BUREAU OF FISHERIES 107 



work in the Upper Mississippi Wildlife Refuge. This was reflected 

 in a reduction of distribution of warm-water pondfish and also in the 

 distribution of a larger-size fish listed as fingerlings. The fingerling 

 output of 118,105,000 was approximately 18,000,000 less than the pre- 

 vious year. The output of game fish as a whole held up most success- 

 fully. ' The demand for game fishes for stocking waters on Federal 

 lands has increased to the extent that many applications from private 

 applicants had to be carried over for subsequent attention. 



PROPAGATION OF COMMERCIAL SPECIES 



Marine species, Atlantic coast. — The output of haddock and pol- 

 lock, and important species of the New England shore waters, was 

 increased. This increase was balanced bj^ a reduction in the propaga- 

 tion of cod and flatfish. Lobster propagation was prosecuted more 

 Aagorously at Bootlibay Harbor, Maine, and Gloucester, Mass., with 

 a resultant production of 6,800,000 fry. No mackerel were propa- 

 gated by the marine stations during 1938. As usual, much of the 

 propagation of marine species was concerned Avith the fertilization 

 of eggs and their immediate planting on the natural spawning 

 grounds. Over 4^/2 billion eggs were salvaged by this procedure. 



Pacific sahnon. — It is especially regretful that there was a notable 

 drop in the propagation of chinook and sockeye, the most valuable 

 species of the Pacific salmons. However, the annual fluctuation in 

 the runs of these fish determines the egg take, which in turn controls 

 the hatchery distribution. In connection with the salmon hatchery 

 operation, steelhead trout were propagated in large numbers. 



Anadroinmis species, Atlantic coast. — In line with an intensive 

 study of the biology of the shad, and a definite program of rehabili- 

 tation of the species, the output of shad fry was materially increased 

 to a total of 26,000,000. Increases were registered at the Fort Bel- 

 voir, Va., station and at Edenton, N. C, and scattering numbers were 

 propagated in South Carolina and Georgia, the latter being a new 

 activity conducted in cooperation with these States. Work with 

 the Atlantic salmon was negligible, due to inability to obtain any 

 worth-while quantity of eggs. Yellow perch and white perch were 

 hatched in large numbers in the shad hatcheries, since these species 

 can be handled at little additional cost in connection with the propa- 

 gation of the more important shad. Effort was again made to propa- 

 gate striped bass on the Roanoke River in cooperation with the State 

 of North Carolina. Moderately successful results were obtained. 



Commercial species, interior loaters. — Several hundred million eggs 

 and fry of the catfish, buffalo fish, and carp varieties were distrib- 

 uted, purely as a byproduct of the Bureau's other work in the upper 

 Mississippi area. It would have been possible to increase the output 

 of these had such action been deemed desirable. Owing to uncer- 

 tainty as to the role of the hatcheries in maintaining the more valua- 

 ble species of the Great Lakes, there was no increase in intensity of 

 effort to hatch whitefish and lake herring. Seventy-four and one- 

 half million whitefish fry represented a yield somewhat below the 

 previous year. The propagation of pike-perch at the Put in Bay, 

 Ohio, station, in cooperation with the State of Ohio, was resultant of 



