PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1921. 37 
April 20. A cold spell in April, following the warm weather of 
March, caused a protracted incubation period for the pike-perch 
eggs. In this connection it is interesting to note that while the egg 
collections were made during the period from April 6 to 20 there 
was very little difference in the dates on which any lot of eggs 
reached the eyed stage or completed incubation. The eggs were of 
extremely poor quality, the loss during incubation being in excess 
of 77 per cent. 
Collections of yellow-perch eggs were in progress from April 21 to 
April 23. Of the 43,950,000 taken 12,000,000 were delivered to the 
State hatchery at Burlington, Vt. The remainder were incubated 
with but slight loss. Upward of 33,000,000 of the pike-perch eggs 
were shipped to applicants, 14,700,000 going to hatcheries in the 
State of Vermont. 
PROPAGATION OF YELLOW PERCH, BRYANS POINT (MD.) STATION. 
[L. G. Harron, Superintendent. ] 
Fish-cultural operations were undertaken at this point on March 
1, the work being addressed to the propagation of the yellow perch. 
Between the 3d and the 10th of March 18,226 brood fish were taken. 
Spawning occurred between the 10th and the 23d of March, resulting 
in a total collection of 172,630,000 eggs of excellent quality. Of 
these 2,600,000 were shipped to Washington, where they served as 
an exhibit during incubation, the fry being used to supply appli- 
cants in Virginia. The remaining eggs were incubated in the hatch- 
ery, producing 158,819,450 fry, which were planted on the spawning 
grounds. 
MARINE FISH CULTURE. 
The season’s work in this field may be considered satisfactory, 
the output of eggs and fry comparing favorably with that of the 
year previous. While there was a falling off of nearly 50 per cent 
in the output of cod as compared with last year, this is compensated 
for by satisfactory increases in the production of other species, not- 
ably the haddock. The work during the past season was extended to 
include the pole flounder (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus), a species 
not previously propagated. This fish, locally known as the “gray 
sole,” has only recently been introduced in the markets of New Eng- 
land. . Its existence in these waters has long been known, but pre- 
vious to the use of the otter trawl in the shore fisheries it was not 
generally known to fishermen. Because of its small, weak mouth 
it was not taken on the trawl lines. It has since proved to be a 
popular fish, commands a high price in the markets, and a fishery 
of importance is being built up in connection with it. 
Inadequate funds have prevented the development of possibilities 
for valuable work in the conservation of the large number of eggs 
of the marine fishes that are annually lost in connection with 
commercial fishing. Such work has now been undertaken on a 
limited scale by placing spawn takers on the fishing vessels operating 
in the offshore fisheries, to strip the mature eggs from the fish taken, 
fertilize, and return them immediately to the water. The work is 
considered of special value, since it deals with the conservation of 
vast quantities of eggs of the cod and haddock which have heretofore 
been annually destroyed. 
