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  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OP 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  has 
  been 
  experienced 
  and 
  time 
  consumed 
  in 
  deciding 
  on 
  permanent 
  loca- 
  

   tions 
  for 
  hatclieries. 
  

  

  The 
  spawning 
  period 
  varies 
  widely 
  in 
  different 
  seasons 
  ; 
  in 
  some 
  years 
  

   shad 
  are 
  numerous 
  and 
  in 
  spawning 
  condition 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  weeks 
  after 
  

   the 
  time 
  when 
  they 
  have 
  ordinarily 
  disappeared. 
  They 
  deposit 
  eggs 
  at 
  

   some 
  j)oint 
  along 
  the 
  coast 
  for 
  six 
  continuous 
  months. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  streams 
  have 
  been 
  occupied 
  by 
  hatcheries, 
  as 
  some 
  of 
  

   them 
  are 
  now, 
  and 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  observed 
  that 
  the 
  approximate 
  spawning 
  

   periods, 
  beginning 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  South, 
  become 
  gradually 
  later 
  toward 
  

   the 
  North. 
  

  

  The 
  United 
  States 
  Fish 
  Commission 
  operates 
  stations 
  at 
  Bryan 
  

   Point, 
  12 
  miles 
  below 
  Washington 
  on 
  the 
  Potomac, 
  and 
  at 
  Battery 
  

   Island 
  at 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Susquehanna, 
  while 
  the 
  steamer 
  Fish 
  Hawk, 
  

   fitted 
  up 
  as 
  a 
  floating 
  hatchery, 
  is 
  engaged 
  during 
  the 
  shad 
  season 
  on 
  

   the 
  Delaware 
  River. 
  These 
  two 
  stations 
  and 
  the 
  vessel 
  can 
  receive 
  

   respectively 
  16,000,000, 
  40,000,000, 
  and 
  12,000,000 
  eggs. 
  On 
  more 
  than 
  

   one 
  occasion 
  each 
  has 
  been 
  taxed 
  to 
  its 
  utmost 
  capacity, 
  bnt 
  as 
  the 
  

   average 
  hatching 
  period 
  is 
  8 
  days, 
  and 
  three 
  of 
  the 
  special 
  cars 
  of 
  the 
  

   Commission 
  are 
  hatcheries 
  in 
  themselves 
  and 
  capable 
  of 
  taking 
  2,000,000 
  

   to 
  4,000,000 
  eggs 
  aboard 
  at 
  a 
  time, 
  the 
  hatcheries 
  can 
  be 
  quickly 
  relieved 
  

   in 
  case 
  of 
  emergency. 
  

  

  In 
  1896 
  the 
  total 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  shad 
  eggs 
  collected 
  was 
  149,822,000, 
  

   yielding 
  93,481,500 
  fry. 
  In 
  1897, 
  owing 
  to 
  expansion 
  of 
  operations 
  at 
  

   old 
  stations 
  and 
  prosecution 
  of 
  work 
  in 
  new 
  waters, 
  205,000,000 
  eggs. 
  

   were 
  taken, 
  from 
  which 
  134,545,000 
  fry 
  were 
  hatched. 
  The 
  aggregate 
  

   number 
  of 
  shad 
  fry 
  planted 
  by 
  the 
  Commission 
  to 
  and 
  including 
  the 
  year- 
  

   1897 
  was 
  over 
  1,375,000,000. 
  

  

  The 
  methods 
  herein 
  described 
  are 
  those 
  in 
  use 
  on 
  the 
  Potomac, 
  where 
  

   the 
  eggs 
  collected 
  at 
  Bryan 
  Point 
  are 
  shipped 
  to 
  Washington 
  and 
  there 
  

   hatched 
  in 
  Central 
  Station. 
  

  

  Potomac 
  Elver. 
  — 
  The 
  Potomac 
  Eiver, 
  immediately 
  adjacent 
  to 
  Fort 
  

   Washington 
  (12 
  miles 
  below 
  Washington, 
  D. 
  C.),is 
  probably 
  more 
  pro. 
  

   ductive 
  of 
  ripe 
  shad 
  than 
  any 
  other 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  size. 
  This 
  wa& 
  

   discovered 
  as 
  early 
  as 
  1880, 
  and 
  a 
  station 
  was 
  soon 
  developed 
  there 
  with 
  

   steam 
  pumps, 
  tank, 
  and 
  hatching 
  vessels. 
  The 
  seine 
  operated 
  at 
  this 
  point 
  

   between 
  1887 
  and 
  1891 
  furnished 
  23 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  all 
  eggs 
  from 
  the 
  river. 
  

  

  