REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. LXXI 



that milt is more efficacious the sooner it is applied to the eggs. The 

 Canada process A^as found to be a very successful method of impregna- 

 tion. In this process the eggs of one fish at a time are taken in a dry 

 pan, and as soon as impregnated each pan of eggs is poured into a 

 bucket of water. Another process was to take the eggs and milt to- 

 gether in a dry bucket as rapidly as possible. This method was found 

 to be inferior to the Canada process. 



/. The California, Rainbow or Mountain Trout. (Salmo iridem). 



Although the work of the Fish Commission has been mainly limited 

 to the anadrouious species, such as the salmon, shad, fresh- water her- 

 ring, &c., it was found expedient to bestow some attention to the more 

 local forms, especially the California mountain trout, which, itisthought, 

 will answer an excellent purpose in supplying streams which formerly 

 abounded in the Eastern brook trout, but which, by reason of the clear- 

 ing of the land, with the consequent reduction in the volume and the 

 change in the other characteristics of the water, no longer answer that 

 purpose. 



The selection of the California trout is based on the fact that they are 

 known to exist comfortably in waters several degrees warmer than the 

 temperature suited to our common brook trout. 



The McCloud River /Station. — Mr. Stone's report on the trout-breeding 

 station on the McCloud Eiver shows that 337,500 eggs of trout were 

 distributed to various parts of the United States. 



The taking of eggs extended from the 5th of January to the 5th of 

 May. The spawning season on the whole was quite successful. Great 

 care is necessary in transporting these eg gs, as, besides, the 3,000 miles 

 of journey by rail, they must be carried a considerable distance on horse- 

 back and by stage. Eeports from the consignees of these eggs (princi- 

 pally fish commissioners of the different States) say that the eggs arrived 

 in excellent condition, the proportion of bad eggs being very small. Mr. 

 Stone lost very few fish by death. Even during the spawning season 

 very few died. The trout recuperate very rapidly after spawning. The 

 ponds now contain about 2,000 trout, which weigh from 2 to 10 pounds 

 apiece. Mr. Stone concludes, after a thorough examination of the sub- 

 ject, that there is only one variety of black-spotted trout in the United 

 States ponds on the McCloud River, or that if there are two varieties 

 they shade into each other by imperceptible degrees. 



The various scattering lots of trout eggs ripening in too small quantity 

 to be worth shipping to the East were presented to the California State 

 Fish Commission. These were more than made up by a number ob- 

 tained from the Lenni Fish Propagating Company in exchange for eggs 

 of the California salmon. 



The Northville {Mich.) Station. — A number of years ago Mr. Clarke, 

 in charge of this station, established primarily for the hatching of 

 the whitefish, when on a visit to the salmon and trout ponds of the 



