828 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [16] 



On May 12, 100,000 fish were deposited in Long Lake, an inland sheet 

 of considerable dimensions, near Alpena ; 15,000 were also deposited in 

 Lake Huron, near Oscoda, to the credit of the Michigan commission, to 

 oflfset a like number delivered from the Detroit hatchery to Hiram Lind- 

 sey, April 25, for dei)osit in Lindsey Lake, Indiana, to the credit of the 

 United States Commission ; making, in all, 32,115,000 whitefish as the 

 result of the season's work at Alpena. 



For experiment a few hundred of the fry were left in one of the tanks 

 when the hatchery was closed. May 16. From one of the inlet pipes the 

 tank containing the fry was supplied with a small driblet of water, suf- 

 ficient, perhaps, to amount to 200 gallons per day. It was expected that 

 all would die soon after the absorption of the sac, as the young of this 

 species almost invariably do when confined in this way, even when sup- 

 plied with the water of their natural habitat, as they were in this in- 

 stance ; but on visiting the hatchery, August 18, I found some fifty to 

 sixty specimens, active and vigorous, varying from 1 to 3 inches in 

 length. These fish had derived their food supply wholly from the water, 

 no artificial aid or food having been given them. 



The experiment of growing young whitefish in confinement, with the 

 aid of artificial feeding, is now being successfully conducted at the North- 

 ville hatchery. We started in with 1,200 to 1,500 of the fry, hatched 

 March 15, and to-day (September 1) have 276 fish, the least of which is 

 not less than 3, and the greatest not less than 6, inches in length. So 

 far as I am aware this eclipses any attempt of the kind hitherto re- 

 corded. They were treated much the same as the young trout, being 

 fed wholly on liver reduced to various degrees of fineness, according to 

 the size of the fish. Although very small and frail at first, they grow 

 very rapidly when once started. 



RECAPITULATION. 



Whitefish were distributed to the great lakes as follows : 



To Lake Ontario 9, 000, 000 



To Lake Erie 7, 000, 000 



To Lake Huron 16, 000, 000 



To Lake Superior 4, 000, 000 



To Lake Michigan 11, 000, 000 



47, 000, 000 

 The following table combines the results of both stations for the 

 season : 



