90 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
The plantings of young fish of all species during the year were made 
in neighboring waters, principally in Vineyard Sound. 
The average temperature of water and its density were as follows: 
Mean 
Month. tempera- ee 
ae density. 
WMecember, 1892) Sa sic- sacisers wtemelaie/niaie cltomniatatate alee mre ietetafeteiatefl ia ceiataleeeiiiataieiatclas steiner 37.9 1. 0256 
January, 1893... - 29.5 1. 0256 
February, 1893. 29.4 1, 0258 
March, 1893. . 32.7 1. 0256 
April, 1893. .- 41 1. 0255 
May, 1893....- 51.2 1. 0255 
Asweits) NEBR Sabon docooe 61.2 1. 0255 
CoLp SPRING HARBOR STATION, NEw YORK (FRED MATHER, SUPERINTENDENT). 
The operations of this station had been jointly conducted by this 
Commission and that of New York, of which latter it was the property. 
The reduction made by Congress in the appropriations for the work 
necessitated a curtailment of expenses, and the association of the two 
commissions was discontinued with the close of July, 1892. 
DELAWARE RIVER STATION (LIEUT. ROBERT PLATT, U.S. N., IN CHARGE). 
In pursuance of the usual practice, the United States Fish Commis- 
sion steamer Fish Hawk was employed in the propagation of shad on 
the Delaware River. This steamer during the greater portion of the 
year was occupied with special investigations concerning the oyster, 
ete., but on May 12 arrived at Gloucester City, N. J., to take up shad 
hatching. As in former years, the egg-collecting and the manipulation 
necessary to development and hatching were conducted by the crew of 
this steamer. The period of operations, May 15 to June 2, was rather 
more brief than usual, and the number of eggs collected was relatively 
small, as was the case aiso on the Susquehanna and Potomac rivers. 
The aggregate obtained and the numbers from separate fisheries were: 
Howell’s Cove fishery, 4,540,000; Faunce’s fishery, 3,751,000; Bennett’s 
fishery, 2,117,000; Gloucester Point, 45,000; total, 10,453,000. 
To obtain these, 233 shad were stripped, the average number of eggs 
per fish reaching nearly 45,000. Between May 23 and June 7 the fry 
were liberated, 1,573,000 being transferred to the Hudson River and 
5,349,000 to the Delaware. 
With the exception of May 23 to 26, the water was muddy. Temper- 
ature for May, maximum 68°, minimum 59°, mean 63.83°; for June, 
maximum 71°, minimum 67°, mean 68.20°, 
On May 26 the eggs of a scale carp, obtained from the river, were 
taken and placed in a universal hatching jar, the fry therefrom appear- 
ing in 85 hours. The commercial fishermen at that time took quantities 
of carp which sold readily on the shores at 8 cents per pound. 
In March and April, just prior to taking up shad-hatching, the Fish 
Hawk was engaged in the lower part of the Chesapeake Bay, capturing, 
with beam-trawl] and otherwise, marine specimens, animal and vegetable, 
for the Fish Commission aquarium, World’s Fair, Chicago. 
