THIRTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. . 209 
THE PROPAGATION OF THE STRIPED BASS. 
BY S; G. “WORTH. 
The propagation of the striped bass, by artificial methods, ap- 
pears to be as easy of accomplishment as that of the shad, and 
there are greater opportunities probably of doing a large work 
with less money than is necessary in the propagation of shad. 
It is much to say that the striped bass can be as economically 
hatched as the white shad, for the expense of shad hatching is 
very small. From the observations upon the shipment of rock 
fry, it would seem that there is no difficulty whatever in suc- 
cessfully depositing the fry in rivers at points distant from the 
hatcheries. 
It is not known at what points ripe fish of this species can be 
found in greatest abundance, but in our present state of knowl- 
edge, Weldon, North Carolina, presents the greatest number. 
This town is at the head of navigation on Roanoke river near 
the North Carolina and Virginia line, and is more than one 
hundred miles above the head of the tide. The Roanoke 
river, at this point, is a large stream, which would be naviga- 
ble many miles further up except on account of the abrupt falls 
existing above a distance of a few miles. 
It isa muddy stream a great portion of the year, having its 
source about two hundred miles in the tributaries of the Dan 
and Staunton. 
However muddy its waters may be at times, a great portion 
of the volume is from pure mountain springs. 
Although large quantities of striped bass are taken during 
the several months by the large seines and pound nets seaward, 
there appears to be no one point where the eggs in a condition 
proper for fecundation can be found so abundantly. At the 
particular point named, the fall is so great that ordinarily, ow- 
ing to a lack of a great volume of water to smooth over the 
falls, the fish are unable to pass directly over, and in conse- 
quence are detained at the foot of the falls. 
Here more than a hundred canoes are used each spring in 
the capture of the striped bass. 
