﻿REPORT 
  ON 
  THE 
  PROPAGATION 
  AND 
  DISTRIBUTION 
  OF 
  

  

  FOOD-FISHES. 
  

  

  By 
  W. 
  dkC. 
  Ravenel, 
  Assistant 
  in 
  Chavf/e. 
  

  

  INTRODUCTION. 
  

  

  The 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  Division 
  of 
  Fisli 
  Culture 
  was 
  prosecuted 
  on 
  the 
  

   same 
  general 
  lines 
  as 
  in 
  past 
  years, 
  and 
  its 
  important 
  features 
  are 
  

   shown 
  in 
  tbe 
  following 
  abstracts 
  of 
  the 
  annual 
  reports 
  submitted 
  by 
  

   the 
  superintendents 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  stations. 
  The 
  i)ropagation 
  and 
  

   distribution 
  of 
  carp 
  and 
  tench 
  were 
  discontinued, 
  the 
  hatching 
  of 
  pike 
  

   perch 
  at 
  the 
  stations 
  on 
  Lakes 
  Superior, 
  Erie, 
  and 
  Ontario 
  was 
  sus- 
  

   pended, 
  and 
  the 
  collection 
  and 
  distribution 
  of 
  pike, 
  catfish, 
  yellow 
  

   perch, 
  and 
  other 
  coarse 
  fishes 
  from 
  the 
  overflows 
  of 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  and 
  

   Illinois 
  rivers 
  were 
  given 
  up. 
  

  

  Eecognizing 
  the 
  necessity 
  of 
  maintaining 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  mackerel 
  

   and 
  lobsters, 
  two 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  fisheries 
  of 
  New 
  England, 
  

   the 
  steamer 
  Fish 
  Haiclc 
  and 
  the 
  schooner 
  Gramptis 
  were 
  detailed 
  by 
  the 
  

   Commissioner 
  during 
  the 
  spring 
  to 
  collect 
  eggs 
  of 
  these 
  species. 
  Tliey 
  

   were 
  stationed 
  in 
  Casco 
  Bay, 
  Maine, 
  where 
  the 
  eggs 
  collected 
  wei-e 
  

   hatched 
  and 
  the 
  fry 
  liberated. 
  At 
  Woods 
  Hole 
  and 
  (lloucester 
  sta- 
  

   tions 
  the 
  lobster 
  work 
  was 
  increased 
  and 
  the 
  propagation 
  of 
  mackerel 
  

   was 
  undertaken. 
  While 
  the 
  results 
  attained 
  with 
  the 
  mackerel 
  were 
  

   not 
  as 
  large 
  as 
  anticipated, 
  it 
  is 
  hoped, 
  with 
  the 
  experience 
  gained 
  this 
  

   year, 
  that 
  important 
  work 
  may 
  be 
  done 
  in 
  the 
  future. 
  At 
  Woods 
  Hole 
  

   Station 
  the 
  propagation 
  of 
  tautog 
  was 
  also 
  taken 
  up, 
  and 
  the 
  results 
  

   were 
  encouraging. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  Pacific 
  Coast 
  a 
  field 
  station 
  was 
  established 
  on 
  the 
  Snake 
  

  

  Tiiver, 
  near 
  Weiser, 
  Idaho, 
  with 
  the 
  view 
  to 
  increasing 
  the 
  plants 
  of 
  

  

  salmon 
  in 
  the 
  Columbia 
  Kiver 
  Basin, 
  and 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  usual 
  plants 
  

  

  of 
  salmon 
  fry 
  in 
  the 
  Columbia 
  and 
  Sacramento 
  rivers 
  over 
  r)00,()()() 
  

  

  fingerling 
  salmon, 
  measuring 
  from 
  2i 
  to 
  3 
  inches, 
  were 
  liberated 
  in 
  

  

  Clackamas 
  Kiver 
  and 
  250,000 
  in 
  the 
  McCloud 
  during 
  May, 
  from 
  which 
  

  

  it 
  is 
  believed 
  important 
  results 
  will 
  follow. 
  Large 
  deposits 
  of 
  steelhcad 
  

  

  fry 
  were 
  again 
  made 
  this 
  year 
  in 
  the 
  tributaries 
  of 
  Lakes 
  Superior, 
  

  

  Michigan, 
  Huron, 
  and 
  Ontario, 
  also 
  in 
  the 
  Hudson 
  Kiver 
  under 
  the 
  

  

  direction 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  York 
  Fish 
  Commission, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  tributaries 
  of 
  

  

  Penobscot 
  IMver, 
  Maine. 
  

  

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