PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1924 395 



September 10, when the racks were installed in Mill Creek, they were 

 placed on the dry bed of the stream with as little difficulty as would 

 be experienced in placing them on any level stretch of land. Fish- 

 ing and spawn-taking operations were in progre=;s at this point from 

 October 27 to December 5, inclusive, and 3,012,000 chinook eggs of 

 good quality were the result, the collection being surprisingly large 

 in view of the conditions encountered. 



GREAT LAKES FISHES 



The geographical range of the bureau's operations coming under 

 this head extends from the Rainy Lake region, in Minnesota, to Lake 

 Champlain, in Vermont, and the species to which especial attention 

 is paid are the whitefish, lake trout, cisco, pike perch, and carp. 

 Eggs of the yellow perch are also handled. 



The total output of the group during the fiscal year 1924 was ap- 

 proximately 761,000,000 eggs and fry, as compared with 671,000,000 

 in round numbers in 1923. The increase is principally accounted 

 for by the larger number of cisco eggs obtained in the Lake Ontario 

 field and the pike-perch eggs secured at the Swanton (Vt.) substation. 

 The aggregate collections of lake-trout eggs also slightly exceeded those 

 of the previous year. 



DULUTH (MINN.) STATION 

 [S. p. Wires, Superintendent] 



During the early fall arrangements were made by the force of the 

 Duluth station for the collection of lake-trout eggs at all points on 

 Lake Superior where there was a likelihood of securing them on 

 a profitable basis. The spawning season opened September 25 at 

 Washington Harbor and at other points on Isle Royale, Mich., and 

 the last eggs were obtained on November 25, though the bulk of the 

 collections had ceased by November 13. The aggregate results were 

 14,793,500 eggs of average quality, to which were added, on Novem- 

 ber 24, 7,000,000 green eggs taken in the Charlevoix (Mich.) field. 

 As only about 45 per cent of the last-named lot were good, the losses 

 sustained on the stock as a whole woidd appear to be abnormally 

 heavy. On reaching the eyed stage a total of 825,000 wore shipped 

 to various State fish hatcheries; the remainder were incubated, pro- 

 ducing 11,982,000 fry and fingerling fish for distribution, most of 

 which were returned to the spawning grounds in Lake Superior from 

 which the eggs were derived. 



While the lake-trout work was in progress 3,840,000 vv'hite-fish eggs 

 were secured, being collected at intervals by commercial fishermen 

 operating in the vicinity of Isle Royale. Additional eggs of this 

 species to the number of 21,660,000 were turned over to the Duluth 

 station by the State Game and Fish Department of Minnesota. All 

 of this stock was somewhat below the average in quality, owing to 

 unfavorable weather conditions during the spawning season. From 

 it 13,000,000 fry were hatched and planted on whitefish spawning 

 grounds in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin waters. 



Tln'ough cooperative work with the Minnesota fisheries authorities 

 approximately 18,000,000 pike-perch eggs were obtained, the collec- 

 tions being made in the Rat Root River, near Ericsburg, Minn. The 



