REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. LXXXV 



fact that most of the fish were onl}' two and three years old. During^ 

 the winter three oonsi<;umeuts of eggs, aggregating 150,000, were 

 receivetl from Leadville in excellent condition and 138,035 fry were 

 hatched from them, bringing the total stock to 297,097; 178,900 of 

 these were distributed during the spring to private applicants and 

 I^lanted in the public waters of Iowa. The remaining fry were held to 

 be reared as yearlings. 



A shipment of 22,800 rainbow-trout eggs was received from Neosho 

 and 200,000 lake-trout eggs from Duluth. Both consignments arrived 

 in good condition, and the fry resulting from them were planted during 

 the spring, most of the lake trout being planted in Okoboji and Spirit 

 lakes. The 20,000 rainbow-trout fry on hand at the beginning of the 

 year were distributed in the fall with the exception of 4,800 retained 

 for brood stock. 



The graylings resulting from eggs shipped from Bozeman in the 

 spring of 1898 suffered severe losses during the summer, as it was dif- 

 ficult to get them to take artificial food. Plants aggregating 22,000 

 were made in Spring Branch and Bear Creek, and the remaining 1,450 

 were retained for experimental rearing. 



The Loch Leven trout collected in the vicinity of the station the 

 previous fall yielded 2,980 eggs, from which 2,005 fry were hatched. At 

 the close of the year 1,840 remained; these will be held for brood fish. 



The following stock remained on hand June 30, 1899: 



San Marcos Station, Texas (J. L. Learv, Stpekintendent). 



In August work was resumed on the four ponds intended to be sup- 

 plied by water wheel, and by the end of October they were completed. 

 This addition to the i)ond system adds very materially to the productive 

 area of the station, and its cost, including water-wheel and reservoir, 

 was only $2,363.77. 



The outer banks of these ponds form a large circle, 1,200 feet in cir- 

 cumference; in the center is a circular mound, 80 feet in diameter, in 

 which is located the distributing reservoir 20 feet in diameter and 3 feet 

 deep, with walls of rock and cement 2J feet thick at base, topped with 

 16-inch limestone coping and completed with interwoven guard rail of 

 half inch iron. The circle is divided into four equal parts by 6-foot 

 embankments, making each pond the form of a keystone, with an area 



