REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. Iu 
house-boat suggested that it might be possible to hatch the eggs 
of the flat-fish without the use of such apparatus as is usually 
found in the hatching-stations; and accordingly a few prelimi- 
nary experiments were made during the latter part of March, at 
Wickford. The flat-fish were stripped in the usual way, and the 
eges thus obtained were put into shallow cars, the bottoms of 
which were covered with fine-mesh wire screen in some instances, 
and in others with the scrim which was used in hatching lobsters. 
These cars simply floated on the surface of the water; and the 
eggs, having been fertilized, were left in the cars without further 
care. The results showed that this extremely simple method was 
very effective, for the flat-fish were hatched in large numbers, 
and apparently the only eggs which went bad were those which 
were allowed to remain sticking together in masses of considera- 
ble size. 
The invention of so simple a method of hatching flat-fish eggs 
makes it possible to establish stations at almost any place where 
the water is comparatively quiet; and it may be possible to devise 
similar apparatus for hatching the ege's of other fishes. 
V. FurtHer INVESTIGATION OF THE RED-WATER PLAGUE. 
The annual recurrence of the so-called “red water” in Narra- 
gansett Bay, and the wholesale destruction of fish, shrimp, crabs, 
and other animals which seems to be associated with its occurence, 
has led us to make a special effort to ascertain the life-history of 
the Peridinium, the animal which has been shown to be responsi- 
ble for the red water, and to ascertain, if possible, how the disas- 
trous effects are brought about. Accordingly, this whole problem 
has been assigned to Mr. E. W. Barnes, who has had considerable 
training in this particular line of work, and already valuable data 
have been brought together. It seems best, however, not to 
publish more than a report of the progress at this time, as the 
investigation will require one or more years and will appear in a 
subsequent report. 
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