﻿XC 
  EEPOET 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OP 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  I 
  

   did 
  not 
  vary 
  greatly 
  in 
  the 
  past 
  three 
  years, 
  though 
  a 
  little 
  the 
  smallest 
  

   in 
  1885, 
  but 
  the 
  production 
  of 
  young 
  for 
  distribution 
  was 
  larger 
  during 
  

   this 
  last 
  season 
  than 
  in 
  either 
  1883 
  or 
  1884. 
  

  

  Eecords 
  were 
  kept 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  lots 
  of 
  eggs, 
  thus 
  securing 
  data 
  of 
  

   their 
  impregnation, 
  temperature 
  of 
  water, 
  time 
  of 
  hatching, 
  &c. 
  From 
  

   these 
  it 
  is 
  seen 
  that, 
  under 
  the 
  same 
  conditions 
  of 
  temperature, 
  the 
  

   period 
  of 
  time 
  from 
  impregnation 
  to 
  hatching 
  varied 
  from 
  a 
  few 
  hours 
  

   to 
  several 
  days, 
  thus 
  indicating 
  that 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  incubation 
  does 
  not 
  

   simply 
  vary 
  inversely 
  to 
  the 
  temperature 
  as 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  thermom- 
  

   eter. 
  It 
  is 
  suggested 
  that 
  the 
  increased 
  temperature 
  produced 
  in 
  the 
  

   eggs 
  by 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  either 
  direct 
  or 
  reflected 
  sunlight, 
  but 
  which 
  can- 
  

   not 
  be 
  measured 
  accurately 
  by 
  any 
  instruments 
  now 
  known, 
  may 
  have 
  

   much 
  to 
  do 
  with 
  this 
  varying 
  development. 
  The 
  earlier 
  runs 
  of 
  shad 
  

   habitually 
  spawn 
  in 
  a 
  lower 
  temperature 
  than 
  those 
  which 
  come 
  later 
  

   in 
  the 
  season. 
  It 
  may 
  be, 
  therefore, 
  that 
  a 
  difference 
  in 
  the 
  rate 
  of 
  de- 
  

   velopment 
  of 
  separate 
  lots 
  of 
  eggs 
  is 
  to 
  some 
  extent 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  heredity. 
  

   In 
  general, 
  however, 
  it 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  indicated 
  clearly 
  by 
  the 
  record 
  that 
  

   the 
  lower 
  the 
  temperature 
  during 
  incubation 
  the 
  longer 
  does 
  this 
  period 
  

   last. 
  

  

  In 
  making 
  the 
  distribution 
  from 
  Central 
  Station, 
  which 
  was 
  done 
  by 
  

   car 
  and 
  messenger 
  service, 
  care 
  was 
  taken 
  to 
  stock 
  liberally 
  the 
  Poto- 
  

   mac, 
  Susquehanna, 
  and 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  lesser 
  tributaries 
  of 
  the 
  Chesa- 
  

   peake, 
  which 
  it 
  was 
  supposed 
  would 
  furnish 
  suitable 
  nurseries 
  for 
  the 
  

   young 
  fish 
  during 
  the 
  first 
  summer 
  of 
  their 
  existence. 
  

  

  The 
  general 
  planting 
  of 
  shad 
  fry, 
  summarized 
  by 
  regions 
  or 
  drainage 
  

   basins 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  were 
  deposited, 
  was 
  about 
  as 
  follows: 
  

  

  To 
  tributaries 
  of 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay 
  8,588,000 
  

  

  To 
  Hudson 
  River 
  1,250,000 
  

  

  To 
  Palmer 
  River, 
  tributary 
  of 
  Narragansett 
  Bay 
  825, 
  000 
  

  

  To 
  tributary 
  of 
  Albemarle 
  Sound 
  1,500,000 
  

  

  To 
  tributaries 
  of 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  south 
  of 
  Albemarle 
  Sound 
  1, 
  475, 
  000 
  

  

  To 
  minor 
  tributaries 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Mexico 
  2, 
  349, 
  000 
  

  

  To 
  tributaries 
  of 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  River 
  in 
  Illiuois 
  1, 
  104,000 
  

  

  To 
  tributaries 
  of 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  River 
  in 
  Kausas 
  872, 
  000 
  

  

  To 
  Colorado 
  River 
  of 
  the 
  West, 
  tributary 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  California 
  848, 
  000 
  

  

  To 
  tributaries 
  of 
  the 
  Columbia 
  River 
  60, 
  000 
  

  

  Total 
  18,871,000 
  

  

  The 
  results 
  of 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  shad 
  production 
  on 
  the 
  Potomac 
  River 
  

   during 
  the 
  season 
  may 
  be 
  summarized 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

  

  Number 
  retained 
  at 
  Fort 
  Washington 
  Station 
  1,557,000 
  

  

  Number 
  forwarded 
  to 
  Central 
  Station 
  21,019,000 
  

  

  Total 
  number 
  of 
  shad 
  eggs 
  collected 
  on 
  the 
  Potomac 
  River, 
  season 
  

   of 
  1885 
  22,576,000 
  

  

  Number 
  of 
  eggs 
  received 
  at 
  Central 
  Station 
  in 
  good 
  condition 
  16, 
  536, 
  000 
  

  

  Number 
  of 
  eggs 
  shipped 
  to 
  other 
  points 
  325,000 
  

  

  Number 
  of 
  eggs 
  hatched 
  at 
  Central 
  Station 
  16,211,000 
  

  

  