XLII REPORT OP COMMISSIONER OP FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The fish-cultural work, which was practically illustrated by the hatch- 

 ing of grayling during the month of July, and quinnat-salmon eggs 

 (shipped from the Pacific coast) during September and October, proved 

 very instructive aud entertaining. During the entire exposition there 

 were exhibited in the aquarium various kinds of fry which had been 

 hatched on the grounds, including a large number of quinnat-salmon fry. 



At the close of the exposition all the fish on hand which were not 

 liberated in the vicinity of Omaha were turned over to the Nebraska 

 Fish Commission for distribution to the public waters of the State. 

 The aquarium was dismantled and, with the other exhibits, shipped 

 to Washington, under the direction of Mr. K. J. Conway, assisted by 

 Mr. W. P. Sauerhoff, to whose untiring energy and attention much of the 

 success attained was due; Mr. Conway being in charge of the aquarium 

 and general management of the exhibit during the exposition, and Mr. 

 Sauerhoft" of the fish-cultural work. 



CAR AND MESSENGER SERVICE. 



The demands in this branch of the service, which remains under the 

 charge of Mr. J. F. Ellis, have greatly increased during the past few 

 years, owing to the increase in the number of stations and the greater 

 number of requests for fish from all parts of the country. During the 

 year the four cars were actually engaged in distribution 845 days and 

 traveled 95,374 miles, distributing 100,578,000 fish, with a total loss of 

 1,288,000, or 1.28 per cent. The remaining fish furnished for distribu- 

 tion, amounting to 955,793,000, were planted by detached messengers 

 and employees of the various stations, who traveled 138,847 miles in 

 making said distribution. Of these, 4,938,854 were lost en route, or 

 0.5 per cent. The percentage of fish lost by messengers is necessarily 

 much smaller than where handled on the car, as in many instances the 

 plants are made within a mile or less of the station, whereas on the 

 cars they are frequently held for eight and ten days and carried many 

 thousand miles in varying latitudes and temperatures. 



The work in this branch of the service has been exceedingly satis- 

 factory, though no imjDortant changes or improvements were made, 

 except increasing the capacity of the air-pumps on several of the cars 

 and the substitution of steel platforms and new couplers for the old 

 forms. All of the cars were overhauled and repaired during the season 

 at a cost of $3,550. In addition to the routine work of the division, the 

 cars were called on to transport the fish exhibited at Omaha, involving- 

 two trips with salt-water fishes from Woods Hole to Omaha, besides a 

 number of trips i'rom the stations at Quincy, Neosho, Manchester, and 

 Northville. They were also used for collecting wild trout in Wisconsin 

 for the Manchester station, and at the request of the Flint and Pere 

 Marquette Kailroad distributed a carload of pike perch in Michigan. 



The sui)erin ten dent renews his recommendation that two additional 

 cars, with crews, be provided, as at present it is frequently necessary to 

 borrow or hire cais from the various railroad companies, and to employ 

 untrained temporary assistants to assist in the distribution. 



