REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FiSHERlFS. 



XXV 



God. — The station being dependent for a supply of breeding fish by 

 I purchase from lishermen, in September an agreement was made with 

 Messrs. Spindle & Co., of Woods Holl, large fish-dealers, to deliver at 

 the station between October 25 and December 25, 3,000 live codfish of 

 a minimum weight of 5 pounds each. Owing to a succession of severe 

 storms the smack fishermen, from whom the supply in (piestiou had 

 been expected, were unable to get on the fishing-grounds till the first 

 part of November, and the time limit of the contract was therefore 

 extended till the end of February. The smack fishermen, however, 

 could not be induced to go offshore to the deep water at that season 

 of the year, and the contractors were, therefore, unable to furnish the 

 number of fish that h;vd been anticiT)ated. But 1,620 fish were fur- 

 nished, of which 1,341, caught otf Nantucket Island, and called by the 

 fishermen " inshore" cod, were delivered between November 6 and 

 December 7, and 279, caught off Block Island, were brought to the 

 station November 23, The fish from each of these grounds were kept 

 separate for the puri)ose of comparing their relative fecundity, the 

 result being in favor of the Block Island fish, the former averaging 

 93,800 eggs to each fish, and the latter 118,200. Of the Nantucket 

 fish there were but 281 gravid, while of the Block Island fish there 

 were 163. The fish, as received from the fishermen, were placed in 

 floating fish-boxes and occasionally fed. From December 1, the date 

 the first eggs were taken, the fish were at inter^ls overhauled for 

 spawn till February 8, during which time 444 fish were stripped, yielding 

 45,627,200 eggs, producing 25,671,500 fry. 



The following table presents the details of hatching: 



Number of 

 eggs taken. 



1, 602, 500 

 1,576,500 

 3, 050, 400 

 2, 503, 800 

 2, 828, 600 

 3,779,100 

 1, 830, 600 ( 

 2, 086, 600< 

 2, 689, 400 



2, 635, 700 

 2,249 000 



3, 779. 100 

 3, 315, 500 



1, 312, 500 



2, 967, 700 

 2, 109, 500 



417,300 

 510, 100 

 463, 700 

 602, 800 

 626, 000 

 811, 500 

 695, 500 

 533, 300 

 440, 500 

 120, 000 



45, 627, 200 



Number of 

 fry hatcbed. 



603, 300 



682, 300 



1, 309. 300 



1, 520, 100 

 1,777,100 



2, 582, 300 



1,958,600 



1, 374, 400 

 1, 220, 100 



1, 091, 700 



2, 358, 800 

 2.812,500 



881, 300 



2, 267, 700 

 1, 055. 000 

 2U8, 700 

 255, 000 

 194, 800 

 230, 000 

 312, 000 

 405, 200 

 340, 000 

 225, 300 

 (*) 

 (*) 



25,671,500 



Ai>paratu.s. 



Chester jars 



do' 



do 



..-..-.do 



do 



do 



^McDonald boxes. 



I do 



do 



do 



do 



Chester jars 



do 



do 



McDonald boxes. 



do 



do 



do 



Chester jars 



do 



.do 

 -do 

 -do 

 .do 

 .do 

 .do 



Period of incubation. 



Com- 

 menced. 



1891. 

 :)e<'. 1 

 Dec. 4 

 Deo. 7 

 Dec. 10 

 Dec. 12 

 Dec. 14 

 Dec. 16 

 Dec. 16 

 Dec. 18 

 Dec. 21 

 Dec. 23 

 Dec. 26 

 Dec. 28 

 Dec. 31 



1892. 

 Jan. 1 

 Jan. 4 

 Jan. 6 

 Jan. 8 

 Jan. 11 

 Jan. 15 

 Jan. 18 

 Jan. 22 

 Jan. 25 

 Jan. 29 

 Fob. 2 

 Feb. 8 



Ended. 



1891. 



Dec. 17 



Dec. 21 



Dec. 23 



Dec. 28 



Dec. 30 



Dec. 31 



Jan. 4 



Jan. 4 



Jan. 5 



Jan. 8 



Jan. 13 



Jan. 16 



Jan. 20 



Jan. 22 



1892. 



Jan. 25 



Jan. 28 



Feb. 1 



Feb. 2 



Feb. 8 



Feb. 12 



Feb. 18 



i'eb. 27 



Mar. 1 



Mar. 7 



No. of 

 hours. 



408 

 408 

 384 

 432 

 432 

 408 

 456 

 432 

 432 

 432 

 480 

 504 

 552 

 574 



600 

 576 

 600 

 600 

 672 

 672 

 744 

 710 

 864 

 840 



Average 

 tempera- 

 ture of 

 water. 



o Ji. 



44 



42 



42 



41 



41 



41 



41 



41 



39i 



39* 



39i 



391 



39 



38J 



38 



37 



36 



36 



35i 



35* 



34 



31i 

 3U 

 32 

 32 



* Placed in open waters March 7, before completion of hatching. 



