212 FISH-CULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 
in the great delicacy of the egg shells in the latter stages, which 
caused the fish to hatch prematurely by concussion, and the other 
consisting of the difficulty of securing fine enough screens to 
hold the fish when hatched. 
Now since I found that the eggs would stand a great while 
in water without a change, even twelve hours, it is apparent 
that they may be hatched without motion, and thus prevent 
premature hatching, and as to the difficulty of confining the 
young fish by proper screens, all that seems necessary, is the 
substitution of clear water for that muddy water which | 
used. Not only do the rock spawn at Weldon, but incidentally 
at several points below, and with the system of impounding, 
there seems scarcely a doubt of securing a great supply of eggs, 
thus opening a means of propagating the choice, valuable 
striped bass. 
RESULT OF THE INTRODUCTION OF GILL-NETS 
INTO THE AMERICAN COD: FISHERIES: 
BYSCARTs JoiW:) COLLIN, 
The United States Fish Commission, though it has in so many 
ways done a useful and important work in the artificial propa- 
gation of food-fishes, has not confined itself solely to fish-cul- 
ture asa means for improving the American fisheries. It has 
accomplished quite as important objects by disseminating among 
our fishermen knowledge of methods of fishing, etc., to which 
they were previously strangers, and which has been of the ut- 
most advantage to them for the successful prosecution of their 
work. The introduction of the use of gill-nets in the cod fish- 
eries may be mentioned as an instance in point, and viewed in 
the light of results already attained (though we may yet consider 
this method of fishing only fairly begun), it seems not too much 
to claim that the bringing about of such an innovation in the 
