1905 DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES, 19 



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The Biological Station in the Georgian Bay. 



The Department is indebted to Dr. B. E. Bensley, the officer in charge 

 of the station, for a short but comprehensive and instructive report outlin- 

 ing some of the work which has been done at the station during the season. 

 The Department has facilitated the work carried on by granting such privil- 

 eges for netting, etc., as have been desired. Dr. Bensley says: "The lab- 

 oratory was occupied from June 1st to September 15th, with the following 

 gentlemen in attendance: Mr. A. G. Huntsman, B.A., Laboratory Assist- 

 ant in Biology, Mr. I. R. Bell, and Mr. J. R. G. Murray, students of the 

 University of Toronto. 



"The month of June was devoted to hatching experiments on the eggs of 

 the black bass. Studies on the habits, growth and food of the recently 

 hatched young were made during this month and were continued on the 

 advanced young during the balance of the season. In this connection Mr. 

 Bell made a preliminary study of the microscopic life of the water, and Mr. 

 Murray, a series of illustrations of representative forms. During the greater 

 part of the season periodic visits were made with the fishermen to the white- 

 fish grounds, and statistics and material bearing on the natural history of 

 the food-fishes taken in gill-nets were collected. 



"In view of the increasing sentiment in favor of the preservation of 

 the game-fishes, and of the interest already taken by the Provincial Govern- 

 ment in restocking operations, will you allow me to refer to the need of a 

 hatchery in the southern section of Georgian Bay. The northeastern shore 

 and the islands embrace large sections at present undisposed of by the 

 Dominion and Provincial Governments, which are only valuable for fishing 

 and tourist purposes. According to the general opinions expressed, the sup- 

 ply both of food and game fishes is being rapidly depleted. It seems there- 

 fore advisable that the efforts of the Government in preventing the capture 

 by irresponsible persons of game fishes during the breeding season by seines 

 and traps should be supplemented by constructive efforts towards increas- 

 ing the supply through hatching operations. In this region bass and white- 

 fish hatching could be profitably combined." 



Further inquiry by the undersigned respecting the artificial hatching 

 of the bass elicited the following observations : 



"Regarding your inquiry about bass propagation, the pond method is 

 the one which has been generally adopted. There could be no mistake in 

 establishing bass hatching ponds in various parts of the Province. The 

 experiments which we made in hatching bass in the laboratory were success- 

 ful, but there are three points which are uncertain, first, whether stripping, 

 which we have as yet been unable to try, would be feasible; secondly, 

 whether or not the young bass would live when returned to the water; and, 

 finally, whether the experiment can be converted into practice on a paying 

 basis. Our trials have been incomplete so far, on account of not having 

 large enclosures to keep parent fish in. 



"My suggestion regarding a hatchery for bass is not to operate with 

 them independently, but to set off a portion of a whitefish hatchery, which I 

 thousrht might be established in the lower part of the Georgian Bay, and 

 try the artificial method under fair conditions and on a considerable scale. 

 My opinion regarding artificial hatching of bass is that it has not been 

 given a fair trial. Whitefish and trout eggs are readily hatched, simply on 

 account of the fact that they will stand a fair amount of abuse which the 

 bass eggs will not. If it is possible to hatch bass eggs artifically, there is a 

 great advantage in doing so, on account of the very large number of them 

 attacked by fungus. I think that the reputation the bass has of looking 



