﻿188 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  THE 
  SMELT. 
  

  

  This 
  fish 
  ( 
  Osmerus 
  mordax) 
  is 
  propagated 
  by 
  the 
  New 
  York 
  Fish 
  Com- 
  

   mission 
  at 
  its 
  station 
  at 
  Cold 
  Spring 
  Harbor, 
  Long 
  Island. 
  As 
  a 
  food- 
  

   fish, 
  it 
  is 
  held 
  in 
  high 
  esteem, 
  the 
  flesh 
  being 
  delicate 
  and 
  of 
  excellent 
  

   flavor. 
  Its 
  range 
  is 
  from 
  Maine 
  to 
  Virginia, 
  on 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  coast. 
  

   It 
  is 
  of 
  economic 
  importance 
  in 
  all 
  the 
  States 
  between 
  New 
  York 
  and 
  

   Maine, 
  bnt 
  is 
  taken 
  for 
  market 
  in 
  largest 
  quantities 
  in 
  Maine. 
  The 
  

   average 
  length 
  of 
  those 
  sold 
  is 
  6 
  to 
  9 
  inches, 
  and 
  their 
  weight 
  from 
  2 
  to 
  

   4 
  ounces. 
  The 
  fish 
  enters 
  the 
  fresh-water 
  rivers 
  in 
  fall 
  and 
  winter 
  for 
  

   the 
  purpose 
  of 
  spawning 
  and 
  feeding 
  and 
  is 
  then 
  caught 
  with 
  lines 
  and 
  

   nets. 
  The 
  annual 
  catch 
  is 
  about 
  1,700,000 
  pounds, 
  valued 
  at 
  $125,000. 
  

  

  The 
  smelt 
  spawns 
  in 
  spring, 
  in 
  either 
  fresh 
  or 
  brackish 
  water 
  of 
  

   rivers 
  or 
  brooks. 
  The 
  eggs, 
  which 
  are 
  adhesive, 
  are 
  attached 
  to 
  stones, 
  

   weeds, 
  sticks, 
  or 
  other 
  objects. 
  

  

  The 
  results 
  of 
  smelt 
  propagation 
  on 
  Long 
  Island 
  have 
  been 
  quite 
  

   marked; 
  not 
  only 
  has 
  there 
  been 
  a 
  large 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  catch, 
  but 
  the 
  

   fish 
  have 
  appeared 
  in 
  streams 
  where 
  they 
  were 
  previously 
  unknown. 
  

   The 
  return 
  of 
  mature 
  fish 
  apparently 
  artificially 
  hatched 
  has 
  permitted 
  

   the 
  taking 
  of 
  many 
  more 
  eggs 
  than 
  was 
  at 
  first 
  possible. 
  In 
  a 
  stream 
  

   previously 
  destitute 
  of 
  smelts, 
  in 
  which 
  fry 
  were 
  planted 
  in 
  1885, 
  nearly 
  

   32,000,000 
  eggs 
  were 
  collected 
  in 
  1894. 
  

  

  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  0.05 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter 
  and 
  number 
  496,000 
  to 
  the 
  fluid 
  

   quart. 
  Smelt 
  weighing 
  only 
  2 
  ounces 
  yield 
  from 
  46,000 
  to 
  50,000 
  eggs. 
  

   Some 
  fish 
  only 
  3 
  or 
  4 
  inches 
  long 
  are 
  full 
  of 
  spawn. 
  

  

  The 
  fish-cultural 
  work 
  with 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  with 
  the 
  

   yellow 
  perch 
  and 
  flatfish. 
  The 
  spawning 
  fish, 
  of 
  both 
  sexes, 
  are 
  placed 
  

   in 
  troughs, 
  which 
  are 
  covered 
  to 
  exclude 
  light. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  naturally 
  

   laid 
  and 
  fertilized, 
  and 
  become 
  attached 
  to 
  each 
  other 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  

   troughs. 
  They 
  are 
  scooped 
  up 
  with 
  a 
  flat 
  shovel, 
  placed 
  on 
  wire 
  trays 
  

   in 
  water, 
  and 
  are 
  forced 
  through 
  the 
  meshes 
  of 
  the 
  trays 
  to 
  separate 
  

   them, 
  the 
  operation 
  being 
  repeated 
  if 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  sufficiently 
  separated 
  

   at 
  first. 
  They 
  are 
  then 
  transferred 
  to 
  automatic 
  shad 
  jars, 
  blanketed 
  

   to 
  exclude 
  light, 
  wliicli 
  is 
  very 
  injurious 
  to 
  them. 
  If 
  during 
  hatching 
  

   the 
  eggs 
  form 
  into 
  bunches, 
  they 
  are 
  removed 
  from 
  the 
  jars 
  and 
  again 
  

   passed 
  through 
  the 
  meshes 
  of 
  the 
  wire 
  trays. 
  

  

  THE 
  GOLDEN 
  IDE. 
  

  

  This 
  fish, 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  golden 
  ide 
  or 
  orfe 
  {Idus 
  idus), 
  has 
  been 
  

   introduced 
  into 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  from 
  Europe 
  by 
  this 
  Commission. 
  

   Although 
  a 
  food-fish 
  of 
  fair 
  quality, 
  it 
  is 
  seldom 
  eaten 
  in 
  this 
  country, 
  

   but 
  is 
  chiefly 
  used 
  for 
  ornamental 
  purposes. 
  Its 
  usual 
  length 
  is 
  about 
  

   a 
  foot 
  and 
  its 
  weight 
  1 
  pound. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  showy 
  fish, 
  being 
  of 
  a 
  uni- 
  

   form 
  reddish-golden 
  or 
  silvery 
  color. 
  The 
  small, 
  weak 
  mouth 
  restricts 
  

   the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  natural 
  food 
  to 
  vegetable 
  and 
  diminutive 
  animal 
  

   substances. 
  

  

  The 
  fish 
  is 
  reared 
  in 
  ponds, 
  like 
  carp, 
  tench, 
  and 
  other 
  similar 
  species. 
  

   The 
  ponds 
  should 
  be 
  3 
  or 
  4 
  feet 
  deep, 
  with 
  either 
  spring 
  or 
  running 
  

  

  