﻿XLIV 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OP 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  eggs 
  were 
  obtained 
  between 
  midnight 
  and 
  dayliglit, 
  more 
  than 
  3,000,000 
  

   between 
  8 
  a. 
  m. 
  and 
  noon, 
  and 
  0,000,000 
  between 
  noon 
  and 
  night. 
  

  

  Contrary 
  to 
  past 
  experience, 
  the 
  eggs 
  collected 
  during 
  the 
  day 
  were 
  

   of 
  excellent 
  quality 
  and 
  produced 
  strong, 
  healthy 
  fry. 
  This 
  year 
  the 
  

   number 
  of 
  fry 
  hatched 
  amounted 
  to 
  72 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  the 
  total 
  take 
  of 
  eggs. 
  

   Tlie 
  fishermen 
  in 
  the 
  neighborhood 
  cooperated 
  with 
  the 
  superintendent 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  season, 
  and 
  furnished 
  26,000,000 
  eggs, 
  or 
  nearly 
  three 
  

   times 
  the 
  number 
  furnished 
  last 
  year, 
  at 
  a 
  rate 
  of 
  $20 
  per 
  1,000,000. 
  

  

  Strixjcd 
  bass. 
  — 
  For 
  several 
  years 
  the 
  station 
  force 
  has 
  been 
  on 
  the 
  

   lookout 
  for 
  striped 
  bass 
  or 
  rockfish 
  eggs, 
  and 
  on 
  May 
  3 
  the 
  spawn 
  -taker 
  

   attending 
  the 
  Carpenter 
  Point 
  seine 
  brought 
  in 
  1,280,000, 
  which 
  he 
  had 
  

   collected 
  from 
  a 
  fish 
  weighing 
  12 
  pounds. 
  The 
  eggs 
  were 
  nearly 
  trans- 
  

   parent 
  and 
  measured 
  one-seventh 
  of 
  a 
  linear 
  inch, 
  or 
  24,552 
  to 
  the 
  quart. 
  

   After 
  attempting 
  to 
  hatch 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  McDonald 
  jar 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  neces- 
  

   sary 
  to 
  improvise 
  a 
  special 
  form 
  of 
  apparatus 
  somewhat 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  

   McDonald 
  tidal 
  box, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  very 
  little 
  difference 
  

   between 
  the 
  sjiecific 
  gravity 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  and 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  eggs. 
  The 
  

   improvised 
  form 
  consisted 
  of 
  four 
  bell 
  aquaria 
  inverted 
  and 
  placed 
  in 
  a 
  

   box 
  supplied 
  with 
  water 
  through 
  a 
  f-inch 
  tube 
  and 
  discharged 
  through 
  

   a 
  1-inch 
  tube, 
  thus 
  giving 
  a 
  rise 
  and 
  fall 
  of 
  5^ 
  inches 
  every 
  8 
  minutes. 
  

   By 
  the 
  afternoon 
  of 
  May 
  C 
  the 
  hatching 
  was 
  completed, 
  the 
  mean 
  tem- 
  

   perature 
  during 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  incubation 
  being 
  58°. 
  The 
  fry 
  resulting 
  

   from 
  these 
  eggs 
  (estimated 
  at 
  450,000) 
  were 
  liberated 
  in 
  the 
  Susque 
  

   hanna 
  River 
  near 
  Port 
  Deposit. 
  The 
  small 
  percentage 
  hatched 
  was 
  

   occasioned 
  partly 
  by 
  the 
  muddy 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  and 
  partly 
  by 
  

   imperfect 
  circulation 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  material 
  used 
  for 
  covering 
  

   the 
  jars. 
  For 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  closer 
  observation 
  during 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  

   incubation, 
  two 
  small 
  glass 
  jars 
  were 
  placed 
  in 
  a 
  bell 
  aquarium 
  fitted 
  

   with 
  tidal 
  motion. 
  The 
  water 
  used 
  was 
  first 
  run 
  through 
  a 
  charcoal 
  

   filter. 
  

  

  Bryan 
  Point 
  Station, 
  Maryland 
  (S. 
  G. 
  Worth, 
  Superintendent). 
  

  

  In 
  August 
  and 
  September 
  important 
  improvements 
  were 
  made 
  under 
  

   the 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  superintendent, 
  embodying 
  repairs 
  to 
  the 
  boiler- 
  

   house, 
  seine-house, 
  and 
  boat-house; 
  the 
  wharf 
  was 
  repaired 
  and 
  pro- 
  

   tected 
  against 
  damage 
  from 
  ice 
  by 
  driving 
  piles 
  20 
  feet 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  

   corners, 
  on 
  a 
  line 
  with 
  the 
  end, 
  and 
  a 
  well 
  18^ 
  feet 
  deep 
  was 
  excavated, 
  

   which 
  affords 
  a 
  copious 
  supply 
  of 
  cold, 
  clear 
  water. 
  The 
  station 
  has 
  

   heretofore 
  been 
  dependent 
  on 
  a 
  very 
  unsatisfactory 
  spring 
  and 
  upon 
  

   river 
  water, 
  which 
  caused 
  sickness. 
  

  

  A 
  large 
  amount 
  of 
  worn-out 
  property, 
  including 
  seines, 
  seine 
  boat, 
  

   and 
  other 
  fishing 
  api)aratus, 
  was 
  condemned 
  and 
  sold 
  at 
  auction. 
  A 
  

   topographical 
  survey 
  of 
  the 
  station 
  was 
  made 
  during 
  the 
  year, 
  and 
  

   an 
  estimate 
  was 
  submitted 
  by 
  the 
  superintendent 
  for 
  a 
  large 
  hatchery, 
  

   where 
  the 
  entire 
  product 
  of 
  the 
  station 
  can 
  be 
  cared 
  for, 
  thus 
  obviating 
  

   the 
  necessity 
  of 
  transferring 
  the 
  eggs 
  to 
  Central 
  Station. 
  

  

  In 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  receipt 
  of 
  large 
  numbers 
  of 
  shad 
  during 
  March, 
  

   104,000 
  being 
  received 
  from 
  the 
  14th 
  to 
  the 
  28th, 
  preparations 
  were 
  made 
  

  

  