8 DISTRIBUTION OF FISH AND FISH EGGS, 1908. 



than could be met with available resources, and the number of appli- 

 cations this year was 1,938 more than in 1907. 



ALLOTMENTS. 



The supply of particular fishes available for distribution, and con- 

 sequently of the number allotted to individual applicants, is largely 

 determined by the difference in methods of hatching the different 

 species and the present facilities therefor. The area and character 

 of the water to be stocked, however, must likewise be considered; 

 the water area that would receive a million pike perch fry would per- 

 haps be assigned no more than 200 or 300 black bass 3 or 4 inches 

 long, or four to eight times that many if the bass were planted as 

 fry. The explanation is in the fact that pike perch can be propa- 

 gated by the hundred million, while black bass, hatched by other 

 methods or collected from overflowed lands, can be produced only 

 in comparatively small numbers. The Bureau does not attempt to 

 allot to any applicant more than a liberal brood stock of the basses or 

 sunfishes. With brook trout, which are distributed both as fr^^ and 

 fingerlings, allotments of fry are many times larger than allotments 

 of fingerlings 3 to 4 inches long. 



SIZE OF FISH WHEN DISTRIBUTED. 



Fishes are distributed at various stages of development, according 

 to the species, the numbers in the hatcheries, and the facilities for 

 rearing. The commercial fishes — such as the shad, whitefish, lake 

 trout, pike, perch, cod, etc., hatched in lots of many millions — are 

 necessarily planted as fry. It is customary to distribute them just 

 before the umbilical sac is completely absorbed. Atlantic salmon, 

 landlocked salmon, and various species of trout, in such numbers 

 as the hatchery facilities permit, are reared to fingerlings from 1 to 6 

 6 inches in length; the remainder are distributed as fry. 



The basses, bream, and other sunfishes are distributed from the 

 fish-cultural stations and ponds from some three weeks after they are 

 hatched until they are several months of age. When the last lots 

 are shipped the basses usually range from 4 to 6 inches and the sun- 

 fishes from 2 to 4 inches in length. The numerous fishes collected in 

 overflowed lands — basses, crappie, sunfishes, catfishes, yellow perch, 

 and others — are 2 to 6 inches in length when taken and distributed. 



Eggs are distributed only to state hatcheries or to applicants who 

 have hatchery facilities. 



The varying usage in the classification of young fish as to size has 

 caused such confusion and difficulty that the Bureau has adopted 

 uniform definitions, as follows: 



Fry=&Bh up to the time the yolk sac is absorbed and feeding begins. 

 Advanced fry=iish from the end of the fry period imtil they have reached a length 

 of 1 inch. 



