[ 3] OPERATIONS AT WYTHEVILLE STATION. 795 



800,000 trout eggs can be incubated conveniently ; by crowding, pro- 

 vision could be made for 1,200,000 eggs. Under the hatching troughs 

 and supplied by the overflow of the water from these are an equal 

 number of nursing troughs for the young trout. 



Experience has shown that it will not do to transfer them to the open- 

 air ponds until they are several months old. It is proposed to make 

 additional provision for twenty-five more nursing troughs in a separate 

 building, and so increase the capacity of the station as to enable us to 

 rear and furnish for distribution each season not less than 200,000 year- 

 ling trout. 



The second story of the hatchery is framed, and the interior is ar- 

 ranged for office, storage, and quarters, as shown in Plate IV. 



(1) -Work done.— The work of the statiou was at first directed with 

 the view of producing the eggs and young of the Rainbow Trout 

 (Salmo irideus) for distribution. The breeding fish have been reared 

 from eggs obtained from ua tive wild fish at Baird Station, California. 

 These spawned first in the winter of 1883-'84, and, in the winter of 

 188G-'87, we obtained from our own stock of the Eainbow Trout, 220,000 

 eggs. The work of the station has been by degrees extended and di- 

 versified so as to provide for the pond- culture of Carp, the Goldfish, 

 the Rock Bass, and the small-mouthed Black Bass. 



For the better economy and distribution of the w r ork of the station, 

 arrangements were beguu in 1885 to accumulate a stock of the native 

 or red-spotted trout of the Eastern States by the collection of wild fish 

 from streams of Virginia and by hatching and rearing breeding fish at 

 the station from eggs obtained both from Michigan and from the North- 

 eastern States. The eggs from the West gave fry of feeble vitality, and 

 the percentage reared was very small. The stock of breeding fish on 

 hand consists of a few hundred of the native Brook Trout and about 

 2,500 one aud two-year old fish reared from eggs hatched at the sta- 

 tion. It is probable that a few thousand eggs will be obtained during 

 the winter of 1887-'88. Only a small number, however, will mature 

 enough to spawn before the winter of 1888-'S9. 



The current work of production and distribution for the fiscal year 

 begiuning July 1, 1886, is given in the following tables. The receipts 

 of fish and eggs by collection from our breeding fish and from open 

 waters and by transfer from other stations are given in Table I. The 

 distribution of fish aud eggs from the station during the fiscal year be- 

 ginning July 1, 1886, is given in Table II. 



