52 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



The fiscal year opened with the car and messenger service engaged 

 in transporting fishes and other aquarium materials to the exhibit of 

 the Commission at the World's Fair. In connection with the distribu- 

 tion of food-fishes of the Mississippi Valley, this work continued until 

 November. 



Fresh- water collections were brought from Wisconsin, Michigan, 

 Lake Erie, Illinois, and Iowa, and marine species from Massachusetts, 

 Florida, and the State of Washington. When the aquarium at the 

 Exposition was dismantled the fishes were taken chiefly to Northville, 

 Mich., Spirit Lake, Iowa, Champaign, 111., and Washington, D. C. 



The distribution of food-fishes from Quincy, 111., began in August 

 and was finished in December. Trout and salmon were taken from 

 Green Lake in September and October; from Wytbeville, November 

 to March; Leadville, November and December; Neosho, December to 

 March; Northville, January to March; and the fingerlings in June. 

 The black bass reared in the Washington ponds were distributed in 

 December and a few carp in January. Whitefish eggs were carried 

 from Alpena to Duluth in February. Whitefish fry hatched at Central 

 Station were taken to Lake Ontario in March, and fry of the same fish 

 were distributed from Alpena in April and May. Pike-perch ship- 

 ments were made in May, and shad were planted in May and June. 



In accomplishing the above work car No. 1 was engaged 178 days; 

 No. 2, 200 days; Nos. 3 and 4, each, 185 days. They made 129 trips, 

 aggregating 105,529 miles, and carried 71,440,513 fish and eggs. In 

 addition to the car travel, 40 detached messengers, during the distribu- 

 tion of the year, covered 60,228 miles. 



A far greater bulk of distribution is carried on also from the various 

 stations of the Commission to neighboring waters, especially cod aud 

 lobsters from Gloucester and Woods Hole, Mass. Eggs are forwarded 

 by express to distant stations and to State commissions and foreign 

 countries. Carp, goldfish, etc., are shipped from various centers to 

 points more or less remote. The total distribution, amounting to more 

 than 450,000,000, is set forth elsewhere in this report. 



CHANGES IN CARS. 



An improvement in the water circulation on some of the cars was 

 effected by substituting galvauized-iron pipes for the common pipes 

 previously used. Steam-pipes were placed under the cars to circulate 

 steam from the locomotive. Air-pumps were introduced and connected 

 with the transportation tanks with good results; but the attempt to 

 take in air through water from a small supply tank was unsatisfactory. 

 An ice coil was laid on the bottom of the ice box in car No. 3, to reduce 

 the temperature of the water by pumping cold air into it, but without 

 success. Aerating syringes were furnished to the cars and messengers 

 for use instead of dippers in carrying trout and other large fish, but 

 they were found troublesome to keep safely in car work. 



