﻿40 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  and 
  June 
  7 
  aud 
  14. 
  During 
  tliis 
  period 
  44,174,000 
  eggs 
  were 
  handled, 
  

   from 
  wliieli 
  30,5120,000 
  fry 
  were 
  liatched 
  and 
  distributed. 
  Though 
  the 
  

   output 
  was 
  in 
  excess 
  of 
  any 
  previous 
  year's 
  iiroduction 
  excepting 
  

   those 
  of 
  18S7, 
  1888, 
  and 
  1895, 
  tlie 
  results 
  were 
  disappointing, 
  inasmuch 
  

   as 
  the 
  collections 
  on 
  the 
  Potomac 
  amounted 
  to 
  more 
  than 
  04,000,000 
  

   eggs. 
  

  

  The 
  large 
  loss 
  in 
  hatching, 
  amounting 
  to 
  17 
  per 
  cent, 
  was 
  due 
  not 
  oniy 
  

   to 
  the 
  poor 
  quality 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  when 
  received, 
  but 
  also 
  to 
  the 
  stoppage 
  

   of 
  the 
  water 
  supply 
  for 
  twelve 
  hours, 
  which 
  caused 
  a 
  loss 
  of 
  about 
  

   3,000,000 
  eggs 
  and 
  fry. 
  This 
  occurred 
  when 
  the 
  station 
  was 
  in 
  full 
  

   operation. 
  It 
  was 
  apparently 
  caused 
  by 
  a 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  material 
  

   in 
  the 
  water, 
  resembling 
  rotten 
  wood, 
  bark, 
  and 
  leaves, 
  and 
  as 
  the 
  water 
  

   was 
  received 
  and 
  discharged 
  through 
  closed 
  piping 
  it 
  was 
  impossible 
  

   to 
  filter 
  it. 
  

  

  Bejniirs 
  and 
  Improvements. 
  — 
  The 
  interior 
  of 
  the 
  station 
  "was 
  painted 
  

   during 
  the 
  summer, 
  and 
  the 
  equipment 
  was 
  enlarged 
  by 
  the 
  addition 
  

   of 
  a 
  can-cleaning 
  apparatus 
  and 
  a 
  steam 
  air-pump. 
  The 
  can-cleaner 
  

   consists 
  of 
  a 
  flexible 
  shafting, 
  encased 
  in 
  leather 
  and 
  geared 
  to 
  the 
  

   machine-shop 
  shafting 
  by 
  belting. 
  A 
  brush 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  free 
  end 
  

   revolves 
  rapidly, 
  cleaning 
  and 
  polishing 
  the 
  tin. 
  It 
  fails 
  to 
  remove 
  

   rust, 
  however, 
  even 
  with 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  pumice 
  stone. 
  The 
  pump 
  was 
  pur- 
  

   chased 
  to 
  provide 
  against 
  losses 
  of 
  fish 
  held 
  at 
  the 
  station 
  in 
  case 
  of 
  

   stoppage 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  supply, 
  as 
  occurred 
  on 
  December 
  9, 
  when, 
  by 
  

   order 
  of 
  the 
  District 
  authorities, 
  the 
  supply 
  was 
  diverted 
  from 
  the 
  

   building 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  street 
  imiirovements. 
  The 
  fish 
  were 
  saved 
  on 
  

   that 
  occasion 
  by 
  using 
  ice 
  and 
  aerating 
  the 
  water 
  by 
  hand. 
  

  

  Aquarium, 
  Ckntual 
  Station 
  (L. 
  G. 
  Hakron 
  in 
  charge). 
  

  

  From 
  August 
  1, 
  1895, 
  to 
  January 
  4, 
  1890, 
  the 
  superintendent 
  was 
  

   stationed 
  at 
  Atlanta, 
  Ga., 
  having 
  been 
  detailed 
  for 
  duty 
  in 
  connection 
  

   with 
  the 
  Cotton 
  States 
  and 
  International 
  Ex]>osition. 
  He 
  was 
  again 
  

   detached 
  from 
  the 
  a<piarium 
  on 
  April 
  1, 
  and 
  assigned 
  to 
  duty 
  in 
  con- 
  

   nection 
  with 
  shad 
  propagation 
  on 
  the 
  Potomac 
  River 
  at 
  Bryan 
  Point, 
  

   Maryland, 
  where 
  he 
  remained 
  until 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  June. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  summer 
  the 
  grotto 
  Avas 
  closed 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  high 
  

   temperature 
  and 
  the 
  consequent 
  difliculty 
  of 
  maintaining 
  the 
  suj^ply 
  of 
  

   fishes. 
  In 
  October 
  collections 
  of 
  marine 
  specimens 
  were 
  transferred 
  to 
  

   Washington 
  from 
  Old 
  Point, 
  Virginia, 
  and 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time 
  consign- 
  

   ments 
  of 
  sea-anemone, 
  starfish, 
  and 
  lobsters 
  were 
  sent 
  from 
  Woods 
  Hole 
  

   and 
  Gloucester 
  stations 
  by 
  express. 
  

  

  In 
  addition 
  to 
  these 
  collections, 
  100 
  marine 
  specimens 
  that 
  had 
  been 
  

   exhibited 
  in 
  the 
  Atlanta 
  Aquarium 
  were 
  transi'erred 
  to 
  Central 
  Station 
  

   aquarium 
  on 
  January 
  5. 
  A 
  few 
  of 
  these 
  survived 
  to 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  

   year, 
  but 
  the 
  majority 
  died 
  during 
  the 
  spring, 
  owing 
  to 
  high 
  tempera- 
  

   ture 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  The 
  salt 
  water 
  for 
  the 
  marine 
  species 
  is 
  about 
  half 
  

   natural 
  and 
  half 
  artificial, 
  the 
  supply 
  being 
  kept 
  up 
  by 
  shipments 
  

  

  