REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 25 
Brook-trout field operations in connection with the Leadville 
station were prosecuted as usual and resulted in a normal take of eggs. 
The newly exploited field near Creede, Colo., promises to yield large 
returns in brook-trout eggs at small cost, but the prospects for future 
rainbow-trout development are not encouraging, as the spawning 
season of that species in the Rocky Mountain States is usually coin- 
cident with Very unfavorable climatic conditions. Lfforts were 
made during the past spring by the superintendent of the new station 
at Saratoga, Wyo., to establish rainbow-trout collecting stations, 
but without any marked degree of success. There is a growing 
demand for the rainbow trout in the Rocky Mountain region, and the 
Bureau’s hatcheries are doing their utmost to meet it. 
A large percentage of the trout produced at the Leadville, Spear- 
fish, and Bozeman hatcheries has in late years been distributed in 
waters of the national forests. A program for the systematic stock- 
ing of such streams and lakes has been agreed on with the Department 
of the Interior, and the Bureau is following it out to the full extent of 
its facilities. 
The trout hatcheries of the Mississippi Valley and the North 
Atlantic States supplied the usual numbers for distribution, and, 
owing to improved water supplies, the heavy losses sustained by some 
stations in 1915 were not repeated. Considerable improvement was 
shown in the condition of the stock of certain stations, and at St. 
Johnsbury the epidemic of former years assumed a very mild form. 
Owing to this fact, the output of brook trout at that station was 
larger by one-fourth than in the preceding year. The Craig Brook, 
Me., hatchery made notable progress in trout culture, its distributions 
comprising 936,410 fingerlings, against 173,408 fry in 1915. More 
important than the increased numbers was the success attained in 
rearing large fingerling fish, which have been greatly needed for 
stocking the waters of Maine and adjacent States. 
The operations with landlocked salmon at the Green Lake hatchery 
and its auxiliary at Grand Lake Stream resulted in a gain of 38 per 
cent over the egg collections of the previous year. The perpetuation 
of the landlocked salmon is a very important feature of the Bureau’s 
work. ‘This species has been widely sought by the sportsmen of far 
distant States, but, owing to the limited supply, it has been deemed 
best to confine the distribution to those waters of New England where 
the natural conditions approach most closely to those of its natural 
habitat. It is hoped to extend the field for egg collections, and with 
that end in view several thousand fry are being reared at the Craig 
Brook station for the purpose of stocking a lake in the vicinity, where 
the natural conditions seem to be entirely favorable.’ 
The Mammoth Spring, Ark., output was curtailed by reason of a 
flood sweeping through the pond system in August, 1915, and carryin 
out many fingerling fish that were being held for fall distribution an 
also a large part of the brood stock. Later additions to the breeding 
fish proved inferior to those lost, and several seasons will probably 
be required to bring the station back to its former efficiency. 
The Tupelo, Miss., station produced practically the same numbers 
of pond fishes as in 1915. This hatchery has made marked progress 
during the past few years and now ranks third in the production of 
bass. The outlook appears to justify the recommendation that the 
pond system be completed in accordance with the original plans. 
