﻿XXVIII 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  Observations 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  low 
  temperature 
  on 
  trout 
  eggs 
  ecu 
  

   firmed 
  tlie 
  experience 
  of 
  the 
  previous 
  season. 
  Eggs 
  eyed 
  and 
  hatched 
  

   entirely 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  water 
  (ranging 
  from 
  45° 
  to 
  50°) 
  yielded 
  a 
  larger 
  

   percentage 
  and 
  better 
  fish 
  than 
  those 
  taken 
  under 
  the 
  same 
  conditions 
  

   aud 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  which 
  were 
  hatched 
  in 
  water 
  varying 
  from 
  32° 
  to 
  

   50° 
  in 
  temperature. 
  The 
  comparisons 
  were 
  made 
  with 
  eggs 
  collected 
  

   at 
  Caspian 
  Lake. 
  It 
  was 
  also 
  observed 
  that 
  eggs 
  eyed 
  in 
  spring 
  water 
  

   before 
  being 
  subjected 
  to 
  colder 
  water 
  yielded 
  a 
  larger 
  percentage 
  than 
  

   green 
  eggs 
  laid 
  down 
  in 
  cold 
  water. 
  The 
  investigations 
  were 
  carried 
  

   still 
  further 
  by 
  trying 
  different 
  temperatures 
  during 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  incu- 
  

   bation 
  on 
  various 
  lots 
  of 
  eyed 
  eggs, 
  but 
  these 
  were 
  not 
  fully 
  completed 
  

   owing 
  to 
  an 
  accident 
  to 
  the 
  water 
  supply 
  during 
  the 
  critical 
  period. 
  

  

  It 
  was 
  intended 
  to 
  carry 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  after 
  they 
  were 
  eyed 
  in 
  a 
  

   mixture 
  of 
  the 
  spring 
  aud 
  river 
  water, 
  the 
  spring- 
  water 
  supply 
  being 
  

   insufficient, 
  but 
  on 
  the 
  4th 
  of 
  March, 
  and 
  periodically 
  from 
  that 
  time 
  

   to 
  April 
  15, 
  it 
  became 
  necessary 
  to 
  shut 
  off 
  the 
  spring 
  water 
  entirely. 
  

   The 
  eggs 
  were 
  thus 
  subjected 
  to 
  the 
  reduced 
  water 
  temperature 
  from 
  

   12 
  hours 
  to 
  IQ 
  days 
  at 
  a 
  time, 
  the 
  temperature 
  during 
  these 
  periods 
  

   ranging 
  from 
  32^° 
  to 
  35°. 
  After 
  reaching 
  32*° 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  

   eggs 
  was 
  apparently 
  suspended 
  for 
  several 
  days, 
  which 
  accounts 
  for 
  

   the 
  length 
  of 
  time 
  between 
  the 
  commencement 
  and 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  

   hatching 
  periods 
  with 
  the 
  various 
  lots. 
  One 
  lot 
  of 
  35,000 
  was 
  placed 
  

   in 
  water 
  registering 
  32^° 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  eyed 
  and 
  kept 
  there 
  until 
  they 
  

   hatched, 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  comparing 
  the 
  results 
  with 
  those 
  obtained 
  in 
  

   hatching 
  in 
  spring 
  and 
  river 
  water 
  mixed. 
  They 
  commenced 
  hatching 
  

   March 
  15 
  and 
  finished 
  April 
  24, 
  the 
  total 
  loss 
  to 
  May 
  30 
  amounting 
  to 
  

   520 
  eggs 
  and 
  1,435 
  fry. 
  An 
  equal 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  lot 
  of 
  eggs 
  

   jilaced 
  in 
  mixed 
  water, 
  but 
  subjected 
  to 
  changes 
  caused 
  by 
  shutting 
  off 
  

   the 
  spring 
  water 
  periodically, 
  began 
  hatching 
  February 
  26 
  aud 
  finished 
  

   April 
  15, 
  with 
  a 
  loss 
  of 
  1,223 
  fry 
  and 
  487 
  eggs 
  to 
  May 
  30. 
  Better 
  

   results 
  would 
  undoubtedly 
  have 
  been 
  secured 
  had 
  it 
  not 
  been 
  necessary 
  

   to 
  shut 
  off 
  the 
  spring 
  water. 
  

  

  In 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  collections 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  station 
  

   300,000 
  quinnat-salmon 
  eggs 
  were 
  received 
  in 
  December 
  from 
  Battle 
  

   Creek, 
  5,000 
  landlocked-salmon 
  eggs 
  from 
  Green 
  Lake 
  in 
  February, 
  and 
  

   100,000 
  steelhead-trout 
  eggs 
  from 
  Fort 
  Gaston 
  in 
  April. 
  The 
  quinnat- 
  

   salmon 
  eggs 
  arrived 
  in 
  excellent 
  condition 
  and 
  commenced 
  hatching 
  

   on 
  April 
  3 
  in 
  water 
  of 
  an 
  average 
  temperature 
  of 
  34°, 
  but 
  during 
  the 
  

   hatching 
  period 
  it 
  went 
  down 
  to 
  32^° 
  on 
  several 
  occasions. 
  The 
  fry 
  

   resulting 
  from 
  them 
  numbered 
  200,000 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  their 
  distribution. 
  

   They 
  were 
  deposited 
  in 
  tributaries 
  of 
  the 
  Connecticut 
  aud 
  Merrimack 
  

   riversduring 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  July. 
  Duringincubation 
  white 
  spots 
  appeared 
  

   on 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  embryos, 
  causing 
  the 
  loss 
  of 
  many. 
  Those 
  on 
  which 
  

   the 
  spots 
  were 
  most 
  noticeable 
  were 
  separated 
  from 
  the 
  others 
  and 
  in 
  

   a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  instances 
  they 
  hatched, 
  the 
  spots 
  disappearing 
  with 
  

   the 
  absorption 
  of 
  the 
  sac. 
  The 
  steelhead-trout 
  eggs 
  arrived 
  during 
  a 
  

   period 
  of 
  unusually 
  warm 
  weather 
  and 
  were 
  in 
  very 
  bad 
  condition, 
  

  

  