52 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



cistern is conducted into the filter, thence to a reservoir, and from 

 there is pumped back into the storage tanks. By this means the 

 water is heated in passing from the tanks to the hatchery, and while 

 in the reservoir it can be again heated, if necessary, by a coil of 

 pipe through which is passed water from the exhaust steam used 

 in heating the building. This arrangement effects a considerable 

 saving in coal as compared with past years. 



During the winter, collections of winter-flounder spawn were made 

 as usual at Waquoit, Mass., and Wickford, R. I., and although 

 the operations were not as productive as in some previous years the 

 results were on the whole fairly satisfactory, this being made pos- 

 sible largely through the strenuous efforts of the employees engaged 

 in the work. In the Waquoit field particularly the spawn takers are 

 beset with many difficulties. Not infrequently ice 8 inches or more 

 in thickness must be sawed through before the nets used in the 

 capture of the brood fish can be set or examined. Even under milder 

 weather conditions there are many hardships to undergo, making 

 the work exceedingly difficult. Operations at Waquoit extended 

 from January 12 to March 24, during which time 819,927,000 eggs 

 were secured, or nearly 35,000,000 more than in the previous fiscal 

 year. An employee detailed to the Wickford field throughout the 

 month of March obtained 228,768,000 eggs. The weather con- 

 ditions during this period were comparatively mild, but for some 

 reason the catch of fish was light. In the Newport field the fish 

 are taken in deep water, which is so cold that they do not spawn 

 freely until it is too late in the season to make successful shipments 

 of eggs to the Woods Hole hatchery. Owing to this fact only 123,- 

 783,000 eggs were taken, notwithstanding the considerable numbers 

 of brood fish secured. Possibly the fish can be held in live cars 

 at some point where the water is shallower and warmer, and it is 

 intended to make some investigations along this line at the first 

 opportunity. Egg collections of this species from all sources 

 amounted to 1,212,916,000, of which 166,751,000 were planted in the 

 eyed stage of development. The remainder were hatched, yielding 

 844,381,000 fry, the percentage of hatch being 82.7. 



In an effoi-t to secure eggs of the mackerel almost daily visits were 

 made to the local traps throughout the month of June, and as a result 

 2,022,000 were collected. The eggs were of uniformly good quality, 

 nearly 99 per cent producing fiy. Eggs of the scup to the number 

 of 3,425,000 were also taken. In the early history of the station a 

 few eggs of this species were occassionally secured, but until this 

 year none whatever have been obtained since 1911, when a collection 

 of 634,000 was made. The present season's collection was four times 

 larger than any ever previously made. The percentage of hatch 

 was 73.1, and had it not been for one large lot that was practically 

 a total loss a very large percentage of hatch would have resulted. 

 The efforts put forth to secure eggs of the sea bass were not wholly 

 fruitless, as 32,000 were taken and hatched and the fry distributed 

 without apparent loss. The last previous collection of these eggs 

 was in 1910, when 850,000 were taken. 



To satisfy a demand for steelhead for stocking a fresh-water pond 

 at Mashpeo, Mass., 25,000 eggs of that species were received at the 

 station during the spring from Birdsview, Wash. Although the 



