REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 7 



game and food fish in tlie Gulf States and tlie Middle West, was 

 added to the list of species propagated ; and in response to a growing 

 and insistent demand there were distributed in several instances a 

 brood stock of carp, which j&sh the Bureau has not been distributing 

 for many years. Some waters not suited to any other species 

 are suited to carp, and the purpose of the Bureau to supply this fish 

 for such waters, preferably by transfer from other waters, should 

 not provoke the criticism justly addressed to carp misplaced. 



The collection of cod eggs by the Norwegian method, introduced 

 about two years ago, has proved so satisfactory that it has superseded 

 the former method as far as equipment permits, and will in time be 

 generally adopted. The essential feature of the Norwegian method 

 is that the brood cod are kept in suitable inclosures and allowed to 

 spawn naturally, their eggs coming to the surface and being col- 

 lected automatically. This is a much less expensive and more effi- 

 cient way to obtain the eggs than was formerly practiced. 



To increase the effectiveness of the Bureau's distribution of fish 

 and at the same time to facilitate the office work, there has been estab- 

 lished a card-index system by which will be preserved all obtainable 

 data pertaining to plants of fish in the many thousands of ponds, 

 lakes, and streams that the Bureau has stocked. This information 

 will afford a complete fish-cultural history of the respective waters, 

 and will be invaluable as a guide in the allotment of fish on applica- 

 tion, showing readily what species are indigenous, what species have 

 been successfully introduced or have failed to survive, and what 

 species, by their habits or the habits of the fish already in the waters, 

 would be an unsuitable addition. 



Rescue of -fishes from overfoics. — The collection of fishes from over- 

 flowed lands of the Mississippi Valley was successfully conducted this 

 year, but with increasing evidence of the need of more stations. 

 These collections are at present depended upon to supply desirable 

 pond and stream fishes to many applicants throughout all the Middle 

 West and the South, and there is much greater demand than 

 can be met. The deficiency, however, is not in the lack of obtainable 

 fish, for millions are left to waste. By reason of the remoteness of 

 many of the waters for which the fish are desired, it is impossible for 

 the Bureau's cars and messengers to accomplish the necessary travel 

 within the collecting season ; and in the absence of convenient or ade- 

 quate storage ponds none of the fish can be held for later distribution. 

 It is most important for this work that there be established along the 

 upper Mississippi stations with large pond capacity for the retention 

 of rescued fish. 



As a source of general supply for applicants, however, the over- 

 flow collections are necessarily unreliable. The flood seasons are 

 variable and the periods of collecting consequently uncertain. In 

 the interest of economy and efiiciency, it is essential that the more 

 remote regions shall be provided with hatcheries, which will furnish 

 the desired fish to applicants in those respective localities, leaving the 

 fishes collected from the overflowed districts to be distributed near by. 



Culture of striped bass. — The hatching of striped bass continues 

 to be unsatisfactory, and the persistent difficulties that the Bureau 

 has encountered point to the possibility that artificial propagation 

 of this species upon nuj adequate scale may never be feasible, at least 

 on the Atlantic coast. A removable adversity, however, is the ex- 



