REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 61 
The lake-trout work was commenced early in September, as usual, 
in the vicinity of Port Arthur and Rossport, Ontario; Grand Portage, 
Minn.; Isle Royale, Ontonagon, Copper Harbor, Montreal River, and 
Keystone, Mich. The spawning season opened in the vicinity of Port 
Arthur about September 20, and at the Michigan fields on October 5, 
eggs coming in from the various points up to and including November 
30. The work resulted in the collection of 9,525,000 eggs, all but 
3,000,000 of which were taken in Michigan waters. These were trans- 
ferred to Duluth, and after being eyed 2,100,000 were shipped to the 
State fish commissioners of Utah, New York, Wyoming, and to sta- 
tions of the U.S. Fish Commission, the total loss in transit on the entire 
number amounting to only 2,550. The eggs retained at the station 
hatched in April, and the distribution of the fry was made between 
May 2 and June 14. 
In view of criticisms which have been made in the past year as to 
the methods employed in planting fry from this station, the following 
experiment was conducted: On the 4th of April 10,000 lake-trout fry, 
2 days old, were transferred from one pail to another in dippers, each 
dipperful being allowed to fall 7 feet into a pail containing 6 inches 
of water. On the 15th this was repeated, the fall being increased to 
9 feet, and again on May 5, with a fall of 12 feet. They were dis- 
tributed the last of May in excellent condition, the total loss during 
the time they were held being 65. In view of these facts, it scarcely 
seems possible that the fry could be materially injured by planting 
from the deck of a vessel running at a moderate rate of speed with a 
fall of only 2 or 3 feet. 
On the 20th of February 15,000,000 white-fish eggs were received 
from the Detroit hatchery. These hatched between April 20 and 25, 
yielding 14,600,000 fry, which were planted in Lake Superior at points 
in Wisconsin and Michigan. Consignments of brook trout and rain- 
bow trout were also received in February, and were hatched with very 
small losses, the fry being distributed as usual during the month of 
June. 
With the view to the collection of steelhead-trout eggs in the near 
future an investigation was made in streams tributary to Lake 
Superior, in which plants of that fish have been made in the past few 
years. From information gained from anglers in the vicinity it 
appears that during the past two seasons about 10,000 steelheads have 
been caught, their weight ranging from one-sixth of a pound to 8 
pounds and their length from 6 to 25 inches. It was also learned that 
their spawning season in these streams commences about May 20. 
On account of Jack of funds no effort was made to collect eggs this 
year, but 45,000 eyed eggs were received from the Oregon station in 
June; but as these had been six days en route, during very warm 
weather, they were of poor quality. The fry were hatched by June 21, 
and at the close of the year there were 34,290 on hand. . 
