REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 41 



Von Belir trout. — On July 1, 1894, the stock ou hand was estimated 

 at 10,312. They were counted on August 20 and found to number 

 6,500. The fish were never healthy, apparently, but the loss was com- 

 paratively light until January 15, when an epidemic occurred which 

 reduced the number to 3,440. 



Blade bass. — As in past years, ponds IsTos. 10 and 11 were reserved 

 as breeding-ponds, and ponds Nos. 2, 4, 5, 6, and the new one, I*^o. 14, 

 as rearing-ponds. Fifteen breeders were put in 'No. 10 and 35 in No. 

 11. Early in April they commenced nesting, and by April 13 several 

 schools were observed in No. 11. These fry could not have been over 

 ten days old, and were three-quarters of an inch long. By the end of 

 June 7,500 fry, f to 1^ inches in length, had been transferred from 

 pond No. 11 to Nos. 4, 0, and 14. Besides furnishing them Goriza and 

 other insects as food, the eggs of the common goldfish and suckers were 

 collected from the neighboring branches and utilized for this purpose. 



Bock bass. — As heretofore, ponds Nos. 7 and 8 were used as breeding- 

 ponds. The first nest was found on April 13, and by June 12 the older 

 fry were 1^ inches long. At this time some of the adult fish were still 

 occupying nests. All indications point to a successful season, but it is 

 impossible to give the number on hand at the close of the year, as the 

 ponds had not been drawn and the fish counted at that time. 



CarjJ. — The propagation of carp has been discontinued at this station, 

 and all of the breeding carp on hand were disposed of in May, 1894. 



Tench. — At the beginning of the year but 275 young fish were found 

 in the ponds, but the breeders apparently sjiawned again on August 

 22, and a second crop of 4,600 was harvested in the fall. In the spring 

 the spawning of the tench occurred on April 12, and again on June 12, 

 but it is improbable that any results will be secured, as a number of 

 bass escaped from pond No. 10 into the tench pond. 



Goldfish. — The brood stock of this species consists of 8 adult fish, 

 which i^roduced during the previous year 7,857. They spawned as 

 usual in the si)ring, but the indications are that most of the young 

 have been killed by boat-flies, snakes, and crawfish. 



Enemies of fish-culture. — The enemies of fish killed at the station 

 during the year are as follows: Kingfishers, 24; ducks, 33; grebe, 24; 

 water-hens, 3; fishhawks, 3; snakes in ponds, 75; frogs in ponds, 18; 

 muskrats, 18; owls, 1; turtles, 32; cormorant, 1; bitterns, 29; herons, 

 2; opossums, 2; water rats, 28; crawfish, 1,555 pounds. 



Following is a summary of temperatures of the water during the 

 year to which the various fishes were subjected: 



