﻿XXXVI 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OP 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  water 
  having 
  fallen 
  to 
  35° 
  in 
  January, 
  it 
  was 
  raised 
  and 
  maintained 
  

   at 
  from 
  380 
  to 
  40° 
  by 
  introducing 
  steam 
  directly 
  into 
  the 
  supply 
  pipes. 
  

  

  The 
  fry 
  distributed 
  during 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  ]N^ovember 
  were 
  deposited 
  in 
  

   the 
  harbor, 
  but 
  all 
  those 
  hatching 
  after 
  December 
  1 
  were 
  liberated 
  on 
  

   the 
  spawning-grounds 
  off 
  No 
  Man's 
  Land 
  and 
  Gayhead, 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   plants 
  being 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  steamer 
  Fish 
  HawJc 
  and 
  part 
  by 
  a 
  .small 
  sloop 
  

   chartered 
  for 
  the 
  purpose. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  table 
  shows 
  in 
  detail 
  the 
  daily 
  receipts 
  of 
  eggs, 
  number 
  

   of 
  fry 
  hatched, 
  and 
  period 
  of 
  incubation 
  : 
  

  

  Flatfish. 
  — 
  Early 
  in 
  February 
  fyke 
  nets 
  were 
  set 
  in 
  Woods 
  Hole 
  Har- 
  

   bor 
  and 
  Waquoit 
  Bay, 
  and 
  the 
  first 
  ripe 
  lish 
  were 
  captured 
  on 
  the 
  15th. 
  

   From 
  that 
  time 
  collections 
  were 
  continued 
  daily 
  until 
  the 
  15th 
  of 
  April, 
  

   305 
  ripe 
  females 
  being 
  secured 
  from 
  the 
  seven 
  nets 
  operated. 
  The 
  take 
  

   of 
  eggs 
  aggregated 
  84,591,000, 
  or 
  an 
  average 
  of 
  about 
  277,000 
  i^er 
  fish; 
  

   the 
  yield 
  per 
  fish 
  varied 
  with 
  the 
  size, 
  one 
  female, 
  3^ 
  pounds 
  in 
  weight, 
  

   producing 
  1,462,000. 
  The 
  fish 
  captured 
  in 
  Waquoit 
  Bay 
  were 
  much 
  

   larger 
  than 
  those 
  from 
  Woods 
  Hole 
  Harbor. 
  The 
  hatching 
  was 
  done, 
  

   as 
  usual, 
  in 
  the 
  modified 
  McDonald 
  box, 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  incubation 
  vary- 
  

   ing 
  from 
  7 
  to 
  22 
  days, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  By 
  

   the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  season 
  64,095,000 
  fry 
  had 
  been 
  hatched 
  and 
  distributed 
  

   on 
  suitable 
  grounds 
  in 
  Buzzards 
  and 
  Waquoit 
  bays. 
  

  

  Lobsters. 
  — 
  While 
  engaged 
  in 
  collecting 
  lobsters 
  for 
  shipment 
  to 
  the 
  

   Pacific 
  Coast 
  during 
  October 
  and 
  November 
  887,000 
  eggs 
  were 
  collected 
  

   and 
  i)laced 
  in 
  hatching-jars. 
  They 
  did 
  well 
  throughout 
  the 
  winter, 
  but 
  

   the 
  losses 
  became 
  very 
  heavy 
  about 
  the 
  1st 
  of 
  Ajiril, 
  and 
  as 
  a 
  result 
  

   only 
  385,000 
  fry 
  were 
  hatched 
  from 
  them. 
  The 
  regular 
  spring 
  collec- 
  

   tions 
  commenced 
  on 
  April 
  7. 
  The 
  field 
  of 
  operations 
  was 
  enlarged 
  by 
  

   the 
  employment 
  of 
  an 
  agent 
  at 
  Plymouth, 
  Mass., 
  who 
  purchased 
  egg 
  

  

  