50 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



quality. From the 988,583,000 eggs obtained 922,777,000 fry were 

 hatched and distributed, the deposits fteing made in the localities 

 from which the brood fish were derived. 



In accordance with past custom an exhibit of local fishes and other 

 marine animals was maintained in the hatching room throughout the 

 summer months, and it proved to be a source of much interest to the 

 numerous visitors. 



GLOUCESTER (MASS.) STATION. 

 [C. G. Corliss, Superintendent.] 



The work of the Gloucester (Mass.) station involved the pollock, 

 the cod, the haddock, the winter flounder, and the pole flounder. The 

 collection of pollock eggs, taken up on November 7 and continued 

 until January 19, netted 507,270,000 eggs for incubation. Although 

 there appeared to be a good body of fish on the inshore fishing 

 grounds throughout the season, they were continually moving from 

 place to place, necessitating frequent shifting of nets and resulting 

 in smaller daily catches. This condition characterized the entire 

 season's work and had a direct bearing on the decreased numbers of 

 eggs obtained. The collection of cod eggs extended from December 7 

 to April 16, the largest collections, as usual, being obtained during 

 March and April. Spawn takers from the station were engaged on 

 boats fishing in Ipswich Bay and Massachusetts Bay, one spawn 

 taker being sent to Plymouth, Mass., to investigate the reports of 

 large numbers of eggs available from that point. The season's work 

 again demonstrated the need of a serviceable boat for use in connec- 

 tion with the spring collection of cod and haddock eggs. Most sea- 

 sons the fishing fleet is distributed over so wide an area that without 

 a suitable boat it is not possible for the small number of spawn takers 

 employed to cover more than a small portion of the field. The sea- 

 son's efforts netted 306,960,000 eggs, 124,060,000 of which were 

 planted immediately after fertilization. The number incubated at 

 the hatchery was further increased by the transfer of 30,070,000 

 eggs from the Woods Hole (Mass.) station. 



The collections of haddock and Avinter flounder eggs were taken 

 up in the usual manner and resulted in obtaining 542,110,000 had- 

 dock and 110,580,000 winter flounder eggs. Some 75,960,000 of the 

 haddock eggs were deposited on the fishing grounds after fertiliza- 

 tion. All of the eggs of the various species taken to the hatchery 

 were incubated successfully and the fry deposited at suitable j)oints 

 from which the egg collections were obtained. 



The work concerned with the pole flounder, undertaken for the 

 first time near the close of the fiscal year 1921, was continued dur- 

 ing the first 16 days of July, 1922, resulting in the collection of 

 5,090,000 eggs. An increase in the numbers of ripe fish taken in 

 the fishery as the season advanced was expected, but no such in- 

 crease was apparent up to the time the work closed. An examina- 

 tion of the ovaries of the fish taken on July 16 showed a wide 

 variation in the development. Many of the fish had small unde- 

 veloped ovaries, and others, in smaller numbers, taken in the same 

 place, contained ripe eggs. From the information obtained it seems 

 evident that the spawning period is much protracted, but that the 



