REPORT ON THE PROPAGATIOX AND DISTRIBUTION OF 



FOOD-FISHES. 



V>y Joiix ^\'. TiTcoNrH, Assistant in fliarge. 



PROPAGATION OF FOOD-FISHES. 



The Avoi'k of tlio division Avas under the direction of Mr. W. de C. 

 Ravenel until Fe))ruiiry 15, 1902, when he resigned to accept the 

 ])osition of administrative assistant in the National Museum. The 

 vacancy was tilled by the promotion of Air. John AV. Titcomb from 

 the superintendencj^ of the St. Johnsbury, Vt., Station. 



In addition to the usual work of tlie division, which consists of the 

 i>'en(u-al direction of tish-cultural work, including the propagation and 

 distril)ution of lish from the various stations, Mr. Ravenel was repre- 

 sentative of the Conuuission at the Pan-American Exposition and also 

 at the Charleston Exposition, and continued the duties of representa- 

 tive after assuming his new position in the National Museum. 



There has })een no change in the policy of the Commission in respect 

 to the division of tish-culture, and the work is conducted on the same 

 general lines as in the past, the results exceeding those of any previous 

 year. The total number of fish and eggs distributed was 1, -1:95, 548, 374, 

 or an increase of 321,709,912 over the output of the preceding year. 

 Of these 1,480,642,960 were for the development of the commercial 

 fisheries of the country, and 14,900,414 may be regarded as strictly 

 game fishes. The number of applications received during the 3'ear 

 was 3,814, an increase of 762 over the previous year, or 25 per cent. 

 This is in addition to the large number of fishes distri))uted and planted 

 by the Commission from the various stations, principally conunercial 

 fishes. This increase in the output of the stations is attributable to 

 several causes, largely to the increased appropriation provided for by 

 Congress and also to the fact that the general conditions for collect- 

 ing eggs at most of the stations were unusually favorable during the 

 spawning seasons. The results reflect great credit upon the esjjrit de 

 corps of the superintendents and other employees in the field. 



The following is a list, in systematic order, of the fishes propagated 

 and distributed l)y the Commission, with the scientific name and the 

 common name or names. The fishes artificially propagated arc desig- 

 nated *; those simply collected and distributed are indicated thus §; 

 the introduced species are shown >)y >J>J; and the species propagated 

 as food for other fishes are represented by an exclamation mark. 

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