90 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The pliiiitiiigs of youiif;' fish of all species during the year were made 

 iu ueighboriug waters, principally in Vineyard Sound. 

 The average temperature of water and its density were as foUows: 



Mean 

 density. 



Month. 



December. 1892 ;>7.9 1.0256 



Januarv, 1893 29.5 1.0256 



Februiirv, 1893 29.4 1.0258 



M.irch, 1893 ^2. 7 1.0256 



April. 1893 41 1.0255 



May, 1893 51-2 1.0255 



June, 1893 61.2 1.0255 



Cold Spring Hahbor Station, New York (Fred Mather, Superintendent). 



The operations of this station had been jointly conducted by this 

 Comniission and that of New York, of which latter it was the property. 

 The reduction made by Congress in the appropriations for the work 

 necessitated a curtailment of expenses, and the association of the two 

 commissions was discontinued with the close of July, 1892. 



Delaware River Station (Lieut. Robert Platt, U. S. N., in charge). 



In i^ursuance of the usual practice, the United States Fish Commis- 

 sion steamer Fish Haivlc was employed in the propagation of shad on 

 the Delaware River. This steamer during the greater portion of the 

 year was occupied with special investigations concerning the oyster, 

 etc., but on May 12 arrived at Gloucester City, N. J., to take up shad 

 hatching. As in former years, the egg-collecting and the manipulation 

 necessary to development and hatching were conducted by the crew of 

 this steamer. The period of operations, IMay 15 to June 2, was rather 

 more brief than usual, and the number of eggs collected was relatively 

 small, as was the case also on the Susquehanna and Potomac rivers. 

 The aggregate obtained and the numbers from separate fisheries were: 

 IIowelFs Cove fishery, 4,540,0005 Faunce's fishery, 3,751,000; Bennett's 

 fishery, 2,117,000; Gloucester Point, 45,000; total, 10,453,000. 



To obtain these, 233 shad were stripped, the average number of eggs 

 j)er fish reaching nearly 45,000. Between May 23 and June 7 the fry 

 were liberated, 1,573,000 being transferred to the Iludson Ilivor and 

 5,349,000 to the Delaware. 



With the exception of May 23 to 20, the water was muddy. Temper- 

 ature for May, maximum 68<^, minimum 59°, mean 63.83°; for June, 

 maximum 71"^, minimum G7°, mean 08.20°. 



On May 20 the eggs of a scale carp, obtained from the river, were 

 taken and placed in a universal hatching jar, the fry therefrom appear- 

 ing in 85 hours. The commercial fishermen at tliattime took quantities 

 of carp which sold readily on the sliores at 8 cents per pound. 



In March and April, just prior to taking up shad-liatcliing, the Fish 

 Haiclc was engaged in the lower part of the Chesapeake Baj^ capturing, 

 with beam-trawl and otherwise, marine specimens, animal and vegetable, 

 for the Fish Commission aquarium, World's lair, Chicago. 



