XLII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Of the 50,000 steelhead -trout eggs received from Fort Gaston, Cal., 

 in March, 22,966 fry were planted in Green Lake and other waters in 

 the vicinity during the spring. 



All the Atlantic salmon on hand at the beginning of the year were 

 held until March 30, when they were liberated in Green Lake, with a 

 loss of only 12. With the exception of 50 specimens, all of the domes- 

 ticated salmon hatched in 1891 were planted in Green Lake during the 

 fall, as the ponds occupied by them were needed for other fishes. A 

 few thousand eggs were collected from the 50 referred to, but they died 

 in less than forty-eight hours after being placed in the troughs. At 

 the close of the year there remained on hand the following: 



Craig Brook Station, Maine (Charles G. Atkins, Superintendent). 



The stock on hand July 1, 1897, consisted of 471,291 fish hatched the 

 previous winter, chiefly Atlantic and quinnat salmon, a few landlocked 

 salmon, steelhead, and Scotch sea trout; also 2,464 adults, varying in 

 age from 2 to 6 years. All of the fry hatched the previous spring were 

 held during the sac and early feeding stages in the standard troughs 

 used at the station. They were supplied with water obtained from 

 Craig Brook, its temperature during June ranging from 50° to 67°. 

 Press of other work delayed the transfer of these fish to the ponds 

 until after the middle of July, and the last of them were not removed 

 until a month later. It was feared that this delay acted unfavorably 

 on their growth, as the troughs were somewhat crowded. There were 

 no serious losses from disease, however, as none of the epidemics 

 occurring iii past years made their appearance. The mortality in July 

 amounted to 14,000, in August less than 5,000, and in September 2,300. 

 To reduce the stock, 100,143 of the quinnat salmon were liberated early 

 in September, and in October and November they were all disposed of 

 except 5,883, which were retained throughout the winter. 



The growth of the fish during the summer, though satisfactory, was 

 not equal to that attained in former years, when maggots formed an 

 important part of the food supply. These were not available this year, 

 as the building erected for their production had to be transformed into 

 a hatchery to meet the unusual demands made upon the station by the 

 hatching of quinnat salmon the previous winter. The food material 

 was therefore limited to the carcasses of horses and other condemned 

 animals, beef liver, and butchers' offal. 



The distribution of the fish was made by teams to local waters and 

 by messengers to points at a distance from the station. As soon as it 

 was completed the hatchery was filled with eggs collected from the 

 Atlantic salmon confined in Dead. Brook. The 350 female fish produced 



