PROPAGATIOX AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1921. 83 



species as the whitefish, lake trout, cisco, pike perch, and yellow 

 perch, they also include brook trout, rainbow trout, and smallmouth 

 black bass, which species are produced in limited numbers at several 

 of these stations. 



DULUTH (MINN.^ STATION. 

 [S. r. Wires, Superintendent.] 



The spawnin<z season of the lake trout in Lake Superior fields, on 

 which the Duluth hatchery depends for its stock of ejjgs, began about 

 four days later than usual at nearly all points, the bulk of the eggs 

 being taken between October IT and November 1, though in the 

 vicinity of Isle Royale, INIich., small lots were secured at intervals 

 from the last week in September to about the middle of November. 

 The run of fish was irregular and the egg collections light, the total 

 aggregating only 12,72G,5()(). or little more than half the take of an 

 average season. On account of unseasonable weather and water con- 

 ditions, poor transportation facilities, and a lack of ice at some of the 

 more isolated fisheries, the quality of the eggs obtained was so im- 

 paired as to cut down the output of lake trout from this station to a 

 total of 6.379.r)n(), of which ITH.OOO were eyed eggs, shij)ped on as- 

 signment to other hatchories, 6.0.57,000 fry, and 1-47,500 lingerling fish. 



In the course of the lake-trout spawning season 940,000 white- 

 fish eggs were collected in the Isle Royale field, and on January 6 

 this number was augmented by the receipt of 10,000,000 eyed eggs 

 of very good quality from the Put in Bay (Ohio) hatchery. The 

 comliined stock yielded an output of O.GOO.OOO fry, all of which were 

 j)lanted in good condition, in various pai'ts of Lake Superior. The 

 station also distributed the product of L50,000 brook-trout eggs re- 

 ceived from a conimcrcial hatchery in New England and two con- 

 signments of rainbow-trout eggs, aggregating in the neighborhood 

 of 100,000, the latter being transferred to the station from western 

 hatcheries of the bureau. 



In cooperation with the Minnesota fisheries authorities the force 

 of the Duluth station established and operated two field stations for 

 the collection of pike-|)erch eggs during the spring — one on the Rat 

 Root River and the other on Boy River, a tributary of I^ech Lake. 

 I'he i>ureairs share in the proceeds of these operations amounted to 

 13,680.000 eggs. At Boy River the work was not altogether suc- 

 cessful, as more than 9H per cent of the fish taken had deposited their 

 eggs previous to cai)ture. This may have been due to the unusually 

 low water stages that obtained in the early part of the season, the 

 fish not l)eing attracted to the streams and spawning in the shallow 

 waters of Leech Lake. 



NORTH VILLE (MICH.) STATION AND SUBSTATIONS. 

 [W. W. Thaybu, Snporintcnflont.l 



There was a further decrease in tlie number of whitefish and lake- 

 trout eggs secured from Lakes Michigan and Huron, two causes for 

 which are assigned — the State laws and inexperienced and unreliable 

 spawn-takers. Under the present laws fishermen are ])ermitted to 

 use }in unlimited number of nets durinir tiie fishing season and are 

 not ref|uire(l to make any provision for the salvage of ripe eggs taken. 



