REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH A.ND FISHERIES. LXXXVII 



It is a matter of regret that the railroads of Texas, with the exception 

 of three — the St. Louis Southwestern, Texas and Pacific, and Fort 

 Worth and Eio Grande — declined to give the Commission any more 

 free transportation, as this will increase the cost of distribution very 

 greatly. It may be of interest to know that the employees of the sta- 

 tion traveled 18,857 miles in making the spring distribution, 9,000 of 

 wliich were free. The amount expended in traveling was $773.43. 



Of the fish distributed 37,550 of the black bass were planted in the 

 following streams: Trinity River, 8,000; Brazos River, 7,150; Colorado 

 River, 9,300; Guadalupe River, 5,000; Nueces River, 2,500; Frio River, 

 2,000; .Medina River, 1,400; San Saba River, 1,000; San Antonio River 

 (above city), 500; Pecan Creek, 700. 



As it was impossible to obtain any rock bass in Texas, 10 adults 

 were transferred from the Neosho station in December and placed in a 

 pond 50 by 100 feet. At first the clear water appeared to affect their 

 eyes, but they recovered and commenced nesting on the 23d of March. 

 At the close of the year there appeared to be quite a number of young 



Rake for drawing aquatic plants and moss to pond banks. 



fish about li inches long in the pond. At the same time these fish were 

 transferred from Neosho, 12 calico bass were received and placed in a 

 pond of the same size; these showed signs of nesting during the 

 latter part of March and quite a number of small ones were observed 

 on April 19. 



Profiting by the experience of the past year, the adult crappie were 

 placed in a pond with carp so that the water would be kept muddy. 

 They commenced nesting late in March and at the close of the year a 

 number of fish about 2 inches long were observed. For breeding pur- 

 poses it is not deemed advisable to place more than 50 of these fish to 

 a half-acre pond. 



An effort was made to propagate bream, and early in the winter 30 

 were placed in a small pond. They commenced sijawning in April and 

 had not finished at the close of the year. 



Blind salamander and shrimp continued to come up in the water 

 from the artesian well, the shrimp' constantly, the salamander at inter- 

 vals. Perhaps two or three would be found one week, and then for 

 several weeks none would be seen. Many of the specimens were for- 



