PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 193 8 491 

 AQUARIUM 



The displaj^s of fresh-water food, game, forage, and predatory fish, 

 mamtained m the pubhc aquarium of the Department of Commerce, 

 have contuuied to be a magnet of public attraction. The number of 

 specimens shown has ranged from 1,500 to 2,000. Inchided among 

 these were a number of the showy tropical species which are so popular 

 for home aquaria. As heretofore, demonstrations of model hatchery 

 apparatus and methods were displayed, utilizing eggs of salmon, trout, 

 whitefish, shad, and yellow perch in season. 



A gradually increasing percentage of chlorine used in the District 

 of Columbia water supply is tlu'eatening to limit the survival of the 

 more delicate forms. Consideration is behig given to the installation 

 of dechloiination equipment. 



There was acc{uired a series of portable aquaria which could be 

 utilized in handling small exldbits of live fishes which might be re- 

 quired for educational or conservation exhibits away from the mam 

 nquarium. 



As usual, the Bureau's hatcheries were drawn on freely as a source 

 of aquarium specimens, and the distribution cars and trucks were 

 utilized for transportmg them. Consequently, the operating costs 

 of tliis establishment were held at a low level in comparison with the 

 nonnally heavy costs of operating such a public institution. 



DISTRIBUTION OPERATIONS 



A greater nund^er of requests for consignments of fish were received 

 this year from individuals and clubs than for several j^ears previous, 

 the total being 10,723. This does not hiclude a number of blanket 

 applications from the national forests, national parks, and other 

 Government agencies, upon which hundreds of thousands of fish 

 were assigned. 



The distribution cars engaged hi the delivery of fish to applicants 

 this year made 91 trips and carried an average of 260 pails per trip. 

 In. making this distribution the cars traveled 60,255 paid miles and 

 12,307 free miles. Detached messengers traveled 68,336 paid miles 

 and 11,022 free miles in delivering fish to applicants. As heretofore, 

 the Bureau was favored with free transportation and reduced rates 

 by a number of railroads. The distributing of fish by trucks, within 

 a comparatively short radius of our hatcheries, is becoming more 

 prevalent each year. Truck deliveries during the year aggregated 

 245,000 miles, which was more than double that of last year. The 

 Bureau received the cooperation of several wState conservation depart- 

 ments in distributing the fish produced at our hatcheries to applicants 

 in their respective States. 



Unfortunately, due to limited distribution funds, the practice of 

 asking applicants in some localities to call at our hatcheries to receive 

 their allotments of fish had to be continued. This, however, was not 

 always practicable from the applicants' standpoint, and in such cases 

 the imcalled-forfish were either assigned to State conservation depart- 

 ments or planted in public waters. 



