94 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
signment of 234,000, by car No. 38, May 14, was for South Carolina | 
streams at Columbia. May 1 to 9, there were transferred 1,444,000 fry, 
the first of the season, to the fish ponds, Washington, D.C., the object 
being, as in former years, to have them reared to fingerling size before 
liberation. 
The product of the United States fish ponds located in Washington, 
D. C., reaches public streams and applicants through Central Station, 
fish being consigned from the ponds as required, stored in tanks, and 
subsequently counted and placed in vessels suitable for transportation. 
Many are counted out in carload lots, sometimes placed in the tanks in 
bulk, at other times in pails containing 25 to 150 fish each. Numbers 
are also sent by express shipment to States nearest Washington. To 
obviate complaints, indicating that fish were removed while in transit, 
a system of sealing the pails was introduced. The method consisted in 
passing a string through the handle supports and two small rings sol- 
dered on the edges at points equally distant between the handles, when 
the free ends were slipped through the openings in the lead seal. The 
sealing was then effected by means of a hand press, in all essentials 
the same as those used for sealing doors of railway cars. This method 
was so favorably received that the order was made for presses for each 
of three special cars and the Neosho and Wytheville stations. 
A summary of operations with fingerling and Jarger fish is repre- 
sented in the statement below: 
Kind. | Whence derived. Number | Number 
| received. | shipped. 
Leather carp. 33, 629 
Blue carp -.-. 2, 122 
Scale carp... é 38, 741 | 72: 341 
MATrOLICalp) === == 2 
Spotted catfish........|....- (HO sadtasasddascuaese Sobnsd Saassoco CeebAoddencaodcs ss 1, 270 1, 285 
Ren Cie seis acies stale eerste | ae eae GD sees bedooopbanucscocangords casos tipagcesendoendobasc 336 336 
Golden tench..........]..-.- Gt) spenbadeaenonbouacS so obetoy sosecUopDHSagnedonosecac 20 20 
Goldenide=. sp aaaesee's|222 5 OD scene eis ao aan moan D Otacnbaodoee abit JeédoveboouTeoaDONe 398 271 
Goldfishe.ssccbeae eee escc GOs Bea BRRB pestade Apron de GSMaceoghDDOoOUUNGhOOdoOoL 9) 424s ease 
IDDaecbcasondqoecetce Way alley Senn Ne Saco adaeoesod sonnac Gor cessereonsacan: 3,815 | 11,926 
Blackipasseceesasces seeleeaats Gases kas eceodmas cencnocnpde cond joobocccsSsosancsas 463 
IDE Scdaposatodsose Monineye SUMAN ees goc sree se stoSa555 soe seoogsSasasa se 25 34, 867 
WWOsen eee cosas ce United States fish ponds, Washington, D, C..-.......... 34, 379 
ING ko NEES sseecoadseone Wytheville! Station: =e se ccc eee leo ieee stares eee 950 787 
Warmouth bass--.-.--- (Heat a SHAN HOMIES Hel SS Soo gn pCbonb ao oescosadoosuSSamaacSpe 227 227 
Orap piers eee cscs sone leeece ee Cesena asoecbs pedacosaca ansam Meosoccscsdocusecsec 165 165 
Rainbow trout........- Wa ulate alley SERA No oboe sont ooo no acSbesodaodcHonegsood 9, 784 9,111 
Motalescecicecss Foy De onic bib t socioicns Gene be eles HERE RE eae ee eee 135, 774 | 131, 286 
Among the improvements at the station was the introduction of 
an American watchman’s time detector, with 12 stations distributed 
throughout the general offices, aquaria, ete. 
The superintendent was instructed, in 1889, to develop a scheme 
for the production of artificial eggs, and more or less study was given 
the subject from that time. ‘The question was satisfactorily determined, 
and in the early part of the fiscal year covered by this report sup- 
plies of eggs were prepared and shipped to the World’s Fair. The 
method of producing them consists in passing resin through heated 
tubes of metal, the falling drops being received below in water. It was 
