XXXIT REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



per cent. The expansion of this work on Lake Erie is essential if the 

 hatcheries on the Upper Lakes are to be kept open, as the collection of 

 eggs on Lakes Huron and Michigan is now impracticable on account 

 of the receut act passed by the Michigan legislature forbidding the 

 capture of whitefish from November 1 to December 15, which covers 

 almost the entire spawning period of that species. For the reason 

 stated above, the whitefish and lake- herring work was confined to Put-in 

 Bay Station. 



The collection of lake-trout eggs at Duluth and Northville was 

 larger than usual, notwithstanding the fact that the passage of the 

 act referred to above prevented the collection of eggs at many of the 

 most important fishing points on Lake Michigan. The field of operations 

 was extended into Georgian Bay, where large numbers of eggs were 

 secured, and to the eastern end of Lake Superior, where the fishermen 

 had heretofore furnished eggs to the Michigan Fish Commission. 



The resumption of pike-perch work on Lake Erie, after a lapse of two 

 years, resulted in the collection of 221,000,000 eggs and the liberation 

 of 81,153,000 fry in the waters of Lakes Erie and Ontario. 



The propagation of marine species was commenced early in the fall 

 at Woods Hole and Gloucester, Mass., on the plan heretofore followed, 

 except that an additional field station for the collection of cod eggs 

 was established at Plymouth, Mass., and the number of brood-fish held 

 at Woods Hole Station was materially reduced. The results attained 

 by these changes were exceedingly satisfactory, over 300,000,000 eggs 

 being handled at the two stations, which resulted in the liberation of 

 203,000,000 fry on the spawning-grounds along the New England coast. 



Considerable attention was also paid to the propagation of flatfish 

 during the months of February and March, but, owing to presence of 

 ice until after the spawning season was partially over in Waquoit Bay, 

 the number of eggs collected was not so large as had been anticipated. 



Notwithstanding the decline in the lobster fishery and other unfavor- 

 able conditions, over 60,000,000 eggs were taken on the coasts of Maine 

 and Massachusetts north of Cape Cod. South of the cape and along 

 the coasts of Connecticut and Rhode Island, however, the results were 

 unsatisfactory, due not only to a decided decrease in the fishery, but to 

 the fact that little or no fishing was being done in the vicinity of Woods 

 Hole Station, where large numbers of eggs are ordinarily collected. 

 This was partly attributed to the passage of a law by the State of Mas- 

 sachusetts forbidding pound or trap-net fishing in Buzzards Bay, from 

 which source all of the bait used by the lobster fishermen had been 

 derived. 



The shad work was the largest ever accomplished by the Commission, 

 more than 300,000,000 eggs being taken on the Susquehanna, Delaware, 

 and Potomac rivers and Albemarle Sound. The steamer Fish HawJc, 

 detailed during the winter for shad work in southern waters, was used 

 as a floating hatchery at Avoca, N. C, on the Chowan River, at the 

 head of Albemarle Sound. Previous to commencing this work she 



