REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. LiX 



nainely, that males can be ke{)t for five or six diiys in good condition, 

 but that ieniales usually die after two or three days. Penning male 

 shad towards the close of the season, when the gill nets catch only 

 females, may be advisable, and save many millions of eggs. 



Herring were numerous about the station towards the middle of May, 

 but after May 10 they disappeared. One lot of herring eggs (3,000,0(10 

 in number) was taken, but for some reason they failed to hatch. 



Because of their former experience the men were more successful 

 than before. Some valuable recommendations in regard to tliis station 

 are found in Lieutenant Babcock's report. 



Fish HaicTx assistance. — On May 1 the steamer Fish Hawk, Lieut. W. 

 M. Wood commanding, left the navy-yard at Washington for Fort 

 Washington and vicinity to assist in the shad propagation. 



From May 3 to May 26 the steam-launch visited Cha])man's Point, 

 Pomoukey, and other fisheries, from which were obtained about3, 000,000 

 shad eggs. About 800,000 of these were hatched ; 400,000 fish being 

 I)laced in the Potomac near Marshall's Point, and 400,000 sent to Cen- 

 tral Station at Washington. 



The sudden fall m the temperature of the water on the 7th of May is 

 thought to have killed about 200,000 eggs. The remaining 2,000,000 

 eggs were shipped to the Central Station at Washington. On May 20 

 the fishery at White House Landing suspended fishing for the season, 

 followed by Chapman's Point fishery on the 21st, and on May 27 the 

 Fish Hawk returned to Washington, D. C. 



Battery Station. — On the opening of navigation in March, 1884, Will- 

 iam Hamlen, one of^the experts in fish and oyster culture of the Com- 

 mission, who had previously commanded the Lookout, was assigned to 

 duty as superintendent of this station. During the early spring the 

 force at the station was employed in clearing the seine-haul of obstruc- 

 tions and getting ready for the fishing season. 



Preparations having been completed on the 14th of April, the fishing 

 equipment was turned over to Messrs. Benjamin 11. Sheriff & Co., with 

 whom arrangements had been made for operating the seine during the 

 season, this firm having bound itself to haul the seine under the general 

 direction of the superintendent, and furnish all the* ripe fish taken, for 

 the uses of the Commission. 



The season was very backward and the fishing was much interruiited 

 by heavy winds and freshets. During the season the experiments of 

 penning the immature shad in the pool were conducted, but not with 

 very satisfactory results. It was, however, demonstrated that the male 

 shad could be kept for a much longer period and with much better suc- 

 cess than the females. 



Towards the end of May, the fish having become very scarce, opera- 

 tions were suspended, with the result of the production of 1,839,000 of 

 shad, which were turned loose in the waters immediately contiguous to 

 the station, and 840.000 shipped to the tributaries of the Chesapeake 

 Bay. 



