REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF PISH AND FISHERIES. 



91 



Battery Island Station, Maryland (W. de C. Ravenel, Superintendent). 



The superintendent having been assigned to temporary duty in con- 

 nection with the Columbian Exposition, the services of Mr. E. M. liob- 

 inson, a former employee, were engaged for conducting shad operations 

 during April, May, and June. On April 25 spawn-takers entered the 

 field, but the extremely cold winter preceding caused the season to be 

 a backward one, and the water remained cool throughout the period of 

 operations. In addition to the low temperatures, freshets filled the 

 water with driftwood, fishermen being unable to operate much of the 

 time. The worst visitation by muddy water occurred May 6, which 

 was in the middle of the period when eggs are most abundant. As a 

 result of unfavorable conditions, collections were very light between 

 April 30 and May 10. Eesults are shown, by months, below: 



Month. 



April 



May 



June 



Total for season 



Eggs 

 collected. 



7, 707, 000 



43,341,000 



3, 779, 000 



54, 827, 000 



Eggs 

 tranaierred. 



553, 000 

 2, 695, 000 



3, 248, 000 



Retained 



for 

 hatching. 



7, 154, 000 



40, 646, 000 



3, 779, 000 



51, 579, 000 



Lost in 

 station. 



3, 615, 000 



15, 678, 000 



1,141,000 



20, 434, 000 



Fry 

 produced. 



3, 539, 000 



24, 968, 000 



2, 638, 000 



31,145,000 



Per cent 

 hatched. 



49.4 

 01.4 

 69.8 



Of eggs shipped, 553,000 were transferred to Central Station by mes- 

 senger April 28, to be used in making up a shipment for the illustration 

 of hatching niethods at the World's Fair. There were shipped by car 

 No. 3, 1,708,000 for the waters of the Congaree River, South Carolina, 

 the eggs being hatched en route. An additional consignment of 987,000 

 was made by car No. 3 to Dightou, Mass., for streams there, the fry 

 being hatched on the car. Low temi)erature of water prevented eggs 

 from developing in the time usually required, many remaining uuhatched 

 for ten or twelve days, and the fry from such, being too weak for distant 

 transportation, were liberated in waters adjacent. Those so liberated 

 amounted to 10,874,000. 



The water temperatures from April 25 to June 6, compiled from ob- 

 servations morning, noon, and night, are set forth below: 



Month. 



April 

 May. 

 June 



Max. Min. 



Mean. 



49.7 

 60.1 

 69.5 



It was noted that carp were very abundant in the waters, and sev- 

 eral reports of large numbers captured VNcre brought in. On May 31 

 there was a capture of 2,700 pounds reported in a single haul of a seine. 



On June 9 the temporary employees were dispensed with, operations 

 ceasing, and on June 20, property having been inventoried and stored, 

 the station was turned over to E, A. Davis, custodian. 



