REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 157 



Granting that the increase of codflsh, indicated by the above and 

 previous announcements, has resulted from the hatching work of the 

 U. S. Fish Commission, and that fact seems now to have been settled 

 beyond any question, it is interesting to note the extent of sea coast- 

 which can be covered from a single station without the need of making 

 a wide distribution of the fry, as nearly all of the plantings have 

 been made in the immediate vicinity of Woods Holl. As to the increase 

 recorded on Nantucket Shoals and oft" the outer coast of Cape Cod, it 

 is impossible to say at present wliether this was brought about by the 

 operations at Woods Holl or at Gloucester, but it is probable that the 

 plantings made from, the former station were instrumental in this re- 

 spect, to some extent at least. As the Fish Commission has not had 

 the means of obtaining careful observations regarding the presence 

 and abundance of young fish north of Cape Cod, there is less positive 

 information at hand to show the outcome of the hatching work at Glou- 

 cester, but there is every reason to believe that it has been entirely suc- 

 cessful. One instance of the survival and growth of the young planted 

 from that station has been reported as follows: Writing from Kingston, 

 Mass., July 26, 1889, Mr. H. M. Jones stated that he had had forty years' 

 experience in fishing in the waters adjoining Plymouth Harbor, but cer- 

 tain schools of fish, which he describes as having white bellies and dark 

 spots on the back, had appeared during the summer, and were entirely 

 new to him. They averaged 4 pounds in weight, and had been plentiful 

 all summer. Although he considered them to be cod, they difi'ered from 

 those ordinarily found in that vicinity. A specimen forwarded to 

 Washington was found to represent the variety of cod propagated at 

 the Gloucester Station, and there seemed to be no doubt that these 

 schools had originated in the plantings made from that place. 



During the winter of 1890-91, Dr. II. V. Wilson began the study of 

 the embryology of the cod, in connection with the hatching operations 

 at the Woods Holl Station, and before the end of the year he had 

 made considerable progress in this work. 



The Sea Bass {Serranus atrarius). 



The experiments with respect to the spawning of the sea bass made 

 at Woods Holl in 1888 and 1889 were continued by Mr. Edwards dur- 

 ing 1890. From 4,270,000 eggs obtained during May and June of the 

 latter year, 3,890,000 embryos were secured, an exceedingly large per- 

 centage, showing that the propagation of this species could be carried 

 on without difficulty. Eipe fish were first taken on the spawning- 

 grounds oft Hyannis on May 10, and eggs were obtained as late as 

 June 23, in the vicinity of Woods Holl. Kipc milters, according to Mr. 

 Edwards, are found two weeks in advance of ripe females, and he re- 

 ports the same also with respect to the scup, mackerel, and squeteague. 

 If sea bass are held in the traps over thirty-six hours their eggs are 

 always found to be dead when the fish are examined. 



