PROPAGATION AND DISTEIBUTTOIT OF FOOD FISHES, 1922. 77 



sunfish (bream), 8,200 catfish, and 325 crappic. The simfish dis- 

 tributed were produced in Harris Pond and transferred to the Cold 

 Springs station at intervals between August and October as they 

 attained suitable size for handling. They were removed from the 

 pond by means of a 100-foot seine of J-inch mesh, which was drawn 

 slowly through the water in order to allow the smaller fish to escape 

 through the mesh. The season's work with this species was the most 

 successful ever experienced at the station, but the outcome of the 

 work with the crappie was far from satisfactory. In the hope of 

 improving conditions the brood stock of this species was transferred 

 to another pond in the spring of 1922, and at the close of the year 

 a considerable number of fingerling crappie were seen in this pond. 

 The ouput of catfish was also derived from Harris Pond. These fish 

 were secured in connection Avith the sunfish collections, and a suffi- 

 cient number were obtained to fill all applications on hand. 



In an effort to check the increasing losses among the adult large- 

 mouthed black bass, which have recently assumed alarming propor- 

 tions, and with the view also of reducing the cost of their main- 

 tenance, the food supply of this species was changed at the beginning 

 of the year, beef heart being substituted for fresh mullet, which has 

 been the exclusive food for a long period of years. The change 

 proved detrimental, as the mortality increased during the first five 

 months of the year, and this heavy loss of brood stock resulted in 

 a curtailed output of young bass. The loss of adult fish, externally 

 appearing to be in prime condition, has been an unfavorable factor 

 at this station for some time. The greatest mortality has heretofore 

 occurred in August, but it was so heavy this year during the spring 

 months that a resumption of the fresh mullet diet was resorted to 

 with considerably reduced losses. It is presumed that the food of 

 the adult bass was deficient in some element present in the natural 

 food supply at the more successful stations, being apparently present 

 in insufficient quantities in the fresh mullet and lacking to a still 

 greater extent in the beef heart. This was probably the cause of 

 the loss of fish. It is possible that the missing substance is phosphate 

 of lime. This important element would undoubtedly be present in 

 sufficient quantity in waters well stocked with suitable natural food 

 for the fish, and it is proposed to conduct a control experiment by 

 adding ground green bone to the beef heart. On account of the 

 great demand for bass, the station force undertook to make collec- 

 tions during May in a large lake located near Birmingham, Ala., 

 but the attempt was given up after securing only 12,000 fry as a 

 result of 25 days' effort. 



EDENTON (N. C. ) STATION. 

 [Dell Brown, Superintendent.] 



The more important work of this station — that addressed to the 

 propagation of shad and river herring — is discussed on page 54. 

 In addition to the output of such species the station produces and 

 distributes every year a comparatively small output of large-mouthed 

 black bass and sunfish. The ponds available for this work are not 

 particularly well suited to it, being too shallow and of insufficient 

 area for the best results, and although the pond- fish-cultural work 

 is to some extent an incidental item in the affairs of the station even 



