REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 67 
San Marcos Station, Texas (J. L. LEARY, SUPERINTENDENT). 
To prevent a repetition of the loss of fish and damage to property 
caused by the overflow of the San Marcos River in 1900 a special 
appropriation was obtained for the construction of a protection wall 
along its banks. During the month of August a stone wall 246 feet 
long and 63 feet high was built of white limestone, laid loose, 23 feet 
at base and 14 inches on top. This work was commenced August 20 
and was completed by October 5, at a cost of about $640. A conerete 
walk 1,200 feet long, 4 feet wide, and gravel walks 400 feet long, 4 
feet wide, were laid from the residence to the office, and a number 
of minor improvements were made to the ponds and buildings. 
It became necessary during the year to obtain additional brood 
fish, as many had been lost during the freshet above referred to. By 
seining the Blanco and San Marcos rivers 150 black bass were secured 
and transferred to the. station in excellent condition. With the 
approach of the spawning season they were placed in the spawning- 
ponds, 24 fish being allowed for each half acre. This number is con- 
sidered ample for that area, as in stocking bass ponds care should be 
taken not to allot too many breeders to a pond, it being better to 
have too few rather than toomany. Nesting commenced on January 
31, and by February 8 young fish were seen. This unusually early 
spawning was undoubtedly due to the very mild winter and to the 
direct flow of water from the artesian well, the temperature of which 
was 68°. Owing to a sudden cold change late in February, however, 
nearly all the eggs and fry in the pond at that time were lost. The 
last nest was noticed on June 17. The majority of the bass still deposit 
their eggs on the clay banks of the ponds, though the number taking 
the piles of gravel provided for this purpose is increasing annually. 
The transfer of fry from ponds to distributing tanks commenced in 
April and continued to the end of June, 89,600 young being handled 
during this period. In making transfers a seine of bobbinet is used, 
and no fry under 13 inches in length are removed from the ponds. 
No change has been made in the method of feeding, the flesh of 
crawfish and fish ground very fine and then screened through a fine 
sieve being the principal material. When they could be obtained 
water fleas were given for a change in diet, and as the fry became 
older large numbers of small minnows were fed them. The brood-fish 
are always fed regularly throughout the spawning season, as it not 
only keeps them in good condition, but tends to tame them and allows 
opportunity for close observation. 
Of the rock bass brought from Neosho six remain. These, with the 
17 yearlings saved from the flood, were placed in a breeding pond in 
the spring, and at the close of the year many thousand young were 
visible. They commenced spawning about the middle of March, and 
nests were noticed as late as June 22. 
The strawberry bass transferred from the same station also suf- 
fered heavy losses, though the six remaining of this lot are in fine 
