Shira. — Rearing the Channel Catfish 79 



catfish, a subject about which little definite information 

 has been obtainable. On July 9, between the hours of 9 

 and 10 A. M., a pair of these fish confined among others 

 in a large aquarium in Central Station (Washington, D. 

 C.) were seen to be in spawning condition. They had 

 prepared a nest 8 to 10 inches in diameter by removing 

 the gravel from the bottom of the aquarium, leaving the 

 bare slate exposed. On this space the female deposited a 

 mass of eggs, estimated at 3,000, but all except 50 of the 

 eggs were devoured before the other fish could be re- 

 moved from the tank. The remaining eggs were taken in 

 charge and tenderly cared for by the male parent, the 

 female apparently taking no further interest in the pro- 

 ceedings. On the fifth day 41 fry were hatched, the water 

 temperature for the period averaging 81° F. The young 

 when hatched were three-eighths of an inch long and of a 

 whitish-pink color, which gradually became darker, as- 

 suming a light slate by the eighth day. At 4 days old 

 they became very strong and active, and on the seventh 

 day were fed canned herring roe, to the exclusive use 

 of which is attributed the loss of 29 within 3 days. Beef 

 liver was then substituted. The remaining twelve throve 

 on this diet, reaching a length of 3*4 inches by the 

 middle of November, when the water temperature 

 dropped to 40 °F. They then refused food and hibernated 

 in a little cluster in one corner of the aquarium. Early 

 in February the fish were attacked by fungus which 

 caused the death of 8. The other 4 were in the aqua- 

 rium at the close of the year and apparently healthy, 

 being 4 inches in length." This is undoubtedly the first 

 authentic record of the breeding of the channel catfish. 

 For several years the Bureau of Fisheries has at- 

 tempted to rear the channel cat in ponds at several of its 

 stations, but until it was attempted at the Fairport Sta- 

 tion, no successful results had been obtained. The first 

 experiments were started at this station during the sea- 

 son of 1914, in one of the ponds designated as 16 B. This 

 is an earth pond 0.195 acre in area, rectangular in form, 

 with a maximum depth of 6 feet and 10 inches. This 



