[9] SHAD-HATCHING STATION, BATTERY ISLAND, MD., 1886. 809 



lost if it was not taken by the collectors of the station, impregnated, 

 and hatched. One need only to see the bay studded with the lights of 

 the fishing boats on a night in May to convince him that but for the Com- 

 mission's work very few fish could come from eggs naturally deposited. 

 But, large as was the Commission's force last year, I am satisfied that 

 not over one-half of the ripe fish taken in the bay by fishermen were 

 stripped by its collectors, as they could not possibly attend to all. 



It is fairly demonstrated by this season's work that collecting from 

 gillers produces a better result than hauling the Commission's seine. 

 Two or 3 men can secure as many ripe fish from gillers in a day as 

 30 men would secure if employed in hauling the seine. Moreover, 

 hauling the seine by the employees of the station necessarily involves 

 the Fish Commission in the care and disposal of the fish taken, while 

 it seems to antagonize the fishermen, and is an unnecessary cost. With 

 a good run of fish in the coming year, if the collecting force is doubled 

 and their work thoroughly systematized, perhaps double the number of 

 eggs secured last season can be obtained during 1887. The collection of 

 eggs in 1886 was stimulated also by giving small rewards to those 

 gathering the greatest amount of good spawn. 



Penning shad. — Out of a large number of shad full of roe, but not 

 ripe at the time of introduction, which were placed in the pool and kept 

 for a space of time ranging from a few days to 2 weeks, not one ever 

 produced eggs that would hatch, though apparently ripe when stripped. 

 It would seem that possibly the fright at being taken in the net, or of 

 confinement in the pool, prevents the eggs from further development. 

 All of the fish placed in the pool become more or less diseased after a 

 short time, which may be due partly to the muddy bottom. This in- 

 teresting experiment has hitherto met with such small success as to 

 warrant its being dropped hereafter. 



HERRING. — Herring were taken continually and sometimes in such 

 quantities as to retard the hauling of the seines. No account was kept 

 of them, as they were considered valueless in most cases, and they were 

 shoveled back dead into the river or allowed to escape through the 

 large meshes before completely hauling in the seine. 



Eockfish or striped bass. — Experiments were made in hatching 

 the eggs of the rockfish, the greatest success being obtained by swing- 

 ing a cylinder with gauze ends in a sluice-way through which a current, 

 caused by the tide, constantly flowed. It appears, however, that even 

 Avith very fine gauze the eggs in a certain state are forced through. 

 Owing to want of time, caused by pressure of other matters, sufficient 

 attention could not be devoted to these experiments, and most of the 

 eggs taken were lost. In all, 000,000 rockfish eggs were taken, and 

 75,000 fry were shipped to Lake Ontario, near Oswego, N". Y.* 



Washington, D. C, December 20, 1880. 



* For notice of their successful planting, see F. C. Bulletin for 1886, p. 137. 



