LXII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Early in the season 40 cases of herring roe were canned, to be used as 

 fish food at the Wytheville and Erwin stations. An immense amount 

 of this roe is wasted every year, and as it is considered an especially 

 suitable food for young rainbow trout it is recommended that a Hrger 

 canning i^lant be installed before the opening of another season. The 

 work of canning costs nothing, as it is done by the station force. 



Attention is called to the condition of the marine railway for hauling 

 out the launches. It is unsafe, and should be removed at once. 



Central Station, Washington, D. C. (J. E. Brown, in charge). 



The work of this station for the year has been conducted as usual, it 

 being used as headquarters for the Fish Commission cars and as a 

 receiving depot for the shipment of the output of the fish ponds. Eggs 

 of salmon, trout, shad, and yellow perch were hatched at the station to 

 demonstrate the methods of the Commission, forming an instructive 

 and entertaining exhibit, for about eight months of the year, to the 

 many visitors attracted to the aquarium. 



The following table shows the number of eggs received and hatched : 



The superintendent of Central Station is also charged with receipting 

 for and shipping all freight and express received or sent by the Com- 

 mission, and this work during the past year involved the handling of 

 749 packages received and 541 sent out. 



The appearance of the station bas been much improved recently by 

 the installation on the ground floor of most of the exhibits used by tlie 

 Commission at the various expositions, also a large variety of fishery 

 apparatus, including not only domestic material but many forms from 

 the Bergen Exposition, Norway. 



Bryan Point Station, Maryland (L. G. Harron, in charge). 



The storage shed and boathouse were whitewashed in March, and the 

 boats and other equipment were painted and put in readiness for 

 the coming season. On April 13 the launches Petrel and Bhie Wing 

 reported for duty, and at the first appearance of ripe shad (April 17) 

 the force was increased to 45. The egg collections by April 30 aggre 

 gated 32,740,000, bat the number ot fish commenced falling off from 

 that time, and on May 19 it became necessary to discontinue operations 

 and dismiss the men, though a few were retained until the 25th to close 

 the station. The collections amounted to 49,283,000 eggs, from which 

 37,384,000 fry were hatched and 4,062,000 eyed eggs transferred to 

 other points. Of the fry, 6,110,000 were planted in Southern waters, 

 and 31,274,000 in the Potomac River on the natural spawning-grounds. 



