720 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The first method employed was to send men to the fish-wharves daily 

 to examine the fish landed and to take the eggs from any ripe females 

 that might be found. This practice was soon given up, as the fish had 

 usually been dead some hours when they were landed, owing to the dis- 

 tance of the fishing- grounds from the harbor, and the eggs had so nearly 

 lost their vitahty that they could not be impregnated. Only an occa- 

 sional lot of fish were found whose eggs could be saved, and few good 

 ones were obtained in this way. 



A second method, by which the men went daily in the schooner to the 

 fishing- grounds to take eggs from such ripe fish as they might catch, 

 was pushed vigorously at first. In this case hand-lines were used, as 

 the bottom was too rocky for trawling, and the catch was composed 

 largely of green fish, so that few eggs were obtained. 



A third method, which was merely a repetition of the second on a larger 

 scale, was more successful in that more fish were taken, and consequently 

 more rij)e ones found. The ijlan was to utilize the catch of the fisher- 

 men by putting spawn- takers on several of the regnilar fishing-schooners 

 to examine each fish as it came from the water, or as soon as it was 

 brought to the vessel, and to bring the ripe eggs to the hatchery in 

 pans taken out for the purpose. This method was followed during a 

 greater part of the time, and some good eggs were obtained in this way. 

 But here as in the former case hand-lines were used, and spawning fish 

 were not taken in very large numbers. A visit to the fishing-grounds, 

 where trawls were used, later in the season, fully convinced us that as 

 many eggs could be obtained in this way as might be needed, for on a 

 four days' trip to Ii)swich Bay, in February, many millions might easily 

 have been secured. 



The finding of so many green fish led to the building of the live -boxes 

 at the hatchery, and when these were ready the schooner visited the 

 fishing-grounds daily and brought her catch alive to harbor in the little 

 well-boat, transferring the fish at once to the live-boxes, where they 

 were to remain until they should ripen. These live-cars proved a great 

 success, for the fish kept well and ripened rapidly. In this way many 

 live fish were kept convenient to the hatchery, where they could be 

 carefully watched, and the eggs secured as soon as they had ripened. 

 This method entirely overcame the difficulties of bringing the eggs long 

 distances and of properly caring for them until they could be transferred 

 to the hatching apparatus, and the live-cars soon came to furnish nearly 

 all the eggs. 



4. — HATCHING OPERATIONS. 



Two spawn-takers visited the live-cars at intervals of one to three 

 days, one taking out the fish with a dip-net, while the other examined 

 them carefully, by pressing gently on the abdomen, to see if they were 

 ripe. If green, they were transferred to an empty live-box floating be- 

 side the other; but when a ripe fish was found it was confined in a dip- 



