EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 7 



operations were conducted from the Duluth station, over 12,000,000 

 eggs were taken. The fry hatched from these eggs Avere planted on 

 the spawning-grounds of the Great Lakes. 



The white-fish work was carried on in Lake Erie from the station 

 at Put-in Bay, at Monroe Piers, Michigan, and at the three fisheries 

 on the Detroit River, which were operated as a result of arrange- 

 ments with the Michigan Fish Commission. At the latter point more 

 than 34,000 white-fish were penned, which yielded 244,000,000 eggs; 

 479,000,000 eggs were taken altogether, filling all of the available 

 hatcheries, besides permitting 10,000,000 to be sent to the New York 

 Fish Commission and nearly 6,000,000 to that of Pennsylvania. Over 

 337,838,000 white-fish eggs were hatched and tlie ivy liberated, a gain 

 of nearly 200,000,000 over the year before. As the majoritj^ of the 

 eggs were obtained from fish which had been impounded or penned, 

 the excellent results of the season's work verify the prediction in the 

 report of last year as to the advantages of this manner of insuring a 

 supply of spawn. 



The taking of spawning pike-perch in Lake Erie was seriously inter- 

 fered with by the backwardness of the sjDring, the ice remaining in 

 the lake till an unusually late date, so that when nets could be set 

 and fishing begun but few fish were found on the spawning-grounds. 

 The inference is that numbers had already spawned. The season 

 lasted but a few days, and only 138,000,000 eggs were taken at Put-in 

 Bay, and these were of poor quality, producing but 57,000,000 fry. 



The pike-perch season was also shortened in Vermont, where, from 

 the experience of the previous year, good results were hoped for, but 

 freshets in the Missisquoi River prevented the fish from ascending 

 to spawn until April 14, and eggs were only taken between the 22d 

 and 31st. Although 115,000,000 eggs were secured at this iDoint, the 

 percentage hatched was not satisfactory, for a cause which is not 

 yet determined. Steps are now being taken to prevent, if possible, 

 similar losses in future. 



At the stations in New England devoted to the propagation of 

 marine commercial fishes very satisfactory results have been attained. 

 Brood cod-fish were captured and held in the pools at Woods Hole 

 for spawning purposes, and collecting stations were established at 

 Plymouth, Mass., and Kittery Point, Me., where spawn-takers could 

 obtain eggs from fish taken b}' the fishing vessels. From the 2,200 fish 

 impounded at Woods Hole 103,440,000 eggs were secured, and from 

 other sources 251,505,000. These were hatched at the Woods Hole 

 and Gloucester stations and yielded 265,324,000 fry, which were lib- 

 erated at suitable points along the coast. This record exceeds any 

 previous one by over 50,000,000. The fish remaining of the brood 

 stock at Woods Hole were numbered, tagged, and recorded before 

 liberation, in accordance with the plan of systematic observations 

 concerning the migration, rate of growth, etc., of the cod, which has 

 been already described. 



