1036 EEPOKT OF COMMISSIONEtJ OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [2] 



onism, however, should lead the Commission to establish its own sta- 

 tions for seine-hauling and collecting fish eggs in certain places known 

 to be well adapted to that purpose, thereby placing itself above any 

 local prejudice. 



There exists at Fort Washington, Md., a well-known fishing*shore, 

 extending northeast from the light-house, between it and Swan Creek. 

 The Commission intended to fish this shore with its own seine, in order 

 to test its capabilities for a permanent station, but a man named L. G. 

 Harron, having produced a jpermit from the commandant of the arsenal 

 stating that he was fullj^ prepared and had spent a great deal of money 

 on his outfit, was granted permission to fish the shore, on the conditions 

 of supplying fish for the employes of the Commission, agreeing to fish 

 his seine until the 10th of June, unless it was mutually deemed a failure. 

 The limits of the station were the Upper Potomac Eiver as far as 

 Chapman's Point, Maryland, affcerwaids reduced to and including 

 White House, Va, Above Fort Washington there are no seines and 

 consequently few gill-nets, although numerous pound-nets exist in the 

 Georgetown channel near the Long Bridge. 



At Fort Washing1;on the channel of the river narrows to about a 

 quarter of a mile, with a steep bluff on the Maryland side, the water 

 suddenly deepening to 70 feet 5 from this point the river widens into 

 a large, shallow bay extending to White House, Ya., miles in length, and 

 from 1 to 2 miles in breadth. Here are situated the fishing-shores of 

 Mockley's and Bryan's Points, Terry Landing, and White House, be- 

 sides numerous pound and gill nets. This bay has long been known as 

 the favorite resort of spawning fish, which seem to run on the flats 

 near Piscataway Creek seeking a place to spawn. It is here that most 

 of the shad eggs on the Potomac are taken ; in good seasons the yield 

 should be from 30,000,000 to 50,000,000 of shad eggs; under most un- 

 favorable conditions this year, it was nearly 22,000,000. 



The general condition of the Potomac Eiver, in regard to fisheries 

 this season, has been bad — rains, sudden and frequent changes of 

 temperature, and very muddy water. On the 14th of April the tem- 

 perature of the river was unusually high, at 58^ F., falling gradually 

 on the 26th until it reached 51° F., the weather during the latter 

 part of April being cold and rainy. Louring the month of May the 

 temperature gradually increased from 53° F. to 68° F., and on June 20 

 it had reached 81° F. ; the shad taken at this time were blighted or 

 had already spawned. 



The first shad eggs, 64,000 in number, were taken on April 14, 

 five days earlier than the previous year; the greatest number of eggs, 

 1,140,000, were taken on May 19, and delivered in Washington in 

 fine condition. During the first part of the season the condition of the 

 eggs was not good; sometimes they were kept nearly twenty-four hours 

 awaiting transportation to the hatching station at the Armory Build- 



