REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 75 



ACCLIMATIZATION. 



In continuance of the attempt undertaken four years ago to accli- 

 matize the humjDback salmon in eastern waters and to establish an 

 annual run of that species in Puget Sound, 16,000,000 eggs which had 

 been collected near Afognak, Alaska, were forwarded from that point 

 during the fall of 1916. On arrival at Seattle, about half of the con- 

 signment was reserved for development at the Birdsview, Quilcene, 

 and Duckabush stations. The remainder of the eggs were shipped 

 to Maine, arriving there November 17, and were divided between the 

 Green Lake and Craig Brook stations. They were hatched at both 

 stations with merely nominal losses, and the fry were distributed, 

 in excellent condition, in the coastal rivers of Maine; points of de- 

 posit as near the headwaters of tributary streams as possible being 

 selected for their liberation, the object being to guard against the 

 destruction of the young fish by entrance into brackish water before 

 reaching a suitable age. The eggs retained at the coast stations were 

 also successfully hatched and planted. 



A number of years ago the Bureau began the annual shipment of 

 eastern lobsters to the State of Washington, in the hope of being able 

 to establish this valuable crustacean in Puget Sound waters. In pur- 

 suance of this undertaking, a carload consignment of 6,420 adult 

 male and female lobsters was forwarded from Bath, Me., to Ana- 

 cortes, Wash., in November, 1916. This proved to be the most suc- 

 cessful shipment of the kind that has so far been made, the total losses 

 en route being less than 10 per cent. The lobsters, in excellent con- 

 dition, were planted soon after arrival in the vicinity of Eosario, 

 Orcas Island, one of the San Juan group. 



In November, 1916, a lot of eyed eggs of the ayu, or dwarf salmon, 

 which had been forwarded through the courtesy of the Japanese 

 Government, was received at the Birdsview (Wash.) station. These 

 eggs, which are very small and somewhat adhesive, were transported 

 in water. En route more than 50 per cent had hatched, and the fry, 

 as weU as most of the remaining eggs, were dead. The few live eggs 

 hatched within a short time after being removed from the hatching 

 boxes, but as the station had no equipment for handling such small 

 fry, they quickly passed through the smallest mesh material avail- 

 able, and no opportunity was afforded to observe them. 



RELATIONS WITH THE STATES. 



The Bureau's constant aim and practice are to cooperate with the 

 fishery authorities of the various States in every feasi])le manner. 

 This cooperation is most widely exhibited in the matter of providing 

 fish eggs for incubation in the State hatcheries, the residting young 

 to be distributed under State auspices, and of furnishing young fish 

 to be similarly planted. 



A list of the States to which, on request, the Bureau, in 1917, sup- 

 plied fish eggs and fish of the species and in the numbers indicated 

 follows. 



