DISTRIBUTION OF FISH AND FISH EGGS, 1919. 5 



SIZE OF ALLOTMENTS. 



In planning for its distributions the waters from which the Bureau's 



egg collections are obtained must have first consideration. After such 

 provision has been made the remainder of the available stock is 

 allotted to applicants for stocking public or private waters. 



In determiniug the size of allotments to be made on apphcations 

 the Bureau is governed by the number and size of the requested 

 species available for distribution, by the extent of the water area to 

 be stocked, and by the distance to which the fish must be transported. 

 In every case the Bureau aims to supply only a sufficient number of 

 young fish for the establishment of a Drood stock, and it is expected 

 that the recipient will take steps for their protection until t]\ey have 

 had time to matm"e and stock the watei-s through natural repro- 

 duction. 



TIME AND METHOD OF DELIVERY. 



Certain species, notably the brook trout and rainbow trout, ai'e 

 planted whenever possible during the fingerling stage; but, as the 

 rearing facilities are limited, the stock must be reduced in the early 

 spring to prevent overcrowding. Thus a part of the output is annu- 

 ally shipped in the fry stage. The distribution of the basses and other 

 pondfishes begins about three weeks after they are hatched, and 

 extends over a period of several months, the last lots of fish sent out 

 ranging from 2 to 4 inches in length. The basses, sunfishes, crappie, 

 yellow perch, and other fishes rescued from landlocked ponds and 

 pools in the Mississippi River VaUey are from 3 to 6 mcheslong when 

 distributed. 



It is the policy of the Bm-eau to fill applications in the order of 

 their receipt andf to deliver the fish assigned as soon thereafter as 

 possible, but there are certain conditions connected with the distribu- 

 tion work which should be thoroughly imderstood by prospective 

 applicants. 



The cost involved in making shipments of fish compels the Bureau 

 to exercise the utmost economy in aiTanging its distribution work. 

 The delivery of special consignments and those intended for distant 

 points must be delayed until a sufficient number of applications from 

 the same section of the country have been received to warrant the 

 expense of a messenger shipment. The Bureau can not carry a stock 

 of fish for delivery on demand, and when the supply of one year is 

 exhausted no more are available until the crop of the succeeding year 

 is ready to be sent out. The sliipmcnt of trout from the Biu"eau's 

 eastern stations begins early in March, and all applications received 

 after that time are carried over until the following year. Trout dis- 

 tributions from stations in the Kocky Mountain regions are made 

 between May and October, and, in order to insure early attention, 

 applications from that part of the country should be in the Wash- 

 ington office of the Bureau not later than May 1. The so-caUed warm- 

 water fishes, including black bass, suntisJi, and crappie, are shipped 

 between May and December, and requests for them should bo sub- 

 mitted prior to May 1. 



Tlie fish are shipped in railroad cars esn(!cially designed for the 

 purpose or in baggage cars, accompanied ny a messenger, and the 

 delivery is made at the applicant's railroad station without expense 

 to him. When an application for fish is received by the Bureau the 



