform. In March the 

 supply Avas substantially increased, but the majority of the collec- 

 tions were received in April and May. Inshore fishing was mirjli 

 below the average in volume, the daily catches for the most part 

 running small, but this decline was more than offset by the un- 

 usually large numbers of ripe fish taken. The receipts of eggs from 

 tlie beginning of the spawning season (December 9) to the closing 

 day of the collections (May 24) aggregated 605, 900,000, besides con- 

 signments to the number of' 32,970,000 surplus eggs transferred f roui 

 the Woods Hole hatchery. 



During the period of the spring freshets it became necessary to 

 discontinue shi])ments from the collecting fields to the hatchery and 

 plant the fertilized eggs on the spawning grounds. The number 

 thus treated amounted to 277,500,000. Including the transfers from 

 the Woods Hole station, 365,450,000 cod eggs were incubated in the 

 hatchery, yielding a total of 245,140,000 fry for distribution. 



The season's collection of haddock eggs, made between March 25 

 and May 11, was the smallest secured in several years. The causes 

 responsible for this Avere (1) extremely cold Aveather during the 

 early spring, (2) scarcity of brood fish on the inshore spaAvning 

 grovmds, and (3)- the unusually small number of boats engaged in 

 fishing. The spaAvning season opened extremely late, and while 

 several large captures of fish Avere made late in March, no ripe ones 

 were among them. At times during the season, Aveather conditions 

 Avere so unfavorable that it Avas impossible to haul the nets for 

 periods of three to fiA^e days at a time, and, Avhen finally landed, all 

 the fish taken in them were dead and their eggs a total loss. 



XotAvithstanding the many difficulties encountered, over 100,000,000 

 eggs were secured during April and early May, though most of them, 

 owing to the unsuitable condition of the hatchery Avater at this time, 

 had to be fertilized and immediately returned to the grounds Avhere 

 taken. Only 2,960.000 haddock fry Avere produced at the station in 

 the course of the season, and these Avere released in waters near 

 Cape Ann. 



There Avas a great scarcity of winter flounders in Massachusetts 

 Bay during the spring, and in the absence of commercial fishing for 

 that species in the vicinity of Cape Ann, the station Avas compelled 

 to rely upon fyke nets for its brood stock. The station nets Avere 

 set assoon as the ice left the harbor, and by this method 194 gravid 

 fish Avere taken betAveen March 14 and April 27. This stock yielded 

 78,230,000 eggs, and from them 68,760,000 fry Avere obtained for dis- 

 tribution. 



