REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 99 
Inquiry, was sent to this station in December. Examinations with - 
the microscope led him to express the opinion, in a preliminary report, 
dated January 17, 1892, that eggs of this character are the production 
of individuals, not existing among all and hence not epidemic; that 
the disorder was nonparasitic, but resulted from inflamed ovaries. 
The trout began spawning November 18, continuing for 117 days; 
18,000 were taken in November, 145,000 in December, 137,000 in Janu- 
ary, and 70,000 in February. Eggs were taken from 310 fish, the aver- 
age being 1,221 per fish, and the total 378,500. In addition, 81,500 eggs 
were received from Neosho Station, where the production was greatly 
in excess of the rearing capacity. 
Eggs were transferred as follows: 
Date. Consignee. Number. 
meiivie, L893 5. 0.0..2-..5 John W. Titcomb, fish commissioner, Roxbury, Vt....... ean eee 20, 000 
iC a oer Jobn Gordon; South Bend so Wry Oe =a. .c1san- m=</2)= 2-15 seis =ieisiaia ores 10, 000 
COR eee ae eee GC. Raveret-Wattel, Kecamp, France....---..-..-- 2.2. ---<ceccenses 10, 000 
MTN GIS ators wicca aie Central Station, Washington: DiGi. sc... csecsiensnc-+=-s-= ener 15, 000 
eR iBOoH ose: - (Ga Win boayer, Provo) City, Utalet -4: snes septa. oem se Se scact ene de 10, 000 
PALS Osco item as Sioes | J.G. Bluhm, Rio Negro, United States of Colombia.............-. 10, 000 
oe ae Central Station, Washington, D. C......-..-.-.2---0s2s.-sessseeee 15, 000 
7421 dh ee John W. Titcomb, fish commissioner, Rutland, Vt .-.......--...-. 25, 000 
“Glia Gilt Se re S.S. Watkins, superintendent, St, Paul, Minn.................... 20, 000 
Motgltps. sea... ta sete ertgas este Peas seein sate, soar inc sa aee ace 135, 000 
The consignment to Utah was unsuccessful, owing to use of sphagnum 
moss which had not been sufficiently soaked in water, the expansion 
taking place in the egg crate and increasing bulk to an extent to crush 
the eggs. This was by oversight, it being the custom to give the moss 
a water bath for two or three days in advance of the shipment. 
Although rainbow-trout eggs are handled in February and March, it 
is not practicable to make up shipments after January, as it is difficult 
to bring together enough of the same age. 
Eggs lost at the station were 142,000, the fry hatched being 183,000. 
From those hatched 95,000 fry appeared in February. The fry com- 
menced taking food in March, and in May all were sorted and counted. 
Black-spotted trout.—The brood fish on hand, 31 months old, spawned 
in March, the first eggs being taken early in the month. These eggs 
were not sufficiently fertilized and were without effect. The females 
were four to six weeks later than the males in maturing. An attempt 
was made to increase the brood stock, and in July, 1892, fish of that 
year were forwarded from Leadville Station, Colorado. The number 
sent was 15,000, but only about 1,500 reached their destination alive, on 
account of sickness of the messenger in charge. Food supplied the 
young fish consisted of beef livers, from cold storage at Roanoke, Va., 
and from Washington, D.C. The older fish are fed on mush composed 
of common flour or shorts and liver, the proportion of the latter being 
about one-fourth of the whole. 
Other species.—Black bass and other pond species were transferred 
in April to summer ponds, spawning-beds being constructed for them. 
The results were apparently Sg ne ERCUOny in all cases, it not being 
