liEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. LV 



The total number of eggs iucabated daring the season was 101,000. 

 Of these, 113,000 were obtained from the McClond River Station, and 

 48,000 from breeders at the station, reared from eggs obtained in the 

 winter of 1881-'8.2 from the California Station. 



The number of young fish produced was 121,417, which was reduced 

 by casualties of various kinds to 103,400 fish on May 1, when the 

 fry were transferred from the hatching troughs to the ponds. It is not 

 contemplated to distribute them until the late winter and spring of 1880, 

 when tbey will have attained such size as to be comparatively safe from 

 the attacks of other fish. 



A large distribution of yearling California trout was made to streams 

 in Pennsylvania and a number of streams and ponds in Virginia, Ten- 

 nessee, Alabama, and Georgia. 



The total distribution was as follows: 



To streams in tlie vicinity of Philadelphia, Pa fiy.- 1, 500 



To streams iu PennsylYania, distributed under direction of State commis- 

 sioner yearlings.. 5,900 



To streams iu "Western North Carolina do 2, 000 



To Tate's Run, near hatchery fry . . 2, 500 



To Shenandoah River, Virginia yearlings.. 2, 100 



To Warrior River, Alabama do 1, 000 



To Coosa River, Rome, Ga do 1, 000 



To private ponds iu Pennsylvania and Tennnessee do 250 



Total 16,250 



j. The Atlantic or Penobscot Salmon (Salmo solar). 



The Biicksport Station. — Mr. Charles G. Atkins continues in charge 

 of this station, the operations being conducted, as formerly, by the 

 U. S., the Maine, and the Massachusetts Fish Commissions. The 

 breeding salmon, as heretofore, were purchased from the Penobscot 

 Iviver fishermen, beginning on May 31 and ending on July 5. In all, 508 

 salmon were obtained, of which number 472 were jjlaced alive in the 

 inclosure of part of Dead Brook, 50 were turned into a large inclosure 

 iu Eastern River, and 40 died while being transported. In the autumn 

 393 were recaptured in Dead Brook, and 39 iu the river, being about 83 

 per cent of all those deposited alive, and about 70 per cent of all those 

 obtained. The fish were recaptured in Eastern River by means of traps 

 of netting set at each end of the inclosure ; and about the same number 

 were taken at each point, thus seeming to indicate that salmon are as 

 likely to descend as to ascend at the spawning season. 



The fish at spawning were of much smaller size than those of 1883, 

 averaging nearly 10 pounds in weight and being about 31^ inches in 

 average length, but not differing much from the average of other years; 

 42 per cent were males, and 58 per cent females. In all, about 1,935,000 

 eggs were obtained, while during development about 119,000 were lost. 

 Of the good eggs 78,000 were hatched on account of the U. S. Fish 

 Commission, and the remainder, 1,730,000, were sent away. Shipments 



