56 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The distribution eomnienced in September and continued until 

 December 21, and included 96,905 yearling and 1,074 adult rainbow 

 trout, besides 16,147 brook trout transferred to Wytheville from Erwin, 

 Tenn., 4,400 rock bass and 8,540 black bass, of which 6,569 were reared 

 at the fish ponds in Washington. 



The food used in the summer consisted as usual of beef liver and 

 mush boiled in varying proportions, according to the size of the fish. 



The stock of breeding rainbow trout on hand at the commencement 

 of the spawning season numbered about 5,000, ranging in age from 1 to 

 10 years old, though fish under 3 years of age are not apt to produce 

 many eggs. The spawning season opened November 6 and lasted to 

 February 12, during which period 990,000 eggs were taken from 998 

 fish, an average of 992. The number of male fish used was about 800. 

 The variation in the size of the eggs taken was unusually great, and 

 was no doTibt caused by the great difference in the age and size of the 

 spawners. They ran from 312 to 445 to the ounce, the average for the 

 season being about 387. The eggs from all of the fish were smaller 

 than they have ever before averaged at this station, and there aj^pears 

 to have been a decided change in the habits of the fish for the past 

 two years as regards the time of spawning. Formerly at least 80 per 

 cent of the eggs taken were secured at night, but this season and last 

 50 per cent or more have been collected during the day. This change 

 is thought to be due to modification in the shape of the spawning- 

 ponds, the new ones being diamond-shaped and offering a more invit- 

 ing entrance to the raceways. Of the eggs collected 174,500, or a little 

 over 17 per cent, were unfertilized or lost during incubation, 377,000 

 were hatched, and 438,500 were shipped to other stations and to foreign 

 applicants. The consignments to Ireland and England reached desti- 

 nation in excellent condition, although en route from 10 to 12 days. 

 The fry hatched did well through the sac stage, and are being reared 

 in indoor troughs and ponds outside for distribution in the fall. 



For the purpose of introducing new blood in the brood stock, a con- 

 signment of 20,000 rainbow-trout eggs collected from wild fish in 

 California were shipped here by the California Fish Commission in 

 April. They had been packed by Mr. W. H. Shelby at Sisson, Cal., 

 and arrived in good condition, considering the distance traveled and 

 the warm weather at the time. They were at once transferred to 

 hatching-troughs and produced 16,500 fry, 3,500 of which died in a 

 few days, having hatched prematurely. The balance were on hand 

 at the close of the year and in excellent condition. 



A consignment of 38,400 brook-trout eggs was received in February 

 from Massachusetts, but they were of inferior quality and hatched 

 slowly and unsatisfactorily, thousands dying before leaving the shell. 

 By the time the yolk-sac was absorbed over 22,000 had been lost, and 

 on June 30 there remained about 14,000 fingerlings. A few brook 

 trout were retained from the hatch of last year and are now being 



