﻿b 
  DISTEIBUTION 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISH 
  EGGS^ 
  1914. 
  

  

  jected 
  to 
  many 
  hazards, 
  chief 
  among 
  them 
  being 
  sudden 
  temperature 
  

   changes, 
  turbidity 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  after 
  heavy 
  rains, 
  ravages 
  of 
  snakes 
  

   and 
  other 
  enemies, 
  and 
  depletion 
  of 
  the 
  stock 
  through 
  cannibahsm, 
  

   all 
  of 
  which 
  conditions 
  can 
  be 
  mitigated 
  or 
  controlled 
  only 
  in 
  part. 
  

   The 
  harvest 
  is 
  therefore 
  uncertain, 
  and 
  the 
  output 
  of 
  one 
  year 
  can 
  not 
  

   be 
  used 
  as 
  a 
  standard 
  on 
  which 
  to 
  base 
  estimates 
  of 
  succeeding 
  

   seasons. 
  

  

  For 
  many 
  years 
  the 
  Bureau 
  has 
  been 
  doing 
  a 
  valuable 
  work 
  of 
  con- 
  

   servation 
  by 
  rescuing 
  vast 
  numbers 
  of 
  black 
  bass 
  and 
  other 
  native 
  

   fishes 
  from 
  the 
  temporary 
  pools 
  and 
  bayous 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  annual 
  

   flooding 
  of 
  certain 
  navigable 
  interstate 
  rivers, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  

   has 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  secure 
  considerable 
  numbers 
  of 
  young 
  pond 
  fishes 
  

   for 
  general 
  distribution. 
  In 
  the 
  conduct 
  of 
  this 
  work 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  the 
  

   Bureau's 
  policy 
  to 
  remove 
  fish 
  only 
  from 
  such 
  places 
  as 
  will 
  dry 
  up 
  

   or 
  freeze 
  sohdly 
  before 
  a 
  recurring 
  high-water 
  stage, 
  returning 
  to 
  the 
  

   main 
  rivers 
  the 
  bulk 
  of 
  the 
  collections 
  and 
  utilizing 
  any 
  surplus 
  to 
  

   supplement 
  its 
  supphes 
  for 
  shipment 
  to 
  apphcants. 
  As 
  in 
  the 
  pond 
  

   fish-cultural 
  work 
  at 
  its 
  stations, 
  the 
  degree 
  of 
  success 
  attending 
  the 
  

   seining 
  operations 
  depends 
  largely 
  upon 
  chmatic 
  conditions, 
  and 
  

   occasionally 
  the 
  work 
  proves 
  a 
  total 
  failure 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  inaccessi- 
  

   bihty 
  of 
  the 
  spawning 
  grounds 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  extremely 
  high 
  or 
  low 
  

   Water 
  stages 
  prevailing. 
  

  

  METHOD 
  OF 
  DISTRIBUTION. 
  

  

  Ahnost 
  the 
  entire 
  output 
  of 
  young 
  fish 
  of 
  the 
  commercial 
  species 
  

   handled 
  by 
  the 
  Bureau 
  is 
  returned 
  to 
  the 
  original 
  sources 
  of 
  supply 
  

   or 
  hberated 
  in 
  other 
  public 
  waters 
  where 
  conditions 
  are 
  favorable 
  to 
  

   the 
  estabhshment 
  of 
  new 
  fisheries. 
  Where 
  eggs 
  or 
  fish 
  for 
  stock 
  pur- 
  

   poses 
  are 
  derived 
  from 
  interior 
  waters 
  especial 
  care 
  is 
  taken 
  to 
  return 
  

   to 
  such 
  waters 
  a 
  sufficient 
  number 
  of 
  young 
  fish 
  of 
  hke 
  species 
  to 
  

   insure 
  the 
  maintenance 
  of 
  the 
  supply. 
  The 
  remainder 
  of 
  the 
  stock 
  

   available 
  is 
  then 
  allotted 
  on 
  individual 
  apphcations, 
  bearing 
  the 
  in- 
  

   dorsement 
  of 
  a 
  United 
  States 
  Senator 
  or 
  Representative, 
  such 
  apph- 
  

   cations 
  being 
  submitted 
  on 
  a 
  blank 
  form 
  furnished 
  by 
  the 
  Bureau, 
  

   which 
  among 
  other 
  things 
  calls 
  for 
  a 
  detailed 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  waters 
  

   for 
  which 
  fish 
  are 
  desired. 
  In 
  passing 
  upon 
  applications 
  the 
  prefer- 
  

   ence 
  of 
  the 
  apphcants 
  as 
  to 
  species 
  assigned 
  is 
  taken 
  into 
  account, 
  but 
  

   the 
  Bureau 
  reserves 
  the 
  right 
  of 
  final 
  decision 
  of 
  this 
  question, 
  takmg 
  

   into 
  consideration 
  not 
  only 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  waters, 
  but 
  the 
  Wel- 
  

   fare 
  of 
  existing 
  local 
  fisheries, 
  and 
  selectmg 
  such 
  species 
  of 
  fish 
  as 
  wiU 
  

   not 
  be 
  likely 
  to 
  prove 
  injurious 
  to 
  or 
  be 
  injured 
  by 
  those 
  already 
  

   estabhshed. 
  

  

  In 
  general 
  the 
  assignment 
  of 
  nonindigenous 
  fishes 
  is 
  made 
  only 
  with 
  

   the 
  approval 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  authorities 
  of 
  the 
  States 
  concerned. 
  In 
  

   this 
  connection 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  stated 
  that 
  the 
  Bureau 
  has 
  recently 
  decided 
  

  

  