1054 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [18] 



The fish began to come out March 16, rather slowly for two or three 

 days, the water being down to 43^"^ on an average; but on the 19th the 

 water ran up to 54° at noon, and the fish then came out with a rush, 

 scarcely an egg remaining the da,j following. Quite a number of mon- 

 strosities and imperfect fish were observed, outside of which, however, 

 they looked unexceptionally fine. They were also exceedingly active 

 and strong in xies^ of the great disproportion between their large, 

 kidney-shaped sacs and light, slender bodies. 



Soon after they began hatching, the novel spectacle of occasionally 

 seeing the body of a fish on one side of the tray, with its sac under- 

 neath, was presented — due to the wonderful mobility of the sac, which 

 sometimes permitted the downward current to draw it through the 

 mesh of the tray, although four or five times larger than the aperture 

 through which it had passed; after passing through it would soon as- 

 sume its natural shape, protruding like an immense hernia, from which 

 position the fish would be quite unable to extricate themselves. By in- 

 verting the tray and agitating in water, the soft, ductile pouch would 

 soon pass back, releasing the fish unharmed. To overcome this diffi- 

 culty, which at one time threatened to become quite annoying, the 

 hatching boxes were reversed, so that the water passed upward through 

 the trays instead of down, as before. 



Below is the statement of distribution: 



Number of salmon hatched 45, 390 



Imperfect and dead fish picked from hatching boxes and 

 nursery tanks 4, 540 



Fish now on hand in nursery tanks 2, 850 



April 27 — Deposited in Long Lake, Mecosta County, Mich- 

 igan 6,000 



April 28 — Deposited in Higgins Lake, Eoscommon Coun- 

 ty, Michigan 3, 000 



April 27 — Deposited in Chippewa Lake, Lake County, 

 Michigan 6, 000 



May 1 — Deposited by N. A. Osgood in Goguac Lake, near 

 Battle Creek, Micbigan, (fish shipped by express) 3, 000 



May 3 — Deposited at Piqua, Ohio, in water-works reser- 

 voir, containing 150 acres 6, 000 



May 10 — Deposited in Union Lake, township of Pontiac, 



Oakland County, Michigan 8, 000 



May 15 — Shipped per express from Toledo, Ohio, to S. E. 



Williams, La Porte, Ind 3, 000 



May 15 — Shipped per express from B. & O. junction with 



the Wabash, to T. B. Wightman, Cedar Beach, Ind ... 3, 000 



45, 390 



The fish were all planted in excellent condition, with the exception of 

 the last two lots. Mr. Wightman reported that the fish sent him were 



