DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, FISCAL YEAR 1906. 11 



The sea basses (Serranid^): 



* Striped bass, rockflsh {Eoccus lineatus). 



* White perch {Morone americana). 



The cods (Gadid^): 



*Cod {Gadus callarias). 



* Pollock {Pollachius virens). 



The flounders (PLEURONEcriDiE): 



* AVinter flounder, American flatfish {PsendojAenrmiertvs amencanus). 

 Crustaceans: 



*Anierican lobster ( Homarns aniericarms). 



APPLICATIONS AND ALLOTMENTS. 



The first consideration in the distribution of tlie product of the 

 hatcheries is to make ample return to the waters from which eggs 

 have been collected. The remainder of the fish are sent to applicants 

 throughout the country for stocking state waters, fishing preserves, 

 private ponds and streams, etc., and are delivered free of charge to 

 the applicant, at the railroad station nearest the point of deposit. 

 Applications are yearly increasing in number, the 5,806 of the past 

 year being 81>8 more than were received in 1905. The demand is now 

 greater than the Bureau can meet with a single year's supply, espe- 

 cially the demand for the basses, crappie, and the catfishes. 



Fishes are distributed at various stages of development, according 

 to the species, the numbers in the hatcheries, and the facilities for 

 rearing. The commercial fishes, such as the shad, whitefish, lake 

 trout, pike perch, cod, etc., which are hatched in lots of many million, 

 are necessarily planted as fr}^; it is customary to distribute them just 

 before the umbilical sac is completel}' absorbed. Atlantic salmon, 

 landlocked salmon, and various species of trout, in such numbers as 

 the hatcher}'' facilities permit, are reared to fingerlings from 1 to 6 

 inches in length; the remainder are distributed as fry. The basses 

 and sunfishes reared at fish-cultural stations are distributed from the 

 time the young rise from the spawning beds until the}^ have reached 

 such size as makes it impracticable to feed them in the hatcheries; the 

 last lots distributed are usually fish 3 to 5 inches in length. The 

 numerous kinds of fishes collected in overflowed lands— basses, crap- 

 pie, sunfishes, pike and pickerel, catfishes, yellow perch, bufl'alo-fish, 

 and others — are 2 to 6 inches in length when taken and distributed. 

 Eggs are distributed only to state hatcheries or to applicants who have 

 hatchery facilities. 



The varying usage in the classification of .young fish as to size has 

 caused such confusion and difticulty that it became necessary for fish- 

 culturists to adopt uniform definitions. Accordingly, at the meeting 

 of the American Fisheries Society in July, 1905, the following were 



