902 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 

 2. — STA'JIONS AT THE HEAD OF CHESAPEAKE BAY. 



Mr. Ferguson had the work near Havre de Grace, Md., in the region 

 of the mouth of the Susquehanna River, under way on the 9th of May, 

 and long before the camp was broken up at Ferry Landing, Va., a 

 large number of fishes had been hatched and turned loose in the river 

 mentioned. Swan Creek, Carpenter's Point, Havre de Grace, where 

 the fresh waters of the Susquehanna enter the extreme head of Chesa- 

 peake Bay, were the localities chosen as stations. 



Carpenter's Point was the first station, and was continued between 

 May 10 and May 31. The report of the operator, W. F. Wroten, gives 

 1,725,000 eggs taken, 1,660,000 fishes hatched, of which 822,500 were 

 released at the station, and 837,500 shipped away. 



Swan Creek Station No. 1, conducted from May 26 to June 3, as re- 

 iwrted by W. H. and J. H. Hiues, had in the boxes 280,000 eggs, pro- 

 ducing 125,000 fishes, and 80,000 of these were turned loose from the 

 boxes, while 45,000 were shipped away. 



Swan Creek Station No. 2, carried on from June 1 to June 10, col- 

 lected 630,C00 eggs ; hatched 525,000 fishes ; turned loose 200,000 fishes, 

 and shipped away 325,000. 



Havre de Grace Station No. 1, operated by F. N. Clark, begun May 

 28 and ended June 14, gathered 960,000 eggs and hatched 862,000 fishes; 

 272,000 were turned loose, 590,000 were shipped away. 



Fishing Battery Station, near Havre de Grace, between June 3 and 

 June 26, obtained, according to William Hamlen, in charge, 536,000 

 eggs, producing 459,000 fishes, all of which were released at the station. 



Havre de Grace Station No. 2, conducted by W. H. Hines, from June 

 12 to June 20, from 190,000 eggs produced 110,000 fishes, all of which 

 were turned into the river. 



The total productions of these stations from the above reports were 

 4,321,000 eggs ; 3,741,000 fishes ; 2,143,500 turned aTive into the waters 

 of Maryland, and 1,597,500 shipped away. 



The seines "cut out" early in this region, and the later work of the 

 stations depended on the drift-nets for the supply of parent fishes. A 

 great scarcity of ripe males prevailed throughout the season, and this re 

 duced the total of fertile eggs very much, as well as the production frooj 

 eggs placed in the boxes. 



The attacks of the eels upon the shad hanging in the nets were some 

 times very destructive. Often half of the catch, as it was thrown intCf 

 the boat, would be found ^o be the heads and back bones of shad, from 

 which the meat had been stripped by the eels. One fisherman in the 

 vicinity gave his whole attention to the capture of eels, and made a 

 good living from it. 



The accounts of the early abundance of shad and herring in this vi- 

 cinity were similar to those from the Potomac and many regions of the 

 Atlantic coast. 



