REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 25 



Golden ide. — The goldeu ide spawned ou April 10 aud 11, but all of 

 the eggs were killed on the nights of April 14 and 15, owing to the low 

 temperature of the water. 



^Spotted catfish. — Although the brood fish were transferred to a larger 

 jiond during the early spring, they did not spawn. They are appar- 

 ently healthy and take their food regularly, but it ajjpears that they 

 require a pond of greater area and depth. 



Large-mouthed black bass. — In the spring the brood fish were confined 

 in a small section of the north pond, which had been sejiarated from 

 the balance of the pond by a partition. They spawned as usual about 

 the middle of May, and at the close of the season it was estimated that 

 there were about G0,000 fry in stock. The brood fish were retained in 

 the small section referred to, the fry passing out through a wire grat- 

 ing in the partition into the main body of the pond. This pond has an 

 area of about 4^ acres, aud though abundantly stocked with lilies and 

 other aquatic plants the supply of natural food was so scarce that it 

 soon became necessary to provide additional material. The most seri- 

 ous i)roblem involved in the culture of this species is that of providing 

 a sufficient quantity of suitable food. It is difficult at all times to make 

 bass take artificial food, and in the early stages live food is absolutely 

 essential. The small output of the previous fall (6,552) was undoubt- 

 edly due to the fact that the bass lived on each other to a greater or less 

 extent, owing to difficulty in procuring sufficient natural food. During 

 the past season a half million or more of young carp, reared in the 

 ponds, have been utilized as food for the bass, and numbers of young 

 fish of various kinds were obtained in the swami)s in the neighborhood 

 of Observatory Hill. They ^vere also -fed on young frogs and tadpoles. 



Small- mouthed hlacJc bass. — In the south pond, containing 1^ acres, 

 similar arrangements were made for rearing the small- mouthed black 

 bass. The brood fish were confined in a small section at the west end 

 of the pond, the fry j)assing into the body of the pond through a wire 

 gate in the center of the partition. These fish spawned about the same 

 time as the large-mouthed species, and it was estimated at the close of 

 the fiscal year that there were about 8,000 fry in stock. 



Eoclc bass. — During the month of February 45 rock bass were trans- 

 ferred from the Wytheville Station and placed in the pond recently 

 constructed between the west pond aud Executive avenue. This pond 

 has an area of 17,500 square feet, varies in depth from 2 to 3 feet, 

 and is well supplied with grass and aquatic plants. Mussels, crushed 

 snails, and small fishes were introduced as food, but notwithstanding 

 the fact that all conditions seemed favorable, the fish did not spawn. 

 It is possible that they had not become sufficiently acclimated. 



Shad. — The shad placed in the west pond were released in the Potomac 

 in October; as they were not counted, it is impossible to state definitely 

 the number liberated, but it is estimated at about 1,000,000. The pond 

 was dry during the winter, and in the spring 2,017,000 fry transferred 

 from Central Station were placed in it. They appear to be doing well, 

 though they suffer slightly from the black water-beetles and their larvae. 



