LVIII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



time they were found in sheets about the thickness of ordinary window 

 glass. Tliese sheets were broken up, measured, and placed in the 

 Chester jars and yielded a fair percentage of fry. In all 52,441,000 

 were hatched, 5,000,000 of which were shipped to East Greenwich, R. I. 

 The remainder were planted in arid around Woods Hole Harbor. 



Large numbers of small flat-fish from | inch to I inch in length were 

 captured during the spring in surface nets near the station, and while 

 it is impossible to say whether or not these were the results of Fish 

 Commission operations, it would seem reasonable to so claim. 



In April arrangements were made to obtain egg lobsters from the 

 fishing centers between Koank, Conn., and Scituate, Mass. The launch 

 Cygnet was detailed to collect from fishermen operating in Vineyard 

 Sound and Buzzards Bay and a schooner was employed to cover the 

 field around ]^oank and Stonington, Conn., and Block Island, E. I. 

 This boat was also used in planting fry and adult lobsters in Connecticut 

 waters after the eggs had been hatched. At Plymouth and Scituate 

 local men Avere engaged to collect and ship the lobsters to the station 

 by express. The work was pushed energetically to the close of the fiscal 

 year, at which time 18,498,000 eggs had been obtained from Koank, 

 Stonington, and Block Island, 11,700,000 in the vicinity of Woods Hole, 

 including Buzzards Bay, 298,000 from Plymouth, Mass., 2,491,000 from 

 Scituate, Mass., and 11,411,000 from Newport, R. I. The collections 

 from the first three points mentioned were a little behind those of last 

 season; those from Woods Hole and vicinity averaged about the same, 

 while the Plymouth collections were only about 7 per cent of the take 

 of 1898. The decrease resulted from fishermen taking less interest in 

 the work. The Newport field is a new one, and it is believed that 

 next year's collections at that point can be made to double this year's. 



As there is no law in Rhode Island which prohibits the sale of egg 

 lobsters, arrangements were made to pay dealers for the privilege of 

 stripping the eggs, after which they were returned to them to be sold. 

 From the 44,458,000 eggs collected, 39,881,000 fry were hatched and 

 planted over a wide territory. All of the adult lobsters handled, except 

 those at Newj^ort, were liberated in open waters. 



A pound net was set in Buzzards Bay to obtain mackerel eggs, and 

 from May 29, when the first haul was made, to the end of June 4,918,000 

 apparently good eggs were secured, but they produced only a few fish. 

 This was disappointing, as nearly all of the eggs developed to a point 

 where, by aid of the microscope, the pulsations of the heart were plainly 

 visible and the embryo could be seen to twist and turn in the egg. 



The following shows the number of eggs collected and fry hatched 

 during the season : 



