40 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



fertilized, and planted on the spawning grounds. The eggs of the 

 pole flounder are about one-twentieth of an inch in diameter, a 

 liquid quart containing approximately 426,000. They are semi- 

 buoyant and nonadhesive. It is probable that spawning continues 

 throughout the summer months. It would appear that the species 

 is worth the attention of fish culture, and that considerable num- 

 bers of eggs for artificial propagation are obtainable in the commer- 

 cial fishery at comparatively small expense. 



WOODS HOLE (MASS.) STATION. 

 [W. H. Thomas, Superintendent.] 



At the approach of the cod spawning season at this station nego- 

 tiations were entered into with fishermen operating vessels equipped 

 for carrying live fish to supply broOd cod for the propagation work, 

 but as only one suitable vessel was available the number of fish 

 secured was smaller than was desirable. The first consignment of 

 485 fish was delivered on November 15. Five further consignments 

 delivered between that date and December 6 brought the total brood 

 stock up to 2,441 fish, all of which were placed in the spawning cis- 

 tern. Stormy w^eather prevented any further deliveries. The fish 

 were an exceptionally fine lot, a large percentage being females. 

 For several seasons heretofore cod propagation at the Woods Hole 

 station has been reduced to almost negligible proportions because of 

 the very large percentage of barren fish among the brood stock. 

 It is impossible to assign an entirely satisfactory reason for this 

 condition, but it may have been due partly to the undersize of the 

 fish and also to the fact that they were taken in places not usually 

 frequented by spawning fish. The fish secured this season were of 

 good size and were taken on fishing grounds located some distance 

 offshore. The egg returns from them were very satisfactory, the 

 total amounting to 214,702,000. Of this stock, 8,700,000 green eggs 

 were transferred to the Gloucester station and 124,441,000 fry were 

 hatched. 



On account of more favorable weather conditions the results of 

 the season's flatfish work were larger than those of the previous year, 

 though the egg collections were not equal to that of the record year 

 of 1918. Operations in local fields began on January 12 and resulted 

 in a collection of 803,567,000 eggs. A very satisfactory increase in 

 the number of fish obtained at Quisset Harbor is to be recorded. 

 The collecting station at Wickford was opened March 18 and was in 

 operation until March 28, when high-water temperatures made it 

 impracticable to continue the work. The egg collections at this 

 point amounted to 112,228,000, or less than half of last year's. From 

 the total of 915,855,000 eggs obtained from all points fry to the 

 number of 795,855,000 w'ere hatched and deposited in local waters. 



During March, 1920, the three-story frame building connected with 

 the Woods Hole station, the first floor of which was occupied as a 

 machine shop while the two upper stories furnished storage space 

 for fish-cultural and scientific equipment, was destroyed by fire. A 

 special appropriation of $65,000 for rebuilding and replacing equip- 

 ment was provided by Congress, becoming available June 5, 1920. 



Advantage was taken of this opportunity in reconstruction to make 

 certain changes in building and equipment that will add much to the 



