56 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
In view of the deep interest manifested in the lake-herring work by 
the fishermen on Lake Erie, preparations were made to operate on 
an extended scale, but owing to the severity of the season, the pros- 
pects seemed very poor. It was learned in December, however, that 
spawning herring were being taken in large numbers at Vermilion, 
Ohio, and the spawn-takers, sent immediately to that point, secured 
61,760,000 eggs from December 3 to 11. At this time the weather 
became so cold that the fishermen were obliged to use hot water on 
their nets to keep them from freezing while being taken on board, 
and as the hot water spoiled all the eggs with which it came in contact 
the work was discontinued. Of the eggs colleeted, 50,820,000 were 
shipped to the Pennsylvania Fish Commission at Erie, Pa., and the 
remaining 30,940,000 were hatched at Put-in Bay. The first fry came 
out on April 6 and the last on April 15, the total number hatched 
being 20,200,000. These were liberated between April 7 and 17 at 
points in the vicinity of Put-in Bay. 
Early in April spawn-takers were stationed at different points on 
Lake Erie for the purpose of collecting pike-perch eggs. The season 
opened propitiously on the LOth of April, fish being taken in large 
numbers and in good condition; but a storm of four days’ duration 
commenced on April 19, which not only wrecked nearly all the nets, 
but roiled the water to such an extent that the fish left the grounds 
and it was feared that the season was ended. They came back in con- 
siderable numbers, however, and the collection of eggs continued to 
April 30, the season being the longest ever recorded at this station. 
It was also one of the most successful, as it resulted in the collection 
of 341,025,000 eggs; 219,525,000 were received from Toledo, 75,300,000 
from Monroe, and 46,200,000 from Port Clinton. The cost of these 
varied from $3.70 to $8.50 per million, Toledo proving the cheapest 
field of operations and Port Clinton the most expensive. Shipments 
of pike-perch eggs were made as follows: 10,000,000 to the Missouri 
Fish Commission at St. Joseph, Mo.; 32,000,000 to the Michigan Com- 
mission at Detroit, Mich.; 6,000,000 to the Pan-American Exposition, 
Buffalo, N. Y., and 2,000,000 to Central Station, Washington, D. C. 
The balance were hatched at the station, producing 160,087,000 fry, 
46,000,000 of which were utilized in stocking inland waters. The 
remainder were planted in Lake Erie. The hatching period extended 
from May 6 to May 17, the earliest eggs being in incubation 26 days 
and the latest 17 days. 
Exhaustive experiments, which were again conducted for the pur- 
pose of determining the value of starch and swamp muck for pre- 
venting adhesion of the eggs, seemed to demonstrate that no special 
advantage is to be derived from the use of either of these materials, 
except that it reduces the work of the spawn-taker somewhat, as it 
prevents the eggs from sticking together, and he does not have to 
separate them after fertilization has taken place. In conducting 
these experiments each lot of eggs was kept separate and the condi- 
tions carefully noted. It was observed that the same variation in the 
