KEPOKT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 45 



In response to local sentiment, efforts were made at the Put-in 

 Bay station to propagate the sauger, and in connection therewith 

 collections of yellow perch were undertaken, but the same causes 

 operating against the work with the more important fishes were 

 even more effective with these species. Only a few eggs were ob- 

 tained, and in the case of the saager they were of sucli inferior qual- 

 ity that no fry were hatched. As the sauger is favorably regarded 

 by tlie fishermen of Lake Erie, this work will be attempted another 

 year. 



At the Michigan stations the total egg collections were al)out 

 two-thu'ds short of an average season, and 80,295,500 eggs, fry, and 

 fuigerlmg fish represented the combined output of the three species 

 handled. In addition to tlie usual sources m the Detroit River for 

 obtaining whitefish eggs, operations were conducted for the first time 

 at Big Charity Island, in Saginaw Bay, and here, notwithstanding 

 the intense severity of the weather encountered, nearly half the 

 season's crop of eggs was secured. Under normal conditions it is 

 believed this new field will prove an exceedingly prolific one. 



The lake-trout work, prosecuted at pomts heretofore operated in 

 Lakes Huron and Michigan, was so hampered by almost continuous 

 storms that the haulmg of the fishermen's nets could be accom- 

 plished only at intervals of from four to six days, which resulted ui 

 the loss of a large percentage of the spawners confhied in the nets 

 and lessened the vitality of the eggs obtamed. Tlie low market 

 price prevailmg during the spawnmg season for lake trout (3-| cents 

 per pound) contributed to the discouragmg results, many of the 

 fishermen fuiding it to then- advantage to discontinue the trout 

 work and devote their time to the capture of herrmg. Nearly half 

 the 45,225,000 eggs collected were obtained in the vicinity of Manis- 

 tique and St. James, Mich. 



Arrangements were made for the prosecution of the pike-perch 

 work on the customary scale at the pomts heretofore operated from 

 the Detroit station, but the season was a practical failure owmg to 

 the presence of ice on the spawning grounds in the two prmcipal 

 fields m Lake Huron and Sagmaw Bay. At the station on the 

 Canadian side of the St. Clair River the spawnmg season occurs 

 about a month later than in the fields named, and here the usual 

 quota of eggs was secured. The collections at all points aggregated 

 only 21,600,000 eggs, which produced ] 1,000,000 fry. 



The lake trout season at the Duluth station proved an average one. 

 Between September 23 and December 6, 13,000,000 eggs of fair qual- 

 ity were obtamed from the various fields in the Lake Superior region. 

 They were hatched in conjunction with 2,500,000 lake trout eggs and 

 5,000,000 whitefish eggs transferred to Duluth from the Michigan 

 stations, and the fry were distributed in excellent condition, the 



4789°— 14 4 



