﻿LXII 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  this 
  purpose, 
  and 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  vegetable 
  feeders 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  placed 
  in 
  

   the 
  nursery 
  ponds 
  to 
  spawn, 
  thus 
  obviating 
  tlie 
  necessity 
  of 
  transferring 
  

   the 
  young. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  this 
  they 
  give 
  uj) 
  their 
  eggs 
  freely 
  and 
  can 
  

   be 
  hatched 
  artificially 
  if 
  necessary. 
  

  

  The 
  heaviest 
  losses 
  from 
  cannibalism 
  occur 
  during 
  the 
  first 
  four 
  

   weeks 
  of 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  bass. 
  This 
  is 
  probably 
  due 
  to 
  an 
  insufii- 
  

   cient 
  amount 
  of 
  natural 
  food, 
  such 
  as 
  minute 
  crustaceans 
  and 
  insects, 
  

   as 
  it 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  provide 
  them 
  in 
  adequate 
  quantities 
  where 
  large 
  

   numbers 
  of 
  fry 
  are 
  confined 
  in 
  a 
  limited 
  area, 
  though 
  the}^ 
  thrive 
  in 
  

   abundance 
  under 
  natural 
  conditions. 
  As 
  soon 
  as 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  2 
  or 
  3 
  

   inches 
  has 
  been 
  attained 
  this 
  difficulty 
  is 
  partially 
  overcome, 
  as 
  they 
  

   can 
  be 
  readily 
  fed 
  on 
  the 
  fry 
  of 
  other 
  fishes 
  or 
  on 
  chopped 
  food. 
  To 
  

   show 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  loss 
  bj^ 
  cannibalism 
  the 
  following 
  illustration 
  is 
  

   given 
  : 
  5,000 
  bass 
  less 
  than 
  an 
  inch 
  long 
  were 
  placed 
  in 
  a 
  pond 
  16^ 
  feet 
  

   by 
  50 
  feet 
  and 
  given 
  careful 
  attention. 
  In 
  20 
  days 
  90 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  them 
  

   had 
  disappeared. 
  This 
  loss 
  must 
  be 
  ascribed 
  solely 
  to 
  cannibalism, 
  

   as, 
  the 
  water 
  being 
  perfectly 
  clear, 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  by 
  such 
  

   insects 
  as 
  the 
  boat-fly 
  could 
  not 
  have 
  escaped 
  observation. 
  

  

  The 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  yonng 
  bass 
  was 
  very 
  rapid, 
  all 
  of 
  them 
  averaging 
  

   3 
  inches 
  and 
  a 
  number 
  5 
  inches 
  in 
  length 
  by 
  May 
  1 
  ; 
  100 
  of 
  them, 
  

   retained 
  until 
  the 
  following 
  October, 
  measured 
  over 
  8 
  inches. 
  Their 
  

   rapid 
  growth 
  and 
  the 
  difficulty 
  of 
  securing 
  a 
  sufficient 
  supply 
  of 
  food 
  

   rendered 
  it 
  necessary 
  to 
  commence 
  distribution 
  in 
  May, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  end 
  

   of 
  June 
  11,700 
  had 
  been 
  furnished 
  to 
  applicants 
  in 
  Texas. 
  

  

  The 
  rock 
  bass 
  and 
  crappie 
  have 
  shown 
  no 
  signs 
  of 
  spawning 
  up 
  to 
  

   the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  doubtful 
  whether 
  any 
  results 
  will 
  be 
  

   realized 
  from 
  them 
  this 
  season. 
  It 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  trans- 
  

   ferred 
  too 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  year 
  for 
  spawning. 
  

  

  On 
  June 
  30 
  the 
  following 
  fish 
  remained 
  on 
  hand: 
  

  

  Species. 
  

  

  Black 
  bass 
  

  

  Crappie 
  

  

  Rock 
  bass 
  

  

  Carp 
  (scale 
  and 
  mirror) 
  

   Mud 
  shad 
  

  

  Total 
  

  

  Adults. 
  

  

  101 
  

   99 
  

  

  200 
  

   24 
  

  

  Year- 
  

   lings. 
  

  

  180 
  

   105 
  

  

  400 
  

  

  fi85 
  

  

  12,000 
  

  

  12, 
  000 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  excavation 
  of 
  the 
  ponds 
  many 
  human 
  and 
  animal 
  bones 
  

   were 
  unearthed. 
  These 
  were 
  found 
  in 
  heaps 
  in 
  many 
  instances, 
  and 
  

   when 
  exposed 
  to 
  the 
  air 
  they 
  crumbled 
  to 
  pieces. 
  Many 
  implements 
  

   of 
  stone 
  were 
  found, 
  but 
  none 
  of 
  metal. 
  The 
  bulk 
  of 
  this 
  material 
  has 
  

   been 
  forwarded 
  to 
  the 
  U. 
  S. 
  National 
  Mnseum, 
  Washington, 
  D. 
  C. 
  

  

  The 
  artesian 
  well 
  maintained 
  a 
  steady 
  flow 
  of 
  over 
  1,000 
  gallons 
  per 
  

   minute 
  throughout 
  the 
  year, 
  at 
  a 
  regular 
  temperature 
  of 
  72°. 
  The 
  

   minimum 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  in 
  the 
  ponds 
  during 
  the 
  winter 
  was 
  

   61°, 
  in 
  summer 
  76°. 
  The 
  minimum 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  air, 
  in 
  January, 
  

   was 
  18° 
  5 
  the 
  maximum, 
  in 
  August, 
  was 
  101°. 
  

  

  