70 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH A'ND FISHERIES. 



The auxiliary station at Red Rock Lake, Montana, for the collection 

 of graylinsf eggs, was in charge of Mr. G. H. Tolbert. The tirst eggs 

 were taken on Ajn-il 21 and the last on May 31. Ripe fish of both 

 sexes were very plentiful, and the number of eggs collected could have 

 been greatly augmented had the station been equipped with more 

 hatching-jars, in which the eggs are eyed. The collection amounted 

 to 4,463,000 eggs, which were eyed in 21 jars. In addition to the 

 eggs shipped to Bozeman Station there were shipped to other stations 

 and applicants 1,455,000. More than 2,000,000 were hatched and the 

 fr}^ planted in streams contiguous to the su])station. The temperature 

 of the water in the hatchery varied from 49" to 53° during the season. 



Mr. Toll)ert reports that the streams are swarming with yearling 

 grayling from the plant of last season, which indicates that grayling 

 fry thrive well when planted early. 



The number of eggs collected at Bozeman Station and received from 

 the auxiliary stations during the year numbered 1,429,000, as follows: 

 Black-spotted trout, 615,000; steelhead trout, 83,000; rainbow trout, 

 2,000; brook trout, 129,000; grayling, 600,000. 



The number of eggs received from other stations during the year 

 was 282,700, as follows: Brook trout, 197,000; rainbow trout, 47,000; 

 lake trout, 38,700. 



During the year 2,946,000 fry and fingerlings were distributed in 

 Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, as follows: Black-spotted 

 trout, 262,000; brook trout, 24,000; steelhead trout, 10,000; grayling, 

 2,650,000. 



The water in the hatchery at the Bozeman Station is uniformly 45° 

 during the winter and 44° during the summer months, when the snow 

 is melting in the mountains. During the past fall the wall of the 

 warm spring was raised and extended, giving a fall of 18 inches to the 

 creek-water ditch. As the water of this spring is 77° during the entire 

 year, it keeps the water in the ditch from freezing in the winter, thus 

 insuring a constant supply of creek water the year round. After the 

 fry are hatched in the spring water it is shut oil' and the creek water 

 is utilized for the fry. As it never rises above 65° in summer, con- 

 tains a great deal of natural food, is more highly aerated, and is clear 

 and pure after the spring rise, or from the middle of June, it is 

 preferable to the spring water for the fry. 



The different species of trout sent out from the station have done 

 exceedingly well wherever planted. The steelhead trout and brook 

 trout have shown a growth quite remarkable, in some instances weigh- 

 ing 3 pounds at little more than 2 j^ears of age where the supply of 

 natural food was abundant. There was sent to the station a black- 

 spotted trout 2i years old that weighed 3 pounds dressed. It had 

 been placed, with others of the same hatching, in a carp pond near 

 Toston, Mont., which may go to show the value of young carp as 

 trout food. 



