﻿VII.— 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  OPERATIONS 
  AT 
  THE 
  NORTHVILLE 
  AND 
  AL- 
  

   PENA 
  (MICH.) 
  STATIONS 
  FOR 
  THE 
  SEASON 
  OF 
  1885-'86. 
  

  

  By 
  Frank 
  N. 
  Clark. 
  

  

  The 
  work, 
  on 
  the 
  whole, 
  shows 
  a 
  satisfactory 
  increase 
  in 
  results 
  over 
  

   the 
  preceding 
  year, 
  though 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  slight 
  falling 
  off 
  in 
  the 
  brook-trout 
  

   and 
  rainbow-trout 
  branches 
  of 
  the 
  service. 
  

  

  The 
  receipts 
  of 
  whitefish 
  eggs 
  at 
  both 
  stations 
  amounted 
  to 
  168,000,000, 
  

   an 
  increase 
  of 
  13,000,000 
  over 
  last 
  year. 
  Most 
  of 
  this 
  supply 
  was 
  drawn 
  

   from 
  the 
  usual 
  sources, 
  namely, 
  the 
  island 
  region 
  of 
  Lake 
  Erie, 
  the 
  pen- 
  

   ning 
  station 
  at 
  Monroe, 
  and 
  the 
  west 
  shore 
  of 
  Lake 
  Huron. 
  About 
  

   20,000,000 
  were 
  secured 
  from 
  new 
  territory 
  along 
  the 
  north 
  shore 
  of 
  

   Lake 
  Michigan, 
  from 
  the 
  spawning 
  runs 
  to 
  the 
  reefs 
  fished 
  from 
  Thomp- 
  

   son, 
  Mich. 
  These 
  runs 
  occur 
  in 
  November 
  and 
  December, 
  the 
  late 
  runs 
  

   to 
  the 
  gill-net 
  grounds 
  beginning 
  as 
  a 
  rule 
  several 
  days 
  after 
  the 
  col- 
  

   lection 
  of 
  spawn 
  has 
  been 
  discontinued 
  at 
  other 
  points. 
  Eggs 
  were 
  

   taken 
  here 
  as 
  late 
  as 
  December 
  16, 
  and 
  even 
  then 
  the 
  fish 
  were 
  spawn- 
  

   ing 
  freely 
  ; 
  but 
  fishing 
  was 
  discontinued 
  on 
  that 
  date. 
  

  

  The 
  shipments 
  of 
  whitefish 
  eggs 
  foot 
  up 
  42,800,000, 
  an 
  increase 
  of 
  

   11,800,000. 
  The 
  extent 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  shipping 
  of 
  eggs 
  is 
  now 
  carried 
  

   adds 
  not 
  a 
  little 
  to 
  the 
  winter 
  work. 
  In 
  every 
  instance 
  the 
  eggs 
  were 
  

   carefully 
  hand-picked, 
  and 
  the 
  strictest 
  attention 
  was 
  given 
  to 
  all 
  the 
  

   numerous 
  details 
  involved 
  in 
  preparing, 
  packing, 
  and 
  forwardiDg. 
  

  

  The 
  number 
  of 
  whitefish 
  eggs 
  hatched 
  at 
  both 
  stations, 
  for 
  distribu- 
  

   tion 
  to 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes, 
  was 
  92,000,000, 
  an 
  increase 
  of 
  

   4,000,000. 
  The 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  number 
  actually 
  planted 
  was, 
  however, 
  

   much 
  greater 
  than 
  is 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  latter 
  figures, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  slight 
  

   losses 
  in 
  transit, 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  last 
  year. 
  The 
  car 
  work 
  was 
  highly 
  

   successful, 
  due 
  chiefly 
  to 
  the 
  employment 
  of 
  two 
  cars, 
  instead 
  of 
  one, 
  

   as 
  heretofore 
  ; 
  by 
  which 
  additional 
  service 
  the 
  accumulation 
  and 
  ex- 
  

   haustion 
  of 
  young 
  fish 
  in 
  the 
  tanks 
  was 
  prevented, 
  the 
  fry 
  being 
  dis- 
  

   posed 
  of 
  while 
  in 
  a 
  vigorous 
  condition. 
  

  

  The 
  whitefish 
  eggs 
  were 
  carried 
  forward 
  in 
  creek 
  water, 
  which 
  is 
  

  

  several 
  degrees 
  colder 
  than 
  spring 
  water, 
  until 
  about 
  six 
  weeks 
  prior 
  to 
  

  

  the 
  hatching 
  period. 
  From 
  that 
  time 
  forward 
  nearly 
  one-half 
  the 
  eggs 
  

  

  were 
  transferred 
  at 
  intervals 
  to 
  spring 
  water, 
  thus 
  preventing, 
  to 
  a 
  

  

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