SECTION VII. 



SALT-WATER FISH. 



Many salt-water fishes have been successfully 

 hatched, but never for rearing in ponds. The work 

 has been confined to the United States Fish Commis- 

 sion, and the States of New York and Massachusetts. 

 The first work of the kind in America, as far as I know, 

 was done by me at Noank, Conn., in June, 1874, when 

 Prof. Baird wished to try and take the eggs of some 

 sea-bass (Centropristes striatns), which were confined 

 in fish cars. This was done with bleeding hands before 

 I learned just how sharp these fin-rays were. I used 

 floating boxes, and took many eggs, which were quite 

 small, being twenty-five to the linear inch. These eggs 

 were watched under the microscope several times a 

 day, for the scientists of the United States Fish Com- 

 mission were there, and the development recorded. 

 Things went well until the fourth day, when a storm 

 upset the boxes as the eggs were about to hatch. (See 

 Report U. S. F. C, 1874.) ' 



Since that the experts have hatched the scup, or 

 porgy ; the tautog, or blackfish ; the flounder, sea her- 

 ring, sheepshead; weakfish, or squeteague; cod, had- 

 dock, Spanish mackerel, and other salt-water species, 



290 



