19 



The mortality which was upticeable in these eggs taken at 

 the close of the season, might be attributable to the heat of 

 the surface of the water, and the increased poAver of the sun. 

 This might be remedied by submerging the liatching boxes. 



Coppaoe's Landing, June 10th, 1875. 

 T. B. Ferguson, Esq. 

 Dear Sir : 



* -r * :!< ;;: ;J: ^ :f: 



We have taken about iive luindred thousand eggs this week, 

 all of which have looked as well the morning of the second 

 day as the lot you saw when you were down here. But, after 

 they have been in the boxes twenty-four hours or more, a 

 white spot appears on a very large number of them. I have 

 not yet been able to discover the cause. There are hundreds 

 of fish playing about the bottoms of the boxes trying to suck 

 the eggs through. Whether the injury is to be attributed to 

 them, I cannot say. Wroteu thinks the water is poisoned 

 with the drainage of fields, and the grasses growing and de- 

 caying. Should the lot taken last night do better than those 

 taken previously, I will attribute it to the late rain. The 

 catch of the seine last night was sixty-nine. That of the 

 gillers light. We got nine or ton sj)awners in all. 



Your's, very truly, Alex. Kent. 



On receipt of this report from Mr. Kent operating at Cop- 

 page's Landing, the instructions below were given. 



Maryland Commission, Fish and Fishemes. 



192 N. Charles St., Baltimore, 



'Tune llfk, 1875. 

 Mr. Alex. Kent, Coppage's Landing, 

 Dear Sir : 



I have been thinking of the probable causes of the loss of 

 eggs, which your report mentions, and think it might be 

 from the heat of the sun upon the surface of the water. I 

 ■v\ish you would try the experiment of submerging a box of 

 eggs, so that they would not be so near the surface of the 

 Avater. You might do this by taking off the floats from the 

 box you put eggs in, then fasten another box on as a cover, 

 to prevent the egg coming out. Kemove the floats of the top 

 box, nearer to the top, and put it in the stream. The floats 

 should be arranged to cause the bottom of the lower box to 

 be inclined to 'the current like the figure below, i wish I had 

 thought of it sooner, I would have liked to have tried some 

 of my jars, and if it was not so late, would send you some ot 

 them with a tank to use as a reservoir. * * * * 

 Very truly your's, T. B. Ferguson, 



Oommi-ssioncr. 



