XLVI REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AJsD FISHERIES. 



The bid of the Columbian Iron AVorks and Dry Dock Company, of 

 Baltimore, being' the lowest, was accepted, and the construction of the 

 boilers was immediately begun. 



B. — Steamer Fish Hawk. 



The steamer Fish RawTc was at Wood's Holl from January 1 to Feb- 

 ruary 21, when she proceeded to the eastern part of the Gulf of Maine, 

 for the purpose of collecting cod eggs for the Wood's IIoll Station, gen- 

 erally making Portsmouth her headquarters. She remained in this re- 

 gion until April 12, when she returned to Wood's Holl, having obtained 

 several million eggs, which were shipped directly as they were taken. 

 While at Portsmouth the last part of February the Fislt Hawk encoun- 

 tered a severe gale, and slight damage was done to the steamer by two 

 schooners fouling while at anchor. The steam-launch was also sunk 

 and not recovered until the following September. 



From April 26 to June 3 the Fish Haick was engaged in shad propa- 

 gation in the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers, being stationed most 

 of the time in the vicinity of Gloucester City, N. J. The total number 

 of shad eggs obtained was 34,454,500, of which 21,018,000 were hatched 

 on board. From early in July until August 28 she was engaged most 

 of the time in freighting for the Saint Jerome and Battery Island Sta- 

 tions, and left the last of August for Wood's Holl, visiting on the way 

 the light-ships at Winter Quarter Shoal, Five Fathom Bank, and 

 Sandy Hook, lor the purpose of instructing the keepers in the meth- 

 ods of making temperature observations. Returning from Wood's Holl 

 the latter part of October, an unsuccessful search was made in the 

 vicinity of Sandy Hook for the English sole, which had been planted 

 there some years before. The balance of the year the steamer remained 

 in Chesapeake Bay, serving as a freight boat, the crew also assisting at 

 times in the work at the stations. In July the command of the Fish 

 Hawk was transferred from Ensign W. J. Maxwell, U. S. Navy, to 

 Mate James A. Smith, who had previously commanded the Halcyon. 



C— Steamer Halcyon. 



This steamer, previously called the Lookout, was at Battery Station 

 at the beginning of the year, where she remained until March 28, un- 

 dergoing repairs. Subsequently she made an investigation of the 

 pound and gill-net fisheries in some of the tributaries of the Lower 

 Chesapeake, and from April 27 to May 23 was employed in connection 

 with the work of shad propagation in the Susquehanna and Delaware 

 Rivers. From the close of the shad season until the last of July, and 

 again from the first of November until the end of the year, the Halcyon 

 was mainly in Chesapeake Bay, acting as a dispatch boat or freight 

 boat in connection with the stations, or investigating the fisheries. 

 From August 9 to October 25 she was at Wood's Holl, Mass. Mate 



