REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF, FISH AND FISHERIES. 31 



Goldfish. — The rearing of goldfish was discontinued at the close of 

 the year, and the adults liberated in the neighboring streams. 



During the year more than the usual repairs were made to ponds, 

 walks, fences, etc., owing to damage caused by a freshet in April, 

 which resulted in large loss not only of the fry from muddy water, but 

 also the adult bass, tench, and carp. The damage was repaired at once, 

 and was paid for by the State of Virginia from funds received for rental 

 of station. Changes were also made in the raceways leading from the 

 trout ponds, which produced beneficial results. 



Pi't-ix-Bay Station, Ohio (J. J. Stranahan, Sttpicrintendext). 



The fish-cultural work during the past year was confined to whitefish, 

 Cisco or lake herring, lake trout, and pike perch. 



Whitefish. — The whitefish season opened later than usual, the first 

 eggs being taken jSTovember 11, and the last on November 29. The first 

 eye-specks were visible December 16. The fry began hatching Aioril 

 9, and finished on the 20th. The cone-shaped tube used throughout the 

 hatchery proved very satisfactory, and there was almost no loss of 

 eyed eggs. The few straight tubes used early in the season showed a 

 loss so perceptibly greater than in the case of the cones that they were 

 chaliged as soon as possible. The total number of eggs collected dur- 

 ing the year was 114,435,000. The points of collection and the number 

 taken at each are as follows: Port Clinton, Ohio, 51,822,000; ISTorth 

 Bass Island, Lake Erie, 28,341,000; Middle Bass Island, Lake Erie, 

 10,197,000; Put-in-Bay Island, Lake Erie, 12,060,000; Kelley Island, 

 Lake Erie, 10,989,000; Catawba Island, Lake Erie, 1,026,000; total, 

 114,435,000. 



Of these, the following shipments were made : U. S. Fish Commission 

 Station, Alpena, Mich., 8,000,000; Clayton, N. Y., for the State Fish 

 Commission, 5,000,000; II. S. Fish Commission Car No. 3, for Utah, 

 2,000,000; total, 18,000,000. 



Between April 11th and May 7th 80,198,000 fry were deposited in 

 Lake Erie at the following points: Ballast Island Eeef, 11,270,000; 

 Green Island Eeef, 2,350,000; Peach Point Keef, 19,258,000; West Sis- 

 ter Island, 2,600,000; North Bass Island Eeef, 19,620,000; Moore's Point 

 Eeef, 1,600,000; Eattlesnake Island Eeef, 3,000,000; Starve Island Eeef, 

 5,050,000; Niagara Eeef, 5,050,000; Cone Eeef, 5,400,000; Kelley Island 

 Eeef, 3,000,000; Port Clinton, 2,000,000; total, 80,198,000. 



Cisco. — All of the cisco eggs (10,452,000) were taken at Put-in-Bay 

 Island and were of unusually good quality. The catch of fish was 

 light and a dearth of males was noticeable everywhere. All the eggs, 

 except 600,000 retained for hatching, were planted on Eattlesnake 

 Island Eeef, Lake Erie, the natural spawning-grounds of the fish, in 

 order to make room for the whitefish eggs. All of the 600,000 retained 

 were hatched and planted at Peach Point Eeef, Lake Erie, on April 27. 



La1:e trout. — On December 7th 500,000 lake-trout eggs arrived from 

 Northville, Mich., in fine condition, and on December 18th 150,000 were 



