L REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OP FISH AND FISHERIES. 



which had been kindly lent by the Nav^y Department, was returned 

 to the commandant of the yard. 



Battery Island Station. — Mr. Frank N. Clark was directed to leave 

 the North ville Station in charge of Mr. Seymour Bower and to proceed 

 to Havre de Grace. He arrived at the station about April 15 and im- 

 mediately commenced preparations for the season's work. No eggs 

 were taken, however, until about the 10th of May. Between that time 

 and June 13 over 15,000,000 eggs were obtained and 13,560,000 hatched, of 

 which number 8,385,000 were released in local waters and 5, 175,000 trans- 

 ported to other points. Included in the latter were 3,500,000 which the 

 Pennsylvania commission took charge of and deposited in the head- 

 waters and tributaries of the Susquehanna River. Mr. Clark conducted 

 some extended experiments in retarding the development of the eggs 

 of shad during the season, a report of which will be found in the Ap- 

 pendix. This retardation is considered very desirable as a jjossible 

 solution of oceanic transportation. Mr. John A. Eyder was also present 

 at the station during several weeks and conducted some important em- 

 bryological experiments. Several papers from his pen will be found in 

 the Appendix of this volume. On the 17th of June the season closed 

 at Havre de Grace, and Mr. Clark returned to Northville. 



North East River Station. — The steamer Fish Hawk, upon leaving 

 Avoca, proceeded to the North East River, where it arrived May 3. 

 Lieut. Tanner commenced taking eggs on the 5th of May and continued 

 until the 4th of June with gratifying success. Od the 16th of June he 

 directed the removal of the Fish Hawk from the station then occupied 

 to a point near the Battery in order to haul the thousand-fathom seine 

 which had been obtained. On the 29th of May the station was visited 

 by the Commissioners, accompanied by Major Ferguson. Lieut. Tan- 

 ner obtained in all 15,444,000 eggs. Of the young fish, over 10,000,000 

 were released in the Susquehanna and about 2,500,000 transported to 

 other waters. 



j. The Carp (Cyprinus carpio). 



The production and distribution of carp has been carried on more ex- 

 tensively this year than in any previous one, the number of applica- 

 tions having also very greatly increased. Jver 7,000 applications were 

 filed during the year, 5,758 of which were supplied with from 15 to 20 

 fish each; the total number of carp thus used was 143,696. There 

 were 1,244 additional applications filed which it was imijossible to sup- 

 ply in the year 1881. 



The Monument Station. — On the 12th of February the ponds in the 

 Monument Lot were visited by a flood considerably exceeding anything 

 that was ever before experienced. The water stood 9 feet above the 

 level of the banks of the ponds, and was 4 feet deep in the guard-house. 

 On this occasion the city was flooded even to Pennsylvania avenue, and 

 the street in front of the Smithsonian grounds was filled with water to 



