XXXII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES'. 



of October, and secured 211,692 eggs by the middle of November. 

 These eggs were distributed to the State commissioners of New Hamp- 

 shire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Maryland. 



The reports from these States show that 180,000 were actually plan- 

 ted, principally in the tributaries of the Merrimac, Connecticut, Dela- 

 ware, Susquehanna, Potomac, and Ohio Rivers. 



The work at this station will be continued on a larger scale hereafter, 

 as the increase of salmon in many of the eastern rivers has been very 

 marked and the indications point to the successful establishment of this 

 fish in the tributaries of the great lakes. 



There is no more interesting fact in connection with the propagation 

 of fishes than that of their return to the original spawning ground at 

 the expiration of a given time. The young fish also hatched out at any 

 point, will in their turn seek the same place for purposes of reproduc- 

 tion. Numerous instances of this fact are on record : thus, Mr. Wilmot, 

 who, for several years past has been engaged in hatching out salmon at 

 Newcastle, on the north shore of Lake Ontario, has presented to the 

 United States Fish Commission the stuffed specimen of a female fish, from 

 which he had taken eggs for three successive years, as indicated by his 

 marks, which were apparent on the skin. At the United States salmon- 

 hatching station on the Penobscot, Mr. Charles G. Atkins has been in the 

 habit of tagging and numbering the fish which he captures for his pur- 

 poses and which are released in Penobscot Bay when he has finished 

 operations with them. Of these quite an appreciable number have 

 been taken in subsequent years, identified by their labels. A still fur- 

 ther instance of this is shown in regard to the California salmon. In 

 previous reports I have referred to Mr. R. D. Hume, of Edinburg, Ore- 

 gon, in connection with the artificial hatching of salmon by him in 1877 

 and 1878. In the former year he marked a hundred fish, letting them 

 go, and the next year he is said to have retaken ten of the number. 



Schoodic Salmon (Salmo salar, subs, scbago). 



Grand Lake Stream Station. — Pains have been taken in previous re- 

 ports to call attention to the value of this variety of the salmon family. 



The facilities for procuring and caring for the eggs of this fish at 

 Grand Lake Stream until ready for distribution, were much enlarged 

 dnring this year, and although the number of spawning fish captured 

 was not greater than in previous years, 1,113,000 eggs were procured, of 

 which only 11 T 3 5 per cent, were lost. 



During their development 219,000 eggs were reserved to keep up the 

 supply of fish in Grand Lake Stream and 744,000 were distributed. The 

 average length of the fish captured this year exceeds that of any of the 

 four preceding years, the longest male fish being twenty-four inches 

 and the longest female twenty-two inches. 



Many interesting comparisons of the results obtained during the sev- 

 eral years will be found in Mr. Atkins' very interesting report, which is 

 appended. 



