[3] Shad hatching at havre de grace. 201 



27 an iiniueuse number of herring were brought in by the seine. In 

 fact, the catch of herring liad been extremely hirge all throughout this 

 section, but they were quite small. 



For the convenience of Mr. Sheriff in salting and packing his fish, 

 the pile-driver was removed from the old scow and a shed built on the 

 same in which the packing was done. The seine gang occupied quarters 

 in the old machinery barge, in which bunks had been put up for their 

 comfort. 



Finding that the supply of water for the hatching house was inade- 

 quate another large tank was ordered, and was placed in the tank tower 

 built by Mr. Woodrow for this purpose. This was also connecte<l with 

 tbe jars and plenty of water obtained. 



The first eggs from the gillers were received on April 30, after which 

 nightly trips were made to them by our spawntakers. By this time, 

 however, the heavy run of shad was over, and what few were caught 

 were hard, so that few eggs could be obtained. The same system of 

 procuring ripe shad from the gillers by purchase was in vogue this year 

 as in previous seasons. The gillers, as a rule, were very obliging and 

 endeavored to assist us in getting eggs as much as was in their power. 



The fo'xe of men working the seine at this time manifested consider- 

 able dissatisfaction and finally refused to work, so on May 3 they were 

 discharged, and Mr. Sheriflf proceeded to Baltimore to get another gang, 

 causing a delay in the work of several days, which seriously interfered 

 with our work of propagation. However, before being discharged, they 

 made a haul and it was turned into the pool in order that the experi- 

 ments of previous seasons might be repeated. A force of colored labor- 

 ers was put to work on May 6, and no more trouble was experienced 

 during the remainder of the season. 



Additional hauls were placed into the pool, and the fish allowed to 

 remain undisturbed for a few days. The pool has been divided into 

 four sections in order to make the capture of the fish easier and to sep- 

 arate the males and females as much as possible. On May 14 the 

 hauling of the pool was commenced in order to see whether the shad 

 had ripened. All the hard males and females were turned back and 

 those spent, rotten, ripe, or bruised, were removed and handed over 

 to Mr. Sheriff. Although several lots of eggs were examined, none ever 

 proved good, and I am of the opinion that none will be obtained iu 

 this manner, as the shad fret themselves on account of the confinement, 

 and are also severely bruised in their efforts to escape. I have observed 

 very frecpiently that the eggs would be in knots, after their being con- 

 fined for several weeks. I would also state that I think the pool an 

 excellent place to keep male shad, but experience has shown that females 

 do not fare well in it. 1 would suggest that a 16-foot scow be made 

 for the seine used in the pool and that said scow be left in it altogether, 

 ready at a moment's notice to capture the males for use on the females 

 obtained from the seine or from gillers. 



