REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. LIX 



Steamer Fish Hawk (James A. Smith, Commanding). 



On March 18 the vessel left Edenton, N. C, and anchored at the 

 entrance to the Chowan Eiver, near the mouth of Salmon Creek. Two 

 days after her arrival, the hatching apparatus having been installed, 

 spawn-takers were sent to the various fishing shores and pound nets, but 

 for two or three weeks the conditions were unfavorable, the weather 

 being cold and rainy and the water temperature ranging from 47° to 56°. 

 The first shad eggs were obtained March 27, but though daily trips were 

 made to all the seines and pounds in the vicinity, no further collections 

 were made until April 5, when 209,000 eggs were secured from Dr. W. 

 E,. Capehart's seiue at Avoca. A few eggs were obtained each day 

 until the 15th, when the water temperature rose to 58°. On that date 

 1,234,000 were collected at Dr. Capehart's seine and 209,000 from a seiue 

 operated by T. D. Holly in the Upper Chowan. From the 15th to the 

 30th good collections were secured, aggregating 21,207,000 eggs, from 

 which 13,898,000 fry were hatched. As in past years, most of the eggs 

 were obtained from Capehart's fishing shore, though efforts were made 

 to secure them from pound nets on the north shore of the Chowan, from 

 the seines on the Roanoke, and also the Upper Chowan. The largest 

 take in any one day was on April 28, when 2,487,000 were collected at the 

 Capehart fishery. The vessel at that time was lying in Edenton Harbor 

 and the eggs were transferred by steam launch. 



For the purpose of testing the water of Pembroke Creek, where a 

 site for a new shad station had been purchased, experiments were con- 

 ducted on board the Fish HatcJc, during April, in hatching shad eggs 

 in water under closed circulation. The results were unsuccessful, and 

 on Ai)ril 28 the vessel proceeded to Edenton and anchored in the har- 

 bor. C L. Hopper was placed in charge of a temporary plant erected 

 on Pembroke Creek, and 375,000 impregnated eggs were transferred 

 from the ship and placed in jars at that point. By April 30, at noon, 

 307,000 of the fry had been hatched and deposited in the creek near 

 the station. The experiment was entirely successful, proving beyond 

 doubt the suitability of the water of Pembroke Creek for hatching 

 shad eggs. When the vessel left on j\Iay 1 there remained 4,147,000 

 eggs, and in order to avoid transferring these, arrangements were made 

 with the Edenton Ice and Storage Company to erect a temporary j)lant 

 on its grounds. A shed of rough boards, was put up, and a table with 

 the necessary tanks, jars, pipes, etc., installed. The eggs were then 

 transferred from the vessel and hatched, and the fry resulting from 

 them, 3,052,000, were deposited in Edenton U arbor. 



The vessel arrived at Gloucester City, IST. J., on May 11 at 9 a. m. 

 The same evening 3,000,000 shad eggs were collected by spawn-takers 

 from Howells Cove, Bennett's fishing shore, and the gill nets at Bil- 

 lingsport and Cramer's fishery, above Philadelphia. Work continued 

 uninterruptedly until June 3, during which i^eriod 51,983,000 eggs were 

 obtained. These produced 31,731,000 fry, which were planted in waters 

 of Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. In addition to 



