1132 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [2] 



The einbryological investigations were conducted by Professor Ryder. 

 Messrs. Sauerlioff and Walke, two of the most experienced fish-cultur- 

 ists connected with the work of the Commission, were detailed for 

 service at the station. A Herreshoff launch furnished convenient means 

 for the collection and transportation of the eggs from the pound nets to 

 the hatching station. The methods and apparatus employed here were, 

 in the main, those that had been used in the experiments in cod hatch- 

 ing the previous winter at Wood's Holl. Fair results were obtained in 

 the use of nearly all the forms of ai)paratus employed. The great draw- 

 back, however, to the station was the inability to obtain eggs in suffi- 

 cient numbers for the purpose of hatching. Of course, large numbers 

 of Spanish mackerel were taken in the pounds. It was found, however, 

 much to our surprise, that the fish were either spent or in various de- 

 grees of immaturity. Only in two or three instances were we able to 

 secure full ripe fish. This is probably to be attributed to the fact that 

 the pounds are mainly fished on the first low water in the morning. The 

 mackerel, when unrestrained, probably spawns early in the evening. 

 Eipe fish, therefore, taken in pound and kept confined all night, crowded 

 and worried by other fish, would spend their eggs during the night. 



If Cherrystone is, therefore, to be made a center for fish-cultural oper- 

 ations connected with the Spanish mackerel it will be necessary to adopt 

 means for securing the fish independent of the pounds now fished on that 

 shore. A pound net owned and operated by the Commission, so that it 

 could be fished whenever and as often as convenient, would probably 

 give large results in the way of eggs. 



In August, disappointed at the promise of eggs, which we had so 

 confidently looked for at Cherrystone, I made a visit to Tangier Island 

 and Crisfield by one of the ''run" boats carrying fish from the east- 

 ern shore of Virginia to Crisfield. At this place I had opportunity to 

 inspect the mackerel boats fishing off Tangier Island, all of which run 

 to Crisfield with their fish in the morning after a night's fishing. In a 

 single one of these boats, containing 200 or 300 mackerel, I found 53 

 full-ripe female fish, which would have yielded over 5,000,000 eggs, a 

 number larger by ftir than we obtained from the pounds near Cherry- 

 stone during the entire season. 



Inquiry at Crisfield of the fishermen handling the Spanish mackerel 

 showed that the ripe fish in largest numbers make their appearance 

 in the markets there from the middle of June to the first of July, 

 which seems to be the height of the spawning season. Indeed, it is 

 probable that the natural spawning grounds of the mackerel are much 

 higher up the bay than Cherrystone. All indications would seem to 

 point to the middle ground off Tangier Island as their breeding place. 

 If in the future it be decided to develop the work of the artificial propa- 

 gation of the mackerel, I should recommend the establishment of a sta- 

 tion at or in the vicinity of Tangier Island and the erection of a pound 

 by the Commission, to be operated by its own men, for the purpose of 



