| aS Spawn-takers, was employed in making egg collections. 
87 
Fish being 
scarce off Gloucester, the schooner was stationed the greater portion 
of the time at Kittery Point, Maine, where regular supplies of eggs of 
REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES, 
fair quality were obtained from January 13 to March 13. As usual, a 
small run of codfish, available for spawn-taking purposes, appeared off 
Gloucester in November, but fish were generally scarce here throughout 
the season, the few eggs obtained being from the schooner Odd Fellow. 
Early in January the upper harbor became filled with ice and the 
weather was so intensely cold that the steam condenser, the waste from 
which is employed to increase the water temperature, became inopera- 
tive on account of ice formation in the pipes. 
The collections from Kittery Point were obtained from vessels fishing 
in Ipswich Bay, the price paid for good eggs being $5 per 1,000,000. 
The collections were transferred to the station by messenger over the 
railroad, the greater part arriving in good condition. 
There were no eggs obtained except of the codfish, and the first ot 
these were secured January 14. On that date the harbor temperature 
was 31°, the warm water overflow from the steam condenser, available 
at that time, increasing the temperature in the hatching-boxes by 3°. 
‘The shipments from Kittery Point in January were 12,202,000, Febru- 
ary 18,408,000, and March 29,200,000. The total number received was 
51,584,000, of which 49,831,000 were good. The fry produced amounted 
to 20,142,000, these being liberated in the waters adjacent, within a few 
days after hatching. Operations by months are indicated below: 
Eggs re- Fry pro- 
ne ceived. | duced. 
BRENDEN Berar et micte estan siajocio occ we since sacks eo tacenia sanubs ceteeeeheuaiecaen 11, 045, 000 5, 150, 000 
SE SUIRID'2 2 cac case sae besae So Sc mr SanB Es Soc Cer One E came Cee et Some: Erne Asem ere 15, 019, 000 7, 328, 060 
BeBe eee tetera castes cise ae sas deere oe ee siteicinwiacie daomisia acains saisiviwslog vices cisiee 23, 767, 000 7, 664, 000 
PSO hei ieee ore epee een att aed oes Menem nee Ae ears Mi tt are ee ee Lota 49, 831,000 | 20, 142, 000 
On April 13 there were also received 1,753,000 eggs, of which 1,195,000 
remained on hand unhatched when the station was closed, these being 
placed overboard. 
This was a clear-water season until February 10, when a violent storm 
occurred, filling the water with sediment. There was less uniformity 
in the hatching of eggs and the fry were weaker than in the best 
seasons. The poorer quality of hatching was attributed to the low water 
temperature, which could not be controlled for the reason mentioned, 
but the larger portion of the fry were active, and the poorer lots—those 
which failed to straighten—were not included in the record of those 
distributed. Onelot of eggs, February 16, consisting of 2,000,000, pro- 
duced 76 per cent of fry. 
Alcoholic collections of eggs and embryo fishes were prepared and 
transferred to the general office for use at the World’s Fair. On April 
17 the station was closed, Mr. HE. F. Locke, fish-culturist, being left in 
charge of property. 
