﻿48 
  

  

  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  I 
  

  

  uuusually 
  fine 
  quality 
  of 
  eggs 
  obtaiued 
  this 
  season 
  were 
  attributed 
  

   to 
  the 
  changes 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  spawuing-ponds. 
  Of 
  the 
  980,000 
  collected, 
  

   380,000 
  were 
  retained 
  at 
  the 
  station 
  and 
  j)roduced 
  strong 
  healthy 
  fry, 
  

   but 
  owing 
  to 
  tlie 
  muddy 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  in 
  March, 
  when 
  the 
  fish 
  

   were 
  very 
  small, 
  the 
  losses 
  were 
  heavy, 
  amounting 
  in 
  all 
  to 
  about 
  

   75,000. 
  As 
  the 
  facilities 
  at 
  the 
  station 
  were 
  inadequate 
  for 
  carrying 
  

   over 
  125,000 
  to 
  the 
  yearling 
  stage, 
  112,000 
  were 
  distributed 
  as 
  fingerlings 
  

   during 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  April 
  to 
  apiilicants 
  in 
  Virginia 
  and 
  Tennessee, 
  

   and 
  at 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  there 
  remained 
  on 
  hand 
  117,300. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  table 
  shows 
  the 
  shii)ments 
  of 
  eggs 
  made 
  to 
  other 
  sta- 
  

   tions 
  of 
  the 
  Commission, 
  State 
  fish 
  commissions, 
  and 
  foreign 
  api)licants: 
  

  

  

  Blade 
  bass 
  and 
  rod- 
  bass. 
  — 
  Early 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  the 
  adult 
  bass 
  were 
  

   placed 
  in 
  the 
  breeding-ponds 
  and 
  artificial 
  nests 
  were 
  introduced. 
  

   These 
  consisted 
  of 
  wooden 
  boxes, 
  20 
  inches 
  square 
  by 
  2 
  inches 
  deep, 
  

   with 
  flaring 
  sides, 
  filled 
  with 
  gravel. 
  Chestnut 
  was 
  selected 
  for 
  the 
  

   boxes, 
  as 
  that 
  wood 
  quickly 
  changes 
  when 
  wet 
  to 
  a 
  color 
  which 
  closely 
  

   resembles 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  pond. 
  The 
  nests 
  were 
  marked 
  by 
  stakes 
  

   extending 
  a 
  foot 
  or 
  more 
  above 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  and 
  with 
  the 
  

   object 
  of 
  protecting 
  the 
  parent 
  fish 
  from 
  the 
  sun 
  and 
  also 
  from 
  enemies, 
  

   a 
  wooden 
  hood, 
  15 
  inches 
  by 
  20 
  inches, 
  was 
  attached 
  to 
  each 
  of 
  these 
  

   stakes 
  below 
  the 
  water 
  surface. 
  The 
  nests 
  were 
  examined 
  once 
  a 
  week 
  

   and 
  those 
  containing 
  eggs 
  were 
  transferred 
  to 
  the 
  reariug-ponds. 
  

   Yery 
  satisfactory 
  results 
  were 
  attained 
  with 
  the 
  rock 
  bass, 
  but 
  they 
  

   were 
  only 
  partially 
  successful 
  with 
  the 
  black 
  bass. 
  The 
  nests 
  for 
  the 
  

   rock 
  bass 
  were 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  those 
  for 
  the 
  black 
  bass 
  except 
  that 
  they 
  

   were 
  15 
  inches 
  by 
  15 
  inches 
  in 
  size. 
  

  

  With 
  suitable 
  ponds 
  and 
  with 
  the 
  experience 
  gained 
  this 
  season 
  in 
  

   making 
  these 
  nests, 
  there 
  is 
  little 
  doubt 
  but 
  that 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  success- 
  

   fully 
  used 
  with 
  the 
  black 
  bass 
  next 
  year. 
  At 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  

   indications 
  point 
  to 
  a 
  large 
  crop 
  of 
  rock 
  bass 
  and 
  a 
  fairly 
  good 
  output 
  

   of 
  black 
  bass, 
  though 
  it 
  is 
  doubtful 
  whether 
  the 
  final 
  results 
  will 
  be 
  

   any 
  better 
  than 
  in 
  jiast 
  years, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  ponds, 
  

   which 
  leak 
  so 
  badly 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  diflncult 
  to 
  keep 
  them 
  even 
  half 
  filled 
  

   with 
  water. 
  

  

  Blaclc-spofted 
  front. 
  — 
  As 
  these 
  fish 
  had 
  been 
  held 
  at 
  the 
  station 
  for 
  

   a 
  number 
  of 
  years 
  without 
  producing 
  eggs, 
  they 
  were 
  transferred 
  to 
  

   Atlanta 
  in 
  December 
  for 
  exposition 
  imrposes. 
  

  

  Other 
  fishes. 
  — 
  The 
  propagation 
  of 
  carp, 
  goldfish, 
  and 
  tench 
  for 
  distri- 
  

   bution 
  having 
  been 
  discontinued, 
  the 
  ponds 
  heretofore 
  devoted 
  to 
  that 
  

  

  