XLI7 KEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



burg, it returned to Washington after depositing the fish in the James 

 Eiver. 



On the IStli of June a load of 1,150,000 fish was tiansported to 

 Maine from the hatchery at Havre de Grace, and introduced success- 

 fully into the Kennebec and Mattawamkeag Rivers. 



The experience of these trips suggested some additional changes, 

 ■which were made in the course of the summer; and in the middle of 

 October the car was again used, this time for distributing carp. 



In December, it was determined to use the car for transporting a 

 supply of carp to Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Missouri. There 

 were 950 applicants to be supplied in Texas alone. There were placed 

 on board tbe car forty large cans, each containing one hundred carp, 

 and seven containing one hundred and fifty carp each. There were also 

 placed on board eighteen crates, each containing sixteen small tin j^ails. • 

 As each pail contained twenty carp, each crate would thus contain three 

 hundred and twenty carp. In addition, there were three crates con- 

 taining four hundred carp each. This made a total of twelve thousand 

 carp. The car was not ready to leave, however, until January 3, 1882, 

 when it was moved by the Pennsylvania Railroad from Washington to 

 Saint Louis, in charge of Colonel Marshal McDonald. The first distri- 

 butions were made from Saint Louis; after which the car proceeded 

 to Texarkana, from which point applicants in Arkansas were supj^lied. 

 Similar stops were made at Shreveport, La., Sherman, Tex., Dallas, Tex., 

 Austin, Tex., &c. A full account of this trip, as also of a previous one 

 to Kentucky in November, will be found in the report of Mr. McDonald 

 in the Api)endix. 



17. — SPECIES OF FISH CULTIVATED AND DISTRIBUTED IN 1881. 



a. Whitefish (Coregonus alhus). 



Nortliville Station. — The work at this station, under the charge of Mr. 

 Frank N. Clark, as heretofore, has been prosecuted with increased vigor. 

 A number of improvements have been made in the arrangements for 

 supplying water, and an increased hatching capacity has been ob- 

 tained. Four new ponds (20 by 83 feet) were constructed during the 

 summer. The total number of whitefish eggs handled during the season 

 of 1881-'82 was 22,500,000, against 14,780,000 for the previous season. 

 The spawn-taking operations were carried on from November 10 to De- 

 cember 5, the points selected being North Bass Island, Middle Bass 

 Island, and Kelley's Island, in Lake Erie. Although the last eggs 

 which reached the hatchery were allowed to remain in the shipping 

 cases for ten days after their arrival, pending the fitting up of additional 

 hatching-jars, there was no increased loss noticeable. 



The Chase automatic jar was used in i>lace of the hatching-box in 

 the incubation of the eggs, and experiments were made with a view to 

 obtaining a still more reliable apparatus. The " Improved Shad 

 Hatcher" was found to give a better movement to the eggs, and useful 



