DESCRIPTION OF SAN MARCOS STATION WITH 



SOME OF THE METHODS OF PROPOGA- 



TION IN USE AT THAT STATION 



BY JOHN L. LEARY, UNITED STATES BUREAU OF FISHERIES, OF SAN 

 MARCOS, TEXAS. 



The San Marcos Texas Station is situated near the head of 

 the San Marcos river and ahout three-fourths of a mile from its 

 source, which consists of bold flowing springs, flowing from a 

 limestone ledge some one hundred feet in height. The station 

 comprises thirty-three acres of land and has a river front of near- 

 ly one-half mile and about eighteen feet above water level of river, 

 the grounds being located east of and adjoining the town, a street 

 being the dividing line, and are quite picturesquely situated just 

 l)e]ow a range of hills one liundred feet above the general level of 

 station, the hill just back of the station being crowned by a very 

 handsome state building known as the Southwest Normal School 

 of Texas, accommodating about five hundred students, and 

 makes a fine background to the station, which, with its miniature 

 lakes, makes a pretty foreground, the two making a picturi? 

 which I call the gem of southwest Texas. Of these grounds we 

 have nine acres devoted to twenty-three ponds, varying in size 

 from fifty by fifty feet to one by one and one-fourth acres, all be- 

 ing designated by letters or numbers. Each pond has a sepa- 

 rate inlet and outlet. The inlets are provided with gate valves, 

 and the outlets or standpipes are of brick and cement, open 

 fronts, screened with perforated zinc screens which I have found 

 to be most efficient. The perforations being one-sixteenth of an 

 inch, l)oth screens and dam boards fit into slots provided for in 

 the mason work. The supply pipes are from four to six inches 

 as to size of pond, and the outlets from six to eight inches, lead- 

 ing into drain pipe twelve inches in diameter. All pipes, both 

 supply and drain, are laid under ground, and consist of Michi- 

 gan pine, terra cotta, and iron, the iron being preferred as they 

 never become clogged with roots which will permeate both the 



