REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



79 



only 12,582 were obtained as against 31,000 the previous year. From 

 one pond that had yielded 20,000 the preceding year only 90 young 

 fish were found. No explanation of this can be given unless it be 

 that they were smothered by confervse, which appeared in this pond 

 in large quantities during the season and entirely stopped the growth 

 of vegetation. Of the fish taken from the ponds 10,500, or 83 per cent, 

 were successfully distributed. From observations made it is obvious 

 that it takes fourteen days for the absorption of the sac — that is, two 

 weeks from hatching to scattering — with a daily water temperature 

 ranging from 62° to 75°. 



Nearly 2,000 pounds of crawfish were removed from the ponds during 

 the year and fed to the bass. No special effort has been made to 

 exterminate them, as it is thought their value as food for the fish 

 more than counterbalances the damage they cause to the pond banks, 

 etc., and with proper care in drawing the ponds it is not probable that 

 their presence is detrimental to the young fish. 



The following shows the fish on hand at the end of the year: 



• 



Calendar year in which fish were hatched. 



Species. 



1900. 



1899. 



1898. 



1897. 



1896 or 

 earlier. 



Rainbow trout ........... .................... 



97,000 



2,500 

 155 

 177 

 200 



1,375 



370 

 81 



30 



Black bass . ........... . 



75 



Rock bass 







50 



strawberry bass . . 







58 





Golden ide ... - 







11 



Salmon 





140 



















Total 



97,000 



3,172 



1,375 



509 



166 







Leadville Station, Colorado (E. A. Tulian, Superintendent). 



The brook trout on hand at the beginning of the year were kept in 

 troughs and ponds until August, when they were distributed, with a 

 loss of about 5,000, to applicants in Colorado. 



Arrangements were made during the summer for the collection of 

 eggs on shares from various private lakes. The brood-fish at the sta- 

 tion commenced spawning early in October and continued until the 

 8th of December, 214,600 eggs being collected from them. They were 

 of poor quality, however, and only 117,000 were eyed. Of these 45,000 

 were shipped and 72,000 fry were hatched. The period of incubation 

 varied from 131 to 138 days. 



The following table shows the number of brook trout eggs collected 

 at the various points and the period of spawning: 



Point of collection. 



Station 



Musgro ve lakes . . . 



Young's ponds 



Ridgeway's ponds. 



Smith's ponds 



Wellington Lake . . 



Uneva Lake 



Decker Lake 



Derry Lakes 



Total . 



Spawning period. 



October, November, December 

 do - 



October and November 



November and December 



October and November 



October, November , December 



October and November 



November - 



November and December 



No. of eggs. 



1, 



214,600 

 805,800 

 496,800 

 305, 100 

 131,400 

 956,400 

 345,400 

 239,200 

 420,700 



4,815,400 



