44 BEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
BRYAN POINT STATION, MARYLAND (L. G. HARRON IN CHARGE). 
The work of preparing the station for the season’s operations was 
commenced in March, and everything was in readiness by April 13; 
but as the weather was very cold and unseasonable the force of spawn- 
takers was not taken on until April 19. The first eggs came in the 
next day, but the catch of shad was exceedingly small, and at the end 
of April only 9,795,000 eggs had been secured, whereas the collections 
at the same time the previous year amounted to over 49,000,000. 
Unfavorable conditions prevailed throughout the entire season, fre- 
quent rains causing freshets and muddy water, which, with the low 
temperature and the scarcity of shad, proved so detrimental to the 
work that only 33,521,000 were obtained. Of these, 1,011,000 were 
shipped to Central Station. The others were hatched at Bryan Point, 
producing 27,154,000 fry, which were distributed in North Carolina, 
South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and on the natural spawning- 
grounds in the Potomac River between Broad and Occoquan creeks. 
The spawn-takers were dismissed on May 23, and on the 30th the 
station was closed and placed in charge of a watchman. The tem- 
porary force during the season consisted of 44 spawn-takers, 5 firemen, 
3 assistants in hatchery, | coxswain and engineer, and 2 cooks. 
The following shows the daily collection of eggs and the mean 
temperature of air and water: 
Mean temper- Mean temper- 
Date. Received. aver | Date. Received. ogre: 
Air. |Water. || Air. |Water. 
| | 
| ° FF, ae OURY © )\y sOune 
April 20s uesss 22 Sees. 136, 000 56 50 Way Onno nee eeee es 836, 000 68 64 
AppplWed cca che cc. 279,000 | 57 51 May 10.............- | 1,110,000} 64 64 
84, 000 54 49 | May 11 _...--...-.-.. 555, 000 69 65 
419, 000 54 AQ: || May 12) -=---- ==. 25 965, 000 70 65 
April ia Ree tS 520, 000 51 48 May dai. 2222s 1,300, 000 65 64 
3X 0) wt U he 5 panies ate eS 207, 000 54 49 May 14 __....__..._..| 662, 000 66 63 
April. 26s. see 2 451, 000 61 51 5 69 64 
April 2fe ce scree: 883, 000 57 52 71 65 
April’28-. +... 1, 886, 000 58 53 72 66 
Arie 0 ae See. 2,474, 000 64 b4 7 | 66 
oN 0) yl Ik, | eee 2, 456, 000 72 153) 63 65 
May 1 2, 062, OOO 66 59 63 65 
: 3,187,000} 71 61 || 67 65 
3 1, 082, 000 68 66° || May 227-22... ees) STO 000) eae 
ik 632. 000 65 63 7 67 
1, 020, 000 69 64 | 76 66 
1, 2389, 000 66 64 61 63 
1, 485, 000 64 64 66 64 
957, OOO 67 63 68 65 
| { 
A number of improvements were made during the year, the most 
important being the construction of a wharf 70 feet long by 12 feet 
wide, running out from the front of the hatchery. This has proved a 
great convenience, and will materially reduce the expense of operating 
the station, as vessels plying up and down the river now land at the 
station daily, thus obviating the necessity for an extra launch, which 
has heretofore been employed mainly for running between the station 
and Alexandria for the purpose of carrying down provisions and 
bringing up eggs and fry. 
