LVIII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



keep the spawning fish out in deep water, but it greatly retarded the 

 hatching of the eggs and caused the death of large numbers of fry. 

 As an experiment, artificial heat was applied to the water in the supply 

 tank with the view to maintaining an even temperature of 68° in the 

 jars; but this plan was soou abandoned, as it would have been imprac- 

 ticable to hold the fry iu artificially heated water until that in the 

 sound reached the same temperature. 



The distribution of the fry commenced on April 21, and at the close 

 of operations 5,647,000 had been planted, also 1,811,000 eggs. The 

 remaining 2,194,000 eggs were transferred to Central Station. 



Shad-hatching operations on steamer Fish Haivh in Albemarle Sound in 1897-9S. 



On April 26, after the plants had all been made, the vessel proceeded 

 through the Chesapeake and Albemarle Canal to Norfolk, en route for 

 Delaware Bay, to resume the hatching of shad at that point. 



Delaware River, Steamer Fish Hawk. 



The vessel arrived at Gloucester, N. J., on May 3, and at once com- 

 menced the collection of eggs from the seines fished in Howell Cove, 

 Eiverton, and other points between Gloucester and Philadelphia, over 

 2,000,000 being secured the first night. Work continued uninterrupt- 

 edly until May 11, when operations were cut short, as the Navy Depart- 

 ment called for the services of the vessel in connection with the Cuban 

 blockade. During this short period over 12,433,000 eggs were secured, 

 but, owing to the unusually cold weather prevailing and the consequent 

 low temperature of the water, many of them died in the jars. The 

 5,342,000 remaining when work was discontinued on the 11th were 

 transferred to the Pennsylvania State hatchery at Bristol, Pa., together 

 with the hatching apparatus and such boats and launches belonging 



