8 REPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The efforts to increase the production of flat-fish have been con- 

 tinued, and in the propagation of this species better results have been 

 attained by abandoning the method pursued in the past of artificially 

 fertilizing the eggs. This year the brood-fish were taken to Woods 

 Hole and allowed to spawn naturally in tanks at the station, and the 

 percentage of fry obtained greatly exceeded former results. From 

 102,000,000 eggs 87,115,000 fry were hatched and planted. 



The hope was expressed in a previous report that some appreciable 

 effect had been made on the lobster fishery by the efforts which have 

 been made to increase the supply, but the scarcity of lobsters and 

 consequent difficulty in obtaining egg lobsters from the fishermen, 

 notwithstanding the cordial cooperation of the State fish commissions 

 throughout New England, has made impossible a larger output of fry. 

 All available means were employed to obtain the egg-bearing lobsters, 

 captured by fishermen along the entire New England coast. The 

 schooner Grampus and a steam smack visited the fishing centers of 

 Maine from April to July, and agents stationed at the more important 

 ports from New Hampshire to Connecticut were authorized to purchase 

 egg lobsters from both fishermen and dealers. 



From points north of Cape Cod less than 5,000 lobsters were secured. 

 These produced 63,300,000 eggs, which were hatched at Gloucester and 

 yielded 58,600,000 fry. From points south of the cape only 28,000,000 

 eggs were secured, from which 22,600,000 lobsters were hatched at 

 Woods Hole. 



The continued decrease of the fishery is shown by the smaller num- 

 ber of men now engaging in it. In 1900 only 10 men fished for lobsters 

 from Noank, Conn., and 1 man from Block Island, while in 1899 40 

 men were thus employed from the former point and 15 from the latter. 

 In Buzzards Baj^ and vicinity a similar decrease was noted. At New 

 Bedford, in 1899, the Commission obtained 347 egg lobsters, while 

 during the present season only 26 were to be had. 



The propagation of shad during the season just closed was attended 

 with very good results, some 6,000,000 more fry being hatched and 

 planted than the year before. The new station at Eden ton, N. C, was 

 in operation for the first time, and the work in Albemarle Sound was 

 conducted from this point. The regular stations on the Potomac and 

 Susquehanna rivers met with good success, though the season was 

 backward and unfavorable conditions caused the cessation of work 

 on the Potomac by the middle of May. On the Delaware, however, 

 the run of shad was unusually large, the fish being caught in such 

 numbers that there was almost no sale for them. The steamer Fish 

 Hawk, which was stationed on this river at Gloucester, N. J., collected 

 over 80,000,000 eggs between April 27 and May 31. In all, 316,000,000 

 eggs were obtained, from which 241,056,000 fry were hatched and 

 planted. 



The constantly increasing applications for the basses and the excel- 



