30 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. * 
very searce, and ripe bucks of such infrequent occurrence that it was 
at all times difficult to secure enough milt for purposes of fertilization, 
A great’: many shad moved upward to headwaters, many being seen 
in the vicinity of Egypt Mills, Pike County, Pa., and in New York State, 
as much as 300 miles above the ocean, higher than known since the 
building of the dam at Lackawaxen in the year 1823. The head- 
waters were made accessible to the spawning shad by the construction 
in 1889 of a fishway at the dam by the joint action of New York and 
Pennsylvama, Fishing operations ceased June 3, and the station was 
closed June 6, 
BATTERY ISLAND STATION, MARYLAND (W. DE C. RAVENEL, SUPERINTENDENT). 
1889-90. 
As in previous years, in addition to the operation of the Commission’s 
Station on Battery Island, the canning house of Mr. 8. J. Seneca, at 
Havre de Grace, was rented for the season and equipped with 100 hatch- 
ing jars of a capacity of 8,000,000 eggs. This auxiliary hatchery being 
located in the proximity of the railroad station proved a valuable ad- 
junct to the work of distribution. The collection of spawn began April 
21 and continued till May 20, 1890, the aggregate number of eggs se- 
cured by the two establishments being 32,405,000. Of these, 12,637,000 
were transferred to the cars for hatching en route; from the remainder 
12,248,000 fry were produced, which were also mainly distributed by 
the messenger service. ‘To procure the eggs, 60,600 fathoms of seine 
haul and 179,925 fathoms of gil) net were attended, the number of seined 
shad examined being 22,800 and of those from gill nets, 16,700, a total 
of 39,500, of which 985 were stripped. 
Karly in May continued heavy rains caused muddy water and backed 
the run of shad down the bay, so that the seine catch was reduced to 
one-third of that of the previous year and the gill-net catch to one half. 
Of the entire production of eggs, more than three-fourths were obtained 
prior to the freshet period, commencing May 7. The eggs, though 
scarce, were of unusually good quality and afforded fry of superior vigor. 
1890-91. 
Shad hatching was again conducted both at Battery Island and at 
the auxiliary hatchery at Havre de Grace. On April 17, 1891, twenty 
spawn-takers began operations, and from that time until June 6 were 
interrupted by storms but two nights. By the 1st of May 26,370,000 
eges had been secured, and by the end of the season a total of 63,110,000. 
Of these, 837,000 were turned over to the Delaware Fish Commission 
and 7,413,000 to the Fish Commission’s cars for hatching en route to the 
places of deposit. From the remainder were produced 37,747,000 fry. 
The eggs obtained on each of nine days were over a million, on twelve 
