REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 47 
A consignment of 19,000 Von Behr trout eggs, received from North- 
ville February 5, 1891, produced satisfactorily, there being more than 
17,000 fry on hand April 1. A second consignment of 6,900 eggs from 
the same source also produced well, there being 5,500 fry on hand May 
11. These, in addition to the 17,000, were retained for rearing. 
Vigilance was required to protect the stock of fish against predatory 
animals, and during the year there were killed 168 birds, 21 mammals, 
and 98 reptiles, not including frogs. 
In addition to the constructions provided under the Specific appro- 
priations before mentioned, there was built, for the use of the Com- 
mission’s distributing cars, a siding from the Kansas City, Fort Smith 
and Southern Railway. <A connection was also made with the water 
main of Neosho for supplying the station, as well as the distribution 
cars while occupying the railway siding. 
LEADVILLE STaTIOoN, CoLtorapo (E. M. Ropinson AaNnp H. D. DAN, SUPERIN- 
TENDENTS), 
In the report for 1888 mention was made of the location of a station 
near Leadville, Colo., for the breeding and rearin g of trout, and of the 
appropriation by Congress of $15,000 for the necessary constructions. 
As soon as this sum became available, July 1, 1889, plans and speeifi- 
cations for a fish-hatchery were prepared and proposals for its erection 
invited by advertisement. But one bid being received, and that for a 
sun greater than the appropriation, a second call was made, resulting 
in the receipt of three bids, the lowest being that of Mr. L. G. Hunt, 
of Pueblo, Colo., at $12,672. This was accepted, and on October 14, 
1889, formal contract for the construction of the building was made. 
Work was immediately begun, but owing to many causes, chiefly bad 
weather and roads, the building was not completed till October, 1890, 
final acceptance of the structure not being given till November 1, 
In view of the failure to receive suitable proposals in response to the 
first call, and the delay that would ensue before new proposals could 
be obtained and the contract let, which would have resulted in theloss 
of a year’s time in the active work of propagation, it was decided to 
erect a frame building which could be used as a temporary hatchery 
and afterward as a rearing-house for fry. A box flume, some 740 feet 
in length, was laid to bring, by gravity, from springs on the hillside, a 
supply of water to the hatchery. Active work was commenced on Sep- 
tember 9, 1889, and the structure was ready for the reception of eges 
about the middle of October. In the meantime, by permission of the 
owner, Dr. John Law, 8,000 brook trout were taken from the Evergreen 
Lakes and held in ponds till ready to spawn. From these fish 568,000 
eggs were obtained and placed in troughs in the temporary hatchery. 
The erection of this temporary hatchery was under the general direc- ° 
tion of Mr, John Gay, inspector of Stations, assisted by Mr, William 
