PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1924 401 



The existing shortage of male fish was overcome by the operation 

 of seines in the Missisquoi River, 536 males and 120 additional 

 females being secured from that source. Spawn taking extended 

 from April 14 to May 5 and resulted in 185,850,000 eggs, the number 

 being arrived at by measuring them when 24 hours old and estimat- 

 ing 150,000 to the quart. As the fish were spawned they were lib- 

 erated in the lake. Many of the females, particularly the large ones, 

 showed evidence of distress in the retaininig inclosures from the 

 beginning. They seemed unable to maintain a balanced horizontal 

 position under the water and showed an inclination to swim about 

 with their tails above the surface of the water. However, the loss 

 was not heavy until near the close of the season, when it became 

 necessary to release many that had not spawned. 



Seventy-eight million green eggs, the share of the Pennsylvania 

 Department of Fisheries, were delivered at their hatchery in good 

 condition and were reported later as having hatched with a loss of 

 about 25 per cent. After reaching the eyed stage 5,180,000 were 

 turned over to the Connecticut State hatchery and 12,000,000 were 

 consigned to the bureau's stations at Cape Vincent, N. Y., and 

 Nashua, N. H. The remaining eggs were hatched at Swanton, yield- 

 ing 22,000,000 fry, of which 7,200,000 were turned over to the Vermont 

 Department of Fish and Game, 7,800,000 were distributed to appli- 

 cant«, and 7,000,000 were returned to the spawning grounds from 

 which the parent fish were derived. 



Incidental to the pike-perch work 1 1 ,000,000 eggs of the yellow 

 perch were taken, the collections extending from May 1 to May 12. 

 Of the 10,300,000 fry produced from them 1,800,000 were supplied to 

 applicants and 8,500,000 were furnished to the State of Vermont. 



BRYANS POINT (MD.) SUBSTATION 

 [L. Q. Haeron, Superintendent] 



The work of collecting a brood stock of yellow perch for this sub- 

 station was taken up on March 5 and continued to March 22. Dur- 

 ing tliis period 22,974 adult fish were secured and placed in the retain- 

 ing pens. Spawning began on March 23 and continued to April 2, 

 by which time a total of 203,970,000 eggs had been deposited. There 

 was a loss of approximately 13 per cent on the brood fish while 

 confined. The eggs yielded 193,769,000 fry of excpllent quality. 



RESCUE OPERATIONS 

 HOMER (MINN.) STATION AND SUBSTATIONS 



[C. F. Culler, in charge] 



The more important work of this group of stations, which includes 

 the Homer (Minn.) station as the administrative office and the sub- 

 stations at La Crosse, Wis., Marquette and Bellevue, Iowa, and 

 Atchafalaya, La., consists of the so-called rescue operations, or the 

 removal of valuable food and game fishes from the landlocked ponds 

 and sloughs formed by the receding waters of the Mississippi River 

 after the annual spring freshets and their liberation in the main 

 channel of the river. During the fiscal year 1924 such work was 

 actively pursued at suitable pohits between Prescott, Wis., and 



