422 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



Between October 25 and February 1 1 the female rainbow trout on 

 hand — approximately 800 — yielded 847,800 eggs. There was an 

 unusually heavy loss on the green eggs, only 623^^ per cent surviving 

 to the eyed stage. Warm weather during the fall, with high water 

 temperatures, was quite probably a contributing cause of this low 

 percentage of fertility. After the eyed stage no further difficulty 

 was experienced with either the eggs or the resulting fish. 



The year's work with the brook trout included the successful in- 

 cubation of 400,000 eyed eggs — acquired by purchase from commer- 

 cial breeders in Pennsylvania — and the rearing of the product to the 

 fingerling stage before distributing them. In connection with this 

 branch of fish-cultural work the station handled 100,000 eggs of the 

 Loch Leven trout transferred in the eyed stage from the Bozeman 

 (Mont.) station. 



The production of the pond fishes was curtailed to a considerable 

 extent as a result of the flood that occurred during September, 1923, 

 when practically all of the brood fish of both the small-mouth and 

 large-mouth black bass were lost. wSome of these were later recap- 

 tured and returned to the ponds, and the stock was further aug- 

 mented by shipments from other points. Nevertheless, there was 

 a shortage of breeders as compared with past years. A rather heavy 

 mortality also occurred among the adult sunfish, the trouble developing 

 after the introduction into the ponds of a lot of fish transferred 

 from one of the Mississippi River stations and continuing after the 

 fish had been segregated. 



The repairs and improvements made during the year included a 

 thorough overhauling of the building formerly used as the superin- 

 tendent's residence. Work on this building consisted of an entirely 

 new foundation of concrete, new sills and floor timbers, new roof, and 

 new plastering. Toilet facilities were also added, and the building thus 

 remodeled provides very comfortable quarters for the fish-culturist. 

 New concrete outlets of modern pattern and new drains were installed 

 in four of the ponds, while the area of two others was considerably 

 increased by further excavating. The material removed in this work 

 was used to level up the bottoms of certain ponds that were deeper 

 than required. A number of galvanized-iron hatching troughs to 

 replace worn-out troughs of wood were set up in the nursery and have 

 proved highly satisfactory. 



Of possible interest in connection with the feeding of fish is the use 

 of whole-wheat mush. Being equipped with a small burr mill, the 

 station purchased wheat during the year, ground it, and fed the 

 product to the fish in the shape of mush made in the usual way. 



MANCHESTER (lOWA) STATION 



[F. E. Hare, Superintendent] 



Very satisfactory progress was made in the work at this station 

 during the year. The output of fish and fish eggs was increased over 

 that* of the previous year to the extent of 60 per cent, and much was 

 accomplished in the way of permanent improvements to the station 

 property. The results attained are particularly noteworthy in view 

 of tne fact that the station was operated under a reduced allotment 

 of funds. 



Among the more important items of improvements may be men- 

 tioned the erection of a dike of concrete construction along the bank 



