﻿C 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  The 
  consideratioii 
  of 
  the 
  food 
  of 
  very 
  young 
  fishes 
  received 
  special 
  

   attention 
  because 
  of 
  its 
  bearing- 
  on 
  fish-cultural 
  work. 
  It 
  is 
  important 
  

   to 
  determine 
  whether 
  the 
  places 
  in 
  which 
  whitefish 
  and 
  other 
  fry 
  are 
  

   planted 
  are 
  provided 
  with 
  suitable 
  food-organisms; 
  and 
  if 
  not, 
  the 
  

   inquiries 
  were 
  intended 
  to 
  show 
  the 
  most 
  favorable 
  localities 
  for 
  the 
  

   liberation 
  of 
  young 
  fish. 
  By 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  fiscal 
  year 
  the 
  work 
  was 
  

   progressing 
  satisfactorily 
  and 
  gave 
  evidence 
  of 
  important 
  practical 
  

   results. 
  

  

  STUDIES 
  OF 
  YOUNG 
  FISH. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  year 
  some 
  important 
  studies 
  of 
  the 
  movements, 
  habits, 
  

   food, 
  growth, 
  etc., 
  of 
  young 
  shad 
  and 
  Pacific 
  salmon 
  were 
  begun, 
  and 
  

   resulted 
  in 
  a 
  considerable 
  addition 
  to 
  existing 
  knowledge. 
  These 
  

   will 
  be 
  extended 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  embrace 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  fishes 
  cultivated 
  by 
  the 
  

   Commission. 
  

  

  In 
  association 
  with 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  propagating 
  shad 
  on 
  the 
  steamer 
  Fish 
  

   HawJc 
  in 
  St. 
  Johns 
  Kiver, 
  Florida, 
  in 
  January 
  and 
  February, 
  1897, 
  Dr. 
  

   W. 
  0. 
  Kendall 
  was 
  detailed 
  to 
  conduct 
  systematic 
  observations 
  relative 
  

   to 
  young 
  shad 
  in 
  that 
  stream. 
  Later 
  he 
  accompanied 
  the 
  vessel 
  to 
  

   Albemarle 
  Sound, 
  North 
  Carolina, 
  and 
  continued 
  his 
  inquiries 
  in 
  that 
  

   region. 
  On 
  tlie 
  completion 
  of 
  the 
  shad-hatching 
  there 
  in 
  March, 
  the 
  

   investigations 
  were 
  transferred 
  to 
  Potomac 
  Eiver, 
  where 
  arrangements 
  

   were 
  made 
  for 
  an 
  active 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  fish 
  during 
  the 
  following 
  

   months, 
  at 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  points 
  on 
  fresh, 
  brackish, 
  and 
  salt 
  water. 
  

  

  In 
  February, 
  1897, 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  B. 
  Alexander, 
  fishery 
  expert 
  of 
  the 
  Alba- 
  

   tross, 
  was 
  detailed 
  to 
  make 
  studies 
  of 
  the 
  movements 
  and 
  habits 
  of 
  

   young 
  quinnat 
  salmon. 
  The 
  Commission 
  had 
  under 
  consideration 
  the 
  

   advisability 
  of 
  liberating 
  artificially 
  hatched 
  salmon 
  fry 
  at 
  points 
  near 
  

   salt 
  water, 
  instead 
  of 
  in 
  the 
  upper 
  courses 
  of 
  the 
  streams 
  where 
  they 
  

   are 
  naturally 
  hatched, 
  in 
  order 
  that 
  they 
  may 
  have 
  a 
  better 
  chance 
  of 
  

   escaping 
  from 
  their 
  numerous 
  enemies 
  in 
  the 
  rivers 
  and 
  reaching 
  the 
  

   ocean. 
  Tlje 
  tributaries 
  of 
  Tomales 
  Bay, 
  California, 
  were 
  selected 
  for 
  

   the 
  experiments 
  and 
  observations. 
  About 
  700,000 
  recently 
  hatched 
  

   fish 
  were 
  transferred 
  to 
  Olema, 
  on 
  a 
  tributary 
  of 
  the 
  bay, 
  and 
  were 
  

   subsequently 
  distributed 
  in 
  suitable 
  lots 
  to 
  Bear 
  Valley 
  Creek, 
  Paper 
  

   Mill 
  Creek, 
  Dutch 
  Bill 
  Creek, 
  and 
  Olema 
  Creek. 
  Mr. 
  Alexander 
  began 
  

   his 
  observations 
  on 
  February 
  25 
  and 
  continued 
  till 
  April 
  1, 
  when 
  he 
  was 
  

   relieved 
  by 
  Mr. 
  N. 
  B. 
  Scofield, 
  of 
  Leland 
  Stanford 
  Junior 
  University, 
  

   Avho 
  was 
  employed 
  until 
  May 
  20. 
  The 
  inquiries 
  consisted 
  in 
  noting 
  

   the 
  behavior 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  fish 
  after 
  planting; 
  their 
  movements 
  to 
  and 
  

   from 
  the 
  salt 
  water; 
  their 
  growth, 
  food, 
  and 
  enemies; 
  the 
  influence 
  

   of 
  temperature 
  and 
  rains 
  on 
  their 
  movements; 
  and 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  their 
  

   sojourn 
  in 
  the 
  creeks. 
  

  

  The 
  Tomales 
  Bay 
  region 
  is 
  made 
  up 
  of 
  low 
  lines 
  of 
  hills 
  running 
  

   north 
  and 
  south, 
  barren 
  on 
  their 
  western 
  slopes, 
  but 
  heavily 
  wooded 
  

   on 
  their 
  eastern 
  side. 
  The 
  bay 
  itself, 
  which 
  is 
  quite 
  shallow, 
  2 
  or 
  3 
  

   miles 
  wide 
  and 
  30 
  miles 
  long, 
  occupies 
  the 
  space 
  between 
  two 
  ridges. 
  

  

  