﻿VI 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  For 
  the 
  maintenance 
  of 
  tlie 
  lobster 
  fishery, 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  steadily 
  

   declining 
  for 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  years, 
  it 
  was 
  arranged 
  not 
  only 
  to 
  cover 
  the 
  

   region 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Woods 
  Hole 
  and 
  Gloucester 
  stations, 
  but 
  also 
  

   to 
  make 
  systematic 
  collections 
  of 
  eggs 
  from 
  fishermen 
  between 
  Eock- 
  

   land, 
  Me., 
  and 
  Xoank, 
  Conn. 
  The 
  schooner 
  Oramvus 
  was 
  utilized 
  on 
  

   the 
  Maine 
  coast 
  for 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  eggs 
  and 
  the 
  liberation 
  of 
  fry, 
  and 
  

   the 
  steamer 
  Fish 
  Matck 
  was 
  employed 
  as 
  a 
  floating 
  hatchery 
  at 
  Casco 
  

   Bay. 
  Agents 
  were 
  stationed 
  at 
  Kittery, 
  Me. 
  ; 
  Boston, 
  Plymouth, 
  and 
  

   New 
  Bedford, 
  Mass., 
  and 
  points 
  in 
  Connecticut, 
  who 
  collected 
  egg 
  lob- 
  

   sters 
  for 
  transportation 
  to 
  the 
  hatcheries 
  of 
  Gloucester 
  and 
  Woods 
  Hole. 
  

   As 
  a 
  result 
  of 
  this 
  extension 
  of 
  the 
  work, 
  over 
  128,000,000 
  eggs 
  were 
  

   secured 
  and 
  115,000,000 
  fry 
  planted. 
  During 
  the 
  spring 
  and 
  summer 
  

   particular 
  attention 
  was 
  ijaid 
  to 
  the 
  food, 
  habits, 
  and 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  

   young 
  lobster, 
  and 
  much 
  valuable 
  information 
  was 
  obtained 
  at 
  Woods 
  

   Hole, 
  where 
  experiments 
  were 
  conducted 
  in 
  the 
  holding 
  of 
  the 
  fry 
  

   during 
  the 
  molting 
  stages. 
  

  

  Preliminary 
  to 
  the 
  establishment 
  of 
  auxiliary 
  shad-hatcheries 
  on 
  the 
  

   South 
  Atlantic 
  Coast, 
  the 
  Fish 
  HaioTc 
  was 
  detailed 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  winter 
  

   to 
  make 
  investigations 
  on 
  certain 
  important 
  rivers 
  in 
  that 
  section 
  for 
  

   the 
  i)urpose 
  of 
  determining 
  their 
  value 
  as 
  collecting 
  fields 
  for 
  egg^. 
  

   Proceeding 
  to 
  Palatka, 
  Fla., 
  the 
  vessel 
  was 
  anchored 
  at 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  

   the 
  Ocklawaha 
  River 
  and 
  arrangements 
  were 
  made 
  to 
  collect 
  eggs 
  from 
  

   fishermen 
  operating 
  on 
  the 
  St. 
  Johns 
  between 
  Welaka 
  and 
  Sanford, 
  

   where 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  fishing 
  is 
  done. 
  Large 
  nunibers 
  of 
  shad 
  were 
  taken 
  

   daily 
  in 
  the 
  nets 
  and 
  seines, 
  and 
  valuable 
  information 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  

   their 
  habits 
  and 
  movements 
  was 
  obtained, 
  but 
  only 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  ripe 
  

   fish 
  were 
  secured. 
  At 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  March 
  the 
  vessel 
  proceeded 
  to 
  

   Albemarle 
  Sound 
  and 
  commenced 
  operations 
  at 
  Avoca, 
  N. 
  C, 
  at 
  the 
  

   mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Chowan 
  Eiver. 
  The 
  work 
  at 
  that 
  point 
  resulted 
  in 
  the 
  

   collection 
  of 
  over 
  27,000,000 
  shad 
  eggs 
  and 
  the 
  liberation 
  of 
  16,000,000 
  

   fry 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  sound. 
  During 
  the 
  months 
  of 
  April, 
  May, 
  and 
  

   June 
  the 
  usual 
  shad 
  operations 
  were 
  conducted 
  on 
  the 
  Delaware, 
  

   Potomac, 
  and 
  Susquehanna 
  rivers, 
  the 
  total 
  collection 
  of 
  eggs 
  for 
  the 
  

   season 
  resulting 
  in 
  a 
  distribution 
  of 
  134,545,500 
  yearlings, 
  fry, 
  and 
  eggs. 
  

   From 
  the 
  experience 
  gained 
  this 
  year 
  there 
  is 
  little 
  doubt 
  that 
  the 
  col- 
  

   lection 
  of 
  shad 
  eggs 
  can 
  be 
  largely 
  increased 
  by 
  the 
  establishment 
  of 
  

   auxiliary 
  stations 
  on 
  other 
  rivers 
  of 
  the 
  South 
  Atlantic 
  Coast. 
  

  

  The 
  work 
  on 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes 
  was 
  attended 
  with 
  good 
  results, 
  though 
  

   the 
  collection 
  of 
  eggs 
  was 
  seriously 
  interfered 
  with 
  by 
  severe 
  gales, 
  which 
  

   destroyed 
  the 
  fishing 
  gear 
  during 
  the 
  spawning 
  season. 
  Over 
  18,000,000 
  

   lake 
  trout 
  eggs 
  were 
  secured 
  on 
  Lakes 
  Superior, 
  Michigan, 
  Huron, 
  and 
  

   Ontario, 
  besides 
  126,000,000 
  whitefish 
  eggs 
  on 
  Lakes 
  Huron, 
  Michigan, 
  

   and 
  Erie; 
  13,509,000 
  yearlings, 
  fry, 
  and 
  eggs 
  of 
  the 
  lake 
  trout 
  and 
  

   95,049,000 
  whitefish 
  fry 
  were 
  distributed. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  interior 
  stations 
  devoted 
  to 
  the 
  production 
  of 
  trout, 
  bass, 
  and 
  

   crappie 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  restocking 
  inland 
  streams 
  and 
  lakes 
  has 
  progressed 
  

   satisfactorily. 
  

  

  