28 



REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Lobster. — The lobster-hatching season covered the months of April, 

 May, and June. From 4,026 egg lobsters 97,635,000 eggs were obtained, 

 but 14,500,000 of these were iu bad condition when placed in the hatch- 

 ing apparatus, and were turned out in the harbor on the fourth day. 

 Hatching began June 18 with a water temperature of 64£° F. From 

 the 83,135,000 good eggs, 69,066,000 fry were produced and liberated in 

 Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay from twelve to twenty-four hours 

 after hatching. The experiment of keeping lobster eggs in process of 

 hatching during the winter was again tried, with the following results: 



Wben stripped. 



December, 1893 

 January, 1894 . 

 February, 1894 



Number 



of days 



hatching. 



146 

 129 

 106 



The above shows that lobster eggs can be handled successfully 

 during the winter, if the water temperature does not fall below 29° F. 



A section of the basement under the hatchery was made into a res- 

 ervoir by cementing, etc. In this reservoir 7 fish cars were erected with 

 a capacity for storing 1,000 brood fish. 



There were collected during the summer a large number of sea 

 plants, shellfish, etc., for the World's Fair at Chicago. 



The temperature of the water at the station during the hatching 

 season was as follows : 



Month. 



December, 1893 

 January, 1894 . 

 February, 1894 

 March, 1894 . . . 



Month. 



April, 1894 

 May, 1894 . 

 June, 1894. 



Max. Min. 



O J"_ 



o -p. 

 39 

 48 

 58 



Delaware River Shad-Propagating Station (Lieut. Robert Platt, U. S. N., 



in charge). 



On May 8 the steamer Fish HawTc arrived off Gloucester City, N. J., 

 to commence the season's work. The first eggs were obtained May 9 

 and the last June 7, during which time 9,651,000 eggs were taken from 

 395 fish. The number of fry produced was 5,768,000, and the number 

 of eggs transferred 1,500,000. All were deposited in the Delaware 

 Biver. The details of deposit are as follows : 



Date. 



Number of 

 fry or eggs. 



Locality. 



May 16, 1894 

 18,1894 

 19, 1894 

 19, 1894 

 22, 1894 



28, 1894 



June 5, 1894 



8, 1894 



a Eggs. 



1, 699, 000 



800, 000 



500, 000 



142, 000 



1, 100, 000 



a 277, 000 



709, 000 



400, 000 



al, 223, 000 



418, 000 



Delaware Watergap, Pa. 



Do. 

 Port Jervis, N. Y. 

 Gloucester, N. J. 

 Lambertville, N. J. 



^Delaware Watergap, Pa. 



Callicoon, N. T. 



^Delaware Watergap, Pa. 



