REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 29 



under present conditions being taken in a green state, between salt 

 water and the spawning grounds. A few fishermen were permitted 

 to operate gill nets on the spaAvning grounds under licenses issued 

 by the State, and the eggs taken from the fish caught are turned 

 over to the hatchery. The most notable increase in the w^ork at the 

 Edenton (N. C.) station during the year was in the collection of 

 glut-herring eggs. This species has commercial importance in Albe- 

 marle Sound, and it appears worthy of increased attention. 



In the Roanoke River, in the vicinity of Weldon, N. C, striped 

 bass appeared in large numbers, and over 48,000,000 eggs were 

 obtained, fully twice the number in any preceding year. The greater 

 part of tliis increase was due to the more effective work of the fish- 

 ermen in supplying ripe eggs to the bureau's hatchery. 



In advance of the shad-hatching season the Bryans Point (Md.) 

 station was engaged in yellow-perch propagation. Eggs of this 

 species are secured by collecting the adult fish and holding them in 

 specially constructed live cars anchored in creeks near the hatchery 

 until their eggs have been deposited, when they are liberated. The 

 eggs are transferred to hatching jars, and the resulting fry are 

 liberated in the streams from which the fish were derived. During 

 the season a total of 21.620 adult yellow perch were collected, and 

 from the females, which constituted about three-fourths of the lot, 

 199.660,000 eggs were taken, practically all of them being of first 

 quality. 



The propagation of Atlantic salmon at the Craig Brook (Me.) 

 station was conducted as heretofore. At the beginning of the year 

 there were on hand in the station inclosure awaiting the ripening of 

 their eggs 199 adult wild salmon that had been purchased during 

 the preceding two months from commercial fishermen, but the num- 

 ber was reduced at spawning time in October to 190, from which 

 572.000 eggs were taken. In addition 1,000.000 eyed eggs were 

 received from the Candian Government in March, in exchange for 

 trout eggs, and from the combined stock 1,334.000 fry were liber- 

 ated in the Penobscot River and tributaries in the month of May. 

 At the close of the fiscal year 47 adult salmon were being held in the 

 station pound. The number obtained was considerably smaller than 

 usual, the decrease being due mainly to the low market price for 

 Atlantic salmon, which did not justify the fishermen in expending 

 much money in equipment. 



During the fall of 1921, 445.000 eggs were secured from wild hump- 

 back salmon taken from Dennys River, at Dennysville, Me. These 

 were incubated at the Craig Brook (Me.) station, producing approxi- 

 mately 370,000 fry for return to the Dennys River and tributaries. 

 This run of fish resulted from the transfer of humpback salmon 

 eggs from the Afognak (Alaska) station in November, 1917, being 

 the second generation to ascend the river for reproduction. It there- 

 fore appears that the humpback salmon has become well established 

 in the waters of the Maine coast. 



PROPAGATION OF COMMERCIAL FISHES OF GREAT LAKES. 



The bureau's operations in this region are confined to the propa- 

 gation of such species as whitefish. cisco, lake trout, and pike perch. 

 Operations with the first two species showed a satisfactory increase 



