XXVIII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
plies of eggs of the white-fish of the lakes, to meet requests from the 
State fish commissioners of California, Nevada, and other States, as 
also from Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. 
The growing scarcity of white-fish in the Great Lakes, and the re- 
quests by prominent Congressmen that the United States should assist 
the fish commissioners of the Lake States in their work, induced me to 
secure all the facilities of the Northville Station, and to place Mr. Frank 
N. Clark in charge of it. This took place in August, 1880. A number 
of improvements were made in the works, in order to render the station 
commensurate with the proposed scale of operations. The stock of 
brook trout and of California mountain trout belonging to Mr. Clark 
was also secured, and arrangements made for their propagation. 
One important feature of the Northville Station consists in a large 
supply of excellent spring water, quite sufficient to meet any expected 
demand. The temperature of the principal spring at its source is 47° 
Fahr., which represents far too great a degree of cold for many species 
of fish, but permits the proper temperature to be attained by a certain 
amount of exposure to the air. 
Active operations were commenced in September by a visit to certain 
islands in Lake Erie for the purpose of arranging with the fishermen 
for the privilege of taking white-fish eggs from their pounds. This 
was also done at Alpena, Mich. 
Endeavors to obtain eggs of the lake trout were considerably thwarted 
by the prejudice of the fishermen against this fish, claiming, as they do, 
that it is very destructive to the white-fish. This, however, in the opin- 
ion of Mr. Clark, is not well founded. 
The actual catching of spawning white-fish commenced in the early 
part of November and continued for about three weeks on Lake Erie, 
and nearly the same length of time at Alpena. 
The total number of eggs deposited in hatching boxes at Northville 
amounted to nearly 14,000,000, and the best of the lots taken yielded 
95 per cent. of young fish. 
Many interesting experiments were made by Mr. Clark in the course 
of his work, having special reference to the accelerating and retarding 
of the hatching of the eggs, whether by heat or by cold. These, with 
other details of the work, will be found in Mr. Clark’s report in the 
appendix. 
Of the total number of eggs taken, a little over 3,000,000 embryonized 
eggs were shipped to distant points; the Suaendie were held in the 
hatchery until their development, and were distributed by Mr. Clark, 
acting in behalf of the Commission, to the various lake waters within 
easy reach. 
Special acknowledgments are due to the Flint and Pére Marquette 
tailroad Company, the Michigan Central Railroad Company, the Lake 
Shore and Michigan Southern, and the Chicago and Northwestern, for 
gratuitous aid in moving the fish and their messengers. 
