32 HEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OE EISH AND I'lSlIKIilKS. 



E(»iM \Vasiiin(;'h»\ Station, Mai;yi,a.ni> (S. (i. ^\■^)l;lll, Sii'kkintkndknt). 



lM«y-!»0. 



Tliisstiitioii, I.yiii^' <>u the rotouiacliivcr, ab(>iil 111 niili's ])t'l(i\v W'ash- 

 iii^toM, was open diiiiiii;- Ai)iil and May, 18IK), and iiroduccd diiiinj; the 

 e^ji-colh'ctin^ period (tl" thirty-two days, coinmeiK'iii.i;" April 15, .■ir),l'()L',(»00 

 ei-'^s. The catcli ol" shad in this vicinity was less than one-lialf that of 

 the Ibnr precedinj;- years. Of the e.i>j,^s obtained (o5,201i,(K)()) ;)4,44(!,00(», 

 al'ter heiiiji^ lield thirty six hours, were jneasureil and IbrwanU'd on the 

 river steamers to (Jentral Station, and 750,000 of inferior quality were 

 held and hatched, producing 350,000 fry, which were liberated in tlie 

 Potomac Tliver at tlie station. The eggs were deiivt'(l tVom sources as 

 follows: b'ort Washington seine, lO,-!!24,OOOj ('hapman Point seine, 

 2,842,000; Tulip Hill seine, 3,835,000; Moxley Point seine, 1,078,000; 

 gill-net tishermen, 17,223,000. 



The weather of the preceding winter and of t In* spring months of 1800 

 was unusually mild, effecting no advancement in the s]>awning period 

 of the shad, but [U'obably accoiuiting for the abnormal presence of large 

 uund)ers of young shad, alewives, and sturg«'on in the upper waters of 

 the Potomac. Several schools of iingerling shad and alewives were 

 hauled nearly ashore at dittbrcnt times by the seines at Fort Washing- 

 ton and IMoxley Point. Many sturgeon, 12 to 18 inches long, were daily 

 captured by the Fort Wasliingtou seine. The water temperature Ai)ril 

 15 was 57^ F.; April 30, 00^; May 15, 08°. 



The eipiipment of this station was improved by the introduction of a 

 larger steam boiler and i)ump, which were obtained by trausfer from 

 other stations, and a larger water tank. 



18!»()-!ll. 



Tlie production of sluid eggs during the season, Ai)ril 21 to INIay 17, 

 1891, was, by measurement thirty six hours subsequent to fertilization, 

 32,544,000. These wove forwarded on trays to 0(^nti'al Station, except 

 183,000 li^tained for hatching, producing 170,000 fry, which were released 

 in the Potomac River. For two months ]ueceding the coujmencement 

 of operations there were continuous fr«'shets in the Potomac, culminat- 

 ing IMarch 28 in an extreme flood which overtlowed the l^'ort Washing- 

 ton wharf and freshened the water in the lower river to such an extent 

 as to destroy thousands of acres of oyster beds. Upon thecessati(m of 

 fresln^ts the water became (;lear, as in the previous year, and being held 

 at a low tem[)erature by the prevailing cold weather, tiie conditions 

 favored the si)awning of the shad in the wide waters many miles beJow 

 the station. In the vicinity of Fort Washington all tishing by daylight 

 was unrenninerativc, as on the Suscpieluinna liiver, the catch being 

 but two-fifths to one-half that of ordinary seasons. The oj^erations of 

 three of the best egg-yielding seines and many gill nets were suspended 



