REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 125 



obtained from Mr. W. D. Rea, of Edeiitou, who had captured the fish 

 between April 15 and 20. 



On June 9, fishing operations being conchided, the equipment was 

 returned. The Commission is indebted to Messrs. J. K. Rea & Bros, 

 for courtesies. As these parties are on the lookout for a recurrence of 

 schools of spawning fish it is believed that data may yet be obtained 

 as a result of the inquiry. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



In addition to the regular work of distribution, the special cars were 

 more or less engaged in transferring live material, marine and fresh- 

 water, to the World's Fair, Chicago, 111., for fish-cultural and aquaria! 

 exhibits made by the United States Fish Commission. In obtaining 

 this material the several stations of the Commission and tlie steamer 

 Fish Rawli were drawn upon, salt-water specimens being secured on 

 the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts. The special cars, each having a 

 crew of 5 men, were as follows: Car ]S"o. 1, T. C. Pearce in charge; 

 No. 2, G. H. Lambson in charge; No. 3, R. S. Johnson in charge; No. 

 4, F. P. Hagen and F. C. James in charge. 



Daring the year the car service was enlarged in efficiency by the 

 purchase of a new baggage car, afterwards equipped with a si3ecial view 

 to the character of work to be performed. The demand for this increase 

 arose from the fiict that there had been a large growth in the number 

 of hatching-stations, while transportation facilities had remained the 

 same. Car No. 4 was purchased from the Harlan & HoUingsworth 

 Company, Wilmington, Bel., March 1, 1893 ; its length is 55 feet 7 inches, 

 its width 9 feet 9 inches. Its entire cost with the special equipment 

 was about $4,500. It was fitted with new apj)roved couplers, conform- 

 ing to regulations of the railway service. The special equipment for 

 moving fishes consisted of four cedar tanks, each 4 feet in diameter, and 

 two others of the same material 8 feet in diameter, all being about 2 

 feet in dei)th. These tanks were bolted to the bottom of the car, and 

 provided, at first, with canvas covers to prevent the wasting of water 

 and undue agitation from which fish would receive injuries. Subse- 

 quently the canvas Avas removed and in jilace of it gratings of wood 

 provided. The gratings were made with narrow- openings about one- 

 fourth inch wide, and were held in position by wedges supported on 

 cleats. When the tanks were filled the surface water was just even 

 with upper surface of gratings. By means of this appliance the water 

 was not only restrained from wasting and from violent agitation, but 

 was also aerated. After the tanks had been placed in jiosition they 

 were sterilized by means of steam. 



The steam plant consisted of an upriglit boiler and duplex air pump, 

 the latter from the New York Air Brake Company. The aeration of 

 water in the tanks was efi'ccted by air circulation, the first application 

 to the transportation service, derived from the air pump and introduced 

 into tanks by means of rubber tubing attached to iron i)iping. The 

 separation of the air current into minute bubbles was effected by forcing 



