COD-FISHERIES OF CAPE ANN. 725 



from Kovember 13 to early in January, wlieu the fish were frozen. 

 Forty-three females were " stripped " during the season, and the milt 

 from GO males was used in fertilizing their eggs. The total number of 

 eggs secured in this way was about nine and one-quarter millions. 



It may be a matter of some surprise that so few eggs should be ob- 

 tained from so large a number of fish ; but it must be remembered that 

 the eggs ripen slowly through a period of six to ten weeks at least, 

 and that but few can be secured at any one time. Probably not over 

 200,000 can be taken from a 10-pound fish in a day, while 400,000 would 

 be a large average for a fish of 20 pounds weight. After the fish were 

 once " stripped" they were allowed to die, as the primary object of the 

 experiments was methods, rather than quantities of eggs. In this way 

 the great bulk and number of eggs were not secured ; but when the work 

 shall be resumed for the purpose of increasing the food supply, we see 

 no reason why these spawning fish may not, by exercising care, be 

 " stripped" over and over again until all or at least a greater part of the 

 eggs have been secured, the fish being returned to the live-boxes after each 

 operation. Still the supply of spawning fish seems limited only by the 

 size of the live-cars, and the above method may not become necessary. 



About the 1st of January the weather became quite cold, and the tem- 

 perature of the water on the night of the 3d, for the first time during the 

 winter, fell to 30^. On the morning of the 4th, when the spawn-takers 

 visited the live-cars, they found that all the fish had been frozen to death, 

 and, on examination, considerable ice was noticed in their stomachs. At 

 this time the more important points about the ti^eatment of the eggs 

 having been learned, and the practicability of artificial j)ropagation fully 

 established, it was thought unnecessary to secure a new stock of fish for 

 the live-cars, and it was decided to discontinue operations until such 

 time as they could be resumed on a steamer constructed especially for 

 the purpose. By this means the harbor sediment can be avoided, and 

 the fish followed to any locality where they chance to be most plenty. 



The number of fish hatched during the experiments was not far fi'om 

 1,550,000. At first, while the apparatus remained so imperfect, the loss 

 was great, and nearly or in some cases quite all of the first few lots of 

 eggs were killed. But with the introduction of new methods one diffi- 

 culty after another was overcome, and the percentage of loss was gradu- 

 ally reduced. The manner of caring for the eggs while hatching soon 

 came to be better understood, and this too had a decidedly beneficial 

 effect ; so that, barring the loss resulting from impure water, there was 

 a constant gain in the percentage hatched, and the loss during the last 

 of the season did not exceed 40, and was frequently not over 30 per cent. 



When first hatched, the little fish remain nearly moti^iless, or, at 

 times, indulge in the same spasmodic efforts so noticeable when freeing 

 themselves from the eggs. In a day or two they become more active, 

 darting about for short distances in the water, with a peculiar motion 

 and considerable rapidity. In a few days they begin to absorb the 



