60 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS (AV. VA.) STATION. 

 [Dell Brown, Superintendent.] 



Work at this station during the year was conducted along the usual 

 lines. The results from trout propagation, both the brook and the 

 rainbow, were of a satisfactory nature, but, on the other hand, the 

 spawning of the two species of the pond fishes turned out to be an 

 almost total faihire. 



The brood stock of approximately 2,700 female rainbow trout 2 

 years old and older produced 1,058,900 eggs, or more than a half mil- 

 lion in excess of the previous season's collection. Only 68 per cent 

 of them hatched, however, and the cause of this heavy mortality can 

 not be explained. On reaching the eyed stage 447,000 Avere supplied 

 to applicants and transferred to other stations of the bureau. The 

 remainder were incubated at the station, together with a consignment 

 of 100,000 received from the Wytheville (Va.) hatchery. The brood 

 stock of brook trout, consisting of ahout 150 3-year-old fish and 350 

 2-year-okl fish, yielded 80,000 eggs, which number was supplemented 

 by the purchase of a million eggs from commercial dealers in New 

 England. The so-called " white-spot " disease caused some mortality 

 among the fry of this species just prior to the feeding stage, and a gill 

 affection was prevalent later among the fingerlings. P^ggs to the 

 number of 22,000 were taken from 150 3-year-old albino brook trout. 

 The males of this lot appeared to be lacking in virility, and some diffi- 

 culty was experienced in obtaining the necessary fertilizing medium. 

 Nine thousand fingerlings resulted from these albino aggs, 1,000 of 

 which Avere furnished to applicants, leaving 8,000 on hand at the close 

 of the year. 



A consignment of adult smallmouth black bass obtained from Lake 

 Erie waters for a brood stock survived the winter without undue loss, 

 numbering 115 at spawning time. During the spring 46 nests of this 

 species were noted in the ponds, and the output of fry amounted to 

 100,,500. The 23 largemouth black bass on hand produced 25,800 fry 

 and 600 fingerling fish. The results from the rock bass and sunfish 

 were negligible. This condition was attributed in part to lack of 

 proper nourishment, it having never been the custom to feed the 

 brood-pond fishes at this station. Steps have now been taken to feed 

 them on beef heart, and the results will be carefully noted. 



WYTHEVILLE (VA.) STATION. 

 [George A. Seaglb, Superintendent.] 



During the spawning season of the rainbow trout) the 2,960 adult 

 females on hand yielded 870.352 eggs, of which shipments totaling 

 480.()(K) were transferred in the eyed state to api)licants and to other 

 hatcheries of the bureau. The spawning season was unusually pro- 

 tracted, extending from October 10, 1920, to March 15, 1921, the 

 wild fish recently introduced into the brood stock probably being the 

 later spawners. 



At the beginning of the spawning season 695 2-year-old fish were 

 turned over to a representative of the scientific division for experi- 

 ment. From these fish 30,500 eyed eggs and 19,000 fry were returned 

 to the hatchery stock at the end of the season's investigations, and 



