﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  XLV 
  

  

  to 
  open 
  the 
  station 
  two 
  weeks 
  in 
  advance 
  of 
  the 
  usual 
  time. 
  Mr. 
  L. 
  G. 
  

   HaiTon 
  was 
  detailed 
  to 
  assist 
  the 
  superintendent 
  in 
  field 
  work. 
  

  

  Special 
  attention 
  is 
  called 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  although 
  immense 
  numbers 
  

   of 
  shad 
  were 
  taken 
  in 
  March, 
  the 
  catch 
  during 
  the 
  spawning- 
  period 
  

   (April 
  15 
  to 
  June 
  30) 
  was 
  much 
  smaller 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  any 
  year 
  since 
  

   1887, 
  and 
  this 
  accounts 
  for 
  tlie 
  poor 
  results 
  secured. 
  A 
  few 
  ripe 
  fish 
  

   were 
  found 
  as 
  early 
  as 
  April 
  2, 
  but 
  the 
  regular 
  collections 
  did 
  not 
  com- 
  

   mence 
  until 
  April 
  14. 
  The 
  following 
  table 
  shows 
  the 
  daily 
  collections 
  

   of 
  eggs 
  and 
  the 
  source 
  of 
  supply 
  : 
  

  

  Over 
  90 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  were 
  from 
  the 
  lower 
  river, 
  whereas 
  only 
  

   about 
  15 
  per 
  cent 
  were 
  obtained 
  from 
  that 
  field 
  the 
  previous 
  year. 
  As 
  

   the 
  daily 
  collections 
  were 
  very 
  small, 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  temporary 
  employees 
  

   were 
  discharged 
  on 
  May 
  15, 
  and 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  remainder 
  on 
  the 
  29th, 
  

   sufficient 
  force 
  being 
  retained 
  to 
  dismantle 
  the 
  station 
  and 
  care 
  for 
  the 
  

   property. 
  On 
  April 
  20 
  the 
  daily 
  shipment 
  to 
  Central 
  Station 
  was 
  

   frozen, 
  though 
  the 
  eggs 
  were 
  closely 
  covered 
  with 
  oil-cloth 
  and 
  placed 
  

   on 
  the 
  forward 
  deck 
  of 
  the 
  launch, 
  where 
  they 
  were 
  exposed 
  to 
  sun- 
  

   light. 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  first 
  instance 
  of 
  shad 
  eggs 
  freezing 
  on 
  the 
  trays 
  

   during 
  the 
  spawning 
  season. 
  A 
  system 
  of 
  temijerature 
  observations, 
  

   embracing 
  25 
  miles 
  of 
  spawning 
  territory, 
  was 
  inaugurated 
  on 
  April 
  

   20, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  thought, 
  by 
  continuing 
  the 
  work 
  from 
  season 
  to 
  season, 
  

   that 
  valuable 
  deductions 
  may 
  be 
  made 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  spawning 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  

   shad. 
  During 
  May 
  an 
  eflbrt 
  was 
  made 
  to 
  ascertain 
  the 
  extent 
  to 
  which 
  

   young 
  shad 
  were 
  frequenting 
  the 
  spawning-grounds 
  at 
  Stony 
  Point. 
  

   The 
  station 
  was 
  closed 
  on 
  June 
  7. 
  

  

  Following 
  are 
  the 
  mean 
  temperatures 
  of 
  air 
  and 
  water 
  for 
  March, 
  

   April, 
  and 
  May 
  : 
  

  

  Men 
  til. 
  

  

  Water. 
  

  

  March 
  

   Ai)ril. 
  

   May.. 
  

  

  45. 
  25 
  

   54.50 
  

   64.73 
  

  

  