XXXIV REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



tion with the States of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Con- 

 necticut (two or more of them), has carried on operations under the 

 superintendence of Mr. Charles G. Atkins and with varying success, for 

 which reference may be made to the detailed report of Mr. Atkins. 

 There have been some difficulties from time to time in getting a proper 

 head of water for developing the eggs to a suitable stage for shipping, 

 and numerous obstacles have been found in the securing of the fish. 

 These, however, have now all been palliated or overcome. 



The taking of eggs in 1878 was begun on the 7th of November, and 

 closed on the 4th of December, at which time the return of the parent 

 fish to the lake ended. The total number of eggs for the season amounted 

 to 1,723,000. One great advantage connected with the taking of eggs 

 from salmon as well as trout is that the parents are not injured, but by 

 careful handling may be returned to the water in good condition, so that 

 another year they may yield an additional supply. Great care is exer- 

 cised in this respect, so that neither at Bucksport or Grand Lake Stream 

 are many fish absolutely lost. 



While, by actual experiment, about 90.1 per-cent. of all the eggs taken 

 were impregnated and embryonized by the artificial process, scarcely 

 more than 10 per cent, would have been by natural propagation. If 

 we consider the immense number of even impregnated eggs consumed 

 by the white perch and other vermin of the lake, and compare the re- 

 mainder with the absolute in-opagation artificially,'the vast dispropor- 

 tion of results can be readily appreciated. 



Mr. Atkins, in referring to the impregnation of the Schoodic salmon 

 states that at Bucksport the successful impregnation of 96 to 98 per 

 cent, of the sea salmon was accomi^Ushed. This difference from the ex- 

 perience with the former he considers to be due to possible circumstances 

 affecting the fish in their somewhat artificial detention in fresh water, 

 from which the sea-run individuals escape. 



Owing to various circumstances beyond the control of Mr. Atkins, 

 such as an abrupt change to colder weather, a certain portion of the eggs 

 collected were destroyed. But, of the 1,723,000, there were 1,470,000 

 embryonized, or carried to that point where the eyes of the young fish 

 could be seen through the envelope. Of these, 370,000 were retained for 

 Grand Lake Stream, and of the remainder 1,110,000 were shipped by the 

 United States Fish Commission, and distributed among a number of States. 

 The rest went to Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. Of 

 the 370,000 retained for Grand Lake Stream, 350,000 healthy young fish 

 were hatched out and turned into the water. 



The details of the distribution of these fish will be found in the tables 

 of Mr. Atkins's report, to which I refer for much interesting information. 



Sehago Station. — An earnest appeal by Mr. E. M. Stilwell, fish com- 

 missioner of Maine, determined the United States Fish Commission to 

 make an experiment in regard to securing a supply of eggs of the Sebago 

 Pond variety of landlocked salmon, in view of its much greater size than 



