32 



REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



taken at Bmikirk, X. Y,, by spawn-takers from Put iii-Baj' Station. 

 These were in poor condition, owing to the severe weather prevailing 

 during the spawn-taking period. On March 12 the eggs comiueuced to 

 hatch, finishing April 7, and the 478,500 fry resulting from them were 

 planted in the vicinity of the islands in Lake Erie. 



I' lice perch. — This work, though more successful in the aggregate than 

 last year, was interfered with by frequent storms, some of which were 

 of unusual severity. Eggs of this species aggregating 404,025,000 were 

 collected as follows: Toledo, Ohio, 180,000,000; Port Clinton, Ohio, 

 77,025,000; Putin-Bay, Ohio, 60,750,000; North Bass Island, Lake 

 Erie, 55,687,500; Sandusky Bay, Ohio, 17,700,000; East Sister Island, 

 5,002,500; unknown, 7,200,000. 



The first eggs were taken April 16 and the last on April 28. The 

 period of incubation (running from 14 to 21 days) was 10 days shorter 

 than usual, owing to the high temperature of the water. The eggs 

 commenced hatching on May 6 and finished on the 12th. The first 

 eye-siiecks were visible on April 28, 6 days after the eggs were taken. 



An experiment was again made to prevent cannibalism among pike- 

 perch fry. Four tanks of equal capacity were each supplied with 

 500,000 fry. The fry in two of these were fed regularly three times a 

 day with fine wheat middlings, and once a day with finely chopped 

 liver. Those in the other two tanks were not fed. Although some 

 cannibalism was noticed in the tanks where the fry were fed up to and 

 including the third day, the percentage of loss was very small, while it 

 was great in the other two. On the fourth day, however, the fry refused 

 to take the middlings, and from that time the destruction was so great 

 that the experiment was abandoned and all the fry were planted. 



The following deliveries of eggs and fry were made : 



Between the 8th and 20th of May 18.S,0S(),000 fry were deposited in 

 Lake Erie. 



Great difiQculty was experienced in keeping the screens in the fry 

 tanks free on account of the large accumulation of shells from the 

 eggs, and with the large hatch of whiteflsh and pike perch it was found 

 abnost impossible to i)revent the tanks overflowing. In order to rem- 

 edy this a three-fourths-inch iron pipe, pierced with small holes at 

 intervals of 5 inches, was connected with an air-pump and placed 

 across the ends of the main tank on the inside, close to the bottom and 

 near the screens. The continuous flow of air resulting from this not 

 only prevented the clogging of the screens, but also proved beneficial 

 to the fry by thoroughly aerating the water. 



