THE SEA FISHERIES OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 163 
This experiment of artificial hatching could be adopted very readily 
on the south coast of New England, in connection with fisheries of 
scup, tautog, and sea bass, especially as all these fish are greatly in 
demand and are taken in great numbers in the fish pounds and traps 
of the southern coast during the months of April, May, June, and July. 
The sea bass especially spawn very largely during the latter period. 
An ample supply of scup could easily be obtained during the spawn- 
ing season, and if necessary the tautog and sea bass could be kept in 
pens until ripe. These fish are very frequently kept for weeks, or 
even months, waiting the call of the market, and as they are very hardy, 
it would not injure them at all for market purposes to strip them of 
their Spawn at the proper time. The eggs of this fish probably hatch 
out very quickly ; in the tautog, indeed, an embryonic development of 
the egg is said to take place before it is laid, so that not unfrequently 
some of the eggs squeezed out into a bucket of water will hatch out 
almost immediately. In an experiment of artificial impregnation and 
hatching of the sea bass, prosecuted at Noank, Conn., in 1874, there 
was reason to conclude that the period of development did not exceed 
one week. 
The pound-nets frequently take great numbers of spawning mack- 
erel, which might also be manipulated; and there is no reason why the 
sheepshead might not be treated in a similar manner, nor, indeed, why 
the process might not be extended to such species as the cod. The 
striped bass is a fish that promises ample success in such an experi- 
ment as soon as we can succeed in taking it in sufficient numbers. At 
least Some spawning fish are found in the rivers at the same time with 
the shad and herring; whether simply in pursuit of this prey or in 
search of a spawning-ground is not yet ascertained. In 1873 the parties 
of the U.S. Fish Commission engaged in hatching shad in the Roanoke 
River succeeded in taking several ripe striped bass, from one of which 
100,000 eggs were successfully taken and hatched. The eggs are smaller 
than those of the shad, although similar to them in being non-adhesive 
and in being hatched out in a short time. 
The principal difficulty in regard to the multiplication of the sea fish 
by artificial means is in the arrangements necessary for the care and 
preparation of the egg. The ordinary hatching establishments used 
for trout and salmon are not available since salt water is required for 
the purpose. It is true that this might be pumped up by means of a 
wind-mill or otherwise into tanks, and allowed to trickle into the hatch- 
ing troughs, and thus produce the necessary current. Evenif this could 
be done, however, the limits of space and the comparatively small num- 
ber of fish that could be obtained will probably render it expedient to 
Bont some other method. 
The first suggestion would be the employment of the floating-box, as 
constructed by Seth Green, E. A. Brackett, and others, and used in the 
a of shad. A serious difficulty, however, is in the danger of 
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