IKS Thirl ii-slxUi AiiHiiiil Mecliitij 



$-.>,nO(). 'I'liroughout the SL'asun the ])riees ruled $4.") for bucks 

 and $S0 for roes at the nets. 



A catch of over 50 to a drift was not uncommon on the 

 stretch of river between the Pennsylvania railroad l)ridge and 

 Trenton. On one occasion there was taken from the department's 

 own gill net 28 fish in a drift of less than a quarter of a mile. 

 It was therefore not a lack of fish which caused the department's 

 spawntakers trouble in securing eggs, but a lack of ripe fish. 

 There were only 132 spawners caught. Indeed two of these were 

 not quite ready to yield their eggs when taken from the nests. 



The mentioning of these two fish recalls also another very 

 curious fact, namely, the unusual large number of fenuiles which 

 were within 24 hours of being ripe. A conservative estimate 

 would be about four or five females in every 25 in this condition. 

 The color would be brilliant about tlie vent and the vent itself 

 would be protuding and when the fish was handled the eggs 

 would be found to be loosened but could not be expressed. A 

 nmnber of these fish at dift'erent times »after being caught were 

 placed in a cool spot in the hatching house and allowed to lie 

 there a half hour to an hour and a half and in two instances at 

 the end of the period about two thirds of the eggs could be taken, 

 but the hatch from these eggs was less than 50 per cent. 



The first eggs were taken on May 5th from a fish caught l)y 

 a giller and yielded 28,000 eggs, and this fish was secured after 

 the water temperature of the river had been 60 degrees for nearly 

 a week. The water temperature then fell to 58 degrees at wliich 

 it remained until May loth, with scarcely any variation. On 

 May 15 there was a slight rise in the water temperature and on 

 that day one giller took 49,000 eggs and 36,000 were taken from 

 the Washington park fishery, the first taken from any .shore net. 

 From this time on until June 1st eggs were taken daily in small 

 quantities and by the last of May there had been taken 2,602,000 

 good eggs. The highest take was 378,000 on the 17th, the water 

 temperature being 58 degrees. On May 15 only )50,U0IT was 

 taken with the same tem])erature. On May 13. 158,000 and on 

 May 20, 283,000 with a 58 degree temperature. On .May 31, 

 202,000 were taken. The weather Avas vt'ry warm; tlu' water 

 temperature a trifle over 58 degrees, l)ut the water was muddy. 



All the eyiis were taken dailv in the evening during Mav. 



