﻿L 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  able. 
  These 
  were 
  purchased 
  at 
  a 
  rate 
  of 
  3 
  cents 
  per 
  pound. 
  In 
  pre- 
  

   paring 
  fish 
  as 
  food 
  the 
  scales 
  and 
  gills 
  should 
  he 
  carefully 
  removed. 
  

  

  With 
  the 
  view 
  to 
  enlarging 
  the 
  output 
  of 
  bass, 
  spawning-ponds 
  

   were 
  constructed 
  along 
  the 
  south 
  banks 
  of 
  the 
  north 
  and 
  south 
  ponds 
  

   during 
  the 
  winter, 
  and 
  the 
  stock 
  was 
  increased 
  by 
  the 
  transfer 
  of 
  

   several 
  hundred 
  large-mouth 
  breeders 
  from 
  Quincy 
  and 
  small-mouth 
  

   breeders 
  from 
  Lake 
  Erie. 
  On 
  the 
  15th 
  of 
  April 
  20 
  adults 
  were 
  placed 
  

   in 
  each 
  of 
  the 
  partitions 
  of 
  the 
  north 
  pond 
  and 
  the 
  same 
  number 
  of 
  

   small-mouth 
  bass 
  were 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  various 
  partitions 
  of 
  the 
  south 
  

   pond. 
  Spawners 
  were 
  also 
  placed 
  in 
  Pond 
  ^o. 
  6 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  

   small 
  ponds 
  on 
  the 
  terrace 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  cottage. 
  

  

  As 
  good 
  results 
  had 
  been 
  attained 
  at 
  Wytheville 
  Station 
  the 
  pre- 
  

   vious 
  year 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  artificial 
  nests, 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  ponds 
  were 
  provided 
  

   with 
  them, 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  piles 
  of 
  gravel. 
  The 
  nests 
  used 
  were 
  of 
  two 
  

   forms, 
  one 
  being 
  simply 
  a 
  cement 
  plate 
  20 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter, 
  covered 
  

   with 
  coarse 
  gravel; 
  the 
  other, 
  the 
  Seagle 
  nest, 
  described 
  in 
  the 
  Eeport 
  

   for 
  1896, 
  page 
  48. 
  The 
  fish 
  commenced 
  spawning 
  on 
  April 
  18, 
  and 
  it 
  

   was 
  noticed 
  that 
  they 
  deposited 
  their 
  eggs 
  on 
  the 
  artificial 
  nests 
  quite 
  

   as 
  readily 
  as 
  on 
  the 
  natural 
  nests 
  of 
  gravel. 
  

  

  The 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  at 
  the 
  opening 
  of 
  the 
  spawning 
  season 
  

   was 
  45°. 
  Fungus 
  developed 
  after 
  a 
  few 
  days 
  on 
  the 
  first 
  eggs 
  deposited 
  

   in 
  partitions 
  1 
  and 
  2 
  of 
  the 
  north 
  pond 
  and 
  Pond 
  No. 
  6, 
  but 
  the 
  others 
  

   did 
  well, 
  and 
  on 
  April 
  26 
  young 
  fish 
  were 
  seen 
  in 
  both 
  the 
  north 
  and 
  

   south 
  i^onds. 
  

  

  Owing 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  ponds 
  were 
  not 
  dried 
  during 
  the 
  winter, 
  

   there 
  was 
  an 
  immense 
  growth 
  of 
  algae, 
  which 
  not 
  only 
  interfered 
  mate- 
  

   rially 
  with 
  the 
  removal 
  of 
  the 
  fry, 
  but 
  prevented 
  close 
  observation 
  of 
  

   their 
  movements. 
  As 
  an 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  ponds 
  showed 
  them 
  to 
  

   be 
  abundantly 
  stocked 
  with 
  microscopic 
  food, 
  artificial 
  feeding 
  was 
  not 
  

   commenced 
  until 
  the 
  bass 
  were 
  about 
  two 
  weeks 
  old. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  May 
  there 
  was 
  every 
  reason 
  to 
  expect 
  a 
  large 
  

   crop 
  of 
  both 
  species, 
  but 
  late 
  in 
  June 
  a 
  small 
  bug 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  

   family 
  of 
  NoUmectidoB 
  made 
  its 
  appearance 
  and 
  destroyed 
  large 
  numbers 
  

   of 
  the 
  young 
  fish. 
  

  

  An 
  insect 
  which 
  belongs 
  to 
  the 
  Dyfiscidw 
  family 
  appeared 
  later 
  and 
  

   caused 
  even 
  greater 
  damage. 
  It 
  attacked 
  the 
  young 
  bass 
  in 
  large 
  

   numbers, 
  killing 
  and 
  eating 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  minutes 
  a 
  fish 
  li 
  inches 
  long, 
  

   nothing 
  remaining 
  but 
  the 
  skeleton. 
  Though 
  little 
  is 
  known 
  of 
  the 
  

   natural 
  history 
  of 
  this 
  insect, 
  it 
  has 
  heretofore 
  been 
  thought 
  that 
  its 
  

   food 
  consisted 
  solely 
  of 
  dead 
  flesh. 
  The 
  pests 
  fly 
  over 
  into 
  the 
  ponds 
  

   at 
  night 
  from 
  the 
  river, 
  and 
  the 
  only 
  way 
  to 
  prevent 
  their 
  ravages 
  is 
  

   to 
  cover 
  the 
  ponds 
  with 
  very 
  fine 
  meshed 
  netting. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  owing 
  to 
  heavy 
  losses 
  caused 
  by 
  the 
  insects 
  

   referred 
  to, 
  very 
  few 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  fish 
  remained 
  in 
  the 
  small 
  ponds. 
  

  

  Crappie. 
  — 
  As 
  the 
  demand 
  for 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  constantly 
  increasing, 
  a 
  

   supply 
  of 
  adults 
  was 
  brought 
  to 
  the 
  station 
  from 
  Quincy 
  in 
  the 
  fall, 
  and 
  

   early 
  in 
  April 
  23 
  of 
  them 
  were 
  placed 
  in 
  Pond 
  No. 
  5 
  and 
  the 
  remainder 
  

  

  