XCII 



REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Commission on shares. Mr, G. H. Tolbert was detailed for duty at this 

 point, and took charge of the work on March 15. Under his direction, 

 runways were made to connect the several ponds, which were originally 

 beaver-dams; traps were put in for the capture of adult trout, and live- 

 boxes constructed. The first eggs were taken on May 7, the last July 3. 

 The results secured were not as large as had been anticipated, as only 

 2.^0,000 eggs were obtained. Of these, 104,600 were shipped to Boze- 

 man and the rest were hatched and planted in the ponds. These ponds 

 contain an abundance of natural food, sueh as Gammarus, and the fish 

 in them are healthy and well fed. 



The Red Rock Lake station was opened on April G, Mr. A. J. Sprague, 

 fish-culturist of the Leadville station, being in charge. Tlie temporary 

 hatchery, erected the previous fall, was equipped with troughs and a 

 suitable trap was placed in the creek. The water supply to the hatch- 

 ery was also increased by enlarging the spring and raising it to a higher 

 level. As more grayling were taken than could be utilized, the trap 

 was fished only during the day. The first eggs were collected May 14 

 and the last on June 29, 5,300,000 being taken in all. 



As some difficulty had been experienced during the previous season 

 in handling grayling eggs on flat trays, both the McDonald jars and 

 the Stone- Williamson baskets were employed this year, and with very 

 satisfactory results, no trouble arising from fungus or from bunching 

 of the eggs, as heretofore. It would appear that grayling eggs should 

 be eyed under a water pressure from above rather than with a lateral 

 current. 



Owing to an unforeseen delay in tlie delivery of the shipping-boxes, it 

 became necessary to hatch the bulk of the eggs at the station and deposit 

 the fry in adjacent streams. Of those transferred, 750,000 were sent to 

 Bozeman, 100,000 to St. Johnsbury, 100,000 to Duluth, 07,000 to Forth- 

 ville, 25,000 to the Wyoming Fish Commission, and 50,000 to the Rhode 

 Island Fish Commission. 



The fry liatched at the station were planted as follows: 3,000,000 in 

 Elk Creek, 100,000 in Elk Lake, 800,000 in Picnic Spring Creek, and 

 75,000 in Hidden Lake, 



During the winter and spring 130,000 brook-trout eggs, 50,000 rainbow- 

 trout eggs, and 15,000 steelhead-trout eggs were received at the station 

 from different points. These were hatched and the fry will be held for 

 rearing. 



At the close of the year there were on hand the following : 



Species. 



Brook trout 



Black-spotted trout. 



Steelhead trout 



Rainbow trout 



Grayling 



Calendar j'ear in which fish were hatched. 



1899. 



68, 800 

 '26, U06 



1898. 



1897. 



2,100 



4,945 



190 



* 1,456 



80 



6,370 



584, 000 

 14,700 



590, 000 



* Received 780 from Leadville station. 



