1162 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



ble. Haddock fishing on inshore grounds was so poor throughout the spring that 

 only one or two boats were engaged in it. The season's egg collections of this 

 species approximated 135,385,000 of which 38,018,000 were, on account of low 

 water density, deposited as green eggs in the fishing areas where taken. 

 From the eggs handled in the hatchery 63,168,000 fry were developed and 

 planted. Winter flounder operations were conducted between March 4 and 

 April 30. From a brood stock of 350 fish 175,072,000 eggs were produced and 

 359,972.000 fry hatched and liberated. The offshore operations were prosecuted 

 from February 1 to April 12. During this time 43,106,000 cod and 57,406,000 

 haddock eggs were handled. These numbers represent a decline as compared 

 witii last year's results in this field. 



WOODS HOLE (MASS.) STATION 



[G. R. HoFFSES, Superintendent] 



Changing conditions in the local commercial fishery have made it increas- 

 ingly difficult to obtain cod eggs for incubation. The once prolific collecting 

 fields at Sandwich and Plymouth, Mass., are now entirely closed to such work; 

 and of late years the station has been dependent on the comparatively small local 

 band-line cod fishery, conducted from small boats manned by one or two men, 

 and two or three traps owned and operated by parties from Newport, R. I. 

 From these sources it is the practice to select such fish as give promise of the 

 greatest egg production and hold them in a pool at the station pending 

 natural spawning. The eggs thus secured are transferred to the hatchery and 

 inculiated by the usual method. Experience having shown that fish taken in the 

 traps invariably are superior as prospective spawners to hand-line fish, 

 effects to obtain brood cod are always directed first to the traps. During the 

 past year, however, all traps available in this region took nothing except 

 small immature fish unsuitable for fish-cultural work. From the hand-line 

 fishermen only about 100 cod were collected and nearly all of them proved to 

 be males or barren females. The amount of eggs secured, therefore, was 

 negligible. 



The results of the work with winter flounder were entirely satisfactory. 

 Fishing for brood fish of this species continued from January to March and 

 2,380 females were handled, producing approximately 837,000,000 eggs. The 

 apparently early spawning of winter flounder in Waquoit Bay is mentioned 

 as being of passing interest. The first take of fish in the station nets on Janu- 

 ary 11 contained spent females. In all previous years all fish taken on or 

 about that time have been held in tanks for a period of one to two weeks 

 awaiting the maturity of their sexual products. During the spring and early 

 summer 17,500,000 mackerel eggs were obtained from the local trap fishery. 

 Scup were also in evidence in the catches, though practically none was in 

 spawning condition. A deaerating device installed in the sea-water tank has 

 proven of real value in reducing the mortality of fish carried for public exhibit 

 or in connection with fish-cultural work. 



Offshore spawn-taking operations did not result successfully from the stand- 

 point of eggs fertilized. Being unable to obtain the services of skilled spawn- 

 takers for the work, four inexperienced men from the station personnel were 

 detailed to the offshore field. The experience gained by these men may be of 

 value to the station in connection with next season's operations. 



ANADROMOUS SPECIES ATLANTIC COAST 



All operations under this classification were materially restricted. 

 The production of shad at the Fort Humphreys (Va.) and Eden- 

 ton (N. C.) stations was negligible, and no striped bass eggs were 

 obtained at the Weldon (N. C.) substation. The Craig Brook (Me.) 

 station handled 1,000,000 Atlantic salmon eggs secured by exchange 

 but allotted the major portion of them to the State hatcheries where 

 more adequate facilities for rearing the fingerlings were available. 

 The propagation of yellow perch on the Potomac River yielded an 

 output of normal proportions. 



