(2 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
During the winter arrangements were made with Mr. 8. H. Campbell, 
the superintendent of the Wyoming commission, for the collection of 
rainbow-trout eggs on Laramie River. Several hundred large rainbow 
trout were secured about 24 miles southwest of Laramie and placed in 
retaining-ponds, but a sudden rise of the river washed away the pond 
and the fish escaped, but in the meantime 25,000 eggs had been secured. 
These were transferred to the station and produced 18,500 fry. ; 
At the request of the acting superintendent of the Yellowstone 
National Park, arrangements were made in April for an investigation of 
the trout streams, with the view to the establishment of a substation 
for the hatching of trout. Accordingly, the superintendent examined 
the Gardiner River and Lupine, Lava, and Glen creeks, but owing 
to the large number of bowlders and the swift, strong current, which 
prevented the use of a seine, it was found impracticable to operate at 
any of these points. Aecompanied by an escort of six men, a trip 
was made through the park in the attempt to secure rainbow trout 
in the Gibbon River from Norris Basin to a point a mile above the 
Virginia Cascades, but none was captured, though a fisherman was 
seen with two small ones taken from the cascades. 
The trip was continued to Grand Canyon and a camp was made on 
May 18 at the mouth of the Otter Creek along the Yellowstone River, 
where the first fish of the season had been captured on May 15 by 
Lieutenant Amos. Seining operations were conducted for several 
days inthe Yellowstone and hundreds of Salmo mykiss taken. These, 
however, were found to be affected by parasites and not very gamy. 
As soon as the road crew could shovel out the road, which was full of 
snow, the trip was continued to Yellowstone Lake, where the small 
streams entering the lake from the west were found to abound in 
trout. Four troughs were constructed, and after building a reservoir 
300,000 eggs were taken and placed upon the trays. An investiga- 
tion was then made of all the streams entering the lake from the lake 
outlet to West Thumb Bay, with the view of obtaining a more central 
point for establishing an egg-eying station, and it resulted in the selec- 
tion of a site 2 miles north of West Thumb Station, on a stream not 
over 5 feet wide, but containing a sufficient supply of water of good 
quality. This stream was alive with Salmo mykiss, averaging 15 
inches in length and weighing about 14 pounds. Sufficient trough 
capacity for eying 2,000,000 eggs was provided, and after building 
a substantial dam and flumes, the fish were caught and eggs taken. 
Fish were so plentiful that they were frequently taken with the hands 
in the shallow water. By the 30th of June 1,200,000 eggs had been 
taken and placed on trays at this station. 
Nearly all of the small streams entering the lake are full of Salmo 
mykiss, and it is recommended that the Commission cooperate with 
the commanding officer in erecting a building at or near West Thumb 
for the collection and hatching of black-spotted trout eggs, as it is 
believed that 5,000,000 could be taken each season. 
