REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XXXVII 
24,997,000. The cost of collecting, developing, and transporting the eggs 
at this and the Fort Washington stations was $3,796.45, which is at 
the rate of $127.66 per million, or 78 shad for one cent. There has been 
a marked gradual increase in efficiency of the force in transporting and 
hatching eggs, the percentage of loss diminishing year by year from 
1883, when it was 29 per cent., to 1884, when it was 26 per cent., to 
1885, when it was 10 per cent., while in 1886 it was only 7 per cent. 
The Battery Station.—The work of the shad season began April 18 
and ended June 10. The first run of fish continued for a week. All 
the runs of the season were very large. The number of eggs collected 
was 60,766,000. The supply of hatching apparatus was inadequate to 
meet the requirements. The number of fry hatched was 45,231,000, the 
percentage of hatching being 74.4; 43,776,000 fry were shipped away 
and deposited mainly in the Susquehanna River and other tributaries © 
of the northern part of Chesapeake Bay; 1,000,000 fry were sent to 
Oregon, besides 585,000 eggs, resulting in a deposit of 850,000 fry in 
the Columbia River. 
Work of the Fish Hawk.—From April 26 to May 1 the Fish Hawk 
visited the fishing shores and gillers in the northern end of Chesapeake 
Bay, and obtained 2,192,500 eggs for the Battery Station. During most 
of May the vessel was engaged on the Delaware in transporting spawn- 
takers, and in collecting, transferring, and depositing eggs. 34,454,500 
eggs were obtained, from which 23,196,000 fry were hatched on board 
and 21,018,000 deposited in the Delaware River. 
’ Work of the Haleyon.—From April 27 to May 23 the steamer Halcyon 
was occupied in Chesapeake Bay and in the Delaware River in gather- 
ing, transferring, and hatching eggs, and depositing the young shad. 
4,561,000 eggs were taken; most of them were transferred to Battery 
Station or to the Fish Hawk, while some were hatched on board and 
deposited. 3,000,000 fry were received from Battery Station and de- 
posited in the tributaries of the Upper Chesapeake. 
The Cold Spring Harbor Station.—Late in April 1,796,000 shad eggs 
were received from the Central Station at Washington. Only 100,000 
fry were obtained from these, and deposited in the Hudson River, near 
Albany. 
Hxperiments in planting shad.—Attempts have been continued to ac- 
climate shad in the Colorado River of the West, and thus to establish 
fisheries on the Colorado, Gila, and other tributaries of the Gulf of Cali- 
fornia. This experiment was begun in 1884 by the deposit of 983,000 
fish, followed by 995,000 eggs in 1885 and 850,000 eggs in 1886, making 
a total of 2,831,000, all of which were planted at the Needles. If sue- 
cessful, the fry deposited in 1884 should return as mature fish in 1888. 
The effort to transfer shad to the Columbia River basin was repeated 
also. 1,000,000 fry, 200,000 eggs on trays, and 335,000 eges in hatching 
jars were sent out from Havre de Grace on May 9, 1886. The eggs in 
jars gave the best results, and this may indicate the proper method of 

