L REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



18th two ripe lake trout were captured, one male and one female; 

 another was taken subsequently, and 17,500 eggs were secured. The 

 location of the net was changed three times during the season, and 

 nearly every night loosely hung gill nets of small mesh were set in vari 

 ous portions of the lake, in both deep and shallow water. Although 

 the men worked nearly 10 hours per day, it became evident by November 

 1 that it was useless to continue the work. Large quantities of suckers, 

 small minnows, dace, and smelt were taken. 



The brook trout did not appear on the spawning-beds as usual in 

 November, which is accounted for by the fact that the water 4 feet 

 below the surface was much warmer than usual, registering 50° on Octo- 

 ber 25. The station was closed in November with most disappointing 

 results, the collections amounting to only 17,500 lake trout and 6,500 

 brook trout eggs. It is believed, though, that the lake trout had 

 spawned before fishing commenced with the pound net. 



In order to determine whether the brook trout spawned after work 

 was discontinued the spawning-beds were examined on December 1 and 

 28. The first examination showed the presence of two pairs; the last 

 disclosed three beds which had just been cleaned. Other examinations 

 were prevented by the extreme cold weather, the temperature standing 

 at 12° below zero. 



On October 22 the superintendent visited Lake Dunraore to deter- 

 mine whether it would be advisable to establish a station there for 

 collecting lake-trout eggs. A suitable spring for eying a million or 

 more was found near the lake, and a number of males and females were 

 observed on the beds. A female, estimated to weigh 10 pounds, taken 

 with a dip net, was found to be full of ripe eggs. It is believed that 

 with suitable apparatus enough fish could be captured to yield a million 

 or more eggs during the season at comparatively light expense. 



As a result of the operations at the various points, 950,000 eyed 

 eggs were received at St. Johnsbury at a cost of $1,000; 370,000 of 

 these were transferred to other stations of the Commission and shipped 

 to State fish commissions and private individuals ; and 580,000 were 

 hatched at the station, the fry resulting from them being distributed in 

 May and June. 



In addition to the eggs collected at the field stations, 9,000 eggs of 

 the golden trout were obtained from the New Hampshire Fish Com- 

 mission and hatched at St. Johnsbury for the Vermont Commission. A 

 shipment of 50,000 landlocked salmon eggs, transferred from Craig 

 Brook on March 22, arrived with.a loss of only 17. These hatched in 

 May, and 42,329 remained of them at the close of the year. Owing 

 to the high temperature of the water, it was found necessary to jiut 

 salt in the ponds twice a week. Before doing this the water is drawn 

 down very low and the supply shut off; the fish are then immersed in 

 a solution of about 4 quarts of salt to 40 gallons of water. 



During June two consignments of grayling eggs were received from 

 Bozeman, Mont. On account of the warm weather prevailing at that 



