[13] 



OPERATIONS AT THE NOKTHVILLE HATCHERY. 



1049 



clog' the screen-boxes every few moments, so that unremitting attention 

 was demanded day and night to keep the outlets unimpeded. 



The United States Fish Commission car, with IVIessrs. Ellis, Moore, 

 and Simmons to assist in the work of distributing and planting the 

 minnows, reached ]!^orthville February 3. Arrangements for the gra- 

 tuitous transportation of the car and its messengers having previously 

 been made with all the railroad companies, with one exception, whose 

 lines were to be traversed, the distribution proceeded smoothly and 

 with little expense from the initial trip, February 7, until the successful 

 termination of the work, March 2. Much credit is due Mr. Ellis, who 

 had charge of the trips, and also to his experienced assistants. The car 

 itself was also a great convenience, as well as an important and efficient 

 factor in carrying forward this work. 



Following are the railroad companies to whom acknowledgments are 

 due for free transportation of car and messengers : The Flint and Pere 

 Marquette; Michigan Central; Chicago and West Michigan; Mil- 

 waukee, Lake Shore and Western; Chicago and Grand Trunk; Great 

 Western; Eome, Watertown and Ogdensburg; and Lake Shore and 

 Michigan Southern. 



TaMe of dktribution. 



TROUT-WORK. 



When the trout-ponds in connection with this station were established 

 the stock of breeding fish was comparatively small, and the ponds them- 

 selves were mere excavations irregularly outlined. At the beginning 

 of the year under consideration the embankments were quite unsafe, 

 having been burrowed and undermined by muskrats, while the pond- 

 room was quite inadequate to properly accommodate the increased 

 stock of fishes. The work of enlarging and otherwise imi^roving them, 

 and the construction of an additional pond and new raceways, was 

 therefore begun in the latter part < f August and carried forward to 

 completion by the last of October, or barely in time to give the rijiening 

 spawners undisturbed possession of the new premises during their 

 spawning season. Three new ponds were also built the following spring, 

 as before noted, making 7 altogether, 6 of which are S3 by 20 feet, and 

 the other 51 by 14, showing a total i)ond area of 10,674 square feet. 



