LXXXVIII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



warded to Wasliingtou, some alive and some in formalin. Those sent 

 alive were placed in 1-quart Mason jars, about three-quarters full of 

 water. They can be kept alive easily for nine weeks, undergoing great 

 changes of air temperature seemingly without inconvenience. One of 

 a pair furnished to the School of Science at Austin, Tex., has been 

 kept in an aquarium over 12 months, and about every eight days is fed 

 a small bit of the flesh of crawfish. One was kept alive at the station, 

 hermetically sealed in a Mason jar two-thirds full of water, for 31 days. 



The trees planted the previous year have done well, taking into con- 

 sideration the hot climate and almost total drought for 12 mouths. 



The weather during the year has been very clear and dry, with high 

 winds during the winter months and unprecedented cold, the ther- 

 mometer registering 5° below zero on February 12, and remaining low 

 for nearly a week. Ice nearly 4 inches thick formed over the ponds 

 during this spell, but no harm resulted to the fish. Owing to the light 

 rainfall during the past two years, the flow from the artesian well grad- 

 ually dwindled, until in May it was less than 200 gallons per minute, 





Rake for taking aquatic jtlants from ponds. 



and the overflow from the ponds was so light that the hydraulic ram 

 could not be operated. Heavy rains in June caused the flow to become 

 normal again. 



Neosho Station, Missouri (H. D. Dean, Superintendent). 



In addition to the usual fish-cultural work the station employees made 

 many minor improvements during the year; Two spawning-ponds were 

 constructed at the head of pond No. 14, and quite extensive repairs were 

 made to Nos. 14 and 15, including new piling and new standpipes. The 

 material used for this purpose was lA-inch cypress, coated with iiine 

 tar. A new barn was constructed in the rear of the residence, three 

 hydrants were installed on the grounds for watering the lawns, and a 

 refrigerator was built in the corner of the icehouse for the preservation 

 of liver and fish-food. An artesian well, 3-inch bore, was also sunk, 

 with a view to increasing the water supply, but the flow from it is 

 small, and the water is strongly impregnated with sulphur. 



Fish-cultural operations were on about the same lines as in the x)ast. 

 The fish this year were singularly free from disease, and as a conse- 

 quence the output of the station was larger than usual. Of the 92,200 

 rainbow-trout fingerlings on hand at the beginning of the year, 83,775 

 were distributed in the fall, and 2,000 retained for brood stock, showing 

 a loss of only 7 per cent for four months. Of this loss 1,500 were prob- 



