88 



REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



exact nature. The majority of the eggs retained at the station were 

 taken from the first run and commenced to hatch on September 27. 

 They finished on October 27, the yield amounting to 2,208,260. 



The eggs from the fall run and from Battle Creek were hatched 

 in October and November, and yielded, respectively, 174,920 and 

 1,187,050. The loss of fry during the sac stage was comparatively 

 small, amounting to 49,130, or 3.6 per cent of the total fry hatched. 

 Several days before the eggs commence to hatch at this station the 

 baskets are placed in clean troughs, two to each trough, where thej^ 

 remain until all have hatched except a fe.w hundred. The baskets 

 are then transferred to the last section of the trough, as these eggs 

 produce a large percentage of deformed fry. This was particularlj^ 

 noticeable in the eggs from Battle Creek; in some cases both the caudal 

 fin and the caudal vertebrae were apparently lacking. During the 

 process of hatching the baskets are shaken up twice a day to sift the 

 fry through and prevent their smothering. The fry are cleaned daily, 

 but the troughs can not be thoroughly scrubbed until the hatching is 

 completed. Upon the removal of the baskets the troughs are given a 

 good scrubbing and the operation is repeated twice a week until they 

 are planted. 



Early in the season the eggs retained for hatching seemed to show 

 an unusual mortality late in their development, but the measurement 

 of losses did not reveal anything to cause alarm. A considerable 

 mortality occurred in the alevins after they were somewhat advanced 

 in development, but in most instances the losses seemed to be indi- 

 vidually selective. The victims showed no preliminary affection, 

 and were usually taken from the oldest, strongest, and best lots of 

 fry. As this loss was not due to the fish smothering, it was believed 

 that the depth of water in the troughs might be too great; conse- 

 quently it was lowered from 6 to 4 inches in another line of troughs, 

 but the results were identically the same. A mud bath was also 

 tried without effect. The greatest loss occurred among the scattered 

 baskets of eggs, which had been retained at the station on account of 

 extraordinary losses upon first picking. This would seem to point to 

 the cause as antedating the taking of the eggs from the fish. 



The following table shows the daily take of eggs, eggs lost, and 

 mean temperature of water: 



Table showing daily take of eggs, eggs lost, etc. , at Baird Station. 



Date. 



Females 

 stripped. 



Eggs 

 taken. 



Eggs 

 lost. 



Mean 

 water 

 temper- 

 ature. 



Date. 



Females 

 stripped. 



Eggs 

 taken. 



Eggs 

 lost. 



Mean 

 water 

 temper- 

 ature. 



1899. 

 Aug.21 









55 

 54 

 54 

 54 

 55 

 55 

 55 

 55 



1899. 



Aug. 29 



30 



31 



Sept. 1 



2 



3 



4 



5 



20 

 21 

 81 

 40 

 40 

 50 

 45 

 53 



102,200 

 106,000 

 155,400 

 206,594 

 205,455 

 218,043 

 209,855 

 254,343 



350 



275 



200 



4,400 



4,100 



9,900 



4,000 



11,000 



55 



22 



32 

 25 

 13 



14 



175,000 



117,900 



80,200 



80,200 





55 



23 

 24 

 25 



26 



600 

 60 



900 

 1,200 



200 

 90 



55 

 54i 

 53 

 53 



27 

 28 



28 

 24 



151,000 

 U6,500 



53J 

 52* 



