﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  43 
  

  

  Oil 
  May 
  12, 
  the 
  first 
  young 
  flsli 
  were 
  noticed, 
  and 
  from 
  that 
  time 
  the 
  

   number 
  increased 
  daily. 
  Up 
  to 
  tlie 
  age 
  of 
  eight 
  days 
  the 
  i^onds 
  afforded 
  

   them 
  an 
  abundance 
  of 
  natural 
  food, 
  consisting 
  principally 
  of 
  species 
  of 
  

   Ixotatoria, 
  Jfi/datina, 
  and 
  IJuchlanis. 
  These 
  constituted 
  the 
  first 
  food 
  

   of 
  the 
  young 
  fish, 
  as 
  disclosed 
  by 
  microscopic 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  con- 
  

   tents 
  of 
  the 
  enlarged 
  pharynx. 
  After 
  the 
  eighth 
  day 
  that 
  class 
  of 
  food 
  

   apparently 
  proved 
  to 
  be 
  insufficient, 
  as 
  they 
  appeared 
  t(^ 
  be 
  looking 
  for 
  

   more 
  substantial 
  matter. 
  At 
  the 
  age 
  of 
  two 
  weeks 
  carj), 
  from 
  8 
  to 
  11 
  

   days 
  old, 
  were 
  supplied 
  and 
  were 
  eagerly 
  eaten 
  by 
  the 
  young 
  bass. 
  

   The 
  carp 
  were 
  fed 
  tlieni 
  until 
  some 
  time 
  in 
  June, 
  when 
  finely 
  chopped 
  

   fish 
  were 
  substituted. 
  

  

  Owing 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  young 
  fish 
  attain 
  different 
  sizes 
  and 
  prey 
  

   upon 
  each 
  other, 
  the 
  output 
  from 
  the 
  ponds 
  heretofore 
  has 
  been 
  very 
  

   small, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  determined 
  this 
  season 
  to 
  attempt 
  the 
  rearing 
  of 
  them 
  

   in 
  small 
  ponds 
  and 
  tanks 
  located 
  on 
  the 
  terrace 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  cottage. 
  

   Between 
  the 
  1st 
  and 
  12th 
  of 
  June 
  5,000 
  were 
  transferred 
  to 
  the 
  tanks 
  

   and 
  held 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  days, 
  when 
  they 
  were 
  assorted 
  according 
  to 
  size 
  and 
  

   placed 
  in 
  small 
  rectangular 
  ponds. 
  They 
  were 
  fed 
  regularly 
  on 
  chopped 
  

   fish, 
  and 
  as 
  the 
  ponds 
  were 
  well 
  stocked 
  with 
  plants 
  they 
  also 
  obtained 
  

   a 
  certain 
  amount 
  of 
  natural 
  food. 
  

  

  During 
  tlie 
  first 
  two 
  weeks 
  the 
  losses 
  in 
  the 
  tanks 
  were 
  heavy, 
  but 
  

   this 
  was 
  accounted 
  for 
  by 
  the 
  high 
  water-temperature, 
  which 
  ranged 
  

   from 
  02^ 
  to 
  95°, 
  and 
  by 
  its 
  muddy 
  condition. 
  The 
  sudden 
  change 
  from 
  

   the 
  comparatively 
  clear 
  water 
  of 
  the 
  ponds 
  to 
  the 
  hydrant 
  water 
  greatly 
  

   impaired 
  the 
  health 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  fish, 
  as 
  the 
  organs 
  of 
  respiration 
  were 
  

   visibly 
  affected, 
  even 
  after 
  a 
  very 
  short 
  stay 
  in 
  the 
  tanks. 
  The 
  epithe- 
  

   lium 
  of 
  the 
  lamelhii 
  of 
  the 
  gills 
  would 
  become 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  slimy, 
  

   veil-like 
  scum, 
  and 
  those 
  so 
  aftected 
  usually 
  died 
  during 
  the 
  second 
  or 
  

   third 
  night. 
  As 
  many 
  as 
  30 
  or 
  40 
  dead 
  ones 
  were 
  frequently 
  taken 
  

   from 
  tanks 
  containing 
  500, 
  and 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  the 
  death 
  rate 
  reached 
  

   nearly 
  CO 
  per 
  cent. 
  Thus 
  from 
  lots 
  of 
  500 
  each 
  froni 
  150 
  to 
  200 
  or 
  more 
  

   Ijerished 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  days 
  after 
  being 
  transferred 
  from 
  the 
  ponds, 
  and 
  the 
  

   total 
  loss 
  amounted 
  to 
  about 
  2,000. 
  The 
  transfer 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  lot 
  was 
  

   made 
  under 
  more 
  favorable 
  conditions, 
  the 
  temperature 
  being 
  lower 
  

   and 
  the 
  liydrant 
  water 
  clearer. 
  Only 
  about 
  12 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  this 
  lot 
  were 
  

   lost, 
  and 
  the 
  loss 
  on 
  tlie 
  third 
  lot 
  amounted 
  to 
  only 
  3 
  per 
  cent. 
  At 
  

   the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  12,270 
  had 
  been 
  transferred 
  from 
  the 
  north 
  pond 
  

   to 
  the 
  tanks 
  and 
  small 
  ponds, 
  and 
  indications 
  point 
  to 
  successful 
  

   results. 
  Xo 
  difiiculty 
  was 
  experienced 
  in 
  keeping 
  from 
  2,000 
  to 
  3,000 
  

   in 
  ponds 
  varying 
  from 
  2,000 
  to 
  3,000 
  square 
  feet 
  in 
  area. 
  They 
  soon 
  

   learned 
  to 
  take 
  the 
  chopped 
  fish 
  from 
  the 
  feeding 
  boards, 
  and 
  appar- 
  

   ently 
  thrived 
  on 
  the 
  food. 
  It 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  give 
  even 
  an 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  

   number 
  of 
  young 
  bass 
  left 
  in 
  the 
  north 
  pond, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  dense 
  

   A^egetation. 
  

  

  SmaU-mouthed 
  black 
  bass. 
  — 
  When 
  the 
  south 
  pond, 
  containing 
  the 
  

   small-mouthed 
  bass, 
  was 
  drawn 
  down 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  contain 
  only 
  about 
  

   1,200 
  yearling 
  fish, 
  which 
  were 
  distributed 
  as 
  usual 
  during 
  the 
  month 
  

   of 
  December. 
  At 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  the 
  large-mouthed 
  bass 
  were 
  i)laceil 
  

  

  