PKOPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1926 359 



of ripe fish, but none was found until April 22, Hie season opening about two 

 weeks later than usual. Throughout the month of April an interval of two 

 or three fair days was invariably followed by high winds and cold weather. 

 Such conditions prevailed until the first week of May, when, as a result of 

 several successive warm days, a run of herring ascended nearer to the head- 

 waters of adjacent streams than ever before so far as the records go. In the 

 course of the egg-collecting period, which extended to May 6, 123.000,000 eggs 

 (approximately one-third of last year's total) were secured. As was the 

 case in a former season, the eggs were extremely adhesive, and despite the 

 application of every known preventive in taking them and in their subsequent 

 care the losses during incubation were excessive, amounting to about 60 per 

 cent of the eggs collected. 



The conditions encountered at Capehart Beach were the same as last year. 

 The daily catch of shad was invariably small, and quite frequently it consisted 

 of fish of only one sex. On the few occasions when both sexes were represented 

 the females were green. Daily trips were made to the fishing grounds until it 

 became apparent that no eggs would be obtainable, when they were discontinued. 



Atlantic and Humpback Salmons. Craig Brook (Me.) Station 

 [George N. Montgomery, Superintendent] 



On account of the unreasonable attitude assumed by the commercial fisher- 

 men of the Penobscot River with reference to the conduct of Atlantic-salmon 

 propagation at this station, no local egg collections are made, and for the 

 past few years the work with that species has been dependent upon the trans- 

 fer of eggs from hatcheries operated by the Canadian Government, such eggs 

 being in exchange for the spawn of other fishes. In the pursuance of work 

 along this line 553,000 eyed eggs were received early in March from South 

 Esk, New Brunswick, and a few days later a second shipment of 546,000 ar- 

 rived from Gaspe, Quebec. One hundred thousand of the latter consignment 

 were reshipped to the State hatchery at Caribou, Me., with the view of liber- 

 ating the resulting fry in the waters of that region. From the remaining eggs 

 900,000 fry were developed in the Craig Brook hatchery and were utilized for 

 replenishing the supply in the Penobscot River and other streams in Maine. 



The run of humpback salmon to fresh-water streams of the State being 

 due in the fall of 1925, preparations were made in advance of the spawning 

 season for the collection of eggs in the Dennys River. The first fish in spawn- 

 ing condition was obtained on September 17, and in the course of the succeed- 

 ing 10 days 1,134,000 eggs were secured. The loss on this lot during the 

 hatching period amounted to about 9y 2 per cent. 



FISHES OF MINOR INTERIOR WATERS 



The more important fishes propagated at the stations included 

 under this heading are the brook, rainbow, Loch Leven, and black- 

 spotted fronts, the landlocked salmon, the black basses, the crappies, 

 rock bass, sunfishes, and catfish. Due to the great extension in travel 

 brought about by the rapidly increasing use of the automobile and 

 the consequent opening of heretofore almost inaccessible regions, 

 numerous streams that formerly contained an abundance of fish life 

 have become almost depleted. This is particularly true of the brook 

 trout and black basses, species for which there seems to be an in- 

 exhaustable demand. The output of brook trout from the bureau's 

 hatcheries is limited by the necessity \>f depending largely upon 

 commercial establishments as a source of supply for eggs,, while in 

 the case of the black bass and other pond fishes the work of producing 

 them is hazardously affected at some points each year by sudden 

 changes in temperature and other unfavorable weather and water 

 conditions. Another handicap is the inability to secure brood fish 

 in adequate numbers, while lack of sufficient rearing space hampers 

 the work at almost all points. In an effort to alleviate this difficulty 



