14 REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, 
The possibilities of increased fish-cultural work on the Great 
Lakes, particularly on Lakes Erie and Ontario, as a result of more 
intimate cooperation between the United States and Canada have 
recently become more evident, and arrangements have been made by 
which all available sources of egg supply will be exploited. Espe- 
cially valuable during recent seasons has been the courteous action 
of the fishery officials of Canada in opening to spawn takers from 
the Cape Vincent station the whitefish spawning grounds in the Bay 
of Quinte, Lake Ontario. 
RESCUE OF STRANDED FISHES. 
The important work of rescuing food fishes from landlocked waters 
in districts of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers assumed a wider 
scope and produced more noteworthy results than in previous years. 
All of the important old fields were occupied and some new territory 
was covered, the operations extending from Minnesota to Louisiana, 
both States inclusive. The principal centers of rescue work were 
Homer, Minn.; La Crosse, Wis.; Fairport, North McGregor, and 
Bellevue, Iowa; Meredosia, Ill.; Friar Point, Miss.; and Baton ~ 
Rouge, La. 
With a view to an increased output and a reduced unit cost several 
valuable new features were introduced in 1918, including the station- 
ing in the immediate vicinity of the rescuing parties of houseboats to be 
used as living quarters for the fishing crews-and improvements to 
the tank equipment for the holding and hardening of fish intended 
for transfer to distant points. 
The number of food fishes rescued in the fiscal year 1918 was 
925,970,041, as against 9,885,005 in 1917. The number of each of the 
important species was as follows: 
Black’ bass,’ largemouth’ 2202153 De a ee 365, 424 
Black: bass,, smallmouthe 2422 2utb a ee eee eee 2, 433 
Buoffalofish®; 2.24) = ee Se ee ee ee 2, 417, 052 
Oat ina ee tke a eee 1, 660, 776 
@atfish’ 2032 oe ee 12, 718, 930 
@rappie (22 2 Le 2 ee 2, 899, 462 
Drum :22). ote ee eh eh eee ey ee see eee 83, 473 
Pike: fon eee eke a ce et ee ee eee eee 106, 408 
Pike perch 22. 2.2__ 3... ee eee 1, 954 
River. herting -2..2 se eee 3, 700, 000 
Rock ubass  “s620 Ue leh eee eee ee eee , 940 
Sunfish.22 52 a oe ee a 1, 398, 835 
Warmouth bass: .-....__-2. ee ee ee 7, 970 
White bass. 2-2. 02-2 eee ee es 47, 261 
Yellow perch =... —~ =  ee 458, 923 
Miscellaneous 2.26.2 a eee eee 100, 200 
Total =o ee ee ee 25, 970, 041 
A very large percentage of the fishes rescued are returned to the 
adjacent open waters of the rivers and are not liable again to be 
stranded for another year; meanwhile they will have increased in 
size and economic value. Small numbers of these fishes of all species, 
but particularly black bass, crappie, sunfish, and catfish, are used by 
the Bureau in filling applications for stocking ponds, lakes, and 
streams in the adjoining or remote States. The fish thus delivered 
