REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 33 
on May 15, thus terminating the collecting season. The eggs collected 
amounted to only 57 per cent of the average of the four preceding sea- 
sons. The water temperature at the station differed from previous 
years, becoming lower instead of higher as the season advanced. On 
April 22 to 26 it was 66.6° F.; May 1 to5, 66.29; May 9 to 13, 64.8°. 
The following is a statement of the egy yield from the operation of 
the Fort Washington seine and the shad catch during the years 1887 
to 1891, inclusive: 
| Catch for 7 days F, 
ending— 1887. 1888. 1889. 1890. 1891 
PAP TILT as = =< payate 2 83 382 484 BTS) Serer ae 
ANT CLT 2 Dil eee eta 1, 600 485 929 1, 484 939 
PATIO T Sta. ce 778 1, 536 | 1, 904 1, 031 1, 254° 
WUE? CSRs eee er 2, 270 2, 898 150 796 714 
Miler Uliset 2 aioe cnc 2, 053 3, 196 1, 614 191 211 
IN (Syl Se ae ere eee 2,817 984 1, 070 231 20 
Waly Spr etc ease 747 1, 107 GG rate msaicle al a raretttatelato vay rs Oe 
URLOpen te ee reel Sa wrare cin See 2d | atorcarst Neee toca eat tea terre ee istenetee seat 
Total catch. - 10, 348 11, 212 6, 217 4, 606 3, 138 
Seine production | 
of eggs for the | 
WGEINSSSeS ceecrse 20, 956, 000 | 22, 657,000 | 17,738,000 | 10, 262,000 | 5,276,000 | 
For the removal of loose stone which obstructed the hauling of the 
Fort Washington seine an 8-foot beam trawl, in connection with the 
Seine capstans, was successfully employed. A useful fixture for remov- 
ing the fish scales from the eggs was also devised and put into practical 
operation. ‘This consisted of two 18-inch flared tin pans with handles, 
one nesting within the other, 2 inches of the bottom of the interior 
one being evenly cut off and covered with quarter-inch stretched twine 
netting. It was operated by filling the lower pan with water above 
the netting, and gently ladling in 2 or 3 gallons of eggs, when they 
would drop through the meshes, leaving the scales behind. 
An advance was made in transferring the eggs to Washington, by 
changing the time of shipment from evening to early morning, by which 
the afternoon heat was avoided. 
CENTRAL STATION, WASHINGTON, D. C. (S. G. WORTH, SUPERINTENDENT). 
1889-90. 
The scope of work of this station has continued as in previous years. 
The operations in hatching were as follows 
Received from— 
Number of 
Number of 
Species. eggs. fry hatched. 
Brook trout .-..-..--- Northville Station ............- 37, 500 30, 500 
Whitefish s:..-~ 22222: Sandusky Station .............. 5, 000,000 | 4, 400, 000 
Landlocked salmon-..| Schoodic Station -.............- 39, 000 18, 200 
Shades eenceceseeascc. Fort Washington Station ..-..- 31, 220, 000 | 23, 493, 000 
Yellow perch ......... Central’ Station: -< <cc.cesccces > 956, 000 754, 000 
Ota ete ee ees sere cheapic sma shltcenic 4 Hhscn|Souewce saces 28, 695, 700 
H. Mis. 113——3 
