62 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



The chinook-egg collections at Battle Creek were only fair, amount- 

 ing to 14,293,000. Owing to the high temperature of the hatchery- 

 water supply, the fry in course of rearing had to bo liberated as early 

 as April 11. In May chinook-salmon fingerhngs to the number of 

 13,850 were marked at the Battle Creek hatchery by the removal of 

 the adipose and right ventral fins ; the fish were about 2 inches long, 

 and although they were the product of the last eggs taken in the fall, 

 they were apparently in good condition when liberated. Temporary 

 earth ponds were utilized to reUeve the hatchery of fry, the young 

 being allowed to leave them at will. 



Between October 24 and December 8, 7,026,000 chinook-salmon 

 eggs were collected at the Mill Creek station, and several tons of 

 stripped salmon were smoked and salted as a fish food. The young 

 refused tliis food when from 6 to 8 weeks old, and as the water sup- 

 ply was dangerously warm, the fish were Uberated and the station 

 was closed by April 15. 



The silver-salmon run at the Hornbrook hatchery was almost a 

 complete failure and but few eggs of that species were collected. 

 There was also a reduced run of cliinooks as compared with last 

 year. Of the 2,940,900 eggs secured, 1,000,000 were transferred to 

 the State hatchery at Sisson, owing to partial failure of the water 

 supply. 



At the various stations on the Pacific coast and in Alaska, where 

 the salmon fry and fingerlings were fed from- five to nine times daily, 

 a mixed diet was used. The ingredients consisted of salted salmon, 

 smoked salmon, soluble blood meal, middUngs, spleen, and liver, the 

 principal ingredient being salted salmon. Owing to its high cost, 

 Bver was used very sparingly and only during the early stages of 

 growth. Spleen was added for variety. Difficulty was experienced 

 with the smoked salmon, as generally the fry refused it, and in every 

 case where it was fed the losses were largely increased. From the 

 results secured it is assumed that this material is not suitable for 

 young salmon. 



PROPAGATION OF COMMERCIAL FISHES OF THE GREAT LAKES. 



The efforts put forth in the propagation of the commercial fishes 

 of the Great Lakes were quite successful. The largest collection of 

 lake-trout eggs in the history of the Bureau was made, while the 

 take of whitefish and lake-herring eggs slightly exceeded the col- 

 lections of last year, notwithstanding that storms interfered with 

 the operations to a considerable extent in some of the more im- 

 portant fields. The only species propagated in tliis region wliich 

 shows a material reduction in output is the pike perch, and this was 

 caused by the abnormally late spring, the spawning grounds being 

 heavily coated with ice at the time when the run of fish thereto 

 usually occurs. 



Late in September field stations of the Duluth hatchery for the 

 collection of lake-trout eggs were opened up in the vicinity of the 

 important fisheries in Lake Superior, and during October and Novem- 

 ber 25,385,000 eggs of good quahty were secured and transferred to 

 the Duluth hatchery. Tliis being in excess of the number that 

 could be conveniently handled and at the same time allow hatching 

 space for other species of eggs to be accommodated later on, it was 



