REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 29 
_ property a hatchery building for the Commission, free of expense, the 
Commissioner, however, to furnish the necessary equipment. Mr. John 
Gay, inspector of stations, was directed to examine the location, and 
on his report and recommendation the offer of. Mr. Thompson was ac- 
cepted. Immediate steps were taken to ecup the station, and active 
operations were inaugurated. On April 22,1890, the steamer Fish 
Hawk arrived with the necessary materials, and her crew speedily 
fitted up the building. By May 12 the establishment was ready for the 
receipt of eggs, the water being derived from the supply of Gloucester 
City. 
The first eggs received were those transferred from the Fish Hawk. 
The spawn-takers commenced taking eggs May 13, visiting the fisheries 
daily by the launch Petrei. Their collections for the season closed 
May 28, 1890, amounting to 6,396,000 eggs, which were obtained from 
seines, as follows: Gloucester Point, 30,000; Faunce’s, 1,752,000; Rice’s, 
922,000; and Howell Cove, 3,792,000. These eggs, together with the 
3,654,000 transferred from the Mish Hawk, made a total of 10,150,000, 
and ented 6,204,000 fry, which were liberated in Big ember Or eek 
New Jersey, a stream near Gloucester City. The water fearpemee 
in the hatchery was 58° May 12; 60° May 15 to 23; and 63° May 31. 
Further details concerning the operations at Gloucester, N. J., will 
be found in the account of the operations of the Fish Hawk, pages 55 
and 56. 
1890-91. 
In the previous year’s work it was found that the water used was of 
too low a temperature and also contained injurious ingredients. In 
order to obtain supplies of amore suitable character for the work, a 
pumping plant was put in with a suction pipe laid to the Delaware 
River, connection still being maintained with the city supply for cases 
of emergency. The steam launch Petrel was again assigned here. 
The Fish Hawk being needed tor other work, the propagation of shad 
on the Delaware River was conducted by this station only. The col- 
lection of eggs began April 30, 1891, and was continued till June 2, 
resulting in a total of 12,465,000. Fry produced from these eggs 
amounted to 6,155,000, of which 4,930,000 were turned over to messen- 
gers for distribution and 1,225,000 deposited locally in Big Timber 
Creek. The seines attended for spawn were those at Gloucester Point, 
Faunce’s, and Howell Cove. The largest day’s production of eggs, 
1,242,000, was on May 1, the Howell Cove seine furnishing 973,000 of 
these. During the season but one ripe shad was obtained at Gloucester 
Point, a source of 2,500,000 eggs the year preceding. 
The weather was abnormal and the river being low from a drought 
in the headwaters was made lower by prevailing winds from the north 
and northwest. There were snow flurries May 6. The catch of shad 
was within 25 per cent of the usual number, but spawning fish were 
