REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 27 



at that time caused freshets, which prevented the fish from ascend- 

 ing until April 14, and consequently shortened the season. The sea- 

 son here commenced April 22 and continued until the 31st, during 

 which period 115,000,000 eggs were collected from 1,859 females; 

 85,225,000 eggs were transferred to Cape Vincent and the balance 

 hatched and distributed under direction of the Vermont Commission. 

 From the Cape Vincent hatchery 25,000,000 fry were distributed, 

 making a total of 37,500,000 as a result of the season's work on the 

 Missisquoi River. 



It is difficult to account for the large loss that occurs in hatching 

 pike-perch eggs, unless it is that they are unfertilized. Unfortunately 

 the collecting stations are so distant from the regular station that we 

 have been unable, up to this time, to make careful microscopic exami- 

 nations to show whether this loss is due to the lack of fertilization or to 

 injury in transportation. It is believed by the superintendent of the 

 Cape Vincent station that very much better results would be secured if 

 -the eggs were eyed at the point where they are collected, and trans- 

 ferred afterwards. With a view to determining this matter definitely 

 arrangements were made to erect a small hatchery at Swanton, but it 

 was not only too small to handle the eggs collected, but the water 

 supply was of such poor quality that it was necessary to keep men at 

 work night and day clearing away the trash brought down by the 

 melting snows; consequently the results were very unsatisfactory and 

 no definite conclusions have yet been reached. 



Early in October arrangements were made for the collection of 

 brood cod for the Woods Hole station; also for the establishment 

 of auxiliary collecting stations at Plymouth, Mass., and Kittery Point, 

 Me., to supply the Gloucester and Woods Hole stations with eggs. 

 The schooner Grampus during the months of October and November 

 captured and delivered at Woods Hole 2,200 brood cod varying from 

 6 to 20 pounds. These commenced to spawn in November and yielded 

 103,440,000 eggs. In addition to these the station received from the 

 spawn-takers stationed at Plymouth 71,275,000 cod eggs collected 

 from fishing vessels which ply from that port. The work at Kittery 

 was even more suc(?essful than in the past and the eggs collected 

 were of superior quality, due largely to the exceptionally good weather 

 which prevailed from November to February. From this point 

 180,230,000 cod eggs were shipped to Gloucester between November 28 

 "and March 23, which, with the shipments from Plymouth, gave the 

 station an aggregate of 198,880,000. As a result of the work at the 

 two stations, 265,324,000 cod fry were liberated along the coast of New 

 England from December to March. The results were very gratifying, 

 being over 50,000,000 greater than ever before. The adult cod which 

 survived the spawning operation were tagged and liberated from the 

 Woods Hole station, as heretofore, with a view to getting additional 

 data with reference to their migrations, rate of growth, etc; 1,311 



