﻿34 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  tNND 
  FISHERIES, 
  

  

  the 
  collectiDg- 
  field. 
  The 
  iacilities 
  for 
  shipping 
  the 
  fry 
  ^vere 
  also 
  mucli 
  

   better, 
  lu 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  regular 
  crew 
  of 
  the 
  vessel, 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  

   spawn-takers 
  were 
  transferred 
  from 
  other 
  stations 
  to 
  assist 
  in 
  the 
  work. 
  

   The 
  hatching 
  apparatus 
  was 
  arranged 
  as 
  usual 
  on 
  the 
  main 
  deck, 
  

   Mate 
  James 
  A. 
  Smith 
  having 
  charge 
  of 
  it. 
  The 
  collection 
  commenced 
  

   on 
  May 
  4th, 
  097,000 
  shad 
  eggs 
  being 
  secured 
  on 
  that 
  date 
  from 
  the 
  

   seine 
  at 
  Howell 
  Cove 
  and 
  from 
  gillers 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity. 
  The 
  work 
  was 
  

   prosecuted 
  successfully 
  from 
  that 
  time 
  until 
  May 
  21, 
  by 
  which 
  time 
  

   20,930,000 
  eggs 
  had 
  been 
  collected. 
  

  

  Shortly 
  after 
  the 
  eggs 
  were 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  jars 
  there 
  appeared 
  to 
  be 
  

   an 
  undue 
  percentage 
  of 
  loss, 
  and 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  fry 
  in 
  the 
  aquaria 
  settled 
  

   to 
  the 
  bottom, 
  apparently 
  not 
  having 
  enough 
  vitality 
  to 
  sustain 
  them- 
  

   selves. 
  Since 
  the 
  hatching 
  apparatus 
  was 
  identically 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  in 
  

   former 
  years, 
  it 
  became 
  evident 
  that 
  the 
  cause 
  of 
  loss 
  must 
  be 
  looked 
  

   for 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  supply. 
  It 
  was 
  apparently 
  much 
  freer 
  from 
  sediment 
  

   than 
  that 
  at 
  Gloucester, 
  yet 
  it 
  was 
  suspected 
  to 
  contain 
  oily 
  residue 
  

   from 
  the 
  petroleum 
  refineries 
  at 
  Point 
  Breeze 
  on 
  the 
  Schuylkill 
  and 
  

   sulphurous 
  or 
  ammoniacal 
  solution 
  from 
  the 
  gas 
  works 
  on 
  the 
  river. 
  

   It 
  is 
  also 
  possible 
  that 
  an 
  abnormal 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  might 
  have 
  

   been 
  i^roduced 
  by 
  the 
  stirring 
  of 
  mud 
  by 
  the 
  dredge 
  operating 
  along 
  

   the 
  water 
  front 
  of 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  yard. 
  It 
  was 
  thought 
  advisable 
  to 
  

   transfer 
  the 
  vessel 
  to 
  Gloucester, 
  and 
  the 
  change 
  was 
  made 
  on 
  May 
  21. 
  

   From 
  this 
  point 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  collection 
  was 
  resumed 
  and 
  continued 
  until 
  

   June 
  10, 
  resulting 
  in 
  a 
  total 
  collection 
  of 
  37,874,000 
  eggs, 
  which 
  pro- 
  

   duced 
  22,050,000 
  fry. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  this, 
  1,183,000 
  eggs 
  were 
  furnished 
  

   to 
  car 
  No. 
  2 
  for 
  hatching 
  and 
  liberating 
  at 
  Sanford, 
  Fla. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  eggs 
  collected, 
  12,134,000 
  -were 
  obtained 
  from 
  gillers, 
  580,000 
  

   from 
  Gloucester 
  Point, 
  0,500,000 
  from 
  the 
  seine 
  at 
  Bennett's 
  shore, 
  and 
  

   18,000,000 
  from 
  the 
  Howell 
  Cove 
  seine. 
  It 
  was 
  impracticable 
  to 
  attend 
  

   the 
  seines 
  above 
  Philadelphia, 
  owing 
  to 
  their 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  vessel, 
  

   and 
  it 
  is 
  recommended 
  than 
  an 
  additional 
  launch 
  be 
  provided 
  next 
  sea- 
  

   son 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  attending 
  the 
  fishing 
  shores 
  above 
  that 
  city, 
  as 
  

   many 
  million 
  eggs 
  might 
  be 
  obtained 
  there. 
  The 
  method 
  of 
  .collecting 
  

   was 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  in 
  former 
  years, 
  the 
  steam 
  launch 
  leaving 
  the 
  vessel 
  

   each 
  afternoon 
  with 
  five 
  spawn-takers 
  and 
  returning 
  during 
  the 
  night 
  

   or 
  early 
  next 
  morning. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  recommended 
  that 
  the 
  vessel 
  make 
  its 
  headquarters 
  in 
  Howell 
  

   Cove, 
  at 
  Washington 
  Point, 
  next 
  season, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  

   si)awning-grounds 
  below 
  Gloucester, 
  and 
  more 
  than 
  half 
  the 
  eggs 
  

   secured 
  this 
  year 
  were 
  collected 
  in 
  its 
  immediate 
  vicinity. 
  In 
  addition 
  

   to 
  this, 
  the 
  water 
  there 
  is 
  more 
  suitable 
  for 
  hatching 
  jjurposes 
  than 
  at 
  

   Gloucester 
  or 
  League 
  Island, 
  as 
  two 
  large 
  fresh-water 
  streams 
  ilow 
  into 
  

   it 
  above 
  and 
  below. 
  It 
  also 
  possesses 
  good 
  raih'oad 
  facilities 
  and 
  has 
  

   excellent 
  means 
  of 
  communication 
  with 
  Philadelphia. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  season 
  12 
  Atlantic 
  salmon 
  were 
  taken 
  by 
  the 
  seine 
  at 
  

   Howell 
  Cove, 
  and 
  the 
  capture 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  was 
  reported 
  from 
  

   seines 
  above 
  Philadelphia. 
  

  

  