XLVI RE-PORT OP COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



been held iu a pond specially prepared for tbem for the purpose of 

 experimenting in domestication. The third brood were the fry liatched 

 in the spring of 1898, numbering 630,264. The losses on these were 

 quite heavy late in the summer, and the number distributed amounted 

 to only 391,898, or 61J per cent of the stock on hand on June 30. These 

 results were not satisfactory, compared with the output of the previous 

 year, when over 85 per cent of the number on hand at the beginning of 

 the year were successfully distributed in the fall mouths, liaving been 

 reared under nearly the same conditions. The 4-year-old salmon were 

 held until fall with a loss of only 4 per cent, and in November yielded 

 16,800 eggs of poor quality, which died by the end of April. On the 

 recommendation of the superintendent the fish were liberated in Ala- 

 moosook Lake, and experiments in domestication were discontinued. 



The salmon in the lot numbering 400 at the beginning of the year 

 were reduced to 365 by November, when the spawning commenced. 

 They yielded 2,147,677 eggs, which were reduced by losses to 1,862,767 

 when the division was made, the United States Fish Commission 

 receiving 1,500,288, and the State of Maine 362,479. Of those belonging 

 to this Commission, 656,000 were shipped to other State fish commis- 

 sions and to private individuals; from the remainder, 842,017 fry were 

 produced. In May the State of Maine turned over to the Commission 

 the fry resulting from its share of the eggs, amounting to 354,080, mak- 

 ing the number available for distribution 1,196,097. Of these, 450,000 

 were liberated in the waters of the main Penobscot Kiver, between 

 Passadumkeag and Mattawamkeag and the balance — 704,496 — was 

 retained for disposition in the fall. 



The term domesticated salmon, as used in this report, api^lies to salmon 

 of the species Salmo salar, descended from parents hatched and reared 

 at the station, having never gone to sea. On the Isu of July there were 

 three lots — one of 2 fish hatchecf in 1892, one of 33 fish hatched in 

 1893, and one of 454 hatched in 1897. In November they yielded 

 15,800 eggs, but all of the fry hatched from them perished before the 

 absorption of the sac. In view of the poor results obtained from the 

 experiments it has been decided to abandon further attempts in this 

 line and to liberate the fish in suitable waters. 



Of the 54,476 landlocked salmon fry on hand in July, 45,379 were 

 distributed during the fall and 3,961 retained. Of the 119,522 at Grand 

 Lake Stream on June 1, 1899, 114,171 were distributed in Grand Lake 

 Stream and Grand Lake in the fall. The crap for the collection of the 

 adult landlocked salmon was finished in Ocl Dber and fishing began on 

 October 28, continuing until November 21. During this period 866 

 salmon, 358 males and 508 females were collected. The largest male 

 measured 24 inches and the shortest 13 inches, the average being 18.7; 

 the largest female measured 22^ inches and the shortest 14 inches, the 

 average being 18.8. The maximum weight of females was 4f pounds, 

 and the minimum 1 pound, the average being 2.59. Of the females 

 captured 477 yielded 621,500 eggs, an average of 1,300 per fish. Of 



