﻿6 
  DISTRIBUTION 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISH 
  EGGS, 
  1913. 
  

  

  drainage 
  and 
  washings 
  following 
  hea\'y 
  rains. 
  Koily 
  water 
  is 
  ex- 
  

   ceedingly 
  injiu"ious 
  to 
  the 
  ova 
  and 
  young 
  of 
  the 
  black 
  bass, 
  and 
  as 
  

   heavy 
  rains 
  and 
  sudden 
  temperature 
  changes 
  are 
  conditions 
  which 
  

   must 
  be 
  expected 
  during 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  when 
  these 
  fishes 
  

   spawn, 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  the 
  Bureau's 
  pond-cultural 
  operations 
  are 
  

   hazardous 
  and 
  uncertahi 
  in 
  the 
  extreme. 
  One 
  year 
  a 
  station 
  may 
  

   have 
  a 
  good 
  output, 
  and 
  the 
  next 
  year, 
  apparently 
  under 
  similar 
  

   conditions, 
  ver}^ 
  few 
  young 
  fish 
  will 
  be 
  produced. 
  Wliat 
  has 
  been 
  

   said 
  regarding 
  the 
  difTiculties 
  met 
  with 
  in 
  black 
  bass 
  culture 
  apphes 
  

   with 
  equal 
  force 
  to 
  the 
  crappies, 
  sunfishes, 
  catfishes, 
  and 
  the 
  rock 
  

   bass. 
  

  

  With 
  its 
  present 
  facihties 
  the 
  Bm'eau 
  w^ould 
  be 
  quite 
  powerless 
  to 
  

   cope 
  with 
  the 
  situation, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  demands 
  for 
  the 
  pond 
  fishes 
  are 
  

   concerned, 
  were 
  it 
  not 
  for 
  the 
  valuable 
  fields 
  afforded 
  for 
  rescue 
  work 
  

   b}^ 
  the 
  overflow 
  of 
  certain 
  rivers 
  to 
  which 
  these 
  fishes 
  are 
  indigenous. 
  

   These 
  rivers 
  j^eriodically 
  overflow 
  their 
  banks, 
  the 
  flood 
  waters 
  

   covering 
  many 
  thousands 
  of 
  acres 
  of 
  the 
  adjacent 
  lowlands. 
  During 
  

   this 
  flood 
  period, 
  which 
  occurs 
  when 
  the 
  river 
  fishes 
  are 
  spawning, 
  

   they 
  seek 
  the 
  quiet 
  overflow 
  waters 
  to 
  deposit 
  their 
  eggs. 
  Before 
  the 
  

   fry 
  hatched 
  from 
  these 
  eggs 
  have 
  become 
  strong, 
  the 
  receding 
  waters 
  

   cut 
  off 
  their 
  return 
  to 
  the 
  main 
  channels, 
  and 
  thus 
  many 
  thousands 
  

   of 
  young 
  bass 
  and 
  other 
  fishes 
  are 
  imprisoned 
  in 
  land-locked 
  waters, 
  

   where 
  they 
  would 
  eventually 
  and 
  inevitably 
  perish 
  from 
  drought 
  or 
  

   cold 
  unless 
  removed. 
  For 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  j^ears 
  past 
  the 
  Bureau 
  has 
  

   been 
  collecting 
  young 
  fishes 
  from 
  these 
  temporary 
  lakes 
  and 
  ponds, 
  

   returning 
  a 
  liberal 
  percentage 
  of 
  them 
  to 
  the 
  original 
  streams, 
  and 
  

   utilizing 
  the 
  surplus 
  for 
  distribution 
  to 
  appHcants 
  and 
  for 
  stocking 
  

   public 
  waters 
  in 
  various 
  sections 
  of 
  the 
  country. 
  

  

  METHOD 
  OF 
  DISTRIBUTION. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  consideration 
  in 
  the 
  Bureau's 
  distribution 
  of 
  fishes 
  is 
  to 
  

   make 
  ample 
  return 
  to 
  the 
  waters 
  from 
  which 
  eggs 
  or 
  fish 
  have 
  been 
  

   collected. 
  The 
  remainder 
  of 
  the 
  product 
  is 
  consigned 
  to 
  suitable 
  

   pubhc 
  or 
  private 
  waters 
  upon 
  application 
  indorsed 
  by 
  a 
  United 
  

   States 
  Senator 
  or 
  Representative, 
  the 
  Bureau 
  furnishing 
  to 
  persons 
  

   interested 
  an 
  application 
  blank 
  for 
  this 
  purpose. 
  The 
  blank 
  caUs 
  

   for 
  a 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  waters 
  to 
  be 
  stocked, 
  and 
  by 
  this 
  information 
  

   is 
  determined 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  fish 
  that 
  is 
  suitable 
  and 
  the 
  number 
  that 
  

   may 
  be 
  allotted 
  to 
  the 
  water 
  area 
  in 
  question. 
  Certain 
  predaceous 
  

   species, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  basses 
  and 
  perches, 
  are 
  not 
  furnished 
  for 
  waters 
  

   inhabited 
  by 
  trout 
  or 
  other 
  vamable 
  fishes 
  to 
  which 
  tiiey 
  would 
  be 
  

   destructive. 
  Nor, 
  of 
  course, 
  are 
  species 
  like 
  trout 
  and 
  salmon 
  fur- 
  

   nished 
  for 
  waters 
  already 
  stocked 
  with 
  fish 
  that 
  would 
  prey 
  upon 
  them. 
  

  

  The 
  fish 
  are 
  carried 
  to 
  their 
  destination 
  in 
  railroad 
  cars 
  equipped 
  

   for 
  the 
  purpose 
  or 
  ])y 
  messengers 
  ,who 
  accompany 
  the 
  shipments 
  in 
  

  

  